Famous for breathing new life into obsolete devices, those mad scientists over at xda-developers.com and ppcgeeks.com have overcome a major hurdle in bringing the Android operating system one step closer to working properly on the HTC Rhodium (commonly known as the Touch Pro 2)… SOUND.
Porting Android to older Windows Mobile devices isn’t anything new… Fans of the original HTC Vogue (Touch) have been running fully functional Android ports for quite some time now, often flashing it to local memory and obliterating Windows Mobile completely from their devices.
Other popular HTC devices such as the HD2 (HTC Leo) and the Touch Pro (HTC Raphael) have had similar ports released relatively quickly, however something about the sound hardware in the Rhodium/Touch Pro 2 made it completely unresponsive to normal system commands that have worked for every other device so far.
Critics of the project called it hopeless- The time required to determine and fix the sound problem could very well take longer than the expected end-of-life of the unit (Side Note: According to certain US carriers, the Touch Pro 2 has already reached its EOL). In other words, by the time they figure it out, no one will have the device anymore to care.
Thankfully that is not the case, and sound is now enabled on the latest release of XDANDROID as of this morning!
You may be wondering why anyone cares about this particular project now that there has been a flood of new Android handsets to the market.
The answer is rather simple: The Rhodium happens to be a pretty decent handset with some impressively functional hardware features, even compared to newer handsets. In fact, I’ve been hard pressed to find another handset that can rival the features available to it…
Even critics of Windows Mobile will admit that the Touch Pro 2 has a gorgeous QWERTY keyboard worthy of their envy.
The upcoming Samsung Epic 4G looks like it will come close as far as keyboard design, but even that behemoth lacks some of the functions Rhodium owners take for granted:
A tilting display, better battery life than most current smartphones, directional microphone conference call system, and certain models contain both CDMA and GSM radios, meaning you can swap carriers on a whim.
Now, I’m not saying the Rhodium is BETTER than the Samsung Epic, with its 4G radio support and AMOLED display… but I am saying that the Rhodium’s usable life is far from over, and there is plenty of reason to still be interested in this handset.
If nothing else, being able to dual-boot Windows and Android is quite an incentive to keep one of these around… However make no mistake, the Android port is still far from complete (still need to get the Bluetooth and camera working, among other things). However this time there is a definite light at the end of the tunnel, and it is only a matter of time…
I’ll admit something- Ever since Google announced turn by turn navigation with voice and recognition, I wondered if/when the feature will reach other smartphones. After all, Google traditionally released new mapping features for their Android OS first (think street view, lattitude, etc), and eventually trickled it down to other platforms. I have navigation apps on my phones, but none seemed as smooth as the cloud-based Google nav.
Until now.
Microsoft has been working on some new Bing! Mobile betas, which as I mentioned last time, was and aesthetic improvement, but took out all routing features (which is the ONE reason I liked it).
Well, now MS has graced us with a new beta. And this time, they not only put navigation back in, but they added voice prompts, and a text-to-speech (TTS) engine! Add that to the new UI which is far more polished than even Windows Mobile itself, and the end result is an extremely pleasant user experience that not only rivals Google Nav, but may in fact surpass it (having only used Google Navigator a handful of times, I can’t say for certain if I feel that way or not. I DO know that Google maps sometimes takes me on a route that I don’t care for, plus Engadget’s trial had them trying to turn down one-way streets the wrong way- something that has never happened to me in Bing).
One thing is for certain- I am no longer waiting for Google Navigator. Microsoft has shown that they are not yet ready to completely abandon their legacy Windows Mobile platform, and that’s very good news.
This’ll teach me to go to bed at night – turns out the delightfully spec’ed Dell Lightning (the first Windows7 phone I can honestly say I’d like to try on a day-to-day basis) is just the tip of a very cool iceberg.
Next up, there’s the Thunder (Anyone else seeing a theme here? Too bad Blackberry already snatched “Storm”). It’s a GSM Android 2.1 device with a custom UI called “Stage” (which includes Facebook integration, apparently). There’s no slide-down portrait keyboard like on the Lightning, but there is allegedly full Flash support including a Hulu player. Now that’s a heck of a selling point. There’s also an 8 MP camera, as opposed to the Lightning’s 5 MP.
Wait, we’re not done yet! Dell has more Android sets to leak out. There’s the “Flash” (It’ll save every one of us!), with a smaller 3.5 screen than the Lightning or Thunder’s 4.1, more “Stage UI” goodness and probably most interesting to the techs out there, a Qualcomm MSM7230. This is Qualcomm’s “snapdragon” class device, and I can’t wait to see how this thing handles the demands of an “always on” OS like Android. Of the devices leaked so far, this seems more like the “fashionable” device. Unless you count…
…the Dell Smoke. With only a 2.8 QVGA screen, a dedicated hardware keyboard, Dell’s leaked documents indicate this is going to be more “corporate” targeted, but if this thing is a “suit and tie” phone, it’s a designer suit and tie. Simply stunning to look at.
The final phone leaked is the US version of the Areo. It’s got a comparatively anemic processor, and not a ton that catches my eye. Yes, it’s got handwriting recognition and a “special” capacitive stylus… but surely I’m not the only one who far prefers a stylus free device? Yes, there’ll be a Webkit browser and some kind of Flash support, but I can’t say I have any interest in this, knowing that the Lighting, Thunder, and Smoke are coming down the pipe. The Areo does have the advantage of launching first, so expect people who don’t follow tech blogs to plunk down a pretty penny, and then later be upset that they used up their upgrade.
While I’m done with phones, that’s not all Dell has slated (sorry for the pun). They’ve given more info on their “Streak” tablet. It’s now launching with Android 2.1 and still coming “this summer” but the big deal is what it’s being compared to, which is the Dell “Looking Glass”. I fell in love with the name right away. While at the surface the LG is just a “blown up” 7” Streak (Dell – there’s no excuse for putting a mere 800×480 resolution on this thing, or an anemic 1.3 megapixel camera!). Crack it open and you’ll find a Tegra2 chip inside. Throw in the fact that it has actual expandable RAM and you have the first Android tablet I’m interested in trying out.
Those are the devices – and you can get more details at Engadget – and now here’s the commentary: Dell is a powerhouse brand, with tons of presence in every segment of the computer market. The one notable exception has been handhelds. There was a time when the Dell Axim was a great device line – I had an X5 and it was one of the first “pocketable” PocketPCs. Sure, you needed a big pocket, but it was pocketable. However, that line faded into obscurity, and they’ve had a small hole in their lineup since. With this sudden spate of phones and tablets, running multiple OSes and targeted at multiple market segments, Dell seems ready to make a serious attempt at the one area where Apple and “upstarts” like HTC and others are firmly entrenched. Nothing here screams “iPhone/iPad killer!”, but on paper they certainly seem like viable alternatives to it, and they certainly have the market presence to leverage these devices. I look forward to seeing how this plays out.
If you haven’t heard of Grooveshark yet, you really should check it out- Unlike other streaming music services such as Pandora and Slacker Radio, Grooveshark will let you pick any songs you like in their extremely extensive database, and create your own playlists. Since there is no restriction on playback, its like having a limitless library of MP3’s at your disposal!
The advantages of a mobile version are obviously appealing. Imagine being able to play any song you want, any time you feel like it, wherever you are, and without worrying about the limits of your storage space… as long as you have a data connection, that is.
Enter Grooveshark Mobile, the official application for Android, WebOS and Blackberry phones. Grooveshark, however, was denied access to Apple’s App store, so there will be no official iPhone version (unless you wish to Jailbreak, in which case they DO supply an at-your-own-risk version to show Apple what you think of their policies). Also glaringly absent is Microsoft’s platform, Windows Mobile.
Not to fear, all you WinMo fans out there. The development community has stepped up to the challenge and created their own Grooveshark applications to fill the need. The best of the bunch is undoubtedly Nanogroove, which has playlist support and album art.
The best bit of NanoGroove? Its free! Well, sort of- they offer 5 minutes of use each time you run it if you don’t register. Registration costs a one time fee of $5, and after that you are free to use it as much as you want. A worthwhile investment for unlimited music, if you ask me.
But wait, isn’t GrooveShark also free?
Yes, technically, however they reserve their latest-and-greatest features for VIPs only, which costs $3 a month for membership to. All the mobile apps are VIP access only, which means your unlimited music is going to cost a monthly subscription. Three bucks a month isn’t anything major, however compared to nanogroove’s $5 one time fee to register, it seems like Windows Mobile users come out on top this time!
Anyone remember those “leaked” Windows Mobile 7 screenshots that were floating around the internet over a year ago?
After the big WP7 announcement at Mobile World Congress, I think it was pretty clear that they were, indeed, fake. However, something didn’t quite add up… If they’ve been working on WP7 for so long, why was it so unfinished at the event?
The answer, according to former Microsoft MVP Brandon Miniman, as well as some knowledgeable users at xda-developers, is that WP7’s user interface, known as codename “Metro” is only about 18 months old.
That’s right, there was originally a successor to Windows Mobile 5 and 6 (codenames Magneto and Crossbow, respectively) that was scrapped at some point in 2008-09, and they started over with codename “Metro“, which just so happens to be the same internal name for the Zune HD UI.
After reading the fascinating article from Brandon on Pocket Now, it all starts to make a disturbing amount of sense. As I said before, Microsoft HAD to start over because they recognized that even if they finally perfected Windows Mobile in its current shell, no one would take notice because the OS is so tainted in the popular view. The only way to break free of the stigma of “buggy Windows on clunky phones” is to start over with something fresh and trendy.
That explains the screenshots, the conflicting rumors, and even the leaked YouTube promo video about WM7 (see below) which all look nothing like what we’ve seen at MWC.
Honestly, Photon looks like it could have been pretty amazing. Windows Mobile has its share of missed marks and shortcomings, and Photon really looks like it would have addressed them all. All the legacy applications, plugins, multitasking and all could have been retained while bringing the look of the OS into the current generation. WM fans could have had their cake and ate it too!
But, with all of their efforts being pumped into the Zune-Phone that is WP7, it doesn’t look like it will ever see the light of day. Microsoft did what it had to, but this is awfully depressing. They were so close…
There is hope, however- MS has made mention of a WM “Classic” or “starter edition” based on 6.5 for legacy application support and business-class users. Perhaps Photon could be taken out, dusted off, and make an appearance for loyal fans of the Pocket PC platform? Only time will tell. (more…)
Many owners of the recent HTC Touch HD2 bought their new handhelds with the expectation of a future upgrade to Windows Phone 7 when available.
However, users on blogs and forums cried out in unison today as their hopes were abruptly shattered by a statement from Natasha Kwan, General Manager for Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business in the Asia-Pacific region: The HD2 will not be getting an upgrade.
But the reason is pretty obvious to this blogger… Microsoft has made it clear that Windows Phone 7 is taking drastic measures to cut back on the fragmentation and inconsistent user experience that current devices suffer from (too many different UIs and hardware configurations can make support, innovation and deployment extremely difficult).
In order to do this, Microsoft has had to tighten the control they have over the UI and be more specific about hardware requirements (which they admitted was difficult to discuss with OEMs).
One of the requirements shown off at the MWC event was the button layout- All devices need to have 3 very specific buttons on the layout: A Windows key, a back button, and a search key.
According the APCmag, the statement issued by Kwan was that the HD2 “doesn’t qualify because it doesn’t have the three buttons”, one of which needs to be a dedicated search key with the HD2 lacks.
Technically, since I’m not aware of any current phones have a dedicated search key, it was pretty obvious to me that there would be no official upgrades for current devices, including the HD2. However, many bloggers have been passing around rumors that the HD2 would, in fact be receiving an upgrade (some sources indicated the rumor started from HTC, however I have not yet found a reliable source of this information).
What surprises me, however, is that many bloggers are now spreading the rumor that the reason is because of the 5 button layout that the HD2 has, instead of sticking to the 3 mandated by Microsoft.
I assure you, that is not the reason. Look at the statement quoted on APC’s website. I don’t believe for a moment that a device would be disqualified for having EXTRA buttons. Microsoft simply dictated the minimum, and from Kwan’s statement, its pretty obvious that the culprit here is the lack of a search button. Nothing at all to do with having more keys than the minimum.
Over the last few weeks, its become quite apparent that Microsoft plans to announce their long awaited update to Windows Mobile at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.
Windows Mobile 7 has been speculated to be a well-overdue drastic overhaul to Microsoft’s aging legacy operating system, bringing it up to speed with the current lineup of user-friendly phone interfaces.
Now, I have to admit, I personally have owned and used many portable computing platforms over the last ten years, but I always find myself coming back to Windows Mobile. Not because I have a thing for Microsoft, or because it’s the most stylish or polished (it surely is not!), but rather because I have always found it the most versatile and useful; with over 10 years of apps developed for it (take THAT App store!) and a true multitasking OS that allows for a desktop-style workflow, its hard to find a more capable mobile platform.
The biggest problem with Windows Mobile, however, has always been that it is NOT consumer friendly. Too much of a computer in your pocket, and not simple enough as a phone. Consumers often found it unnecessarily complicated to learn and use, and jumped at the simpler platforms that actually offered less features (You know who you are!).
While Windows Mobile has found a home in geek circles and some business use, it has been sorely losing the battle in the average consumer market.
Microsoft promised to fix all of that with WM7, finally bridging the portable desktop concept with next generation user-friendliness.
Well, if the “leaked” details from PPCGeeks and MobileTechWorld are to be believed, I think Microsoft has got it ALL WRONG.
The source of said “leaks” are still unverified, but some of it seems to agree with previous rumors, including that the OS will be based on the Zune HD interface. That’s not a bad thing, since the new Zune has been met with a considerable amount of praise. The suggestion of a “Zune Phone” has been kicked around more than once. However, as I continued reading, I found some of the information downright surprising… and not the GOOD kind of surprising. Take for example (copied from the news post at ppcgeeks):
Windows Phone 7 will only support application installation through service based delivery. (i.e Marketplace). Application installation via storage card will not be possible.
No Multi-Task support. Applications will “Pause” when in the background, however will support notifications via push notifications.
No NETCF backwards compatibility. This means the original rumor of no backward compatibility for applications holds to be true. That being said, there are high hopes of porting the NetCF to the newer platform easily.
OEM Interfaces will not be allowed to run on the device. Say goodbye to Sense UI / SPB Mobile Shell / Point UI / Infinity, etc, etc
So, wait a minute here, Microsoft- are you expecting me to believe that you are cutting off the huge library of previously existing applications, forcing all future developed applications to go through your official application store, and cutting out support for multitasking and custom interfaces? Basically, cut out all the things that make your platform worth dealing with, for what? For a sleeker and simpler user experience??
Does this sort of device sound familiar to anyone? Listen, Microsoft, if I wanted an iPhone, I’d just buy an iPhone! The reason I don’t use one as my daily phone NOW is because of the imposed limitations cited above!
Sure, this model may work for Apple, but didn’t anyone explain to them that they can’t beat Apple at their own game? I sincerely hope the leaked information is not accurate… It does not make sense to ruin the very few things that make Windows Mobile worth using.
I suppose we’ll find out in a week’s time, but my current HTC Touch Pro 2 with WM6.5 may very well be the last Windows phone I will own.
Hellloooo Android….
UPDATE: While I still can’t verify any of this with an official statement, someone with close ties to internal MS developers has said the leaked information is fairly accurate. MWC can’t come soon enough…
Sony Ericsson has announced the Aspen, the first Windows mobile 6.5.3 device to hit shelves. (Editor’s Note: This is the first official press release using the title 6.5.3 on anything. Microsoft still hasn’t made any announcement of an OS by this name, and multiple rumors about WM7 being announced at MWC this month make the branding title even curiouser. Would love to hear an official statement by MS on this already…)
Without a hands-on all I can say is the specs look good, and the inclusion of SPB Mobile Shell sounds like a good move, a direct counter to HTC’s now ubiquitous Sense or Samsungs less-than lauded TouchWiz.
If we can get our hands on a copy, we’ll have a review for you.
Famous for breathing new life into obsolete devices, those mad scientists over at xda-developers.com and ppcgeeks.com have overcome a major hurdle in bringing the Android operating system one step closer to working properly on the HTC Rhodium (commonly known as the Touch Pro 2)… SOUND.
I’ll admit something- Ever since Google announced 
If you haven’t heard of Grooveshark yet, you really should check it out- Unlike other streaming music services such as 
