Neutron :: Bomb

by John Calian |
Topics: Application Stores | Nokia | Symbian

Nokia has launched its own app store: Ovi. The concept of OVI has been evolving for some time now, and is the latest attempt by Nokia to capture marketshare in mobile services. Previously, wireless carriers were very reluctant to allow Nokia access to their customers via a store front. But now, after years of failing to significantly capture marketshare themselves, carriers are more open, even letting Nokia place its store side by side with their own.

Based on the press releases and news coming out of the MWC, it seems Nokia is really pushing into this area. Interestingly, Nokia is hoping to seriously capture more than the Smartphone users every other OEM is hoping to catch; they are going after all mobile users. Email, shopping, software, maps...

Niklas Savander, executive vice president of services and software for Nokia, said at a press conference here Monday that the Ovi application store is different from the others.

"This is not just a place to find applications," he said. "It's a smart store. That is not just for smartphones. It actually suggests things you might like and adds social location dynamics to show you relevant applications. And it shows you what your friends have bought. And it changes the inventory based on where you are."

For one, the store is not limited to providing applications for smartphones. Eventually, all Nokia devices will be able to access some applications from the store.

"It's not only about smartphones anymore," he said. "We must address the range of devices we have in the market from the high end to the low end. This is not necessarily about getting the 2 percent of mobile users who are already using applications to switch. But it's about addressing the 98 percent that will soon start using applications."

More at CNET

by John Calian |
Topics: Application Stores | Microsoft | Windows Marketplace | Windows Mobile

Microsoft announced today that it is formally launching the Windows Marketplace for Windows Mobile devices. THe market will be available on the handsets and basically takes the existing 20,000 applications available to day and packages them in one place. Not novel, but if the developer interface kicks ass and the payouts are better than 70% (to beat Apple and Google). Users will be able to purchase applications by logging into their Windows Live account.

The app store wars are heating up!

From the Companies website:
The new operating system features Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a rich and integrated marketplace for searching, browsing and purchasing mobile applications from Windows® phones or from a PC by simply using a Windows Live ID. The new marketplace will be included with all Windows phones based on Windows Mobile 6.5, which will help consumers to easily find, install and experience those applications that fit their needs and make the phone truly personal. Developers, who have already built over 20,000 applications for Windows® phones, will be able to offer applications to customers through the marketplace via a simple security and compatibility check from Microsoft.

Full release here from Microsoft

The Marketplace will be available when Windows Mobile 6.5 ships later this year.

by John Calian |
Topics: HTC | LG | Microsoft | Smartphone | Windows Mobile

Microsoft said on Monday that LG Electronics had agreed to use Microsoft’s new mobile operating system on 50 of its smartphone models, increasing the software maker’s bid to gain a bigger share of the fast-growing mobile software business.

Read the full NYTimes article here

Its about time we heard some news out of Redmond regarding expanded partnerships. With Palm about to launch the first device running its new OS, its seems as if MS was about to lose some major market share. This deal with LG may go a long way to counter-act that departure.



At the end of 2008, Microsoft had 13.9 percent of the global mobile operating system market. The company hopes agreements with major handset makers like LG will help it regain its momentum in mobile software, which is among the fastest-growing segments of the global software industry.

by John Calian |
Topics: 4 Star | Games | iPhone | iPhone App Review

In the old days, an indication that you are playing an addictive game was literally rubbing your fingers raw and getting thumb cramps. On the iPhone, a sure indication is that your screen is so dirty from your finger grease that you cannot make out the game itself.

Tiki Towers gets very high marks for its addictive-ness; though is does not score so high for difficulty. I could not put the game down from the minute I got, but I cruised through all the levels without a big hiccup. At most, it took me no more than 2-3 tries to get a level solved. As an example of a game that is very difficult, and thus more challenging, look at Fieldrunners. It is very difficult to finish the levels with a perfect score, and has had me playing for months

The graphics are excellent, the physics of the game play are fantastic, and the game provides a great new twist on puzzle solving.

From the official iTunes entry:
Travel between five tropical islands leading your tribe of monkeys to safety by building bridges and towers out of bamboo, coconuts, and vines. If you're not careful, your structures will collapse and your monkeys will perish. Clear all the levels to acquire the ceremonial masks of an ancient tribe and discover their mythical lost treasure.

by John Calian |
Topics: Android | Application Stores

So the big news of the day is that the Android Market is allowing 3rd party developers to charge for their Android applications. Although the money isn't flowing yet for developers, they can sign up for their Google Merchant accounts. From the post on Google's Android Developers Blog it sounds like Android users in the U.S. will have paid apps by mid next week.

Couple of questions I have are:

1. Will users automatically get updated versions for free after they make the initial purchase?
2. Will the market force users to pay again if they loose the applications on their phone?

As a 3rd party developer myself I'm really excited to finally be able to make something from one of my side projects. I do have to admit I'm a little hesitant to charge for my applications. One side of me wants to give them away, because they aren't worthy of paid applications, another part is saying...it's only 99 cents or $2.99. Are you a developer? Do you have the same hesitations? Are you an end-user? What do you feel makes an application "worthy" of being more the $0.00?

It'll be interesting to see what applications do well and which ones tank. I wonder if it'll mirror the types of apps which have been successful on the iPhone market...or if Android is just going to get 25 types of farting apps :).

by John Calian |
Topics: Entertainment | Windows Mobile

SPB Mobile Shell 2 is the newest User Interface by SPB Software House. The new UI is fully functional in one (1) tabbed window, has full screens for time and weather, animated transitions and also enables gesture use for navigation.

The user interface of SPB Mobile Shell v2.0 is outrageously simple to use, but it keeps its’ completely original style. It take the complete screen, while perfectly managing its’ space. When you start the program, you have four (4) touch buttons at the bottom of the screen, which take you to your four (4) most basic pages.

Enhance your Pocket PC's flexibility with Spb Mobile Shell! With a 'today' screen and skins, world time and weather forecasts, photo speed dial and more, Spb Mobile Shell provides a great, simple way to access programs, files, and information on your Pocket PC. Spb Mobile Shell plugs in several featured menus and tools to seamlessly integrate third party applications and provide users with simple, more convenient access to existing device functions.

Features include:

• All functionality in one tabbed window
• Full-screen dialogs for weather and time
• Animated transitions
• Photo speed dial
• Auto-hide view for Today plug-ins
• Great integration with other third-party applications

Review:
Amazing product
I stripped of the AT&T Bloatware off my phone, didnt install the TF3D and did install Spb Mobile Shell. My phone runs fast as hell. This program is really amazing. I finally downloaded the manual because I kept finding more and more things my phone could do. I integrated with Agenda One and that was icing on the cake. Get this program and you will be very pleased.

by John Calian |
Topics: Asus | Garmin | GPS | Smartphone

Garmin, the makers of the very popular GPS devices for cars, trucks and buses (maybe boats, too), has teamed up with Asus on a new smartphone convergence device that will combine the power of the Garmin's GPS platform with the [fill in blank] of Asus's mighty smartphone powers.

Seriously, this seems like an OK idea, but the real power of a smartphone comes from the OS that it is running. The Garmin Nuvifone is going to run on a flavor of linux and most likely be built by Asus, I assume. The device is projected to launch sometime in 2009; pricing and carrier support are not yet announced.

Apple, RIM, Google, Nokia and Palm (and we should include Windows, but we are not) own the platform and are pushing forward to own the marketplaces for everything that sits on top of their platforms. Without an OS platform, it will be very hard to compete in the coming years.

A post in the Examiner.com brings up the key point here, which is that this device is not a platform play, rather it is a specific 'solution' play, one that aims at the type of person who wants GPS first, cool smartphone second:

This is not a foolish argument. GPS adoption is increasing rapidly, but is still years behind cell phone adoption. Today’s cell phones do have GPS functionality, but it is a standalone application, one that often incurs extra charges. The idea of a device that is as much GPS as phone does make sense and could find a substantial market. One telling difference between the Nuvifone and other smart phones – though the first in the series runs Linux, company representatives have not chosen the operating system for later models, suggesting they might use Android and that the OS is not important. In other words – they are looking to sell a solution, not a platform.

Full story here (Examiner.com).

by John Calian |
Topics: Android | Archos | Internet Media Tablet Phone

Archos, makers of digital jukeboxes, has announced that it will be building the first of its kind IMT running an Android.

Convergence.

Yes, OEMs of all shapes and sizes are coming out of the woodwork with smartphone-esque ideas, tablets, netbooks, etc. Acer is offering a $99 netbook IF you sign up with AT&T for 2 years. Dell is not only shipping netbooks that can upgrade with a 3G antenna, but is rumored to be releasing a smartphone soon. Asus has recently partnered with Garmin on a cross breed GPS/Smartphone (read here).

Archos has teamed with Texas Instruments (yes, the company is still around, but Im not sure they are still making calculators!) to launch a unique hybrid of the Archos media jukebox framework and the Android smartphone platforms.

Providing new ways for consumers to access feature-rich content and connect with others, ARCHOS, an award-winning technology innovator and leader in the portable media player market, announced plans to extend its product line with a new ultra-thin Internet Media Tablet (IMT) combined with a mobile phone, by merging Google's Android telephony stack and the ARCHOS' multimedia framework. This new IMT will also incorporate the OMAP(TM) 3 platform from Texas Instruments, Incorporated (TI) ...android provides the IMT with all the functionalities of a premium smartphone and access to its fast-developing applications environment with ARCHOS' rich and proven multimedia framework will deliver the best entertainment and web-browsing experience.

Full press release here

by John Calian |
Topics: Microsoft | OEM | Smartphone | Windows Mobile

Rumors are flying in the lead up to the annual 3GSM World Congress that kicks off Feb. 16 in Barcelona that Microsoft will be announcing its first Smartphone device. The company has never launched a phone product, and has only come close through its acquisition of Danger (maker of the Sidekick).

The rumors swirl as the competition in the Smartphone marketplace is heating up. Apple and Blackberry are doing particularly well in the US, with Nokia (Symbian OS) dominating elsewhere. And now that Google (Android) and Palm are set be players as well, Microsoft would be remiss to jump in with a fast and furious move of their own.

From Judy Mott @ internetnews.com:

The latest round of Microsoft smartphone rumors were touched off this week by analyst firm Broadpoint AmTech, which predicted in a report that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) will debut its first-ever smartphone at the annual 3GSM...The report said a Microsoft smartphone will use graphics chipmaker nVidia's (NASDAQ: NVDA) Tegra line of multi-core chips, which is also used in devices by handset maker HTC. However, it questioned the company's ability to make inroads in the space, considering that it would be starting from square one on making and selling its own handsets.

Full story here

by John Calian |
Topics: iPhone | Palm | Palm Pre

Some top headlines:

• Palm Pre is wicked awesome; but Sprint sucks
• Apple considering its legal options
  
• Experts warning about the implications of Apple going after patent infringement
  
• Restless, old-school Palm fans building up the excitement
  
• iPhone vs. Pre wars set to begin

by John Calian |
Topics: Android | HTC | HTC G1

According to a news release from HTC, the HTC Dream, or more commonly named here in the states as the G1, will soon be released in Australia. This makes the G1 the first Android powered mobile device in both the northern and southern hemisphere. 

by John Calian |
Topics: Nokia | Smartphone OS | Symbian

The news that Symbian is going to go open-source was announced this last Tuesday. Nokia has taken the step to openly compete with Google and Microsoft for the right to placed on any OEMs smartphone device. This move is not all that surprising. Nokia is in fact in the OS business, and face major competition. Currently owning the lion's share of smartphone/ dumbphone market share, its a great step for them. I wuld bet many OEMs are thrilled that they now have choice amongst Google and Symbian for a free license; and add to that the fact that Symbian is very mature, and you have a great system to use if you are an OEM looking at comparing the platforms.

From Tom Krazit at CNET:
...the next great operating systems wars are about to be fought, as traditional computing companies collide with teams representing the mobile phone industry. Nokia's decision Tuesday to unify, then open-source, the Symbian operating system for smartphones clarifies how today's most-widely used handset operating system will evolve to match the open-source initiatives headed by Google and the LiMo Foundation and competition from companies like Microsoft, Research in Motion, and Apple...Unless RIM and Apple change their strategy to start licensing their operating systems, Nokia and Symbian will be competing for the affections of phone makers and carriers with Microsoft's Windows Mobile, Google's Android, and Linux-based mobile operating systems from the likes of the LiMo Foundation and others...

Full story here

by John Calian |
Topics: Android | HTC | HTC G2

Listen up HTC, John Mahoney over at Gizmodo gives his opinion on what the next HTC Android device needs. My personal favorites are Tune-Ups to the Android Market and Better Media Handling,

"Android's media apps feel half-assed. People now expect to have a fully functioning PMP built into their phone—that is one area where the iPhone truly pushed things forward. And while the G1 will never work natively with iTunes (prove me wrong!), it can do a lot better with their media apps. By adding video playback, for one. And maybe better playlist management, and an overall sexier look. And of course, almost above all else: a 3.5mm headphone jack. DEATH TO DONGLES!"

I would also add onto the list the ability to add applications to the SD Card and, "The Chin" can be ditched; when I'm using the device on a flat surface, it acts like a teeter-totter.

Head on over to his blog post to check it out.

by John Calian |
Topics: Android

Is Android destined for more platforms then just mobile devices? Olga Kharif of BusinessWeek put out an article this week where she discusses many other platforms capable of using Android as their operating system. In fact, former Apple employee Mark Hamblin, who worked on the iPhone, "is tinkering with Android so it can work in a slew of gadgets other than wireless phones." Could it be that Android will leave the iPhone OS in the dust on the next class of platforms? Check out the video below.