As we were counting down the last days of 2008, the team was discussing the best way to close out the year.  In the past, we have done the JAMM Essentials list, which pretty much focused on Windows Mobile software.  That was fine at the time, but it seemed horribly inadequate now, considering that less than half the team is currently using Windows Mobile on a regular basis.  I am just thrilled with our newfound diversity around here.  Our team uses virtually every platform out there for your mobile devices.  In addition to Windows Mobile, you will find us using the iPhone, Palm, Blackberry, and Symbian.  Pretty much everything except Android (and maybe we can add some Android coverage soon).  But the point of all of this was that a list of our favorite software just did not make sense with so many different platforms to cover.  Instead, the JAMM team would like to present a few of our favorite things.  Hit the jump to see what we loved about 2008.  and stay tuned to find out how you can win some of this great swag!

The 2008 JAMM Favorite Things

Brandon:

1. BestSkinsEver, InvisibleShield, BodyGaurdz. I use them all and can’t imagine being without the thin scratch proofing they offer.

2. EverNote. Brain meet 2nd brain.

3. 1Password on OS X. Brain meet third brain.

4. OtterBox. Yes the whole darned company. Thank you.

5. This one is a tie:

– TwitterFon – lightweight, simple, fast and free twitter client.

– Ambiance – gets rid of everyone in the office and let’s me think / read in peace.

Doug:

1. MSI Wind: All the power of my laptop…with only half the weight.  What could be better?

2. iPod Touch: Best mobile video player (period).  And a lot of the apps don’t suck either.

3. HTC Touch Pro: I may not be fond of Touch Flo 3d, but the idea is innovative and shows that OEMs are starting to think in the right direction.  And the hardware is the best I have ever used on a Windows Mobile device.

4. Blueant V1 BT headset: No other headset has come close.  And the voice controls are fantastic.

5. Ultimate Ears headphones: I thought I loved the super.fi 3…until I tried their Super.fi 5.  i had no idea my music sounded this good!

A few runners up: Toodledo.  Evernote.  eWallet.  GooSync.  These are pretty much everything I need to keep track of all of my important information.

Heather:

1. Palm Centro

2. eWallet & 4cast for Palm

3. Panasonic 925

4. Zune 4

5. Sena Blackberry magnetic flip case

Lauren:

1. Garmin nuvi 265WT: I never realized how much I would end up using this nifty little GPS unit. It does a great job of getting me where I’m going with an easy-breezy user interface and tons of handy extras. There are some great deals to be found online for this model, making it tough to beat the 265WT when it comes to value.

2. Aliph Jawbone II: Everyone needs a Bluetooth headset they love. The Jawbone II does the job for me – great sound, easy to use, travels well, and it has a comfortable fit to go along with the sharp looks.

3. SENA Magnet Flipper case: Whoever thought of a flip case that hinges at the bottom so it falls neatly out of the way instead of flapping around your forehead is a genius. Add that to a slim profile, lovely leather that molds to your usage patterns, and overall excellent craftsmanship, and you’ve got the terrific SENA Magnet Flipper.

4. Touch Pro by HTC: We all know Windows Mobile has its problems, but this phone is the best available in the US at dealing with them. HTC has loaded it with a big slug of RAM, plenty of storage, an eye-popping screen, and a bevy of nice firmware touches in addition to the famous TouchFlo 3D. It’s one extremely well-designed piece of hardware, and the keyboard kicks something I can’t say on a family site.

5. eWallet for Windows Mobile by Ilium: An oldie but a goodie, there’s a reason that eWallet shows up on the JAMM Essentials list year after year. It’s one of the first things I load on a new device. Now up to version 6, it’s the wallet application to beat on a Pocket PC.

Runners up:

– Spb Traveler (narrow appeal, but a business traveler’s best friend)

– Opera Mobile (some stiff competition – the browser wars are still up in the air)

Monica:

1. Blackberry Storm

2. Cogi for mobile calls

3. Motorola H680 Bluetooth Headset

4. TwitterBerry

5. Verizon Navigator

Peter:

1. EeePC 1000H

2. Evernote, best cross platform note taker, cloud application. makes others look like doggy do 

3. SPB Keyboard  4, the closest thing to iPhone for WinMo, nothing else has done the finger friendly thing on older devices.

4. CETwit, lovely interface, intelligent design, only stores what it needs, so doesn’t give a problem with space on a WinMo device.

5. Opera Mini 4.2. this has been a revelation to me, software wise, I’m not having to pull the Axim out or be near a wifi AP, it uses so little data, and makes a dumb phone, or semi-literate phone a real internet tool. I’m not sure that’s the right place on the list for that but 1 through 5 is not a rating, it is just a list of the things I’ve found have changed my mobile experience significantly.

Rita:

1. Nokia E71: Hands down the best handset of the year in my opinion, superb build quality, software improvements, battery life,…

2. Proporta Ted Baker Six Pack: I realize that this gadget is more than one year old, but I only got to use it a few months ago, and it’s the best accessory I can dream of having.

3. Share on Ovi: I never was a Flickr user, and when Share on Ovi was announced, I decided to try both at the same time. Flickr seemed outdated and counter-intuitive, while Share on Ovi had everything where I expected it to be. And it supports ANY kind of file, not only images and videos. Hands down the best sharing service around.

4. Shozu, Handy Weather, Nokia Maps, Google Maps, Fring, Windows Live Messenger for S60 3rd Edition: it’s not one application, but it’s this array of applications & services that helped me before and after I moved to Paris, get settled and keep in contact with my friends & family back home.

5. Jaiku: again, one of my favorite services for micro blogging. I tried Twitter but almost shot myself on the head for the lack of structure, conversation, and the amazing amount of self-centered posts there. Jaiku is the only place I can carry a decent conversation, in a structured way, and the community there is awesome.

Sue:

1. Sprint Touch Pro

2. PPCTechs Anti-Glare WriteSHIELD

3. Skooba Sidekick laptop bag

4. PocketExpress (which is free!!)

5. Bubble Breaker (also free with your Windows Mobile device)

Thomas:

1. Waterfield Smart Case for iPhone

2. Stanza for iPhone

3. V-Moda Vibe Duos

4. Richard Solo 1800

5. Beejive IM

Timothy (TJ):

1. EverNote (Notes)

2. Neat Receipts (Keep things tidy!)

3. MSI Wind / Eee PC (Netbooks!)

4. WMWiFiRouter (Ultimate tethering)

5. LogMeIn (For remote desktop access)

So, there you have it…a few of our favorite things.  But what good is talking about our favorite things, if we cannot share them with you.  So, stay tuned.  We are going to be doing our best impression of Oprah, giving away some of the things on our favorite things lists…as well as a whole lot more.   Watch for our favorite things contest coming soon…

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