Ballmer will Make Jobs Proud: the WinMo 7 Presentation
Steve Jobs, Apple’s Messiah, must be pretty happy with the way he encourages other developers into creating extensive and impressive product unveilings and presentations.
Kidding aside, Microsoft’s one hour presentation at the Mobile World Congress showcased the new Windows Mobile platform and has brought the audience hungry for more of WinMo 7. Innovations in the design, layout and control system has totally reinvented Windows Mobile. No longer to we have to deal with the clumsy and slow OS that has earned the scorn and criticism of many smart phone users.
Now, we are promised with an all new operating system that looks like something out of a science fiction movie. The large screen presentation allowed the crowd to easily visualize the concept of the WinMo menu layout and how content is controlled by the user. The use of tiles makes for an effective widget system that gives users functional and aesthetic control of the phone.
WinMo 7 divides the phone function into several parts. The first is “people”. This menu gives you a view of your contacts and friends lists and the latest updates on their accounts. The OS’ “what’s new” bar gives a quick overview of recent changes at a glance. “Games” will give users access to the Xbox Live Games service, which will allow users to sign up for XBL or connect to an existing account.
Media has been separated into two groups. First is music and video which controls playback of media files and playlists. The second category is pictures, which allows users to easily sort, tag and arrange images in any way they see fit. You can even upload pictures directly to your Facebook account. Office, which delivers desktop publishing functionality and Marketplace, which is the application store, have yet to be fully activated (though OneNote is already present).
Read more about Windows Mobile 7 at Engadget.
Charge Electronics through Your Clothes
Considering how much energy we spend each day moving about, it makes perfect sense for engineers to try and find ways to harness that energy into other things.
When we walk down the block, go up a flight of stairs, lift a box of papers or push a trolley, we spend energy. Now imagine this energy being stored in our clothes for use with other items. Granted that basic daily activities would only generate enough electricity to operate small devices, it would not be hard to imagine that the energy we can make during a daily morning jog would be enough to power a small music player.
At the University of California in Berkley a new form of “energy scavenging microfibers” is being developed that can generate and store energy made by kinetic movement.
The big advantage to this new technology is that it uses piezoelectric properties that instant converts the movement of your clothes into energy. This technology uses organic polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers that are light, flexible and is “relatively cheap to manufacture”
The change in clothing weight is insignificant meaning that it can be used in almost any form of clothing. In theory, more strenuous activities generate more electricity. Dancing, running and doing exercises would generate more energy than sitting in front of a computer browsing the internet.
This technology could prove to be very helpful in many fields. Law enforcers and emergency response teams such as field nurses and firemen tend to carry equipment that requires electricity to use. At the same time, this can also be used to tap into many pools of resources. When applied to school and office uniforms, this can be used to generate plenty of energy.
Read more about the new nanofiber technology being researched at UC Berkeley at the Telegraph UK.
HTC to Make New O2 Handset
Looks like HTC is the new go to guy this 2010.
The year opened with the surprise launch of the Nexus One, the Google phone manufactured by HTC. Now, reports are stating that HTC is at it again. This time, they are working on a brand new device for O2.
Details at the moment are scarce. HTC is currently known for making Android smart phones, and with the many Android smart phones heading out this year, it can be any of those. The HTC Salsa, HTC Tide and HTC Buzz are all part of the same HTC roadmap which contained the Bravo and the Legend. Any of these three phones would make for an excellent, affordable Android smart phone for this current generation. Another HTC Android device in the works is the recently reported Scorpion which supposedly packs a 1.5GHz processor.
Aside from those, it has also been reported that HTC is working on other devices as well. The Espresso is expected to be a Hero with a keyboard while the Touch.Brew is a completely new phone using the Brew OS. Chances are we might not get a peek at this operator exclusive device in the upcoming Mobile World Congress this Sunday at Barcelona, Spain.
HTC has been busy lately.
They just confirmed that the Legend is indeed coming out (thanks to an advertisement by KPN), and many are hoping that the Hero upgrade will arrive at the same time as its Netherlands launch date (around March 2010).
The Bravo, confirmed for a March launch, will be facing the new Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 as the two devices square off their Snapdragon processors on each other. The Bravo is very much like the Nexus One in specs and the XPERIA X10 is the first SE Android phone.
Get to know more about the HTC-O2 tie up at the source.
Apple iPad: Saving the Trees
What is £30,000 now when it will help ensure that we no longer waste paper and ink?
Critics of the Cambridge City Council include even some of its own councilors about the hazards of over spending existing budgets. The council has already allocated £250,000 as a climate change budget –funds for streamlining processes and equipment with more environmentally sound alternatives.
With the first step being the purchase of 42 iPads for each council member, many are calling the expenditure excessive.
The problem is that many do not realize that the iPad will indeed save people plenty of money. Some are saying that net books will do the same job and cost less, but when looking at the two devices, it is obvious where the difference lies.
The Apple iPad provides accessibility. Unlike net books which are practically mini desktop computers, the iPad is not a small computer. It is an instant access device that will encourage users to use it more –case and point, people with net books still use plenty of paper resources. The iPad on the other hand is just as accessible as paper. While you would loathe booting up your net book just to jot down a quick note, grabbing the iPad will be the same as pulling out a stationary and a pen.
Council members might also be forgetting the vast amount of paper and ink resources required for day to day operations. Some agendas have reportedly reached over 1,300 pages. The amount of resources that is spent in paper, ink and even fuel (people who measure carbon footprints would know why) will generate thousands in savings –regardless if a device will ultimately be surpassed.
Read more about the move to buy iPads for the Council at the Telegraph UK.
Is Google Buzz Ready to Take On the World?
Social networking online has been done so many times, but it was not until recently that Facebook and later, Twitter came into the picture and reinvented everything. So the question now is “can Google compete in this field?”
Google has been working on the Buzz service for quite some time now. While there is no way to just sign up for an account (you need to have a Gmail account and hope that you get the feature soon), people are already reacting to it. Initial reactions reaction range from the curious “I haven’t gotten it yet, wonder what it does” to xenophobic “when are we gonna have an I Hate Google Buzz group on Facebook?”
Facebook and Twitter are currently the largest and most influential social networking sites ever. They have perfected the concept of micro blogging and have made the concept of social networking easy and fun. They are also the main reasons why people use mobile phones to go online.
Thanks to the nature of the two sites, people have learned to enjoy the concept of being connected and more and more people find themselves being brought into the community. Sharing of links, videos and images have also become a very simple activity that can be enjoyed by all contacts.
Google’s Buzz will be concentrating on providing these very same features that have become the strong points of social networking sites. Google will also be able to integrate Buzz in other Google sites such as YouTube and Picasa increasing the capabilities of the network.
It has also been reported that there will be a mobile version of Buzz that will not only provide the features of the standard Buzz but will also make use of the GPS feature to search for relevant updates and information in your current location.
Get more details about the Google Buzz from the Telegraph UK.
HTC Legend Seen in Images
The upcoming HTC Bravo will not be launching alone. The device will be accompanied by the HTC Legend this March.
Both Android smart phones were revealed last year when the 2010 roadmap for HTC was revealed. The Legend, despite being considered a Hero successor, looks more like a Bravo Lite than anything else. The phone will come with a Qualcomm 600 MHz CPU, a 5 mega pixel camera (no HD video recording) and a 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels.
Users will enjoy the phone’s optical trackpad, support for WiFi and GPS, FM radio capabilities and media player. The phone will support Bluetooth devices and you favorite headphones via the 3.5 mm audio jack.
It is expected that the HTC Legend will be on the floor of the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain which will be held at the end of this week. No word has been given which version of the OS will come with the device.
With the Legend and the Bravo coming, many are curious as to what will happen with the three other Android smart phones. The HTC Buzz, Tide and Salsa are all impressive mobile phones (though not on the same caliber as the HTC Bravo). The Salsa and its physical keyboard would certainly make for a great business edition device.
Also in the leaked HTC roadmap are three Windows Mobile devices. Each of the three phones is supposed to come with business card readers and WinMo 6.5; considering the new news about the new 6.5.3 Maldives and the upcoming WinMo 7 it is possible that progress on the Photon, Trophy and the Tera are to be stopped until the next version of Windows Mobile has been completed.
Read more about the images of the HTC Legend and its specs from the GSM Arena official website.
LG GW990
The LG GW990 is the new phone recently unveiled by LG at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. Featuring the largest mobile phone screen ever seen, the phone has been quoted as the new wave of touch screens. Running on the Intel Moorestown platform, the phone has a great CPU speed, and subsequently gives the user a fast and enjoyable experience. Details about the LG GW990 are very limited, as LG has chosen not to release the exact details of the phone, although we can guess fairly accurately what they will be.
If it is anything like its predecessor, the phone is likely to have a 8 megapixel digital camera. Many reputable digital cameras are around 8 megapixel, so for the price of a phone you are in fact getting two things, the phone as well as the digital camera. The phone runs the Linux-based Moblin operating system, which is made and produced by Intel. Linux has a great reputation for fast and error free computing, and with mobile phones there is no exception.
LG have stated the GW990 can be used for 4G connections, which can include the LTE system, although you would almost certainly need extra hardware to make it run correctly. A huge 16GB of internal storage will give you seemingly endless amounts of space. 16GB is enough room to hold around 3000 songs, 40 hours of video or hundreds of thousands of pictures. The large 512mb of RAM will ensure that the phone keeps running fast and effectively, with minimal amount of lag and slow speeds. Built into the side of the phone is a microSD memory card slot, so if for whatever reason you do ruin out of storage room you can add more, up to 64GB worth!
Many applications are included with the phone, including a built in compass to help you find your way if you are ever lost in the middle of nowhere with your mobile phone to hand. The handset is set to be released in the USA in the second half of 2010. A price tag has not been released yet, but sources say it could be around the same as the last model from LG, which was around £700, a huge price to pay for a mobile phone. Unfortunately as of now there are no plans to introduce the phone to the UK, according to an LG spokesman. People seem to believe that LG are just testing it out first though, and once they know that it will sell it is expected to make an appearance in the UK.
Twitter: Not the Best Way to Communicate
Well, at least not for major companies. The recent incident with Vodafone UK is but one of many other similar incidents where social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook were used by disgruntled, demented or otherwise childish, unsupervised employees who got a hold of the account.
A remark from an employee posted on the official Vodafone Twitter page raised alarm and suspicion that the company’s account may have been hacked –but not before the initial reactions at the statement. The original Tweet was a directed verbal insult to the gay community and to women. While the post was quickly deleted, many have already received the message.
Vodafone’s employees have been quick to assess the situation and deliver some timely responses that easily remedied the situation. The lack of media fallout regarding the event is a testament to the customer relations skills of the men and women behind Vodafone.
One major concern raised by the event was that Vodafone had been hacked. Vodafone’s representative quickly assured clients and the public that the company account has not been compromised in any way and they have the situation under control.
In the meanwhile, the culprit has been identified and the mobile network operator has suspended the said employee indefinitely. Investigations regarding the event are being held internally and it is unlikely that we will ever hear the final outcome of this event.
Vodafone users on the other hand have nothing to worry about. Aside from that little incident, the UK mobile operator is stronger than ever. The launch of the iPhone this January met with resounding success as the number if iPhone subscribers for the network are growing –thanks mostly to the quality of the 3G network service provided by Vodafone.
Read more about this topic at the Guardian UK.
Motorola Backflip Overview
In the era of smartphone, Motorola launches the Motorola Backflip, an android phone. The phone was launched at CES in January. It has an interesting form and weird clamshell with a QWERTY keyboard on the outside, not the inside as you may have thought. The phone features a full touch screen and the keyboard when opened lights up and you can use it, you can type normally as other phones. The Backflip runs on Android 1.5, this is the default operating system, but it will update to Android 2.1. When the smartphone will hit the markets in the first quarter of this year and will have MotoBlur on it, the Motorola social networking tool.
The Motorola Backflip has a very nice design, nice metal surface. On the right, the phone has a charging and a data port, and the volume buttons; on the top we have a 3.5 mm headset jack and the power button. The full keyboard, a camera and the flash is on the back of the Backflip. A really interesting factor of this newly presented device is that has a track pad in the actual area of the back of the screen. This lets you navigate through the screen. When you open the phone and the keyboard is active, you can use this track pad and scroll on the screen. It is a needed concept, and is useful when you navigate through this phone. It is useful when you don't want to cover the screen, because you can easily swipe from the back. The keyboard concept is between the Motorola Cliq and Motorola Droid, however the creators have forwarded one step: the keys have more shape than the above phones. There are many dedicated keys, like search key, home screen key, internet key and messaging key.
There are many functions included in this phone, basically in any of the modes, like flipped open, flipped close or in sort of table top mode it has a few of the functions that come up automatically like the weather, time and alarm clock. Hitting the home key will get you to the applications that your device would have. As the other market players in this segment the Motorola Backflip put some hard accent to the social networking and entertaining applications.
So you have YouTube on your phone or you can watch a video on your phone. You can choose between keeping it in your hands or if you like you can just put it on the table on its back flipped open sitting on the keyboard. The integrated 5 Megapixels camera has the benefit of being in the keyboard, so you can take a shot of the subject that is in front of you, and the other huge benefit is that you can take mood pictures. You have to flip it back towards you, take the shot and upload it to the social media network website. The 5 Megapixel and a quite bright flash will deliver high quality photo and quick update on your status.
Vodafone Getting the X10
These past few days have been all about the Apple iPad, and it comes as to no surprise as Steve Jobs’ latest product unveiling practically is the start of a new era in digital entertainment and technology. Still, the world of mobile phones continues to move and with the next major Apple news not due until the release of the iPhone 4G, all focus shifts back to the world of Android smart phones.
The Google Android OS has been a hot topic early this year starting with the official launch and release of the Nexus One. While the Google phone suffered from low sales, it was the first of the many amazing Android device slated to be released this year.
Sony Ericsson has long confirmed that their own Android phone, the SE XPERIA X10 is slated to arrive at the end of Q1 this year. The 1GHz Snapdragon powered device will be SE’s first device that uses the Google operating system and with its launch date, it will be going up against the HTC Bravo.
Spec wise, the X10 is an impressive beast of a phone –not only for its processor. The device also comes with a 4 inch capacitive touch screen that delivers high quality visuals. The camera is an 8 mega pixel snapper with LED flash, auto focus and the SE face & smile detection software.
Vodafone has confirmed that they will be offering the device to their subscribers this coming April. It has not been announced if Vodafone will also release the Sony Ericsson Vivaz (a Symbian smart phone with 720p HD recording –formerly known as the SE Kurara) which is expected to be launched at the same time as the X10.
Read more about Vodafone UK and the upcoming launch of XPERIA X10 from Know Your Mobile.