TamsPPC – the Windows Phone Blog

The times are not good for Flash – after Adobe announces the death of the platform in mobile, the TV version is the next to go.

BroadBandTVNews.com now states the following:

The implications for the connected TV world are widespread, although Adobe’s ambitions in this field did not stretch far beyond Sony and Google TV/Logitech, the technology had been picked up by Liberty Global’s Horizon box for UPC and the UK’s YouView. “Adobe will continue to support existing licensees who are planning on supporting Flash Player for Web browsing on digital home devices and are using the Flash Player Porting Kit to do so,”

However, it looks like the future path – from Adobe’s point of view – will be AIR:

The company said that its future work would be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores.

Given that RIM is already offering a native SDK for its PlayBook, I am not sure to what extent this will catch on – stay tuned for info as we get it!

Samsung is the king of tzhe hill in the Smart TV market: they have recently managed to distribute a total of 10 million apps to Smart TV owners. However, the incumbent manufacturer LG has recently ganged up with Hutchison, promoting the interconnection features between their phones and television sets.

Samsung is now fighting back by calling up a contest for converged applications. In particular, the following types of application are sought:

There are three categories of Converged Apps that Samsung is encouraging developers to explore:

Controller Apps – These Apps enable a second device to control an App on the TV, thus providing touch or mouse input and interactivity that a standard remote control cannot.
Companion Apps – These Apps use a second device to provide additional information (including via web sites and social media sites) that is synchronized to, and supplements, what is shown on the TV itself.
Interactive Apps – These Apps allow the user to use a second device as a secondary display. For example, a user can pause a video on the TV and resume it on the other device.

Not much to add here…

Microsoft has acquired Nokia’s former reference client for Qt – Skype is now part of the redmondian company.

The most interesting twist of the story comes via Austria’s Governmental TV – the blokes claim that Microsoft needs Skype to boost its “currently weak” Windows Phone 7 sales:

From my personal point of view, this doesn’t really make sense (Skype is already available on most mobile platforms) – it could very well be a sign of increasing desperation…

Image: Dr. D. M. Kohrs

The first-ever dual core smartphone has been announced by LG – and it ran Android. Given that Windows Phone 7 currently doesn’t really multitask, it cannot benefit from a dual core.

However, Mobile Business Briefing now reports the following:

The Dow Jones report suggests that potential product launches at next month’s GSMA Mobile World Congress will include a device with a dual-core processor (following recent similar launches from LG and Motorola) and a 4G Windows Phone 7 smartphones.

As of this writing, not much has been leaked about the device – stay tuned for further information!

P.S. If the device really has a dual core CPU, I expect WP7 multitasking for real…

The recently-released ChevronWP7 tool allows users to install up to ten inofficial applications onto their Windows Phone 7 device – not native ones, but ones which do not come from the Marketplace.

Microsoft now states the following re the hack:

“We anticipated that people would attempt to unlock the phones and explore the underlying operating system. We encourage people to use their Windows Phone as supplied by the manufacturer to ensure the best possible user experience. Attempting to unlock a device could void the warranty, disable phone functionality, interrupt access to Windows Phone 7 services or render the phone permanently unusable.”

As of this writing, Microsoft has not stated whether it will block services like Windows Live for users with “illegitimate” devices – given their line on the XBOX, I would not be too surprised if the situation would heat up in the near future…

HTC and Samsung have two things in common: they both do Windows Phone 7 as well as Android. Due to their Android engagement, both manufacturers have recently found themselves on the receiving end of patent action by Apple.

In response, both of them have ganged up with a “parent management” company which owns 30000 patents of its own. HTC states the following:

HTC Corporation and Intellectual Ventures™ (IV) today announced they have entered into a long-term licensing agreement and strategic alliance. With the agreement, HTC is receiving rights under IV’s patent portfolio, and will have access to IV’s vast portfolio of more than 30,000 IP assets to defend itself and its subsidiaries from potential litigation.

…

Samsung has issued a similar, but less direct statement re their licensing deal.

This deal is a sign that the mobile patent wars (aka Apple vs the rest of the world) are now considered a real threat by mobile phone manufacturers. Keep in mind that these deals will cost both companies millions for the next 20 or more years (aka until the patents expire).

However, the risk and cost of the deal is perceived to be less of an issue than dealing with Apple in court – let’s see if Apple can be deterred by that threat…