Windows Phone 7 home-brew app tool pulled
A tool that would let Windows Phone 7 users install home-brew apps without having to pay for membership to Microsoft's App Hub has been taken offline.
Just a few short days after its debut, a tool that would allow anyone to install and run unauthorized applications on their Windows Phone 7 devices has been pulled.
ChevronWP7, which was the creation of developers Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh, Long Zheng, was released late last week and offered those who were not enrolled in Microsoft's Windows Phone developer program a way to install applications onto Windows Phone 7 devices without going through Microsoft's Zune software or the phone's built-in application installer.
According to the trio, the decision to pull down the software was done in order to "fast-track" discussions with Microsoft, particularly Brandon Watson, director of developer experience for the Windows Phone 7 platform, who got in touch with the group about the tool.
"To pursue these goals with Microsoft's support, Brandon Watson has agreed to engage in further discussions with us about officially facilitating home-brew development on WP7," a post on ChevronWP7's site said. "We are excited to explore the opportunity to become more involved with the shaping of the platform and to build a feedback channel for developers around the world," it continued.
Even though the "unlocking" program is no longer available, the group continues to offer a custom ringtone management application, which can take up to five WMA files and send them to Windows Phone 7 devices for use as ringers--a feature not currently available as part of the phone's system software.