Test Android apps on Windows Mobile smartphones

As useful as the Android SDK’s emulator is at playing with layouts, testing code and generally experimenting with various versions of software, there are times when having the platform on a handset you can physically hold is preferable; only then can you gauge how straightforward your UI is with a cellphone’s keys, or whether the typical display can do it justice. Few developers will have access to an official gPhone prototype, however, and while projects such as Bug Lab’s BUG modular smartphone suggest an innovative alternative, they too will often be outside of the reach of many. Josh Guilfoyle has been working on using a Windows Mobile-based smartphone as an Android test platform; the handsets are readily available, and thanks to full-screen VNC it allows programmers to experience their wares outside of the SDK.

Using a custom Android kernel and a port of the fbvncserver software, Josh established a server on his SDK machine, accessed by a WM handset running the popular .NET VNC Viewer.
It’s not a perfect solution: the VNC link needs some tweaking to make sure it’s running at best quality, and you might need to disable Android animations. However considering most cellphone app developers will have access to a WM-based smartphone it’s a great way of periodically testing how usable ongoing Android projects are until the hardware becomes more available.

[via Hello Android]

Airtel introduces GPS Navigation on BlackBerry 8800 Smartphones in India

Bharti Airtel, one of India’s leading providers of telecommunications services has just announced the launch of GPS-based Navigation Application on Mobile handsets.

The company has collaborated with Swedish-based Wayfinder Systems AB for application of this navigation system.

Using this navigation system, users will be continuously updated with real-time content and geographical data via the wireless network using EDGE/GPRS.

This GPS-based Navigation Application turns compatible mobile phones into a GPS-based navigation system complete with detailed maps and Points-of-Interest of a number of Indian cities such as Delhi and NCR ( Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad), Bangalore, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chandigarh.

Besides, Airtel users will also have the option to purchase map information as well as area coverage details in other countries such as Europe and North America.

According to Sanjay Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, “We are now introducing in India, a state of the art GPS based navigation system that will largely benefit all frequent travelers using compatible mobile handsets like BlackBerry 8800.”

For starters, this GPS Navigation application will be available on the BlackBerry 8800 smartphone.

In fact, Airtel is offering a six month free trial for all its Airtel BlackBerry 8800 users. As per this offer, the customer will not be required to pay any subscription charges on the GPS application during this period.

However, data download charges will apply as per the subscriber’s BlackBerry plan.

If you wish to download this GPS Navigation application on to your BlackBerry 8800 smartphone, you will need to send ‘NAV’ as an SMS to ‘3636’.