Tag: mobile

Apple drops "computer" and launches iPhone

Post ImageThe main story people are buzzing about today is the launch of the iPhone from Apple. I don’t know how they can use the name, considering Cisco has already used it, but there it is. Engadget has a ton of photos up from the announcement, and I have to admit, the phone looks awesome. Okay, okay, it looks downright sexy.

Sweet, glorious specs of the 11.6 millimeter device (that’s frickin’ thin, by the way) include a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 touchscreen display with multi-touch support and a proximity sensor to turn off the screen when it’s close to your face, 2 megapixel cam, 4GB or 8 GB of storage, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and A2DP, WiFi that automatically engages when in range, and quad-band GSM radio with EDGE. Perhaps most amazingly, though, it somehow runs OS X with support for Widgets, Google Maps, and Safari, and iTunes (of course) with CoverFlow out of the gate.

You can see more at the official Apple site.

I wonder which carrier(s) will be selling the phone in Canada. Hopefully it’s not just Rogers. I would totally buy one of these if Telus sold them (or, alternatively, if we had number portability)!

Apple announced a bunch of other stuff today, but perhaps most interesting is that it has dropped “Computer” from its name and will now be known simply as “Apple, Inc.” If that doesn’t scream where Apple’s focus is, I don’t know what does.

Read: Engadget

Meet the Ultra-Mobile PC

Post ImageThe picture is now pretty clear on what Origami is and isn’t, and what the goals for the project are. Judging from some of the comments out in the blogosphere, lots of people are disappointed after the device was so well-hyped. I guess that was to be expected – the hype was almost at “Apple levels”! I am just disappointed with the battery life, but otherwise, Origami seems pretty cool. First, Engadget explains what Origami is:

Origami is a term originated from [Microsoft’s Otto] Berkes that doesn’t necessarily refer to a device or specific hardware specification, per se, but to an ultramobile PC running Windows Tablet (or Vista, later) and enhanced Microsoft Touch Pack (a suite of apps and utilities meant to optimize using Windows by touch, and not necessarily only by stylus).

Sounds like the official name of the device is “Ultra-Mobile PC” (or UMPC), which now has a website up at Microsoft.com. So what the heck is an Ultra-Mobile PC? Here’s how Microsoft describes it:

The Ultra-Mobile PC is a new kind of computer. It combines the power of Windows XP with mobile-ready technologies that make it easy to access and use your software on the go.

With small, lightweight, carry-everywhere hardware designs, you can connect and communicate, accomplish any task anywhere and at any time, and be entertained and informed wherever life takes you.

Marketing fluff yes, but also helpful in trying to understand the goal. Seems to me that the UMPC is sort of the evolution and merger of the laptop, the tablet pc, and the pocket pc. Actually, I think the UMPC is a replacement for the Pocket PC more than anything. The fact is, I’d much rather have my tablet with me than a pocket computer, because I can do anything on my tablet. The UMPC changes things, giving me a smaller form factor without sacrificing capability.

Basically, I think the UMPC is a great idea. If it had better battery life, ran Windows Vista, and was cheaper, I’d definitely be trying to get one. Hopefully the devices improve over the next year or so. Not everyone thinks the UMPC is a great idea though, like Om Malik:

So finally Microsoft Origami (or what it would be) has been brought to light… and my first reaction, for crying out loud, yet another digital device?

My view on any new digital and mobile device is that – both Microsoft and Intel – should stop thinking Windows and try developing a new platform.

I don’t know, Windows has done pretty darn well as a platform so far! Let’s hope Vista will really deliver in the mobile and power areas to make these devices even better.

If you want to see the device in action, Channel 9 has a 37 minute video with the architect. Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg has a really good early review up too. Oh, and if you were keeping track of the Origami website, week 3 is now up and they have a new community site too.

TextPayMe

Post ImageCame across an article at Wired talking about TextPayMe, a service that lets you send money to someone simply by using your cell phone! I like the way reporter Rachel Metz sets it up:

When a group of people dine out together, someone always lacks cash. They forgot to go to the ATM, but they’ll pay you back ASAP. Right.

Funny, though, how people rarely forget their cell phones. Philip Yuen put these two observations together and came up with TextPayMe to let people send money using text messaging.

Ain’t that the truth!

Seems like a pretty good idea, though I don’t expect the company to last very long. As the article points out, PayPal is rumored to be working on something similar. There are already millions upon millions of people using PayPal, and I already have established accounts there – why would I or anyone else use TextPayMe instead? That’s what the company needs to be focusing on. I guess one reason is that the service is currently free, but certainly that can’t last forever.

I don’t think the service is available to us Canadians yet either (sign up form only has states and zip code, no country option).

Read: Wired

Mobile Podcasting in China

Post ImageStan Sorensen at the Mobile Podcasting blog notes that Melodeo, a company that provides music and podcasts to cell phones, has formed a joint venture in China:

Melodeo has gotten together with ACCESS China to form a joint venture in China. The JV will deploy the first secure mobile network for digital content in China. This is a huge opportunity for us. The 2 largest carriers in China represent 350m users. Each one is accustomed to using their mobile phone as a computer – it’s the primary device for communicating, accessing the web, downloading data.

Stan also notes that “this is a first for mobile in China.” I’m not exactly sure what it means for mobile podcasting, but presumably a larger presence and user base for a company like Melodeo will only help.

Read: Mobile Podcasting

iPod Nano Reviews

Post ImageOf course, one of the bigger announcements over the last week was the unveiling of the latest member of the iPod family, affectionately named “Nano”. Engadget today posted a “review roundup“, so that you can better make a decision on whether or not to buy one:

You probably already have a pretty good idea by now whether or not you’re going to break down and spring for an iPod nano, but on the off-chance that you haven’t made up your mind yet we figured we’d throw together a roundup of reviews. Most are, well, rather gushing, but if you dig around you’ll find a few valid criticisms, like that Apple was forced to put the headphone jack at the bottom of the player to make room for the display up top.

The device does look pretty damn cool, but a couple things bother me. One is that note about the headphone jack being at the bottom – it would be so much cooler if the Nano featured bluetooth and just connected wirelessly to a pair of headphones. Another thing is the battery life. iPod’s aren’t known for their impressive battery life, and the Nano claims to get only 14 hours. My 20 GB Zen Touch can run for days without getting charged, and it often does as I use it my car, granted it is quite a bit larger.

Read: Engadget