Marc Tassin of Ilium Software

As the JAMM Developer Interview Series rolls on, we found ourselves visiting with Marc Tassin of Ilium Software this week.  Marc and the team at Ilium are the masterminds behind programs like eWallet, a highly flexible personal information manager.  Marc has shared some great behind-the-scenes information about Ilium Software, the programs they offer and his thoughts on the future of mobile computing.  Check out the full interview below, and as you read, please note that JAMM’s questions are in bold face and Marc’s answers are indented.

Can you tell the readers at JAMM a little bit about the history of Ilium Software, and the mobile solutions it offers?

Ilium Software has a number of great products, and our most popular is eWallet, a secure information manager and password keeper application. eWallet is great because it not only keeps all your information safe using exceptionally strong encryption, but we do it in a way that is extremely natural and easy-to-use. That ease-of-use is vital since a solution only works if using it is easy – our simple, card-style interface really goes a long way toward that goal and it’s all supported by the best customer support in the industry.

How did you get into mobile developing?

The idea for Ilium Software was born with the Newton, although we started the company in 1997, developing apps for what was then the first version of Windows CE. We released a few games and entertainment apps, but have always concentrated on information management.

What makes your programs unique?

We build applications that really fit our customers’ needs and feel natural on the devices they are designed for. It takes experience to reach this point. Designing software for mobile devices isn’t like designing for any other platform – there is a lot that you can only learn by getting in there and doing it – and we’ve done it! Also, when you buy our products, you get better support than from any other company out there – I’m pretty sure we’re the only mobile developer with a toll free support line answered by people right here in our office.

How did you choose to develop the programs you currently offer?

Over the past decade we’ve seen an exponential growth in the amount of information that we, as consumers, are asked to keep track of. Back in ’97 we saw this coming and knew that it would only get worse. Software seemed like a great way to solve this problem – and when the Newton, Windows HPC, Palm Pilot, and similar handheld devices hit the market we said, “That’s it! That’s how you’ll keep track of this stuff!” We knew what we needed to do.

What mobile operating systems do you provide support for?  Are you considering supporting any other platforms in the future?

We currently support iPhone and iPod touch, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Windows PC. We also still offer some of our products for Palm OS, and we have a preview version out of eWallet for Macintosh.

Can you tell our readers anything about upcoming projects you are working on?

We have quite a bit going on right now. Windows Mobile 7 looks very exciting and we’re working on eWallet for that platform. Naturally the iPad is a big deal, and we’re currently developing a version of eWallet optimized for that device. There is eWallet for Macintosh (we hope to release an update to the Preview version of it sometime in the next month). We also have ListPro for iPhone under development. And then we have a couple of top secret projects underway – some of those we’ll talk about quite soon – others you’ll have to wait on. Wish I could say more – it’s pretty exciting stuff. All in all we’re very busy people over here!

With all of the interesting twists in the mobile operating system arena, what predictions do you have regarding the future of mobile computing?

Technology has finally caught up with our dreams. As long as I’ve been in this business, the goal for consumers has been a robust, mobile, always-connected personal computing experience. We finally have that and, perhaps more importantly, we have it at a price the mass market can afford. On top of that, I believe that we as a society have finally hammered out just what we want our computers to do. Knowing that, manufacturers can deliver devices geared specifically toward that experience. Apple has proven themselves masters at understanding this. All in all, I think we’re going to see a major shift in how the mass market uses computers, a shift that moves most people away from PC’s and laptops, and onto slate computers and smartphones. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg in relation to how big the mobile computing industry will be and it’s thrilling to be right in the middle of it.

Is there anything else that you would like readers to know about Ilium Software, your software or yourself?

We love to hear from our customers. It’s how we’ve made our products some of the best in the industry. We encourage people to try out our applications and let us know what they think! We learned a long time ago that we don’t have all the answers, but if we listen to our customers we’re sure to find them!

JAMM would like to once again extend our thanks for Marc for taking time to answer our questions.

The JAMM Store Deal of the Day is FlexMail for Windows Mobile.  Today you can register FlexMail for half the regular price, so be sure to hurry.  This deal will end as the day does, so don’t miss out on the opportunity get a copy of WebIS’s terrific email and SMS manager.

FlexMail 4 is a full-featured award-winning (2004/2005/2006/2007) Email application that works with your device’s built-in Messaging client to provide the best Exchange and IMAP connectivity available on Windows Mobile! Use FlexMail to improve your ActiveSync or SMS messaging with our multiple signature support, multiple folder searches, and cross-account email copies and moves. Use FlexMail to connect with the best IMAP feature-set on Windows Mobile with easy to configure yet powerful folder settings. Set each folder to download differently, notify of new messages, and get email using PUSH use IMAP IDLE.

FlexMail supports reading and replying to ActiveSync/SMS/Hotmail email for basic operations or through its more powerful POP3/IMAP4 services to your email server. With support for industry standard SSL and SOCKS proxies, you can connect to almost any email provider including GMail! Use FlexMail as an adjunct to Windows Mobile Messaging or as a near complete replacement.

With FlexMail’s many options you can customize your email usage much more than the Windows Mobile device Messaging allows. Receive your email via ActiveSync and respond via your POP3/IMAP4 SMTP account. Get immediate per email or per folder notifications via IMAP IDLE! Have FlexMail only hold the last 5 days of your IMAP folders. Create local folders and server folders. Synchronize by age, size, and synchronizations status on a per folder basis allowing you to get only the last 5 day’s worth of email in your Inbox but the last months in your Personal folder, for example.

Features:

• 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.
• 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
• Full Two Way IDLE Live Sync Support
• Full Message Hotkeys
• Per Message Notifications
• Smartphone support
• Auto-Reply in Rules
• Full Featured Rules Engine
• Folder Searching
• Fast Database Engine
• Meeting Request support
• Addressbook Auto-Complete
• Reply/Forwarded Flags support
• Powerful Per-folder Synchronization settings
• Assign Sent/Drafts to IMAP Server folders
• Integrated with Pocket Informant for editing contacts and creating tasks/appts from an email
• Multiple User Interfacs: 3 pane view, 2 pane view, 1 page view
• SOCKS proxy suport
• GMail POP3 SSL support
• Per Account Signatures
• Immediate Send Option
• Read/Delivery Receipt support
• POP3/IMAP4 Fast Check
• Automatic BCC support
• Exhaustive IMAP4 synchronization account settings
• Extensive IMAP4 per folder synchronization settings
• Mail storage on an SD or CF card (this is slower however)
• Separate authentication (host, user/pass, socks, and SSL) for incoming
• and outgoing mail
• Extensive settings for replying/reading, and character sets
• Read HTML email for FlexMail IMAP/POP3 accounts
• View HTML images inline or over the net
• Preview Window
• Full VGA/High DPI/Square Screen support
• Full Windows Mobile 2003/SE/5 Support
• SMS Support on Phone Edition Pocket PCs
• Supports reading/replying to plain text ActiveSync emails
• Receive an email from one account and send through another
• Automatic switch to Landscape or Portrait mode on startup

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows Mobile 2003 and 5/6.5

Display Dimensions
240×240, 240×320, 240×400, 320×240, 320×320, 400×240, 480×480, 480×640, 480×800, 640×480, 800×480
Operating System
Pocket PC 2003, Pocket PC 2003 SE, WM5, WM6, WM6.1, WM6.5

Great news, guys and gals!  As we continue with the JAMM Developer Interview Series this week, we were able to talk with Marc Tassin from Ilium Software.  Marc has some really great thoughts that he has prepared for you.  Be sure to join us tomorrow to see what he says.  See you then!

The JAMM Store Deal of the Day is Aces Blackjack for Windows Mobile.  Aces Blackjack is a very nicely done card game by Concrete Software.  For today only, you can register Aces Blackjack for half the regular price, so hurry up so that you can get in on the betting!

Aces Blackjack is a classic blackjack game with a few twists. Play classic style blackjack and use the included reference card to improve your game or kick it up a notch and play one of the two high score games – Aces Time Crunch and Aces Hand Challenge! Features: Play up to 10 decks at a time. Aces Time Crunch: High score race against the clock! Aces Hand Challenge: Every play counts against a set number of hands. Cut card indicating how much of deck has been dealt. Game and career statistics. 4 game speeds. Set the table limits. Split up to 3 hands. Dealer Insurance option. Automatic save.

Minimum Requirements: Works for all Pocket PC 2002/2003/2003 SE/Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0, and 6.1 devices. Display Dimensions 240×240, 240×320, 240×400, 320×240, 320×320, 400×240, 480×480, 480×640, 480×800, 640×480, 800×480 Operating System Pocket PC 2003, Pocket PC 2003 SE, WM5, WM6, WM6.1, WM6.5

According to Gizmodo and GQ America doesn’t care that we are killing ourselves with the radiation from our cell phones?  The article begs one question, though:  What is the difference in levels of radiation from a phone in the 90’s and one today?  CNET has a list of the 20 highest and lowest radiation cell phones.

Motorola and RIM are standing out as the highest ranked cells with Samsung being the dominant lowest radiation.

So do you use your headset or is it just sitting in the pile of used to be cool electronics?  Will this change the way you communicate?  And above all, will you switch or eliminate cell phone use because of it?  Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.