Archive for March 20th, 2008
If you're feeling a tinge of deja vu all over again, it's because this has all happened before. HTC, long known to be developing a handset running the Android open-source OS, has finally come out in the open and announced that their Android handset will be called the “Dream.”
Back in the early days of the Android OS announcements, along with the OHA announcements, we were hearing that Google was hard at work on a Google Phone (gPhone, as many have fondly referred to it) made by HTC. Then, with the announcement of Android, those gPhone rumors pretty much died. HTC was still reported to be manufacturing the a handset based on Google's OS. The HTC Dream was stated to actually be a handful of varied Android prototypes.
Now, HTC is back in the mix with the HTC Dream. The Windows Mobile-handset manufacturing giant is keeping details about the HTC Dream as closely guarded as possible. What we know is that the commercial version of the Dream will rock a huge touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard (slide or swivel style), and will be geared towards easy internet navigation. The handset will reportedly be 3-inches wide by 5-inches long and is expected to hit the market near the end of 2008 - which is in line with widely held expectations for the first Android handset to launch by year's end.
The HTC Omni could still materialize as the HTC Dream. The specs seem to line up nicely with the expected HTC Dream. And, it remains to be seen if HTC will indeed ship 1 million of these Android handsets in 2008.
Note: Image doesn't necessarily represent the HTC Dream.
[Via: InfoWorld]
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 Sprint's only hope to retain, or at least partially regain, their formerly successful days as a Top 3 US wireless carrier is to concentrate on becoming the premier wireless broadband provider. That means Sprint will have to focus on the data side of their operations - as I mentioned a while back.
So, in a move that should help the ailing wireless operator turn over a new data-centric leaf, Sprint has announced plans to switch to an all IP-based network, according to InfoWorld. Sprint would be the first carrier to use a network entirely based on the same structure as the internet - unifying their CDMA, iDEN, and future WiMAX networks under a single IP-based structure.
Ben Vos, vice president of core technologies at Sprint, said that the move to IP structure is required to ensure that a consistent data-experience is delivered to each subscriber - regardless of whether the data is access from a smartphone, dumbphone, PDA, or notebook. “You need to have a unified service architecture at the heart of the network that’s agnostic of those underlying technologies at the edge,” said Vos.
As Sprint moves towards becoming a data provider, it will become increasingly important to make sure that devices across all networks can communicate reliably and that software can work in a consistent manner across all networks. An all IP-based network allows developers to write applications that can be deployed on multiple networks no need for changes to the code. In comparison, Verizon uses some IP-based technology, but the use of legacy technology limits Verizon's network flexibility.
In other news, Sprint says that it is on-track to go live with its national WiMAX/XOHM network soon. The current soft-launch of the commercial XOHM network in select US cities was a success. But, Sprint will wait until after it publishes its Q1 financial report to comment on which markets Sprint will initially expand their WiMAX service.
[Via: Electronista]
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 Speak about lockdown. In a move that should make anti-trust litigators foam at the mouth, Apple has reportedly banned the development of any music player application for the iPhone.
The new iPhone SDK apparently restricts applications from accessing iTunes functions, effectively prohibiting developers from accessing the iTunes music library or expanding on the iPhone's music-player. That means services like Amazon and eMusic will most likely be unable to create an iPhone application that allows iPhone users to purchase and download music outside of Apple's iTunes (desktop or iPhone-based).
We'll have to see how this pans out. The banning of any application accessing the iPhone's music files or the development of an music applications outside of iTunes might be a veritable pitcher of sweat tea to the buzzing swarms of lawyers waiting to file suit against Apple. But, if Steve Jobs' past decisions are any indicator, he might just try to lock down the iPhone's music capabilities. The iPhone's music abilities are pretty impressive as it is already.
[Via: MacWorld]
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If you're feeling a tinge of deja vu all over again, it's because this has all happened before. HTC, long known to be developing a handset running the Android open-source OS, has finally come out in the open and announced that their Android handset will be called the “Dream.”
Back in the early days of the Android OS announcements, along with the OHA announcements, we were hearing that Google was hard at work on a Google Phone (gPhone, as many have fondly referred to it) made by HTC. Then, with the announcement of Android, those gPhone rumors pretty much died. HTC was still reported to be manufacturing the a handset based on Google's OS. The HTC Dream was stated to actually be a handful of varied Android prototypes.
Now, HTC is back in the mix with the HTC Dream. The Windows Mobile-handset manufacturing giant is keeping details about the HTC Dream as closely guarded as possible. What we know is that the commercial version of the Dream will rock a massive touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard (slide or swivel style), and will be geared towards simple internet navigation. The handset will reportedly be 3-inches wide by 5-inches long and is expected to hit the market near the end of 2008 - which is in line with widely held expectations for the first Android handset to launch by year's end.
The HTC Omni could still materialize as the HTC Dream. The specs seem to line up nicely with the expected HTC Dream. And, it remains to be seen if HTC will indeed ship 1 million of these Android handsets in 2008.
Note: Image doesn't necessarily represent the HTC Dream.
[Via: InfoWorld]
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 While the rest of us mere mortals will have to make do with screenshots and videos of the upcoming Windows Mobile 6.1 UI, an enterprising ROM-cook over at xda-developers forum has installed the not-yet-released Windows Mobile 6.1 OS on an HTC Star Trek smartphone.
Apparently not content with having Windows Mobile 6.0 on the Star Trek, xda-developers member Erofich has managed to tweak the touch-based Windows Mobile 6.1 OS for the non-touchscreen HTC Star Trek. The directional pad and keys have been mapped to provide touchscreen inputs in place of a finger or stylus, and the WM6.1 install seems to be running with no major problems.
Erofich has also managed to get Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard ported to the HTC Star Trek (and all its branded variants) as well. Check out the xda-developers forums post for more info on how to get WM6.1 on your own Star Trek.
[Via: Engadget Mobile]
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Talk about lockdown. In a move that should make anti-trust litigators foam at the mouth, Apple has reportedly banned the development of any music player application for the iPhone.
The new iPhone SDK apparently restricts applications from accessing iTunes functions, effectively prohibiting developers from accessing the iTunes music library or expanding on the iPhone's music-player. That means services like Amazon and eMusic will most likely be unable to create an iPhone application that allows iPhone users to buy and download music outside of Apple's iTunes (desktop or iPhone-based).
We'll have to see how this pans out. The banning of any application accessing the iPhone's music files or the development of an music applications outside of iTunes may be a veritable pitcher of sweat tea to the buzzing swarms of lawyers waiting to file suit against Apple. But, if Steve Jobs' past decisions are any indicator, he might just try to lock down the iPhone's music abilities. The iPhone's music capabilities are pretty impressive as it is already.
[Via: MacWorld]
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Sprint isn't doing so well as a traditional voice-carrier amidst its more popular competition. So, the struggling network operator is re-focusing its resources on the data-side of mobile communications.
Apple's iPhone has forced the industry to re-think how mobile phones deal with  web-content. The fake internet that's served up with those crappy, bundled WAP browsers is no longer acceptable to the informed consumer. And, as such, Sprint has announced that they will be bringing a more desktop-like web-browsing experience to all data-capable handsets in its lineup. In partnership with OpenWave, Sprint will be pushing the OpenWeb content adaptation platform (PDF link) to all compatible handsets, free of charge.
Through the use of proxy-servers, OpenWeb should allow web-friendly Sprint handsets to surf the web with webpages formatted in easy-to-read layouts that mimics the look and feel of desktop browsing - no matter the processing and memory limitations of a particular handset. The OpenWeb platform intercepts all website requests, formats them for the mobile phone, and sends an optimized version of the website to then handset.
Sprint users should see the OpenWave OpenWeb implementation begin to roll out in coming weeks. We're sure Palm Treo and Centro fans are going to have a field day with this one. Let's hope Sprint's data-side push will culminate in a successful WiMAX/XOHM network launch.
[Via: treocentral]
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 Following on Nokia's more developed and wide-ranging offerings with their N-Gage gaming platform, Verizon Wireless has announced the launch of their exclusive new 3D game, Metal Gear Solid Mobile.
Made by the same folks that brought us Metal Gear Solid console games, Metal Gear Solid Mobile is a totally new game with novel features. The new mobile game includes 3D effects and camera work that surpasses anything available in the mobile gaming space, allowing the player to control first-person and third-person perspectives and multiple weapon choices. There's also a new feature that grants the user to take a picture with their mobile phone's camera and integrate the picture's colors into the game-character's camo-gear.
Metal Gear Solid Mobile won the Grand Prix and Operator’s Choice awards at the 2008 International Mobile Gaming Awards, and now you can have it on your Verizon Wireless handset for $4.99 a monthly or $10.99 for outright buy.
[Via: Mobility Site]
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Sprint isn't doing so well as a traditional voice-carrier amidst its more popular competition. So, the struggling network operator is re-focusing its resources on the data-side of mobile communications.
Apple's iPhone has forced the industry to re-think how mobile phones deal with web-content. The fake internet that's served up with those crappy, bundled WAP browsers is no longer acceptable to the informed consumer. And, as such, Sprint has announced that they’ll be bringing a more desktop-like web-browsing experience to all data-capable handsets in its lineup. In partnership with OpenWave, Sprint will be pushing the OpenWeb content adaptation platform (PDF link) to all compatible handsets, free of charge.
Through the use of proxy-servers, OpenWeb should allow web-friendly Sprint handsets to surf the internet with webpages formatted in easy-to-read layouts that mimics the look and feel of desktop browsing - no matter the processing and memory limitations of a particular handset. The OpenWeb platform intercepts all website requests, formats them for the mobile phone, and sends an optimized version of the website to then handset.
Sprint users should see the OpenWave OpenWeb implementation start to roll out in coming weeks. We're sure Palm Treo and Centro fans are going to have a field day with this one. Let's hope Sprint's data-side push will culminate in a successful WiMAX/XOHM network launch.
[Via: treocentral]
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 What that, you state? Verizon Wireless will be opening their network to “any app, any device?” Surely you jest.
Verizon Wireless is one of the most closed networks in the US. The No. 2 carrier insists on controlling what device you use on their network and even what applications you can install on their mobile phones. But, with their “any app, any device” announcement a while back, Verizon Wireless actually got people believing that their CDMA network would actually be as open as a GSM network.
This day, Verizon Wireless held a press conference to detail just how their network would work with “any app, any device.” Starting the second half of this year, Verizon will begin accepting certification submission from hardware manufacturers. Mobile phone manufacturers will have to submit their wares, and pay a fee, for certification from Verizon - a process that should take 4-8 weeks. While there aren't any UI restrictions, handset manufacturers will have to re-submit their hardware for mandatory re-certification every 36 months. Of course, only FCC approved devices are granted to play in Verizon's sandbox.
As far as “any app” on Verizon handsets, the carrier announced that any compatible application will be allowed on devices using Verizon Wireless's network. And, the open-network policy will extend to Verizon's future LTE network.
To cap things off, Verizon announced that they are considering a new multi-device, flat-rate calling plan. The plan would grant you to connect multiple devices to the CDMA network for the price of a single calling plan subscription. Not a bad deal, if it becomes a reality.
But, aside from that multi-device flat-rate calling plan, Verizon's open network initiative is a bit disappointing. Devices have to be submitted for a fee-based certification process, and then resubmitted every 36 months. GSM users are already able to hop between devices at will - full compatibility be damned. The SIM card is a wonderful thing…
[Via: Reuters]
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