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Story and Sound: Mozart would be writing the World of Warcraft
I've been thinking a lot lately about the dynamics of telling a story. What exactly is a story? How do you tell it most effectively, both from an artistic narrative stand point, and a consumer-friendly attention grabbing one? I've also been concerned with new ways to tell a story, especially one that people might discount at first since the story mechanism lives on the edge of pop culture. Besides working on WoW Insider, I also make my home at the Minnesota Opera, working on their website and advancing an opera's story through digital mediums. Opera is an old art form, one that if not nurtured and brought into the next century is at risk of becoming obscure. I'm proud to work for a company that realizes this and does some really ground breaking things. It struck me recently when sitting through a dress rehearsal the eerie similarities between Warcraft and an opera like The Magic Flute. After thinking about how very like these two story-telling vehicles are, I realized that they are both just a natural progression in humanity's ability to tell a story.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
HTC Mozart and HD7 go back to grade school, learn how to Internet Share
The ability to use your Windows Phone as a mobile hotspot was originally an exclusive feature extended only to brand new Mango devices, but we're now beginning to see Internet Sharing pop up on the HTC HD7 and Mozart. We're seeing reports that it's showing up in various parts of the world, though we still haven't heard if this will include T-Mobile HD7 users in the US or if it still awaits final carrier approval first. Either way, it's probably worth clicking on that Zune icon to check for the update. Update: Several people have let us know that the update is indeed making its way to T-Mobile HD7 devices. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Refresh Roundup: week of August 1, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy! Official Android updates Verizon and Motorola have finally begun rolling out the Gingerbread update for the Motorola Droid X2. [via PCMag] Sticking with Verizon, the LG Revolution is in the process of receiving maintenance update VS910ZV6, which consists of a few new features and bug fixes. This is not a major refresh. [via AndroidCentral] The HTC Desire Z has been updated to Gingerbread in the UK. As of now, only those devices without carrier branding are seeing the OTA show up. [via PocketNow] Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play, Neo, and Arc should soon be added to the CyanogenMod repository. Once approved, we'll likely see nightlies appear in the near future. [via PocketNow] Did somebody say Xperia Play? Yes, we did. It looks like the phone's finally been rooted, and the bootloader's been cracked. [via Droid-Life] The Motorola Photon 4G came out last Sunday, but XDA was able to root it within a couple days. [via SprintFeed] XDA's also the provider of a Froyo update to the Samsung Continuum. [via XDA] Along with an official update for the Droid X2, an SBF is now available for download. [via Droid-Life] Other platforms The Dark Forces Team has released tools to enable custom ROMs to be used on your first-gen Windows Phone device. Currently, the supported phones are: the HTC Mozart, HTC Surround, HTC Trophy (excluding Verizon's version), and the HTC 7 Pro (excluding the HTC Arrive). [via Windows Phone Hacker] Shortly after this, the HTC HD7 also got its first custom ROM courtesy of XDA. The downloadable package consists of a ChevronWP7 unlock, a Mango Beta 2 update, and the ROM. Head over to XDA to grab it. [via Windows Phone Daily]
HTC 7 Mozart's copy and paste update leaked early?
Word has it that an unbranded update for HTC's Windows Phone 7-powered 7 Mozart that's recently appeared over on xda-developers is imbued with Microsoft's fabled "NoDo" code -- that is, the good stuff with copy and paste support, performance improvements, and a CDMA stack (though that obviously doesn't matter for the Mozart folks). Results of the update procedure are still trickling in... so proceed with extreme caution, or just wait for users braver and crazier than yourself to report back on what kind of destruction the update process has wreaked on their beloved devices.
HTC 7 Mozart gets its microSD card swapped, but only after an intense teardown session
Man, Microsoft really isn't keen on having you swap out the microSD card that ships within its Windows Phone 7 devices, eh? After finding that the HD7's card could be replaced if you threw caution entirely to the wind, we're now seeing that the same is true with HTC's 7 Mozart. But unfortunately, you're still facing the same dilemma -- should you seriously risk destroying your phone forever just to get a capacity bump from 8GB to 32GB? One Andy Hamilton answered that with a definitive "yessir," and in the source link below, he proceeded to initiate an iFixit-level teardown in order to unearth the deeply concealed 8GB SanDisk Class 4 microSD card. He made a few mistakes along the way that you'll want to pay attention to if you end up tossing your own mobile on the operating table, but seriously, watch where you slide that X-Acto knife. [Thanks, Michael] Update: And now our gracious host has a video series detailing the process. Enjoy!
HTC 7 Mozart review
Out of all the Windows Phone 7 launch partners, HTC's obviously been the most hard-working kid in Mr. Ballmer's sculpture class. So here's the question: which of the five launch devices is the Taiwanese company's best work? Well, there's no such thing as a perfect phone, but we dare say the 7 Mozart's the most stylish out of the lot. Not convinced? Flip the phone around and you'll see its two main selling points: its aluminum unibody construction (as applied on the Nexus One and Legend), and its 8 megapixel camera with Xenon flash (as opposed to 5 megapixels with LED flash on the other WP7 devices). Will these goodies suffice to win WP7 fanatics over? Join us after the break to find out. This review is primarily of the HTC 7 Mozart hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS. %Gallery-105337%
HTC 7 Mozart and Samsung Omnia 7 on sale tomorrow at 7am on Orange UK
We knew Windows Phone 7 was scheduled to land first internationally, but it's always a treat to hear the particulars. Orange UK has just (re)revealed that it'll be the exclusive carrier of HTC's 7 Mozart across the pond, and it'll be joined by Samsung's Omnia 7 as both go on sale tomorrow morning in Orange's Oxford Street shop -- fittingly, at 7am local time. Naturally, the carrier is going to blow out the launch, with each customer buying a WP7 handset to receive a complimentary Bluetooth headset... while supplies last, anyway. You'll also get a stockpile of Orange applications and services (like it or not), and we're told that each phone will be offered for zilch with a fresh contract starting at £35 per month (7 Mozart) / £40 per month (Omnia 7). Jealous, North America?
Samsung Omnia 7 takes on HTC's HD7 and 7 Mozart in battle for WP7 supremacy (video)
The alternative headline for this post was "a visual tour of the phones Americans aren't getting," but alas, the HD7 spoiled our macabre fun with its T-Mobile plans. All the same, there's no disguising our disappointment at having to settle for Samsung's Focus and LG's Quantum in the US, while the rest of the world gets to enjoy the delights of the far prettier Omnia 7 and Optimus 7 from each manufacturer. Even HTC, which is also bringing the 7 Surround Stateside, is sending its aluminum-clad 7 Mozart to other, presumably sunnier, climes. Sadly, we can't force these phones' makers to bring them to you, but we can certainly live up to that promised visual tour. Check out the gallery below plus video after the break. If there's one thing that really stood out to us, it was the quality of the Omnia 7's Super AMOLED display. It should be no surprise anymore that it delivers stellar black levels and eye-twisting viewing angles, but it still managed to take our breath away set against its WP7 contemporaries. The 7 Mozart doesn't do too badly for itself, but the HD7 ended up a distant third in our eyes. Closeup video of all three displays follows after the break. P.S. -- LG's Optimus 7 was too late in arriving to join the fray for this post, but rest assured that it, along with the other WP7 handsets featured herein, will be getting a full review in the coming days. If you're curious about the (admittedly small) differences in specs between these phones, don't forget we've broken them all down in our comparison from launch day right here.%Gallery-105422%
Windows Phone 7 launch guide
Windows Phone 7. We came, we saw, we took lots and lots of photos. Today, Microsoft unleashed its global domination plans on the world, and we wanted to give readers some insight into what happens now, what happens next, and what the more distant future holds for Redmond's smartphone play. As we saw today, the WP7 push is going to happen in multiple countries (more than 30), on multiple carriers (more than 60), and involve lots and lots of hardware. Ten devices to start -- all announced today -- and a slew of others likely to follow. Overall, the first approach of Windows Phone 7 into the marketplace looks strong. Microsoft has built a surprisingly solid new OS (which we previewed in-depth back in July), has a strong set of carrier relationships in place, and is introducing hardware that if not revolutionary, is certainly competitive. So, where are the holes in the plan right now?
HTC 7 Mozart first hands-on (update: video!)
The first word that came to our mind when handling the HTC 7 Mozart was "classy." The aluminum unibody construction conveys a rare sense of rigidity and durability to this phone, while its overall curvature, 3.7-inch LCD screen, and ergonomics invoke memories of the company's Desire and Nexus One Android products. Which is no bad thing, particularly if you thought the Desire was a fine phone that could do with a more upmarket enclosure. We feel like this melting of the Legend's aluminum shell and the Desire's proportions is a match made in heaven, and Windows Phone 7's responsive ways have done little to dissuade us. The whole 7 Mozart package feels like a perfectly pitched (we had to!) ploy for the mainstream market, with its good looks, slick profile, and sharp-looking OS. The somewhat generic hardware on offer is a spectral presence hanging over all of HTC's phones at this launch, but we're too in love with the 7 Mozart's build quality to care right now. Enjoy the pictures below, video coming soon! Update: The video's done! Check it out after the break.%Gallery-104770%
HTC 7 Mozart and 7 Trophy set out to conquer the WP7 world, 7 Pro coming to Sprint next year
HTC's kicking the Windows Phone 7 era off in style today with no less than three new phones scheduled to debut on October 21 in Europe: the HD7, the 7 Mozart, and the 7 Trophy. Both the Mozart and Trophy offer a WVGA LCD screen, a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8250 chipset, 576MB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, and 720p video recording. Where the 7 Mozart sets itself apart is in having an aluminum unibody construction wrapped around its 3.7-inch display, together with a more advanced 8 megapixel imager and a Xenon flash. The 7 Trophy makes do with an LED flash illuminating 5 megapixels' worth photons, but it does also come with HTC's promise to be the most aggressively priced WP7 handset from the company. It'll be a Vodafone exclusive across the big red network's global footprint, while the Mozart will be exclusive to Orange in the UK, France, Spain, and Switzerland, exclusive to Deutsche Telekom in Germany, and available on a choice of carriers elsewhere. No peep of an American release for either handset, however. For the home crowd, Sprint is set to deliver a HTC 7 Pro with a QWERTY keyboard that slides out and tilts -- you can see it pictured in the gallery below -- at some point in the first half of 2011. It too goes with the same old 1GHz Snapdragon, 576MB of RAM, 5 megapixel cam plus 720p video, and WVGA display resolution (on a 3.6-inch screen), but it gets a bump in storage to 16GB. Full spec sheets for all three phones, along with HTC's big Windows Phone 7 announcement, await just past the break. %Gallery-104739%
HTC Mozart and mystery LG Windows Phone 7 device appear in Telstra storefront, coming '21-10-10'
Well hello there giant Windows Phone 7 handsets. This interactive sidewalk display was just unveiled at the Telstra store in Melbourne Australia. On the left we've got what looks to be the HTC Mozart already rumored for Telstra. The device on the right, though, is a previously unseen LG Windows Phone 7 device. Best of all is the "coming 21-10-10" text in the fine print that matches up nicely with the rumored European launch date. Don't worry, in a few hours we'll have all the details nice and official like. Update: The LG phone is the Optimus 7Q. [Thanks, Jason B.]
HTC Mozart slips out on official Orange UK website, shows us how to replace its SIM and battery
This is so bad, it's hilarious. As if the HTC Mozart needed any further confirmation of its existence and imminent arrival to British shores, Orange's official web portal has decided to instruct us on how to replace the internal bits of this unannounced Windows Phone 7 handset. That's right, even though HTC and Microsoft are acting all cloak and dagger about it, the freaking phone's name and likeness are hanging out on Orange's official website. Have we said the word "official" enough times already? Skip past the break for a couple more image grabs which are sure to disappear just as soon as Orange finally figures out what day of the month this is.
HTC Mozart Windows Phone 7 specifications leak, 'late October' UK launch confirmed
We're getting close, very very close to the official launch of the Windows Phone 7 OS. And while the US might be waiting until November for actual handsets to go on sale, Europe looks set for an October release... just like we heard from Microsoft back in August. Things are even rosier in the UK where all five major operators will have Windows Phone 7 devices in stock. Now, according to a screengrab we've received from an internal Phones 4U system, we know that the HTC Mozart is on deck for a late October UK retail debut. To start with, the 119 x 60.5 x 11.9 mm touchscreen slate will feature a 3.7-inch 800x480 pixel TFT LCD, 1GHz CPU, 8MP camera with Xenon flash and 720p video recording, a 1300mAh battery, 8GB of memory, and a bevy of sensors for ambient light, gravity, compass, and proximity. Other specs include a 3.5-mm audio jack naturally, surround sound, Bluetooth 2.1, A-GPS, and 802.11n WiFi. Expect it to be sold free with the usual £35 per month carrier tithe. Man, you thought deciding on a smartphone was tough now, just wait until we've got WinPho 7 and MeeGo (hopefully) devices on the market before year's end. Update: Looks as if an Orange help guide all but confirms that the Mozart will be coming its way in the UK. Thanks, Gears! %Gallery-104170%
HTC Mondrian poses for press shots?
German site BestBoyZ has delivered a string of HTC leaks in recent weeks, and the latest is a fairly legit-looking handful of alleged press shots of the Mondrian. As a refresher, the Mondrian seems to be one of the many code and commercial names floating around for Windows Phone 7-based devices HTC is looking to ship at or very near to the platform's retail launch, a higher-end unit (possibly equipped with a 1.3GHz Snapdragon) that would probably hang in the same space as the rumored HD7 and Trophy. Interestingly, the shots -- which show a unit with a German ROM -- have HTC Hub listed on the home screen, despite some recent talk by CEO Peter Chou that his company's first-gen WinPho 7 products would lack serious software customization. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends on how much you appreciate HTC's design team, we suppose.
HTC Mozart shows off Windows Phone 7 credentials on camera, teases specs (video)
1GHz Qualcomm QSD 8250, 576MB of RAM, 1,300mAh Li-Pol battery, 3.7-inch WVGA Super LCD screen, and an 8 megapixel camera with Xenon flash around the back. Those are the handsome, albeit somewhat predictable, specs of the purported HTC Mozart we have on show today. It looks and reads very much like HTC has just transported the Nexus One/Desire recipe into the Windows Phone 7 world, which isn't exactly the worst idea in the world. But you know what, every time we see one of these WP7 devices in action, we're taken aback by the swiftness of their responsiveness (honestly, Microsoft didn't have to pay us to say that... not extra, anyway), so do yourself a favor and witness this humbly-named device cranking through a Bluetooth pairing process after the break.
Is this HTC Sense on Windows Phone 7? (update: and is this HTC's Hub?)
Whoa, Nelly! Just 24 hours after we caught wind of a leaked webOS 2.0 video, in flies this. If the "Confidential use only" watermark is accurate, the video embedded after the break is HTC's Sense overlay on Windows Phone 7. If you'll recall, we finally heard that Sense would indeed be hitting Microsoft's forthcoming mobile OS after all back in July, but we've yet to see any real indication of what the end product would look like. Until now, of course. With "the holidays" rapidly approaching and Redmond holding funerals for rival operating systems, there's a better-than-average chance that this is legitimate. Frankly, we're digging what we're seeing thus far, but is it wrong to wish that even more panels were shown off? Update: And what's this? Yet another video has fallen into our laps, and it's featuring an HTC handset we've never seen before. Pocket PT is calling it the Hub (while tipster Eric suggests it may be the Mozart), suggesting that it's also running Sense atop Windows Phone 7 in the video after the break. When it rains, right? [Thanks, Sid and Pedro]
HTC Schubert Windows Phone 7 handset spied again -- or is it the Mozart?
Fleshing out HTC's device codenames can be difficult even after they launch, seeing how the codenames rarely make the leap to retail branding -- and the company certainly isn't making it easy with its alleged first round of Windows Phone 7 gear, either. We're pretty sure this device we're looking at here -- clearly labeled Mozart -- is exactly the same as the Schubert we saw a few days back... physically, anyway, which leaves open the possibility that the radio (or some other aspect of the internals) is different on this one. After all, Microsoft is looking to launch WinPho 7 in a bunch of countries on a bunch of carriers with a bunch of manufacturers on day one, so a couple different tri-band 3G options (for the midrange devices, anyway) would make good sense. Either that, or... you know, one of these codenames is just flat-out wrong.
HTC files seemingly confirm Mondrian, Mozart to be Windows Phone 7 handsets
We'd already had some indication that both the HTC Mondrian and Mozart would be Windows Phone 7 handsets, and it looks like that has now been all but confirmed by HTC itself. According to some XML files dug up on HTC's own site by Conflipper, both devices list Internet Explorer Mobile 7 for the browser ID, which we can only assume won't be making an appearance outside of Windows Phone 7 anytime soon. The files also confirm that each device will have a 800 x 480 display and a keyboard-less form factor, plus A2DP Bluetooth support, although there's expectedly few details to be found beyond that.
