Shout About Mobiles

Oh how the mighty have fallen!

I find it amusing that every Windows fan (I include myself in this group by the way!) will have (probably) teased an iPhone fan at some point, because of the iPhone’s lack of multitasking (this was the one feature that Windows had the upper hand with when comparing products to Apple) – but it now seems that we Window users don’t even have that to boast about.

Although Windows may have been ugly and stylus based, it worked as a business phone, as it could do everything a business phone needed to do. It could even do a lot of it at the same time, making working ‘from your phone’ much easier.

However, it now seems that, with the release of Windows 7, we have to hold our heads in shame as Microsoft is blatantly following in Apple’s footsteps by reducing the options of what the phone can actually do.

BOO!

There are rumours that Windows updates will be unleashed later down the line, once they know that the software is stable enough to cope with what is hoped for the new OS, but what good is a rumour when choosing your next phone? Contracts these days last longer than some marriages, so I want to make sure I always get a good one, that will last!

When you look at the specs of what the OS needs as a minimum to run (1 GHz processor, 512mb ram), and think that this is for NONE multitasking usage, you’ve got to be asking yourself how much processing power will it need to run two programs at the same time?

I can see a future with people with burnt ears from having to use their phones to make calls…

I am an avid MMS user – whether it is a picture to remind a mate of their shenanigans the morning after a night before, or as a way to get someone’s opinion of a new top I am thinking of buying – I find MMS to be an important feature in a phone of mine.

However, I can’t help to worry that this ace little  feature is slowly being taken out.

Over the last couple of years we have seen the networks slowly remove MMS from their text

bundles, with the promise new mms bundles to replace them later on – yet we still haven’t seen these materialise, and it is certainly not well advertised any more.

It is true that Vodafone offer a bundle of 50 MMS, however stores don’t seem to know this exists, and I had to find out through their eFourm service (very helpful) to get the information.

At the moment, the release of the new OS platform phones (mac osx, web

os, maemo), means that MMS is becoming a thing of the past. All of them are coming out with no default mms service as a standard feature, so it seems that we are being pushed more and more towards email as a way of sharing, rather than MMS.

Mobile phones are definitely a big part of our life now, there’s no denying it. In fact, I don’t’ think I know anyone over the age of about 10 who doesn’t have a mobile phone now. I got my first mobile phone when I was 15 (oh dear me, that was 10 years ago!) and that was when everyone just started to get them. It was such a novelty at that point to even get a text message from someone who also had a phone, now you can do everything imaginable on a mobile phone. Advertising on mobile phones has also developed to mass texting to random people. Companies can search for phones that have their Bluetooth enabled and send out messages if you are in a specific area. I have had messages advertising offers on clothes from shops I have been passing, Free Bingo offers, special deals in restaurants, adverts for club nights or even car insurance quotes! It’s a very useful tool for reaching a mass and possibly relevant audience and something I never would have expected all those years ago when I got my Motorola brick! Has anyone else had any strange texts from random companies and have you acted on their recommendations?

With the release of the Toshiba TG01 this month in the UK, we will be subjected to the power of the Snapdragon hidden within its 10mm thin casing.
A snapdragon?
Yes, it’s the 1 GHz processer that rages within the three new super phones that Toshiba are releasing shortly.

This is big and new and scary – to think that my little netbook that I am typing this up on only has a 1.1ghz processor…. and the previous Smartphone’s all have around 500mhz or less with the odd one or two powerhouses storming around with a mere 600mhz… WOW!

We have to ask, why?

I know I’m not the biggest fan of Windows Mobile but I have to say I have never moaned about how slow to load they are. So why make it faster?
True, as a Smartphone the speed in which to turn one on is never great, but the general usage has never made me think, “hmm, could do with a good GHz of processor in here to make it work like a dream”. Don’t get me wrong, as soon as I get to have a play on the TG01 or any of its brothers, I will be loading as many applications as I can to see what it can take before it gives up the ghost, but I don’t think it would be needed too much in a general day to day use.

Windows 6.5 is coming soon!

With its release, most new phones that are currently running Windows Mobile are announcing whether or not they are going to come out of the box with the shiny new platform already installed, or if they are going to come with the option for their users to be able to get a free upgrade.

The new 6.5 software is meant to come with a new and better set up user interface. However, I think that it will just be a brand new face, rather than a good overhaul that the dying software needs to bring in new users.

As we see more and more companies are starting to use Google’s Android operating system (with Samsung expected to release theirs shortly, and LG and Sony Ericson having already announced that they are going to be releasing android powered handsets), the end may indeed be nigh for Windows Mobile.

With the release of 3G/HSDPA, and smart phones actually becoming smart, it is amazing what you can do with mobile phones. I have seen software on the market where you can use you phone as a web cam using 3G video calling, which is quite good to do, but will kill your battery life and make your network very happy with your high bills. What i am looking for is where you can use your phone to wireless hook in to your home/business intruder alarm system. Think about it, all you would need to do is to dial a number that is attached to your system and it will be able to stream the video up link direct to your mobile. I’m sure there is more than one mother, that would love to be able to do that, to keep a reassuring eye over there young ones while they are away. It would allow security guards to still keep an eye on who is entering and leaving the buildings while they inspect the property on their rounds. With 3G coverage improving all over the country it will soon not be a problem having to worry about the coverage.

I admit, I am one of these people, who are always on the mobile, no matter where i am or what i am doing, I’m using my mobile phone. If you are one of these people like me who, always is connected to the electronic world, then you must suffer the same fate as me, with battery life. When i look at my usage, i can see why i run out of battery so much, I’m using a push email service, this means there is an always on Internet connection, due to using Internet based products, I must have 3g turned on (hsdpa when i can get it). This plus my extensive use of calls and texts on a daily basis, often leaves me having to charge my phone each night. After my friends haggled me into joining last.fm, i have downloaded a piece of software onto my phone, allowing me to scrobble music on the move, my battery life has dropped to just 9 hours. This is on the E71 which can handle up-to 10hrs of talk-time. Battery life is the only thing letting phones down in today electronic age. the first manufacturer that can provide a brilliant battery supply for their phones, will be the company that will owns the market, HTC seem yet to know, this after trailing the HTC Diamond out previously. I know switching back to using removable batteries like AA’s isn’t going to be good for anyone, but having them to use as a back up would be useful, rather than hunting around for a charger and plug socket while on the move.

A UK programmer by the name of Jamie Fuller has created a new piece of software for the Nokia 5800 and other S60 5th edition phones. Although the software is still in the trial stage, the software is available to download free of charge from his website.

The software is called Space Dancer and the great thing about this game is the fact that it uses multi-touch technology.

What is that I hear you ask?

Well, normally we only hear about fun stuff happening on phones that have the standard “push a button” keypads, not the new touch screens – so when there’s something we want for our touch screen phones, we can’t have it. Boo!

But now the wonderful Jamie has created a nice little game just for the touch screen users – how brilliant is that?!

The game itself is a bit like guitar hero – the game that has swept (and still is sweeping) the game console market. All you need to do with this little game is to hit the music notes at the right time (something that I am shockingly bad at I’m afraid).

I suggest having a look – then letting me know what you think!

Not many people can say many bad things about the LG super-camera-phone of yester year; the LG Viewty, or the KU990i, was a great 5MP camera phone.Yes, it did take a while to get use to the weird scrolling, but as a touch screen phone it did a great job, and has sold millions throughout the world.

And now we now have the second in the series, in the 8MP market range, and it is now going under the name of CG9000.
It has had a few tweaks on the styling but still keeps the stuff that made the first LG Viewty good. The Schnieder Kreuznach logo is displayed around the camera lens, and the lighting is aided by a xenon flash.

This phone is packing some great features – wi-fi, HSDPA, A-GPS and div-x playback for showcasing those brilliant videos (personally, I’m hoping LG stick with having the slow-mo settings as that always raises a smile when you’re watching your friends fall over in slow motion – hehe!).

No confirmed ideas on price yet or what markets it is expected to hit.

The creators of Cydia are looking at creating a rival application to the app store for the “jail-broken” iPhone Handset. At the moment, Apple control what can be downloaded onto their phones through the app store, thereby reducing the chances of bugs or viruses causing problems to the phone.

Despite the security this creates, it also restricts some things that the phone can do – which is why quite a few users have unlocked (“jail-broken”) their iPhone’s. A jailbroken iPhone does allow people to install different things and to use the phone on other networks, and it does stop them from doing some of the official things like using the app store.

So at the moment it’s a case of jail-broken users scanning the market to find applications to do what they want their phone to do.
So the market gap is now being filled by Jay Freeman (Cydia creator) who is creating this new application.

However, the next problem will be Apple’s counter move – developing this application will grab their attention as it is very similar to their app store, and as it will be for jail-broken iPhones, Apple could lose money. No company likes those words, so Apple will sit up and pay attention – what will they do?

Putting that aside, will this application be a good thing or a bad thing?

On the good side, it allows jailbroken iPhone users easier access to software and to make the most of their phone.
On the bad side, it may mean Apple will take stronger steps to restrict their phones from being jailbroken and re-lock jail-broken device.