Pinboard (guardiantech)

Firefox OS is repeating the mistakes of others and hoping for a different outcome >> Engadget

guardiantech — 2013-03-04T12:09:46+00:00

Terrence O'Brien:

Sparse coverage and slow speeds will pose significant usability issues for these new consumers, but perhaps an even bigger stumbling block will be price. While we don't know how much some of these phones will cost, the moderately specced Geeksphone Peak is expected to hit retail for around €200. Lower-end Android devices can be had for less than €100 at this point without a subsidy, such as the Galaxy Y and the Optimus L3 (both of which retail for around £50 or €60, through Carphone Warehouse). More important though, is the total cost of ownership. A device that relies on the web to feed it every sliver of an application, right down to its individual UI elements, will inevitably suck down a significant amount of data. Sure, it'll be far less than if you were hooked up to Spotify and Netflix all day, but it will likely be more than if your applications were installed locally.

Perhaps we should renamed this scheme "One Smartphone Per Adult", since it seems likely to be about as (un)successful as One Laptop Per Child.

RIM set to lose stranglehold on government mobile market >> Computer Weekly

guardiantech — 2012-08-22T21:03:01+00:00

A government document seen by Computer Weekly stressed the importance of using appropriate commercial products to enable remote working in government at T1. This could include a greater use of consumer devices such as the iPhone and Samsung and HTC handsets.

Australia judge calls Apple-Samsung dispute over 3G ‘ridiculous’ >> Bloomberg

guardiantech — 2012-07-23T21:08:42+00:00

Apple refused to pay a license fee for the technology that allows phones to conduct multiple tasks including taking calls while uploading photos to the Internet, Samsung’s lawyer Neil Young said at the start of the trial. Apple was willing to pay and Samsung refused, the Cupertino, California-based company’s lawyer Stephen Burley said.
“Why on earth are these proceedings going ahead?” Bennett asked the lawyers in court today. “It’s just ridiculous.” A similar dispute between any other two companies would be immediately ordered to mediation, she said.
“Why shouldn’t I order the parties to mediation?” she asked. She said she would expect an answer before the end of the week.

They simply won't stop, and there doesn't seem to be anything anyone can do to make them stop.

HTC devices getting Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich Updates >> HTC

guardiantech — 2012-07-22T21:00:53+00:00

It's a long list, though oddly it excludes the HTC Desire HD, which gets this "explanation":

After extensive testing, we’ve determined that the current version of HTC Sense with Android provides customers with the best experience on the HTC Desire HD. When we consider new versions of software, we weigh a number of factors, but ultimately the customer experience on the product is the deciding factor.

How an AT&T smartphone comes to life >> Dustin Curtis

guardiantech — 2012-01-31T22:47:33+00:00

The amazing thing here is that AT&T actually employs bureaucrats who drive the product development of their suppliers. When AT&T wants to sell a new "differentiated" phone - that is, one with another stupid gimmick - they formally request that it be built by one of their manufacturers. Then, astonishingly, the phone makers actually comply with these ridiculous requests, and they build the phones. When you think about the implications of this process, you realize that AT&T's product managers are basically acting as phone designers by proxy.

The more amazing thing perhaps is that it's been like this for so long. There's only one company that doesn't go along with it.

We'd Work With Microsoft If We Could Get That Nokia Deal >> Business Insider

guardiantech — 2011-08-10T06:33:07+00:00

"Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha now says he'd be interested in shipping Windows Phones if Motorola could get the same kind of deal that Nokia got from Microsoft."

Good luck with that.

HTC's Q1 revenue leaps 174.5 percent >> Macworld UK

guardiantech — 2011-05-01T21:23:33+00:00

HTC is the one to watch: it's in Android and Windows Phone. Ecosystems tend to break towards 80-20 as well - and HTC could turn out to be the 80.