Windows 7 RC users

First things first, if you are using Windows 7 RC you’ll have probably noticed the OS keeps shutting down every two hours, this is a not a feature but a way to move you off the OS. You really should invest in the retail version of Windows 7, although I can’t imagine many people who read this site still using the RC version.

TechFest

Microsoft is currently hosting its annual TechFest event showing off some interesting demos of products from Microsoft Research to a select group.

Mobile Surface

Mary-Jo Foley this project and it would seem to be pretty much as it sounds by making any surface into a surface computer. The picture below, taken from the project’s site, shows several separate hardware devices projecting on to a surface to allow user interaction.

I would be very interested to see how works, from the below quote from the site it appears that it will have some form of Surface UI.

Our goal is to bring Microsoft Surface experience to mobile scenarios, and more importantly, to enable 3D interaction with mobile devices. We do research on how to transform any surface (e.g., a coffee table or a piece of paper) to Mobile Surface with a mobile device and a camera-projector system. Besides this, our work also includes how to get 3D object model in real-time, augmented reality and multiple-layer 3D information presentation.

The 3D and augmented reality implementation of this would also be extremely interesting but not entirely sure how its possible. It makes me wonder about viewing Bing Maps augmented reality technology on more than just a screen.

Cloud Mouse

Again Mary-Jo found this product with this one seemingly being aimed at finding a new way to browse “the cloud” and from what I can tell it seems like a new kind of joy-stick that will users to explore new kind of experiences in “six degrees of freedom and with tactile feedback, the cloud mouse will enable users to orchestrate, interact with, and engage with their data as if they were inside the cloud”.

I’m not sure I can see what this will do, currently there are no cloud experience that I can think of where this would be needed, I would like to know what they have come up with for this.

Translating Telephone

The project was shown off at TechFest and reported by Todd Bishop and shows people being able to have bilingual telephone conversations in near real-time with the system translating from one language to the other. Below you can see the impressive demo, with errors and all.

Interestingly LiveSide and PicturePan2 have discovered a new Microsoft Translator service for mobiles at http://www.microsofttranslator.com/m/, however this is nothing like the above video but will allow people to translate thing easily on their mobiles.

LiveSide also point out that Microsoft Translator will be at MIX 2010, I wonder if there will be tight integration of translation service on 7 Series.

HD2 to not support 7 Series

Yesterday Natasha Kwan, General Manager for Microsoft’s Asia Pacific Mobile Communications Business said about the HD2 that it “doesn’t qualify because it doesn’t have the three buttons” required by Windows Phone 7 Series. This is a great shame but seems to contradict what Alex Reeve said last week about OEMs being able to upgrade Windows Mobile 6.5 devices, unless future 6.5 devices will have the three hardware buttons.

I still live in hope that XDA Developers will be able to work their magic and create a version of 7 Series that will run on my HD2.

The (very) recently launched @WindowsPhoneUK Twitter account currently has a competition going for people in the UK above the age of 18 to win a HTC HD2. As a current owner of the HD2 I would suggest anyone who reads this and resides in the UK to enter this competition, its a truly great device.

All you need to do is follow @WindowsPhoneUK and tell them why you want a HD2 and include the hash tag #iwantawindowsphone in the tweet, full rules.

I wonder if (hope) this account has been set up because there is about to be a lot of media attention about Windows Phone with Mobile World Congress being less than a week away.

You can see the reasons other people have suggested for wanting a HD2 below.

Just a heads up to any HTC HD2 owners as you can now download the latest ROM update for the device from HTC Support. As far as I can tell this update increases the speed and increases the reliability of the device with fixes for likes of the SMS bug.

After using it for the past few hours I can’t see anything new with the device and maybe it is a bit faster but if you don’t want to have to reinstall all your apps then you want to wait a while in case we see some major changes in the next ROM for the HD2, maybe 6.6.

Windows Mobile Experts have just published an article about what they and are hearing about Windows Mobile 7, or Seven as it is supposedly going to be referred too, and two handsets that will be supporting the OS from HTC and LG. I urge you to read the entire article but I thought I would write down some of the best bits for your convenience.

The names and information of features, software etc etc could well all be wrong and is very likely to change but there is definitely some interesting pieces of information below.

Some General Information

The minimum screen resolution for Seven devices will be 800×480 and the current OS has be described as:

Think TouchFLO (slider tabs) meeting up with a stock SPB Shell (lots of information on multiple screen) mixed with a very well integrated message and app launcher — almost a ‘fun’ BlackBerry interface. Seems like the stock shell is more like a really good BB theme than iPhone or Android.

Seven will have 2 very different versions

We know Windows Mobile is popular in the business world but Microsoft want to make it big in the consumer market so how would they do supply both different markets with the best mobile experience? Follow their Windows approach of course and make various SKUs of Windows Mobile for the 2 main markets.

The Business Edition

• Nearest to completion and is the one most likely to be demoed at Mobile World Congress next month.
• The edition that will most likely have OEM overlays over the interface.
• Feature ability to sync to the cloud and various devices (I guess from other mobiles to PCs). Office implementation could allow users to edit documents stored on PCs or the cloud remotely and could allow multiple user access, just like in the Office 2010 PC versions.
• Stripped down version of Windows Mobile to allow OEMs more flexibility and customisation and makes the device less resource-intensive.
• Apparently the HD2 can run this version (yey!) and could well have an official update in October or November of this year.

The Media Edition

• Much more work is needed on this version of Seven, could well be the reason for the 2011 debut rumours and its possible that only little bits of the mobile OS will be shown at Mobile World Congress (likely to be HS video, Zune-like music player and TV streaming).
• The planned applications, integrations and technologies for the OS are Silverlight, Mediaroom, Xbox Live (apparently coming along very nicely, looking “awesome”), Facebook, Twitter and Zune Music integration.
• Not the “Zune phone” but will have many similarities to Zune devices and services.

Windows Sensor and Location Platform

This is the same platform as in Windows 7 and will mean any Seven phone will be able to access the hardware components regardless of carrier support. The devices will be able to be aware of its locations through multiple-tower signal support and triangulation, IP resolving and information from WiFi networks and will be much quicker at location detection through these improved technologies.

Hardware

LG’s Apollo

This phone, if the information is correct, would be an absolute monster of a phone with a 1.3 GHz processor, 3.8 inch capacitive AMOLED multitouch screen with a 1280×720 resolution and a 10MP camera. I like MWExperts thinks some things are amiss with these specs like there not really being a need for such a high resolution screen.

HTC’s Obsession

In short this is a smaller HD2 with a 1 GHz processor, 3.7 inch capacitive AMOLED multitouch screen and 5MP camera. This is likely to be the phone that is used to demo Seven at MWC as it is much nearer completion and the market than the LG phone. MWExperts also understand that HTC are working with Microsoft to put their Sense UI on the phone and there is seemingly no tension about it between the two companies.

Lots to digest

There is certainly a lot of information in MWExperts article and perhaps they sum it up best but I am certainly able to believe quite a bit of what they “know” about Seven and hope to hear and see more about the new mobile OS very soon at MWC. The only thing I think is absent in all the information is some level of integration with Windows Live, other than the cloud aspect as I believe Microsoft will make an effort to push Windows Live as their social platform for sharing content on the internet.

It will be great to know what is true, rumour and speculation…and of course to know if my HD will have an official update to Seven.

Microsoft hint at HD2 getting Windows Mobile 7

From a recent interview with BetaNews it would seem Microsoft see the HD2 as a prime example of a device capable of running Windows Mobile 7 which demonstrates the new strategy Microsoft have for their mobile OS and partners.

It seems increasingly more likely we will see an official update for the HD2 seeing as HTC tweeted about such a thing just over a week ago.

Zune to get Xdiv video support

Further to a previous about new features for the Zune HD, including a Facebook app and SmartDJ functionality on the device,  it would appear that the device will get XviD support in its next software update.

Its good to see Microsoft are still adding features to the Zune HD, it is certainly making it a more attractive device for customers in markets it can be bought.

Bing adds enhanced health information and display

Continuing Bing’s constant updating they announced yesterday that they had refined and improved their health search section. Bing now provides information about related conditions, medications and medical centers for health queries.

As ever its good to see more and more features in Bing, it really is quite impressive how much work they have been putting in to improve how search results can be displayed.