MS acknowledges Windows 10 Mobile is "dead"

After all the time and effort (and money) Microsoft put into trying to make Windows Mobile a 3rd alternative in the mobile segment, it finally comes to terms that there's no point in doing so.

Glympse - Share your Location

Sure there are lots of location sharing service out here (Google Latitude springs to mind) - but I find this Glympse to be worth a merit on its own.

What does it offer beyond the rest? Well, besides allowing you to set a destination - which immediately tells your friends how long it will take you to get there - you also get to set your own "sharing" expiry time.
So, there are no worried about being tracked if you forgot to "turn it off".

You can set your location sharing time, up to 4h. And if you set less, you can always expand it to cover unscheduled delays.

You can also see which of your friends are tracking you in real time - so, there's no way for them to deny they didn't know you were coming!. :) 



Glympse is available for Androids, Windows Mobile, iPhone and iPad.

Windows Phone 7 on HTC HD2

Microsoft showed no intention of allowing existing devices to run their new mobile OS.

But now, after we've seen it running Ubuntu on the HTC HD2, and after several official statements saying the new mobile OS from MS wouldn't run on it, it's time for us to see the new Windows Phone 7 running on the HTC HD2!

Of course, this was done by a hacker, and the official stance remains - but at least it offers a glimpse of hope for all those that felt abandoned by MS and wanting to try the new OS in their HD2's.

HTC HD2 [Video]

No one can deny this HTC HD2 sure looks sexy. It's a pity they don't give us the chance to choose from Windows Mobile and Android. I'd certainly feel tempted to buy an Android 2.0 version of this HD2.

But, if Windows Mobile is your thing, then I don't see anything keeping you from wanting one of these.

Touch-Friendly Windows Mobile 6.5?

Is it possible? After all these years... is Windows Mobile 6.5 finally becoming a touch-friendly OS that can be used without a stylus?

It's no secret Windows Mobile hasn't seen much change throughout the years. But it seems that's about to change. Just check the screens: on the left you have the traditional settings screens, with it's "stylus-friendly" tabs; on the right you have the new touch-friendly ones that you can simply swipe across to flick through.

And several other elements seem to have been redesigned to make it finger-friendly.

... Better late than never?

HTC TouchFLO v2.5

Better late than never! This new TouchFlo 3D for Windows Mobile created by HTC certainly looks great.

For the first time, this "flashy" interface goes deep under the hood, replacing even those "awkward" settings screens that ruined the feeling everytime you had to access it, showing you were still using a regular "Windows Mobile."
With this new TouchFlo, we can kiss those goodbye.

You'll be able to find this new improved TouchFLO 3D in the upcoming HTC Firestone, making it a prime candidate for all you Windows Mobile lovers out there.
(Hopefully, HTC will also release it as an update to its previous devices.)

Windows Mobile 6.5

After years of... doing nothing?... Microsoft has finally realized their Windows Mobile required a much needed update to fight the competition.
(How it was possible to put up with it for so long, I'll never understand.)

You'll be able to use the new Windows Mobile 6.5 without a stylus - at last! Unfortunately, there will be no official updates for any of the existing WinMo devices currently on the market (that's for you to figure out how much they value your loyalty.)

The new 6.5 Windows should appear in new devices by the end of the year.

Usability Tests: iPhone vs Palm Treo 800w

Here's a couple of video showcasing how long it takes to do some common everyday tasks on the iPhone and on the Palm Treo 800w.

I leave it up to you to decide which one you think its best - and be sure to compare it to your own devices.

iPhone


Palm Treo 800w

Win-iPhone

I always said it was just a matter of time, and here's the proof: iSwish.

If you find iPhone's user interface to be fantastic, then you'll be glad to know that soon every Windows Mobile will be able to have a very similar interface.



I just find it sad that we had to endure all those years, while Pocket PCs and Windows mobile devices were on the streets, trying to use an awkward interface completely unsuitable for mobile users - and if it weren't for the iPhone, maybe we'd still be stuck with it for years to come.

Let's hope iSwish can deliver its promisses. :)

PointUI - Improve your Windows Mobile

PointUI is the perfect example of how you can easily use existing hardware in much better and easier ways.

You may have a lot of good things to say about windows mobile - but no one can deny that its interface is not very useful. It's basically a mini-version of the same interface you have on a desktop PC, with the same menus and drop-downs options that are not suitable for mobile operation (not to mention requiring a stylus or multiple cursor key pressing.)

PointUI is a free program that shows how it could all be a lot simpler, and that it's time to invest in innovative and useful interfaces - just like Apple has been doing with its iPhone and iPod Touch.

Just watch this Youtube video:



You can download PointUI for free.