Embedded

Mostly about embedded Linux distros and a little bit about Windows Mobile.

Android on iPhone

2
1 year ago
by frankps in , , ,

I thought this day would never come…

But then again, I have iPhone with all the apps I need. And I am not sure that I will dual-boot and sure not on my work phone!

ACCESS finally showing what they have been working on for years

0
2 years ago
by frankps in ,
Else Intuition

Else Intuition

I was sitting with my first coffee cup reading computer related news at one of my favourite sites, Engadget, when I saw that ACCESS finally was showing of a phone running their operating system.

First problem, the newsupdate contains no newsworthy information except from the picture. Just see how Engadget struggled:

“Linux-based mobile platform that comes with such a hyperbolic press release that we can’t help but think every other mobile manufacturer should just pack up and go home. It’s said to match the functionality of “top ranked MP3 players, best-in-class GPS devices, and more, while maintaining an exceptional ease and simplicity of use.”

The information in the pres srelease can best be said to be the marketing department at play. So off I went to Access’web pages to find further information. Started with looking through the press release, just to make sure that it actually said nothing. I then visited the product page, which made me even more concerned. The only thing I could find was a refined version of Google’s Android OS, and the only thing special with Access Linux Platform 3.0 (ALP) seemed to be that is comes with Access own NetFront browser. If you visit the product page, make sure to have a look at their presentation of Android OS, I mean ALP! And if that wasn’t enough, earlier this week we got the first screenshots of Android 2.0 over at The Boy Genius Report. I have only grabbed one screenshot, and you can see the rest of them in the article Android 2.0 screenshots.

It should be needless to say, that the similarities are many, perhaps to many. And that the similarities raise the question, do we need ALP at all? I can only conclude with NO!

Yes, it still sucks!

0
2 years ago
by frankps in , , ,

With Windows Phone now officially out there, the question is whether Microsoft’s latest attempt on making an useable OS for mobile phones has succeeded. Early reviews suggest no: MobileCrunch’s verdict is that “it still sucks“, SlashGear thinks it “falls short of a knock-out blow” while Gizmodo says “there’s no excuse for this“. I can, as so many others, only say: Ouch!

I have search the Internet to find positive reviews of Windows Mobile 6.5 (now renamed to Windows Phone). But not found a single review doing so. I asked for help on Twitter, but no one has until now given me any links. I have only been Retwittered (RT). A Norwegian IT site was down to earth honest saying that you with Windows Mobile 6.5 were only a few clicks away for a Windows 3.1 experience. I belive them. Windows Mobile 6.5 should never have happened. Microsoft should have had full focus on Windows Phone 7, taken it’s time to do it properly instead of loosing face in public media for delivering something not worth spending time on. This is simply not the way to compete with iPhone, Android and Blackberry!

Layar for Android phones

0
2 years ago
by frankps in , ,

Layar is a ground breaking new browser. The browser is said to be an augmented reality browser, and can show what is around you by displaying real time digital information on top of reality through the camera of your mobile phone:

The browser is at the moment only available in the Netherlands, and this is how it works: On top of the camera image Layar adds content layers. These layers are equivalent to webpages in normal browsers. Just like there are thousands of websites there can be be thousands of layers. One can easily switch between layers by selecting another via the menu button, pressing the logobar or by swiping your finger across the screen.

Companies get the possibility to publish their own layer in Layar (through an API). Several companies have already signed up for Layar and will publish their own content in their branded layer soon. Layers will be available per country.

And the iPhone? It is not forgotten: In this interview below the key developer says that we can expect a Layar application for the iPhone 3G S this autumn:

Is Nvidia to save the Windows Mobile platform?

0
2 years ago
by frankps in , ,

The user interface is as ugly as it can get, but what you see in this Youtube video is impressive:

The Nvidia HD AVP (High Definition Audio Video Processor) with NVIDIA® PureVideo® technology currently able to run both the embedded operating systems Android and Windows Mobile. And the developer board used in the video let the developer do dual-boots of the two embedded systems. The HD AVP platform lets users both capture and playback HD 720p movies on mobile devices mobile device (and can through a HDMI output present videos and slideshows on HDTVs). Video playbacks can for the first time be done with low CPU usage and power consumption on mobile devices.

For more information, please visit http://www.nvidia.com/page/handheld.html.

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