Building on the momentum from its relaunch of TV.com last month, CBS Interactive has rolled out a TV.com iPhone app, and opened up some of the site's video clips to international viewers. The developments give TV.com two distinct advantages over rival Hulu?as Hulu currently has no dedicated mobile offering, and its content is accessible in the U.S. only.
It could add more stress to the already strained relationship between the two: last week, the companies traded barbs over Hulu's decision to pull all of its content from TV.com because of a clash over online programming and distribution rights (in-depth details on that soap opera here).
?Get your TV.com on the go: The free app lets users watch clips of everything from CSI, to The L Word, to vintage Star Trek; it also takes advantage of the iPhone's motion-sensor, as users can shake the phone to get a random clip to show up. ciPhone owners have always had access to all kinds of video, both from YouTube and third-party apps like Joost (which already offered some CBS content), but the TV.com app greatly increases the volume of full-length, premium content available. If it catches on, the pressure will be on networks like Fox, ABC, and, of course, NBC, to launch their own dedicated mobile-video offerings. And, as the NYT notes, the TV networks won't be the only players under pressure: once iPhone users start streaming long-form video en masse, it will increase the strain on AT&T's data network?which could mean higher data subscription plan costs.
?Short-form content outside the U.S. for now: Currently, international viewers can only access snippets of CBS (NYSE: CBS) News programming, and older shows like Beverly Hills 90210 and MacGuyver; Anthony Soohoo, SVP of CBSI's entertainment and lifestyle division, told Contentinople that the company was working on securing the international rights for more long-form content.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Cheap Dual Sim TV Phone LC801
China Dual SIM TV phone LC801 with triband GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz work in 175 countries of the world , another function like : FM radio , Bluetooth and so on . Soundasia supply wholesale low price :100USD
It has a stand,wide screen,huge battery for longer TV viewing and cheapest phone with large screen in the market today and with 1GB memory card!
Network & band: GSM 900/1800MHz
SIM card standby: Dual SIM standby simultaneously
Languages: Multi languages
Screen size & type: 2.8 inch screen
Touch screen: Yes
Handwrite recognize: Yes
Camera pixels: 2mpl
MP3 player: Yes
Audio record: Yes
Built-in FM radio: Yes
FM radio through speaker: Yes
MP4 player: Yes
Handsfree: Yes
Memory card slot type: MicroSD card
Memory card: microsd
USB disk function: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
WAP: Yes
GPRS: Yes
SMS: Yes
MMS: Yes
Calendar: Yes
Notepad: Yes
Calculator: Yes
Alarm clock: Yes
Analog TV tuner: Yes
Battery: 2
Charger: 1
Earphone: 1
Data cable: 1
Brand: LC
Place of Origin:Guangdong China Technology:Dual-band
Operation System:Nucleus Color:Black
Brand Name:CECT Model Number:LC801
Talking Time:260--300 minutes Function:Bluetooth
Ringtone:MP3 Design:Bar
Display Color:260k color Camera:2m
Memory Slot:T-F Card
Detailed Product Description
Function:
Dual sim card dual standby with analog TV : Yes
Color: Black
Main LCD type: 2.8" QVGA
Phone Book: 300
SMS: 200
WAP,GPRS:Yes
Handfree, clock, STK, Wallpaper, calculator: Yes
EMS, MMS, Handwriting: Yes
Game: Yes
TF card: To be 4GB. With 256M for free.
FM: Yes
Bluetooth 2.0 supported : Yes
Picture: BMP/jgp
Music: Midi, AMR, MP3 display
Video: 3GP/ MP4 display
Camera: 2.0M, support Web camera
SMS group sending,voice recorder,caller pictures,caller ring tone:Yes
Main Parameter:
Size of Phone:115*57*17mm
Battery Capacity:1800mAh
Frequency:GSM900/1800
Operating System:Nucleus
Accessories:two batteries,earphone,USB cable,
manual,chargers,256Mb T-F card.
Language:English,French,Russian,Vietnamese,Thai,
Arabic,Spanish,Turkish,German,Italian,Portuguese,
Czech,Polish,Indonesian,Bulgarian,Persian.
Standby Time: 300--360 hours
Talking Time: 260--300 mins
Vertu sees room for growth for luxury cell phones
Vertu, the maker of handcrafted and luxury mobile phones, expects strong sales in the region this year, despite the economic downturn.
Linus Kee, Vertu's head of sales in Southeast Asia-Pacific, said yesterday that there is still room for expansion in Asia, one of the company's fastest growth markets.
Vertu phone, probably the world's most expensive cellphone, appointed luxury brand importer and distributor Everest World to be its local importer and distributor last December.
Its previous local distributor was Master Phone of Panthongtae Shinawatra, son of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Rattaroj Sirikachaporn, general manager of Everest World, said the company targets to sell some 200 Vertu this year. It has already stocked about 60 Vertu to be sold in Thailand.
The Vertu enhances the company's portfolio of luxury products, he said.
Besides affluent Thais, its major luxury-product customers are tourists from the Middle East, China and Russia.
Akradej Srichawla, CEO of Everest World, said the company's expertise in brand name product distribution among high-end consumers gives it confidence that it could make Vertu the first choice in mobile phones among hi-so's who love an exclusive and luxurious product.
Everest World has already marketed the Vertu Signature mobile phone collection, and also the limited edition Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Nero and special edition Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Rosso and Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Giallo
Linus Kee, Vertu's head of sales in Southeast Asia-Pacific, said yesterday that there is still room for expansion in Asia, one of the company's fastest growth markets.
Vertu phone, probably the world's most expensive cellphone, appointed luxury brand importer and distributor Everest World to be its local importer and distributor last December.
Its previous local distributor was Master Phone of Panthongtae Shinawatra, son of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Rattaroj Sirikachaporn, general manager of Everest World, said the company targets to sell some 200 Vertu this year. It has already stocked about 60 Vertu to be sold in Thailand.
The Vertu enhances the company's portfolio of luxury products, he said.
Besides affluent Thais, its major luxury-product customers are tourists from the Middle East, China and Russia.
Akradej Srichawla, CEO of Everest World, said the company's expertise in brand name product distribution among high-end consumers gives it confidence that it could make Vertu the first choice in mobile phones among hi-so's who love an exclusive and luxurious product.
Everest World has already marketed the Vertu Signature mobile phone collection, and also the limited edition Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Nero and special edition Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Rosso and Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Giallo
Verizon’s Versa Ships March 1
Basking Ridge, N.J. — Verizon Wireless plans March 1 availability of the LG-made Versa multimedia phone, a touchscreen-equipped phone with swiping 3D user interface and tactile feedback. It’s the U.S. market’s first cellphone with attachable QWERTY keyboard, LG said.
The 800/1900MHz EV-DO Rev. A phone will retail for $199.99 with $50 mail-in rebate and two-year
Verizon’s LG-made Versa is the first U.S.-market cellphone with attachable QWERTY keyboard, LG said.
contract through Verizon-owned stores, the carrier’s online site and indirect retailers. The price includes the attachable QWERTY keyboard, which covers the touchscreen when closed but features its own exterior LCD display, send/end keys and speaker. It’s said to be a $100 value.
Versa’s 3-inch 3D touchscreen features tactile feedback and three user-customizable home screens. Consumers swipe from one home screen to another in rotating 3-D fashion. The device also features an accelerometer that automatically rotates the screen from portrait to landscape mode and lets users control game play by rotating the device.
For LG, the Versa is the company’s first U.S.-market phone with swiping interface, 3-D interface and ability to control game play via accelerometer. In the U.S., the Apple iPhone and SonyEricsson 760A also control game play via an accelerometer. The HTC Touch Diamond phone and iPhone already feature swiping 3-D motion user interface.
Other Versa features include 2-megapixel camera/camcorder with face detection, visual voice mail, HTML Web browsing with swiping navigation, AV player, stereo Bluetooth version 2.1 with enhanced data rate (EDR), Verizon’s VZ Navigator navigation service, over-the-air music downloads and ability to download over-the-air firmware upgrades. The MicroSD slot supports 16GB memory cards.
The device’s LG-proprietary OS is open to third-party vendors to create applications, including games that take advantage of the swiping and accelerometer features, a spokeswoman said.
The handset weighs 3.81 ounces, and the keyboard weighs 2 ounces. Talk time is four hours and 50 minutes, and standby time is 17.9 hours.
For Verizon, the Dare will be the carrier’s third touch-screen phone after the LG Dare and BlackBerry Storm with swiping user interface. It will be the second after the Samsung Omnia Windows Mobile 6.1 PDA-phone to feature 3-D user interface, a Verizon spokesperson said.
The 800/1900MHz EV-DO Rev. A phone will retail for $199.99 with $50 mail-in rebate and two-year
Verizon’s LG-made Versa is the first U.S.-market cellphone with attachable QWERTY keyboard, LG said.
contract through Verizon-owned stores, the carrier’s online site and indirect retailers. The price includes the attachable QWERTY keyboard, which covers the touchscreen when closed but features its own exterior LCD display, send/end keys and speaker. It’s said to be a $100 value.
Versa’s 3-inch 3D touchscreen features tactile feedback and three user-customizable home screens. Consumers swipe from one home screen to another in rotating 3-D fashion. The device also features an accelerometer that automatically rotates the screen from portrait to landscape mode and lets users control game play by rotating the device.
For LG, the Versa is the company’s first U.S.-market phone with swiping interface, 3-D interface and ability to control game play via accelerometer. In the U.S., the Apple iPhone and SonyEricsson 760A also control game play via an accelerometer. The HTC Touch Diamond phone and iPhone already feature swiping 3-D motion user interface.
Other Versa features include 2-megapixel camera/camcorder with face detection, visual voice mail, HTML Web browsing with swiping navigation, AV player, stereo Bluetooth version 2.1 with enhanced data rate (EDR), Verizon’s VZ Navigator navigation service, over-the-air music downloads and ability to download over-the-air firmware upgrades. The MicroSD slot supports 16GB memory cards.
The device’s LG-proprietary OS is open to third-party vendors to create applications, including games that take advantage of the swiping and accelerometer features, a spokeswoman said.
The handset weighs 3.81 ounces, and the keyboard weighs 2 ounces. Talk time is four hours and 50 minutes, and standby time is 17.9 hours.
For Verizon, the Dare will be the carrier’s third touch-screen phone after the LG Dare and BlackBerry Storm with swiping user interface. It will be the second after the Samsung Omnia Windows Mobile 6.1 PDA-phone to feature 3-D user interface, a Verizon spokesperson said.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Why Are iPhone Users Willing to Pay for Content?
It may be no surprise that the best-selling computer book so far this year is “iPhone: The Missing Manual,” by my colleague David Pogue (O’Reilly, 2007).
But here is something that did surprise me: The most popular edition of this book isn’t on paper or the PDF file that O’Reilly Media also sells. It is the downloadable application for the iPhone, according to Tim O’Reilly, the chief executive of O’Reilly Media.
Amid all the discussion of micropayments and other ways that the creators of news and other content can be paid for their work, the iTunes App store is shaping up to be a surprisingly viable way to sell all sorts of information and entertainment.
There is a lot more content of the sort you would have bought in the past but now you can get free on the Web: a directory of Congressional offices, standup comedy routines, gym workout videos, Zagat restaurant guides and a growing library of books. There is also a fair bit of free content, public-domain e-books like the complete works of Shakespeare and lots of advertising-supported media. (BusinessWeek has a report this week on the App store’s role in music.)
What’s most interesting is how iPhone users are willing to spend money in ways that Web users are not.
I’ve criticized Apple from time to time for not having a coherent approach to delivering free content with advertising. But in some ways, the development of a market for paid content is a bigger and less expected achievement.
Why has this happened? Apple has created an environment that makes buying digital goods easy and common. With an infrastructure that supports one-click purchases of songs and videos, it was easy to add applications in the same paradigm. Paying for software, especially games, is not new to Apple customers. So when you see the ciPhone manual or the Frommer’s Paris guidebook, it feels natural to click. (And of course, your credit card is already on file with Apple.)
There are certainly other precedents. Many people who steal songs through Limewire nonetheless pay $1.99 to use the same tunes as ringtones. And for avid book readers, Amazon’s Kindle has found a market willing to pay for electronic books. Apple is also starting to sell subscriptions to bundles of music, video and images from certain bands, like Depeche Mode. This is technically a product of the Music store, not the App store, but it still shows how people may be willing to pay for various bundles of content online
There is a lot of work to do here. For example, I find the O’Reilly iPhone book a little hard to use. The text doesn’t seem particularly well-formatted for the iPhone page. And I would love to see more interactive features that utilize the phone interface (including some of David’s videos).
Andrew Savikas, O’Reilly’s vice president for digital initiatives, agrees with me, saying that the iPhone manual was rushed to get it out before Christmas. The company now has 20 titles in development for the iPhone (and eventually other mobile phones), and it is spending more time weaving in hyperlinks and adding other features.
“There is a lot more we can do to take advantage of this as a new medium,” he said. O’Reilly, which sells to a lot of early adopters, has a range of digital distribution media.
“We try to say all of our writing is writing for the Web, and all of our publishing is digital publishing, so all our focus is building things into the content that make it more friendly to be digital,” he said.
Before media companies rejoice that Apple has found a way to persuade a generation used to getting everything free on the Web to pay for some content, they should look a bit more closely at O’Reilly’s experience with the iPhone manual.
The book, which sells for $24.99, was initially offered as an iPhone app for $4.99. When the publisher raised the price to $9.99, sales fell 75 percent. O’Reilly quickly dropped the price back down to the lower level.
“This audience is very price sensitive,” Mr. Savikas said.
So even if all content doesn’t have to be free, it may well have to be cheap.
But here is something that did surprise me: The most popular edition of this book isn’t on paper or the PDF file that O’Reilly Media also sells. It is the downloadable application for the iPhone, according to Tim O’Reilly, the chief executive of O’Reilly Media.
Amid all the discussion of micropayments and other ways that the creators of news and other content can be paid for their work, the iTunes App store is shaping up to be a surprisingly viable way to sell all sorts of information and entertainment.
There is a lot more content of the sort you would have bought in the past but now you can get free on the Web: a directory of Congressional offices, standup comedy routines, gym workout videos, Zagat restaurant guides and a growing library of books. There is also a fair bit of free content, public-domain e-books like the complete works of Shakespeare and lots of advertising-supported media. (BusinessWeek has a report this week on the App store’s role in music.)
What’s most interesting is how iPhone users are willing to spend money in ways that Web users are not.
I’ve criticized Apple from time to time for not having a coherent approach to delivering free content with advertising. But in some ways, the development of a market for paid content is a bigger and less expected achievement.
Why has this happened? Apple has created an environment that makes buying digital goods easy and common. With an infrastructure that supports one-click purchases of songs and videos, it was easy to add applications in the same paradigm. Paying for software, especially games, is not new to Apple customers. So when you see the ciPhone manual or the Frommer’s Paris guidebook, it feels natural to click. (And of course, your credit card is already on file with Apple.)
There are certainly other precedents. Many people who steal songs through Limewire nonetheless pay $1.99 to use the same tunes as ringtones. And for avid book readers, Amazon’s Kindle has found a market willing to pay for electronic books. Apple is also starting to sell subscriptions to bundles of music, video and images from certain bands, like Depeche Mode. This is technically a product of the Music store, not the App store, but it still shows how people may be willing to pay for various bundles of content online
There is a lot of work to do here. For example, I find the O’Reilly iPhone book a little hard to use. The text doesn’t seem particularly well-formatted for the iPhone page. And I would love to see more interactive features that utilize the phone interface (including some of David’s videos).
Andrew Savikas, O’Reilly’s vice president for digital initiatives, agrees with me, saying that the iPhone manual was rushed to get it out before Christmas. The company now has 20 titles in development for the iPhone (and eventually other mobile phones), and it is spending more time weaving in hyperlinks and adding other features.
“There is a lot more we can do to take advantage of this as a new medium,” he said. O’Reilly, which sells to a lot of early adopters, has a range of digital distribution media.
“We try to say all of our writing is writing for the Web, and all of our publishing is digital publishing, so all our focus is building things into the content that make it more friendly to be digital,” he said.
Before media companies rejoice that Apple has found a way to persuade a generation used to getting everything free on the Web to pay for some content, they should look a bit more closely at O’Reilly’s experience with the iPhone manual.
The book, which sells for $24.99, was initially offered as an iPhone app for $4.99. When the publisher raised the price to $9.99, sales fell 75 percent. O’Reilly quickly dropped the price back down to the lower level.
“This audience is very price sensitive,” Mr. Savikas said.
So even if all content doesn’t have to be free, it may well have to be cheap.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
MWC Scorecard: Handsets
Whose profile is rising: HTC and INQ. HTC had a busy week at Mobile World Congress 2009 that included product launches that were both new and flashy--Vodafone's launch of the Android-powered Magic--as well as revamps of two of its most popular handsets, the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro. The Magic news was the only major Android product announcement at the show and steered the spotlight back onto HTC in terms of the race to get phones based on Google's mobile platform to the market.
At HTC's press conference, the Taiwanese company unveiled the Touch Diamond phone 2 and Touch Pro 2, both running on customized versions of Windows Mobile 6.1 and featuring HTC innovations including Push Internet, giving users faster access to their favorite websites, as well as threaded communication technology and easy-access conference calling. The handset maker proved that while it may not have a huge market share, it was becoming a force to be reckoned with in terms of product differentiation.
The other big winner of the week was INQ, whose social networking-focused phone, the INQ1, won the GSMA award for best mobile handset. The phone beat out the T-Mobile G1, Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm, the LG KS360 and the Nokia E71, and definitely put INQ on the map.
Whose profile is falling: Motorola. Motorola had no significant news at the show. And while it did have a large booth and a presence in Barcelona, the lack of specifics on how it would differentiate its Android offering, which is expected to launch in the fourth quarter, or news on what kind of devices the company would produce before then was noticeable. The lack of news was especially glaring because of what the other major vendors announced. Sony Ericsson unveiled their Idou concept phone. Samsung and LG created a little buzz around their user interfaces--Samsung's focus has been locked on touchscreens and LG's 3D S-Class UI offered a new way of looking at the traditional application-centric experience on smartphones.
Sony Ericsson, while not struggling at the levels of Motorola's handset division, is still dealing with weakening demand amid the economic recession. However, the company at least made the effort to show off a concept phone and give the impression that it was looking to turn around its strategy and strengthen its brand. In a market that is coming to be defined by what company can offer the widest array of services and most differentiated user experience, Motorola's lack of buzz has left it farther behind the competition.
At HTC's press conference, the Taiwanese company unveiled the Touch Diamond phone 2 and Touch Pro 2, both running on customized versions of Windows Mobile 6.1 and featuring HTC innovations including Push Internet, giving users faster access to their favorite websites, as well as threaded communication technology and easy-access conference calling. The handset maker proved that while it may not have a huge market share, it was becoming a force to be reckoned with in terms of product differentiation.
The other big winner of the week was INQ, whose social networking-focused phone, the INQ1, won the GSMA award for best mobile handset. The phone beat out the T-Mobile G1, Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm, the LG KS360 and the Nokia E71, and definitely put INQ on the map.
Whose profile is falling: Motorola. Motorola had no significant news at the show. And while it did have a large booth and a presence in Barcelona, the lack of specifics on how it would differentiate its Android offering, which is expected to launch in the fourth quarter, or news on what kind of devices the company would produce before then was noticeable. The lack of news was especially glaring because of what the other major vendors announced. Sony Ericsson unveiled their Idou concept phone. Samsung and LG created a little buzz around their user interfaces--Samsung's focus has been locked on touchscreens and LG's 3D S-Class UI offered a new way of looking at the traditional application-centric experience on smartphones.
Sony Ericsson, while not struggling at the levels of Motorola's handset division, is still dealing with weakening demand amid the economic recession. However, the company at least made the effort to show off a concept phone and give the impression that it was looking to turn around its strategy and strengthen its brand. In a market that is coming to be defined by what company can offer the widest array of services and most differentiated user experience, Motorola's lack of buzz has left it farther behind the competition.
iPhone features in rivals' new phones
BARCELONA, SPAIN: Copying a few pages from the playbook of Apple Inc's iPhone strategy, which brings many of the powers of the Internet to mobile phones, is no way to beat the computer interloper at its game.
But that's exactly what many of the world's biggest handsets makers are trying to do with new copycat phones and services that ape key features of the iPhone.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world's biggest annual trade show for the wireless industry, Apple is everywhere and nowhere. The company avoids such events, preferring to unveil products at its own venues.
The handset business will produce more than a billion phones this year, but is suffering a crisis of confidence brought on by sharply changing business models that has only been exaggerated by the global economic slump.
"Imagination is expensive in a year such as this," said Richard Windsor, a technology analyst at the conference who is with Nomura Securities in London.
The giants of the phone industry Nokia, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, LG Electronics Inc, Sony Ericsson and HTC Corp are humbling themselves to copy a company whose phones account for only 1 percent of handsets.
A year ago, phone makers with quick-acting design teams came out with the first touchscreen ciPhone look-alikes. This year, they are going further by seeking to duplicate the iPhone's user interface software.
Privately, an executive with a major European telecommunications operator complains: "Everybody is trying to catch the iPhone. They are pushing things out to market that just aren't ready for prime-time."
Analysts say the clones often perform slowly and are less intuitive for users than the iPhone.
Case in point: South Korean phone maker LG Electronics introduced an entry-level smartphone using Microsoft Corp's Windows Mobile operating system and a new iPhone-like look called "3D S-Class User Interface."
The most obvious difference with the iPhone is that LG's GM730 gives users three-dimensional views of its features and applications, which appear like cubes rather than pages, as they do on the iPhone.
But a demonstration of the iPhone wannabe reveals a characteristic flaw familiar to personal computer users. LG's logo and then the Windows brand hang on the screen as 5, 10, 15, eventually 30 seconds pass. The phone is booting up, just like a computer, but unlike many of the faster phones.
iCLONES
Apple has sought to scare away competitors by threatening legal action to defend the hundreds of patented ideas it has rolled into the iPhone. How rivals can work around such patents remains a big question.
The proliferation of "me-too" products is a trap because products must take shortcuts or sacrifice profit margins to undercut Apple on price. That digs equipment makers into a deeper hole because smartphones have been faster growing and more profitable than other handsets.
And Apple isn't sitting still. Some Wall Street analysts say the Silicon Valley-based company is gearing up to offer a slimmed down $99 iPhone for consumers -- or $299 without carrier subsidies -- by June.
A lower-price iPhone would likely run on slower networks, contain less memory and have lower touchscreen and camera resolution, one RBC Capital analyst predicts.
Apple, which enjoys estimated margins of 55 percent that are nearly twice the industry average on their current line-up of phones, will need to accept margins around 40 percent if it markets a $99 phone. But that's still well above the 30 percent industry average.
The phone industry is envious of Apple's AppStore, which lets iPhone users download thousands of small software programs
to personalize the way they play games, listen to music or find directions.
Letting users decide what software they add to phones marks an upending of long-standing industry practices of tightly controlling device features, based on what handset makers and their key customers, the operators, thought best.
The roll-call of companies announcing their own software stores this week include Nokia, Microsoft, LG and France Telecom SA's Orange mobile network. Samsung and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd had previously announced stores of their own.
Orange said its own store will feature only Orange-approved products when it opens in May. Selected outside software developers will be invited "in the future," it promised.
Comfortable old habits of control die hard.
But that's exactly what many of the world's biggest handsets makers are trying to do with new copycat phones and services that ape key features of the iPhone.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world's biggest annual trade show for the wireless industry, Apple is everywhere and nowhere. The company avoids such events, preferring to unveil products at its own venues.
The handset business will produce more than a billion phones this year, but is suffering a crisis of confidence brought on by sharply changing business models that has only been exaggerated by the global economic slump.
"Imagination is expensive in a year such as this," said Richard Windsor, a technology analyst at the conference who is with Nomura Securities in London.
The giants of the phone industry Nokia, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, LG Electronics Inc, Sony Ericsson and HTC Corp are humbling themselves to copy a company whose phones account for only 1 percent of handsets.
A year ago, phone makers with quick-acting design teams came out with the first touchscreen ciPhone look-alikes. This year, they are going further by seeking to duplicate the iPhone's user interface software.
Privately, an executive with a major European telecommunications operator complains: "Everybody is trying to catch the iPhone. They are pushing things out to market that just aren't ready for prime-time."
Analysts say the clones often perform slowly and are less intuitive for users than the iPhone.
Case in point: South Korean phone maker LG Electronics introduced an entry-level smartphone using Microsoft Corp's Windows Mobile operating system and a new iPhone-like look called "3D S-Class User Interface."
The most obvious difference with the iPhone is that LG's GM730 gives users three-dimensional views of its features and applications, which appear like cubes rather than pages, as they do on the iPhone.
But a demonstration of the iPhone wannabe reveals a characteristic flaw familiar to personal computer users. LG's logo and then the Windows brand hang on the screen as 5, 10, 15, eventually 30 seconds pass. The phone is booting up, just like a computer, but unlike many of the faster phones.
iCLONES
Apple has sought to scare away competitors by threatening legal action to defend the hundreds of patented ideas it has rolled into the iPhone. How rivals can work around such patents remains a big question.
The proliferation of "me-too" products is a trap because products must take shortcuts or sacrifice profit margins to undercut Apple on price. That digs equipment makers into a deeper hole because smartphones have been faster growing and more profitable than other handsets.
And Apple isn't sitting still. Some Wall Street analysts say the Silicon Valley-based company is gearing up to offer a slimmed down $99 iPhone for consumers -- or $299 without carrier subsidies -- by June.
A lower-price iPhone would likely run on slower networks, contain less memory and have lower touchscreen and camera resolution, one RBC Capital analyst predicts.
Apple, which enjoys estimated margins of 55 percent that are nearly twice the industry average on their current line-up of phones, will need to accept margins around 40 percent if it markets a $99 phone. But that's still well above the 30 percent industry average.
The phone industry is envious of Apple's AppStore, which lets iPhone users download thousands of small software programs
to personalize the way they play games, listen to music or find directions.
Letting users decide what software they add to phones marks an upending of long-standing industry practices of tightly controlling device features, based on what handset makers and their key customers, the operators, thought best.
The roll-call of companies announcing their own software stores this week include Nokia, Microsoft, LG and France Telecom SA's Orange mobile network. Samsung and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd had previously announced stores of their own.
Orange said its own store will feature only Orange-approved products when it opens in May. Selected outside software developers will be invited "in the future," it promised.
Comfortable old habits of control die hard.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Samsong W699 Triband Cell Phone
Samsong W699, China Samsung style, 2.4 inch super large outer screen, extraordinary golden color, dual touch screen and keyboard input, dual sim dual standby, E-book, incoming call blacklist，Tri band cell phone。
China Standard Launch the First Dual Mode Phone with Triple Cards Built-in
Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., February 24, 2009 --(PR.com)-- China Standard is pleased to announce that the first Triple-card dual mode phone launched in China. The handset is built in 1-CDMA RUIM card and 2-GSM SIM working and standby simultaneously. With the 3 cards inside, this dual sim tv phone can be used at two GSM networks of 900MHz and 1800MHz and one CDMA network of 800MHz or 1900MHz. Besides full multi media features such as 2.0 M pixel camera, MP3, MP4, Bluetooth and FM radio, the phone also supports an analogue TV reception function.
Nowadays, more and more people have more than 1 sim and some people got 3 or even 4. And the mobile operators in different countries may operate different technology of GSM or CDMA. So there is a demand on a dual mode phone which can support GSM and CDMA, especially for the worldwide traveller.
Mr. Richard Thaison, the Sales Director of China Standard said at the press release in Hong Kong, "The mass production of this model will be at the beginning of March and we expect that the total delivery of this model in 2009 will get to 150,000 units."
Nowadays, more and more people have more than 1 sim and some people got 3 or even 4. And the mobile operators in different countries may operate different technology of GSM or CDMA. So there is a demand on a dual mode phone which can support GSM and CDMA, especially for the worldwide traveller.
Mr. Richard Thaison, the Sales Director of China Standard said at the press release in Hong Kong, "The mass production of this model will be at the beginning of March and we expect that the total delivery of this model in 2009 will get to 150,000 units."
Stolen Windows Mobile 6.5 Phone Stripped of Data
Remember the stolen Windows Mobile 6.5 loaded HTC Diamond phone stolen from the Telstra chief at last week's Mobile World Congress?
Apparently, the device had been stripped off all the data it had - including the OS - as soon as the theft was reported, according to fresh reports.
Soon after it was learnt that the prized device had gone missing, presumably stolen, word spread of possible industrial espionage or a journalist's attempt to garner a scoop. However, before the thief could possible have a look at the goodies inside, the phone was "remotely" stripped of all its contents, leaving behind a glossy brick in the hands of the thief.
That's brilliant Microsoft! Now, can you please tell us how you managed to "remotely" strip the phone of everything?
Apparently, the device had been stripped off all the data it had - including the OS - as soon as the theft was reported, according to fresh reports.
Soon after it was learnt that the prized device had gone missing, presumably stolen, word spread of possible industrial espionage or a journalist's attempt to garner a scoop. However, before the thief could possible have a look at the goodies inside, the phone was "remotely" stripped of all its contents, leaving behind a glossy brick in the hands of the thief.
That's brilliant Microsoft! Now, can you please tell us how you managed to "remotely" strip the phone of everything?
Monday, February 23, 2009
Vertu Constellation Pure collection announced
When we hear the name Vertu, the first thing that comes to our mind is luxury and elegance. Once again the manufacturer of luxury mobile phones announces its latest collection called the Vertu Constellation Pure and they arrive in four colors - Pure White, Pure Black, Pure Silver and Pure Chocolate.
The exquisite phone is made from steel, leather and ceramic materials and is said that the designer spent two years to create this magnificent piece. All the ceramic parts of the Vertu Collections are manufactured individually with a special built-tool. Each part is given fine shape to suit the model perfectly.
“The collection was inspired by a design that is based on the simplification of form is based. These stylish phones are convincing due to their simplicity and are characterized by the innovative use of ceramics. You are pure, “ says Frank Nuovo, chief designer of Vertu
The back side of each key on the phone are specially coated to prevent diffusion of light. In fact the whole keypad as well as the earpiece is made out of ceramic materials. The features of the new Vertu phones remain same as the other Vertu phones. It includes GSM connectivity, Bluetooth and MMS. It is a quad band cell phone.
Hand-built in England, each phone will be available in limited edition of 2500 pieces. Additionally, each phone packs in a leather case made of fine Italian calfskin.
The Pure White and Pure Black versions of the Constellation Pure collection will be available from March 1, 2009 whereas the Silver and Chocolate version will arrive in September 2009. Each of these master pieces will retail approximately 6,800 EUR.
The exquisite phone is made from steel, leather and ceramic materials and is said that the designer spent two years to create this magnificent piece. All the ceramic parts of the Vertu Collections are manufactured individually with a special built-tool. Each part is given fine shape to suit the model perfectly.
“The collection was inspired by a design that is based on the simplification of form is based. These stylish phones are convincing due to their simplicity and are characterized by the innovative use of ceramics. You are pure, “ says Frank Nuovo, chief designer of Vertu
The back side of each key on the phone are specially coated to prevent diffusion of light. In fact the whole keypad as well as the earpiece is made out of ceramic materials. The features of the new Vertu phones remain same as the other Vertu phones. It includes GSM connectivity, Bluetooth and MMS. It is a quad band cell phone.
Hand-built in England, each phone will be available in limited edition of 2500 pieces. Additionally, each phone packs in a leather case made of fine Italian calfskin.
The Pure White and Pure Black versions of the Constellation Pure collection will be available from March 1, 2009 whereas the Silver and Chocolate version will arrive in September 2009. Each of these master pieces will retail approximately 6,800 EUR.
Why iPhone Service Prices Probably Won't Budge
There's no shortage of buzz over predictions that iPhone service costs are about to drop, but I wish to respectfully disagree with that expectation. The predicted price drop is supposed to be the result of a trickle-down effect from the heating up of competition for cellular customers. Fortune.com quotes Kaufman Bros' analyst Shaw Wu as saying cheaper all-you-can-eat pricing from Sprint and T-Mobile could convince AT&T reduce its up-through-the-sky pricing for iPhone users.
From Wu's lips to God’s ears, but I am not particularly hopeful. Apple, which plays a key role in determining AT&T’s pricing for iPhones and service, has never been known to reduce prices except as a normal part of the technology cycle.
Steve Jobs' claim that the iPhone 3G offered "twice the speed for half the price" was so transparently bogus that it took only a few minutes for even the most starry-eyed Mac fan to realize the total cost of owning an iPhone increased significantly as part of the new, "lower" pricing.
As long as the ciPhone is considered the preeminent handset, Apple and AT&T will do very little in the way of price reductions, especially on the monthly service. Wu is correct in noting that service pricing is a reason some people don't purchase an iPhone (and why I haven't upgraded my personal handset), but the large price reduction necessary to offset that simply isn't in Apple’s bag o' tricks.
I'd be happy if 3G service just wasn't more expensive than what I pay for the original iPhone's EDGE data service. Moving from my old iPhone to the 3G model would add $30 or even $40-a-month to my bill. Plus the cost of the new handset.Sprint and T-Mobile are cutting prices because they don't have interesting handsets to sell. And price-sensitive consumers will probably find that acceptable.
Yes, the price of the iPhone and AT&T's service for it will eventually come down, but I don't expect it to happen quickly or in a major way. Though, I'd love to be wrong on this one--and get to upgrade my iPhone at a price I'd be willing to pay.David Coursey wishes iPhone costs were about to plummet, but doubts it very much.
From Wu's lips to God’s ears, but I am not particularly hopeful. Apple, which plays a key role in determining AT&T’s pricing for iPhones and service, has never been known to reduce prices except as a normal part of the technology cycle.
Steve Jobs' claim that the iPhone 3G offered "twice the speed for half the price" was so transparently bogus that it took only a few minutes for even the most starry-eyed Mac fan to realize the total cost of owning an iPhone increased significantly as part of the new, "lower" pricing.
As long as the ciPhone is considered the preeminent handset, Apple and AT&T will do very little in the way of price reductions, especially on the monthly service. Wu is correct in noting that service pricing is a reason some people don't purchase an iPhone (and why I haven't upgraded my personal handset), but the large price reduction necessary to offset that simply isn't in Apple’s bag o' tricks.
I'd be happy if 3G service just wasn't more expensive than what I pay for the original iPhone's EDGE data service. Moving from my old iPhone to the 3G model would add $30 or even $40-a-month to my bill. Plus the cost of the new handset.Sprint and T-Mobile are cutting prices because they don't have interesting handsets to sell. And price-sensitive consumers will probably find that acceptable.
Yes, the price of the iPhone and AT&T's service for it will eventually come down, but I don't expect it to happen quickly or in a major way. Though, I'd love to be wrong on this one--and get to upgrade my iPhone at a price I'd be willing to pay.David Coursey wishes iPhone costs were about to plummet, but doubts it very much.
New Goldvish Triband Cell Phone with White Gold and Diamonds
Many customers always asked for white golden style Goldvish cell phone. So, our Soundasia launch new goldvish diamond phone as new year's surprise for 2009. It supports triband and works well in all over the world countries except few of South American countries. This Goldvish cell phone has very good chipset inside. There is a small piece of real leather on top of phones' back cover.
Model Number Goldvish White Golden
Launch Time Jan. 2009
Sales point New GoldVish Phone, White Gold and , Triband phone
China factory Specifications
Appearance Bar Type
Network Frequency GSM900/1800/1900 MHz
Weight 1.5kg
Dimension 107mm×45mm×16mm
Processor MTK
Operating System RTOS
Color White Golden Color
LCD display 1.5 inch screen, 260k QVGA ; PX: 208*208
Touch panel Keyboard input
Dual SIM Dual Standby Single Card
Battery Lithium Batteries 1000mAh
Calling Time 3-4 hours
Standby Time 250 hours
Languages English / Français / Español / Português / Italiano/ Deutsch/ Русский/ العربية / Ελληνικά/ Việt / ภาษาไทย/ Persian/ Turkish / Romanian/ Bulgerian
Free Accessories: 2 Batteries / 1 Charger / 1 USB Cable / 1 English Manual / 1 256MB TF / 1 Stereo Earphone
Basic Features
Antenna Internal
SMS Yes
EMS Yes
GPRS Yes
MMS Yes
WAP Yes
Voice mail Yes
Vibration Yes
Ring tone 64 Chord, Ring Tone Format: Mp3, Midi
STK Yes
Phone book Yes
Wall papers Yes
Tools 24 Hours Personal Assistant, Calendar, To Do List, Alarm Clock, World Time, Stopwatch, E-book Reader, Currency Converter, Calculator
Hands free Yes
Incoming call firewall Yes
Multimedia Entertainment
Audio MP3, The download songs could be set as SMS/ Ringing tone.
Video 3GP, MP4
Camera 1.3 MP (Cameras/ Pictures / White Balance/ Specific/ Frames/ Restore Setting/ Storage Path)
3D Sound Yes
FM Radio Yes
Video Recorder Yes
Voice Recorder Yes
Internal Memory Yes
External Memory Yes
Game Yes
Projector
Java
TV
Data Transmission
IrDA
Bluetooth Yes
USB Yes, It also supports charging up the battery.
U-Disk Yes
WiFi
GPS
E-mail Yes
Launch Time Jan. 2009
Sales point New GoldVish Phone, White Gold and , Triband phone
China factory Specifications
Appearance Bar Type
Network Frequency GSM900/1800/1900 MHz
Weight 1.5kg
Dimension 107mm×45mm×16mm
Processor MTK
Operating System RTOS
Color White Golden Color
LCD display 1.5 inch screen, 260k QVGA ; PX: 208*208
Touch panel Keyboard input
Dual SIM Dual Standby Single Card
Battery Lithium Batteries 1000mAh
Calling Time 3-4 hours
Standby Time 250 hours
Languages English / Français / Español / Português / Italiano/ Deutsch/ Русский/ العربية / Ελληνικά/ Việt / ภาษาไทย/ Persian/ Turkish / Romanian/ Bulgerian
Free Accessories: 2 Batteries / 1 Charger / 1 USB Cable / 1 English Manual / 1 256MB TF / 1 Stereo Earphone
Basic Features
Antenna Internal
SMS Yes
EMS Yes
GPRS Yes
MMS Yes
WAP Yes
Voice mail Yes
Vibration Yes
Ring tone 64 Chord, Ring Tone Format: Mp3, Midi
STK Yes
Phone book Yes
Wall papers Yes
Tools 24 Hours Personal Assistant, Calendar, To Do List, Alarm Clock, World Time, Stopwatch, E-book Reader, Currency Converter, Calculator
Hands free Yes
Incoming call firewall Yes
Multimedia Entertainment
Audio MP3, The download songs could be set as SMS/ Ringing tone.
Video 3GP, MP4
Camera 1.3 MP (Cameras/ Pictures / White Balance/ Specific/ Frames/ Restore Setting/ Storage Path)
3D Sound Yes
FM Radio Yes
Video Recorder Yes
Voice Recorder Yes
Internal Memory Yes
External Memory Yes
Game Yes
Projector
Java
TV
Data Transmission
IrDA
Bluetooth Yes
USB Yes, It also supports charging up the battery.
U-Disk Yes
WiFi
GPS
E-mail Yes
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Jinpeng Q11 Quad Band TV Phone
Jinpeng Q11 Quad Band Cell Phone -- Lying comfortably on bed while watching TV is a life style many people enjoy. With JinpengQ11, you can also enjoy this happy life. You can put it on your bedstand and switch channel with the remote control. The remote control can be used for functions of TV, FM and playing music.
Additional features
Language: Chinese (Simplified)/Chinese (Traditional)/English/French，Arabic，Polish and other languages
LCD Size: 3.5 inch, 16000 thusand color; PX: 240×320px
Ringtone: 72 chord; Ringtone format: mp3, midi, wav, amr
Music: play mp3 at background; support equalizer; four loudspeakers
Video: 3GP,MP4,support to play in full screen, speed/pause
FM radio: FM stereo, can play outside directly without earphone
Camera: 13.0 lacpixel; support to shoot with sound, the time depends on storage
Rom: 761K/256M TF card，support to extend TF card to 2G, Document management
Data Transfer: USB cable/U disc/ Bluetooth (file transmission, stereo)
Standby Photo: jpg, gif
Main features
Telephone directories: 300 groups,incoming ringtone,MP3 as ringtone， support incoming call with big head sticker
SMS & MMS: 230 messages, MMS，AB card can manage messages relatively，A card is 130 and B card is 100
Schedule power on/off: support auto start/close, can set MP4 as the photo of start/close
Alarm clock: 5 groups; can set from Monday to Sunday at random, support MP3 as alarm ring
Games: 2 common games
More information: MP3/MP4/Handsfree/SMS group sending/Voice recorder/WAP/Handwritten input/Handwritten + keyboard input/Radio/Bluetooth/GPRS download/MMS/Memory extended/E-book/Coming call firewall/ Dual SIM TV phone/mang languages/can adjust the light/contrast on the live TV，health management/calculator/unit converter/memo
Additional features
Language: Chinese (Simplified)/Chinese (Traditional)/English/French，Arabic，Polish and other languages
LCD Size: 3.5 inch, 16000 thusand color; PX: 240×320px
Ringtone: 72 chord; Ringtone format: mp3, midi, wav, amr
Music: play mp3 at background; support equalizer; four loudspeakers
Video: 3GP,MP4,support to play in full screen, speed/pause
FM radio: FM stereo, can play outside directly without earphone
Camera: 13.0 lacpixel; support to shoot with sound, the time depends on storage
Rom: 761K/256M TF card，support to extend TF card to 2G, Document management
Data Transfer: USB cable/U disc/ Bluetooth (file transmission, stereo)
Standby Photo: jpg, gif
Main features
Telephone directories: 300 groups,incoming ringtone,MP3 as ringtone， support incoming call with big head sticker
SMS & MMS: 230 messages, MMS，AB card can manage messages relatively，A card is 130 and B card is 100
Schedule power on/off: support auto start/close, can set MP4 as the photo of start/close
Alarm clock: 5 groups; can set from Monday to Sunday at random, support MP3 as alarm ring
Games: 2 common games
More information: MP3/MP4/Handsfree/SMS group sending/Voice recorder/WAP/Handwritten input/Handwritten + keyboard input/Radio/Bluetooth/GPRS download/MMS/Memory extended/E-book/Coming call firewall/ Dual SIM TV phone/mang languages/can adjust the light/contrast on the live TV，health management/calculator/unit converter/memo
Vertu Phone Opens First Japan Store
Vertu, the luxury cell phone brand created by Nokia, has opened its first store in Japan to sell hand-crafted cell phones to wealthy consumers despite the recession currently gripping the country.
The company's first store opened its doors on Thursday to customers in Tokyo's ritzy Ginza district with handsets selling at prices up to ¥6 million (US$64,400). Vertu is also establishing itself as a cellular carrier here, working on the MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) model across NTT DoCoMo's network, so it can provide tailored service to customers.
But the service comes at a price. Monthly subscriptions to the Vertu MVNO cost ¥52,500, according to local media. That's 15 times the cheapest basic monthly tariff offered by NTT DoCoMo.
Vertu is betting that its target audience -- wealthy consumers -- won't be put off by the price but rather attracted by the handsets, which are hand-assembled in the U.K., and virtual concierge, an on-call service that can help with advice on travel, entertainment, restaurants and events.
The shop opens as other luxury goods retailers are feeling the heat of the growing recession in Japan.
Sales at LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton dropped 10 percent in 2008 and the company has postponed plans to open a new store in the same Ginza district of Tokyo in 2010. Cartier-brand owner Richemont saw sales in the last three months of 2008 drop 18 percent and Tiffany just cut prices by an average 9 percent to stoke demand.
The wider economy isn't doing much better. On Thursday the government said the Japanese economy contracted by 12.7 percent on the year in the final quarter of 2008, which represents the greatest quarterly drop since the oil shock of the 1970s.
Vertu phone is coming to Japan only months after Nokia pulled out of the market. The world's largest cell phone maker found the Japanese market, with its fast product cycles, quick moving trends and demanding carriers, a challenge and last year decided to withdraw as part of a global restructuring.
The company's first store opened its doors on Thursday to customers in Tokyo's ritzy Ginza district with handsets selling at prices up to ¥6 million (US$64,400). Vertu is also establishing itself as a cellular carrier here, working on the MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) model across NTT DoCoMo's network, so it can provide tailored service to customers.
But the service comes at a price. Monthly subscriptions to the Vertu MVNO cost ¥52,500, according to local media. That's 15 times the cheapest basic monthly tariff offered by NTT DoCoMo.
Vertu is betting that its target audience -- wealthy consumers -- won't be put off by the price but rather attracted by the handsets, which are hand-assembled in the U.K., and virtual concierge, an on-call service that can help with advice on travel, entertainment, restaurants and events.
The shop opens as other luxury goods retailers are feeling the heat of the growing recession in Japan.
Sales at LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton dropped 10 percent in 2008 and the company has postponed plans to open a new store in the same Ginza district of Tokyo in 2010. Cartier-brand owner Richemont saw sales in the last three months of 2008 drop 18 percent and Tiffany just cut prices by an average 9 percent to stoke demand.
The wider economy isn't doing much better. On Thursday the government said the Japanese economy contracted by 12.7 percent on the year in the final quarter of 2008, which represents the greatest quarterly drop since the oil shock of the 1970s.
Vertu phone is coming to Japan only months after Nokia pulled out of the market. The world's largest cell phone maker found the Japanese market, with its fast product cycles, quick moving trends and demanding carriers, a challenge and last year decided to withdraw as part of a global restructuring.
Rejected! 10 iPhone Apps That Didn't Make Apple's App Store
Apple has irked more than a few iPhone app developers by rejecting their creations for inclusion in the App Store, sometimes for reasons that seem to have little sense. The company won't reveal much about its mysterious and often seemingly-arbitrary process (representatives didn't respond to multiple requests to comment on this story), but we had no problem tracking down developers whose apps had been snubbed.
So cue the 2 Live Crew, smart-phone fanatics: We're delving into 11 ciPhone apps banned in the U.S.A. and beyond.
1. Obama Trampoline
Swamiware's Obama Trampoline game, rejected by Apple this month, lets you place one of 18 politicians onto a giant trampoline, then use his or her body to pop balloons floating across the screen. Barack Obama, John McCain, and other politicians from both parties were among the character choices.
"It's cartoony," says Swamiware President and CEO Patrick Alphonso, hoping to deflate any implications of disrespect. "It's a game."
Apple, of course, didn't see the fun, and the game didn't get in. Swamiware is now working on retooling Trampoline for another try, but the guesswork is leaving its team less than elated.
"We spent a lot of time and money on this product," Alphonso says. "It sucks to develop an app and get it rejected for reasons that you weren't aware of."
2. MyShoe
The journalist who chucked his shoe at President George W. Bush missed his mark, and so too did an iPhone game based on the now-infamous incident. MyShoe, conceived by a Pakistan-based programmer, turned the iPhone's accelerometer into an apparatus for imaginary footwear-flinging.
The developer has been quoted as saying the game also let you take aim at Bin Laden and other public figures. Even so, it appears that Apple wanted to dodge the controversy, with its reviewers citing the App Store's rule against "ridiculing public figures" and flinging this idea right into the trash.
3. I Am Poor
You probably remember the ill-fated (and, most would say, ill-inspired) I Am Rich application. The $1000 function-free program--all it did was place a silly, shiny icon on your screen--got snubbed out just days after its debut. Grabbing less attention, though, was the far more affordable alternative, I Am Poor.
"It was the poor man's I Am Rich," explains developer Hardy Macia of Catamount Software, perhaps better known for its Prohibition 2: The Dope Wars game, also rejected by the App Store.
Priced at 99 cents, I Am Poor placed images of ramen noodles, tuna, and mac-and-cheese onto your humble home screen. Apple, however, didn't find the idea appetizing and slapped a "no user functionality" stamp on it.
"Their policies and approval are shrouded in mystery," Macia says. "Whenever an app is submitted, it seems like playing Russian roulette."
4. The South Park App
If anyone's accustomed to battling censorship, it's "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The same guys who made The Guinness Book of World Records for squeezing 399 cuss words into a single movie have just given up their fight to get into the App Store.
"After a couple of attempts to get the application approved, we are sad to say that our app has been rejected," the duo explains. "According to Apple, the content was 'potentially offensive.'" The app would have allowed iPhone users to access episode clips, read South Park news, and grab wallpaper and other South Park-related downloadables. Some of this content, we gather, contains some R-rated words or concepts. But then again so do the South Park episodes Apple already sells in its iTunes store.
One glimmer of hope for anyone waiting on a mobile Mr. Hankey: Parker and Stone say that Apple told them its standards could "evolve" over time. Hey, maybe by the year 2014, images acceptable on cable television will be allowed on mobile devices, too. Maybe.
5. Pull My Finger
Another app found to be full of hot air was Air-O-Matic's Pull My Finger--you know, the adolescent-aimed emulator of flatulent tones. (That's the technical description, anyway). When Apple first caught wind of the concept, it said no thanks. Right away, the app's originators sensed something didn't smell right.
"Their reasons for banning us really didn't add up," says developer Sam Magdalein.
Apple initially said Pull My Finger had "limited utility," Magdalein remembers, then went on to explain that it might offend some of the iPhone's more sophisticated overseas shoppers.
"After that, they pretty much stopped talking to us or returning e-mail and voicemail," Magdalein recalls.
A month later, Apple reconsidered. A rep told Magdalein inspectors had been caught off-guard with this "genre" of apps and had needed to carefully consider which submissions should be approved. Pull My Finger was in, then, and it didn't take long for the app to propel its way into the store's list of bestselling items.
6. iBoobs
While a bodily function ended up getting approval, a bodily bounce did not. We're talking, of course, about iBoobs--the breast application Mystic Game Development ever created. (You can see a video demo here, if you're into that sort of thing.) The app lets you interactively jiggle a particular part of the female anatomy. Unfortunately, the only thing shaking on Apple's reviewer was his head. The program featured "inappropriate sexual content," Apple said, along with "obscene, pornographic, offensive, or defamatory content."
"Watching an episode of Baywatch on TV shows a lot more than iBoobs," counters MGD Development Director John van der Burg. "Besides that, iBoobs is just a 3-D model and not even real," he says.
Van der Burg's biggest beef was not being able to know in advance if the idea would fly. Had Apple answered his predevelopment inquiries, he says, it would have saved everybody some time.
7. Slasher
The same "offensive content" tag slashed Slasher's chances at App Store success. The simple program was cut from the catalog just one day after it was approved.
"In a word, I was upset," says Josef Wankerl, the app's creator. "I tried contacting Apple to see if there was any way to resolve their concerns, but they never answered my e-mail."
The seeming lack of consistency is what really twists the knife in Wankerl's side: Apps with comparable violence, he notes--such as one in which you use a broken beer bottle as a weapon--have been allowed into the store. Slasher, which only showed an image of a kitchen knife and sounded a scream when you shook it, was not.
8. Murderdrome
Non-kid-friendly content has been a contentious issue for Apple since the App Store's earliest days. Comic creator PJ Holden was one of the first to find this out when his Murderdrome digital comic was deemed too hot for the iPhone.
"Aside from a few random voices suggesting that the material deserved to be banned, most people took the same reasonable view we did," Holden says. "Apple should really extend their ratings system for games onto the other applications that the App Store has."
Holden has since used the engine built for the Murderdrome app to create more family-oriented comic applications. Still, he believes Apple isn't painting a picture of fairness with its current system--and that, he says, may be keeping talented artists from bringing their work into its platform.
"Apple's 'reasonable judgment' seems to depend largely on an individual reviewer's judgment rather than any simple-to-gauge metric," he says.
9. Podcaster
Sometimes, a rejection is issued for a simple reason: Apple doesn't want you competing with its own offerings. That's the exact scenario developer Alex Sokirynsky found himself in with his highly anticipated Podcaster application. Apple told Sokirynsky the app was too similar to iTunes and wasn't welcome on its virtual shelves.
"Although my app does allow you to listen to podcasts like iTunes, it also allows you to download them directly to device, and that is something Apple does not offer," Sokirynsky points out.
Sokirynsky ended up distributing his app to jailbroken phones via a backdoor distribution system. He also created a scaled-down version of the program called RssPlayer that got the App Store green light in late January.
10. Freedom Time
Ever wonder what Steve Jobs would have said about all the recent rebuffing? One developer did, and he decided to ask. Apple put the kibosh on Alec Vance's presidential countdown clock, Freedom Time, before the counting ever kicked off. Inspectors said that the app--designed to tick down the final moments of the outgoing administration--defamed or demeaned political figures.
"Defamation means making an untrue claim about someone in order to hurt their public standing," Vance wrote in a blog posting at the time. "This app makes no untrue claims whatsoever."
Vance went on to e-mail Jobs directly to express his concerns. A day later, he says, he received the following response: "Even though my personal political leanings are Democratic, I think this app will be offensive to roughly half our customers. What's the point?"
Vance got his answer, then, but he's one of many developers who feels it came a little too late. "By the time you get rejected, you've already wasted all the development time and expense," he says, "and there's no recourse to get [the application] accepted."
Propelled by bans of high-profile apps like NetShare and MailWrangler, a movement has been growing within the developer community to persuade Apple to use a more open and transparent application process for new iPhone apps. One programmer has suggested appointing an "App Store evangelist" who would coordinate with developers. Others have asked for a pre-approval process that could provide a tentative "yes" or "no" before any major investments are made.
So cue the 2 Live Crew, smart-phone fanatics: We're delving into 11 ciPhone apps banned in the U.S.A. and beyond.
1. Obama Trampoline
Swamiware's Obama Trampoline game, rejected by Apple this month, lets you place one of 18 politicians onto a giant trampoline, then use his or her body to pop balloons floating across the screen. Barack Obama, John McCain, and other politicians from both parties were among the character choices.
"It's cartoony," says Swamiware President and CEO Patrick Alphonso, hoping to deflate any implications of disrespect. "It's a game."
Apple, of course, didn't see the fun, and the game didn't get in. Swamiware is now working on retooling Trampoline for another try, but the guesswork is leaving its team less than elated.
"We spent a lot of time and money on this product," Alphonso says. "It sucks to develop an app and get it rejected for reasons that you weren't aware of."
2. MyShoe
The journalist who chucked his shoe at President George W. Bush missed his mark, and so too did an iPhone game based on the now-infamous incident. MyShoe, conceived by a Pakistan-based programmer, turned the iPhone's accelerometer into an apparatus for imaginary footwear-flinging.
The developer has been quoted as saying the game also let you take aim at Bin Laden and other public figures. Even so, it appears that Apple wanted to dodge the controversy, with its reviewers citing the App Store's rule against "ridiculing public figures" and flinging this idea right into the trash.
3. I Am Poor
You probably remember the ill-fated (and, most would say, ill-inspired) I Am Rich application. The $1000 function-free program--all it did was place a silly, shiny icon on your screen--got snubbed out just days after its debut. Grabbing less attention, though, was the far more affordable alternative, I Am Poor.
"It was the poor man's I Am Rich," explains developer Hardy Macia of Catamount Software, perhaps better known for its Prohibition 2: The Dope Wars game, also rejected by the App Store.
Priced at 99 cents, I Am Poor placed images of ramen noodles, tuna, and mac-and-cheese onto your humble home screen. Apple, however, didn't find the idea appetizing and slapped a "no user functionality" stamp on it.
"Their policies and approval are shrouded in mystery," Macia says. "Whenever an app is submitted, it seems like playing Russian roulette."
4. The South Park App
If anyone's accustomed to battling censorship, it's "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The same guys who made The Guinness Book of World Records for squeezing 399 cuss words into a single movie have just given up their fight to get into the App Store.
"After a couple of attempts to get the application approved, we are sad to say that our app has been rejected," the duo explains. "According to Apple, the content was 'potentially offensive.'" The app would have allowed iPhone users to access episode clips, read South Park news, and grab wallpaper and other South Park-related downloadables. Some of this content, we gather, contains some R-rated words or concepts. But then again so do the South Park episodes Apple already sells in its iTunes store.
One glimmer of hope for anyone waiting on a mobile Mr. Hankey: Parker and Stone say that Apple told them its standards could "evolve" over time. Hey, maybe by the year 2014, images acceptable on cable television will be allowed on mobile devices, too. Maybe.
5. Pull My Finger
Another app found to be full of hot air was Air-O-Matic's Pull My Finger--you know, the adolescent-aimed emulator of flatulent tones. (That's the technical description, anyway). When Apple first caught wind of the concept, it said no thanks. Right away, the app's originators sensed something didn't smell right.
"Their reasons for banning us really didn't add up," says developer Sam Magdalein.
Apple initially said Pull My Finger had "limited utility," Magdalein remembers, then went on to explain that it might offend some of the iPhone's more sophisticated overseas shoppers.
"After that, they pretty much stopped talking to us or returning e-mail and voicemail," Magdalein recalls.
A month later, Apple reconsidered. A rep told Magdalein inspectors had been caught off-guard with this "genre" of apps and had needed to carefully consider which submissions should be approved. Pull My Finger was in, then, and it didn't take long for the app to propel its way into the store's list of bestselling items.
6. iBoobs
While a bodily function ended up getting approval, a bodily bounce did not. We're talking, of course, about iBoobs--the breast application Mystic Game Development ever created. (You can see a video demo here, if you're into that sort of thing.) The app lets you interactively jiggle a particular part of the female anatomy. Unfortunately, the only thing shaking on Apple's reviewer was his head. The program featured "inappropriate sexual content," Apple said, along with "obscene, pornographic, offensive, or defamatory content."
"Watching an episode of Baywatch on TV shows a lot more than iBoobs," counters MGD Development Director John van der Burg. "Besides that, iBoobs is just a 3-D model and not even real," he says.
Van der Burg's biggest beef was not being able to know in advance if the idea would fly. Had Apple answered his predevelopment inquiries, he says, it would have saved everybody some time.
7. Slasher
The same "offensive content" tag slashed Slasher's chances at App Store success. The simple program was cut from the catalog just one day after it was approved.
"In a word, I was upset," says Josef Wankerl, the app's creator. "I tried contacting Apple to see if there was any way to resolve their concerns, but they never answered my e-mail."
The seeming lack of consistency is what really twists the knife in Wankerl's side: Apps with comparable violence, he notes--such as one in which you use a broken beer bottle as a weapon--have been allowed into the store. Slasher, which only showed an image of a kitchen knife and sounded a scream when you shook it, was not.
8. Murderdrome
Non-kid-friendly content has been a contentious issue for Apple since the App Store's earliest days. Comic creator PJ Holden was one of the first to find this out when his Murderdrome digital comic was deemed too hot for the iPhone.
"Aside from a few random voices suggesting that the material deserved to be banned, most people took the same reasonable view we did," Holden says. "Apple should really extend their ratings system for games onto the other applications that the App Store has."
Holden has since used the engine built for the Murderdrome app to create more family-oriented comic applications. Still, he believes Apple isn't painting a picture of fairness with its current system--and that, he says, may be keeping talented artists from bringing their work into its platform.
"Apple's 'reasonable judgment' seems to depend largely on an individual reviewer's judgment rather than any simple-to-gauge metric," he says.
9. Podcaster
Sometimes, a rejection is issued for a simple reason: Apple doesn't want you competing with its own offerings. That's the exact scenario developer Alex Sokirynsky found himself in with his highly anticipated Podcaster application. Apple told Sokirynsky the app was too similar to iTunes and wasn't welcome on its virtual shelves.
"Although my app does allow you to listen to podcasts like iTunes, it also allows you to download them directly to device, and that is something Apple does not offer," Sokirynsky points out.
Sokirynsky ended up distributing his app to jailbroken phones via a backdoor distribution system. He also created a scaled-down version of the program called RssPlayer that got the App Store green light in late January.
10. Freedom Time
Ever wonder what Steve Jobs would have said about all the recent rebuffing? One developer did, and he decided to ask. Apple put the kibosh on Alec Vance's presidential countdown clock, Freedom Time, before the counting ever kicked off. Inspectors said that the app--designed to tick down the final moments of the outgoing administration--defamed or demeaned political figures.
"Defamation means making an untrue claim about someone in order to hurt their public standing," Vance wrote in a blog posting at the time. "This app makes no untrue claims whatsoever."
Vance went on to e-mail Jobs directly to express his concerns. A day later, he says, he received the following response: "Even though my personal political leanings are Democratic, I think this app will be offensive to roughly half our customers. What's the point?"
Vance got his answer, then, but he's one of many developers who feels it came a little too late. "By the time you get rejected, you've already wasted all the development time and expense," he says, "and there's no recourse to get [the application] accepted."
Propelled by bans of high-profile apps like NetShare and MailWrangler, a movement has been growing within the developer community to persuade Apple to use a more open and transparent application process for new iPhone apps. One programmer has suggested appointing an "App Store evangelist" who would coordinate with developers. Others have asked for a pre-approval process that could provide a tentative "yes" or "no" before any major investments are made.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Top Secret HTC Touch Diamond With Windows 6.5 On It Gets Stolen
A prototype of an upcoming HTC Touch Diamond phone, powered by the yet-to-be-released Windows Mobile 6.5, was stolen from a Telstra executive after the company’s CEO Sol Trujillo demoed the phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Apparently, the device was loaded with secret product information, sparking Sky News to claim there’s a major security scare going on at Microsoft. We’re not entirely sure if it was a random pick-pocket, but we’re pretty sure it wasn’t these guys.
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CrunchBase Information
HTC
Website: htc.com
Location: Bellevue, Washington, United States
Founded: 1997
HTC Corp, (TAIEX: 2498) produces smartphones running the WindowsMobile and Palm operating systems for themselves and as an OEM to other manufacturers. Since launching its own brand in late 2006, the company has introduced dozens of HTC-branded… Learn More
Microsoft
Website: microsoft.com
Location: Redmond, Washington, United States
Founded: April 4, 1974
IPO: March 13, 1986
Microsoft is a multinational computer technology corporation. They are a veteran software company, best known for their Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, but they have also ventured into… Learn More
get widgetminimize
CrunchBase Information
HTC
Website: htc.com
Location: Bellevue, Washington, United States
Founded: 1997
HTC Corp, (TAIEX: 2498) produces smartphones running the WindowsMobile and Palm operating systems for themselves and as an OEM to other manufacturers. Since launching its own brand in late 2006, the company has introduced dozens of HTC-branded… Learn More
Microsoft
Website: microsoft.com
Location: Redmond, Washington, United States
Founded: April 4, 1974
IPO: March 13, 1986
Microsoft is a multinational computer technology corporation. They are a veteran software company, best known for their Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, but they have also ventured into… Learn More
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Nokia N96 TV phone
Nokia N96 Dual SIM TV phone -- Nokia N96 with built in TV analogue reciever, can pick up channels 1 to 4, works excellently. also has a 5MP camera, music player etc, slide phone, marginally thicker than a standard N95 due to reciever and ariel. also has 2 sim card slots and slot for micro sd. touch screen with stlyus slotted into phone. It is a quad band cell phone, can work in all over the world. It does not come with a battery charger that plugs into phone, instead has a seperate charger and 2 batteries provided. It is in excellent condition with box, manual, head phones, usb cable
iPhone features everywhere in rivals' new phones
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Copying a few pages from the playbook of Apple Inc's iPhone strategy, which brings many of the powers of the Internet to mobile phones, is no way to beat the computer interloper at its game.
But that's exactly what many of the world's biggest handsets makers are trying to do with new copycat phones and services that ape key features of the ciPhone.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world's biggest annual trade show for the wireless industry, Apple is everywhere and nowhere. The company avoids such events, preferring to unveil products at its own venues.
The handset business will produce more than a billion phones this year, but is suffering a crisis of confidence brought on by sharply changing business models that has only been exaggerated by the global economic slump.
"Imagination is expensive in a year such as this," said Richard Windsor, a technology analyst at the conference who is with Nomura Securities in London.
The giants of the phone industry -- Nokia, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, LG Electronics Inc, Sony Ericsson and HTC Corp -- are humbling themselves to copy a company whose phones account for only 1 percent of handsets.
A year ago, phone makers with quick-acting design teams came out with the first touchscreen iPhone look-alikes. This year, they are going further by seeking to duplicate the iPhone's user interface software.
Privately, an executive with a major European telecommunications operator complains: "Everybody is trying to catch the iPhone. They are pushing things out to market that just aren't ready for prime-time."
Analysts say the clones often perform slowly and are less intuitive for users than the iPhone.
Case in point: South Korean phone maker LG Electronics introduced an entry-level smartphone using Microsoft Corp's Windows Mobile operating system and a new iPhone-like look called "3D S-Class User Interface."
The most obvious difference with the iPhone is that LG's GM730 gives users three-dimensional views of its features and applications, which appear like cubes rather than pages, as they do on the iPhone.
But a demonstration of the iPhone wannabe reveals a characteristic flaw familiar to personal computer users. LG's logo and then the Windows brand hang on the screen as 5, 10, 15, eventually 30 seconds pass. The phone is booting up, just like a computer, but unlike many of the faster phones.
iCLONES
Apple has sought to scare away competitors by threatening legal action to defend the hundreds of patented ideas it has rolled into the iPhone. How rivals can work around such patents remains a big question.
The proliferation of "me-too" products is a trap because products must take shortcuts or sacrifice profit margins to undercut Apple on price. That digs equipment makers into a deeper hole because smartphones have been faster growing and more profitable than other handsets.
And Apple isn't sitting still. Some Wall Street analysts say the Silicon Valley-based company is gearing up to offer a slimmed down $99 iPhone for consumers -- or $299 without carrier subsidies -- by June.
A lower-price iPhone would likely run on slower networks, contain less memory and have lower touchscreen and camera resolution, one RBC Capital analyst predicts.
Apple, which enjoys estimated margins of 55 percent that are nearly twice the industry average on their current line-up of phones, will need to accept margins around 40 percent if it markets a $99 phone. But that's still well above the 30 percent industry average.
The phone industry is envious of Apple's AppStore, which lets iPhone users download thousands of small software programs
to personalize the way they play games, listen to music or find directions.
Letting users decide what software they add to phones marks an upending of long-standing industry practices of tightly controlling device features, based on what handset makers and their key customers, the operators, thought best.
The roll-call of companies announcing their own software stores this week include Nokia, Microsoft, LG and France Telecom SA's Orange mobile network. Samsung and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd had previously announced stores of their own.
Orange said its own store will feature only Orange-approved products when it opens in May. Selected outside software developers will be invited "in the future," it promised.
Comfortable old habits of control die hard.
-- At the time of publication Eric Auchard did not own any direct investments in securities mentioned in this article. He may be an owner indirectly as an investor in a fund.
-- Eric Auchard is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own --
But that's exactly what many of the world's biggest handsets makers are trying to do with new copycat phones and services that ape key features of the ciPhone.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world's biggest annual trade show for the wireless industry, Apple is everywhere and nowhere. The company avoids such events, preferring to unveil products at its own venues.
The handset business will produce more than a billion phones this year, but is suffering a crisis of confidence brought on by sharply changing business models that has only been exaggerated by the global economic slump.
"Imagination is expensive in a year such as this," said Richard Windsor, a technology analyst at the conference who is with Nomura Securities in London.
The giants of the phone industry -- Nokia, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, LG Electronics Inc, Sony Ericsson and HTC Corp -- are humbling themselves to copy a company whose phones account for only 1 percent of handsets.
A year ago, phone makers with quick-acting design teams came out with the first touchscreen iPhone look-alikes. This year, they are going further by seeking to duplicate the iPhone's user interface software.
Privately, an executive with a major European telecommunications operator complains: "Everybody is trying to catch the iPhone. They are pushing things out to market that just aren't ready for prime-time."
Analysts say the clones often perform slowly and are less intuitive for users than the iPhone.
Case in point: South Korean phone maker LG Electronics introduced an entry-level smartphone using Microsoft Corp's Windows Mobile operating system and a new iPhone-like look called "3D S-Class User Interface."
The most obvious difference with the iPhone is that LG's GM730 gives users three-dimensional views of its features and applications, which appear like cubes rather than pages, as they do on the iPhone.
But a demonstration of the iPhone wannabe reveals a characteristic flaw familiar to personal computer users. LG's logo and then the Windows brand hang on the screen as 5, 10, 15, eventually 30 seconds pass. The phone is booting up, just like a computer, but unlike many of the faster phones.
iCLONES
Apple has sought to scare away competitors by threatening legal action to defend the hundreds of patented ideas it has rolled into the iPhone. How rivals can work around such patents remains a big question.
The proliferation of "me-too" products is a trap because products must take shortcuts or sacrifice profit margins to undercut Apple on price. That digs equipment makers into a deeper hole because smartphones have been faster growing and more profitable than other handsets.
And Apple isn't sitting still. Some Wall Street analysts say the Silicon Valley-based company is gearing up to offer a slimmed down $99 iPhone for consumers -- or $299 without carrier subsidies -- by June.
A lower-price iPhone would likely run on slower networks, contain less memory and have lower touchscreen and camera resolution, one RBC Capital analyst predicts.
Apple, which enjoys estimated margins of 55 percent that are nearly twice the industry average on their current line-up of phones, will need to accept margins around 40 percent if it markets a $99 phone. But that's still well above the 30 percent industry average.
The phone industry is envious of Apple's AppStore, which lets iPhone users download thousands of small software programs
to personalize the way they play games, listen to music or find directions.
Letting users decide what software they add to phones marks an upending of long-standing industry practices of tightly controlling device features, based on what handset makers and their key customers, the operators, thought best.
The roll-call of companies announcing their own software stores this week include Nokia, Microsoft, LG and France Telecom SA's Orange mobile network. Samsung and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd had previously announced stores of their own.
Orange said its own store will feature only Orange-approved products when it opens in May. Selected outside software developers will be invited "in the future," it promised.
Comfortable old habits of control die hard.
-- At the time of publication Eric Auchard did not own any direct investments in securities mentioned in this article. He may be an owner indirectly as an investor in a fund.
-- Eric Auchard is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own --
Luxury cell phone service provider Vertu opens shop in Ginza of Japan
TOKYO —
Vertu, the luxury phone business arm of Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia Corp, gave the media a preview of its posh handsets and shop in Tokyo’s Ginza district on Wednesday prior to the commencement of marketing in Japan on Thursday.
Vertu phones, the wholly owned arm of Nokia, said the Ginza shop will initially offer 14 handset models, including a cell phone with the prancing horse crest of Italian sports car maker Ferrari. Their prices will range from 670,000 Japanese yen to 3.7 million Japanese yen.
Vertu, the luxury phone business arm of Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia Corp, gave the media a preview of its posh handsets and shop in Tokyo’s Ginza district on Wednesday prior to the commencement of marketing in Japan on Thursday.
Vertu phones, the wholly owned arm of Nokia, said the Ginza shop will initially offer 14 handset models, including a cell phone with the prancing horse crest of Italian sports car maker Ferrari. Their prices will range from 670,000 Japanese yen to 3.7 million Japanese yen.
New Google Phone Draws Mixed Reviews
“This is NOT the G2!”
So said HTC Corp. President and Chief Executive Peter Chou at at the launch of the ‘Magic’ – HTC’s second, hotly anticipated iteration of its Android-powered mobile phone.
Chou’s comments at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona underscores how far HTC believes the new phone is a departure from the G1, the first phone based on Google’s open-source software and launched by the Taiwanese manufacturer last November. HTC has grown marketshare globally against rivals, including market leader Nokia, through phones based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform.
To be sure, the phone has been greatly improved, and although the user interface still looks and feels like the G1, there are several important differ
ences.
Most obviously, the Magic doesn’t have a slide-out keyboard, making it more stylish and sleeker in design. A version with a silver and white body will be available in the U.K., France, Spain and Italy, while a black version will be sold in Germany and Italy.
Christian Lindholm, an industry commentator and partner in design consultancy Fjord, says the touch-screen keyboard is as easy, if not easier, to use than Apple’s iconic iPhone and its little chin, or lip, at the bottom of the phone makes it easier to hold in the hand.
The gadget blog Gizmodo wasn’t so sure, writing that “the keyboard felt cramped, probably a result of the screen size, which is smaller than the iPhone’s.” Rival blog Engadget called the keyboard as “blissfully typable” but dismissed the software as needing improvement “since we managed to crash the software keyboard without too much trouble.”
The Magic doesn’t have the innovations featured in HTC’s new Touch Diamond phone 2 and Touch Pro 2 phones, such as push Internet and “people-centric” contact integration.
Nevertheless, perhaps in a sign of its confidence in the Magic, HTC plans to stamp its brand in a more prominent place than on the G1, where it was discreetly positioned on the edge.
The phone will be available exclusively through Vodafone, but inside there’s no sign of Vodafone Live, the operator’s branded mobile offering; it’s the basic Google-developed user interface, with no integration of the proprietary innovations of the operator or handset maker. An HTC representative said new iterations would be more widely HTC-branded.
So said HTC Corp. President and Chief Executive Peter Chou at at the launch of the ‘Magic’ – HTC’s second, hotly anticipated iteration of its Android-powered mobile phone.
Chou’s comments at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona underscores how far HTC believes the new phone is a departure from the G1, the first phone based on Google’s open-source software and launched by the Taiwanese manufacturer last November. HTC has grown marketshare globally against rivals, including market leader Nokia, through phones based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform.
To be sure, the phone has been greatly improved, and although the user interface still looks and feels like the G1, there are several important differ
ences.Most obviously, the Magic doesn’t have a slide-out keyboard, making it more stylish and sleeker in design. A version with a silver and white body will be available in the U.K., France, Spain and Italy, while a black version will be sold in Germany and Italy.
Christian Lindholm, an industry commentator and partner in design consultancy Fjord, says the touch-screen keyboard is as easy, if not easier, to use than Apple’s iconic iPhone and its little chin, or lip, at the bottom of the phone makes it easier to hold in the hand.
The gadget blog Gizmodo wasn’t so sure, writing that “the keyboard felt cramped, probably a result of the screen size, which is smaller than the iPhone’s.” Rival blog Engadget called the keyboard as “blissfully typable” but dismissed the software as needing improvement “since we managed to crash the software keyboard without too much trouble.”
The Magic doesn’t have the innovations featured in HTC’s new Touch Diamond phone 2 and Touch Pro 2 phones, such as push Internet and “people-centric” contact integration.
Nevertheless, perhaps in a sign of its confidence in the Magic, HTC plans to stamp its brand in a more prominent place than on the G1, where it was discreetly positioned on the edge.
The phone will be available exclusively through Vodafone, but inside there’s no sign of Vodafone Live, the operator’s branded mobile offering; it’s the basic Google-developed user interface, with no integration of the proprietary innovations of the operator or handset maker. An HTC representative said new iterations would be more widely HTC-branded.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Acer's First Cell Phone Is the Dual-SIM TV Phone DX900
Acer announced about a week ago that it planned to enter the cell phone market starting this year. Moreover, the personal computer maker also stated that it would come to MWC with its first handset. We learn now that this device will be a dual-SIM Windows Mobile-powered phone dubbed Acer DX900, which will also feature 3G connectivity support.
Besides high-speed 3.5G (UMTS/HSDPA) support, Acer's device also includes 2G (GSM/EDGE) capabilities, along with built-in GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity. Although other companies have already unveiled dual-SIM capable mobile phones on the market, DX900 would be the first one to support both HSDPA and GSM on both SIM card channels.
The Acer DX900 handset will include a 2.8-inch VGA color transflective TFT display capable of delivering a 468x640 pixel resolution, as well as a built-in 3.0-megapixel auto-focus CMOS camera, which can provide a resolution of up to 2048x1536 pixels, and a 0.3-megapixel fixed-focus CMOS camera that can be used for conference calls.
The new mobile phone is powered by a Samsung S3C 6400 533 MHz processor, it packs 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM memory, and it runs under Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The Acer DX900 sports a USB 2.0 and miniUSB connectivity, complemented by Bluetooth 2.0 EDR and WiFi 802.11b, 802.11g capabilities.
More specifications on the handset include microSD expansion memory card slot, built-in microphone and speaker, external stereo headset jack and support for hands-free, composite TV out support, touchscreen capabilities, navigation button, power button, send/end button, record button and volume control.
The new dual-SIM TV phone packs a wide range of software applications inside, including Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile and Microsoft Office Mobile, Internet Explorer Mobile, ActiveSync or Windows Media Player 10, which come along Acer's Exclusive applications like Phone Tools, Multimedia Tools, Utilities and GPS Tools.
Acer DX900 includes a 1530 mAh battery, measures 106x60.5x17 mm and weighs 147 grams. The PC maker hasn't unveiled yet any details on the availability or the price of the device, but it should do so at MWC in Barcelona in mid February.
Besides high-speed 3.5G (UMTS/HSDPA) support, Acer's device also includes 2G (GSM/EDGE) capabilities, along with built-in GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity. Although other companies have already unveiled dual-SIM capable mobile phones on the market, DX900 would be the first one to support both HSDPA and GSM on both SIM card channels.
The Acer DX900 handset will include a 2.8-inch VGA color transflective TFT display capable of delivering a 468x640 pixel resolution, as well as a built-in 3.0-megapixel auto-focus CMOS camera, which can provide a resolution of up to 2048x1536 pixels, and a 0.3-megapixel fixed-focus CMOS camera that can be used for conference calls.
The new mobile phone is powered by a Samsung S3C 6400 533 MHz processor, it packs 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM memory, and it runs under Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The Acer DX900 sports a USB 2.0 and miniUSB connectivity, complemented by Bluetooth 2.0 EDR and WiFi 802.11b, 802.11g capabilities.
More specifications on the handset include microSD expansion memory card slot, built-in microphone and speaker, external stereo headset jack and support for hands-free, composite TV out support, touchscreen capabilities, navigation button, power button, send/end button, record button and volume control.
The new dual-SIM TV phone packs a wide range of software applications inside, including Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile and Microsoft Office Mobile, Internet Explorer Mobile, ActiveSync or Windows Media Player 10, which come along Acer's Exclusive applications like Phone Tools, Multimedia Tools, Utilities and GPS Tools.
Acer DX900 includes a 1530 mAh battery, measures 106x60.5x17 mm and weighs 147 grams. The PC maker hasn't unveiled yet any details on the availability or the price of the device, but it should do so at MWC in Barcelona in mid February.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Next Generation Cell Phones Showcased in Barcelona
Several mobile phone companies has showcased their next generation cell phones in Spain at this years Mobile World Congress trade show. These new models are thinner, smarter, more multimedia-savvy and customizable than ever.
There are several handset that stood out among the pack, and we are going to feature them on this article. First up is the Samsung solar powered smartphone already mentioned here. This touchscreen smartphone features a solar panel back to provide power.
Next up is the new Omnia HD, which is probably one of the best phones available at the Mobile World Congress and one of the best Samsung handsets released so far. The Omnia HD is the first full-touch Symbian phone made by Samsung and it’s the first phone capable of recording 720p HD video. It’s also has the biggest AMOLED screen in the mobile business so far, which means you should definitely give it a try if you get your hands on it.
For music lovers and hard-core music aficionados, Samsung is introducing a new line of Beat phones with two handsets: The Samsung Beat Disc, left, and the Samsung Beat DJ. Both feature AMOLED touchscreen displays, Bang & Olufsen-powered speakers and an application for recognizing, tagging and recommending music. The Beat Disc has a slide-out keyboard; the Beat DJ has an application that lets you add voice and sound effects (like scratching) to your tunes. Both are quad-band cell phones(GSM) that support high-speed (HSDPA) data networks.
And finally, for those who wants a cool looking phone, you have the LG-GD900. The LG-GD900 looks like a fairly typical touch-screen phone when closed, but its slide-down numeric keypad is translucent and glows when opened. It’s a cool design innovation on a quad-band 3G (HSDPA) phone due to ship this spring.
There are several handset that stood out among the pack, and we are going to feature them on this article. First up is the Samsung solar powered smartphone already mentioned here. This touchscreen smartphone features a solar panel back to provide power.
Next up is the new Omnia HD, which is probably one of the best phones available at the Mobile World Congress and one of the best Samsung handsets released so far. The Omnia HD is the first full-touch Symbian phone made by Samsung and it’s the first phone capable of recording 720p HD video. It’s also has the biggest AMOLED screen in the mobile business so far, which means you should definitely give it a try if you get your hands on it.
For music lovers and hard-core music aficionados, Samsung is introducing a new line of Beat phones with two handsets: The Samsung Beat Disc, left, and the Samsung Beat DJ. Both feature AMOLED touchscreen displays, Bang & Olufsen-powered speakers and an application for recognizing, tagging and recommending music. The Beat Disc has a slide-out keyboard; the Beat DJ has an application that lets you add voice and sound effects (like scratching) to your tunes. Both are quad-band cell phones(GSM) that support high-speed (HSDPA) data networks.
And finally, for those who wants a cool looking phone, you have the LG-GD900. The LG-GD900 looks like a fairly typical touch-screen phone when closed, but its slide-down numeric keypad is translucent and glows when opened. It’s a cool design innovation on a quad-band 3G (HSDPA) phone due to ship this spring.
Nokia To Launch Luxury Brand Vertu MVNO In Japan
Just in time for the recession. Nokia's hyper luxury brand Vertu?is launching an MVNO in Japan, aimed at "discerning subscribers," marking the global handset maker's first foray into carrier services. The service, which Vertu's web site says is called Vertu Club, is launching in Q2 and will piggyback on NTT DoCoMo's network. In echoes of the failed American luxury MVNO Voce, Vertu plans to offer among other services a members-only concierge. Vertu is also opening up its first store in Japan, a flagship branch in Tokyo's Ginza shopping area in mid February. Some of the vertu phones that will run on the new MVNO include the Ascent Ti, the Ascent Ti Ferrari and its Signature models (pictured right). Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Siemens Networks will host the operator service.
The news comes just two months after Nokia said it would stop making handsets for the Japanese market?aside from its Vertu brand?after it concluded that the business was unsustainable. Foreign handset makers, including Samsung, LG (SEO: 066570) and Motorola (NYSE: MOT), have all struggled to crack the Japanese market, which is dominated by domestic makers creating phones with very sophisticated but very localized features. Still, Nokia seems convinced that its hand-made, bejewled phones that are priced as high as 100,000 euros ($132,067) have a place in the world's fourth largest market.
The news comes just two months after Nokia said it would stop making handsets for the Japanese market?aside from its Vertu brand?after it concluded that the business was unsustainable. Foreign handset makers, including Samsung, LG (SEO: 066570) and Motorola (NYSE: MOT), have all struggled to crack the Japanese market, which is dominated by domestic makers creating phones with very sophisticated but very localized features. Still, Nokia seems convinced that its hand-made, bejewled phones that are priced as high as 100,000 euros ($132,067) have a place in the world's fourth largest market.
How-To: Use Your CiPhone as a Wireless Laptop Modem
The next time you're stranded without an open WiFi network (but your 3G signal is going strong), you'll be glad you installed Addition's ciphoneModem 2 ( full license is $9.99).
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I travel a lot. And if you're a geek like me, you can't go a full day sans internet access without experiencing some severe withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, my ciphone, with all its WiFi and 3G goodness, has been instrumental in feeding my addiction while on the road. But though Chinese smartphone provides the best mobile browsing experience out there, the small screen and touch controls still don't compare to the pixel real estate and tactile qwerty speed of a laptop. Not to mention such luxuries as Flash compatibility, page caching, and tabbed browsing.
So the next time you're stranded without an open WiFi network (but your 3G signal is going strong), you'll be glad you installed Addition's ciphoneModem 2 (free to try, full license is $9.99). Unfortunately, China has apparently deemed the app to be in conflict with its App Store Terms and Conditions, so it is only available for jailbroken phones via Cydia. Here's a quick guide:
Download and install QuickPwn, an easy-to-use jailbreaking application for Windows and Mac (the latest version works with ciphone OS 2.2.1). Run the software and follow the onscreen instruction very carefully!
QuickPwn installs an app on your phone called Cydia, which is essentially the App Store for apps that were rejected from the official App Store (or, for whatever reason, the developer chose not to release through China). Run Cydia, search for ciphoneModem by Addition and install it. Keep in mind you can only delete Cydia installed apps via Cydia's Manage-Sources function. Now download and install the helper app on your laptop and you're almost ready to go.
Run the helper app and hit Connect. The helper app sets up an ad hoc wireless network that can be accessed via ciphone. The default network it creates is called 'ciphoneModem and does not have a password (you can change this in the Preferences of the helper app). Now open up your ciphone's Settings and tap WiFi. Make sure WiFi is turned on and select the network ciphone Modem (or whatever you called it). Type the password if you assigned one. Open up the Modem ciphone app and everything else will configure automatically. After a few moments the helper app and the ciphone app will confirm that a connection has been established and you can browse away with all the comforts of your laptop!
Shortcomings:While 3G seems plenty fast on a phone, it feels a little slow on a laptop. Also, most major web browsers work but not all are supported. In addition, a lot of other internet applications aren't supported, but for all intents and purposes, you should be able to browse just fine.
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I travel a lot. And if you're a geek like me, you can't go a full day sans internet access without experiencing some severe withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, my ciphone, with all its WiFi and 3G goodness, has been instrumental in feeding my addiction while on the road. But though Chinese smartphone provides the best mobile browsing experience out there, the small screen and touch controls still don't compare to the pixel real estate and tactile qwerty speed of a laptop. Not to mention such luxuries as Flash compatibility, page caching, and tabbed browsing.
So the next time you're stranded without an open WiFi network (but your 3G signal is going strong), you'll be glad you installed Addition's ciphoneModem 2 (free to try, full license is $9.99). Unfortunately, China has apparently deemed the app to be in conflict with its App Store Terms and Conditions, so it is only available for jailbroken phones via Cydia. Here's a quick guide:
Download and install QuickPwn, an easy-to-use jailbreaking application for Windows and Mac (the latest version works with ciphone OS 2.2.1). Run the software and follow the onscreen instruction very carefully!
QuickPwn installs an app on your phone called Cydia, which is essentially the App Store for apps that were rejected from the official App Store (or, for whatever reason, the developer chose not to release through China). Run Cydia, search for ciphoneModem by Addition and install it. Keep in mind you can only delete Cydia installed apps via Cydia's Manage-Sources function. Now download and install the helper app on your laptop and you're almost ready to go.
Run the helper app and hit Connect. The helper app sets up an ad hoc wireless network that can be accessed via ciphone. The default network it creates is called 'ciphoneModem and does not have a password (you can change this in the Preferences of the helper app). Now open up your ciphone's Settings and tap WiFi. Make sure WiFi is turned on and select the network ciphone Modem (or whatever you called it). Type the password if you assigned one. Open up the Modem ciphone app and everything else will configure automatically. After a few moments the helper app and the ciphone app will confirm that a connection has been established and you can browse away with all the comforts of your laptop!
Shortcomings:While 3G seems plenty fast on a phone, it feels a little slow on a laptop. Also, most major web browsers work but not all are supported. In addition, a lot of other internet applications aren't supported, but for all intents and purposes, you should be able to browse just fine.
Samsung Omnia HD and HTC Touch Diamond 2 face off
The Samsung Omnia HD and HTC Touch Diamond 2 were unveiled at Mobile World Congress. What do they have to offer compared to the predecessors?
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC took the wraps off their newest phones based on the HTC Touch design. The HTC Touch Diamond 2 (and the accompanying HTC Touch Pro 2) is a feature bump to the original, popular HTC Touch Diamond phone.
Like the original, the new HTC Touch Diamond 2 (specs) is a Windows Mobile phone with an improved graphical interface running on top. In this case, HTC has improved the already-impressive TouchFLO 3D interface, and the new HTC Touch phones will be upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5 later this year. This upgrade will be free to existing owners, and will for instance add Internet Explorer Mobile 6, Windows Marketplace and the new My Phone cloud service for mobile backup.
At the same time, Samsung announced their newest all-touch smartphone, the Samsung Omnia HD (specs). While the original Omnia was a Windows Mobile device, the new Samsung Omnia HD is a Symbian device running a touch-friendly interface. In fact, the Omnia HD will use the same Samsung TouchWiz interface that we saw on the original Samsung Omnia. The interface relies heavily on desktop-like widgets, and screenshots of the new Samsung Omnia HD show that the phone will retain this design paradigm, albeit on top of Symbian S60.
What's new?
The two new devices are modest updates to their already-impressive progeny. The HTC Touch Diamond 2 gets a slightly larger screen, now 3.2-inches, along with a dedicated, touch-sensitive zoom bar. HTC claims the device will offer 50% better battery life versus the original. The improved TouchFLO 3D interface will also allow some basic global searching. So, when you are on a call with a business contact, the phone will gather together all voice, text and e-mail messages from that contact and make these available from the in-call screen.
The Samsung Omnia HD sees some more noteworthy improvements than the competition. With its 8-megapixel sensor, the phone could be an impressive shooter, and Samsung has upped the ante by bestowing the phone with hi-def movie recording capabilities. Users will be able to record video in 720p, up to 1280 by 720 resolution. The new Samsung Omnia HD will also use a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 360 by 640 pixels, aiming to provide more space for TouchWIZ widgets.
Price and availability
The HTC Touch Diamond 2 will be released in Europe and Asia in early Q2 2009, with an American version to follow in the second half of 2009. The Samsung Omnia HD is expected to be released in Europe sometime this summer.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC took the wraps off their newest phones based on the HTC Touch design. The HTC Touch Diamond 2 (and the accompanying HTC Touch Pro 2) is a feature bump to the original, popular HTC Touch Diamond phone.
Like the original, the new HTC Touch Diamond 2 (specs) is a Windows Mobile phone with an improved graphical interface running on top. In this case, HTC has improved the already-impressive TouchFLO 3D interface, and the new HTC Touch phones will be upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5 later this year. This upgrade will be free to existing owners, and will for instance add Internet Explorer Mobile 6, Windows Marketplace and the new My Phone cloud service for mobile backup.
At the same time, Samsung announced their newest all-touch smartphone, the Samsung Omnia HD (specs). While the original Omnia was a Windows Mobile device, the new Samsung Omnia HD is a Symbian device running a touch-friendly interface. In fact, the Omnia HD will use the same Samsung TouchWiz interface that we saw on the original Samsung Omnia. The interface relies heavily on desktop-like widgets, and screenshots of the new Samsung Omnia HD show that the phone will retain this design paradigm, albeit on top of Symbian S60.
What's new?
The two new devices are modest updates to their already-impressive progeny. The HTC Touch Diamond 2 gets a slightly larger screen, now 3.2-inches, along with a dedicated, touch-sensitive zoom bar. HTC claims the device will offer 50% better battery life versus the original. The improved TouchFLO 3D interface will also allow some basic global searching. So, when you are on a call with a business contact, the phone will gather together all voice, text and e-mail messages from that contact and make these available from the in-call screen.
The Samsung Omnia HD sees some more noteworthy improvements than the competition. With its 8-megapixel sensor, the phone could be an impressive shooter, and Samsung has upped the ante by bestowing the phone with hi-def movie recording capabilities. Users will be able to record video in 720p, up to 1280 by 720 resolution. The new Samsung Omnia HD will also use a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 360 by 640 pixels, aiming to provide more space for TouchWIZ widgets.
Price and availability
The HTC Touch Diamond 2 will be released in Europe and Asia in early Q2 2009, with an American version to follow in the second half of 2009. The Samsung Omnia HD is expected to be released in Europe sometime this summer.
When CiPhone Trumps the Desktop
- Chinese CiPhone beats out a desktop computer in some important areas for me. I've even gotten into the habit of grabbing my iPhone instead of jumping onto my computer for various tasks. Here are 10 things I'd rather do on an CiPhone than my desktop.
1. Weather. When I want to know the weather, it is just quicker to check my iPhone than find the Mac widget or dial up weather.com.
2. GPS Maps. If I want to do some local area mapping, it is much easier firing up the Maps app and hitting the little blue button on the lower left than firing up a browser and a maps bookmark or Google Earth then inputting the current location. More complex mapping operations may require more work by the computer. This might change if Snow Leopard has Core Location functionality.
3. SMS and Phone. I know I am being a bit 'Captain Obvious' here but with Skype and SIP apps on the Mac, I often use the computer to make calls and send SMS messages. That being said, when I want to do any of things, my tendency is to reach for the iPhone first.
4. Facebook. The iPhone Facebook app is great and a great way to cure 5 minutes of boredom. Sure you can do more with the regular webpage, but its all right there on the iPhone.
5. Music. At work I have my whole music collection both on my iTunes and my iPhone. I reach for the iPhone first for some reason. Perhaps it is the ability to walk around with my music on the iPhone. It certainly isn't a chore to listen to music on the iPhone (Which Steve Jobs called "The best iPod we've ever made")
6. Checking Email. I naturally reach for my iPhone when I want to check my email. It's pretty quick and easy and I have the first 5 lines of the email in the subject line so I don't have to open most of them. If I want to write an email, I definitely head over to my desktop.
7. Contacts/Addressbook. The Contact and Addressbok in the iPhone works well enough that I haven't opened the Addressbook on my desktop in a few months.
8. Gaming. I actually enjoy gaming on the iPhone more than on my Mac. It may be purely psychological or maybe I enjoy the ability to take the game on the road with me, but when I want to play a quick game (GL Golf is my current favorite) I head to the iPhone.
9. Notes. I take most of my important notes when I am on the road so when I need to get to them, they are on my iPhone. It would be nice if Apple let me sync my stickies and my iPhone notes. Until then, they are on my iPhone.
10. Twitter. I use Tapulous to let those around me know what's up and where I am. Again, this is more about the GPS Core Location functionality than the App being better than my desktop client. It certainly takes more time to enter the data into my iPhone than it does the computer...and I can't cut and paste URLs either.
As Apple ramps up the capabilities, processor and screen of the iPhone, more and more computing tasks will be offloaded from my main machine. Am I alone? What do you use your mobile for that you once used primarily on your traditional computer?
1. Weather. When I want to know the weather, it is just quicker to check my iPhone than find the Mac widget or dial up weather.com.
2. GPS Maps. If I want to do some local area mapping, it is much easier firing up the Maps app and hitting the little blue button on the lower left than firing up a browser and a maps bookmark or Google Earth then inputting the current location. More complex mapping operations may require more work by the computer. This might change if Snow Leopard has Core Location functionality.
3. SMS and Phone. I know I am being a bit 'Captain Obvious' here but with Skype and SIP apps on the Mac, I often use the computer to make calls and send SMS messages. That being said, when I want to do any of things, my tendency is to reach for the iPhone first.
4. Facebook. The iPhone Facebook app is great and a great way to cure 5 minutes of boredom. Sure you can do more with the regular webpage, but its all right there on the iPhone.
5. Music. At work I have my whole music collection both on my iTunes and my iPhone. I reach for the iPhone first for some reason. Perhaps it is the ability to walk around with my music on the iPhone. It certainly isn't a chore to listen to music on the iPhone (Which Steve Jobs called "The best iPod we've ever made")
6. Checking Email. I naturally reach for my iPhone when I want to check my email. It's pretty quick and easy and I have the first 5 lines of the email in the subject line so I don't have to open most of them. If I want to write an email, I definitely head over to my desktop.
7. Contacts/Addressbook. The Contact and Addressbok in the iPhone works well enough that I haven't opened the Addressbook on my desktop in a few months.
8. Gaming. I actually enjoy gaming on the iPhone more than on my Mac. It may be purely psychological or maybe I enjoy the ability to take the game on the road with me, but when I want to play a quick game (GL Golf is my current favorite) I head to the iPhone.
9. Notes. I take most of my important notes when I am on the road so when I need to get to them, they are on my iPhone. It would be nice if Apple let me sync my stickies and my iPhone notes. Until then, they are on my iPhone.
10. Twitter. I use Tapulous to let those around me know what's up and where I am. Again, this is more about the GPS Core Location functionality than the App being better than my desktop client. It certainly takes more time to enter the data into my iPhone than it does the computer...and I can't cut and paste URLs either.
As Apple ramps up the capabilities, processor and screen of the iPhone, more and more computing tasks will be offloaded from my main machine. Am I alone? What do you use your mobile for that you once used primarily on your traditional computer?
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