I have a Blackjack II and have really liked the phone so far (although I really want a Sony Xperia X1 when it releases).  Recently I mentioned to a couple of friends how much I liked the BJII and they went out and purchased them.  They liked them also, but wanted a home screen with smaller icons so they could better maximize their real estate. 

Here is the Windows Default Layout (notice that the mail/messaging notifications are below and it is necessary to scroll down to get them).

Here is the layout after I changed the home screen around a little bit.  I changed to smaller icons and moved around a few of the items so my mail/messaging is above the profile.

I have posted the new home screen here.  If you want to try it out, save it to the XML file to your device in the Application Data\Home directory then go into your settings and change the home screen to "Default with Small Icons". 

Warning, I have not taken the time (nor do I have the ability) to internationalize the XML file so if you are using a different language than US English you should open the XML file and change the name to be appropriate for you. 

Also, if you want to move things around in the home screen, it is quite easy.  Just open the XML file and reorder the <plugin> elements to match your liking.

Back in September I was on vacation with my wife and some friends in Tampa Bay.  We were traveling back to Denver on Sunday which was a little bit of a problem because I am an NFL (and fantasy football) junkie.  As we got to the airport early Sunday afternoon we found out we had an hour delay and the airport bar (where the games were on) was full.  Luckily I fired up my laptop, found free wireless at the airport (why doesn't every airport have free wireless?), and connected to my Media Server at home.  I was able to stream a live football game to my laptop in Tampa Bay from my home TV tuner on my computer in Denver.  I also used this technology to watch the Rockies day playoff games in the office where we don't have a TV.  How did I do it?  With a free technology called WebGuide.

Do you have a Windows XP Media Center, Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, or Windows Home Server and do you have any media on the machine or use the TV functionality?  You should take a look at WebGuide.  This is an add in that allows you to remotely view your media content (tv, video, music, or photos) from any web browser.  It works by installing a Cassini web server on your computer at home and creates a web site where the content is served up.  You will need to forward the appropriate ports on your router (I used some higher end ports to try and obfuscate the web site) to your media center.  You will also need to periodically check your public IP periodically (the configuration tool will tell you your IP address) if your ISP changes it periodically.  But it is well worth the hassle when you travel every once in a while.

A couple of other goodies to note:

• There is a Vista Sidebar gadget that will allow you to interact with your server - very helpful if you end up using the technology often.
• WebGuide actually works with Windows Mobile and has a specialized interface.  I have AT&T wireless and am not yet on the 3G networks so video streaming doesn't work at all, but audio does which is kind of handy at times.  I have a 3G phone coming in about a month so I will test once I get the appropriate bandwidth.

Personally, I have been very happy with Vista.  Working for Microsoft, I get to hear people complain/bash it quite a bit and there are some things that can be improved but as a generalization I have been very happy with the experience and I love the security features (once I got used to UAC).  However, I am one of those people that noticed that battery life was not as good with Vista as it had been with XP (no hard data, just felt that way).  Recently I heard about a program called Vista Battery Saver that has gotten great reviews for drastically increasing battery life.  Here is the configuration screen:

Basically it turns off Aero and Sidebar (I don't run sidebar by default so it is deactivated in the configuration screen) when the laptop is on battery power and restores them when on AC.  I'll report on the effectiveness of the tool.

UPDATE: I have been using this tool for the last couple of weeks in many situations where I needed to test out the battery.  I would anecdotally suggest that battery life is improved in the 50% area.  Well worth it if you have to rely on your battery in many situations.