Windows Phone 7, iOS 4.1 and webOS 2.0 Are Coming
The Microsoft-developed Windows Phone 7 operating system, the Apple-developed iOS 4.1 operating system, and Palm’s webOS 2.0 operating system all made the news this week. Keep reading below to find out why.
Windows Phone 7
Redmond-based software giant Microsoft has put the finishing touches on Windows Phone 7, the mobile equivalent of the Windows 7 operating system. The operating system has reached the most important milestone in its development process – Release To Manufacturing (RTM). All that’s left now is for Windows Phone 7-powered devices to make it to the market.
“Windows Phone 7 is the most thoroughly tested mobile platform Microsoft has ever released," said Corporate Vice President of Windows Phone Engineering, Terry Myerson. “We had nearly ten thousand devices running automated tests daily, over a half million hours of active self-hosting use, over three and a half million hours of stress test passes, and eight and a half million hours of fully automated test passes. We’ve had thousands of independent software vendors and early adopters testing our software and giving us great feedback. We are ready.”
iOS 4.1
Cupertino-based software developer Apple announced that it will update the iOS 4.0, the operating system that was launched concomitantly with the iPhone 4. Apple said it would roll out the iOS 4.1 update for iPhone and iPod Touch next week. The company has already started seeding iOS 4.1 Gold Master to developers.
The update will bring the following to the table:
- Game Center – multiplayer games, challenge your friends, automatically find someone to play against (feature called Auto matching by Apple, but affectionately called matchmaking by everyone else), compare scores.
- HDR ( High Dynamic Rate) photos
- HD video upload over WiFi
- TV show rentals for 99¢
- Bug fixes for the proximity sensor, Bluetooth, and iPhone 3G issues
Apple also announced it would release iOS 4.2 for iPad this November. This update’s main highlights are: wireless printing and AirPlay (to replace AirTunes and add video and image streaming).
WebOS 2.0
Communications and Marketing Director with Palm, Jon Zilber, recently announced that webOS developers participating in Palm’s early access program got a Beta version of Palm webOS 2.0 this week. webOS 2.0 is expected to be released later this year – we don’t know when unfortunately.
What we do know is that it will have the following to offer:
Stacks – open two apps and they will be displayed stacked together in a fanned-out view.
Exhibition – the webOS device will display a special view when it is docked.
Just Type – the evolution of the universal search box (it will do more than just search).
Quick Actions – this is a feature included in Just Type; it allows you perform various tasks, like create a message, update your status, search your favorite websites without having to launch an app.
HTML goodies – Enhanced Canvas support, Web Storage support, Geolocation support, Application Cache.
Windows Phone 7
Redmond-based software giant Microsoft has put the finishing touches on Windows Phone 7, the mobile equivalent of the Windows 7 operating system. The operating system has reached the most important milestone in its development process – Release To Manufacturing (RTM). All that’s left now is for Windows Phone 7-powered devices to make it to the market.
“Windows Phone 7 is the most thoroughly tested mobile platform Microsoft has ever released," said Corporate Vice President of Windows Phone Engineering, Terry Myerson. “We had nearly ten thousand devices running automated tests daily, over a half million hours of active self-hosting use, over three and a half million hours of stress test passes, and eight and a half million hours of fully automated test passes. We’ve had thousands of independent software vendors and early adopters testing our software and giving us great feedback. We are ready.”
iOS 4.1
Cupertino-based software developer Apple announced that it will update the iOS 4.0, the operating system that was launched concomitantly with the iPhone 4. Apple said it would roll out the iOS 4.1 update for iPhone and iPod Touch next week. The company has already started seeding iOS 4.1 Gold Master to developers.
The update will bring the following to the table:
- Game Center – multiplayer games, challenge your friends, automatically find someone to play against (feature called Auto matching by Apple, but affectionately called matchmaking by everyone else), compare scores.
- HDR ( High Dynamic Rate) photos
- HD video upload over WiFi
- TV show rentals for 99¢
- Bug fixes for the proximity sensor, Bluetooth, and iPhone 3G issues
Apple also announced it would release iOS 4.2 for iPad this November. This update’s main highlights are: wireless printing and AirPlay (to replace AirTunes and add video and image streaming).
WebOS 2.0
Communications and Marketing Director with Palm, Jon Zilber, recently announced that webOS developers participating in Palm’s early access program got a Beta version of Palm webOS 2.0 this week. webOS 2.0 is expected to be released later this year – we don’t know when unfortunately.
What we do know is that it will have the following to offer:
Stacks – open two apps and they will be displayed stacked together in a fanned-out view.
Exhibition – the webOS device will display a special view when it is docked.
Just Type – the evolution of the universal search box (it will do more than just search).
Quick Actions – this is a feature included in Just Type; it allows you perform various tasks, like create a message, update your status, search your favorite websites without having to launch an app.
HTML goodies – Enhanced Canvas support, Web Storage support, Geolocation support, Application Cache.
