There's no better proof that you don't need a current SDK to publish apps for Windows Mobile 6.5 than the Marketplace, but that's not to say there aren't specific bits new to 6.5 that devs might like to use -- problem is, there's never been a final SDK that Redmond's made available. That changed -- ever so briefly -- on Friday as the company posted both Standard and Professional Edition SDKs in a variety of languages, but by today, they've been pulled. No official explanation has been given, but there are a couple solid theories: one, the SDK outed 6.5.3's full details (it's still not clear whether Microsoft has "officially" unveiled this update or if it'll be throwing a bigger launch party, perhaps at MWC), and two, there are apparently some incompatibilities with newer versions of Visual Studio, which is required for the SDK to function. Stay tuned, but in the meantime, just keep on developing the way you've always been doing it and you should be fine.

Update: So the::unwired heard back from Microsoft on the issue, and apparently, the SDK was "prematurely" posted in beta form and pulled once the company realized the mistake. Of course, this explanation could realistically be a cover for virtually anything, so we'll take it with a grain of salt.

Windows Mobile 6.5 fever: catch it! AT&T had the good fortune of releasing the Tilt2 late enough to get 6.5 out of the gate, but the other guys have been falling in line ever since: first Verizon, then T-Mobile, and now Sprint's getting in on the action. The bad news is that they're only committing to a vague "by the end of first quarter, 2010" window at this point, but the great news is that this appears to be more than a simple 6.5 bump -- Sprint says that there'll also be "significant enhancements to the Touch Pro2 user interface which will allow additional customization / personalization options and more integration with the applications users access most." We'll take it -- and actually, why don't you just go ahead and make it this mysterious 6.6 while you're at it, guys?

So far, it seems like manufacturers (well, HTC and a couple others, anyhow) are staying on the ball about upgrading recent handsets to WinMo 6.5, and the next deserving pair comes from none other than T-Mobile USA -- the Dash 3G and Touch Pro2. Of course, the unbranded versions of both of these handsets (the Dash 3G goes by Snap internationally, you may recall) were quite literally the first pre-6.5 devices anywhere to get updated way back in October, so you could make the argument that the American cousins are already way, way behind the curve. Anyhow, the carrier is saying that official updates for both models will be ready for download on the 20th of this month, so get ready to say your final goodbyes to 6.1 and start wishing that you'd received a 6.5.3 update instead.

If you don't have the good fortune of owning a Windows Mobile 5 or 6.x device that came preinstalled with a replacement UI (like TouchFLO, for instance) and you haven't ponied up for something like SPB Mobile Shell, there's a new kid on the block that might be worth your attention. Ageye's Infinity skin totally revamps WinMo's look and feel, taking it right down the middle of the iPhone-Android divide with features like a slider lock screen, home screen widgets, and a revamped status bar that doesn't look the same as it did in 2003. Ageye's got a long way to go to make this thing usable -- it's being considered an alpha release for the moment -- but it's a project that's probably worth keeping your eye on if you're in the market for some flashy new visuals. Hit the break for Pocketnow.com's video demo.

Remember that leaked Ozone ROM from a couple weeks back? Yeah, well, it's back -- and this time it's being offered in a very official way. PCD -- the middleman between Verizon and HTC -- is offering Windows Mobile 6.5-imbued builds for both the Ozone as well as the Touch Pro2, bringing it up to spec with AT&T's Tilt2 which launched with 6.5 out of the gate (thanks in no small part to its late availability). Both updates are posted on PCD's site, so go grab 'em while the grabbing's good.

[Thanks, Brian]

Upgrading a Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard device to 6.5 is like putting a fresh coat of paint on your rusted-out '78 Duster, but in the scheme of things, a 6.5 upgrade is still far, far better than a punch in the face. On that note, we're excited to hear that an official update is in the works for Verizon's Ozone from HTC, the CDMA remix of the Snap that launched with 6.1 mere months before 6.5 became widely available. Actually, it's more than "in the works" -- it's available right this very second, just not through any official channels. As usual, it's xda-developers coming through with a copy of the update, so apply it at your own risk; in reality, 6.5 brings very little to the table for Standard handsets, so you shouldn't feel too bad if you wuss out and wait for Verizon to give you the blessed version. Just don't be surprised if you end up waiting half a year for it.

Philips has imbued its power-sipping Xenium line with some reasonably attractive industrial design in the past, so we're not too sure what they're thinking with this latest D908 here; granted, it's apparently got WinMo 6.5 on board, but that's no excuse -- goodness knows there are plenty of beautiful devices on the market these days with Microsoft guts. The upshot, though, is that this has EV-DO with an eye on a Chinese launch, a surefire sign that it'll be coming to China Telecom. Other features include a WVGA display, 5 megapixel cam, 2GB of onboard storage with microSD expansion up to 32GB, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, and an integrated FM radio. Just figure out how to slip this into a case 3 or 4mm thinner than the D908's beefy 14.5mm, Philips, and you've got a winner on your hands.

Landscape orientation: a bastion of width-lovers everywhere. Indeed, hearts have to be melting on news that the leaked T-Mobile USA-branded HD2 ROM -- which has somehow made it onto some Touch Pro2s thanks to xda-developers' usual black magic -- seems to have revealed a new landscape mode for Sense, the beautified WinMo skin formerly known as TouchFLO. Though this makes a ton of sense for devices like the Touch Pro2 that actually need to be used sideways when the keyboard's deployed, we think it'll find plenty of use on slates like the HD2, too. Won't it?

So there's a fancy new HD2 ROM making the rounds on YouTube that shows a rather interesting new feature -- live document preview from the Sense tab bar -- and it seems to work surprisingly well despite a dizzying array of fancy animations, a true tribute to the power of a well-clocked Snapdragon core. For Americans, though, that's not a big deal -- the real news would be that magenta "Stick Together" box up there, an irrefutable sign that T-Mobile USA's hands have been all over this thing. It certainly wouldn't be the first time we've heard this rumor, but at this point, it's looking like a straight-up lock barring some disaster in testing. And no, you can't have the one on the video that you'll find after the break -- it says right there that it's "Test Only not for sale," silly.

We like cheery, pink-hued pics as much as the next guy, but let's be honest: when you're snapping a candid shot from your phone, you want that cherished memory to be preserved in color that's as accurate as possible. Fortunately, HTC has cut an update for its afflicted HD2 that solves the camera issues it's been having -- which is especially good news considering the dreadful theories that it might be a hardware issue -- and we've never seen language as flowery as this to describe a bugfix:

"This update for HTC HD2 delivers clear digital picture quality like never before. Living up to the name of "HD" this phone and its twin LED flash will take beautiful pictures for you to cherish your memories. Displayed in brilliant vibrant colors on its 4.3 inch screen, HTC HD2 camera will delight you."

Indeed, HTC. Indeed.

[Thanks, Mikey]

We can understand not investing in a deprecated product, we really can -- but when you consider the fact that Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 is still sold around the world, the fact that its hardware is still thoroughly modern, and the fact that Windows Mobile 6.5 is a trivial boost over 6.1, there's really no excuse for this. Sony Ericsson has gone ahead and made it official that it won't be providing an official 6.5 upgrade for its uber-pricey fallen smartphone that never quite achieved its seemingly stratospheric potential -- and its 6.5-based replacement isn't looking much more promising -- so we imagine this is going to spark a voracious run on hackery to get picture-perfect 6.5 builds working on units in the field. Oh, wait, that already happened! No worries, Sony Ericsson -- looks like we've got this one covered then.

Office 2010 is getting a big companion piece for handsets in the form of Office Mobile 2010, which is being made available today in concert with the suite's beta release. It's a pretty major overhaul thanks to comprehensive, WYSIWYG editing capability in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the addition of SharePoint Workspace Mobile for managing Office documents off your office's servers, and a trick Bluetooth mode for PowerPoint that lets you effectively use your handset as a second screen by showing you your slide notes in real time while running a presentation off your PC. You can grab it now off Windows Marketplace in beta form, but be warned: it's only for 6.5, and we're being told that it won't be back-ported to 6.0 or 6.1 for the retail release.

In just one week, ViewSonic has gone from a glint of a 3G phone maker to having two models prominently on display. We've already seen VPC08 Windows XP phone, and now up to bat is the V901, found in the pages of Microsoft China's official site. The Windows Mobile 6.5, apparently TouchWiz-skinned device has a 3.6-inch, 480 x 800 touchscreen, a Marvell PXA310 processor, 128MB RAM and 256MB ROM storage with microSD expansion, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, all hailing to the wavelengths we call CDMA EV-DO Rev. A. Launch is Q4 2009, so sometime very soon -- but we get the feeling this is China-only, at least for now.

[Via iTech News Net]

Yar, that was fast. Less than a day after Microsoft updated its Windows Marketplace for Mobile with new advanced anti-piracy measure, some apt xda-developers community member has managed to crack the new code -- in under two hours, according to Chainfire's posting. The hack itself won't be posted, but we're sure other astute programmers, many of more nefarious intention, will be able to have their way with it just as easy. Sad for developers who've been wanting something more secure -- better luck next update.

[Via WMPoweruser]

Windows Mobile 6.5 users rejoice, you now have a better marketplace experience your way. Microsoft's added a couple updates to its mobile app store. On the developers' side of things there's a new portal for submission, and "more advanced anti-piracy protection" -- no clue if it solves those DRM issues we heard about before, but sounds at least like a step in the right direction. For the consumers, there's now an online store that you can use from your certainly superior desktop / laptop browser. In the vein of Xbox Live Marketplace's online portal at Xbox.com, purchased apps from the browser will be sent to the connected phone next time you open up the Windows Marketplace client... what's that? You want support for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1? Microsoft reassures us it's coming later this month, so hang tight, okay?

[Via Mobile Tech World]

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