Wireless Archive

Sony CEO: Vita OS designed to be used on smartphones, tablets

Thom Holwerda 2012-02-13 Wireless 37 Comments

It's pretty clear Samsung is keeping Bada/Tizen around as a possible future escape clause in case Android and/or Google goes nuts. Sony doesn't have an alternative to Android - which it may need soon, since its Android smartphones and tablets aren't doing particularly well. As such, Sony's new CEO Kazuo Hirai has hinted that the operating system of the Playstation Vita may make its way to smartphones and tablets.

FTL Launcher for Android: Fast, Basic

Thom Holwerda 2012-02-11 Wireless 34 Comments

Ever since my Android review, I've been looking for a different launcher for my Galaxy SII. I wanted something closer to the stock Android launcher to replace TouchWiz, without actually having to install CyanogenMod (I'm waiting for the ICS-based version 9 before taking that plunge). I finally found one I'm happy with: the extremely basic and light FTL (Faster Than Light) Launcher.

Nokia Belle released

Thom Holwerda 2012-02-07 Wireless 16 Comments

"People who have the latest Symbian Nokia smartphones can now update them to Nokia Belle - bringing a fresh look to their screens thanks to the latest user interface. Once you have installed Nokia Belle you will still have the same phone, but it will feel like new, with improved performance." Love the version name.

Guest post by fran 2012-02-07 Wireless 3 Comments

"Research in Motion has said the native software development kit for Blackberry 10 will be committed to open source. The firm, which has a history of basing its business on being a closed system, is shifting more and more to open source. Its upcoming Blackberry 10 native SDK will include many open source code resources."

Do iOS Applications Crash More Often than Android Applications?

Thom Holwerda 2012-02-03 Wireless 64 Comments

There's an article making the rounds right now about how applications on iOS crash more often than applications on Android. I'm not going to detail the entire methodology - the article itself does so - but it does raise an interesting talking point about how both mobile operating systems handle application crashes and updates.

Nokia N9 Outselling Lumia?

Thom Holwerda 2012-02-01 Wireless 84 Comments

How many N9's did Nokia sell, and how many Lumias did Nokia sell? It's an interesting thing to ponder, because estimates by Tomi T. Ahonen seem to indicate that, despite decidedly undermarketing the thing, the N9 faired considerably better in the marketplace than the Lumia did.

Submitted by lemur2 2012-01-31 Wireless 2 Comments

The first tablet computer that comes with Plasma Active pre-installed is to be named "Spark". It sports an open Linux stack on unlocked hardware and comes with an open content and services market. The user experience is, of course, Plasma Active and it will be available to the general public. The hardware is modest but compelling: 1GHz AMLogic ARM processor, Mali-400 GPU, 512 MB RAM, 4GB internal storage plus SD card slot, a 7" capacitive multi-touch screen and wifi connectivity. The retail price will be â‚¬200.

Tablets are PCs, Get Over It

David Adams 2012-01-31 Wireless 114 Comments

An article at The Next Web points out that the latest marketshare numbers put Apple at the top of "PC" makers, and that some PC makers that don't have any tablet momentum are calling foul. It's "controversial" to count tablets as PCs, they say. The article points out various justifications for not categorizing tablets as personal computers, and then shoots them down. I must say, I find the argument compelling.

Reassessing IOS, Android and Android-compatible Market Share

Guest post by Matthew Johnson 2012-01-31 Wireless 30 Comments

In its analysis of last year's smartphone market in the U.S., NPD found that market share for Apple's iOS went up following the release of the iPhone 4S, to 43 percent of all smartphone sales in October and November from 26 percent in the third quarter. Android, meanwhile, retained its lead, but lost market share towards the end of the year, dropping in October and November to 47 percent from 60 percent in the previous quarter. These are some dramatic shifts in market share but what do they really mean to you and me?

Submitted by ebasconp 2012-01-30 Wireless 3 Comments

Jon Rubinstein, once a prominent voice in the mobile community as he sought to reinvent Palm, has left HP. The move isn't a surprise considering how many management shuffles HP has gone through as of late, and Rubinstein has all but disappeared from the webOS landscape in its recent transition to an open source platform.

Android’s Share of Tablet Market Jumps

Thom Holwerda 2012-01-26 Wireless 48 Comments

"Android accounted for 39% of the market in the final three months of last year, up from 29% a year earlier, Strategy Analytics said. Apple's share fell to 58% from 68%. Microsoft's share stood at 1.5%." Really now.

Submitted by fran 2012-01-25 Wireless 6 Comments

"HP today began executing its plan to deliver an open webOS by committing to a schedule for making the platform's source code available under an open source license. The company aims to complete this milestone in its entirety by September. HP also announced it is releasing version 2.0 of webOS's innovative developer tool, Enyo. Enyo 2.0 enables developers to write a single application that works across mobile devices and desktop web browsers, from the webOS, iOS and Android platforms to the Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers - and more. The source code for Enyo is available today, giving the open source community immediate access to the acclaimed application framework for webOS."

RIM’s CEOs Step Down, Thorsten Heins Appointed as New CEO

Thom Holwerda 2012-01-23 Wireless 14 Comments

That's what you get for not delivering. As had been anticipated for a while now, the two co-CEOs of Research In Motion, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, will step down from their posts. Chief operating officer Thorsten Heins will take over the role of CEO, while the two former co-CEOs will move to other functions within the company.

Submitted by fran 2012-01-16 Wireless 32 Comments

For most of you, Samsung's Bada will be a bit of a mystery. As far as I know, it isn't sold in the United States, and Samsung isn't pushing it very hard in Europe either. Still, it has a 2% market share, and since my brother has a Bada phone, I can confirm it is a surprisingly good, fast, and easy to use smartphone operating system. Still, Samsung seems to have greater plans for it than just this 2%, since it has announced it will merge Bada with Tizen, the successor to MeeGo.

4S Sales Send Quarterly iPhone Share Up Compared to Android

David Adams 2012-01-10 Wireless 17 Comments

According to a new report from research firm NPD, iOS’s U.S. market share (by sales) jumped from 26% in the third quarter of 2011 to 43% by October and November. Android, however, came out on top, with 47% market share during those two months, down from 60% in Q3.

Indian Government Memo: Apple, Nokia, RIM Supply Backdoors

Thom Holwerda 2012-01-09 Wireless 36 Comments

Well, well, well, what have we here? Hackers have gained access to internal documents from the Indian Military (shared on the web), and in it, it is revealed that RIM, Nokia, and Apple have added backdoors to their mobile software (BlackBerry, S40 (supposedly), and iOS) which the Indian Military's intelligence service then used to spy on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (the USCC). The backdoors were added by RIM, Nokia, and Apple in exchange for Indian market presence.

Microsoft To Acquire Nokia’s Smartphone Division?

Thom Holwerda 2012-01-05 Wireless 90 Comments

This rumour is not new, nor is it particularly earth-shattering. However, with Windows Phone 7 failing to make a dent in the market place, and Nokia's Lumia 800 not making huge waves either, the rumour's been taken out of the shed again: Microsoft is supposedly acquiring Nokia's smartphone division later this year. Stephen Elop will resign from Nokia shortly afterwards.

Samsung Releases Galaxy 3GS, Or Something

Thom Holwerda 2012-01-04 Wireless 78 Comments

Hold on to your panties, because this should come as a surprise: I'm actually agreeing that Samsung is copying Apple. The Korean company just released a new entry-level Android smartphone, and it's called the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus. While Apple's previous complaints regarding Samsung's supposed copying were obviously nonsense, this Galaxy Ace Plus, on the other hand... It's almost as if Samsung is giving Apple the finger by copying the iPhone 3G(S) almost verbatim.

Guest post by snydeq 2012-01-04 Wireless 12 Comments

InfoWorld's Galen Gruman provides an in-depth comparison of the four major smartphone platforms in business environments. Vetted for business connectivity, application support, Web browsing, and security and management are the Apple iPhone 4S (iOS 5), Samsung Focus S (Windows Phone 7.5), Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Android 4), Motorola Photon 4G (Android 2.3), and RIM BlackBerry Bold 9900 (BlackBerry OS 7). And while the iPhone 4S leads the way based on the test bench's criteria, organizations can re-weight criteria to find which smartphone best meets their distinct needs.

RIM Leaning Toward New Chairman: Sources

Thom Holwerda 2012-01-03 Wireless 1 Comment

"Under intense pressure from a group of shareholders, Research in Motion is preparing to unveil a corporate shakeup at the beleaguered BlackBerry maker that could see co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie relinquish their titles as co-chairmen of the board, according to sources. Barbara Stymiest, an independent director who joined RIM's board in 2007, is believed to be the leading candidate to replace Messrs. Balsillie and Lazaridis as chair, sources familiar with events said."