Mobilityfeeds

Windows Phone 7 is the most stable mobile Operating System

As regular readers know, we have used nearly every mobile phone Operating System (OS) over the years and bounce around between devices, Operating Systems, and carriers faster than most people we know.

We have been using Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 since July 2010 and can say without a doubt that Windows Phone 7 has been the most stable and reliable mobile phone Operating System we have ever used, even counting the early technical preview and current beta development versions of Mango that we have been running on our phones.

People may have preconceived notions about Microsoft’s mobile platform given that Pocket PC and Windows Mobile had issues, but you can throw all of that out the window and if you give Windows Phone 7 an honest chance we think you will find out the same thing.

North Americans replace feature phones by smartphones favoring Android and iPhone - report

More and more North Americans are ditching feature phones for smartphones, with 38% of wireless subscribers now using the more advanced devices, according to Thursday data from Nielsen.

Among people who purchased a new handset in the last three months, 55% opted for a smartphone, up from 34% a year ago, Nielsen found.

Google's Android is the most popular mobile Operating System (OS) in the United States, with 38% of the market, and it also leads among people who recently purchased a new smartphone.
The Apple iPhone came in at number two with 27%, followed by Research In Motion (RIM) Blackberry at 21%.

Comparing Xperia Arc vs Galaxy S II vs iPhone 4 vs HP Pre 3 vs Nokia N9

With a gorgeous design and screen showcasing MeeGo with its swipe controls, the Nokia N9 is one of the most important – and exciting - Nokia releases in a long time.

But it is up against some pretty stiff competition from a smartphone market that is growing rapidly and currently contains some excellent handsets.

Its main rivals in the mid/high end market are the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and forthcoming HP Pre 3. 
Plus of course we can’t really ignore the continuing success of the Apple iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S II.

After the break, we’ll bring you a full, in-depth test when we get all the phones together.

Best eReading apps for your mobile device

As Apple's iBooks app approaches its first birthday, we thought we'd catch up on the best book apps currently available, and we don't just limit ourselves to typical print book eReaders.

We've chosen the best across Google's Android and iTunes, with some apps compatible with Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 and Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry phones too.

Kindle
To start with, when we think eReader, we think Amazon’s Kindle. 

Aside from the app’s clever ability to sync your eBook collection across smartphone apps, Kindle devices and your PC, Amazon’s whispersync feature even allows you to synchronise bookmarks, notes, and the last page you’ve read.

No other e-Reader has the sheer heft of Amazon.
If a recent release is available anywhere in a digital format, it can be found on the Kindle store.
The app is available on iTunes, Android Market, Blackberry’s App World, and the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.

Malware attacks against smartphones rising dramatically

Reuters reports that there has been an increase in the number of smartphone hacking, which makes software giants and phone operators invest more and more in security.

The increase in hacker attacks aiming at smartphones proves to be a difficult time for the software companies and the startups and telecom operators.

But, on the other hand, hackers’ attacks seem to very profitable for the security providers.
They create big business opportunities for companies that create antivirus programs, such as McAfee or Lookout and more.
Not only that, but it is also an opportunity for mobile operators, such as France Telecom or T Mobile and handset makers, such as Nokia or HTC.

Sony’s security breach was probably the most talked about hacker attack of the year.
Their case, along with other smaller cases, makes the forecasters to say there is going to be a big rise in software security.

Is there enough space for more than one mobile OS?

When it come to the world of modern technology, there’s a constant – sometimes brutal – war for customers.

And while each section of the technology market is important, the beginning of the 2010s seems to be all about smartphones and tablets.

That’s where Apple iOS and Google Android enter the scene, battling for supremacy and forcing other competitors into the shadows.

Some belive that there’s still plenty of room for multiple mobile Operating Systems (OS) – including not only Android and iOS, but Research In Motion (RIM) QNX, Microsoft Windows Phone 7, and more – to exist in peace.

Others, however, believe that the war will be “winner takes all.”

Android is the most popular mobile OS, latest report shows

What's the most popular mobile Operating System (OS) out there?
Google's Android, by a nose, Nielsen reported in a report Thursday.

In a study of 14,701 Americans, The Nielsen Company reported that 29% of those postpaid mobile subscribers surveyed owned an Android-based phone, compared to 27% who said they owned an Apple iOS device (iOS is the OS that runs on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch), and 27% who owned Research In Motion (RIM, maker of BlackBerry) device of some sort.
The Windows family of devices has a 10% market share, Nielsen reported, followed by 4% for HP and its PalmOS (webOS), and just 2% for Symbian (Nokia).

The survey isn't a comprehensive study of sales figures, but rather a representation of the "hearts and minds" of the mobile OS market.

Mobile OS world domination is much more fragmented than expected

All talk these days is about Google Android and Apple iOS. 

But is you look carefully at the nifty infographic after the break, you will see just how fragmented the picture really is.
And it is not so easy to say which mobile phone Operating System (OS) really dominates.

Created by the digital marketing agency iCrossing (part of Hearst Corp.), the map shows marketshares for the leading mobile phone OSs in selected countries.

Some details that stand out:

—Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 does not have a big enough marketshare in any one market to make it into the charts - the new Microsoft mobile Operating System is not a year old yet, and it is too early for it to appear in such a survey.
For that matter, neither does HP / Palm webOS - an OS that came out few years ago and that never really picked up.

Mobile World Congress 2011 was all about Android

Google Android dominated the buzz for this year Mobile World Congress (MWC) that just closed its door in Barcelona, Spain.  

According to some number-crunching from Webtrends, which analysis how much media outlets (from newspapers to microblogs) mention different terms, Android and Android-based devices topped the charts for the most talked-about Operating Systems (OS) and handsets; and Android also played a major role in making tablets nearly as popular as handsets at this year’s show.
Following are some of our takeaways from the shows, and a look at how the Webtrend stats that match up.

Will webOS have what it needs to compete again iPad and Android?

It’s pretty much a given that HP will leap into the tablet wars full force with an announcement on 9 February, all but certain to involve the webOS platform it purchased Palm for last year.
But can a webOS tablet compete effectively against Apple’s iPad juggernaut and the rash of Google Android tablets coming from every direction?

The problem isn’t if the computing giant will deliver an attractive product.
Palm’s development of the webOS for phones was well-received from the design perspective, including offering multitasking at a time when the iPhone didn’t handle it.
The question is whether offering a cool tablet based on yet another platform is going to be enough to make a dent against the competition.

Apple has the early advantage and the ubiquity of Android means it will grab a big share of the tablet market just as it’s done with smartphones. Reserach In Motion (RIM, maker of the BlackBerry) has a built-in enterprise clientele that could support the new PlayBook, and Microsoft will make its usual half-assed attempt at clawing into the picture with some flavor of Windows 7.

HP to return to the tablet market with webOS Palmpad

Can’t wait until next month’s Consumer Electronics Show(CES)  to learn about HP/Palm’s consumer-geared alternative to the Apple iPad or all-mighty Samsung Galaxy Tab?
Well, you just so happen to be in luck.  

The cleverly named webOS powered PalmPad has apparently had its specs and features leaked all over the Internet. Someone bring the mop.

This comes by way of a report from Fox News, which is revealing that there will be no fewer than three variations on the HP / Palm PalmPad at time of launch.
A fourth version is being planned around Q3 of next year, targeting univeristy and college students as they get ready to hit the books again… or maybe they’d rather them hit the eBooks on the PalmPad instead.

What exactly can you expect from the PalmPad?
Well, it’s a tablet and it’s going to be powered by webOS.
HP is reportedly leveraging much of the original specs from its less than successful HP Slate and updating them for the webOS 2.5.1 PalmPad.

HP to produce 6 to 7 million PalmPad webOS tablets

Details are still light on HP's upcoming webOS tablet, which is currently being referred to as the PalmPad.

 The device is in the news today as its manufacturer may have come to light:
According to Digitimes, who has been a bit hit or miss with their claims in the past, HP has tapped Inventec to produce 6 to 7 million "tablet telecommunication devices" in 2011.  

Inventec is the manufacturer of the Barnes and Noble Nook Color eReader, which is expected to sell more than one million units to be shipped by the end of the year.

HP / Palm has said in the past that they're going to go all the way with webOS, and it's good to see that they're ordering so many tablets to be made.    

Palm Pre 2 with webOS 2.0 available from HP

When you buy a mobile phone in this day and age, in most countries you’re almost guaranteed to be signing some sort of contract.
However, folks who have a bit of extra cash to burn may opt to buy a device off contract.
Sure, it’s going to cost quite a bit more but you won’t have to deal with being obligated to pay for service and you can use it on any supported carrier.

Here comes the latest HP / Palm smartphone:
The Palm Pré 2 loaded with the latest Palm Operating System (OS) - webOS 2.0.

WebOS hopefuls can therefore be happy to hear that the Palm Pré 2 is now available straight from HP, fully unlocked for US$449 (329 euros).
Considering this is a somewhat high-end smartphone, it is surprising that HP would price the device so low.   

Palm Mansion webOS tablet rumored for 2011 launch

When Palm and HP officially announced the webOS 2.0-equipped Palm Pré 2, we heard that the device would be launching on Verizon in the United States “in the coming months.”
For HP / Palm, that seems to be the slogan of choice, when it comes to webOS.
Yesterday, Josh Marinacci confirmed that webOS 2.0 would indeed be coming to all of the available devices “in the coming months”!

However, perhaps more interesting, is a new rumor floating around that the Palm Mansion, a name for a tablet device that we’ve heard floating around before, will feature a 5" display.

The rumor states that the Palm Mansion, a codename for a device that’s been floating around for awhile now, will have that five-inch display, with a rumored resolution of 480 x 800.
Unfortunately, that’s all of the information about the display that we have so far.

However, the rumor also suggests that the device, this Mansion, will be available in the first half of 2011, which aligns pretty well with what we’ve heard in the past, as far as upcoming device release dates go.   

Gartner Research issues Q3 smartphones figures

Highly regarded analyst firm Gartner has issued their Q3 2010 smartphone figures and the results shouldn’t really come as a shock to anyone:
The smartphone category, pioneered by Palm, perfected by Apple, and made available to all social classes by Nokia and Google Android, is on the up and up with over 80 million shipping during the third quarter of this year. That’s up 96% from the same quarter last year. With 417 million mobile phones shipped last quarter, that’s 19.3% of them running an advanced Operating System (OS).

Symbian’s market share is 36.6%, down from 44.6% a year ago, meaning it used to be that almost every other smartphone ran the ugly, yet feature rich operating system.
Now it’s 1 out of 3.

The opposite is happening with Android: Google’s mobile Operating System is estimated to have 25.5% market share, up from the pathetic 3.5% a year ago.
In other words, out of every 4 smartphones sold between July and October, one of them ran Android.
Apple’s market share is down to 16.7% from 17.1%, which again isn’t a surprise since it’s an ultra expensive device and it’s only 1 model compared to the dozens of Symbian handsets that Nokia pops out.   

Four unknown Palm webOS smartphone in the works

Deep within the heart of HP / Palm webOS 2.0’s device restoration tool—webOS Doctor—Palm lists four unknown smartphone codenames.
The fifth device on the list is the ‘Roadrunner’ which has already been released on France’s SFR as the Palm Pré 2.
What are the other four devices mentioned? The ‘Windsor’, the ‘Mantaray’, the ‘Stingray’ and the ‘Broadway’.

Interestingly, the Palm ‘Mansion’ was not on the list of webOS 2.0 devices in the restoration tool according to PreCentral.
This mean that the Mansion is a ways off yet, has been canceled or actually never was?
We wouldn’t go as far as the last one, after all, HP/Palm will be building five or six new devices for sale in the coming year. The ‘Hurricane’ is what HP has codenamed its PalmPad tablet. That still leaves a spot for the Mansion…

The Broadway is widely expected to be a Pixi 2 which needs to come out soon since the Pixi and Pixi Plus will not be getting Adobe Flash in their HP webOS 2.0 updates.
That will be a major bummer for current Pixi series owners. Anyone going to upgrade their Palm smartphone just for Flash?  

Comparing Windows Phone 7 and Android requirements

When Microsoft prepped cell phone manufacturers about Windows Phone 7, they were crystal clear in defining the minimum hardware specifications each phone would have to support the mobile software--a touch screen, 1GHz processor, and 5-megapixel camera, for instance.
Google Android's rapid development, on the other hand, makes minimum hardware specs murkier. They're documented but less understood than the distinctions between the software versions themselves.

As a result, we've combed through page upon thrilling page of compatibility documents to bring you the minimum hardware requirements of your Android smartphone and breaking down what that means.

Before we begin, note that Google has not posted documentation for Android 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.0.1; the company cites technical reasons.
Also note that we omit comparing Apple's iPhone, Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphones, and Palm webOS phones because they're closed manufacturing systems.  

What an app developer thinks of Windows Phone 7...

Microsoft's Windows 7 Phone-powered devices are doing a brisk trade, but what do the developers writing the first apps think?

 The Enterprise 2.0-era world needs data accessible everywhere, at any time and the smartphone is a big part of the solution.
Ray Ozzie (Microsoft's recently departed head of software) said that the company must accept the end of the PC and look foward. Windows Phone 7 represents the first major step in this direction for the company and its many partners.

On launch day, we looked at how Microsoft was leveraging the power of Xbox Live, Office and other properties to drive it into the mass and business mobile markets.

Responding to this, Chad Brown, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at IdentityMine, a user experience (UX) company that designed the IMDb app for Windows Phone 7, shared his expertise and opinions on its future. 

Adobe Flash 10.1 coming to Windows Phone 7

It's already available on Google TV and Android devices, but Adobe Flash 10.1 is soon to hit Windows Phone 7 handsets.

The announcement was, bizarrely, hidden in a press release about the company's latest AIR development tools being available.
However, we realised that Adobe has plans to bring its mobile in-browser Flash player to a number of different operating systems, including Windows Phone 7:

"Flash Player 10.1 is available on Android and Google TV today", it explains, "with BlackBerry platform, (Palm)  HP webOS 2.0, future versions of Windows Phone, LiMo, MeeGo, and Symbian OS also expected to support Flash Player 10.1".

That essentially just leaves the... (you guessed it) Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad without Flash support.
No surprise really, but more fuel, perhaps, to incite the Apple hate mob to gather their flaming torches and pitchforks and storm Château Cupertino once more.

 

 

Source: Pocket-lint

HP launches Palm Pre 2 with upgraded webOS

The first smartphone to come out of Palm labs under HP management displays a quick processor, 5 mega pixel camera and the new webOS 2 Operating System (OS) that plans on taking on Apple’s iOS.

HP, which last April acquired Palm, announced yesterday the launch of its new smartphone.
The PRE 2 is an upgrade of the first PRE, both in regards to hardware and its OS that receives a significant upgrade. The PRE 2 runs on webOS 2.0 which a number of analysts claim will give Apple’s iOS a run for its money.

The new model has a design reminiscent of a smooth pebble.
It incorporates a sliding physical keyboard with a 3.1" capacitive screen. It has 16Gb internal memory (which can be expanded through an SD slot) 1GHz processor and a 5 mega pixel camera.
You can also find full connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS which are standard these days.