Mobile Platforms

Personal device headaches for IT

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:59:57 -0500

You know, it probably started the day that someone wanted to bring his favorite abacus to work. Since then, people have wanted to bring their own tools--right up to the Blackberries and Treos of today--into the enterprise. When they do, it inevitably leads to headaches for IT. After all, the information technology pros want manageability, standards conformance, and support-line ease. Users, on the other hand, want a single device that takes care of all the business and personal tasks they have to deal with on a daily basis. The latest personal tool to make the IT department's life more difficult is Apple's iPhone, which is causing problems ranging from application incompatibility to jealous rage among fellow employees. Creating a set of policies that everyone can live with is harder than it sounds--but much easier than running a business with no personal device policies at all.

For more on the difficulties of personal devices in corporate IT:
- Read the practical advice at eWeek

Google's iPhone interface

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

In some ways, Google's wireless developments remind us of a certain advertising rabbit--they just keep going and going. Google is moving in a number of new directions, with its upcoming 700 Mhz spectrum bid, the Android application platform, and now, a special interface solely for the Apple iPhone. With its search portal running in native mode on the still-hot phone, Google is moving more strongly to play a dominant role in mobile search.

For more on Google's new iPhone interface:
- Read the complete news at NewsFactor

Machine-to-machine messaging

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:57 -0500

Messaging between embedded control and intelligence devices may not be the sexiest topic in wireless communications, but it could well be the most important. Just as Bluetooth allows communications between devices that are within a short cable's distance of one another, M2M (Machine to Machine) messaging can allow devices separated by miles or oceans to communicate with one to another. M2M is rapidly changing as analog cellular networks are replaced by digital networks, and the change is being reflected in greater certainty in message delivery and timing--not to mention a higher bandwidth available for messages. The market is predicted to grow beyond $8 billion a year--though this market's impact could grow well beyond those economic measures.

For more on M2M applications and growth:
- Read the hand's on analysis at WirelessWeek

Amazon Kindle sells out

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:59:58 -0500

While all industry eyes have been on Google and its newest product rollout, Amazon has captured the imagination of the market with its new Kindle portable reader. Despite early critical questions about the $399 pricing and available library, a notice on Amazon's website indicated that the first run of the device had sold out within the first week of the Kindle's availability. With continuous connection to Amazon through an always-on EV-DO link (the service is included in the purchase price and carries no additional fee), Kindle can be re-filled with content from subscriptions or spot purchases. The initial success is apparent; what's less clear is how Kindle will be received by consumers who aren't first-movers.

For more on the Kindle:
- See this DailyTechRag article
- Read the new product news at CIO-Today

Just how bad is mobile Internet?

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:59:56 -0500

At first blush, this seems like an odd question, since products for tapping the wireless Internet and service offerings providing access are both in place. Nevertheless, the industry consensus is that the mobile Internet experience is awful, and that awfulness is why the market is crawling along at a $9.5 billion annual rate, rather than the $66 billion that is its potential size. Where's the breakdown? Accessibility and ease of use features, and rational pricing plans are most often targeted as centers of the lousy experience. When carriers finally figure out issues like pricing, watch for the market to truly take off.

For more on how the market must improve:
- Read the editorial at WirelessWeek

Bango for mobile content

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:59:58 -0500

"Content is king" has been the cry of the Internet since the beginning of the World Wide Web. The problem has been getting rich content from applications to mobile platforms. Now, application developer Bango has introduced a new platform for sharing rich content on tiny, mobile screens. The "Bango Button" which can be embedded on a website or within an application, links to rich content served through the Bango service and formatted for the small screen and narrow bandwidth. Content can be of any sort--commercial or private--and linked to from any site, page, or application that can support HTML.

For more on Bango mobile content:
- Read the new product story at CIO-Today

Opera Link coming soon

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:59:58 -0400

It seems like only yesterday that we were linking to the announcement for Opera Mini for mobile phones. Now, comes word of a the upcoming high-culture announcement of Opera Link, technology designed to allow mobile users to synchronize data between desktop and mobile computers. The culture comes from the scene of the announcement--a rock concert featuring The Binges and The 88 at The Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco. The technology excitement comes from Opera Link, technology that ties together Opera 9.5 beta on the desktop and Opera Mini 4 beta on mobile devices. Rock on.

For more on Opera Link:
- read the full product news at eWeek

Japanese cell phone leaps ahead

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

The Apple iPhone has been the hottest phone around since its introduction, but the "hottest" label may be ready to move east with the introduction of a new phone in Japan. KDDI (a Japanese cell-phone operator) introduced the Infobar 2, a futuristic candybar smartphone with an OLED display, 2 megapixel camera, microSD storage, and forward thinking features like a Felicia smart chip that will allow customers to use the phone as a payment system for transportation and contactless purchases. The Infobar 2 lives on the KDDI EV-DO high speed network, so WiFi isn't necessary for the phone's television, music, and Internet access. Like the iPhone with its AT&T link, the Infobar 2 is tied to KDDI--a subtle pattern is beginning to unfold…

For more on the hot new Japanese phone:
- read the new product analysis at NetworkWorld

HTC's laptop smartphone

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Wireless-device manufacturer HTC isn't stopping with an iPhone-like smart phone. No, they've just introduced an ultra-portable laptop-style smartphone that could just be the single mobile digital companion you've been looking for. The HTC isn't cheap at $900, but it is less expensive and far more portable than a messenger bag full of different devices. Palm pulled the plug on the Foleo, but HTC doesn't think the concept is over.

For more on the HTC Advantage:
- read the in-depth product coverage at CIO-Today

Mobile AJAX app building

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:59:57 -0400

It's easy to say that you're going to put applications on a mobile platform: actually developing the applications, however, can be far more challenging. Last week, The OpenAjax Alliance and the W3C met together to discuss why it's been so hard to develop applications for mobile devices, and whether AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is the answer to the problem of mobile development. The consortia have many members, and a wide variety of papers were approved for presentation at the conference--for the results, we'll have to wait for a development cycle to unfold.

For more on the AJAX conference:
- read the complete report at eWeek