Smartphone applications to go, on the go

Marina Slavina — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:08:39 +0000

No doubt that the smartphone, whether it’s an iPhone or the Blackberry, is a revolutionary device with limitless potential. Marc Andreessen, in an interview with Charlie Rose, acknowledged that the iPhone is a first cell-phone that is truly a computer which will create and encourage new ventures, and that “mobile has arrived.”

The article, Smartphones to go: Five apps you’ll want to pack illustrates just that. The new applications, both free and paid versions, offer to a traveler valuable, convenient, and on-the-go services all from one device – the traveler’s phone. For example, digital books and magazines through the Stanza application, or the Pocket Express “mobile concierge.”

I don’t want to undermine these “cool” and useful applications under any circumstances, because if one had a smartphone, they would surely be using them when traveling. However, I do have a concern: the fact that all these applications are developed individually, also means that they are unique and may be hard to access or figure out. I personally like extremely “user friendly” computer/cell-phone (which may soon become an interchangeable term!) devices, and would think that a group of useful applications, especially for one purpose, i.e. traveling, should be built under one umbrella. I think that if there was a standard, master application that offers a variety of options for any service, and is in the same format and style, that such a device would catch on faster and to a greater market range. Nowadays, simplicity attracts clientele, and I’m in front of the line waiting patiently for an umbrella of such applications.

Universal Phone Charger Finally – But only in 2012?

Ilya Zatulovskiy — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:13:57 +0000

GSM Association just announced a standardized charger for all mobile phones. Consumers have been demanding this for a while now. But before we all get excited, the target date for this is Jan. 1, 2012 – 3 years away!

This makes perfect sense and I would imagine that this would have been introduced a lot sooner as there are obvious advantages to both consumers and manufacturers. This new charger should also be a bit more energy efficient. There are 17 companies involved in this, including AT&T Inc., Motorola Inc., Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics. T-Mobile.

I instantly noticed that two of the major players are not involved in this initiative: Apple and RIM.
Apple iPhone doesn’t surprise me as their adapter comes from the iPod ecosystem. RIM devices already use a standard MiniUSB adapter. Manufacturers of mobile phones, and most of them will be “smart phones” should embrace the miniUSB form factor.

MiniUSB is already widely used for small devices such as PDAs, digital cameras and mobile phones. Since most of my friends have a Blackberry, even though each one is a different flavor or carrier there never a shortage of charging stations, even when you visit a home of someone who doesn’t have one. A computer or even a Playstation 3 guarantees that there is a source of energy anywhere you go (assuming they have a miniUSB cable which most do). Additionally the miniUSB acts as a universal syncing cable. If other manufacturers followed this lead, the wait would not have to be 3 years.

Mobilestead Blog » Standards

Smartphone applications to go, on the go

Universal Phone Charger Finally – But only in 2012?