WebIS announced today that they have released version 4.1 of FlexMail.  FlexMail is WebIS’ email extender application, which provides functionality above and beyond what is found with the ROM version of Pocket Outlook / Messaging.  A free upgrade for all version 4 users, FlexMail can also be registered for $9.95 for first time users.  WebIS indicates that version 4.1 has several new features including:

• NEW SMS Conversation View
• NEW SMS sending via direct SMS API or MAPI (depending on your device one may work better than the other)
• NEW Option to hide folders in the folder tree
• NEW Phone/URL/email underlining for all messages
• NEW Option to show Wide HTML emails and switch between text/HTML right from the message view
• NEW Configurable font size in the Today plugin
• NEW Major internal structural changes to provide for better reliability and robustness.
• MoMail Support*
• Better IMAP features support (server search to filter messages, server-side messages parsing, more message operations done over IDLE, single attachment download etc.)
• Supports MMS on most devices
• IMAP server folders redesign (more settings, easier to use)
• Accounts and Application settings redesign
• Single-page view redesign (tabs gone, new left panel with IDLE indication)
• Original Email HTML reply/forward
• New Notification settings (global-account-folder)
• Internal changes (messages saved already parsed, better save/load performance on WM5 etc.)
• Asian Language Encoding Plugin
• Draft Quality Chinese, Italian, Russian, and German Localizations
• Improved internals

If there was one word I would choose to describe the current state of the eBook market, it would be volatile.  Sure, Amazon is in the lead today, but this is obviously turning into a marathon, not a sprint.  And in this marathon, in which every move matters, Amazon has already stumbled more than once. 

Meanwhile, the book selling powerhouse, which is Barnes and Noble, has been making a number of moves to quietly position itself to take on the Kindle (or so it would seem).  Earlier, we saw Barnes and Noble purchase Fictionwise, bringing to one of the leading eBook readers under their domain. 

Now, in another move, which seems squarely aimed at Amazon’s Kindle 2, Barnes and Noble has entered into a strategic partnership with Plastic Logic.  For those of you who may not be familiar, Plastic Logic (which is featured in the avove video) is the manufacturer of one of the best looking eBook readers around.  It is thin, light, and has a screen which is the size of a sheet of letter sized paper (8 1/2 x 11).   

Which brings me to the chocolate and peanut butter moment.  The biggest problem I saw with the Plastic Logic reader was the lack of a powerful book store.  This made it a fantastic (and fantastically expensive) device, with a tiny niche market.  Barnes and Noble is, obviously, a powerhouse book seller, which has had little success breaking into the eBook market. 

Add these three components together, and you could end up with an eBook system which is poised to take on the Amazon Kindle empire, with a powerhouse store, top notch iPhone App, and state of the art reader.  I plan to keep a close eye on this one.  I think things are about to get interesting. 

Keep reading for the full announcement from Barnes and Noble.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, announced today the launch of the Barnes & Noble eBookstore (www.bn.com/ebooks), the world’s largest eBookstore, on Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), enabling customers to buy eBooks and read them on a wide range of platforms, including the iPhone and iPod touch, BlackBerry^®smartphones, the forthcoming new eReader device by Plastic Logic, as well as most Windows^® and Mac^® laptops or full-sized desktop computers.

Barnes & Noble’s launch encompasses:

• Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore offering its customers seamless access to more than 700,000 titles, including hundreds of new releases and bestsellers at only $9.99, making it the world’s largest selection of eBooks available in one place.  The company expects that its selection will increase to well over one million titles within the next year, inclusive of every available eBook from every book publisher and every available eBook original, which is a fast growing marketplace.

 

• More than a half-million public domain books from Google, which can be downloaded for free.  Readers can discover and explore this rich treasure trove, including everything from classic works by well-known writers to long-forgotten and obscure titles that are historically much harder to access.

 

• An upgraded version of its eReader application, which was part of the company’s Fictionwise acquisition earlier this year.  This device-agnostic eBook application supports both wireless and wired access to the new Barnes & Noble eBookstore.  Millions of internet-enabled devices are currently supported by eReader, including the nation’s two leading smartphone device families from Apple and BlackBerry^®, as well as most Windows^® and Mac^® laptops or full-sized computers.

 

• First-time users of the eReader will have the opportunity to download free eBooks, including titles such as Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary,Sense and Sensibility, Little Women, Last of the Mohicans, Pride and Prejudice, and Dracula.  See site for further details.

 

• A strategic commerce and content partnership with Plastic Logic, whose eReader device is especially designed for business professionals. Barnes & Noble plans to power the eBookstore for the Plastic Logic Reader. The ultra thin 8.5 x 11 inch wireless eReader is slated to debut in early 2010.

 

• The free, full-featured B&N Bookstore app for iPhone and iPod touch users, which is now the #1 downloaded book app in Apple’s App Store. In addition to enabling customers to easily place orders for books, movies, and CDs, the app also lets users search millions of products simply by snapping a photo. Using the iPhone’s camera, customers can snap a photo of the front cover and within seconds get product details, editorial reviews, and customer ratings – even find and reserve a copy in the nearest store. The app also includes a store locator, bestseller lists, book recommendations, and a store events calendar.

“Today marks the first phase of our digital strategy, which is rooted in the belief that readers should have access to the books in their digital library from any device, from anywhere, at any time,” said William J. Lynch, President of BN.com. “As America’s #1 bookstore and newsstand, our goal at Barnes & Noble is to build a service that revolves around the customer, enabling them to have access to hundreds of thousands of titles and read on their smartphone, PC, and many other existing and future devices.  We want to make eBooks simple, accessible, affordable and convenient for everyone.”

Take a moment to think about what features, in your opinion, factor into making a game great.  What makes your list?  Do any of the following appear:  a game that is challenging? … that offers variety?  … that will leave you stumped?  … that will frustrate you?  If any of these made the list for you, I recommend downloading a copy of 5×5, a free game for Windows Mobile Professional handhelds and phones.

The premise of 5×5 is simple.  Turn all of the squares on the screen black.  Simple, right?  Read on!  First launch of 5×5 reveals a simple five square by five square game board.  The center squares are already black, in the arrangement of a + sign.  Anywhere you tap on the board will turn the five squares black, with the center square of the + being the one you tapped.  Still simple?  What would happen if your new + arrangement overlaps another square that is already black?  If you guessed that it would toggle it back to gray, then you are correct.  That’s where the challenge comes in, as you have to find the exact combination of black plus arrangements to turn the entire board black.  The screenshot below shows my best attempt so far!

Figure out the five square by five square board, and move on to a seven by seven square board.  The program includes a total of four different boards, including the previous two, a nine by nine board and an eleven by eleven board.

By now, you may be thinking that this sounds really simple.  There’s no way that you can have trouble solving this puzzle, right?  Go ahead, give it a try, after all with the price of free, it isn’t going to break your budget for the month.  Be warned though, 5×5 is a challenge.  You may even end up talking to your friends or spouse more as you bounce ideas of how to solve the puzzle off of them.  Don’t ask me though, I still haven’t figured it out!

You can download 5×5 here.  Please note that the zip file doesn’t include a CAB installer, only the application exe.  You can tap extract the exe to anywhere on your device and tap on it in Explorer to run the program.

It’s an age old question: “how does the older generation protect their children?”.  I ask myself this all the time as presented with the challenges of trying to guide youth safely through the world we live in.  Technology, for all of it’s wonders, sometimes doesn’t help.

Lisa Anthony of Mobile Maven has just posted an article entitled “11 Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe on Their Cell Phone”.  While mostly common sense about helping children to remain safe while using their cell phone, it’s well worth a quick read to remind ourselves of what we may be forgetting when talking to children about aspects of privacy we take for granted!  Lisa covers the following eleven points in detail, while you can find the full text of the article here.

1.  Be Aware of Surroundings

2.  Parental Safety Controls

3.  Limit Internet Access

4.  Never Talk to Strangers

5.  Discuss Sexting

6.  Cell Phone Monitoring Software

7.  Keep Tabs on Cell Phone Activity

8.  Don’t Disclose Private Information

9.  Be Respectful in Public

10.  Place a Curfew on Cell Phone Usage

11.  Have a Plan for Unusual Calls or Text Messages