Recently in Mobility Category

So, I received a note from Ovum Research with their take on the fact that Nokia is leaving the enterprise solution business, namely their IntelliSync unified communications play.
 
According to Senior Analyst, Claudio Castelli of Ovum:
 
Mobile unified communications involves high complexity and vendors should concentrate on their strengths instead of trying to provide end-to-end solutions. Nokia will no longer develop software solutions for enterprises. The company has recognized that it is unable to advance into the enterprise market as a standalone mobility solutions provider. Nokia will now concentrate its efforts on developing powerful user interfaces for its devices, which will be supported by its UC partners on their platforms- they include companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent. By focusing its efforts, Nokia will be able to exploit its main strength and is more likely to succeed.
 
The key devices in this space for Nokia are their E-series devices and the company will reportedly look to build on the successes of their E66 and E71 units.

 E66_10.jpg
 
Sad as it may seem to some, I think it makes a great deal of sense for a firm with Nokia's legacy of device creation -- and creativity -- to focus on that part of the ecosystem that they are really good at.
 
Relationships with the aforementioned companies, like Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent, and others will only bode well for the phone maker as chances are their handsets will be among the preferred devices that the mobile UC solution providers will offer their end users.
 
Speaking of Nokia devices, reports abound that Spain's Telefonica will be getting Nokia's new touch-screen phone before the end of the year. According to a report from Forbes:

 
 Nokia5800XpressMusic_8.jpg
 
A source familiar with Nokia's strategy told Forbes.com that Spain's Telefonica would offer the 5800 touch-screen phone when it starts shipping, sometime in the final months of 2008. This will be the second touch-screen victory for Telefonica this year, after it was picked as Apple's exclusive partner to launch the iPhone back in July.
  

#$%^&* Apple!

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It figures. Do something to help the masses identify where they can get an iPhone 3G and Bam! No good deed shall remain unpunished.
 
Earlier today I blogged about the Top Muffin iPhone 3G Availability Tracker, and how it was helping people find the iPhone 3G's they had been waiting for. Well guess what? It's gone. Over!
 
Here's what Top Muffin has to say:
 
Evidently, Apple did not like their 3G iPhone availability data being used outside of apple.com.
 
They have changed all inventory values to NULL in their JSON file. I guess it beats a cease-and-desist letter.\
 
Looks like people will have to go to the store themselves now. It's a wonderful strategy on the part of Apple. Maybe once we get the folks who want an iPhone into our stores, they'll impulsively purchase some iPods and a 30-inch Cinema Display...

Grrr....
 

iPhone Shortage Dissipating

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It is true that in the wake of the recent iPhone 3G launch, Rich Tehrani had trouble finding one.
 
But according to Top Muffin's iPhone 3G Availability Tracker -- which tracks which stores have inventory based on Apple's own information -- as of 12:45pm today, July 24th there were quite a few units available for purchase at Apple stores throughout the United States.
 
In fact if Rich really wants a black 16GB model, I might be able to hook him up.
 
For more on the availability of the iPhone 3G, check out this article.
 

America for Sale?

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Tim Gray is reporting on the chatter that has Sprint as the target of a takeover - albeit a friendly takeover - at the hands of SK Telecom, South Korea's wireless giant.
 
Yesterday, Leuven, Belgium-based InBev picked up Anheuser Busch for the thirst-quenching little sum of $52 billion.
 
And last week word came down that the Abu Dhabi Investment Council had purchased one of New York's landmark skyscrapers, the Chrysler Building, for $800 million or so.
 
Now quick... Who owns Rockefeller Center?
 
This Sunday, the Washington Nationals and MLB.com will debut the use of "mobile giving" to benefit the creation of a Diabetes Care Complex for Children's National Medical Center.

 
 
Here's how it works: Fans can text the word "NATS" to 90999 to give $5 to support the work of Children's National Medical Center to fight pediatric diabetes, a growing concern in the Washington area and nationwide.
 
While the July 13 game against the Houston Astros is the public launch of this initiative, people can donate between July 10th and July 31st.
 
MLB.com, the Nationals, and Children's National Medical Center are partnering with the Mobile Giving Foundation, which enables nonprofits to accept donations from almost any phone and major cellular providers.
mobile giving.jpg
For further information about the Mobile Giving Foundation, visit their Web site.
 
For further information about the Children's National Medical Center, located in Washington, DC, visit their Web site.

Truphone Hits iPhone App Store

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truphone on iphone.jpgIf you spend any time traveling internationally for business, you understand the challenge of maintaining a high level of connectivity while keeping costs down.
 
Let's face it, international calling plans are expensive, and frankly the various roaming agreements can be confusing, leaving users trying to remember how much it costs to call from Prague to Paris as opposed to say Peoria or Portofino.
 
Truphone today announced that their native VoIP client for the iPhone -- developed with Apple's own SDK -- is available at the online iPhone App Store. The application is currently available for download at no charge.
 

 
The company has been at the forefront of making mobile VoIP inexpensive and easy to use for some time now. The solution routes calls over WiFi, so if you're near a hotspot and need to make a call you can simply call up the Truphone application on your iPhone and place the call.
 
Existing Truphone users will recognize the same simple process for initiating a call: one touch to open the keypad/dialer, the actual dialing of the digits (or simply select a contact from the iPhone's own address book), and one touch to launch the call. That's it. No access codes, no fuss, no muss.
 
Here's a nifty video explaining how the solution works.
apple salesforce blog.JPGApple's iPhone App Store is now live. And Salesforce.com has announced that its Salesforce CRM applications and Force.com platform are available as Salesforce Mobile applications for iPhone from the App Store.

 
 
In order to get access to the App Store, you have to first download iTunes 7.7. Once iTunes has been upgraded, you can access the App Store.
 
According to the Pinch Media blog, at launch, the App Store contained 552 applications - 417 of them paid, 135 of them free. Paid applications ranged in price from $0.99 to $69.99, with the most common price points being $0.99 (85 applications), $9.99 (82 applications), and $4.99 (62 applications).

Has AT&T seen the light? Will it offer what is arguably the hottest gadget around -- the iPhone -- without a service agreement?

Yes.

For a nominal service charge.

The two new iPhones (8MB and 16MB versions) go on sale next Friday (July 11) for $199 and $299, with two-year AT&T contracts.

If you want to purchase an iPhone 3G from AT&T -- locked for use on its network only, natch --without a service contract, you can do so for $400 more than the price of an iPhone that's locked in to a two-year service agreement.

Math challenged? Contract-free versions will cost $599 and $699.

Currently a monthly calling plan for the iPhone runs $70 per month for 450 minutes of calls and unlimited e-mail and Web browsing.

WiFi Heads Out to Sea

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You didn't think I would leave boaters out of today's rash of WiFi/transportation related news did you?

WIFI BOAT.jpg

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) announced yesterday that WiFi service was available immediately on eleven MBTA commuter boats, providing customers free connection to the Internet using laptops or other Web-enabled devices.

All MBTA Commuter Boat vessels on the F1 -- Hingham/Boston and F2/F2H -- Quincy/Hull/Logan/Boston ferry routes will offer the WiFi service.

WiFi Takes to the Skies

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American Airlines was set to begin testing in-flight WiFi Internet access on two flights today, with broader service expected to begin in the following couple weeks.

WIFI PLANE.jpg

American's technology partner, Aircell LLC, is expected to charge between $9.95 and $12.95 for the service, depending on flight length.

Both companies will reportedly share in the revenue.

Lucky passengers will be on American's JFK to LAX route and again on the return leg

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