Today Celio Corp released a software update (version 1.5.1.330) for Windows Mobile (OS versions 6.0, 6.1, and 6.5) and BlackBerry (OS versions 4.6, 4.7, and 5.0) users. All REDFLY users are encouraged to download the software update.
The fastest and easiest way to update your software is to visit m.celiocorp.com/install from your smartphone’s browser to directly download and install the new driver to your smartphone over-the-air (OTA) without the need for a computer.
Visit www.celiocorp.com/install from your PC’s browser if you would like to download the driver to your computer first and install the driver from your PC to your phone.
Click here to download an updated REDFLY Quick Start Guide [PDF].
What’s New in 1.5.1.330? In addition to speed and stability improvements for all supported smartphones, the 1.5.1.330 software update adds support for many new Windows Mobile 6.5 and BlackBerry 5.0 smartphones.
REDFLY picked up a Mobile Star Award today winning the Shining Star in the Hardware: Portable Productivity Peripheral category.
Each year, the Mobile Star Awards recognizes the top mobile products, success stories and visionaries as chosen by thousands of readers of MobileVillage’s free email newsletter Go Mobile.
We welcome this addition to our other awards and recognitions and thank MobileVillage for the honor
This giveaway program is only open to residents of the Unites States 18 years of age or older. Five (5) winners will be drawn at random from newsletter subscription requests during the period ranging from 12 a.m. Nov 3, 2009 to 11:59 p.m Nov 13, 2009. The drawing to determine 5 winners will occur on or before Nov 15, 2009. Contest is not open to Celio Corp employees, their families or Celio Corp contractors.
We’ve been swamped with questions after our recent press release about supporting BlackBerry this fall so here are some answers to the most-asked questions:
Q: When can I start using a REDFLY with my BlackBerry? A: Most likely sometime in October or November. We’ll know the exact release date soon and will announce it as soon as possible.
Q: Which BlackBerry smartphones will work with REDFLY? A: Upon launch, REDFLY will support the BlackBerry Bold 9000, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Tour 9630. We plan to support most of the new phones BlackBerry releases in the future. In order for the REDFLY driver to operate efficiently, you’ll need a BlackBerry phone with a 512 MHz or faster processor; 128MB or more memory; and a BlackBerry OS version of 4.6 or later.
Q: What other phones work with REDFLY?
A: Today REDFLY supports many Windows Mobile smartphones. We plan to support other mobile operating systems in the future. You can see an updated list of supported phones anytime at http://www.celiocorp.com/smartphone
Q: Can I be notified when the BlackBerry driver is ready? A: Absolutely. Sign up at http://www.celiocorp.com/subscribe for the latest news and info.
Q: If I buy a REDFLY today will it work with my BlackBerry once you finally release the BlackBerry driver? A: Yes. However, you will need to install new firmware on the REDFLY to make it “BlackBerry aware” before connecting to a BlackBerry device. This special process may only be completed using a Windows Mobile phone so you’ll need to have access to a Windows Mobile phone in order to make your REDFLY BlackBerry aware. The firmware currently on REDFLY Mobile Companions shipping today only recognizes Windows Mobile phones.
The REDFLY Mobile Companion units that will ship to new customers this fall when the BlackBerry becomes officially supported will ship with BlackBerry aware firmware. REDFLYs purchased starting at that time will work out-of-the box with a BlackBerry phone without the need to set up the REDFLY using a Windows Mobile phone.
Q: Can I use the REDFLY I already own with a BlackBerry? A: Most likely yes. The two currently available REDFLY models (the C7 and C8N) will be compatible with BlackBerry devices. However, you will need a Windows Mobile phone to update your REDFLY and make it BlackBerry aware before connecting to a BlackBerry for the first time. The original REDFLY Mobile Companion model C8 sold until November 2008 will not support a BlackBerry connection. If you are not sure which REDFLY model you have, please check the label on the bottom of your REDFLY device where the “Model No.” is listed.
Q: How much will the BlackBerry driver cost? A: As with all REDFLY drivers, the BlackBerry driver will be offered free-of-charge to any existing or future REDFLY Mobile Companion owner.
Q: Can I use the same REDFLY to connect to both a BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phone? A: Yes. The same REDFLY may be used to connect to any supported phone with the REDFLY driver installed. You can only connect REDFLY to one phone at a time so you’ll need to disconnect from a phone first before connecting to the other phone.
Q: Can I share one REDFLY between multiple users? A: Yes. Since REDFLY stores no data, settings, or preferences, just connect it to any REDFLY aware smartphone without reconfiguring it in any way. See the video below for an example.
REDFLY is a finalist in this year’s Windows IT Pro Community Choice Awards.
Please take a minute and click here to vote for the Celio REDFLY Mobile Companion in the Best Mobile & Wireless Software category. You can also click the image to the right.
As an extra incentive to vote, Windows IT Pro will enter you into a prize drawing to win a $250 gift card or one of 30 Windows IT Pro T-shirts.
“The cost-effective REDFLY Mobile Companion lets mobile IT pros use smartphones as their primary computing devices while on the go, saving both time and money in a market where both are tight.”
Celio Corp’s Director of Engineering, Laurie Nylund, has been selected as a finalist for the 2009 Women Tech Awards presented by the Women Tech Council and MountainWest Capital Network. It’s nice to see Celio Corp’s employees honored for their great work.
The winner will be announced on September 18, 2009. Good luck Laurie!
Celio Corp has been working with a few really cool providers of mobile Law Enforcement apps. One of which is Voyager by ATSC.
To demonstrate the full capabilities of the combined solution ATSC and Celio Corp are presenting a free on-line webinar on August 4, 2009 at 3 p.m. EST. Representatives from both companies will be on hand to demonstrate how REDFLY and Voyager can combine on a mobile solution designed for increased officer mobility, productivity and safety while saving your agency a lot of money over other solutions. The webinar will showcase such benefits as:
Increase productivity of your officers with Voyager/REDFLY
Voyager/REDFLY is substantially cheaper to deploy than traditional laptops
Voyager S-a-a-S model easy and affordable to deploy
Eliminate Aircard and Phone bills by combining everything on one device
Voyager on a smartphone offers added mobility vs. traditional in car computers
Voyager Secure Messaging and Statusing support information sharing
There’s a new REDFLY Mobile Companion C8N accessory now posted to the REDFLY store. This REDFLY Media Cable (for use with iPod) provides an easier way to get video from an iPod on the REDFLY display.
While you can use the normal REDFLY Media Cable (universal) to display video on REDFLY from an iPod (together with Apple’s Composite AV Cable), the REDFLY Media Cable (for use with iPod) provides a direct and streamlined method requiring only one simple cable. Plug one end directly into your video capable iPod and the other end directly into the REDFLY Media Port on your REDFLY C8N.
See this link for more info on video compatibly with REDFLY.
REDFLY was featured on a special technology episode of the TV show, Designing Spaces recently. The show will air Friday July 10, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. on the WE channel and also Sunday July, 12, 2009 at 7 a.m. on TLC. Check your local listings for the correct times in your time zone.
If you’re new to the REDFLY experience and found us from seeing the TV show, below are some REDFLY basics…
REDFLY works with about 70 Windows Mobile smartphones to and will support BlackBerry and Android phones in the near future. Click here if you’d like to be notified when we release new products and support additional phones.
REDFLY is not a computer. It’s a brilliantly simply larger screen and keyboard that connects directly to your smartphone giving you an instant-on more comfortable way to type long messages and view more information from your phone at a time on a larger display.
Click here to take a 3-minute online REDFLY Tour to see what it’s all about.
Click here to learn more about REDFLY on our website.
Click here to read some great testimonials from real REDFLY customers.
The attention and praise we’ve received for the REDFLY Mobile Companion since its launch has been great, and we’re excited that more and more people are experiencing firsthand how the smartphone can become their primary computing device if only given the REDFLY Mobile Companion’s larger screen and keyboard.
Thanks to increased production volumes on the REDFLY Mobile Companion, we’ve been recently able to reduce the per-unit costs to make the REDFLY and we want to pass along the savings to our customers and retailers.
Starting now, the REDFLY C8N, with its 8-inch screen, 8-hour battery life, and media port will now have an MSRP of $249 (that’s a price drop of $50), while the REDFLY C7, with its 7-inch screen and 5-hour battery life, will now be priced at an MSRP of $199. We’ve been running a few promos off and on where you could get a C7 for $199 after a $30 rebate, but now you can get that price all the time without a rebate.
Over the weekend, we posted an update to the REDFLY Mobile Viewer Beta software for Windows XP and Vista. This update is recommended for all REDFLY Mobile Viewer Beta users.
Please visit www.celiocorp.com/install to download the new REDFLY Mobile Viewer Beta build (build No. 192).
Changes in Build 192:
A new feature called Event Notification is now available. If you have your phone connected to your laptop and RMV running and connected to your phone, any phone call or SMS text message you receive will pop-up a small dialog in your system tray with that notice.
A new feature called Network Sharing is now available. This feature is not yet working for all smartphones we support, but when it is enable on many phones, you may choose via a setting in the Options dialog whether to use your PC network connection in the Mobile Viewer or instead isolate that connection and communicate outward through your phone’s data plan.
Several small issues with scaling the viewer console window have been corrected.
Celio Corp also released new beta builds of the REDFLY smartphone driver software and REDFLY Mobile Companion firmware. All REDFLY Mobile Viewer Beta users or users of REDFLY smartphone driver beta software are encouraged to update the driver software on their phones.
We now have RAM mounting kits available in the REDFLY store. The installation process is fairly easy and you can do-it-yourself with simple tools without the need to drill any holes. The flexible and adjustable mounting post mounts to the front passenger seat rail. It takes about 15 minutes to complete the installation.
The kits come in 3 flavors…
1) RAM Mount - REDFLY Kit ($79.95)
3 pieces needed to mount your REDFLY Mobile Companion (without a phone).
2) RAM Mount - Phone Kit ($39.95)
2-piece, add-on kit to the above RAM Mount - REDFLY Kit in case you just buy the RAM Mount - REDFLY Kit and later decide you want to also mount your phone to the side.
3) RAM Mount - REDFLY & Phone Kit ($119.95)
All 5 pieces needed to mount your REDFLY Mobile Companion and phone (just like in the picture you see here).
Check out this video of students at Trinity Intermediate School in Keller, TX. The school developed a program sponsored by the Pearson Foundation and the Mobile Learning Institute that included Verizon Windows Mobile phones, the REDFLY Mobile Companion and GoKnow!’s Mobile Learning Environment software. Pretty cool. The kids can collaborate on research, share documents, get info from Wikipedia, turn in assignments, and much more – all with their smartphones.
One nice feature of the REDFLY Mobile Companion is that it stores absolutely no data or settings on the device itself (everything stays on the smartphone). Because of this, it’s easy to have a small pool of REDFLYs shared amongst multiple users. Anytime a user connects, his or her settings, Today Screen, apps, etc. are all just there (since the REDFLY is just mirroring the smartphone itself).
We received some great exposure at the Citrix Synergy show early this month. There was a high volume of interest and traffic at the booth we shared with Sprint. The REDFLY/smartphone combination is an amazing way to give users access to a Citrix environment without the hardware costs or hassles of a laptop, netbook, mobile thin client, etc.
As part of the show special, until June 30, 2009 you can get great deals on the REDFLY Mobile Companion and a variety of cool Sprint phones at http://citrix.sprintorders.com.
Virtualization guru, Brian Madden named us Showcase Vendor of the Week. You can see his video here. (Fast forward to the 18 minute mark to see REDFLY running Citrix Receiver on Sprint phones.)
Here are two Citrix TV videos featuring Sprint and the REDFLY.
Finally, if you haven’t tried Citrix on your Windows Mobile smartphone and/or a REDFLY, Citrix has a new demo environment that you can play with.
Trudy Walsh at Government Computer News posted a nice review of the REDFLY Mobile Companion this week.
It’s no secret that when it comes to netbooks, laptops and Wi-Fi in Government, there really is no easy solution to the security concerns and costs related to infrastructure and implementation. Many departments are rife with problems because of the strict policies in place that prohibit Wi-Fi networks and/or laptops/netbooks on the premises entirely.
Many of us in the private sector take for granted the fact that we can just grab our laptop off our desk, head across the hall to the conference room for a meeting, and still have email, Internet and network access.
Our team has met with quite a few people in the military and federal agencies that deal with sensitive information routinely. In many agency offices, Wi-Fi networks are not allowed for security reasons. In some government buildings and installations, laptops, netbooks or UMPCs are not allowed in or out. However, in almost every case, smartphones are allowed. While the smartphone offers a secure way to give them Internet and email access, the people we talk to still complain about trying to type lengthy messages, view attachments or work on Office docs on their phones because of the small screens and keyboards.
Through a new partnership with Government Reseller NetCon, Celio Corp is working to change that. The partnership will allow government departments to get fixed, predetermined pricing on all REDFLY products and accessories including the REDFLY Mobile Companion through a GSA schedule contractor.
The REDFLY Mobile Companion gives government employees a larger screen and keyboard to get work done without adding any additional security risk to the mix.
While some government agencies are OK with the use of a Mobile Thin Client (looks like a laptop but has no hard drive) – setup requires extensive IT infrastructure on the back end to give someone desktop access via a Mobile Thin Client. REDFLY gives many of the same benefits without the hassle.
Because there is no storage or operating system on the REDFLY, it may be admitted into facilities where laptop computers are not allowed. Government agencies get a laptop-like way to use their smart phones, without the security risks most laptops present. In many cases the REDFLY works with the already approved and deployed smart phones without violating policies or forcing IT to set up a new device, making it both a secure and cost efficient solution.
One other cool thing is that using Citrix or RDP, guest users can even work on a full Windows desktop (via their smartphones and REDFLY) inside of a secure facility being productive over the 3G wireless network from inside an otherwise inaccessible building.
We’ve been swamped with questions after our recent 
The attention and praise we’ve received for the REDFLY Mobile Companion since its launch has been great, and we’re excited that more and more people are experiencing firsthand how the smartphone can become their primary computing device if only given the REDFLY Mobile Companion’s larger screen and keyboard.
We now have RAM mounting kits available in the