If you haven’t heard of HTC, you must be new here. If you haven’t heard Dieter complain about HTC’s apparent apprehension with putting a 3.5mm audio jack on their devices, you should start listening to our Podcast. One solution that has been mentioned before is HTC’s Multifunction adapter that gives you a slew of options for connecting all manner of devices to your device of choice. If you want this additional functionality on your phone, you know where to get all the details.

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A Windows Mobile 6.1 update for the HTC TYTN II / Kaiser will be officially available any day now (likely by the end of the week). So says Paul of MoDaCo, adding:

The update is for HTC TyTN II devices, and will be followed later by a AT&T branded update. The update adds Windows Mobile 6.1 with improvements such as the 'Getting Started' wizard, Threaded SMS and general performance and battery life updates, as well as HTC's 'video performance' update. So what's it like? Performance IS improved, however with no real video acceleration, don't get your hopes up TOO much!

...So it looks like our fears last week that the update would never be seen on the Tilt were unfounded. We're happy to hear that the update is 'improved' and though we understand (and partially agree with) the decision not to try to develop better video drivers, the lack of them here still stings, just a little.

(Oh, right: following that MoDaCo link will start you on a path towards hunting the leaked version of said ROM, which is indeed out on the internets as of this moment.)

Thanks to surur for the tip!

The first accessory I typically buy for a new phone, is a case. If I’m going to invest in a Smartphone, I’m going to protect my investment. The Tilt, with it’s sliding and tilting action that gets any hinge-nerd excited…is a little more challenging than normal to design a case for. Enter the Seidio Rubberized Case for the Tilt ($32.95).

Read on for the full review!

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Those wild and crazy hackers at XDA-Developers have managed to get a working build of Android running on a TyTN II (basically the same thing as your Tilt). Click the video above for the living proof of Android running on top of a cooked Windows Mobile 6.1 build by the powerhouse of TyTN ROM Cookery: Dutty. The more interesting part is that this isn't some Windows Mobile replacement, you can just load the sucker onto your main memory. Basically you load up linux “like an app” and it loads up Android.

This, folks, is going to be a trend. Expect Android to be made semi-available on pretty much every Windows Mobile platform powerful enough to run it. Now being able to do so with anything resembling stability or safety for the average user, that's probably a way's off, so handle with care, folks.

[via tilt site]

Big ups to jockyw2001 over at XDA-Developers, who has furthered the cause of unlocking your Tilt (HTC Kaiser for you international folks). He's put up two sets of instructions. The first is a Kaiser Sim Unlocker, if you need to use your device on a different network. The second is a SuperCID and Security Unlocker, which is something you'll probably be able to ignore. To vastly oversimplify: a “SuperCID” gets rid of the Country ID if you're running into hassles because your device is an ex-patriot. Nevermind that, the important thing is jockyw2001 is taking donations and deserves them for the SIM unlock!

Add the above to the various ways you have to customize your Tilt and you're 95% of the way towards making your stupendous hardware do what it ought. Now if HTC would just help us out with that persnickety video driver issue, we'd be in 7th heaven.

Thanks to Wilfred for the tip!

The HTC TyTN II has been announced for Europe, on pretty much every European carrier. You may know it as the Kaiser or the Tilt, but from now on you should just think of it as the Awesome. I was already impresssed with:

• 3G
• WiFi
• GPS
• 3 megapixel camera
• innovative tilting design.

...Now a glimpse at what they're including software-wise seals the deal: like the title says, the HTC TyTN II looks to be the most powerful Windows Mobile Device ever put into production. Check this out (emphasis mine):

HTC HomeTM, HTC's new homescreen, offers easy access to photo dialing, text messages, calendar entries, emails and contacts, as well as one touch access to live weather conditions plus four-day forecasts. [...] In addition, HTC has included further applications such as a business card scanner and TomTom Navigator 6 (Taster edition) to complement the in-built GPS.

Read: HTC launches the HTC TyTN II in Europe @ Mobility Today

Sadly, I don't have high hopes that the evil empire of AT&T will be as generous, but nevermind that. When the Tilt reaches these shores on September 3rd it will be the de facto king of the hill.

When the Boy Genius Report said that we'd see the cool flip-up slider in July, I was skeptical. Now that it's looking like I was right, I can't say I'm especially happy about it. The more I think about it, the more I think that flip up bit is cool, but not really what excites me. What excites me is the 3mp camera and the built-in GPS.

In any case, BGR says August. I'm going to stay mum on this one -- I don't want to be proven right again.

Read: HTC Kaiser delayed till August? : The Boy Genius Report

BGR has new unboxing pics of the Kaiser in a gallery plus a few details that might interest those of you who haven't been following this hot slider PPC:

• Quad Band GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPa
• Capacious 75mb of user-accessible RAM
• GPS
• 3 megapixel camera
• The standard stuff: WiFi, Bluetooth, WM6, etc.

The rumor the Boy Genius is spreading is that it'll be available in late July, which I myself find a little overly optimistic. But here's to hoping.

Let's start it off like this…the HTC Kaiser is the best darn Pocket PC I have ever used! It really has everything you have come to expect nowadays.

Read: HTC Kaiser Unboxing : The Boy Genius Report

Chinese site mobilelife (via Engadget mobile via HoFo) shows us some photos of the new flip-action HTC slider device. Details from Engadget:

Besides the wacky flip-up action, the Kaiser ups the camera to a full 3 megapixels (an extra million pixels over its predecessor), adds HSUPA support for crazy fast uploads, GPS, and the now-obligatory Windows Mobile 6 Professional.

Normally I try to limit these rumor postings to stuff I'm sure we'll see in the USA - otherwise WMExperts would be nothing but. On the other hand, even if we don't know at all whether or not the Kaiser will grace these shores, it's impossible to ignore this neat little form-factor innovation.