A couple of years ago, headlines were made about an iPhone app called I Am Rich. This $999 piece of software did nothing but display an image of a jewel on your phone. The point? To let everyone know that you have entirely too much money. The app was pulled not terribly long after, and we thought it was gone for good. Well it seems that the person responsible felt the need to revisit the idea, this time on Windows Phone 7.
That’s right, now you can show all of your friends just how stupid you really are. Unfortunately you’re not allowed to blow $999 on it. You’ll only be given the chance to shell out $499 this time around. Maybe if you’re really lucky, you can trick it into letting you purchase the software twice. Or maybe you can just buy a second phone, buy the app, then put it in a blender.
Remember the Windows Phone 7 ads, the ones that promised to “save us from our phones” by giving us more “glance and go” information? For the most part, these phones haven’t delivered on that promise due to the relative dearth of apps taking advantage of Microsoft’s live tile concept. That changes a bit today thanks to an update to the HTC Hub app that ships with every Windows Phone 7 device manufactured by HTC. Now, instead of a generic double-wide icon, the HTC Hub presents you with the current weather condition and temperature and the forecasted highs and lows. As such, you’ll never have to click through and be subjected to HTC’s overwrought animations that feel so out of place on Microsoft’s more demure user interface. More please.
It’s staggering to think how much things have changed in the cellphone industry over the last few years. Where vendors once measured success largely in terms of units shifted, future success is now measured by the number of apps, games, and devs attracted to each opposing platform in a burgeoning smartphone marketplace. Just last week, Nokia announced that it had lured in some 400,000 new developers over the last year. Now Microsoft is touting a rather meager (by comparison) 15,000 Windows Phone developers “signaling their intent to bring exciting content to Windows Phone.” Enough implied manpower to push well beyond the 3,000 apps and games expected to be populating the Windows Marketplace by the end of this week. Of course, objectively measuring a developers intent to develop on a platform is difficult. And really, platform potential is not the primary thing driving the purchasing decision of most consumers — not with so many viable handsets available today. Still, it’s good to see such optimism coupled with the fact that the vast majority of people around the world — gasp! — don’t use smartphones.
It’s a [FEATURED] fantasy today! We’ve got columns and special posts by the barrel-full, and you’re gonna love em! First thing in the morning we got a pre-noon delivery from the FedEx truck – what did the FedEx man bring for us to unbox and get our hands on? A NOOKcolor, fresh off the factory line! Then we write a couple of columns: one on the raging state of the Tablets market, and one on the current quick-paced state of political news. Then Josh Marinacci says webOS will be available soon for ALL Palm devices, there’s a White iPhone 4 sale in China, and the feature stream begins. Last night our man Vince was at PEPCOM and brought back video demos of Gorilla Glass, a three screen monitor from Samsung, and a NOOKcolor. Finally (there’s more?!) the last installment of Evan’s Week with the HTC HD7 is up – Xbox LIVE! All this and even MORE on The Daily Slash!
SlashQUOTE
Today’s item of interest in The Daily Slash is a quote from the Professor / Writer / Inventer of the Internet Tim Berners-Lee as he writes an article called “Long Live the Web” about defending the Internet against those who would limit it in a variety of ways. I suggest you read the entire thing because it’s a masterfully written statement and it concerns us all, all of us internetlings.
Why should you care? Because the Web is yours. It is a public resource on which you, your business, your community and your government depend. The Web is also vital to democracy, a communications channel that makes possible a continuous worldwide conversation. The Web is now more critical to free speech than any other medium. It brings principles established in the U.S. Constitution, the British Magna Carta and other important documents into the network age: freedom from being snooped on, filtered, censored and disconnected.
What a frajabulous day of revealing leaks, first looks, and yes, HAX. There were not one, but TWO sightings of Droid 2 functionalities in the wild. The myTouch 4G was blessed with a Permaroot, and that brand new Android-to-iPhone port was granted a no-computer install and activation. Then to rather peek-a-boo moments: a Sharp ISO1 Unboxing and a Hustler app for Android. Apple tops the holiday want-lists (is anyone surprised?), the SlashGear Pad and Quill iPad case giveaway winner is revealed, and Nintendo wants to own “It’s On Like Donkey Kong!” All this and some lovely FEATURES coming your way today, on The Daily Slash!
SlashINTERNETS There are two really rock and roll amazing things about the internet. One, is the the fact that it changed the world and keeps me in the technologically neato news publishing business. Two, is the fact that it does things like give little kids back their stolen backpacks. Just the other day, the internet (including, importantly, Gizmodo and Reddit,) got word of this little man getting his backpack (full of Halloween candy and a PSP) stolen! So what did they do? Like all good communities, they called out for help. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel got wind of it, and like a good talk show host, he did a special on the situation and sent the kid a new backpack with new candy, a new PSP, and a bonus NERF gun. Win! I love you, internet. Watch the Jimmy Kimmel clip here:
Bing not meeting your needs? Don’t fret, Google just pushed its Google Search app for Windows Phone 7 live in Marketplace. A move the mirrors the Bing app availability on the Android Market. The Google Search app utilizes your location to provide local search results and features suggestions as your type and a search history to quickly repeat any previous queries. While there’s no way to reassign Google Search to the dedicated search “button” on WP7 devices, you could always pin the app to the Start screen. Unfortunately, we’re still not seeing it populated in the UK Marketplace (search for “Google Search”) but that should be remedied anytime now.
This news is bigtime, especially considering the mark they set for themselves in Early October at only 1,000. Marketplace is now fully open to submissions from all of their 13,000 registered developers in 30 supporting markets. This is all certainly due in no small part to the program kicked off in early October encouraging developers to get to work creating lovely apps for WP7 devices worldwide.
An expanded set of Windows Phone Developer Tools is also available now and has already been downloaded over half-a-million times. Also starting TODAY is Microsoft Advertising’s in-app As Solution for WP7 – this helping developers earn cash with easy-to-implement and track – they’re calling it “the industry’s first real-time, bid mobile ad exchange.”
Microsoft publicist Todd Brix lets us know that Windows Phone 7 is a “fresh start” for Microsoft and their developer community, adding that he’s very encouraged by the reception it’s all received so far. “If you’ve been waiting to submit your app, we’re ready for you,” he says, reminding everyone that the holidays are fast approaching and that hard-cold cash for everyone with a fantastic app is just waiting to be scooped up.
Check it Microsofties, it’s time to get back into the game. While some phones have already launched in Europe and beyond, today is the first day that you can put down cash in the US for a Windows Phone 7 device all your own. The Microsoft online Store just loosed the HTC HD7 (T-Mobile), HTC Surround (AT&T), and Samsung Focus (AT&T). Rumor has it that the 4.1-inch Dell Venue Pro (T-Mobile) will be out on shelves at Microsoft retail locations today as well. So why not use that extra hour of wakefulness that Apple provided to think it over?
Update: Prices drop to as low as $149.99 at Dell Mobility (which still doesn’t list its own Venue Pro) and $99 at Amazon Wireless when purchased with new service plans. The LG Quantum is up for pre-order too with Amazon claiming an 8 to 9 business day delivery.
