Posts by Bonnie

Germans Joyn in the operator-backed rival to Skype

There's a difference between open, sign-in and encrypted Wi-Fi networks. Ideally, you'd want the latter, or more precisely WPA2 Enterprise combined with EAP-SIM for user authentication.

Windows Phone 7 gets 'goodie' update

Elop, well done!

Nokia engineers will be thrilled. If they were apprehensive about WP7 earlier, I'm sure this novel "cut and paste" feature will win them over.

Paris, because she should've made Nokia CEO.

Nokia slips out Designed By Community handset

Tail fins and horns that play "La Cucaracha"

Reminds me of a Simpsons episode which saw Homer bankrupt his half-brother's car company with his 'ideal' car design:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_Brother,_Where_Art_Thou%3F

Windows Phone 7 up for grabs from 'excited' 3

Closed source is sooo passé

Silence before the storm? More like storm in a teacup before the silence.

Orange goes High Definition

HD VoIP

That decent VoIP service you're referring to would be using the very same AMR-WB codec as the Orange 3G HD handsets (some VoIP-capable Nokias already do). Not that I expect Orange to open up their cosy little walled garden to outsiders, but at least theoretically VoIP calls could be terminated to the Orange 3G network (and vice versa) without the need for transcoding, which generally wrecks HD quality.

Microsoft releases Symbian Communicator

One step forward and two steps back

Why doesn't the lack of VoIP support surprise me? The Eseries' Symbian S60 3.X is nearing end-of-life and the successor, Symbian^3, ditches integrated VoIP support. Symbian^4 reportedly reintroduces it again, but it's going to be a long wait. Eternity, perhaps?

Google accused over China censorship

Go Google!

If all this is just a PR stunt by Google to divert attention from their own domineering tendencies, they could've picked a worse cause. Go Google!

Skype arrives on Nokia Symbian phones

Arranged marriage?

I wonder whether it's genuine love for Symbian or a money-greased arrangement? Nokia needs a crowd-puller for its unloved Ovi and Skype's new owners want ROI. The magical disappearance of the WinMob and Java clients are hardly coincidental.

Play.com touts Nexus One with added price

Charger

There's a US charger in the sales package. If you order the UK charger, you'll get two. Even if you skip the latter, trust the taxman for taxing you for a useless bit of kit.

Nokia exec denies Symbian Maemo swap claim

Wishful thinking...

Anyone who's used a Maemo-powered Nokia N800 or N810 can vouch that Maemo is not a smartphone platform. Throwing in a cellular modem doesn't make it that either. All you get is a better-connected a MID or mini-netbook. Better hold on to that smartphone...

Intel and Nokia's brave new world

Am I the only one to see that...

...Nokia and Intel are trying to offset Google and their Android here? Merging Moblin and Maemo is survival tactics. In these days of application stores there isn't any room for marginal platforms.

Any uses for an old Mac G4?

Media server

I second the suggestion to use it as an iTunes server. But I would add TwonkyVision, so you can stream iTunes content to DLNA/UPnP devices, like in my case, a Denon AV receiver and a PS3. If you want to save a few quid, use open source alternatives like OpenSUSE PPC Linux, MediaTomb and daapd.

We can save the world, claim mobile operators

Sure, fine, but...

...on condition that the mobile operators drop restrictions on running 3rd-party apps on their networks, too. Blocking sites, throttling bandwidth, de-prioritizing traffic, imposing inane T&C on subscribers, squeezing unfair revenue shares out of content providers... we've seen it all.

Spectrum deregulation is fine if it's balanced with regulation that ensures the ensuing benefits are passed on to the little guys, the real innovators. Relying on the operators' supposed benevolence is just wishful thinking.

How Chrome puts the skids under Nokia

Can Google bin Android?

I agree with El Reg that Nokia will have to play the proprietary card for a long time to come in order to survive Google's services onslaught. Besides, Google wouldn't go through a costly exercise like Android if it didn't doubt Nokia's intentions. Who knows, maybe Android has already served its purpose. If Symbian truly becomes open source, why should Google bother with a complete OS instead of just releasing a Chrome for Symbian?

Windows Mobile 6 blamed for Xperia X1 woes

Learning curve

There's a learning curve to integrating WM, as there is to Symbian, but then again SE are old hands at the latter. I mean, they've made their share of mistakes with Symbian. With WM they're just getting started ;-)

The fact of the matter is that SE need WM to make a dent in the USA, where the lucrative enterprise market barely notices S60/Symbian, let alone UIQ/Symbian. Since there's life (OK, primitive life) outside of the USA, expect to see more Symbian smarties from SE. For the same reasons, I'd put money on Nokia coming out with a WM smartie, with a Qualcomm chipset inside (I suggest Nokia name it E666). Call it pragmatism or selling your soul to the devil, but either way, money rules.

gOS - a Google good OS for your Mum

Netbooks to the rescue?

I find the netbook reference interesting. If anything, netbooks benefit from the simplicity and user-friendliness of gOS. Yet Intel, the biggest proponent of netbooks, is pursuing Red Hat-based distros with their Moblin, even if Red Hat has that server bias. Intel really need to rethink who their partner with.

On a grander scale, what's interesting is that if netbooks do well, Linux gets a big boost out of it. Vista won't scale down, Symbian won't scale up, so what remains? Mac OS X? Too fringy.

Paris, 'cos she and her ilk will inherit the world.

Generic VoIP toolkit comes to the iPhone

VoIP over 3G

Jobs is right in fending off VoIP over 3G. Existing 3G networks need a few 3GPP release iterations before latency drops to levels deemed good enough for VoIP.

Anyhow, be it 3G or WiFi, 3rd-party VoIP apps don't do the Jesusphone justice. If it's more about more than just bragging rights, you'll want a seamlessly integrated VoIP client. Back to you, Steve.

Er, mine's the one with the Nokia N95 -- with integrated VoIP -- in the pocket.

Verizon sends text messages to the big screen

Enforced mobile etiquette

I remember some Aussie uni had patented a system that uses Bluetooth to make moviegoers' phones shut up.

Where the hell is it?

Is there a router I can connect a USB 3G modem to?

..sorta

Not for the faint-hearted but certainly a budget option:

Take an ASUS wireless router, most of which come with one or more USB ports. Replace the firmware with open-source OpenWRT (www.openwrt.org).

Connect a Nokia mobile phone with the USB cable provided to the ASUS (I used an old 6680, but new-fangled HSDPA models like N95 should work as well and they give you more oomph). The Nokia acts as the modem and can be controlled with the venerable AT command set.

Install and configure ACM driver and PPP on OpenWRT. This is the hard bit and requires a fair deal of patience/smokes/coffee/wine and not to forget, Linux admin skills. Guidance and help is available on the OpenWRT forums.

Skype comes to mobile (almost)

RE: Symbian?

Industry rumour has it the reason for Skype's inability to bring out a S60/Symbian client is part protocol inefficiency and part bad coding. Having tried the WinMob client, I agree heartily.

Sierra Charlie Romeo Alpha Papa indeed. SIP rules...

Nokia takes a Q1 tumble

40% market share...

...is unsustainable. Nokia got there mainly because of fumbles at Motorola (twice; first by fumbling the transition from 1G to 2G, then with the Razr navel-staring) and Ericsson (made phones styled like 80's Volvos).

Nokia is the one that needs to watch its step. Ovi is Nokia's misstep. You can nibble at the hand that feeds you, but you get slapped.