Archive for April 22nd, 2008
Enkin from Enkin on Vimeo.
I was so impressed with the work Max Braun and Rafael Spring did with their Enkin application that I enthusiastically requested an interview. If you would like to know more about them, what they think about Google's Android and where they see location based services heading in the future then continue reading after the jump.
What are you currently studying at university and why?
Max: We both study Computational Visualistics at the University of Koblenz, Germany. The course covers mostly computer science but focuses on it's visual aspects like personal graphics or image processing. It managed to provide us nearly all the knowledge (esp. maths, personal graphics, software engineering, …) we needed to succeed with this project. However, unlike the MIT, we’ve no Android classes … yet!
Why did you decide to use Google's Android instead of the other mobile phone platforms already on the market? What do you think of Android over all?
Max: The Android Developer Challenge was certainly a big factor. But also, other platforms simply lack some of the tools we used in Enkin, like sensor interfaces, a positioning system, or an open maps application.
Rafael: I think that Andriod has a great potential to refresh the mobile market. For having developers make cool applications for Android, the ADC was certainly the way to go. We hope that Google and the OHA members will bring us some good Android devices soon.
How long did Enkin take you to write, how many man hours would you say, how many lines of code?
Rafael: The overall project until now is nearly five months of work. Man hours are hard to estimate, but probably more than 1000. It wasn't all code, we also spent a lot of time creating web services for Enkin, discussing UI designs, making field tests, etc. Getting all the sensor data into Enkin (while not ruining performance) also wasn't exactly a swift thing to do.
We won't tell the exact lines of code but it's more than the “lightness” of the interface might recommend.
What inspired you to create Enkin?
Max: When we heard about the ADC we immediately wanted to join. We didn't have the exact concept back then, this developed during the process. At the time, some people in our labs at Osaka University were doing research with accelerometers and gyros and we were probably inspired by that.
Rafael: And I remember this evening where we were looking for a club in Osaka to see 'The Shins' playing and it was really small and hidden. We just had a sketched map, it was dark, and it was hard to identify the streets. So we thought how cool it would be if we had something smart on our mobile that would guide us. Maybe this was when the initial idea was born.
What do you think of Nokia's Point and Find [more information here and here] that does something similar?
Rafael: We heard about Nokia MARA when we’d almost completed Enkin. No doubt, the concept is very similar to Live mode and we wonder why it's discontinued.
Max: But the concept behind Enkin already goes beyond that and there are still lots of ideas to implement and improvements to be made. What you’ll see on actual Android devices will be much smoother and come with more features than what the demo video shows so far. We’ve some really nice ideas in the pipeline. Concerning the future development of Enkin, we try not to focus on one of the modes but rather make them essentials of a unified concept. This will guarantee a smooth navigation experience while being fun to play with at the same time.
How important do you think the standardization of KML is to the future of how consumers create, share and enjoy maps?
Rafael: Of course, anything about sharing should follow a standard. And location-based content is definitely something that people want to share and which can really enrich people's mobile experience. In future versions, Enkin will be able to share location-based content with other users or even applications. I think there will be various aspects of LBC that other applications are actually specialized on, so exchanging LBC would benefit all celebrations. Thus standardization is definitely an issue and KML a possible and useful solution.
If you win what do you plan on doing with the prize money?
Max: We try not to think about it until the first round of the challenge is over. We certainly hope that we'll be one of the finalists and thus be able to participate in the second round to start developing for actual Android devices.
What are you planning to do after university?
Rafael: Maybe I’ll do my PhD then but, ok, that's still university. I don't make much long-term plans so it's a simple: “I don't know yet.”
Max: As for me, I'm aiming for an academic career in the long run. So the next step will be a PhD, too.
What are you looking forward to the most in the future of mobile telecommunications?
Rafael: GPS III and Galileo definitely rock. They’ll enable us to do really awesome stuff for Enkin.
Max: I like how more and more mobile devices are getting rid of the physical keyboard and use all the space for one touch screen. That's the way to go, I think. Together with increasing computational power this will bring us great user interfaces in the future.
What phones do you have now?
Max: Right now, I’m using my Japanese Sharp 880SH with it's terrible UI. Back in Germany, I'll go back to my old K610i, but I'm thinking about getting an iPhone because I really like my iPod touch.
Rafael: I just came back from Japan so until I get my new handset (which I haven't ordered yet) I’ll use my old Sony “brick”.
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 Happy Earth Day! How many of you out there remembered that today was our home planet's special day? It's a good thing we reminded you.
So, just what are you doing to help out Mother Earth today?
A lot of retailers are offering consumer electronics recycling programs this day, some with incentives. If you've got a drawer full of old and never-to-be-used-again cellphones, you might want to consider giving them the recycling treatment. Throwing away mobile phones just dumps valuable metals and possibly toxic chemicals into landfills, a recycle bin is the most Earth-friendly resting place for your mobile.
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 According to some emails sent out to some lucky Palm fans, PalmInfoCenter has found that Palm is planning to start beta testing “an innovative new product.” Beta testers are required to be heavy email and data users with access to WiFi and a current Sprint customer. The next Palm Treo slated to go to bat for Palm is the Palm Treo 800w, and Palm's been playing up their new Treo for quite some time. The “innovative” product from Palm is most likely the Palm Treo 800w.
From the email:
We’ve a new opportunity for people in an enterprise environment who want to an innovative device for connectivity from Palm, one of the global leaders in communication. If you’re interested in applying, please visit the following link.
(link removed, text detailed below)
Thank you for being a member of the Palm community!
The Palm Beta Test Team
From the website:
Beta Testing Opportunity
The following opportunity is available.
Palm is seeking people to test an innovative new product. This product is focused on seasoned business professionals. People who commute and spend a ton of time working on email and on the phone. This test is for people looking for slicing edge technology and demand constant communication.
Qualified candidates should work in an enterprise level business and have a lot of experience with varied technologies. These people should invest a significant amount of money in their technology and use it daily.
Required Qualifications:
Sprint Subscriber
Bluetooth headphones or automobile kits
WiFi Router access
Optional Qualifications:
Existing Smartphone Users
Heavy to Medium e-mail users
Heavy phone users
Travel for work with their phone
The confirmation of “WiFi” is great news for anyone following the development of the Palm Treo 800w. Not only will the Windows Mobile-powered Palm Treo 800w be rocking 3G data speeds, but it will apparently be down with some good, old-fashioned WiFi access. Oh, and it looks like the Treo 800w will also be shipping with Windows Mobile 6.1 (with MMS in tow).
The Palm Treo 800w is slated for a mid-2008/Summer 2008 launch.
[Via: PalmInfoCenter]
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 The newest slim and inexpensive clamshell from Sprint and Sanyo is now available for Sprint customers looking for style on a budget. The Sanyo Katana LX has come in to relieve the Sanyo Katana II with GPS, Bluetooth, and VGA camera in tow. And, that external display that lights up from underneath the glossy facade is a nice touch.
Sprint is offering the Sprint Katana LX for a cent shy of $50 when purchased with new contract (and rebates used, of course). The Katana LX will be offered in Liquid Graphite, Pacific Blue, and Elegant Pink, so get 'em while they're hot!
Sprint
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 It looks like Levi's is back at it with another fashion-branded handset. Following on the Levi's handsets designed by Modelabs, the famous jean-maker has launched another handset in France. This time around, France's Orange network will be the exclusive provider for the 3G-toting mobile phone slider. By the looks of it, the only “fashion” forward aspect of this particular handset is the Levi-engraved back plate.
Still, with a tri-band (900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM radio, 2100Mhz UMTS, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, FM radio, microSD card slot, and a limited-time 1GB microSD card and jean-shaped phone case offer, the new Levi slider should bring gimmick-loving Frenchmen some 3G love.
To get your hands on this new Levi's phone, you'll need head to France and scrap together 279 EUR ($444 USD) for an outright purchase, or as little as 9 EUR ($14 USD) with new contract.
[Via: MobileBurn]
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Enkin from Enkin on Vimeo.
I was so impressed with the work Max Braun and Rafael Spring did with their Enkin application that I enthusiastically requested an interview. If you would like to know more about them, what they consider Google's Android and where they see location based services heading in the future then continue reading after the jump.
What are you currently studying at university and why?
Max: We both study Computational Visualistics at the University of Koblenz, Germany. The course covers mostly personal science but focuses on it's visual aspects like computer graphics or image processing. It managed to provide us nearly all the knowledge (esp. maths, personal graphics, software engineering, …) we needed to succeed with this project. However, unlike the MIT, we’ve no Android classes … yet!
Why did you decide to use Google's Android instead of the other mobile phone platforms already on the market? What do you think of Android over all?
Max: The Android Developer Challenge was certainly a huge factor. But also, other platforms simply lack some of the tools we used in Enkin, like sensor interfaces, a positioning system, or an open maps application.
Rafael: I think that Andriod has a great potential to refresh the mobile market. For having developers make cool applications for Android, the ADC was certainly the way to go. We hope that Google and the OHA members will bring us some good Android devices soon.
How long did Enkin take you to write, how many man hours would you state, how many lines of code?
Rafael: The overall project until now is nearly five months of work. Man hours are hard to estimate, but probably more than 1000. It wasn't all code, we also spent a lot of time creating web services for Enkin, discussing UI designs, making field tests, etc. Getting all the sensor data into Enkin (while not ruining performance) also wasn't exactly a quick thing to do.
We won't tell the exact lines of code but it's more than the “lightness” of the interface might advocate.
What inspired you to create Enkin?
Max: When we heard about the ADC we immediately wanted to join. We didn't have the exact concept back then, this developed during the process. At the time, some people in our labs at Osaka University were doing research with accelerometers and gyros and we were probably inspired by that.
Rafael: And I remember this evening where we were looking for a club in Osaka to see 'The Shins' playing and it was really small and hidden. We just had a sketched map, it was dark, and it was hard to identify the streets. So we thought how cool it would be if we’d something smart on our mobile that would guide us. Maybe this was when the initial idea was born.
What do you think of Nokia's Point and Find [more information here and here] that does something similar?
Rafael: We heard about Nokia MARA when we’d nearly finished Enkin. No doubt, the concept is very similar to Live mode and we wonder why it's discontinued.
Max: But the concept behind Enkin already goes beyond that and there are still lots of ideas to implement and improvements to be made. What you will see on actual Android devices will be much smoother and come with more features than what the demo video shows so far. We have some really nice ideas in the pipeline. Concerning the future development of Enkin, we try not to focus on one of the modes but rather make them essentials of a unified concept. This will guarantee a smooth navigation experience while being fun to play with at the same time.
How important do you think the standardization of KML is to the future of how consumers create, share and enjoy maps?
Rafael: Of course, anything about sharing should follow a standard. And location-based content is definitely something that people want to share and which can really enrich people's mobile experience. In future versions, Enkin will be able to share location-based content with other users or even applications. I think there will be various aspects of LBC that other applications are actually specialized on, so exchanging LBC would benefit all celebrations. Thus standardization is definitely an issue and KML a possible and useful solution.
If you win what do you plan on doing with the prize money?
Max: We try not to consider it until the first round of the challenge is over. We certainly hope that we'll be one of the finalists and thus be able to participate in the second round to start developing for actual Android devices.
What are you planning to do after university?
Rafael: Maybe I will do my PhD then but, ok, that's still university. I don't make much long-term plans so it's a simple: “I don't know yet.”
Max: As for me, I'm aiming for an academic career in the long run. So the next step will be a PhD, too.
What are you looking forward to the most in the future of mobile telecommunications?
Rafael: GPS III and Galileo definitely rock. They’ll enable us to do really awesome stuff for Enkin.
Max: I like how more and more mobile devices are getting rid of the physical keyboard and use all the space for one touch screen. That's the way to go, I think. Together with increasing computational power this will bring us great user interfaces in the future.
What phones do you’ve now?
Max: Right now, I am using my Japanese Sharp 880SH with it's terrible UI. Back in Germany, I'll go back to my old K610i, but I'm thinking about getting an iPhone because I really like my iPod touch.
Rafael: I just came back from Japan so until I get my new handset (which I haven't ordered yet) I will use my old Sony “brick”.
—
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The Nokia 5320 and 5220 have just been announced, one S60 and one S40 powered, more than an hour after the live webcast was supposed to begin. I love to include ultra high resolution images in my post when new devices are announced, read on after the jump.
Let's begin with the lower end device first. The 5220 will be coming out in Q3 for 160 EUR and it is a triband GSM/EDGE device. There will be two versions, one 850/1800/1900 MHz, the other 900/1800/1900 MHz. It will have a 2 inch 240 x 320 resolution screen with 256k colors, weighs only 78 grams and is 108 x 43.5 x 10.5 mm small. Included is a 2 megapixel camera, 3.5 mm headphone jack with dedicated HiFi audio chipset, FM radio and Bluetooth A2DP support. The 1020 mAh battery should let you play back music for 24 hours, which would be great if you could stick an 8 GB memory card in there, but this device's data sheet [PDF] claims a max of 2 GB. More images can be seen here.
Now the 5320 will be 220 EUR and for that amount of money you're getting quad band GSM/EDGE and dual band 3.6 Mbps HSDPA. There will be one version with 850/2100 MHz HSPDA and another with 900/2100 MHz HSDPA. You get a 2 inch 240 x 320 resolution display with 16 million colors. No word as to the version of S60 this device runs, but I wouldn't hesitate to predict it is S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2. The 5320 has S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2, thanks Jukka. This 90 gram device is 108 x 46 x 15 mm and has a 3.5 mm headphone jack with a dedicated HiFi audio chip that should give you better playback quality and enable a whopping 24 hours of listening time, which is bold claim since the 5320 only has a 890 mAh battery. With microSDHC support you can shove an 8 GB card in here and higher capacities once they become available. This is the first S60 device to support high speed USB 2.0 transfer, I'll have to get one in the lab to see just how fast that really is, I always recommend getting a dedicated card reader to save yourself the hassle of waiting for the progress bar to finish. 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth A2DP support and something called “Say and Play” where you can say an artist or song name and the device will start playing it are also included. Data sheet here: PDF. More images here.
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 Sure, cellphones are great. If you're reading this, you probably don't need anyone to convince you that all the convergence we're seeing in the mobile phone industry is a good thing. But, does that mean we should use our mobile phones in as many aspects of our lives as possible? Perhaps.
According to a recent study conducted by Samsung, most US mobile phone users are willing to vote for their next president by way of SMS text message.
Of those polled, 61% of people in the 18-and-older demographic stated they would cast their ballot with their cellphone. And, not so surprisingly, 80% of survey participants 13-17 years old stated they would be comfortable casting their vote wirelessly.
The prospect of voting with your mobile phone is enticing. Voting couldn't be any easier. US cellphone users can already vote for their next American Idol via text message, and the service seen tremendous success. But, until security issues can be ironed out, SMS text voting might just be a tiny too “hackable” to be implemented in the near term.
Full press release on the link.
U.S. Cell Phone Users Open to Texting Their Vote for President
New Survey From Samsung Mobile Shows Bipartisan Support of a Text Election
DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A survey by Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) recommends that many teens and their parents across the U.S. would rather vote by text message on their cell phones in the next election rather than go to the polls.
BYE-BYE POLLS
- More than six in ten (61%a) of respondents of legal voting age, age 18 and older, would be open to voting by text.
- Eight in ten (80%) teens, ages 13-17, say that if they were granted to vote in this year’s Presidential election, they’d do it by text message instead of going to the polls.
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT
- More than half of all Democrats, Republicans and Independents surveyed say that if granted, they’d text in their Presidential vote.
The survey, commissioned by Samsung Mobile, was conducted by Kelton Research and included 300 American teens ages 13 – 19 and 500 American parents with children ages 13 – 19.
a All decimals are rounded to the nearest percentage point. This may result in certain numerical totals adding up to slightly more or slightly less than 100%.
About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.
About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$103.4 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
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Samsung made it clear during Mobile World Congress that their slim-line Ultra Edition flagship, the Samsung Soul, was ready to take its secondary, haptic-feedback display to Europe. This day, Samsung has announced that their 12.9mm thick Samsung Soul is ready to rock in Europe. As such, US-friendly frequency support for HSDPA, let alone GSM, is sadly left off the Samsung Soul's spec-sheet.
But, Europeans will probably find the European-spec HSDPA (7.2Mbps), 5 megapixel camera with face detection, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and image stabilization, FM radio with RDS, and that one-of-a-kind secondary Magical Touch display more than worth the €400 ($635 USD) asking price. It's unclear if the Samsung Soul will make it Stateside with support for US-flavored frequencies.
Look for the Samsung Soul to drop in France, the UK, and Germany, with other countries to follow.
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According to some emails sent out to some lucky Palm fans, PalmInfoCenter has found that Palm is planning to begin beta testing “an innovative new product.” Beta testers are required to be heavy email and data users with access to WiFi and a current Sprint customer. The next Palm Treo slated to go to bat for Palm is the Palm Treo 800w, and Palm's been playing up their new Treo for quite some time. The “innovative” product from Palm is most likely the Palm Treo 800w.
From the email:
We have a new opportunity for people in an enterprise environment who want to an innovative device for connectivity from Palm, one of the global leaders in communication. If you’re interested in applying, please visit the following link.
(link removed, text detailed below)
Thank you for being a member of the Palm community!
The Palm Beta Test Team
From the website:
Beta Testing Opportunity
The following opportunity is available.
Palm is seeking people to test an innovative new product. This product is focused on seasoned business professionals. People who commute and spend a ton of time working on email and on the phone. This test is for people looking for cutting edge technology and demand constant communication.
Qualified candidates should work in an enterprise level business and have a lot of experience with varied technologies. These people should invest a significant amount of money in their technology and use it daily.
Required Qualifications:
Sprint Subscriber
Bluetooth headphones or automobile kits
WiFi Router access
Optional Qualifications:
Existing Smartphone Users
Heavy to Medium e-mail users
Heavy phone users
Travel for work with their phone
The confirmation of “WiFi” is great news for anyone following the development of the Palm Treo 800w. Not only will the Windows Mobile-powered Palm Treo 800w be rocking 3G data speeds, but it will apparently be down with some good, old-fashioned WiFi access. Oh, and it looks like the Treo 800w will also be shipping with Windows Mobile 6.1 (with MMS in tow).
The Palm Treo 800w is slated for a mid-2008/Summer 2008 launch.
[Via: PalmInfoCenter]
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