Archive for November, 2010
Windows Phone 7 unlocked, app side-loading commences
Nov 25th
A new tool named ChevronWP7 lets Windows Phone 7 users install applications outside of the Windows Phone Marketplace. Previously, only developers could test their applications on (just their own) phones. Now, any phone “unlocked” by ChevronWP7 will allow home-brew apps – including those denied from the Marketplace because they access private or native parts of the OS – to be installed, which could allow for customization or features beyond what Microsoft currently allows on the platform.
ChevronWP7 is available at chevronwp7.com and will run on any Windows Phone 7 device, with Windows XP SP2 and higher on your connected PC.
Steve Jobs action figure hits the market
Nov 22nd
If you’ve always wanted to add an Apple reality distortion field to your action figure collection, here’s your chance! The illustrious iCEO, Steve Jobs, has been crafted into miniature form, complete with his trademark black turtleneck shirt, Levi’s 502 jeans, New Balance sneakers, and beard. He also comes with rimless glasses, a mini iPhone 4, and an Apple logo to stand on.
The $79 figurine is highly detailed and even comes with a set of speech bubble cards that you can mount next to him, so your playtime routine can include such gems as “People don’t read anymore,” “I’ve always wanted to own and control the primary technology in everything we do,” “It turns out people want keyboards…we look at the tablet, and we think it is going to fail,” “We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas,” and more.
Check out M.I.C. Gadget for more photos and ordering info.
Update (11/23): Apple has of course issued a cease-and-desist notice to the site selling these, so unfortunately no more Steve Jobs toys!
Artificial retina restores mouse vision, humans not far off
Nov 17th
A new type of artificial retina may one day allow blind people to see with much greater detail than today’s prosthetic eyes allow. The new system, described in a study by Sheila Nirenberg and Chethan Pandarinath of the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, was designed to work more like frontline photoreceptor cells naturally do. ”If you want to really restore normal vision, you have to know the retina’s code,” Nirenberg said. “Once you have that, the door is open to the possibility of restoring normal vision.”
In mouse testing, the researchers found the new retina (center photo above) sensed more details of the original image (left) than current systems (right). ”Incorporating the [more accurate] code jumped the system’s performance up to normal levels – that is, there was enough information to reconstruct faces, newsprint, landscapes, essentially anything,” said Nirenberg. Prosthetic eyes may one day benefit over 25 million people worldwide who have lost sight due to retinal diseases– the next step forward is to begin studies in humans.
Source: PhysOrg, ScienceNews
Windows Phone 7 outlasts Android, iPhone 4 in grilling contest
Nov 13th
If “Will It Blend” isn’t enough for you, the makers of EZGrill have put up a comparison video between a Windows Phone 7 device (HTC Surround), an Android phone (T-Mobile HTC G2), and an iPhone 4 to see which lasts longer on a grill. Looks like Windows Phone 7 has a stronger “firewall” than the iPhone, and the Android phone roasts the quickest.
See the video after the break.
T-Mobile HTC HD7 Unboxing & Hands-on
Nov 10th
Here’s our unboxing and hands-on video for T-Mobile USA’s new HTC HD7 smartphone, powered by Windows Phone 7:
For more details on the phone, check out our earlier specs post, and to learn more about the OS, see all our Windows Phone 7 posts.
