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Samsung Omnia i900 - ActiveSync and Productivity

Upgraded the firmware as I noted that the camera is taking very bad pictures. The auto mode on white balance does not produce the color tones. In fact, as I stated in my feedback to Samsung; that the pictures produced such whitish colors as if the people are 'dead'! This is unfortunate, as the output is worst than my previous Nokia N73.

After the firmware changed (PHONE/PDA: i900DXHJ1/DZHJ1), the pictures from the camera is a lot closer to the original color tones. This is the good news. The bad news is obviously that I have to reinstall all the files and external programs.

The ActiveSync initially would not work, and I went to Samsung at Vivocity (Singapore) to talk to the folks there. Finally got it working again, where I can synchronize with my Outlook, where all the phone database is. I cannot sync with the server, as the corporate server is highly secured.

The synchronization of the phone and Outlook (my work "portal") is the key to ensuring I have the critical data to work with. The next thing I did was to start making small pictures of my contacts from my photo library. I have to crop the photo, and compressed it to "email" mode so that it is small enough to add the picture to the contact name.

Once I had the photos, I transferred them via "Explore" command in ActiveSync into the Storage Card. As the card is 2G, it can take a lot of these small pictures which are just about 10kb each. It is important to use the Storage Card to place the files, so that if another firmare upgarde is done, you still have all the information inside the card.

The card also stores my "x.cab" files, which are programs which I could activate and installed into "My Storage". I took the opportunity to install some of these free programs. Transferring such files to the Storage Card is a breeze. It is just a drag and drop exercise.

The insight I wish to share is that the mobile phone is the most important productivity tool for me. It is an extension of the brain, and the difference is that the phone can retrieve data much more easier than the brain. The phone will "give" you a number much faster than the brain can, especially, if it is an unfamiliar one.

"Don't leave home without it" just like the tagline of the American Express credit card once used to boast.

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