Wireless Archive

Four large mobile phone vendors, together with two major wireless operators, will create an open Linux implementation for mobile phones. Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic, Samsung, and Vodafone say their Linux implementation will provide a global standard, and prevent the 'fragmentation' of mobile phone Linux.

BlogBeebe gives an overview of the Internet Tablet OS 2006 Edition Beta and concludes: "I find what Nokia is trying to do with the software intriguing. But it is definately beta software, and from my sampling it is very rough all over. If you've got a Bluetooth headset and services on either Google or Jabber, then you've got more features to explore and possibly use. The thumb keyboard is awful. It's slow, and attempts to bring it up causes other applications (such as the web browser) to crash. And if this is what is being shipped on new 770's, then those new owners are not going to be happy campers."

It's no secret: Nokia is after Blackberry's thunder in the enterprise with their latest E series, and especially via the E61 model. Hi-Mobile sent us in an E61 unit for the purposes of this review. Dig in for information, a video and lots of screenshots from the latest 'S60 3rd Edition' Symbian v9.1 OS.

"Linux users who are looking for an alternative to the ultra-mobile PC may want to take a look at the new Pepper Pad. Yesterday Pepper Computer announced that it has updated the Pepper Pad to its third revision. The product is slated to be released on August 15th with a suggested retail price of $699. Though it is just 11.4"x5.9"x0.9"/290x149x23mm and 2.2 lbs/985 grams the Pepper Pad is touted as a full featured handheld device which is capable of surfing the internet, music/video playback, photo viewing, emailing, and more. This device is controlled with a split QWERTY keyboard and 7" (800x480) touch screen and also houses a 20 GB hard drive and built-in speakers."

"Games under GNU/Linux have usually been a lacklustre affair. For every Tux Racer, there are a hundred sub-standard Pac-man clones you'd be embarrassed to advocate. For every commercial version of Quake, there's a hundred other worthy games the publisher elected not to port to GNU/Linux. Without good games, there's no market, and without the market, no effort is spared. And so the cycle continues. In this article, I will look at two of the areas in which GNU/Linux games have succeeded, and a new device that combines them both, which could help expose GNU/Linux to the populous."

Microsot just released a stand-alone emulator of Windows Mobile 5 (AKU2.0) with both PocketPC and Phone bootable images in it (screenshot). You will need the two files from here, plus this file (overall 59 MB). Elsewhere, Qtopia Phone Edition 4.1.1 is released as a bootable ISO for everyone to try out (only VoIP and video playback support is missing from that image, overall 119 MB).

As promised, Nokia announces today the 2006 OS update for the 770 Internet Tablet adding Google Talk, a full screen finger keyboard, improved memory performance, and new refreshed look. Additional applets have also been added for faster access to internet services.

Hi-Mobile.net was very kind to send us over a Symbian/UIQ 3G smartphone for the purposes of this article, the Motorola M1000 (currently $290). This specific model originally was only sold in Japan as a "world phone" since last July, meaning that it can work both in Japan and in the rest of the GSM world. We tested the operating system, its usability and the phone itself with the Cingular network in the Bay Area. Many screenshots and pictures included.

The Inq reviews the Abacus WristPDA, a watch running PalmOS 4.x, and concludes: "While the 'Industry Analysts' and other professionals of spreading Fear Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) try to convince people that "bigger is better" and that a pocket device's OS must be as fat and bloated as Windows Mobile to be of use, the Abacus WristPDA shows that smaller and less bloated code can sometimes be better."