Posted on July 13, 2009, at 1:07 pm .
HTC announced in June that it would be making its new Sense OS interface available on all future devices. HTC Sense is a really good looking interface that’s going to drop on the HTC Hero, it’s upcoming Android device. Apparently, and despite the expected Summer/Fall ‘09 release of HTC’s TouchFlo 2.5 (which I just wrote about), HTC is going to offer the same interface across all its smartphone product line.
Is this good or bad? It’s a zero-sum equation for most of us, as I doubt they will lose any features in the process. Plus, we can be pretty sure that they’re going to keep pushing boundaries of their UI, especially once they are focusing on just one. What is interesting is how it creates a sort of platform-independence from Microsoft and Google. HTC customers won’t care much which device they buy if they all work the same, right?
Clever, HTC… very clever.
Another set of pics:
Posted on July 13, 2009, at 12:55 pm .
German website
Handy FAQ has managed to get a pre-release look at HTC’s new version of much vaunted TouchFlo 2.5, code-named Manila.
Aside from a sexier look, the big difference between this version and previous iterations seems to be the depth of the interface. One major gripe about 2.0 was how easy it was to find yourself looking at the original Windows Mobile interface; it seems as if the new version goes much deeper into the system, practically eliminating any signs of the poor, ugly OS underneath.
There’s a nice video after the jump that gives you a real sense of the new version and how far down into the Windows Mobile OS its tentacles reach. Also some more screenshots, so check it out!
Continue reading ‘Sneak Peek at New HTC TouchFlo 2.5′
Posted on July 13, 2009, at 11:56 am .
Acer’s long-awaited new line of Windows Mobile devices is starting to hit shelves, with the Acer Tempo M900 now available in some stores.
I say “long-awaited” because I’m always eager to see Acer flood the market with their decent-quality, low-priced devices, as they did in the notebook and netbook markets, helping to push prices down.
These two new devices, the Tempo M900 and the soon-to-be-available F900 look pretty sharp:
Acer M900:
- Slider keyboard
- 3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen
- Embedded fingerprint sensor
- 533 MHz processor and 128 MB of RAM.
- Mobile broadband, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, GPS, FM Radio,
- MicroSD memory card slot,
- 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with flash.
This guy is available now at Expansys, maybe elsewhere, too.
Acer F900
Acer has decided, like LG in my last post, to basically put out a slider and non-slider version of this device, and the F900 is the non-slider edition. Along with the keyboard, it also drops the fingerprint sensor and drops down to a 3.2-megapixel camera.
Posted on July 13, 2009, at 11:46 am .
LG has taken the wraps off two new Windows Mobile phones: the LG-GM730 and the LG-GW550, which sports a slider keyboard.
A slick-looking device, the LG-GM730 will feature a WQVGA (240×320) touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera, 3G (HSDPA), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and A-GPS. Powering this new device is the 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A processor, coupled with your standard 1000 mAh Li-Ion battery.
The LG-GW550, meanwhile, will LG-GW550, have a QWERTY keypad and other “business-centric features”. This device will also have a 2.4-inch QVGA display, but will be a quad-band GSM phone with tri-band (850/1900/2100 MHz) mobile broadband: 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA. It will only have a 3 MPx camera, but will feature a second, front-facing VGA camera, and a 1,300 mAh battery.
Both devices are to run Windows Mobile 6.1, but will have the LG “S-Class User Interface”, which supposedly makes WinMo a little more user friendly.
Both are to be released shortly in Asia, no word on western release dates though.
Posted on July 8, 2009, at 10:40 am .
Many
Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phones and
Windows Mobile Smartphones can be connected to a Windows PC via Bluetooth for use as a wireless dial-up modem. If your Windows Mobile device supports Bluetooth Dial-Up Networking, or
Bluetooth DUN, and your Windows PC Bluetooth-enabled, you have everything you need.
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phones or Smartphones as Bluetooth modems for Windows XP PCs.
NOTE: Your Windows Mobile Device must support Bluetooth DUN in order for the following procedure to result in an Internet connection.
Tutorial: Connect your phone to your PC via Bluetooth
Posted on July 8, 2009, at 8:11 am .
In an interview with MobiFrance, Microsoft France’s product manager for Windows Mobile, Audrey Zolghadr, says that Microsoft intends to launch the Windows Marketplace for Mobile with at least 600 apps. Is that good?
The iPhone app store has over 20,000, but maybe 100 useful ones. The Palm App Catalog had so few apps at launch it was almost laughable. RIM’s AppWorld launched with about a thousand apps and just announced it had doubled to 2,000. There’s got to be over 20K Windows Mobile apps out there already… yes? 600 good apps would be nice, and a very respectable start. Lots of major developers have signed on so far, which bodes well for quality, and the sheer number of Windows Mobile devices out there suggests that once many of the uncertified apps go through the MS process, they may also appear in the Marketplace.
With everyone putting out their own app store (our sibling BlackBerry Cool recently launched the BlackBerry Cool App World by Mobihand to compete with RIM’s AppWorld) - what will it take to make one dominant? Sheer quantity of apps? A handful of killer apps? Let me know what you think!
Posted on July 8, 2009, at 7:58 am .
HTC France boss Frédéric Tassy, recently pledged allegiance to a Windows Mobile future, saying “Nous aurons de plus toujours des produits phare sous Windows Mobile. Notre meilleure vente de smartphone en Europe reste d’ailleurs le HTC Touch HD sous Windows Mobile.” Loosely translated:
“We will always have more Windows Mobile flagship products [than Android]. Our best-seller in Europe is the HTC Touch HD, running Windows Mobile.”
Good to hear, since HTC seems to make the slickest WinMo devices around. The interview with Mobinaute - a French tech publication - was primarily about the launch of HTC’s two Android devices (the Magic and the G1), which makes it even more comforting. He also offered up some thoughts on the iPhone:
“I think at the end of the year, the iPhone will become just another product. We have been in discussion for many months with mobile operators, I can assure you they want something else now.”
Oh, if only.
Posted on July 7, 2009, at 8:41 am .
Feed Lex the Worm’s endless appetite by joining letters on the library wall! Use up burning letters before they reach the bottom and set the library on fire! Special bonus tiles boost your score if used to make a word.
Bookworm is a superb word game for beginners and experts alike and allows you to test or increase your word power in a fun and enjoyable way!
Continue reading ‘Review: Bookworm’
Posted on July 1, 2009, at 8:59 am .
Canada, a land of great natural beauty and beautiful, warm, welcoming people. Today is Canada Day! Reach out to all your Canadian friends, family members and acquaintances and wish them a day filled with fun and laughter.
Say Vive Le Canada!
So, what does Canada Day mean, anyway?
Posted on June 29, 2009, at 2:02 pm .
Buy, sell, rent, and auction property with up to 4 players! Practice your Monopoly skills at any time by playing against up to three computer opponents with 8 different “identities” and playing styles. Or you can mix any combination of real people and computer players in any game.
If you have ever played the classic board game then you’ll immediately know how to play on your Pocket PC device. The computer plays the role of the “Banker” so it automatically, accurately, and completely scores every player, every play and every game.
The Monopoly game for Pocket PC includes the ability to auction properties, buy/sell houses and hotels, mortgage/unmortgage properties and even set up complex trades with other players.
Continue reading ‘Review: Monopoly for Pocket PC’
