Over the last couple of years, I’ve looked at some great applications for meeting your weather needs. Some of them have been capable of getting me a job as a meteorologist, or at least a reputable TV weatherman. So  when I come across a free solution, that offers a simple set up, and international support through AccuWeather for free, me thinks I should share it.

Weather4Me is a great little application, that uses very little space on your device. Whilst offering the ability to view weather conditions in multiple locations, in a quite detailed way, as you can see from the screenshot above. The .cab is really small and can be installed to either your device, or storage card. It works perfectly well either way.
On installation, and first run, you have to select at least one location to be weather mapped.

Obviously I’m most interested in my local weather, but there is nothing to stop me adding any number of locations to my favourites for weather information. This ends up looking like a great tool for travellers as well. Once you select a site/location, you are right to go, and there are a few options for your daily weather info consumption.

So you get current weather

Today

and a five day forecast

As you can see, quite a detailed look at weather, and just enough settings to make it usable, on both sides of the world.

You can set refresh rates, depending on data limits you may have. You can set it to a civilised non imperial form of temperature measurement as well. What’s the slickest feature of Weather4Me, using AccuWeather directly within the application, rather than opening a browser to go to the site. AccuWeather opens with your favourites featured, although if you’ve refreshed the info it will be the same.

All in all a great free program for your Windows Mobile device, compatible with, WinMo 5, 6, 6.1, and you need .net CF 2.0 at least.

You can download it Here!

Otterbox makes some of the most rugged cases that we have ever seen, and today we are going to be putting that to the test with the the Otterbox 1900, one of Otterboxes’ most durable and versatile cases.   According to the company, the case is crush resistant,  drop resistant, dustproof, dirtproof, and waterproof.  Those are some pretty serious claims, and we appreciate Otterbox sending a sample case our way so we can conduct all of these tests ourselves.

Before we get to the testing, however, let’s take a closer look at what exactly we are talking about.  This case is covered with rubber over- molding for durability and secure gripping.  Heavy duty latches ensure that your fragile electronics remain secured inside the case, without spilling out after an accident.  The case also features a clear plastic membrane for viewing a portable device screen and keeping it waterproof, as well as a hard cover that slides down to for extra protection of your device when it is not in use.

The 1900 is very versatile and will accommodate various devices.  As you can see in the pictures below, my Samsung i760 is held securely in place by the Velcro strap design that holds the device up against the plastic membrane on the front of the case.  Becuas the velcro is fully adjustable, you can use the same case with many different devices.

Once you have secured your device in the velcro strap, simply assemble the two halves of the case, fitting the tab into the bottom and secure the case with the heavy-duty latches.

The clear top also has heavy duty latches for accessing CF or SD cards.  The bottom of the unit is pressure fitted for easy removal and charging of devices.  Note the dangling piece of rubber in the picture above, which is the pressure fitted cover of the bottom opening for accessing the sync connections of the device.

Once assembled, the Otterbox can easily be carried with a hand strap that can be worn in two ways.

• on the forearm to allow free use of the hand.
• on the hand for immediate access to the device.

As I mentioned, the Otterbox 1900 is a fantastic universal case, which is able to hold a variety of different devices, of all shapes and sizes, including:

MEIZU Music Card MP3/OGG player – Even a small MP3 player can be secured and protected inside of the Otterbox.

IPAQ 3650 – This is the original Compaq Ipaq and is a large device,  and it  “just fits”.

Garmin EMAP – This is also a large and thick device and the fit is perfect.  It is easy to push the GPS directional and Menu Buttons through the plastic membrane.

Below is a close up picture of the heavy-duty latches and also the membrane on the bottom of the unit (yellow circle with the round vents) that allows for heat dissipation, so that your device doesn’t overheat when closed up inside of the case.  Also the close-up shows the full-body rubber casing that protects the device from scratches/damage.

Now , we have finally reached the main event…the part for which you have all been waiting…the reason you read this far in the first place: Can this unit stand up to our “Extreme” Testing:  Will the Otterbox survive being driven-over by a Chevy Suburban and various other tests???

Now, in fairness, I should tell you that we were advised by Otterbox not to drive over a mobile device with a Chevy Suburban, per their disclaimer below.  However the even the official disclaimer could not have stopped us from trying

Here is the Official Disclaimer from Otterbox:

“The 1900 is a tremendously strong case and can withstand extreme abuse and neglect during everyday use, but the case will flex considerably if subjected to those conditions. If they case flexes too much it could crush the PDA inside, especially if the PDA is very large. I would not recommend driving a 6800 lbs Chevy Suburban or any other vehicle over the unit.”

Folks, please do not try this at home.

However,we were still determined to attempt this feat, as we had not seen this stunt performed in any other Otterbox review.  In addition to driving over the Otterbox case with a Chevy Suburban, we also dropped the Otterbox 1900 from five feet onto concrete and then submerged it in water.

So, sit back and enjoy the following video and find out if my Garmin was crushed into smithereens, drowned, or otherwise destroyed by our extreme testing.

The Otterbox 1900 stood up to the manufacturer’s claims with “flying colors” and even was able to withstand the Chevy Suburban Crush Test.  The Garmin EMap was protected inside of the Otterbox (It still works!!) and did not sustain any damage throughout the testing and the case itself only sustained some minor scratches and in fact still looks Brand New!  Thumbs up for the Otterbox 1900.  This case is incredible!!!!

Below, you can see the only damage from the testing: a few cosmetic scratches on the latch.

The Otterbox 1900 also comes with a small plastic accessory bag that has a rubber plug that allows for sealing the area around a headphone wire, and also a hex tool to allow a more permanent closure of the latches (latches can be screwed into the casing)

Additional accessories are also available for the Otterbox 1900, including:

• Belt Clip
• Vehicle Mount
• Neck Lanyard
• Serial Pod
• Medium Pod with or without scanner window
• Large GPS Pod
• Cable Sealing Pod

For more information on the Otterbox 1900 please see the product page on Otterbox’s site.

JAMM Review Summary

Things we liked: Everything!

Construction:  So strong that it withstood a Chevy Truck, stayed air-tight submerged under water and survived a hard drop onto concrete.  Also of note was the secure fit for devices of varying sizes, thanks to the innovative Velcro securing strap.  Yellow color made this device easy to locate and the shape fits securely into your hand when used in conjunction with the hand strap.

Durability: Surrounded with Rubber to protect from nicks and scratches and heavy-duty latches that stayed closed even in extreme conditions.

Ease of Use:  Mobile devices can be easily accessed, including touch screens through the plastic membrane.  There are removable sections that allow easy access to the charging ports, as well as the storage card areas of the mobile device.

Accessories: A plethora of add-on accessories available to make this case fit a multitude of mobile devices.

The Price is a little high at $99 which is  steep for everyday use, but per our testing today, it is well worth the price.  But don’t forget, you still have a chance to win an Otterbox case without paying for it!   Later this evening, we will be drawing two lucky winners who will each receive a free Otterbox case.  So, head over to the Otterbox Contest:  Otterbox Contest! Extra Long, Too! and enter before it is too late.

But we do not like to send anyone away empty handed.  So, even if you do not win this time, you can still grab an Otterbox case at a fantastic price.  Just head over to www.otterbox.com, make your selection, and enter the code JAMMOTTER) at checkout.  This will give you an automatic 10% off of any purchase.  Better hurry though, this offer will expire June 30.

I am new to the netbook world.  I recently received a Wind U123 as a gift, which I completely love.  When it comes to using it, there are a few essential elements:  internet, music, virus/spyware protection, and MS Office.  Now, I did worry about Office possibly using up too many resources on my Wind, as well as its pretty expensive.  Plus, I really hate Office 2007.

Well, it looks like ThinkFree has come to my rescue.  They have created ThinkFree Mobile Office suite for netbooks, which is a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation programs that are compatiable with MS Office.  Plus, they are optimized for running on a netbook with a screen resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.

This suite has quite a few features:

• Not only can use it on your netbook, but you can sync it with your desktop, smartphone, or MID.
• Look at documents on the go with your phone, and then update them on your netbook.
• Think Free also offers 2GB of free on-line storage, which is just great for backing up your work.

If you are not running a MS operating system, no worries, the office suite is compatible with Mac and Linux as well.  You can get all of this for $39.95, but if you buy now you can save $15 and receive an extra 1GB of storage.  Gee, I kind of feel like Billy Mays.  Anyway, I have to say that this is a great idea for all the new legions of netbook owners out there.

Via liliputing

Yesterday, Ilium Software released an upgrade to eWallet for Blackberry devices.  Release 6.1.4 offers a welcome upgrade for users of the Blackberry Storm, with a whole new  interface designed specifically for touchscreens.

With government Level (FIPS) 256-bit AES encryption, eWallet is a tried and trusted  Password Manager.  It is currently available on most mobile platforms, including  Blackberry, IPhone, Windows Mobile, Palm and also Windows PCs.

Please scroll down below the pictures for the full press release from Ilium:

June 22, 2009 – Ilium Software and Web Information Solutions, Inc. are pleased to announce a new upgrade to eWallet^® for BlackBerry. This is the latest release from a partnership between the two companies that began with eWallet 6.0 in December 2007.

eWallet 6.1.4 for BlackBerry includes many new features and enhancements to the award-winning password manager. One of the major changes is a brand-new interface designed to give BlackBerry Storm users a better experience working with their passwords and other personal information. The screenshot below shows eWallet on a Storm, displaying a sample Visa card – just one of the many types of info that eWallet protects.

eWallet 6.1.4 for BlackBerry has many other improvements as well. The set up for first-time syncing is faster, allowing users to move through the process quickly and get their data where they want it. Scrolling speeds are also improved, so users with a large number of cards will easily be able to find what they need.

Another enhancement that saves time is the new Quick Search capability, letting users search their wallets for a specific card without having to look through various categories manually. This new release also makes it easier than ever for users to lock their wallets and prevent intruders or onlookers from viewing their information while the wallet is not in use.

eWallet for BlackBerry will continue to be developed by WebIS. Ilium Software will provide full technical and purchase support to all users. Complete information, including upgrade details for current owners, can be found on Ilium Software’s website: http://www.iliumsoft.com/ewalletbb

Great news for all of our netbook users out there running XP.  Microsoft announced this week that XP will live on a little bit longer.  If you ever thought about, looked at, or purchased a netbook, you probably are very aware of how well XP runs on these machines.  More than likely, you are also staying away from Linux for the time being.   I don’t blame you. 

The article found at the link below tells of Microsoft giving in and giving us some more time to enjoy our netbooks.  For those of us who are still debating on whether to get one of these little miracle devices, it gives us a little more time to think about it.  This is also great news considering the reception that Vista has received.  Microsoft is extending the availability until 2011 and the end of security updates and patch development in 2014.  Well, just for me, that helps me not have to go out and buy a new laptop for at least another year; but that is also because I am really liking the looks of the HP Mini.

Computerworld