Freewarepocketpc.net is a website that has been providing freeware for Windows Mobile devices for years. Now, the people behind that site have developed an alternative app store to Microsoft’s own Marketplace for Mobile on Windowsphones.

From the Freewarepocketpc.net site:

OpnMarket is compatible with most of the Windows Mobile Professional devices with touch-screens, once installed it lets you browse, download and install FREE applications directly on your device. OpnMarket will use you mobile network connection or a WiFi connection to download softwares to your phone. It’s simple, instant and FREE!

I downloaded it and working well on my i-mate 8502. OpnMarket is available for download from the Freewarepocketpc.net website.

Tomorrow is the day when Windows Mobile 6.5 is expected to hit the ground running officially. It is expected that upgradeable devices will receive free upgrades from the older version 6.1 of the OS.

At this time, I am not sure whether or not the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 will receive an official upgrade. However, I have had the proviledge of running WinMo 6.5 on my X1 via custom ROMs made available by various developers. Besides finger-friendly icons, it does not offer much more than what currently obtains on WinMo 6.1.

Other new features that 6.5 offers include My Phone (data synchronisation) and the Windows Marketplace (an application that lets you purchase compatible apps for your device).

Do you own a Windows Mobile smartphone? Is it eligible for an upgrade? Do you have any expectations for Windows Mobile 6.5?

Mobile enthusiasts are awaiting the release of Window Mobile 6.5 later this year. As we have heard, it is an upgrade designed to improve the WinMo user interface prior to release of the much awaited Windows Mobile 7 in 2010.

To get Windows Mobile 6.5 when released, you have to buy a new WinMo device or upgrade if you have a compatible device released in 2009. But if you are desperate and impatient like me, you can get the various leaked WM6.5 ROMs floating in the WinMo community and flash them to your device.

One good reason for trying out WM6.5 ROM is the improved user interface which comes with finger friendly menus. Another reason is the new pocket internet explorer, referred to as IE6. It sports a revamped web browser built on the same code that runs the desktop version of Internet Explorer 6.

I flashed my HTC wizard with a ROM named “CR96 Touch HD”, a cooked job by Cracing of XDA Developers site.

Here are screen shots:

Lock Screen

Today Screen on WM 6.5

Start Menu Screen on WM6.5

Connections Screen on WM6.5

Internet Explorer homescreen on WM6.5

Internet Explorer menu on WM6.5

WM6.5 About Screen

Garmin’s Garmap for Mobile is now available with streetmaps of major cities in Nigeria, including: Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Warri, Otta, among others.

Here are more features:

• 9,800km of routable map data
• Over 8,800 points of interest (POIs)
• Street maps for Lagos, FCT Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Warri, and Ota amongst others
• Turn-by-turn voice prompts
• Route simulation: Ability to simulate route and view destination on map before embarking on the journey
• Weather forecast: Ability to check five day weather forecasts destinations and over 5000 cities worldwide
• Flight schedule and status: Access flight details for many major airlines
• Points of Interest dialing: Choose from over 8800 Points of Interest and call a point of interest (such as a restaurant or coffee shop) using the phone feature.
• Location messaging: Send a location message to another Nigerian mobile phone, detailing their exact location in GPS coordinates. If the receiving mobile phone also has Garmap For Mobile installed the message translates into a destination point and allows the receiver to navigate easily and quickly to that point.
• Panic button: Automatically fires off an urgent location message to up to three emergency contacts whenever the ‘#’ key is depressed for more than 3 seconds on certain Nokia and Samsung phones.
• “Panoramio”, a tool that allows consumers to access user-generated content that has been uploaded to the Web.
• On board user’s manual and troubleshooting information: The user’s manual and troubleshooting information sits on the application on your phone, so help is wherever you are.
• SD card and Installation disk: The application comes on a 2gig SD card and an installation / recovery disk
• 1.8 gig memory space: The application comes with 1.8gig free memory space on the SD card

The official distributor for Garmin in Nigeria, JEJ Engineering, says that the application is compatible with Windows Mobile (Pocket PC and Smart phone) and Symbian S60 devices with built-in GPS.

This really is interesting and good news. I’m looking forward to giving the application a spin and presenting a detailed review here. Watch this space.

Mobile applications developer, TorchMobile, have released a new major version of their mobile browser, Iris. The browser is built on the popular webkit engine and is available for WinMo 5 and 6 devices.

From the TouchMobile blog:

There are many surprises waiting inside, including support for the Flash Lite ActiveX control, big performance gains, reduced memory usage, preliminary RSS and SVG support, the highest Acid3 score of any shipping mobile browser, and HTC accelerometer support.

Yomi has downloaded a copy and is currently putting it through its paces on the Samsung i900 Omnia. His review should be available tomorrow or the day after.

In the meantime, you can download your copy too.