But despite the fact that I'm changing jobs, I still intend to keep this blog alive. It will still remain my personal learning space, on which I'll be talking about my personal learning experiences, emerging technologies, and of course the occasional random thoughts of a geek :) So stay tuned, and if you've got more questions about my new professional adventure let me know!
Starting up a new adventure
As you might have already noticed, my job description on LinkedIn, Facebook and on my blog has changed. Yes, it's true, after weeks of planning and considering different options I finally decided to try something new and co-found a company - Artesia.si that will specialize in 2D and 3D virtual communities. We will be offering consulting for companies wanting to improve or build virtual communities, and I will mostly focus on testing new technologies, planning and delivering (e)learning for our clients, and on presenting our company in Second Life. At least for now we'll be focusing on the Slovenian market, so we only have a website in Slovenian. But we do have a virtual office in Second Life that you can all visit (yeah, we're a real flat world company with no brick and mortar office :) ). And things are actually already moving faster than we could hope for. On Thursday we were invited to help with a piece on Second Life for the evening news on national television in Slovenia! I have the video with English subtitles on Facebook if you'd like to see how it turned out :)
But despite the fact that I'm changing jobs, I still intend to keep this blog alive. It will still remain my personal learning space, on which I'll be talking about my personal learning experiences, emerging technologies, and of course the occasional random thoughts of a geek :) So stay tuned, and if you've got more questions about my new professional adventure let me know!
But despite the fact that I'm changing jobs, I still intend to keep this blog alive. It will still remain my personal learning space, on which I'll be talking about my personal learning experiences, emerging technologies, and of course the occasional random thoughts of a geek :) So stay tuned, and if you've got more questions about my new professional adventure let me know!
Giving good directions
Lately I seem to be stumbling a common problem a lot while surfing the web, visiting different places in Second Life or just going to different analogue places by analogue roads. That problem is lack of good directions related to different content and places.A common example: I often find an interesting blog post, and when I try to find more about the person that wrote it or the purpose of the blog, there is nothing. Nada. On blogs, I often get my hopes up when I see the "About" page, but too often I find the default message to the owner of the blog that no visitor should ever see (something like: "Write something about yourself/your blog on this page"). I really don't expect everyone to provide their full CV and contact information, but even if you decide to be anonymous, you can at least tell us what field you work in and what is the purpose of the blog.
Then another common example from Second Life. I won't even mention those places that are supposed to have a grand opening and can't be found anywhere on the map or under search. What I find even more disturbing is getting to a new place and receiving no clue of what the place is about and no help for getting easily from one part of the sim to the other (i.e. teleporters). Flying is fun in Second Life, but I don't always have the time or will to fly from one corner of the sim to the other to see there is nothing really interesting on the other side.
The immediate reaction to the lack of (good) directions is for me confusion, self-consciousness (thoughts like: are there really no directions here or is it my fault that I can't find them?), and the final result is usually leaving the confusing place without plans to return in the near future. This confusing place should of course never be your online course site, your virtual world presence, or even your personal or professional website.
So, what can we do to avoid users leaving our places, and how can we prepare good directions for our users (students, clients or friends)? Having really good directions is not an easy job I grant you, but I think there are some things we can do to get closer to that goal:
- The first step is of course recognizing that some directions are needed. In our enthusiasm of building something new we often forget that.
- Think like a newbie and like an average user of your content when preparing directions, and (if possible) test them on a random person that was not involved in the design process and is not a super geek. If your grandparents can understand your directions you're certainly on the right track!
- Make directions easy to read, help yourself with simple visual clues (a map, icons etc.). Keep it simple and try to include the basic information. First time users/visitors don't need to know all the details, but they should be able to get to those later when they need them.
- Make directions visible for first time visitor, but not disturbing to frequent visitors. Avoid using intrusive tools such as pop-up messages. The first time user might appreciate them, but only the first time. On the second visit he/she will start looking for the mute button, on the forth he/she will start looking for excuses for not visiting.
- Not all directions should look like they're there just because they have to be there. Add value: entertain your visitor, provide additional functions (i.e. teleporting in Second Life, a list of the most interesting posts etc.), make them feel welcome and appreciated.
- Be polite to all users, not just those that you want to have today or those that pay you. You never know when you'll need somebody, so try to make a good first impression on everyone.
- Provide personal support options. Even if you don't manage to give good directions, you can be saved by giving your users/visitors/students and easy way to contact you and get personal directions from you or your staff. It's the age of a user-centric web, on which we like the feeling we can all go talk to the boss if we want to.
- Listen to user feedback. And don't listen just to the users that talk to you. Sometimes you have to make the first step and ask the users for feedback.
On my blog, I try to provide good directions by having a "Who am I?" block right on the top of the blog sidebar, which has some basic info about me and a few links to my extended profiles if the visitors want to know more about me. Also, I decided to visualize my blog purpose with a simple moto (Click. Learn. Share.) and icons right below. I might also add some links to my most interesting posts in the future, but overall I hope I did a decent job in providing directions and different ways for navigation. If you think I'm missing something, please let me know :)
I certainly think that once in a while we should all stop to think about how new users feel when they first enter one of our places. And I think we can often find some little and sweet details to add that will make the visiting experience for first-timers and regulars alike that more pleasurable and memorable.
The (partial) state of the mobile data market
Despite all the hype and excitement about the mobile data market, it is very difficult to get reliable data on how it's actually developing. The mobile operators don't like to release full details of their sales, and surveys of users cost a lot of money to conduct and therefore are usually available only to people who pay.
We're left to chew on anecdotes, partial information released by companies that are trying to push a point of view, and unscientific "polls" of online enthusiasts.
So I'm always on the lookout for more rigorous information. Recently I came across several fairly good sources of data, and they give some interesting perspectives on what's happening with mobile data. It is by no means a complete view, and most of it is US only. But I think it's worth sharing.
Steady, unspectacular growth
The overall picture of mobile data is one of steady but unspectacular growth. It's a bit like watching a tree grow -- you can't see anything changing day to day, but if you walk away and come back in six months you'll notice the difference. SMS continues to be the dominant service, especially in Europe, and there's no sign of some other service surpassing it.
Is the growth rate good or bad? It all depends on how much growth you were expecting, and how fast you wanted it to happen. The one thing I think is very clear is that each country market is different, and you can't classify any of them as leaders and laggards. They're just unique.
Here are the details:
Capabilities of mobile phones in the US
The Pew Internet organization has been surveying Americans on their Internet usage for years. A couple of the questions in their survey ask about the data capabilities of their mobile phones. In the most recent results, from early 2006, 75% of mobile phone users in the US said their phones are capable of texting. 63% said they can play games, and 39% said they have cameraphones. Here's the full chart:
Nothing there stands out as shocking, although I expected the penetration of cameraphones to be higher. My guess is it has gone up in the last year.
(Note that some people could have capabilities in their phones and not realize it. So the question tells us as much about awareness of features as it does about the phones themselves.)
What people do with their phones: Nothing else rivals SMS
The chart below examines the percent of mobile phone users in the US and several European countries who have ever performed various tasks with their mobile phones. The source is M:Metrics, Q4 2006, and the numbers were quoted in a presentation by Orange / France Telecom.
The figures show that there's no other mobile data service with near the penetration of short messaging service (texting). That's not really news, but it's striking to see the hard numbers. About 80-85% of people in most of the big European countries have ever sent a text message, with France lagging slightly (at about 75%). In the US, almost 40% of mobile phone users report that they have sent a text message.
The next closest service is picture messaging, with 20-30% of mobile users in the big European countries saying they have received photo messages at least once. In the US, the figure is 15%. It's ironic that photo messaging is in second place, since it's generally considered a major disappointment. What does that say about the other services? Well, none of them generally crack 10% usage.
Is the US really a laggard? The other thing in the chart that really stood out to me was that the adoption "lag" of US mobile users varies depending on service. The US is far behind in SMS, MMS, and playing music on the phone (the last one is, I'm sure, due to the strength of the iPod in the US). But in the other categories, the US is in the middle of the pack, or even ahead (somebody explain the ringtone result to me, please).
It's always fun to stereotype the US market as primitive in all areas of wireless, but the adoption numbers don't support that. It just looks different.
What does it all mean? Orange's spin was that it means we're just getting started in mobile data, and everyone should wait patiently for the good services to take off. They showed the following growth projection from Ericsson as evidence:
No offense to Orange, but that is basically a statement of faith rather than analysis. If you're a cynic, you'll point out that the chart assumes compound growth will continue uninterrupted for a decade, something that is often true for technology specs but is rarely true for technology markets.
What we really need is time-series data, so we can see what's growing and what isn't. Unfortunately, Orange didn't present any numbers like that, but the research firm Telephia did, in a separate presentation. Unfortunately, their numbers were US only, and they didn't cut the usage categories in the same way as France Telecom. But they still show some interesting trends...
Mobile data growth in the US
Telephia measures mobile data usage by analyzing the monthly bills of mobile phone users. This should give very accurate information on revenue and number of users, but it doesn't track physical usage. Because some services are billed per-use and some have monthly subscription fees, it's hard to tell how heavily people are using the services listed below.
Telephia reports that billings are growing steadily for a wide range of mobile data services. The chart below shows total US operator revenue for mobile data from Q3 2006 to Q1 2007. (These figures include anything that passes through the user's phone bill. Applications and services paid for separately by the user are not included.)
The chart is in billions of dollars, so it shows that in Q1 2007, total on-deck US data revenue was about $4.6 billion. Is that a big number or a small one? Well, total service revenue for the US mobile operators is about $32.5 billion per quarter, according to the CTIA. So mobile data is about 14% of mobile billings.
Where is e-mail? I can't find e-mail anywhere on the chart. I'm very surprised they didn't break it out separately.
Strangely consistent growth rates. The weirdest thing about the chart is that everything's growing at the same rate. In the real world, that sort of thing doesn't often happen. I wonder if a lot of the growth might be driven by people buying service bundles, where they pay a flat extra rate per month to activate a bunch of different services, and then the revenue gets allocated across the services by the operator. That would cause everything to grow in lockstep.
If that's what's going on, then these numbers really might not say much about usage -- what they'd be tracking is the ability of the operators to sell services bundles.
Anyway, the numbers show that the US operators are making pretty good revenue from mobile data. I didn't make a chart of this, but in general, the growth in mobile data billings is large enough to make up for the ongoing decline in mobile voice revenue. So the operators aren't getting rich, but data is helping to keep them from getting poor.
More details. Telephia lumps a lot of different things in the "Downloads" category. For Q1 2007, they gave more details on that category. So I can't give you a time series, but here's a more fine-cut look at how mobile data revenue looked in the US at the start of 2007:
Premium SMS is mostly ringtones paid for via SMS, plus voting for things like American Idol. Audio is downloading and streaming of songs. The other categories are self-explanatory. I feel bad about the tiny size of the applications category, but keep in mind that most smartphone apps are sold through the web and then synced onto the device, and so don't show up in operator billings.
Number of users per service. Telephia also reported the total number of users for each service. As we saw in the Orange chart, SMS has the most users in the US (although the gap between it and the other services isn't as large as in Europe).
Revenue per user. Combining the user and revenue data, we can estimate monthly billings per user for each service:
You can see why the operators like premium SMS. And look at WAP! It never lived up to the original hype that it would become the mobile version of the Web, but as a tool for getting things like sports scores and weather reports, it's not doing too bad. (Whether it's paying for all the money that was invested in it is another story.) Video's generating the most revenue per user, but with a very tiny user base. Audio revenue (which is revenue from listening to songs, not ringtones) is fairly close to what Apple gets from iTunes users (the average iTunes user downloads about 3.3 songs per month, or about $3.30) (link).
Usage doesn't follow capability. And now for the "big" mashup. We can combine Pew Internet's figures on phone capabilities with Telephia's numbers on service usage to figure out roughly what percent of US mobile customers who know they have a given feature on the phone ever actually use it. The results are interesting:
For communication-related services, the percentage of users is quite high (although remember that we don't know how heavily the features are being used). But most mobile users are not adopting the entertainment features in their phones. That's exactly what you'd expect if only a limited percentage of the population were interested in using their phones for entertainment, which is what a lot of user studies have shown (link).
The lesson: If you're an operator or handset vendor, be careful about pushing phones that are a kitchen-sink collection of expensive features. The odds are very good that you'll spend a lot of subsidy money on people who won't ever adopt the underlying services that were supposed to justify the subsidy. It's much better to offer a variety of phones specialized for different types of user, and let them pick the ones they want.
=====
As I said at the start, it's an interesting collection of tidbits, but far too US-centric. If you live outside the US and have information to add on your market, please post a comment.
Sources:
Total revenue of the operators: link
Orange's presentation at the Global Mobility Roundtable: link
Telephia's presentation at the GMR: link
Pew Internet: link
We're left to chew on anecdotes, partial information released by companies that are trying to push a point of view, and unscientific "polls" of online enthusiasts.
So I'm always on the lookout for more rigorous information. Recently I came across several fairly good sources of data, and they give some interesting perspectives on what's happening with mobile data. It is by no means a complete view, and most of it is US only. But I think it's worth sharing.
Steady, unspectacular growth
The overall picture of mobile data is one of steady but unspectacular growth. It's a bit like watching a tree grow -- you can't see anything changing day to day, but if you walk away and come back in six months you'll notice the difference. SMS continues to be the dominant service, especially in Europe, and there's no sign of some other service surpassing it.
Is the growth rate good or bad? It all depends on how much growth you were expecting, and how fast you wanted it to happen. The one thing I think is very clear is that each country market is different, and you can't classify any of them as leaders and laggards. They're just unique.
Here are the details:
Capabilities of mobile phones in the US
The Pew Internet organization has been surveying Americans on their Internet usage for years. A couple of the questions in their survey ask about the data capabilities of their mobile phones. In the most recent results, from early 2006, 75% of mobile phone users in the US said their phones are capable of texting. 63% said they can play games, and 39% said they have cameraphones. Here's the full chart:
Nothing there stands out as shocking, although I expected the penetration of cameraphones to be higher. My guess is it has gone up in the last year.
(Note that some people could have capabilities in their phones and not realize it. So the question tells us as much about awareness of features as it does about the phones themselves.)
What people do with their phones: Nothing else rivals SMS
The chart below examines the percent of mobile phone users in the US and several European countries who have ever performed various tasks with their mobile phones. The source is M:Metrics, Q4 2006, and the numbers were quoted in a presentation by Orange / France Telecom.
The figures show that there's no other mobile data service with near the penetration of short messaging service (texting). That's not really news, but it's striking to see the hard numbers. About 80-85% of people in most of the big European countries have ever sent a text message, with France lagging slightly (at about 75%). In the US, almost 40% of mobile phone users report that they have sent a text message.
The next closest service is picture messaging, with 20-30% of mobile users in the big European countries saying they have received photo messages at least once. In the US, the figure is 15%. It's ironic that photo messaging is in second place, since it's generally considered a major disappointment. What does that say about the other services? Well, none of them generally crack 10% usage.
Is the US really a laggard? The other thing in the chart that really stood out to me was that the adoption "lag" of US mobile users varies depending on service. The US is far behind in SMS, MMS, and playing music on the phone (the last one is, I'm sure, due to the strength of the iPod in the US). But in the other categories, the US is in the middle of the pack, or even ahead (somebody explain the ringtone result to me, please).
It's always fun to stereotype the US market as primitive in all areas of wireless, but the adoption numbers don't support that. It just looks different.
What does it all mean? Orange's spin was that it means we're just getting started in mobile data, and everyone should wait patiently for the good services to take off. They showed the following growth projection from Ericsson as evidence:
No offense to Orange, but that is basically a statement of faith rather than analysis. If you're a cynic, you'll point out that the chart assumes compound growth will continue uninterrupted for a decade, something that is often true for technology specs but is rarely true for technology markets.
What we really need is time-series data, so we can see what's growing and what isn't. Unfortunately, Orange didn't present any numbers like that, but the research firm Telephia did, in a separate presentation. Unfortunately, their numbers were US only, and they didn't cut the usage categories in the same way as France Telecom. But they still show some interesting trends...
Mobile data growth in the US
Telephia measures mobile data usage by analyzing the monthly bills of mobile phone users. This should give very accurate information on revenue and number of users, but it doesn't track physical usage. Because some services are billed per-use and some have monthly subscription fees, it's hard to tell how heavily people are using the services listed below.
Telephia reports that billings are growing steadily for a wide range of mobile data services. The chart below shows total US operator revenue for mobile data from Q3 2006 to Q1 2007. (These figures include anything that passes through the user's phone bill. Applications and services paid for separately by the user are not included.)
The chart is in billions of dollars, so it shows that in Q1 2007, total on-deck US data revenue was about $4.6 billion. Is that a big number or a small one? Well, total service revenue for the US mobile operators is about $32.5 billion per quarter, according to the CTIA. So mobile data is about 14% of mobile billings.
Where is e-mail? I can't find e-mail anywhere on the chart. I'm very surprised they didn't break it out separately.
Strangely consistent growth rates. The weirdest thing about the chart is that everything's growing at the same rate. In the real world, that sort of thing doesn't often happen. I wonder if a lot of the growth might be driven by people buying service bundles, where they pay a flat extra rate per month to activate a bunch of different services, and then the revenue gets allocated across the services by the operator. That would cause everything to grow in lockstep.
If that's what's going on, then these numbers really might not say much about usage -- what they'd be tracking is the ability of the operators to sell services bundles.
Anyway, the numbers show that the US operators are making pretty good revenue from mobile data. I didn't make a chart of this, but in general, the growth in mobile data billings is large enough to make up for the ongoing decline in mobile voice revenue. So the operators aren't getting rich, but data is helping to keep them from getting poor.
More details. Telephia lumps a lot of different things in the "Downloads" category. For Q1 2007, they gave more details on that category. So I can't give you a time series, but here's a more fine-cut look at how mobile data revenue looked in the US at the start of 2007:
Premium SMS is mostly ringtones paid for via SMS, plus voting for things like American Idol. Audio is downloading and streaming of songs. The other categories are self-explanatory. I feel bad about the tiny size of the applications category, but keep in mind that most smartphone apps are sold through the web and then synced onto the device, and so don't show up in operator billings.
Number of users per service. Telephia also reported the total number of users for each service. As we saw in the Orange chart, SMS has the most users in the US (although the gap between it and the other services isn't as large as in Europe).
Revenue per user. Combining the user and revenue data, we can estimate monthly billings per user for each service:
You can see why the operators like premium SMS. And look at WAP! It never lived up to the original hype that it would become the mobile version of the Web, but as a tool for getting things like sports scores and weather reports, it's not doing too bad. (Whether it's paying for all the money that was invested in it is another story.) Video's generating the most revenue per user, but with a very tiny user base. Audio revenue (which is revenue from listening to songs, not ringtones) is fairly close to what Apple gets from iTunes users (the average iTunes user downloads about 3.3 songs per month, or about $3.30) (link).
Usage doesn't follow capability. And now for the "big" mashup. We can combine Pew Internet's figures on phone capabilities with Telephia's numbers on service usage to figure out roughly what percent of US mobile customers who know they have a given feature on the phone ever actually use it. The results are interesting:
For communication-related services, the percentage of users is quite high (although remember that we don't know how heavily the features are being used). But most mobile users are not adopting the entertainment features in their phones. That's exactly what you'd expect if only a limited percentage of the population were interested in using their phones for entertainment, which is what a lot of user studies have shown (link).
The lesson: If you're an operator or handset vendor, be careful about pushing phones that are a kitchen-sink collection of expensive features. The odds are very good that you'll spend a lot of subsidy money on people who won't ever adopt the underlying services that were supposed to justify the subsidy. It's much better to offer a variety of phones specialized for different types of user, and let them pick the ones they want.
=====
As I said at the start, it's an interesting collection of tidbits, but far too US-centric. If you live outside the US and have information to add on your market, please post a comment.
Sources:
Total revenue of the operators: link
Orange's presentation at the Global Mobility Roundtable: link
Telephia's presentation at the GMR: link
Pew Internet: link
Samsung SGH-i450: New Two-Way Slider Phone like Nokia N95
To be announced really soon, official press photos of Samsung SGH-i450 are available now from mobil.idnes.cz. The i450 featuring a similar sliding design as Nokia N95. When you move the slider up a bigger speaker is unveiled instead of a media player control buttons.The Samsung SGH-i450 is a symbian smartphone, running S60 third edition. Comes with a 2-way slider, it will be announced for GSM
A new way to measure the popularity of the iPhone
True story: Back when I was working at Apple, we received a report that there had been a burglary at a company that had a lot of Macintosh computers. The thieves took every one of the Macs -- and left behind all the Windows PCs.
We were delighted. Not about the burglary, mind you. I'm afraid we were pretty callous about that, and besides we figured the company was insured. But we loved the idea that even criminal lowlifes knew which was the better computer.
In fact, we loved that idea so much that we made a commercial about it. It was cool -- deep blue lighting, lots of shadows, and two silhouettes moving silently through the office. One of them starts to pick up a PC, and his companion hisses, "not those, just take these." And he points at a Mac.
The Computer for the Rest of Us, indeed.
At the last minute, somebody in the company realized that the commercial might just possibly be viewed as an endorsement of crime, besides which it made us look like complete mercenaries. So I don't think the commercial was ever aired. We just watched it a lot at communication meetings.
I thought of that old commercial today when I was in an AT&T (formerly Cingular) mobile phone store. There was a big video display for the iPhone, but no phones on the counter. "Did they sell out?" I asked the clerk.
"Nope. Someone broke in and stole them," he said. "We saw it on the surveillance video. They were in and out in 30 seconds. They ran over to the iPhones, cut the cables, and left."
"Did they take anything else?" I asked, thinking I saw a new commercial in the making.
"Oh yeah, they took the Treos too."
Sorry, Apple. No commercial.
And sorry, RIM. They left the Blackberries. Personally, I would have grabbed a Pearl on the way out.
By the way, if you're thinking of buying an iPhone on eBay, keep in mind -- the other thing the AT&T guy told me is that the iPhones are all serialized, and Apple can permanently turn off the ones that were stolen.
We were delighted. Not about the burglary, mind you. I'm afraid we were pretty callous about that, and besides we figured the company was insured. But we loved the idea that even criminal lowlifes knew which was the better computer.
In fact, we loved that idea so much that we made a commercial about it. It was cool -- deep blue lighting, lots of shadows, and two silhouettes moving silently through the office. One of them starts to pick up a PC, and his companion hisses, "not those, just take these." And he points at a Mac.
The Computer for the Rest of Us, indeed.
At the last minute, somebody in the company realized that the commercial might just possibly be viewed as an endorsement of crime, besides which it made us look like complete mercenaries. So I don't think the commercial was ever aired. We just watched it a lot at communication meetings.
I thought of that old commercial today when I was in an AT&T (formerly Cingular) mobile phone store. There was a big video display for the iPhone, but no phones on the counter. "Did they sell out?" I asked the clerk.
"Nope. Someone broke in and stole them," he said. "We saw it on the surveillance video. They were in and out in 30 seconds. They ran over to the iPhones, cut the cables, and left."
"Did they take anything else?" I asked, thinking I saw a new commercial in the making.
"Oh yeah, they took the Treos too."
Sorry, Apple. No commercial.
And sorry, RIM. They left the Blackberries. Personally, I would have grabbed a Pearl on the way out.
By the way, if you're thinking of buying an iPhone on eBay, keep in mind -- the other thing the AT&T guy told me is that the iPhones are all serialized, and Apple can permanently turn off the ones that were stolen.
Emgeton G20 CULT Phone
Its the same Nokia N73 Music EditorEmgeton G20 CULT Phone The Emgeton G20 CULT is going to be a Dual GSM SIM card, MP3 and MP4 player phone (112x50x15mm) Sesitive Touch Screen TFT-LCD 262k Colors 2.4-inch QVGA 2 mega-pixel camera GSM 900/1800 + Dual GSM SIM card Video (
Competitor of Apple
Emgeton Mini One Phone The Emgeton Mini One Phone is going to be a music phone (57x105x11.5mm) for the GSM networks with a 3.3-inch 720x480 pixel VGA+ touch sensitive screen, 3 mega-pixel camera, ARM11 CPU capable of recording video in 30FPS utilizing the entire screen resolution, Bluetooth and TV Out. Supposedly, it will also run the latest version of Microsoft's Windows
Samsung SGH-U700V
While I wait for Samsung's recently announced five megapixel G600 to arrive, I've settled down with its SGH-U700V. This mobile is exclusive to Vodafone as I write, and is available from free depending on your chosen contract. It is essentially an update to the SGH-U600 I reviewed in May. Just like the U600, the U700 is a very thin slider phone. In fact the two phones share similar dimensions.
Cloning GSM SIM Card Report
Cloning GSM SIM Card Report This report that is available for download was written back in 2002 and was one of the first on the market to look at what was happening with GSM SIM Card cloning marketplace and I believe this report was the first to report on this matter in the mobile telephone evidence and forensic community.I am letting this report out as it was written in 2002 but largely because
LG KU990 NYX 5 Megapixel Chocolate Phone
Is LG KU990 NYX the next Prada phone? See leaked photos and video inside.Clipset.net has some interesting info on the upcoming LG KU990. Similar to LG Prada phone, the KU990 is a keypad-less phone with a big 3" touch screen. While it is not sure if it is the next LG Prada phone, the new KU990 support HSDPA data connection now. Inline with the recent LG announcement on YouTube support, this phone
iPhone Unlocking Software Release Blocked by Legal Warnings
It was announced yesterday that a second company was preparing to provide software that would unlock the Apple iPhone and allow it to be used on any GSM network worldwide. The announcement, which came from mobile phone unlocking company UniquePhones, promised the software would be available to consumers today (August 25th), for a price between $25 and $50. The initial team, which proved their
Romantic with Nokia
This video is very Romantic that the man use Nokia to make clear his feeling with the woman..And you..Are you a romantic man ?
Download free theme for your iphone...
Hi all.I've found a new website that you can download free theme for your iphoneClick here to visit
Samsung SGH-F300
Any regular reader of TrustedReviews knows that Samsung makes a big thing of its thin mobile phones, and that the company produces some fairly nifty portable music players. You’ll also be aware that the synergy of mobile phones and music players is pretty much a holy quest for many phone manufacturers. But Samsung has gone a step further than many with the tri-band SGH-F300 in creating a device
Samsung SGH-U600
If you are after a thin slider phone, then your mind might turn naturally towards the Shine from LG, or Motorola’s MOTOKRZR K1. You might even be drawn to Sony Ericsson’s W850i. Varied as they are in size and shape, these sliders show off what the format is capable of. Now Samsung has added its SGH-U600 to the slider range. The last Samsung slider I looked at was the SGH-D840, but the
Samsung Lily E420
The Lily from Samsung is an entry level flip phone and without wanting to sound patronising in any way is most definitely a phone aimed at younger girls. Its livery is mostly white with flashes of pale pinky-purple around the edges. The two colours are used in pretty much equal measure along with silver. The colour scheme is a clue pointing to the market, but the fact is clinched by the 30ml
Samsung SGH-D840
Samsung’s Ultra range of handsets is well established, and its overriding theme is of thin and sleek mobiles. Between us, Riyad and I have looked at several Ultra mobiles as the range has developed, including the SGH-Z560 and SGH-D830. The D840 is a slider and it isn’t all that different in size and shape from LG’s Shine. Like the Shine the D840 is sliver, though there is less metal going on
Samsung SGH-X830
It seems appropriate that I am writing about Samsung’s SGH-X830 just as the chat about Apple’s newly announced music playing iPhone reaches fever pitch. This phone is a combination of music player and Tri-band phone that is designed like no other combination of these two features I have ever seen. The Samsung SGH-X830 looks more like a portable music player than a phone – it is tall, thin and
Samsung SGH-Z560 on T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s HSDPA service launched in the summer and to date has been largely aimed at business users. The first device to appear was a PC Card data card, and it’s also available on the MDA Vario II, a keyboarded Windows Mobile Pocket PC. I reviewed the very similar, but non HSDPA powered HTC TyTN. It took till late November for T-Mobile to bring HSDPA to the masses, in the shape of the Samsung
Samsung SGH-D830
Samsung’s Ultra Edition series comprises a number of thin, sleek handsets that are designed to give Motorola and its RAZR variants a run for their money. We’ve already looked at one phone in the range, the D900, a slider that Riyad reviewed back in September. He was broadly in favour of that handset, but had some reservations and I feel the same about the Tri-band clamshell D830. A quick hunt
Samsung SGH-D900 Ultra-Slim Mobile Phone
Samsung has made incredible leaps forward in the past few years. It wasn’t that long ago that you considered a Samsung when you couldn’t afford a tier one brand like Sony or Panasonic, but those days are long gone. These days, not only is Samsung considered a tier one brand, it has actually cemented itself as one of the most desirable tier one brands out there. Samsung achieved this feat by doing
Samsung SGH-Z400
As with the excellent D600, the tri-band GSM and 3G capable SGH-Z400 employs what is arguably Samsung’s best handset design format - the slider. As I wrote this review, Orange, O2 and Vodafone were all listing the Z400 online from free depending on the tariff. Samsung plays a cagey game with the Z400. It is small and light (97mm tall, 48mm wide, 19mm deep and 107g), stylishly silver, and has
Samsung SGH-E900
It has been a while since we’ve looked at a sliding handset from Samsung: it was way back in November that Riyad reviewed the SGH-D600. It came away with a coveted Recommended award from him, and from my own experience I’d say the award was fully justified. Now I have the SGH-E900 in my hands. This is another slider and it shares quite a few features with the SGH-D600 such as a 2-megapixel
Sony Ericsson K550i
Sony Ericsson’s K550i is a Cyber-shot handset, which means it’s designed with photography as a key feature. In this instance the 2-megapixel camera is, in pure pixel terms, a bit behind the times, but the Cyber-shot metaphor is held together with features like auto focus, some image doctoring and built in picture blogging. Of course, as a Sony Ericsson handset the K550i can also play music, so
Sony Ericsson W610i
The last handset I looked at from Sony Ericsson was the W880i. Hailed as an ultra small, ultra thin mobile, my main problem with it was that the number dialling buttons were simply too small to use comfortably. This problem marred what was otherwise for me a rather nice little phone. So, into my hands comes the Sony Ericsson W610i. As I write it is available on O2, Orange and Vodafone and with
Sony Ericsson W880i
One of the current trends in mobile phones is to go thin, thin, thin. In other areas it is possible to be too thin - modelling, acting and any thing else involving Size Zero. Can the same be said of mobiles? Sony Ericsson’s W880i made me ask this question because while it is just 9.4mm thick and looks absolutely stunning, its size has made for a significant set of compromises in terms of its
Sony Ericsson W950i
In the middle of last year I reviewed the M600i, Sony Ericsson’s attempt to bring the UIQ platform out of its chunky, smartphoney ‘P’ series shell and turn it into something for a wider audience. Now I have the tri-band, 3G W950i in my hands. Like the M600i this is a small format slimline phone. It is 106mm tall, 54mm wide, 15mm thick and 112g and tucks away fairly nicely in the pocket. Its
Sony Ericsson W850i
If you must have a phone with music playing abilities then Sony Ericsson’s range of Walkman handsets is likely to be at the top of your short list. It offers a wide range of such phones so it come as no surprise to see a slider enter the fray in the shape of the 3G, Tri-band W850i. I’m quite a fan of the slider format. Good examples are small in the hand and are well featured The W850i meets
Sony Ericsson W710i
Not that long ago I reviewed Nokia’s review5500 Sport and at the end of the process decided the handset wasn’t really suitable for anyone serious about getting fit. I have to say from the start that I think the same about Sony Ericsson’s W710i. If you want some tech to help you get fit you are going to be far better off with something that can track your movement through a GPS antenna and
Sony Ericsson K610im
O2’s i-mode service launched back in September 2005. By the end of October that year, Riyad had reviewed the N411i. He loved i-mode as a concept, praising in particular its fast access to data, page caching (pages are saved so you don’t have to reload them when you flick back and forth between them) and push email. But he did have some issues too, so it was not all out praise at the time. O2
Nokia N73
If you are currently a user of Nokia’s N70, which I reviewed a while ago alongside the CoPilot navigation software, then you could well want to cast an eye over its natural successor, the N73. I liked the N70 but sitting it next to this new handset just a couple of months after reviewing it, it feels underpowered and clunky. Nokia’s handsets can sometimes seem over-designed, and/or rather too
Nokia N76
Nokia gives its flagship mobiles in an exclusive group known as the N series. This special place is where Nokia shows off its talents and tries to break new ground. We’ve already taken in the delights of the double-slider and navigation capable N95, the svelte, yet well specified N73, and the multimedia top-heavy N93. All these handsets are about showing off what Nokia can achieve with a mobile
Nokia E65
Nokia’s newest trio of E series handsets comprises of a follow up to the keyboarded E61 called the E61i (even for Nokia this name shows little imagination) a new communicator the E90 and the phone I am looking at in this review, the E65. The E65 comes in two colour schemes. Mine was brown – Nokia calls it Mocca – and silver. The alternative is red and silver. The brown parts are made of a
Nokia 3250
Nokia could never be accused of producing boring handsets. OK, the company does actually make standard candybar mobiles, but it also pushes the envelope of what we expect handsets to look like and how we expect them to behave. If you doubt this think about the N90, N91 and 7380. Usually the design innovations work, but with the tri-band 3250 I’m not so sure. There’s nothing actually wrong
Nokia 7710 - Smartphone
Nokia’s 7710 is quite possibly the oddest handsets on the market today. It doesn’t have a number pad, and it looks more like a games console than a phone. This is all part and parcel of the bigger picture with this device, though – it is a true hybrid, and if my days of evaluation tell me nothing else, they shout loud and clear that any company wanting to offer the best of all possible worlds
Nokia 6822 on Orange
The business mobile phone slowly evolved from a dull but functional device into a jack of all trades that allows users to work anytime, anywhere. With the introduction of the RIM BlackBerry and various combined PDA/phones, email anywhere has become a reality. The disadvantage of most of these devices is that they are much larger than your average mobile phone and thus take up a lot more space in
Nokia 6300
I see lots of mobile phones but it isn’t often that I come across one which not only looks great but manages to deliver too. In fact I was a bit sad to let Nokia’s 6300 go. Why is this? The 6300 isn’t the cleverest mobile on the block: there are plenty of other phones with higher specifications. It’s not even a 3G handset, just Tri-band GSM with GPRS, so any data related tasks are relatively
Nokia 7373 Pink Phone
Nokia’s L’Amour Collection of handsets had managed to evade my clutches, but that situation ended when I was sent a 7373. SIM free it’ll set you back £174 (inc VAT) from Nokia’s online store, but go with an operator and you can get it for free. Nokia could have chosen to send either a pink or a black version of this handset and opted for the former. I’m sure Nokia doesn’t want anyone to equate
Nokia 5300 XpressMusic
Nokia’s tri-band 5300 XpressMusic is, as its name implies, slanted towards those who like a bit of music while they are out and about. Now, there are plenty of Nokia handsets that can play music, but the company seems to think that in order to take on the mighty Sony Ericsson and its Walkman phones it needs to drop an indication of a mobile’s musicality in its name. Nokia may have a point but
Nokia N71
Nokia is not known for its clamshell handsets, but the company does occasionally make a foray into that world, and has done so with the N71. In fact, despite Nokia’s reluctance to flip, there is already a clamshell handset in the N range – the N91. Where that is a very chunky beast, with a camera in its own clamshell independent swivelling section, the N71 has a rather more traditional
Nokia E61
Mobile email. Depending on your point of view – and the demands of your boss – it’s either the oil that keeps your working day afloat or the bane of your life. Either way, for many of us, it is here to stay. Nokia knows this and just like others has been building support for mobile email into its handsets for a considerable time. But the E61 is a step up the ladder. Part of the company’s new E
Nokia N90 - 3G Handset
At first glance Nokia’s N90 looks like a pretty standard clamshell phone albeit a chunky one. Weighing 173g it feels like a bit of a monster in the hand, and at 112 x 51 x 24mm it’s unlikely that you’ll slip it into a small pocket and not notice that it is there. The N90 is a tri-band GSM and 3G handset, but its 3G capability is not the headline feature. That accolade goes to the same feature
Nokia N91 4GB Mobile Phone
If you feel you’ve been waiting ages for Nokia’s N91, you are right. The press release I have on file announcing the handset is dated 27 April 2005. In that document, worldwide availability is stated as expected by the end of that year. Well, it is now May 2006, and only now has the handset finally turned up. It’s complete with the 4GB of storage promised way back then – an amount that has not
iPhone Full Software Unlock is Here, Working, Confirmed
We all knew it was only a matter of time. For some it has taken longer than expected while others are shocked at how rapidly hackers were able to tear apart the reportedly impenetrable Apple defenses on the iPhone. Regardless of your level of surprise, the fact of the matter is that the iPhone is now fully unlocked, and the iPhone can be used on any GSM carrier anywhere in the world. The unlock
Software Fix for Dead Pixels in Your iPhone LCD
One of the best features of the iPhone is the absolutely beautiful screen Apple adorned it with. The LCD on the iPhone features rich colors, sharp contrast, and excellent resolution that makes reading even tiny text a breeze. Unfortunately, the beauty of the iPhone screen makes it that much more painful when dead or pixels show up. Luckily, there may been a quick and easy fix. Though reports of
New Details on Next Generation iPod - the iPod Touch?
A variety of sources are reporting on new details that have supposedly emerged about the new, 6th generation iPod. Though, as to be expected, these reports are unconfirmed, they seem to be gathering a good deal of attention. A mac enthusiast website, 9to5Mac, has indicated that they have in their possession a photo of the yet-to-be-released next generation iPod. Unfortunately, due to previous
Easy iPhone Ringtone and Application Installation with iBrickr
Don't let the name of iPhone hacker NateTrue's latest offering scare you away. Though you might think so from the name of it, "iBrickr" isn't designed to "brick" your iPhone. Instead, iBrickr is designed to provide easy-to-use, GUI-driven management of ringtones and third party applications for the iPhone. Of course, like all unauthorized iPhone software/hacks, there is some risk of having to
Keep Your Golf Score Card on the iPhone
There's little doubt that you've read about the golfer who's now smashed Apple iPhone protected him from grave injury on the golf course by blocking a golf ball from contact with his body. As it turns out, acting as body armor isn't the only useful thing your iPhone can do on the golf course. If you're tired of uncrumpling your scorecard or trying to figure out where you put that tiny little
About Nokia N93
What’s the first thing you look for in a mobile phone? Portability? Good call quality? Good battery life? Great music playback? You’ll find some of these in Nokia’s N93, but not all. Battery life is only average and the N93 is not particularly portable. But hey, this handset is a movie making machine as well as being a smartphone, so in place of portability you get video recording par
Second iPhone Update Now Available
Most iPhone owners out there have been awaiting a second iPhone update as eagerly as they were awaiting the first iPhone update. Well, the good news is, Apple issued the second update, 1.0.2, to the iPhone this evening. For the time being, it doesn't look like there's too much to talk about surrounding the 1.0.2 update. Information provided by Apple indicates that the update contains only
Control Your Remote Desktop from the iPhone with RDM+
Shape Services, the company who recently brought Skype to the iPhone via their IM+ for Skype application, is back with another eye catching offering. This time, Shape Services is delivering a version of their RDM+ software for the iPhone. RDM, which stands for Remote Desktop for Mobiles, is a remote PC access software designed to give you access to your desktop, files, network connections, and
About Nokia N95
Nokia’s new N95 is a tri-band GSM handset with 3G and HSDPA support. Like others in the N series it makes a big noise with its numerous bells and whistles, not the least of which is built-in GPS and a 5-megapixel camera. I’ve found phones in the N series to be a bit hit and miss both in terms of design and how all the features are managed. Take the superbly designed N73, for example, and
Save $100 on an Apple iPhone - Buy Refurbished
Though we're a bit surprised to see them already available, Apple is now offering refurbished Apple iPhones for purchase via their online store. The refurbished models are available in both the 4GB and 8GB models and come with a $100 discount as compared to their brand-new counterparts. That means that you can get your hands on a 4GB for $399 and an 8GB for $499. If you've been holding off on
About Sony Ericsson K800i
The efforts of phone manufacturers to cram more and more pixels into the lenses of the built-in cameras is nothing short of relentless. Samsung has hit 10-megapixels with its SCH-B600 phone, but that is of course no more than a technology statement and is only available in Korea anyway. Here in the UK, the best we can get right now is 3.2 million courtesy of Sony Ericsson’s K800i, the first SE
Catching up: 8 random things about me
Huh, what a busy August! After a lovely Greek vacation (I highly recommed Greece for vacation - great food, great people, crystal clear sea!) I had one of the busiest week (and weekend) ever: all the catching up with RSS feeds, mails + intensive work on two different projects... and the result of that is that I still haven't managed to reply to all mails (bad Alja, bad!), and I'm also late for my blogger homework, which was assigned to me by The Four Eyed Technologist 12 days ago (so says Technorati :) ). So, it's now time to stop making excuses and join the "8 Random Things" game that has been spreading around the blogosphere for quite some time now. I admit that I've been reading many random things about many of you in the past weeks with quite some interest, so it's only fair to do my share now :)First, The rules:
- Post these rules before you give your facts.
- List 8 random facts about yourself.
- At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them.
- Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged.
My 8 Random Things:
- I trained track and field athletics for about 10 years in different disciplines; I started in first grade in long distances, and ended up doing long jump and 60m/100m hurdles. I wasn't too bad at it (even got into the national team once), but I quit because I lost my interest in competitions.
- At the end of elementary school I wanted to study chemistry, but then lost all interest for it in high school and turned towards computer and social sciences.
- I love animation movies and cartoons in general. On my top list are Pixar movies (this short one is imho enough to explain the brilliance of Pixar) and Japanese sci-fi animes, but I like to watch just any animated thing that pops on screen.
- I don't like travelling much, especially by car. I keep hoping teleport systems will be invented in my lifetime :)
- My interested for education highly derives from the fact that I was bored at school 90 % of the time, and I spent most of that time drawing various sketches in my notebooks.
- I am shortsighted - couldn't get far through the day without glasses or contact lenses! Part of it is inherited, and part of it is the price of being a computer geek and living behind computer screens.
- I love the sea; now that I don't live by the sea anymore, I really miss the sea air, and the wind you only get on the coast... And thinking of that always reminds me of the song "Gente di mare".
- I had compulsory Italian classes for 12 years in school as I lived in a bilingual zone (near the Slovenian-Italian border). And now I haven't really spoken it for 5 years! I still understand it very well, but I don't dare to speak or write it anymore - and that's something I'd like to change.
List of great bloggers that will be happy to share 8 random things:
- Daniel (not a blogger (yet! ;) ), but he shared some interesting things in his comment)
- Christopher
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The Story Behind the 100% Unlocked iPhone Rip-Off
Our man in Hong Kong got the inside story on the $1,765 (HK$13,800) completely unlocked phone: like we suspected, the shop is using the the Turbo SIM card method that anyone can do. This is the same people who were trying to sell the "80% unlocked" iPhones —meaning "activated" and no calls— a while back. G-World in Mong Kok is the only one store trying to sell these phones. They have 100 units
Meebo Goes iPhone Compatible With the Best Fully Optimized Mobile IM Client
We wrote about Meebo's iPhone compatibility right after the iPhone was launched—and it wasn't so great. Consider that a thing of the past. Meebo's just released an iPhone-only IM webapp that's just as good as Meebo for the desktop. We've actually tested it on our iPhones, and can say it's the best chat app on the iPhone yet, partially thanks to the fact that it is tied in to the Meebo on the
Harper Collins Offers eBooks on the iPhone
One of the best features of the Apple iPhone is the amazing clarity and large size of it's LCD screen, particularly when compared to other mobile phones. As many have suggested, this makes the iPhone perfectly suited to reading mobile eBooks. While a few rough eBook offerings have popped up since the iPhone launched, today the first major publisher - Harper Collins - began offering eBooks on the
TurboSIM Unlocked iPhones For Sale in Hong Kong
With last week's development of the TurboSIM unlocking method, it was likely only a short matter of time before seeing "unlocked" iPhones for sale for use with other providers both inside and outside the United States. As reported by PhoneDaily, this is now the case in Hong Kong. The following video shows a TurboSIM unlocked iPhone being used to make calls on Hong Kong'sCSL network. Though not
How the iPhone and iPhoto '08 Sync Galleries Over .Mac
newVideoPlayer("iphoneilife_gawker.flv", 475, 376);iPhoto + .Mac + iPhone = pretty cool syncing of photos to and from your handset and desktop. Couple of things not addressed in the video: a) images sent from the iPhone are actually sent using the mail program, to your gallery's specific email address, and so images are 640 by 480. When you sync them from
iPhone Games on the Way?
People are still rooting around the innards of the iPhone, and some inquisitive Brits found a couple of clues that there might be games forthcoming for Apple's as yet game-dumb cellphone (that's a simulation in the graphic you see here). Come with us as we see the telltale iPhone code that asks if the user would like to remove selected games that don't even exist yet. /* ===== iPhone Game Item
3rd Party Application Brings Video Capture to iPhone
Lots of interesting things came out of this year's recently concluded C-4 developers conference in Chicago. The winning project in C-4's "Iron Coder Live" contest was a video conferencing hack for the Apple iPhone which did something we all knew deep down could be done - brought video capture to the iPhone. The winning contestants, Glen and Ken Aspeslagh, combined a third party application they
The iPhone Hacking Kit, step by step
For better or worse, Apple designed the iPhone to be a completely closed system. That is, you can’t add new applications to it, and even some seemingly “normal” cell phone features - like the ability to add custom ring tones - are locked up. Or are they? Thanks to an extremely well-organized group of very talented hackers, you can crack into your iPhone and make all sorts of changes and
Denver man hacks thumbs for more efficient iPhone use - literally [Updated]
Keyboards on handheld devices and smartphones have often been debated in terms of how much work they actually let you get done. Tiny displays, limited functionality, itty-bitty keyboard buttons and now the iPhone's entirely virtual keyboard whose keys can be hard to hit for some people have given folks something to talk about. Taking matters to a level that I believe is unheard of in the
Skype Comes to the iPhone via Shape Services
There have been previously released methods available for using Skype on the iPhone, but none have been particularly convenient. From the looks of things, that's changing. Shape Services, the makers of IM+ for Skype, have released a beta version of an iPhone version of their software. IM+ for Skype is a mobile application that enables voice and text communication with other Skype users and
Apple Reponsive to Unresponsive iPhone Screens
If you've read about the recent instances of iPhone touch screens becoming unresponsive, or worse yet, have had your iPhone touch screen exhibit such issues, fear not. Apple has indicated it is aware of the "dead spot" issue that some iPhones are suffering from, and are actively resolving the problem. For those unfamiliar with the issue, numerous reports have arisen over the last week or so in
Doom on the iPhone... almost
Afterthe NES emulator, you knew it was just a matter of time, and now Doom is running (though not playable yet) on the iPhone.stepwhite is behind this one, too, and he worked it up because he'd promised a friend he would (not to mention that he was prominent requests for it on Waxy.org, and some other little Apple site you might know). Unfortunately, he hasn't implemented a controller system yet
iPhone kinda supports playing any audio through a bluetooth headset
As I understand it, there are a lot of new DAPs and music-enabled mobile phones that support A2DP - a technology that allows devices to transmit stereo audio to Bluetooth headphones. It's all the rage with the kids these days, and many fans of cutting cables wherever possible were a bit disappointed when the A2DP acronym didn't make the iPhone's feature list. Thanks to a tip from TUAW reader
Apple posts two new iPhone ads
Thanks to TUAW readers participating in tonight's TUAW TalkShoe chatcast, we found out about two new iPhone ads Apple has posted to their site. Both ads bring a new perspective to the iPod's appeal, focusing on how much it allows you to carry - or stop carrying - in your pocket. The first, titled Instead, informs viewers that they can simply carry an iPod in their phone, instead of an iPod and
The 99 cent iPhone (and the $99 Nano)
Wanna buy an iPhone for 99 cents? You probably missed your chance. Apparently 99 Cent Only stores in California are having a big 25th anniversary party, and this morning, at their store in Westchester, CA, they sold 9 iPhones to the first 9 customers for only 99 cents each.That can't quite be legal, considering that Apple and AT&T have paid a lot of money to make sure you get the iPhone from them
Trick your iPhone voicemail into using voice recording data
The other day, I discussed how to record audio on your iPhone. Several people wrote in asking whether they could have their recordings show up in voicemail, so I scouted around a bit. I discovered that voicemail is stored in ~/Library/Voicemail and that it uses an sqlite3-compatible database to manage that information. Last night, I put together a shell script that allows you to trick the iPhone
Media Temple boasts iPhone friendly control panel
Media Temple, a well known hosting provider, has recently rolled out a beta version of their control panel made just for the iPhone. Judging from the number of folks who sent this to us (thanks to all of you!) there seems to be a large, and until now, untapped market of people who want to be able to register a domain from anywhere.Aside from registering domains you can also restart services, pay
Found Footage: copy and paste on the iPhone mockup
lonelysandwich put together this short demo of how copy-and-paste might work on the iPhone (and it's the first parody I've seen since the music was released last week). The whole thing with the guy and the lips is just freaky in the beginning (and pretty funny at the end), but in between there's a short demo of how text could be selected and pasted using the multitouch surface on the
iPhone Gets Send to Web Gallery Feature Without Update
Although we theorized yesterday that the .Mac web gallery integration feature demonstrated at yesterday's Apple media event would come to the iPhone in it's next update - it appears we were wrong. Apparently, this feature has come to many iPhones without any update at all.
Impact of Amazon Flexible Payments Service: Computing as a utility
The announcement of Amazon FPS made my whole week, on a lot of different levels. I'm excited about the service itself, I'm excited about what it means for the development of web applications, and I'm excited about what it'll eventually do for the mobile data world.
Okay, I'm just excited.
About FPS. Before I talk about what it means, I should give a quick overview of what it is. FPS is a web service, meaning it's a set of online APIs that the creator of a website or web application can use to perform tasks. What FPS does for you is billing -- you can use it to accept payments for something you sell online. Basically, you transmit the customer's info to Amazon, and they take care of the credit check, credit card processing, billing, and so on. They send you the money, less a percentage cut that they take.
That's not at all revolutionary. PayPal and Google Checkout offer the same thing already. Amazon's cut is about the same as PayPal -- about 2% to 3% of your revenue, depending on the amount of business you do, plus 30 cents per transaction. Google is a tad cheaper, plus you get AdSense credits for using it.
(For more information on FPS, there are good articles here and here).
What impressed me about FPS is its flexibility. Amazon says you can set different payment terms for every customer, set up subscriptions and multiple payment schedules, manage a store in which you pass payments from a customer to your suppliers, set up either pre- or post-payment systems, and most importantly you can manage micropayments down to a couple of pennies per transactions (link).
The competing systems either don't offer this at all, or do it badly. I think FPS is a really important change to the competitive situation in payment services. And, because the payment services are all available to any website, that means it's an important change to the whole web platform.
New forms of online business. So far, e-commerce online has been limited mostly to selling things that we could already get through regular stores -- books, clothing, software, etc. One of the main culprits for this was payments. The current credit card system, with its strong discouragement of small transactions, makes it very hard to sell anything priced below a few dollars online. I think the most interesting use of online commerce will be the creation of markets for things that we can't buy through stores today. Most of those things are intellectual property of various sorts, and the natural market for them is a buck or less a copy. So the payment system is a big barrier.
I won't recap my whole argument for minipayments; I wrote about it recently, and you can read it here. Minipayments have already changed the world in music, where Apple's proprietary minipayment system in iTunes has revived the market for music singles, something that was virtually dead in stores. Another example: iStockPhoto has created a market for low-cost stock photography. By creating an easy system of practical minipayments, Amazon FPS will help to enable the creation of lots of iTunes and iStockPhoto equivalents for other products and forms of intellectual property. Think short stories, art, games, and probably a lot of other things we haven't even thought of yet.
I know FPS isn't perfect -- for example, small payments have to be aggregated and then billed in a single larger transaction. But it advances the state of the art dramatically, and more importantly it challenges Google and PayPal to improve their own minipayment handling. That competitive dynamic should eventually result in a truly great minipayment mechanism online, no matter who makes it.
Amazon vs. Google: A contrast in strategies. I think Amazon's approach to web services makes Google look bad. Both companies are taking on PayPal, but Google's approach so far has been pure blunt force -- duplicate PayPal's features, underprice them a bit, and tie it to another Google product (you get AdSense credits for using Google Checkout). Let's see...you compete by duplicating someone else's features, underpricing, and tying back to your dominant product. Does that remind you of a certain company in Redmond?
In contrast, Amazon has been trying to find holes in the infrastructure that nobody has filled yet. Its storage and compute services provided very important infrastructure that helped accelerate the growth of Web 2.0 companies. Although its payment system is not as unique, the emphasis on minipayments is, and I think it too will play an important part in the online ecosystem.
Bottom line: Google is often copying, Amazon innovating. I'd say that I'm disappointed in Google, but actually given their size they would crush everyone else if they were also innovative. So maybe we should be grateful.
What will Amazon do next? Their pattern is clear -- they're picking out things that they know how to do well (because of their retail operation) and turning them into services for other developers. A logical next step would be if they offered developers the infrastructure needed to set up an online store -- order tracking, support request tracking, inventory, displaying merchandise, etc. That would work with their other services, and would put them in a position to start draining business from eBay.
I'd also love to see them offer some sort of unified product and content discovery system. One of the things missing from the online ecosystem is an easy way to find goods and services that are for sale online, and comparison shop between them. You can use search for it, but it's not very well organized, and comparisons are difficult. eBay kind of does that, but you have to be registered as one of their sellers, and eBay does the billing. I'd love to see a looser directory than eBay that doesn't take the payments directly, but just points you to things you can buy.
That's what I thought Google Base would evolve into, but Google hasn't made the move yet, so there's still time for Amazon to seize that territory.
What it means for mobile. You can probably guess what I'm going to say here. The operators consistently charge up to about 50% of revenue for any songs, games, or other content sold through their networks. The mobile software stores like Motricity and Handango charge about the same. Amazon, Google, and PayPal each take about 2-3% of revenue, and that cost is likely to decline due to competition. As the wireless Internet takes hold, how many users will be willing to pay 50% extra just for the pleasure of having a game appear on their Sprint or Verizon bill rather than their Amazon bill?
If an operator bit the bullet now and priced competitively, they might be able to hold onto about 10% of revenue in exchange for the greater convenience of running content purchases through the mobile bill. But a 50% cut is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. There's no way Amazon and friends will be able to resist the temptation to target the mobile web. The question is not if, it's when.
The name of the game is infrastructure. In an open, decentralized computing environment like the Web, the best way for a software company to succeed is to create a control point -- to offer a piece of critical infrastructure that others need, and build a franchise around it.
Google understood that concept with search + advertising, and did well with maps, but has been remarkably inept at creating other strong points. I think that's because, to be blunt, engineering PhDs don't necessarily make the best business strategists. Google, if you want to go to the next level, ya got to hire business people who are as smart as your technical people. And you have to give them some authority.
Microsoft seems to get it, but is still trying to retrofit its applications into services rather than really thinking through what's needed in an online ecosystem. Apple seems to understand, but so far hasn't been interested in opening up its services to others (it could easily have turned iTunes into a content discovery and billing service, long before either Google or Amazon hit the market). Some other big Internet companies, like Yahoo, don't seem to really understand yet that this is the competitive battleground of their future.
Amazon is the one major web company that seems to both understand the situation, and be able to consistently come up with good new services. They already have two strong points (computing services and storage), and payments looks to be the third. If some of the other players don't wake up soon, Amazon's going to end up in an extremely powerful position online.
Okay, I'm just excited.
About FPS. Before I talk about what it means, I should give a quick overview of what it is. FPS is a web service, meaning it's a set of online APIs that the creator of a website or web application can use to perform tasks. What FPS does for you is billing -- you can use it to accept payments for something you sell online. Basically, you transmit the customer's info to Amazon, and they take care of the credit check, credit card processing, billing, and so on. They send you the money, less a percentage cut that they take.
That's not at all revolutionary. PayPal and Google Checkout offer the same thing already. Amazon's cut is about the same as PayPal -- about 2% to 3% of your revenue, depending on the amount of business you do, plus 30 cents per transaction. Google is a tad cheaper, plus you get AdSense credits for using it.
(For more information on FPS, there are good articles here and here).
What impressed me about FPS is its flexibility. Amazon says you can set different payment terms for every customer, set up subscriptions and multiple payment schedules, manage a store in which you pass payments from a customer to your suppliers, set up either pre- or post-payment systems, and most importantly you can manage micropayments down to a couple of pennies per transactions (link).
The competing systems either don't offer this at all, or do it badly. I think FPS is a really important change to the competitive situation in payment services. And, because the payment services are all available to any website, that means it's an important change to the whole web platform.
New forms of online business. So far, e-commerce online has been limited mostly to selling things that we could already get through regular stores -- books, clothing, software, etc. One of the main culprits for this was payments. The current credit card system, with its strong discouragement of small transactions, makes it very hard to sell anything priced below a few dollars online. I think the most interesting use of online commerce will be the creation of markets for things that we can't buy through stores today. Most of those things are intellectual property of various sorts, and the natural market for them is a buck or less a copy. So the payment system is a big barrier.
I won't recap my whole argument for minipayments; I wrote about it recently, and you can read it here. Minipayments have already changed the world in music, where Apple's proprietary minipayment system in iTunes has revived the market for music singles, something that was virtually dead in stores. Another example: iStockPhoto has created a market for low-cost stock photography. By creating an easy system of practical minipayments, Amazon FPS will help to enable the creation of lots of iTunes and iStockPhoto equivalents for other products and forms of intellectual property. Think short stories, art, games, and probably a lot of other things we haven't even thought of yet.
I know FPS isn't perfect -- for example, small payments have to be aggregated and then billed in a single larger transaction. But it advances the state of the art dramatically, and more importantly it challenges Google and PayPal to improve their own minipayment handling. That competitive dynamic should eventually result in a truly great minipayment mechanism online, no matter who makes it.
Amazon vs. Google: A contrast in strategies. I think Amazon's approach to web services makes Google look bad. Both companies are taking on PayPal, but Google's approach so far has been pure blunt force -- duplicate PayPal's features, underprice them a bit, and tie it to another Google product (you get AdSense credits for using Google Checkout). Let's see...you compete by duplicating someone else's features, underpricing, and tying back to your dominant product. Does that remind you of a certain company in Redmond?
In contrast, Amazon has been trying to find holes in the infrastructure that nobody has filled yet. Its storage and compute services provided very important infrastructure that helped accelerate the growth of Web 2.0 companies. Although its payment system is not as unique, the emphasis on minipayments is, and I think it too will play an important part in the online ecosystem.
Bottom line: Google is often copying, Amazon innovating. I'd say that I'm disappointed in Google, but actually given their size they would crush everyone else if they were also innovative. So maybe we should be grateful.
What will Amazon do next? Their pattern is clear -- they're picking out things that they know how to do well (because of their retail operation) and turning them into services for other developers. A logical next step would be if they offered developers the infrastructure needed to set up an online store -- order tracking, support request tracking, inventory, displaying merchandise, etc. That would work with their other services, and would put them in a position to start draining business from eBay.
I'd also love to see them offer some sort of unified product and content discovery system. One of the things missing from the online ecosystem is an easy way to find goods and services that are for sale online, and comparison shop between them. You can use search for it, but it's not very well organized, and comparisons are difficult. eBay kind of does that, but you have to be registered as one of their sellers, and eBay does the billing. I'd love to see a looser directory than eBay that doesn't take the payments directly, but just points you to things you can buy.
That's what I thought Google Base would evolve into, but Google hasn't made the move yet, so there's still time for Amazon to seize that territory.
What it means for mobile. You can probably guess what I'm going to say here. The operators consistently charge up to about 50% of revenue for any songs, games, or other content sold through their networks. The mobile software stores like Motricity and Handango charge about the same. Amazon, Google, and PayPal each take about 2-3% of revenue, and that cost is likely to decline due to competition. As the wireless Internet takes hold, how many users will be willing to pay 50% extra just for the pleasure of having a game appear on their Sprint or Verizon bill rather than their Amazon bill?
If an operator bit the bullet now and priced competitively, they might be able to hold onto about 10% of revenue in exchange for the greater convenience of running content purchases through the mobile bill. But a 50% cut is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. There's no way Amazon and friends will be able to resist the temptation to target the mobile web. The question is not if, it's when.
The name of the game is infrastructure. In an open, decentralized computing environment like the Web, the best way for a software company to succeed is to create a control point -- to offer a piece of critical infrastructure that others need, and build a franchise around it.
Google understood that concept with search + advertising, and did well with maps, but has been remarkably inept at creating other strong points. I think that's because, to be blunt, engineering PhDs don't necessarily make the best business strategists. Google, if you want to go to the next level, ya got to hire business people who are as smart as your technical people. And you have to give them some authority.
Microsoft seems to get it, but is still trying to retrofit its applications into services rather than really thinking through what's needed in an online ecosystem. Apple seems to understand, but so far hasn't been interested in opening up its services to others (it could easily have turned iTunes into a content discovery and billing service, long before either Google or Amazon hit the market). Some other big Internet companies, like Yahoo, don't seem to really understand yet that this is the competitive battleground of their future.
Amazon is the one major web company that seems to both understand the situation, and be able to consistently come up with good new services. They already have two strong points (computing services and storage), and payments looks to be the third. If some of the other players don't wake up soon, Amazon's going to end up in an extremely powerful position online.
Nokia Celebrates Career and Corporate Cool(TM)
Global Leader in Mobile Technology Partners on Launch of New Book by Style and Marketing Maven Rachel C. WeingartenNEW YORK, Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- NOKIA the global leader in mobile echnology is partnering with style and marketing maven Rachel C. eingarten on the launch of her new book "CAREER AND CORPORATE COOL(TM): OW TO LOOK, DRESS AND ACT THE PART - AT EVERY STAGE OF YOUR CAREER" Wiley; 978-0
Nokia Selects Broadcom as a Chipset Supplier for Future EDGE Phones
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that Nokia Corporation has selected Broadcom's advanced single-chip cellular baseband processor and its companion power management unit (PMU) for selected future EDGE mobile phones. "Nokia has been following the
Gresso is the first high-end luxury mobile phone
New standard in luxury.Gresso is presenting a new collection - Avantgarde, the intellectual mobile phone made of Gold and African Blackwood. The case of Gresso Avantgarde is manually manufactured and fastened with Gold screws.The name of the new Avantgarde is derived from the French avantgarde, which means "to be ahead of time". This collection is an excellent illustration of the Gresso values: a
One kickass Sony Ericsson P3 concept
This is one really nice P3 concept by S4k1s from esato. He posted the front of the phone before but now he added the back. The phone is Cyber-shot branded and has a 6 mega pixel camera with xenon flash and a Vario Tessar lens by Carl Zeiss. Nice!
The world's first mobile phone with 7.1 speaker system makes a comeback
The world's first mobile phone with 7.1 speaker system is back and badder then ever. It has received a face lift. The chrome has been replaced by brushed aluminium. The speakers have been upgraded to a chrome look and the main speaker below the camera is larger too. The specs are the same except that you can now attach a telescopic optical zoom lens to the camera and it comes with a UV light (
Another car shaped mobile phone
we have the Porsche phone and the BMW phone and now we have the A9 (Audi?) phone. I don't understand why they make these phones. Does anyone actually use them? I find it silly to hold one of these to my ear. This one actually looks the best so far but still I wouldn't use it. The phone is available in white or black and features a 2 mega pixel camera, 2.2 inch 260k color touchscreen, microSD
Lenovo S6 live pics
The S6 is part of Lenovo's S series stylish line of phones. It is positioned below the shiny S9 and they both share that s profile shape. It doesn't come with shouting colors like the S9 and instead comes in grey or white. Now what this phone has and the S9 doesn't is the ability to change the panels. Only the bottom panel can be changed and there are many panels to choose from. The phone is
Nokia 7500 Prism hands on video
Here is a nice hands on video of the Nokia 7500 Prism. It's almost 3 minutes long and the guy compares it for a few moments with the 8600 Luna. Enjoy!
Nokia 7500 vs 7900
As you all probably know Nokia announced the 7500 and 7900 for the world. They are both part of the new Prism series which consists of a design based on triangles. the 7500 was released earlier in China. Both phones are very similar in design but I think the 7900 looks sleeker. The 7900 has smaller keys...wonder if it makes them harder to use. The 7900 is smaller and thinner than the 7500, loses
Release dates for all of Sony Ericsson's unreleased phones
According to the online Sony Ericsson shop in the UK here are the release dates of the latest phones.AugustT650K530SeptemberZ250OctoberK850W910DecemberW960
New Nokia phone shows up at FCC
This unknown Nokia phone got filed in the FCC 2 days ago. No pics are available because of Nokia's request for confidentiality. It looks to be a candybar. Perhaps this is one of the phones that will be announced on the 29th.
Sony Ericsson W580 window display
This is how the Sony Ericsson W580 is being displayed in Hong Kong with an emphasis on the shake feature. They really should have implemented it totally and not only to shuffle tracks.
fring mobilizes ICQ voice and chat
Do you also have ICQ withdrawals when away from your PC? Fear no more! Now your ICQ buddies are in your pocket at the beach, pool, countryside… anywhere you have 3G, GPRS, EDGE or Wi-Fi coverage!ICQ functions just like our other fring-integrated IM services, integrating all your ICQ buddies into your fring contact list together with your Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk and regular phonebook
Motorola RIZR Z5 concept
Yet another concept by Alexandra from esato. Here are the specs.General Network GSM 900 / GSM 1800 Announced 2007, August Status Available Size Dimensions 114 x 47 x 9 mm, 48 cc Weight 70 g Display Type Alphanumeric Size 1 x 6 chars, 34 x 43 mm - Extra large character font size Ringtones Type Monophonic Amount 1 preset Customization No Vibration Yes Memory Phonebook SIM only Call records 5
Nokia renews its chipset development strategy
Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced that it is introducing a licensing and multisourcing model for its chipset strategy. This will allow Nokia to focus on its core competencies in chipset development, leverage external innovation, and foster competition in the chipset industry. Under this renewed strategy Nokia will discontinue parts of its own chipset development and expand its use of
Nokia and STMicroelectronics plan deeper ties in 3G technology development
Espoo, Finland and Geneva, Switzerland - Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) today announced their intention to deepen their collaboration on the licensing and supply of integrated circuit designs and modem technologies for 3G and its evolution. The two companies also are negotiating a plan relating to transferring a part of Nokia's Integrated Circuit (IC) operations to
Apple Delivers Online Photo Sharing Between .Mac and iPhone
Apple held a media event today, August 7th, where they announced the new iMac. A sleeker, more feature packed, sexier version of the previous iMac. Along with the announcement of the new iMac came a slew of information on updates to Apple software offerings such as iLife, iWork, and the .Mac online service. The most noteable of the group for iPhone owners were the online additions. .Mac is
First Nintendo Emulator Available for the Apple iPhone
The last week or so has seen the arrival of the first significant third party applications for the Apple iPhone. We're not talking about AJAX web applications, we're talking true third party software running on the iPhone. The latest of these is the first NES emulator for the iPhone. A programmer named stepwhite has delivered a native NES emulator for the iPhone based on the InfoNES core.
Motorola Unveils MOTOMAGX Mobile Linux Platform
Mobile Linux leader offers developers the complete package -- an open platform, frameworks, tools and support -- to unleash the next generation of mobile device experiencesLINUXWORLD – SAN FRANCISCO – 7 August 2007 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced a significant step in its commitment to mobile Linux® and rich experience creation by introducing MOTOMAGX, its next generation mobile
Samsung Announces Availability of DM-S105, DM-S110 in the Disney Mobile(SM) Lineup
Mobile Phones Offer Stylish Design with Family-Friendly ApplicationsRICHARDSON, Texas, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Samsung TelecommunicationsAmerica (Samsung), an innovator in the mobile industry, today announced the availability the DM-S105 and DM-S110 on the Disney Mobile network (http://www.disneymobile.com), the first comprehensive mobile phone service specifically designed for families. The
Softbank 911T by Toshiba unboxed and put against the Nokia N73
I just get all excited when I stumble upon some unboxing of a Japanese phone since it's so rare. These unboxing pics feature the 911T for Softbank made by Toshiba. It is a slider with a huge screen, 3.2 mega pixel AF camera and is DVB capable. Just looking at the screen makes me drool...the phone is gorgeous in it's ceramic white and despite it's overwhelming size...I am willing to neglect.
Calling All Software Developers: Motorola Introduces Global Series of MOTODEV Summits
Developers Invited to “Create Magic” by Exploring Innovation Opportunities with MotorolaLINUXWORLD – SAN FRANCISCO – 7 August 2007 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced a global series of MOTODEV Summits -- exclusive, one-day events that offer today’s most creative and innovative application developers the opportunity to participate in advanced training, understand market opportunities and
BenQ T51 to be available in pink
The T51 was unveiled just recently along with the T33. They are both music focused devices and were presented in shiny black. Now BenQ is planning to the T51 in shiny pink. It sure does look attractive and will certainly attract more buyers.
Nokia N77 pics
Long time I haven't seen this phone. This is Nokia's second DVB capable phone and like the N92...I have yet to see someone use it. The phone's design looks a lot like the N73's and the back has similar styling to new N81. I didn't notice this before but on the N77 it says Nseries on the back and now the N81 will be the second phone to have that.Pics from sogi
Sony Ericsson DS-200 dismantling pics
Someone from mobile01 decided to take apart their DS-200 bluetooth headset and he has kindly provided pics of the process. It doesn't look very hard and it only took a few pics to show the whole process.Pics from mobile01
Motorola Enterprise WLAN Solutions Enters Industry's Highest Security Standards Certification
RFS7000 RF Switch and WS5100 Wireless Switch Enter FIPS and Common Criteria Certification ProcessSAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The enterprise mobility business of Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced that its flagship, enterprise-class RFS7000 RF Switch and WS5100 Wireless Switch have satisfied Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) pre-validation requirements
More live pics of the NBA mobile phone
Finally some really good shots of the Chinese NBA phone. The phone really does have a basketball texture look and feel. We also get a glimpse of the phones UI and preinstalled NBA content. Boy...this phone is ugly...Pics from phonedaily
LG Shine x Andy Lau Special Edition
This special edition was launched in Hong Kong today. Any Lau is a famous celebrity not only in Hong Kong but also in various other countries. This special edition features the KE970 with special Chinese engravings on the back. This will probably only be popular only in Asia...
More Nokia 2660 live pics
Here are some more live pics of Nokia's newest low end clmashell phone. It is so simple it even doesn't have a built in camera. The external mirror part is nice.isPics from gophone
Motorola and Wind River Join Forces to Provide Integrated AdvancedTCA/MicroTCA Communications Servers
Alliance bundles standards-based hardware and software solutions for next-generation networking applicationsTEMPE, Ariz. and ALAMEDA, Calif. – 6 August 2007 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) and Wind River Systems (NASDAQ: WIND) today announced that they have formed a strategic alliance designed to provide integrated AdvancedTCA® (ATCA®) and MicroTCATM communication platforms with Carrier Grade Linux
Apple iPhone Unlocked for Use in Europe
Not long after we updated you about a major milestone on the road to an unlocked iPhone, one which brought an unlocked iPhone ever closer, hackers have unlocked the iPhone for use in Europe. Though this does not appear to be a "true" or "full" unlock, as the method requires the creation of a new SIM card using a SIM card reader/writer, it is also more significant than previous SIM card hacks.
Mainnav innovator MW-705 GPS watch
Mainnav innovator MW-705 is a watch that tells you where you are--not only does it tell time but also saves time by showing you the right path. This state of the art device MW-705 with particular rugged new looking and cutting-edge GPS technology (GPS watch +Bluetooth), the new innovator MW-705 solves all your problems for sporting and traveling. The most distinguish part is this All-in-one GPS
Sony Ericsson W580 Transformers commercial
Check out this really cool W580 commercial. It features Caroline Wozniacki and she uses her W580 and when she uses the shake function, the tennis ball machine transformsinto a robot. Nice!
Samsung P520 live pics and video
Thanks to mobil.cz, we now have the first live pics of the new Samsung P520. It is a full touchscreen phone and is targeted at the Apple iPhone and the LG Prada. One thing that stand out in this phone is it's tiny size (size of a credit card). While it's nice that it's small but I wonder if this affects the usability of the phone...small size = small screen. Enjoy the pics!Click for more pics
Video footage from Long Way Down
About Long Way DownEwan McGregor and Charley Boorman will take to the road together once more as they bike through Europe and Africa taking the Long Way Down. Along the way they will stop to experience African culture, meet local people and visit UNICEF sites. Starting at John O'Groats and finishing in Cape Town, Ewan and Charley plan on going down the East coast taking in such countries as
The new Nokia Prism collection: progressive design cut with personalized style
Espoo, Finland - Nokia today unveiled the Prism collection, its latest range of mobile phones aimed at style-conscious consumers. The Prism collection consists of the Nokia 7900 Prism and the Nokia 7500 Prism, handsets which combine individual style and state-of-the-art technology. The two mobile models will be available in the third quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of EUR 400 for
HTC P5500 (Nike) Touch II
A FASHIONABLE CONSUMER ‘TOUCH’ PHONEHighlights:Compact slider form factor, with consumer appeal!Compact and fashionable form factor, a genuine phone,PDA mix with a multimedia edgeEnjoy an optimised phone experience with the auto sliding keyboardGPS,3G HSPDA,FM Radio and Moresource
More Motorola Z6 pics
Here are some more great pics of the music MOTO Z6. I didn't realize that the Z6's housing was a bit glossy. It makes it look even better. Maybe I am brainwashed by Sony Ericsson's Walkman phones but I really dig that orange/black color scheme. Further below, check out the Z6 compared to various other phones such as the S500 and 6100 Navigator.
The Chinese Ferrari phone
Check out this Ferrari phone. It has nothing Ferrari about it except for the logo on the front ,back and the Ferrari printed above the screen but hey it's way cheaper than the Vertu Ferrari phone. Here are some specs.- GSM 900/1800 MHz- 2.6 inch 260k QVGA touchscreen- 2 mega pixel camera- microSD support- measures 108x50x16 mm- weighs 120 gramsI don't really like the overall look of the phone
Chiva P008 iPod phone hands on video
Here is a 4 minute clip showing us the Chiva iPod phone in action. This is a very interesting phone...check out the rotating UI.
Sony Ericsson W580 hands on video review
Here is a 6 minute long video review of the Sony Ericsson W580. It gives us a very good look at the phone. Enjoy! Here is the video description.One of the newer phone from Sony Ericsson. Very similar to the S500i. There's a shake control feature. I haven't figured out how to use it yet, I know it changes the track number and stuff when I shake the phone, but somehow it didn't work when I tried
Philips 292 live pics
The 292 focuses on music and is also inexpensive. It costs about 120-130$ US and offers some good stuff for this price. It's only 9.8 mm thick, weighs 80 grams and features microSD support (built in 60 MB storage), 1.3 mega pixel camera and 2 inch 176x220 screen. It also has a rubberized back. Frankly the 292 shares many things with Sony Ericsson's W880.
LG Prada sees price drop in Hong Kong
Since it's launch the LG Prada has had a pretty stable and high price. Recently for the first time it has experienced it's first real price drop. It has dropped to below 500$ US. Guess it isn't selling too well...
Spy pics of a new Sony Ericsson clamshell Walkman phone
Well...it looks like we will be seeing a new clamshell Walkman from Sony Ericsson. It appears to be low end judging from the size, look and 1.3 mega pixel camera. It has touch sensitive keys like in that VAIO media player (kinda...) and a relatively large speaker next to the camera. It also has a similar color scheme to the grey W580.
Samsung W579 gets cloned
It sure does look like the real W579 but upon closer inspection there are many differences. The top part is almost identical but the back is a bit different and also inside. The clone has 2 cams instead of one and has a larger internal screen. It has also been renamed from Anycall to Aaacall. Here are some specs.- 2.8 inch 260k QVGA screen- 2 mega pixel camera- microSD support- bluetooth
Sony Ericsson W950 with camera concept
Some more concepts from alexandra from esato. This time a camera was added to the cameraless W950.
"You have Reached Your Destination": Nokia 6110 Navigator guides Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman across the 'Long Way Down' finish line
Capetown, South Africa - The Nokia 6110 Navigator, launched in South Africa earlier this week, has proven its capabilities in one of the toughest environments possible -- with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they took the 'Long Way Down' from Scotland to the southern most tip of Africa on motorcycle. The journey lasted three months and saw the pair ride 24 000km and cross two continents.
DVD to iPhone Movie Converter
One-click and fast way to get DVD on iPhone! The software can directly convert DVD movies to the video formats compatible with Apple iPhone. It also extract DVD audio track to MP3 playable on the mobile phone. Free download The powerful DVD movie to iPhone converter is included in the iPhone Video Converter Suite, which can decode all file formats like DVD, VOB, MPEG1/2/4, AVI (DivX, XviD),
iPhone Video Converter + DVD to iPhone Suite
The versatile and simple-to-use video to iPhone converter software can batch convert all popular video files and DVD movie to iPhone (.mp4, .mp3). It is the fastest and all-in-one solution for putting videos/movies/DVDs on your iPhone, which has been released in June, 2007. Free download iPhone Video Converter Suite works flawlessly for AVI to iPhone, MPEG to iPhone, WMV to iPhone, DVD to
DVD iphone converter
How do you show off your creation on your apple iPhone, especially you expect to treasure up your happy time and share your joys with your friends or families? Take my example, I ever used a good tool called Wondershare iPhone Slideshow, which is a powerful slideshow making tool but very easy to use. Now I will take you to a perfect world after you follow my guide.Step1: Download “Wondershare
iPhone Displays Running Windows XP? Say it ain't so.
Apple executives are probably waking up this morning feeling a bit 'foot in mouth'. During the wee hours of the morning here in the US, a picture surfaced on Gizmodo UK of an AT&T store iPhone display that had to be rebooted. Well, of course we all could have guessed that the displays were running off PCs which might occasionally need a restart. What most wouldn't have guessed is that the PCs
Google Phone a Reality Again? New Prototype Surfaces
Things had been quiet for a while on the Google Phone rumors front, but it looks like talk about the device has surfaced again. Only, this time, the concept is looking much less like a rumor and more like an inevitability. Reports have been surfacing which indicate that Google has been showing off a prototype mobile phone to different carriers. According to an article published Thursday in the
More Fixes and Features Surface in Apple iPhone 1.01 Firmware Update
As a few days have passed since the first iPhone software update became available, users have begun reporting additional features, fixes, and enhancements resulting from new firmware. Although Apple's official indication regarding the update noted only security and bug fixes to the iPhone's Safari browser and it's underlying webkit, initial reports showed evidence of more expansive improvements.
Hackers Hit Major Milestone in Unlocking the iPhone
The team behind the iPhone Dev Wiki, which has become the foremost camp of hackers attempting to unlock the Apple iPhone, has hit another major milestone in their efforts. The team released news recently that they have successfully extracted the full content of the NOR memory (from the S-Gold2). Although the Wiki team hasn't released the source code or the dump of the NOR memory at this point,
Taking another week off
As some of you already know, I'm taking another week off next week. This time I'm going to sunny Greece, and I won't be taking my laptop or have internet access, so it'll be a real offline holiday. I'll be back on Monday, the 13th, and until then I won't be answering my mails or other messages (Facebook, Second Life etc). But I'm planning on having a little experiment with Twitter on my cell phone. I'll post some updates from my phone during the next week (I'm just telling my mom how she can receive notifications :) ), and I've also turned on mobile notifications for some of my favorite contacts. I'm really curious about how this will work out :)So, I'll be posting again after I return, and hopefully I'll have some nice photos to upload to Flickr :) (I'm such a Web 2.0 addict!)
Hacked iPhone Tethers EDGE via WiFi
Mostly because it's relatively not that exciting, we've been a bit lazy in getting this story posted. The other day, via a new third party application called srelay (a SOCKS proxy server), you can now tether your iPhone EDGE connection to your laptop or desktop via WiFi. Yes, it could come in handy in a pinch, but sharing an EDGE connection with a full fledged PC isn't nearly as exciting as it
Europe to get 3G version of Apple iPhone?
Some of us have been confused since the moment the iPhone was announced with a lack of support for 3G (third generation) networks. The iPhone is, after all, a next generation device. Why, then, would a next generation device lack support for the next generation of wireless mobile connectivity? For investors, the question may have farther reaching implications. A recent informal survey by
How much will the iPhone cost? Is a price drop in the works?
One of the most off-putting aspects of the iPhone for many hopeful owners has been the reported high price tag that will supposedly be slapped on the iPhone at the time of it's release (sometime during June 2007). Initial indications from Apple and AT&T/Cingular at the time of the Steve Jobs' keynote address which introduced the iPhone placed the iPhone pricetag at $499 for the 4GB model and $599
iPhone hacked for use in Australia?
Aussie hackers have somehow managed to get an iPhone working on Australia’s Telstra mobile network, by “modifying the iPhone’s default SIM card to be recognized as an AT&T SIM, while actually containing data that allows it to be accepted by Telstra.” We’ve yet to see actual proof of this (apparently there was a video that has since been taken down), but the preliminary results sound enticing.
Aftermarket iPhone Batteries Available as Low as $25
As there are countless aftermarket sources for iPod batteries, it stood to reason it was only a matter of time until third party sources of iPhone batteries started showing up. The first aftermarket iPhone battery to cross our radar has shown up, from San Antonio, TX company iPodJuice. According to the company, the replacement battery offers the same strength as the original iPhone battery and
First iPhone Update Arrives, Includes Security Updates, Bugfixes, and Features
The first update for the iPhone is now available via iTunes. Users who have recently docked their iPhones have received notification that an iPhone software update, version 1.01 of the iPhone firmware, is available for download and installation. The update is around 7 MB and installs in approximately 5 minutes. According to Apple, the update includes security and bug fixes. Specifically, the
Freely, Easily Convert and Save YouTube and Other Videos to the iPhone
You know that YouTube video that you can't stop showing to your friends over, and over, and over again? Tired of downloading it every time? Wouldn't it be great if you could just save that YouTube video permanently on your iPhone? What about when you're away a WiFi hotspot and you want to show off that video in full quality, not the degraded EDGE version? Well, now you can. These are just a
iPhone Displays Running Windows XP? Say it ain't so
Apple executives are probably waking up this morning feeling a bit 'foot in mouth'. During the wee hours of the morning here in the US, a picture surfaced on Gizmodo UK of an AT&T store iPhone display that had to be rebooted. Well, of course we all could have guessed that the displays were running off PCs which might occasionally need a restart. What most wouldn't have guessed is that the PCs
More Fixes and Features Surface in Apple iPhone 1.01 Firmware Update
As a few days have passed since the first iPhone software update became available, users have begun reporting additional features, fixes, and enhancements resulting from new firmware. Although Apple's official indication regarding the update noted only security and bug fixes to the iPhone's Safari browser and it's underlying webkit, initial reports showed evidence of more expansive improvements.
Google Phone a Reality Again? New Prototype Surfaces
Things had been quiet for a while on the Google Phone rumors front, but it looks like talk about the device has surfaced again. Only, this time, the concept is looking much less like a rumor and more like an inevitability. Reports have been surfacing which indicate that Google has been showing off a prototype mobile phone to different carriers. According to an article published Thursday in the
Why I work in the tech industry
Because of the cool toys, of course. But for me, there's also something else: Making a difference in peoples' lives.
I'm sure that sounds corny, and not everyone feels the way I do, but for me there's something very compelling about the ability of technology done right to improve the lives of lots of people, in ways you don't expect and can't plan for. I got my first taste of that years ago, when I was a Mac software developer in the early days of desktop publishing. I was mostly creating PostScript fonts, which is a thoroughly commoditized process today but was difficult back then, before third party font-creation products were available.
There was a lot of demand for fonts, so I would go to Mac trade shows and sell the fonts from a booth, $30 or so a pop. I didn't get rich, but it was fun and I learned a lot. One of the things I learned was that you have to take the work really seriously, even on something as trivial as fonts. A man walked up to me at one of the shows. He didn't look like one of the technophiles there, just a normal guy in his 30s, someone you might run into at the gas station. He spoke with a slight southern accent.
"I like your fonts," he said, and smiled.
"Thanks!" I said. One of the coolest things about those shows was that you got to talk to customers.
"Especially that one." He pointed to a font that imitated calligraphy, lots of curves and soft angles. "When my niece died, we used it to make the engraving for the tombstone."
I thanked him and expressed my condolences, as politely and gently as I could. But I was in shock the whole time. I thought my fonts were for throwaways, things like flyers or newsletters that people glanced at and then tossed. It was fun to make them, and a good learning experience, but I wasn't expecting anyone to use them for anything serious. Certainly not as serious as saying goodbye to a loved one who died young.
What it taught me was that making a new enabling technology is a trust. You don't know what people might do with it in their lives, and so you should always take it very seriously and make sure it really works the way you promise it will. Because chances are, in a world this big, someone will depend on it an awful lot.
That lesson came back to me a few weeks ago, when I saw a photo essay in the New York Times showing real-life people with the avatars they use to represent themselves in computer games (link; you can read about the underlying book and exhibition here). There were the examples I expected -- the chunky geek guy who shows himself as a red-haired ninja girl, etc. But most of the avatars looked a lot like the people who made them -- thinner maybe, or with better hair or bigger, uh, appendages. But quite recognizable.
And then there was the photo of Jason Rowe, a young man in his 30s who has muscular dystrophy (link). He's in a wheelchair, with a breathing mask on, and a report by NPR said he can move his hands just enough to control a character in Star Wars Galaxies, which he plays about 80 hours a week (link).
His avatar is a huge husky guy in armor, waving politely at the viewer -- something that you imagine might be difficult for the real-life Mr. Rowe. In all of the other pictures, you get the impression that the real person is saying to you, "here I am in real life, the avatar is my mask." But Rowe's avatar seems to say, "this is the real me over here where I can move around, don't judge me by my physical shell."
I've never met Jason, and I may be reading way too much into his picture. But if he's not thinking that, I know there are a lot of other people on the Internet who are. I doubt the folks who wrote Galaxies or Warcraft or Second Life were expecting to have this sort of impact on peoples' lives, but that's what happens when you work in tech.
And Jason, thanks for posing for that picture. You reminded me what this industry is really about.
I'm sure that sounds corny, and not everyone feels the way I do, but for me there's something very compelling about the ability of technology done right to improve the lives of lots of people, in ways you don't expect and can't plan for. I got my first taste of that years ago, when I was a Mac software developer in the early days of desktop publishing. I was mostly creating PostScript fonts, which is a thoroughly commoditized process today but was difficult back then, before third party font-creation products were available.
There was a lot of demand for fonts, so I would go to Mac trade shows and sell the fonts from a booth, $30 or so a pop. I didn't get rich, but it was fun and I learned a lot. One of the things I learned was that you have to take the work really seriously, even on something as trivial as fonts. A man walked up to me at one of the shows. He didn't look like one of the technophiles there, just a normal guy in his 30s, someone you might run into at the gas station. He spoke with a slight southern accent.
"I like your fonts," he said, and smiled.
"Thanks!" I said. One of the coolest things about those shows was that you got to talk to customers.
"Especially that one." He pointed to a font that imitated calligraphy, lots of curves and soft angles. "When my niece died, we used it to make the engraving for the tombstone."
I thanked him and expressed my condolences, as politely and gently as I could. But I was in shock the whole time. I thought my fonts were for throwaways, things like flyers or newsletters that people glanced at and then tossed. It was fun to make them, and a good learning experience, but I wasn't expecting anyone to use them for anything serious. Certainly not as serious as saying goodbye to a loved one who died young.
What it taught me was that making a new enabling technology is a trust. You don't know what people might do with it in their lives, and so you should always take it very seriously and make sure it really works the way you promise it will. Because chances are, in a world this big, someone will depend on it an awful lot.
That lesson came back to me a few weeks ago, when I saw a photo essay in the New York Times showing real-life people with the avatars they use to represent themselves in computer games (link; you can read about the underlying book and exhibition here). There were the examples I expected -- the chunky geek guy who shows himself as a red-haired ninja girl, etc. But most of the avatars looked a lot like the people who made them -- thinner maybe, or with better hair or bigger, uh, appendages. But quite recognizable.
And then there was the photo of Jason Rowe, a young man in his 30s who has muscular dystrophy (link). He's in a wheelchair, with a breathing mask on, and a report by NPR said he can move his hands just enough to control a character in Star Wars Galaxies, which he plays about 80 hours a week (link).
His avatar is a huge husky guy in armor, waving politely at the viewer -- something that you imagine might be difficult for the real-life Mr. Rowe. In all of the other pictures, you get the impression that the real person is saying to you, "here I am in real life, the avatar is my mask." But Rowe's avatar seems to say, "this is the real me over here where I can move around, don't judge me by my physical shell."
I've never met Jason, and I may be reading way too much into his picture. But if he's not thinking that, I know there are a lot of other people on the Internet who are. I doubt the folks who wrote Galaxies or Warcraft or Second Life were expecting to have this sort of impact on peoples' lives, but that's what happens when you work in tech.
And Jason, thanks for posing for that picture. You reminded me what this industry is really about.
Sony Ericsson K850 DVB-H edition?
This is the latest rumor going around over at esato. This rumor was born because of one sentence in Eldar's (mobile-review) review of the K850. Here is the sentence."TV shows for models equipped with DVB-H receiver;"The K850 has been seen to have some TV icon but not alot is known about it. Now the question is will there be a DVB-H model or will Sony Ericsson make some accessory that will enable
Some more pics of the grey W580
Here are some more live pics of the gorgeous Sony Ericsson W580. It looks so much better than the white version.Pics from sogi
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