Mobile Phone Blog:

Right, the genesis of this blog post came from two sources: first, there’s the blog post I did earlier about the Blackberry PlayBook being a bit disappointing; and second, there’s an editorial over on Engadget, where they pose more or less the same question I’m asking now, only they do it in a more professional way, which should be no surprise to anyone who’s read any of my previous blog posts.

Anyway, yes, that’s question. Are RIM, as a collective entity, disappearing up their collective botty? The thing that drove home that possibility for me is that the Blackberry PlayBook, at the moment, seems to be designed only to be used alongside Blackberry phones, which to me, limits their potential market. Which is silly… (more…)

Google have a bit of a reputation, don’t they? I know a sizable number of people who question why the need a motto saying “Don’t be evil”, when not being evil should come naturally, and one shouldn’t need reminding. And then there’s Eric Schmidt’s assertion that they go right up to, but not over, the creepy line. Rightly or wrongly, the perception of Google is that they sailed past the creepy line with gay abandon, long ago.

And today’s news ain’t going to help, even though Google have confirmed it’s not all accurate. Basically, CNN have reported that Google are working on facial recognition technology, so that your phone could recognise you just by your face. Is this as creepy as it sounds (‘cos it sounds very creepy)? (more…)

Ooh, here we go! Yes, folks, we’re now bearing witness to the first step in the reinvention of Nokia. You know, their reinvention from a company that’s gone a bit downhill, into a fierce mobile juggernaut, that will once again dominate the industry. So, what new optimisation of the Windows Phone 7 platform have they unvei- what? A new font? Are you extracting the Michael?

Nope, apparently not. According to what Krissy blogged about, they’ve reinvented themselves by coming up with a new font. Yup, they’ve fired up the joss-sticks, stuck on their best mix-tape of miscellaneous whalesong, put on their exquisitely thin designer’s spectacles, and created Nokia Pure. Are they, in fact, tripping? (more…)

Woohoo! It’s that time again, folks, where two companies rattle the sabres at each other, and the word “sue” becomes more than just a girl’s name, or a lyric from a Johnny Cash song. You may remember that Amazon are starting up their own Appstore for Android phones, as Krissy blogged about the other day. And you may have also, at the time, had the same thought as me:

“I wonder when Apple are going to mental over that name?”

Well, we now know the answer, because according to Bloomberg, they’ve now done just that. However, there’s a big question to be answered, here: do Apple actually have a case? (more…)

Right then, there’s a rumour going about, as reported on by Reuters, stating that Chris Bangles, ex-design chief from BMW, is going to be working with Samsung. Yes, the man who designed basically all of BMW’s recent output is said to be moving to Samsung, to create the new aesthetic for their phones and netbooks (and presumably tablets).

And I would say I’m torn about this, but the simple fact is, I’m not. I am, however, very uneasy at the thought of this happening, for a very simple reason: modern Beamers are, in my sincere opinion, some of the ugliest cars I’ve ever seen. Not to mention that he also designed the X3, X5 and X6, and I believe those to be automotive abominations, or in layman’s terms, eyesores… (more…)

Right, seriously, this is getting on my wick, now. Nokia, you’ve announced your partnership with Microsoft, you’ve told us you’re gone with Windows Phone 7, and you’ve said Symbian is on its way out. We get all that.

So why, according to Engadget, are you still touting that Symbian’s UI will get a refresh in the autumn? You do realise that by continually doing that, you just come across as digging the knife in, and that makes you look like heartless, Finnish Sith Lords, right? You do know that this is exactly what you should have done 2 bleedin’ years ago, right? Doing it now just makes you look like you’re laughing heartily at the expense of all the people who supported you… (more…)

We turn to an issue of utmost importance, now, one that may well be the most important ever issue faced in the world of mobile phones. It something that has baffled the great thinkers since the dawn of prehistory (well, alright, it baffles me, and I’m not really one of the great thinkers, but go with it, ok), and it’s this: really, what is the fascination with white phones? ‘Cos I don’t get it.

Yeah, I may have overstated how vitally important this issue is, in the preamble. Sorry. Anyway, there were two reasons I decided to write this post. First is the mythical nature of the white iPhone 4, and people’s fascination with it. Second, my sister said she wished she’d bought the white Sony Ericsson Aino. And I don’t get it… (more…)

More completely unsurprising news about Nokia, now. After they announced that they were going with Windows Phone 7, they went on to tell us that Symbian was effectively dead (or will be in the next 18-24 months) and MeeGo is “a learning platform” (translation: “We don’t give a chuff about MeeGo”), so is it any surprise that they’re now slowly offloading the Qt platform, basically severing all ties with their recent past?

No, doesn’t surprise me, either.

To be fair, according to IntoMobile, they’ve so far only sold off the commercial side of Qt, but as that source link says, how long can it be before they dump the other bit of Qt? (more…)

I’ve done my fair share of shouting at Apple over the years, and it’s probably abundantly clear that the chances of me ever buying something with an Apple badge on are, essentially, somewhere between none and eff all. But I was reading an editorial piece on Engadget, just a few minutes ago, and something bordering on profound (or profoundly obvious? You decide) popped into my head.

So, I figured I’d blog about it. And no, this is not another post saying “blah, Apple is a load of rubbish”, before anyone gets excited. No, because, the profound thing that popped into my head is: the very reason I will never buy Apple is the same reason why fans love buying Apple gear. Sounds weird? Then allow me to explain… (more…)

Anyone who knows me knows that the two things which take up most of my time, at the minute, are mobile phones (‘cos of my job, and ‘cos they interest me) and video games (‘cos I’m a gamer, naturally). That is, of course, why I got so excited when the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play was announced.

So, any news story that combines the two ends up being more likely for me to blog about, and that’s what’s happened today, after a speech at the GDC from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. Although, rest assured, although what he said should come as no surprise from a business perspective, it’s still shocking. It’s shocking in its brazenness, frankly. According to the NYTimes, he’s taken the stage to basically say that mobile gaming is evil… (more…)