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The iPhone alternatives, according to Orange
08 Sep 2008
 OK, the iPhone. It's exclusive to o2 here in the UK, so other networks are trying their best to compete. Orange have setup a dedicated web page which is accessible from the "Mobile Phones and Plans" section of the Orange website. There's a link called the "iPhone alternatives". The page states...
"We've got a range of great phones to rival the iPhone. They're packed with the latest features, including touch interface, 3G internet, email or GPS. So what are you waiting for?"
Orange list the Blackberry Bold, Samsung Omnia & Samsung Tocco... Umm.. Wait a minute. Where's the HTC Touch Diamond? Touch interface. Check. 3G. Check. GPS. Check ? Whilst we're glad that the Samsung Omnia gets listed, it's strange not to see the HTC Touch Diamond on this page - a handset that continually gets compared to the iPhone.
Link - iPhone alternatives @ orange.co.uk
Credit - Matthew Gough
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| Microsofts' John Starkweather - The full interview
07 Sep 2008
 Some of you may have picked up on this interview with John Starkweather from Microsoft. All three parts to this interview are now online for you to enjoy. Who is John? Well, he's the International Director of Product Management for the Entertainment and Devices Division. John is responsible for Windows Mobile product marketing and product planning. The guys at akihabaranews.com chatted with him about the past, present and future of Windows Mobile.
The newer interviews feature discussions about the challenges facing Windows Mobile - the competitors (y'know, that iPhone thing) and a few teasers about Windows Mobile 7. There's even a device running Windows Mobile 7 but it's a little camera shy unfortunately :( There's also discussion about other competition from Symbian and Google Android.
Links - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3
Credit - Johnny De'Silva
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| Where's the HTC Diamond update for Orange users?
05 Sep 2008
 Got an Orange branded HTC Touch Diamond? It looks like handsets are now being supplied with ROM version 1.93.405.1 and Radio version 1.00.25.05. You can upgrade to 1.93 if you bought your handset direct from HTC or Vodafone, but Orange users who haven't bought their handsets recently could be left out.
Although the HTC Diamond may look the same on o2 (as the Ignito), T-Mobile (as the MDA Compact IV), Vodafone and Orange, you must use upgrade supplied by your network. Orange, despite now providing the Diamond with the 1.93 firmware, still don't seem to have it available for download.
Update - We're currently trying to get more detail from Orange on this one. Hang tight guys.
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| Samsung Omnia Photo and Video Showcase
05 Sep 2008
 We've been trying to get hold of a Samsung Omnia i900 to review but, as yet, there's been no response from the PR dudes. Luckily, Coolsmartphone reader Benn Laider has come to the rescue with a veritable feast of photographic food. Seriously, get yourself a knife and fork and dive in. Click on the photos to bring up the higher quality shots. Ohh.. Me want..
Better still, Benn has also recorded a video.. hold on.. one-handed camera and phone holding? I've seen that style somewhere before ;) ;)
Read on to see the vid!
Links - Samsung Omnia Photos - Samsung Omnia Video
Credit - Benn Laider
More...
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| Samsung i900 Omnia on T-Mobile UK
04 Sep 2008
 It sounds like the Samsung Omnia has worked its way onto T-Mobile, with you guys talking about it in the forum and a tip over at MoDaCo.
The device is the 8Gb version, which proves our theory that Orange have the exclusive on the 16Gb unit. Try the phone sales team at T-Mobile if you're after one.
Link - Forum post
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| Get your Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade America!
03 Sep 2008
 Over in the USA lots of Windows Mobile 6.1 updates have been rolling out for various handsets of late. I've not posted on these as yet because I've been brainwashed by "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry, which never seems to be off the radio or out of my head lately. Yes, it's a bad excuse.
First up, Samsung have updated the BlackJack II (aka the SGH-i617). It's available to download here and brings you the added goodness of threaded SMS messaging (which can turn off), improved IE, extended battery life and more. The AT&T Tilt WM 6.1 update is also available for download and, unlike network-branded devices in the UK, it's available direct from htc.com. The Verizon XV6800 gets an update too, grab it here. Last, but by no means least, the Motorola Q9H is updateable with this direct download.
As usual, you'll need to backup all your data, ensure the battery is charged and you must be wearing a tin hat.
Update - The Palm Treo 800w update is available here for Sprint customers. This will fix USB headset and sync cable detection problems along with battery charging issues.
Links - Samsung i617 - AT&T Tilt - Verizon XV6800 - Motorola Q9H
Official Info - microsoft.com
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| Turn off threaded messaging
03 Sep 2008
 Whilst testing out the staggeringly quick Google Chrome browser this morning I stumbled across this MoDaCo post showing a tweak from mydigitallife.info to disable the threaded messaging in Windows Mobile 6.1.
Now, the new threaded texting system is a bit like Marmite - you either love it or hate it. Those of you who've seen the recent HTC Touch Pro review will know that threaded SMS'ing isn't my thing. So, to disable it you can now download this CAB direct to your device and run it.
OK, next question. Why didn't MS give us the option to turn this on and off in the options screen?
Link - mydigitallife.info
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| Throttle Launcher - Cool launcher app
02 Sep 2008
 This is Throttle Launcher. It's not a TouchFlo3D port, this is a fully skinable application with several skins available. It's an incredibly smooth and remarkable launcher which, when combined with skins like this or this TouchFLO 3D skin, are pretty much as smooth as the actual HTC version.
This software is free, although the guys would appreciate some donations, and you'll no doubt find this app in several ROM's floating around on the net. I've just tried it out and I must say, I'm impressed. It works in touch-screen Windows Mobile 5 and 6 and is fully configurable using XML files. The kinetic scrolling mechanism lets you simply scroll around with your finger.
Link - Throttle Launcher
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| Windows Mobile app store approaching
01 Sep 2008
 It looks like Microsoft are trying to play catch-up by recruiting for something called "Skymarker" - a possible applications store for Windows Mobile 7, coming next year. The iPhone has given Windows Mobile a much needed boot up the backside and shown a lot of customer benefits - automatic, easily accesible device updates, easy navigation and applications available all in one place. This advertisement, which has probably now had more hits than any other vacancy, is looking for a Senior Product Manager to oversee a marketplace service for Windows Mobile.
The link to the actual job appears to have now vanished, however this Product Unit Manager also mentions the "SkyMarket" team alongsite "SkyLine" and "SkyBox".
Link - istartedsomething.com (And many others)
Credit - Morgan Butler
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| HTC Touch Pro Review
01 Sep 2008
 So, you've seen our "Week with the HTC Touch Pro" videos. Now you can find them all in once place, complete with up-close pictures of the HTC Touch Pro and screenshots of the HTC TouchFLO 3D system. Our HTC Touch Pro review is now online and includes all the usual juicy details you'd expect from coolsmartphone.com. Overall we were very impressed with this handset and, although it's a little bulkier than the HTC Touch Diamond, it's definitely a fantastic addition to the HTC range - I can't wait to see this available more widely across the networks.
That's not all though, there's more to come - we've got a home monitoring solution next, complete with mobile access into your home security system, so keep watching for more reviews!
Links - HTC Touch Pro Review - Buy one!
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| Kinoma Play - Listen up, because this is good
01 Sep 2008
 A few days ago a company called kinoma announced their media player for Windows Mobile. It's touted as the "world’s first mobile media browser" and there's a lot of praise around the internet for this software. Is it deserved? Well, in a word. Yes.
Although there are a few compatibility issues, and the free version we tried seemed to have difficulty auto-detecting the bandwidth available(you can set in manually though), it's a very polished and flexible application. This isn't just a video player - it'll suck your iTunes library in, quickly grab and index your entire phone content, play thousands of internet radio stations, upload and share FlickR images, view webcams, play Orb files, get podcasts, listen to audible books, view your pictures and much more.
Oh, and don't forget that it'll upload and play YouTube videos straight out of the box - even the free version. Check it out below. Brilliant.
It's not just about the specs though - this is a swish and smooth application which is a joy to use. You'll quickly find yourself binning your existing photo-viewing application and showing your images with kinoma. It's so fluid and quick. Try it now, grab your phone and punch in http://kinoma.com/freeplay/download/ for the CAB file to install direct to your handset. There's a quick registration process to confirm you as a user, then you're off. The Kinoma FreePlay version lets you do most of the cool stuff, however the Kinoma Play version includes loads of cool extras.
Read on to see some of our screen shots from the app (plus a rather excellent video from wmexperts.com), or try it out yourself on the links below..
Links - Kinoma Play - Kinoma FreePlay
More...
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| XDA Ignito now available on o2 website
01 Sep 2008
 The o2 XDA variant of the HTC Touch Diamond is now live on the o2 site. Retailing from free to £199.99 depending on tariff, it's a fully featured handset in a tiny, stylish, finger-driven package.
The o2 XDA Ignito is powered by a 528Mhz Qualcomm CPU and comes with 4Gb of internal storage. You also get the flashy HTC TouchFLO 3D system, GPS (satnav), Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, WiFi, 3.2 megapixel camera, tilt sensor, FM radio and tapid tri-band 3G / HSDPA connectivity.
As usual, we're always interested to know what "tweaks" operators have done to the HTC Touch Diamond, so let us know if you've got one.
Link - XDA Ignito @ o2.co.uk
Credit - Matt Bevins
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| A Week With The HTC Touch Pro - Day 7
01 Sep 2008
 In the final episode of our "Week with the HTC Touch Pro" there's an overview of the pictures and videos application plus you get to see the camera in action. I've also covered the messaging in more detail following your earlier questions.
We should have a "Special Report" up soon which includes all these videos along with up-close pictures of the device, screenshots from the phone and example photos taken by the Touch Pro.
Read on to view, or click here to view the video.
Links - A Week with the HTC Touch Pro (Day 7) - Buy one
More...
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| A Week With The HTC Touch Pro - Day 6
01 Sep 2008
 In Day 6 of our "Week with the HTC Touch Pro" video blog I take a quick look at the GPS capabilities, the RSS reader and the rather splendid Opera internet browser.
Also included is the ever-so-addictive "Teeter" game which uses the in-built tilt sensor (accelerometer) to move a ball around a maze. Also there's a G-sensor calibration tool to reset this sensor and I show off the screen switching speed.
Read on to view, or click here.
Links - A Week with the HTC Touch Pro (Day 6) - Buy one
More...
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| A Week With The HTC Touch Pro - Day 5
01 Sep 2008
 Remember our "Week with the HTC Touch Pro" ? Yes, it's still going - I've just been a little side-tracked recently due to my car accident. However, having a hire car equipped with Microsoft Bluetooth equipment is certainly very interesting. In Day 5 I show you how the HTC Touch Pro works over Bluetooth, using the "Blue&Me" system installed in the Fiat Bravo I'm scooting around in.
Also in this video there's a closer look at the calendar and an overview of the options available when the keyboard is open.
Read on to view, or go direct.
Links - A Week with the HTC Touch Pro (Day 5) - Buy one
More...
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| HTC S740 - Live pictures and hands-on
29 Aug 2008
 newmobile have managed to get themselves a hands-on with the recently announced HTC S740. It's very Diamond-esque in it's styling and is being shown off at the IFA 2008 Consumer Electronics show in Berlin.
The QWERTY keyboard, as you can see on the right and in pictures below, resembles the keyboard on the HTC Touch Pro we've been testing whilst the numeric keys up front are large and easy to locate. It's a thin and sleek handset which we think will prove to be a real winner.
Click on for more pictures, or go to newmobile.com for even more shots and a report. The only thing we don't like about this handset is the tiny and thin call / drop keys, which look a little fiddly. :(
Update - More up-close pictures at ce4you.cz including comparisons and screenshots.
Links (and picture credit) - newmobile.com - ce4you.cz
Credit - Matt Clarke
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| The HTC Blackstone
29 Aug 2008
 According to allaboutphones.nl and PDAmobiz.com this is the HTC Blackstone. It looks exactly like the HTC Dream / HTC G1 and matches all the drawings and rendered imagery you may have seen on the web already. We even agree with androidauthority.com in stating that this may be a fake picture.
So, let's say that this is a picture of the HTC Dream. What the hell is the HTC Blackstone then? Well, rumours are now coming through that the HTC Blackstone will have a massive 3.7" VGA screen, 8Gb of memory and uses software based on the HTC TouchFLO 3D. Eh? A 3.7" screen? That would make it a pretty big handset.
Not much else is known at the moment, but we'll let you know more as we find out.
Links - allaboutphones.nl - PDAmobiz.com
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| So, why not use Opera Mini?
29 Aug 2008
 As you know by now, Windows Mobile phones include Internet Explorer as default. It's at best passable, especially when compared to browsers like Opera 9.5 and NetFront, however - it's also worth remembering that Opera Mini is out there and works very well indeed. Sure, it's a Java app, but if you've got a device which lacks memory and CPU then it's definitely worth investigating. Jeremy Ash has tried it out and, after following these instructions by Menneisyys, he's made it his default browser. Jeremy states...
"I’ve been trying Opera Mobile 9.5 on my HTC Touch / Elf, which is lovely ... for all of 4-5 pageloads before you run out of memory (if running a humble phone like mine). My friend tells me it works very well on the Omnia as one would expect given the lashings of memory available.
I hadn’t tried Opera Mini, but the thread explained how to install it on a Touch and I have to say, it’s something of a revelation. You’ve got the same zooming/panning style as Opera 9.5, but three major benefits (as least for users of slightly older phones or those on limited data plans)...
1 - Pages load much faster (Opera’s servers compress them)
2 - Uses much less memory on the phone, so no restarting.
3 - Lower data charges, as the pages are compressed."
This is a great idea if you're having trouble with the Opera Mobile 9.5 app, so give it a try and download the Java app here.
Links - Opera Mini - xda-developers.com
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| Forum tweaks to stop spam
29 Aug 2008
 During the last few days you may have noticed some spam messages appearing in our forums. These usually advertise some mobile phones with a fake UK postal address. Many thanks to everyone who's spotted them and informed me - also to the excellent mods for tackling them. I've now added some extra security to stop messages like these being posted, so you should see either a lot less of them or none at all.
While I'm here, I'd just like to update you on the "Week with the HTC Touch Pro" videos. These are all waiting to be edited at the moment, I'm having a lot of my time taken up with insurance nightmares following my car crash last week. It seems that the damage is going to cost more than 7 grand, which would make my car a "write-off" and leave me without wheels - all because Lexus parts are hugely expensive to buy. As of Wednesday I'll have no transportation, so working around this is becoming a pain. If you can sell me a car at a massive discount, let me know ;).
Link - Forum
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| No Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 delay
29 Aug 2008
 The Register is reporting today that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 may be slightly delayed, despite showing up on Vodafone UK with an October launch date.
However, we've just done a check on the official Sony Ericcson shop site and it looks like things have now changed. The phone is now showing with an October launch date, as previously mentioned here. We've just snapped this updated picture from se-store.co.uk so it looks like a simple mistake by the shop.
Link - se-store.co.uk
Credit - Philipp Bieber
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| o2 XDA Ignito now available
28 Aug 2008
 o2 customers are waiting patiently for the o2 XDA Ignito. It's the XDA flavour of the HTC Touch Diamond that we spotted about a month ago in o2 stores. Matthew Brailsford has just emailed us in because he's managed to get his order in for one, so we can only presume that the o2 XDA Ignito is now fully available - at least through o2 telesales.
There's nothing as yet on the o2 website, but we'd love to hear from you if you've managed to get your order in too!
Link - Earlier story
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| Samsung Omnia i900 - Exclusive to Orange?
28 Aug 2008
 Right, here's the story. We ran a news item on August 16th saying that the Samsung Omnia i900 would be exclusive to Orange. We then changed it because it appeared on Voda. However, it's now becoming clear that the Samsung Omnia i900 is exclusive to Orange - at least in it's 16Gb form. The Voda version, which is also now available to buy here, is (according to our sources) the 8Gb version.
If you want the Omnia, get the 16Gb version here at Orange or the 8Gb one at Vodafone UK. If you're lucky enough to have bagged one, do let us know what you think.
Links - Samsung Omnia (Orange UK) - (Vodafone UK)
Credit - Matthew Bevins
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| New Windows Mobile GUI - yrgo
28 Aug 2008
 Here's another new user interface for your touchscreen Windows Mobile. This is called yrgo and you can see it in action on the video below. It contains four full customizable desktops which uses finger gestures to help you navigate.
Costing $10 (around £5.46) you can also download a free trial to test it out. The feature list also includes the ability to check you call history, find a contact, make a call, write SMS, e-mail and monitor system information.
Check out the video or read on ..
Link - yrgo
More...
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| Smartphone & Pocket PC Mag suspends publication
26 Aug 2008
 Despite Windows Mobile now being more popular than ever we're sorry to report that Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine will be suspending its publication. The magazine, which has been running for 11 years now, is headed up by Hal Goldstein, who states.....
"It has become harder and harder to grow our circulation over the past three years since Windows Mobile changed from being PDAs to being phones. Pocket PC manufacturers like HP used to work with us to offer their customers a free issue of our magazine in their packaging. The phone companies have not shown similar interest in working with us."
We're sorry to see it go, and I'll certainly miss it in my local supermarkets and newsagents.
Link - Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine
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| Announced! The HTC S740 dual-keyboard Smartphone!
26 Aug 2008
 Just as I'm starting to fall in love with the HTC Touch Pro, this comes along. I want this. I want it now. Gimme. This is the HTC S740 - a handset with a 4-row QWERTY sliding keyboard and a numeric front keypad. Want.
The specs, direct from the HTC website, include a Qualcomm MSM7225 CPU running at a whacking 528MHz, 256Mb ROM, 256Mb RAM and Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard ... yes.. Standard ! No touch screen, so presumably no TouchFlo 3D.. this is a true Smartphone. WANT! Also included is quad-band connectivity, HSDPA/WCDMA and WiFi 802.11b/g. You also get GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, FM Radio, microSD card slot, 2.4 inch QVGA screen and a 3.2 megapixel camera along with another face-pointing camera for video calls. The phone is powered by a 1000mAh battery and weighs 140g.
WANT! More as we get it on this one. Head on over to this HTC page for more info, pictures and specs. Read on for a larger picture and the press release. Early indications are that this will be a relatively cheap handset too!
Update - You can now pre-order this here at devicewire.co.uk with stock arriving in November. Clove have it listed for just £346.63
Link - HTC S740 (Can I have one please HTC?)
Credit - David Jeffery
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