Mobinauts: Mobinauts - All things Windows Mobile, Google Android and Apple iPhone

To usher in the Lunar New Year, Mobinauts in partnership with Microsoft is giving you a chance to win an XBOX 360 gaming console!



Here's how in 3 easy steps.

• Become a Mobinauts fan at our Facebook page.
  
• Read this note on Windows Mobile Apps for Chinese New Year.
  
• Leave a comment on the note to tell us which app you like best and why.

Contest ends 11 March and the person with the best entry will walk away with the XBOX 360. Remember, each person only entitled to one entry. You are free to update your entry as many times as you want before the contest end date. The Mobinauts team will vote to pick the best entry so remember to impress us with your wits and creativity!

UPDATE: Contest deadline is now 18 March!

Do you want some Android flavour in your Windows Mobile device? Dark Ninja from XDA-Developers has successfully replicated the HTC Hero/Desire/Legend taskbar onto the Windows Mobile taskbar. Just download the CAB file found here and install it in your device and soft reset! Try it for a refreshing change.



Source: XDA-Developers

LocDogg from XDA-Developers claimed to have dinner with the main distributor for HTC in Europe and provided us with some leaks on the upcoming HTC Touch Pro3. The HTC distributor mentioned that the HTC Touch Pro3 will be on sale in Europe during the 3rd quarter of the year which means it might sport the Windows Mobile 6.5.x OS instead of the coveted Windows Phone 7 Series. He further tempted us with the news that the Touch Pro3 will be much smaller and thinner then the previous 2 versions. Would he be referring to the HTC Tera, which is equipped with a QWERTY slider and a 3.0 inch WQVGA resistive screen? Given that Microsoft is basically sunsetting Windows Mobile, it is unlikely HTC will release any high end Windows Mobile handsets until the arrival of Windows Phone 7. The only hope is that it can be upgradable to the Windows Phone 7 OS.



Source: WMPoweruser

sh2sg seemed to be creating widgets for fun and the next app to recommend from him is Filmscope. Filmscope shows the information of the movie you are watching (which cinema and timing) right to your Windows Phone. There is also an option to show the upcoming movies too. No more buying papers or logging into websites just to check the cinema and the timing of the movie you wanted to see. Just launch Filmscope and you will have the information you need right at your fingertips! This application is available at Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

Note: Please note that Windows Mobile Widget requires Widget Engine that comes with the WM6.5 ROM.



Source: Mobinauts

For those who are envious that iPhone users can read news on Straits Times on their device doesn't need to feel that anymore. Local developer shank86 has developed an app for Windows Phone that can let you read the Straits Times news off your device too. This app is totally based on the upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series user interface. Features of the Straits Times app as follows:

• Read all free articles
• View pictures related to the article
• Post it to your Facebook account
• Post it to your Twitter account
• Auto updates to latest version

The developer is also looking to bookmark news stories, have it view and read up to 7 days of back stories and include paid premium news which is for subscribers only at the next version. For those who read Straits Times frequently, download this app and read it on the move.



Source: Mobinauts

In an unexpected turn of events, the new Windows 7 Phone Series might operate in HVGA resolution (320x480) instead of the initial WVGA resolution (480x800) as thought. We all know that the initial batch of Microsoft next generation phone will be WVGA at launch but future updates will downgrade it to HVGA native resolution. Dedicated hardware will ensure image scaling across all those pixels without taxing the GPU. Game developers will have the option to develop a game of lower resolution (requiring less horsepower) and then upscale it while remaining compatible to a variety of screen resolutions. Shawn Hargreaves from Microsoft mentioned this in his blog:

"At launch, all phones will have a 480×800 (WVGA) display resolution, but we will add 320×480 (HVGA) in a future update. Of course you can detect the native resolution and program your game to adapt to this if you want, but the scaler allows games to pick just one resolution, always render at that fixed size, and still run correctly on phones with different native screen sizes. For bonus points, we automatically scale touch input to match your chosen resolution."

He goes on to say WP7s has a brand-new graphics stack "optimized from the ground up for mobile GPU hardware". Unfortunately this new stack does not include custom shaders, to the disappointment of many developers, but hopefully this can be added in the future.



Source: Engadget Mobile

Clearly dissatisfied by how the current Sense UI looks, [ElCondor] from XDA-Developers has decided to revert HTC Sense 2.5 back to it's original looks. Hot from the oven, this theme is called GTX Sense 2.5 and it skins the entire Sense 2.5 interface with white trimmings to give it a clean and professional appeal. Currently, GTX Sense 2.5 works with 192X builds of Sense UI, and they are still working on the update that has support for 201X builds. Do take note this theme only works with VGA and WVGA devices. To check out the Manila version, click on Start, Settings, System, Device Information and select Software Information. You can check the Manila version from there. For those who are giving the Sense UI a facelift, this is what you are looking for.



Source: XDA-Developers

For those who are using the HTC HD2, you might be familiar with the HTC Flashlight app. It's a great app but there is this only glitch when the app launches, it makes the handler watch an animated demo of the flashlight shifting through different modes which is annoying to most users. Now, NetRipper from XDA-Developers tweaked it slightly by removing this pointless animation. Download the zip file from here, extract it and then replace the .exe file with the original one. For those who wished to download this Flashlight app, click here. After installation, just replace the .exe file with the new one.



Source: XDA-Developers

Local developer afoongwl215 followed up with the success of his bus arrival widget by coming out with another widget that checks for available parking lots in major shopping centres at Orchard area, Harbourfront and Marina Centre. FreeParkingLots is a proxy service for onemotoring "Real-time Parking Lots Availability" service. All information on lot availability is provided by OneMotoring.

Note: Please note that Windows Mobile Widget requires Widget Engine that comes with the WM6.5 ROM.



Source: Mobinauts

Samsung's new unlock feature "Gesture Lock" makes unlocking mobile devices a breeze. How "Gesture Lock" works is by unlocking the handset and open a user-designated menu by simply scribbling the corresponding letter on the touch screen. Each letter of the alphabet is linked to a specific menu on the phone and users can set the applications according to their preference. For example, if you need to bring the mail client on the screen, you draw the letter M (Mail), and the mail application will open. Up till now, this useful feature is implemented on two new Samsung full touchscreen mid-range phones – Samsung S5600 and Samsung S5230. "Gesture Lock" is set to feature in future Samsung mobile devices.



Source: MobileTechNews

From the same developer that gives you the data usage widget, sh2sg has come out with another useful widget that lets you find the most updated carpark rates, ERP rates, petrol prices, bus stops and live traffic news in Singapore. This widget can be download from Windows Marketplace for Mobile. Just launch Marketplace and enter Roadmate at the search bar. There is also Roadmate Live which shows you real-time parking lots availability and live bus arrival timing at 4755 bus stops and live bus departure timing at 37 interchange at just a cost of $1.60. Please note that Windows Mobile Widget requires Widget Engine that comes with the WM6.5 ROM.

Mention task managers and popular ones like WkTask and Showcase will come to one's mind. Now Arktronic from XDA-Developers tried his hands on Arkswitch, a WM6.5.3 task manager which supports skinning. Please note this application is designed specifically for WM6.5.3. For WM6.5 users, you will need to enable WM6.5 compatibility mode (under ArkSwitch settings), but it just wouldn't be the same without top bar integration. Just download the CAB file from here and soft reset your device. After the reboot, click the left half of the top bar (or other area if customized) to bring it up. ArkSwitch themes can be found here. Download ArkSwitch and give it a try!



Source: XDA-Developers