- Compiled by Gary Thayer, MobileVillage Editor

MobileVillage, April 20, 2007 -- Following is a roundup of recent announcements about mobile software for consumer use.

Code Factory has released Mobile Speak Pocket, its screen reader for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Pocket PC Phone editions. Mobile Speak Pocket is targeted at the blind and visually impaired to a new level of accessibility, but can be used by anyone. The software offers aural access to applications including, but not limited to, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, File Explorer, Pocket Internet Explorer, Messaging for both SMS and e-mail, Pocket MSN Messenger, PPC Phone application, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes, and Windows Media Player. For details, see www.codefactory.es.

Consilient has added a free version of their mobile email application, Consilient Push, which delivers mobile email for multiple popular consumer accounts including Hotmail, Yahoo!, Gmail and AOL email. The application also supports any POP3 or IMAP4 account. Users can download the application on their current mobile phones and alternate between personal and corporate email. The Push service also includes photo attaching and saving with color-coding for easy identification of multiple accounts. The application runs on any GPRS network, and supports some CDMA networks including Sprint, Verizon and Dobson in the U.S. and Aliant and Telus in Canada. For more about Consilient Push, see the company's summary page on MobileVillage.

Paragon Software released Handy Safe, a Windows Mobile Smartphone utility for storing confidential information such as passwords, credit cards details, user names, codes, and accounts (E-Mail, Internet, shopping, bank.) The data is protected by 448-bit data encryption (Blowfish). The software also includes Handy Safe Desktop agent that helps to synchronize the information between PC and smartphone. Handy Safe is available from Paragon Software for US $30, and a 7 days trial version is also offered. It's available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish and supports any Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Mobile 2003 & Second Edition Smartphone. For details, see paragon-software.com.

Prevalent Devices introduced an update to its Phraze-It soft keyboard for Windows Mobile PDAs and smartphones. Version 2.0 adds underscore for email addresses, alters certain on-screen letters for better visibility, and adds Italian to the previous slate of seven language choices, among other enhancements. For more about Phraze-It and Prevalent Devices, see the company's summary page on MobileVillage.

Healthcare reference provider Unbound Medicine has added The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult for PDA, which covers more than 450 diseases, as well as Diseases and Disorders, A Nursing Therapeutics Manual, 3/e for PDA, which covers over 250 medical conditions that are commonly encountered in nursing practice. Practical recommendations are supported by concise descriptions of how the human body is altered by disease and by clear rationales for medications and tests. Both references can be loaded on Palm, Pocket PC, or Windows Mobile devices. For details, see unboundmedicine.com.

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