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

HTC has created a flashlight application for the HTC HD2 that turns the HD2 into a flashlight by using the camera's dual LED flash. Once the program is launched, it will feature a virtual flashlight with 3 modes of brightness. Simply swipe the screen to change the brightness level and press the button of the flashlight to toggle the flashlight. Be warned that maximum brightness can momentarily blind your eyes with direct contact of the flashlight. This is most likely an app that we should see in the future ROM releases for the HD2. Grab the CAB file from XDA-Developers and transform your HD2 into a torchlight.



Source: XDA-Developers

Based on the rendition of the HTC Legend seen a couple of months back, the actual self looks not far from it. Sporting a 3.2" AMOLED HVGA resolution screen, the Legend runs on the Google Android 2.0.1 platform integrated with HTC Sense. Powering up the Legend is a 600MHz Snapdragon processor and it's equipped with 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM in the memory department. WiFi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and microSD card are supported, as well as FM Radio, assisted GPS and Geotagging. A 1300mAh battery is hidden behind an aluminium shell with a big and chromed company logo imprinted on it. Expect the Legend to launch in March.



Source: EngadgetMobile

In the latest HTC HD2 ROM, HTC has added an eBook reader built in to HTC Sense very much the same way as they included the Documents tab. This will come handy for those who read ebooks on the go with the HD2. Will this make the HD2 more endearing?



Source: WMPoweruser

As the date gets nearer to Mobile World Congress and the inevitable debut of Windows Mobile 7.0 in Barcelona, details are again leaking out about what this updated Windows Mobile platform might offer. Without further ado, let's have a look at what Windows Mobile 7.0 has to offer with courtesy from PPCGeeks.com.

• The User Interface is based upon codename "METRO". It will be very similar to the Zune HD User Interface with a complete revamp of the "Start" screen. The UI is "Very Clean", "Soulful" and "Alive"
• Unfortunately there will be no Flash support at the get go as there was not enough time to implement these features.
• Windows Phone 7 will only support application installation through service based delivery. (i.e Marketplace). Application installation via storage card will not be possible.
• No Multi-Task support. Applications will "Pause" when in the background, however will support notifications via push notifications.
• Marketplace will now support "try before you buy" as well as an API
• No NETCF backwards compatibility. This means the original rumor of no backward compatibility for applications holds to be true. That being said, there are high hopes of porting the NetCF to the newer platform easily.
• Microsoft is confident that devices will be ready by September 2010
• Full Zune Integration
• Windows Mobile Device Center will no longer be used. Zune software to take over syncing via PC.
• OEM Interfaces will not be allowed to run on the device. Say goodbye to Sense UI/Spb Mobile Shell/Point UI/Infinity/TouchWiz/XPanels etc
• Full XBOX Gaming Integration (Gamer tag, achievements, friends, avatars, merchandising, etc)
• Full support for social networking

With Windows Mobile 7.0 rumoured not to be supporting multi-tasking, this will be an disadvantage when compared to other platforms such as Android or Blackberry. Fans of HTC Sense/Spb Mobile Shell will also be disappointed to know that OEM interfaces are not allowed to be run on this platform. Flash support will still be missing as Microsoft rush to meet the September deadline. Besides no backward compatibility for applications, installation into storage card for applications is also not possible. Are you disappointed at this latest leak of Windows Mobile 7.0? Let me hear your views. More news will be furnished out when I have more updated information.



Source: PPCGeeks

afoongwl215 has developed a widget that lets you know when your bus is arriving. This widget can be downloaded from here and it only works for Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional devices.



Source: Mobinauts

With the success of Google Street View, Google is expanding it indoors with Store View. Google reps are reportedly taking pictures in most stores at every six feet in all directions. Soon, you will be able to see the inside of a store before you give it your patronage. Do you think this is good thinking by Google. Let me hear your views.



Source: Android Central

Do you have the habit to pop bubble wraps when you are bored? Well, if the answer is yes, then this little app might just suit you.
wBubbleWrap, developed by XaMaB from XDA-Developers is an application that emulates the popping of bubble wraps. By tapping on the "bubbles", it will give out a pop sound that is pretty similar to what you get in reality.To access the menu, double tap the top left bubble and you can reset or exit the application. Bubble poppers, what are you waiting for? Just download this app to your device and pop some bubbles. .NET Compact Framework 3.5 is needed to run this app.



Source: PocketNow

The falsely reported RAM in the HTC HD2 has caused quite a furore in the pool of users using it. In the wake of this discovery, SC4Freak from XDA-Developers has created EatMemory, a small application which uses the native Win32 API to allocate as much memory as it can (up to 2GB), and verifies it. EatMemory is capable of:

• Testing the limits of your device's memory. In particular, to test if the HD2's additional 128MB is actually usable or not.
• Allocating as much memory as it can, OS limits notwithstanding. The application allocates memory in the OS's shared memory space, which means that it isn't privy to the usual 32MB address space limit.
• Directing low-level kernel memory management functions (VirtualAlloc and VirtualFree) to reserve, commit, and free virtual pages. This means that the application has much more precise control over memory, and can consume memory until only a couple of megabytes remain.
• Verifying the memory it allocates, by writing a byte pattern to the memory, and reading it out again. This is necessary because the Windows CE kernel does not commit pages to physical memory unless the memory page is read/written from at least once. This also guarantees that the memory is, in fact, usable and valid.

Besides verifying the number of RAM in your device, EatMemory is also capable to test how your device behaves in different RAM usage scenarios. Simply download and extract the EXE from the ZIP file found in the XDA-Developer thread to your device and run it.



Source: XDA-Developers

The Nexus One update which is originally thought to be just a 3G fix has more surprises in the box. This over-the-air software update fixes problems that some user might have experienced and provides some great new features which includes:

• Google Goggles: this mobile application will now be available directly on your device by launching it from your All Apps menu. Just use your Nexus One camera to start searching the web
• Google Maps: the Maps application with be updated to a new version.
• Pinch-to-zoom functionality: devices will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone's Browser, Gallery and Maps applications
• 3G connectivity: we will provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phones

This Nexus One update is gradually being rolled out to users until the end of next week. When you receive a message on your phone's notification bar regarding the update, download the update and wait for it to install, and you should be all set. I believe this update is mainly for T-Mobile (USA) users and I wonder how the local Nexus One users gets the update.



Source: Google

Yearn for a hardware keyboard for faster text input but yet maintain the slim factor of your device? Mobience made it possible with the introduction of their own smallQWERTY keyboard. This small keyboard can be connected to most UMPC, MID and most handheld devices and giving the user a more tactile option when it comes to texting or inputing characters into their phones. Will this little gadget be an instant hit when it's release? What do you all think?



Source: Engadget

Windows Mobile 6.5.3 is officially released today and the first device to utilize the newest Windows Mobile 6.5.3 updates will be the Sony Ericsson Aspen. There is no news as to an update roadmap for the current Sony Ericsson Windows Mobile devices. What's new in Windows Mobile 6.5.3. Microsoft has been updating the platform and will deliver incremental improvement between major releases. Windows Mobile 6.5.3 includes improvements in the following areas: (READ more about Sony Ericsson Aspen in the next page)

Ease of Use

• Capacitive touchscreen support
  
• Platform to enable multi-touch
  
• Touch controls throughout system (no need for stylus)
  
• Consistent Navigation
  
• Horizontal scroll bar replaces tabs (think settings>system>about screen)
  
• Magnifier brings touch support to legacy applications
  
• Simplified out-of-box experience with fewer steps
  
• Drag and drop icons on Start Screen

Browser Performance

• Page load time decreased
  
• Memory management improved
  
• Pan & flick gestures smoothed
  
• Zoom & rotation speed increased

Quality and Customer Satisfaction

• Updated runtime tools (.NET CF 3.5, SQL CE 3.1)
  
• Arabic read/write document support
  
• Watson (error reporting) improvements and bug fixes

For those who complains the shortage of shortcut slots in the HTC Sense 2.5 homescreen need not worry anymore. There is a new hack from XDA-Developers which expands the quick links to a whopping 25 (5x5 grid). Do take note that the expansion does alter another part of the links area. The text labels are now removed, leaving only icons to pave the way for the extra shortcuts. Some users feel that the removal of text gives the grid a cleaner appearance nonetheless. The latest mod will work with Sense 2.5 (1921.1619 & 1922.2911) and comes in the form of an easily installable CAB file found only in XDA-Developers.



Source: XDA-Developers