Hackszine.com: Mobile Phones Archives

Archive: Mobile Phones

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August 20, 2007

HOWTO - iPod and PSP movies on Windows Mobile

Last week I mentioned that you can use TCPMP on Windows Mobile Smartphones and Pocket PCs to view H.264 encoded MP4s. I glossed over a few details, so here's a quick guide for getting everything running.

What You Need:

TCPMP: download the latest version for Pocket PC or Smartphone (currently 0.72RC1)- Link
H.264 ffmpeg plugin: under "additional plugins" - Link
AAC plugin: grab the Windows Mobile download under the "BetaPlayer AAC plugin" heading - Link

You'll also need your Smartphone or Pocket PC, a PC with ActiveSync, and enough space on the device (or SDCard) for storing the video you want to watch.

Install the Files:
The TCPMP download is a CAB file. You can either drop this on an SDCard in the device or copy it to the device with ActiveSync. Once it's there, use the file explorer on the device to find the CAB and execute it to begin the install.

After you've installed TCPMP, you'll need to also install the H.264 and AAC codecs so that you can view and hear videos encoded for the iPod. Both of these plugins are downloaded as a ZIP file. Inside you'll find EXE and CAB installers for the Smartphone and Pocket PC Windows Mobile platforms. You can install the CAB files just like you did with TCPMP, or you can execute the EXE installer on your synced PC and ActiveSync will take care of moving it to the device for you.

Transfer and Play Videos on the Device
The fastest way to get large video files to your device is just to drop them on a large SD or MiniSD card and insert it into your device. I did this with a few MP4s I had lying around from MAKE podcasts and Google Video downloads.

You'll find the TCPMP/Core icon in your Start Menu. After executing, you can choose "File->Open" to browse and select an MP4 file to play. There are some settings under options to adjust the video buffer and playback settings. You'll have to experiment to see what works best for your device.

On my test Smartphone, the MP4 video playback is pretty poor, but it does work. The audio doesn't skip, but there are a bunch of dropped video frames during playback. From what I can tell, the device just doesn't have the CPU muscle to decode the video fast enough without hardware acceleration. I have a feeling the Pocket PC hardware might be more up to the task. Please leave a comment if you can confirm this.

August 17, 2007

YouTube and iPod video content on Windows Mobile

Out of the box, Windows Mobile devices can only play WMV files. Formats like Flash video or Quicktime are not supported. Using the open source media player TCPMP and some Pocket IE tweaks, however, you can view the FLV video content available on several popular video sites like YouTube and Google Video, right on your WM5 or WM6 Pocket PC or Smartphone.

For all you Tube-aholics, this is it! You now have direct, unfettered access to Youtube, Google Video & Veoh, in all their glory. Install the CABs listed below, go directly to these websites, and click on a video to play. That's it :)

Even better, you can also use TCPMP to watch H.264 MP4 / iPod encoded videos. With a large enough SD card, you should be able to use the same MP4 encoded videos on your Treo that you play from iTunes or on your iPod or iPhone.

Correction:
dankirkpatrick comments that the device referenced in the MP4-to-Treo article at jaydryden.net is actually a PalmOS device, and not the lookalike Windows Mobile Treo 700w. TCPMP is available for Windows Mobile, though, so I'll try and put together some instructions for this and verify that it works (it should). The encoding info on the Palm article should still apply, you just need to install TCPMP for WM, not for PalmOS.

Full Youtube and Google Video access - Link
Watching MP4 video on ~~Windows Mobile~~ PalmOS using TCPMP - Link
Wikipedia entry on TCPMP - Link

July 16, 2007

Browsing the Web on Windows Mobile Smartphones

Dash and Opera Mini

Smartphone Thoughts has posted a comprehensive article about all your web browsing options on Windows Mobile Smartphones:

As you'll see, on the SP platform, there're far fewer really usable browsers and there are (currently, before NSIcom fixes the bugs with the current CrEme version) absolutely no Java and, if you don't apply the Flash "hack", real Flash support. This, fortunately, makes one's life far easier - generally, you only have four browsers to select from: IEM, Opera Mobile, Opera Mini or the really promising newcomer, jB5. The two Operas are, as you may have already guessed, generally superior to the built-in Internet Explorer Mobile.

I had to take a break from messing around with the iPhone to give some of this a try. It's striking how locked-down the iPhone is compared to a gadget like the T-Mobile Dash. My Dash was a very functional Internet device, even without a SIM card installed: I was able to browse the web, check email, and use other Internet applications using just the built-in Wi-Fi. Part I | Part II

July 9, 2007

OpenMoko: $300 Linux-powered mobile phone

OpenMoko, a project to create an open, Linux-based smartphone, and FIC (the manufacturer) have started shipping a phone for developers who want to play around with OpenMoko and get a jump start on application development, the Neo 1973, which features:

2.8" VGA TFT color display
Touchscreen, usable with stylus or fingers
266MHz Samsung System on a Chip (SOC)
USB 1.1, switchable between Client and Host (unpowered)
Integrated AGPS
2.5G GSM - quad band, voice, CSD, GPRS
Bluetooth 2.0
Micro SD slot
High Quality audio codec

The basic model is only $300, but you can get the Neo Advanced for $450, which includes JTAG support and more. Link

July 1, 2007

The other WebKit-powered phone(s)

Click To Play

One of the iPhone's strengths is the amazing web browser that it uses: Safari. Safari itself is based on an open source web browser called WebKit, and Nokia is also a huge fan of this software. They've embedded the browser into a number of their high-end phones. The video shown above is taken from my Nokia 6290, a clamshell that retails for about $400 unlocked (I got mine for $275 on eBay).

After using both phones, there is absolutely no question that the Apple implementation is much easier to use, but oh, the Nokia phones are super hackable. The very fact that I could get video off of it is proof enough of that: I used the Mobiola Screen Capture utility, a third party tool that displays your phone's screen on a Windows PC. (From Windows, I used the open source CamStudio to record the action.) I'll admit that I ran out of memory a few times while doing this, but if you think about it... running a powerful web browser and a utility that's pumping a video stream over USB at the same time is a mighty stress test. iPod-friendly video

Resources

Nokia's WebKit-based browser - Link
Mobiola Screen Capture - Link
CamStudio - Link
WebKit.org - Link

June 30, 2007

HOWTO: Port 'ineligible' mobile numbers to AT&T and iPhone

A lot of people are running into a problem when porting their old cell number to AT&T so that they can continue to use the same number with their iPhone. The iTunes registration software and customer service reps will say that the nummber cannot be transferred because it's ineligable or that the other carrier wouldn't release the number.

AppleInsider discovered that the problem stems from some obscure rule that doesn't allow you to transfer a number if your zip code does not match the region of your old number's area code. This is common for people that have moved and retained their old cell number -- even if they moved within the same state.

In the case of the iPhone registration process, the solution is simple:

Lie.

When the registration software asks for your zip code, just enter the zip for a region where your cell number's area code will match. Then, make sure to enter the correct information for the billing address, but when it asks you for an address where the phone will primarily be used, choose other (instead of same as billing) and enter a bogus address with the zip code that matches your number's area code. This should let your number be transfered, and you can correct the bogus address later.

How to port 'ineligible' mobile numbers to AT&T and iPhone - Link

June 29, 2007

Run a Web Server on Nokia S60 3.1 phones

Nokia recently launched MyMobileSite, which features a small Python-based web server that you download to your Nokia smartphone. It runs over your data connection, so of course it's pretty darn slow. Nokia gives you a host name in the mymobilesite.net domain, and it's password-protected. You can access the camera, phone log, contacts, and more through the web interface. Might be a good way to track down a stolen phone if you configure it to stay on all the time.

The web server is a free download, and registration is free as well. Link

Related:

OpenSource.Nokia.com - Web Server - Link
Nokia Smartphone Hacks - Link

May 6, 2007

Add New Word/Excel Documents to Windows Mobile 6 Smartphones

The Windows Mobile 6 update for the T-Mobile Dash is out, and with it comes support for viewing and editing Word and Excel documents. What it lacks, however, is a simple "new document" feature for either of these. Paul at MoDaCo has released a package to solve this problem; it adds icons for New Excel Document and New Word Document so you can create documents while you are away from your PC. - [via] Link

Related

Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for T-Mobile Dash - Link
Windows Mobile 6 Mobile Office Suite ported to Windows Mobile 5 Smartphones - Link

May 2, 2007

Make your Windows Mobile phone nag you about unread messages

I like to use the text messages from Google Calendar to create my on-the-go todo list. Problem is, I don't always read them. Posting on HowardForums, dan24 suggested a program called DontForget, which keeps nagging you until you read that unread text message, email, or other notifications - Link

April 15, 2007

T-Mobile Dash Disassembly Tutorial

myztikal47 has posted a complete warranty-voiding HOWTO on disassembling and reassembling your T-Mobile Dash over at Howard Forums. (The photo shown here is from the FCC OET web site) - Link

Related:

FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Page on the HTC Excalibur - Link (PDF with teardown photos)

March 19, 2007

Bluetooth Proximity Detection in OS X

Jesse David Hollington put together a set of scripts that automatically disables and enables his screensaver password when his cellphone comes in and out of Bluetooth range.

Ideally, I would want to activate the OS X screen saver and enable the password protection when I move away from my computer (out of Bluetooth range), but otherwise I'd prefer to keep the screen saver password off for normal use, as it gets quite annoying when I'm working near the computer to have to continually re-enter my password after I've diverted my attention elsewhere for a few minutes (which happens frequently, as often the Powerbook sits to one side of other systems that I'm working with, rather than being in constant use).

With a few Applescript apps and some quick C code, his computer will automatically unlock for him when he comes near it. -Link. (source included!)

March 16, 2007

Send SMS From AIM/iChat

This may be an old one, but it's a hack that's had a chance to prove its usefulness. If you use AIM or iChat, it's extremely easy to send a message to someone's cell phone via SMS. Just add a the complete cell phone number preceded by "+1" to your buddy list.

For example, if your friend's phone is 612.555.1234, the AIM ID you should enter is +16125551234. If the message is to a phone outside of the U.S., just include the country code.

Any messages that you send to that AIM account will be converted to an SMS message. The recipient will also be able to reply via SMS and it will hit your IM account. Your recipient's carrier may charge for SMS service, so make sure it's okay to be sending messages before you start ringing up somone's phone bill.

March 8, 2007

HOWTO: Tether Your Mac and T-Mobile Dash with Parallels

Click To Play

I have almost no complaints about the T-Mobile Dash. It's small, it's fun to use, and T-Mobile's data plans are cheap ($30 for unlimited EDGE+T-Mobile Hotspot). But it's got one annoying flaw: instead of Bluetooth Dialup Networking (DUN), the Dash uses Bluetooth LAN Access (kind of like a Wi-Fi access point, but for Bluetooth). For some reason, Mac OS X Tiger doesn't support this part of the Bluetooth standard (there are reports that earlier versions of Mac OS X could support this through the Bluetooth Serial Utility, but that's no longer part of Mac OS X, and I had no luck running the Panther version of the Bluetooth Serial Utility on my Intel Mac).

Sharing the Internet connection over USB is out of the question too. As best I can tell, the Mac expects USB networking devices to use something called CDC, but the Dash uses a Microsoft-specific protocol called RNDIS (I'm pretty sure I fumbled that explanation, so feel free to add more information in the comments). People who have gotten their hands on the unreleased updated to Windows Mobile 5 (called AKU 3.3) have reported that the devices work correctly with Mac OS X. But until that's released, you'll need a tricky hack to get this to work.

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Scanning and Whiteboard Archive Via Cell Phone

scanR is a free service that transforms phonecam photos of documents, business cards, or whiteboards into cleaned-up PDFs that it will then fax or email on your behalf.

Documents are placed through an OCR process, so the text is selectable and searchable (though I'd probably rather have my documents converted to plain text or html). For whiteboards, you don't even need to take the shot head on. The software will take cues from the whiteboard's edge to transform the image into proper alignment.

Save a trip to the fax machine, and never write "Do Not Erase" again -Link.

February 23, 2007

Play Atari 2600 Games on Your Pocket PC or Smartphone

Stella for Windows CE recently added support for some of the newer Windows Mobile smartphones, including QVGA devices like the T-Mobile Dash. This screencast shows how to set it up. - Link to video download.

Related: