Mobile Devices

Curtain goes down on Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine

Paul Mah — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:10:02 -0400

It was with some nostalgia that I read of the decision by the publisher of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine to suspend publication after 11 years in operation. The reason appears to be a lack of advertisers, as Microsoft steered its Windows Mobile operating system from being a PDA-only platform. The paradigm is different in mobile land, it seems, and advertising revenues from phone companies and OEMs are just not forthcoming despite coverage of their products.

Beyond the confirmation of just how mobile technology has changed the rules of the game, I think this is a somber reminder that information technology, and mobile technologies in particular, is in a constant state of flux. Indeed, just like how the affordability of the once exorbitantly expensive personal computer created a society where utilizing IT is no longer a competitive advantage, but something that is completely necessary; so too is the pervasiveness of always-on, high-speed mobile data access shifting the landscape.

Already, software makers like Intuit are offering online and smartphone-accessible features. Traditional newspapers like the Washington Post have not just embraced the web, but recently released a free BlackBerry application to access its content.

Of course, FierceMobileIT does owe its existence to the advent of mobile devices. Hopefully, we have added value with our enterprise-centric view of mobile devices and technologies, specifically on how to leverage wireless to benefit your organization.

In the meantime, we will continue to serve you by keeping an eye out for the latest mobile-centric developments. As the old saying goes, change is the only constant. - Paul

Apple iPhone less stable than Windows Mobile

Paul Mah — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:41:12 -0400

The Mobile Gadgeteer of ZDNet, Matthew Miller, rants about a number of issues he experienced with his recently purchased iPhone. Probably the chief among them would be "major issues" relating to the native Safari web browser that "I never see on Internet Explorer Mobile or Opera Mobile on Windows Mobile."

Other issues include various problems related to the installation of applications. Miller went on to lament on the number of resets he had to do on his iPhone 3G to get it working stably. If you have ever been a Windows Mobile user like I was, you will know that is saying a lot by itself. Still, it is really only Apple's second mobile device out the door. It's not like Microsoft's Window Mobile was perfect a few years go either. Let's just sit back and see what the iPhone 3.0 will offer.

For the low-down on the iPhone 3G:
- check out this ZDNet blog

How your mobile phones and laptops lie to you

Paul Mah — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:27:58 -0400

Your mobile phone and laptop are constantly lying to you. Referring to the signal strength and battery life displays on such devices, blogger Dan declares,"Neither display is actually telling you what you think it's telling you." For example, four or five bars of reception on your mobile phone does not necessarily equate a high-quality conversation. The reason is because the signal bar does not take into consideration the amount of interference at your current location, or the signal-to-noise ratio. Ditto that for Wifi signal strength.

It gets worse when it comes to battery meters--especially those for mobile phones. Dan highlights how mobile phones seem to spend most of their time showing a full or almost full reading. However, the situation goes downhill--to flat, pretty quickly once the gauge reaches the halfway mark. Dan attributes this to pressure from marketing departments to reflect higher performance than is actually the case.

To check out what Dan has to say:
- check out the blog entry at Dan's Data

Text messaging used to avoid taking mobile calls

Paul Mah — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:28:47 -0400

CNET News.com ran a story on teens are pushing parents to adopt text messaging to avoid having to converse on a mobile phone. The idea is to just let a parents' call go unanswered before shooting a text message over to inquire about the purpose of the missed call. The reason this happens? "Teens are pushing their parents to go on mobile because they don't really want to communicate with them directly," says Stephen Saiz, manager of consumer insight and strategy of the Walt Disney Internet Group's North American mobile division.

When reading the source article, I can't help but wonder just how many adults pull this on work-related matters as well. Meetings or conference calls for example, could be feigned when selectively missing calls from certain parties. Have you done something like this before? What were the circumstances leading to it?

For more on teens using text messaging to avoid calls:
- check out this article from CNET News.com

Mobile mail goes mainstream

Paul Mah — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:05:20 -0400

Just like nobody could have imagined the ubiquity that the humble email would eventually grow to enjoy when it was first invented, it's hard to believe how mobile devices can now be used to send and receive emails, among other capabilities. Indeed, standard consumer-grade mobile phones from manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola and LG are now capable of connecting with Exchange servers as well as other email providers while on the go. Jason Guesmann, of mobile messaging software provider Seven, summed it up best when he noted, "The technology is here, the phones are there, and the customer demand is there." What other technologies do you reckon will make their way into our smartphones and other handheld gadgets?

For more on mobile mail:
- check out this InformationWeek article

New hands-free cell phone law takes effect in California

Paul Mah — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:32:16 -0400

New regulations prohibiting drivers in California from talking on their mobile phones while driving took effect yesterday. Adult drivers will still be allowed to be on their phones if they use hands-free devices, though this exception is withheld from drivers younger than 18. A California Highway Patrol spokesman noted that efforts to publicize the law appeared to have worked, with many motorists spotted using hands-free headsets. It should be noted that certain countries, such as Singapore, have long since prohibited mobile phone use while driving in the absence of hands-free devices. It remains to be seen if other states will follow in enacting similar legislation.

For more on hands-free regulations:
- check out the SFGate article

British Telecom workers to go on mobile blackout

Paul Mah — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:36:43 -0400

Up to 13,000 British Telecom (BT) employees have opted to take industrial action to express displeasure over a deadlock in resolving disputes regarding pay and working hours. In a sign of the times, however, not only are they insisting on capping work hours to contractual terms of 36 hours per week, the activists will also render themselves incommunicado.

A spokeswoman said, "Once the 36 hours are up, we expect our members to go home and switch off their BlackBerries, mobile phones and PCs." The members hope to show the amount of lost productivity when an employee does not work outside of contracted hours.

For more on this BlackBerry blackout of sorts:
- check out this UNI Telecom article

Related Article:
Does your BlackBerry stress you out?

Sybase enhances mobile security

Paul Mah — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:36:04 -0400

Sybase iAnywhere announced that it has expanded its security portfolio to encompass antivirus and firewall capabilities for handhelds. Sybase iAnywhere president Terry Stepian noted that there are already more than 500 identified viruses that target business mobile phones. That number will likely increase dramatically with the proliferation of smartphones.

As part of its Afaria mobile security line, the antivirus will be the first for mobile devices that features heuristic technology in addition to standard automatic signature file updates. All files received by the mobile phone are subjected to a real-time scan, while Afaria's firewall manager allows both inbound and outbound communication to be filtered using black and white lists. The suite supports the key mobile operating systems, including Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and the Symbian operating systems.

For more on Sybase iAnywhere:
- check out the InformationWeek article

Trustchip encrypts GSM calls with 256-bit AES

Paul Mah — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:22:28 -0400

A new security product designed to block eavesdropping at the Telco-level will be out before the end of the year. Called the Trustchip, it comes with its own built-in encryption engine and 32-bit RISC processor, all packed into a MicroSD-sized package. The Trustchip apparently will work with both Symbian and Windows Mobile phones, and its ease of use has been hailed as its selling point. To encrypt your calls with 256-bit AES, only one Trustchip needs to be plugged into the phones of the parties wishing to communicate. The benefit is that this is much more convenient compared to conventional secure mobile phones that require specialist hardware.

For more about the Trustchip:
- check out the The Inquirer article

Mobile device security an issue nobody wants to address

Paul Mah — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:32:50 -0400

A new report shows that IT managers are reluctant to take responsibility for managing mobile devices that are increasingly being used with enterprise applications. Against a backdrop of more employees bringing and using their own mobile devices in the office, analysts from Datamonitor are recommending that enterprise applications consider supporting a limited selection of devices rather than attempting to enforce an outright ban. This is especially pertinent when one considers that few employers want the hassle of one device for personal use, with a company-issued device for work. As it is, IT managers need to begin implementing mobile device policies to ensure that devices are properly secured against data breaches when they are lost or stolen.

For more on mobile device security
- check out this Computerworld article