Windows Mobile web browsers are still not up to scratch compared to their desktop counterparts. The small screen size, generally slower data speeds and troubles with flash and Ajax websites all contribute to a less than enjoyable surfing experience. Skyfire web browser conquers many of these problems that mobile browsers suffer from.

Skyfire works differently to other mobile browsers in that it shows you the full web site and not the mobile version. It appears to me that Skyfires servers render the page before delivering it. This results in Flash, Silverlight and Ajax content working properly on a Windows mobile device. It has been a long wait.

With Skyfire servers doing a lot of work, I expected pages to download much slower, however I did not find this to be the case. This was especially surprising seeing that I am not in one of the supported or optimized countries. I was even able to watch Youtube videos at a reasonable quality.

Skyfire shows the full page which you can scroll around, or zoom in on text you want to read. I was very impressed that it automatically zoomed in on a text input box when I tapped it. It is very user friendly.

Skyfire probably won’t solve all of your mobile surfing problems, but it will let you view most of the sites that have not been viewable before. My recommendation is to use this side by side with Internet Explorer mobile, depending on the site you want to visit. Saying that, this is still a beta version. There may be bigger plans for the full release. Hopefully the plans aren’t to charge for the product.

I look forward to seeing how Firefox mobile evolves over time. It is looking quite promising. It may be the answer to many of my surfing problems.

Skyfire isn’t supported by all Windows Mobile devices at this stage, but it worked fine on my HTC touch. Supported device information, and much more is available on their website. Grab your copy of Skyfire from Skyfire.com.

Accessing a home or office computer from your phone while you are out and about may be a bit too geeky for some, but there can be real benefits. I normally use it to view sites that are not compatible with mobile browsers, or to set my computer to record a TV show.

Windows Mobile already has remote desktop and VNC options, but Remote Touch offers some benefits over these. Remote Touch is quick, the screen will not shrink to an unusable size, and you can zoom in on the part of the screen you are interested in.

Another handy feature is that the computer screen doesn’t get locked. This allows the computer to remain active after you have disconnected, or you can use the software as a remote control.

Remote Touch works over IP, so after a little bit of port forwarding, your remote desktop is accessible from anywhere with a wireless network connection. There is a client which is installed on the device, and a tiny server that runs on the desktop.

Remote touch is still in Beta so you may come across the occasional bug. On the bright side, you can also expect improvements in stability and features over the coming months. It worked fine for me on my HTC Touch.

For a detailed video on Remote Touch, and the download, visit the authors website.

Do you want to turn your Windows Mobile device into a worthwhile alarm clock? G-Alarm could very well be the option for you.

G-Alarm is a reliable alarm clock for Windows Mobile devices. It is packed with features, many of which I have not seen in other alarm clock software.

You can set up unlimited alarms, a snooze function, use a random MP3 file from a playlist as your alarm, and you can even fade in the music so as to not stun you awake. That’s just the beginning.

My favourite feature of G-Alarm is a maze that you need to complete before you are able to disable the alarm. It isn’t all that challenging, but it will be enough to ensure even the heaviest sleeper will wake up properly. All of the features can be turned on or off, making this program ideal for most.

I have had this on my device for a week while I have been testing it out. I am happy to say that G-Alarm has not let me down yet.

G-Alarm has been tested on a bunch of devices from the HTC range, though it should work on other Windows Mobile devices.

Grab your copy from the authors website, AGEye.de.

When a Windows Mobile device starts playing up, there is only a small amount of fault finding that we can do before we need to take drastic measures. One way to make the device run like new is to set it back to factory settings.

There are a couple of ways to restore factory settings. The most popular method requires you to hold down various buttons for set durations, resulting in a frustrating finger tangle. You will need to look up your manual for the specific combination your device uses.

Luckily, there is an easier way that should work for everyone!

Windows Mobile devices normally come with a program called Clear Storage. This program is used to restore your factory settings without the need to use complex button combinations. It is found in the Settings > System tab.

All you need to do is enter 1234 and press YES. This is a very easy way to restore factory settings.

The drawback with restoring factory settings is that all the data and programs on the device will be wiped, including ringtones and software you may have purchased. ActiveSync or WMDC will normally contain the installers for any 3^rd party programs that are installed on the device, and data such as mail, contacts and calendar can be synced up to Outlook. This makes restoration a quick process. It’s hardly worth fault finding when it is this simple.

Windows Mobile has an inbuilt alarm system that works quite well, but it has some limitations. It is not finger friendly, there is no snooze feature, and we are limited to what sound files we can play as an alarm.

SnoozeAlarm II is a small program that can turn your Windows Mobile device into a worthwhile alarm clock. The buttons are large, making it easy to configure and set. Most importantly, there is a snooze button which is easy to press when you wake up. The snooze time is also configurable.

SnoozeAlarm II lets you wake up to an MP3 file rather than the default WAV files that come with Windows Mobile.

The only feature that SnoozeAlarm II doesn’t have which I would like to see is a feature to set the alarm to sound on weekdays only. Strangely enough, the built in Windows Mobile alarm does allow for.

Grab your copy for free from Spoontools.com.