The Windows Phone build has hit Beta!

And to celebrate, we added Bluetooth support (it turned out to be easier than we expected so it made sense to throw it in the first build)!

From day 1, when the application is on the marketplace you’ll be able to choose Bluetooth or Wi-Fi!

Also, we’ve added a few extra improvements to make sure that the HD2 has a good experience.

If you’d like to join the beta, please send me a message on our contact form and I’ll hook you up .

Enjoy !

One of these features allows us to install the Threemote software without needing any extra apps.  I am of course talking about PnP-X with UPnP (you knew that right?).

PnP-X ?

PnP-X or Plug and Play Extensions is a nifty feature of Windows Vista / Windows 7 that allows devices to be enumerated (discovered) through non-standard PnP methods (ie: USB).  You see, with Threemote we need a driver.  Without a driver, we’re … lost at sea without a paddle.  The driver allows us to get the content from the PC, but to install a driver traditionally you need a plugged-in device.  So, PNP-X does away with that and remotely we can trigger driver installs.

What does that mean for me?

Ok, so chances are you don’t care about PnP-X.  That’s fine, we’re done with the technical details.  What PnP-X means is that you can use standard Windows dialogs to create your device without having to plug it in.

So, you’ve just started Threemote on your device, how do you connect?

Well, here’s how (Windows 7 is cooler for this but Vista does it too):

1) Go to start and click “Devices and Printers”

2) At the top, click “Add a Device”

Windows will go off and search the network and Threemote will respond.

3) You select Threemote and click next

Windows will then ask Threemote for some extra data and voila, the driver starts to download and Threemote has a connection.

4) Threemote will now appear in your “Devices and Printers”

You’re now connected and can start navigating PowerPoint slideshows, controlling music or whatever it is you want to do with Threemote.

Don’t worry, we’ve put enough help screens in to the device to walk through all of the above steps.  And yes, Android does it the same way .

Until next time …

Well, there’s of course a caveat.  We’ve been using our own Windows SideShow engine in 3rd party CE devices for 18 months so it was about time we used it ourselves!

We decided to use Windows Mobile 6.5 as our reference and designed a really nice Glance screen to show off all of your connected applications!

Our aim is to synchronise the features in the Android and Windows Phone versions and so far everything is working to plan.

Features:

• Supports Windows Mobile 6.0 +
• Full Threemote Client with complete gadget access
  • Windows Media Player
  • Windows Media Center
  • PowerPoint
  • Many more …
• Supports many screen resolutions and orientations
• Wi-Fi Connectivity
  • Bluetooth support is planned
• Full integration with notification system
• Available very soon …

Beta:

As with the Android release; we want you!  The application is nearing completion but there’s nothing like a public Beta test phase to hunt out those last few issues.

So, head on over to http://www.threemote.com/contact.php and send us your details.

Screenshots:

Nuts and Bolts:

This particular Threemote implementation (along with the Golden-i device) utilises the Ikanos Consulting SideShow Renderer for Windows CE.  Through this, we can convert any CE 5 / CE 6 device into a SideShow device with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi access.  If you’d like to add Threemote to your own CE device, drop us a line.  We’d be happy to send demonstrations and walk through any implementation and licensing details.

The engine is currently used on a few announced (and even unannounced) devices and has also been ported to other platforms.  Well, we had to start somewhere when writing the Android code .

Specialising in PC remote controls, over here at Ikanos HQ we’ve been working hard for many years to develop interesting and funky devices for our customers and now its time to create something ourselves.

So we are proud to present Threemote, the power of the PC, away from the PC.  The best thing about Threemote is it uses the built-in remote control capabilities found in Windows Vista and Windows 7 (Windows SideShow) which means that all of your Threemote devices can control the same things without any custom, clunky software.

Our goal with Threemote is to convert all compatible mobile phones into remote controls.  We believe that having an extra device to hold just isn’t always practical, so why not take advantage of the device that’s always on and has more power than most PCs a few years ago!

So, straight off the starting blocks we’ll be announcing 3 devices: Google Android, Windows Phones and Kopin Golden-i.  And yes, we are working on others!

We believe in starting small and growing over time so rest assured that more features and device types will be added all the time, extending the Threemote experience.

How do I get it?

Initially while we put the finishing touches to our first releases, Threemote is only available as a Private Beta.  But don’t worry, anyone can apply.  Visit our contact form (http://www.threemote.com/contact.php), pop in your details and we’ll add you to the list.

Then, around the time of Mobile World Congress (15-18 Feb, Barcelona) our Public Betas will launch and the software will make its way to the respected marketplaces.

More to follow…

This blog will be continually updated with more Threemote goodies in the run up to our initial release and beyond.

So, stay tuned …