Microsoft Disclosed Adding Web Widgets to Windows Mobile 6.5

Microsofts official blog confirmed the addition of web widgets in the upcoming release of Windows Mobile 6.5. Jorge Peraza, a software engineer and member of the development team disclosed the following:

A good way to think of a Windows Mobile Widget is as a “Portable chunk of the web” or just basically a rich internet application. Widgets are written using all the web technologies we know and love (HTML, CSS, AJAX, JavaScript) and, since they are powered under the covers by our new internet browser, they have full access to flash and other ActiveX controls available on the device (Like MediaPlayer).

The interesting thing about our Widget Platform is that it allows them to look and feel, to the end user, as a normal standalone application does; they have their own start menu icon, they show up as an individual apps in task manager and, most importantly, they have full control of the SK menu bar as any other application would (just easier J).

He also added that the exact capabilities of the widget framework and more details about it and the mobile OS will be available soon in the following months specifically during sessions on TechDays in April and TechEd 2009. He also shared some screenshots of the MSN widgets created by the Windows Live team below.

Anroidized Palm Pre: Can Android Really Run on Palm Pre ?

It reminded me of Radiohead's song Paranoid Android. I don't know why people would would want Android on a Palm Pre considering how fantastic WebOS looks. They claimed that after a jailbreak (meaning, after hacking), you could possibly install Andriod on a Pre and/or dual boot with WebOS. This is pretty cool, but I’ll probably just stick with WebOS.

The crazy people are even claiming you could run Android inside WebOS much like you can run Windows inside a Mac, which would be interesting to say the least.

Full story quoted below from mypre.com

The Palm Pre isn’t even in users’ hands yet, but already there’s work afoot to Jailbreak the smartphone and load alternative mobile platforms onto it. High on the list of potential OS candidates is Google’s open-source Android, and thanks to some sleuthing around the Texas Instruments OMAP34x SDK it looks like it’s one step closer to feasibility. The route to replacing webOS with Android starts with porting the new OS to the OMAP 3 system, then requires two-stage bootloading before, some further tinkering down the line, you end up with a Pre that’s dual-bootable into both webOS and Android.

In fact Android has already been ported to OMAP 3, by the OmapZoom team. To get around the Pre’s lack of microSD card slot - as the T-Mobile G1 is bootloaded via memory card - the suggestion is that the smartphone’s support for USB Mass Storage mode could allow hackers to place the Android OS in the user storage section, and merely point the initial bootloader to those files.

All this will require a serial over USB driver to access the Palm Pre’s bootloader and Linux core; you can guarantee that such a project will be a key priority when the Pre finally launches. Not only would it allow for dual-booting or alternative operating systems, but native software such as has been written for the iPhone and iPhone 3G. Alternatively, you could even load an instance of Android within webOS.

Apple iPhone OS 3.0 Unveiling on March 17

iPhone OS 3.0 is going to be unveiled on March 17 in an Apple event. Will the new OS be ready for the rumored 10 inch touchscreen iPhone tablet? We will find out at an invitation-only event about the new SDK and get a sneak peek at the iPhone OS 3.0 software. The event takes place at Apple, Building 4, Town Hall on March 17 at 10:00 a.m.

The following are some wish list iPhone feature users are clamoring beyond the obviously lacking CUT and PASTE feature. Hopefully some of it, if not all, will be addressed by the new version.

• Multitasking gestures, like the Palm Pre
• Background app running, like the Palm Pre
• App store submission fees, or some way to limit app store spam, like Microsoft's planned app store
• MMS - I don't care about this, really, but you might
• Video recording
• Voice dialing and text-to-speech caller ID
• Better software support for phone-related stuff, like optionally adding "Favorites" or "Recents" to home screen (and improved voice quality if possible)
• Bluetooth stereo streaming, like the Palm Pre
• Bluetooth file transfer and storage
• Bluetooth/Wi-fi sync, like the Zune
• iLife and iWork Mobile for editing docs and multimedia on the phone itself
• SPEED - The OS gets really sluggish after using it for awhile
• A completely new or refreshed UI - There's something to be said for meaningless but thoughtful design refreshes
• Big keyboard support and bulk delete in every app
• Flash support in browser
• iTunes app management
• Popups and notifications that don't interrupt your current activity, like the Palm Pre

Now before the Palm Pre hit the market, maybe Apple will try to cushion it out with the new iPhone OS 3.0. We will try to get a scoop and tell you all about it.

Battle of the Mobile OS's: A Short Roundup

I still remember the days of Palm vs. Pocket PC, Palm OS vs. Windows Mobile. They're back, but this time, it's a four-way battle. The stakes are higher, and the operating systems are more powerful than ever. Who do you think will win the race? or at least the race to your wallet.



iPhone OS X
A slimmed-down version of Apple's OS X is at the core of every iPhone and iPod Touch. With such a powerful operating system, the iPhone can run apps that belong more on your Mac than on a mobile phone, and play games that belong more on a gaming console.



Google Android
Yes, typical of Google, the version of the Android operating system found in the HTC G1 is practically still in beta development. Despite this, all the nerds are a-buzz with the possibilities of Android. Its open architecture -- familiar to Linux fans -- allows anyone to develop applications for Android phones, as well as make improvements to the OS itself.



Palm WebOS
Palm's brand new operating system. WebOS is slated to power all Palm devices for the foreseeable future. Comparisons to the iPhone have been drawn with WebOS's familiar navigation, but crucially, WebOS is capable of a few things OS X can't do: multi-tasking with its "cards" system, and cut and paste.



Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is the self-same operating system that ran your old Pocket PC PDA. Since then it has undergone radical cosmetic surgery, a heart replacement and about a gazillion nip tucks here and there. Still going strong. Windows Mobile is your first choice if connecting to enterprise networks is your priority. Word has it that WinMo 6.5 has some nifty visual tweaks.