Apple Hits Redial

Late Steve Jobs may not have reinvented the mobile phone, but he has re-invented the way mobile phones are sold.
If you were looking for some quiet time last Friday amid the iPhone frenzy, the Parrot Cellular store in San Carlos, Calif., wasn't a bad place to be. While hundreds gathered a short drive away at Apple's flagship store in Palo Alto to plunk down $500 for one of the slick new iPhones--locking themselves into years of wireless service from AT&T--there was no rush at the local branch of AT&T's largest authorized dealer.
One customer arrived to special-order an iPhone. Two others stopped in with technical questions about their aging Nokia handsets. And at the stroke of six--when Apple stores were swinging their doors open to hordes of crazed gadget shoppers--a tiny, white-haired old lady wearing a huge pair of sunglasses shuffled up to the counter to ask for directions to the nearby firehouse. Yawn.
Welcome to the future of the mobile phone business.
Of course, shoppers were lined up outside of those AT&T stores that did have the phone. But the fact that many of the phones were sold at Apple outlets--and those who buy their phones from Apple's Web site may never have to set foot inside a store at all--is portentous. Apple chief Steve Jobs may not have reinvented the mobile phone, but he seems to have reinvented the way mobile phones are sold.
It's about time. Few experiences are more annoying than buying a wireless handset. First, you go to the store. Then you haggle with a sales representative over your rate plan. Finally, you sit and wait--sometimes for hours--while a salesman calls headquarters to activate your phone. Unless you're grabbing a sketchy pay-by-the-minute phone, you'd better plan on blowing an entire afternoon.
No longer. Apple's software allows users to grab their phone, take it home, fire up their computer, select a rate plan and they're done. Of course, there were some embarrassing glitches with the new scheme over the weekend. Some iPhone customers had to wait overnight for their phones to be activated, according to some reports. Some business users had to set up new, personal accounts to get their phones working. Users who were porting their numbers from other carriers also ran into problems. An AT&T spokesperson said late Monday the phone company had resolved most of the problems.
Nevertheless, Apple's grab-and-go scheme kept the lines outside Apple and AT&T stores moving fast all weekend. Analysts say Apple sold somewhere between 500,000 and 700,000 iPhones over the weekend. That helped send AT&T shares up 4 cents, to $41.89, in Monday trading, despite the high-profile glitches.
This, of course, is only the latest retail experience Apple has reinvented. Its iTunes music store has made buying music and video over the Internet a viable option for the non-technical. According to NPD Group, iTunes accounted for slightly more than two-thirds of the U.S. market for authorized song downloads in 2005 and 2006.
The business of selling software could be the next category Apple reinvents. The computer and gadget maker is already one of the largest distributors of Windows software--with more than 500 million downloads of its iTunes digital music software to Windows users. And once the software is loaded up with a user's credit card, it acts as a kind of tollbooth, allowing Apple to charge for sales of everything from movies to music to mobile phone service. But bits are bits, and selling music and movies is no harder than selling software. The question now isn't whether Apple will build on its retail success. It's how.

Technology Bar

Which Sexy Smart Phone Is for You?

With more people interested in checking their email, sending text messages, listening to music, and surfing the web on their handsets, it's no surprise that new and sexy smart phones aimed at the mass market are suddenly everywhere.
The past four months alone have seen the launch (or imminent launch) of several user-friendly PDA/smart phones aimed at people who want a little phone style with their phone substance (though power users can definitely benefit from these models as well). Here's a rundown of four of the biggest models that also have built-in QWERTY or demi-QWERTY keyboards.

Phone: Motorola Q
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Best For: Hipsters and aesthetes who do a lot of talking.
What's Good: It's got superb sound quality on calls, a comfortable keyboard, and a RAZR-thin design that is unobtrusive in pockets, even if you're wearing tight pants. Plus, you get fast surfing (most of the time) over Verizon Wireless's EVDO network. Also: The big, colorful screen is great for pictures, either uploaded via MicroSD or taken with the built-in 1.3-megapixel camera.
What's Bad: The slimmed-down version of Windows Mobile available on this phone is just as sluggish, glitchy, and unpredictable as the full version—a real deal breaker if you absolutely, positively need to get on a site or check your email. And the battery life is horrendous (I couldn't even get a day out of it). Lastly, though you can read Office documents on it, you can't edit them.
Bottom line: Despite its sexy looks and nice price (with a contract), this phone is a real disappointment. If you're mostly using it as a phone with a good address book, calendar, and user-friendly text messaging, go for it, but anyone who needs serious surfing or email capabilities should take a pass.

Phone: RIM BlackBerry Pearl
Carrier: T-Mobile
Who it's for: Email addicts who don't want to look like dorks.
What's good: It's as small as a cell phone—that is, literally candy bar-sized—and yet still has many of the BlackBerry's signature features, including spot-on SureType predictive text, a surprisingly quick and easy-to-maneuver mini-keyboard, and BlackBerry push email for personal or work accounts. Unlike other BlackBerry devices, this one has a 1.3-megapixel camera, a video viewer, and an MP3 player. And it's sexy. See my earlier posts on this phone.
What's bad: The keyboard can be too small for some, and you'll either love or hate the trackball (versus the side trackwheel of other BlackBerry models). It doesn't have a camcorder. Despite looks, the outside body feels cheap. T-Mobile is the only carrier (for now).
Bottom line: This is my favorite sexy smart phone of the bunch. No other device can even touch it in terms of compact size and functionality. And by functionality I mean two things: 1) It can perform many functions; 2) it actually functions (unlike some of the other mobile operating systems—you know who you are). And anyone who doesn't feel like switching to T-Mobile can rest easy: The Pearl is due out from Cingular any day now.

Phone: Palm Treo 680
Carrier: To be announced, though it's rumored to be Cingular Wireless (the device will also be available this month in an unlocked version directly from Palm)
Who it's for: Anyone who wants full PDA functionality with a touch (and that's just a touch) of style.
What's good: It's slimmer, lighter, and smaller than previous Treo models and does away with the outside antenna. You'll find all the usual Palm goodies, including calendar/address book/to-do functions, MP3 and video player (and streaming audio), the ability to edit Office documents, and compatibility with the hundreds of downloadable Palm apps. Besides excellent text and multimedia messaging features, the 680 has new extras like Google Maps and a free trial subscription to Yahoo! Music.
What's bad: Despite the size reduction, the 680 is still too bulky. And the new colors don't do that much to make it truly cool-looking. Besides, if you get the unlocked version, it'll most likely cost you an arm and a leg.
Bottom line: If you want a full QWERTY keyboard, this is the sexy smart phone to get because, in my book, Palm OS trumps Windows Mobile OS for reliability and user-friendliness.

Phone: T-Mobile Dash
Carrier: T-Mobile
Who it's for: Business types who want some bulge-subtlety in the pocket area; PC users.
What's good: It's got a solid rubbery body, built-in Wi-Fi, and a slim form factor that's almost as unobtrusive in your pocket as the Q. It syncs easily with office mail and Microsoft Exchange, so you can get your office's IT department to configure it without a problem or just sync it up with the info your desktop. Plus, you get all the music and video capability of Windows Mobile devices (and a 1.3-megapixel camera). Much better battery life than the Q.
What's bad: It's Windows Mobile, and the stripped-down Windows Mobile Smartphone edition at that, so again, like the Q, it just doesn't work sometimes. I particularly had problems getting my email when I really needed to (deal breaker). And you can't use it to edit documents (you can only read them). Also, give me the more ubiquitous 3G over Wi-Fi any day. Lastly, there's no cursor, if that's your persuasion.
Bottom line: If you're committed to Windows Mobile, this is probably the best of the sexy smart phones. But if it's style and consistency you're after, go for the Pearl.
Any non-smart phone users out there who are ready to make the switch? If so, which of the above phones do you like best?

Mobile TV: The Next Killer-App

Amid the flurry of activity and hype surrounding mobile TV, various network models and technology platforms have emerged to offer their services

There is presently a great deal of industry hype surrounding 'mobile television'. Noted by some to be the next 'killer app' of the mobile sector, and dismissed by others as having no sustainable business model, mobile TV is a conjure of possibilities. It lies at the eye of a maelstrom of technologies, network models and frequency bands, waiting for many trials to end and the manifestation of a clue as to the most practical and commercially viable direction.
Experiencing TV on handheld devices raises a whole new set of issues that have spawned several new broadcast technology platforms. Attracting the most attention globally is the digital video broadcast to handhelds (DVB-H) standard, which is derived from digital video broadcast terrestrial (DVB-T). The important difference is that DVB-H transmits the signal in bursts in order to conserve handset battery life. It also incorporates greater forward error correction, essential for boosting handheld reception.Another significant difference is the data encapsulation technique. The DVB-H stream is an IP datacast at 200 to 500kbps/program, yielding up to 50 programs in an 8MHz channel. This resolution is sufficient for the tiny handset screen. In contrast, standard-definition DVB-T uses MPEG-2 (or MPEG-4) encoding at 4 to 5Mbps/program, yielding up to five 'standard resolution' programs per channel.
DVB-H is not the only mobile TV platform finding favor. Korea and China are the first to embrace terrestrial digital multimedia broadcast (T-DMB), derived from the Eureka 147 digital audio broadcast (DAB) standard. Moreover, Qualcomm has developed the forward link only (FLO) technology for the delivery of multimedia content. T-DMB, FLO and DVB-H have each addressed the same handset-related issues-battery life, reception and screen resolution-albeit in different ways.
It Starts with Delivery
The choice of technology platform is just one element of delivery-and delivery just one consideration-in the riddle that is mobile TV. Commercial imperatives drive all, and are also dependent on such aspects as consumer viewing habits, handset development, content licensing and government regulatory environment. Yet it is with delivery that the whole mobile TV enterprise gets moving, and delivery infrastructure that represents a significant proportion of capital outlay. Consequently, the question of which delivery model proves best, and most cost-effective, is one of high interest.
Speculation is compounded by the existence of several different industry players. On the one hand, there are the mobile communications carriers. These have an existing subscriber base and perceive mobile TV as a means of extending and differentiating their service. Many have introduced third-generation (3G) mobile TV services based on universal mobile telecommunications service (UMTS) in recent months, while at the same time partnering broadcast-based mobile TV trials.
It is generally well accepted that UMTS-based mobile TV has limitations. The service is here and available now, but the unicast (one-to-one) nature of UMTS means that as the viewer base grows, mobile TV will not be sustainable on this platform-even as UMTS heads towards '3G long term evolution' (3G LTE) or in-band cellular broadcast techniques such as multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS). Recent reports have suggested that it makes more sense to use the spectrum for wireless data services that can be charged at a higher rate than can television.
Mobile carriers are therefore turning to broadcast models for mobile TV. Their quest to utilize existing base station sites has led to the 'cellular overlay' model for mobile TV, where broadcast infrastructure is deployed at mobile base stations to provide mobile TV coverage in a similar way to a cell-based mobile network.

Source- ciol.com

Nokia phones may use smell, solar power

Phones with 100 gigabyte hard disks, high-definition video cameras, high-detail displays, surround sound and a built-in movie-projectors are all possible by 2009

Shooting video with a mobile phone may seem cool today, but imagine a phone that could capture the smell of a foreign country to bring home and release to your friends. Or what about a mobile that never needs to be charged because of solar cells hidden under its surface.
Don't expect such phones to be in the shops next week, or even next year, but these are some of the ideas Nokia, the world's biggest handset maker, is researching. "Sensors will be big. Sensors that will detect movement, location, altitude," Tero Ojanpera, Nokia's chief technology officer said in an interview on the fringes of two conferences in Hongkong. And smell is a feature that could one day be part of a mobile phone. "As a mass-market application it's pretty far out, but there are certain ways of releasing a smell. I believe this is possible," Ojanpera said.
Nokia is not packing features into its phones for the sake of it, he said, in response to the endless debate as to whether or not consumers really want the telecommunications equivalent of a multi-purpose Swiss army knife. "It's not just about packing in features, like a screw driver and scissors that have nothing to do with each other." "Fundamentally, I think the concept of a Swiss army knife is wrong. It's how we combine (related) capabilities. You can play music as an MP3 player, but you can also download music and embed it with video that you just took. How they will interact we don't even know today," he said.

BETTER, NOT BIGGER
In the more immediate future, consumers can expect better versions of the phones they are already familiar with, Ojanpera said. 100 gigabyte hard disks, high-definition video cameras, high-detail displays, surround sound and a built-in movie-projectors are all possible by 2009, he said. Those features will first appear on the most expensive handsets which will cost more than desktop computers.
However, Nokia is not just aiming its technology at the wealthy, Ojanpera said. This year another 500 million people will become mobile phone users, and most of them live in emerging economies where there is not always electricity from a socket in the wall to charge a phone. "The next billion subscribers after the 3 billion subscribers this year will probably come from areas where electricity is not a given, he said." As an alternative, Nokia looked at fuel cells, which generate electricity from liquid in cartridges through an electro-chemical process, but decided this was impractical. "We looked at fuel cells, but we've come to the conclusion that usability is not really there. It's not so much a technology issue but a usability problem," he said. "Then there's solar energy, but I don't think it will fly until it's integrated into the phone, in some way under the surface. We're studying how to do that," Ojanpera said.
Nokia is also looking at the energy consumption of the various applications on phones. "We need to focus on total energy management. When do you power up the chip for video processing, the radio," he said. And all consumers looking for standby times longer than the current maximum of around two weeks can expect to be able to charge their phone less frequently in future. "They (standby times) will improve," he said. Nokia is working on practical solutions for practical problems, Ojanpera said. "I'm telling the researchers: 'Don't sit in Helsinki. Go do things with people'."

Source- ciol.com

Nokia launches its E62 smartphone

The Nokia E62 comes with inbuilt memory of 90MB and supports multiple email solution

Nokia announced the launch of its E62 smartphone in the country, making India the second nation in the world after US to sell the Nokia E62 Smartphone. The Nokia E62 comes with inbuilt memory of 90MB. It supports multiple email solutions and provides advanced voice functions including conference calling with up to six callers.
In addition, it offers superior web experience with large Active Matrix Display of up to 16 million colors. With the growing mobility demands of a business traveler, the Nokia E62 smartphone has been packed with quad-band support for GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE 850/ 900/1800/1900.
It has enhanced security features like Remote Device Lock and device wipe, SSL 3.0/TSL 1.0, OMA DRM Forward-lock and third party add-ons like PointSec Data Protection and Symantec Firewall, Nokia said in a statement.Chakrapani GK, country general manager, Nokia Enterprise Solutions, said, “According to InStat, a leading market research firm, 18.8 million smartphones were sold in APAC in 2006 and this number is expected to increase to 64.2 million by 2010. We have introduced the Nokia E62 smartphone to catalyze this growing need for enterprise mobility.”
Nokia E62 has a full messaging keyboard and supports the Nokia PC Suite. Imported business attachments received via e-mail, such as document presentations and spreadsheets, can be easily accessed via the Quickoffice viewer. It supports multiple audio formats that include MP3, MPEG4 (ACC), RealAudio and MIDI formats.
The phone has a number of connectivity options that include Bluetooth, Infrared, USB data cable and the Nokia PC Suite.It also supports Adobe Reader and WinZip Manager. The phone supports multiple e-mail solutions like Intellisync Wireless Email, GoodLink, Seven Always-On Mail, Blackberry Connect, and ConstantSync Mail for Exchange.