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Tag: iphone

  • iPhone and Nexus One Get a Software Update

    Two smartphone giants – iPhone and Nexus One – got a software update yesterday.

    Apple released iPhone OS 3.1.3 for iPhone and iPod touch that improves accuracy of reported battery level on iPhone 3GS, resolves issue where third-party apps would not launch in some instantes and fixes bug that may cause an app to crash when using the Japanese Kana keyboard.

    The update relates to security issues with:

    • Recovery Mode: a person with physical access to a locked device might be able to access the user’s data. The update improves handling of the USB control message;
    • WebKit: accessing a maliciously crafted FTP server could result in an unexpected application termination, information disclosure, or arbitrary code execution. The update addresses the issues through improved parsing of FTP directory listings;
    • CoreAudio: playing a maliciously crafted mp4 audio file might lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This issue is addressed through improved bounds checking;
    • ImageIO: viewing a maliciously crafted TIFF image might lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. Apple fixes it also through improved bounds checking.

    The update is compatible with all iPhone and iPod touch models and is available for download from iTunes.

    Also Nexus One users began to receive an over-the-air software update on their phones yesterday. This update fixes a few problems and provides some new features, including:

    • Multitouch: Nexus One will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications;
    • Google Goggles: this application will now be available directly on the device by launching it from All Apps menu;
    • Google Maps: the Maps will be updated to a new version, Google Maps 3.4, which will include starred items synchronized with maps.google.com, search suggestions from the personal maps.google.com history as well as night mode in Google Maps Navigation that automatically changes the screen at night for easier viewing and driving.

    Google said they will also provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phones.

    The company also informed that this update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users might not receive the notification until the end of the week.

  • More and More iPhone Apps Support VoIP over 3G

    It came out of nothing. Releasing a new version of iPhone SDK last week (along with the reveal of the iPad) Apple lifted 3G VoIP restrictions on the iPhone. Since then VoIP calls are not only available over Wi-Fi but also over cellular networks. 

    VoIP on the iPhone has been the source of many debates with companies such as Google being denied access to the platform and the FCC inquiring as to the restrictions in the Apple App Store. Apple didn’t want to allow the applications offering VoIP over 3G networks to operate on the iPhone platform.

    Everything changed last Wednesday. iCall was the first to announce that its iPhone and iPod touch app now supports VoIP over 3G and the app was available to download immediately. Confirmations of the great functionality of the iCall application came from various sources.

    "I applaud Apple’s decision! This heralds a new era for VoIP applications on mobile platforms,” said iCall CEO Arlo Gilbert.

    The next day both Fring and Acrobits added the ability to make calls over 3G to their iPhone applications. Fring quickly announced first free video calls over 3G, while Acrobits proudly announced that since its Push Notification service allows to receive calls when the softphone is closed, users can receive calls anywhere they have a 3G connection.

    On Monday, Agito, the company delivering solutions in enterprise mobility, announced enterprise VoIP over 3G. Its Global Enterprise solution enables enterprise business calls and UC applications – such as IM and presence – to use a smartphone’s low-cost 3G internet data connection and WiFi, in addition to the cellular network, to reduce international cellular charges

    Agito’s product is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and some Blackberry and Nokia devices as well.

    Finally, yestarday, Media5 announced that its Media5-fone application for the iPhone/iPod touch is VoIP over 3G ready. The company has applied to Apple to activate the VoIP over 3G feature for the Media5-fone Lite Edition. The application is expected to be approved within 1-2 weeks.

    Other main VoIP developers still haven’t upgraded their iPhone apps.

  • Developing 3D Mobile Solutions: Interview with Eric Bernard, CEO of Visioglobe

    Since we observe a rapid growth of 3D interactive mobile applications market, Smartphone.Biz-news.com wanted to know more about the technology behind it.

    We spoke to Eric Bernard, CEO & Co-Founder of Visoglobe, the company that won the French National Contest for Innovative Companies for bringing innovative real-time solutions to 3D technology for mobile devices.

    Recently, they released Visio Ski, an iPhone app that enables to navigate in 3D on the ski trails of 3 Vallées French ski resort.

    Smartphone.Biz-News.com: Try to convince me I should not go skiing to Courchevel without Visio Ski installed on my iPhone.

    Eric Bernard: Our app grants you access to a 3D and completely interactive map of ski trails. Geolocate yourself, wherever you are! Identify immediately the trail, the lift or simply the mountains near you.

    Eric Bernard

    Visio Ski also makes your first rides in the resort easier by enabling you to bookmark trails or lifts, or even to share your GPS position with your friends.

    Once installed, the application contains all the data necessary so you don’t need to use the network on site and thus avoid data roaming charges (except if you send your position by email) and get better battery life. Given that the data is embedded in the application, we recommend to install the application from a WiFi connection.

    How the developing process of this app looked like?

    We have made a partnership with the US company Intermap. They provide us the data, then we optimize it we combine them with the ski trail, lift, POI information, and we integrate those data with our application for having the full area in 3D with all the information.

    The application is running on iPhone, and soon we will start the development for Android. Those two environments are from our side the most interesting for this kind of application.

    Tell as a little about your real-time 3D engine, a core of your technology.

    The Visioglobe Technology is a first life experience, which enhances the real world experience by providing the world in 3D on embedded devices with high detailed buildings and landmarks.

    The world is enhanced with real time information of the surrounding environment, for example to find friends, events, restaurants, and other useful places of interest.

    The background came from the aircraft simulation, and we have decided to port it on mobile phone for addressing the mass market

    What is today’s biggest challenge for 3D real-time visualization for smartphones?

    Have the better 3D chips, to be sure that the rendering is good and fast enough. It’s the reason why we have built strong partnership with hardware provider, like Imagination Technologies for the mobile, and NVIDIA Tegra for the automotive.

    In the near future, in what kind of mobile devices and applications you think you could use this technology?

    All the mobiles which have a Power VR from Imagination Technologies, and actually Imagination have been shipped in over 100 million consumer products. So all the smartphones from Samsung, Nokia, Sony, LG, HTC and Motorolas can receive our technology.

    How will Google’s and Nokia’s navigations change the navigation, and 3D navigation, market? Have you already noticed any impact?

    A lot! But it’s very good for us, because our market is in B to B and we provide 3D to the navigation and LBA application which didn’t have it. So for the moment all the mobile phone manufacturers, operators, and even Google could be interested by our application for having a very good 3D engine on mobile phone.

    Having well equipped smartphones, do we still need PNDs?

    No, because until recently the PND didn’t have a 3D chips embedded. And for the future, the PND market doesn’t seem as promising as the mobile phone market.

    What are you presenting at this year’s World Mobile Congress?

    We will present our application on the Imagination Technologies booth the Monday 15th of February, and Wednesday 17th of February. And full time with Navteq for presenting their last enhanced 3D city model at the Pueblo Español just above the Fira de Barcelona.

  • The Apple iPad is Here

    “It is a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs unveiling Apple’s “latest creation” yesterday in San Francisco. Although we may doubt if the iPad really brings “magic” and “revolution” to us, we have to admit the prices are unexpectedly low. Yesterday, Apple’s stocks started to climb fast only when Jobs revealed how much we’ll have to spend on the device.

    All the rumors were saying the tablet will be not less than $999, and from this point of view the actual prices look really affordable. $499 for the basic version (16GB, no 3G) is something nobody expected; also $829 for the bloated 64GB, 3G version won’t scare anyone.

    So, what do you get for this price? iPad is 0.5 inch thick, 1.5 pound device with 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768, LED-backlit, responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch display that features IPS technology and has a wide 178 degree viewing angle.

    It’s powered by 1GHz “A4” chip designed by Apple (using their own P.A. Semi technology) and is claimed to have 10-hour battery life and a month of standby.

    It’ll come with a 30-pin dock connector, a microphone, a speaker, Bluetooth (2.1 + EDR), 802.11n WiFi and optional 3G, as well as an accelerometer and a compass.

    iPad comes in two versions—one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks.

    Every iPad is unlocked and comes with a GSM micro-SIM. Together with AT&T, Apple announced 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad: 250MB for $14.99 and an unlimited plan for $29.99 a month contract-free (with on-device activation and management, and a free use of AT&T WiFi hotspots). International deals will come in June.

    iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable. The device features 12 Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction.

    The operating system is based on iPhone OS, so the iPad can run all iPhone apps – either pixel-for-pixel in a window, or pixel-doubled fullscreen. Apple says they rewrote all of our apps for this display.

    Apple released a new SDK for iPad, allowing developers to target iPad’s specifics while developing new apps. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

    Apple also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore that will feature books from “major and independent publishers”– five new big Apple’s partners: Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Macmillian and Harper Collins.

    iPad has almost full-size soft keyboard but it also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard ($70). Additionally, there is a "camera connection kit" to allow to plug a camera in over USB or use an SD card ($30) and a leather case ($40).

    Unfortunately, iPad doesn’t support Adobe Flash and multitasking. There is also no camera and HDMI output.

    New Apple device will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB.

    The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB and $829 for the 64GB.

    Related articles
    Is an iPad a Revolutionary Device?

  • Apple Reports All-Time Highest Revenue, Sold 8.7 Million iPhones in Q1 2010

    Two days before the long-awaited unveiling of the company’s “latest creation”, Apple revealed financial results for its Q1 2010 (ended December 26, 2009).

    The company posted revenue of $15.68 billion and a net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion, or $3.67 per diluted share.

    These results compare to revenue of $11.88 billion and net quarterly profit of $2.26 billion, or $2.50 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.

    International sales accounted for 58 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

    Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 100 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter.

    Sales went up especially in Japan (400 percent!), Australia, UK, France, and Germany. Apple’s flag device is now sold in 86 countries. 17 new carriers have added iPhone to their offerings.

    Apple COO Tim Cook said the company is moving slow in China because they are focused on building the brand there and on the quality of point of sale (there are 1500 points of sale for the iPhone in China). Earlier this month Apple activated over 200,000 units in China.

    The company also sold 3.36 million Macs during the quarter (a 33 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter) and 21 million iPods (an eight percent decline).

    Laptop sales were up 18 percent and sales of the iPod touch went up 55 percent.

    “If you annualize our quarterly revenue, it’s surprising that Apple is now a $50+ billion company,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

    “The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about.”

    According to Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO, Apple expects revenue in the range of about $11.0 billion to $11.4 billion and diluted earnings per share in the range of about $2.06 to $2.18 in Q2 2010.

  • iVdopia Launches Talk2Me Mobile Advertising Solution

    iVdopia, the advertising technology company, has just introduced Talk2Me ads solution and claims that for the first time, mobile advertisers can customize interactive actions in video ads that include customized social features, which allows for the sharing of ads on Facebook or Twitter.

    iVdopia is an ad network and platform for the iPhone to enable both application developers and advertisers to simultaneously monetize their applications.

    With Talk2Me, users can engage with their favorite brands on their iPhone as they take advantage of iVdopia’s Share Respond Interact interface, which is customizable and has an extensible architecture that gives marketers possibilities to share ads (through various social networks), respond (by calling, sending an SMS text, emailing or filling out a short form) and interact (e.g. with the advertiser’s In-App WAP site).

    “Instead of giving users just one way to engage with the brand, this provides them with an unprecedented range of options – leading to much greater user engagement and response,” said Srikanth Kakani, co-founder of iVdopia.

    “Our knowledge and experience in brand advertising, both online and with mobile devices, now comes with a social networking option to connect advertisers with customers in the most engaging, immediate and personal ways possible.”

    iVdopia was pioneering media and video advertising on smartphones through Pre-App video, In-App video and social networking options on the iPhone.

  • Acrobits Provides Three New SIP VoIP Operators with the iPhone Apps

    Acrobits, a Czech Republic-based mobile software development company, has just released their latest white label clients for the iPhone: PLFon, TeleSIP and sipcall.

    This comes on the heels of their recent announcement to put renewed focus on creating white label softphones for the iPhone. These SIP VoIP providers are now on even footing with the VoIP giants that already have their own softphone applications on the iPhone.

    The white label clients give the providers access to iPhone customers they might not reach otherwise. Though Acrobits Softphone is compatible with virtually any SIP provider, some customers are more likely to use a provider that has their own softphone.

    “While techies love plaving with different softphones and comparing VoIP operators, your average VoIP user is going to do most of their calling through one provider. Having your own iPhone Softphone application brings you one step closer to convincing customers to give your service a try, rather than one of the other hundreds of VoIP operators that are out there,” says Acrobits.

    Acrobits Softphone, the SIP VoIP phone for the iPhone and iPod Touch, is the flagship product of our company, which is also planning to support Symbian and Windows Mobile phones in the near future.

    Acrobits is already working on Softphone clients for other VoIP operators, including Gizmo5.

    “VoIP service is a highly competitive industry and VoIP usage on mobile devices, especially the iPhone, will play a large part in deciding who tomorrow’s leading VoIP providers are,” says Acrobits.

  • VeriFone Announces iPhone Secure Payments Solution

    VeriFone announced PAYware Mobile, a payment solution for the iPhone that brings card processing capabilities to small businesses.

    According to the company, PAYware puts “mainstream payment processing capabilities” in the hands of small business merchants who need a mobile card acceptance solution for enterprises such as home repair, small cafes, door-to-door sales, or virtually any other type of business.

    The solution includes a PA-DSS approved payment app and a card reader that slips over the iPhone to accommodate card swipes and allow merchants to avoid “card-not-present” fees.

    The card reader utilizes a secure magnetic stripe read-head and firmware certified to the Federal Information Processing Standard FIPS 140-2. Card details are immediately encrypted during the card swipe process, meaning no sensitive data ever reaches the payment app, eliminating the possibility of compromise either on the iPhone or when information is transmitted over WiFi or cellular wireless.

    Transactions initiated by PAYware Mobile will be managed through VeriFone’s PAYware Mobile secure gateway and routed to one of many credit card processors for authorization and settlement.

    VeriFone assures that the combined hardware and software provides “the strongest card payment security available for the iPhone”, including the company’s VeriShield Protect encryption solution as a standard feature.

    The solution will be available through existing bank acquirer and ISO channels, as well as direct from VeriFone. The company says they also expect to eventually make PAYware Mobile available wherever mobile phone accessories are sold. Customers who sign up directly with VeriFone without existing merchant accounts will be directed to a “variety of payment processor options”.

    The hardware and software solution will begin shipping January 15 and is available free to those who sign up for a PAYware Mobile secure gateway service agreement.

  • fring Brings World’s First Video Calls to the iPhone

    Just a week after fring brought world’s first video calls over IP to mobile, the company announced “the first ever” mobile video calls over internet for the iPhone.

    fring video enables users to conduct video calls with other users as well as with Skype contacts over their device’s Wi-Fi or 3G internet connection, with support for mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-desktop calls.

    The company says this is the first video over internet service on the iPhone or iPod touch.

    The new fring version with video calls support is currently available to users with iPhone/ iPod touch OS 3.0 and selected Nokia Symbian S60 devices (Nokia X6, N97 mini, N97, 5800, N95 8G and N95).

    For the iPhone only incoming video-stream is available (due to the location of the camera). 2-way video streaming is available for Symbian devices.

    “We were the first to bring mobile voice over internet to mobile devices, the first to bring iPhone/ iPod touch users the choice to make free Internet calls, the first to enable cost-saving mobile twitter over internet, and now we’re proud to continue leading the field of rich mobile-internet communication by bringing users the world’s first fring video calls over internet for the iPhone and iPod touch,” said Avi Shechter, Co-Founder & CEO of fring.

    “As the mobile VoIP trail-blazers since this industry’s inception, we have a responsibility to continue breaking the mobile-internet barriers, and bringing users all the choices, richness and always-on connectivity that internet communications on mobile can deliver,” he added.

    The new video feature is embedded within the popular fring application that enables free voice calls to other fring, Skype and GTalk users as well as friends on regular phone lines via Skype-Out and SIP services.

  • U.S. Smartphone Market – Only the Strong Will Survive

    According to the recent Canalys Smartphone Analysis, the smart phone market continues to increase as a proportion of the overall mobile phone market in the US.

    Despite a drop in market growth to 6% in Q3 2009, down from 37% in Q2 2009, smart phones represented 26% of all mobile phones shipped in Q3 2009. This is up from 24% in Q2 2009 and will continue to rise in coming quarters.

    The top two smart phone vendors increased their combined market share in Q3 to 76.3%. Research in Motion (RIM) held 48.1% while Apple held 28.2%.

    “Despite what looks like a ‘closed shop’, with continued growth expected in the US smart phone market there is still plenty to play for, and new products are coming thick and fast from the competition,” the report says.

    Four other smartphone platforms in the US market today – Android, Symbian S60, webOS and Windows Mobile – represented only 23.7% of the market in Q3.

    Canalys claims the challenge for the handset vendors on the multivendor platforms is to “differentiate their products, especially as the market gets busier, while also providing competition to Apple and RIM and choice to the consumer.”

    Canalys also thinks that with an increasing number of Android and Windows Mobile devices launching, there can be little, by looking at the specifications, to choose between one and another on the same platform. “A key product differentiator will be seen in the software and the user interface. In short it is all about the user experience, particularly how the user organises their favourite applications, content, messages, people and places,” analysts say.

    Canalys says Verizon needs to fight back against the iPhone’s tremendous success and will be hoping the new Android devices (Motorola’s Droid and HTC’s Droid Eris) will “light up its somewhat uninspiring consumer device portfolio.” Demand for Android devices will be helped by the addition of Google Maps Navigation on Android 2.0.

    Analysts reminds us of the fact that AT&T is the only one of the big four US mobile operators not yet to range an Android device.

    RIM’s US device shipments were up 27.5% in Q3. Around 3.8 million net new subscriber accounts were added worldwide in its fiscal quarter and profits beat analyst expectations. According to Canalys estimates, RIM, with only the Storm, held a 2.2% share of US touch-screen smart phones in Q3 2009. As its entry-level and mid-range (mostly keyboard-based) devices increasingly come up against new touchscreen Android devices, buyers’ appetite for BlackBerry devices will be tested.

    The iPhone remains the leading consumer smart phone in the US. The response to the iPhone 3G S was ‘tremendous’ and ‘very surprising’ according to Apple, so much so that many international markets had limited supply for several weeks.

    Canalys says with each software release the iPhone gets more ‘CIO friendly’. According to Apple, the iPhone is being ‘deployed or piloted’ at more than 50% of Fortune 100 companies and is doing well in higher education institutions and government agencies, though increased device security will still be needed for broad deployment to be considered in government.

    The report shows that US smart phone share of HTC, the leading worldwide manufacturer of Android smart phones, supplying T-Mobile and Vodafone (in EMEA) as well as selling under the HTC brand, has hovered around the 5-7% mark for five quarters.

    “HTC devices are ranged by the big four US mobile operators. These relationships and the installed base of customers it has are crucial to HTC, and Microsoft. From being the first, HTC is now one of many Android device vendors,” says Canalys.

    According to the research group, Motorola “rose from the ashes” of the smart phone market recently with the announcement of the new Android-based smart phones, the CLIQ with T-Mobile and the Droid with Verizon.

    “If the CLIQ and the Droid do anything like as well as the RAZR did it will give Motorola a solid base for 2010. Working on Android means that building its own app store need not be a top priority for Motorola.,” according to Canalys.

    They also think Nokia really needs a big hit in the US (“It has failed to get its most popular Nseries devices ranged by the leading US mobile operators and it has thus far failed to make a significant impression with its Ovi services in the US”), Palm needs the old volumes back (“Mobile operators must be convinced that they can profit from ranging Palm webOS devices. Palm needs their commitment”), and Samsung has lagged in smart phones, although it still leads the overall US mobile phone market and continues to roll out new handsets with all leading mobile operators at a “blistering pace.”

    Canalys notices that there are more vendors planning to launch smart phones in the US in the next few months: Dell, Kyocera Wireless, LG (Android handsets) and Acer (Android and Windows phones).

    “They will all be faced with the same challenges: getting their smart phones ranged by the mobile operators and capturing the imagination of consumers. The mobile operators can only range, subsidise and promote a certain number of devices. As Apple did, new entrants need to come up with something special, and that is no easy feat,” the report concludes.