Congratulations. You've spent the weekend managing not to buy an iPhone, which is more than we can say for at least two Download Squad writers.
Sure, the new phone is the coolest thing since sliced bread was replaced by low-carb bagels. But aside from an innovative new interface and one of the best web browsers ever to grace a mobile device, does it really do anything new?
Today we'll take a look at some of the features that make the iPhone special -- and show you how your 2 year old Windows Mobile phone or PDA can accomplish most of the same tasks.
Opera has released a public beta of Opera Mini 4. Like previous versions of the Opera Mini web browser, it will run on any Java enabled phone, and it's probably a lot faster than the browser you're using right now. But there's one killer new feature: zoom.
Here's a little screencast we made demonstrating the zoom feature using a web-based Opera Mini 4 emulator.
Much like the Opera for the Nintendo Wii, Opera Mini 4 lets you see an entire web page at a glance, pretty much as it would look on a desktop. Since your standard definition TV and your mobile phone don't really support the same resolutions as your desktop, the text isn't really readable. So you can easily scroll over any part of the page and click to zoom in.
The thing is, the new desktop view works great if you're visiting sites you're already familiar with. But if you need to find the local news section of the New York Times, you had better know that you'll need to click on the left side of the page before you get there. Luckily, you can hit the 1 button to bring up a context menu that will let you choose to bypass the desktop view and use the "fit to width" view you've come to know and love.
In today's mobile Minute, we'll take a look at some of the latest news and software related to Windows Mobile devices.
Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 on its way
When Microsoft announced they'd be replacing ActiveSync, few Windows Mobile users were complaining. The default program for synchronizing data between a PC and mobile device has always been a bit finnicky, to say the least.
Microsoft built a synchronization center into Windows Vista for basic functions, and released the freely downloadable Windows Mobile Device Center for more advanced users. And it didn't take long for those users to realize that WMDC seems to offer fewer synchronizations, not more. For example, ActiveSync has an option to manually resolve conflicts between appointments on your PDA and computer. WMDC does not.
Version 6.1 of WMDC is due out withing the next few weeks. While it doesn't look like there will be any major updates other than support for Windows Mobile 6 devices, there should be a number of bug fixes and some new features such as improved accessibility support.
One of the best web browsers for Windows Mobile is getting an update. While it's not Opera 9 just yet, version 8.65 adds a number of new drool-worthy features for any mobile browser:
Grab and scroll through screens on Pocket PC edition devices only
Web search in the address bar
Save images
Copy text
Send a link as an e-mail, SMS, or MMS
Import IE bookmarks
Multi-language support
Support for Macromedia Flash Player 7 for Pocket PCs
FlashLite 2.1
We're pretty sure that flash support does not mean you'll be able to view the full versions of flash video web sites like YouTube, but there's always the mobile version.
Opera 8.65 will be a free upgrade for registered users. Right now if you click the download button you're taken to a link for Opera 8.60, but look for the new version to go live any minute now. [via Aximsite]
Opera this week announced plans to develop a version of the Opera 9 web browser for Windows Mobile phones and PDAs. Opera 8.6 is already one of the fastest web browsers available for Windows Mobile devices, with a super speedy rendering engine.
Version 9 will incorporate several new features.
Users will be able to view a full web page or zoom in to a particular area, much like the way the Opera browser for Wii works.
Opera will add widgets to the mobile browser, letting users check weather, traffic, news, email and other information.
No word on pricing or availability, but Opera 8.6 sells for $24, and I'd expect Opera 9 to be similarly priced.
Congratulations. You've spent the weekend managing not to buy an iPhone, which is more than we can say for at least two Download Squad writers. 
Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 on its way
One of the best web browsers for Windows Mobile is getting an update. While it's not Opera 9 just yet, version 8.65 adds a number of new drool-worthy features for any mobile browser:
