It seems most people do not know their Windows Mobile phones are supported by Amazon’s unboxed video service. The key is to select in the Amazon Unbox Player to automatically download the portable file by going into Settings | Preferences and choose the option “Also download portable video files when downloading videos”. Individual mobile videos can also be downloaded by right clicking on the video and select “Download portable file to this PC”.
The last step is to connect your device, click on the devices tab and click on the transfer button.
Portland, OR-based Coaxis, the parent company of Viewpoint Construction Software, has raised $10 million in growth equity funding from Virginia and New Jersey-based Updata Partners. The money will be used to fuel the company’s international expansion in marketing and product distribution. Viewpoint’s software, which is built on Microsoft’s .NET platform, is used by construction firms in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
CyPhy Works, the robotics startup led by iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner, has raised $1.75 million in a round of equity financing, according to an SEC filing. The filing does not identify the investors in CyPhy, but the Cambridge, MA, venture firm General Catalyst Partners is listed as a promoter of the startup. Greiner, who is CEO of the Framingham, MA-based startup, gave Bob some details about the company a year ago after it launched under its former name, The Droid Works, telling him that the stealthy firm is developing an unmanned aerial vehicle UAV. The startup was awarded a $2.4 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology last year for its UAV research.
The Tiny Graphics Engine Tigre has been updated with a lot of new demo applications and sample code. Tigre is a free graphics engine that allows to develop fast and reliable 2D and 3D applications bases on OpenGL ES.
There are currently 11 demo applications that shows what you can do with Tigre. The code of those samples is available too to get you some help getting started. Tigre is targeting to get a full featured rendering engine for advanced games and interfaces. Although the engine is still under development you could create already some awesome applications as the demos shows. Please tell me if you’re missing any features so I can add them to the "to do" list.
Bellevue, WA-based SinglePoint, a mobile software firm, announced it has sold its mobile aggregation business to Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) for an undisclosed price. The assets will give the Swedish giant connections to mobile operators that will bolster its text messaging reach in the U.S. SinglePoint is focused on mobile marketing and advertising; its messaging service enables publishers, brands, and ad agencies to connect with mobile subscribers. The company also announced that Gowri Shankar has been named CEO. Shankar succeeds Rich Begert, who has led SinglePoint, formerly called Wireless Services, since 2004.
Pocketnow has discovered that the latest version of HTC Sense 2.5 build 2011 contains one particularly useful feature – the ability to delete e-mail directly from the Sense interface.
While this is a welcome addition, and another indication that HTC continues to refine their interface, I think adding a small menu item really shows a failure of imagination.
On this occasion the easy and fast deletion of e-mail really calls for a multi-touch gesture, possible in the form of scrunching the email up. Not only would this have been an amazing visual (and possibly auditory) effect, but would have helped move us even further away from the WIMP UI.
So in short HTC, thank you, but how about trying harder next time?
Just a quick observation here. Seattle-based Picnik, the popular photo-editing startup, said yesterday it has reached the “1 billion photos edited” mark. Is this a big deal?
Well, if you compare the growth of Picnik to that of arguably the world’s top social storage site for photos, Flickr, it could be a very revealing milestone. For reference, here’s Flickr’s growth chart, in terms of the number of photos uploaded. The site has had three distinct phases of growth: an exponential rise until June 2007 (when it absorbed Yahoo! Photos), followed by two super-fast linear growth stages bringing it to 3 billion photos about a year ago.
In comparison, Picnik’s chart (see below) shows faster growth than Flickr’s, starting from its launch in 2007—if you compare the exponential portions of the curves. Flickr reached 500 million uploads in its first 3.5 years, whereas Picnik has reached 1 billion uploads in three years since January 2007 (these uploads include photos opened from social sites like Flickr and Facebook). It’s the kind of classic hockey-stick growth you’d show to investors—except, oops, Picnik doesn’t have outside investors, it was all self-funded.
Picnik is celebrating by opening its premium service to all users for free for 24 hours starting at 9 am Pacific Time today.
When I first saw this, I was tempted to call fake. I mean, why the hell is a desktop version of Firefox running on Android? What happened to Fennec? But rest assured, this is real—and actually, very encouraging.
You’ll note that this is the full Firefox interface, and not the Fennec/Firefox Mobile UI; we’re testing with the full interface because it’s significantly more complex than the mobile UI and stresses Gecko much more. So, if the full UI works, then Fennec should work fine as well.
He goes on to say that in its current state, keyboard entry doesn’t work and the browser is not at all ready for primetime, but that Android has been “pretty great to work with so far” and that development has been “progressing at a good clip.”
While this is clearly more than an experiment and destined for a wide release someday, he doesn’t provide a estimate of when Joe Android will be able to download Firefox/Fennec/whatever. For now, knowing that it’s more than a myth will have to do. [Vlad1 via AndroidCentral]
Somehow, I missed the fact that Amazon’s Video On Demand service supports mobile devices. Shame on me because I’m using the service on my computers and my HDTV. I simply never thought about taking the content with me for viewing on a handheld but Windows Mobile Thoughts got me thinking about it. In my defense, Amazon’s supported devices page only shows three devices: two from Nokia and one of the ARCHOS Internet Media Tablets. But after another click, I do see this from Amazon — “Most Plays for Sure compliant portable video players will work with the Unbox Video Player.”
I don’t have a Windows Mobile device to test out the simple process, but I’m betting that some of our readers have already been toting around Amazon videos, so let us know what the content quality is like. I’d be curious to know which video file format Amazon uses, the video resolution, bit rate and such!
NFC is an increasingly popular technology that allows contactless data exchange via smart card chips, and is often used for small payments via smartcard or cell phone.
INSIDE Contactless, a leading provider of advanced, open-standard contactless chip technologies, today announced it is making its Open NFC commercial-grade NFC protocol stack (formerly MicroRead Software Foundation) available in a free and open source edition under the Apache License,Version 2.0.
The also announced the stack will be compatible with WinCE 6.0 and Windows Mobile 7, and is available for download now.
"Our decision to release Open NFC under the Apache license demonstrates our willingness to lead the way in bringing high quality, well documented NFC software into the open source arena," said Philippe Martineau, executive vice president of the NFC business line for INSIDE Contactless. "Open NFC fits right in with the trend toward open platforms in the mobile industry, and will benefit device makers as well as software developers and others in the mobile ecosystem in several ways, providing greater impetus to implementing NFC solutions across a broad range of consumer products."
NFC has appeared prominently in several Microsoft Windows Mobile job postings, and there is therefore some indication they are intending to implement the technology broadly in Windows Mobile 7.
Open NFC supports several levels of functionality, from low-level RF control to high-level NFC Forum tag handling, peer-to-peer communications as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi pairing, interactions with single-wire protocol SIMs and other secure elements and compatibility with smart cards and RFID tags.
Qualcomm now offers two complete NFC handset reference designs, one based on an HSUPA Mobile Station Modem (MSM ) chipset and one based on a Qualcomm Single Chip (QSC ) solution for CDMA2000 . The two reference designs leverage INSIDE Contactless’ NFC solution enabling device manufacturers to bring next-generation NFC handsets to market more quickly and at significantly reduced development cost.
Microsoft has been doing it all it can to stage manage their Mobile World Congress event, including trying to to suppress all (of their own) Windows Mobile 7 leaks.
This effort included to not giving any indication to who will be speaking at Microsoft’s MWC event on the 15 February.
Unfortunately it seems there was again some communication error inside the computing giant, and a banner has been popping up on the site advertising Steve Ballmer’s presence at the event.
This, amongst many other things, is another indication of the importance of the event, and with the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 announcement out of the way, again raises the odds of Windows Mobile 7 being shown off.
The above video shows the SPB Mobile Shell UI replacement running on the HTC HD2. The software appears to take full advantage of both the fast processor and graphics acceleration, delivering a flawless experience.
If there is one criticism however it is that i appears relatively easy to lose your place in the user interface and be scrolling and flipping around for ages trying to find the icon or setting you are looking for.
If however you are a bit tired of Sense this certainly seems to be the most polished way of reviving your HTC HD2.
Jumba is a colorful puzzle game for windows phone developed by VanKurt Industries it falls under the Bejeweled clone series of games. These sort of puzzle games can be quite addictive. To find out if Jumba can be considered as a worthy puzzle game for windows mobile, read on for the full review of this windows mobile game…
Yes, Valentine’s day is just right around the corner and companies are pulling out all the stops to create new and exciting techie ways to either date, or atleast attempt to not be alone that day. Skyecandy is a new speed dating application that will be launching on Valentines’s Day via Skype. Skyecandy matches members for five minute video speed dates with real people from all over the world. Interact face-to-face and meet potential partners or make new friends using Skype, without having to exchange any personal information. Speed date sessions run every six minutes. Each date runs for five minutes with a minute in between that enables you to give a simple answer, YES or NO. If you both vote YES, you can continue to communicate for free with each other using Skype. You can also record your thoughts with Reminder Notes about the date and send a PS Note to someone you liked. Currently, Skyecandy works as a third party application that requires a PC, internet access and a webcam. You can download Skyecandy directly from Skype’s Tools Menu.
Internet Explorer 8 is the best browser Microsoft’s ever shipped. It actually sorta tries to be compliant with modern web standards, or at least more so than its predecessors, so it’s a huge leap forward, even if it’s nowhere near WebKit-based browsers like Safari or Chrome on that front. So, I’m glad to see it’s now the world’s most-used browser, instead of IE6 or IE7, with 25.6 percent of the total market, according to Net Applications. [Windows Team Blog]
Not to be outdone, Seattle-based Mpire is announcing today a major update to its relatively new ad-optimization technology, called AdXpose. The basic idea is to make online ad campaigns perform more effectively, while protecting brands from fraud and from appearing next to inappropriate content such as porn. The latest features of AdXpose include the ability to set smart, real-time alerts for when ads don’t appear where they should (geographically or demographically, say), and preemptive “blocking” that stops ads from being served when the placement violates the terms of the advertising contract.
But Mpire is about more than just its latest product offering. It has bigger ambitions beyond AdXpose, and has reinvented itself as of late. I recently got an in-depth tour of the company’s new focus and strategy. In the process, I learned a lot about the online advertising world—and where Mpire’s real opportunities are.
Mpire’s chief revenue officer, Kirby Winfield, sums it up pretty succinctly. “We are AdXpose. Widgetbucks is on life support,” he says. “Now it’s about [ad] verification and optimization. We want to …Next Page »
We’ve read about Steve Wozniak’s car troubles and he even updated us on the lack of assistance from Toyota. What we hadn’t seen until now is a video of him venting his frustrations. And wow! The man is truly frustrated.
Well, Woz, I’ve gotta say that the host of that show was right. Your message is everywhere now, but is Toyota listening yet? [Fora TV]
In an interesting post on the official Sony Ericsson Xperia blog, Xperiancers, the company admitted that the Xperia X1 suffered from a lack of support, but that they did not plan to repeat this on the X2. They therefore laid out a clear roadmap for expected updates to the handset, and also made it clear from the start that X2 owners should not expect a Windows Mobile 7 update, as the hardware would not support this.
As the X2 begins to roll out globally, it’s only fair that customers know what kind of support we’ll be giving the phone in the months to come. It’s not news to say that we attracted some criticism for this on the X1 and we’re not going to go there again with the X2. So, for the record, this is what X2 customers can expect in terms of software upgrades.
In March, we’ll launch our first upgrade (MR1). It will upgrade Windows Mobile from 6.5.1 to 6.5.2 (which will improve both the stability and usability of the device), it will bring in the use of video telephony, an FM radio and it will introduce fast GPS to get a quicker fix. As well as all this, MR1 will upgrade a lot of the applications in the phone to improve speed, usability and fix any bugs we find.
The second update will go live in May and this will be a big one as it moves Windows mobile onto 6.5.3. This is a significant upgrade in terms of usability, performance, power management and the browser experience.
That’s the extent of our plans at the moment but I’ll update this post as we make any more decisions.
Thanks.
Aaron
I am sure actual and potential owners of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 appreciate such openness and also reassurance that the Windows Mobile handset, running an OS which is currently not extremely favoured by SE, will continue to receive support in the coming months.
Open Kernel Labs (OK Labs), the leading global provider of embedded virtualization software for mobile phones and broadband Internet devices, and Citrix Systems, Inc., today announced the "nirvana phone" reference architecture, using virtualization to enable both mobile communications and office desktop-type productivity. The nirvana phone concept goes beyond traditional smart phones by allowing users to access their corporate virtual desktop and applications from a single device, in any location. With support for docking to full-sized displays, keyboards, mice and other PC-type peripherals, nirvana phones will offer mobile workers a complete "virtual desktop in your pocket," allowing them to take their desktop anywhere without the need to carry around a full laptop.
The nirvana phone reference architecture emerges from the partnership between OK Labs and Citrix, together with key ecosystem partners ranging from semiconductor suppliers and handset OEMs to enterprise IT suppliers and mobile network operators (MNOs). The design builds on Mobile-to-Enterprise (M2E) virtualization and readily-available functionality like mobile virtualization, cloud computing and wireless connectivity (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth). The nirvana phone reference architecture also incorporates emerging capabilities in mobile chipsets and handsets like full resolution video and HD output. The jointly-developed reference architecture can be viewed at ok-labs.com.
"The nirvana phone takes smart phones to the next level by bringing M2E from paradigm to platform and ultimately to product," noted Chris Fleck, VP of Community and Solutions Development, Citrix. "As HD video and other capabilities come on line in mobile chipsets, Citrix and OK Labs are working together to give OEMs a clear path to building handsets that meet the needs of IT organizations and mobile workers alike, delivering virtual desktops and applications to virtualized mobile devices."
"The nirvana phone will provide groundbreaking capabilities without breaking IT budgets with exotic technology," said Steve Subar, President and CEO, OK Labs. "The nirvana phone represents a near-term paradigm shift — OK Labs, Citrix, and our ecosystem partners envision real-world converged nirvana devices enabled for both mobility and desktop productivity entering the market within 12 to 18 months."
Minimum specs for a Nirvana handset is 528MHz ARM processor, 256MB ROM, 192MB RAM, and the software seem to run pretty well on the venerable Windows Mobile Imate 8150 (so that’s what became of them).
Developers have been concerned by the lack of Windows Mobile development tools in the latest Visual Studio 2010 betas from Microsoft.
Beta 1 of VS2010 and .NET 4 were made available last May, followed by beta 2 in October. Participants in Microsoft’s Technology Adoption Program and Visual Studio Industry Partners had access to limited community technology previews (CTPs) after the beta 2 release.
Senior VP of the Microsoft Developer Division S. Somasegar has confirmed that Visual Studio 2010 tooling for Windows Mobile 7 and smart devices will be made available after the official release of Visual Studio 2010.
Somasegar said it will be released as out-of-band in conjunction with the technology itself.
Microsoft is slated to offer a public release candidate (RC) of Visual Studio 2010 this month, delaying the formal "launch" of the upcoming IDE and .NET Framework 4 by a few weeks, according to the company. If Microsoft adheres to that schedule, VS2010 should be released to manufacturing (RTM) by April 12, the new launch date.
Visual Studio 2010 is still waiting for Silverlight 4, expected still in the first half of the year.
The Visual Studio Magazine article notes developers can expect to learn more about Windows Mobile 7 at the World Mobile Congress later this month and at MIX10 in March.
The key is to select in the Amazon Unbox Player to automatically download the portable file by going into Settings | Preferences and choose the option “Also download portable video files when downloading videos”.
Individual mobile videos can also be downloaded by right clicking on the video and select “Download portable file to this PC”.
The last step is to connect your device, click on the devices tab and click on the transfer button. 
