Turn your Pocket PC into a virtual notepad! No notes-folder searches anymore! Browse your notes. Sheet by sheet. Like you would do it with a real notepad! Shopping lists, meeting notes oder a phone numbers during a walk...everthing is no problem! From now on, no keypad usage necessary! Use your handwriting!

MASPware HandNotes simulates a real notepad, starting from appearance to handling. Now its possible to use and administration handwritten notes quick and easy.

Features of the program include:

• Quick and easy browsing (using icons and hardware-keys)
• QVGA and real VGA support
• Serveral pencolors
• Choose pen thickness
• Blank, cross-hatched and lined papers
• Page background colors
• Rubber
• Fullscreen-mode
• Minimize-mode
• Export sheet to graphics file for printing
• Send sheet via email on the go
• Exchange sheets using infrared port

Download HandNotes 3.01.2 in Softonic

The speakerphone is one of my favorite mobile phone features of all time, and it's great to be able to talk and have your hands free at the same time.

Unfortunately, setting speakerphone as your default way of answering the phone isn't really possible on the Windows Mobile platform - unless you have SpeakerPhone installed on your device. This simple, free utility automatically switches on the hands-free mode when a call comes in, or even when you make an outgoing call.

Configuring SpeakerPhone is a very straightforward proposition. You simple need to enable the appropriate option in the Incoming or Outgoing call menu in the program. You can also set the application to auto-answer, specifying the delay time.

Once launched, the application will hide itself and display an icon on the home screen, which you can use to open it and adjust its settings. This makes SpeakerPhone very simple to operate, although it would've been nice to have seen some extra features tagged onto the interface, such as in-call volume control or a Hold switch.

But if you just want a quick and easy way of automatically switching your device to speakerphone, this app is ideal.

Download SpeakerPhone – Auto On 1.05 in Softonic

mChat, is an ICQ/Jabber/Mail.ru Agent client with Cyrillic language support, with many cool chatting functions. It contains support for storing chat history, changing the chat icons, supports VGA devices, HTTP/Socks5 proxy connections, contacts in 2 column, additional status messages, and changing password options, amongst many options.

Download mChat 2.3.0.6 in Softonic

These days if you want to know the weather forecast you don't need to wait for it on TV or buy a newspaper.

WeatherBug Direct is a Windows Mobile add-on that provides you with live local weather information wherever you may be. This information is displayed on your Smartphone's home screen, outlining the forecast for today, tomorrow, and the next day. The data is presented in a very clear way with a weather icon, plus the temperature (only displayed in Fahrenheit, sadly) and the outlook.

Using WeatherBug Direct is pretty straightforward. You set up the application simply by entering the name and country of your location and selecting the nearest point to you from the list of local weather stations. There are more than 8,000 different WeatherBug Direct stations, so it's never that difficult to find one close to you. You can add as many different locations as you like, then set the 'Current location' to the place you're in now.

You can also use WeatherBug Direct to view current (well a few hours old at least) satellite images, weather cameras and radars. Note though, that the radar and camera image features don't always seem to be available, as it depends on your location.

In terms of its accuracy, WeatherBug Direct wasn't perfect in our tests. In fact, as I speak the program is telling me there's only a 32% chance of rain today. It's raining.

While it may not give pinpoint readings, WeatherBug Direct displays live forecasts in a very clear manner and boasts a few interesting features.

Download WeatherBug Direct 2.2.0 in Softonic

One of the most annoying things about owning a Pocket PC is that the battery has a tendancy to die on you at the most critical moment. Luckily, there are plenty of apps out there that can make it easier to manage the power on your device, and Batti is one of the best I've come across of late. The freeware points out a lot of detailed information about your battery status, including the remaining capacity, tension strength and even the temperature.

Once installed, Batti displays a battery symbol at the top of the screen. By clicking on the icon you can bring up the data on its status. The program can be set to warn of you of impending battery failure either visually or in the form of an acoustic tone. As a result, Batti makes for an ideal way to ensure you're never caught short due to a lack of juice.

Download Batti 2.4 in Softonic

There are lots of areas of your mobile device that it's nice to be able to keep an eye on, but the default Windows Mobile interface isn't really cut out for this.

PDAStatus addresses this issue, allowing you to view all manner of information about your Pocket PC's status from the Today screen, through a series of large, customizable icons. Once installed, the application makes it much easier to check information without having to delve through the Windows Mobile menu system.

The program displays lots of useful information including battery charge, available memory (ROM, RAM and external card space), and even the amount of balance remaining to make calls if you're on a pay-as-you-go plan. The software also includes a backlight manager, allowing you to manage when your light comes on, and giving you the opportunity to save precious power by doing so.

It's pretty easy to set everything up and I really like the fact you can customize everything from the icons themselves to the position they appear on the Today screen. It would be nice to be able to map other information onto here, such as unread messages or news alerts.

Nevertheless, PDAStatus certainly provides an interesting way of presenting status information on your Today screen.

Download PDAStatus 1.1.6 in Softonic

The virtual wallet market is popular with software developers. Nearly all PDA users make use of some sort of virtual wallet program to store their credit card numbers, email passwords or other personal data. eWallet, already regarded by most as the leader in its field has improved on its already excellent reputation with version 4, a feature packed virtual wallet application which is near perfect.

Whatever information you want to keep safe, eWallet is designed to help you entering and retrieving your data with the least hassle possible. Like most virtual wallet programs, it includes a range of categories to choose from as well as a ‘custom’ category option. However, because eWallet’s range of categories is so expansive (check out the ‘internet settings’ option with space for IP addresses, default gateways and more), you may find that you never even need to create a custom category.

When you create a new card (a card can represent an actual credit card or any other record), you’re immediately given a range of customisation options which exceed the offerings of other programs. Change the colour of your card, add a custom .ico icon file, or even a sound effect to make each entry unique and easily recognisable. Cards can be created in the main set of your data store or in unlimited levels of subcategories, offering a level of organisation which is simply unavailable in other applications.

eWallet’s level of security is also impressive. With frequent requests for your passcode, you can be sure that no one can simply pick up your PDA and gain access to your cards. eWallet offers 256-bit encryption where some of its competitors still don’t encrypt your data at all. It also offers you the option to set password hints on individual items, a handy and popular data-protection technique often employed on websites. With top level stability, eWallet can be relied on to stand up to the job, even if you use your virtual wallet application frequently.

As you may be able to tell, we were pretty happy with this version of eWallet! It has so few flaws that the biggest issue we had was with the non-alphabetic listing of icons in the card-editing screen – hardly a critical issue. Synchronisation via SyncPro is actually far better than using ActiveSync, given that it doesn’t need to upload/download the entire database each time it syncs: SyncPro is capable of only updating the latest changes you’ve made, saving you precious time.

eWallet performs its core role with simplicity and ease of use and then offers you a higher level of customisation than any of its competitors. It’s not only the best in its category but one of the few absolute ‘must have’ programs for Palm, Pocket PC and Windows Smartphones. With practically no negative points, it just can’t get a higher recommendation!

Download eWallet 6.1.3 in Softonic

PPCDesktop is an application that allows you to modify the environment of your PocketPC system.

Thanks to this application you can create short-cut icons, add desktop wallpaper to suit your taste and manage all the applications resident on your device, in the same way as if you were using the default desktop.

Improve access to your applications.

Download PPCDesktop for Pocket PC 1.20 in Softonic

Pocket Player 3.2 is a rockin' way to enjoy music and video on your Pocket PC or Smartphone. Through multiple media and playlist formats, Internet connectivity, plugin extensions, and an intuitive interface, Pocket Player means less taps, more music!

What makes pocket player different?:

• Full music and video support: MP3, WMA, WMV1 2, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, and WAV!
• Protected WMA support, u-Law, A-Law, AU, and ADPCM WAV (used in Voicemail attachments) playback
• 10-band Equalizer and Preamp, with presets!
• Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP): browse and play content from your desktop!
• Web radio guide and podcast streaming, with pause, auto-resume and seek functionality!
• Voicemail playback (WAV attachments), integrates to your Inbox!
• Visualizations and downloadable Album Art support
• Media Browser, handles 1000+ tracks with ease!
• Full Pocket PC and Smartphone support, including version 2002, 2003, WM5 and Windows Mobile 6 compatibility!
• Skinnable (Pocket Player, WMP, and WSZ skins)
• Skin hue adjustment: change skin colors
• Themed and skinned Today plugin
• HTTP, Windows Network, Shoutcast, Icecast streaming
• ID3 v1/v1.1/v2 reading; scans device in background
• Gapless playback with variable crossfading
• Automatic Microdrive buffering support
• "Local Content" playlist auto-detects all tracks on device
• Playlist manager, auto-generating smart playlists!
• Pocket PC Notification Icon playback controls
• DSP Plugin support, including Bass Boost
• User-managed Bookmarks support; jump to a file and time
• For Podcasts and audio books: "Seek to last position", Auto-resume
• Hardware button mapping, button locking, one-handed navigation, including support for the Smartphone scroll wheels
• Bluetooth Remote control and headphones support
• Optional sleep timer
• Automatic screen shutoff

Download Pocket Player 3.7 in Softonic

I love using my Pocket PC but I've never found the experience of navigating files on the device as slick as it is in the native version of Windows.

Resco Explorer replicates the look and functionality of Windows Explorer on your Pocket PC. Granted, Windows Explorer isn't perfect, but it's a whole lot more intuitive than Windows Mobile's hotchpotch of a file manager, as this neat application proves.

The program is installed painlessly via Windows onto your Pocket PC, and once in place, provides a much quicker and easier way of navigating through your files. Initially, folders are displayed in a column, though the layout can be tweaked to the max, by applying a tree structure view, changing icon and folder sizes and sorting using a range of variables.

Open the 'Menu' and you'll uncover a treasure trove of settings that allows you to completely customise your file management experience. There's a Send option for quickly sharing files via email, Bluetooth or Infrared; a fast and reliable Find tool, file encryption, an Edit menu for performing file commands, and a comprehensive Help menu too. Delve into the 'Options' menu and amazingly you'll discover there's yet more settings for personalising your file manager.

If you're looking for a quicker and easier way to navigate and manage files in Windows Mobile, I doubt you'll find anything better than Resco File Explorer.

Download Resco Explorer 2008 7.05 in Softonic

phoneAlarm is a Today screen plugin - giving you total control over your Pocket PC Phone. Never miss an important call, SMS or Email again. Automatically switch profiles and quickly access Inbox, call history and control the state of bluetooth directly from the Today screen. Optimised for one-handed and in-car use.

phoneAlarm key features:

• Provides repeating alarms on new SMS, Email, missed calls & voice messages
• 7 Custom Phone profiles with manual / time-based automatic switching.
• Alarm notification on weak battery and phone signal (WM 5.0 only)
• Customise sound, volume and options for each alarm type in each profile
• Mute device and phone volume
• Skinnable user interface (How to create skins)
• Bluetooth and Flight mode control via profiles (also for Widcomm/Broadcomm stack)
• Auto-profile change on <'ActiveSync'> (Work) and <'Power - no ActiveSync'> (Car), also based on time or Appointment category
• 1-hand skin navigation and quick-dialer for last 10 numbers (only for WM 5.0 & WM 2003 SE)
• Icons provide direct access to Inbox, missed call history etc.
• Task-switcher pop-up to close running applications
• Option to cycle radio (off/on) to change user on dual SIM
• English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech, Hungarian, Russian and Chinese user interface
• Supports VGA display
• Optimised for fast performance and maximum platform support
• Simple installation

Download phoneAlarm 2.06 in Softonic

When first run, Spb Wallet asks you to create your first encrypted wallet file. This stage includes a password strength test which will warn you if your password looks like it's too simple. Next, you're presented with a list of categories for data storage, headed by a very handy 'About Spb Wallet' section. This area contains a lot of guidance on how to use the program, template creation and more.

The number of categories and templates available is impressive enough, and that's before you factor-in the easy-to-use template creation tool. Most of the templates also have smart little icons - and again, you're allowed to create and import your own if you want.

Spb Wallet features 256 bit AES encryption, an industry standard, which is apparently very difficult to crack. The biggest risk to your data is probably your PDA itself: always remember to back up important information regularly.

Download Spb Wallet 1.5.2 in Softonic

Accessing applications and resources on your Pocket PC can sometimes be a bit fiddly. So, perhaps it's time you installed an application launcher on your Windows Mobile device.

Elecont Launcher is a fully-featured quick launch plug-in for your Today screen, designed to provide you with speedy access to your favorite programs, web addresses, documents, or control panel items.

Setting up Elecont Launcher proves very easy. You simply need to click the icons you want to appear on the Today screen from the list displayed. Here you can even set up quick links to files on your device that you regularly need access to. Other things you can customize are the size of the icons (small, medium, big, very big), sounds, and the interface language.

Elecont Launcher certainly offers a finger-friendly way of accessing apps and files from the main Pocket PC display. However, you should be careful about adding too many shortcuts with Elecont Launcher, as your Today screen can end up looking a little overcrowded.

If you're sick of having to wade through countless screens to get to your favorite apps, then Elecont Launcher is well worth a try.

Download Elecont Launcher 1.0.74 in Softonic

Brand new version of the popular shareware utility for Pocket PC, Total Commander 2.0 adds new functionality to an already good program.

New in version 2.0

• Support for portrait/landscape switching
• Save column widths in full view
• FTP client, registry editor, and access to LAN (local area network)

Original features, still as good as ever:

• Copy, Move whole subdirs

• Inplace rename, create dirs

• Delete (no recycle bin)

• Zip and unzip

• Properties dialog, change attributes

• Built-in text editor

• Search function (also for text)

• Select/unselect groups of files

• Select with [Sel] button

• FTP client

• Registry editor

• LAN access

• Send/Receive via Infrared (OBEX)

• Brief, full and large icons mode

• Single or two file window mode

• Option to hide all files in ROM

• Directory hotlist as in Total Commander

• Directory history through dropdown list

• Tree view

• Configurable button bar

• Simple help function

• Supported languages: English, German, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Swedish

Add many features to your PocketPC with this great piece of shareware!

Download Total Commander 2.51 in Softonic

With data theft constantly on the rise it's becoming increasingly important to guard your personal information in a safe place.

Rather than writing everything on a piece of paper and hiding it somewhere in your house, why not use your PDA to do the job for you? TealSafe is designed to provide you with the tools to do just that, offering a safe haven for your bank details, web log-ins, credit card details, frequent flyer info and personal contacts.

The software provides a comprehensive infrastructure for storing information, using powerful 128-bit encryption to make it very difficult for anyone to hack into your details. The interface is arranged into a series of categories, each representing a different type of data, such as Bank Information, Calling Card list, Security Keys, Software Key list, etc.

The input forms for each category are nicely tailored to suit the type of information you're likely to store in it. Each comes with a neat little icon and you can even edit the categories and create your own. In order to access all your secret data you need to choose a master password for TealSafe, so make sure you don't forget this one, or you're screwed!

Overall, TealSafe makes for a reliable place to store your data securely.

Download TealSafe 1.46.03 in Softonic

PocketWeather from SBSH allows you to view up-to-the-minute information on weather conditions in cities and towns all over the world, in a standalone application and as a plugin for your Today screen. The range of locations available, the wealth of climatic information provided and the simplicity of the Today screen plugin are all impressive, as is the small size of the program. It can even give you information on recent earthquakes!

PocketWeather provides a wide range of settings which allow you to select your locations, order them by importance, set the frequency of updates, choose your preferred language and more. You can also choose how your locations are displayed on the Today screen and if you have a high-end device, you can select VGA icons for extra eye-candy points.

For many users, the weather data you have on your device will be updated most often via your dock or USB cable. I found that I had to adjust the connection settings in PocketWeather manually in order to allow it to connect in this way. Another small issue I had was that I couldn’t set the program to update forecast data more than once every four hours. Updating current conditions can be done far more frequently, but I feel that forecast data ought to be just as up to date. Finally, I found that if I changed any settings, I would have to ‘apply’ them before moving to another tab in the options dialog. A warning would come in handy here, as at first I kept losing changes I had made because they were discarded automatically.

These problems however are fairly minor and don’t detract from the overall quality of the application. If you’re looking for one interesting and attractive plugin for your Today screen, PocketWeather is highly recommended.

Download SBSH PocketWeather 2.0.8 in Softonic

SplashID safely and securely stores all of your personal identification information including user names, passwords, credit cards, calling cards, bank accounts, PINs, and more. Information is stored in a secure, encrypted format and is quickly accessible on a Pocket PC or Desktop computer with the included desktop software (sold separately).

Key features of SplashID include:

• Unlimited number of customizable record types and categories for storing all kinds of personal information
• Customizable List View supports color and icons
• Password protection, using Blowfish encryption, keeps your data safe and secure
• Synchronize data between the handheld and desktop using the included desktop software
• Send records to other SplashID users
• Custom Icon support
• Field Masking (for sensitive data like passwords)
• Customizable Field Labels on a per record basis
• Automatic Password Generator - for generating passwords based on user criteria

A powerful and secure PIM for Pocket PC users.

Download SplashID 4.15 in Softonic

New BibleReader for Pocket PC devices such as Ipaq, Axim, Toshiba, Jornada and the Treo 700. Supports Clear Type, Transcriber, Multiple Windows, Notes and Bookmark Management.

The features of BibleReader for Pocket PC include:

• Organizes all your Olive Tree material (available here) using our Fully-Integrated Biblical Library System (Bibles, Commentaries, Dictionaries, Daily Devotionals, Daily Reading Schedules, eBooks, Maps)
• Easy-to-use Chooser
• Split-screen capability
• Verse syncronization in multiple screens
• Fast-search/concordance capability
• Color Highlighting
• Personal Notes
• Bookmarks
• Greek/Hebrew support
• Interactive Toolbar w/ full-color icons
• 3-function scrollbar for easy navigation
• Customizable shortcuts
• Red-Letter support on some Bibles

Download BibleReader 3.67 in Softonic

If you're a busy person and don't want to waste time plundering menu systems all day then it's high time you installed some sort of productivity applications on your Pocket PC. PocketToolman is such a program, providing you with instant access to a range of tools that are normally buried within the settings menu.

The software adds a drop-down menu on the toolbar of your device, which adds an almost overwhelming array of features. Among the most useful - or at least the ones you're likely to use the most - are the ability to stop, lock and restart your system; access the configuration menu, turn off the screen, display the battery indicator, and disconnect all sorts of resources such as Bluetooth, WiFi, RAS, etc.

Although PocketToolman doesn't actually add any functions you can't already perform on your device, the program provides a neat platform for accessing your exisiting settings much quicker.

Download PocketToolman 2.26 build 36 in Softonic

One of my favorite films is Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. But I can't help thinking that if Macauley Culkin had had this program installed on his Pocket PC then he wouldn't have had so much trouble. I guess the film wouldn't have been as good though.

The snappily-named New York DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide & Map is designed to provide you with all the information you need to make the most of your stay in the Big Apple. After installing the program launcher and the city pack you're presented with a series of 13 icons, representing different sections of the guide such as Highlights, Top 10, Around Town, and a range of street and transport maps.

Each section is packed with information on the sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps. What I like about the Dorling Kindersley Top 10 series is that besides all the usual blurb about each attraction, you get loads of tips and facts that tourists aren't usually aware of.

The Top 10 section itself is great fun to follow. It boasts a huge range of different lists, including the top things to see at the Empire State Building, the best dance clubs, most important NY sports events, and the most important dates in the city's history.

There are zoomable maps covering all of New York's districts and you can use them to plot the best course between two points.

Overall, the DK Eyewitness New York guide is very comprehensive, though some of the public transport information and pricing may be a little out-of-date, so it's worth checking before you go.

The perfect companion for anyone venturing to NY.

Download New York DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide & Map 2.00.30 in Softonic