Once again, it is time to take a look at another "Hidden Gem" I discovered while judging the Smartphone and Pocket PC Best of 2007 Awards. This one was a little extra hidden as I was not originally a judge in the Button Mapping Utilities category. Toward the end of judging, however, this was one of several categories which had a shortage of judges, and I volunteered to take a look. Only through that last minute accident did I discover HotButton Plus from Burr Oak Software.

HotButton, to me, is one of those programs which seems so obvious that once you load it, you start wondering why no one else thought of it. Essentially, HotButton allows you to assign an almost unlimited number of actions to a single button. To do this, it creates virtual hot buttons which appear on your screen when summoned.

Simply assign HotButton to any of your hardware buttons using the button mapping utility in the settings menu of your device, or any third party button mapping software. Then, use HotButton’s setup utility to assign actions and create virtual buttons. You can use it to launch a program, change settings on your device, dial a number, and virtually anything else you can come up with.

To create a hot button, simply launch the hot button setup utility and then select new button. From here, you will have a screen of pull down menus and command lines which allow you to set up the new button. There are three types of button which you can make:

• Launch will launch any program on your device. Just select the program from the pull down menu which appears on the screen.
• Built In allows you to run a number of built in functions, such as call log, phone status, network status, and more.
• Dial will dial any number on your phone.

I was extremely impressed by the vast array of uses for a program like this. You could create a series of dial buttons in order to facilitate quick access to your contacts. You could also use Hot Button to run a series of utilities, such as memory cleaners or other tools. You can even use it to monitor the status of your device. Frankly, the possibilities are almost endless.

One thing I did notice was that the setup screens were all based upon pulldown menus and command line prompts. It would be much easer to use if these menus were replaced with a graphical interface.

I was also a little surprised to find that there is little integration with other areas of your device. For example, to program a button to dial a phone number, you have to manually input the phone number. It would seem more intuitive and easier to setup if you could simply assign one of your contacts to a hot button. Likewise, I would love a button which could display my appointments for the day. I could not, however, find a way to perform this basic task.

Additionally, when you create a new task, you can also assign a sound to the task. Either choose from any WAV files stored on your device (a number of sound files come included with Hot Button, or you can record your own.

Once you have created all of the tasks you want to associate with HotButton, it is time to take it for a spin. You should have already assigned Hot Button to one of your hardware buttons. Simply press that button and a hot button will appear on your screen with the first task on your list. Press it again, and it will toggle to the second task, and so on. If you press the button by accident or change your mind, you can toggle to the end of the list where you will find a cancel button. Once you have found the hot button you wish to use, just tap it on the screen and the selected task will be performed.

I did find, however, that it became somewhat cumbersome to continuously toggle through all of those hot buttons once you had created more than two or three. It would be nice if there was an option of displaying multiple buttons on the screen at the same time. Additionally, it would be nice if there was an option to launch multiple tasks with a single hot button. This would be extremely useful, for example, if you wanted to activate Bluetooth and dial a number. You could push a single hot button in order to complete both tasks.

Nonetheless, this program offers a significant advantage over many other program launchers. HotButton is the only one which does not require you to return to the today screen in order to access it. From any screen, and within any program, just push the hardware button and your hot buttons will instantly appear on top of your work. Use it to check your battery status or memory, quickly dial a phone number, or even launch a program from anywhere. Because you can perform these tasks without returning to your today screen, HotButton maximizes the efficiency of your device.

Once I started using HotButton, I found that I simply could not live without it. The ability to launch multiple programs, tasks, and other actions with a single push of a button was far too intriguing. And, unlike most button mapping programs which limit you to a single (or sometimes two) action per button, Hot Button allows you to create unlimited buttons, all assigned to the same hardware button. Sure, there may have been a few tweaks I would have made, but overall, this is one of the best programs I have found for quickly accessing tasks and information on your device. I am looking forward to seeing it further refined in future versions. It is easy to see why I selected this as a "Hidden Gem". What is more difficult to understand is why it took me so long to find this one.

Vital Stats:

Name: HotButton Plus

Version: 3.0

Developer: Burr Oak Software

Where to Purchase: Burr Oak Software

Price: $9.99

Test Device: Sprint Mogul with WM 6

Other Platforms: WM5.

Trial: 14 day unlimited use.

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