Those of you enjoying access to the Twitterverse via HTC’s handy Peep widget might have been a little disconnected today, as many woke this morning to find themselves locked out of the micro-blogging service due to a security update.
Twitter has long been promising a switch to the more secure OAuth method, moving away from the default login measures that many apps – HTC’s Peep included – took advantage of.
Now that update has finally happened, with both Android and Window Phone fans finding that the dedicated Twitter client supplied with many hugely popular handsets – including the HTC Desire and HTC HD2 – has been silenced. We’ve tried it here on our office Android device and found the same to be the case, with login efforts timing out or claiming an incorrect username.
Citing ‘forbidden access’ issues on Windows devices, HTC’s Peep app will now need to be updated urgently in order to restore service to thousands of phone owners now out of the Twitter loop for the foreseeable…or at least until they find an alternative app for their respective platforms.
We’ve currently contacted HTC for comment on the situation, and will let you know as soon as we hear anything. In the meantime, let us know if you’re having similar issues with your HTC handsets!
The launch of Windows Phone 7 Series, despite being telegraphed a mile of through leaks, predictions, and straight up admittance, remained a landmark event.
Microsoft, mired in the smartphone battle, suffered the many slings and arrows of detractors stating that Windows Mobile simply couldn’t cut it in today’s market.
The platform was antiquated, slow to adapt, frustrating glacial with merely iterative releases on the same old and tired operating system.
So they did something about it, and the result is nothing short of phenomenal.
Windows Phone 7 Series takes cues from all of Microsoft’s core strengths – Windows 7, Office, XBox Live, Media Centre on the PC and Zune – and seamlessly integrates them all in a rich, visually arresting and nuanced operating system.
Steve Ballmer wasn’t the reserved, measured shadow of himself we saw at last year’s Mobile World Congress, trying to engineer interest in Windows Mobile 6.5, a halfway house that did little to attract new users, nor alleviate the endemic problems faced by existing ones on a daily basis.
This year’s Steve B was visibly excited, ebullient in his frequently raised tones and confident that they had shushed the naysayers with a new, refreshing and immediately intuitive interface that alleges to be a joy to use, whether a WinMo novice or decorated veteran.
“Today, I’m proud to introduce Windows Phone 7 Series, the next generation of Windows Phones,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO to a expectant auditorium filled far beyond capacity.
“In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience. Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people’s lives and their need to connect to other people and all kinds of seamless experiences.”
That it does.
The large tiled interface that greets the user upon the home screen immediately presents the options, clearly and concisely with vivid icons illustrating phone, text and photo gallery functionality.
This is far from a static home screen, as ‘live tiles’ provide real time content, for example cycling through a selection of thumbnail-sized friends and family on the ‘people’ tile, pulled directly from Facebook or Windows Live Messenger.
Only three buttons graced the prototype handset used in the demonstration – ‘back’, ‘search’ and ‘start’ - just as the final WinPho 7 devices are purported to be.
That search button is a direct line to Microsoft’s Bing, offering ‘intent’ specific searches. The example used was sushi, with a quick search for the word bringing back a map and selection of nearby sushi restaurants as a primary ‘local’ results stream, whilst a swipe to the right can bring up standard ‘web’ results if required.
This element of second-guessing the user and pre-empting required functions to make the user journey easier is endemic in Windows Phone 7, as these core functionalities are serviced by ‘hubs’, each a go-to area on the handset to making those regular phone processes more straightforward than ever.
MEDIA HUB
Every Windows Phone 7 Series device is also a Zune player! If you are less than enthused by that remark, chances are that you reside in Europe, and have little to no idea what Zune is, beyond infiltrating our Xbox 360s without warning…
Zune was Microsoft’s US-only answer to the iPod, an extension of the traditional media player due to the inclusion of built-in radio, support for streaming audio such as Pandora, online playlist sharing and high quality video playback. Well, now all of this functionality is offered, as standard, as part of the Windows Phone experience. Bet you’re excited now!
A simple hook-up to a PC immediately brings up the Zune interface, allowing easy drag-and-drop music selection, playlist creation and even track previews.
Those familiar with the nightmare of creating folders to stick music and movies into a phone, or even a handheld in the case of the PSP with breath a sigh of relief when they see the crisp and clear layout that greets them when connecting that USB cable.
PICTURES HUB
The photo sharing process is equally streamlined, with the Windows phone scouring the interwebs for pictures snapped by you, from social networking sites or simply stored on the PC at home, and presents them in a single place via the ever-helpful cloud.
GAMES HUB
XBox Live. 23 million gamers fuelled by testosterone, the thrill of competition and the allure of putting a new top hat on your avatar.
All of that comes to the Windows Phone as a Live gamer profile can be transferred to the device, carried over seamlessly from the Xbox 360. Keep an eye on your gamerscore (39,256, if you must know), check out the latest game releases or even set challenges for your real and virtual friends, all directly from the device.
Little more was said regarding this, particularly the evolution of Windows Marketplace or whether this was the advent of true multiplayer mobile gaming, but we assume it crossed their minds more than once…
OFFICE HUB
Productivity was what made Windows Mobile so unique, and this is carried over in a new and infinitely more appealing fashion to those allergic to v-lookups and pivot tables in Microsoft Excel.
OneNote and Sharepoint are present in addition to the usual suite of Word and the like, enabling documents to be viewed and edited on the fly. Office Hub looks to retain that professional angle that made Windows the go-to mobile platform for the business set, only with a bit of spit and polish.
Adopting the sparse, lower case obsessed style from Windows Media Centre has done the world of good to Windows Mobile, wiping away painful memories of prodding at a tiny ‘x’ in the corner of an unresponsive resistive screen the instant they uttered the words ‘multi-touch’ and ‘capacitive’.
Today’s Windows Phone is at least a match for the iPhone and Android device, finally competing on the same playing field in terms of functions and features, yet offering a significantly distinct user journey.
A video was played remarking on the staccato nature of an iPhone user, dipping into individual applications and retreating to the homescreen rather than revelling in the thrill of multitasking, and it did strike a chord with me, as painful as it was to admit.
The support is already there from OEMs and networks alike, stalwarts like Orange and AT&T were rolled out and given rewards for length of service, namely first dibs on bringing 7 Series phones to market.
The list of manufacturers gleaned few surprises, HTC, Sony Ericsson, LG, Samsung and Qualcomm are all going to be champing at the bit to turn their hand to modifying a more joyful Windows experience, and also bringing sexy handsets to market that make the most of that novel user interface.
The triumphant cheer from a small yet vocal pocket of journalists that met the end of today’s press conference spoke volumes for how much this was an overdue development.
Overdue for consumers, overdue for Microsoft as a company, overdue for loyalists who stuck by them through the stylus and crippling slow days, through the screen calibration and impossibly small fonts, through the “SPB is doing Microsoft’s job for them” hoots of derision.
Their blind faith and unwavering devotion in both Steve and Windows Phone 7 Series has finally paid off in spades, and the only problem is whether Holiday 2010 is a release date too far away?
If they pulled an Apple and said it’s available now, or in 30 days, then we could have been apoplectic with excitement at the prospect of this platform getting a headstart on What iPhone Does Next.
By releasing at the end of the year – a release date that will invariably slip into what is 2011 for some devices – will Windows Phone 7 Series have the same impact or allure, and more importantly will manufacturers still be willing to shell out for a hefty licence when they see yet more free open source alternatives, with glaring holes like Flash support patched up?
Either way, it’s a return to the ranks for Microsoft, and Windows Phone 7 Series chucks the stylus, lag and the entire operating system you knew into the bin, bringing their mobile game into the 21st Century with confidence.
A glimmer of sunshine for the few that opted to purchase the ill-fated Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2, they can take brief solace in the fact that the manufacturer is looking to keep the business handset going with a schedule of software updates.
The Xperiancers blog notes that the Windows Mobile 6.5 powered device will be getting an upgrade in March 2010 to the new 6.5.2, which improves general speed and GPS functionality, as well as bringing video telephony and FM radio support. Embrace the future!
The second update scheduled for May is the ‘big one’ apparently, introducing multi-touch, support for capacitive screens, browser improvements and tweaks across the board…much of which the XPERIA X2 could greatly benefit from.
Incidentally, this 6.5.3 build of Windows Mobile will make its global debut in a Sony phone, namely the Sony Ericsson Aspen.
Don’t go holding out for the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 to make a comeback though…whilst we know that it missed the boat on Vodafone, the final nail in the face for the bulky slider according to the blog is that it “won’t ever go onto Windows Mobile 7, it won’t support the hardware.”
After a few sneak peaks last month, today we received official word of the Sony Ericsson Aspen – the Windows-based smartphone formerly known as the Faith.
Style-wise the Aspen look to be an elegant Blackberry Bold / Nokia E-series hybrid, and nestled in it’s natural environment (atop a broadsheet, next to a coffee cup and shaded by a plant) it looks every inch the executive’s companion.
Specs-wise, the Aspen ships with the latest version of Windows Mobile – 6.5, a 2.4 inch QVGA TFT screen + stylus, WiFi, A-GPS, 3.2 megapixel camera, Micro USB and a 3.5mm jack.
Add to that a whole host of handy applications including Adobe PDF Reader, Microsoft Office Mobile, Google Maps™ plus handwriting recognition and you have a serious productivity tool on your hands.
The Aspen is also Sony Ericsson’s first GreenHeart™ smart device, with reduced harmful substances used both in its construction and its packaging, plus a power-save mode.
As a security measure, The Aspen also comes with a discreet security function – Microsoft MyPhone – that erases phone and call data if the phone is lost or stolen.
Overall, the Aspen looks like it possesses what many of Sony Ericsson’s latest offerings, e.g. the Satio, seemed to have lacked – a focus. Could the Aspen then be the phone to revive the ailing company’s fortunes?
We’ll have to wait and see, but expect to see a full Omio review soon before the Sony Ericsson Aspen goes on sale in the UK in Q2, 2010.
It’s late, been hinted at, mooted and alluded to since Omio was a little mobile comparison site, but Microsoft’s XBOX Live gaming service is finally coming to mobile phones!
The form that the newly-liveried “XBOX Live Games” will take is a platform spanning between the XBOX 360, Live for Windows on PC and handsets sporting Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system.
The major oversight that we would level at the service (as did Kotaku) is that the Windows phones restriction, arguably cutting off a huge swathe of the market.
No mention is made of XBOX LIve Games support for the Zune media player or smartphones running on other platforms, but to only support the least gaming friendly operating system is a mistake to say the least.
With a bevy of capable pretenders to the community gaming throne on iPhone (with OpenFeint releasing a standalone app for achievement addicts), it would have been great to see Microsoft bring some cross-platform gaming action over Live.
A Herculean effort, but the dividends would have been far greater than focussing on merely their own platform. Perhaps some new games are in the offing for Windows Mobile? It’ll certainly need them if they want XBOX Live Games – and Windows Mobile as a gaming platform – to take off.
A bit of positive news for those folks still out of the Windows Mobile 6.5 party (especially those XPERIA X1 owners…), the Windows Marketplace is now open to handsets sporting WinMo versions 6.0 and 6.1.
With over 20,000 applications for Windows phones now available in the Marketplace, Microsoft humourously suggested their lower numbers and better selection to be based on offering quality rather than quantity (looking at you, App Store!).
The range of titles varies from productivity to gaming as well as the usual selection of timewasters, whilst the pricing tends to fluctuate more as well as starting a little more pricey than Apple’s wares.
Microsoft states that “roughly 90%” of the software available will be compatible with Windows phones running 6.0 and 6.1.
The choice to download software over either the phone or the PC is a nice Apple-matching touch, as well as the 24 hour ‘return’ policy for those applications which turn out to be a bad impulse purchase…
Get Marketplace for your Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 device from here on your computer, or directly download it from mp.windowsphone.com on your phone’s browser.
The LG GM750 – Vodafone’s exclusive Windows Mobile 6.5 packing device – is now available to buy!
The GM750 plays host to a myriad of features and services in a sleek form. The device offers access to personal and work e-mail accounts, calendar synchronization and faster Internet browsing via Vodafone’s high-speed mobile broadband network or Wi-Fi.
With a 3″ full touchscreen, connectivity including 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS, as well as a 5 megapixel camera, the GM750 offers a powerful all-in-one device.
With support for downloadable applications from the Windows Marketplace, the GM750 marries LG’s popular S-Class user interface with a suite of productivity features.
The LG GM750 deals available are pretty competitive, with the handset available for free on a £25 per month contract, with 100 x-net minutes and 500 texts.
The innovative user interface is probably the most arresting thing about the gorgeous HTC Hero, with the clean and stylish Android-powered navigation leaving many a Windows Mobile owner glowering in envy at the sexy home screen and intuitive features.
Well, the industrious ryomahino from XDA-Developers have managed to come up with an ingenious theme based on the skinning software ThrottleLauncher that replicates the look and feel of the latest Google phone almost exactly!
From the animated clock to the live widgets, the total graphical overhaul this theme offers will make you forget all your WinMo usability woes!
Not savvy enough to get it going on your Touch HD? Not to worry, as HTC have said that the ‘Sense’ UI will indeed be coming to Windows phones in the coming months.
This video from PocketNow attempts to remain objective when comparing the Apple iPhone’s interface to the new Windows Mobile 6.5 functionality on an HTC Touch HD, but you can’t help but feel a touch of Microsoft bias.
They compare on four fronts: the lock screen, menu icons, the main screen and scrolling functionality. Have a look!
As it is based largely on aesthetics, the gulf is closed dramatically between the two platforms with Windows Mobile 6.5 looking gorgeous as well as having a level of functionality far beyond the current version.
However, claiming the match as a draw is a little premature as Windows Mobile 6.5 isn’t quite finished, nor has the power of the new iPhone 3.0 operating system has been unveiled…
Nevertheless, the fight is a lot closer than ever before, and goes to show how serious Microsoft is at providing an both an enjoyable and robust mobile phone touchscreen experience.
Okay, Microsoft has heard you. As soon as the first images of Windows Mobile 6.5 leaked, they were decryed as ugly fakes, and didn’t apparently wouldn’t stand a chance of going up against the revolutionary iPhone user interface.
Sad thing was…they weren’t fakes. The honeycomb was real.
Much has changed these days, and Windows Mobile has undergone a titanic overhaul since those fateful first builds.
Taking directions from the Design Museum of London and some of the biggest names in fashion, the new themes for 6.5 will make you proud to have a Windows phone.
Industrial designer Ron Arad (orange), Vera Wang (red), jean label Rock and Republic, Issac Mizrahi (creative director of Liz Claiborne; gingham) and dress lady Diane von Fürstenberg have all been tapped up for their flair, and have responded with some gorgeous themes.
Judging by the understated style of both the HTC Touch Pro 2 and HTC Touch Diamond 2, it seems that the forthcoming Windows handsets supporting Windows Mobile 6.5 will look equally as good.
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