HP buys PALM
Seems like a good fit. HP has the resources to make WebOS a strong contender in mobile and a great opportunity to make their tablets shine. HP has now entered into direct competition with Microsoft, a very close partner, and Google, RIM and Apple with an integrated software and hardware platform. One wonders when HTC is going to get bought.
Steve Jobs weighs in on Flash
An open letter in which Jobsy lays out the six reasons Apple is not supporting Flash on their mobile devices. These are all reasons that have been given before, just never officially from Apple. Jobs first takes issue with Adobes claims of the openness of the Flash platform and experiencing the “full web”, direct rebuttals to claims from Adobe itself. Next are the reasons one expects in Flash on mobile argument – security, performance, battery life and the touch interface. The most important reason though is last, the platform. Apple wants control of its mobile platform, a third party cross-platform layer gives away that control.
Froyo, Android 2.2 will support Flash
Andy Rubin also wishes someone would leave a prototype Android phone in a bar. Really.
Manifesto for Mobile User Experience
The MEX conference is built around a manifesto, and this year’s is fantastic. Nailing this one to the wall right now.
Maptor: A handheld GPS enabled map projector
Beautiful little object lets you project a map of your current location.
Life without technology is unbearable
“Texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort,” wrote one student. “When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life. Although I go to a school with thousands of students, the fact that I was not able to communicate with anyone via technology was almost unbearable.”
University of Maryland study asked two hundred students to give up all media for 24 hours.
Paying via phone: Mobile payments getting some attention
Paypal, Intuit, Verifone and Square are all offering systems to allow payments through cell phones. Good New York Times article that gives an overview of whats out there now and now some innovative small businesses are reaping the rewards.
iPhone vs. Android isn’t Mac vs. PC
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, lose the battle but win the war, can’t see the forest for the trees. The article gives are five ‘little picture’ reasons to pick a winner but they add up to a big one, The Platform.
Fennec, AKA Mobile Firefox available for Android
Available in air quotes really – Its a pre-alpha (huh?) release, require Android 2.0 and probably a nexus One or Moto Droid. Will be interesting to see if the Gecko rendering engine can carve a space in mobile where mobile webkit is the defacto standard
Android web traffic passing iPhone
Stats via admob, using mobile ad requests as a proxy for traffic data. Android ad requests up 32% in the last month
Barnes & Noble Nook firmware update
Android games Sudoku and Chess, and a lite-web browser which is primarily for logging into public wifi.
[ iamtheweather powered by Wordpress And is definitely Not Plastic Bag ]