iPhone Sales In Japan Falling; Germany Bans iPhone VoIP App

So the iPhone isn't doing well in Japan. Is this a shock in the land where 3G is the norm, and phones are packed with so many features that there are government-licensed cell phone experts to help consumers understand them? The WSJ reports that while Japanese consumers did line up to get an iPhone, and shortages did occur around the July 11 launch, demand for the iPhone has fallen to a third of what it was initially, with stacks of the gadgets languishing in electronics stores. Market research firm MM Research Institute estimates that Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL) sold 200,000 iPhones in Japan in the first two months, with demand declining to such a point that analysts now believe that the phone won't even hit the half a million mark. Apple had thought it could sell one million in Japan.

The success of the iPhone was always questionable in Japan. On the one hand, Apple has a powerful brand presence in the country, where iPods are extremely popular. On the other hand, Japan's cell phone market is one of the world's most sophisticated with its own set of popular features?including OneSeg TV and DoCoMo's mobile wallet. Indeed, some Japanese buyers of the iPhone were carrying their old ones as well to specifically access those features. Softbank, the exclusive Japanese carrier of the iPhone, has already lowered tariffs once to make the gadget more cost-friendly to younger buyers. But analysts believe that iPhone should make more of its AppStore, to show what the gadget can do, to help boost Japanese sales.

Meanwhile, a German court has banned the use of Sipgate, a VoIP application that lets iPhone users make internet calls when hooked up to a Wi-Fi hotspot in Germany, reports Cellular News. Germany's Higher Regional Court of Hamburg found in favor of T-Mobile, iPhone's exclusive carrier in the country, who brought the suit against Sipgate, saying that the company had used "unfair business practices" in order to attract customers, who are tied to T-Mobile for voice calls. T-Mobile argued that customers have to "jailbreak" their mobiles in order to use Sipgate, which is a breach of their T-Mob contract. The software, however, is still available in the App Store, as it can still be used outside of Germany. 

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Turn Your iPhone into a Windows Carryall

Combine the iPhone with virtualization software, and you have a marketing dream – a notion not lost on start-up MokaFive.

On Monday, MokaFive began offering early access to its iPhone Sentinel software, which lets people grab their entire Windows desktop and dump it on an iPhone. All of your files, settings and software are turned into a single package that can be stored on an iPhone and restarted on a regular computer. Sentinel makes sure that all the virtual desktop files stay synchronized as you move between various machines.

  

The technology is similar to software which makes it possible to store a full operating system and applications on a memory stick and just run the software from that device. In this, the iPhone functions as a memory stick and MokaFive offers up the sophisticated synchronization tools along with other software that speeds up the virtual desktop when it’s running on a computer.

“The key part is that people want to be able to access anything everywhere,” said T.J. Purtell, a MokaFive engineer who helpe develop the software. “You put everything you need on your iPhone and carry it with you.”

Such software may appeal to a limited set of digital nomads who want just about every file they’ve ever created with them at all times. The average user, however, may find a to-go desktop more of a chore than anything else.

MokaFive is yet another virtualization start-up to emerge from Stanford University. It follows virtualization-software market leader VMware, which has established itself as the dominant server-virtualization player.

The start-up appeared on the scene in April, offering a new way to create collections of software. MokaFive helps customers build what it calls LivePCs, which are portable software packages. You could create a LivePC with Windows XP, Office, Internet Explorer and iTunes or create one with just a single game such as Quake. In addition, you can use the LivePC to run, say, Linux or Mac OS X on top of a Windows computer.

The ability to create LivePCs isn’t actually all that unique, but MokaFive does present some fresh technology. It can update LivePCs, installing security patches or new features, over the network. Such technology would permit a company, for example, to freshen up workers’ computers from afar and to control remotely which software certain workers can access.

For the moment, the iPhone Sentinel has less flexibility than most of MokaFive’s software. The test version of the code only runs with Windows XP, and you need to have iTunes installed on the synchronized computers. The company hopes to have a more sophisticated, final version of the software ready “early next year,” Mr. Purtell said.

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Birth Of The Anti-iPhone

 

Birth Of The Anti-iPhone (And More)

Finally, an iPhone killer that doesn't look like an iPhone.

Waterloo, Ontario-based Research In Motion (nasdaq: RIMM - news - people ) this week introduced the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smart phone at the CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment 2008 conference in San Francisco. The Flip is the smart-phone specialist's first device that users can flip open to make a call.

More important, it's a departure from the passel of touch-screen smart phones cranked out by everyone from Samsung to Research In Motion to counter Apple's (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) slick iPhone. Rather than relying on a touch screen, the Flip can be snapped shut to end a call and slipped easily in a user's pocket.
In Pictures: Wireless Showcase

Of course, the flip phone is already popular among consumers, and carriers offer scores of cheap, foldable camera phones. Unlike cheap flip phones, however, the 3.6-ounce Flip is packed with smart-phone features. The phone includes a camera for taking photos and making movies, wi-fi support, a Web browser, the ability to play music and show movies, and BlackBerry's powerful e-mail capabilities.

The gizmo was emblematic of a conference that tried to straddle the geeky world of enterprise IT and consumer-friendly entertainment. For serious phone users, Research In Motion said it is putting Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) Live search service on RIM's BlackBerry phones, and Nokia (nyse: NOK - news - people ) plans to add Microsoft's e-mail and calendar software onto the Finnish giant's phones. Start-up MobiTV launched a pay-per-view service, Mobi4BIZ, that puts business and finance news on mobile devices.

Meanwhile, on the show floor, actors clad as stormtroopers stalked the aisles of the show floor promoting THQ's (nasdaq: THQI - news - people ) "The Force Unleashed" game for mobile phones. A few steps away Taiwan-based Portman promoted a wild collection of business- and government-friendly gadgets such as solar- and wind-powered tracking devices and a new product that can be clipped onto a police officer's gun to alert colleagues when the officer fires a shot or if the gun leaves an officer's possession.
 

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iPhone 2.1 Update Fixes Bugs, Security Flaws

Apple on Friday debuted the iPhone 2.1 firmware update, designed to fix a number of issues that iPhone users have complained about.

According to Apple's Website, the iPhone 2.1 update should increase battery life, decrease the number of dropped calls, reduce backup time, and improve email reliability and retrieve email from POP and Exchange accounts.

The iPhone 2.1 software update also improves the installation speed of third party applications, and fixes bugs and crashes caused by having lots of third party apps on the iPhone.

Additionally, the iPhone 2.1 software update includes "improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display," according to the Apple Website.

The iPhone 2.1 software update also adds new features to the iPhone, such as "Genius" playlist creation, additional text message alerts, and the option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts.

iPhone users can get the 2.1 software update by syncing their iPhones with iTunes, or by downloading the update directly from the Apple Website. Users can also purchase the iPhone 2.1 software update for their iPod touch devices for $9.95 through the Apple App Store. For iPod touch users that have already purchased the iPhone 2.0 software update, the iPhone 2.1 software update is free.

The iPhone 2.1 software update patches six potential security flaws in the iPhone. The previous software update, 2.01, had a security vulnerability that allowed it to be hacked even if the phone was locked.

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iPhone OS 2.1: Mostly Positive but Major Problems Reported

Most users are reporting dramatically enhanced performance, better signal and battery life, and greater stability after installing iPhone OS 2.1. Some users are, however, experiencing significant issues.

Will not install — fix Some users have problems installing iPhone OS 2.1, with iTunes delivering a cryptic error message during the process, after the “Update” button is pressed.

If you are experiencing a similar issue, try downloading one the standalone firmware update files (appropriate for your iPhone)

• First-generation iPhone
• iPhone 3G

Next, hold the option key under Mac OS X or the Shift key under Windows while clicking the “Restore” button, then select the downloaded file.

Failing that, try deleting an re-downloading it. Either use the standalone download link and instructions in yesterday’s article, or navigate to on of the following directories:

• under Mac OS X: ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates
• under Windows XP: C:/documents and settings/[yourusername]/Application Data/Apple Computer/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates
• under Windows Vista: C:/users/[yourusername]/AppData/Roaming/Apple Computer/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates and delete the 2.0.1 update.

then reattempt the update.

Bricked/useless iPhones Some users have reported nonoperational iPhones after the update.

One iPhone Atlas reader writes:

“Hey, i just connected my iPhone 3g to get the update v2.1. It forced a recovery mode on my phone which has made my phone completely useless, iTunes 8 will only download the file, for some reason it will not install it for me, and i cannot find the root folder in which the update file was saved. it just keeps downloading over and over.”

Another reader writes:

“After the downoad my phone is useless. Can’t receive nor dial any calls.”

If you are experiencing a similar issue, try restoring your phone via this process. Hold the Sleep/Wake and Home until the iPhone resets. When the Apple logo appears release Sleep/Wake, but do not release Home until you see the prompt to connect the iPhone to iTunes. You then have to restore the iPhone’s firmware, all your settings, all your media, and all your Apps. During this process you are offered an attempt to recover your iPhone from a backup. Unfortunately, backups are just as bug ridden and very unreliable. Users may encounter an error message indicating that a previously valid backup is corrupt.

Genius on iPhone not working Some users have reported that genius on the iPhone is not working. One iPhone Atlas reader writes:

“My genius doesn’t seem to be working. It says there are not enough related songs to create a genus playlist.”

EDGE signal worse Some users have reported that while 3G connectivity is significantly better after the update, EDGE connectivity has taken a nosedive.

One user writes:

“I updated my phone at work today and the 3G Signal at my desk went from 1 to 4 bars. I used the phone all day without any troubles. Then I came home….. I live just outside of town and never get 3G at my house but always have full or 4 bars of edge signal. I get no service at all now. Im sitting at my house waiting for the download to finish to try to restore it again to see what happens but I have no service at all at my house now. And I never had any trouble getting 4 bars or more of edge before.”

Battery draning more quickly Some users have reported poorer battery life after the update after updating to 2.1.

One reader writes:

• “My battery now drains much quicker. after 10 - 20 minutes of a full charge and not doing anything on my 3G the battery bar shows 3/4 full.
• Another adds:
• “Anyone experience horrible battery life after update. It is in the red after 2hr 45 mins of usage and 6 hours of standby. Is something wrong with my phone. “

Try these fixes for short battery life.

App crashing Some users are reporting continued or recurring application crashes. One reader writes:

“I got an error in itunes the first time I tried installing the new 2.1 firmware update. So I restarted itunes and my iPhone and everything seemed alright, but after everything was completed, all my apps started to crash on start up like how it was when I had firmware 2.0.1.”

This issue may be solved by simply deleting all applications from the iPhone (via a restore process, if desired), then re-downloading all applications through the iTunes store on a desktop computer instead of though the AppStore on the iPhone itself.

Positive reports This reader’s report nicely sums up the major improvements in this update while encapsulating the general lament regarding what many see as still-missing features:

“I’ve only been using it for about an hour or so but so far the improvments are VERY noticeable. From actually being able to view my contacts in under 10 seconds after I enter the contact option to the “wowable” 5 bar 3g signal strength in my apartment. Finally jobs delivers on what he promises. Now if only this darn thing could copy/cut/paste, not to mention the turn by turn GPS, not to mention the vanishing act of the Nike+ on the iPhone. Well I guess I’m one of the 8 trillion people who had their hopes up too high wishing for an early Christmas but I guess I’ll get over it for now seeing as though my revolutionary device finally has shown the ability to at least be “stable” enough to not drop 13 calls in an hour. WooHoo!! I guess.”

More specific reports:

More bars, faster data “Just awesome. I don’t know what apple did but with this update I get at least a few bars where previously I didn’t receive any. This should have been the original 2.0. Maybe they can start working on new features instead of fixing basic phone functions.

“I’ve gone from a 0-3 3G bar average to a 4-5 3G average. I don’t understand what they could have done to make that big a difference, but it’s appreciable for me.”

Enhanced stability (fewer crashes) “Safari has not yet (?) crashed, and seems more stable but time will tell, and all third party apps working!

Faster application performance (Contacts, etc.) “Just updated & surprise surprise everything is working really well. Only been upgraded for about an hour but texting and opening programmes etc is working much quicker. Great. Let’s see if any calls drop tomorrow. Well done Apple.”

First Look: iPhone 2.1

Phone 2.0 brought a lot of cool features with it, but it also brought a lot of bugs. Performance was slow, calls dropped often, and the battery life was less than impressive—and that’s just off the top of my head.

Apple promised on Tuesday that the iPhone 2.1 update, released Friday morning, would save us all from the iPhone 2.0’s sins, but as it turns out, the software brings with it more than just bug fixes. Apple also took the time to sneak in a few new features along with its extensive mea culpa.

Name that Tune: The iPhone's iPod application now displays artists and albums along with the track name.

Music to your ears

The most significant feature changes in iPhone 2.1 come in the device’s iPod application. For one thing, in most views when displaying a list of tracks, the iPod app borrows a page from Apple’s Remote application, showing the artist and album in smaller text underneath.

When browsing Podcasts or Videos, the iPhone 2.1 software also gives you more information. Rather than displaying a blue dot next to a video or podcast that hasn’t been listened to or watched, the software now also shows a blue half-moon for videos that have been started but not finished. And in the case of podcasts, it will also tell you how much time remains from the point at which you stopped listening. Telling episodes apart is easier too, since the iPhone will also show you when episodes were published, the episode name, and the full runtime.

Real Genius

The biggest addition to the iPod application is, of course, the new Genius feature that pervades all of the new products that Apple introduced this week. (Our iTunes 8 review explains the Genius in greater depth.) You’ll need to sync your iPhone to your computer before you get access to Genius, but once it’s installed creating a Genius playlist is easy: When listening to a song, tap the album art to show the scrubber panel. Nestled in between the shuffle and repeat controls is the Genius’s “atom” icon. Tapping that will generate a Genius playlist based on the playing track.

Once you’ve created a Genius playlist—which, unlike iTunes, is limited to 25 tracks on the iPhone—you can save it, refresh it with new songs, or create a Genius playlist based on a different song on your iPhone. Saving the playlist will add it to your existing playlists; it’ll be named after the song on which the playlist was based and there’ll be a Genius icon next to it. There’s also a “Genius” playlist that permanently resides at the top of the playlist list and shows the last playlist you generated.

Everything else

Don't Shoot: Parental Restrictions now allows you to disable the iPhone's Camera.

Outside of the iPod app, there are a few other new features sprinkled around the iPhone OS update. For example, the Parental Restrictions setting now allows you to turn off access to the iPhone’s camera, which not only removes the Camera application from the Home screen, but also disallows access from third-party applications that implement camera features.

For the security conscious, the Passcode Lock section of Settings now offers an option to erase all data on the iPhone after 10 failed attempts at entering the passcode (which presumably works—you’ll pardon me if I didn’t test its effectiveness). Apple also made a handful of security updates, including preventing applications from viewing each other’s data and closing a loophole with the Emergency Call feature of the Passcode Lock.

Those who use the iPhone’s stock earbuds (or have a third-party headphone adapter with a click control) will also find that in addition to clicking once to play or pause music and twice to skip to the next track, a triple-click will now jump back to the previous track.

Eraserhead: A new Erase Data lets the security conscious protect their information with extreme prejudice.

In addition, the SMS application will now alert you up to two additional times if you don’t acknowledge an incoming text message. And Apple’s also changed the icon in the menu for cell networks: instead of displaying white text in a blue box, the icons for 3G, EDGE, and GPRS are now just white text on a black background or blue text on a gray background, depending on the context.

In terms of bug fixes, Apple appears to have delivered a lot of the stability that was missing from the 2.0 iPhone software. As promised, iTunes backups take substantially less time than they did previously; installing third-party applications is definitely faster, even over 3G; and loading or searching contacts is definitely snappier.

Other bug fixes aren’t quite as easily tested in the short-term, like better battery life, fewer dropped calls, and fewer hangs and crashes, but you can bet that we’ll be keeping an eye on whether or not they measure up to Apple’s claims.

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SearchMe Is Coming To The iPhone (Naturally)

We once asked if Apple's CoverFlow is a better interface for image search than the typical thumbnail grid approach. But what about for mobile search? SearchMe thinks it is good for both.

The visual search engine that launched last March is working on a natural extension: a visual search app for the iPhone. The app is ready, but the company is still waiting for it to be approved by Apple for the iTunes App Store. Co-Founder John Holland showed me a functioning version of the app earlier this week at TechCrunch50.

I like SearchMe better on the iPhone than I do on my laptop. The idea of flipping through images to find something is already ingrained into some of the most basic features of the iPhone?whether it is flipping through photos or the app menu itself. Maybe I've been too well-trained by Google, but when I am searching on my computer, I find it hard to beat the efficiency of skimming down a list of text links. When I do a search on my iPhone, though, I am always squinting and resizing the browser.

SearchMe isn't a perfect solution. It presents search results as a series of thumbnails showing each Webpage, but you have to flip through them sequentially. SearchMe does let you narrow results by clicking on a topic icon. Still, it lends itself to certain types of searches better than others?when you are grazing for information, rather than looking for something specific.

The CoverFlow-like interface sometimes sometimes gets in the way. But sometimes it lets you find exactly what you want by letting you preview each age before clicking on it. I kind of wish it was an interface option on a regular search engine that I could turn on or off depending on what type of search I am doing. But on mobile devices, search is broken. So I'm more willing to try new things.

CrunchBase Information SearchMeInformation provided by CrunchBase



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Flawed but Hip iPods Still Draw Converts

Apple's iPod is clearly becoming less compelling as a product range, but will still deliver 20 million Windows switchers a year to the Apple fold, an analyst said.

Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf explains, "It's important to place the iPod in perspective. Through the iPod halo effect, it continues to convert Windows users to the Mac platform -- but the product has reached the mature phase of its life cycle with annual sales of 50 million units, slowing to a high single/low double-digit growth rate."

The analyst notes the product continues to gain marketshare in some territories, and added, "We estimate that 20 million or more Windows users will join the iPod nation annually over the next few years and potentially fall under the sway of the iPod halo effect, which is great for Mac sales."

In related news, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu last week warned that Apple's recently-revealed iPod touch price cut may not go far enough, saying: "While we are pleased to see lower pricing, we are concerned that price points may remain too high given the tough macroeconomic environment and relative to the 3G iPhone at $199 and $299."

Wu expects Apple to sell 11 million iPods in the current (September) quarter and 24 million in the ever-active Christmas/December quarter. And the analyst also pointed out that while the iPod is a mature product, the company still has plenty of growth opportunities in its Mac and its iPhone segments - and that despite recession, "enough high-end consumers are still buying tech..."


Source 

Apple releases iPhone update

 

Apple has posted a new software update for the iPhone

2.1 release fixes bugs and adds new features

Apple has posted its eagerly awaited iPhone 2.1 software update.
The update adds several new features to the handset, and contains a number of stability fixes and security patches.

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Apple claims to have fixed the dropped call issues as well as crashes which could occur when the user had numerous applications installed on the handset.
The company has also improved the speed of text messaging and the search and loading of contacts.

The new features include support for Apple's new iTunes Genius playlist feature, and improved battery life.

The company also added the option to repeat text message alerts, as well as the ability to wipe all data following 10 consecutive failed passcode attempts.

Users had been hoping that the update would fix the much maligned 3G connection on the iPhone. While Apple did address the issue with the update, it was only to fix the accuracy of the 3G signal strength display, not to boost the function itself.

Among the six security fixes include a patch for the famed Dan Kaminsky DNS flaw as well as a fix for the emergency call workaround disclosed last month.
Other patches include tighter restrictions on interactions between applications, and vulnerabilities in the phone's TCP components.
Apple also posted a fix for an issue in the Windows Vista version of iTunes which was causing a blue screen of death to appear when an iPhone or iPod was plugged into a PC.

The firm is advising users to uninstall iTunes and the Apple Mobile Device Support tool and then download the updated versions from its web site.



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AT&T stores recommending RIM over the iPhone

 AT&T stores recommending RIM over the iPhone

By Prince McLean

In resuming its coverage of Apple, JMP Securities has issued a note warning of slower growth due to global economic factors and indicating that AT&T retail stores were quick to recommend RIM BlackBerry phones over the iPhone 3G, particularly for email.



Little room for upside surprises

The firm assigned Apple a Market Perform rating, citing new product cycles for the iPhone 3G and new iPods released this week but also noting a deceleration in year over year growth and warning that margins "appear to be near peak levels."

In a summary that referenced the slow selling Lisa from the early 80s and the Newton from the mid 90s, JMP stated, "Our concern with AAPL stock is that we believe there is little room for upside surprises."

The note also reported, "For the last 11 quarters management has given forward revenue guidance, Wall Street’s consensus has always been above that guidance, and for the most part the company has reported slightly above that consensus estimate."

Retail store reports

The firm performed checks at 31 Apple, 8 Best Buy, and 11 AT&T retail stores. Apple retail employees reported a "a slowdown from the initial frenzy" in iPhone 3G sales, with only 10% of stores remaining sold out of inventory. Best Buy reported steady sales with normal inventory levels.

At eleven AT&T stores it visited, JMP found that employees were twice as likely to initially recommend a BlackBerry Curve or Pearl over the iPhone when asked to suggest a "phone to access the Internet and check email."

When asked specifically about email, employees would consistently suggest a BlackBerry first. When browsing the web was mentioned, AT&T stores would always recommend the iPhone first.

Year over year performance

While Apple has seen accelerating its year over year revenue growth in every quarter from the March 2007 quarter (21% growth) through March 2008 quarter (43%), JMP notes that the latest June quarter saw only 38% growth over the previous year ago quarter. The firm sees revenue growth slowing again in the September quarter, and is modeling for 31% growth over last year's record revenues.

JMP also warned that in terms of operating margins, Apple's year over year growth has fallen or remained flat, although margins over the last year have stayed in a tight range from 17.2% to 19.2%, excluding the December 2007 quarter, which saw 21.1% operating margins.

Product lineup

"Apple has done an exceptional job of gaining [Mac] market share over the last several years," JMP noted, although it continued by saying, "Given the deteriorating macroeconomic environment, we believe it is unlikely that Apple will be able to match the 2007 feat in 2008."

Among iPods, the report highlighted that Apple's year over year average sales growth over the last four quarters have slowed to "a leisurely 9%, well below the double-and triple-digit growth enjoyed a few years ago." The firm noted that high end iPod sales are being replaced by iPhones, "leaving a skew to lower-end shuffle and nano products."

JMP called the iPhone a "hit product" that caught Nokia, RIM, Motorola, Palm and Samsung "flat-footed," but noted competitors are working to make "notable changes in strategy to deal with the iPhone."

"Samsung and LG have started to roll out iPhone 'clones' with touch screens, like the Samsung Instinct and LG Dare. While we believe these phones are not as good as the iPhone, we believe they have caused pricing issues," the report stated.

Apple in the overall economy

JMP also warned that Apple's stock is looking expensive in comparison with other large-capitalization technology stocks, stating, "We note that Apple has been growing much faster than its comparable companies, though many have higher margins."

The firm also stated "Because Apple has invested heavily in its own chain of retail stores, an overall economic slowdown or slowing demand for the company's products will not only affect sales growth but also impact profit margins due to the fixed-cost nature of the retail stores."

It further warned "As iPods and other music sales become a greater percentage of sales, Apple may experience pressure on overall gross margins because those products carry a lower gross margin." In its own earning reports, Apple noted that rapidly growing sales in the iTunes Store were getting large enough to have a downward impact on the company's overall margins, as it runs the music store primarily to make content available to its users, rather than to claim huge profits.
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BlackBerry takes on iPhone with lifestyle apps

RIM’s BlackBerry has been known as a phone built for business, with its wild popularity centred around push email. But with Apple’s iPhone starting to infiltrate offices, Research in Motion is hitting back with a series of “lifestyle” BlackBerry applications from Google, Microsoft, TiVo and others that will take the battle to Apple’s home turf.

At the CITA (Cellular Telephone Industries Association) trade show now on in San Francisco, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said the line-up will include include BlackBerry-optimised versions of MySpace, Microsoft’s Live search engine, streaming radio from Slacker.com, plus a widget that allows TiVo usrs to search for TV shows and schedule recordings on the move.

The new apps will be available before the end of the year. (Australia’s Seven Media Group – home of Channel 7 and Yahoo7 – began selling set-top boxes made by the US-based TiVo in July. Seven’s contract covers both Australia and New Zealand, but plans for this side of the ditch have yet to be announced).

This is not the buttoned-down BlackBerry’s first foray into goofing off. At CITA last year, RIM unveiled Facebook for BlackBerry, which has since been downloaded 2.5 million times.

BlackBerry also announced an expanded partnership with Google.
 

The search giant has updated and streamlined its free-for-download Mobile App for BlackBerry, which allows BlackBerry-specific versions of Google’s Search, Picasa, Gmail, News and Reader apps to be accessed from a single search bar.

BlackBerry users can access Google’s mobile apps by pointing their phone’s browser to http://m.google.com/.

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BlackBerry-free with iPhone 3G: Read this first

Integrating iPhone 3G into an existing messaging, sync and Web-based service back end is one thing. Yanking a BlackBerry off a lifelong user's hip and replacing it with an iPhone 3G is something else. Want to watch?

TAGS: Apple, BlackBerry, Mobile apps, Mobile devices, Research In Motion, Wireless, iPhone

 

I've written about my plans to make the switch from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 3G as my ever-present wireless device. I still face barriers that make this a less than ideal time to start this project, but identifying and overcoming barriers define professional life. Those barriers will lengthen the narrative, but they should be part of the story.

I should explain why I'm making this switch. I know BlackBerry technology about as well as anyone can and from several perspectives. I relate often that I was an executive in the wireless business when BlackBerry shipped its first two models. I established a tight working relationship with Research in Motion and (in my opinion) its best fit for wireless operator, T-Mobile, many years ago. Except for those times when I'm production-testing another mobile platform, I carry a T-Mobile BlackBerry.

I regularly invite contenders to knock BlackBerry off my hip. The best of these was Nokia's E61i. For a time, it did replace my BlackBerry 8800, but the frequency of software updates is an indicator of quality. The only firmware update Nokia ever delivered for the E61i created more bugs than it fixed. Nokia's present lineup, which I'm keen to try, makes the E61i look like a prototype. Windows Mobile handsets from HTC have the best form factor options among QWERTY devices. They're built tight and the vendor's value-added software is excellent. But their displays, though wide, are slow, and the quality of their cameras is unacceptable for the price. Unlike BlackBerry, HTC rarely issues interim software fixes.

Now iPhone 3G with iPhone 2.0 software has entered the picture. It answers a lot of my objections to other devices. Apple issues frequent updates that cover iPhone 3G and first-gen iPhone equally. iPhone 3G's CPU is underpowered for the device's size and weight, but Apple wisely made display performance and quality its top priorities. iPhone 3G's camera is abysmal, but so is BlackBerry Curve's. iPhone 3G's software value add is...everything. iPod, App Store, Safari, Google Maps with GPS, Office attachment viewers, and Exchange Server with ActiveSync support in the standard e-mail client create a very well-rounded device out of the box.

I set a steep path for myself by deciding to attack this switch precisely as one would an enterprise deployment of multiple devices. I'll run the roles of manager, administrator, developer and user in parallel. I didn't make this up for iPhone. It's how I do all my work. I run my own IT shop. All of the professional services and solutions that I specify and consume run on servers that I set up from scratch and maintain. With the exception of time-constrained reviews and forward-looking editorial, if I write about some technology, that means I've bet my livelihood on it. Putting my own data and connectivity at risk subjects me to the same realities faced by commercial technology buyers and users like you.

I've one other objective in mind. I'm pulling together my next blockbuster high-end handset review, and before I get started I want iPhone 3G established as the device to beat, and let a new BlackBerry take a run at it alongside two new Nokias, something from HTC, and who knows what else. I'm setting that up this week at the CTIA conference.

The first of the aforementioned hurdles is the AT&T wireless coverage. This exercise requires an enterprise plan, and it requires that I interact with AT&T from the perspective of an enterprise prospect. I know how BlackBerry is sold. I don't know how AT&T sells iPhone other than to consumers. That's important. I've only got a couple of weeks to figure that out before the prepaid coverage runs out.

I think AT&T's at this CTIA thing somewhere. 

Source 

Apple releases iPhone 2.1 update

As Apple CEO Steve Jobs promised during the “Let’s Rock” press event in San Francisco earlier this week, Apple on Friday delivered iPhone 2.1 Software Update, an update to the software that operates the iPhone.

iPhone Central home

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The 2.1 release contains many bug fixes and improvements, according to Apple, including a decrease in call set-up failures and call drops, significantly improved battery life for most users, dramatically reduced time to back up to iTunes, improved e-mail reliability, notably fetching e-mail from PP and Exchange accounts and faster installation of third-party applications.

Apple indicates that the new 2.1 release also fixes bugs that caused hangs and crashes on systems that use lots of third-party applications, improves performance for text messaging, loads and searches contacts faster, improves the accuracy of the signal strength display for iPhone 3G models, adds a repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages, adds an option to wipe data after ten consecutive failed passcode attempts, and adds Genius playlist creation in iTunes.

The best way to load the 2.1 release is to connect your iPhone to iTunes and synchronize it.

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Prison Service pledges tougher phone-blocking

The head of the Irish Prison Service said today that prisons would begin to be equipped with high-tech phone-blocking systems from next month.

Speaking on RTÉ this afternoon, Brian Purcell, director general of the Irish Prison Service, conceded there had been problems with mobile phones but said Ireland is not unique in this suffering problems with them in prisons.

He also rejected the claim that the Prison Service had lost control over prisoners in the service.

In fact, Mr Purcell said, the service was "perhaps unique" in that it was poised be the first prison system in Europe to successfully block mobile signals for an entire prison by the end of October.

He said it was hoped in five or six weeks time to complete the pilot phone-blocking programme, and then roll it out to the new block in Portlaoise and later to the rest of the State's closed prisons, using "cutting edge and state-of-art technology".

There are also plans to roll out airport-style scanners in the State's prisons to search visitors According to an Irish Prison Service spokesman, the measures are the latest in an ongoing upgrade of security measures at Irish prisons.

The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) said it fully supported these measures but warned that "very serious matters are still not being dealt with on the ground".

John Clinton, general secretary of the POA, said today: "Senior Irish Prison Service officials, prison governors and senior managers still take and use mobile phones in our prisons, and this should not be allowed . . . builders and contractors take their mobile phones into some of our prison compounds - and this most serious matter is not being tackled.”

Mr Clinton added: “Last weekend we learned that eight mobile phones were thrown over the wall into Mountjoy prison, and just one was blocked by the netting. . . and we believe this is just the tip of the iceberg."

In May 2006, Portlaoise prisoner John Daly - an armed robber from Finglas, Dublin, made an infamous phone call to RTÉ's Liveline programme.

Daly's call to Joe Duffy during the general election campaign, was embarrassing for then-minister for justice Michael McDowell, and gardaí were ordered into Portlaoise prison.

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LG Lotus 'phone scarf' signals end of civilisation

Everything you ever suspected about the fashion industry is true

If there's one group of people more obsessed with shiny, new things than techno nerds, it's fashionistas. But from 'Beauty and the Geek' to the Siemens Xelibri, the clashing of these two particular cultures rarely produces anything worthwhile.

And so the omens weren't good for LG's new Lotus handset, launched yesterday during New York Fashion Week. Considered on its own, this Qwerty clamshell phone didn't sound too bad: 2.4-inch display, threaded SMS, built-in GPS, external MP3 controls, stereo Bluetooth and a 2MP camera.
But when Christian Siriano from series four of 'Project Runway' unveiled a 'one of a kind' (let's hope so) scarf he's designed for the Lotus, any credibility it had evaporated faster than an LG Prada's resale value.

Fashion victim... if only
The reality TV show "winner" (let's face it, we're all losers here) only made matters worse by gushing: ""The scarf I designed for the new LG Lotus is fabulous. It has a pocket for another accessory I can't live or work without – my phone! I designed the scarf's little pocket for the Lotus' square shape."
Well done, Christian. The phone scarf. I would say that right here we've seen the absolute nadir of high tech product marketing (and possibly Western civilisation), but it appears there is still a full eight hours of Fashion Week yet to run.

You can experience the full horror of the Lotus at www.lglotus.com. If you decide not to emigrate immediately to an isolated Tibetan monastery, you can even buy a Lotus in October, exclusively from Sprint stores in the US.
I'll let Christian Siriano have the last word: "I love the Lotus! You should too."

 

By Mark Harris

 

 

Source 

 

Zune exec on phone future, new iPods

There are a number of businesses where Microsoft is playing catch-up these days. But arguably one where the company starts furthest behind is in the music business, where it decided two years ago to scrap its partner approach and go it alone with the Zune in its effort to catch the iPod.

Joe Belfiore

I had a chance on Monday, not just to play around with the latest crop of Zunes, but also to talk strategy with Joe Belfiore, a longtime Microsoftie who moved over earlier this year to head Zune development. I also followed up with him on Wednesday, following Apple's announcements, to get a few more thoughts. (At the end of this post, I've also embedded my video interview with him from Monday.)

In particular, I pressed Belfiore to talk more about how Microsoft plans to unite its still disparate entertainment projects. Microsoft has talked a great deal about the notion of having your content wherever you are and, unlike many companies, it actually has products for the TV, the den, the living room, the car, and the phone. However, to date, few of the company's services really let you take premium content from one place to another.

Belfiore conceded that is true today, saying that the company has focused on improving its individual device experiences first, but he said the company is putting in place mechanisms to allow a more unified experience over time.

"The video store that is in Zune today is the same...back-end as the video store in Xbox today," he said. "While it is true you can't buy a video on an Xbox today and put it on your Zune, We're not really that far off technologically from being able to offer that feature."

There are a variety of hurdles, he said, not all of which are in Microsoft's hands, such as licensing rights. There's also the issue that the numbers of people with multiple devices, say a Zune and Xbox or Zune and Mediaroom IPTV box, aren't that large.

"As more and more people have more than one of those devices, then the cross-device scenarios become more important, and undoubtedly it is something you will see us do at some point in the not-too-distant future," Belfiore said.

Here's what Belfiore had to say in response to some other questions:

Q: What do you think of what Apple announced?
Belfiore: I think that if I am someone who is going to be shopping for an MP3 player this holiday, after hearing the announcements, I am definitely going to be giving Zune a good look.

Here's how the new Zunes stacked up to Apple's now-replaced third-generation iPod Nano (middle).

(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET News)

 

I think Apple has continued to do some nice hardware engineering. The colors are attractive; there are some new hardware features. I definitely think from the perspective of software and services that bring the whole experience to life, our offering is very competitive. We see Apple doing a recommendations feature and we've got a recommendation feature that not just recommends things to buy and gives you things from your collection, but aggregates what your friends are listening to...and if you are a Zune Pass subscriber, we'll give you whole songs to listen to without you having to do any work at all. We think from the perspective of the music enthusiast we think that is a great feature where we compare favorably.

Why did Microsoft get in the Zune business? Why is it an important business to be in?
Belfiore: We think the possibilities for creating value for people around how they are entertained...is incredibly important. The potential for doing great things for people is huge. It can affect a wide range of devices, from portable devices that you carry around to devices that are hooked up to your TV to devices that look like what you think of as your PC or laptop today. We aspire to really making people's lives better in the way they are entertained. Being able to create those connections between people and get them content on whatever kind of device it is, we think is important and compelling and worth doing.

When you look three or five years out, should I be able to go to my car, go to an Internet cafe, go to my phone without any preloaded content and be able to access any content that I have purchased or my personal content?
Belfiore: A good theory for us is pretty close to what you just described--where you can sign into the service and all the music that you like is available immediately to you wherever you are. The videos that you like are available to you wherever you are. And you have ways of trying new things and finding new things because your friends, people you respect, people who are pundits or critics in the industry are all available. It's not simply about passively experiencing the same thing over and over again--unless that's what you want--it's also about discovering new things and being engaged with people.

If you think about Xbox Live as an example. For years and years and years people played games by themselves or with two other friends in the same room. Today there's leader boards and badges and reputations and you can be on a headset playing against somebody halfway around the world. It's the same idea as that, but let's do that across entertainment types.

Obviously the device that the most people have with them at any given time is the mobile phone. How do you guys think about that?
Belfiore: The phone is certainly an interesting device for doing entertainment types of things. It's a device we continually look at trying to improve. We don't have any announcements about what we are doing on the phone at this point in time. We're excited about the progress we've made with Zune and stay tuned.

How important is the car as a place for enjoying entertainment?
Belfiore: I think the car is super-important. For me personally, the two places where I listen to music more than anywhere else are (in) the car and running.

There's a lot of work at Microsoft that we've been doing on the car. The Ford Sync product...has been very successful for Ford. What it tries to do is integrate entertainment experiences and communication experiences in a really seamless way that is optimized for you while you are driving. You just talk to it. We definitely see that as an important, highly used environment for entertainment. We think that the products we have today do a pretty good job and there's lots of room for us to keep doing really great stuff.

What made you want to take the Zune job?
Belfiore: I have been a digital media enthusiast for a long time. When J. (Allard) was moving on and they needed someone to help with the creative direction and execution on Zune, I was excited to go be a part of that. I think Zune is a great opportunity for us to do groundbreaking work.

If you had one hesitation, what was the biggest worry or concern?
Belfiore: The truth is, I didn't have much hesitation. Zune certainly faces a difficult competitive situation but Microsoft has been in that situation many times before and it is an exciting place to be.

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QuickOffice for iPhone Can Almost Edit Office Docs

At the CTIA Fall trade show on Wednesday, I got a quick look at the latest state of QuickOffice, one of the two Microsoft Office-compatible suites being developed for the iPhone. It isn't quite ready yet; right now it can edit Microsoft Excel documents, but only read Microsoft Word documents.

The biggest challenge with creating an iPhone office suite, it seems, is dealing with the iPhone's wacky file system issues. Each iPhone app has its own file storage space, and the apps can't access each others' spaces. So you can't save an e-mail attachment or something from Safari into a public folder to be edited by QuickOffice, for instance.
 
QuickOffice tries to get around the problem with an extra app, QuickAccess. QuickAccess lets you download documents from MobileMe, Google Docs or other shared Web folders to be accessed by QuickOffice, and then to reupload your edited documents to the Web. Because QuickAccess shares a developer signature with QuickOffice, apparently the three programs can all share files.
I saw a few sample spreadsheets in QuickSheet, and yes, it was quick - you can zoom, scroll, and shrink your view using the usual iPhone gestures.

Tapping on a cell lets you edit it. QuickWord, meanwhile, showed Word documents with formatting intact; editing is coming soon, apparently. But until Apple starts letting these programs interact with e-mail, it's going to be a little awkward using documents on your iPhone. Find some more screen shots after the jump, on AppScout.




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Performance-enhancing OneDRAM(TM) Featured in New Samsung Multimedia Phone, with Handsets of Other OEMs to Follow

 

SEOUL, Korea, Sep 11, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced semiconductor technology solutions, today announced that its embedded memory, OneDRAM(TM) is being used in the new Samsung SGH-L870 handset, which was launched in Europe last month. The 512 megabit (Mb) OneDRAM will be mass produced for multiple communication carriers in several other smart phones worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2008. Samsung has also begun sampling its one gigabit (Gb) OneDRAM to major handset manufacturers this month.

 

Samsung's OneDRAM enables a ten-fold increase in the data processing speeds between the two processors in mobile handsets: a communication processor and an application processor. The OneDRAM interface, which complies with the JEDEC low-power, double-data-rate (LPDDR) memory standard, channels data between the processors through a single chip, eliminating the need for DRAM and SRAM chips as buffer memory.

 

"Thanks to Samsung's OneDRAM, we were able to come up with faster and more efficient multimedia features for SGH-L870." said ES Hwang, vice president, Handset R&D team, Samsung Electronics. "The Samsung L870 is the best solution for consumers who want to have business-like efficiency combined with exciting multimedia features for personal use."

 

The performance benefits of specifying OneDRAM will be particularly evident with mobile phones in high-speed network environments, as well as for the transmission of 3D graphics, high-definition video and high-pixel imaging in digital applications that require large volumes of data to be processed at ultra-high speeds.

 

"In order to stay competitive, handset OEMs are requiring higher performance to support a larger array of services and functions at cost-effective prices," said Sei-Jin Kim, vice president, Memory division, Samsung Electronics. "Samsung's embedded memory solutions, such as our new OneDRAM, have been welcomed by leading application designers around the world for their performance enhancements, cost efficiency and timely technical support."

OneDRAM supports the high-performance requirements of a wide range of telecommunications services. High-speed, downlink packet access (HSDPA) handsets, which have data transmission speeds of 7.2 megabits per second (Mbps) today and are designed for speeds up to 14.4Mbps, are expected to see a seven-fold increase to 100Mbps when 3G LTE (long term evolution) wireless communication services are introduced.

 

Samsung's 133MHz 512Mb OneDRAM receives data from the modem processor at a 533MB/s transfer rate and forwards it to the application processor at 1.06GB/s, providing an overall system performance level more than ten times faster than that of conventional data transfers. The 1 GB OneDRAM is designed on a 166MHz scale for even faster performance.

 

Along with its faster data processing speeds between processors, OneDRAM reduces the overall cost for handset designing, the amount of power consumed and the time that it takes to bring a handset to market.

The smaller number of chips in Samsung's OneDRAM also allows for the use of a printed circuit board only two-thirds the size of those used in conventional handsets.

 

About Samsung Semiconductor Europe

 

Samsung Semiconductor Europe, a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Seoul, Korea, is headquartered in Eschborn near Frankfurt/Main, Germany and London, UK with sales offices all over Europe. The two European headquarters are handling the marketing and sales activities of semiconductors, TFT LCD panels in Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA). In addition, the marketing and sales activities of Rotating Memories (Hard Disk Drives and Optical Storage Solutions) for the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and UK are handled there.

For more information, please visit www.samsungsemi.eu.

About Samsung Electronics

 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$103.4 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of four main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, and Telecommunication Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs.

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RIM unveils Pearl Flip phone

BlackBerry maker targets wider consumer market

David George-Cosh, Financial Post  Published: Thursday, September 11, 2008

Two years ago, Research In Motion Ltd. dipped its toes into the consumer market with the BlackBerry Pearl and made a huge splash, selling roughly 10 million devices. Now, analysts are expecting yesterday's release of a flip phone version of the Pearl to be the Canadian tech company's next big wave in the giant Main Street cellphone market.

Along with the BlackBerry Bold device targeting the high-speed wireless market, the new BlackBerry Pearl Flip, one of the worst-kept secrets among gadget enthusiasts, is RIM's first attempt to corral some market share outside its traditional stronghold of business customers.

"Seventy per cent of the mobile phone users in the United States use a flip," Jim Balsillie, RIM cochief executive told Reuters. "There's never been a smartphone or a BlackBerry option for that."

With two new BlackBerry devices released and up to five more consumer-friendly devices estimated to be unveiled in the next year, the Waterloo, Ont.-based company's focus is dramatically shifting from the business world toward building the brand as the standard smartphone platform for the consumer, Research Capital analyst Nick Agostino said.
"With every one step they're taking into the enterprise market, they're making three into the consumer," said Mr. Agostino, who has a "buy" rating and a US$175 target price.

Cellphone stalwarts Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp. are losing handset market share as more subscribers migrate to such smartphones as the BlackBerry and Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which feature multimedia offerings but are generally more expensive.

RIM's way of maintaining pressure on the global handset market is the Pearl Flip, which combines the same SureType keyboard originally introduced on the Pearl device with the comfort and functionality of a clamshell cellphone popularized by Motorola's RAZR devices. The device is expected to retail between US$50 to US$150 depending on the data plan and contract.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky said RIM is going to steal market share from its lower-margin competitors while maintaining its strong financial position.

Investors finally had a reason to cheer RIM after seeing its stock on the Toronto Stock Exchange fall 21% since Aug. 27. RIM shares rose 6% to finish yesterday's session at $112.36.

Industry observers speculate RIM could sell anywhere between three million and seven million BlackBerry Pearl Flip devices in its first year of availability if the company manages to attract enough cellphone carriers interested in offering customers a low-cost BlackBerry model.

"RIM delivers high quality customers to the carriers ... and there's probably a much higher loyalty factor among BlackBerry users than there are with other handset makers," said Forrester analyst Charles Golvin. "If you can get that with the Pearl Flip, it'll be more difficult to pry it apart [from them]."

---------
LOOK AHEAD:
More BlackBerrys to come?

Thunder/Storm The buzz behind RIM's entry into the touchscreen world keeps growing since word earlier this year the device was in production. After a YouTube review video was posted yesterday, the blogosphere was quick to condemn the prototype. Expect RIM to fix the bugs in time for a hoped-for fall, 2009, release.

Touchscreen Slider Fuelled by a number of patent designs, analysts have speculated RIM will release a touchscreen device with a slide-out keyboard next year.

Javelin Images of the next-generation of RIM's highly popular BlackBerry Curve have popped up on gadget sites but will include many of the same functions that came with the BlackBerry Bold, such as 3G and better multimedia features.

3G Pearl Analysts also expect a high-speed update of RIM's highly popular Pearl "candy bar" smartphone.



Source 

T-Mobile to Sell Android 'Dream' Phone Sept. 23?

How many days are you willing to wait in front of a T-Mobile store to be the first to own a gPhone? You might have to decide soon. According to the Reuters news agency, T-Mobile is set to announce availability of its mobile phone based on Google's Android operating system as soon as September 23.

According to sources the T-Mobile phone, called "Dream," will be available "within weeks." Those same sources say T-Mobile plans to hold a press event in New York City on September 23. Reuters, however, is not clear in its report as to whether the actual T-Mobile Dream phones will go on sale that date. If the sources are correct in estimating actual phones being available in "a couple weeks," then September 23 could be the date the Dream becomes a reality.

Dreaming of the Dream

Last month The New York Times reported sources at HTC, the makers of the Dream hardware, as saying T-Mobile would only hold a press conference in September showcasing the Dream smartphone. HTC sources told The New York Times that the actual Dream phone wouldn't go on sale until October or "before Christmas."

Last month the U.S. Federal Communications Commission certified that the Google software and the HTC phone met network standards, giving T-Mobile the green light for U.S. sales. According to documents filed with the FCC there was a strong indication the phone wouldn't hit the U.S. market until November.

In early August the debut of T-Mobile's Dream phone was rumored to be delayed until 2009.

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OpenMoko Users Open up About Their Phones

Let's say you want to load your MP3 collection onto your fancy smartphone using your favorite jukebox software -- and not some application chosen by the phone manufacturer.

Or you want to install (or maybe even write) some cool new software on your phone, but you're fed up with having the range of available apps dictated to you by "the man" (in his black turtleneck sweater).

Then again, maybe you just want to go through the phone's software, line by line, to make sure that it isn't sending all your corporate secrets to some e-mail server north of the border.

With most phones on the market, you're not at liberty to do all of those -- or even any of them, with some models. What you need is a smartphone that's free.

So how come you don't have one? The phone companies would love to give you a free phone. Don't believe me? Look through any mobile network operator's sales brochure and you'll find they're giving away a bunch of smartphones.

Orange U.K., for instance, lists 28 models as "free" at the moment, including the sparkling new HTC Touch Diamond, the Sony-Ericsson W980 Walkman -- and the BlackBerry 8820 that cost my boss $150 last year. (Don't tell her.)
Of course, they're not really free. You have to sign an airtime contract for 12 months, maybe longer. So not only are you tied to the man's idea of cool downloads, his favorite jukebox, and his mail carrier (whomever that might be), you also have to stick with his choice of network operator for the next year.

Such restrictions are driving an enthusiastic, albeit small, group of smartphone users to choose a phone that's free (as in speech), if not free (as in beer).
To find out more, I turned up one Friday night recently at La Cantine, a relatively new bar on the edge of one of Paris' main business districts. There was free Wi-Fi, and some of the mostly young, mostly male, drinkers were playing with their mobile phones.


Unusually for a crowd like this, I couldn't see any iPhones, even though sales of the 3G model had got off to a flying start following its launch here in July.
There were, though, rather a lot of Neo Freerunners for such a small gathering.
I'm more likely to be knocked off my bike by a passing motorist than to see one of these phones on an average day in Paris, so I knew I'd found the venue for the first meeting of Freerunner owners organized by the phone's French distributor, Bearstech.
 
The Freerunner costs around $399 or €320, if you can find one in stock, and comes with a charger, a 1200 mAh battery, a stylus and a MicroSD memory card. You choose your mobile operator and slot in their SIM (Subscriber Identity Module).

The phone is a black slab of plastic with rounded ends, one of them pierced by a huge hole for attaching a lanyard. It has a touch-sensitive screen and one button, the power switch, which inevitably invites certain comparisons ...
"The screen's a bit smaller than the iPhone's, but it's got twice the number of pixels," one owner told me. (That's 2.8 inches and 480 x 640 pixels, compared to the iPhone's 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 screen.)

"I only got mine last night. I've made a few calls already, but I haven't managed to send a text message yet, although I did receive one," said another user.


What made his phone special was that it was the only one present still running the software it originally shipped with.


If you want to meddle with the Freerunner's software, there's no need to "jailbreak" it. You can flash it with new software whenever you like: update it, downgrade it, recompile it or replace it -- a freedom that the other owners had most certainly taken advantage of, simply because they could.
That's because the Freerunner runs Linux, while the graphical applications running on top of that to handle dialing, contact management, e-mail and so on are also open source. Freerunner owners have access to the source for all its code, and can modify it and add to it at will.
 
One person had even installed a port of Debian Linux on his. That turned out not to be so much fun, though, because he hadn't set it up to run a graphical interface or any kind of touch input. The only way get it to do anything was to connect to it from a nearby laptop using ssh, and issue commands to install and run new software packages that way.
There were almost as many reasons for taking an interest in the Freerunner as there were people present.

Several said they were looking for an interesting open-source software project to which they could contribute. That's good news for less-gifted Freerunner owners, because some aspects of its software are still lacking a certain stability, while others need more polish.

A university lecturer in computer science wanted a platform for which his students could develop software. A signal processing engineer wanted to develop his own voice-recognition software.


Software developer Marcus Bauer had come along to explain how he ported his mapping and location software, Tango GPS, to the Freerunner -- which delighted another attendee who wanted a phone he could take geo-caching.
A biologist said he was simply curious about whether he could use a phone like this. ("If you've got fingers, you should be OK," one owner replied.)
There was also a lawyer, an architect -- and yes, someone from the government, looking for a platform on which to develop "secure mobile applications."


It takes all sorts to make a free world.


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