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Monthly Archives: February 2010
Microsoft launches Windows 7 for mobile
Windows 7 for mobile has ‘finally’ been discussed by Microsoft, but of course not exactly launched. Thanks to Peter. From BBC- “Microsoft has launched the latest iteration of its mobile phone operating system, called Windows phone 7 series.
The software has a redesigned user interface and incorporates many Microsoft services such as Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music service.
The software was introduced at an event at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
According to research firm Canalys, Microsoft’s software currently has around 9% of the smartphone market.
That puts it fourth in the global market behind Symbian, Rim (makers of the Blackberry) and Apple’s iPhone OS.
The first multi-touch phones to use the operating system will be available before the end of the year.”
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SPB Mobile Shell 5.0 Arrives, Brings Support for Symbian and Android Along
Here’s some big new for Windows Mobile owners, and even bigger news for Android and Symbian people- “February 15th, 2010 – SPB Software, a leading mobile applications and games developer announces the release of SPB Mobile Shell 5.0, a major upgrade to the world’s bestselling mobile application, popular among both end-users and OEMs. Unlike all the previous versions of SPB Mobile Shell available exclusively for Windows Mobile smartphones with touchscreens, version 5.0 is to be released for Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian. Thanks to the new portable SPB UI Engine, SPB Mobile Shell is planned to be spread to more mobile platforms.
Major updates to the new version include a new 3D engine and an improved social networking integration. The former means support for new types of eye candy effects such as 3D Media Player, 3D Photo Viewer, 3D Weather, dynamic 3D widgets and more, while the latter involves message, contacts, photo and status sync with popular services, namely Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
One important innovation in SPB Mobile Shell 5.0 is the Natural Interaction Engine which includes support for G-sensor and multitouch, a dedicated Feedback Engine providing realistic visual and haptic responses, and a Physics Engine responsible for the real-world behavior of all objects.
SPB Mobile Shell has been publicly recognized as the best-selling mobile application across all smartphone platforms for three consecutive years: 2007, 2008 and 2009. At the same time SPB Mobile Shell enjoys popularity among mobile carriers and OEMs. It’s been shipped to over 15 device manufacturers, including Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, and O2. To make implementation process even smoother, we have added SPB UI Builder 2.0 – a tool-chain for easy customization of SPB Mobile Shell and other products that are built using the SPB UI Engine. It includes APIs for pluggable components, the skin builder and a set of plug-ins for integration with industry strength design products such as 3DMAX and Microsoft Expression Blend.
*** What’s new in SPB Mobile Shell 5.0: ***
- New 3D engine
- Natural Interaction Engine
- 3D widgets
- Tight integration with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks
- SPB UI Builder 2.0
- Multi-platform support: Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian.”
Intel and Nokia merge software platforms for future computing devices
The following announcement was a bit of a surprise to me. May have a big impact or none at all- I suspect big.
Espoo, Finland and Santa Clara, CA, USA – In a significant development in the convergence of communications and computing, Intel Corporation and Nokia are merging their popular Moblin and Maemo software platforms. This will create a unified Linux-based platform that will run on multiple hardware platforms across a wide range of computing devices, including pocketable mobile computers, netbooks, tablets, mediaphones, connected TVs and in-vehicle infotainment systems. Called MeeGo, the open software platform will accelerate industry innovation and time-to-market for a wealth of new Internet-based applications and services and exciting user experiences. MeeGo-based devices from Nokia and other manufacturers are expected to be launched later this year.
This announcement strengthens the Nokia and Intel relationship, and builds on the companies’ broad strategic collaboration announced in June 2009. Intel and Nokia now invite participation in MeeGo from existing Maemo and Moblin global communities and across the communications and computing industries.
“Our vision for seamlessly communicating between computing devices from the home, auto, office or your pocket is taking a big step forward today with the introduction of MeeGo,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. “This is a foundational step in our evolving relationship with Nokia. The merging of these two important assets into an open source platform is critical toward providing a terrific experience across a variety of devices and gaining cross- industry support.”
“MeeGo will drive an even wider range of Internet computing and communication experiences for consumers, on new types of mobile devices,” said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO, Nokia. “Through open innovation, MeeGo will create an ecosystem that is second to none, drawing in players from different industries. It will support a range of business models across the value chain, building on the experience and expertise of Nokia, Intel and all those who will join us. Simply put, MeeGo heralds a new era of mobile computing.”
MeeGo blends the best of Maemo with the best of Moblin to create an open platform for multiple processor architectures. MeeGo builds on the capabilities of the Moblin core OS and its support for a wide range of device types and reference user experiences, combined with the momentum of Maemo in the mobile industry and the broadly adopted Qt application and UI framework for software developers.
MeeGo also unites the robust worldwide Maemo and Moblin applications ecosystems and open source communities. For developers, MeeGo extends the range of target device segments for their applications. Using Qt for application development means that they can write applications once and easily deploy them on MeeGo and across other platforms, for example, on Symbian.
The Ovi Store will be the channel to market for apps and content for all Nokia devices, including MeeGo and Symbian-based, with Forum Nokia providing developer support across all Nokia device platforms. The Intel AppUpSM Center will be the path to market for Intel-based MeeGo devices from other device manufacturers, with the Intel® Atom(TM) Developer Program providing support for applications targeting devices in a variety of categories.
The MeeGo software platform, running on high-performance devices, will deliver a range of Internet, computing and communication experiences, with visually rich graphics, multitasking and multimedia capabilities and the best application performance. Since MeeGo runs on multiple device types, people can keep their favorite applications when they change devices, so they are not locked into one kind of device or those from any individual manufacturer.
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QOTD: What do you want from Mobile World Congress?
What do you want to see launched at Mobile World Congress, and what do you expect to see? I am expecting the HTC Hero 2 (Legend), but can’t see what else will appear. Could be some surprises in store…
The best classic PDA gaming iPhone conversions
PDA gaming used to be a big, but somewhat niche, activity until the iPhone came along and introduced the world to mobile gaming on a phone. There are now hundreds of top quality games available for the iPhone and Android platforms, but which has made the conversion most successfully to the iPhone?
Bejeweled was a phenomenon even on the early PDAs and lent itself perfectly to the mobile form factor, but on the iPhone it is even better. It feels incredibly natural and the finger tapping soon becomes more efficient and thus frantic than ever before. A near perfect conversion.
Nothing beats WordPop! for me and on the iPhone it is better than ever before. If it makes its way to the iPad that will be reason enough for me to pump down the money to enjoy the experience in ever more detail than ever before. I often settle down for a 10 minute game and 2 hours later my head is buzzing with words I never knew before I started playing. Superb!
300 Bowl was one of the first PDA titles to feature proper 3D graphics and the natural transition to the iPhone has been made with ease. The larger screen and superior handling mean that the game is easier and more fun to play than it was on Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices. Well worth the small asking price.
Homerun was ‘the’ default game on some early Psion PDAs and it has thankfully made its way to the iPhone format courtesy of ZingMagic. You can also buy it for Symbian devices, but on the iPhone it truly shines- the only thing missing are some sound effects. A curious omission.
This is one for all of the family and it takes a tricky setup and makes it feel a lot more open on the iPhone. A lot is still happening on the relatively small screen, but overall it is far more enjoyable that it is on other platforms. This is one title which highlights just how good the iPhone is for gaming from a hardware point of view.
Sprint and Palm sitting in a tree…
James posted some thoughts on the Sprint / Palm marriage last week and I felt they deserved to grace the front page-
I think there’s an element to the carrier-hardware manufacturer dynamic that is rarely addressed, but I’d like to know more about myself, and that is what the manufacturer wants from the carrier in terms of position. If I were a manufacturer, I’d want my handset to be carried as a flagship device and to be strongly promoted by the carrier. At the time that the Pre first came out, AT&T was heavily pushing the iPhone (and continues to do so), T-Mobile was prominently pinning its hopes on the G1, and Verizon made the BB Storm their public face. I’m sure there’s a dollars-and-cents consideration in all that as well. Sprint needed a flagship and was probably prepared to pay a healthy subsidy on the devices. While every provider has a stable of devices, there are clearly those that are pushed heavily to the public as well as those that are just sorta available, and that has to be a calculation when a hardware manufacturer looks to carriers. I’m basing my judgments on what I see on prime-time advertising on major US television networks (I don’t have cable/satellite/whatever and rarely read newspapers anymore), so I hope I’m safe in saying that I’m getting the carriers’ strongest messages.
Today, Verizon flits from one flagship to another, but I wonder how happy certain hardware manufacturers are with that strategy. The Storm series has pretty much disappeared from public attention (and sales figures), and the Droid is fast becoming yesterday’s news. Now Verizon is pushing the Pre Plus, but how long will that last? The Nexus One will be available soon, and if I were Motorola or Palm, I’d shudder at the thought of Verizon holding that banner high.
In contrast, the iPhone continues to be AT&T’s premiere device and public face, and sales remain consistently high, even though they were for some time the only US carrier of what’s probably the best BB available – the Bold, which we rarely heard about. The G1 and myTouch 3G are the only devices specific to T-Mobile that I can actually name. Sprint advertisements play up a handful of devices these days, but the Pre still gets prominent placement.
I don’t think Palm or Sprint really had a choice. They are two desperate firms who had something to offer each other at the time. Say what you will about Sprint, I think it’s a fair enough suggestion that things would have been even worse if they HADN’T picked up the Pre. And say what you will about Palm, but how well would the Pre have done if it had been one of the “other” devices playing second-fiddle to the Storm, G1, or *gulp* iPhone? Advertising counts, as the snooze-fest of the Nexus One’s launch goes to show.
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“The Cat in the Hat” and “Dr. Seuss’s ABC” iPhone Apps now Available
Got kids? Got an iPhone? Read on… “Encinitas, CA (PRWEB) February 12, 2010 – Oceanhouse Media, Inc., launched today three new officially licensed iPhone Apps based on the beloved classic children’s stories by Dr. Seuss. Two of the top selling children’s books of all time, The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss’s ABC are now available as interactive eBooks in the App Store for $3.99 each. In addition, Oceanhouse Media announces Dr. Seuss Camera – The Cat in the Hat Edition, a unique and whimsical photo card maker, is also now available for $2.99.
“Cat in the Hat” eBook on iPhone
Written by Dr. Seuss in 1957 and 1963 respectively, The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss’s ABC have been adapted for the first time to an interactive book format for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The eBooks combine the beautiful original artwork of the books with innovative features that promote reading in young children, including highlighted picture / word associations, professional narrations and custom background audio.
The Dr. Seuss Camera – The Cat in the Hat Edition app is now available in the Photography category and allows users to create fun photo cards using the iPhone’s built-in camera or Photo Library. Users can pose with characters or choose to become the Cat in the Hat, the playful Thing 1 or Thing 2, or even Sally or her brother. Cards can be personalized with comical and colorful stamps, borders and classic Seussian text. Cat in the Hat Cards can be e-mailed to friends and family or saved to the Photo Library.
“We are excited to join forces once again with Oceanhouse Media to bring more of Dr. Seuss’s beloved tales to the iPhone,” said Susan Brandt, President of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “Dr. Seuss created The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss’s ABC to improve literacy in elementary schools, and now Oceanhouse Media continues this tradition by developing innovative features only possible in interactive eBooks that both parents and children will love.”
Available for both the iPhone and iPod Touch, these apps will also be available for the iPad. “We are thrilled about Apple’s recent announcement of the iPad,” said Michel Kripalani, President of Oceanhouse Media. “We are looking forward to having most of our 75+ apps available for the iPad, starting with our Dr. Seuss products. We believe that the iPad will be a revolutionary device for children’s literature and learning.”
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BerryBlab for BlackBerry
Forums are not easy to view on any smartphone, particularly BlackBerry’s, but maybe BerryBlab is the answer- “BerryBlab allows users to view and post to vBulletin Forums natively on their BlackBerrys! Keyboard and Touch devices both supported!
NOTE: The forum Administrator MUST have the BerryBlab plugin installed. The plugin is FREE and can be downloaded from BerryBlab.
Currently only forums running vBulletin are supported.”
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HTC gets in the e-Book Reader business with new Manila 2.5
WMExperts has unearthed details of HTC potentially jumping on the eBook bandwagon with Manila 2.5. Such a shame these companies don’t ever start these things and just end up jumping on the tails of others.
“The latest version of Manila/Sense 2.5 (2012) features a tab dedicated to reading e-Books that can be purchased by Boarders or, evidently, though Adobe. No word on Amazon.com at this time.
HTC Reader 1.0 is the name of the program that will render the e-Books and overall it looks pretty great. It follows the usual UI/UX that HTC has laid out with their other tabs, which includes a directory for browsing, book art, and of course reading the book. There does seem to be some scrolling action needed, in addition.”
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BlackBerry to announce something big at MWC
RIM could be making a BIG announcement at MWC next week. Place your bets on what it is. A new browser? The official Twitter client (not good at all by the way) or a new device? The web browser gets my vite. More at The Clove Blog.
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IBM Eyes The iPad
IBM has broken cover and has been quoted as saying “Our customers are looking at the iPad and they’re excited about it,” says Rennie. “No one quite knows its use patterns yet, but it’s our intention to deliver as much of our portfolio as possible on it as fast as possible.”
Within 6 months I expect to see many Mac OS apps on the ‘multi-tasking’ iPad. Absolutely no doubt in my mind.
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40% off at Natara for Valentines
From Natara- “Just wanted to let you and your readers know that Natara Software is running a Valentine special from now until Feb 16th. Get 40% any offer when you use the coupon code VAL2010 at checkout from the Natara store.”
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Rubberduck lands on Android
Android continues to gain mainstream support and here is the latest example- Rubberduck Media Lab, a subsidiary of Aspiro, Northern Europe’s leading provider of mobile entertainment services, today confirmed that its streaming mobile TV application would now be available for download on Google’s new Nexus One phone and other Android handsets.
Rubberduck provides a hosted mobile TV platform, used by major operators in Europe and worldwide markets, and holds digital rights agreements for mobile content with a host of major broadcasters such as the BBC, the Disney Channel, CNN, CNBC and Turner. The new Android application will enable customers to access an operator’s mobile TV services simply by opening the application to access the web-based content menu.
Announcing the development, Gunnar Sellæg, CEO of Aspiro said: “Rubberduck leads the way with mobile TV content across multiple platforms and devices. Our new Android application confirms that leadership and continues to offer operators the widest possible market reach for mobile TV services.”
The launch of the company’s mobile TV services on the Android platform follows hard on the heels of Aspiro’s launch, last month, of a streaming desktop and mobile music player across a wide range of handsets also including Android. Aspiro is the first company to offer operators a multi-platform white label service that can cover both streaming music and TV.
“At Aspiro we have the technology and the know-how to help operators introduce streaming music and video services under their own brand that are rich in both local and global content,” added Sellæg.
Rubberduck’s new Android app is compatible with version 1.6 and higher of the Android operating system. It offers a very user-friendly viewing experience which compares well with other platforms such as the iPhone. It supports Rubberduck’s fast channel switching capability making it easy to switch between TV channels in real-time.
Erling Paulsen, CEO of Rubberduck, added: “Our mobile TV application has been a great success on the iPhone and we are sure it will be popular on Google-based phones as well. What’s more, with Rubberduck, users of a wide range of handsets – including models from all the major handset brands – can watch live TV in real time.”
Aspiro will be demonstrating its streaming music and TV services on the Android and other platforms at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on booth number 2A67 in Hall 2 from February 15-17.
February MobileHeist- Developer Spotlight: Shape Services
We have 10 Shape Services BlackBerry apps available today and tomorrow for half price. The following products are discounted and you can grab your discount here (desktop) and here (mobile)-
IM+ : retail price $39.95, sale price $19.98
IM+ Skype : retail price $39.95, sale price $19.98
RDM+ : retail price $39.95, sale price $19.98
Mobiola xPlayer : retail price $19.95, sale price $9.98
Mobiscope : retail price $19.95, sale price $9.98
GPSed : retail price $9.95, sale price $4.98
VR+ : retail price $ 29.95, sale price $14.98
VNC+ : retail price $29.95, sale price $14.98
Mobiola Video Studio : retail price $24.95, sale price $12.48
Business Card Reader : $9.95 , sale price $4.98
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QOTD: What do you want in the next iPhone?
What features do you want to see in the next iPhone? Personally I do not want to see another iPhone following the current form factor. I do want a hardware keyboard (slide-out), better battery life and decent call quality- that would do for me.