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Here's a neat little utility to help you change themes in your phone. It's free and there are people make their own skins for you to try out. Have some fun and get rid of that carrier and Windows Mobile default skin.

Check it out!

Here's the actual Active Sync installer file.

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This one comes from PocketMind, makers of some pretty cool software (nothing beats PocketPutty and Total Commander, but I guess I'm of the command-line variety? :)

Their free (3 days before REQUIRED registration) MP3 player gives you another choice from the stock Windows Media player. Also note that it doesn't with with WM2003 second edition).

Additonal user notes: It does not display properly in landscape mode.

Click the link to download the app

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Total Commander is a cool utility that's more robust than File Explorer. It's also FREE.

Just click the link below and your MDA will ask you if you want to open it when it downloads, you can say "Yes". It'll then prompt you asking if it's safe to. Say "Yes". It then installs the CAB file and voila! It's now installed and can be accessed throught the PROGRAMS folder.

Happy Filing!

Total Commander Download

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If you're an IM junkie, this may be for you.

One of the problems with the MSN and T-Mobile's IM (AIM Aol Instant Messenger, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger) is that it's not integrated in one panel (Microsoft had their way again with the desktop, but that's OK).

Plus, you'd have to hog up resources to open all four IM clients if you had that many accounts.

So what do you do?

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This freeware app lets you backup (important!) and edit your registry from your MDA / Pocket PC.

From their website:
The Registry Editor allow you to edit your Pocket PC registry where all its configuration and tweeks are stored. It allow you to do the following tasks :

Explore the registry to find the operating system and applications configuration.
Modify system and applications tweeks not available from the standard options screens.
Export all or parts of the registry to .reg files.

Backup and restore the complete registry.

Perform search on the registry data.

Version 0.70 (November 10, 2002)
Download PHM Registry Editor : Pocket PC Edition

Context-sensitive help may be accessed while using the application by tapping on the Help item in the Start menu.

Click here to download the app.

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If you want to develop Windows Mobile applications or dig around in the OS, you may want to start working with an eumulator first to make sure things look proper before actually committing to changes. It's important to have a clean development environment or a sandbox of sorts to see how changes would affect the real deal.

In the days of developing HDML and the more recent WML pages and apps, it's much quicker to see changes immediately instead of waiting for responses from the wireless network pre-EDGE and faster.

Here's a good article from O'Reilly's Windows Dev Center to read before you start your development journey.

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Here's one app to help you edit the registry in your Windows Mobile device. (This is not a product endorsement).

From their website:
Mobile Registry Editor is an application that can be used to edit the registry of your Pocket PC or Smartphone (Windows Mobile device). With it you can remotely edit the registry using your desktop keyboard and mouse as opposed to using your stylus/keypad on your PDA or phone. It's built as a Windows application which has been modeled after Regedit (with a few extra features such as favorites, value size, column sorting etc...)

It has been tested with my Pocket PC and Smartphone on Windows XP/2000 and requires the .NET Framework 1.1 to run.

New features in this version [1.1]

Create keys and values
Delete keys and values
Rename values (thanks Pavel)
Copy key name to clipboard

Visit their website and download the program

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At 195Mhz, you're not going to break any speed records. In fact, you can indeed crash your device due to straining the OS (it is a Windows device after all :). Instead of the BSOD (blue screen of death) you get the WSOD (white screen of death). Well, you don't get any prompts at the screen, so maybe it should be called the WSOD...

To overclock your MDA / 8125 to work with Skype or other apps that require more speed, try this free one:

OMAP Clock V.0.2

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This is truly awesome!

Great for IT folks who want to reboot servers or those who still use PINE. You could also do some basic scripting, on-the-fly coding and more.

Perhaps one of the most useful apps for the MDA!

PocketPutty

Tested on the MDA and it works great! There are few glitches with the display boxes interfering with the desktop, but it's not a huge deals. As long as you can get a secure prompt and session, everyone's happy :)

Here's what it looks like...

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http://maniac.fschreiner.de/

This app will let you change profiles on your phone. Kind of like a user profiles in Windows.

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If you have some cool or useful software app for these handhelds, go ahead and leave a link with details about it in the comments section for all to see.

If it's inappropriate, we'll remove it. Otherwise, it'll be a great resource for us handheld/pocket PC users!

Thanks!