Just wanted to give a shout-out about our new podcast. We recorded our second episode last night, and it is pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. Last night, Aryeh could not make it, so it was just myself and Itamar.
Itamar deserves all the credit for anything I know about mobile phones, I was using a RAZR before he got me into the whole thing. He is CEO and Co-Founder of Cellogic. They make a pretty revolutionary mobile application calling FlyScreen that enables you to put mobile widgets on your phone’s idle screen. The widgets update in real time and use very little data and battery. Pretty cool stuff.
Anyway, about the podcast. You can listen and subscribe to it at LikeMob.com.
Please send us feedback so we can improve. We are going to try to video stream it next week. Looking forward to your comments.
This morning a very interesting photo appeared on the Web. No one is claiming that it is real, it is just a very interesting concept. It is being dubbed the iPhone Pro or Elite (I believe the first time anyone uttered the words iPhone Pro can be seen in the video below), and it is pretty darn impressive.
I always find it kinda silly when talking about what features a mock up has because, um, it does not exist. I guess we can talk about what Apple could add to make the iPhone even more awesome. So this phone would have a full QWERTY keyboard, which might actually turn people away from the iPhone due to the thickness it would add, but I am assuming it would attract more users, especially business oriented consumers.
The result of a Google Images search for the words iPhone Pro
According to the creator of this Photoshop piece of art, the iPhone Pro would have 60GB of memory, although I personally think 32 is more than enough for 99% of people. It would also offer a one megapixel front camera for iChat, and a high quality camera, with good lenses, optical zoom, and video capability, all things that I think everyone agrees are missing on the current iPhone.
Gizmodo went ahead and mocked up the mock up. They added two hardware keys and a D-Pad that can be used for gaming. Being as I am not much of a gaming person myself, I am not feeling it.
To just add a few things of my own, I don’t think I am telling you anything you do not know, but here goes:
We need some copy and paste functionality, but that really goes without saying.
I truly believe the addition of MMS functionality would be a blessed one, although my colleagues dispute this point and believe that no one uses MMS today.
Ability to save email attachments. Yes, you cannot do that on the current iPhone.
Ability to search your emails.
October, 2008? Did you mean 2009?
To land a little, MacWorld 2009 is approaching us, and I do not think anyone believes we will see an iPhone Pro. What people do believe is that Apple (not Steve Jobs) will announce an iPhone Nano and possibly a 32GB iPhone.
What I believe is that if they do not implement at least half of the above features in a firmware upgrade soon, I am not going to be happy, and we know already know that when Tech N’ Marketing is not happy, Apple is not happy.
Looks like the cellular market is far from being exclusive to corporations like Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, or HTC. Apple saw their own success in the world of computers and media players and decided there is no reason not to take that and apply it to the cellular world. I think it is safe to say now, two years and more than 10 million iPhones later (that number might actually be low compared to the reality), they have succeeded.
Comes along Lenovo, and says “anything you can do, I can do better”. We do not know a lot about the new Lenovo phone besides of course its iPhone-dominating looks. We also know it runs 624MHz CPU, which, correct me if I am wrong, is the fastest available on any phone today. It also has a mini USB interface, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Oh, and it is running on this operating system designed by a small company called Google. If not for anything else, this gives them one point over Apple.
The experts say it will not make it to the US, but that does not mean Americans cannot buy it. That’s what we have the Web for, right? So the “Ophone” is a little bit bigger than, who else would they be comparing it to, the iPhone on all sides, but not by much. The way I see it, if I could get an open Lenovo phone, running Android, that looks like that, for a few millemeters extra, I am so there. I mean, cmon look at that screen!
As I was looking through my iPod for another good app to review, I quickly realized that the vast majority of my apps are useless apps that only give you another way to show off your new iPhone or iPod Touch. They can be split up into one category of apps that only the iPhone’s screen and interface can handle (Google Earth), and another category of apps so dumb, no one would bother creating them for any other platform, but somehow they make money in the App store. Go figure!
Here are some examples:
Google Earth: Now I know what you are saying. “Whatya talking about? I use Google Earth all the time”. No, you don’t. It is a really cool and futuristic app that blows my mind every time I use it (I would like it even more if it had Street View, cough cough.) For some reason, I just do not see anyone trying to figure out how to get to their destination based on old satellite pictures.
Mini Piano: A very cool app that turns your iPhone into a full fledged piano. Pure entertainment. Somehow though, I do not see myself solving any of life’s dilemmas by playing Old Mcdonald Had a Farm on a 3.5″ screen.
Zippo Lighter: From the second I saw this app on my cousin’s iPod, I knew I had to have it. This app lets you select a Zippo, flip it open, light it up, and move the flame around using your accelerometer. That’s it. Nothing more to tell.
Coin Toss: OK, this app is the next to go. The way I organize my apps is that I try to limit them to 4 home screens. When a new app is released that I really want, I delete an old app that I do not really want. This is the next to get tossed (sorry for the pun, it is early in the morning and I am just warming up). Basically, it displays a coin on your screen that you can flip and call heads or tales. Pretty cool visual effects I guess.
Fake Caller: I guess in theory, there could be a practical use for this app, I just do not think any normal human being would actually use it. This app basically lets you make your iPhone/iPod Touch ring when you set it to. It is intended to basically give you an easy way of getting out of an awkward social encounter you do not want to be a part of, i.e gives you an excuse to stop a conversation with someone you do not like. To which I ask, why talk to them in the first place? Anyway, I have found a different use for this app all together. It helps me pretend I have an iPhone not an iPod Touch. My therapist says it helps my confidence.
This is not fake. This is just a screen shot of when Steve Jobs really called me.
Peanut Butter Jelly Time: This app has got to be my favorite “check out my iPhone” app. Who doesn’t remember the Peanut Butter Jelly Time video circulating the Web like 8 years ago? Well this wonderful app puts that video in your hands. Yes, it puts a dancing banana that sings the words “It’s peanut butter Jelly time” along with some other highly intelligent lyrics, on your iPhone. How can you not love it?
I could go on with a lot more, as the majority of my four home screens are comprised of these totally useless apps, but I figured I would stop here. If you come away with anything from this post, it should be a list of 6 apps that you must download immediately.
Let me start off by saying that VLC Media Player is hands down the best video player I have ever encountered on a PC. It is an open source, simple to use, lightweight application that plays almost every format of video. I personally have never come across a video format that could not be played by VLC.
So imagine the excitement when I stumbled upon this amazing little app for my iPod Touch that claimed to transform the iPod into a remote control that is able to control any instance of VLC on a PC. I had to try it out. Not only was I not disappointed, I was so impressed, I seriously considered buying the premium version (I have yet to purchase any app from the App Store, nothing seemed worth it; YET) that enables you to not only control VLC but also select files to play with no displayed ads.
I did not end up buying it because like many apps on the iPod, it is an amazing app, but in reality I am never going to use it, or I wont use it enough to warrant me spending the $1.99 for the non-free app.
The app works completely seamlessly with no delay at all. You click the Stop button on the iPod and VLC stops immediately. No bugs, no problems. Well, almost none. It did not detect my PC, I had to manually add it by its IP address, which took 10 seconds. Once I initially set that up, the app worked perfectly.
So if you ever watch videos on your PC, first thing’s first, download VLC. Then, download the VLC Remote Free app from the App store, lay back, and enjoy the movie!
Still not much going on except for what seems to be a revival of a an old rumor; an iPhone Nano. Nobody knows anything about this device except that hints of its announcement keep mysteriously showing up all over the Web. First it was the small case that we saw, and now the below image brought to us by MacRumors.com.
I was sure this was a fake when the last pictured appeared, but now I am not so sure. I’ll tell you one thing, I do not understand why Apple would release such a product. If I were Steve (does he even make decisions over there anymore?), before I released an iPhone with a much smaller touch screen, I would release an iPhone with the ability to copy and paste, something that was available when my parents bought their first computer.
Well, if Apple does end up announcing an iPhone Nano, will it look like the picture displayed above or maybe the device introduced by Dave Letterman in the video below?
-Hillel
Take a look at this Transformers MAC vs. PC video. A little long but very original and entertaining. By the way, if you were born between the years 1970 and 1985, I would strongly recommend the Transformers movie.
In other news, our podcast is online for you to listen to. Just like the blog, we talk about all the latest cellular developments. You can check it out here, in fact you are strongly encouraged to do so.
There really has not been a lot going on lately in the cellular world. It seems that 2009 is going to be a year that can be summed up in one word; Android. Pretty much all cellphone manufacturers are jumping on the Google OS bandwagon. Palm could also rise from the dead this year with Nova, but we will only know that after CES, when we find out what Nova is.
Yesterday, we saw some possible spy shots of the G2, which looks like an Android version of the HTC HD. Today’s rumors are that Sony Ericsson seems to be releasing their version of an Android phone, and it looks pretty amazing. It has a huge touch screen and a slide out full QWERTY, kinda like the N97 running Android.
In other news, we recorded our first podcast yesterday. It is called Like Mob and it will be available on iTunes shortly. In the podcast, Aryeh, Itamar, and I ramble on about all the newest cellular developments. In this episode, we talk about Nova, the G2, the American 5800 Xpress Music, Samsung’s Android phone, the Nokia E63, and how the iPhone is on sale at Best Buy and is now officially unlocked.
Let me just warn you that our recording setup was not ideal this episode, so the audio quality left room for improvement. Next week, it will be better.
With 2008 coming to an end and the fact that I have been asked countless times by friends what phone to buy, I figured I would try to offer some information on what I think are the all around most impressive cellular phones to date.
Before I start, let me say that this is just my opinion, and there is no real way to determine the absolute best handset. Also, I am going to try to categorize the phones based on your needs and what kind of user you are.
Let me also say that there is a huge marketing aspect to all of this. For example, the N95 was marketed so well, that people think that it is still one of the best phones, when in reality it is far from being in the same category as the phones I am going to discuss. So, I am trying to ignore marketing and hype and stick to the specs and user reviews when listing these phones.
Blackberry Bold: It is extremely uncommon to find a phone that has no negative reviews. The Bold is one of those phones, which is very interesting, considering that its successor, the Storm is one of the few phones that has only negative reviews. Obviously, the Bold is aimed at the business sector, with its RIM push mail and amazing full QWERTY keyboard. However, besides its lacking media options, it can serve as some serious competition for the less business-oriented phones out there.
The specs are pretty unbeatable with every possible connectivity option built in. That includes HSDPA or 3.5G, which is the fastest cellular internet connection available. Wifi, GPS, and just in case, the Bold has an EDGE connection. It has a 2mp camera with a flash, but the pictures look leagues above those taken with the 2mp camera on the Curve. The battery did really well in all the tests and the Bold also offers A2DP or stereo bluetooth, enabling you to listen to your music, no strings attached.
The interface is supposedly one of the best out there, and offers the best Blackberry user experience by far. One thing I really love about the Bold is that it syncs with iTunes.
If I had to choose things I do not love about the Bold, I would say that it could be a little smaller and thinner. The camera could be a little better and a few gigs of built in memory would have made it the perfect phone.Nokia E71: Aimed at the same type of user as the Bold, the E71 impressed me from the first second that I held it. The pictures really do not do it justice. Instead of repeating everything I said about the Bold, let me just list the differences. For starters, the E71 is much smaller and thinner. The camera is better and so is the battery. Oh, and it is at least $300 cheaper than the Bold. Sounds like a no brainer right? Not so fast.
The E71 runs on Symbian and if you look hard enough, you can find many reviews that include negative comments about the E71’s interface. I played around with it, and definitely thought it needed some work. Let me give you an example before all the Symbian fanboys jump down my throat. If you want to pair a Bluetooth device like a headset for example, and you navigate to the Bluetooth menu via Settings, which is where it is generally located, you will not be able to pair the device. However, if you navigate to the same Bluetooth menu via Connectivity, the paring tab will show up. I don’t know about you, but I do not think there should be two ways of getting to the same menu, especially when one of the options does not include all the available tabs.So, here is where your needs come in. If you need a smaller phone with a better camera, get the E71. If you want a smoother user experience with the famous seamless Blackberry experience, get the Bold. Whichever one you decide, you will not be disappointed, they are both extremely impressive phones.
iPhone 3G: I know you are very disappointed to see the iPhone 3G on the list, and you are probably thinking, “Enough already”, but it is not for no reason that almost every review of every phone, includes the question, “how does it compare to the iPhone”? The iPhone’s user experience is still with no competition. There have been phones that came close, like phones that use HTC’s Touch Flo, but none of them are really there. We all know by now what the iPhone does, so let me talk a little about what it does not do. Look at its shortcomings and decide if these are things you can live without.
The iPhone does not allow you to copy/paste any text. You cannot take a picture and send it to another phone, no MMS capabilities. You cannot listen to your music wirelessly, no stereo bluetooth. You cannot take a picture at night, no flash. You cannot take a video clip, no video camera. You cannot view a site with Java or flash, it is not supported by the iPhone. You cannot make video calls, no secondary camera. You cannot edit any Office document, no Office editor. Finally, you cannot put a memory card in to expand the memory, no memory card slot.
Having said all of that, I think the iPhone’s offerings overpower its shortcomings, by far. I am not going to bore you with the details, but to highlight two things I just love about the iPhone, its interface is nothing short of genius and revolutionary, and the app store makes you forget that you cannot copy and paste (as well as everything else on that list).
I am not going to tell you which of the above phones is the best, because it really depends on your needs. To sum it up in two sentences, if you want seamless email use in a beautiful but large device, the Bold is for you. If you want a smaller device with a better battery and camera, that will meet your business needs, but might take a few seconds more, get the E71. If you are more of a private consumer that wants a phone you will love and never want to put down, even with its multiple disadvantages, get the iPhone 3G.
The big news today is that Engadget Mobile, one of my favorite sites, just started a new podcast, nice!
OK, maybe there are some other big developments in the cellular world like Steve Jobs not presenting in Macworld, and the Apple’s announcement that this is the last Macworld, but I still think the Engadget Mobile podcast is the biggest.
About Apple, I think we are going to see a huge decrease in press coverage and general interest in the Macworld event this year without Steve Jobs’ famous “Oh, and one more thing”. I also seem to be missing something here, why is Apple canceling Macworld?
In other news, Palm is really causing Apple-like hype about their big announcement, I just hope they follow in Apple’s footsteps and do not disappoint. One more thing. Since we seem to be in the mode of dying companies coming back to life, could this phone be the next Motorola success story?
Pandora has announced that it has come out with a version of their live streaming music software for Windows Mobile. This is an interesting move to make a Windows Mobile version before a Symbian. Thats all for now.
Looks like the cellular market is far from being exclusive to corporations like 
Still not much going on except for what seems to be a revival of a an old rumor; an iPhone Nano. Nobody knows anything about this device except that hints of its announcement keep mysteriously showing up all over the Web. First it was the small 
In other news, we recorded our first podcast yesterday. It is called Like Mob and it will be available on iTunes shortly. In the podcast, 
The interface is supposedly one of the best out there, and offers the best Blackberry user experience by far. One thing I really love about the Bold is that it syncs with iTunes.
So, here is where your needs come in. If you need a smaller phone with a better camera, get the E71. If you want a smoother user experience with the famous seamless Blackberry experience, get the Bold. Whichever one you decide, you will not be disappointed, they are both extremely impressive phones.
Having said all of that, I think the iPhone’s offerings overpower its shortcomings, by far. I am not going to bore you with the details, but to highlight two things I just love about the iPhone, its interface is nothing short of genius and revolutionary, and the app store makes you forget that you cannot copy and paste (as well as everything else on that list).
-Aryeh