The Register:"Apple has updated its operating system to include support for Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and peripherals. It's a huge win for Apple users, who can now sync their Macintosh computers with the coolest new phones. The release notes for the newest revision of the OS, version 10.2.5, here, promise support for the P800 and Nokia's Series 60 phone, the 7650."
Well done Apple! Let's hope Microsoft get their act together now. I'm amazed to still see the odd doomsaying article about Bluetooth (from mostly American sources it must be said), when it's obvious that Bluetooth is both here to stay and here to conquer!
Cellular-News:"T-Mobile has launched a major advertising campaign to promote its Vodafone Live! clone, t-zones across four of its European markets. The new campaign, created by Saatchi and Saatchi, is intended to accelerate usage of T-Mobile’s extensive mobile multimedia services [MMS], using the creative strapline, “What will you start?”.
'Creative' strapline. Talk about cheesy! I hope they didn't pay too much for that; I could have don't better myself.
"The campaign coincides with the introduction of “t-zones easy access" across three handsets, the Nokia 3650, the Samsung V200 and Panasonic GD87. These handsets now include specially branded keys, offering instant access to t-zones. More handsets will be introduced later in the year."
Guardian Unlimited has an interesting group review of the current crop of camera phones. Cameras covered include the Sharp GX10, Motorola 720i, Siemens S55, Orange SPV, Nokia 7650, NEC e606, Nokia 3650, Sony Ericsson P800 with snapshots (forgive the pun) of a few more.
I haven't actually used or seen too many of these phones but you've got to wonder how many grains of salt should be applied to the opinions expressed by the reviewer - Ashley Norris. For instance, commenting on the Nokia 3650 Mr. Norris states that is has "no sound on the video", while in fact there are now video recorders available for the 3650 which record sound aswell. Tut tut, Mr. Norris!
Unstrung:"U.K.-based CellGlide has today launched a new software product targeting carriers and intended to improve the dire quality of service offered on current GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) mobile phone networks (see CellGlide Manages GPRS)."
This article drew my attention to the fact that, according to Unstrung, there are "poor quality of service levels in most GPRS networks today". Jeez :(
You gotta love it when Russell Beattie get's on his soap box and rants "with a zealot passion".
It's always entertaining but better than that - laser-like insightful. Regarding the new found ubiquity of powerful mobile data connectivity (courtesy of a mobile commnications platform such as Nokia Series 60 devices), Russell asks, "Can you feel that buzz? Can you hear it? I can. It's loud and clear and ringing in my ears every waking moment of every day. I hear it every time I take my Nokia 7650 out of my pocket. Every time I show it to someone who's maybe technology agnostic, and then I Watch Their Eyes when I take a picture or show them a video. Hear Them Gasp when I ask if I want to email it to them right from my phone. See Them Smile when they see mobile games... See Them Fondle the phone in wonder and amazement. Listen To Them Ask "where did you get it? How long ago? How much?" THAT is the buzz. It's what we've been waiting for.
And Intriguingly, "It's a buzz and its soon going to become a roar. Everyone's waiting. The Valley is quiet. The technology that is being developed in the rest of the world is waiting for the enablers of Silicon Valley to produce Magic. I believe it. Remember: Microchips existed before Intel. The mouse existed before Apple. PDAs existed before Palm. And the Internet existed before Netscape. And now? How do we finish this phrase? "Mobile phones existed before..."
I don't know the answer but I believe Russell's working away furiously on his own mobile apps! Emmm......
Europemedia.net:"Scandinavian telco TeliaSonera has reached an agreement with UK-based mobile operator Vodafone about interconnection rates for MMS. With the new agreement, roughly 3.5m TeliaSonera mobile customers in Sweden with MMS-enabled handsets can now send mult-imedia messages to Vodafone customers."
This kind of thing really shouldn't be 'news', should it? One would have thought that all these interoperability issues would have been agreed long before the technology was rolled out to the public. Of course that's a problem which can be attributed to the success of MMS' predecessor, SMS. It's funny now to think that SMS was on phones for years before anyone even knew what it was. 'Interoperability' probably wasn't even in the jargon dictionary, let alone an issue!
Second network launches video MMS in Singapore. "SingTel’s mobile customers will be able to send and receive Video Multimedia Messages (MMS) free-of-charge from 2 April 2003 to 31 May 2003. Video MMS enables customers to add short video clips to text and send them to an email address or another user with a Video MMS-enabled phone. Customers can also record short clips on mobile handsets such as the newly launched Nokia 3650 or Sony Ericsson P800 and send it to their friends via MMS."
The Register: "Symbian is expected to go live with the open sourcing of the OPL development language at the Symbian Developer Expo in London at the end of this month....... for OPL to survive it has to be made to address a broader range of newer Symbian devices. This would now seem to be happening, and far from being dead, OPL may turn out to be a development 'secret weapon' for Symbian."
Europemedia.net: News - New video codec 'twice as good' as MPEG4"The codec, known as H.264, is twice as good as the previous best codec, H.263 and MPEG4 and could have dramatic effects on the transmission of video. Video conferencing would be feasible over low bandwidth environments such as GPRS." Wow!
