April 17th, 2009

MobileTechRoundup show #169, Nokia E75, Viliv S5, HP dv2, and S60 Twitter clients

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:12 pm

Categories: MoTR podcast, Mobile software, Nokia, S60, Smartphone, Symbian, UMPC, Ultra portable PC, mobile services

Tags:

Listen here (MP3, 31.2 MB, 34:00 minutes)

Subscribe to the show with this link (RSS)

Sprint had a huge launch buildup for the Samsung Instinct and in MobileTechRoundup show #169 we question where all the marketing is for the upcoming Palm Pre. I had a chance to chat a bit about the fantastic Nokia E75 I am testing out. James just received the Vilev S5 UMPC after we recorded the show, but was pretty excited about checking out the device when we recorded this morning. Kevin also has a new laptop, the HP dv2, and it sounds like a nice device between a netbook and a full blown desktop replacement laptop. I was also happy to report that there are now two high-powered Twitter clients for the S60 platform that I also put up against each other on my Nokia Experts site.

Please let me know if you have anything you would like us to cover and discuss on the show and I’ll try to work it into a future podcast.

November 12th, 2008

Nokia working to reduce traffic congestion

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:08 am

Categories: BlackBerry, Mobile software, Nokia, Nseries, On the road, S60, mobile services

Tags: Nokia Corp., Nokia Research Center, Podcasts, Advertising & Promotion, Internet, Marketing, Matthew Miller, Mobile

I had a nice chat with Ross Lamont from Nokia this morning regarding the Nokia Legends campaign (my interview should be in the next MobileTechRoundup podcast) and he mentioned that their Mobile Millenium project highlighted on the Nokia Telegraph “virtual paper” was moving forward with a larger scale testing program. Nokia issued a press release announcing the launch of the pilot program that will collect and study traffic data received from GPS-enable mobile phones, particularly the N95, E71, and N96. Nokia Research Center is working with UC Berkeley and NAVTEQ on this project.

I mentioned before that the Dash Express personal navigation device collects user data and uses that to help provide you with localized traffic conditions. Most of the time you only see traffic status for major highways, like on Google Maps, but for many of us the other minor roads can be just as congested. This new Nokia program appears to work like the two-way communication on the Dash as Nokia will be gathering real-time information from those with the handsets in the testing program.

And for those of you who are worried that your personal location is now being tracked and monitored, the team has built safeguards into the system to keep individual device identifiers out of the transmitted traffic data.

Participation is open to anyone with a GPS-enabled mobile phone who live in this Northern California area. The pilot program is scheduled to run for four to six months with up to 10,000 participants. You can visit the Mobile Millenium project page to see what devices are supported and sign up for the program. The currently tested devices include the Nokia E71, E61i, N96, and N95 with the BlackBerry Curve and Pearl working as well.

October 29th, 2008

Can you leave your laptop behind?

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:30 am

Categories: On the road, S60, Smartphone, Ultra portable PC, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Tags: Phone, Mobile, Cell Phone, Laptop Computer, Advertising & Promotion, Cellular Phones, Marketing, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

Nick Wingfield wrote an interesting article on the Wall Street Journal site called Time to Leave the Laptop Behind and I think he did an excellent job at articulating the options, trade-offs, and current state of mobile devices for the road warrior. Mobile phones today can be extremely powerful and capable so that some people are using them to work on the road. I personally have traveled a few times with only my mobile phone and a REDFLY Mobile Companion and think it can be done. However, I am not sure that the minor savings in weight is worth the compromises you need to make a mobile phone work for you.

Some of the compromises are in regards to the display and keyboard sizes, but something like the REDFLY (check out some of my thoughts) can address this area. The REDFLY only works with Windows Mobile devices though, so that limits your phone selection. I also find that the web browser can be limiting on a mobile device and there are more steps involved to do things like basic photo editing for post creation. It is also often impossible to connect to a hotel’s wireless network with a phone due to the sign in requirements, but if you have a good 3G connection this can also be addressed.

If you have a Nokia S60 device, I actually found that it can be a better road warrior solution than even the REDFLY if you connect to your hotel TV and use a Bluetooth keyboard. I have not used the iPhone with a TV out cable so I don’t know what it projects on the TV/display, but the iPhone still needs better Bluetooth support to be a real road warrior tool for extensive text entry.

I think a combination of the laptop and powerful mobile phone as the article mentions is probably the best solution. One this current business trip I find that leaving my MSI Wind netbook in the room for more extensive writing while taking my G1 or Treo Pro to the conference and meetings is a solution with very little being compromised.

Can you travel with just your mobile phone and still get everything done you need to?

September 25th, 2008

Slingbox PRO-HD now shipping with HD streaming capability

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:58 am

Categories: Gadgets, On the road, S60, Windows Mobile

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Mobile, Client, Slingbox PRO-HD, Corporate Communications, Advertising & Promotion, TVs, Cable, Marketing, Personal Technology

The Slingbox PRO-HD is now shipping, for US$299.99, and you can now enjoy full HD quality video anywhere you may be traveling. Our own Josh Taylor posted a review of the new unit this morning. Dave Zatz also posted some pics and offers some thoughts on the new Slingbox PRO-HD and links to a full review on Sling Community. The Slingbox PRO-HD offers HD streaming, multiple input, and a built-in digital tuner that allows you to watch TV independently of your cable box in case someone else is watching your TV at home and you still want to connect to your home system.

My Slingbox Classic is looking quite dated now and I may soon have to pass it along to a family member and get myself an updated Slingbox. I wonder what the video quality would be on one of the new high resolution Windows Mobile devices like the Touch Diamond or the Touch Pro HD? As shown in Josh’s review, the difference between the Classic and PRO HD is incredible and I hope the mobile clients support this improvement too. I just read more details of Josh’s post and see that the upstream won’t support HD outside your home network so it is really designed for working with the upcoming SlingCatcher more than remote viewing.

I also was just sent a HAVA Platinum HD unit to test out and am considering the HAVA Wireless HD that looks to have most of the same specs as this new Slingbox PRO-HD. One thing I can’t wait to test out on the HAVA unit is the free mobile clients for S60, Windows Mobile, and the Nokia Internet Tablet. HAVA doesn’t have a Mac client, but there is no Mac HD client yet for the Slingbox either.

These both look like great solutions for placeshifting your video content and now that the new season of shows has started up and I have some fall travel coming I need to get my system up and running soon.

September 17th, 2008

Check out the new ZDNet Smartphones and Cell Phones blog

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:07 am

Categories: BlackBerry, Feature phones, Open Handset Alliance, Palm, S60, Smartphone, Ultra portable PC, Windows Mobile, Wireless carriers, Zune, iPhone

Tags: Phone, Mobile, Smart Phone, Blog, Cell Phone, Smart Phones, Blogging, Advertising & Promotion, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics

I’ve been covering everything related to mobile tech here on the ZDNet Mobile Gadgeteer blog, including mobile phones, Tablet PCs, netbooks, digital media players, portable gaming devices, and more. In an attempt to provide a bit more focus, I am now splitting that blog into two blogs with this new one focused solely on news, review, and commentary of mobile phones, accessories, and software. The new ZDNet Smartphones and Cell Phones blog kicked off this morning and in addition to the smartphone devices (Apple, Palm, Windows Mobile, S60, BlackBerry, and Google Android) I will also start including some higher end feature phone coverage there as well.

I’ll be covering all other types of mobile gear here on this blog, including Tablet PCs/MIDS, digital audio players, portable GPS units, portable gaming devices, and much more. Please let me know what interests you and what you would like to see covered in future posts, including any software or hardware you would like to see me evaluate and review. Thank you very much for your support on the Mobile Gadgeteer these last two+ years and I look forward to writing on this new blog and keeping you informed.

September 16th, 2008

Star Wars Force Unleashed now available in the iPhone App store and for N-Gage

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:12 am

Categories: Apple, Nokia, S60, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, Star Wars, iPhone Blog, Games, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

My original iPhone is living in a dock at home serving up Pandora music to my stereo receiver, but it looks like I will have to pull it down tonight and buy a new iPhone game. I am a huge Star Wars fan and just read on the iPhone Blog that Star Wars: Force Unleashed is now available in the iPhone App store. The iPhone Blog has an image gallery of the game and a couple initial thoughts on gameplay.

They are also working on a full review and I look forward to hearing more about it, but will probably have it purchased soon myself. With games like this, I may just have to get an iPod Touch to serve as a new mobile gaming platform. I already have Crash Bandicoot and Super Monkey Ball and am really enjoying these iPhone/iPod Touch games.

UPDATE: I also learned that this same game is now available for the Nokia N-Gage platform. Looking at the Symbian Guru coverage, I don’t think I’ll pick it up for my S60 device even though I am a Star Wars fan. It sounds like the controls may be a bit awkward and the long cut scenes may drive someone crazy. I really haven’t embraced N-Gage on my devices and part of the issue may be that I switch S60 devices around a lot and don’t have a consistent one for playing games on.

September 9th, 2008

Sync your calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes with Sync on Ovi and your Nokia device

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 12:06 pm

Categories: Mobile software, Nokia, On the road, S60, Smartphone, Symbian, mobile services

Tags: Device, Nokia Corp., Ovi, E-mail, Advertising & Promotion, Desktops, Web Browsers, Online Communications, Marketing, Hardware

Apple’s MobileMe has not been as reliable as hoped for and is specific to the Apple iPhone. Nokia is getting into the game of consumer-focused backup/synchronization by offering services through their Ovi initiative. The latest module to be added to Ovi is Sync that syncs your calendar, contacts, to-do list/tasks, and notes between the Nokia server and your compatible mobile device. At this time, there is no cost for this service while it is in free public beta mode and it isn’t clear if there will be a fee in the future.

Setup for Sync on Ovi was drop dead simple and all I did was select my device, the E71, and then enter my mobile phone number as I walked through the wizard. A configuration file was sent via text message and then the settings were saved in the Sync conduit area on the device. I then simply selected sync and everything was backed up on the Nokia server. You can acccess and manager your data via a web browser on a Mac or PC (or other device with a browser). My contact photos were not synced over from my device.

If you already use Mail for Exchange or another sync solution you will want to turn it off and be careful or you may end up with lost data or duplicates. The great thing about this solution is that you can easily get your data back on a device if it is lost or you switch devices.

IMHO, the major bummer about this new Sync on Ovi service is that you can’t sync to Outlook, Google Calendar, etc. and must use the Nokia services. Data is also only synced when you take action and is not pushed. James posted some more great thoughts on what he would like to see in Ovi.

Sync on Ovi is designed for PIM synchronization while the new beta Nokia Email service syncs your email. Nokia also has Files on Ovi (based on Avvenu technology) that allows you to backup and access files from your web browser or your device and this is a subscription service with a monthly or annual fee.

Share on Ovi lets you manage photos and video content too so with Ovi you can get a complete, yet still a bit disjointed (Nokia Email is a separate client, Files is a fee-based service, the icons along to top of Ovi sites show different modules and should all be the same to easily move through each module), experience for ensuring your most important information is backed up and always accessible.

The new Nokia Ovi Suite for PC application (Outlook-like application) looks like a great way to manage your device and content with a PC based application. The Nokia site states that a Mac client is comine soon, which is excellent news considering there never was a Nokia PC Suite for the Mac before.

If I was only using my Nokia E71 or N95 then I would probably stick with just these Nokia solutions. However, I also use Windows Mobile, iPhone, and Palm devices and think my hosted Exchange solution is still the best for me right now. Since most people are not like me with all of these devices, I think these Ovi services are excellent solutions for consumers and based on some of my initial trials, the services are working quite well.

September 8th, 2008

RIM continues to gain in smartphone sales, 2nd quarter 08 report

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:40 am

Categories: Apple, BlackBerry, HTC, Nokia, S60, Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Tags: High Tech Computer Corp., Research In Motion Ltd., Smart Phone, Sales Strategy, Smart Phones, Sales Force Management, Handhelds, Sales, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology

Regular reports on smartphone and mobile device sales are issued and are interesting to view. However, they are often missing information that makes the data a bit less informative. In the most recent Gartner report we finally see analysts including the largest Windows Mobile manufacturer, HTC, in their tables. Sales of smartphones have increased at a lower rate than in 2007, but were still quite strong considering that consumer spending has slowed in the U.S.

Nokia, of course, remains in the lead with a 47.5% worldwide market share in the second quarter of 2008, followed by RIM at 17.4%, HTC and Sharp at 4.1%. HTC usually ends up in the Others category and actually many of their devices are still in that category because the only HTC devices that are filed under HTC are those they self brand. All of the other devices they make for carriers end up in the Others category. It would be interesting to see where HTC really ends up when all of their devices are accounted for and I am sure they would be in at least 3rd by themselves and maybe even in 2nd. It is interesting to see that Apple doesn’t appear in the top 5 worldwide as their sales dropped to 2.8%. They will most likely rise again when 3rd quarter sales are reported, due to the iPhone 3G availability.

When you take a look at the operating system, you see that Symbian (S60 and UIQ) was tops at 57.1 percent, followed by BlackBerry at 17.5%, and Windows Mobile at 12%.

RIM looks to have had the largest growth percentages in both devices and OS tables (the iPhone had the greatest increase in OS alone) and I think RIM will continue to grow as they expand further into the consumer market with the Bold and other new devices on the horizon. I am using my BlackBerry Curve more and more and know several friends who recently picked up Curves as well.

September 1st, 2008

MobileTechRoundup show #145, Traveling in Singapore, Nokia announcements, WiMAX features

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 1:21 am

Categories: MoTR podcast, Nokia, Nseries, On the road, Open Handset Alliance, S60, Ultra portable PC

Tags: MobileTechRoundup, Nokia Corp., Podcasts, WiMAX, Internet, Wireless, Matthew Miller

Listen here (MP3, 31.2 MB, 34:30 minutes)

Subscribe to the show with this link (RSS)

It turns out that the air conditioning unit in my hotel in Singapore was cranking and I didn’t realize it as we recorded MobileTechRoundup show #145 a couple of days ago so I am sorry for the background hum that still remains a bit in the audio file. We did talk about a few new devices that were announced, including the N79 and N85. Kevin ordered a MSI Wind that should be coming soon and I also just ordered a Kindle at a great price. James, Kevin, and I talked a bit about WiMAX and our hopes that it launches soon since it will supposedly allow multiple devices on the same account. Android is getting an application market store, similar to the Apple iPhone.

If you enjoy listening to the MobileTechRoundup podcast, please vote for us at Podcast Alley. Also, please let me know if you have anything you would like us to cover and discuss on the show and I’ll try to work it into a future podcast.

August 29th, 2008

Windows Mobile magazine ends, but iPhone Life launches on September 9th

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 3:18 pm

Categories: Apple, S60, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Mobile, Magazine, Smartphone, Pocket PC, Handhelds, Operating Systems, Cellular Phones, Microsoft Windows

While I get the majority of my news and content online, I still do subscribe to a few magazines including MacWorld, Laptop, and Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine. I am very saddened by the news that there will be one final issue of Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine. As you can read in the press release they are working to make the final issue a “keeper” with lots of Windows Mobile reviews, new tips and how-tos, a guide to best accessories, software, and much more. The final issue will be on newstands in November.

I started reading this magazine many years ago and looked forward to reading each issue. I found the reviews to be very informative and the magazine served as a great reference resource. They also ran the Best Software Awards and I was honored to participate the last several years as a member of the Board of Experts in judging software. Hal presents the reasons for having to suspend the magazine and I wish him all the best.

The good news is that Hal will be launching iPhone Life on September 9th and it will be a whopping 100-page premier issue. Many of the same folks who wrote for Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine will be coming over too. You can subscribe now for just US$25 to receive all issues through 2010 which includes the premier issue and at least 4 issues in both 2009 and 2010, plus a digital edition readable on the iPhone. I already subscribed and highly encourage my readers to as well. I can’t wait to check out the first issue and hope this magazine does as well as the iPhone. You will also find it on newstands everywhere if you don’t want to subscribe.