Mobility Site

Krusell’s Top Phones for June

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:54:11 +0000

Mobile device case company Krusell has released it’s list of the top selling cases for the month of June. This is usually a pretty good indicator of how well phones are really selling in the field.

Last month, Nokia utterly dominated, taking the first three spots. Not so this month. They still take five out of ten overall, but in the top three they are joined by Apple’s iPhone (likely due to the 3GS excitement) and HTC’s Touch Diamond 2. HTC made a strong showing in general in June with four phones on the list, and Samsung barely missed the list with their Omnia.

However, for the me the biggest surprise is that the number one phone in terms of new case sales for June is the humble Nokia 6300, a feature phone that is more then two years old! Perhaps the phone buying public are not as fickle and dominated by the new hotness as everyone always says.

Here is the full list…

1.(3) Nokia 6300
2.(-) Apple iphone 3G
3.(-) HTC Touch Diamond 2
4.(2) Nokia 3109
5.(-) Nokia E51
6.(1) Nokia 5800
7.(5) Nokia E71
8.(6) HTC Touch HD
9.(-) HTC Magic
10.(-)HTC Touch Pro2
11.(4) Samsung SGH-i900/i910 Omnia
() = Last month’s position.

See the whole press release HERE.

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Breaking the Green Dam

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:09:56 +0000

Politics are usually something I try to avoid on the internet. Lord knows we all have enough reasons for sleepless nights and high blood pressure (parenting for instance) without adding the endless partisan demonizing that goes on over the internet due to politics.

However, there are some things that go beyond politics and enter the realm of ethics and basic human rights. As I am sure all of you know, the current government of China decided that the agreement by such former champions of free speech as Google and Yahoo to censor information going into China and to turn over the details of those bloggers who the government branded as seditious was not enough. Information was still getting through, and coming out, through a thousand little blogs and independent web sites, to say nothing of twitter and other social networking sites.

Therefore, the Chinese government decreed that any PC sold in China must have their Green Dam censorship software built in to block any content that the Chinese government felt their citizens should not see. Of course they explain that this is to block pornography, which some people see as a reasonable thing to do. Personally, to me that is an inexcusable example of censorship and big-brother paternalism, but no matter. Once that software is provided with any PC sold in China you are already halfway down the slippery slope. Once the hubbub dies down, the Chinese Government will be able to use the same software to block any information they feel is too disgusting for people to see, such as free and open debate of their government’s policies.

Thankfully a good number of people saw things as I do and there was far more of an outcry then the Chinese Government had been expecting (did they learn NOTHING from the Olympics?) and they opted to postpone enforcing the requirement.

End of the matter, hurrah for democracy?

Not yet.

For one thing, the Chinese Government has stated they will still quietly go ahead with the plan, but they will just wait until the eye of the world is drawn to the next sensation. Beyond they, they don’t even need to enforce it. It seems that most PC makers, fully aware of the vast profits to be made by appeasing the Chinese bureaucrats, are shipping PCs with the Green Dam software ANYWAY.

The AP is reporting the following…

Taiwan’s Acer Inc. — the world’s No. 3 PC maker — Sony Corp. and China’s Haier Group said they were shipping Green Dam on disks with computers for sale in China. China’s Lenovo Group, the No. 4 producer, said it would offer the software pre-installed or on disk. Taiwan’s Asus Inc. said it was preparing to supply Green Dam disks with PCs. Taiwanese laptop maker BenQ Inc. said the system was on the hard drives of its computers.

Acer was supplying Green Dam because disks were already packed with PCs before the government postponed the plan, that had been due to take effect Wednesday, said a company spokeswoman, Meng Lei. Lenovo said it also was going ahead with plans made before the Green Dam order was postponed.

Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s top PC manufacturer, said it was working with the U.S. government to get more information and declined to comment further. No. 2 Dell Inc. said it was not including Green Dam with its PCs.

Well, if China can use economic clout to make PC makers willing and eager accessories to censorship and the denial of free speech, then we can at least use the same tools to make our own voices heard.

Choose not to purchase technology by Acer, Sony, Haier, Lenovo, Asus or BenQ. BOYCOTT THEM until they change their policy, or at least until China gives them no choice but to comply. Obeying an unjust law to make censorship easier is bad enough, but to do so when that law is not even being enforced is far worse. Support HP and Dell for their willingness to at least put the breaks on this infantilization and infringement of the basic human rights of adult Chinese citizens and think things through. Before you buy a PC or other device try to find out where their manufacturer stands on this issue. Samsung? LG? Apple? What are YOU going to do?

I for one put my money where my mouth (and heart) is just this morning. I was a hair away from purchasing a Lenovo or Acer netbook when I opted for a Compaq (HP) model instead. A drop in the bucket? Of course…but I will NOT let my money be used to bolster the bottom line of companies that give into Chinese pressure and threats concerning human rights. I simply can’t do so in good conscience, even if it has no effect at all.

I urge you to do the same.

(Source – Simple Thoughts)

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T-Mobile Touch Pro2 Delayed So Android Can Look Good

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:18:12 +0000

According to pocketnow.com, the T-mobile version of HTC’s Touch Pro2 has been delayed. Why? Because T-Mobile is afraid the Touch Pro2 will overshadow the MyTouch3G phone.

The phone has been pushed back from a late July release to August 12. The MyTouch3G is set to be released on August 5. That gives the MyTouch3G about a week to get some sales before the Touch Pro2 comes and steals the spotlight.

via pocketnow.com

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How To Carry Extra Memory/SIM Cards When You Use a Holster

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:22:19 +0000

I recently switched from an HP 111 to a Tilt. I prefer holsters and I purchased one for the Tilt. One problem though, the holster doesn’t have card holder like a leather case does. With the holster I no longer have a place to carry my On Course Navigator microSD card and an additional SIM card that I have. I searched around for a solution and I finally found the Proporta Aluminum Memory/SIM Holder.

It is the size of a credit card, and has the thickness of 4 credit cards. It holds 3 SD cards or SIM cards. It is quite sturdy and fits perfectly in one of the pockets in my wallet. I use an inexpensive tri-fold wallet that I purchased at Walmart.

The length of a SIM card is the same as the width of an SD card, so a SIM card sits in one of the holder’s slots sideways. To hold a microSD card I use an SD adapter. I can now easily carry On Course Navigator, my SIM, and an extra SD card for my camera safely in my wallet.

The cards are easy to insert, easy to remove and are securely held in place. Proporta is a company in the UK that sells accessories for gadgets. I ended up purchasing it through Amazon for $8.32 with free shipping.

http://www.proporta.com/

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NetFront v3.5 Mobile Browser

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:06:49 +0000

Finally, after a speedy install, I have NetFront v3.5 on my Tilt! Not that I had any issues with the install whatsoever, although the size of the CAB had me worried.

While there’s no tabbed browsing in NetFront, this app has nearly the most settings of any mobile browser aside from the new Opera Mobile. New windows are available and a user can flip back and forth between windows through a separate “Window” sub-menu. There are also many ways to customize the browsing experience in NetFront, be it text-only, without images, et cetera, so even the oldest compatible smartphone can surf the interwebs comfortably. Even with all settings on full blaster, NetFront handles images and embedded Flash elements like a trooper, although I couldn’t get YouTube videos to load.

(...) Read the rest of NetFront v3.5 Mobile Browser (140 words)

iPhone Haptic Feedback Patent

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:52:26 +0000

When people choose to buy an all-touch handset, they have forfeited the idea of feeling physical keys under their fingertips. So I guess it makes sense that Apple wants to bring back the “feeling” of keys to iPhone, and most likely iPod Touch, users but is it a priority?

Apple would slap a bunch of actuators across the iPhone’s screen. Then, as you slide your finger around the screen, you’d be able to “feel” the different area of the screen. The top half is more bumpy, while the bottom half smooth as silk.

Other than an interesting technological curiosity, I don’t see this improvement as practical. Practical would be enabling the iPhone to multitask now that the handset can finally capture video and has a better camera that can auto-focus. There were also a karaoke app and fingerprint identification patent mentions, so maybe Apple just files these patents as if to say, “We were here first!” Instead of making them any kind of a priority, or at least, we can hope.

Source: MobileCrunch.com

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Microsoft in the Pink…Redux

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:34:18 +0000

Rumors are flying yet again about an upcoming Microsoft project codenamed Pink. MS has now hired an ad agency for the project (McCann Erikson) who just happens to be the same ones that do the Zune campaigns. Seemingly on the strength of that connection alone the old Zune Phone rumors have started up again (Pink + Zune ads = Zune Phone? Yeah right.), even though half of Microsoft and Steve Ballmer himself have sworn upside down and backwards that Microsoft is not getting into the handset business.

Of course, there are many indications that a handset of some kind is still in Microsoft’s future. Why else purchase Danger, the creators of the Sidekick phones, unless you will have them design you a phone of some kind? While they may be there just to give a new look and feel to WinMo, their strength was always in intuitive physical design. Also, Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet is still quite convinced this is going to happen…of course she was quite convinced that a secret project named Pink was going to be a Microsoft phone and was about to be announced six months ago as well. However, she is seldom that wrong about Microsoft.

At the moment all we really know for sure is that MS hired an ad agency for a project they call Pink. That’s it. Not much to go on, but the rumor mill is spinning fast. It seems like the tech press is desperate for a Zune Phone, if for no other reason then to mock it compared to the iPhone. Go figger.

Microsoft is refusing to comment of course, but “We are NOT making a phone” has become Microsoft’s version of Apple’s “Steve is perfectly healthy, move along please” mantra. However, Steve was so healthy he now has a new liver…so maybe there is a Zune Phone coming after all, despite the mantra.

(Mock up Credit: SlashGear)

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Archos 9 soon in USA

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:39:06 +0000

We may see the Archos 9 TabletPC in this Christmas list of many of us. According to a Press Release, it will be sold in USA this fall.

The ARCHOS 9 features the new Z515 Intel® processor, Microsoft Windows 7® Operating system and an integrated multimedia platform that uses WiFi 802.11b/g connection and Bluetooth 2.1 for extremely fast computing anywhere, anytime.

This small Tablet PC has one of the most appealing designs that I have seen later.

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More September Goodness

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:07:49 +0000

As Steve pointed out in a recent comment, there was a possibility that some Windows Mobile 6.5 devices could drop in September along with the Zune HD and a possible new iPod Touch…and he was right.

The Austrian government carrier, A1, will be releasing the Samsung Omnia 2 at the end of September, featuring a beautiful WVGA AMOLED touchscreen…with WinMo 6.5 baked right in. As far as anyone knows now, this will be the first released device to run Windows Mobile 6.5. No word yet if other European carriers will follow suit.

For German speakers, HERE is the press release.

(Source: WMPowerUser)

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Got gdgt?

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:56:05 +0000

When Peter Rojas and Ryan Block left Engadget and Gizmodo a few months back, they said they were going to be collaborating on a new and exciting venture. That venture just went live and is called gdgt, a social networking site devoted to technogeeks and chipheads who are WAY too emotionally involved with their hi-tech toys and love to bore their friends by talking and sharing information about them…you know, for people like US.

Here is a little of what Ryan says about gdgt…

While the core concepts that drive the site — gadgets and community — will always stay the same, what we’re most excited about is the fact that we can use gdgt as the foundation for building tons of new features and tools for the gadget world. Stuff like the gadget finder — which lets you search for devices based on specs (finally!) — is only the start. We’re already working like crazy thinking up lots of new stuff to introduce over the coming months. And since we’re building this site for you, it goes without saying that the gdgt community has a direct say in what we’re working on. (Hit us up in gdgt feedback to tell us what you want from gdgt, or just what’s on your mind.)

So check out gdgt…in my opinion, this sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun and will be a valuable and unique addition and enhancement to your favorite gadget sites on the web…like MobilitySite.

Watch the intro video below and if you DO sign up for gdgt, drop a friend request to me..user name BardHaven.

So, what is gdgt? from gdgt on Vimeo.

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SkyFire Software Update

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:24:16 +0000

A small upgrade has been made by the SkyFire team to their 1.0 release of the mobile browser this week. The most significant improvement of the browser, now at version 1.0.0.12113 for Windows Mobile touch and non-touch handsets with a newer version for our Symbian kindred, is a reduced memory footprint. For those of us with handsets that are showing their age via lack of capacity, the SkyFire team has streamlined their browser to eliminate those pesky low memory errors.

I’m also ecstatic over reconnections being more reliable! Even after browser runs in the background for a while, the moment I switch back to SkyFire it has reconnected to that same site instantly. It beats the beta version where the browser would return to the SkyFire homepage after an accidental disconnect.

The zoom buttons disappearing and reappearing in a timely fashion was never a stand-out issue for me, but I’m glad that the general 1.0 release fixed the navigation buttons hanging out in the top right corner even when they shouldn’t be. Plus, SkyFire is now more reliable in maintaining the all-haloed Default Browser spot on my handset. No more accidental sojourns with Pocket Internet Explorer. Sorry Microsoft.

Download the latest version of SkyFire here: http://get.skyfire.com

More information on the upgrade can be found at the SkyFire.com blog.

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Oracle, the new king?

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:01:01 +0000

Oracle stock price is going up since May when Oracle announced that it bought Sun Microsystems, one of the biggest distributors and makers of Linux and the creator of Open Office the biggest competitor against Microsoft Office.

(...) Read the rest of Oracle, the new king? (285 words)

Waiting for September

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:04:33 +0000

September is already looking like a hot time in the gadget biz, with several major releases tipped to be happening in or around the beginning of autumn. This makes a lot of sense since most products hoping to make a splash in holiday shopping will want to be on shelves by October, which means a September release is very important. September is also the hot time for back to school/college buying, which always is a big time for notebooks, netbooks and MP3 players.

So, what’s on the agenda for the fall of 2009?

The new Zune, the Zune HD, has been reliably rumored all over the place to be set for release on September 8th. The device, featuring a OLED multi-touchscreen, HD Radio and a Tegra chip for superior video quality, has a good chance to be a major hit with students looking for an all-in-one media machine for those long nights in the dorm room. If the price is right, this could be the first really big seller in Microsoft’s Zune line and solidify their Number 2 position behind the iPod in the MP3 market.
The Second generation iPod Touch was released last September, so the rumors that the third generation will be released THIS September sound reasonable. On top of the history, I think that Apple will need to respond in some way to the Zune HD as well as to Touch users complaining they didn’t get any of the 3GS goodness. What new features will we see? No clue yet, beyond general speed and performance improvements in line with the iPhone 3GS specs. However, I would not be surprised if Apple didn’t go after the one glaring gap in the Zune HD feature set and added full Bluetooth A2DP to the iPod Touch allowing VoIP as well as wireless syncing, maybe skipping the wired earbuds in favor of a wireless Apple Bluetooth set..or perhaps activate FM transmitting. Whatever way they go, I am sure the leaks will begin mid summer.
(Note: Eric noted to me below, quite accurately, that OS 3.0 DID activate the broadcom BT chip in the iPod Touch, but it is only for stereo, no two way with Bluetooth headsets)
The Apple “netbook” rumors are still swirling this time saying that Apple will be releasing a “large form” iPod Touch in the early fall, featuring a 7 to 9 inch touchscreen. We do know that Apple has been buying up touchscreens in that size range all over Asia, and the fall would be the right time to roll out such a product. Of course, this is still relatively wild speculation, but I could easily see Cupertino turning out a premium PMP/Internet device, heavily integrated with the iPhone and MacBook Air to steal some Zune HD thunder (Steve, you bully). They would be going for college students and the same high end market that Sony touches with the Vaio P “Not a Netbook”. Such a product would be just the sort of thing Steve Jobs would love to use as a solid “I’m BBBAACKKKKKK” kind of statement.
Phone wise, I am pretty sure the much hyped BlackBerry Storm 2 will be appearing in September, along with a whole slew of new Android phones. I would also not be surprised to see the next Palm WebOS device appear in the fall, and a number of the talked-about Snapdragon based “Smartbooks” from Samsung and other vendors.

Whichever way these rumors go, I am already saving up my gadget money for September. I have a feeling this is going to be a VERY interesting autumn for tech buyers.

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Iris Mobile Browser v1.1.8: A Review

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:23:55 +0000

A big thank you to @gigajosh for the recommendation on NetFront mobile browser from Access Company because it’s how I found the Iris mobile browser by Torch Mobile. While I will review NetFront before the end of its beta phase, but for now, I’ll dive into Iris.

For an installation file larger than SkyFire 1.0, clocking in at 3.35 MB versus SkyFire’s 679 KB, Iris v1.1.8 was a quick install on my AT&T Tilt running WinMo 6.1. After opening faster than any other mobile browser I’ve used, I was ecstatic to find out that the tabbed browsing in Iris is quick and responsive! Iris gives the user full control over tabs and doesn’t open tabs automatically in the background, thank goodness. There’s even an overall view of all currently open tabs where I was able to quickly flip back and forth between tabs much like the “Cover Flow” view in iTunes but on a much smaller scale. The browser history is displayed in the same way.

(...) Read the rest of Iris Mobile Browser v1.1.8: A Review (223 words)

Windows 7 for just $49

MobilityGuys - Chris Leckness, Don Sorcinelli, Jack Cook, & Steven Hughes — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:05:00 +0000

Microsoft is offering the update to Windows 7 with a 50% off and free shipping! The whole list of 12 stores offerings this deal can be found here.

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