TamsPPC – the Windows Phone Blog

Microsoft’s Windows Mobile devices traditionally synced with a service called ActiveSync – it was available for Windows only. Users who were on other operating systems were left in the rain, and had to use Mark/Space’s admittedly excellent synchronization solutions.

Engadget reports the following:

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Microsoft’s Aaron Woodman didn’t commit to supporting Mac OS with Windows Phone 7 Series, but he certainly didn’t close the door on the idea either. There are apparently “internal discussions” going on as to whether support will move beyond Windows

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Given that Mark/Space have had MacOS syncing covered for some time for a small fee, I am not sure how relevant this really is…

Windows Mobile 7 was too different an operating system to be considered a true successor to WM 6.5 – Microsoft’s decision to let WM 6.5 live on thus wasn’t too surprising. However, some questions remained…

ZDNet blogger Mary Joe Foley now posted the following replies which she got from a Microsoft representative:

Q: Is Mobile Starter available to phone makers via Bsqure only? Or also direct from Microsoft?
A: The Windows Phone 6 Starter Edition SKU is available to all direct partners. It is also available via MediaTek and BSquare.

Q: Which version of Office Mobile is part of one of the two Starter SKUs?
A: The current version of Office Mobile will ship in Windows Phone 6 Starter Edition. Office Mobile 2010 is currently available in beta form for Windows Phone 6.5. When Office Mobile 2010 ships, it will be made available to OEMs and distributors.

Q: Is this a stripped-down version of Windows Mobile 6.5? What’s not there that’s in the full fledged version?
A: The Windows Phone 6 Starter Edition SKU is offered in multi-language versions with and without Microsoft Office Mobile and supports 2G (GSM), 2.5G (CDMA2000 xRTT, EDGE, GPRS), CDMA (Rev A, EV-DO Revision A), and TD-SCDMA radios.

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Q: Have any phone makers signed up yet as customers?
A: Yes. OEMs will be launching products built on Windows Phone 6 Starter Edition this year.

Given that Adobe has just stated that it will not release Flash 10 for Windows Mobile 6.5, it remains to be seen how far these devices will be usable on the web – on the other hand, Palm’s Treo managed to live for quite a few years without a good browser…

As quite a few of you are visiting the Tamoggemon Content network from a Windows-powered desktop or notebook, I felt like sharing this with all of you.

Microsoft has just warned that the End-of-Support time for Windows XP SP2 and the initial release of Windows Vista is nearing:

If you currently use one of the above-mentioned operating systems, you will no longer receive updates and patches after the specified dates. Fortunately, the solution is easy: install the latest service pack…

P.S. Windows 2000 heads: your EOL time is in July…irregardless of the service pack you use!

Engadget just managed to get the first few shots of release hardware for Windows Mobile:

Not much to add here for now…

Here’s the latest rundown on all things Windows Mobile 7:

Windows Mobile 7 upgrades may be possible
When asked about the possibility of Windows Mobile 7 upgrades for existing hardware, the UK Windows Mobile team responded with the following:

LG’s first WM7 handset ships in September
The second part of news is via Engadget China – they claim to have met an LG executive who told them that the first WM7 handsets from LG are to be expected between September and November…

Even though I guess that most of you aren’t waiting for this update, I nevertheless felt like spreading the word.

An Adobe Employee just stated the following when asked about Flash:

We’re waiting for OS updates from Google and Microsoft before we can distribute a Flash Player Beta. We expect this to happen early this year. Thank you for your patience!

The first Android devices that will support Flash Player are the Droid and Nexus One. The first WinMo device will be the HTC HD2.

Antonio

Not much to add here…

Windows Mobile was the first mobile operating system ever to get a Skype client – it was one of the main reasons why quite a few of my friends purchased a Windows Mobile box while yours truly was still happy with his Treo 680. Unfortunately, it looks like these times are over.

Skype’s official knowledge base article reads as follows:

Unfortunately, Skype Lite – a version of Skype for your mobile phone – and Skype for Windows Mobile are no longer available for download from our site.

We’ve chosen to withdraw Skype Lite and Skype for Windows Mobile because we want to offer our new customers an improved mobile experience – much like the version that has proved so popular on the iPhone, and which is now available on Symbian phones. Our focus is on providing a rich user experience that allows you to enjoy free Skype-to-Skype and low cost calls as easily on the move as you do at your desktop.
We felt that Skype Lite and Skype for Windows Mobile were not offering the best possible Skype experience.

Can I still use Skype Lite if I already have it?
Yes. People who have already installed Skype Lite can continue to use it throughout 2010.

Can I still use Skype for Windows Mobile if I already have it?
Yes. People who have already installed Skype for Windows Mobile can of course continue to use it.

As of now, nobody really knows what will happen. However, let’s stay tuned – I don’t think that Skype is really going to be willing to loose out on so many users.

P.S: We still have a really, really old version archived here…

Our recent HARO-query was not too successful – we got but three answers. The first has already been published; and the second one is below.

Sean M Westcott, author of a book on taking control of technology, states the following:

I think the new Windows phone OS looks to be a winner. I have (and love) my Zune HD and have taken a stab at XNA(used for making games on the Zune and Zune HD and rumored to work on the new 7) coding. I use my WinMo 6.1 phone for business, but the Zune is my entertainment device of choice. My wife uses WinMo 6.5 but I am glad that I waited for this new phone OS. It gives the business user the Windows programs for serious business use but brings a much more pleasurable UI so I can carry a phone that combines beautifully form and function. It means I can carry one less device in my pocket—which alone is a huge improvement.

One final opinion coming soon – stay tuned!

When it comes to smartphone market share, the figures from Garnet’s have caused quite a stir in the past – after all, there was a time when the distinction between smartphone and handheld was important. Nowadays, this isn’t as important any more…and with out further ado, we bring to you: the Q4 2009 figures.

First of all, a per-OS table:

And a per-manufacturer table:

Those of you seeking further info can get it via Gartner’s. Their paid report can be accessed below:
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1306513

Motorola and Windows Mobile can best be described as an infinite story – while their Symbol team has always been pretty happy with the OS, Motorola’s consumer team eventually switched to Android.

Gizmodo now reports on a little change-of-mind:

Talking to the WSJ about the new Motorola, CEO Sanjay Jha had some interesting stuff to say. Like, if Motorola wasn’t poor, they’d develop their own OS. And now that Windows Phone doesn’t suck, they’re open to using it again.

Motorola has been balls-out Android since its resurrection—when Windows Mobile ran into delays, Jha killed product development with the OS to keep the company afloat

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Given their past track record, things could get interesting here. Keep in mind that Motorola’s handset division is RAZR-like and all about fashion – for them, WM7 is ideal…

Both Microsoft’s Marketplace and Nokia’s Ovi Store suffer from one big issue: they are not as attractive as the iTunes App Store. Both vendors have sionce tried all kinds of things to increase attractiveness – with little effect.

The latest attempt comes from Microsoft, and takes the form of an update. MobileTechWorld claims the following changes:

World View: previously known as “geo selector”, the World View feature will allow Marketplace users to browse and purchase applications from different geographic catalogs. For example, a user in France could choose to browse the English US catalog, or a user in Canada could browse the catalog from Japan. All application prices will show up in the user’s local currency and Microsoft will be in touch with registered independent software vendors (ISVs) in the weeks ahead to provide step-by-step instructions on how to re-price their apps for all markets.

Installation onto storage cards: a highly requested feature by end users, it will allow users to install applications downloaded from Marketplace onto storage card memory. This will solve a common pain point today where the main memory of the phone runs out after installing a few apps from Marketplace.

Free app submissions to additional markets: ISVs will no longer have to pay a $10 fee for submitting applications to additional markets. With this change Microsoft is simplifying its fee structure and providing more opportunities for ISVs to submit their applications to smaller markets. Once an application has been certified for a primary market ($99 submission fee applies) ISVs can submit for free that same application to other catalogs, as long as they meet the current Market Validation guidelines.

Improved ISV registration flow: The ISV registration flow in the developer portal will be simplified, with different registration paths optimized for the type of ISV (company, individual, student) and additional guidance for completing the application submission process will be provided.

Deep linking: Microsoft is releasing deep linking capabilities for ISVs to allow users to purchase their apps from Marketplace. On the web, ISVs will be able to construct a URL to link directly to the purchase page of their applications in the Marketplace Web site, and will have access to the “Get it Now for Windows phone” logo, which standardizes the way ISVs link to Marketplace. On the device, ISVs will be able to call Marketplace from within their applications and open the purchase page for a specific app, allowing them to offer additional titles or provide free users the option to purchase premium version of an application.

Expansion to Russia: users in Russia will be able to access and purchase apps via credit card from a local catalog of applications, as well as purchase from other catalogs through the World View feature. ISVs from Russia will also be able to register with Marketplace and submit their creations to any supported Marketplace country.

Applications policy changes: Changes are being made to Microsoft’s existing application acceptance policies to allow VoIP applications that use the carrier network unless explicitly prohibited by a mobile operator. Mobile Operators who sign a Marketplace deal with Microsoft will be able to dictate if they allow or prohibit the use of VoIP apps in their networks.

According to them, the changes will be rolled out automatically…

One of the core parameters of Windows Mobile 7 is that it does not allow hardcware manufacturers to “build devices of their own”. They are, instead, forced to remain inside Microsoft-defined “chassis factors”. So far, we saw but the touch slate – FranklySpeaking claim to have uncovered more…

Mary Joe Foley summarizes the podcast as follows:
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Chassis 1 is for PC makers developing “big touch screen” phones, the hosts said. These will be touch-only devices, with 1 GHz processor (hello, Snapdragon!) and a dedicated graphics processor, the Frankly Speaking guys said. These are the phones that will be out first at launch this holiday season.

Chassis 2-compliant phones will support real sliding keyboards plus touch, the podcasters claimed. They said these would be more Palm-Treo-like. There also will be Chassis 3 phones, about which the pair didn’t have any details. One of the hosts (I couldn’t tell which) said he expected Chassis 3 phones might be candy bar phones. The pair didn’t say when Chassis 2 and 3 phones might ship.

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As of now, none of this is confirmed. However, it does make sense – after all, the whole Mobile World Congress was full of entertainment devices with bad keyboards…

When it comes to finding out about what users think, Peter Shankman’s HARO is a lovely tool. It reaches loads and loads of tech heads…and usually generates loads of responses.

This time, my request for feedback harvested but three responses. Our first victim is Matt McCormick from Jet City devices. He states the following:

I own a small company and 80% of our business is repairing cracked iPhones. As such, I pay pretty close attention to the entire smartphone market. I’ve watched the news on the new MS phone pretty closely and I have a number of thoughts.

First, there are a TON of unknowns. Will it multi-task, what kind of hardware will it run on, how many different kinds of hardware will it support, what will the developer tools look like for creating apps, how much customization will manufacturers be able to add, what software will be on it by default (Mobile Office?), and many, many more. It’s just way too soon to say for sure if this is a good or a bad product but I think it has some serious potential. Here’s what I like so far:

1) Everything I’ve seen and heard (I haven’t demoed it) is that the interface is both beautiful and completely different.

2) I love the idea of multiple hardware providers and multiple carriers. It should drive the quality of service/hardware up, increase features, and reduce prices.

3) While not new, I think the aggregation of people’s data/communications around individuals rather than apps is great. I’d much prefer to browse my contacts and see what emails/texts they’ve sent me and at the same time see their Facebook and Twitter posts.

4) The XBox Live feature could be awesome. Right now the iPhone’s biggest advantage is it’s App store and this feature could let WP7 launch with something that won’t be as good, but could be pretty impressive.

Stay tuned – the next statement comes soon…

Long-term followers of Tamoggemon know that the products usually have a minimized interface – this is due to fanatic tap counting in the UI design department. However, tap counting is but part of a successful mobile UI – you usually also need to adhere to common design patterns.

So far, no collection of design patterns for mobile applications has been published in book form. However, the design4mobile wiki is a more than adequate replacement:

Hit the link below to find out more:
http://patterns.design4mobile.com/index.php/Main_Page

Owners of Linux-based routers are in for a “reverse treat” – a botnet called Chuck Norris attacks these devices.

PCWorld reports the following:

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Once installed in the router’s memory, the bot blocks remote communication ports and begins to scan the network for other vulnerable machines. It is controlled via IRC.

Because the Chuck Norris botnet lives in the router’s RAM, it can be removed with a restart.

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So: change that default password, folks!