Microsoft Shares Windows Phone 7 Series Developer Story at MIX

At MIX10 today, Microsoft unveiled the developer platform for the upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series devices. Windows Phone 7 Series was announced at Mobile World Congress last month and devices are expected to be available by holiday 2010.

Mobile development for Windows Phone 7 will be based on Silverlight and the XNA Framework. This will provide a rich environment for internet based applications and game development. As expected, Windows Phone 7 will use the mobile marketplace to deliver applications to the device and providing developers with a 70% revenue share for applications sold.

Perhaps the single best piece of news is that Microsoft has listened and will be providing free Windows Phone Developer tools. For those that have been in the Windows Mobile space for a while, you will recall that there was a free tool that allowed you to develop directly for mobile. Around the release of version 5, it was removed and replaced with Visual Studio – and not the free version. This has been a pain point for many developers over the years and it’s something that I repeatedly brought to Microsoft’s attention whenever possible. Thankfully, they have seen the light and returned to providing free development tools for the mobile space. Expression Blend for Windows Phone and a preview of Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone will be available as a download from http://developer.windowsphone.com.

The full press release can be found after the jump.

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Microsoft’s Courier Delivers Where Apple’s iPad Falls Short

I’ve been a tablet user for a number of years now thanks to my Fujitsu T4215. While I’ve truly enjoyed the tablet and everything it offers, there is room for improvement in form factors, usability, and of course, functionality. The world looked to Apple in hopes their tablet device announcement would forever change how they looked at tablets. At this point, I think it’s fair to say that most people, myself included, are underwhelmed with what the iPad has to offer.

Enter Microsoft’s Courier device. This dual screen, foldable journal type device is amazing. According to the details leaked on Engadget, this device will be about 1 inch thick, sport two 5×7 LCD panels, and weigh in at about 1 pound. The screens support multi-touch as well as pen based input to provide the best experience for everyone.

Engadget has some really cool video’s on the Courier showing how it works and what you can expect from this device. In my opinion, this device connects with the tablet world far better than what Apple has done. Of course, there will always be people who say Apple has done it right and that the iPad is the be all and end all of tablet devices. For me, the Courier has much better potential. Only time will tell, but I’m looking forward to playing with a Courier much more than an iPad. Check out the video’s on Engadget and let us know your thoughts.

How to Turn off HTC’s Sense on the HD2

This may seem like a pretty straight forward tip to some, while others will find it extremely valuable. For me, I was playing with HTC’s Hero device running Android prior to picking up the HTC HD2. On the Hero, the Sense interface can not be disabled. So the thought never crossed my mind when I started using the HD2. Your home screen style can be yours to decide.

From the Start menu, tap on Settings. HTC does a nice job of simplifying the settings screens with Sense on Windows Phones and we need to change a setting that is not exposed in their interface.  Tap on Menu and then select All Settings from the menu that appears. When the settings menu opens, tap on Today and then at the bottom of the screen tap on the Items tab. By default the HD2 is going to load HTC Sense for the today screen plugin. Just tap on Windows Default at the top of the list and then OK to save the changes. That’s it, that’s all.  Now you can enjoy using Microsoft’s default Today screen for Windows Mobile 6.5.

How to Hard Reset the HTC HD2

The hottest Windows phone device available today is the HD2 from HTC. It’s beautiful large screen, fast processor, and ultra-thin design make it a joy to use. HTC’s Sense user-interface sure helps too. So there’s no question that this is the current smartphone that all the other Windows Phone devices will be judged against.

So you just picked up a device off ebay, or perhaps you’re getting ready to sell yours. Or maybe the unthinkable has happened – a 3rd party application is causing problems and the device will no longer boot. You’ll need to hard reset the device so it’s back to factory settings. Here’s the steps to get that done:

1. Turn the phone off
2. Press and hold both the volume up and volume down buttons
3. Press and release the Power / Hang-up button
4. The device will turn on – release the volume buttons when you see the tri-color screen. It flashes for a second or two
5. The device will then display a prompt asking you to confirm the reset of the device
6. Press the volume up button to continue with the hard reset, or press any other button to cancel.

If the device still boots up, you can perform the same reset using the software on the device. Just tap Start / Settings / Security / Factory Reset and then enter the 4 digit security code – 1234, and the hard reset will begin.

Be sure to charge the device prior to performing the hard reset. As well, it’s worth noting that all of your data will be erased from the device during the reset process. Be sure to backup any valuable files or information before following these steps.

HTC Announces Legend, Desire and Mini

At Mobile World Congress today, HTC announced 3 new devices based on Windows Mobile and Android operating systems.

The HTC Mini is based on Windows Mobile 6.5 and brings the experience of the HD2 to a smaller footprint. The HD2 experience is truly something special. If HTC can make this into a smaller device, it will be interesting to see and use. The single best thing on the HD2 is the screen. If they can pack the processor and power into a smaller footprint, will the device be as attractive? It’s a hard question to answer. With a smaller screen, they will need to make sure that the smaller screen is just as brilliant as it’s larger brother or it won’t succeed.

The HTC Legend and Desire are both Android based devices. The Legend is like version 2 of the Hero, adding a AMOLED screen LED Flash, optical trackball, a faster processor – 600MHz, and some more memory.  The Desire is HTC’s version of their Nexus One phone, but with an optical trackball and an extra button.

You can read check out the press release over at MobilityMinded – HTC Mini, and HTC Legend, Desire. And then let us know what you think of HTC’s latest devices.

Windows Phone 7 Announced by Microsoft at Mobile World Congress

The mobile world has been buzzing with talk about the future of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system. After stumbling the last couple of years and allowing new comers like Google  and Apple to capture a significant portion of the mobile market, all eye’s were on Microsoft. They really need to pull an ace out or risk being left behind in the fast moving mobile space.

Many are looking to Mobile World Congress as the best time for Microsoft to share their plans with the world. And share they did. A couple of minutes ago, Microsoft announced the long awaited Windows Phone 7. Billed as “Windows Phone 7 Series”, the mobile operating system takes a new fresh approach to the mobile world. With custom “tiles” and “hubs” you can be sure to keep informed of the information that matters most to you.

Phones are expected from all the major hardware manufacturers by this holiday season. Initial rumors had devices hitting the market in April or September. They appear to be a little off the actual date, but not too bad.

The full press release can be found below. Give it a read and share your thoughts with us. My initial reaction is that Microsoft is hitting the mark with this release. There’s still a load of unanswered questions. Hopefully we can get all the details shortly.

UPDATE: Check out the live demo on http://www.windowsphone7series.com/

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Microsoft MVP Global Summit Time

As you’re reading this, I’m traveling to Seattle to attend the this years MVP Summit. The summit is always a good time to get together with the other Mobile Device MVPs as well as the product group and various teams behind Windows Mobile.

This year, the summit falls at the same time as Mobile World Congress (and the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver). If Microsoft decides to share Windows Phone 7 at MWC, then I expect the product teams will have more to share with us. Unfortunately, a lot of what we talk about is under NDA. Rest assured, that whatever I can share, I will share. And I will also take with me a list of issues and questions that I have gathered from your comments posted on Mobile Jaw over the last while.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Quantum Physics Used in New Pressure Sensitive Mobile Touch Screens

There’s an article over on the BBC web site that talks about a division of Samsung that has started to license a quantum physics “trick” known as Quantum Tunneling Composite. For example, the technology could be used to allow you to scroll a web page faster the more pressure you apply to the touch screen.

Quantum physics is one of those classes that I never really got along with at university. So I won’t pretend to understand exactly what’s happening here. The end result is a pressure sensitive switch that’s about the same thickness as a human hair, and only requires power when it’s pressed.

The article makes no mention about what devices and manufacturers are planning on using this technology or how it will effect the price of the unit. Regardless, I think it’s awesome use of technology and I can’t wait to give it a run myself.

Windows Mobile 7 Leaks and Rumors Running Crazy

With Mobile World Congress just around the corner, the rumors are starting to swirl about the Windows Mobile 7 announcement that is expected from Microsoft. Now that 6.5.3 has been announced, there is almost no question that Mobile World Congress will be when Microsoft takes the wraps off Windows Mobile 7. This long awaited OS is expected to be a game changer for Microsoft. If it doesn’t come out strong, then it could be the end of the road for Microsoft in the mobile space.

Over the weekend, there was a couple “leaks” that came out around the features and functionality from Windows Mobile 7. Before I get too in-depth on these leaks, please make note that none of this has been confirmed. For all we know, it’s just some guy making crap up in his basement. Or, it could be the real deal. Either way, we won’t know for sure until Microsoft makes their announcement next week.

Now, onto the details! According to PPCGeeks, here’s what you can expect:

• The user interface is going to be very similar to the Zune HD interface.
• The Start menu will be completely revamped
• Application installation will only be possible through the market place
• No multi-tasking support. Instead, applications will pause when in the background
• No NetCF backwards compatibility
• Devices will be ready for September
• There will be full integration with Zune – No more ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center. It will all be handled by Zune desktop software
• No more 3rd party user interfaces
• Full Xbox gaming integration and social networking integration

Some of this sounds pretty cool, but other parts suck pretty bad. If all this holds true, it’s very much a “me too” response to Apple’s iPhone platform. And while Apple certainly has done some things well, I don’t think the best approach is to directly copy every aspect of their platform.

I’m looking forward to the big announcement to settle some of these rumors and get a full understanding of everything that Microsoft is working on with regards to Windows Phone.

Custom Theme Generator for Windows Phone

Earlier, we posted about adding custom wallpaper to your Windows phone. In that post, the wallpaper was a custom Windows Start button that was meant as your desktop wallpaper. If you’re looking to further customize your phone so that it’s you from top to bottom, then you will want to check out the Microsoft theme generator.

The theme generator is for Windows Mobile 6.5 devices only.  First thing you need to do, is pick your device from the rotating images. Then you can select the color you want to use, followed by the wallpaper image. You can even upload your own image and zoom/crop the image as you see fit. Once you have it just the way you like it, you can save it as a CAB file to your computer and pass it around for everyone to enjoy. You can also send it directly to your phone using an SMS message. It’s free and it’s cool. It’s worth checking out. Build a theme and share it here with us! I would like to see what everyone is capable of creating with this tool.

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