Live From The Microsoft Launch 2010 Event In Boston
6:50 PM:
The event ended at 4:45 PM, following Chris Bowen’s very interesting overview of Windows Phone development. I was desperate to get out of there, and this is the first access to the Web (wifi on the Concord Coach bus) I’ve had since making a beeline for Copley Square.
On Windows Phone: It leverages Windows Presentation Foundation for applications and uses XNA (like XBox does) for games. The capacities of the phone seem on par with Android / iPhone, and Microsoft is using a vetting process similar to Apple’s for approving applications.
Developer tools, including an express version of Visual Studio 2010 and an emulator, are available at developer.windowsphone.com, where you can also register for their marketplace.
On the event’s end: End-of-event giveaways were paltry; a notebook charging station (not the laptop rumored earlier), three copies of VS 2010 and some trinkets, for 500+ attendees.
Not to sound greedy or childish, but that’s pretty cheap. If Microsoft can’t afford to seed its new products by giving away some of its software to those who were motivated enough to spend an entire day learning about it, that’s a sad, sad commentary.
Overall, I rate Launch 2010 a major disappointment. The afternoon sessions were good, but I have a feeling the Roadshow event being held in Augusta in two weeks will be effectively the same thing.
Overbooking the event, providing little more than glorified commercials for half the day, sending me home with garbage, hosting a mixer after they wore out my patience and making me look like a fool for talking up this event has put a seriously sour taste in my mouth, one I won’t easily forget.
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idroid Android OS Port For iPhone 2G Available For Download From MediaFire
While cruising through Google Reader’s recommendations, I ran across a link to the idroid Android OS port for the iPhone 2G that has set the Internet tubes to rattling in recent days.
That’s right: If you have an iPhone 2G laying about (and I am seriously kicking myself in the rear today for having turned my old 2G iPhone in to the recycler a couple months ago), you too can put the vastly superior Android OS on the vastly superior iPhone device.
This is not a project for a Linux noob, as you have to have enough skill to follow the instructions (PDF) on how to extract the touchscreen firmware from the iPhone, plus extensive skills in installing and configuring Linux (I probably couldn’t pull this off). Fortunately, the package comes with prebuilt images for Android, Linux and other necessary components, so once you have properly prepped the iPhone to receive Android, it should go smoothly.
The MediaFire link is http://www.mediafire.com/?xqjzn12igfn. Be forewarned: There are JavaScript redirectors and pop-under ads at MediaFire, and unfortunately you must enable JavaScript to get the download link.
UPDATE, April 28, 2010: File has been deleted from MediaFire. I don’t know of an alternate source.
I am not telling you to do this. If you add Android to the iPhone, you are certainly violating several agreements with both Apple and AT&T. You probably will brick the iPhone. It certainly will have performance issues and may not work at all as expected. If you install Android on an iPhone, you do so at your own risk.
All links in this post on delicious: http://delicious.com/dougvdotcom/idroid-andriod-os-port-for-iphone-2g-available-for-download-from-mediafire
