Linux Open Mobile Platform


OpenMoKo is an open mobile platform that aims to enable linux based applications to be easily developed for wireless devices.

http://www.openmoko.com/press/index.html

Trolltech - Produces the "Greenphone" that is based on their Qtopia platform. Not sure who built the phone. Development forum is available.

FIC, a Taiwan OEM company, makes the Neo1973 Smartphone which is based on OpenMoKo.

Vodafone has announced the 3 different OSs to be supported in the upcoming Smartphone lineup.

RIM vs Microsoft Exchange

I was curious about how the technologies differ and advantage on each side. Here is my finding about reading a fairly in-depth analysis from this article.

- RIM's push technology is not much different from MS's Direct Push
- RIM allows operator to have a cut in the revenue stream. Operator is not that happy about MS not allowing them for a piece of the pie.
- MS wants to provide the service for free.
- On the other hand, operators would like to see more email service to leverage the revenue sharing terms.

AT&T launches first WiMax network

Deployed with Soma network's pre-certified WiMax equipment in Pahrump, Nev., a town 60 miles outside of Las Vegas. The equipment is designed for mobile WiMax. Currently AT&T is marketing as "AT&T Yahoo! High-Speed Internet" with downstream speeds up to 1.5 Mbps and upstream speeds up to 384 kbps. Priced at $29.99 a month.

Smart phone OS market update

Vodafone announced that it plans to support three standard smartphone platforms: Microsoft's Windows Mobile, Symbian/ S60, and Linux.

sony Ericsson's acquisition of UIQ allows it to further access to the Symbian platform since UIQ licenses Symbian as its OS.

Motorola buying Good Technology

Price is not disclosed. It is definitely an attempt to snatch the IP portfolio by Motorola. This means that Moto believe in its Q as a growth market. Nokia bought Intellisync earlier this year.

Motorola/Good partnership could leave some Good users in the dark, namely those who use Good on Palm Treos, the core of Good's business.

Earlier this fall, MOTO also spent $3.9B to buy Symbol Technology, a company that focuses on RFID technology.

Helio adds New Location Services - Drift

Drift (Location Based Services) capable phones, Samsung for now, will have access to turn by turn driving directions. It uses Google maps including traffic updates. Drift owners will also get to use Buddy Beacon, a location-based friend finder, to locate and call nearby friends who opt to be found. The other feature is to text offline friends requesting that they turn their buddy beacon on.

Q: how much is the Drift service?
Q: How accurate is the direction?

I haven't seen too many of this buddy list feature in the major, esp CDMA, carriers yet. I can see this "community" service would work well in college campus.

MobiTV landed a $100M VC funding

The 7 year old company received Series C funding from investors including Adobe Systems, Hearst Corporation, Oak Investment Partners, Menlo Ventures, Redpoint Ventures and Gefinor Ventures.

The company has recently helped AT&T launch broadband TV on PC. It has admitted that more attention will be paid to the WiMax standard.