==== 1. Mobile & Wireless Perspectives ==== by John D. Ruley, [email protected]
Tablet PC Presentation Woes In the July 30 edition of Networking UPDATE: Mobile & Wireless Edition (http://www.mobile-and-wireless.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=39733), I mentioned that I would be taking my Motion Computing M1200 Tablet PC with me on my annual excursion to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the Experimental Aviation Association's AirVenture show. While I was there, I used the M1200 to give two presentations, and unfortunately I ran into problems. Like most notebook computers, Tablet PCs provide VGA connectors for an external video display. On the two "convertible" notebook/tablet units I've tested (Acer's Travelmate C-102 and Toshiba's Protege 3500), the external video worked just as I expected, duplicating the built-in LCD's image. I had used the Acer device in this manner a few months ago, so I anticipated no problems with the M1200. Wrong! Using a feature called Dual-View, which is similar to the multi-monitor feature on desktop computers that have multiple display adapters, pure-slate Tablet PCs such as the M1200 treat external video as a completely separate display surface. In some respects, this feature is beneficial: For example, using Microsoft PowerPoint XP, you can simultaneously view your speaker's notes on the built-in LCD and your slides on the external video. Unfortunately, I wasn't using PowerPoint. For one presentation, I wanted to use the Slide Show feature that Microsoft Office XP adds to Windows Explorer to simply show a collection of pictures. For the other presentation, I needed to demonstrate some aviation software running on the Tablet PC. When I realized that I had two completely separate display surfaces, I was briefly stumped. However, after some experimentation, I found that I could drag a window from the LCD display to the external display (which Windows XP for Tablet PC treats as an extended desktop). However, the Tablet PC stylus worked only on the built-in LCD display. One workaround for the stylus glitch is to plug in a USB mouse (or the M1200's external keyboard, which includes a touchpad). By pushing the mouse to the right, you can roll the pointer off the built-in display and onto the external display. Unfortunately, I didn't have a mouse or external keyboard with me in Oshkosh. The crowd was small, so I simply had people gather around the M1200 while I performed the demonstration. When I returned home, I began searching for a better solution, and I found one, although it's not perfect: Microsoft has developed the Extended Desktop for Tablet PC PowerToy. The tool places a window, initially containing a grid, on the LCD. When you move the stylus over the grid, you get a mouse pointer on the external display. Any application that's using the external display interprets stylus taps within the grid as mouse clicks. You can also configure the tool to show a scaled version of the external display's image on the built-in LCD, although this functionality noticeably slows performance. The Extended Desktop for Tablet PC PowerToy is a step in the right direction, and I'll use it the next time I use the M1200 for a presentation. However, what I really want is a way to display the same image simultaneously on both the internal and external display. If any readers know a solution, please write and let me know. In the meantime, if you've experienced similar frustrations, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/downloads/powertoys.asp to download the Extended Desktop for Tablet PC PowerToy (as well as other PowerToys, including one that lets you modify the Tablet PC's built-in handwriting-recognition dictionary).
==== 2. Mobile & Wireless News & Views ==== (contributed by John D. Ruley, [email protected])
Disappointing Tablet PC Book I had high hopes for Bill Mann's book "How to Do Everything with Your Tablet PC" (Osborne-McGraw Hill, 2003), but my first real attempts to use it have been sadly disappointing. While trying to solve the external display problem that I talk about in this week's Mobile & Wireless Perspectives, I consulted this book's otherwise excellent index, searching for anything that might help. I found nothing under External Display or Presentations. The only Microsoft PowerPoint items I found were about inking support. My biggest disappointment came when I found a heading for Configure Your Display (page 58), which I thought might at least offer some help with the confusing multi-monitor settings. Unfortunately, that heading appears to be a typo, because all the text underneath it refers to power properties. The book offers good--though not very deep--coverage of most end-user Tablet PC features. If you're an IT professional who needs to support Tablet PC users, this book might be worth giving to new users. However, you'll need to look elsewhere for anything beyond the basics. http://shop.osborne.com/cgi-bin/osborne/0072227710.html
Commendable Wi-Fi Book I'm happy to recommend Jon Edney and William A. Arbaugh's “Real 802.11 Security: Wi-Fi Protected Access and 802.11i” (Addison-Wesley, 2004). This excellent book goes into nit-picking detail about what security problems wireless networks face, how wireless networks are vulnerable to intrusion, and what you can do to secure your wireless environment. Although the book gets fairly theoretical in places (do we really need to understand the implementation details of various encryption algorithms?) and takes some time to read, it will give you a clear understanding of wireless security. http://www.aw-bc.com/catalog/academic/product/0,4096,0321136209,00.html
Read Any Good Books Lately? Have you found a book particularly helpful regarding some aspect of mobile and wireless computing? If so, please write and tell me about it. You can reach me at [email protected].
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==== 4. Instant Poll ====
Results of Previous Poll: WLAN Where? The voting has closed in Windows & .NET Magazine's nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "Where have you implemented a wireless LAN (WLAN)?" Here are the results (+/-2 percent) from the 58 votes: - 33% In my home - 7% At the office - 31% Both - 29% Neither
New Instant Poll: PDA Acquisition The next Instant Poll question is, "How does your company acquire PDAs?" Go to the Windows & .NET Magazine home page and submit your vote for a) IT purchase, b) Employees purchase them, and we reimburse later, c) We allow PDA use, but we don't pay for them, or d) We don't permit PDA use. http://www.mobile-and-wireless.com
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==== 6. New and Improved ==== by Carolyn Mader, [email protected]
Work on Remote Files Communique Laboratory released I'm InTouch 3.3, a remote-access solution that lets users work on any remote file. The software service uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) 128-bit encryption technology for secure data transport. You can access information by using a PC, Macintosh, Palm, Pocket PC, Handspring, and Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry device. I'm InTouch also supports Outlook. For pricing, contact Communique Laboratory at 905-795-2888. http://www.imintouch.net
Transfer Serial Data Between a Peripheral Device and a Host Digi launched Wavespeed/S Wireless Serial Adapter, which uses Bluetooth technology to connect peripheral devices. The solution permits wireless serial data transfer between peripheral devices and a host. Wavespeed/S features encryption, authentication and an adjustable transmit range. The distance between the peripheral device and the host can be as far as 328 feet for the Class 1 radio and 32 feet for the Class 2 radio. For pricing, contact Digi at 877-912-3444. http://www.digi.com
Submit Top Product Ideas Have you used a product that changed your IT experience by saving you time or easing your daily burden? Do you know of a terrific product that others should know about? Tell us! We want to write about the product in a future Windows & .NET Magazine What's Hot column. Send your product suggestions to [email protected].
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