The open source handset is here ... almost
Thanks to Jan-san from
Mobiliser for telling me about the forthcoming open source handset from the
Openmoko project. The device as shown below is being manufactured in Taiwan and will cost around USD350. To quote from Jan-san's
blog The "OpenMoko really is about Free Software from the bottom to the top of the software stack (no binary-only kernel modules, no binary-only GSM communication libraries, no proprietary libraries, no pre-installed proprietary userspace applications)".
So essentially it is a linux based 2.5G phone where developers can start to develop innovative apps that can utilise freely at will any of the phone's functionality. Contrast this to the closed approach from Herr Jobs and his nouvelle iPhone.
A question will this handset have a valid IMEI that will allow it to register on a GSM network?
Innovative Mobile Ordering and Payment System
I have being working on a project to provide the IT systems to an innovative startup here in Dublin called
NextDayNow.
So what's so unique about this venture? You order via text (actually a free text number 50015) from a catalogue based in your local convenience store (see images below from the "Londis" store in Fairview, Dublin). You then pay at the convenience store counter and receive a conventional mobile phone top up voucher. Once you text the voucher code back to
NextDayNow the the goods then arrive in the store the nextday. Simple!
Advantages:
- No Credit card required (Credit Card penetration in Ireland is remarkably low especially amongst younger people 18-25)
- Convenience Store can provide a wide range of goods that it would normally not make sense to keep in stock such as MP3 players, game consoles/software , inkjet cartridges etc.
- Perhaps most important of all - Trust. Punters tend to trust their local convenience store more than a website, as it is a concrete building with real people they can talk to at anytime.
The systems has been live now for several weeks and the take up has been great with many people buying purchasing high ticket items such as Sony PSPs etc.
If you live in Dublin check it out in the following locations:
XL Stop & Shop - Clontarf
Spar - Tonlegee Road
The Emerald - Donabate
Londis - Fairview
Village Shop - Malahide
Spar - Hilltop SC, Raheny
Rickard's - Rush
Londis - Rush
Spar - Swords Manor
many new locations coming on stream including stores in counties Louth and Meath.
iPhone Overload or is it a Wii Killer in disquise
Ok, Ok The iPhone is really cool, the GUI could turn out be the most important development in mobile terminals since the invention of the 20ft phone cord.
However it's not all rosy in the apple (walled) garden there are a few points that I see as kinda big negatives:
- It does
not support 3G/UMTS
- There is no real keyboard (just a "soft" keyboard)
- No public SDK will be available.
The fact that it has an accelerometer is worthy of more thought. The blurb says the accelerometer is used just to detect automatically whether terminal is in landscape or potrait orientation. However I wonder what is the quality of the accelerometer data and if the data available to applications built on the OS-X. Just think if the resolution and sensitivity are good enough Wii type applications could be developed.
Anyone know any details about the iphone accelerometer? Who made it? What are the outputs?
2 million MMS a day sent a day in Britain
According to the
Mobile Data Association in the UK, MMS has finally come of age with over
two million MMS a day MMS sent last October (06). This figure is interesting in that it begs the obvious question WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO GET HERE? Other data from the same report show that now more than 50% of all handsets in UK are "picture capable".
Anyway it is still very good news and if you extrapolate the figures to Ireland it would suggest a healthy 200,000 MMS a day. In fact there is an argument to say the Irish figure is probably higher due to younger demographic and (allegedly) more messaging friendly users.
As always MMS is the laggard to SMS but it will always be this way as they are two very different media. The SMS figures from the UK over the New Year and Christmas show that 7 million SMS were sent an hour over the holiday period (see Figure below).
This is the first MMS data that the MDA have published as they have concentrated up to now on SMS and mobile internet usage analaysis. I look forward to more regular and informative data from them in this important area.
