To many, web on the mobile phone is still very much hoopla. It’s tedious, peripheral and simply impractical. But Nokia will soon be equipping its devices with a software that promises to silence even the keenest cynic. Will it really?
Like sucking on a sweet with its plastic wrapper on. That’s how I describe the whole concept of surfing the web on your mobile phone. You do it and you go through the motions but you aren’t really getting the juice.
Telecommunication operators, phone manufacturers and futurists have been trying to sell us the idea of mobile phone web surfing for at least a decade now. They promise your favourite websites wherever you go, right there in the palm of your hands. But judging from dismal take up rates of 3G and other mobile Internet services, consumers aren’t too convince over the whole idea. This includes your truly.
Why are people still not surfing the web on their mobile phones? The answer could lie on a very fundamental issue - there is a gross mismatch between tiny LCD screens and rich content websites. Let’s face it. How appealing does your favourite website look on the screen of your mobile phone? Would it be convenient to scroll all the way right with the directional keypad just to finish a sentence that you are reading?
Early web developers tried to solve this problem with "mobile device versions" of their websites. But these pages were visually unappealing and had too many restrictions to ever be a serious contender for mobile eyeballs.
But Nokia is good to address the issue now. It has introduced the browsing software known as the minimap. It is fundamentally a new mobile phone browser that enables users to read web pages without having to fit the entire page onto a small screen.
MiniMap was unveiled at Nokia’s Mobility Conference 2005 in Barcelona as part of its N series, and will be available on all new Nokia phones using Symbian’s Series 60 platform. The browser works by creating a tiny image of an entire web page and then allowing the user to move a magnifying panel over the section they wish to view.
"This is very different to any browser on the market at the moment," said Anssi Vanjoki, general manager for multimedia at Nokia.
"It’s a browser that will truly make the phone an Internet device. It’s bringing consumers a new way of browsing the web."Image
The browser supports dynamic HTML and RSS and allows for text searching of a web page from the phone.
The MiniMap browser is based on WebCore and JavaScriptCore components from Apple’s Safari browser and is fully open source.
"Safari WebKit’s performance, code base and support for open standards make it an ideal open source technology for projects like the new web browser for Symbian’s Series 60," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.
Nokia has said that the devices represent a leap from mobile phones to a form of handheld computer that can swap content with electronic equipment in the home as well as provide secure email.
The company launched three new handsets in Hong Kong last April which it describes as "multimedia computers" and not mobile phones. All the devices will feature the Minimap and are due to be available by the middle of this year.
Nokia hopes that this will help it grab a large share of the emerging market for ‘converged’ mobile devices. According to Nokia’s own figures, web browsing accounts for over 60 per cent of the data traffic for mobile phones and these figures increase further at higher data rates like 3G.
The software is still in testing stages and yours truly has yet to get a feel of its actual workings. But according to Nokia, user feedback has been great and minimap looks set to be the killer application that will bring Internet surfing on the mobile into mainstream usage. Will this finally be the silver bullet to slay the Mobile Web Surfing Monster? The verdict will have to wait.
This article is taken from here
Rumor yang beredar sebelumnya adalah kalau Google akan merilis Google Phone atau GPhone atau hape Google. Tapi, Andy Rubin yang ditunjuk sebagai bos divisi mobile di Google mengatakan kalau teknologi ini lebih dari itu. “Kita tidak sedang membangun GPhone; kita akan membuat sesuatu yang bikin orang bisa buat 1000 GPhone!," itu katanya. Kalau teknologi ini berhasil mungkin kutipan itu akan dikenang sepanjang masa.
Teknologi itu bernama Android. Android memang bikin Google melangkah maju lagi. Setelah kita dibulan-bulani berbagai aplikasi web buatan Google yang keren-keren itu, ternyata Google pengen orang lebih terkesima lagi dengan teknologi mereka. Tidak cukup dengan Gmail, Google Earth, Google Gadget, iGoogle, Google Book Search, Adsense, mereka bikin heboh dengan Android itu. Android ini bukan robot yang bisa ngomong di dunia sains fiksi Spielberg. Ini bakal lebih hebat dari fiksi, Android adalah teknologi yang jadi andalan Google untuk nantinya bakal jadi sebuah sistem operasi baru buatan mereka.
Android pada dasarnya bukan murni bikinan Google. Android adalah sebuah program dasar untuk Google mengembangkan teknologi mereka di hape. Google percaya dengan memakai aplikasi Android ini, masa depan dunia hape bisa makin cerah. Android juga nantinya bakal jadi sebuah dasar dari sistem operasi baru buatan Google. Bisa jadi namanya Android itu sendiri. Google juga sudah menyatakan bahwa sebuah hape yang boleh disebut GPhone akan rilis di kuartal kedua tahun 2008. Rumornya GPhone bertenaga Android pertama nanti merupakan bikinan HTC dan diberi nama Dream. Meski begitu pada dasarnya Android ini tetap merupakan platform untuk segala hape.
Andy Rubin yang notabene juga pendiri Android dan akhirnya dibeli Google di tahun 2005 itu memang super pede dengan kehadiran teknologi ini. Dengan digandengnya 30-an perusahaan IT besar, kehadiran Google di hape bakal berdampak luas di masyarakat. Banyak yang memang mengakui bahwa sudah saatnya sebuah hape itu gokil di internet. Dan, kalau sudah bicara internet, nama Google sudah pasti jadi jaminan. Bahkan juga disebutkan bahwa aliansi ini terbuka untuk siapa saja, bahkan untuk kompetitor Google di masa depan. Ini karena Android sendiri sifatnya open source, siapa saja bisa utak-atik.
Andy Rubin juga menyatakan bahwa sistem Android ini bakal ramah. Selain Android merupakan sistem yang open source, teknologi ini juga didesain untuk hape dengan macam tingkat teknologi. Mau hapenya berlayar gede, kecil, dengan QWERTY atau tidak, tidak jadi soal. Bahasa pemrogramannya juga dibikin sefleksibel mungkin biar para pengembang aplikasi bisa dengan mudah bikin di platform ini. SDK (Sistem Developer Kit – semacam software dan sistem dasar buat para pengembang aplikasi) Android sudah muncul di http://code.google.com/android/. Siapa saja bisa mengambil dan berdiskusi mengenai teknologi itu secara bebas.
Semua pada akhirnya memang menanti gimana jadinya kalau Google main di bisnis hape. Banyak loh yang percaya dengan kemampuan yang dimiliki Google dan akhirnya memutuskan buat gabung ke dalam aliansi tadi. Di dalam aliansi ini terdapat nama-nama besar seperti KDDI, NTT DoCoMo, Sprint Nextel, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, dan T-Mobile. Nokia, Palm, Microsoft, Apple memang masih sombong, nggak mau ikutan. Tetapi, bukan berarti kalau ini berhasil mereka juga ikut-ikutan ngembangin sistem ini.
Artikel ini diambil dari sini
Life is an adventure, and you enjoy exploring the world around you. That's not to say we'd necessarily find you trekking through the rainforest, or over the peaks of mountaintops - but you like having fun outdoors.
You're probably the type to be fishing in the stream or camping in the countryside rather than sitting at home and watching it on the Discovery Channel. There's a part of you that loves the thrill, the relaxation, and the simple pleasure of being away from civilization: watching the dusk sky, or gazing at the stars.
Here is the phone that fill your need : Nokia 6210 Navigator. It's dedicated for you, adventure and traveler.
Nokia 6210 Navigator combines with GPS navigation with an accelerometer to measures changes in direction and orientation. Integrated with Nokia Maps 2.0, the 6210 Navigator shows the quickest route to the destination. With high-speed 3.5G connectivity, detailed information about each point of interest, like the phone number or web address is a click away. Car navigation is also easy with pre-installed one-touch navigation, full voice guidance and self-mount car kit. If users makes a wrong turn, the device will automatically calculate a new route. Ready for use out of the box, local maps are pre-loaded on the 1 GB memory card and map updates are included in the sales price. Browsing the Internet and using instant messaging, email and widgets is fast with the high speed 3.5G HSDPA technology. The 6210 Navigator also features a 3.2-megapixel camera, MP3 player and stereo FM radio.
Nokia 6210 Navigator Features
Navigate quickly and easily with A-GPS navigation and Nokia Maps
Find the way by car or by foot, with a compass for pedestrian navigation
Take quality pictures and video using the 3.2-megapixel camera with flash and panorama feature
See maps, pictures, and videos on the impressive 2.4-inch QVGA 320 x 240 px resolution display
Browse the internet, send email, and download content quickly via high-speed 3.5G connections
Nokia 6210 Navigator Specs
Technical Specifications
Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / WCDMA 900 / 2100
Form Factor : Slide / Symbian OS
Dimensions : 103 x 49 x 15 mm
Weight : 117 g
Antenna : Internal
Navigation : 5-Way Keypad
Battery Type : 950 mAh Li-Ion
Talk Time : 2.50
Standby Time : 250
Memory : 120.0 MB
Expandable Memory: microSD / TransFlash
Imaging
Main Screen : 16700000 colors (TFT / Ambient Light Sensor)240 x 320 px
External Screen : x
Camera : 3.2 MP / Flash / 4X Zoom / Video Recorder / Video Calling
Audio
MP3 Player : MP3 / AAC / eAAC / eAAC+ / WMA / M4A
FM Radio : yes
Speakerphone : yes
Push-To-Talk : yes
Multimedia
Wallpapers : 240 x 320 px
Screen Savers : 240 x 320 px
Ring Tones : 64 chord / MP3
Themes : yes
Games : J2ME
Multimedia : MPEG-4 / H.263 / H.264
Messaging
SMS : yes
EMS : yes
MMS : yes
Email : POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP / Push Email
Chat : yes
Predictive Text : T9
Released Date (international) Quartal 3rd 2008
(Source : article is taken from here)
It's here, the XPERIA X1 QWERTY from Sony Ericsson. Yes, full QWERTY to make the most of that Windows Mobile 6 operating system. SE's new XPERIA brand will focus on multimedia and mobile web communication.
Combining a 3-inch clear wide VGA display and a full QWERTY keyboard within a quality metal-finish body, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 runs on Windows Mobile 6. The Xperia X1 lets consumers choose from a dynamic range of activities; from enjoying favorite entertainment content to working efficiently on-the-move. The Xperia X1's arc design gives a distinct and unique feel. Slide the screen upwards to reveal the wide pitch QWERTY keyboard. Its panel interface lets users browse the Internet, multimedia, and applications from a desktop with just the the tip of a finger. The Xperia X1 interacts in different ways, by touch, full QWERTY keyboard, 4-way key and optical joystick navigation.
(This artikel is taken from here and here)
Motorola still believes in its handset business and is looking for ways to revive it, Don McLellan, Motorola's senior vice president for corporate development and strategy, said during a one-on-one interview at the GSMA Mobile World Congress this week.
Motorola understands the value of its brand, which has been over 80 years in the making, McLellan said. But when the stock dipped to around $10 after the company reported disappointing fourth quarter earnings in January, he and his fellow
executives had to do something to show investors, employees, partners, and suppliers that they understood the stock was undervalued and that they were working to fix the problems, he said. A week later, executives said they were reviewing strategic options, including possibly separating Motorola's handset business from the rest of the company.
"We realized the value of the handset business wasn't being recognized," McLellan said. "So we recommitted ourselves to fixing the problem."
While that may be the case, the public disclosure of the review has confused some people in the industry, including many journalists, who have assumed Motorola is looking to sell the handset business. Earlier this week, Greg Brown, Motorola's CEO, told the Reuters news service that he is committed to Motorola's handset business. McLellan reiterated that point in our discussion, although he would not specifically rule out selling the company.
The crux of Motorola's problem is that it hasn't been making phones that people want to buy. In the last quarter, the company's market share dipped to 12 percent. A year ago, Motorola had market share of 20 percent. The last hit phone it had was the Razr.
McLellan recognizes Motorola's challenges. And he said that the company must first and foremost concentrate on making phones that people want to buy. Of course, he and the rest of the Motorola team also understand that this will not happen overnight. Brown said on the company's earnings call that it could be 2009 before Motorola can turn around the business.
The company's lackluster handset announcements at Mobile World Congress this week were strong evidence that the company isn't yet ready for a comeback. The Z6w looks like a Rizr clone, but it supports Wi-Fi and includes a 2-megapixel camera, and a music player. Motorola also announced the W161 and W181, two basic candy bar phones for the low end of the market.
Products Motorola introduced in May also haven't been a huge success. Mostly these phones were nothing more than souped-up versions of previous models that now had 3G, or third-generation, network support.
While simply developing cool new handsets sounds like a simple solution to Motorola's problem, in practice it's not that easy. The problem is that as Motorola loses market share it also loses its scale, which makes it more difficult to make money based on its current cost structure. The "strategic review" will hopefully help Motorola and its partners figure out how to realign its cost structure. Before the company even announced it was thinking of alternatives, it had renegotiated a deal with its chip supplier Qualcomm. As Motorola figures out how to structure its costs, McLellan said, the company can reinvest that money in developing new handsets and getting them to market.
McLellan said the review process has already opened the door to several partners who want to talk about ways to fix the business. But he declined to comment on reports that the company is looking to sell off its infrastructure business to Nortel Networks.
As for how long the strategic review will last, it's hard to tell, McLellan said. One thing is for certain, though: Motorola has a lot of work ahead of it.
Nokia and Google have announced that Google's search engine will be integrated with the Nokia Search application. The integration will begin in select markets with the Nokia N96, Nokia N78, Nokia 6210 Navigator and Nokia 6220 classic. Google search will be extended to additional Nokia handset models in the future.
Nokia Search, now with Google, offers fast and easy access to web information from the handset. In addition, Nokia Search also makes it possible for users to search content on their device and use local search engines for a complete search experience.
Nokia Search is available on many devices and provides direct access with one click from the active standby screen, saving users time and steps in their searching. Once users have found the information they are seeking, Nokia Search enables users to act on that information by engaging device assets such as maps, messaging or the browser with just one click.
"Providing choices for our consumers is an important driver in Nokia's Internet service strategy," said Ilkka Raiskinen, vice-president, software and services at Nokia. "This integration allows our consumers the ability to use the innovative search technologies, which have made Google almost synonymous with Internet search.
"Adding Google to Nokia Search provides mobile users with fast, relevant and comprehensive search experience that will be familiar to the people who use Google to search the web from their desktop," said Google's VP of Engineering and Products for Mobile Vic Gundotra. "Google search combined with the high quality applications on Nokia devices help make information available to Nokia device users wherever they are and provide an excellent overall experience."
The collaboration announced today builds on previous cooperation between Nokia and Google. Google search has previously been available on Nokia Internet tablets, and last year the Nokia N95 8GB became the first mobile device to fully support YouTube, the video-sharing platform owned by Google.
(This article is taken from here)
