Did you preorder the Kindle 2 this week?  I certainly did. Sure, I know it is not perfect, and it is way overpriced, but the truth is that it is the perfect device for someone like me who rides the train every day and loves to read.  In fact, I am not alone as I know Judie over at Gear Diary and Dan from Whats On iPhone are also anxiously checking their mailboxes for anthose Amazon packages.  The Kindle2 looks great,  there are tons of improvements over the first generation including size (it is thin!), speed (pages apparently turn much faster), and internal memory (2GB!).  Watch for our joint review coming soon.

One of the major disappointments for me, however, was that the Kindle 2 does not include a case, sleeve, cover, or any kind of protection.  I mean, when I spent $360 on a device, I don’t just want to toss it in my back unprotected.  I don’t like this trend at all, but it is sadly increasingly pervasive that after buying high end electronics you have to spend additional cash in order to give it ANY protection.  With the Kindle, you will have to spend an additional $30 (minimum) for the official case.  Well, in my opinion, if you are going to spend money on a case, it warrant taking a minute to look around and see if you have any other options.

Fortunately, we are already starting to see some case manufacturers coming up with some very nice alternatives.  Hit the link to see a preview of what Waterfield and M-Edge plan to do to protect your new Kindle 2 (reviews of both are hopefully coming soon). 

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Can I confide in you? No really, can I talk to you about something that’s been a quandary for me ever since I started looking at Windows Mobile devices.  How do you browse the web from Windows Mobile?

I’m slightly confounded at this point, and I’d like to hear from other Windows Mobile users out there, as to how your preferred browser works. I have a few Dell Axims, x51 and x51v.  Opera 8.65 works great, and MIE works great. When I  got a used Tilt recently, Internet Explorer Mobile hangs every time I try to use it, even after a ROM upgrade.

So what am I using as my preferred/default browser, ???

Opera 9.5 beta, and I’m wondering if anyone else is also using it on an older device and getting away with it? Hit me up in the comments with an answer

Every Windows Mobile user seems to lament the native Windows Mobile user interface. I somehow think this was a ploy by Microsoft to spurn a burgeoning windows mobile software industry. Of course though, the search for the perfect today screen set up, I know I’ve really had to look high and low for a adequate solution. I’ve mentioned, myriad times about my preferred set up, and I always look for new solutions to try. So I came across a new solution from Teksoft that I wanted to share with you.

I haven’t tried it out yet, but this is an update to a former release called SkyBox from Teksoft, which sort of conflicts naming convention wise with what we are expecting Microsoft to announce next week. Anyway crack the link for more info

Teksoft – Future Teknology

C’mon, you know that’s the one thing that keeps you from really using your phone to play some music out loud: that craptastic, tinny bass that just ruins every other song. I’m actually pretty impressed with the Blackberry Bold’s speakers (they certainly put the iPhone 2G’s to shame), but even they’re not good enough to play songs with any sort of bass. I’ve been a fan of Sony Ericsson phones for a while now and it’s nice to see them trying something new with the hardware here. I’m not expecting incredible quality from a handset that fits in my palm, but any attempt to lower that icky tinny sound is welcome here on JAMM! Who’s with me?!

If you want to know more about the phone, I’ve pasted the full press release after the jump.

[news and pic via Gizmodo]

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If you know about the Bell (canadian carrier) UI for the HTC Diamond and Touch Pro then you’ve probably seen an interface very much like this already. That’s because Home is made by the same folks that worked with Bell to make that cool today screen replacement. I first tried Home a little over a year ago when I still used my HTC TyTN and although I was intrigued, the interface was just too laggy and used up too much RAM for my  liking. Actually, come to think of it, my first comment on JAMM was on Patrick’s PointUI post!

Anyhow, now that WM devices come with at least 128 MB of RAM, however, the story might be different. If you’re interested in an alternative today screen interface for your WinMo device, why not check this out for free? TouchFlo and Mobile Shell (3.0 coming soon…) are great, but the fantastic thing about WM is the ridiculous variety. There are also apparently plans to make a paid version of the app with more widgets and a more centralized messaging applet – keep an eye out!

You can download Home 2 and see more screenshots right here.

[thanks to pocketnow for the news]