hack

Our Brisbane for Windows Phone

May 22, 2012 | By kenga

The idea behind the app is to provide the user a sense of Brisbane around them and to give them guided access to places of interest. Using the Windows Phones 7 GPS all data sets are presented to the user presorted based on the distance of the user to the place of interest. Each data set that contains location information provides a small map that shows their location and the place of interest with the added ability of the user to seek “turn by turn” navigation option at the tap of a button. The directions can be optimized for driving or walking. Most data sets allow the user to save Favorites and quickly navigate to them from wherever they are.

We have been careful to show “Accessibility” as it relates to all data sets and in addition have dedicated a page that allows a user to look up all know accessibility information and rating for a full range of Brisbane services e.g. Business, Education, Shopping, Community, transportation and much more. We think this will help someone with accessibility needs make informed decisions before accessing Brisbane services or locations etc.

This app is the perfect companion for anyone wanting to explore Brisbane Australia. It uses an extensive Brisbane data set provided data.gov.au.

The app presents data based on your location or from the Brisbane CBD if you don’t allow location. You will find all the lists of data sort by distance from you.

The data set includes

Ferry timetables and bus stop locations
Free Wi-Fi spots

Public Toilets

Sport and recreation
Parks, playgrounds, dog parks
Libraries
Cemeteries – heritage and current
Accessibility Information through most sections
Weather
Parking, no-Parking and Loading Zones
Maps and turn by turn driving and walking instruction
Many set of Live data feeds
Set Favorites
And more…

Truly if you live In Brisbane, plan to visit Brisbane or are just plan curious about Brisbane you need this free app.

“Our Brisbane” is both a wonderful city and a wonderful app.

See some screen shots after the break.

Continue reading →

0

Homebrew XAP now available for custom SMS alerts

May 6, 2012 | By Surur

Djfoxer on XDA-Developers has created an app which makes it simple to assign ring tones to your SMS alert sounds.

His homebrew app makes it easy to select from your list of custom ring tones, but given that the SMS alert will continue for the duration of the ring tone (up to 30 seconds) it is probably a good idea to add shorter sounds specifically for the SMS alert.

Unfortunately like all the better hacks, MyRingtone2SMS needs a fully unlocked handset or WP7 Root Tools.

Read more and download MyRingtone2SMS at XDA-Developers here.

Via 1800pocketpc.com

4

Version 1.0 of new Homebrew Folders app now available

April 30, 2012 | By Surur

WindowsPhoneHacker has teased their homebrew Folders for Windows Phone 7 app, and have now released the new version for download.

The app is a re-write from the earlier release, which brings:

Bug fixes / UI changes
One application for all: Enable root privileges for application selection, otherwise Marketplace searching will be used.
Pretty tilt effect in folders
Root only: pin folders to your start menu (experimental)

The video above should demonstrate the main actual functionality of the app, which is of course to add application folders to your Start screen.

The app, which is for unlocked and rooted devices, can be found here.

1

Amazing hack adds Wireless Charging from the Palm Pre to the Nokia Lumia 800

April 30, 2012 | By Surur

One of the coolest features of the doomed but still pretty cool Palm Pre was wireless charging using the TouchStone Dock.

In the above video we have Oli Gill voiding his warranty on video by adding this feature to his Lumia 800.

Wireless charging would be a great feature on the next Lumia handset, and has been rumoured in the past given Nokia’s designers documented obsessions to make as seamless a device as possible. Here’s hoping we can get this feature without ripping our devices apart.

Via WPCentral.com

4

Homebrew Lock Screen Widgets final now released

March 29, 2012 | By Surur

WindowsPhoneHacker’s Lock Screen Widgets has now exited beta and the final version is available to download.

The hack allows a number of widgets to appear on your lock screen and requires a device with full root access, available either via a custom ROM or using WP7 Root Tools.

The app features:

Weather widget
RSS widget
Twitter @user widget
Memory widget
Puts widgets on your lockscreen.
Daily Bing wallpaper
Custom background

Read more about the hack at Windows Phone Hacker here.

3

Hack to bring Visual Voice Mail to AT&T Windows Phones

March 4, 2012 | By Surur

We reported some months ago that, while Mango brought support for Visual Voice Mail to Windows Phone, AT&T was not working on implementing it, despite support by T-Mobile.

Now a hack has shown that Windows Phone already has all the right plumbing to make it work, and AT&T simply needs to allow Windows Phones to register for Voice Mail on their system.

For the hack to work the phone needs to be running Windows Phone Build 8107 which is likely the most complicated part of the hack (some instructions can be found here). One also need to borrow an Android LTE phone to register Visual Voice Mail on AT&T’s system and edit the APN settings on your Windows Phone, but people who tried it report in this XDA-Developers thread that it works pretty well.

The instructions are as follows:

1. Update your phone to 7740
2. Update to 8107
3. Insert sim card into an AT&T Android LTE phone
4. Go to att.com and switch plan to Data Pro 4g LTE plan. If the website does not work you may need to call customer support.
5. Setup VVM on the borrowed Android LTE phone (make sure your friend knows the VM password so they can re-add it when they put their sim card back in.)
6.Insert sim card back into Windows Phone
7. Call Voicemail
8. Wait for VVM to show up on phone (mine showed up after calling voicemail).
9. If sync error, edit the APN as follows

APN settings (delete the internet_line APN)
Create a new APN

APN Name: pta
Profile Category: internet (always on)
APN: pta
Auth type: None
Username:
Password:
Proxy address: proxy.mobile.att.net
Proxy domain:
Proxy port: 80

Before anyone goes flashing their phone with a 8107 ROM however there is a rumour that when 8107 does eventually come to AT&T Windows Phones, it will bring Visual Voice Mail support with it, and it may be safer to simply wait it out.

Read more in this XDA-Developers thread.

12

Homebrew SMS Backup Tool now does contacts also

February 21, 2012 | By Surur

SMS-Contact-Restore-180x300

WPxBox have updated their homebrew SMS Backup and Restore tool to allow the backing up and restoration of contacts also.

The app, which requires an unlocked and possibly Interop Unlocked handset also, allows the pimIndex.vol to be moved from protected storage into Isolated Storage, where it can easily be moved to the desktop using the ISO Storage Tool.

Unlike the SMS Backup, for which no alternative exists, contacts can of course be synched to the cloud, but if you want to restore your handset rapidly after a hard reset it offers an easy alternative to the cloud.

The hack is obviously for expert users – the rest of us will continue waiting for an Microsoft solution which we believe is still on the way.

Read more and find the download links for the software at WPxbox here.

0

Dark Forces Team release HSPL for all first generation HTC Windows Phones, including CDMA HTC Trophy and HTC Arrive

February 16, 2012 | By Surur

Good news for CDMA Windows Phone 7 users. The Dark Forces Team, who have been on a tear recently, have released a Hard SPL for all HTC’s first generation Windows Phones, including the CDMA HTC Trophy and HTC Arrive.

The release of the SPL means custom ROMs, including fully unlocked ROMs can be cooked for both devices, which have included some pretty incredible hacks recently, including booting Windows Mobile on Windows Phone.

Loading a HSPL on your phone is of course likely to invalidate your warranty, and can brick your device, so should only be done at your own responsibility.

Windows Phone Device Migration Hackathon has failed

February 1, 2012 | By Surur

Yesterday Rafael Rivera gave himself the ambitious goal of creating an app which would make it easy to move from one Windows Phone to another by allowing app data, e.g. game high scores, to be moved from one device to another easily.

Unfortunately it seems the task was not as easy as he anticipated, meaning 12 hours later we do not have a solution to a very real problem.

In two months time many 18 month contracts will come to an end, and unless Microsoft has sorted out device back-up in Tango (unlikely) it means many users will be loathe to move to a new device and lose their accumulated SMS messages, budgets, exercise records and of course game high scores gathered in numerous applications over the previous 18 months, which may mean Windows Phone misses out on an easy boost in sales around that period.

Microsoft – we need an solution for this issue ASAP.

Read more about the challenge at withinwindows.com.

13

Kinect and Windows Phone used to create "holographic" game engine

January 24, 2012 | By Surur

Here is a pretty cool Kinect hack using the Kinect beta SDK and a Windows Phone.

The demo uses a simple game engine utilizing the pseudo-holographic effect. A Kinect "sees" the position of the viewer and the 3D engine adjusts the image accordingly to give the illusion of a real 3D object. The 3D engine supports anaglyph 3D (red/cyan glasses) for a better effect in real life.

A simple WP7 app controls the application and the helicopter using the accelerometers of the phone.

See more great demos at Programming4Fun’s channel here.

2

Homebrew hack lets you install other OEM app stores

December 25, 2011 | By Surur

htcappstore If you are the homebrew hacker type with an unlocked device (be it developer or chevron unlocked) you can now install a XAP that will give you access to the application stores from other OEMS e.g. the HTC store on a LG device.

The hack is by GoodDayToDie and can be found on XDA-Developers here.

He notes a restore point is advised, but that the store will revert to your native OEM one automatically in a few days in any case.

Read more about the hack and find the relevant XAP on XDA-Developers here.

Via 1800pocketpc.com

3

Wow! WM Opera Mini ported to fully unlocked Windows Phones

December 10, 2011 | By Surur

operamini

There was a time when the mere survival of Windows Mobile was dependent on Opera’s software, so bad was IE Mobile.

Thankfully we are no longer in those days, and alternate rendering engines are not only not needed, but in fact not available on Windows Phone 7.

However if you yearn for those nostalgic days, or merely looking for al alternative, Ultrashot on XDA-Developers appears to have achieved the impossible. He has created a XAP wrapper for the Windows Mobile version of Opera Mini that will run on Windows Phone 7.

The handset does however need to be fully unlocked, like the DFT ROMs, not just Developer unlocked or even InterOp unlocked.

The only limitation is that it does not support rotation, but Ultrashot says this is coming.

He reports that it may be possible to port the full Opera Mobile, but that this has more dependencies.

Read more in this XDA-Developers thread.

Via WPSauce.com

10

New hack available to customize built-in tiles–Do you want?

December 6, 2011 | By Surur

customthemesq

Jaxbot has been hacking at Windows Phone, and has found a way to change both the background and graphics on the built-in Live Tiles.

Windows Phone Hacker is asking gauging interest in a public release of the hack, which only requires a Chevron Labs or similar unlocked device, not a more difficult Interop unlocked.

Are our readers interested? Let us know below.

Thanks Necro for tip.

25