Darren Straight's Blog

On the 19th of March 2008 both IT Professionals and Developers alike will be flocking to the ICC (The International Convention Centre) in Birmingham for the UK launch of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.

But the question is have you registerd to attend for this exciting hereos happen {here} event? And if so which session tracks are you going to, IT Professional or Developers? And if not, then why not, as it’s too late now to register, all places are full!

Don’t worry though you’re in luck, can still register for the Virtual Launch Experience (VLE) Wave of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.

Check it out here, it shall be just as interesting too see how the launch goes online.

For those of you going to the hereos happen {here} event in Birmingham, let me know, as I myself shall be attending the IT Professional tracks.

Just found a cool video (better quality here) of inside British Airways Heathrow Terminal 5 Building, the reporter is Ginny McGrath, and she shows us inside the terminal lounges and also interviews some of the people behind it like Christopher Pearson, one of the Artists behind Terminal 5′s 3D glass panels and moving animated wallpaper artwork.

I really am quite excited about visiting Terminal 5 on the 7th of MArch, it shall be interesting to see what it’s like!

Check out these great 3D Walkthroughs of British Airways (BA) new Heathrow Terminal 5 Building soon to open to the public in March. I will be attending a press tour on the 7th of March before the official launch too see what it’s like for myself, though unfortunetly I won’t be able to take any photos until the terminal is open to the general public!

That said, I should hopefuly be recieving some nice exclusive photoshots soon – so I’ll be sure to post them!

Anyhow here’s the videos:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVTnxxNbXHc
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5GN4aoXxp4
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyTZqeWpXRg
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEoIHcP3zyc
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5iFqxSUAv4
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgIcgkd9R_w
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CiBWkCTf5g

Classic family card game Snap is making a comeback with an exciting twist today as comedy duo Dick and Dom unveil, BigSnapSearch.com, which gives you the chance to win fantastic prizes every time you search online.

Ditching their usual ‘Bogeys’ catchphrase, comedy duo Dick and Dom want to hear people across the UK yelling ‘Snap’ as they use BigSnapSearch.com for their everyday search queries, where if a pair of matching cards flash up online, you will instantly win an amazing prize.

Dick and Dom, who are fronting the campaign, comment: Forget poker and blackjack, Snap is where it’s at! We both used to play the game as kids and now we’re calling for its return with the launch of BigSnapSearch.com. Big Snap is fantastic! By simply carrying out your everyday searches you could end up paintballing with your friends or even jetting off to the Caribbean!

BigSnapSearch.com runs for eight weeks with prizes given away every hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, ranging from Virgin experience days, to Virgin vouchers, through to a star prize for two to Richard Branson’s very own exclusive Caribbean hideaway, Necker Island.

So whether you’re searching for local cinema times, the latest news, or the answer to a mind-boggling question, BigSnapSearch.com will have the answer you want and you could also bag yourself a great prize!

Cynthia Crossley, UK Search director, comments: BigSnapSearch.com is a great free prize draw where you can find relevant and timely information powered by Live Search and win prizes along the way. Spread the word and get all your friends to search via BigSnapSearch.com and you could bag the prize of a lifetime!

For your chance to win fantastic prizes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, log onto www.BigSnapSearch.com and start searching! SNAP!

Last month I was contacted by Steve Cater who works at vccp as part of O2′s Marketing Team. He asked me whether I would be interested in trialling one of O2′s new phones in a seeding program, similar to that of the O2 cocoon seeding program which gave developers and technology lovers a chance to trial the phone. The idea sounded interesting and it looked like the cocoon program did well so I said yes to testing this new O2 Phone (didn’t know the name of it then).

Last week a package arrived, I opened it up and lo and behold it was an O2 Xda Orbit 2 Phone along with all the necessary accessories and a sim card. I got straight into taking some photos of this shiny new device along with testing it.

Technical Specifications:

General

• Name: O2 Xda Orbit 2
• HTC Code name: HTC Polaris (HTC Touch Cruise)
• Operating System: Windows Mobile 6 Professional
• Size: 110 (L) x 58 (W) x 15.5 mm (T)
• Weight: 130g (including battery)

Display

• Type: Graphical TFT LCD Touch screen, 65000 Colours
• Size: 240 x 320 pixels

Memory

• ROM: 256MB
• RAM: 128MB
• Storage: Micro-SD (Up to 32GB when available)

Networking

• Internal antenna
• UMTS (850/1900MHz for NA, 2100MHz for Europe) and GSM/GPRS/EDGE (quad-band, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz).
• HSDPA
• 3GPP Release 5 compliant
• DL up to 3.6 mbps and UL up to 384 kbps
• EGPRS Functionality
• EGPRS class B
• Multi-slot class 10
• PBCCH
• Built in Bluetooth 2.0
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• GPS in-built (Global Positioning System)
• FM Radio: 76-108MHz

Digital Camera

• Main camera: 3 mega-pixel CMOS imagine sensor with AF
• Secondary camera: VGA CMOS imagine sensor

Power

• Battery
• Removable and Rechargeable Lithium ion battery, 1350mAh
• AC adaptor
• AC input: 100~240V, 50/60 Hz
• Standby time: up to 400hrs for GSM and up to 450hrs for UMTS
• Talk time: up to 7hrs on GSM and up to 4hrs on UMTS

What’s in the Box!

Inside the O2 Xda Orbit 2 Box you will find the following:

• Xda Orbit 2
• Xda Orbit 2 pouch + Screen Protector
• Xda Orbit 2 battery to power your Xda
• AC charger for recharging your Xda battery
• Car Charger and Car Holder
• USB sync cable which is used connect your device to a PC and synchronizes data.
• Extra stylus to tap items onscreen.
• Hands-free stereo headset
• Quick Start Guide
• Full User Manual (available on the CD)
• Warranty card for Europe
• In-box CD: Applications Getting Started, Full User Manual – CD contents include: GPRS Monitor & Sprite Backup. Windows MobileTM software, including Microsoft® ActiveSync®4.5 Connectivity Software and Microsoft® Outlook® 2007 (trial)
• CoPilot 7 Live CD containing: Installer for CPL7 Live (as backup to the version in ROM), CPL7 maps for the UK are Northern Ireland, O2 Specific version of the PC CoPilot Central Application

Applications and Settings

The Today Screen and O2 Custom Today Plug-in

The Today Screen is pretty much the same as most Windows Mobile Phones, however there are some nice additions that can be added to the today screen, that of which include:

• Last Call
• Profiles
• Meters
• O2 Calendar
• Shortcuts
• Running Apps (My personal favourite as it let’s me close my Apps without having to go to memory control and end the running application)

Programs 

A nice list of programs and applications are found on the device:

• Office Mobile Use the complete suite of Microsoft® Office applications for your mobile device.
  • Excel Mobile Create new workbooks or view and edit Excel workbooks.
  • PowerPoint Mobile View PowerPoint slides and presentations.
  • Word Mobile Create, view, and edit Word documents.
• Calendar Keep track of your appointments and create meeting requests.
• Contacts Keep track of your friends and colleagues.
• Internet Explorer Mobile Browse Web and WAP sites as well as download new programs and files from the Internet.
• Messaging Send and receive e-mail, MMS, and text messages.
• Phone Make and receive calls, switch between calls, and set up conference calling.
• Help See Help topics for the current screen or program.
• Games Play two pre-installed games: Bubble Breaker and Solitaire.
• ActiveSync Synchronise information between your device and a PC or the Exchange Server.
• Adobe Reader LE View PDF (Portable Document Format) files on your device.
• Audio Booster Enhances your music experience by providing you with controls for adjusting equalizer, 3D sound, treble, and bass settings.
• Audio Manager Browse for music files by organising music files into categories.
• Bluetooth Explorer Search for other Bluetooth devices that have file sharing enabled and access their Bluetooth shared folder.
• Calculator Perform basic arithmetic and calculations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Camera Take photos or shoots video clips with accompanying audio.
• Camera Album View photos that you captured using the device camera.
• Comm Manager Manage your device’s connections (including Wi-Fi, GPRS, Bluetooth, and ActiveSync), turn the phone on or off, switch to ringer/vibration mode, and enable or disable the Direct Push function.
• File Explorer Organise and manage files on your device.
• FM Radio Lets you listen to your favourite FM radio stations.
• Internet Sharing Connect your notebook computer to the Internet using your device’s data connection.
• Java Download and install Java applications, such as games and tools, on your device.
• Messenger This is the mobile version of Windows Live Messenger.
• Notes Create handwritten or typed notes, drawings, and voice recordings.
• O2 Operator Settings Choose a wireless network operator according to your geographical location and configure device connection settings.
• Pictures & Videos View, organise, and sort pictures, animated GIFs, and video files on your device or a storage card.
• QuickGPS Downloads satellite data over the Internet via ActiveSync, Wi-Fi or GPRS to speed up the time for determining your current GPS position.
• SAPSettings Enables Bluetooth Remote SIM access on your phone.
• Search Search contacts, data, and other information on your device.
• IM Manager Manage the contacts that are stored on your USIM/SIM card. You can also use this program to copy USIM/SIM contents to Contacts on your device.
• Spb GPRS Monitor You will find this program in the provided disc. You can install and use this program to measure the amount of data transfers that you have made via the GPRS or GSM network connection, and calculate network usage costs.
• Sprite Backup Provides you with a quick and easy way to create backups of your data.
• STK (SIM Tool Kit) Service Access information and other services offered by your wireless service provider.
• Streaming Media Stream live or on-demand video.
• Tasks Keep track of your tasks.
• Voice Recorder Record your voice, play it back, then send it via e-mail, MMS or beaming. You can also set the recorded voice as your ring tone.
• Voice Speed Dial Allows you to record voice tags so that you can dial a phone number or launch programs simply by speaking a word.
• Windows Live Use this mobile version of Windows Live to find information on the Web. It also lets you sign into your Windows Live account so that you can access your Live Mail messages and send/receive instant messages in Live Messenger.
• Windows Media Player Mobile Play back audio and video files.
• ZIP Save memory and free up storage space on your device by compressing files in the conventional ZIP format.

Audio Manager and Audio Booster 

As well as Windows Media Player, the Xda Orbit 2 comes with the HTC Audio Manager and Audio Booster, which lets you create, edit and delete playlist and listen to your songs which in turn you can fine tune as you have the ability to vary the Bass, Treble, and 3D effect of the sound output as well as choosing from various pre-defined profiles.

Camera and Camera Album with Slideshow

Overall I love the Camera and The Camera interface, though I would love to see the camera have a flash or even just a light, comes in handy for them close night shots!

Here’s some example photos, all photos were taken with the Xda Orbit 2 on it’s highest resolution and quality settings.

Communications 

Communicating to someone is simple and effective just like it should be with it’s smart dialling feature and big keys. The Video calling feature looks great though I must admit I haven’t had a chance to test it out yet. The sounds great on voice calling though.

CoPilot Live 7

The Xda Orbit 2 having both built in GPS and CoPilot Live 7 is great, I’ve taken it to the test on both short and long routes, the longest so far being from Sittingbourne in Kent to Gatwick Airport. (49 Miles). Shall be using it when I travel to Heathrow Airport soon on a press tour of the new BAA Terminal 5 Building and again when I travel up to the Alton Towers Theme Park in 3 weeks time.

Having GPS and CoPilot 7 makes me want to switch from my MDA Vario 2 which has no GPS, though it does have something else which I value, that being a sliding keyboard.

FM Radio 

Haven’t used it a lot yet due to the fact that every time you want to use it you have to plug in the headsets but I’m sure if I do switch fully to this phone then I’ll soon be using it, always great to have some live music on your phone!

RSS Hub 

I love this RSS Hub, it helps you keep up to date with the latest news from your favourite news sites, blogs and podcasts.

Settings 

There’s a ton of settings options to help you customise the Xda Orbit 2 just the way you want it. 

Touch Keyboards and Keypads 

The Xda Orbit 2 has 6 different ways you can enter text onto the screen, the newest ones being the Touch Keyboard and Keypad, now while these are great, I do somewhat miss having a physical keyboard like my MDA Vario 2 Sliding keyboard. On the other hand however not having a sliding keyboard makes the Xda feel much more lighter and less bulkier. So I guess it’s just a case of getting away from the good old keyboard and getting to grips with touch keyboards.

TouchFLO 

TouchFLO has been added to gives you better touch panel experience. Using TouchFLO, you can easily scroll and pan the screen by sliding your fnger on the touch panel. TouchFLO also has the Touch Cube where you can add your favourite contacts, access media, launch programs, and more. Also while on a web page, document, or list (such as contacts list etc.), you can slide your finger upward to scroll down or slide your finger downward to scroll up. To scroll to the right, slide your fnger to the left. To scroll to the left, slide your fnger to the right. 

Overall Conclusion!

I love the O2 Xda Orbit 2, it looks great, it’s weighs less and is is less bulkier than my T-Mobile MDA Vario 2. It also has GPS which is a great addition to a mobile phone for someone like me who loves travelling. I can’t wait to start using it more and more every day.

However there are some problems, unlike my T-Mobile MDA Vario 2 the O2 Xda Orbit 2 doesn’t feature a physical sliding keyboard, just it’s virtual touch keyboards and keypads, so that is somewhat disappointing as I have got quite attached to my sliding keyboard as I use it regularly to write texts, emails and posts while at tech events. Maybe I just need to have some more time away from the sliding keyboard and more time getting used to the virtual keyboards and keypads.

Also there’s no Flash or Flash Light for the camera so night photos is a no.

Here’s a quick list of some Pros (The Good) and Cons (The bad) of the O2 Xda Orbit 2:

Pros (The Good)

• Fast processor
• Large memory
• Inbuilt GPS
• Light weight not bulky
• FM Radio
• O2 Added Extras
• Good batery life
• TouchFlo system and Cube
• Good quality screen
• CoPilot Live included in ROM
• Micro-SD Compatibility
• O2 HSDPA network coverage in my area (T-Mobile doesn’t) so the internet is much faster.
• Lots of Extras!

Cons (The Bad)

• No HTC Home application
• No sliding keyboard
• No Flash on Camera
• Camera could possible be more than 3 Mega Pixels though not totally necessary

Now the question is should I switch fully from my T-Mobile MDA Vario 2 to the O2 Xda Orbit 2? As doing so would mean I would have to change my mobile number from T-Mobile to O2. Also I’m thinking about paying for unlimited web/internet each month depending on what I do, however there’s pros and cons to both T-Mobile and O2.

T-Mobile as a larger fair use policy of 1GB (The Max plan is 10GB) per month on it’s so called unlimited web access plan, however there’s no HSDPA Network coverage in my area with T-Mobile so it’s quite slow – get annoyed at how slow it is at times when the pages don’t even load.

To ensure a high quality of service for all our customers a 1GB (of data both sent and received in the UK) per month fair use policy applies. If you exceed 1GB per month, we may tell you to reduce your future use. If you again exceed 1GB per month, we may tell you that we are going to apply network protection controls, resulting in a reduced network speed for 14 days. If you exceed 1GB per month for a third time , we may tell you that we are going to apply further network protection controls, resulting in a reduced network speed until you upgrade your price plan to include a larger data allowance. We do not permit use of this service to provide modem access for a computer or for peer to peer file sharing, internet phone calls or instant messaging. 

O2 however has a much lower fair use policy of 200MB per month on it’s so called unlimited web access plan, however O2 does have HSDPA Network coverage in my area and I love it! Just a slight problem if you normally expected to only use 200MB per month with HSDPA that would soon be overrun.

The O2 Web Bolt On can only be used for internet browsing on your phone. A fair use policy applies and if your usage substantially exceeds that of other users, which is normally expected to be below 200MB/month, you will be charged standard rates for additional browsing. We will send you a warning text message advising you to limit your usage before this occurs and a text message to confirm when you are being charged

It seems there is a O2 Web Max Plan which is 3GB per month for £30, I’ll have to look into that!

Special thanks and Links 

Just want to say special thanks to Steve Cater who works at vccp as part of O2′s Marketing Team for giving me the opportunity to test the O2 Xda Orbit 2, it’s certainly been a great experience so far and I’m looking forward too seeing what else I can do with it, there’s always great tweaks and stuff over at the HTC Polaris section on the XDA Developer Forums.

Here’s some useful links:

• O2 Xda Home
•  O2 Xda Blog
• O2 Xda Orbit 2 Product Information 
• HTC Polaris section (XDA-Developers.com)
• O2 Xda Orbit 2 Review (4WinMobile.com)
• Getting to know the Xda Orbit 2 (Neville Hobson)
• O2 Orbit 2 / More on the O2 Orbit 2 and CoPilot (Simon Judge)
• O2 Xda Orbit 2 (Stephen Davies)
• The O2 XDA Orbit 2 My Office On A Phone (Keith Bond)

Anyone catch last night’s Total Lunar Eclipse?

I went into the countryside late last night/early morning to see if I could catch a glimpse of the eclipse, but unfortunately due too heavy cloud cover and heavy fog I didn’t get to see much.

Not to worry though, I had a nice drive in the foggy countryside and found some great places which were away from the lights of the surrounding towns which gave great views of the night sky, great for the next UK Total Lunar Eclipse on the 28th of September 2015, if I’m still in the area!

Also had some fun testing out the new O2 XDA Orbit 2 I’m testing out (thanks to Steve Cater from VCCP a marketing agency for O2), but more on that later in a full review, which will surely be giving it the thumbs up, so far it’s been coming in very handy.

Microsoft today issued the following statement in response to the announcement by Yahoo! Inc. that its Board of Directors has rejected Microsoft’s previously announced proposal to acquire Yahoo!

It is unfortunate that Yahoo! has not embraced our full and fair proposal to combine our companies. Based on conversations with stakeholders of both companies, we are confident that moving forward promptly to consummate a transaction is in the best interests of all parties.

We are offering shareholders superior value and the opportunity to participate in the upside of the combined company. The combination also offers an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online services market.

A Microsoft-Yahoo! combination will create a more effective company that would provide greater value and service to our customers. Furthermore, the combination will create a more competitive marketplace by establishing a compelling number two competitor for Internet search and online advertising.

The Yahoo! response does not change our belief in the strategic and financial merits of our proposal. As we have said previously, Microsoft reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!’s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal.

As it was thought would happen, Yahoo has rejected Microsoft proposal to buy Yahoo!

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb 11, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today said the Yahoo! Board of Directors has carefully reviewed Microsoft’s unsolicited proposal with Yahoo!’s management team and financial and legal advisors and has unanimously concluded that the proposal is not in the best interests of Yahoo! and our stockholders.

After careful evaluation, the Board believes that Microsoft’s proposal substantially undervalues Yahoo! including our global brand, large worldwide audience, significant recent investments in advertising platforms and future growth prospects, free cash flow and earnings potential, as well as our substantial unconsolidated investments. The Board of Directors is continually evaluating all of its strategic options in the context of the rapidly evolving industry environment and we remain committed to pursuing initiatives that maximize value for all stockholders.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., Lehman Brothers and Moelis & Company are acting as financial advisors to Yahoo!. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as legal advisor to Yahoo!, and Munger Tolles & Olson LLP is acting as counsel to the outside directors of Yahoo!.

The Wall Street Journal has news that a person familiar with the Microsoft bid of Yahoo knows that Yahoo Inc.’s board plans to reject Microsofts unsolicited $44.6 billion offer to acquire the Web giant.

After a series of meetings over the past week, Yahoo’s board determined that the $31 per share offer “massively undervalues” Yahoo, the person said. It also doesn’t account for the risks Yahoo would be taking by entering into an agreement that might be overturned by regulators. The board plans to send a letter to Microsoft Monday, spelling out its position.

Yahoo’s board believes that Microsoft’s is trying to take advantage of the recent weakness in the company’s share price to “steal” the company. The decision to reject the offer signals that Yahoo’s board is digging in its heels for what could be a long takeover battle. The company is unlikely to consider any offer below $40 per share.

It’s unclear as of yet whether Microsoft would be willing to pay such a premium, which would increase the value of its original cash and stock bid by more than $12 billion but the rejection comes as Yahoo’s board has been considering various other scenarios, including a search advertising partnership with Google.

The Large Hadron Collider – the most powerful atom-smasher ever built – will be switched on in May 2008, and particle physics will hit pay-dirt. However a pair of Russian mathematicians (Irina Aref’eva and Igor Volovich) have are stating that the LHC might just turn out to be the world’s first time machine.

It is a highly speculative claim, that’s for sure. But if Aref’eva and Volovich are correct, the LHC’s debut at CERN, the European particle physics centre near Geneva in Switzerland, could provide a landmark in history. That’s because travelling into the past is only possible – if it is possible at all – as far back as the creation of the first time machine, and that means 2008 could become Year Zero for future time travellers, since it would only be possible to travel back as far as the first doorway in time.

• 2008: Does time travel start here? [New Scientist]
• Time Machine at the LHC [arXiv.org]
• Time Travel Russia’s In [The Sun]
• The world’s first time machine? [ The Daily Mail]
• Time Machine To Be Created Underground? [Wired Science]