Apple's iPhone can now run Windows Mobile. At least, it can if you believe the claim made earlier this morning by a number of blogs, which cited a video report from a previously-unheard-of "myPhone 2008" conference supposedly held in September.
According to a video interview carried on the myPhone 2008 "conference" website, Norwegian teenager Erik Kristiansen created software that allows the iPhone to be booted into Windows Mobile. The application and its source code will be publicly available in January, claimed the interview.
The video, which you can see below, appears somewhat convincing, except that the iPhone "boots Windows Mobile" faster than other devices, and the phone's single hardware button is inexplicably devoted to launching the operating system's calendar application. Windows Mobile on the iPhone, while seemingly pointless, would be theoretically possible, given that Apple's device is said to use a 600MHz ARM processor provided by Samsung.
"Jailbreaking" utilities for the iPhone do allow technical users to install applications not officially sanctioned by Apple. In addition, the dual-boot utility demonstrated by "Kristiansen" resembles the Boot Camp utility provided by Apple for OS X desktop computers, allowing them to be booted either into OS X or into Windows.
And so, well-known blogs such as Brighthand, Gizmodo, Engadget, the::unwired, and others jumped on the story immediately. But, while we can't prove definitively that Windows Mobile on the iPhone doesn't exist, a little fact-checking suggests the following:
There is no independent record on the Internet of any myPhone 2008 conference having been held in Las Vegas
Other offerings on the web page include one application that's claimed to measure the calories in food using an iPhone's camera, and another claimed to turn the phone into a metal detector
The metal detector application is referred to as "Twilight Scan" from "Serling Technologies," an apparent reference to Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling
The only links on the "myPhone 2008" page to actual applications both promote Wavears LE, an iPhone audio utility from Swiss company Sonic Emotion
In short, the video has all the hallmarks of a clever viral offering intended to promote Wavears LE. The software is an audio plug-in for the iPhone, Macintosh OS X, and Windows Vista, claimed to provide a "3D effect" for headphone listeners.
We've asked Sonic Emotion for their comments and will update this story if and when any are received. Meanwhile, take a look at the "myPhone 2008" video, below, and judge for yourself!
This video claims to show Apple's iPhone booting Windows Mobile Source: "myPhone 2008" (click to play)
