T-Mobile HTC HD2 Gets Unboxed
It is getting harder and harder to watch these videos of the HTC HD2. Yeah, we have already seen a lot of the HD2 already from our friends across the pond who always get the good stuff first. But if you are like me and hang your hat in the good ol’ USA, you know the following Video is makes the HTC HD2 get real for us and not just a dream. If you think I am excited about the HD2 from T-Mobile, then check out Scott over at Letstalk.com who got his hands on one and is having a hard time concealing his enthusiasm as well. (That’s why I point the camera away from my face there Scott! LOL) Anyway, Scott unboxed the T-Mobile HD2 for us and is a great video watch. Scott says a lot of words in the video but they all seem to get drowned out by the HUGE 4.3 WVGA screen is this snapdragon 1GHz Beastie. So enough words from me, check out the video:
(via: WMPU)
GTX Sense UI Theme Offers More By Using Less
If you are tired of all the HTC Eye Candy they have been packing into their Sense 2.5 UI, then check out this great new them by [ElCondor] over at XDA. As you can see it has been stripped down of all the color and offers a very “easy” on the eyes gray scale theme. [ElCondor] says:
“HTC has gone wrong. The nice clean look on the first versions of Manila has been abandoned.
The clean icons have been replaced by disorderly icons, in every color of the rainbow. Grey turned into color.
The evolvement of the interface itself was good, but the designers began to imitate Samsung.
GTX Sense is – what I think – the way HTC should design. I am not saying they should make a white theme, but that fancy flashing stuff is everything except eyecandy. The design of this theme is mainly inspired by HTC.com and the ZuneHD. The clean look of those interfaces is just excellent.
It’s been a hard job to get everything working. It was not only graphics work, but also a lot of scripts needed to be enhanced.”
Requirements: WVGA or VGA device with manila version 2.5.192X. Any additional mod, such as Co0kie’s mod, could cause bugs.
Important: If you haven’t got the Manila Locker installed, make sure to install this.
If you’re using an official (stock) ROM, or your manila is not CFC Compressed, download the CFC Uncompressed one.
Currently only Manila version 2.5.1921 is supported. 2.5.1922 is not advised. 2.5.201X will follow soon.
Size of theme: 2,6 MB, CFC Uncompressed 11,4 MB
Make sure you head on over to XDA and check this out and thank [ElCondor] for his awesome work. Remember, tipping these guys goes a long way and keeps them developing! A few dollars (seriously 2-3) does a long way if more people would donate. So skip that Mountain Dew, well, skip something else, gotta have your morning caffeine and show some love!
XDA Link: CLICK HERE
Source: WMPU
Deer Versus Cars
I painted that masterpiece of Rudolph in the fifth grade by the way. Didn’t go over well. So Bossman Doug Smith who told me from the beginning that I can write about anything I want just sent his armada of authors a plea to ramp up production while he deals with the fallout that comes with deer and their poor automotive judgment. I’ve been busy myself, not abreast of the issues that affect your phone, didn’t have much to write about in response to his request but I do have my own deer story that’s apropos. Nothing whatsoever to do with technology but I’m curious what happens if I post it anyway.
Once upon a time I was driving after dark on a windy unlit road in Westport Connecticut and as I got close to a blind curve on a hill I noticed a car pulled over on one side of the road and an incapacitated deer in the middle of the other. I did some calculations in my head and determined that traffic headed toward that deer wouldn’t be able to see him in time to make an evasive maneuver and that the deer, whom I’ll go ahead and personify for narrative effect as Mister Deer, was presenting a major hazard so I thought I’d do a good deed and pull over to drag him out of the way for the deer scooper man to deal with later.
As I approached Mister Deer, I saw that he was alive and conscious. I heard a car approaching, bam, the deer tumbled underneath and was now twenty feet further away from me and the car kept going (Toyota maybe?). I was briefly relieved that there was no serious accident and that the deer was surely dead this time but as I got closer I saw that the deer was still alive and kicking. Five seconds pass, history repeated itself and if you can believe it he was still alive. Resilient little fella. That has got to be some kind of Westport deer record for surviving so many abrupt introductions to fenders, windshields and tires.
Depending on how your mind works this is going to get a little more disturbing. Don’t judge me.
OpenMobileMaps- Opensource Maps
OpenMobileMaps is an app that is being developed by Cipher over at XDA. This app is very similar to GoogleMaps but it relies on openstreetmap.org. Some of the features of this app are:
- showing map in fullscreen
- finger friendly user interface
- map tiles are automatically downloaded if internet connection is available
- map tiles are stored locally for offline use
- GPS support and GSM triangulation
- show actual position on map
- follow-mode to automatically scroll the map
- search addresses (testing)
- calculate routes (not yet implemented)
- gps and gsm tracking (not yet implemented)
- choose between different OSM servers (not yet implemented)
Download this app here. It is still a work in progress. So try it out and give the developer some feedback at his XDA thread.
Google Maps Gets Updated With Bicycle Directions
If you are a biking nut like I am, this is some very cool news indeed. Google Maps has just released an update that adds Bicycle Directions and will be unveiling this new feature at the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC. Google says: “This new feature includes: step-by-step bicycling directions; bike trails outlined directly on the map; and a new “Bicycling” layer that indicates bike trails, bike lanes, and bike-friendly roads” and
The new bicycling layer for Google Maps, accessible via the “More…” drop down menu at the top of the map, will display an overlay of the various bike-friendly roads and trails around town. The layer is color-coded to show three different types of paths:
- Dark green indicates a dedicated bike-only trail;
- Light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road;
- Dotted green indicates roads without bike lanes but are more appropriate for biking, based on factors such as terrain, traffic, and intersections.
Check out the video that Google released as well:
Even though Google Maps with Bicycle Directions has only been released to desktop versions, Google says a Mobile Version is planned. If you want to learn more about Google Maps with Bicycle Directions, jump after the break for the Google Press Release, or check out the Google Maps web page or CLICK HERE.
CareerBuilder Survey Paints A Darker Picture Of Our Obsession With Staying Connected
I will start by saying that I REALLY hope that my wife does not read this article! There is no telling what kind of medicine she is going to put me on or counseling she will insist I go to! I am addicted to Mobility. After reading through a Survey taken by CareerBuilder, a darker picture is being painted about our need to stay connected, even at times when we should be focusing in on what is really important in our lives. No with all that being said, I am not going to delve into a lot of depth with this as nothing I could write could compare to our own Dr. Jim’s work on the Psychology of Technology Series he so brilliantly writes for us. But what I would like is for you to take a little quiz. There are 8 different locations or times that have been listed below, ask yourself how many of those you have used your mobile device during:
- During a meal
- While in the bathroom
- Lying in bed at night
- At a movie, play, musical, etc…
- On a date
- Working out at the gym
- At a child’s event of function
- At church
Now, I had already known that I would score badly on any mobility obsessive test, but I was a little pleased that I did not go 8 for 8! How many did you score on? Here is what the survey found on what percentage of people polled used mobility on or where as the case may be:
- During a meal – 62 percent
- While in the bathroom – 57 percent
- Lying in bed at night – 50 percent
- At a movie, play, musical, etc… – 25 percent
- On a date – 18 percent
- Working out at the gym – 17 percent
- At a child’s event of function – 17 percent
- At church – 11 percent
You can read the entire CareerBuilder Survey after the break, but I invite you to share your scores with us and leave a comment. Mine was 7/8.
T-Mobile HTC HD2 Unboxing Leaks
With a device like this, we just can’t get enough leaked goodness! This time BGR’s ninjas score the T-Mobile HTC HD2 just like the rest of us will see it on March 24th. Looks like the basic accessories will be coming with the HD2 with the exception of a skin you can see listed in the picture to the right. So head on over to BGR for some more pictures if the two below aren’t enough to tide you over!
(via: BGR)
Batterygate II: Exposing Fakes
In my war against crappy cell phone batteries I’ve been dying to dig into the whole Chinese bathtub battery world as doing so could yield more effective and actionable information to use to shake things up and blow off lids than just fighting on the eBay feedback front would offer. But that’s a dark place you may not find on Google (or Pamela) to get access to and information about, one thing I’m hoping HTC can give me if they take my little email seriously. I want them to help me help them help me help you patronize the right people, you dig? That could take a while so I want to hand some of this off to you in case you ever buy a battery on eBay, either a counterfeit OEM, a crappy battery or a crappy counterfeit battery, as one of you might be able, with the right footwork, to crack their Great Wall of Cell Phone Accessory Secrecy. By they I mean China obviously. And Hong Kong and Singapore too at least have some peripheral involvement but we’re dealing with, primarily and as usual, China.
I bought three batteries advertised on eBay as being OEM/HTC. Two of the three were counterfeits. It seems there is a sea of counterfeit batteries and that ain’t right so I want to waste a ton of time trying to do something about it. If you get burned with a fake OEM or otherwise unsatisfactory battery, here’s how I recommend you handle it: First hit the seller with a negative feedback rating using language like “counterfeit” and “fraud” then contact the seller demanding your money back — but not in exchange for sending the battery back as, and you can advise them of this if asked, sending something that is fake in exchange for money, either normal money or refunded money, may constitute mail fraud. I wouldn’t worry about being prosecuted, but why make the schlep to the post office just so they can make sure there isn’t any loose evidence of their fraud? And you don’t want to mail it back just so they can sell it to someone else. If you’re not sure if your battery is copacetic or not and want to run it by me, I’ll test that sucker for you and even cover the return postage, no problem (but right now I can only charge Tilt 2 batteries, sorry everyone else).
The one legit OEM, by the way, came from Brooklyn.
These people are desperate to protect their feedback rating so you have some leverage here, at least enough to get your money back if not more. Actually by this point you may already have gotten your money back but let’s aim higher: In exchange for retracting your negative feedback in exchange for a neutral rating and not pursuing the situation further with eBay, PayPal, HTC, or if there actually is any, an equivalent their country has of a better business bureau, ask for the contact information of their supplier or the manufacturer. There are so many resellers that it’s pointless to try to report them all but getting information on who’s cooking up the bathtub batteries with the fake labels, now we’re talking. About what exactly I don’t know yet but it just feels like the right direction to head. I could use your help in getting that information in order to have any affect at all on this dirty industry so let us all benefit from your being victimized and not let the deal die in vain.
But it’s a safe bet they won’t cough that information up (at least the two I tried to pressure wouldn’t). So, demand next (in exchange for the bad feedback retraction) that they take the listing down of the fake item along with any duplicates, searching through their other listings for others of the same item. If they won’t do that, for your next counteroffer I would recommend to retract your negativity and stop breaking their balls if they would just remove any reference of HTC, OEM, HTC model numbers and the like — anything misleading buyers viewing the item into thinking it’s OEM. That’s just too much not to feed back negatively over. If they won’t do that, leave the negative feedback intact, sting them with a counterfeit report to eBay and move on in life.
So that’s what I did with Lovely Betty from Hong Kong. It’s both a good how-to for this situation and an amusing read. Sweet girl, so polite and even left me and now you too with a happy ending. Hit more so I can hit you back with the transcript.
Doug Simmons
T-Mobile Bringing In Media For HTC HD2 “Experience” March 16th
Engadget just got a T-Mobile Invite (I’m sure mine will be here tomorrow) to “Experience” a “Larger Than Life Entertainment Powerhouse” on March 16th in New York City. So as you know, T-Mobile will drop the HD2 on March 24th to retail outlets so this looks like a good “Pump You Up” session by T-Mobile for it’s release.
So are you going to be in line on the 24th of March to get one of these? No Windows Phone 7 Upgrades takes a lot wind out of my sales for having to cough up $449.99 without contract for it. I know XDA will be all over this, but, with 6 months or so before the release of Windows Phone 7, I think I am in a holding pattern for now.
More T-Mobile HTC HD2 Pictures In The Wild
For all of you waiting patiently for March 24th release of the T-Mobile HTC HD2, we got a few more pictures in the Wild for you from the boys at TMO News. Head over to TMO News for More T-Mobile HD2 Goodness!
