New openmoko project announced:

This project is created only so that we can create mailing lists for local Openmoko User Groups

http://projects.openmoko.org/projects/oug/ ...

We set our moderation and staff team loose on Carl to see what they could draw out of him this time.

The following are our questions and as usual Carl’s answers are quoted below.


Do you plan to harness or upgrade the GPS in current Gizmondo’s or new Gizmondo’s i.e.: Will you approach ALK again with CoPilot, look at other companies?


Yes, we want to upgrade the GPS in the new release. We are currently looking for a GPS partner.

Will we be seeing an improved GPS chip such as the SIRF 3 found in modern GPS units?


A new GPS chip will be included into the new version of the Giz

Will the Gizmondo Servers be back? Such as the Location based, where am I, or where is my nearest, services?


We are currently building out a worldwide server farm to minimize load times for users regardless of where they are located.

What is going to happen to SmartAds? Will we see it returning to the Gizmondo?


No

Will there be additional support for audio and video files on the Gizmondo such as the widely used Divx and Xvid?


We are discussing support for Xvid but currently the audio/video formats we are planning are the ones built in to the Windows Moble Media Player which include MP3 & WMA for audio and WMV and MPEG for video. Thus far, we have not discussed support for Divx.

Will the updated Gizmondo have WIFI or 3g capabilities?


The updated Gizmondo will have WIFI. We’ve looked at 3g but the 3g boards are really expensive to add and would put the Giz outside the pricepoint we are trying to stay within. We are looking at a external USB device that could be plugged into the Giz to provide 3g capabilities.

With the change in user interface will you be using the astonishing tribe http://www.tat.se again?


Yes, we are upgrading the UI and are handling the entire redesign in house. We took a TON of feedback from Gizmondo users.

What support will you be giving to operating systems such as driver support? Last time we were stuck with using windows 98-XP will there be Mac, Linux and Windows Vista support?


The new Giz will be on Windows mobile, so there will be Vista support. Not sure yet on Mac or Linux versions yet. We are also looking at an Android version as well.

Will Gizmondo be producing its own software for purchase? Can you divulge any ideas or projects you have going?


Yes, we will be producing non-game titles. We will be happy to provide you with detail on any of our applications as they get closer to launch.


From our development community

Can you elaborate on what support you will be providing for developers and programs you will be initiating to draw them in before releasing to the public? The development guys really need specific details on this as soon as possible.


We will provide a very comprehensive SDK, free access to a new device for registered developers for testing. There will be a revenue share program for new titles as well as for Gizmondo peripherals. We are also going to launch a small venture fund for promising technologies/applications developed for the Gizmondo. We have been approached by several educational institutions who want to use the Giz for lifestyle testing, as a universal remote etc. As we said before, we are committed to developing the Giz as a platform and we want to encourage these creative ideas.

The last Gizmondo lacked any extra incentives for developers, thus its homebrew community was also diminished. Are there any extra incentives or programs for developers this time round?


There will be a chance for revenue share on any application built for the Gizmondo and sold/distributed through the website. We also have other marketing partners that have indicated they will want to partner with members in the development community.

Will developers be able to buy the Gizmondo 2.0 before the public release (Dev Unit), so that they can produce content for the community in time for the actual launch?


Yes. We will have dev units and the SDK available early in 3rd quarter.

Will there be any difference in a Developer Unit & a Normal Unit (or any other units for that matter)?


No, there won’t be a difference between the units. All units will come unlocked.

Will there be any other specific resources to help developers get started developing with the Gizmondo 2.0 (e.g. SDK, Documentation, Forums/Developer Network…)?


Yes, we will offer all of these…SDK, Documentation, Forums/Developer Network.

Prospects of Android sound interesting though it would defiantly push the Gizmondo into a future market with the boom on that platform imminent a lot of money is being invested into android and Gizmondo backing it would mean we could get our hands on a first gaming android device.

http://www.gizmondoforums.com/2008/08/06/33/ ...

Ok not clock stopping news here but enough to warrant you to stop and read this bit of news just in.

With the rumors of the Gizmondo 1.5 swimming round the aspect of battery life is still a key objection. this however in an unsuspecting move has been addressed with this comment from Carl Freer.
We know the Gizmondo’s standard battery was no good hence the need for the premium battery but please read on.

“We understand that there was an issue with the batteries in the original Gizmondo units. Frankly, they never worked very well. Part of this was due to the physical battery used, the other was the power management module in the OS.

We now have a MUCH enhanced solution for the battery issue (including a new model battery) that we will be offering in the new Gizmondo units. Additionally, we will to offer a new battery to current Gizmondo owners as part of the upgrade process. This program will be available FREE OF CHARGE and will be a part of the relaunch.

As I mentioned, we are committed to current owners and want to help enhance their experience along with draw new users to Gizmondo.”

Now to read that on first impression would be wow! Indeed great commitment to the early adopters and possibly very risky financially but if we read into this, there might be some form of exchange old batteries for new? What lies on the horizon for the Gizmondo surely must be big as this is merely a spec of what’s to come

http://www.gizmondoforums.com/2008/0...pters/#more-29 ...

Hi all,
this is mainly an auto locking program which utilizes the Windows Locking for partial locking (phone related keys are active)
or complete locking (no keys are active).

It can be considered as an add-on to other programs which provide the User Interface, an 'In Call Locker'
with some goodies as mentioned later on which may or not depend on whether the device is locked (with any program that uses
the Windows locking).

The locking can be activated at the following events:
1. After a specified period of idle time (no screen tapping or touching the keyboard).
2. After the device has waken up.
3. During a call ("In-Call Locking" Partial or Full).

Log:
06/09 - v3.29 - Added option for Power off, Stylusout unlock, display message (+Fixes of course).

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=386451 ...

Hello community!

I proudly announce my brand new programm: G-Alarm.
G-Alarm is a alarm clock with special mechanism to wake you up. I'm a person who needs some activity in the morning, so I decided to make a alarm which asks me to guide a ball through a labyrinth before I can stop or snooze the alarm.
Changelog
0.2.2 (2008/09/06)
- [ADDED] Option: "Save power during snooze time" Uncheck this if the phone doesn't wake up after snooze time
- [FIXED] Displays time in the correct time format (24 hours vs. 12 hours)
- [UPDATED] Alternative playback mode is now the standard mode and recommended to use on WM6 (and above) devices because it has better performance. Make sure, "Alternative playback mode" is unchecked now in the options
- [FIXED] You can now switch off the screen after testing an alarm
- [FIXED] Better start mechanism - G-Alarm wakes up Windows Mobile hopefully on any device
- [UPDATED] If option "Save power during snooze time" is set: device goes directly to sleep after clicking "Snooze"
- [ADDED] Show time when maze is displayed
- [UPDATED] Better support for S2U2 - hopefully for ThrottleLock as well...

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=422362 ...

A new release from Mega Man


Download and Give Feedback Via Comments ...

Over at Codemii they have updated the Homebrew Browser for the Nintendo Wii, Heres the release details:


Download and Give Feedback Via Comments ...

http://gamebyte.blogspot.com/2008/09...producers.html ...

An 11-year-old Johnson Creek boy died from a gunshot wound Thursday at his home. Foul play is not suspected and the sheriff's department said this morning it appears the shooting was accidental.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, dispatchers received a report of the shooting in the town of Farmington at approximately 2:15 p.m. Thursday. The deceased person was Joshua J. Nimm, 11, of W5098 River Road, Johnson Creek.

Deputies, along with personnel from the Johnson Creek Police Department, Johnson Creek EMS and Fort Atkinson paramedics, all responded to the residence where the shooting occurred.

There, with his father, Nimm was located with a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead by the Jefferson County Coroner's office about 35 minutes later. The cause of death was ruled to be a single, .22 caliber gunshot wound to the head.

“We are ruling that it is an accidental shooting,” Jefferson County Detective Sgt. Larry Lee said. “The child was getting ready for school and decided to skip school. He was playing video games and we found out he had a .22 caliber rifle that belongs to him. He had access to the rifle and a magazine was kept somewhere else by his parents. He was familiar with the rifle and had been shooting it a couple of times a month - he lived out in the country, so that was nothing unusual.”

Lee said it appeared, following the department's investigation, that after playing a combat video game called “Halo,” Nimm took the gun and tried to recreate some of the things that had occurred in the game. With an automatic rifle, Lee said there can sometimes be confusion over whether it contains a magazine or not, and this confusion likely led to Nimm's death.

“He took the magazine out and forgot to eject a round that was in the chamber. He probably thought the gun was unloaded,” Lee said.

Lee said numerous people, including Nimm's parents, his school teachers and his bus driver, were all interviewed and stated he had shown no signs of depression or any differences in his personality recently.

“Dad came home in the afternoon and when he came in the house, the child was in the home and was deceased,” Lee said.

Lee said the incident shows the need for extreme safety with firearms.

“The safety issue with weapons is so important. People should always treat them like they are loaded,” he said.

Nimm was a student at Johnson Creek Middle School. Funeral arrangements are pending at Hafemeister Funeral Home in Watertown.

http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2008...news/news3.txt ...