A gadget freak's quest for the perfect mobile phone

Anybody who knows me knows I'm an inveterate gadget freak. The vast majority of my disposable income goes to checking out the latest trends in technology; especially related to digital multimedia (music, video, photography, etc.) and mobile communications. Some of my favorite toys at the present time are:

• iPod Color 60GB
• Creative Zen Portable Media Center
• Windows Media Center Edition
• Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR camera
• Canon Pixma MP750 scanner/printer (prints awesome photos!)
• Sky+ PVR (this one has survived with me the longest!)

I've been on a quest for the perfect mobile device for a long time, and I've gone through quite a few devices trying to find it. Invariably I get disillusioned with most of these mobile devices after a relatively short time, sell them on, and go off in search of the next great thing.

This week I had a mobile subscription contract up for renew (the point at which they're willing to throw wads of cash at you to sign up for another year or two), so I decided to take advantage of it to check out the not-so-new i-mate JAM (see photo below). It's the smallest fully-featured Windows Mobile (formerly Pocket PC) device on the market. I had been getting sick of carrying around the larger Nokia smartphone devices, and the P910i from Sony Ericsson had ceased to excite me a long time ago (not quite sure why - just stopped liking it). At first I was only slightly impressed. A Windows Mobile platform gives you lots of possibilities for expansion with new applications, memory cards, etc. But as usual with keyboard-less devices, it seemed a bit difficult to handle while driving or when you need to do something quickly and don't feel like grabbing the darn stylus.

But then something magical happened! I bought Microsoft's Voice Command 1.5 from Handango and installed it. Totally plug-and-play, no training required (as is the case with many voice applications - you have to say every name in your address book to teach it how to work), and zero configuration. I just press a button and talk to it, and it obeys my every command (as long as I use the ones it knows). A synthesized female 'computer voice' responds and asks for clarification as required. She even reads out the names (if available) or phone numbers of incoming calls.

It's fantastic for quickly looking up or dialing contacts:

• Call Martin Sheen on Mobile (she repeats the name back and calls)
• Show RuPaul Andre Charles (RuPaul's details pop up instantly)
• Dial +1 515 244 5611

It's even better for the Windows Media Player, which can be very cumbersome to use (it's no iPod!):

• Play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (starts playing)
• Play Genre (she reads back the genres that are available and asks me which one I want)
• Play Podcast (a genre, automatically starts playing through all my podcasts!)

Even allows you to say:

• What's my battery level?
• What time is it?
• What's my next appointment?
• What's my schedule for tomorrow?
• Start calculator

Probably one of the most significant advancements in human/device interaction in mobile phones since their introduction (for a flash demo of the software, click here). It fits relatively comfortably into my shirt pocket (it's small but it's as heavy as a brick), allows me to avoid fines while driving (at €145 a pop!), entertains me with music, audiobooks and podcasts, and keeps me on schedule (synchronizes like a breeze with Microsoft Outlook or over the air with a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003withh ActiveSync).

I may have finally found my ideal device. I'll let you know in a few months!

This device is manufactured by HTC (under the name Magician) for various companies who then market it under their own brand name. These include Q-Tek and imate as well as mobile operators like Orange and T-Mobile.