Tech.Wapline

Sony Ericsson pwns UIQ (literally)

Written on November 16, 2006 – 4:58 am | by admin | No Comments |
Posted in » Mobile News

    

 

     When a single manufacturer accounts for an overwhelming majority of your license revenue, it stands to reason that said manufacturer might save a little dough in the long haul by acquiring you outright. And so it goes for the long, passionate relationship between UIQ and licensee Sony Ericsson; of the 13 handsets running the Symbian-based platform, nearly half — six in all — have been designed and produced by Sony Ericsson, with the remainder split between Motorola and Arima units that haven’t seen been met with nearly as much publicity. The Swedish company, currently owned by Symbian itself, will be transferred to Sony Ericsson (pending clearance of the typical bureaucratic stuff, of course) for an undisclosed sum but will continue to operate as an independent entity with the current management team in place. Though UIQ promises that its platform will continue to be available “on equal terms to all its licensees,” the move makes official what’s been known for years: that UIQ is to Sony Ericsson what S60 is to Nokia, an interpretation of the Symbian smartphone operating system to call its own. Will UIQ ever match S60’s popularity, particularly in the Symbian-friendly European market? Probably not, but with a committed partner now laying out the requisite cash, it does seem more likely than ever that UIQ’s here to stay — and as always, we’re all about choice.

HTC brings the “close” back to Pocket PC close buttons

Written on November 14, 2006 – 4:50 pm | by admin | No Comments |
Posted in » Mobile News

Anyone who’s ever made the switch from Palm OS to Windows Mobile goes through the same series of feelings: the initial thrill of being able to keep several applications open at once, followed by the intense frustration of finding out that the little red “X” in the corner doesn’t force an app to actually quit. Microsoft has publicly stated that this “feature” exists because users shouldn’t have to manage their own memory, and while this is an admirable goal, it doesn’t take into account the fact that some folks may actually want to decide what’s running and what’s not. Most of us have gotten around this annoyance by installing third-party software that brings additional functionality to the close button, but that won’t have to be the case for long, as HTC has announced plans to add the same option to all future devices running AKU 3.2 and higher. The HTC Task Manager will allow you to end running programs with either a single tap on the close button or a tap-and-hold, although it’s not clear if you’ll be able to map this feature to a hard button a la Pocket Plus. Still, this is definitely an encouraging development for Pocket PC users, and hopefully one that other manufacturers will take notice of — or preferably, Microsoft.

HTC brings the “close” back to Pocket PC close buttons

Written on November 14, 2006 – 4:51 am | by admin | No Comments |
Posted in » Mobile News

 

  

Anyone who’s ever made the switch from Palm OS to Windows Mobile goes through the same series of feelings: the initial thrill of being able to keep several applications open at once, followed by the intense frustration of finding out that the little red “X” in the corner doesn’t force an app to actually quit. Microsoft has publicly stated that this “feature” exists because users shouldn’t have to manage their own memory, and while this is an admirable goal, it doesn’t take into account the fact that some folks may actually want to decide what’s running and what’s not. Most of us have gotten around this annoyance by installing third-party software that brings additional functionality to the close button, but that won’t have to be the case for long, as HTC has announced plans to add the same option to all future devices running AKU 3.2 and higher. The HTC Task Manager will allow you to end running programs with either a single tap on the close button or a tap-and-hold, although it’s not clear if you’ll be able to map this feature to a hard button a la Pocket Plus. Still, this is definitely an encouraging development for Pocket PC users, and hopefully one that other manufacturers will take notice of — or preferably, Microsoft.

Toffa unveils GooSync: Google Calendar on your mobile

Written on November 13, 2006 – 4:43 pm | by admin | No Comments |
Posted in » Mobile News

Google has done quite a swell job tunneling its variety of niceties into mobile form, but syncing your online Google Calendar with that already-crowded version on your mobile / PDA isn’t happening without some help from a generous third party. Toffa has unveiled GooSync beta, which “will seamlessly synchronize almost any mobile device with your Google Calendar” without charging you a dime. The seemingly impressive system starts by logging on and initiating a sync to GooSync’s website from your handheld, which channels the info on your Google Calendar directly onto your cellphone, all without plugging a single cord into your device. While the list of supported phones is entirely too lengthy to list, be sure to hit the read link to find out if you can be a lucky guinea pig, and stop fiddling with two calendars at once, yeah?

Toffa unveils GooSync: Google Calendar on your mobile

Written on November 13, 2006 – 4:43 am | by admin | No Comments |
Posted in » Mobile News

 

 

Google has done quite a swell job tunneling its variety of niceties into mobile form, but syncing your online Google Calendar with that already-crowded version on your mobile / PDA isn’t happening without some help from a generous third party. Toffa has unveiled GooSync beta, which “will seamlessly synchronize almost any mobile device with your Google Calendar” without charging you a dime. The seemingly impressive system starts by logging on and initiating a sync to GooSync’s website from your handheld, which channels the info on your Google Calendar directly onto your cellphone, all without plugging a single cord into your device. While the list of supported phones is entirely too lengthy to list, be sure to hit the read link to find out if you can be a lucky guinea pig, and stop fiddling with two calendars at once, yeah?