Smartphones and Cell Phones

There have been lots of rumors and screenshots on the forthcoming "Cupcake" update for the T-Mobile G1 Google Android device that may start rolling out as soon as next week. While most of the talk is about an on-screen keyboard, I think there is an even bigger issue that must be included soon or else my G1 will keep being used more as a hobby phone than anything else. The on-screen keyboard makes sense for follow-up Google Android products, but makes no sense to me for the current G1 hardware where the keyboard is perfectly fine and one of the real strengths of the device.

January 23, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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I was browsing my RSS feeds last night and Jack Cook's post jogged my memory about the Microsoft Tag demo we saw at Mobius December 2008. Microsoft Tag lets you create identifier tags for all kinds of things and can be used in magazines, billboards, web sites, in-store ads, and more to let you access a URL, dial a number, display text, or see vCard details. It only takes seconds to create tags and IMHO they are much more user-friendly than the QR codes I never quite grasped.

January 22, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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HTC spends a lot of time updating devices with a new feature here and there to get it right and reminds me a lot of what Sony did with the CLIE line several years ago. They launch new products every few months with a tweak made here and there to make it better when I think they should just hold off a bit and get it right the first time. The HTC Touch Cruise was just updated with geotagging capability called HTC Footprints, yet still misses the mark with a rather limited camera that may make reduce how much geotagging someone would have done if they improved the optics. The HTC Touch Cruise is a GPS-focused device in the HTC lineup that should have a larger higher resolution display that misses the mark in a couple ways.

January 22, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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Despite the slightly cramped keyboard I love my Palm Treo Pro and keep going back to it because it has a near perfect form factor and rock solid performance. I love the touches Palm put into it with the ringer switch, WiFi button, solid design, and long battery life.

January 22, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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A few more details and functionality of the Palm WebOS have been coming out now that the announcement has been made and Palm is moving towards release of the Pre. PreCentral.net posted the Sarah Lacy video interview with Elevation Partner Roger McNamee and there were some real treasures revealed that helps you understand why they invested so much money in Palm late last year. One of the coolest features is the contacts, calendar, and location based intelligence where your Palm Pre serves as your personal assistant.

January 21, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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Mobile World Congress 2009 kicks off in Spain in just over three weeks and the press releases are already starting to appear as companies get ready for big announcements and product showcases. One of the first releases concerns the nominees for the Global Mobile Awards. MWC is a mobile show focused on world markets so you will see many services that are provided outside the US in the list of nominees. I was pleased to see two of my personal favorite devices, the Nokia E71 and T-Mobile G1 appear in the Best Mobile Handset or Device category along with the INQ1, LG KS360, and BlackBerry Storm 9500.

January 20, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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The T-Mobile G1 (see my full review) is currently the only Google Android device on the market and is available only from T-Mobile. There are a couple of rumors surrounding the G1 that I am trying to verify with my T-Mobile contacts. The first one concerns a possible US$20 price drop for the G1 and the option to purchase one and activate only a data plan for US$34.99 with no voice plan. The second rumor is that T-Mobile is sending new batteries to current G1 owners.

January 20, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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I write a lot about all the great functionality and power of today's smartphones here on the blog. I spend a lot of time showing off my devices to family and friends, including the services and 3rd party applications I use on a daily basis to get things done. I followed a link from the IT Facts blog to the BBC news site that quoted a study that said 85% of users reported they were frustrated by the difficulty of getting a new phone up and working. As a mobile enthusiast who has been using PDAs since 1997 it is easy for me to get wrapped up in mobile technology and think everyone should be as familiar as I am with these devices. My friends and I are often found looking for the latest and greatest and wondering why a certain device has this or that feature missing. In reality, I think those people who don't read this blog and have cellphones just want a few basic features and could care less about the high powered features I care about.

January 20, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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I previously discussed whether or not copy and paste were needed on the iPhone and after several months of using other devices I emphatically believe it is needed. I actually had to switch back to my Treo Pro a couple of times because I needed copy and paste to get some things done, primarily copying content and email addresses to put into another email message on several occasions. I just read where Michael Gartenberg stated copy and paste is now here for the iPhone and iPod touch. I followed the link to the source and see that it is truly now available for jailbroken devices.

January 19, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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AT&T and the iPhone brought the visual voicemail feature to the forefront of the mobile discussion and people are starting to look for it in new devices. The Sprint Samsung Instinct has it and Verizon Wireless offers it on devices as well. The Boy Genius Report posted some screenshots of the official RIM visual voicemail service that is rumored to be coming soon to select BlackBerry devices. Visual voicemail should be coming as an OS update, 4.6.0.219, on the AT&T BlackBerry Bold.

January 19, 2009 by Matthew Miller

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