Something seems to be weird with Microsoft's Windows Mobile Device Center for Windows Vista. Yesterday, after I've finally updated the ROM of my Xda trion (but not via Windows Vista but via Windows XP), I had to install my most important applications again and one of them is - for sure - the SlingPlayer Mobile.
However, during the installation I got an error I haven't seen so far with any applications I've installed via the Vista Windows Mobile Device Center: ActiveSync 6.0 (which is the internal name of Windows Mobile Device Center) asked me to "upgrade" to ActiveSync 4.1:

If you regularly read MoDaCo or Xda-developers, this is nothing new but I have to rant about this topic now as well, since I just went into the same trap: "How to update a Windows Mobile ROM under Windows Vista"?
I've just received a new test ROM for one of my HTC devices (no, not Windows Mobile 6 but just an ordinary Windows Mobile 5 ROM) and tried to update my beloved HTC Hermes.
And so far, ROM updates were a no-brainer most of us experienced users have done dozens of time but even for regular users it's (or better was) an easy task. Even digital cameras have ROM updates today (just updated the ROM of my Nikon D80 two weeks ago as well).

So it's done, this year's 3GSM World Congress closed its doors but the question is what will stay for the next 12 months? From my point of view - a lot. I'm attending the 3GSM World Congress since 2000 and the first time I attend to cover Windows Mobile related items were back in 2002.
Was the 3GSM World Congress in its early days (when it was just the "GSM World Congress") mainly about network infrastructure and more a congress then a fair, its focused changed over the years. Sure, it's still the main event of the GSM Association and it's still a congress but the parallel exhibition became more important during the past years with a way broader focus on mobile devices and services as well.

For a couple of months, Microsoft is offering a Beta version of its Windows Mobile Device Center for Windows Vista which replaces ActiveSync. Due to so many changes in the Windows Vista architecture, Microsoft changed the way how devices will sync with Vista-running PCs and since most of us had a love/hate relationship with ActiveSync, I'm sure mostly nobody will miss it if it fades away, sooner or later. And indeed, the Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center works pretty nice in terms of enabling you to set up new partnerships with Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and Smartphones, synchronizing content like your Outlook items and managing music, pictures and video with any Windows Mobile 2003 or Windows Mobile 5.0-powered device (sorry guys - no further support of Pocket PC or Pocket PC 2002). And in combination with the Windows Vista Sync Center (which is the central place to get Widows Vista PCs synchronized with Mobile devices that you plug in to your computer or to which you connect wirelessly (such as portable music players, digital cameras and mobile phones) and files stored in folders on network servers) the Windows Mobile Device Center (which needs to be downloaded as an add-on) does a fantastic job.

If you wonder where I was the past days - I was in Ruhpolding at the IBU Biathlon Worldcup. Well for over 15 years or so, I'm a big Biathlon fan and since Ruhpolding is 1.5 hours away from my home only, it makes sense to step by there if the Biathlon world comes over.
Well, while we had pretty good tickets the days before - in the stadium - behind stand 1 - 3 (so we saw the shootings) - I haven't managed it to get that good tickets for Sunday too but I was able to get tickets for the course only.
Standing on the slope isn't to bad at all since you see the athletes running and climbing the hill which is really impressive but well, with more then 22k visitors yesterday, the good places were occupied pretty early and not just occupied - the folks stood in 4 - 5 rows where it doesn't made any sense to open the 5th or 6th row.