Skinput -Now use your arm as a touch screen
Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft have produced Skinput, an experimental device that turns the body’s largest organ into a touch screen. More Info here..
Category: Microsoft
Original Windows Mobile 7 UI demoed – Before the change to Windows Phone 7
In the leaked video you can see what the Windows Mobile 7 UI would have looked like, if Microsoft hadn’t decided to scrap the plans of a new Windows Mobile, and go with a whole new design that we today know as Metro UI on Windows Phone 7 Series.
The Metro UI seen in Windows Phone 7 Series is much more user friendly than what the WiMo7 UI. I think it was a good decision to start the whole work from scratch, which led to the fact that we today are waiting for Windows Phone 7 Series.
Windows Phone 7 Series ad leaked?
Not sure if this one is real, but at least it looks good. What do you think about this?
Windows Phone 7 Series compared to WiMo 6.5 and WiMo 6.5.3
Engadget has gathered a pretty informative list on the differences in current and coming Windows Mobile / Windows Phone versions. As you can see, there has been some massive changes to the Windows Phone 7 Series OS.
Windows Phone 7 Series UI – Hands on video
4:27 long hands on video of the Windows Phone 7 Series UI by Neowin. Based from what I have now seen, this little thing will be big. The phone used in the video is by an unknown manufacturer.
Windows Phone 7 Series photo shoot
Long Zheng from iStartedSomething has posted a nice set of photos of the earlier today announced Windows Phone 7 Series.
Windows Phone 7 Series announced
Microsoft today did what everyone was expecting and announced Windows Phone 7 Series. What everyone didn’t expect, is that they have developed this from scratch. White a complete UI and code revamp, Microsoft has made something different that we haven’t seen before. The UI is unique and looks good, specially designed to be used on a phone with a touchscreen.
Here is what CEO Steve Ballmer had to say:
It’s the biggest launch we have done in the phone space. I think everyone is going to stop and say wow, they are really upping their game. I think we have done a very good job but it’s a very competitive market out there.
Apple has done a nice job. But the smartphones today all kind of look the same. Everybody went ahead and kind of copied the user-interface approach of Apple and people will say Windows phone 7 Series is different, the way we integrated Bing, Office, Xbox and Zune.
Every Windows Phone 7 will come with three buttons on the front: ‘Start’ for quick access to the menu, ‘Search’ and ‘Back’.
We still have to wait for the phones with Windows Phone 7 Series on it until late this year.
More pictures after the break.
Windows Mobile Started edition to be announced at MWC
Neowin has learned that Microsoft will announce a new Windows Mobile edition on Monday at Mobile World Congress. The new version will be called Windows Mobile Starter edition, and will be based on Windows Mobile 6.
Named Windows Mobile Starter Edition the software will be targeted at OEMs building devices for new and emerging markets. Based on Windows Mobile 6, Starter Edition will come in two versions, one with Office Mobile and one without. Windows Mobile Starter Edition will also support 2G (GSM), 2.5G (EDGE, GPRS) and CDMA (Rev A, EV-DO Revision A) or TD-SCDMA. It’s not yet clear whether 3G (GSM) will be supported.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Microsoft is looking to broaden Windows Mobile licensing to a wider audience. Microsoft recently announced a partnership with MediaTek to drive growth in smartphone sales for emerging markets over the next 12 months. MediaTek has worked with Microsoft to couple its hardwarewith the Windows Mobile 6 software. Neowin believes this is one of many working relationships that Microsoft will form to push Windows Mobile 6 or Windows Mobile Starter Edition to emerging markets over the next year.
We will know much more tomorrow, and during the coming week.
Microsoft’s Project Pink confirmed in a FCC filing
Sharp has revealed a picture of the long rumored Microsoft’s Project Pink phone Turtle. The image above appeared in a FCC filing this week.
According to the FCC filing, Turtle will be a “CDMA Slide Phone with WLAN & BT”. The image seen in the FCC filing, is almost equal to the previous Project Pink leak in September 2009. Check out the picture after the break.
Microsoft’s Mobile World Congress announcement to be streamed and broadcasted
Microsoft will stream, and broadcast on satellite TV the announcement at Mobile World Congress. That, and the fact that Steve Ballmer will host it, means that the announcement is going to be about something important.
The stream will be available at http://www.microsoft.com/news/windowsphone, and on satellite TV(Eutelsat):
Timing: 1630-1645 UTC
EUTELSAT W3A 7 deg East TXP B1 CHANNEL 9MHZ SLOT 1L9 (D1)
UPLINK FREQ.: 14314 MHZ POL Y BY E-120
DOWNLINK FR.: 11014 MHZ POL X
SD 625 16:9 50Hz DVBS QPSK 6.6665Ms/s FEC 7/8,
RoF 0.35 (11_SD MPEG2 422 10.7514 Mbps)
OP MODE: HIGH QUALITY
AUDIO:1 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:2 SOUND MONO
[via]
Windows Mobile 7 details emerge – No multi-tasking?
With Mobile World Congress only a week away, a new batch of info on Windows Phone 7 has popped up on blogs over the world. PPCGeeks leaked the following info about the new OS:
- WP7 will be announced at MWC, and there will be a demo, but this will be just the UX
- MIX will have specific developement focus sessions on WP7
- WP7 supports both Sliverlight (out of browser) and XNA
- Silverlight is version 3.0, with elements of 4.0 plus mobile specific features such as sensors etc
- XNA apps can be developed using XNA GameStudio 3.1
- SL apps developed using Expression Blend 3.x and VS2010
- MS will release a mobile version of VS / Expression which will be free, and VS2010 / Expression Pro will have a free add-on
- WP7 will have an equivalent of .NET CF embedded into SL, but no SQL.
- WP7 will have isolated storage which is accessible using LINQ
- The UX of WP7 is based upon a theme called “METRO” and is similar to Zune HD, but with a completely new “Start” screen.
- No multi-tasking (applications will pause when in the background, however they will support notifications using the MS Push Notifications environment)
- No .NET CF backwards compatibility, however a proportion of the data and business logic in .NET CF could be ported
- MS were confident to have devices ready for Sep 2010
- No MS manufactured device, however much tighter control of manufactring process, so as an example each device has a 3D processing chipset, and
- MS provide all of the device drivers. So no platform builder. This enables OTA updates and simplified model for ODM’s
- Marketplace will support buy and try before you buy, as well as an API
- ODM / OEM will not be able to modify the “Start” screen, so no more HTC Sense / TouchFlo etc.
- MS are actually ahead of schedule which will surprise the analysts / journalists
- Browsing experience is currently faster / better than iPhone 3G, and they are aiming towards 3GS.
- Browser is based upon desktop IE7 codebase, but with some IE8 functionality
- No in browser Flash or SL
- WP7 has full integration with XBOX Live, and ability to purchase games
- WP7 will use the Zune software for music, videos, photos sync
- WP7 only supports app installation through service based delivery i.e. marketplace, so no side-loading
- MS will provide a hosted push notifications environment
The most important points being that there will be no multi-tasking, and that the browsing experience is better than on the 3GS, and that Microsoft is “aiming towards 3GS”.
[via]
Steve Ballmer will speak at Mobile World Congress 2010
msmobiles.com has found an interesting picture at Microsoft’s website. What makes this interesting, is the fact that the text “Mobile World Congress 2010″ is glued together with a picture of CEO Steve Ballmer. This guy is normally taken on stage when something big/important is announced.
Basically this confirms a rumored Windows Mobile 7 announcement for Mobile World Congress 2010.
Windows Phone 7 to be discussed at Energize IT
Microsoft Canada will host an event called “Energize IT 2010 – From the Client to the Could V 2.0″. What is interesting about this, is that Windows Phone 7 will be discussed at the event.
The event will take place on March 30th, starting at 9:00AM.
Read more about the event here.
