The Daily Gadget has come to an end, which is very sad news, but understandable. Take a look at the final post and maybe post your thoughts.

"Over the past few years I have had the distinct pleasure of "leading" a small group of extremely dedicated, talented and loyal people. When we started down this road, you could not have told me that these people would have done so much for so little in return...and always so happily.

The Daily Gadget has always been a labor of love. Not just for me but for the whole crew. We always knew we weren't the biggest nor the most updated gadget site on the web, but if you knew these folks like I do...you'd all say that they have the most heart. Be it for their gadget-obsessions or some misguided sense of loyalty, I could not have asked for nicer people to be with. It makes it all the harder to announce that the Daily Gadget will be ceasing publication and shutting down on Friday, March 14th.

There are some of you who have been with us and reading since the beginning. To you I say thank you. Thank you so much for your continued support and patronage over the years. You guys are what made us keep coming back crash after crash, hack after hack, day after day. You were the community we had always hoped for.

That's what the Daily Gadget has been to me, a community. With so many other gadget sites on the web, I just never really got that feeling. My hope was that we could be something for all of you that you'd come to appreciate...that we'd become something worthy of that fellowship.

The sad truth is that I'm tired, gang. Between my family, my health, school a full time job...the Daily Gadget has been suffering. The staff all have full time jobs and families as well, everything they gave to this site was given freely and often. I know that if I can't give the DG the time it deserves that I can't run the site anymore. After talking to the staff we agreed that it was time to turn off the lights and call it a day."

Switching mobile platforms can be a troublesome experience, and one that is highly dependant on third party software. If you have been using a particular third party application for many years, chances are that you will feel more lost without it than you do getting used to a new device and a completely different way of working.

Today we will look at finance applications and the best ways to ensure that if you switch platforms, you will still be able to use your historic data and keep organised without too much interruption.

Palm OS

For me, SplashMoney has proved to be the ideal solution to managing finances on the move. Indeed, it has proved to be so flexible and complete that the vast majority of my financial tracking is done on my Centro and not a desktop. SplashMoney does come with an excellent desktop companion though and this ensures that your data is backed up and usable when tax return time arrives.

Over the past few years, I have used SplashMoney to track everything financial and the reporting included is more than powerful enough for my needs. It may not have all of the advanced functions included in dedicated accounting programs, but it is ideal for the vast majority of users.

Windows Mobile

Up until recently I would have recommended Spb Finance as the best Windows Mobile financial application, and in many ways it still is today. It is very powerful and easy to use, but not quite as quick when entering new information. It also does not have a dedicated desktop companion, but rather the ability to sync with Microsoft Money and Quicken. Some will see this as an advantage, but for me it is overkill.

SplashData has recently released SplashMoney for Windows Mobile Professional, and crucially for Windows Mobile Standard. This is by far the best solution available for Windows Mobile standard and on the whole both work well. They are very similar to the Palm version, but still have some quirks in the initial build. For example, changing column widths works when you do it, but the next time you open it up they are back to the default setting. This is a minor quibble, and it is a positive move to see SplashMoney (with the desktop companion) released for the Windows Mobile platform.

Symbian

Tracking bank accounts, credit cards and other vaguely complex financial arrangements under Symbian is not really worth attempting at this point in time. Neither Symbian S60 3rd Edition or UIQ 3 have an adequate solution for this, and the market is merely littered with small applications designed to help you manage expenses and little else. Some of these applications are good, but for true money management the Symbian platform currently does not deliver.

SplashMoney gets my vote as the best mobile money management tool for it’s included desktop companion and the fact that there are versions available for both Palm and Windows Mobile. As I look at each genre of mobile use, I will build up a table showing which applications make the switching process easiest. They still have to be top quality to be recommended, and in the finance area SplashMoney is both top quality and incredibly versatile.

Next up will by third party PIM applications. In the meantime, the Switchers guide can be accessed here.

I had to replace the invisible shield on my TyTn today as it had got scratched. (How something that is supposed to protect helicopter blades can be scratched by a cardboard art folder is beyond me, but thats another story).

For anyone who has not used one of these shields, this involves spraying the plastic shield with some liquid they supply and then squeeging the liquid out once it is applied. It takes a bit of time, and can be tricky to get all the bubbles out, and this time I had to reapply the liquid a few times to get it right. Imaging my supprise when trying the device after the shield had dried when I found the touch screen no longer works!

You can clearly see bubbles of liquid under the glass screen on top of the LCD, which can't do it any good, and I can only assume that this is the reason it no longer works. No amout of switching of and on cured it, and it remains completly useless. At the moment it is in the airing cupboard to see if the liquid will evaporate.  There is no warning in the instructions of being carefull how much to spray on, and  as yet no one from Invisible Shield has responded to my emails.

I think I may have killed my phone..... DAVID

NEW YORK - As referenced during the company’s keynote speech at the recent Game Developers’ Conference, Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of mobile phone games, confirmed its intention to develop over 15 mobile games built upon Apple’s iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK).

Though the SDK was recently released, games will only be available to purchase once the App Store, featuring third party applications that can be downloaded to your device via WiFi or EDGE, launches in June 2008.

Utilizing the SDK package, Gameloft development teams have started to create a strong line-up for 2008. As expected, iPhone proves to be a revolutionary gaming device, thanks in part to a 3.5-inch widescreen, the touch screen feature, a strong 3D processor and other exciting features such as the accelerometer.

“The iPhone gaming environment opens a new era in mobile gaming and is exactly what we’ve been waiting for” said Michel Guillemot, President of Gameloft. “The Apple iPhone has changed the way consumers perceive and interact with their mobile phones, and the release of the SDK is a tremendous opportunity for Gameloft to apply its creative and innovative approach to mobile gaming,” said Guillemot.  “Due to our investment in creating one of the most advanced and creative development studios to date, we are ideally positioned today to seamlessly integrate new opportunities and quickly produce games that are as evolutionary as they are enjoyable.”

Gameloft has already proven successful in their recent relationship with Apple by developing mobile games that are uniquely adapted to the iPod, one of the most widely accepted technological devices in the mass market. 
 
Gameloft sells over 200,000 games per day throughout 80 countries. Its 200+ titles, including 40 games that sold over 1 million copies worldwide, have received year after year the best ranking scores from media specialists. Gameloft is the worldwide number one mobile game publisher in revenues according to the official Q4 2007 figures published by mobile game companies.

TOKYO - Japan is investigating a possible defect in Apple Inc.'s iPod after one of the popular digital music players reportedly shot out sparks while recharging, a government official said Wednesday.
 
An official at the trade and economy ministry, which oversees product problems, said a defect is suspected in the lithium-ion battery in the iPod Nano, model number MA099J/A. He spoke on customary condition of anonymity, saying he is reiterating a ministry position.

The problem surfaced in January in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo, and Apple reported the problem to the ministry in March. No one was injured, the official said. Other details weren't available. More at Yahoo.

Just 9% of British respondents trust mobile phone companies and retailers to keep their data safe, according to a survey carried out on behalf of data security specialist GB Group.

The poll puts the industry close to the bottom of the league in an annual "trust" survey to gauge how customers perceived companies treated and respected their data, along with gambling companies and social networking sites.

The survey comes hot on the heels of MPs calling for an identity fraud tsar to be appointed to tackle the estimated £1.7 billion annual cost to the economy.

As a comparison, the survey revealed just under half (48%) of UK consumers don't trust their high street bank or building society to protect their personal details from identity thieves... More at cellular news.

One way to save money and the planet simultaneously is to ditch the fossil fuels and electrical leash and seek alternative sources of power. That's where our new sister site SmartPlanet comes in: it reviews products on their quality, value, ethics and greenness, so inconvenient truths are balanced by conveniently thrifty products. We've picked you out an elite bunch of the best money- and power-saving gadgets our eco-expert buddies have rated."

Probably Handango (the online store with mobile software) didn’t get enough from Vulture Capitalists - "only" $9.5 million - so that’s why they take more from the developers !

Handango writes presumptuously:

Handango, the world's leading provider of smartphone content, today announced that it has raised an additional $9.5 million in its Series C round of financing, which will be used to support the company's new and innovative distribution deals, improve the scalability of its infrastructure, and expand globally. Additionally, Handango plans to enhance the consumer experience to make smartphone content easier to browse, find and purchase online and directly from a mobile device. Participating in the Series C round are Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Advanced Technology Ventures (ATV), Centerpoint, Neo Carta, Pharos Capital Group and SSM Partners.

"Securing this round of funding further proves our leadership position in the distribution of smartphone content," said Bill Stone, CEO, Handango. "As the demand for smartphones expands from early adopters to mainstream consumers, we are confident that Handango's new distribution platforms and expanded content offerings will only further our dominance in this industry."

Conclusion: Handango rips off developers even more with latest changes in commisions - even though they get money from investors - so both Microsoft and users of Windows Mobile phones should never purchase any software at Handango... compared to 30% that Apple... More at msmobiles.