Yesterday Engadget reported that the Facebook for HypePhone app page listed 104 million monthly users for that app, which according to them is a puzzling number since apparently there are only 100 million iOS devices (HypePhone, HypeTouch, and HypePad) sold since June.

Well today Facebook got back to them, and clarified that the HypePhone app only has 44 million users. What does the 104M number mean, then? Well, apparently the app usage number would include friends who have either ‘Liked’ or commented on a Facebook post/picture/etc. done from that app. So if your friend posts a status or uploads a picture from the Facebook app on HypePhone and you comment on it from the web or your non-iPhone device or whatever, you will be counted as part of that 104 million.

The number, then, decreased from 104 million to 44 million for users of the HypePhone Facebook app. Therefore, the same can be said for other mobile OSes who have Facebook apps. BoycottBerry and Crapdroid have 60 million and 12 million users, respectively, according to their Facebook app pages. Given the new math, however, that number should be significantly lower.

And so we come to Windows Phone 7 and KIN, which have been getting a lot of press this summer on account of their supposed Facebook app usage numbers. As of this morning, WP7 has 10,895 users and KIN has 54,942 users listed on the Facebook app page. In particular, the KIN was the most intriguing of all, since it was supposedly adding users (and lots of them) even after it was discontinued. With Facebook’s clarification, though, we now know that these numbers are false, and should not be used as an indicator of mobile OS adoption.

Who knows, maybe Facebook will reverse their methods to count usage so that ONLY users who actually use the app are counted. I’d love to be able to construct a chart showing Windows Phone 7 usage increase over time once it’s released, showing it eventually surpass the Crapple HypePhone. One can only dream…

According to Long Zheng from the IstartedSomething blog Microsoft will be publishing further code to allow developers to use the same user interface effects as Microsoft uses in their applications, in an effort to maintain consistency in the look and feel of the OS and third party developers.

Microsoft will already be releasing Pivot and Panorama controls with the final SDK in September, but will now also release code samples to allow developers to make use of the Tilt effect, where controls subtlety distort when pressed.

Some code to achieve the same has already been published by Microsoft employee Peter Torr here and further examples such as the e-mail swoosh effect will make its way to MSDN shortly.

Read more about Microsoft’s user interface efforts at istartedsomething.com here.

We have seen the HTC PC40100 passing through the Bluetooth SIG and the WIFI Certification organization, and now its made its way through the FCC also, demonstrating via its bands (which lack US 3G support) that its heading to Europe, not USA, except as a tourist.

The filling also confirms the presence of WIFI N, noted earlier from the WIFI certification entry.

The bright yellow  back suggests a HTC HD Mini-type device, which should help to ad to the variety of handsets making up the Windows Phone 7 catalogue.

The PC40100 is part of a collection of other devices, the  HTC PC40100, HTC PC40200 and HTC PD67100, so HTC will likely have a handset for every continent very soon.

Via Engadget.com

Microsoft Developer training has published this video discussing the built-in security features of Windows Phone 7. While the device has the basic ability to enforce a PIN and other user policies, the primary security feature is the Isolated storage, enforced by the operating system, which means one malicious application will not be able to read the data of another, except by going through vetted launchers and pickers.

The OS does however lack an encrypted file system, but the OS does come with many build-in encryption algorithms which does make it easy for developers to keep user data safe even if the handset falls in the wrong hands.

For more detail see the video above.

Microsoft first demonstrated Harvest,a 3D WP7 game at MIX10.The game has some astounding graphics that leverages the power of Windows Phone 7 devices.Also the game has Xbox live integrated which let you to earn achievements,etc.Windows Phone UK team has posted about 10 videos of Harvest’s gameplay.Here is one of them.Head over to their Youtube Channel for other videos.

Pocketnow have published another comparison video between Windows phone 7 and the two leading mobile OS’s, iPhone 4 and Android 2.2.

While Windows Phone 7 excelled at triage it did lack when it came to unified inbox, an issue I believe Microsoft does need to address sooner rather than later.

Brandon also ran into issues with HTML email, but I suspect this had more to do with his exchange server not supporting it than the client itself.

Via Pocketnow.com

1)Have you developed Apps for any other platforms before?If Yes What are they?

No, I am actually new to coding and programming. I started Studio Lyrica Productions just last month, so this will be the first game I make public. I am really learning as I go along.

2)Why did you choose WP7 as a platform of your choice?

Being a new developer, I thought I should start on a new platform, so I chose the wp7 platform. I also thought my app would make the biggest impact on a new platform since it wouldn’t need to compete with an established library of tens of thousands of apps like other platforms already on the market.

3)Which one do you think as the single most feature you liked in WP7?

I really like the integration with Xbox live that is found on wp7. I feel it will bring more attention to gaming on the platform, and could really be a main feature that attracts people buy the phone.

4)Are you satisfied with WP7 Platform development tools?

The development tools are good. They were fairly easy to use and I found very few problems. I did request a developer phone last week, but mostly to fine tune the app I am working on.

5)What are the Apps you are developing now in WP7?

I am currently developing doodle Ship on the WP7. I started development on doodle Ship in late July, and hope to wrap up development in September. It should launch alongside the wp7 this holiday for all global markets.

6)In what way Microsoft can improve their WP7 or What does WP7 lacks from?

I haven’t looked too much at the technical aspects of WP7 to be honest. I believe it is an attractive platform with an unique UI. I do think some features such as copy and paste should eventually added in, but for a platform just about to launch I think it is quite impressive.

7)Future Plans of you?

doodle Ship is part of Studio Lyrica Productions’ new doodle Series. This means there will be more doodle games to follow if doodle Ship is successful. One is currently being planned to launch sometime next year. I have also paid particular attention to the success of Angry Birds on the iphone, and have a similar concept to bring to the WP7 sometime next year. Overall, my plans are solely focused on bringing fun and entertaining games to the windows phone 7 platform.

I hope readers that are interested in doodle Ship can sign up to my twitter feed and/or subscribe to my youtube account for more updates and videos. http://twitter.com/studiolyricapro

Currently, work is still being done on the app, so I haven’t had time to show the app up and running, but a video should be out before the end of August.

Please enjoy the announcement video to see a preview of what to expect of the game.

Hwangytangy9 has taken the mod of using the Palm Pre inductive cradle to charge an HTC HD2 to the next level, attaching the circuitry to an HTC HD2 extended battery for even longer away from the plug.

Have any of our readers contemplated this hack? Let us know below.

In a previous article, some information on the HTC PD26 series was gleamed. Now, at least one of them is passing through the FCC, though interestingly, there’s no WCDMA mentioned at all.

To me, that seems a little odd for what we previously thought was a WP7 device, though it is definitely a Windows Phone

That means it’s either a very low end WP7 device, or it’s a WM6.X based device we’ve never heard of! Engadget noted the bright yellow, which is strikingly similar to the HD Mini and Aria, so perhaps it’s a continuation of that line of devices? Either way, we’re sure to find out fairly soon.

FCC via Engadget.

You know the Windows phone 7 launch is near when even Microsoft starts leaking pictures via twitter.  Microsoft Netherlands recently tweeted this picture of the LG E900, supposedly called to be called the LG Optimus 7 ( a name most of our readers approve of I see).

The picture also reveals some additional tiles, including a Panorma shot, media sharing and most tellingly a Vodafone 360 tile, although Microsoft did indicate in a follow-up tweet that the presence of the tile does not necessarily mean the phone will come to Vodafone, as it may just be a “test environment”.

The picture also confirms the device does not have the same odd button placement of the LG C900, with all the keys more or less on the same level.

Having had a closer and clearer look at the handset, the device does appear pretty impressive, especially if its as thin as shown in the video.

Do our readers agree? Let us know below.

Via Allaboutphones.nl.

The HTC Desire is undeniably one of, if not the most successful Smartphone to ever come out of the Taiwanese manufacturer’s kitchen. It has been dubbed by many as one of the best Smartphones of the year alongside the likes of the Apple iPhone 4 or the BlackBerry Bold. And now, they’ve followed up the highly acclaimed device with the HTC Desire HD. Let’s see what this Smartphone has to offer.

A Legacy

The HTC Desire HD has quite a legacy to live up to. As mentioned earlier, the original Desire was a highly successful device and the Desire HD hopes to build on this success. This also means that it has some big shoes to fill as consumer will be expecting a lot from a device that bears the same name as the legendary HTC Desire.

Fortunately, the HTC Desire HD is able to live up to these high expectations. It possesses all the cutting edge features one would expect from a Smartphone of this calibre. This includes 3G HSDPA compatibility, EDGE & GPRS connectivity, and of course, Wi-Fi.

The device even comes with an amazing 8-Megapixel camera that captures excellent quality photos. As expected, this Smartphone still sports the famed Google Android mobile OS and its version 2.2 or Froyo that’s equipped on this Smartphone. To back up the operating system is an equally powerful 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor under the hood.

High Definition

As its name implies, the HTC Desire HD’s claim to fame is its ability to deliver high definition image outputs. The venue of this feature is the mobile’s gigantic 4.3” screen which shrinks even the biggest of screens in the Smartphone scene today.
The resolution is at an astonishing 480 x 800 pixels and it can display up to 16 million colours. The display also features an AMOLED capacitive touch screen which guarantees flawless touch responsiveness.

There are not many FourSquare clients for Windows Mobile, and the most high profile one also seems to be the most buggy.

Users will therefore appreciate that a new update for WinMoSquare has been released.

WinMoSquare Beta 1.5.0.0 (2010.08.21.01) includes the following improvements:

• Added leaderboard
• Added in-app maps
• Added specials
• Added mayor icon to friend’s list
• Added mayor information to venue details
• Updated app icon
• Added in-app friend request
• Added user history
• Added support for both male and female default user icons
• Improved lists can now return more than 50 items
• Added specials here icon to venue list and detail screens
• Added distance to venue in venue list
• Added score panel
• Added the ability to edit a venue
• Added the ability to flag a venue as mislocated
• Added the ability to flag a venue as duplicate
• Added the ability to flag a venue as closed
• Added support for venue tips
• Added support for viewing user photo full size
• Added ability to follow Touchality on Twitter
• Added ability to friend Touchality on foursquare
• Added in-app change log
• Added venue category icons
• Added user agent header to all web requests
• Improved code to determine location based off cell tower
• Improved code to determine location based off wifi connections
• Improved code to determine location based of IP address
• Better error and exception handling
• and a WHOLE lot more

You can find the latest version of the WinMoSquare application at www.touchality.com/winmosquare.cab

Incoming search terms:

• winmosquare download

Dell Lightening

Asus

LG Panther

HTC Schubert

LG C900

Samsung Cetus i917

Mystery Samsung handset

Thanks to Engadget,247windowsphone for images of these devices.If you know any other,please add it on the comments.

1)Have you developed Apps for any other platforms before?If Yes What are they?

Only desktop applications.

2)Why did you choose WP7 as a platform of your choice?

Because it uses the same technology I use in my full time job – .NET Framework.

You don’t need to learn something completely new, like for iPhone. You just use the same tools and language you already know.

3)Which one do you think as the single most feature you liked in WP7?

I would say Silverlight. It is similar to what I use daily – WPF.

4)Are you satisfied with WP7 Platform development tools?

It is too early to say. WP7 Platform is still in Beta. Some things are not there. Like Pivot and Panorama controls. Documentation is also not 100% complete. I would wait till RTM to answer this question.

5)What are the Apps you are developing now in WP7?

I’m currently developing Battleships game

6)In what way Microsoft can improve their WP7 or What does WP7 lacks from?

Currently I’m missing the unique identification of phone or user for highscore list.

7)Future Plans of you?

First of all I want to see the real hardware and test my App on it. Then I will decide if I work further with WP7.

Thanks Daniel.All the best for your future works.

For business users especially, Windows Mobile still does a lot of things Windows Phone 7 can not, so it is not really such a surprise when Samsung announced the release of the enterprise-focussed Samsung Omnia 4 in Germany yesterday.

The Windows Mobile 6.5.3 based handset features a front-facing QWERTY keyboard and touch screen, and according to Samsung, due to the inclusion of social networking applications, combines work and play ideally.

The handset is available now, and will sell unlocked for ?299.

Read more in Samsung’s press release here.

Via unwiredview.com

It’s that time of the day again. Like I do with all my reviewed software, it’s time for a 48 hour twitter giveaway.

The rules are the same, retweet it and your in. The winners will be chosen in 48 hour and I will post the winner list when it’s done.

The review can be found on site.

Lets get it started. Begin retweeting to win.

P.S The last contest finished well, but three winners forgot to claim their prizes. MightyROM is one, so please check on that.

Enjoy

Because of all the news covering all the new developers and apps, we have forgot about the old classic Windows Mobile developers. A_C is one of those developer that has worked for years to improve your users experience with all his great apps. Now I asked him to share a bit of what he thinks about Windows Phone 7, and if S2 will be there for launch day.

Hi,
Hope it’s not too late for the reply.
It’s a bad & good feeling when I know WP7 no longer support old applications.  Since I’ve been an active unmanaged code programmer for the last three years in the WM, I never coded anything in managed code.  Of course, it won’t be that difficult to write managed code as there are more & more resources in the net.

However, the main reason that S2 apps will not appear on WP7 is simply because a "need" is not there.  If you guys remember well, I coded S2U2 mainly because there was (and is) a "need" that the default WM5/6 lock screen is really a crap.  When S2U2 further developed to include CallerID function, I need an application to assign larger pic to a contact.  This "need" arises S2V.  Later on I received a lot requests to have a finger-friendly music player, and it comes to S2P.

You can see that there is always a "need" in all my S2 applications.  Since WP7 will have most similar features as S2 apps already built-in the OS, I think I can take a rest this time.  And it’s good to see that MS is finally trying to fill the "needs" of WM users.  Being said that, who knows the future?  Let’s stay tuned & enjoy what you currently have. 
Cheers,
A_C

So as you can see he will not be there because and only because he feels he is not needed at the moment. I guess that means he can take a brake while his current Windows Mobile apps takeover Marketplace.

Comment below and tell us what you think of this, and are there any other developers you would like to hear from.. Tell me in the comment.

According to the BGR the Windows Phone 7 launch in USA will consist of 3 devices, one each from HTC, LG and Samsung.

We have understand from previous reports the launch will centre around AT&T, being the “Premier Carrier”, and with the handsets revealed at launch today we currently have a reasonable picture of what the November launch will look like.

The first handset is the HTC Schubert, HTC’s Windows phone 7 smartphone with an aluminium unibody, iPhone 3GS-type looks and a camera which is rumoured to have a Xenon flash.

The next handset is the LG C900, which features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

The last handset is the Samsung Cetus SGH i917, which features a 5 megapixel camera and also VGA front-facing camera.

Of course, due to the magic of  Windows Phone 7 minimum specs, we know all these handsets have minimum 1 Ghz processors and 5 megapixel cameras with flash, 3.5mm headphone jacks, hard camera buttons and good GPU’s.  That leaves the choice primarily down to style and form factor.

Which of these devices do our readers prefer? Vote in our poll below.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Engadget is on a roll today with AT&T Windows Phone 7 leaks.  This time they have the LG C900, the second of 3 Windows Phone 7 handsets set to rock up on AT&T, the other two being the HTC Schubert and Samsung Cetus, and the only one featuring a slide-out keyboard.

I am noticing a theme with the design of these handsets, being black, soft-touch and rounded, much like Microsoft’s KIN handsets, and it seems quite likely Microsoft had a hand in the design of these devices.

See more pictures after the break.

Thanks NorthernGeek for the tip.