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Monthly Archives: June 2009
QOTD: 6 months?
What smartphone do you expect to be using in 6 months time? I’m guessing it will be either an iPhone 3G or Palm Pre, but suspect the 3G will hang in there for a while yet.
Brando Cases, Screen Protector and Cradle for Nokia E71 Review
Brando Cases, Screen Protector and Cradle for Nokia E71 Review
Available from – http://shop.brando.com.hk/nokia-e71_c0936d009
Price – Various
I recently renewed my T-Mobile contract for another 18 months and in the process got a Nokia E71 free of charge. Brando Shopping very kindly sent me a range of accessories for the E71. The accessories they sent are typical of the range they provide for a wide range of devices and phones. I was sent a range of cases, cradle and their ultra-clear screen protector. They also happened to arrive on my Birthday which was greatly appreciated.
Before I talk about the cradle and cases, I thought I would mention the ultra-clear screen protector. All the photos shown include the ultra clear screen protector fitted. And that’s the amazing part. You cannot see it and it really is ultra-clear, strong and great protection for any screen, touch or not. It only takes one set of keys to scratch a screen – I know because I have done this and it only took a few seconds.
Brando E71 2nd Battery and USB Cradle – The photo above shows the cradle holding the E71 perfectly. As you drop the E71 into the cradle the power point fits into the underneath of the E71. The Brando cradle comes with a data syncing usb lead and mains adapter which plug into the rear of the device.
In order to use the usb sync facility, you connect the usb cable into the E71 on the side, and then plug the supplied usb cable into the rear of the cradle and then into your PC. The cradle also allows for a 2nd battery to be charged too, which is located behind the E71. LED indicators light up to show power connected too. This is a lovely cradle and comes complete with everything other than a 2nd battery. However, for those who have used a E71 you all know how powerful one charge is from a battery!
Moving on to the Brando cases.
From left to right. Brando Silicone, Soft Plastic Cases and Rubberized Back
The Brando Silicone case
The Brando soft silicone case comes in 4 colours, black, ice, pink and blue. It is a very soft silicone and covers all the front keys with a raised pattern on the keys. Cut outs are provided all around the sides and rear for the camera. I am personally not too keen on silicone, but nonetheless a good option which allows for easy use of device.
The Brando Soft Plastic Case
Q. Can you tell if it is fitted? This provides a much stronger protection for the phone and is a lot tougher than the soft silicone. It also does not detract from the beauty of the phone and I would imagine if dropped onto a hard surface would stop the protected area from being damaged. Cut outs are provided for the speaker, headphone, infra red, usb, memory, mic, charge and lanyard slots. The soft plastic does cover the power, volume and voice command keys, albeit with the plastic a fraction softer to allow for usage of these keys.
The Brando Ruberized Hard Back Case
This is available in black, blue and red. It simply clips on and provides protection to the back and sides only with the necessary cutouts. This design does make the E71 look a bit posh but provides the least protection out of all the cases.
Above. Brando Workshop Metal Case and Leather Sleeve.
Both these cases provide the maximum protection for the E71 and have the option of a 360 degree removable belt clip.
Brando Workshop Metal Case
This is a thin, lightweight and strong aircraft grade aluminium case. The inside is lined with neoprene for extra protection and shock absorbance. Access if provided to all the buttons and features. The screen is also cover with plastic to provide the maximum proctection. This case is simple to use. Open the case from right to left, place phone inside and close case.
Brando Leather Sleeve Case
A lovely practical leather case with a plastic cover for the screen. All functions are accessible. The phone slides into the case and is secured via a flap that clips over the top and clips to the rear. The leather flap includes a cutout for the camera too. Clever design.
Summary
So which case wins as the best all round solution; the Brando Soft Plastic case. Finally thanks to Brando Shopping for sending all the cases, cradle and the ultra clear screen protector.
Review by Gavin Fabiani-Laymond
Launch of the 247 Classic App Catalog for Palm Pre
As you are probably already aware, MotionApps has launched Classic, a Palm OS emulator for Palm webOS. This product seamlessly unites the two operating systems on the Palm Pre phone allowing Pre users to run thousands of existing Palm OS applications on their phones. Classic runs Palm OS apps about two times faster on the Pre and has received an enourmous amount of positive coverage in the past couple of months. MobiHand has been working closely with MotionApps to develop a Classic catalog and we are now prepared to launch this new catalog. PDA-247 uses a mobihand store so you can now see the catalog of Palm apps that have been identified to operate in Classic, go to this link.
To celebrate the launch of the Classic catalog for Palm Pre phones we’ve created a 20% off all software sale from today, Wednesday June 23 through July 4th. You just need to enter the coupon code “CLASSIC” at checkout.
ArtelPlus releases TheBat!Sync v.2.5
TheBat!Sync v2.5 has been released and is as good as ever. Here’s the press release- “ArtelPlus has released a new version of TheBat! Sync v. 2.5 – a time-saving TheBat! address book synchronizing software for Windows Mobile devices. New changes help users keep control over synchronizing.
Some great news about the new version of TheBat! Synс is a new animated icon in tray reflecting the synchronization process. Visual reflection of the synchronization process will help users to keep control over synchronizing.
TheBat! Sync is a special synchronization software that synchronizes TheBat! address book and contacts of a Windows Mobile PDA. What is important, with TheBat! Sync software you can modify address book records (contact name, birthdays, phone numbers, 3 e-mail addresses per contact, notes, and contact groups from the address book) either on your mobile device or in TheBat! e-mail client and then simply perform synchronization using the standard synchronization manager for Windows Mobile devices. All the changes made to the entries will thus be synchronized.
A useful feature of the mobile synchronizer is that it allows you to synchronize your PDA address book with two or more PCs. This will make sure that TheBat! Sync users have the up-to-date address database stored on their home and work computers and their mobile devices, without manual transfer of records.
Moreover, it happens sometimes that a user has the Outlook e-mail client on his computer at work and TheBat! on his computer at home, and so he needs to synchronize the data with TheBat! and Outlook. If so happens, with the help of TheBat! Sync the user can synchronize his contacts with the Outlook and then back with the contacts in TheBat!, and vice versa. Thus, the user gets an opportunity to constantly support the updated data on both e-mail clients.
Russian-speaking users of TheBat! e-mail client will enjoy the new version of popular synchronizing software TheBat! Sync v. 2.5 with the Russian interface. To synchronize TheBat! address book and contacts of a Windows Mobile PDA in Russian has now become easier and simpler.
While TheBat! e-mail client is rather popular not only in Russia, but in Ukraine, Czech Republic, Poland and other countries of Eastern Europe, ArtelPlus believes that localization of the user’s interface into Russian will be the first step to adjust this mobile synchronizing software to the needs of its users.
The main changes in version 2.5:
• Russian/English user interface for the dialogs and Help;
• animated icon in tray during synchronization;
• “Change TheBat’s Address book” dialog behavior fixed;
• XP style for the dialogs.
System requirements for TheBat! Sync v. 2.5 for Windows Mobile:
- Win 98, NT, 2000, XP, Vista;
- ActiveSync 3.7 and later;
- Windows Mobile 2003, 5.x, 6.x (Pocket PC & Smartphones).
ArtelPlus is welcoming new users by giving them a chance to download a free trial of The Bat! Sync which has no time limitation but supports synchronization of the first 10 records of a user’s address book. The full version without any limitations is available only for 15.99 USD from ArtelPlus Web Site http://www.artelplus.com/thebatsync.php.”
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Back to 2.2
The iPhone 3.0 software was a revelation for me when I first installed it, but after a few days I am starting to notice some issues now that I have upgraded.
Battery life has been hit somewhat. I could just about get through a day previously, but as an example I hit 50% by lunchtime on Monday and that trend continue. All settings are identical to before.
It can be tardy when moving back to the home screen- a vague check produced a wait of 5 seconds coming back from messages to home.
I have restored my 3G to the official 3.0 firmware and still it happens. My next step may be to reluctantly go back to 2.2, although an upgrade to the 3GS is more likely…
Palm’s future…
Trevor posted some interesting thoughts on Palm’s future survival chances yesterday and I felt they deserved a place on the front page. I’m not completely convinced of all the arguments, but do share some concerns regarding where Palm is heading…
For someone who hated math at school, as an adult I find myself relentlessly fascinated by simple arithmetic and statistics. So, when I heard that there were supposedly 700,000 downloads from the Web OS app store during the Pre’s first ten days on the market, I put my investor’s hat on and started working up a thesis.
And if you read between the lines, this isn’t good news for Palm or the Pre.
There were 18 apps at launch, and this number has subsequently risen to 30 – most or all of them free, so far as I can tell. Now, I’m willing to bet that many of those Pre early adopters have been downloading most of those apps just for the heck of it and because that’s all they have to chose from.
Let’s say, conservatively, that each user has downloaded 7 apps. That adds up to 100,000 Pre’s sold. But, if the average number of downloads is much higher than that, those numbers start looking really anaemic. At a dozen downloads each, it would mean only 58,000 Pre’s were sold in the first 10 days or so. With Palm still haemorrhaging cash, I’m not sure that is enough to save the company.
Palm desperately needs to create some real public awareness of this device, not just buzz on the blogosphere. Unfortunately, Sprint’s advertising for the Pre has been lamentable, and Palm’s, while slicker than anything the company has previously done, is more warm and fuzzy than convincing.
(Aside: concepts like multi-tasking, Synergy are tough to explain to the general consumer, and that’s where all the growth is coming from.)
Changewave’s latest survey of smartphone buying intentions shows the mountain Palm has to climb, with only 8% of smartphone buyers saying they are considering the Pre (and that was during the week when Pre-hype was at its height and the first real reviews were being published). In the same survey, the iPhone commanded 44% and the Blackberry 23%.
So long as it sticks with Sprint, Palm is dead. On Verizon, it stands a chance. Unfortunately, Palm doesn’t seem to have the manufacturing capacity to produce more than a trickle of phones, and it’s going to need more than a trickle to get any kind of market traction. Some kind of international rollout is also urgently needed.
Then there are problems with the device and OS itself which have been highlighted over and over again in user reviews.
- battery life
- sluggish performance
- build quality issues
- keyboard that is too small for comfortable use
- price
- no SDK yet
- no developer momentum
- Even the Pre’s headline-grabbing multitasking, Synergy and notifications system have come in for some flak.
The Pre is in danger of falling through the cracks between the iPhone on the one hand, and the BlackBerry on the other. In other words, it comes up short as a general consumer device and lacks the corporate nous of a BlackBerry. It’s in a kind of no-man’s land at the moment. Alarm bells started ringing for me when Palm’s chief investor McNamee was vague about who the device was aimed at in an interview (with CNBC, I think); he dithered, hummed and hawed, then blurted out “Err… women.”
It’s possible that Palm will get bought out by someone like Dell, someone with deeper pockets who can give WebOS the push it needs and who’s looking to jump start a move into smartphones.
More likely though is that Palm just has to grit its teeth for a long hard slog back to profitability.
Future: unclear and uncertain.
Account Vault for the Storm
Account Vault has been released for the BlackBerry Storm and looks like a functional, if basic, secure application.
“If you store any sensitive account information on your phone, then this app is for you. Securely store your business or personal account information, logins, IDs, notes and passwords.
With all the new requirements when setting passwords today, it no wonder we can ever recall them when needed. Well now you can with this quick, easy and convenient app for your phone. Includes encryption technology to help keep your data safely secure.”
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Plantastic! will grow on you and your iPhone
Another classic Astraware title has been released for the iPhone. Plantastic! will definately grow on you (do you see what I did there with that clever gardening reference? No? OK…) and works just as well on this platform as it did on any other.
Plantastic! is a blooming marvellous combination of puzzle and strategy game. Create bouquets from groups of brightly coloured flowers to clear them from the garden and achieve the bloom target! Five play modes, each with different planting patterns, will keep you challenged as blooms can only be placed near your last flower in the pattern shown. Blooms drop into the queue and you must plant them in the garden before the queue fills up!
Plantastic! begins as a simple fun game, but add more complex flower arrangements, and a range of different bloom colors as you progress, and the challenge increases. Avoid the mushrooms that block your path, and stop Mr Mole from stealing your flowers by tapping him on the head! Flower power-ups like the Super Trowel and Joker Flowers help boost your points total!
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SPB Geo Game for Android and WinMob released
Spb has released Spb Geo Game for Android and Windows Mobile which is designed to teach you about the World’s countries… “St. Petersburg, June 23rd, 2009 – SPB Software, a leading mobile applications and games developer announces the release of SPB Geo Game – a mobile game, designed to help players check and improve their knowledge of the world’s capitals and national flags. Today’s global diversity is represented by 235 countries (including small islands and independent territories), 235 flags, and 234 capitals. SPB Geo Game allows sifting through this wealth of geographic images and names, trains memory, and literally widens one’s horizons in a fun way.
“Getting to know all the countries in the world with their capitals and flags is something a lot of us always wanted to do, but never had the time, – comments Vassili Philippov, SPB Software COO – “SPB Geo Game grants the opportunity to test ourselves and study the world’s diversity in a fun and relaxing manner, within the few spare moments we have,” Vassili concludes. SPB Geo Game offers two separate game modes: Capitals and Flags. The ‘right answer’ and its location are shown on a 3D globe.”
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Tradewinds 2 for the iPhone released
Handmark and Sandlot Games have released Tradewinds 2 for the iPhone. Hooray!- “Set sail for a Caribbean adventure with Tradewinds 2 – based on the highly acclaimed PC game from Sandlot Games! Navigate a fascinating new world and discover uncharted ports teeming with friends and foes alike. The choice is yours; be a master commander, defeating pirates and plundering their vast hordes of booty, or, play it safe by trading exotic island goods, gradually amassing untold wealth, power and influence.
Features include:
• 2 unique game play modes provide hours of game play. Complete over one hundred different tasks, encompassing 20 ports, in Story Mode, or sail the high seas trading exotic goods and build your fortune in Free Trade Mode.
• Choose from 5 different characters, or create your own with the character generator, and set sail for adventure.
• Explore 20 unique Caribbean ports, each with different building configurations.
• Visit the shipyard to upgrade your ship, buy new weapons, and fix damage incurred in battles against dangerous pirates looking to steal your cargo and sink your ship.
• Enjoy the in game music or play your own music from your iPod with sound effects on or off!
Tradewinds 2 is a must-have for fans of strategy games like Westward.
Copyright: 2005-2009 Sandlot Games Corporation. 2009 Astraware Limited, a subsidiary of Handmark, Inc.
App Store Link.
Product Page: http://www.astraware.com/iphone/tradewinds2
YouTube demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXvGvAfP-EM.”
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QOTD: Voice?
How do you make and receive voice calls? Do you use a Bluetooth headset, a wired headset or just the smartphone itself? I am still a wired headset man myself…
Focus on Mobile Platforms: BlackBerry
Focus on Mobile Platforms: BlackBerry
Introduced: 1999
History: 2002 was the year when the BlackBerry name really entered the smartphone market, but it has taken a long time to the platform to be seen as more than just a portable emailer. Its unique method of dealing with email and instant messaging has led corporations to jump on the Berry bandwagon and we have seen a gradual rise in subscriber numbers year on year.
This success still appeared to be somewhat of a closed number and the occasional blip in service uptime has led others to criticise the entire system. When it is working, which is almost always, it is the leader without doubt, but this reliance by so many people means that any loss of service is greeted with despair by millions.
RIM has invested a lot of time and money in making the BlackBerry platform more consumer orientated without changing the operating system much at all. What RIM excels in is creating reliable hardware which can power along nicely for days at a time between charges and the current keyboarded devices are the pinnacle of efficiency in the mobile market.
Hardware partners: None
Notable devices: Curve 83xx, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Storm
Current Position: In the past year BlackBerry market share jumped from 13.3% to 19.9% and this is in a greatly expanding sector of the market. The financials are even more impressive and RIM is looking bullet-proof at the moment.
RIM appears to have achieved the impossible and improved its mobile OS step-by-step and not thrown too many bells and whistles into the pot, yet the smartphones sell in bigger numbers every month. It goes against the trends we see with the iPhone and other high-end consumer phones, but goes to show that there will always be a place for functional smartphones which do the basics well.
Likely users: Corporations, but consumer use is growing fast.
Potential: It is difficult to judge where the BlackBerry platform will go, but major OS revisions are surely expected in the near future. RIM may split its product range between business and consumer and could even have two very different operating systems, but the future is looking very bright for RIM at the moment.
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iPhone 3GS First Impressions
Trevor has posted his initial observations of the iPhone 3GS, which are more than positive-
- Scrolling, panning and zooming in Safari is even smoother than on the iPhone 3G.
- Web pages rarely have to reload when you switch back and forth between them; even when they do, it’s so fast your flow isn’t interrupted.
- typing comments in Safari is smoother, slicker. It’s a blast.
- most apps are ready for use the instant you make the transition – there isn’t even a momentary delay.
- battery life is significantly improved over the 3G. My initial real-life, unscientific observations are that it is at least 20% better.
- there’s a vast difference in the start-up times for games.
- even flicking between home screens is snappier.
- the smudge-resistant screen coating works as advertised. You get fewer smudges, and one swipe on your sleeve removes them.
- Voice control, though not perfect, works really well. It is great being able to control your iPod without it having to leave your pocket. There is the occasional confusion over certain names – for some reason it won’t recognize “Bill Evans” when I ask it to “play songs by Bill Evans”. (My theory is that there’s some problem attached to the artist’s metadata which is causing the problem.) Overall, though, it’s fun, it’s slick, and there’s no training required.
- I haven’t used the new camera much yet, but it’s clear the quality of the pictures it takes are much improved. Tap to focus is brilliant, and the macro mode works really well. The video recording is as easy to use as on my daughter’s Flip, and the results are easily good enough to satisfy the casual user.
- having a built-in compass makes Google Maps instantly more useful as a navigation aid. On a trip to Florida last week, my son and I relied entirely on our iPhones for driving directions, but having the 3GS’s built-in compass would have made it much easier.
- I’m doing everything faster and smoother. It’s almost effortless switching between apps and getting things done. It’s hard to describe or communicate; you have to feel it. It’s like playing a great musical instrument like my 1960 Gibson ES175 – it makes me a better player.
Aimiya Financial Goal for BlackBerry
Aimiya Financial Goal is new for the BlackBerry platform and if you understand the description, you will probably need it- “Aimiya Finance Software for cell phones offers you convenience of having at hand all information about your personal finances at all times. The application allows you to form your financial aims, set the deadlines and monitor their execution. It will let you set different types of aims in order to help you to gain experience in increasing the value of your assets, evaluating your investments or will help you to start saving money.
If you want to keep your savings safe you need to have up-to-date information on the value of your money. The best decision is to keep this application with you at all times – in your cell phone!
In additional, you can read articles from Aimiya blog on the website covered general personal goal issues, finance as well as corporate news and history of product development.
Aimiya Financial Goal is a great addition to the range of tools designed to control and allocate your personal finances.”
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iPhone 3.0 app compatibility list
BigBoss has published a list of apps which work with the new iPhone 3.0 jailbreak, and those that do not. I pondered for a long time as to whether to jailbreak the 3.0 software and won’t say whether I did or not. Am liking the 3.0 software a lot though…
“I am starting a compatilbity list. I will do my best to updated it as I get more information and as updated apps come in. First off, most all regular apps should work on 3.0. The changes were not that severe for most apps to stop working. So if the app is not in the list, it probably works. What probably does not work are apps that rely on mobile substrate or any sort of springboard patching. These all use undocumented APIs.”
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