GSM
New BlackBerry tool to support iPhone and Android
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — As a growing number of people bring their iPhones, iPads and Android devices to work, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion wants to make sure it still has a place in the office technology landscape.
That’s why RIM (RIMM) this week unveiled a new experimental product that will support iPhone and Android devices. The software, aimed at corporate IT departments, is called BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, and it will allow tech support staff to manage multiple mobile devices through the same interface.
It’s an acknowledgement by the Canadian device maker that its once ubiquitous phones have been supplanted by the more popular and consumer-friendly smartphones made by Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) or running Google’s (GOOG, Fortune 500) software.
“Ford popularized the car, but now we have lots of manufacturers making lots of good automobiles,” said David Heit, RIM’s director of enterprise product management. “As long as we have individual choice, we’ll make individual choices, and iOS and Android devices are the most popular now.”
That’s an understatement. BlackBerry devices’ popularity has taken a stunning dive off a cliff over the past two years. In late 2009, BlackBerry controlled 20% of the global smartphone market according to IDC and 43% of the U.S. market, according to comScore. Now, BlackBerry maintains just 10% of the global market and 19% of the U.S.
During the same time, Android device leaders Samsung and HTC combined for nearly 40% of the global market. Apple controls 15%.
iPhone tops BlackBerry among mobile workers in iPass survey
Making matters worse for RIM, its PlayBook tablet has not been well received, and its next-generation devices have faced severe delays in getting to market.
Rather than throw in the towel, RIM turned to what many analysts consider the company’s crown jewels: its security software for the corporate world. Though Android and Apple devices have grown more popular in businesses, analysts agree that BlackBerry phones are the most secure.
“I think this is part of a newfound pragmatism around how to approach this market,” said Al Hilwa, analyst at IDC. “Doubling down on the enterprise is close to RIM’s knitting and will help it maintain a strong niche from which it can roll out a longer-term transition.”
Currently, RIM offers the BlackBerry Enterprise server tool for IT departments to manage the BlackBerry phones on their network. But tech support staff have to use a different tool for iPhones or Android devices.
Mobile Fusion, which is currently being tested with a handful of clients and is expected to be released to the public in March, will allow IT departments to perform all those tasks for all company-owned and employee-owned devices from one Web-based console.
RIM’s Heit adamantly insisted that Mobile Fusion was not indicative of the company shifting its strategy away from hardware — or from its core BlackBerry devices.
“From a hardware prospective, what we’re doing is still extremely relevant,” he said. “We have a wide global footprint. The question becomes what’s most important to you in a smartphone: Internet browsing, work or games. That is becoming the key thing in choosing a smartphone.”
@ http://money.cnn.com
Scottish invention ‘improves phone storage’
Scottish researchers have helped to create a device which improves memory storage for technology including MP3s, smartphones and cameras.
The device uses a tiny mechanical arm to translate data into electrical signals.
This allows faster operation and uses less energy compared with conventional memory storage products.
The Edinburgh University researchers worked with the Konkuk University and Seoul National University, in Korea.
The device records data by measuring the current passing through a carbon nanotube, and the binary value of the data is determined by an electrode that controls the flow of current.
Previous attempts to use carbon nanotube transistors for memory storage hit a stumbling block because they had low operational speed and short memory retention times.
By using a mechanical arm to charge the electrode, which operates faster than conventional memory devices, scientists have been able to overcome the problems.
‘Novel approach’
Prof Eleanor Campbell, from Edinburgh University’s school of chemistry, said: “This is a novel approach to designing memory storage devices.
“With this device you have much faster switching on and off which you do not have with conventional memory storage devices.
“However, one of the issues with these novel devices is how easy they can be manufactured on an industrial scale, which we are yet to see.”
Prof Campbell said research was continuing with colleagues in Korea on increasing the operating speed of the device even further.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.
@ http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Samsung goes where Apple won’t
PALO ALTO, CALIF.–The Samsung Galaxy Tab has found a sweet spot the Apple iPad will miss–apparently.
Steve Jobs was wrong: a 7-inch diagonal is fine. Samsung Galaxy Tab on right.
I’m writing this on Wednesday during a brief sojourn in Silicon Valley. I had some time to burn so I spent about 30 minutes using the Galaxy Tab at a local Best Buy. Granted, that isn’t a long time by product review standards, but it was long enough for me to realize that I was hooked on the size.
Let me be clear, I have no gripes about the 10-inch screen on the iPad (which, by the way, I use all the time and frighteningly at the expense of my MacBook Air–but that’s another post for another day).
And I’ll confess that I have a bias for small, light designs: the smaller and lighter, the better. To a point. Seven inches is that point. Without descending into tedious punditry about the merits of a 7-inch design, suffice to say that it just feels better in my hand and the screen size is more than adequate. And on-screen typing presented no problem for me.
In fact, if Apple came out with a 7-inch iPad, I can say with pretty much certainty that I would be in line to buy one (and I think that would be a long line on product launch day). That said, Steve Jobs has already apparently precluded that possibility, proclaiming–as I have touched on before–that Apple isn’t interested in offering a 7-inch model.
Is this a giant opportunity for the Android camp? We’ll see of course. Preliminary reports claim that the Galaxy Tab is not exactly flying off the shelves–what Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, has characterized as the Galaxy’s “poor sell through.” That may be partially due to the reluctance to buy a tablet with Android apps that are not yet ready for a larger screen, as this CNET review says. But it’s more likely due to consumers being unfamiliar with any device that’s not an iPad. Something akin to the I-want-nothing-but-an-iPhone-4 syndrome.
But Motorola, HTC, Dell, HP, and others would be well advised to follow Samsung’s lead with similarly sized tablets. Sorry, Mr. Jobs, I think you’re wrong on this one.
@Cnet.com
Install Android on your iPhone Directly from your Device with BootLace
Remember iPhodroid which installs Android OS on your iPhone? Well, some hackers could make it even easier than before, you can now install Google’s Android OS on your iPhone directly from your device without using computer thanks to the updated version of BootLace.
We have got full step by step guide and thanks to guys over iSpazio for spotting this shoots. Follow the steps below to install Android OS on your iPhone.
Supported devices:
iPhone 2G on iOS 3.1.2 or 3.1.3 jailbroken with Blackra1n, Redsn0w or PwnageTool.
iPhone 3G on iOS 4.x jailbroken with Redsn0w or PwnageTool.
STEP 1: Once your device is jailbroken, tap on Cydia, touch Manage then choose Sources and add http://repo.neonkoala.co.uk. Now, search for BootLace and install it.
Wi-Fi Direct Coming to Samsung Galaxy S I9000
Samsung has generally been on the cutting edge when it comes to giving its smartphones the latest and greatest in terms of compatibility, with the Omnia being the first DivX certified handset in America this month two years ago. Now, it’s looking to wrangle yet another first, with this one having the potential to be far more important. The outfit’s hot-selling Galaxy S smartphone (GT-I9000) is now listed on the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Direct certification docket, and while we knew that a handful of Wi-Fi modules and chipsets were about to get green-lit, this marks the first actual device to join that crowd. As we mentioned before, any modern-era WiFi device is capable of becoming Direct certified (via a firmware update given that there’s no hardware change in the protocol), but it seems as if Sammy is being Johnny-on-the-spot. We’ll keep an ear to the ground regarding an actual update that brings this functionality to life, but for now, let’s all cross our fingers and hope those other phone makers get their handsets in line, too.
@EndGadget.com
Alcatel Lucent Sees ‘Turning Point’ After Deals in U.S. and China
BERLIN — Alcatel Lucent, which has struggled in the wake of its 2006 merger, said Thursday that it had reached a “turning point” after clinching $5.7 billion in deals to build high-speed wireless networks and supply other gear for the biggest mobile operators in the United States and China.
The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion.
Install .ipa with Installous without Wifi
Does your file.ipa is too large to download and you can’t install it? Your battery may discharge or the download may be interrupted… No problem! I’ll show you a way to do it, on a PC (Windows Vista/7 OS).
1. You need:
a) Total Commander. Download it from here.
b) T-Pot. Download it from here.
2. Steps:
a) Close iTunes
b) Open Total Commander and navigate to the downloads folder where is T-Pot. Double click on it, click Ok and Ok :) (install it)
c) Close Total Commander.
d) Open it again and navigate to \\\Network\\\T-Pot\private\var\mobile\Documents\Installous\Downloads
e) Drag your file.ipa in there, wait untill it’s copied
f) Close Total Commander and go to Installous on your phone, Downloads section. Enjoy :D
I used a 1.5gb .ipa file, 3G 8GB iPhone and a Windows 7 x64 PC. Please add a Like to Facebook and I’ll come up with other tips. Any questions? :)
Dell Streak: The versatile 5-inch Android tablet
I’m pumped to finally get a chance to blog about the upcoming Dell Streak tablet device. Since we first previewed the Dell Streak at CES 2010, it’s been making waves in the blogosphere ever since. The 5-inch tablet will launch first to customers in the United Kingdom in early June. Customers there will be able to purchase it across the UK at O2 stores, O2.co.uk, The Carphone Warehouse and later this month on Dell.co.uk. Pricing and data plans for UK customers will be announced by O2 before availability. We plan to make the Dell Streak available to customers in the United States later this summer.
I’ve been at Dell for 16 years, and I don’t think there’s ever been more buzz around a single Dell product than this. In my view, that’s for good reason. Hardware and design-wise, this thing impresses. Add the ever-increasing capability that Android brings to the equation, and you’ve got a mobile device that offers a ton of flexibility while looking cool in the process. The Dell Streak brings together a great web browsing experience, multi-tasking capability, slick turn by turn navigation and a great way to enjoy your photos, movies and music into a sleek device that’s built for mobility.
The Dell Streak is a hybrid device that lives in the space between a smartphone and other larger tablets or netbooks that you might be using right now. We designed it to provide a wide range of users flexibility to do what they need with a mobile device. That’s why we packed the Dell Streak with a lot of features. We’ll utilize that flexibility via over-the-air updates for platform upgrades, Adobe Flash 10.1 on Android 2.2 later this year, plus other enhancements like video chat applications and more.
After using the Dell Streak for a bit, one thing that really stands out in my opinion is the screen. The vivid, 5-inch diagonal display may seem only slightly larger than many of the smartphones making waves out there specs-wise. But when that larger screen is coupled with higher pixel density, it’s surprising how much difference that extra inch and a half or so makes in everyday activities like browsing the web, playing games or watching video. Because it’s made with Gorilla Glass the screen also has a pretty big durability advantage over more fragile mobile devices. Take a look at the Gizmodo hands-on to see what I mean. The Dell Streak is thin (10mm-which is thinner than a lot of mobile devices out there), and though it’s just a bit heavier than other smartphones, it feels solid and balanced-which makes using it pretty natural across a number of activities. We’ll also offer all kinds of Dell Streak accessories like a car dock kit, battery replacements, a home AV dock and more.
The Dell Streak is a device designed for accessing entertainment, navigating your busy schedule and connecting you to the friends and family who matter to you. If you want dig into more details, check out this video interview with Kevin Andrew from the Dell Streak development team:
Hardware-wise, the Dell Streak features the following:
A sharp 5-inch capacitive multi-touch WVGA (800×480) display for a great full-screen experience watching video or browsing the web
Fast 1GHz Snapdragon ARM-based mobile processor from Qualcomm
5 MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash that offers easy point & shoot capability and quick uploads to YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and more
VGA front-facing camera enables video chat functionality down the road
A user-removable (and replaceable) battery
A 3.5mm headphone jack means many of you can use the Dell Streak as the music source (and more) in your car
Integrated 3G + Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) + Bluetooth 2.1 (think headsets, external keyboards, stereo headsets, etc.)
UMTS / GPRS / EDGE class 12 GSM radio with link speeds of HSDPA 7.2 Mbps / HSUPA
A user-accessible Micro SD slot expandable up to 32GB. That means you can store lots of movies, music, photos or other kinds of files.
On the software side, here’s what you can expect:
A customized multi-touch version of the Google Android operating system that features Dell user interface enhancements
Access to over 38,000 apps (and growing) via the Android Marketplace
Microsoft Exchange connectivity and integration through TouchDown
Google Voice support
Integrated Google Maps with voice-activated search, turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views
Quick access to activity streams via integrated social network app widgets like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
Like an increasing number of our laptop and netbook products, Dell Streak will ship with cushions made from compostable bamboo.
More Dell Streak details will be coming in subsequent posts. In the meantime, feel free to leave comments or questions to this blog post, or follow the discussion on Twitter by using the #DellStreak hashtag.
@ Dell.com
Nokia N8 is previewed and is said to be a big disappointment
We’ve seen Nokia make some waves with power packed smartphones like the Nokia N95, N97, and N900, but the competition has forced them to drastically rethink their strategy in the wake of other mobile platforms that have taken center stage. Things may not look too peachy for Nokia after their yet unannounced Nokia N8 handset was previewed by none other than Eldar Murtazin. Although it’s still being tagged as a prototype unit, Murtazin had plenty to say about the handset that’s being coined as Nokia’s next generation handset that will easily take the coveted crown in the smartphone market. When it came down to the hardware and design, Murtazin found it rather average and on par with existing handset. The 12-megapixel camera on board produced slightly better pictures than those with the Sony Satio, but its ability to shoot HD videos didn’t impress him that much considering that the feature doesn’t turn heads as much as it used to. Finally, Murtazin was perplexed with the HDMI port found on the phone because it isn’t the standard one you’d find on other devices. By far the biggest standout for the Nokia N8 is the Symbian^3 operating system that’s been touted in the past by many as being a serious contender in the mobile platform market. Unfortunately, this was the biggest disappointments to the phone because it packed an uninspiring user interface which looks to be nothing more than a cosmetically superior version of S60 5th Edition. All in all, it has to be taken into consideration that this is still a prototype and that things could be different with the final production unit. We’d suspect that Nokia may be going back to the drawing boards to see what they can do from both the software and hardware side to make the device more appealing and intuitive.
@ phonearena.com
