Firefox goes Mobile all the way

Mozilla Firefox. Now, I don't really know what that name means to you, but to me, it means something very important: freedom. I remember discovering Firefox back in 2004, freeing me from the claws of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and giving me the choice of using a browser I liked as well as delivering an awesome experience in my old PIII clocked at 600Mhz. Before Firefox, my favorite browser was Netscape, maybe because of its looks, or maybe not, but the fact is, it was the biggest competitor to Microsoft's Internet browser back in the day. Fast forward to the present day, and the browser wars is currently being held between four major competitors: Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Apple's Safari, Google's Chrome and Mozilla's Firefox. But, the browser wars is actually old news, isn't it? We're here for the mobile browser wars.

BlackBerry renews itself

A couple of months ago, a video was made official by Research In Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry line of smartphones, teasing the release of its latest smartphone Operating System, BlackBerry 6. Now, in the last couple of years, we've seen BlackBerry moving from OS 4.7 to 5.0, and now from 5.0 to 6. The interesting tidbit here is that the OS did not look different when OS 5 debuted, and clearly, BlackBerry devices were being left behind as iOS, Android and webOS brought innovation to the consumer market. Like Symbian and Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS belonged to an old era, and OS 5 was supposed to bring RIM's most important product back into the fight. But it didn't. Now the question is, what is BlackBerry 6? Is it just another makeover with a new number to make it feel new? Or did RIM really put in an effort to make its mobile Operating System worth our time? Let's find out.

The spirit of hacking

A couple days ago I stumbled upon a post regarding the HTC HD2 on Engadget. Although it wasn't the first post on that particular subject, the attached video got me really thinking. Here it is:

Android and the “F-word”

This has been a debate ever since last fall, when Android 1.6 (codenamed "Donut") started hitting devices like the G1/Dream and the MyTouch 3G/Magic while other devices like the Hero or Moment were left behind with Android 1.5. Since then, this situation has been commonly described as "Android fragmentation". Now, we don't know who used this word for the first time, but we do know who's trying to use it for the last time: Google. It all began at last month's Google I/O, when Google gave their view (for the first time) on this matter, and now, it's time for some reflection.

 

Our Google I/O 2010

We told you we would be there, and we were. We haven't picked up on what happened at Google's most important event of the year, and in light of recent events (WWDC 2010), we thought it was about time we gave our views on this year's Google I/O. If you want to jump back in time, and live Google's largest developer event from within our eyes, we suggest you hit the link underneath, and jump back in time.

Motorola Droid X officially teased; the war on smartphone screens has begun

This week has been really incredible. You see, we don't like to post about rumors, even though we actually stay tuned to them, listen to them, and pray for some of them to become true. We've been weeks, if not months, being teased with pictures of a brand new Motorola device. At first, it was believed to be only one, and a successor to the Droid launched last November, but as more and more material got leaked throughout the web, the rumor spun off in two distinct devices. Well this week, after being rumors, at least one of them has become more than real. Find out what's going on after the break.

The road to Google I/O 2010 (Part II)

Here we are, less than 48 hours way of the opening keynote of Google's most important developer event of the year. What awaits us, good or bad, we don't know yet. There are rumors about a new home TV system made by Google, with Intel and Sony, which are getting stronger by the hour. Rumors are also pointing at a revamped Android Market, due to the recent changes in the webpage. 

However, what we're most interested in, is in the latest and greatest release of Android, which we're expecting to see on Wednesday's opening keynote; it might not be the star of the show, but we just can't wait. If FroYo is nowhere to be seen in Wednesday, then we can expect it to be the star of Thursday's keynote, like Google Wave was last year. Smart Mobile World will be reporting from San Francisco to bring you the news and our thoughts on the matter. Until then, here's the ending of this two part series on what we've covered with Android so far.

The road to Google I/O 2010 (Part I)

 Yup, we know it's been quite some time, but we're here. And to celebrate the fact that Smart Mobile World will be at Google's most important developer event, Google I/O, we want to remember the history of Android, the road that's brought us here, dreaming about what's coming our way in the next couple of days when, if everything goes right, Google will show the next version of Android, FroYo.

For now, let's look back and remember how Android, was born.

About the Motorola Devour

 

Note to our long time readers: the site is not down, nor are we abandoning it. It's becoming increasingly hard for us to write with our limited time while keeping our quality standards, but we want you to know we have a lot to talk to you about, and we're here to stay.

The Devour. Sounds like a big dinosaur ready to eat anything that's in front when it becomes hungry. But I'm afraid it's not; this little phone here is no where near devouring Motorola's flagship product, or any of the so called "Superphones". However, Moto's clever moves in the last weeks have made this phone gather a lot of attention. And since many new Android phones will be similar in hardware, and Motorola is the second most important Android manufacturer, we feel the need to try and look a bit deeper into this device.

Android, our home away from Home

It's been quite a few posts since the last time we looked at our favorite Operating System, and how it's been trying to change the way we live with our smartphones. Before we start though, I'll have to agree that many concepts we Android users live today, are similar to those lived already by BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile users. However, a couple of key differences make Android (and possibly webOS) different from them. Not only is Android built as a next-gen mobile platform, it's also proving to be a lot more mainstream than anyone would've predicted a year ago.

For the love of (smart)phones

So... what day is it? Ah yes, it's Valentine's Day. We needn't to tell you, I'm sure you know it better than us. After all, what does a tech blog have to say about February the 14th? Well, just stay with us, and you'll find out.

TechTalk: The Droid and its Milestone (Updated)

 

At last, the second issue of TechTalk. Don't worry, this one will be a lot more fun, since we'll be discussing current technology instead of out-dated one, and because finally, you'll get to understand why we easily claim that a smartphone's CPU is not up to standards while another one's is. Granted, the future is moving fast, and for you to fully understand the current context of mobile CPUs we'll need another issue, but with this one, you'll be able to look into a smartphone's face and not be fooled by the headlines "new", "coming soon" and "800 Mhz clock speed", because sadly, many smartphones being released today still don't offer the latest technology they should.

So please, join us and give us your own opinion in the comments section below. Before moving on though, if you've not read our first issue of TechTalk, we encourage you to please do so, since it's essential for fully understanding this post.

About Prospector

I know we've been silent these last few days, but we're going to try and keep up on weekends. Today we want to introduce our upcoming new column: Prospector. 

Microsot's Hero

Look at this device, guys. This is the device responsible of keeping Microsoft's Windows Mobile pretty much alive in the market, the device responsible of making us believe, for a brief period of time, that Windows Mobile can actually play at the same level as webOS, iPhone OS and Android, although it clearly doesn't.

Anyhow, this device is so important, it has set a new standard and a new concept of "high-end smartphone"; this is a device that will probably never become old, because it's so impressive, any other device looks from the past in comparison. It's important not only for Windows Mobile, but also for HTC, since the hardware of this device is pretty much the best we've ever seen tucked up in the same device, setting a new benchmark, and making us wonder whether this monster is actually better than Apple's flagship product. Let's dive into HTC's work of art.

RIM and the Storms

In January 2007, Steve Jobs unveiled the mythical iPhone to the world, showing all handset makers how a smartphone should be built, both in hardware and in software. Research In Motion, a Canadian handset manufacturer based in Waterloo, famous for the most successful smartphone brand for corporate users (BlackBerry), paid close attention to Apple's entrance into the smartphone industry, and thought that, if Apple could build such a revolutionary device in its first attempt, surely they could do something better, as they too, focused on high-quality products and had an established set of exclusive customers.

Thus, they set a target release date of 2008 for the new device, and started working on a new consumer-focused, revolutionary touch-screen smartphone.

Week One

We're back.

We've been around for more or less a week, during which we got caught up with work these last couple of days, and couldn't give you guys much time. Before celebrating our first week though, there's something we need to talk about.

Thanks to the connected world we live in today, we know about the tragedy in Haiti, and we at Smart Mobile World would like to give the people living this tragedy some of our time, too. If you live in the US, there are many ways you can donate a small amount of money, using only your cell phone, through an SMS; for us living abroad, we need to use credit cards, but we would like to point out, that with a little effort, all of us can help. Nowadays cell phones, of any kind, are so much more than just "mobile phones", they do a lot of stuff (mainly through SMS), and with just a few key-presses or touch-downs, you can help, and we can all make a small effort become something big. A message from the Motorola Developer's Group:

In the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has."

TechTalk: Building a smartphone

This is going to be a very, very long post, guys. So please, grab a cup of coffee, put on some sweet music, and read on...

In this first issue of TechTalk, we will provide you with a basic understanding on how a CPU works, how this is then crammed into our smartphones, and we'll finish looking at the most common CPU running on many devices being sold today. Tech lovers, gadget lovers, computer software architecture students, this post is for you!

Verizon and the Droid

It is not hard to see why the Android community welcomed the Droid with so much affection; the Droid, running on Verizon Wireless' network, became a reality after a summer (2009's) full of rumours and speculation about a new device from Motorola, codenamed Motorola Sholes and/or Tao, which would run on Android 2.0. It all turned out to be true; on 27th October Google launched the Android 2.0 SDK to developers showcasing Android's new features on a device with a massive screen we had not seen before, and the next day, Motorola officially unveiled the Droid, and together with Verizon, started breathing new life into Android.

Creating Live Wallpapers

The new Android 2.1 SDK lets programmers creating live wallpapers. What are live wallpapers?

Live wallpapers are animated backgrounds that can interact with the events that are produced by the users when they touch the screen. This is interesting, yes... but it spends much battery if they are not well programmed. A smart mobile like HTC Hero, Magic or another one cold hold on in a few hours, not days.

Another kind of mobile phones like the new Nexus One has got animated wallpaper included since they fabrication, another thing for choosing Nexus One today.

On icons and the iPhone's consumer awareness (Part Two)

Here we ago again. The Apple iPhone, unveiled on January 9th, 2007, represents Apple's present. Since 2001, Apple changed completely and took the world with it to introduce a new culture, Apple's culture; and all of this, began thanks to the iPod. From 2001 to 2006, Apple sold over 70 million iPods, and was ready to show the world it's new invention... the iPhone.

HTC Tattoo in Orange (and the problems with that)

Having a HTC Tattoo is a good idea? Having a HTC Tattoo whit orange is a good idea? I know the answer.

If you want to have a smart mobile phone and you have decided to buy a HTC Tattoo, I can recommend everybody that Vodafone and Telefonica have that smart phone too. Orange is offering that for the clients who make a contract by two years with internet line. Every month, the internet connection is limited to 300 mb and if you pass this limit, your connection goes down to 128 Kbps. It is only the first condition that is not comparable to other conditions that they don't tell you when you sign the contract.

When I received my HTC Tattoo fifteen days ago i thought "what the hell is that?", I opened the little box and turned on the little gadget. Android is incredible; yes, it is!

I passed all the day studying the phone, using it and finding information by the internet about it; finally I compare. Orange has blocked the terminal and you cannot do anything. Gmail, Youtube and Gtalk are apps that almost everybody needs and Orange has blocked them. But somebody can think... "I can install them by the market", it's an incredible mistake thinking that. This applicattions are not available in the android market and you can't install them.

The market in the Tattoo is not the same, well... it's the same, but doesn't have all the applicacion because of the screen size don't let you install the applicattions you want. Google Goggles, the new and amazing applicattion of Google (tm); and the barcode scanner are not available too, this problem is not caused by Orange. You could install barcode scanner but is not really functional because HTC Tattoo camera hasn't autofocus, and the same for Google Goggles and many more applications.

If you are thinking..."what can I do now?", I only can say to you... "you have twenty four months with Orange for thinking about it, think... Nexus One is coming up!"

On icons and Apple's consumer awareness (Part One)

Apple? Yes, Apple, that big corporation which is today known to everyone, has played possibly the most important role inside the tech industry over the past decade, putting everything we love & need in our pocket.

Let's think about it. Before Apple's iPod, we wouldn't dare to think about the number of songs we could take with us, we had to pick a single cd to put in our music player, and that was it. And then, we got the iPhone, which revolutioned and changed the smartphone market forever, and brought us the standard by which most smartphones  live and attempt to improve. But Apple wasn't always Apple, so please join us after the break as we try to understand the iPod and its impact in Apple's history from our perspective.

Thinking about Nokia and the N900

Last evening we were surprised with an awesome review of the Nokia N900 by Engadget, and were left thinking about Nokia's current situation. We have some interesting posts in the pipeline, but surely, Nokia's position in the smartphone market deserves some time, too. What exactly is the N900? Does it replace the N97? Let's have a look...

New Motorola MOTOROI

The device we knew as Motorola Sholes Tablet or Motorola XT720, is being officially presented as Motorola MOTOROI in South Korea. It will be available in February with operator SK Telecom but it's possible we will see it in other markets, like Europe or America. (Finally it's going to be available in Europe in America).

On Palm and their latest hits at CES

2/2, isin't it? For the last two years, Palm has been really putting the press at work with their CES announcements. Not only did CES show the return of Palm into the smartphone market, but this year, it was the stage for Palm's commitment to gain strength in the tough smartphone business, both with consumers and with developers. Let's dive into Palm's recent announcements.

Android 2.1's biggest win

No, this post is not about the Nexus One; we'll talk about the device later on. First, I'd like to point out which is the best feature I see in Android 2.1. From the beginning, Live Wallpapers has been the feature which  got most of the media's coverage, and although some have pointed out my favorite feature, it's time for it to be under the spotlight.

On an Android 2.0.1 Security Flaw

The recent discovery of an Android 2.0.1 security flaw got me thinking. I developed a prototype of an app I want to put on the Android Market, it was my first attempt at building a mobile platform application; to protect the information stored in it, the first thing you saw after starting the app was a screen asking you for a password. For months, I used it, storing valuable information within it, and one day, instead of touching the "OK" button to input the password, I touched "Exit". I started the app again, and found out... it did not ask me for the password. Similarly, the Android 2.0.1 flaw is found in a situation we, as developers, do not usually think about.