Mobile Phone News:

Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m a sucker for sci-fi. More specifically, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m a massive, massive Doctor Who fan. And with good reason, because it’s the best thing on telly. Annnnnnnnnd, not only it is the single best TV show out there, it has mobile phones in it. Like, lots of mobile phones, properly engrained in the plot. As in, ‘Earth is in peril, and we need to call the Doctor, using every mobile phone on the planet!’

Now that, my friends, is product placement.

However, we don’t get to see all those billions of mobile phones, obviously. There’s probably not enough time in the universe for each one to have even a second of exposure (although if you had a TARDIS…) But what we do get are a couple of hero mobile phones. Rose Tyler’s phone, Martha Jones’s new phone, annnnnnnnnd, not forgetting, the mobile phone up on the TARDIS itself.

The question, is though, what mobile phones were they?

Well, scrolling through the video, the one Martha Jones has got is a Motorola Z8. And Rose Tyler still has her Samsung D600 from series 2, the forerunner to mobile phones like the Samsung U900 Soul. And as for The Doctor himself, a Time Lord from Gallifrey, what uber-awesome mobile phone does this alien time traveller have?

A BenQ-Siemens EF81.

Erm, a what?

After all of the Torchwood characters (spin-off, you see) had Nokia N95s, the best they could pop for, for an amazingly advanced alien time traveller is a Siemens? And yes, I know technically it’s not The Doctor’s, I know Martha left in on the TARDIS at the end of series 3, which is why it’s there now, but that’s not the point.

No wonder it took me 18 months to identify it…

Have you spotted any more mobile phones in Doctor Who? Leave us a comment and have your say!

The world of mobile phones is filled with different breeds, different species. Walkman phones, N-Series phones, Cyber-Shot phones, iPhones… But the thing is, it’s not just the mobile phones themselves that fit into easily-defined specieseseseseseseses (how exactly do you stop spelling the plural of ’species’? I have no idea!)

The people who use mobile phones also fall into definite groups, so it’s time to don my pith (as in ‘taking the…’) helmet, and go all David Attenborough, to bring you the definitive field spotter’s guide to 15 of the most common specieseseseseseseses of mobile phone users! And just to ensure no-one who reads it does so without their humour gene turned on (which you WILL need), see if you can spot which one is me…

Evil-Minded Chavs/Chavettes/Chavlings

Characteristics:
The common Chav is a sight seen throughout the country; the range of this species extends across the world. They tend to congregate in large numbers in shopping centres and outside newsagents, where they have been known to steal food and lottery tickets before they’ve been filled in.

Chavs can be identified by their call of ‘Run, it’s the pigs!’, and can commonly be seen performing their ritualistic ‘happy slapping’, a highly technical and ultimately pointless ritual involving smacking someone, whilst videoing it with mobile phones, then sticking it on Youtube.

Single Chavs are relatively harmless, but in large herds, they have been known to attack much larger prey, such as Curry’s window on a Friday night.

Their mobile phones reflect their lifestyle, in that they’re all nicked from other people.

Habitat:
Outside the newsagents, and clustered round bus shelters.

Mobiles phones they use:
Motorola V3i Dolce & Gabbana; Nokia 7360; Nokia 8800 Arte; all nicked…

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Innit, bro.’ except swearier…

Overheard saying…
‘Gizza fiver for mah phone, innit.’ except swearier…

‘High’-Powered (Middle Management) Executive

Characteristics:
The ‘High’-Powered ‘Middle Management’ Executive is becoming much more widespread in Britain, since the advent of mobile phones that do email and the internet. As their numbers increase, their particular habits can be observed in more detail.

Common amongst all sub-species of Executives is a burning desire to perform past their limits at the expense of personal time and freedoms. Whether this is a reaction to evolutionary pressures is unclear, but there are competing theories. Some suggest they are under such pressure to propagate their way of life that they sacrifice their own personal lives, and work in transit and at home, whilst other theories hold that, really, they’re watching telly on their laptop.

The Executive can be seen on its daily migration on the 5.45 from King’s Cross.

Habitat:
On the train, travelling to his office.

Mobiles phones they use:
Blackberry 8110 GPS; HTC Touch

How do they answer their mobile phones?
Just with their name, as they have a feeling it will increase their earnings.

Overheard saying…
‘Yes, Simon, we need to diversify into the futures market.’

Mr Bingley-Beep, The Ringtone King

Characteristics:
It is believed The Common Ringtone King is a reclusive species, based on the lack of visual evidence, but their calls can be heard far and wide. In certain respects, The Common Ringtone King is a mimic, and the most accepted theory states that it modifies its calls to blend into its environment. This theory is currently being disputed, however, as it is clear the Ringtone King’s calls stand out as being annoying beeps in every known environment.

Research has indicated that The Common Ringtone King also has a complete inability to distinguish between ‘being individual’ and ‘being an annoying, noisy git’. In terms of their mobile phones, the most prized feature to this strange species is a really, really loud speaker…

Habitat:
Every pub, bus, library, cinema, supermarket, clinic, church, bowling alley, stadium and large group of people you’ve ever been in…

Mobiles phones they use:
Nokia N73; Sony Ericsson W550i; Motorola ROKR E1 (all with stereo speakers, you see, for ringtone playback…)

How do they answer their mobile phones?
They don’t. They just let it ring. Forever and ever and ever…

Overheard saying…
‘Ooh, check out this ringtone!’ before playing the noise of a demented frog on a bike…

Professor Bumble

Characteristics:
Professor Bumble is a common species found in the UK, and worldwide. Their numbers grow every day, as more and more people join their ranks. The emergence of this species was inevitable, based on a simple equation: humans get older, whilst the technology in mobile phones gets newer.

The state commonly occupied by Professor Bumble, one of bewildered resignation, is one that all human species will eventually evolve into, as mobile phones advance, and, erm, we don’t…

However, there is hope. When he hit that euphoric state, we’ll be able to complain all we want, take our time at the post office, and never, ever, ever have to worry about offending anyone ever again, by which point, mobile phones will become something we only marginally care about.

Habitat:
In front of you at the post office.

Mobiles phones they use:
Motorola F3; Emporia Life; Motorola C520 (with the original sim)

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Hello? Hello? How does it work, I don’t like this thing…’

Overheard saying…
‘Oh, why’s it doing that?’

The Uber-Geek

Characteristics:
Not to be confused with The Techno-Faker, the Uber-Geek shows a truly phenomenal aptitude for anything technical. They are never more happy than surrounded by their favourite nesting material, Maplins catalogues.

In fact, the Uber-Geek finds such an empathy with electronics and hardware and mobiles phones that he has lost a lot of the social skills needed to exist as a functioning human being. Seeing the average Uber-Geek is, curiously, both an uplifting and somehow pathetic sight, as they configure fourteen mobile phones at once, until their software (ie/ confidence) crashes when a girl walks in the room.

The future of this species is uncertain, as it has recently been proven that most Uber-Geeks are males of the species. It is presumed this is because women have more sense…

Habitat:
In a tech lab, gazing longingly at an electronics catalogue.

Mobiles phones they use:
Sony Ericsson P1i; HTC TyTN II

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Ooh, look at that, it just played a video ringtone when you rang!’

Overheard saying…
‘I loves me gadgets!’

Bubbles The Ditz

Characteristics:
The Common Ditz, known colloquially as Bubbles, is a species known throughout the country, but that’s particularly concentrated wherever footballers drink. Little is known of the workings of The Ditz’s inner psyche, mainly because no-one is sure if they have one…

The rise of The Ditz is concurrent with the massive demand for pink mobile phones. No-one knows why this is. However, it is a common theme that your average Ditz loves pink, and being girly. Common to the entire species is a positive mental attitude, a big smile, and a vocabulary smaller than a 3-year-old.

Nevertheless, The Ditz remains a popular species, due to its friendly nature, its positive attitude to life, and its tendency to take its top off after half a bottle of Blue WKD…

Habitat:
Thresher’s. Or Wetherspoons.

Mobiles phones they use:
Samsung U600 Pink; Nokia 6111 Pink (with pink carry case, pink wallpaper, and ringtone by, you guessed it, Pink…)

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Hiiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.’

Overheard saying…
‘Oooh, look, it’s so pretty, glinting there in that stream! Oh wait, that’s my phone!! Help, somebody!!’

Txt Spk Geza

Characteristics:
TH TXT SPK GEZA IS A STRANG CRETUR. IT LIVS N BREAVS 4 TXTING. IN FCT IT DUNT LIK TLKING. SUM PPL FINK ITS LOST TH POWER OV SPECH.

NO1 NOS Y TH TXT SPK GEZA IS TH WAY IT IS. SUM PPL FINK ITS BCOS OV A BAD TROMA WEN THE TXT SPK GEZA WAS YNG. OTHERS FINK ITS BCOS TH TXT SPK GEZA IS F.ING RUDE.

WOTEVA TH CASE, TXT SPK GEZAS R OUT THERE, SLNTLY GETTING REDY 2 TAK OVER TH WRLD. LSTN 4 TH SOUND OF CLKIN BTTNS. WEN U HEAR TH BTTNS RUN LIKE HEL.

Habitat:
Anywhere hands aren’t required, as they’re using those to text with.

Mobiles phones they use:
Nokia 6070; Nokia 6230i (with the predictive text turned off, of course)

How do they answer their mobile phones?
They don’t. They let it ring off, then text the caller back, saying ‘WOT?’

Overheard saying…
No words, just the constant tapping of buttons…

The Motormouth

Characteristics:
A similar species to the Gobby Sod, the Common Motormouth is characterised by its much quieter, but much faster, chirping. Whereas the Gobby Sod is designed purely to deliver an ear-splitting roar, the Motormouth is designed by evolution to be able to say roughly 45 words every second, without any apparent need to breathe in.

The Motormouth is an ambush predator, waiting to snare its victims in its trap. It then proceeds to use its main weapon, its constant yammering, to digest the victim’s brain, until it drips out of their ears.

There is very little defence if you’re caught in a Motormouth trap (ie/ on the phone to one), as they are known to be immune to both the ‘I really need the loo’ and the ‘Oh my god, there are burglars in the house!’ defence. The best bet is to hang up and hope they don’t notice.

Habitat:
On the other end of the phone to you, when you’re in a rush.

Mobiles phones they use:
Sony Ericsson T610 or something else with a reeeeeeeeeeeeally long talktime on the battery…

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Hiyouit’sgoodtohearfromyouhowareyoudidyouhearaboutJohnwasn’titterribleandwhataboutthatweathereh-I’lltellyouwhatthishereisgonnabealongconversation…’ and so on, while you vainly struggle to get a word in edgeways, for about 19 hours.

Overheard saying…
Lots of words. Very, very fast…

THE GOBBY SOD

Characteristics:
A close relative of The Motormouth, the Gobby Sod has followed a different evolutionary path. They have evolved away from the machine gun voice of the Motormouth, instead concentrating in gigantic cannon-blast of a voice, theoretically capable of ripping a hole in the universe, or failing that, your eardrum.

A peculiar trait of the Gob Sod is their inherent ability to find the quietest spot in the immediate vicinity, in order for their roar to have the maximum impact.

These creatures tend to be solitary animals, which is fortunate, because no-one is entirely sure what would happen if two or more answered the phone, in the same vicinity. Experts suggest it would be an ‘unthinkably bad idea’ to find out, whilst adding ‘why don’t those Gob Sods just go away?’

Habitat:
Anywhere it’s supposed to be quiet, like the quiet carriage on a train, or a library.

Mobiles phones they use:
Samsung Solid; he doesn’t want anything flashy, just something that can withstand the seismic forces his mouth generates…

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘HEEEELLOOOOOOO!! NOOOOOO, I’M IN THE CINEMA!! YEEEEES, I’VE MISSED YOOOOOOU TOOOOOOOOOOOO!!’

Overheard saying…
Their final words, before someone beats them to death with their own mobile phone.

Cutting-Edge Techno-Faker

Characteristics:
Like the Uber-Geek, the Techno-Faker loves gadgets. Loves them. But there is a crucial difference, and anyone with a trained eye can spot it. Watch for the air of arrogance, but notice the subtly hunted look whenever they see mobile phones. The key is to ask them a technical question, and you’ll see the difference.

The Techno-Faker is no electronics genius. They’re a fraud! They have all the gadgets, the high-end mobile phones, the Bluetooth headsets, the aluminium carry case, but they’re living a lie. Their love of gadgetry is in inverse proportion to their actual knowledge of how it works. Show them something with more buttons than NASA, and they’ll buy it. Then it will sit on their belt, and never actually be turned on.

Much like the Uber-Geek, women tend not to be Techno-Fakers. Must be a man thing…

Habitat:
An electronics fair. Looking lost yet important.

Mobiles phones they use:
A Nokia N95. With a stereo Bluetooth headset. And car kit. And aluminium carry case. And Nokia mini-speakers. And 14 different memory cards, just in case.

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Hey there, I don’t know if you realised, but you’re actually on Bluetooth right now…’

Overheard saying…
‘Hey, Tom, yeah, I’ve parsed my megabit data spangle to take its speed up to 25 megaflops per cubic centimetre!’ said in an authoritative voice, to disguise the fact he has no clue what he’s talking about…

The Amazing Joe Retro

Characteristics:
It’s a bizarre trait of the human species that as things around us get more advanced, someone will always say that the newest technology isn’t as good as the old stuff. And so, the human species gave birth to the Amazing Joe Retro.

The average Joe Retro is a curious creature. They are often seen espousing the virtues of their old 3210, whilst wearing a ‘Frankie says Relax’ t-shirt, playing Streetfighter, and humming the theme tune to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

However, interesting studies show that there is a bit of Joe Retro in all of us, leading some to suggest it is a dominant gene that affects our behaviour. Or maybe we just get the rose-tinted specs on when we see Sherbet Fountains…

Habitat:
Stuck in the 80’s…

How do they answer their mobile phones?
Nokia 3210; Nokia 7110

How do they answer their phone?
‘Stop! Hammertime!’

Overheard saying…
‘Yeah, I’m pretty fly for a white guy.’

The Happy Snapper

Characteristics:
Everywhere you see a gathering of people, be it a wedding, a christening, a party, whatever, you see someone with a camera. In fact, nowadays, you see someone with a camera phone, not that they’re matching the quality of digital cameras.

And you find the Happy Snapper. By some quirk of nature, they cannot resist whipping out their camera phone to record every little detail of a moment. And the instant they do, you know, you just know, they’re going to turn into the guy who used to take school photographs.

Curiously, though, we are happy to let them do it. It’s been remarked about countless times in the past, but there is some genetic quirk in our nature that means even the biggest, hardest guy, with a broken nose and a cauliflower ear, will be reduced to a whimpering, slightly nervous child by a tiny guy in a tweed jacket telling them to smile.

Habitat:
Weddings, usually. Or major disasters.

Mobiles phones they use:
Sony Ericsson K850i; Samsung G800; Nokia N82

How do they answer their mobile phones?
Yeah, like they use their mobile phone as anything except a camera…

Overheard saying…
‘Ok, move in a bit, bit more, short ones at the front…. And SAY CHEESE!‘

Mobile Music Mentalist

Characteristics:
The Mobile Music Mentalist can be found in all areas of society, and their spread is similar to the spread of people with really big ghetto blasters in the early 80’s. The defining trait of the Music Mentalist is, as you may suspect, an absolute addiction to music.

Unlike their close cousin, the Ringtone King, however, the Music Mentalist doesn’t feel an intense need to share their music with you for every moment of their lives. They are content to listen on headphones to the block rockin’ beats pumping out of their phone.

This, however, leads to a new phenomenon. They dance to it. But we can’t hear the music they’re dancing to. So, from our point of view, we see someone bouncing up and down sweating, trying to swat away invisible moths, moaning in some kind of weird dialect to the music. The only logical conclusion is either that they’re a Mobile Music Mentalist, they’re having some kind of seizure, or they’ve just found god…

Habitat:
Ibiza, ‘avin’ it large!

Mobiles phones they use:
Sony Ericsson W960i; Apple iPhone 3G (big memory for top tuneage, you see)

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Re-wind!’

Overheard saying…
‘Only for the hardcore UK ravers, ‘avin’ it large, ‘avin’ it mental, ‘avin’ it large, ‘avin’ it mental! Bo!’

The Low-Trousered Workman

Characteristics:
The Low-Trousered Workman is a common sight across the whole country, wherever buttocks are exposed whilst sawing and hammering goes on. As a species, they seem to run exclusively on tea and all-day breakfasts, and they’re often unable to work properly if these aren’t available in plentiful supply.

As far as mobile phones go, it is common to find the Low-Trousered Workman changing phones as many as 97 times a year, due to their inherent ability to accidentally use a pneumatic drill on it, hit it with a hammer, drop it in an acid bath, or brick it up in the wall they’ve just built.

As such, the Low-Trousered Workman is a prized specimen to the major phone networks, manufacturers and retailers, since a single incompetent Workman can feasibly keep a business running single-handedly. He can also rebuild their patios.

Habitat:
The canteen on the building site, eating all-day breakfasts and drinking tea.

Mobiles phones they use:
JCB TOUGH PHONE; Samsung Solid

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Now then, me owd mucker.’

Overheard saying…
‘Hang on, chief, me phone’s fallen in t’concrete!’

The Groovy Person With A Sense Of Humour

Characteristics:
The Groovy Person is the one who knows how to take a joke, and is therefore a very popular specimen of humanity, wherever they are. For instance, a Groovy Person wouldn’t read this survey and get angry…

They can be found everywhere, and thankfully, the Groovy Person is the most common species of human on the planet.

I hope.

Otherwise I’m about to get punched by a LOT of people…

Habitat:
Reading this article, with the appropriate sense of humour.

Mobiles phones they use:
A genuinely nice phone, that they buy, not because of peer pressure, but because they weighed up the alternatives, and made an informed decision. Nokia N95 8Gb; Sony Ericsson W960i; Motorola KRZR1; Samsung U900 Soul; you name it, the Groovy People will buy it based on how much they like it. Because they’re groovy. Obviously.

How do they answer their mobile phones?
‘Hello.’

Overheard saying…
‘Yes, I agree with those guys, I’m glad I’m the groovy person at the end, and not in the other categories…’

Technical Markus classifies himself as ‘an Uber-Geek and proud of it, dammit!’ With a bit of Joe Retro thrown in. But which are YOU? Leave us a comment and have your say!

You may remember that I mentioned here about the war brewing between the Apple iPhone and, well, all other mobile phones on the planet. Well, we’ve recreated this in our own little way, today, as me and Dan W Esq (one of our ever-awesome web team, who unfortunately insists on the Esq at the end of his name) decided to have a row about it. No fisticuffs or anything, you understand, just two friends having a friendly, spirited debate about mobile phones, arguing like cat and dog, and then, somehow, miraculously, agreeing at the end!

And yes, it was about the Apple iPhone 3G. Y’see, Dan W is the second biggest Apple fan in the known universe after Chewie. It was inevitable he’d buy an iPhone at some point, and quite frankly, I’m amazed he’s waited this long. He will be getting the new Apple iPhone 3G when it comes out.

So, what was our argument about? Well, it started with a simple question: now the Apple iPhone 3G is on its way, is it going to be the mobile phone that brings about a whole new perception shift in how we look at, think about and use mobile phones? Or, taking the opposing viewpoint, is it simply a massive hype exercise, for a product that isn’t actually that good?

Well, things started off well, as we both agreed that the iPhone, in its first incarnation, is still one of the best looking mobile phones ever made, and it seems likely that the Apple iPhone 3G will follow suit. Of course, I had to point out it’s also probably the biggest fingerprint-magnet in the history of mobile phones. Yes, Dan, I know you can wipe the screen, but that’s the problem, you end up wiping it about 93 million times a day…

“Ah, but look at the screen,” says Dan, and here I have to concede he’s right, because the screen on the iPhone really is magnificent. Even I have to agree the interface is all swirly and pretty, and rather intuitive, too. I dispute that it’s better than all other mobile phones, but I’ll let that slide for now.

And then it all went wrong. We were being so civil up till this point, but in hindsight, it was one sentence that started the debate properly.

Maybe I shouldn’t have said, “Aye, but the camera… it’s crap, isn’t it!”

This immediately led into a five minute debate about whether you need a top-end camera on mobile phones, and how it shouldn’t be called crap, because 2 megapixels is actually average for mobile phones. Erm, yeah, but the iPhone 3G is being billed as the best phone in the universe, average doesn’t cut it! There’s no way you can argue it has a good camera.

That’s why I tried to stay on the camera argument. I had a horrible suspicion I knew what he was going to mention next, and it could ruin my argument completely. Please don’t mention the feature I think you’re going to mention, Dan…

“How about the web, then? You can’t beat internet access on an iPhone!” says Dan.

Damn.

Alright, I’ll concede the Safari browser is exceptionally nice to use. And alright, I’ll concede that with 3G built in, the Apple iPhone 3G probably is the best internet mobile phone out there. I hate you for bringing that up, Dan, why couldn’t you stay on stuff I know I can beat you on??

Sigh, no way out of it, the internet experience on the Apple iPhone 3G will be like no other. It keeps the Safari browser from its predecessor, and it includes 3G (which, let’s be honest, the first iPhone should’ve had, since so many other mobile phones do), so it’s going to be a damn sight faster than its predecessor!

And then, something miraculous happened. Me and Dan actually agreed on something. Despite our separate feelings on the iPhone, we both agree that it IS going to change the way people use their mobile phones for the internet. The Apple iPhone 3G really can change the mobile world, not just by people buying it for themselves, but by the simple fact it will give all the other manufacturers of mobile phones a massive, much-needed kick up the ass to do new, innovative things. Annnnnnnnnd we’re already seeing that, with things like Nokia buying Symbian.

But as for the Apple iPhone 3G… well, Dan will 100% definitely get one. And I’ll take great delight in telling him he can’t forward on stupid sound clips because his Bluetooth won’t let him.

It keeps him grounded, don’t you know!

Do you agree with Dan, and say the Apple iPhone 3G will be the best thing since sliced bread? Or do you agree with Technical Markus, and say the Apple iPhone 3G is STILL underpowered, and made by a company whose CEO is the smuggest man on the planet, and deserves a good slap. Either way, leave us a comment and have your say!

Anyone who’s used an N-Series mobile phone will have used an interface called Series 60 (or just S60, if you’re lazy), which is what Nokia’s smartphones (mobile phones like the Nokia N95 8Gb) are built on, and which is itself built on an operating system called Symbian. You’ve probably heard me mention Symbian, as it’s what Sony Ericsson’s smartphones (like my P1) are also based on (in the form of UIQ).

The big news is that Nokia have splashed out the cash and completely, 100% bought out Symbian. So, all mobile phones with Symbian in them will be Nokias from now on??

Well, actually, no. It’s bigger than that. This really is something that will have MASSIVE repercussions throughout the entire mobile spectrum. Nokia bought Symbian, and then donated the whole lot to the Symbian Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose sole aim is to make Symbian into a completely open-source, and free (to the Foundation’s members, anyway) operating system.

But it won’t JUST be built on S60, because Sony Ericsson are chucking UIQ into the mix, and DoCoMo (big in Japan…) are throwing their version of Symbian, MOAP-S, into the equation, too. So, in essence, what we’re getting is going to be a standardised, hyper-advanced operating system for mobile phones, that’s completely open source, get the massive levels of software compatibility that S60 has, along with UIQ’s touch-based loveliness, and MOAP-S’s super-advanced-ness. And because of its different heritages, it should work just as well on keypad OR touchscreen-based mobile phones. The cynical amongst us will say that Nokia have only done it because they can’t get S60 Touch right, and want UIQ…

The thoughtful among us think they should just call the whole project ‘Operation Shaft-Google’.

Why is this news important, then? Think about it. A whole brand new operating system, that’s built on the back of the best operating systems that are in use by 3 massive companies, standardised to allow developers a massive foothold into the huge Symbian mobile phones marketplace (remember, 77 MILLION Symbian mobile phones sold last year…)

But wait it’s even bigger than that, too. Take a look at the list of companies who’ve signed up to be part of the Symbian Foundation (and this isn’t even the full list!):

Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, Samsung, NTT DoCoMo, AT&T, ST Microelectronics, Texas Instruments, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, EA Mobile, Fujitsu…

That’s… that’s basically EVERYONE!

If you’re still wondering why it’s massive news: what is being set up here is a whole new breed of mobile phones.

What is about to evolve is a single, optimised operating system, that is built on 3 proven-to-be-stunningly-powerful ones, that is backwards compatible with the most popular operating system in today’s world of mobile phones. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Nokia’s Series 60-based mobile phones dominate the world, so any operating system that is compatible with their applications, user base, and developer base, has a massive leg-up over the competition. And it’s open source, so any manufacturer can fiddle about with it, to make it perfect for their mobile phones. And it’s totally free, once the company is in the Symbian Foundation, meaning they don’t have to pay crippling licence fees.

Or, in other words, Google and Apple should be cacking themselves about now, as the big boys have just declared war!

Leave us a comment and have your say!

Every so often, a story pops up about mobile phones that just makes me go, “Yeeeeeeeeeeah, I have to blog that.” Usually, it’s something stupidly hilarious, or something that could be a massively big deal in the mobile world. Every once in a while, though, it’s something that’s both, just like a story from TheStar.com. Apparently, mobile phones aren’t just everywhere in our waking lives, but they’re even taking us over while we sleep.

Well, that is, if you believe the claims of people who say that they have found they actually send text messages, from their mobile phones, while they’re asleep.

Now, at first, this does indeed look like it’s come out of one of the loony papers, and should share the page with stories about buses on the moon, and aliens abducting people to play ‘hide the implant’. Surely these stories of people using mobile phones in their sleep are the same, urban legends or made up to make fun out of (or make money from) gullible people?

Those are the things you’re all expecting me to say. I know you’re all thinking I’m going to say that, I can practically smell it.

Well, you’re wrong.

Because, believe it or not, there is a vast amount of evidence that suggests it is actually possible and plausible, and let’s face it, sleep disorders are a lot more plausible than ‘Redneck gets a probin’ from aliens’ stories. After all, sleepwalking is a recognised phenomenon, and you might not realise that sleepwalking can frequently involve acts much more complicated than using mobile phones. Cleaning the house is a common one, or sleep eating, or binge drinking in your sleep. It’s a recognised phenomenon, and has even been used as a defence in the case of Kenneth Parks, where he drove to and killed his in-laws, all whilst asleep, and having no conscious memory of it.

When you look at it like that, sending a message from your mobile phone, mimicking your dream, saying, “Wofbah, I’m running the sheepy bicycle shining on my knees,” is not such an unlikely thing.

So, in conclusion, yes I think it’s entirely plausible that people can grab their mobile phones, send a text, then roll over and go back to whatever dream they were in, and do all that without waking up.

It’s just a mercy they don’t wake up with their Apple iPhone 3G rammed up their nose, I suppose. Still, it’d stop the aliens playing ‘hide the implant’ up there…

Have you ever sent a text message in your sleep? Do you think it’s all a load of rubbish, or are you a regular sleep-texter? Leave us a message and have your say!

If you use the internet on your phone, then a story from Engadget Mobile, this morning, may get you as excited as it made me. It’s well known that Mozilla are working on a version of Firefox specifically for mobile phones. It’s fair to say this has a lot of people excited (myself included), as it promises to bring a much nicer, faster and easier browsing experience to your phone.

If the new concept that was shown online last night is anything to go by, this could well be the browser that really makes the internet on your phone something you’ll crave.

It starts with what they call an ‘infinite 2D plane’. Imagine, basically, a big black sheet, and on that, you have your pages, shown in tabs. Just like your get on the desktop version of Firefox, but on mobile phones, they’re shown as graphic representations of whatever page you’re looking at. And you’ve probably noticed the massive great big plus button. That’s the bit that lets you add a new tab. Oh, and the cool bits when you zoom into a page is having hidden controls that you can pan the page across to see, meaning you never get cut off web pages… oh, and when u flick through a page, it keeps scrolling till it runs out of steam, slows down, and stops, just like on the iPhone.

Which looks fabulous!

Actually, you know what, it’s kind of hard to describe what I’m seeing here, without getting stupidly techy, so I’ll just go by gut and say how cool it is. I’m already getting a sense of how easy it’s going to be to scroll round pages, and flick pages about with just your fingertips. And god, do I want to try it out!

Tell you what, I’ll just show you the video, so you can see for yourselves how lip-lickingly fabulous it looks.

How cool is that…

You can probably tell what browser this is going to go up against (well, aside from Opera, its main rival): Safari. They’re after getting the feel of the browser on the iPhone 3G, but with all the good stuff you get from Firefox, and the speed of something like Opera Mini (which is what I use and is, frankly, the best browser I’ve ever seen for mobile phones).

If they pull it off right, even if it looks NOTHING like the concept in that video, I can say categorically, that it WILL be awesome. I know at least one guy who says that Firefox Mobile will be the thing that gets him using the internet on his phone (big shout out to my mate down in Surrey), and I can’t help but wonder how many people feel the same way…

Could Firefox Mobile be the thing that finally gets everyone using the internet on their mobile phones…?

Are you drooling with excitement at the prospect of Firefox Mobile? Do you use Safari on the iPhone and think it’ll be interesting to see the two browsers fight it out? Leave us a comment and have your say!

Way back when, the first people in the UK to whack a camera module on a mobile phone were Sony Ericsson, so it seems fitting that it’s them who are going to be releasing the UK’s first 8 megapixel camera phone, the Sony Ericsson C905.

Combining jaw-dropping looks with phenomenal power, I reckon it’s fair to say that when the Sony Ericsson C905 is released over here, it’s going to be the single best camera phone that the UK’s ever seen.

Mind you, Sony Ericsson do have a pedigree with camera phones, so the fact that this one looks like it’s the bee’s knees and various other good bits of other animals (I’ll just say “dog’s” and we’ll leave it at that) should come as absolutely no surprise whatsoever. Back from the days of the old clip-on Ericsson camera module, through the more recent K-Series mobile phones and onwards into today’s dedicated Cyber-Shot ‘C-Series’ phones, Sony Ericsson have proven, time and again, that they don’t muck about when it comes to mind-blowingly good phones.

Oh, alright, granted, it’s not just about the camera in this Sony Ericsson masterpiece; it’s got WiFi, media player (presumably very much like it’s predecessor, the K850i) and HSDPA data speeds, so it go like a rat up a drainpipe when you go online (that’s very fast, for anyone who doesn’t get the metaphor).

But, as you can guess, it’s mainly going to sell on the strength of its camera. You know that, I know that. But, whilst it’s been upgraded to 8 megapixels, is it actually any good, or have Sony Ericsson over-reached themselves?

No.

It’s not good.

I’d have to invent a new word for how good the camera is.

Oh, you’re the discerning sort, eh? Want some proof? Well, then, courtesy of the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog (also, in fact, where the big pic at the start of this post came from, so a big thanks from us), some samples of photos taken by the Sony Ericsson C905. And these aren’t even full size. I had to shrink them by half before I could fit upload them.

That’s some ruddy big, detailed photos!

How sharp?! And bear in mind, that’s prototype software, which is why everything’s got a bit of a red tint to it. That will be fixed in the final release version. Which means… gawd knows how good the final production camera’s going to be! It might actually be powerful enough to photograph an evil demon-dog in another dimension (massively obscure Stephen King reference for the win!)

Finally, as if my Sony-addicted fanboy ranting (and I really mean addicted) isn’t enough to sway you, check out the official Sony Ericsson product video for it, that shows off the C905’s other features… well, specifically, it shows off the face recognition, but the camera also packs in red-eye reduction, Smart Contrast (whatever that is), image stabiliser and BestPic. So, in other words, then, this really is a Cyber-Shot camera in the shape of a mobile phone!

Have a look, and prepare to be stunned:

The Sony Ericsson C905 is due to be officially announced on the 17th, and released later in the year. And it’s going to sell sh- erm, bucketloads. Mark my words.

Now if only they’d hurry up, finally settle on a spec for the Paris and get it announced. I’m starting to get impatient!

Leave us a comment and have your say!

You may remember, last week, that I did this post about urban myths that’ve got mobile phones in ‘em. And you may remember that in that story, was a bit about the hoax claim that you could cook eggs with two mobile phones.

Well, there’s a new and improved version of the same old rubbish this week, as four videos have popped up supposedly showing popcorn being cooked by mobile phones.

Having watched the videos (and you can see one for yourself, at the end of this post), even I have to concede that as hoaxes go, it’s a convincingly done one, which is probably why so many people are jumping round, going, “Oh noes! The mobile phones will fry my brains!”

There’s one tiny complication to that, though.

Those videos aren’t physically possible.

Just the same as the egg story, where the mobile phones couldn’t produce enough energy to cook (or even warm) the egg, the phones could not, I repeat, NOT generate enough heat to make popcorn go, erm, pop. I did some checking as to what temperature popcorn actually does go pop at, and… well, it’s quite high. 180ºC, in fact, whereas water boils at 100ºC, as you know.

That’s really quite hot.

Put it another way, you mobile phone would have to be set to gas mark 4, to cook popcorn. Now, I know people will say about it being microwaves, but once again, your phone simply CAN’T generate that much power. A microwave running at 800W will take a few minutes to make the popcorn pop, but 4 mobile phones, running at a combined power of about 8W (a hundredth the output of the microwave) will make ‘em pop in about the same length of time?

Erm, no, I don’t think so, do you? Besides, if they did generate that much power, that much heat, they would LITERALLY fry your brains. And your hand, and all your skin on your face and arm. Never mind long term health risks (which I’m not convinced exist at all), a phone that could cook popcorn like these purport to would actually melt your arm and your face right off!

So, if it’s not real (and The Guardian tried to replicate and couldn’t, which is pretty damning), what is it? What’s it for? Could it be viral marketing? And if so, who by? Surely not a mobile phone maker (”I’ve got a great idea, lads, let’s make an advert that tells people our phones will kill them!”)? Maybe a popcorn maker?

I say, let’s not forget the stupid lengths people will go to for a laugh. Who’s to say there’s not someone sitting there, sniggering now, because more than three people believed it. And remember, never underestimate the power of human nature to do something utterly stupid and pointless!

And for everyone who’s been waiting here’s one of the videos in action:

Do you agree with Technical Markus that there’s no way this is physically possible? Or do you think mobile phones really are dangerous enough to do that? Either way, leave us a comment and have your say!

Oooooooooooooooooh, I reckon we have a major war shaping up here. You may well have read (since it’s all over the internet) that the 3G iPhone was finally announced yesterday, ending months of speculation about what it will be like and so on.

And here it is, in all its glory (source: Engadget Mobile)

So, what’s it like, is it any good, and do you want one? Well, there’s an easy way to describe what it’s like. It’s an iPhone. But with a 3G antenna in it, and a GPS unit, and a higher capacity battery. Other than that, it’s the same iPhone we all know and love (or loathe, depending on your viewpoint). So, it’s got the same zippy, zingy interface, the same massive screen, the same OSX operating system (with Safari web browser) and the same camera (which isn’t necessarily a good thing, as it was never that good a camera on the original).

Basically, Apple fans will love it, non-Apple fans will probably not, just as they didn’t like the first one. However, there’s one big clincher that might change a few minds:

The new price.

O2 are saying on their site that you’ll be able to get the 3G iPhone (the 8Gb model) FREE on a £45 per month (or above) tariff. Compare that with the price of the original, at about £300, and it seems Apple have learned some lessons about pricing!

So that’s the objective view, time for my opinion… and just as with the first iPhone, I wouldn’t have one of these if you paid me. If the iPhone is your idea of a great phone, then good on ya, and I say you should get one ASAP. Mobile phones are always going to be deeply personal devices, so if you want an iPhone, you get one. I wouldn’t touch it, myself, but I can understand why others want it.

But, anyway, back to my original statement; we’re seeing a major war brewing up, I reckon, because let’s face it, none of the other big names in mobile phones are going to sit back and let Apple steal their market. And now, there’s a better chance they’ll be able to do that, because cheaper price equals more sales, and the 3G iPhone has taken the brand from the exclusive sector to the top-end of the mainstream.

And that’s where it’s going to find its big battles, because that’s where mobile phones like the HTC Diamond live, not to mention the upcoming Samsung i900, and a new mystery phone from Sony Ericsson (that no-one knows anything about, but it was leaked in a product video, and it looked awesome, and the head of product development for SE said it would be out soon) as well as their X1 Xperia. But right now, its big rival is that HTC Diamond, the phone that Jillian fell in love with while I was on holiday. And it is going to be one hell of a fight, because the HTC Diamond’s truly, truly stunning, and easily outclasses the 3G iPhone technically. Whether it’ll have the legs to take on Apple’s phenomenal brand power is something else entirely, but as it is, I know which one I’d have…

As a bonus, to anyone who’s not seen it yet, here’s the advert for the new 3G iPhone. I’ll concede it’s vastly cooler than the ads for the first one. Oh, and bonus rock points if you spot who’s doing the voiceover:

Do you think the 3G iPhone will be the single best mobile phone ever? Or do you think it’s ludicrously underpowered, and is sold purely on the hype? Either way, leave us a comment and have your say!

News has come through today from JD Power, about their 2008 survey of mobile phone users, to find out which manufacturer makes the people’s favourite mobile phones.

And the winner this year is (fanfare)…

Sony Ericsson.

No, since that nugget of information was in the title of this post, I don’t know why I did the fanfare, either… still, this is big news for Sony Ericsson, as it means that their big push into the USA (since this survey was done in the USA, indicating Americans love them) is going to go rather well! All of this is exceptionally good news for me, since, as you may recall (and I’ve not exactly kept it secret, have I?), I’m a confirmed, 100% Sony junkie. My console’s a Sony (well, both of them, since I’ve still got my old PS1), my car stereo’s Sony, my video (yes, I still have a VCR) is Sony, and both my mobile phones are Sony Ericsson.

So, you can see quite obviously where my allegiance lies!

All in all, then, today’s a great day for Sony Ericsson, but you may be wondering what they actually ranked highest in. Well, to quote JD Power themselves, “In this 2008 Vol. 1 Mobile Phone Study, Sony Ericsson ranked highest among mobile phone brands with a score of 740, significantly higher than industry average. Sony Ericsson received significantly higher than industry average scores in all factors, which included physical design, operation, features and battery function.”

Or, in other words, they look better, work better, do more and stay charged for long than any other mobile phone, in the eyes and experiences of customers. And don’t forget, this was a survey of American customers, and in America, a W580i is advanced. Imagine the outcome when they get their hands on the Sony Ericsson X1 Xperia, for example…

It’s entirely possible their heads will explode. Still, as the iPhone proved, there is a market in America for top-end mobile phones, despite the market being saturated with RAZR’s and mobile phones that we in Britain stopped using about 2 years ago… So, expect big things from Sony Ericsson, since it seems, in the USA, they’re the people’s choice!

Agree with JD Power’s final verdict? Happy to see Sony Ericsson win? Or do you think Nokia should have taken the title? Leave us a comment, and have your say!