Trolltech’s Qt® cross-platform development framework is adding support for Microsoft®’s Windows® CE operating system. This means that applications developed using Qt on Windows, MacOS X®, and Linux® desktop and embedded platforms can now be easily deployed to a range of mobile devices running on the Windows CE and Windows Mobile operating systems.“Qt for Windows CE is another milestone in Trolltech’s vision of ‘Qt everywhere’. It will allow application providers to reach out to even more devices by enabling their applications to run across yet another operating system without rewriting the code,” said Haavard Nord, CEO and co-founder of Trolltech.
Qt for Windows CE enables developers to write rich, easy-to-use, platform-independent applications, using the intuitive API that Qt is known for. Rather than spending time rewriting their application for new platforms, developers are free to focus on value-adding innovations that can differentiate the user experience of their product.
The Windows CE version of Qt includes all the functions needed for end-to-end application development, and provides integrated developer tools, such as a powerful graphical user interface (GUI) and forms builder and robust features for translation of applications into new languages.
Cross-Platform Embedded: Companies that build similar devices running both embedded Linux and Windows CE can use Qt to create one application for deployment across both device types.
Desktop to Devices: Applications built with Qt on the desktop can now be extended to run on a variety of Windows CE-based devices such as tablets, mobile phones, and other mobile devices.
Unique approach to Windows development: Qt is unique in its ability to provide developers with a single, consistent API that works on a wide number of Microsoft Windows platforms, ranging from Windows 98 to Vista® to Windows CE and Windows Mobile®.
Enhanced speed and user experience
Qt for Windows CE helps developers to use the full capabilities of the hardware they are working with. It integrates Scalable Vector Graphics drawings with full support for multiple displays and supports OpenGL® ES. It comes with Qt GraphicsView, a powerful 2D graphics canvas that enables the creation of interactive applications that can handle thousands of 2D graphics objects. Qt Style Sheets customizes the look and feel of applications without changing the code enabling easy differentiation of the user interface with minimal efforts.
Qt includes a wide range of components needed to build rich and complex user interfaces, including data-aware item views, offering a high degree of customization. Qt for Windows CE is also integrated with Visual Studio® 2005, and Visual Studio 2008 support is planned for the upcoming Qt version 4.4 release.
Availability
Qt for Windows CE will be available as part of the upcoming Qt 4.4 release, which is scheduled to be released in May. Currently technical previews are available in the Qt release snapshots and the latest Qt 4.4 beta release, available on Trolltech.com. Qt for Windows CE will be available under Trolltech’s dual-licensing model, which includes both commercial licenses for commercial development and a GPL-licensed version for open source development
February 26, 2008
mobile device makers are not happy with just one time interaction with the customer. They want more pocket share of customer post hardware purchase. So after ‘OVI’ from NOKIA, now Samsung has intentions to pursue internet based services model.
The new strategy would unite all of Samsung’s premium web-services under one roof and put more of that consumer-cash back into Samsung’s accounts. And, with handset manufacturers scrambling to keep the end-user “in-house” even after the customer has paid for the phone and is long-gone from the retail store, Samsung’s new web-services strategy makes sense.
Over the next couple years we’re going to see most big-name manufacturers start to offer Ovi-like web-services integrated into their revenue model
I am not too surprised by this announcement personally because I was expecting handset guys to come out with something like this or something else which would give then regular income from end customers. With the increased commoditization of handsets, dollars are drifting away from handset guys and I am sure they are a worried lot.
February 26, 2008
Nokia and the University of Cambridge are showing off a new stretchable and flexible mobile device of the future called Morph.
The new concept phone is part of an online display presented in conjunction with the “Design and the Elastic Mind” exhibition underway through May 12 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The device, which is made using nanotechnology, is intended to demonstrate how cell phones in the future could be stretched and bent into different shapes, allowing users to “morph” their devices into whatever shape they want. Think Stretch Armstrong for cell phones. Want to wear your cell phone as a bracelet? No problem, just bend it around your wrist.
Nokia says the concept device demonstrates handset features that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering, including flexible materials, transparent electronics, and self-cleaning surfaces.
“Nokia Research Center is looking at ways to reinvent the form and function of mobile devices,” Bob Iannucci, chief technology officer for Nokia, said in a statement. “The Morph concept shows what might be possible.”
Even though Morph is still in early development, Nokia believes that certain elements of the device could be used in high-end Nokia devices within the next seven years. And as the technology matures, nanotechnology could eventually be incorporated into Nokia’s entire line of products to help lower manufacturing costs.
Open Mode
Phone Mode
Wrist Mode
February 26, 2008
Pace at which a lot of desktop applications are moving to mobile phones, soon it would be imperative to have a ’search application’ on mobile phones which can search your mobile they way search is carried in desktops.
A company called Nuance offered a free trial to attendees of the Mobile World Congress last week that allowed you simply start typing a query in using T9. It automatically searched your entire phone for that content, be it a contact, file, image, application, etc
Windows Mobile lets you search for some content using T9 in a way similar to the new software from Nuance, called T9 Nav. But it’s not as thorough as T9 Nav is. Unfortunately, T9 Nav offered only a temporary beta trial, and won’t launch until later this year. On top of that, the software is limited to Symbian-based mobile phones.
It would be a lovely feature especially to people who have got high end feature packed mobile phones.
February 21, 2008
MTNL subscribers in Delhi having unlimited plan with GPRS enabled handsets will now be able to watch live TV on their mobile handsets.
Initially, MTNL customers will be able to watch seven TV channels till the commercial launch of the service, which is slated for April this year.
Five of the seven TV channels are free channels; users will have to pay a minimum of Rs 50 per month to access these on their mobile handsets. As regards the remaining ‘paid’ TV channels, customers will have to pay the necessary amount per channel.
MTNL Executive Director, A K Arora, said out of the 15 lakh-odd MTNL users in Delhi, nearly 25,000 have GPRS-enabled mobile phones.
For customers to be able to watch live TV on their mobile handsets, the handsets must be GPRS-enabled; supported by Symbian operating system (OS); having a minimum phone memory of 2MB; along with Real Player application
February 19, 2008
NOKIA has launched Nokia Maps 2.0 beta
Drive – is NOKIA’s new and beautiful car navigation feature.
Walk – It lets you find your way in the city when you are on foot
I can see some other killer application of these Maps 2.0 for example location based & relevant marketing.
February 18, 2008
HTC has showcased P3470 smartphone at World Mobile congress in Barcelona, Spain.
-
It is quad-band smartphone which comes with a trendy 2.8 inch QVGA LCD touch screen.
-
The smartphone which will be available in some parts of Europe within a month will cost around Euro 440 -470.
-
The company claims that the phone has a long battery life offering around 350 minutes of talk time and 10 days of standby time.
-
The Smartphone will be powered by Windows 6 Mobile and offers better navigation with TomTom Navigator 6.
-
HTC P3470 comes with a 256 MB Flash memory, 1GB microSD memory card and 2 MP camera. The phone supports Bluetooth 2.0 but doesn’t have Wi-Fi or 3G.
-
The stylish and practical PDA phone weighs 122 gm with battery. HTC P3470 is powered by TI’s OMAP 850 201.5 MHz processor. The phone offers an easy navigation with 4-way Navigation wheel with an enter button in the middle.
-
HTC plans to boost the sales of the new P3470 by selling it through Orange Cellular services dealership network.
February 17, 2008
Polymer Vision Ltd (www.polymervision.com) has developed a rollable electronic display. Please visit the above link to peep into the future of mobile & laptop displays. A nice video showcases this innovative technology.
Polymervision was founded in 2003 and has 26 employees.
The display can be rolled out to a greater size than the actual mobile device itself. It has lower power requirements than an LCD with backlight and is easy to use giving a paper-like viewing comfort.
Once the user has finished, the display can simply be rolled back into the device. For example, a 5 inch display can be fully rolled up within the thickness of a standard mobile phone
This innovative technology can give big boost to Mobile TV and other such applications requiring bigger screens.
February 15, 2008
Aricent, a full-service, full-spectrum communications software company, announced that it has developed high-definition video and audio encoders and decoders (codecs) for Texas Instruments’ OMAP3430 processor-based mobile phones. Aricent’s high-definition software enables a new class of applications for the mobile consumer. The consumer will be able to use their mobile phone as a HD quality player and download high resolution HD content (720p) on their phone for playback on an HDTV screen or use the mobile phone as a DVD-quality camcorder recording in high resolution (720p). By decoding 720p MPEG-4 Simple Profile video in real-time, Aricent has become one of the first companies to offer DVD-quality record and playback capabilities for a range of mobile devices such as mobile handsets, portable media players and automotive entertainment systems.Aricent’s multimedia codecs were designed specifically for TI’s OMAP3430 processor, the latest in a line of mobile platforms that combine PC- and consumer entertainment system-comparable performance with low power consumption. Aricent’s multimedia software on the OMAP3430 processor is designed for multiple mobile platforms like Linux, Symbian and Windows Mobile.
“The next generation of mobile phones will support multimedia features previously available only with high-end consumer electronics,” said Markus Tremmel, worldwide wireless ecosystem manager Texas Instruments. “Using the processing power of the OMAP3430 processor, for the first time companies like Aricent are delivering better-than DVD-quality record and playback capabilities for mobile handsets.”
Aricent is a member of TI’s OMAP Developer Network, a group of leading software developers porting advanced applications to TI’s high performance, power-efficient OMAP processors. Handset manufacturers adopting OMAP devices enjoy the rapid deployment of compelling wireless applications – including streaming audio and video, multimedia messaging, gaming, security, speech recognition, location based services and mobile commerce – across all leading operating systems. Systems level integration services are also provided worldwide by independent OMAP Technology Centers. The OMAP platform has been selected by leading manufacturers, such as Nokia, Palm, NEC, Fujitsu, LG Electronics, Hewlett-Packard, HTC and many more, for their 2.5 and 3G wireless devices.
February 15, 2008
