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Mozilla halts Firefox development for Windows Mobile, won't offer it on Windows Phone 7 without NDK
Color us resolutely unsurprised at the news that devs are starting to abandon the Windows Mobile platform in favor of, well, longer-lived opportunities. Firefox's maker, Mozilla, has come out with a statement that it's ceasing development of its WinMo builds and -- perhaps more importantly -- it's also curtailing work on a Windows Phone 7 offering until Microsoft opens its new platform up to native apps. So basically, no Native Development Kit from Microsoft equals no Firefox for Windows Phone from Mozilla. The browser maker does express hope, however, that Microsoft will make it possible to deliver the popular IE alternative in the future, pointing out that the underlying Windows CE 6 architecture suits Firefox well and the company is "well positioned to have an awesome browser on Windows Phone 7." For now, the focus in Mozilla's mobile HQ remains on bringing out a great product on the less restrictive Android and MeeGo platforms.
Windows Phone 7 Series T-shirt cannon gets detailed, redefines 'mobile warfare'
Microsoft's MIX 10 Windows Phone app demos were highlighted by a robotic t-shirt cannon entirely controlled by a WP7S app, and the code monkeys behind the project are now back with a full breakdown of how things were achieved -- the bot was built on a standard battle-bot chassis, which was then modded with the cannons and an HP Envy laptop for control purposes. Just to drill in the point about how familiar development for the new mobile OS will be, the MS guys point out that outsider assistance on the project was recruited under the pretext that what was being built were "out of the browser" Silverlight apps for the desktop. Very crafty. We've got video of the cannon in action waiting after the break, along with an image of the Phone controls.
Word, Excel and OneNote for Windows Phone 7 Series revealed
We actually haven't seen any official shots of the Office apps for Windows Phone 7 Series, but now that Microsoft's emulator has been hacked and unlocked, we've got a glimpse of what creating a Word doc in OneNote looks like -- and while there's a high probability that this a super-early version of the app, it's still revealing in how drastically minimal it is. Microsoft says most people just want to make minor edits and leave comments to Office docs while on the go, not make large edits with copy and paste, so we'd expect to see track changes in the final version, but something tells us the main interface isn't going to look tremendously different than this. One more shot and the video with Word after the break -- hit the source for the second vid with Excel.
Windows Phone 7 Series emulator unlocked, shows a few surprises
Microsoft was kind enough to release the software development kit for Windows Phone 7 Series on Monday, and although there was some fun to be had by scrolling around and exploring, much of the cool stuff the company showed off at MIX last week is not included -- or is it? As it turns out it's in there; only a little help is needed to unlock 'em and then all those magical hubs start them spinning for your enjoyment, including a few things not seen before. Most notable? A comprehensive looking file explorer and even a task manager, something a bit curious given the OS's effective lack of multi-tasking. The unlock was discovered and initially distributed by engineer Dan Ardelean, but he has since recanted and pulled the required file. Naturally, though, it has been mirrored in numerous places, links to which can be found at the xda-developer forum if you'd like to try this yourself. Just keep in mind that this is a far from final version of the OS, so don't be too disappointed if it doesn't quite pop like it does when Anna or Luca use it. Update: A couple videos of the unlocked features have been upped by TechAU.tv, head over to check 'em out.. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows Phone 7: the complete guide
After Windows Phone 7's grand unveiling at Barcelona's Mobile World Congress last month, Microsoft has circled back during GDC and its own MIX10 conference to fill in many of the holes in this story -- in particular, details around the app development ecosystem and how third parties can take full advantage of it have been focal points. Of course, it makes sense: a modern smartphone is only as good as its software catalog, and Redmond's clearly keen to show that it knows how very true that is. XNA -- the technology that underpins Zune games and a host of Xbox content -- figures prominently into the equation, but Silverlight is a huge, unavoidable component as well, making development for WP7 devices a starkly different experience for studios and independent code monkeys than in versions prior. We're going to be periodically updating this post as we get new info on the platform, but for now, follow the break for everything you need to know -- so far -- about Microsoft's latest and greatest mobile platform.
Microsoft takes a note from Palm in new Windows Phone 7 Series ad
We've held no punches in sharing our thoughts on Palm's recent ad campaigns, but the one spot that was actually not heinous has seemingly served as the basis for one of Microsoft's first-ever WP7S commercials. Debuting here at the tail-end of MIX, the ad spotlights Anna -- a fictitious gal we've certainly heard of before -- using her new smartphone to share photos with her dear lover Miles. It also features Luca, a kid with an undying love for playing Xbox LIVE titles, who seems to be caught somewhere in between the world of nature and nurture. At any rate, it's worth your while to give the new Microsoft commercial and the Palm ad which it has oh-so-much in common with right after the break. Oh, and Palm -- we guess "Windows Phone 7 Series was your idea," right? Update: Yes, that definitely looks like an HTC HD2 at the 0:43 mark, but you can rest assured WP7S won't ever come to that gem in native fashion. [Thanks, Sean]
Windows Phone 7 Series' cutting room floor is an extravaganza of bright colors and chunky fonts
It's hard to argue that Windows Phone 7 Series' Metro UI concept isn't utterly unique in the mobile world, but it was wasn't the only option Microsoft considered -- far from it, in fact. The company has published a bunch a design concepts it churned through on its wild, wacky journey to finalizing Metro as we know it today, and one thing's for certain: they'd clearly planned on simple, square lines, partially-obscured typography, and in-your-face colors pretty much from day one. After careful consideration of everything they've got here, we still think we like the production design best, but that's kind of besides the point -- why, pray tell, couldn't these have just been user-selectable themes?
Microsoft on copy and paste in Windows Phone 7 Series: 'people don't do that'
Microsoft certainly set off a firestorm of controversy yesterday with the revelation that Windows Phone 7 Series won't have copy and paste, since it doesn't necessarily line up with what the company has said in private before -- and the issue seems to have gotten even more clouded as people have started hacking around the emulator. So let's set the record straight on what we were told, since it wasn't ambiguous in any way: Microsoft says leaving clipboard operations out was a conscious design decision based on user research showing that people don't actually use copy and paste very often, and that instead 7 Series features a systemwide data detection service which recognizes things like phone numbers and addresses so you can take action on them. Third-party apps can hook into this service, so that an email address can be routed to the email client of your choice, but there's no copy and paste functionality. We specifically asked about Office and OneNote, and we were told that Microsoft's research shows that people mostly want to view and comment on documents, not move things around. We also specifically asked if copy and paste was coming later and were told no, although we'd guess that it's at least being worked on for a future version. Don't take it from us, though -- listen to Microsoft's Todd Brix for yourself:
Windows Phone 7 Series multitasking: the real deal
We've definitely learned a ton about Windows Phone 7 Series here at MIX, but getting the full picture on multitasking has been difficult, since the OS isn't ready, no one has final hardware, and the emulator seems to behave differently than actual devices and Microsoft's descriptions. So let's set the record straight on multitasking: it's not going to happen, at least not in the traditional way. Not only have we directly confirmed this with Microsoft executives several times, but the developer sessions here are totally clear on the matter -- you don't tell 1000+ devs that they should expect their apps to be killed whenever the user switches away from them if you don't mean it. Now, that's not to say that the OS can't do multitasking: first-party apps like the Zune player and IE can run in the background, and third-party apps are actually left running in a suspended state (Microsoft calls it "dehydrated") as long as the system doesn't need any additional resources. If the user cycles back to an app, it's resumed ("rehydrated") and life continues merrily along, but if the user opens other apps and the system needs additional resources, the app is killed without any indication or remorse. If that sounds familiar, it's because it's basically a single-tasking riff on Android and Windows Mobile 6, both of which also purport to intelligently manage multiple running applications like this, and both of which usually find themselves greatly improved with manual task managers. We'll have to see if Windows Phone 7 Series can do a better job once it ships -- we have a feeling it will -- and later down the line we'll see if Microsoft decides to extend multitasking to third-party apps. But for now, just know that you're not going to be running Pandora in the background while you do other tasks on a 7 Series device -- it is a question we have specifically asked, and the answer, unfortunately, is no. P.S. Still don't believe us? Hear it for yourself directly from Microsoft's Todd Brix:
Windows Phone 7 Series gaming, all up in the club (video!)
So... look. Sometimes you find yourself in a Vegas club at 3AM, holding a Windows Phone 7 Series testing device loaded up with a working copy of The Harvest, and you shoot what might be world's shakiest video of the gameplay using a nearby Nexus One. It's practically a rite of passage in this town, right? Video after the break. Update: Also, sometimes you find yourself in a Vegas hotel the day after the Vegas club, nursing your brutal headache and desperately seeking a second opportunity to film that hot unreleased game with a better camera. Video of that is after the break, too.
Windows Phone 7 Series preview, MIX10 edition
We just spent some quality time with the MIX10 build of Windows Phone 7 Series running on the same prototype hardware sourced from Garmin-Asus that we saw at MWC -- and apart from a few Murphy's Law-style demo hiccups, we loved what we saw. One thing that immediately caught our attention was the fact that lists of items "compress" slightly once you've reached their end -- something we hadn't noticed before. In general, it's pretty impressive how much attention Microsoft is paying to the finer aesthetic points of the platform, from the slight "tilts" of items that you've pressed to the 3D effects you encounter as you flip through photos. Another thing we've confirmed here is that the test units do have accelerometers, refuting an earlier rumor that had been spreading out in Barcelona -- we know this because the display auto-rotated while viewing a photo. Check out the full video -- along with a shot of the phone resting alongside its Zune HD cousin -- after the break.
Windows Phone Marketplace can remotely revoke app licenses
Speaking at a MIX10 session about Windows Phone 7 Series architecture this morning, Microsoft's Istvan Cseri mentioned that the Windows Phone Marketplace -- the one and only clearinghouse for apps in WP7S -- will be able to remotely revoke licenses. Since devices will only run properly-licensed apps, this effectively means the company will be able to shut down apps remotely -- a capability they'd probably invoke if a Marketplace app were to badly misbehave en masse, for example. To put it bluntly, Cseri says that apps simply aren't in control of their own life cycle; the user controls installation and removal while the Marketplace ensures that the license is valid. On a related note, we know that Microsoft has a series of not-yet-finalized "business, technical, and content" guidelines for accepting and rejecting apps submitted to the Marketplace, and we've got a particularly interesting case: apps are being "discouraged" from using the phone's Back button. They're being so strongly discouraged, in fact, that Todd Brix -- senior director of mobile platform services product management at the company -- told us that apps can and will be straight-up rejected for using Back for anything but dismissing dialog boxes. We won't know the full rulebook until Microsoft releases it in May -- but in the meantime, don't bother making anything too controversial with those free tools, eh?
Yes, Windows Phone 7 Series can make a phone call
Sure, we've been pushing Microsoft hard for Windows Phone 7 Series details like copy and paste (no) and multitasking (no), but we just realized that we've never actually seen a 7 Series device... make a phone call. A little running around later and we've got two demo handsets calling each other. We're told that the little white arrow on the call panel will eventually bring up options like conference calling, speakerphone, and mute, but it's not working yet -- and one of the phones seems to think it's running on Cingular, so either time travel is an unannounced feature of the OS or Microsoft still has some work to do. Video after the break. P.S. They're just demo SIMs, but we're sure the poor PR folks babysitting the devices would appreciate it if you didn't call the numbers, okay? Be nice.
Windows Phone 7 Series will have themes... sort of
It's no TouchFLO or SPB Mobile Shell, but it turns out you will be able theme Windows Phone 7 Series... a little. Although we've only ever seen the classy "dark" theme with the black background, Microsoft just demoed a "light" theme with dark text on a white background. Earth-shattering, we know. Both themes also have selectable accent colors, but don't expect to go crazy here: your choices are red, orange, green and blue. We're hoping all of these options will be expanded over time, but for now it's not looking like a customizer's dream come true. %Gallery-88403%
Windows Phone 7 Series device from Samsung is just a hacked i8910 HD
We couldn't shake the feeling that the mysterious Samsung-branded Windows Phone 7 Series device being passed around at MIX10 this week was just a warmed-over i8910 HD, and it turns out there's a very good reason for that: Samsung says it is a warmed-over i8910 HD. Even crazier, TechRadar writes that its contact at Samsung basically pegged the stunt entirely on Microsoft, simply saying "they used the i8910 HD to demo Windows 7" and that "this demo was a one-off." The whole thing reeks of the original Zune, which began life as a Frankenstein'd Toshiba Gigabeat -- but we don't think this new trick is going to make it all the way to retail since the i8910 HD clocks in with 640 x 360 resolution (WP7S requires 800 x 480) and a processor that falls well short of the standard-issue 1GHz Snapdragon. At any rate, we're trying to get the straight dope on this from Microsoft now that Samsung's washed its hands of it and we'll update you when we've got more.
Switched On: Halting Total Customization
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Throughout the histories of Windows Mobile and Android, many handset developers have talked the talk of supporting these mobile operating systems, dribbling out a couple of handsets per year as they focused on other priorities. But not HTC. The company has created more Windows Mobile and Android handsets than companies many times its size, and in fact developed the very first Android handset. Microsoft cited HTC at Mobile World Congress 2009 for being an exceptional partner, while Google's Nexus One is an HTC-built handset sold exclusively by the search giant. HTC has done more than simply create a lot of phones for these operating systems. It has attracted attention for its designs that include some of the largest displays and best QWERTY keyboards, as well as clever touches like the Touch Pro2's speakerphone, which activates simply by placing the handset face down on a table during a call. But most distinctively, HTC has invested heavily in developing engaging user interfaces on top of both mobile OS foundations, with development teams focused on delivering skins like TouchFLO and Sense to both Windows Mobile and Android. But now that Microsoft is radically changing Windows Phone 7 Series, HTC will have to change course, and in the process lose the distinction of having its custom user experiences live across both Windows Mobile and Android.
Engadget Mobile Podcast 039: MIX Edition - 03.16.2010
You've read the news - it's Windows Phone 7 Time, for real real. Chris and Nilay go after the innards of the new news in a variety of dimensions. It's all in the MIX, y'all. Hosts: Chris Ziegler, Nilay PatelProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Daestro - Light Powered (Ghostly International)Hear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)Contact the podcastpodcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.
Olé, Contoso: Windows Phone Marketplace will integrate carrier-branded stores
So we noticed this odd "Contoso" label on Microsoft's Windows Phone Marketplace press image earlier today, and we finally got to the bottom of it: Microsoft's Todd Biggs says it's a placeholder entry for a carrier-branded section of the store -- instead of having a separate portal and / or store, Verizon or AT&T or whoever can simply sell their content to customers directly through Marketplace. So why Contoso? Todd says it's a random trademark owned by Microsoft used in place of carrier names that doesn't actually mean anything, although we think it suggests adventure, white roadsters, and finely-groomed mustachios. And now you know.
Three Windows Phone 7 Series devices, all in a row
Well, there they are, the only three confirmed Windows Phone 7 Series prototype devices that currently exist. From left, we have the new Samsung slate that debuted today, the just-for-demos unbranded Asus unit that was the star of MWC, and the LG slider that we got cozy with at the Engadget Show. We're still hoping for more time with the Samsung -- and we're pushing for more detailed specs on all of these -- but check out some high-res crops in the gallery below. %Gallery-88273%
Microsoft confirms accuracy of old, pre-'reboot' Windows Mobile 7 leaks
Remember those old, allegedly leaked Windows Mobile 7 screen shots from way back in 2008? You know -- those ones that look absolutely nothing like the so-called Metro UI that Windows Phone 7 Series is actually using? Well, Microsoft's Albert Shum -- one of WP7S' chief designers who we had the pleasure of meeting back at MWC -- just confirmed the accuracy of those leaks in a session here at MIX10. Discussing the reboot of the WinMo 7 program that happened inside Microsoft about a year ago, Shum flashed a slide showing eight of those infamous shots featuring those crazy bottom-aligned battery and signal meters along with WinMo 6.x-ish ID oozing from every nook and cranny. Needless to say, a clean-slate approach was sorely needed, and that's exactly where Metro ended up coming into play -- but be honest: is there anyone out there that would've still preferred the old leak in a production device?
