Category: Windows Phone

Spb Software pushes a mobile TV update onto the online services pack Spb Online, and doubles the number of mobile TV channels streamed. Commercially launched at the end of September 2008, the subscription-free mobile TV component of Spb Online has hosted over a million of mobile TV viewing sessions, and today it offers 40 mobile TV channels in 11 languages.

Among the new channels streamed by Spb Online are Deutsche Welle (Germany), MAD TV (Greece), Graafschap TV (Netherlands), Channel One Russia (Russia), CCTV (China), RTV Pink (Serbia), iTele (France), and many more. Spb’s patent-pending mobile TV technology facilitates fast channel switching, on-screen controls, intelligent video/audio stream adjustment to broadband fluctuations, picture-in-picture mode, and an integrated TV guide with option to set outlook show reminders. Other Spb Online components are Online Radio, Online Games, global Weather service, News reader, and an On-Device Catalog.

Spb Online may be purchased for 29.95 USD at www.spbsoftwarehouse.com

It is not a hidden truth that the HTC made the SONY ERICSSON XPERIA X1. But, due to some reasons SONY has decided to switch to some other partner “Mobinova” for it’s next windows mobile.

Although Sony Ericsson is believed to continue expanding its lineup of Windows Mobile-based smartphones, the company’s partnership with HTC will come to an end when the current production of Xperia X1 handsets completes its business circle, the paper quoted industry sources as indicating.

Rumor has it that the reason behind this is the HTC’s inability of making the XPERIA X1 available worldwide. Another reason is that the HTC itself is the direct competitor of Sony Ericsson in the market. According to me, they should have stayed with the HTC. HTC has vast amount of experience in the Windows Mobile world and they know exactly what the windows mobile market is all about.

Windows Mobile fans and users have all developed a habit of buying the software directly from the website of software houses or from places like handango.com or pocketgear.com. They have been deprived of something which Apple has provided to it’s users: Application Store, which the  Apple calls it App Store.

Now, there seems to be a ray of light for the Windows Mobile users. Has it come from Microsoft or HTC? NO. Is it fake one like Palm? NO

Well, let me introduce GECKO. So, what is it?

Gecko is an application installer and manager for Windows Mobile. It is inspired from the Apple AppStore and the Ubuntu Package Manager.

The concept of GECKO

Installing applications on your device is a complicated thing for most Windows Mobile users. You have CAB files, EXE files, MSI files, ZIP files… that’s a lot! iPhone users have the AppStore and Linux users have Package Managers. Now what would happen if we mixed both and made something for Windows Mobile? That’s the Gecko project, and it’s going to be great!

In addition, Gecko would incorporate previously unseen features such as application management, favorites, automatic updates, command line operations and app restore. The goal is to provide every Windows Mobile user a way to easily manage and install applications.

For developers

For developers, Gecko will offer unprecedented support. Adding your application to the database takes a few minutes. You applications will be hosted on the Gecko servers and will remain there, free of charge, as long as you notify us when your application is updated. Additionally, command line and APIs will allow you to add Gecko functionality to your applications.

The application is still in it’s premature phase, but I can certainly see it happening finally. Here is a quick overview of the application:

Even though the application is still in Beta stage, it still performs very nicely. Just click on the application you want and then, you download the application OTA (over-the-air). The Gecko also tells the user the author of the application and his website.

Continue reading “Gecko Installer – Finally an Application store for Windows Mobile?”

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “Streaming video clients”? No, it is not an application that allow you stream video to your phone, but applications that let you stream your video to the world. Kind of like you would see on a news channel live for the most part and anybody can watch it or you can have it private.

QIK

The first application i will review is probably the most popular of the three. It’s called QIK you can find it at www.qik.com. QIK has just started supporting windows mobile operating systems. It has so far supported Symbian S60 platform.

As you can see in the picture it has a very appealing user interface compared to the others. The application gives you the ability to set your video stream to either public meaning everyone can see it or private, meaning only those that you allow to see it. In the settings, you can adjust the quality and bit rate you want to send out.

You can’t adjust the stream like you can in the other applications. QIK gives you two options “min delay” and “max quality”, the benefit of min delay is that its stream it out live with min amount of buffering. Max sends out the best stream and if you don’t have the enough bandwidth if will store it locally and upload when you have better bandwidth. One think to remember that although the cell networks boast the download speed in the 800kbps and up range they don’t tell you the upload speed usually hovers around 150kbps up give or take the networks. but this is changing fast with networks like rev a (Sprint and Verizon) and HSUPA (AT&T) Continue reading “REVIEW: Streaming Media Players for Windows Mobile – Let the battle begin!”

Here is a simple but very helpful trick. We see so many VGA devices around. Many of the applications are VGA-ready, but the developers have not made tweaked their applications to use the VGA resolution.

For example: There are two adobe reader versions for Windows Mobile. One is already VGA-aware, which means that you don’t have to apply an hack/tweak to make it use the VGA resolution. But, the other one is infact more functional and faster in operation. Sadly, it was out quite a long time ago, when the VGA devices had not landed. But, a simple hack can make it use the true VGA resolution.

First of all, get a copy of Tweaks2k2.net (for windows mobile). The trial version lets you run it for 3 times. After that you will have to register. Also, it is a great application for those who don’t want to fiddle with the registry.

Now, here is the screenshot of the Adobe acrobat Reader 2.0 without the VGA hack. Notice, that you just cannot see or make out anything on the document. All the screenshots are VGA. Click on them to see the screenshot in the VGA resolution.

After applying the hack:

Not satisfied? Here is the one with images. In non-VGA mode, you will able to see only a quater of the page! Continue reading “Windows Mobile: How to force an application to run in VGA-mode”

There is a new ROM for the Hong Kong users of Touch HD. It promises to mix some minor issues and also upgrades the (GSM) radio.

Fixes:

* Resolves the following CSL Real-time Stock Quote & Foreign Exchange Service issues:
1. The last input box in Edit Stock cannot be selected by touch screen.
2. The stock ticker on top sometimes does not start from right to left.
3. After entering the stock symbol in the instant stock lookup, the Back button may not show on the right side.
* Fixes the font size display problem in Opera.
* Resolves the issue of getting an error when downloading songs from CSL WAP site with .m4a format.

As always, we would like to remind you that this upgrade will wipe off you data on your device, except the storage contents. So, make sure to backup your data. Happy Upgrading!

Download the new ROM from here

Great news for the (mobile) chess players! PocketGrandmaster 4.0 has been released. If you like to play chess on your windows mobile, then you must take a look at PocketGrandmaster. Pocketgrandmaster is not a new player in the game. It has been around for nearly 7 years now!

List of Improvements:

• Full support for WVGA (HTC Touch HD) and square screen devices.
• Play online on the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS) and the server of the Internet Chess Club (ICS).
• Play against players from all over the world (works well even without registration on FICS).
• Support for cut & paste in most windows, you could for example cut & paste a movelist to an email.

Pocketgrandmaster homepage