Wibree or Bluetooth? Both!?

Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wibree... Definitely there is several different standards for short-range communications. Bluetooth is a standard well-adopted by the market, Zigbee is an industry standard and Wibree provides short-range communication with low-power usage, thing that is excellent for small devices whose depends to battery capacity.

Bluetooth and Wibree is going to merge make the use of low-power consumption from Wibree and the well-adopted Bluetooth standards. I'm excited to say that it will make real the possibility of making PAN's for mobile devices, and developers would thanks for this.

Nokia is already planning to use the new standard for the next generations mobile devices.

More about this from Nokia

Mobile Phones and cars!

I've been talking to a friend couple days ago and he made me having an idea comparing some phone vendors and models to cars. Thanks Lucas :-)

Let's try to make something simple. Remember Nokia 5125.

* No camera
* 35 memory ringtones (you can customize 9!)
* SMS, Vcard supporting
* 100 rows allowed for phonebook
* TDMA
* I fear this display resolution

Nokia 5125 it's a simple phone used to make/receive calls and sms basically. Display resolution isn't cool but it is ok (playing snake). Anyway, it's an old phone completely different of the actual ones.

So would it be a Lada?

* Old
* For transport only
* Usual size internal and external
* Not any comfort

Let's cause a little trouble now.
What about one of most expected mobile - iPhone?


* Touch Screen display (nice res.)
* Usual Size
* Quad-band GSM (and Edge)
* MacOSx
* Wifi, Bluetooth
* It's a Mac! Charm!


iPhone target is to sell about 1 million phones. It is promissed to be launched in USA by Cingular in June this year. Anyway, iPhone has a closed OS (MacOSx) and doesn't run Java applications. It is charm, and have a great display resolution, storage capacity (4 or 8GB) and camera resolution is ok (2MP).

So it would be perhaps... a 206 Peugeot!

* Popular car
* "Sport" design
* It's charm
* Difficult to find parts (as imported car in Brazil)

I'll keep making for more devices... Have fun!

My feedback about FRING

I've been trying FRING about 2 weeks and here is my notes about it.
Phone model: Nokia E61
Network type: WLAN and GSM/EDGE


Good points:
- Service is trusty and realiable. Respects the users accounts.
- Easy UI, nice view, icons and navigation
- Good battery saving power (or at least not high consumption)
- Works fine with multiple clients at same time. Tryied skype, gtalk, msn, sip and fring
- Search bar works cool.
- Also, cool having tabs between chats and calls.
- Good voice quality call using Skype and Gtalk
- Good calls over EDGE connection

Bad Points:
- Merged contacts at all - it's not nice searching a contact for a specific client
- Bad calls (mute listening) using MSN
- Phone's theme can makes UI difficult to read
- How to disable sound alerts!?
- How to customize alerts?
- I just didn't liked Fring advertising in my nickname without a warning
- Connection alerts just buggin me a lot... I'm walking thought different Wlan's, I don't want to be disturbed if I drop connection (I'm walking!).

Features suggestions:
- Icons, icons, icons. Add emotion to that :-)
- What about handsfree in voice calls?
- Please, give a way separating all those contacts. Making a line under IM client doesn't sounds easy. I would put it into separated trees or tabs, you can just put it in a IRC style or something (if you can customize it would be better)
- Data control (I wanna know how much traffic I'm spending in calls)
- Displaying user details such as email address would be fine.

Overall: Recommended.

More Nokia Wiki content

I can't stop firing mobile articles into Nokia Wiki!
Yesterday I'd re-formatted and published a complete overview about Bluetooth technology.
Good to remember: Once you're editing a previously posted article, you need to be careful do don't disrespect the previous collaborator. I kept previous notes, and added references more content and updates - that's the main purpose of Wiki I believe: to collaborate. If I would like to publish these articles in private I should put my name in everything and copyright the content, but this is free, open source and collaborative environment and everyone must be careful about fellows.

Some of my points about Wiki:
- I would not make my view about a technology or other. That's why I do blogging :-)
- I really think it may need an administrator to keep Wiki reliable... maybe, the agreement from the article authors, or still, a open pool voting and rating article.
- Formatting sounds complicated, I wish to see templates, putting some of Web2.0 to work making use of AJAX, like drag-and-drop content (like we do for blogging), etc.


Following...
Good notes from Gabor in it's blog
Forum Nokia Wiki Community in Ron's blog

Updated (3:52PM BRT):
Added content to Wiki: Known User Agents (Browser/Mobile IDs)

Delivery... Delivering...

I've been working in some content delivery to my project under IBM, to JME group inside this and also, as promised, for Nokia Wiki.
I'm reeeeeeeally bored to start doing it just by now. Some time ago, Nokia was offering to us Champions N95 devices for whose people who publish the better contents in it's Wiki. It's a shame that I missed it :-(
But that's ok... I'm now contributing with some stuff, and of course mainly in my experts targets. I started adding some content to Bluetooth API documentation inside Wiki, and then writing the first Bluetooth HelloWorld Example in Java - it's a simple chat between 2 Bluetooth devices, just works fine.

Next steps is to publish more content and add stuff to Bluetooth topics, then I will publish more simple HelloWorlds or How-To's.

Keep watching:-)

Fring x Talkonaut x other mobile clients...

I've been trying a lot of mobile clients such as Barablu, Talkonaut, Fring and others. There are really a LOT of mobile clients. There is a kind of "Gaim"/Jabber concept using multiple networks for the same client. It is a good feature, while it is a feature...

I tried Barablu for a while. It seems like a good client but I couldn't test calls since it's available only for some countries in Europe. It has a good UI and works fine to chat.

Talkonaut is a Google Talk client improving Jabber network and also works with MSN and others. The way it works for calling is like a "call push". They works as a gateway calling you and the another person, over operator's network. It doesn't works for VoIP or VoWLAN, also I sent a bug report to Talkonaut about a MSN (gateway) issue.

The last client I've been trying is Fring. I was looking for a VoIP/VoWLAN client, and then I downloaded it to my E61. It is a simple, written in Symbian and allows Gtalk conversations, Skypeout and, of course, regular phone calls. I tryed Gtalk call and I liked pretty much voice quality under my home wlan.

I'll keep trying another clients and post here. I'm adding a label to this (IM Clients), so you can follow me.

SavaJe survives!

Sun has just acquired SavaJe's legal rights.
-- In a brief view for those who don't know SavaJe: it is a Java OS for mobile.
It has been shown last year in JavaOne, there was a prototype running the os and MSA API. I thought nice seeing a Java OS in mobile phones, but, must admit that I had many doubts before talking to SavaJe people last year, and I left with more than I got in.

Particulary, I think that SavaJe has a strong and difficult market to get into. Mobile market has already popular and well-known platforms such as Symbian, Windows Mobile and Linux Mobile System.

Sources:
SavaJe
Telecoms
DeviceForge.Com

Someway Fixing my N90?

Since I've been elected as Champion in the first ever Forum Nokia Champion program by Janurary 2006; I got the N90 device as a gift. I was happy starting S60 2nd edition Symbian programming some stuff (as I'm most Java involved :-).

Well, the sad day was October, 4th 2006 - I was in a snake with some friends and then, when I flipped the screen to take a picture something happened and the screen didn't change to camera/wide-screen mode. Then I flipped-out again and turned off the cell phone.

After few minutes, I turned the phone on again - and ok, camera looks normal again, but now:
- Icon's names and labels has just changed to default and internal names.
- Gallery was empty (like just cleared)
- Pictures and video's has not been saved anymore
- Themes had disappeared, etc.

I tried lot of things and then I'd reseted phone software pressing keys: "Green + 3 + *" (don't do it or you will reset phone with factory configuration).
Nothing of these worked, then I sent my phone to a Nokia assistance near my house and - freak - they bring my cell back after 4 (FOUR) months worse then he was. It doesn't turn on anymore - I believe guys tried doing a wrong flash update.

So, since January this year I am trying to contact Nokia Care Center by phone +55 (11) 6824-6100. Just like is in the website - it rings and looks like nobody answer (seems like a phone line issue or something).

Next step: I am planning to go to Sao Paulo next week in Nokia Care Center address - hope the address is right and I can find a solution, or I'll be just enjoying Sao Paulo without my S60 phone.

Good to remember:
I got N90 as a gift - it looks like it is a test version of the device delivered without any warranty. (I agreed with the terms)
I wasn't a careful user. It fall down some times (ugh!) and - maybe - it could be the reason for bad-function.

People helping me with this:
Nokia fellows in Brazil Sao Paulo and Pernambuco, Nokia Champion friends - thanks Rosso and Tote.

Nokia N95 - best phone in 2007

GPS? 5MP Camera? Btooth? Wi-fi? S60-Symbian? Ohhhh... I wish I'm gonna have one...

Step-by-step: Geeting mail from other accounts in Gmail

This is not hot, new or even hard to do, but how I had just did it, I like to share the step-by-step to make Gmail get mail from other accounts.

What do you need?
You must have a email account in a supported pop3 provider. (like Yahoo!)
Yeah, you must have a login and password!

Step-by-step!

1) Login to Gmail
2) Find the label "Get mail from other accounts". Click in Add another email account


3) Add an email account - type the entire mail address and then click Next Step


4) Type the username, password, the pop3 host and port.
Note: Gmail will guess your pop3 host. It is right for Yahoo! in the given picture, but get HOST, PORT and if it need SSL connection with your mail provider. Also, select the LABEL to the given account - It should be nice to keep organized.


5) Choose if you want to send mail with the other account mail's name (you will configure the SMTP address)


You're Done!
Enjoy :-)

Mozilla goes mobile but...

Mozilla has launched it's browser for mobile: the Minimo Project. I was excited about Mozilla mobile browser (as a Firefox user) but, it is available only for Windows Mobile. Oh... common Mozilla foundation!! That's disappointing a .ORG foundation create a browser to a closed environment like Windows. In a "Minimum", it should be distributed also for Symbian users as well.

Anyway, if you're not a Windows Mobile user and want to know more, Juarez -- a Nokia Champion colleague - has good thoughts about it.

New Google Mobile Search

Great job from Google improving mobile search. Now you can search for locations in a pretty easier way from your mobile device. As Google Maps does, you can look for a business or an address just typing basic entries. You type what and where in the search boxes, it will return the result matches to your entry and displays the map fit to your mobile screen. This is a different solution instead using Gmaps for mobile.

First MSA mobile in the market

Sony Ericsson launches the first MSA mobile:

"The new mandatory APIs supported through MSA include 3D graphics, personal information management, Bluetooth, Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), web services, location services and payment services for Java ME (Micro Edition). Sony Ericsson has supported several of these APIs in its earlier Java Platform versions but with MSA there is finally industry alignment and a clear set of expectations on the implementation of these JSRs. With MSA, the mass-market mobile phone becomes an increasingly capable platform for enterprise development and it will be possible to ensure secure data storage and communication and create new innovative applications, for example SVG maps."

References:

What is MSA?
C. Enrique Ortiz
MobileMag

Google Mobile-Search

"Google released a new mobile search engine additional to their existing mobile search. While Google’s old mobile search engine lets you pick from different types of engines (web, images, local and so on), the new search engine combine these types of results all into one page for your specific queries."

From Google BlogoScoped

Nokia Wiki Launched!

Today has been officially open Nokia Wiki. It will cover articles, code samples, how-to tutorials and everything else about mobile development. I'm planning to contribute soon and see these numbers growing up :-)

Nokia launches S60 Bluetooth driver for Windows XP

=======================================================
RELEASE NOTE FOR S60 3RD EDITION SDKs BT DRIVER 8.3.2007
=======================================================

S60 Bluetooth driver for Windows XP enables Bluetooth communication from and to the SDK emulator. The driver can be used with any S60 3rd Edition SDK. However, enhanced support in emulator preferences has been introduced in S60 3rd Edition SDK for Symbian OS, Supporting Feature Pack 1. Thus, installing the driver to S60 3rd Edition SDK for Symbian OS and S60 3rd Edition SDK for Symbian OS, Maintenance Release requires a couple of additional installation steps.

Bluetooth connectivity with the S60 emulator has been tested with the following SDKs:
• S60 2nd Edition SDK for Symbian OS, Supporting Feature Pack 3, For C++
• S60 3rd Edition SDK for Symbian OS, For C++, Maintenance Release
• S60 3rd Edition SDK for Symbian OS, Supporting Feature Pack 1, For C++

Bluetooth Hardware Compatibility
================================

The S60 Bluetooth driver is compatible with many inexpensive Bluetooth dongles and thus does not require any specific Bluetooth hardware. The driver has been verified to work with the following Bluetooth hardware:
• CE Bluetooth USB adapter
• Belkin Bluetooth dongle
• D-Link Bluetooth dongle.


Download

Nokia 888

How do I touch this?

Knowledge - how to touch this? Investors can say when they are holding their credit cards or even the money itself.
Last week google papers value in NASDAQ broke the $500 dollars boundary (not bad for a company whose has opened its papers for $85). But, did you ever touch in anything created by Google?
Submarino (Brazil) and Americanas.com jointed into a new company - a 8 billion company. But you cannot touch in anything from them, expect the sold products (whose are not produced by them). There's no factories, not a huge infrastructure - but a huge investment on T.I and accessibility.
It doesn't means that there will not be anymore factories in the world. It just means that the way the business is coming has changed. We need more than ever clothes, food, security and other services - but the way we get it, it's changing and will change much more.

SBCD 5.0 FREE for certified Java Programmers

Sun is providing the Beta testers for questions about Sun Certified Business Component Developer 5.0 - FREE OF CHARGE from today (11/24).
If you are a Sun Certified Java Programmer you can try.

Where do you wanna go?

I've waked up a day and completely forgot where my glasses was. I wonder about trying to Google it: "glasses, on my house". That doesn't seems so far as maps details has enhanced a lot last years/months/days. Maybe in a brief future...

There are many companies investing on services about maps, routes and tracking. There are many applications available, most known is Google Maps and Microsoft Live Search.
But specifically to my own country it does not exists a free and good routes service - so I'm trying Maplink. Both Google and Microsoft have single maps solutions and Directions. This is Microsoft Local Live for a Rio route I did:



A brief comparation between Google and Microsoft about that:
- Google has not a easily search for directions. I could not trace the same route.
- Google has the Hybrid view in detailed level.
- Microsoft is more easier than Google for directions
- Microsoft has not Hybrid view in detailed level.
- Tried but no roads/streets layers on Google Earth.

I am in Rio this week and I'm having a really good experience tracing point to point routes using Maplink. It also gives the Taxi's costs, shows attactions, theaters, museums and tourism places.




Maplink services are also available to a GPS HW which is being sell for R$2,299.00 - very expensive in my opnion as it doesn't cover all the country, but only main cities.

Mobility companies has already GPS integrated in it's released mobile phones as some in N-Series from Nokia. I believe this is make cheaper costs of this kind of service in the future, and no more attached to HW, but SW and content.

Belong the world you can research for other companies with the same business. I've read about NAVTEQ and TRAFFIC - companies whose are working on maps and routes in USA.

Update: Look, Google improvements on Google Local for mobile and about location.