Author: Surur

  • HTC breaks ground for new Taipei R&D headquarters

    Press Release: HTC Corporation, a global smartphone designer, today held a ground-breaking ceremony for its new Taipei headquarters. The event was jointly hosted by HTC Chairman Cher Wang and Chief Executive Officer Peter Chou. Among the guests were several government officials, including Premier Wu Den-yih and  Governor of Taipei County Chou Hsi-wei, as well as industry leaders.

    “Innovation has always been a core value of HTC since it was founded in 1997. I am very pleased to see HTC grow into a leading global brand,” said Premier Wu Den-yih at the ceremony. “HTC’s brand development and global visibility together with its focus on people are key factors in realizing HTC’s unique brand commitment. I look forward to seeing HTC create more innovation opportunities for our local youth while continuing to market Taiwan to the world.”

    “As Taiwanese citizens, we are very proud that HTC has become a global leader in smartphones. We truly believe that with HTC’s new Taipei headquarters located in Taipei County will continue our reputation as a country of innovation and further our goal for future development,” said Governor of Taipei County Chou Hsi-wei.

    “Through HTC’s cutting-edge innovation and our continued focus on listening to customers, we’ve established ourselves as a global smartphone leader,” said HTC Chairman Cher Wang. “Providing a venue for young people to contribute innovation will be a key component of our success in the global market.”

    “As HTC has grown globally in the smartphone industry, we thought it was the appropriate time to build our new headquarters in Taipei that fully represented our unique spirit, value and brand,” said Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer, HTC Corporation. “A key to our future growth and success will be our ability to provide local opportunities for the nation’s most innovative young minds.  The establishment of the HTC Taipei headquarters is significant in opening the door to a bright future.”

    “As an important global partner, Qualcomm Incorporated has worked with HTC along the way,” Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, Chairman and CEO of Qualcomm said. “HTC’s new headquarters expands their operations and investment in R&D and further illustrates the realization of a vision which they have long shared with Qualcomm for a converged mobile communications future based on innovation.  Together, HTC and Qualcomm are igniting the next mobile revolution which is dramatically changing the way businesses operate and communities and individuals connect, communicate, and grow.”

    Andy Rubin, VP of Engineering, Google, remarked; "HTC’s continued investment in R&D demonstrates their commitment to innovation in a highly competitive market.”

    “I truly admire HTC’s dedication to smartphone research and development. We all know that it is never easy for local companies to develop self-owned brands in the international market,” said Yulon Group Chairman Kenneth KT Yen. “We are so proud of HTC and it has set an example for us. They have come a long way and tasted the fruit of success. The Yulon Group will be following the steps of HTC striving to secure its position on the international stage.”

    John Kalkman, Vice President, OEM Engineering & Services, Microsoft Corporation, remarked; ”We are pleased to be a part of the efforts driving HTC’s achievements in the wireless communications space. HTC has been an important strategic partner since it was established. We are looking forward to cooperating with HTC on delivering additional Windows Phone devices to global consumers in the near future.”

    “Taiwan has the highest mobile phone penetration rate in the world, resulting in strong market competition. HTC is dedicated to meeting consumer needs with the design and development of innovative mobile devices. Because of this dedication, HTC has maintained its leading position in the industry,” said CHT Chairman Lu Shyue-ching. “As a long-term strategic partner that has worked closely with HTC in Taiwan, we have had many successes and have won wide recognition in telecommunication and mobile phone industries.  We look forward to future collaboration opportunities and continuing the win-win partnership between HTC and CHT.”

    Harvey Chang, President and Chief Executive Officer of Taiwan Cellular Corp, also offered congratulations. “HTC is known for its best-in-class innovation, research and development.  It is committed to its hometown market as well as global markets,” he said. “I look forward to seeing HTC guide Taiwan’s telecommunication industry toward a brighter future and providing our customers with the best mobile experience possible.”

    The HTC Taipei Headquarters building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011 with a total floor space of 25,900 pings, 17 floors on the ground and five floors under the ground, among them 11 will be taken by research and development team. The building will be able to accommodate up to 2,200 employees. To create a pleasant and healthy work environment for employees there will be one floor reserved as multi-functional space for a cafeteria, gym, and relaxation area.

    Comment: The FT.com notes that despite its size, HTC seems to have inveigled themselves into being an essential partner of nearly everyone, with Microsoft, Google and Qualcomm all showing up at what is simply an ground-breaking ceremony. In some ways this small ceremony is really a case of the mouse roaring.


  • ITC agrees to hear Apple’s HTC patent complaints, may decide case in 45 days

    It seems in the patent case between Apple and HTC, the wheels of justice may work faster that for most, with the major part of the  case possibly decided by the middle of May.

    When Apple accused HTC of patent infringement, they did it not only in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, where the case may take many years to wind it was through hearings, appeals and counter-appeals, but also at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which moves much, much faster, and has the power to bar imports into USA.

    The ITC has now agreed to hear the case and said it would set a target date for completion of the investigation within 45 days of instituting it.

    The suite involves all of HTC’s devices, both Windows Mobile and Android, but the Android devices are more affected, as the patents cover their software implementations, which may be harder to work around than simply swapping out hardware in the Windows Mobile devices.

    Google has said it would stand by HTC, but as yet remains unnamed in the various cases.  Microsoft on the other hand appears to support the case, saying sorting out the intellectual property issues would be of benefit to the industry.

    Approximately 20% of HTC’s sales are to the US, and it forms a larger part of their revenue.

    Read more at eetimes.com here.


  • Windows Phone 7 series will also support DeepZoom

    deepzoom3 deepzoom2

      Windows Mobile users were pretty miffed when Microsoft released there Seadragon DeepZoom client on the iPhone last year.

    They will be however relieved to hear that Windows Phone 7, with its Silverlight base, will in fact support the technology and make it available to developers directly.

    According to Alex Yakhnin’s MSDN blog its simply a matter of dragging and dropping a control on your Visual Studio page, and that the MultiScaleImage contol works exactly the same as on the desktop.

    Read more about this feature to spice up your apps at his blog here.



  • Microsoft drops the Series in Windows Phone 7 Series. Now only Windows Phone 7 Phones

    wp7noseries

    Demonstrating again either responsiveness or a lack of proper market research (why don’t they just ask the users?) Microsoft has announced via their official twitter channel that their new mobile OS will in fact be called Windows Phone 7, dropping the Series moniker. 

    The Series were meant to indicate a call of devices, with Windows Phone Classic being the current Windows Mobile 6.5 and presumably Windows Phone 8 Series being the next generation.

    Shortening the name does of course help, but does little to address the isse of the word Phone appearing twice when you talk about a specific device ie. Windows Phone 7 Phone. I eagerly await the return of the much more elegant Windows Mobile 7, a label we know Microsoft still uses liberally internally.

    What do your readers think of the new name?  Let us know below.


  • HTC applies for another tablet patent

    htctablet

    Yesterday we posted about a hinge design which would be perfect for a dual screen device.  Today we are posting on another HTC patent application which demonstrates a method of splitting the screen of a tablet-like device by drawing a gesture from one bevel to another, and interestingly explicitly shows the Windows Mobile flag.

    The patent is summarizes as below.

    A method for generating multiple windows frames, an electronic device thereof, and a computer program product using the method are provided. In the present method, first, a touch trajectory generated by continuously touching a touch panel of the electronic device is detected, wherein the center of the touch panel is a display area, and a non-display area surrounds the display area. Then, whether the touch trajectory is started from one side of the non-display area and passed through the display area to be extended to another side of the non-display area is determined. If so, the display area is split according to the touch trajectory to display at least two windows frames. As a result, an intuitional and convenient method for generating multiple windows frames in the display area is provided, and the operation of the electronic device is made very convenient.

    HTC is well known to have had plans for a tablet which they have since shelved.  With the current popularity of tablets it is almost certain HTC will revive their plans, and it is likely we will see much of this technology show up in these devices also.

    Read the patent here.

  • Microsoft softening their stance on Copy and Paste in Windows Phone 7, plans ‘good’ implementation’

    cutandpastemockup Previously we have heard many mixed messages regarding Copy and Paste in Windows Phone 7. Some member have been pretty strident about the lack of need for the technology, feeling their context sensitive one-click system was more than enough for most people.

    At a DedvDays presentation in the Hague however program group manager Charlie Kindel acknowledged the howls of protest heard across the internet.

    "We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear," said Kindel. "We look at this case and we will do the right thing,"

    He said Microsoft was now working on a “good’ implementation of the copy-paste functionality in Windows Phone 7” although it is not clear if this will make it to the first release on devices.

    Is this enough to entice our readers to the new OS? Let us know below.

    Source: Tweakers.net via Allaboutphones.nl

  • HTC HD2 sold out on line again

    htchd2soldout

    MobilityDigest reports that the HTC HD2, which has been selling briskly on T-Mobile USA, seems to have gone out of stock again on line, and also in most T-Mobile stores.

    On the T-Mobile forum the staff note:

    The HD2 has been very popular and is currently sold out in many locations. We are working as quickly as we can to secure additional inventory. We will post updates here on when additional inventory will be available.

    Some Retail stores may still have inventory.  If you live near a T-Mobile location, you can contact them to see if they have inventory remaining.Click here for a list of T-Mobile locations.  We suggest you contact stores via phone before visiting to see if they have inventory on hand. If they do not have inventory, they should be able to take your name and notify you when they have stock in stores.

    Good luck to punters trying to find this very desirable device.  Looks like T-Mobile has a hit on their hands after all.

    Keep an eye on the T-Mobile blog for availability updates here.

  • Windows Phone 7 for HTC HD2 NOT declared a hoax

    It may be stating the obvious a bit, but April’s Fools Day is over, and HTCPedia have not come clean and declared their claim of a Windows Phone 7 ROM for the HTC HD2 a hoax. 

    In fact Tom Codon, who runs the site, has staked his reputation on the claim, saying:

    As you all know my past work has earned me a great credibility in the development world, and my current work with WM7 has not come to finish yet. As soon as I am able to provide a stable ROM, I will do so immediately. Please note, all the videos and images are authentic. I will continue to develop on it and will post back here once it is ready to go.

    Other well known cooks and mods have joined him, with Duttythroy, of the famous Dutty ROMs saying for example.

    If you think its a fake then believe its a fake, Tom, myself , itje , miri and alot of devs out there would never do or post a fake such like this.

    Due to things getting pretty vicious in the thread it has now been closed, but given the personalities that have provided assurances of the reality of the ROM HTC HD2 owners may feel pretty safe that a Windows phone 7 ROM will be available if and when they decide they are tired of Windows Mobile.

    Are our readers now any more convinced than before? Let us know below.

  • Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10 now widely released in Asia

     

    The recently announced Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10 has now been released widely in Asia.  The 3.5 inch WVGA Windows Mobile 6.5.3 device appears to be a pretty good device, only let down by its resistive rather than capacitive screen.

    “The Garmin-Asus M10 is our answer to people’s need for a balance in the hectic Indian work-life scenario. The M10 runs on Windows Mobile, making it the ideal smartphone for business use, while its smart navigation capabilities, comprehensive social networking features and connected services enable users to lead a truly smart lifestyle. As such we believe that the Garmin-Asus M10 is the phone for the new Smart3 era. It is the ideal and powerful time-saving tool that is designed for anyone who is tired of carrying numerous devices and instead wants to carry one device that gives them many of the same features found on a stand-alone phone, laptop, PND and digital camera,” explained John Chen, Business Head – Mobile Communication Business, Asus India.

    The device features the already finger-friendly Windows Mobile 6.5.3, but also many other enhancements by Asus, including their very nice task switcher, demonstrated in the video.

    The handset runs the new generation, much snappier Qualcomm 7227 600 Mhz chipset, 512 MB RAM and ROM, plus an addition 4 GB build in storage and expansion via microSD card.

    In India the device comes equipped with preloaded maps and voice guidance in Hindi and English.

    The smartphone comes powered by a 1500 mAh battery, and of course comes bundled with a pretty nice car cradle.

    The all-in-one Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10 comes with a price tag of Rs. 19,990 (around $450)

    Read more at Techgadget.in here.

  • HTC Touch Diamond 2 now also get a facebook hotfix

    td2fbu

    It seems the problem plaguing the Facebook client on HTC Sense affects the HTC Touch Diamond 2 too, and HTC is slowly rolling out the fix to its various handsets.

    Diamond 2 owners can visit HTC Support here and download the hotfix, which should leave device data intact, but of course a backup is still recommended.

  • Windows Phone 7 Metro UI now also in Internet Explorer 9

    windows_internet_explorer_9

    Click for larger version

    Its starting to look the the Metro UI that Microsoft is so proud of in Windows Phone 7 is in fact the next direction for desktop Windows also.

    Chinese blog LiveSino.net have some leaked pictures of what they claim to be the next beta release of Internet Explorer 9, apparently set to be released in May 2009.  The user interface features so-called “chrome-less” web pages and a very minimalistic user interface based on the very narrow task bar, and includes the iconic cut off text and symbols of the ZuneHD and Windows Phone 7 series.

    Now we can not be sure this is not an AFD mock-up but if real it could do a lot for the cohesiveness of the Windows ecosystem.

    See another picture after the break.

    windows_internet_explorer_9_addressbar 

    Via DownloadSquad.com

  • Nominate WMPoweruser.com for Wirefly blog awards

    blogawards_winmo Wirefly is now accepting nominations for the first annual Wirefly Blog Awards! To nominate your favourite blog in each category, just post the name or URL of the blog in the comment section of the category page. Finalists will be selected by Wirefly staff from the list of nominations. Blogs with the most nominations will be given extra weight.

    The nomination period ends April 15, 2010 and on April 16, 2010, the finalists will be announced and user voting will be opened on the category page to determine the winners.

    Winners will be announced on May 1, 2010 and receive $250 in prizes and promotion across Wirefly.com and other Wirefly web properties.

    To nominate your favourite Windows Mobile blog, just submit the blog name or URL in Wirefly’s comment section here.

    Hint: WMPoweruser.com is no longer an Android blog ;)

  • Microsoft patents Windows Phone 7 panoramic UI

    zunehduipatent

    As mentioned earlier, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 UI seems to have caught the imagination of many, likely because its pretty unique. So unique in fact that Microsoft has applied for a patent for the design.

    The September 2008 patent is summarized as such:

    A panoramic graphical user interface includes a contiguous background and a collection of mixed-media content objects. The contiguous background includes one or more space-orientating graphical elements and is sized to fit within a first dimension of a display and to extend beyond a second dimension of the display. The collection of mixed-media content objects are anchored over the contiguous background. The collection of mixed-media content objects are arranged to fit within the first dimension of the display and arranged to extend beyond the second dimension of the display.

    I guess that means it wont be showing up on an iPhone any time soon ;)

    Via Unwiredview.com

  • Windows Mobile 3rd in Europe, second in Germany, Spain and Italy

    Top Smartphone Platforms
    3 Month Average Ending Jan. 2010
    Total EU5 (UK, DE, FR, ES and IT), Age 13+
    Source: comScore MobiLens

      Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers
    EU5 UK DE FR ES IT
    Total Smartphone Subscribers 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
    Symbian 60.9% 46.9% 55.1% 40.7% 73.5% 75.7%
    Apple 14.5% 20.5% 15.3% 29.9% 6.5% 7.7%
    Microsoft 14.1% 10.7% 19.9% 20.0% 12.8% 11.4%
    RIM 8.3% 18.7% 6.8% 5.4% 5.2% 4.7%
    Google 2.0% 3.0% 2.2% 3.7% 1.8% 0.4%

    Comscore has released some data from the European market which shows the installed base of smartphones on the continent.  It shows quite a variety across the various countries of the union, but overall finds Nokia in a strong lead, with everyone else fighting over the left-overs. 

    In that group however we have Windows Mobile only slightly behind the iPhone with 14.1% vs 14.5%, and ahead of RIM and far ahead of Android.  Except for UK, which mirrors the American market most closely, Microsoft is either second or third, and usually second in the countries listed, 

    The 5 countries listed have a total of 51.6 million smartphones, and therefore around 7.2 million Windows Mobile devices in the installed base, and around 7.5 million iPhones.  Overall European smartphone penetration is higher than USA, implying there are more smartphones in use, but of course the vast majority of these are Symbian phones, which have little presence in USA.

    The data from January this year is pretty reflective of current consumer choice, with average retention of phones being about 18 months, meaning most consumers had the chance of choosing most of the other platforms except an Android device.  It is also clear that Microsoft has a relatively competitive OS in the market in Europe at least, but that it can not predict it will have a similar response to Windows Phone 7.

    Read more analysis of the data at AllaboutSymbian.com

  • Back to our scheduled programming

    love_windowsmobile I have just been told April’s fools day jokes are meant to end at noon, which means we are long overdue for ending our “WMPoweruser turns Android” joke.  Thanks for the great reception, and we hear all the people who loved the theme, and will look into something a bit more Windows Mobile like in the near future.

    Now all of this does not mean we are not unhappy with the direction Microsoft is taking with its mobile OS, but a bit like Thelma and Louise, we are along for the ride all the way.

    Now, back to all that Windows Mobile news, and  hope all our readers enjoyed April’s Fools day here and all over the internet.

    Image via CareAce.net

  • HTC hinge nerds patent new clamshell design

    htcpatenthinge

    HTC, well known for their innovative hinged smartphones, like the various tilting sliders, twist and flip HTC Universal and even the detachable keyboard on the HTC Advantage, have done it again, applying for a patent on a new clamshell design which will make for a pretty attractive device.

    Claiming the advantage of the hinge being hidden from the outside and a fetching symmetrical appearance of the resulting handset, the hinge does bring to mind kitchen cabinets rather than smartphones.

    Interestingly however the design implies both sides of the device should have the same thickness, something not really useful or necessary if one side is only for the screen.  However if both sides had screens, it would make rather a lot of sense.

    Are we looking at the Google Nexus Dual Screen?  Let us know below.

  • WMPoweruser.com turning Android – April’s Fools Day

    android-love Following Microsoft’s recent shocking announcements about the iPhone-like limitations in Windows Phone 7 series , we can no longer sit by and continue to advocate the use of both Windows Mobile or Windows Phone 7.

    For users who appreciate freedom and the freedom to tinker it is clear that Android is the new Windows Mobile, and delaying the switch is simply delaying the inevitable.

    Henceforth we will be serving only Android news, until Microsoft comes to their senses and possibly not even then.

    Comments below.

  • Apple to adopt Windows Phone 7 UI for new iPhone – video -April’s Fools Day

    OK, we are not going to try and carry off this April’s fools day joke any further than the headline, but the above video is actually part of an interesting phenomena of people taking the Windows Phone 7 UI and transplanting it to other devices, in this case the iPhone.

    The theme is by Woocash and more can be seen at his DeviantArt homepage here.

    With so many people impressed by the UI, maybe Microsoft is on to something after all? Do you agree? Let us know below.

  • Whoppert Shootin’ Gallery reviewed

    Whoppert Shootin’ Gallery is a fun shooting game for touchscreen Windows Mobile devices. Its a fun game that anyone can pickup and start playing, there is no learning curve to this game. Read on to check out the gameplay video and you could win grab a free copy.

    Read more at BestWindowsMobileApps.com here.

  • HTC HD2 vs Palm Pre play-off – Vote for the HTC HD2 now!

    htchd2vspalmpre

    Laptop Magazine is running a March Madness smartphone play-off, and the current contest pits the HTC HD2 against Palm’s failing Pre.

    Strangely enough the Palm Pre is currently solidly in the lead, but I dont think we can tolerate that outcome.

    Votes are open till 9 a.m. EST tomorrow, April 1, but to prevent a massive April’s fools day joke vote for the HTC HD2 now!

    Vote at Laptopmag.com here