Boy Genius Report

XDA-developers have Windows Phone 7 code, 8-months before release

by Andrew Munchbach on March 15th, 2010 at 9:25pm
Filed under: Microsoft, Mobile, News, Windows Mobile 13 Comments

Worried about the multitasking capabilities of Windows Phone 7? Worried it will only have support for one ActiveSync profile or be missing some of those key features from Windows Mobile 6 platform? Well, we’re pretty sure the good people over at XDA-developers are going to have you covered come release time. A full eight months before it is due to hit the streets, the tinkerers over at XDA-devs have acquired a code dump of the Windows Phone 7 operating system. The code was pulled from the SDK emulator image and currently only runs on an x86 PC, but the XDA gang is already starting to prod and dissect the code in anticipation of a full ROM. You can hit up the XDA forum to get in on the conversation. Let the games begin.

[Via Know Your Cell]

Crowd Science survey: 40% of BlackBerry users would move to iPhone

by Andrew Munchbach on March 15th, 2010 at 5:19pm
Filed under: Apple, BlackBerry, News, RIM 103 Comments

ArsTechnica wrote up an interesting piece that examines the future plans, and loyalty, of BlackBerry owners. The article, which cites a Crowd Science survey, found that 2 out of every 5 BlackBerry users surveyed indicated having plans to switch out their BlackBerry for an iPhone when their service contracts expire. Ars goes onto cite some fun stats in the study:

33% of iPhone owners and 16% of BlackBerry owners use their device exclusively for personal use, not work
1% of iPhone owners and 7% of BlackBerry owners use their device exclusively for business purposes
66% of iPhone owners and 77% of BlackBerry owners are using their device for both business and personal purposes

Is the 40% number accurate? We think it is probably a little high. A combination of Apple’s brand awareness and the iPhone advertising machine is likely responsible for some of the yay responses. But say the survey’s margin of error is +/-10; the fact that even 30% of RIM’s customer base is thinking of abandoning ship is bleak.

RIM’s title of communicator extraordinaire and business companion is unparalleled at the moment, but as users begin to demand a greater mix of work and personal uses from their phone, RIM may find itself in a tough spot. Oh, the study also mentioned… 90% of Android and iPhone owners plan to stay loyal to their respective device operating systems when the time comes to upgrade.

Microsoft unveils details on Windows Phone 7 Series development

by Kelly Hodgkins on March 15th, 2010 at 3:05pm
Filed under: Microsoft, News, Windows Mobile 32 Comments

apwindowsphone7

Microsoft kicked off MIX 2010 this morning with a keynote that revealed some juicy details for developers waiting to dive into the Windows Phone 7 Series platform. As expected, Windows Phone 7 Series will make use of Silverlight for application development and XNA for game development. Features available for developers include:

Accelerometer support
Microsoft Location Service to provide developers with a single point of reference to acquire location information
Microsoft Notification Service for pushing information to the phone, regardless of whether or not an application is running
Hardware-accelerated video with digital rights management (DRM)
Internet Information Services Smooth Streaming for the industry’s highest quality content viewing experience
Multitouch
Camera and microphone support

To get developers on board quickly and easily, Microsoft is offering a suite of free developer tools which include Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone 7 Series, a free add-in to use with Visual Studio 2010 RC, XNA Game Studio 4.0, Windows Phone 7 Series Emulator for application testing, and a version of Expression Blend for Windows Phone. Microsoft is also stepping up its game in the app store department by offering a panoramic design (it will look sleek), try before you buy option, one-time credit card charges for app purchases, mobile carrier billing and ad-supported applications. Lest you think the app store will be a barren wasteland at launch, the list of application partners is impressive and include media moguls like Associated Press, gaming giants like NAMCO and EA Mobile, streaming media stars like Pandora and Sling, popular start-ups like Foursquare and Seesmic, and a host of others including Weatherbug, PopCap games, SPB Software and more. Anyone else get the feeling that Microsoft means business this time around?

Blockbuster looking to sell its European stores?

by Kelly Hodgkins on March 15th, 2010 at 1:02pm
Filed under: Home Entertainment, News, Services 16 Comments

After a disappointing Q4 2009 performance, Blockbuster’s woes continue with the US video giant looking to pawn off its European operations as a means of generating some much needed cash. According to a report from the Sunday Times, Blockbuster has hired Winchester Capital to sell off its European division which includes 650 stores in the UK and an unknown number of stores in Denmark, Italy, and Ireland. Combined, these assets could net Blockbuster a respectable £50m ($76M USD) at a time when the movie rental king is hemorrhaging cash and straining under the weight of increasing debt which now totals $964 million. This shot in the arm may not be the Hail Mary that saves Blockbuster from its downward spiral, but it is at least a step in the right direction for the ailing company.

HTC begins shipping CDMA Nexus One to Verizon Wireless? Probably not

by Andrew Munchbach on March 15th, 2010 at 11:45am
Filed under: Android, CDMA, EV-DO, HTC, Rumors, Verizon 63 Comments

DigiTimes has dug up an article featured in the Chinese newspaper Economic Daily News claiming that HTC has starting shipping the Nexus One to Verizon Wireless. The article goes on to say the N1 CDMA-variant will begin being marketed by Big Red this month with a release likely in April. Our take? What we’ve said and heard all along: the Google Nexus One will be sold exclusively through Google’s online phone store, while HTC Sense variants will make their way into carrier’s stores and marketing plans. That means, to be very clear, Google will sell the exact same version (specs and all) of the existing Nexus One with Verizon Wireless CDMA support, in the exact same way they currently sell the T-Mobile GSM variant. If HTC is shipping anything to Verizon, it’s most likely the HTC-branded Incredible (with HTC Sense UI); the Verizon-compatible Nexus One is, in all likelihood, being shipped to Google’s distribution partner Brightpoint.

Apple iPad pre-order numbers top 150,000, reservations a success

by Boy Genius on March 15th, 2010 at 9:10am
Filed under: Apple, Breaking News, Exclusives, Featured, Rumors, iPhone OS / iPod OS 87 Comments

ipad-stock-launch

One of our Apple connects recently hit us up and broke down some important iPad figures. According to him, Apple stores received around 300-350 (on average) reservations for store pick-ups on day one, and now sit at around 700 reservations so far (72 hours in). This doesn’t count people who pre-ordered the device online, just those that wish to physically go into an Apple store and pick up their reserved unit on launch day.

The figures that we’ve seen floating around of about 150,000 pre-orders, we’re told, are extremely accurate thus far but obviously don’t include people’s store reservations. We have also been told Apple’s flagship 5th Avenue store in New York now holds around 1600 reservations for iPads, with 800 in the first day, and about 400 a day since.

Lastly, store reservations seem to be split around 50% for the 32GB unit, 30% for the 64GB unit and about 20% for the 16GB, which is what, “Apple was expecting.”

AT&T intros four new Quick Messaging devices, new low-end device services

by Michael Bettiol on March 15th, 2010 at 6:23am
Filed under: AT&T, Handsets, Pantech, Press Release, Samsung, Services 16 Comments

att-quick-messaging

First up is the Samsung Strive. Available March 21st for $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (pricing reflects a limited-time AT&T promotion), the Strive features a sliding full-QWERTY keypad and a 2 megapixel camera. Second is the Samsung Sunburst. Also available on the 21st but for $39.99 after a $50 MIR, the Sunburst is a candybar touchscreen that features widgets which offer one touch access to frequently used services like SMS and social media sites. Other than that, all we know at present is the Sunburst also has GPS capabilities. Although pictures, pricing and specific release dates have not been announced, AT&T also announced two devices from Pantech in the Link and Pursuit. The Link, which will be available in the coming weeks, is described as an “ultra slim and light, full keyboard quick messaging phone” that has a wide range of social media capabilities. As for the Pursuit, it has both a touchscreen and sliding QWERTY keypad and its camera of unknown megapixelage supports facial recognition and geotagging. It will be available this summer.

Google to shutter Chinese branch of its search engine?

by Kelly Hodgkins on March 14th, 2010 at 8:59pm
Filed under: Rumors, Services 61 Comments

After weeks of negotiations and public statements, the tension between Google and China has reached a crescendo and sources familiar with the situation are relaying the rumor that Google may be closing the Chinese branch of its search engine in the next few weeks. The possibility of Google operating without censorship in China was stifled last Friday when Li Yizhong, Minister of Industry and IT, confirmed China’s position that Google’s plan to operate without filtering was “unfriendly”, “irresponsible” and warned that Google would “bear the consequences of its decision” to open up the Internet to the Chinese people. With China apparently unwilling to budge, Google is now at a crossroads and must decide whether its 36% market share is worth sacrificing in the name of Internet freedom.

HTC Touch Pro3 to touchdown this summer?

by Kelly Hodgkins on March 14th, 2010 at 1:15pm
Filed under: HTC, Handsets, Rumors, Windows Mobile 54 Comments

An unsubstantiated rumor out of XDA-Developers suggests that HTC is continuing its Touch Pro series of handsets with the third iteration expected to arrive this summer. According to the forum post, the rumored Touch Pro3 will be smaller and thinner than the current Touch Pro2 and will launch in Europe in Q2. With Windows Phone 7 Series smartphones expected to debut during this holiday season, the Touch Pro3, if it indeed launches, may be one of the last Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets to hit the market. Anyone interested?

[Via wmpoweruser]

Google Shopping adds local inventory search to your mobile

by Andrew Munchbach on March 14th, 2010 at 8:41am
Filed under: Android, Apple, Mobile, News, Palm, Retail, Services, WebOS, iPhone OS / iPod OS 9 Comments

Have an Android, iPhone, or webOS smartphone? Find yourself shopping at Best Buy, Sears, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm todos los dias? Well, Google has got a new feature for you. Google is officially launching an updated version Google Shopping, for selected mobile devices, that has the ability to search the inventory of local participating retailers. As Google explains:

Just go to Google.com in your mobile browser, tap on the “more” link, and then select “Shopping.” Or look for the “Shopping results” section in Universal Search results when you search on Google.com… look for the blue dots in the search results to see if it’s available in a local store. If you see a blue dot, you can tap on the adjacent “In stock nearby” link, and you’ll be taken to the seller’s page where you’ll see whether the item is “In Stock” or has “Limited Availability” near you.

Personally, we are hoping that all of these side apps get consolidated in the future… but that’s just us. We’ve got the official press release all queued up for you.

BlackBerry 9900/9930 slider hitting Sprint?

One of our solid connects told us some pretty interesting information regarding the BlackBerry slider device.

Verizon Wireless to require enterprise level data plan for BESX access?

by Andrew Munchbach on March 13th, 2010 at 1:41pm
Filed under: BlackBerry, News, RIM, Rumors, Verizon 90 Comments

A leaked Verizon training memo reveals how Big Red will be dealing with those who have plans to connect their BlackBerry to a new BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express (BESX); it is going to cost you a little extra. The memo explains that those looking to leverage BESX will be required to have an enterprise level data plan — which typically costs $45/month — as opposed to the standard $30/month BlackBerry data plan. RIM states the requirements of BESX are:

A BlackBerry smartphone
Subscription to an internet-enabled BlackBerry service plan from your wireless service provider

Not exactly 100% accurate, as the $30 standard data plan is an “internet-enabled BlackBerry service plan,” but, we suppose, not entirely false either. We’ve got the leaked memo after the break.

Yet another round of BlackBerry slider pics

by Michael Bettiol on March 13th, 2010 at 8:33am
Filed under: BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Handsets, RIM 52 Comments

bb-slider-profiles

And just like that, today we have the third photo leak of the mysterious BlackBerry slider. Unlike the first time we saw it but much like the second, the device has been placed next to a Curve 8900 for the sake of a size comparison. On its side the slider is noticeably thicker than the 8900 , but today it has been turned on its side in order to let us know exactly how thick this sucker is. What this device is actually called is anyone’s guess, but the general consensus is that this is not the Storm3. So what then is it? Lately a rumor has been floating around that it is actually a Bold owing to its identical styling queues to the current Bold 9700. Adding to this rumor is a UAProf found on RIM’s website for a 9700a that lists a portrait HVGA+ display (as opposed to the Bold 9700’s landscape HVGA+ display) and this all seems rather possible. Of course dealing with prototypes things can and will change as needed, so it looks like we’re going to have to twiddle our thumbs a little while longer until some more information comes to light. Hit the jump for a pic of device’s rear sans battery cover showing off its brand new F-S1 battery.

[via CrackBerry]