Mereja

Author: Surur

  • Samsung to produce a Chassis 1 device with super AMOLED

    We have seen that mocked up Samsung Omnia HD earlier, but now Mobileblog reports that Samsung has told CTIA attendees that Samsung is working on a Chassis 1 device (slate type) with an AMOLED screen running Windows Phone 7 series.

    This implies a 1 Ghz device with at least a 5 megapixel camera, and of course Samsung’s amazing screen technology, which allows for extremely thin devices with very vivid screens (see the video above for more).

    Unfortunately a time scale was not revealed, but I am sure we can expect it in 2010 rather than 11.

    Read more at Mobileblog.com here.

  • Mangrove 7 Windows Mobile 6.5 tablet shown off at CTIA

    WMExperts have published this short video of the Mangrove Windows Mobile 6.5 tablet in action, and while the device appears very responsive, the user interface is clearly designed for a lot smaller screens.  One does wonder however if the new Windows Phone 7 UI would suite the 7 inch screened 1 Ghz Snapdragon device better.

    Via WMExperts.com

  • Windows Phone 7 series theme for Windows 7 in the works

    rainmeter

    The Windows Phone 7 UI is a pretty different take on presenting information, and has inspired fediaFedia to created a Windows Phone 7 Series theme for Windows 7.

    The software, which is not available yet, puts live tiles and Rainmeter widgets on your desktop and shows information such as temperature, date and time, CPU temp, notes, feeds, twitter timeline and much more.

    Keep on eye on fediaFedia’s DeviantArt web page here to follow the project.

    Via Ithinkdiff.com

  • Xtrakt 3D Windows Mobile game reviewed

    Right off the bat I can tell you this game right here is one of the BEST Windows Mobile Game I have ever played. If you have played this game you would agree with me, if not don’t even bother reading the review go ahead and download it already !!!

    Read more at BestWindowsMobileApps.com

  • Two HTC HD2 updates released

    HTC has released 2 hotfixes for the HTC HD2. The updates are for all ROM versions and includes a security update.

    These are:

    1. Update for HTC HD2 Facebook Albums
    According to the description, "this update for your phone’s Facebook client restores the ability to view your friends’ photo albums". I personally never had any issues with Facebook photo albums.
    2. Update for HTC HD2 Java Message Pop up
    This update seems to fix a security issue by preventing "javascript messages from automatically opening when the message notification pops up. This will prevent your phone from opening unwanted and unwelcome applications that are sent to you".

    Hotfixes of course do not wipe your data, but a quick backup via My Phone may still be in order.

    Via Pocketnow.com

  • Microsoft My Phone updated to version 1.6

    Microsoft has just announced an update to their successful My Phone smartphone web back-up service, which was recently a finalist at the GSMA 2010 Best Mobile Internet Service.  As usual change logs are scanty on the ground, and we do not know what’s new in version 1.06.22718.001.

    Microsoft would however like to remind us that the software allows users to:

    1) Quickly update and manage your contacts conveniently from your PC.  You can even add photos to your contacts from your desktop with just a few clicks of your mouse.  Just login to the My Phone website, go to Contacts, and select the contacts that you wish to update.

    2) Easily download, upload and share your photos.  Getting pictures on and off your phone can sometimes be a tricky task, but My Phone makes it simple.  Not only can you download Photos from your phone to your PC, but you can also upload photos from your PC to your phone, as well as quickly share photos from your phone or PC with Windows Live, Facebook, MySpace and Flickr.  When you login to My Phone, your most recent Photos are right there on the home page.  Select the photos that you wish to upload, download or share.

    3) Use Wi-Fi to sync your content.  My Phone will sync over Wi-Fi when available.  If your phone can connect to the Wi-Fi in your home or office, then you won’t have to worry about cellular data usage.

    The next time the software syncs users will be prompted to upgrade.

    Have any of our readers noticed anything new? Let us know below.

  • Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 CTIA pitch with a closer look at the Office hub

    Microsoft is of course showing of Windows Phone 7 at CTIA, and had a live demo of the OS there.

    The video above appears to show a slightly more advanced build than the one on the emulator at present, and shows us some more of the Windows Phone 7 office hub. Seeing Excel Mobile rendering a spreadsheet pretty well does give me hope that the experience, at least for viewing documents, will be very good.

    As of yet we have not seen much of OneNote, but hopefully at least that applications will be optimised not just for reading but also for data entry on the go.

    Video via Krunkermedia

  • HTC’s first Windows Phone 7 device passing through FCC?

    image158 Wireless Goodness has notices a new HTC device passing through the FCC which proudly calls itself a Windows Phone.  While this itself is not evidence of much, the disclosure date in the confidentiality agreement of the 15 September 2010 suggests either a very late Windows Mobile device or (hopefully) more likely an early Windows Phone 7 device.

    According to the FCC the smartphone will support GSM 850 and 1900 bands.  Bluetooth SIG and WIFI Alliance certification confirms the presence of these technologies, but unfortunately remain silent on the rest of the specs.

    Any of our readers know more about the device? Let us in on the secret below.

  • Interesting interview with Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division

    In the above video interview with Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, which includes Xbox and Windows Phone, we have an interesting look at Microsoft’s perspective on international markets, which often labour on different restrictions than the US.

    It ins very interesting for example that the first issue raised was about the cost of data, something which is pretty much taken for granted in the USA but has major implications in many markets, including Europe.

    Do your readers have similar concerns? Let us know below.

    Source: Matuk.com

  • iPhone 3GS vulnerable to drive by data-stealing hack

    iphoneworm

    One again an Apple product was the first to fall at the annual CanSecWest Pwn2Own hacking contest.

    Yesterday a fully patched iPhone was hijacked and the entire SMS database, including text messages was stolen after simply visiting a specially crafted web page.

    Using an exploit which only took 2 weeks to write, Vincenzo Lozzo and Ralf Philipp Weinmann lured the target iPhone to a rigged Web site and downloaded the SMS database in about 20 seconds.

    “Basically, every page that the user visits on our [rigged] site will grab the SMS database and upload it to a server we control,” Weinmann explained. 

    Even the iPhone’s code signing protection was not sufficient to mitigate the attack.

    “Apple has pretty good counter-measures but they are clearly not enough.  The way they implement code-signing is too lenient,” said Halvar Flake, a renowned security researcher.

    In addition to hijacking the SMS database, Weinmann said the winning Pwn2Own exploit could have easily downloaded the phone contact list, the email database, photographs and iTunes music files.

    “With this exploit, I can do anything that ‘mobile’ can do.”

    “It was a real world exploit against a popular device.” said Aaron Portnoy, a security researcher at TippingPoint Zero Day Initiative. “They exfiltrated the entire SMS database in about 20 seconds. It was as if a Web page was loading.”

    The iPhone was recently the subject of a widespread worm attack after hackers breached security using a widely known network password present on Jailbroken devices.  On this occasion however all iPhones, not just jailbroken ones are vulnerable, and are awaiting a hopefully urgent patch from Apple.

    Via ZDNet.com

  • User Experience now central to Microsoft product design

    uxwp7According to an interview with Microsoft’s Indian design division, user experience (UX) is now the buzz word that drives all of Microsoft’s product design from smartphones all the way up to Windows Servers.

    Deepak Menon, group design manager of the 20 strong Microsoft India Development Centre (IDC), who have contributed to Windows Phone 7 and Bing search engine, said:

    “It’s no more plain colour or some colourful packaging of apps. The experience is getting embedded into an application right from the stage of conceptualisation,” he said.

    “It’s like a car. Every car in a particular category has a steering, four wheels, comfortable seating and modern dash board. What differentiates is the design and colour. Now, it is becoming equally applicable to technology and software products as well,”

    In fact, the internal strategies of Microsoft are putting the experience factor on par with two other key factors in a product design – business and technology.

    “It used to be the B (business) and T (technology) matrix for designing and selling a product all through. But, things have changed now. It is a BXT matrix now. Right from sourcing to analysis to the entire lifecycle of the development of a product, the design and user experience have become key differentiators,” he said.

    While this focus on user experience has already left some major features on the cutting floor when it comes to Windows Phone 7 (examples include removable storage and cut and paste) it does not mean the halt to technological development, merely a refocusing.

    The company is currently researching natural user interface technologies. “Face recognition, voice, gesturing, etc, are the technologies that are being developed. The user interface will definitely go through a major change once these technologies become available.”

    A focus on user experience over technology has certainly seen Apple do really well in the market.  Is this the right strategy for Microsoft and Windows Phone 7?  Let us know below.

    Read more at this DNAIndia article here.

  • HTC “pleased” with first-day HTC HD2 sales

    soldouthtchd2In an interview with Forbes at CTIA Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC’s North American division, said the company was pleased with first-day sales of the HTC HD2 on T-Mobile.

    The device, which experienced long shortages in Europe when it was first released, was expected to do less well on T-Mobile USA, due to the now confirmed lack of a Windows Phone 7 upgrade and the recent announcement of the better specified HTC Evo.

    It may however be the case that prospective punters should try and buy the device sooner rather than later, or face waiting weeks for the smartphone to be restocked, much like Europe did after demand unexpectedly exceeded supply.

    Mackenzie said he expected the HTC HD2 to be "viable" for the rest of the year, an attitude buyers would be wise to embrace given the highly specified Windows Phone 7 devices we  can expect to see from HTC before the end of the year.

  • HTC “thrilled” with Windows Phone 7 changes

    ballandchou_500x375 Peter Chou, thrilled with Microsoft

    In an interview Wednesday at the CTIA Wireless conference in Las Vegas, HTC’s CEO Peter Chou pronounced himself  "thrilled" with the many changes Microsoft made to Windows Phone 7 series.

    "They’re putting in tremendous effort to make Windows Phone 7 very appealing and competitive," he said. HTC expects to release a Windows Phone 7 device before the end of the year, Chou added.

    Even as it turns its attention to Windows Phone 7, HTC plans to keep supporting Windows Mobile 6.5.

    "Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7 will coexist," said Chou, explaining that corporate users in particular are likely to keep using the older software.

    HTC is expected to release at least 2 more Windows Mobile 6.5 devices later this year.

    HTC was thought to be one of the companies most likely to suffer from the reduced ability of OEMs to customize the user interface and software of Windows Phone 7, but with their huge advantage in smartphone carrier relationships and Windows Phone 7’s improved user interface they may simply enjoy the reduced need to invest in the software layer.

    Read the full HTC interview at Forbes here.

  • HTC HD2 selling out across the nation?

    soldouthtchd2 TMoNews reports punters interested in acquiring the T-Mobile version of the HTC HD2 are many times ending up going home empty-handed, with the device sold out in local stores. Even turning to RadioShack and Walmart has so far not guaranteed the device for  prospective buyers.

    While the HTC HD2 is an amazing device, the sales performance today has been somewhat surprising, given the recent announcement of the better specified Sprint Evo, also from HTC.  Of course the HTC HD2 is here right now, unlike the Evo which may still run into delays, and is priced very attractively as low as $99 at dealers like Wirefly.com while the Evo is likely to carry a steep WIMAX premium, and is actually useful for business users, again unlike the Android Evo.

    Are any of our readers running into shortages? Let us know below.

  • Slacker radio now available on Windows Mobile

    slacker_radio-01 Slacker radio made its debut on the HTC HD2 today, but lucky for the rest of US the software will not be locked to the device.  Slacker has made the software available for all WVGA devices, allowing access to your Slacker Radio account (Free or Premium), over 100 stations, the ability to create your own stations, and various information about the current track and artist.

    The software is available to download via your mobile browser at m.slacker.com.  As usual for our international readers the streaming radio service is only available in USA.

    Via WMExperts.com

  • First tip calculator for Windows Phone 7 developed

    You know your platform is getting ready for 100 000 apps when you have the first tip calculator developed less than a week after the release of the emulator.

    The app has been developed by Jeffstra, who I believe is a Microsoft employee.

    Now we just need a flashlight app and we know we are on our way ;)

    What do our readers think of the UI of the app? Does it deliver on the promise of Windows Phone 7?  Let us know below.

  • Microsoft commits to continuing support for Windows Mobile 6.5

    commitment_tshirt-p235855566908176363t5uq_210Michael Chang, the senior product manager on Windows Phone 7, yesterday committed to keep on supporting Windows Mobile 6.5.

    "We will continue to support, ship and sell 6.5," Chang said in an interview at the CTIA Wireless conference. "Windows Phone 7 is a departure and a break at a code level. Doing so wasn’t an easy decision. It’s a tough decision to move away from a platform like Windows Mobile, but one we were willing to make."

    Chang said that adding consumer friendly features like multimedia support and rich browsing to its mobile operating system doesn’t mean that Microsoft will abandon its place as a supplier of enterprise handhelds, including some rugged ones.

    "We think of this OS as an extension … of our scope," Chang said. "I wouldn’t say we are building a consumer phone at the expense of our heritage [of supporting] work productivity. We are taking that and adding to it features that include entertainment and a focus on a new experience. Windows Mobile was all about productivity, but we had relied on someone else to deliver a great experience. Not anymore."

    While Steve Ballmer himself made the same promise at Mobile World Congress, we have heard from many others in the EDD at Microsoft that no further development of Windows Mobile 6.5 will take place, and certainly none of the new features of Windows phone 7 will be back ported.

    In the end however, continuing adoption by consumers and enterprise depends as much ongoing development as well as support, and reassurances by Microsoft will likely do little to stop both users and companies looking for an exit strategy.

    Via Computerworld.com

  • Microsoft’s Imagine Cup to include Windows Phone 7 “Rockstar” award

    07-07ImagineCupWinners3_lg Every year, in conjunction with the IEEE, Microsoft runs the Imagine Cup, which allows students to win cash prizes for coming up with interesting software and hardware ideas.

    On this occasion Microsoft has a Windows Phone 7 category, where the challenge is for teams to create a Windows Phone 7 application  in either Silverlight or XNA.  The app needs to be designed with the consumer in mind and should be as visually compelling as possible.

    Applications will be judged based on originality, consumer appeal and the unique mobile oriented features integrated in to the software. If the app is good enough teams will even be able to sell their software on Marketplace later this year, and each member of the winning team will get a free Windows Phone 7 device.

    Award Finalists receive:

    • First Prize: $8,000 USD, a trip to the Worldwide Finals in Warsaw, Poland from July 3-8, 2010, and a Windows Phone 7 for each team member.
    • Second Prize: $4,000 USD and a Windows Phone 7 for each team member
    • Third Prize: $3,000 USD and a Windows Phone 7 for each team member

    Registration closes in 2 months on May 24th,  so interested readers need to apply ASAP.

    Read more at ImagineCup.com here.

    Via MTSUSidelines.com

  • T-Mobile talks about the HTC HD2

    With the launch today of the HTC HD2 T-Mobile has published this feature describing the unique selling points of the device, which beyond the specs of the device itself also includes a number of unique offerings such as a free 6 month trial of the Gogo in-flight WIFI service and of course the ability to rent movies directly from the device.

    Read more at Letstalk.com

  • T-Mobile HD HD2 now officially available – do you have yours yet?

    t-mohtchd2 The long-awaited T-Mobile USA version of the HTC HD2 is now finally available for anyone willing to walk into a T-Mobile store or of course order online.

    Have any of our readers picked one up yet?  Let us know your first impressions in the comments below.