Tigo, Rwanda's newest (3rd) mobile operator is all over Kigali at the moment
via Pixelpipe
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Palm's Web OS could easily be the winning smartphone platform, if only...
Having had recent stints with an iPhone 3G S, the HTC Droid Eris, and now the Blackberry Tour, I am missing my Palm Pre more than ever. I just really liked Web OS. It's too bad the keyboard was so terrible, and there were no apps because Palm didn't release their SDK to more than a handful of developers. And back on the hardware front, now with the Palm Pixi, I hear Palm cut back on the stuff under the hood to release a less-than-perfect experience of their new OS - in my opinion, not their best move ever, despite the reports that the Pixi has a better keyboard.
So how long will it take for Palm to come up with something with a little bigger keyboard and powerful hardware that will work on anything other than Sprint? And the bigger question: when will Palm get their act in gear and really start pushing developers to make apps for the Web OS platform? With the way Palm engineered the platform, apps for Web OS should be easier to build than the same apps on either the iPhone or Android platforms, since it doesn't require much in terms of a learning curve. And yet, Palm is significantly trailing the iPhone and Android platforms in terms of available apps.
I'm really hoping Palm has a good reason for taking so long to really release their Web OS SDK. Some might argue that Palm is past the point of being able to compete with app libraries like the iPhone's or Android's. But it's really time they get the thing out there, doing whatever they need to do to get developers to start developing for their platform, even if it takes cash incentives for creating great apps.
I really hope Palm can start pushing forward in both the hardware area and the 3rd party developer market. Web OS is pretty innovative. I just hope Palm can start moving so they can get some significant traction before their lunch gets eaten by somebody else who understands you've got to have it all together to really start selling devices.
My thoughts on how T-Mobile, HTC and Google got the G1 wrong.
The single, most important point of the G1 has been missed by three people I know, and I think T-Mobile, HTC and Google have failed BIG TIME.
I'm not going to say anything about the poor battery life, slow software, lack of headphone socket.. it's all been said before. This story comes about because these two needed to take their G1's back to the shop to be repaired. Both of those people and, stunningly, the t-mobile shop manager did not know that the G1 integrates with your Google account meaning your email, calender and contacts are all kept synchronised all the time. There is no need to "copy the numbers to the SIM card." This isn't a dig at those three people for not knowing this, they are all intelligent people, it's a dig at the people who gave us these phones for not boasting about one of the most fundamental and game-changing features of the G1. To these three people the G1 is just another phone albeit with Internet access and fancy applications. To me its a bit of kit that allows me to be fundamental better organised and connected in both my work and play. I think its a real shame the boat has clearly sailed on this one.The Droid Eris is a failure
I'm a phone fanatic and everybody knows it. I am constantly in search of the perfect phone. So when I heard about the new Verizon Android phones, I was pretty excited. I even got up early yesterday (9 AM) to go pick one up. I had a T-Mobile G1 back in the day (on AT&T, of course), and it wasn't my favorite device in the world. Android just wasn't ready for primetime, so I had hoped the time between the G1 and the Droid Eris would be sufficient enough to get Android to the place it should be. Some may disagree with me, but while I think Android is definitely better than it's V1 release, I still don't think it's quite there. Read on...
The main reason I went with the Droid Eris over the Motorola Droid was for HTC's Sense UI. I strongly dislike Android's default skin, and it was a big enough factor for me to opt for the lower end Eris. I have three big problems with this phone: the lag, the input methods, the choppy scrolling, and then the capacitive touch buttons.Input MethodsObviously the ability to input data into a mobile device is the most important function on a phone, besides maybe receiving signal (*cough* iPhone *cough*). This phone holds 2nd place in worst device input methods, the absolute worst being the HTC Touch Cruise. Although the Droid Eris has a convenient T9 input method (which I personally love), the lag makes it unbearable, as it takes too long to load in new suggested words. The on-screen QWERTY keyboard doesn't work either, because the keys are just too small (the device is smaller than the iPhone). I just can't type on this thing for beans. Choppy ScrollingThis killed me on the G1, and it hasn't changed on the Droid Eris. The scrolling sucks. It sputters and stalls, and is horribly laggy. Sure, say it's the phone itself and not Android, but it doesn't really matter. IT DOESN'T WORK. HTC should have worked this out some way before releasing a device with sub-par functionality. Capacitive Touch ButtonsI have had nothing but trouble with the touch buttons toward the bottom of the device. If I tap directly on them, they do nothing. It's like I have to tap on the top border of the icons to get them to react. It's really hit or miss for me. Sometimes I get them to work. Usually it takes two or three tries. Simple ThingsThe simple things are really what killed it for me on this device. Things like, adding contact to a text message and trying to dial a contact were more than challenging. There are complicated menus and buttons you have to push - it made me think about steps I shouldn't have to think about. Right out of the box, it should just work. I shouldn't have to go download anything from the Android Marketplace to make my device work. Even reading new notifications is harder than it should be. To unlock the phone, you have to swipe down on the screen. Then to view notifications, you have to swipe down from the top of the device. This whole process requires two downward swipes. Why not one up and one down? It's the little things that really kill this device in my mind. I really wanted to love this device. I want to love every device I get. But unfortunately, this one has let me down. When it gets to the point where I end up giving up typing a text message or posting on Facebook or Twitter from the device because I get so frustrated with its lag and input methods, you know the device is a failure. And no, I'm not getting a Moto Droid. I hate the keyboard. Good try, HTC, but try again. It doesn't matter how pretty you make a device. If I can't do the simple things quickly and easily, you have failed.Back to Blackberry I go...
"I call you on the telephone / but you're never home." "So?"
Before the mobile phone existed we were calling a place, now we are calling a person.
via google.com
I occasionally wonder how I will explain Sheena Easton's 1983 song to Seth, someday: "I call you on the telephone / but you're never home."
Seth will probably ask, "Why does she want him to be home when she calls him?"
Already, it's hard to recall the time when phones were furniture, tethered to the wall by their cables, resting on specially reserved spots on desks and side-tables. Phones are now glued to ears.
I disagree with Martin Cooper, though. Phones do *not* need to get simpler - in general. They need to be what they're becoming: multifaceted communications devices that connect you via voice and data and video, over every network.
Interview with @janole, author of S60 twitter app #Gravity in @AAS podcast
Here's the All About Symbian 'live' podcast from the SEE 2009 show which includes, amongst other things, an interview with Jan Ole Suhr, author of the very successful S60 Twitter application "Gravity". The interview starts at 18'50'' into the podcast.
Google Maps Navigation (Beta)
via youtube.com
1/ Check out the results after the announcement of Google GPS navigation: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ouriel/4053592264/sizes/o/
2/ Android will replace some BlackBerry and other smartphones in less than 1 year
3/ Phones Internet connections will seriously grow up
Stay connected on google.com/navigation
