Hawk Wings reader and iLounge writer Jesse David Hollington got to play with an iPhone briefly at MWSF and to ask Apple a few direct questions about the email client on the iPhone.

He emails to say that it was a brief encounter (five minutes with the people from Apple and a 45 second play with the device), but still:

I had noticed your entry on Hawk Wings about 30 minutes before we went in, so we were able to pose the question to Apple specifically as to whether rich-text e-mail was supported, and the answer I posted was basically their answer. When asked whether the Mail application on the iPhone was a “pared-down” version of Apple Mail, they basically responded in somewhat non-committal PR-speak.

Apple confirmed that composing in true HTML is not possible. It looks more and more like “Mail.app Mobile” to me.

You read the full write-up of the iLounge team’s impressions on the iLounge site .mail.app, apple mail, iphone, apple, rich html, html, mobile, cell phone, PR spin

Take Control’s latest offering is an ebook that covers all aspects of syncing in 10.4.

It covers every conceivable combination of devices from syncing between Macs to mobile/cell phones, Palm OS handhelds and iPods.

Of course, Apple’s built-in iSync app gets the full treatment, but syncing software from third party developers also gets a look in.

Even those who are old hands at syncing will learn from the chapter which explains how syncing works and from the troubleshooting section, especially useful the press release says for “anyone who has experienced a syncing feeling upon realizing that the wrong data was overwritten”.

The ebook costs USD 10 and comes with a 50% discount voucher for PocketMac’s syncing software.

You can read more about the book and sample a free 24 page preview on the Take Conrol web site .

In another new development (at least, new to me), Take Control Books now offers a “print on demand” service for this title and for “Running Windows on a Mac”. The price for this service is USD 10-15 and the end result looks good:

syncing, isync, take control, mobile, cell phone, palm device, ipod, tips, productivity

voiceNote is a clever service that allows you to add audio clips as notes to your Backpack pages.

It requires you to register your name, email address, the URL of your Backpack page and its email address on the voiceNote web site .

Then a quick call from your mobile/cell, work or home phone adds an audio note to your page:

This allows you to capture your killer thought on the move or in the car. By registering and sharing your voiceNote number, you can even use it as a voicemail service for friends or for work.

Currently the service is in beta and works for the cost of a local phone call in the following major US cities: Denver, CO, Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, New York, NY, Pittsburgh, PA, Houston, TX and Seattle, WA.

I thought San Francisco was the beating heart of all things Web 2.0. Surprising not to see it on the list.

The service is free.backpack, voice mail, cell, mobile, notes, audio, productivity

Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc (IMS) has announced that it will soon release a “hands-free and eyes-free mobile email solution” which will keep drivers in touch more safely when they are on the road.

iLane is a box about the size of a home modem-router that sits in your glove box. Its voice-based interface can tell you when new emails arrive on your handheld, read a summary of the message and then listen as you dictate a reply or forward an attachment.

Unlike other voice-based solutions, iLane does not require a remote server to convert emails into voice files. It does all the work in your glove box.

Because it frees your hands and eyes from your handheld, it helps you to “stay connected to critical information without sacrificing your on-road safety.”

The web site claims that the device works with “BlackBerry handheld devices running the BlackBerry OS 4.0 and up. iLane will also support Bluetooth-enabled handheld devices and smart-phones that run on the Palm OS, Windows Mobile OS and Symbian OS.”

The iLane web site contains a FAQ and an opportunity to sign up for news of its actual roll-out. email, handheld, mobile, blackberry, car, wireless, voice recognition, cell phone