The Pocket PC Central Accessories Center has been updated with accessories for the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 / X1a Windows Mobile touchscreen smartphone.  Here you can find batteries, cases, sync cables, and more for the new smartphone.

Visit the Pocket PC Central Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Series Accessories Center…

NOTE: The XPERIA X1a is now for sale unlocked in the United States.  The smartphone will work with the T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless networks.

Speculation regarding Windows Mobile 6.5, which is expected to debut at MWC next month, is fast and furious.  And how best to put speculation to rest than with screenshots of the upcoming mobile OS?

We’ve seen some screenshots of WinMo 6.5 over the past few days, and now we have a few more thanks to the friendly folks at the XDA Developers Forum.

The new screenshots show the updated Today Screen, the new honeycomb Programs shortcuts menu and a couple of screen grabs of IE Mobile 6. Sadly, there’s still no hint as to what the rumored Zune media interface will look like, so we’ll have to wait on that one.

More Screenshots:

T-Mobile USA has launched its new (and long-awaited) T-Mobile Shadow smartphone, an updated and redesigned replacement for the first generation Shadow. 

Rather than calling it the the Shadow 2 or Shadow 2009, as had been suggested in past months, T-Mobile has chosen to call the new smartphone the T-Mobile Shadow, the same name as its predecessor.  No points for clarity.

Built by HTC, the new Shadow runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard (non-touchscreen) and offers HotSpot@Home support, EDGE mobile data connectivity, up to 7 hours of talk time, Wi-Fi, and a microSD memory card slot.  Like the previous Shadow, the new smartphone has a downward-sliding dial-pad that pulls double duty as a SureType-style keyboard.

The T-Mobile Shadow is available in two colors: White Mint and Black Burgundy (shown). You can grab one now @ T-Mobile’s web site.

The first Firefox Mobile beta for Windows Mobile could come as soon as next week. 

On Mozilla’s Fennec (the code-name for Firefox Mobile) notes page for January 26, developers state that they are “targeting a Milestone release for the first week of February.”  The page goes on to state that the first beta will be targeted for the HTC Touch Pro (also sold in the U.S. as the AT&T Fuze).

This comes as a welcome surprise as previous reports had the first WinMo beta of Fennec scheduled for March or April.

According to a document obtained by MobilityToday, release of the Sprint Treo Pro has been pushed back until February 15.  The new Windows Mobile smartphone was supposed to have launched yesterday.

Apparently, nearly 2000 Treo Pros were sent out for the scheduled January 25 launch, but they’re to be locked up until the new February release date.  The document, which was directed to Best Buy stores, doesn’t give a reason for the delay.

Why would Sprint delay the release of a handheld that’s already in hand?  Software glitches?  Some OS update coming between now and February 15 that Sprint and Palm want applied in-store at sale?  Sun spots?  Who knows…

According to Neowin, Microsoft will take the wraps off a new version of Windows Mobile, an over-the-air syncing service and an on-device software store at next month’s Mobile World Conference (MWC).

Windows Mobile 6.5 has long been expected to debut at MWC, and Neowin confirms that this is likely to happen and also says those leaked WM6.5 screenshots (seen left) that we first saw in November are, in fact, reflective of the new OS.

SkyBox is a wireless syncing service somewhat similar to Apple’s MobileMe.  With SkyBox you can sync your Windows Mobile handset’s contacts, email, photos, calendar entries, etc., with Microsoft Cloud-based services.  We’re not exactly sure how this will work, but such a service would be a great addition to the OS.  Neowin reports that SkyBox may also work with non-Windows Mobile devices.

SkyMarket will be a mobile marketplace for Windows Mobile applications, allowing users to find and install third-party software right from their handheld.

You should, of course, treat this information as rumor until it is confirmed by another source or until MWC gets going in February.

A new version of Live Search Mobile has been released by Microsoft.  Version 4.0 adds several new features to the free program, one of our favorites here at PPCC.

LocateMe allows you to view your location either by GPS positioning data or cell phone tower triangulation.  Bird’s Eye View, which is similar to Google Street View, is a new way the program provides for viewing maps. Sadly, this feature isn’t available everywhere.

Other features include predictive text for typed searches and Mixed Query which allows you to search for locations in cities other than the one in which you are currently located.

You can download the latest version of Live Search Mobile, which works with Windows Mobile 5 or later (and select BlackBerry devices), right from your handheld at http://wls.live.com.

President-Elect Obama is a well-known BlackBerry addict and has expressed more than a little anxiety about being forced to give up the mobile messenger when he officially becomes #44.

Now, in what is sure to send Apple fanboys into a psychological tailspin (they’re already apoplectic that he’s not using an iPhone), some are suggesting Mr. Obama could adopt a more secure handset, namely General Dynamics’ $3300 Sectéra Edge, which the NSA has certified “as being acceptable for Top Secret voice communications and Secret e-mail and Web sites."

The Obama adoption of Windows Mobile isn’t official, but it is interesting that a Windows Mobile device may be the only solution that can serve the world’s most powerful person. 

If true, maybe it’ll force Microsoft to work on its outdated UI since its business and security credentials will be on such solid ground.

via PCWorld

Spb Software has updated one of its most popular Windows Mobile applications, Spb Weather, to version 2.0.  The new version includes a touch friendly UI, forecast data from Foreca (MSN’s weather data provider), updated/expanded city listings and an animated 3D globe with forecast data.

Spb Weather 2.0 is designed for Windows Mobile touchscreen smartphones and will run on Windows Mobile 5 and 6.

Download Spb Weather 2.0 or browse other Weather Software for Touchscreen Windows Mobile Smartphones & PDAs.

We’ve been passing along rumors of a Dell-branded smartphone for years.  Obviously, not one of these rumors has turned out to be true, but as lingering fans of Dell’s long-dead Axim Pocket PCs, we feel compelled to report the latest in Dell Smartphone murmurings.

According to Shaw Wu, an analyst for Kaufman Bros., a Dell smartphone device is getting "closer to reality.”  This is based on information gathered by looking into items currently on, or expected to soon be, Dell’s list of ordered components. 

What sort of device might this smartphone be?  Dell has historically sold devices powered by Windows Mobile, but with Palm’s new webOS and Android, Dell has other options.  It’s also possible the computer company could work on its own mobile OS, though this seems highly unlikely.

This could very well turn out to be another baseless rumor, so keep those hopes tethered to the ground.  We’ll keep you posted if we hear anything to substantiate this rumor.

via Electronista