Mae
| News and views on everything wireless and mobile, from WiFi and WiMAX to 3G and fixed-mobile convergence (FMC).
mobility
Happy Birthday to Synchronoss, the iPhone Activator
July 20, 2007
I spent Thursday in the Big Apple at Nasdaq Studios, observing the festivities as Synchronoss Technologies—the company whose software is used by AT&T to handle behind-the-scenes nitty-gritty associated with activating an iPhone—celebrated its first anniversary as a public company. Synchronoss officials were also in a jovial mood over the company's recently signed multi-year deal with AT&T to provide ongoing operational support of the Apple iPhone and its Monday unveiling of a similar deal with broadband Internet service provider Clearwire.
The day dawned a misty, muggy one; waiting for my Metro North train into the city from Westchester, I observed to myself that while it wasn't raining the air was nonetheless positively wet. It was also a day when some people's commutes were disrupted somewhat; as we rolled into Grand Central Terminal, a conductor announced over the PA system that some subways might not be running.
Rumor Mill: iPhone Nano, Coming Soon?
July 11, 2007
iPhone is still in its infancy (not even a month old yet), and already rumors are flying that it could soon have a younger sibling. A Reuters report on Monday said that Taiwan-based JP Morgan analyst Kevin Chung has connections in the supply channel who claim an iPhone based on the iPod Nano is already in the works.
Chung apparently issued a report on July 8 in which he cited both his supply channel contacts, and a patent application filed July 5 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as evidence that the iPhone Nano is in utero.
RingCentral Takes Fax Online, Makes it Mobile
July 6, 2007
If you’re like me—someone who’s used to the speed and ease of email—faxing documents can seem like an unbearable hassle. Create document. Print document. Look up phone number. Walk to fax machine.
iPhone, Firsthand
July 5, 2007
Yesterday, to celebrate Independence Day, I engaged in a very American activity: shopping. While I was at the mall, I stopped by the Apple Store to check out iPhone firsthand. Yes, I actually got a chance to play around with the new, cool phone that everyone is talking about.
Overall, my conclusion is wow—finally a consumer-grade rather than business-focused smartphone. iPhone was pretty comfortable to hold, and I found its features for the most part impressive.
At first, I admit I was a bit concerned about the usability of the touch-screen keyboard that pops up whenever you set out to complete a task requiring typing.
Transfer Video to iPhone with Innovative Solutions Software
July 3, 2007
iPhone isn’t even a week old yet, and already it’s apparent that accessory manufacturers and software developers have been busy for months gearing up for the release of Apple’s cell phone. One example is software company Innovative Solutions, which today announced a software package that helps users transport movies from DVDs to the iPhone.
The software, DVD to iPhone, makes it possible to “put full length DVDs, downloaded movies and other video on the iPhone.”
DVD to iPhone is a Windows program, for XP/Vista. According to Innovative Solutions, it can handle any DVD source including pre-recorded and recordable DVDs. Also transportable: video file formats including AVI and MPEG.
Innovative Solutions also said that the software enables very speedy transfers, “with a 90 minute DVD being transferred in an average 30 minutes.”
The software lets users select from a variety of settings for aspect ration, video and sound quality, and language/subtitle options.
Attempting to Track Down iPhone Sales Numbers
July 2, 2007
So, this morning I got curious: how well did iPhone sell over the weekend? I figured I might be able to get an idea by calling some of the larger Apple Stores around the country. I went to http://www.apple.com/retail and grabbed phone numbers for five stores: one each in Los Angeles, CA; Dallas, TX; New York City; Tampa, FL; and Lyndhurst, OH (near Cleveland).
Then, bracing for the time-consuming task of navigating phone menu systems, I hit the phone.
Want an iPhone? Get in Line
June 29, 2007
In what has to be one of the best-orchestrated marketing schemes in a while, Apple today will start selling its new iPhone, a device which combines the popular iPod MP3 player with smartphone and wireless Web capabilities. Stores open tonight at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time in the U.S. (They’ll be closed from 2:00-6:00pm to prepare for the expected onslaught.) If you want an iPhone, better get in line now.
Actually, though, some people have already been in line… since Monday.
CallWave Visual Voicemail Follow-up
June 26, 2007
Last week I blogged about CallWave’s new Visual Voicemail service for use with mobile phones. I wrote that I really liked the service, but had two gripes:
1. Callers didn’t get my personal greeting, instead reached a generic CallWave message.
2. I couldn’t access my voicemail from my phone any longer—only using the online, visual mailbox.
I heard back from two reps at CallWave (you can read their notes in the comments section of this blog) who pointed out that, actually, the Visual Voicemail service has functionality built in that overcome both the problems I was encountering.
Review: CallWave Visual Voicemail
June 22, 2007
CallWave, a company that’s been creating voice applications since 1998, recently released a new service called CallWave Visual Voicemail. This is a ‘widget’ (works with iGoogle, Apple OS, Windows, and Yahoo!) that lets you see your voicemail messages in a Web-based menu and choose which ones you want to listen to.
I decided to give this a whirl, since I’m still saving up to buy an iPhone (which includes lots of neat features, including visual voicemail). IMHO, visual voicemail is long overdue.
Apple iPhone: Coming June 29
June 4, 2007
The big news broke over the weekend: there is now an official launch date for Apple’s much-touted iPhone (device that combines mobile phone with iPod). The new product’s hit-the-shelves birthday is June 29.
Is it really official? Well, seems so: Reuters is reporting it this morning (citing confirmation from an Apple spokesperson), and Apple aired three TV commercials Sunday night showing off iPhone and saying it will be available to purchase on the 29th.
