Using the Google Android SDK, if your Android device does not support USB storage mode, you can transfer files to and from the Android device as well as any inserted memory card. In this post I shall only be dealing with MacOS, but similar instructions apply to both Linux and Windows.

The SDK can be downloaded from the Google Developer web site - http://developer.android.com

Once you have downloaded the SDK ZIP file, extract the contents. In the Tools folder, double click the "ddms" file:

With the release of Google's Nexus One handset, the Android platform has had a lot of publicity recently. Offering high levels of user-customisation, social networking integration and a 'desktop-like' mobile browsing experience, the device is very attractive to consumers...but is the operating system ready for the Enterprise?

What is meant by an 'Enterprise-ready' operating system? Ideally the platform should offer the features required by a mobile user as well as conform to the security policy defined by the IT department.

Augmented Reality (AR) is the term for technology that presents the user with a 'mixed' view of the physical world combining a video image of a location together with an overlaid computer-generated view providing information about that location.

A simple example would be the practice of artificially defining pitch lines during sports television broadcasts to enable the viewer to better appreciate team territory possession or possible penalty offences.

NOTE - performing a hard reset on the Hero will erase all user data and applications on the device and return the unit to a factory-default state.

• Power the unit off (removing the battery if necessary)
• Hold down the Home and Back keys
• Press the power button whilst still holding down the Home and Back keys
• After a few seconds a message will be displayed on the screen prompting you to press the Menu button to confirm the reset process.
• Release all buttons, then press the Menu button to hard reset the device

It is posible to use the HTC Hero as a USB 3G modem with Windows XP and Vista.

In order to use this functionality, the HTC Sync software must be installed onto the PC first (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/synchronise-htc-hero-microsoft-outlook).

The HTC Sync installer is included on the SD card that comes in the Hero sales package, or alternatively is available for download from our FTP site:

The HTC Sync application that ships with the Hero enables the synchronisation of contact and calendar information from either Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express or the Windows Address Book.
Also included is the Application Installer, which enables the installation of APK Android application packages onto the Hero from your PC.

The HTC Sync installer is included on the SD card that comes in the Hero sales package, or alternatively is available for download from our FTP site:

Introducing the HTC Hero

Working for one of the key players in the mobile data industry and getting advance samples of devices before they reach the market is definitely one of the big plus points of my job, but it is easy to become 'de-sensitised' to new products and be distinctly under-whelmed by the big announcements that others get excited about.

This is not one of those times.

Sipdroid is a free application for Android that provides SIP client functionality, enabling you to connect to a SIP-based IP PBX, such as Asterisk, over both WiFi and 3G networks (provided that your operator supports it).

Before the Android device can be used as a remote extension, there are a number of pre-requisites that need to be satisfied on the server:

The HTC Hero features a Server ActiveSync client enabling bi-directional push synchronisation of contacts, calendar and email PIM data with Microsoft Exchange 2003 SP2 or later.

You will be prompted to configure email account settings during the initial setup wizard when powering on the device for the first time or following a hard reset: