Adobe Flash 10.2 for Mobile to Use Fewer CPU Cycles

If you've used an Android phone with Flash 10.1, you know that the promise of the "full web" is thus far unfulfilled for the most part. While Flash generally works and can allow you to see more websites the way they were intended, performance can often be shoddy, with choppy video, slower page loads, and poor webpage performance if you're loading multiple Flash elements.

Adobe has announced that the next version of Flash Mobile, 10.2, will utilize fewer CPU cycles, enabling higher frame rates and better quality for video. It also reduces memory usage, which is always an important step towards optimizing performance.

The clincher is that 10.2 won't work unless you using an Android 3.0 tablet or phones. Since Google hasn't made their plans known about the next version of Android for phones, we're not sure when you'll e able to rock Flash 10.2 on your smartphone...just don't expect an upgrade on your current device.

Source: (Pocketnow)

Android Gingerbread, Honeycomb Lock Screen Skins for WM 6.5

Well, now you can compliment those themes with matching skins for the standard Windows Phone lock screen, thanks to Wajk from XDA. The "HoneyLock 3.0" skin is shown above and "GingerLock 2.3" is posted below.

If you're looking to switch up your lock screen graphics a bit, head over to XDA-developers and grab the proper CAB files and wallpapers (currently for WVGA only). Please keep in mind that these modifications are for the default 6.5 lock screen, so applying them to unsupported lock screen styles, such as the one found on the HD Mini, will likely cause issues.

Note: it's always a good idea to backup your lock screen files before modifying them - just in case



Source: (Pocketnow)
Via: (XDA-Developers)

Official Mobile World Congress application for Windows Phone 7 available

The official Mobile World Congress application for Windows Phone 7 has just been released in time for next weeks event in Barcelona. The application is obviously free and can be downloaded directly from the Marketplace here. Just keep in mind that it is mostly useful for those of you who are attending the event and not really something for the regular end user.

Source: (MobileTechWorld)

BooksAlive coming soon to Windows Phone 7

Coming soon to Windows Phone 7 is BooksAlive from XIMAD, a series of interactive children's books. Currently only available for iOS, the series is designed to create an interactive experience for parents and children on their mobile devices. Of course, we're not sure how well e-reading will work on a 3.5" screen, but we do know that this will certainly make an interesting application for Windows Phone 7.

Source: (WP7Central)

Windows Phone 7 Trial applications update issue not guaranteed to be fixed in upcoming update

Another annoying issue that has plagued Windows Phone 7 since its release is the impossibility to update trial applications or even buy them without having to uninstall them and then re-download them. Microsoft is now actively working on a fix but has only been doing so fairly recently even though this problem has be reported to them way back in October. Given how long it takes to get an update finalized it’s safe to assume that it won’t be part of the NoDo version coming out this month.


Microsoft replicates the bug on January 28:

I have an update on this issue.

There are two other Trial App update related issues of which I was previously unaware. These issues also apply to the situation where a user has choosen to install an application for “trial” and an update to the application is published sometime after installation; however, these issues are not specific to applications which add a Trial feature in the update.

The symptoms are similar to the previous issue I described:

* Marketplace shows an update is available but the update fails to apply. (Marketplace still shows update available.)
* Attempts to purchase the application fail.

A fix for these issues is planned for an upcoming client update.

On February 7th:

Q: Will the upcoming update fix the cannot-update-Trial-Apps problems?
A: That is the plan as I understand it; however, I cannot guarantee a given fix will be in a particular update until the bits are actually released.

There’s still a slim chance that it will be part of NoDo if it’s indeed not coming out in time for MWC.

Source: (WP7Central)

Zune software updated, NoDo coming soon

With all the waiting, it's nice to see some hope on the horizon. A mysterious Zune update has just been pushed today without announcement, and what's more, the software version hasn't changed. The update is evidently related to the updating of Windows Phone 7 ROMs, but no physical features of the software have been updated. In fact, Microsoft has even declined comment on the update. This is more likely than not good news, as the first NoDo update is supposedly right around the corner. Still, with no announcement from Microsoft, it's hard to say what they have cooking.

Source: (WP7Central)

Windows Phone 7 Benchmark tool coming soon

A new benchmark tool for Windows Phone 7 named WP Bench is set to launch in a few hours in the Marketplace. The application was developed by Robert Varga who also developed the DirectX 11 ComupteMark software. As with all synthetic benchmarks the results aren’t really indicative of the real word performance of the devices so you should always base your performance analysis one synthetics results and real word results. Another way to compare the performance of the different Windows Phone 7 handsets on the market is to use the XNA sample applications (which I showed you in video in my Windows Phone 7 review) or just display the framerate rate counter in your application when debugging it.



Source: (Mobiletechworld)

Flickr for Windows Phone 7 video review

Yahoo has finally released the official Windows Phone 7 Flickr application just 3 days after the initially announced launch date. The application is obviously free to download in the Marketplace right now and is in my opinion one of the most feature rich WP7 application to date. The only problem is that it’s really slow at fetching thumbnails data from the cloud and not really responsive (like the vast majority of the WP7 applications). It also doesn’t run under the locks-creen which is really annoying (especially when you are uploading photos…). I really hope that Yahoo will work on an update to fix the error message, improve the UI performance and that Microsoft is planning on seriously improving Silverlight on WP7 in the coming months. Anyway, check out the 8 minutes long video after the break:



It will be interesting to see if the improved loading enhancement in the upcoming Nodo update will have any effect on the application’s sluggishness. The companion Windows 7 application is also now available here. It’s a out of the browser Silverlight application similar to the Mosaic By Tribune RSS reader released yesterday. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work quite right with the mouse and apparently requires a touchscreen (..ridiculous..).

Update: I’m now stuck in endless crash mode after attempting to access the camera roll to upload photo and because the app save your application state to the cloud (and reloads it every time you launch the app) it no longer boots up. Just got informed by the devs that the endless crash issue has been partially fixed (I can now re-launch the app!) and that a permanent fix is on the way. The team is still working hard on the other bugs. That’s what I call great support!

Source: (MobileTechWorld)

Android Gingerbread, Honeycomb Themes for CHT 2.0

We've posted numerous tweaks and add-ons for CHT 2.0, but today we're concentrating on some new and upcoming themes for the legendary HTC Sense mod on Windows Phone 6.5. All three themes, carefully crafted by XDA member Nordpolcamper, are Android-inspired and come with a mixed bag of skins for various parts of Sense.

Sadly, only two of the themes are currently available, while a sneak peak of the third one, based on Android 3.0 Honeycomb, is shown above. The other two themes, “Gingerbread” and “Glacier,” were recently released on XDA-developers. Their releases came shortly after they were previewed, so we're assuming the Honeycomb variant will follow that same path. Check out some screens of the available themes below.

Note: the custom taskbar skins can be downloaded from Dark Ninja’s XDA thread.





Source: (Pocketnow)
Via: (XDA)

LG Clock & Weather Combo Widget Ripped from Optimus 2X

The clock & weather combo widget from the LG Optimus 2X Android-powered smartphone has been pulled from a system dump of the device, allowing other Android users to enable it on their daily drivers as well. As usual, the extracting comes by way of XDA, but there's quite an annoying limitation at the moment. Although the widget takes up only half the screen visually, the version out of XDA gobbles up all slots on the Home screen, leaving no room for other widgets or app shortcuts. Luckily, if you're using a customizable Home screen replacement, like LauncherPro or ADWLauncher, you're able to easily resize the widget to better accommodate the screen.

If interested, head over to XDA-developers, where you’ll find two versions of the widget - with or without a background. It's probably only a matter of time before XDA figures out a solution for the resizing issue with standard launchers. Features of the widget are listed below.

Widget Features:
- Displays clock, date, and weather on Home screen.
- Tapping on widget opens extended forecast with data from AccuWeather.
- Select degrees in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
- Add multiple locations for app by search or “current location.”
- Easily switch between your saved locations for the widget.
- Option to add calendar (appointments) slot to widget.
- Option to add Yahoo News slot to widget (may not work).
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Notes: the device in the image above is the HTC EVO 4G. Also, the wallpapers and ringtones from the Optimus 2X have been extracted as well. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif



Source: (Pocketnow)
Via: (XDA)

3DBoard for Jailbroken iPhones Gives Home Screen 3D Effect (Video)

You don't necessarily need one of the upcoming smartphones with 3D displays in order to get a 3D-like effect from your phone, at least not if you check out the upcoming 3DBoard app for jailbroken iPhones.

While most people associate a 3D display with the stereoscopic illusion of depth, just as key is the ability to see "around" objects when shifting your point of view. Typical 3D display setups don't bother with this aspect of vision, as it would require elaborate head-tracking, wouldn't be suitable for pre-rendered content like movies, and wouldn't support more than one viewer per screen. On the flip side, all those caveats start to disappear when you're dealing with something the size of a smartphone; the Nintendo DSi title Looksley's Line Up is a prime example of making it work.

3DBoard uses your iPhone's sensors, rather than head tracking, to estimate the phone's orientation in regards to your eyes. With this information it can pull of a subtle but impressive effect, shifting the icons on the phone's home screen ever so slightly in regards to the background, making it appear as if they float just over it. Someone else using your phone may not even notice what's changed at first glance, aside from a feeling that your iPhone just looks different from any other they've ever used.

Author Apocolipse is finishing up work on this tech demo now, and expects to add 3DBoard to Cydia's jailbroken app store in the near future.



Source: (Pocketnow)

Google Voice Number Porting Now Open to All

We recently told you about Google opening (and quickly closing) the ability to port an existing phone number to your Google Voice account. Today Google announced they're re-opening porting to all existing users. New users will have to wait "a couple of weeks".

"Porting" is essentially transferring your existing number from one carrier to another, and in the U.S., Federal Law requires carriers allow you to more your number to another carrier if you tell them to. It's not free. Google is charging US$20 to port your number, and if you're still under contract with your current carrier they may charge you an early-termination fee which could be hundred of dollars.



There are some drawbacks. Google's number porting requires that you replace your current Google Voice number, rather than adding an additional number to your account. Porting will take a few days to complete, during which time service may (or may not) be interrupted.

Source: (Pocketnow)

CoPilot Live Truck for Android Released

I don't know how many pocketnow readers are in the trucking industry, if you are, raise your hand. Great! ALK has released a Truck version of their CoPilot Live software for Android.

I've told you about CoPilot Live before, but for those of you who've forgotten, it's a GPS app that gives you spoken turn-by-turn directions from maps that are local to your sdcard, no data connection required. This comes in very handy when you're out in the middle of nowhere, with little to no data connection available. Take my word for it.

CoPilot Live Truck, as its name implies, is written to help truck drivers get to their destinations, taking into consideration all the limitations and restrictions big-rigs have that normal vehicles don't. According to the developer, using the software will help truck drivers "reduce fuel costs and out-of-route mileage, increase efficiency and avoid costly fines and vehicle damage" and "takes into account truck-restricted and prohibited roads to provide safe and reliable routes on truck-legal roads".

The app calculates optimal routes based on the height, length, and width of the truck and type of cargo, and routes you around restricted routes.



Source: (Pocketnow)

Samsung Photo Studio application for Windows Phone 7

Samsung is on the verge of releasing a new photo application for its Windows Phone 7 device called Photo Studio which include the following features:

Photo Studio is an all-in-one solution for taking, editing and sharing pictures though your WP7. Photo Studio allows the user to take pictures with effects such as LomoShot, Beautyshot and PlusMe. All pictures can modified with various photo effects. Users also can also easily upload their pictures to the most popular Social network services including Facebook and Flickr.
-LomoShot: Users can vignette pictures in the style of softening or shading away the edges of the subject. There are four option modes: Normal, Gay, Warm and Cold
-BeautyShot: Users can brighten and sharpen the portrait
-PlusMe: Users can take two pictures separately and mix them together
-Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, MySpace, Photobucket, Friendster support




Unfortunately there’s a catch: The application just doesn’t work/load and this is probably the reason why it still isn’t available in the Samsung Zone. To download it you will have to go to the Samsung Zone, open an application’s description and finally tap on the “more from Samsung…” link at the bottom. The Photo Studio will then appear in the search result.

Source: (Mobiletechworld)

Weather Underground App for Windows Phone 6.5

Weather Underground is a popular online source for worldwide weather information. Thanks to XDA member i_konst, Windows Phone 6.x users can now access that data through a handy application called Mwunderground. The app delivers current conditions, forecasts, and alerts by using data from Personal Weather Stations (PWS) and airport stations. The settings menu offers a variety of options and is designed with an HTC Sense style scheme. Head over to XDA-developers for the free download.

Note: the latest version should work for most resolutions



Source:(pocketnow)

10 Billion Downloads From Apple's App Store, And Counting

Call this the perfect example of how an underdog can rise from total in-existence, to total domination. If we look back to the mobile applications market three to four years ago, Windows Mobile was king, Handango and Pocket Gear had all developers in their pockets, and worse of all, Mobile Applications would rarely cost anything less than $10. Buying Applications on your device before the App Store could be done, but it wasn't safe, and it couldn't be done by the average user.

I'm honestly not sure if Apple ever made the iPhone with the idea of building an App Store. My best bet, is that they didn't. It took them a full year to forget about the whole Web Apps idea, and come up with an App Store on iOS 2.0. Two and a half years later, and both Apple and the developers reach the 10 Billionth download landmark. As much as people thought that all the tight controls Apple enforces on developers to get all these Apps to our pockets were going to doom the store, history proves the concept does work. Surely we still don't have the ability to try before we buy, but I guess that hasn't stopped people from spilling their wallets all over the store if things rarely cost more than $5.

Kuddos to all developers for their great work, and here's to another ten billion downloads!

Source: (Pocketnow)

HTC Hub: Your WP7 Data Hog?

Windows MVP, Mike Halsey has discovered some more evidence that incriminates the HTC Hub as the phantom data hog that some people have been complaining about recently. Some of our readers have already guessed that the HTC Hub was the culprit a couple days ago and after seeing some of those posts, Mike decided to put the HTC Hub to the test and monitor its data usage using a real-time data monitoring app provided by Orange UK and included with his HTC Mozart. Mike's normal usage is very light with email downloading on all the time and only the Weatherbug live tile checking the weather periodically. So an overnight data usage increase is generally practically nothing for him. When he put the HTC Hub live tile back on the start screen, he noticed overnight an increase in about 12Mb of data usage overnight. That kind of phantom downloading enabled by default by the HTC Hub could certainly account for the almost 50Mb of extra data usage per day that has been reported by some users and spread as FUD through the blogosphere.

The fix is very simple. Tap and Hold on the HTC Hub live tile pinned to your start screen and then tap the "Unpin" button to make it go away. You can also go into the HTC Hub Settings page and uncheck the "Download Data Automatically" option or change the download schedule to something less frequent.

As Mike mentions, of course this is not a highly scientific test, but the results do seem to point to the HTC Hub as the data-hogging culprit.

Source: (Pocketnow)

Registry Editor for Windows Phone 7 Beta Testing

This is a first public beta of Registry Editor for Windows Phone 7, please report any bug you may encounter.

Registry Editor for WP7 is a nice and full-featured registry editor and works on all WP7 devices, you can explore and search registry, create/edit/delete registry keys and values.

Registry Editor is for advanced users only, be careful using it, you have a full access to the registry, so deleting or modifying some values may result in unstable or unusable system. Furthermore I don't have any devices other than HTC to test, that's why I need beta testers.

This version supports only string and dword values

Source: (TouchExperiance)

Quick settings for Windows Phone 7

Those applications allow you to access commonly used settings from home screen: Wi-Fi, Data Connection, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, Location. Simply pin the desired applications to home screen.

This should be compatible with all WP7 devices!!

To do: Live tile support

Source: (TouchExperiance)

Ray Kurzweil's Blio e-reader coming to Windows Phone 7

Surprisingly nobody reported about this yet but apparently Ray Kurzweil’s Blio e-reader is headed to Windows Phone 7 and was shown running on a Samsung Omnia 7 during CES in Las Vegas more than a week ago. Other than the picture above there’s no info about the application yet but it seems to be developed by the the Silverlight crew at Thirteen23 who is developing the iOS version of Blio.

Source: (MobileTechWorld)