Category: Mobile (Page 48 of 65)

      Nokia Denies Android Project

      July 6, 2009 /

      Is Nokia ready for Android?This weekend sparked (get it…like sparklers) rumors that Nokia, the world’s top cellphone maker, was abandoning Symbian for a new project. The phone, code named “Rachael,” was said to be designed to run Android. Unfortunately, Nokia denies that claim.

      It really is a shame, considering Nokia is one on a very short list of manufacturers capable of competing directly with the iPhone. What they need, though, is a consumer-friendly operating system like, you guessed it, Android.

      Speaking of the rumor, a Nokia spokesman said, “”Absolutely no truth to this whatsoever.” He followed up with, “Everyone knows that Symbian is our preferred platform for advanced mobile devices.” Doesn’t get much clearer than that.

      Source: Reuters

      Mobile, News

      What the Hell is Happening at Dell (v2.0)?

      July 2, 2009 /

      Dell having some problems.

      I made a post a couple days ago about the downright zany information leaks about an upcoming MID from Dell. Employee comments were all over the place, which made it hard to figure out if Dell has been blowing particles of mercury through their air ducts or if they’re just panicking over their slippery market share. There’s more news this week, which has me leaning toward the mercury theory. I’ll start with the least crazy of the two.

      Yesterday Dell announced a new option for their popular Mini line of netbooks: the Wireless 700 card. The card adds $69 to the price and adds GPS capability to your handy little netbook. Alan Sicher, senior wireless product manager at Dell, had this to say:

      Smartphones already have GPS capabilities. We are now bringing it to…

      Okay, stop. Yes. Smartphones already have GPS. So why are you putting it on netbooks? More and more phones, smart or otherwise, are adding GPS capabilities every day, with increasingly robust feature lists. Sorry I interrupted.

      We are now bringing it to netbooks so the devices know where you are and can help you where you want to go.

      Alright, stop. I’m going to cannibalize an old photographer’s saying for the sake of argument here. The best GPS is the one you have with you. Why would I want to carry a netbook when my phone can do what you’re suggesting? Can you imagine walking around downtown with your netbook out? People would wonder if you’d found Zack Morris’ old smartphone.
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      Computers, Mobile

      iPhone OS 3.1 Beta Includes Video Improvements and MMS Controls

      July 1, 2009 /

      iPhone MMS.Apple has released both the OS 3.1 SDK and the firmware beta for developer testing. As you might expect, it’s not just developers fiddling with the update. iPhone enthusiasts are compiling the changes, which include some nice improvements for on-the-go video editing and even native MMS buttons.

      Here’s a quick list of 3.1 updates:

      * Non-destructive video editing – When you edit a video in 3.1, you’ll get a prompt to save the edited version, or save both the edited version and a copy of the original.
      * Voice Control over Bluetooth
      * Vibration when you enter home screen editing
      * OpenGL and Quartz improvements
      * APIs to allow third-party application access to video controls and editing

      OS 3.1 also updates the AT&T profile to 4.2 and updates modem firmware to 5.08.01. The profile update will hopefully allow MMS messaging when the full version is released. Beta testers have found they can create MMS messages but can’t send them.

      I’m glad to see Voice Control over Bluetooth since, you know, being hands free is kinda the point of Bluetooth. I’m not sure why the vibration feature is necessary. It’s pretty clear when you enter home screen editing, but hey, maybe not for everyone. As for the rest, looks like we’ll have to wait to see what developers can do with them.

      Apple, iPhone, Mobile

      webOS 1.0.4 Fixes Security, Breaks Homebrew

      July 1, 2009 /

      Palm webOS 1.0.4.This is one app decision I understand from Palm. They released webOS 1.0.4, which fixes the security hole that made homebrew apps available. Yes, that also means homebrew apps are no longer available.

      This one’s probably a good thing, because that security hole was kinda huge. It allowed users to install applications via a link in the email. Still, it sucks to kill the simple homebrew scene when the SDK for the app still isn’t live.

      Users can still use previously installed homebrew applications, and of course there’s always rooting if you want to install your own applications. You can find a quick guide on rooting your Pre, with a quick and dirty Linux tut, at the pre dev wiki.

      Apps, Mobile

      Palm Sells 300,000 Pres, Saves Their Company…For Now

      July 1, 2009 /

      Palm Pre selling like bagels.Palm’s Pre sales numbers just continue to grow, and the latest report holds one mind-jarring statistic. The Pre has sold nearly as many phones in a month as Palm sold as an entire company last quarter.

      Those numbers aren’t coming from Palm, who remains quiet where specific figures are concerned. They’re from Edward Snyder at Charter Equity Research, who thinks the Pre could sell as many as 1 million units within its first quarter. That looks small compared to the latest iPhone release, but it’s a full 300% improvement over last quarter, and that’s just for the Pre.

      Palm isn’t out of the woods yet, though. Regardless how many phones they sell, they still need to back those phones up with decent support, and that’s what has some people worried. Their are already droves of complaints of shoddy construction and significant phone damage from relatively mild use.

      I wrote an article yesterday about the importance of application support, which is where Palm is looking the worst. They’ve still got just 30 apps. Even if half of them are excellent, daily use type apps, that won’t be enough to keep a million users interested for long. Palm needs to release the SDK in a bad way, and it’s looking like a couple months before they do

      Apps, Mobile

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