The Lonely Vampire Chronicles

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I had an opportunity to test Samsung OMNIA (Samsung SGH-i900) last Thursday at The Peninsula Manila, during its press launch. Here are my impressions.

The Samsung people were careful enough not to position this device as their answer to Apple’s iPhone, but the comparison can’t be helped. In fairness to Samsung, OMNIA has several features that iPhone doesn’t, and that clearly differentiates it from the so-called gold standard.

First, the touchscreen. I fond of touchscreens, and the OMNIA’s touchscreen is good. It doesn’t come with a stylus (the Samsung people said it will come with a stylus, but the phone does not have a slot for one, so that’s doubtful; they did provide stylus during testing), so you have to use your fingers. The TouchWiz user interface is a Samsung custom UI for Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The icons are large enough so that you can easily point to the right icon. What I like about the custom UI is that Opera Mobile is available as an alternative to IE Mobile. This is a great addition. More on this later. Of course, you can revert to the traditional WinMO UI.

Haptic feedback is available, but I had it turned off, as I find it annoying. Basically, the phone vibrates every time you press an icon. It is not a useless feature, but as I have said, I am annoyed by haptic feedback, and I felt it is a waste of battery.

There is a mouse pointer that is controlled by an optical touch pad below the screen. It is like having a touchpad on a phone. I find it odd, but it has its uses.

The on-screen keyboard remains a lot to be desired; people with large fingers will have to get used to it. The keys are too narrow for the thumbs. That is why I think the lack of stylus is a drawback.

It has an accelerometer on board, so that when you turn the phone, the UI changes its orientation. The orientation can be sluggish when, for example, Opera Mobile is running and showing Plurk in mobile mode, for example. But that is hardware limitation, which is understandable.

Probably one of the best features of the phone is its camera. It has a 5-megapixel camera, though the flash is just LED. It has camera functions that are not found in other camera-enabled phones. For example, you can take a panoramic shot with the phone, and you can stitch up to 8 images for a panoramic shot IN THE PHONE. There are other helpful features for taking shots, and I think some of them are quite useful.

One problem that I had found with OMNIA is that it runs out of memory that fast. For example, using Task Manager, the apps that were currently running were Main Menu and Task Manager, which consumed less than 1MB of memory combined. But when I tried launching Camera, I got the insufficient memory error message. Good luck running the Camera app while Opera Mobile is loaded.

I have not tested the multimedia capabilities of the phone - these features are not on top of my preferences for a phone, and there were no available video files for viewing.

The phone is nice when held, though it is shiny and fingerprint magnet. It does not feel flimsy, and you will not be embarrassed to be seen using it. Heck, I’d want this as a phone, though the lack of stylus and keypad would make me pause.

Here are the specs of this phone:

Network: HSDPA (7.2Mbps), EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 bands
OS: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
Display: 3.2″ WQVGA TFT LCD (240×400 pixel resolution)
Camera: 5 Megapixel CMOS with autofocus, image stabilizer, geo-tagging, auto sequence, panorama shot, wide dynamic range (WDR), face detection, smile detection, 14 scene modes
Video: DivX/XviD/H.263/H.264/WMV/MP4 formats; video recording; video editing: trim video, audio dubbing, live dubbing, add subtitle, image capture
Audio: MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA/OGG/AMR formats, FM radio with RDS, Touch Player, A2DP
Other features: GPS/AGPS,TouchWiz UI, haptic feedback, MS Office Document Viewer, Advanced PIM apps, push email, accelerometer, etiquette pause, TV out, digital frame, optical touch pad, business card recognition
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, WiFi
Memory: 8GB/16GB flash + external memory slot: up to 16 GB microSDHC

Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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Last Thursday, HTC Southeast Asia (HTC SEA) unveiled HTC Touch Diamond to reporters and bloggers at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati. Some pundits dubbed this as HTC’s answer to Apple’s iPhone, and a reporter asked if this is HTC’s iPhone killer. Kevin Hou (pictured, right), Managing Director of HTC SEA answered this question by saying that they are not out to kill anyone or anything. HTC Touch Diamond is being differentiated from the iPhone through its impressive specifications contained within a small phone.

I had an opportunity to touch (bad pun, I know) this phone, and indeed it is small. With dimensions of 102 mm x 51 mm x 11.35 mm (LxWxT) and weight of 110 grams (with battery), it is definitely smaller, thinner, and lighter as compared to Sony Ericsson P1i (my current phone). As I had no camera that day, I wish I could have taken a picture of the two phones side by side. But trust me, it is lightweight, and it is easy to handle (another bad pun).

The back cover has geometric designs on it, shiny, and fingerprint magnet. The front is smooth, shiny, and fingerprint magnet too. The screen is bright in its glorious VGA resolution - an edge against other phones.

This phone incorporates the latest version of HTC’s Touch user interface (UI). Called TouchFLO 3D, I think it is a nice UI to supplement Windows Mobile’s UI. Some people might call the music interface of TouchFLO 3D as CoverFlow ripoff. I haven’t tried CoverFlow though I had seen it, but TouchFLO 3D is a bit different.

Speaking of the UI, it will take getting used to. I have been using touchscreen mobile phones since 2006, and no two touchscreen phones are alike. You will need some time to get used to TouchFLO 3D. It’s intuitiveness is not very apparent at first look, but once you get the hang of it, it works. There’s some lag time at certain places, like viewing a picture full screen. Also, when scrolling on the certain places (like Music or People - the phonebook), the UI seemed to be unresponsive. Maybe that’s just me, or maybe I should have used the stylus. BTW, I like the way the stylus is kept - there’s a magnetic mechanism wherein when you return the stylus, it snaps in.

Quick Specs:

Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 MHz
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
Memory: ROM: 256 MB, RAM: 192 MB, Internal storage: 4 GB, no external memory slot
Network: Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, dual band HSDPA/HSUPA/WCDMA
GPS: Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, A2DP, AVRCP; WiFi 802.11 b/g; mini-USB port
Camera: Back: 3.2 megapixel with autofocus; Front: VGA
Battery: rechargeable Lithium-ion or Lithium-ion polymer
Talk time: up to 270 minutes for WCDMA, 330 minutes for GSM
Standby time: up to 396 hours for WCDMA, 285 hours for GSM

For such specifications, this phone is not cheap. The suggested price is Php 41,800. When asked about the price, Hou said they believe there is market for a phone like this. When someone suggested that HTC should use open source, Hou replied that they do have plans for that (HTC Dream, anyone?), but they also believe in the partnerships that they have forged through the years, and he reiterated their belief that Windows Mobile is a good operating system.

I think HTC Touch Diamond is a good phone, but it is not for your grandparents. However, I am a believer in touchscreen/QWERTY keyboard combo, so if I have the money, I’d rather wait for HTC Touch Pro. Or Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1.

Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Here’s another picture of the alleged successor to Sony Ericsson P1i:

Codenamed Paris, this is supposed to be the P5, which allegedly sports the latest version of Symbian UIQ, and a slider with the same rocker keypad (two letters at each end of the button) that P1 and m600i have. It seems that the button is half-white, half-black.

To be honest, with EXPERIA X1 in the horizon, I do not see the value of P5 being released within the same period (unless you are not a fan of Windows Mobile). Sony Ericsson should have released this months ago (P1i is already 6 months old).

I’m no fan of sliders, though I did own a Nokia 7110. And there is nothing compelling with Paris for me to want it. X1 remains my phone of choice (if I could afford it, of course), unless a 3G Apple iPhone that is not exclusively locked to a single carrier manages to grace these islands.

(Photo from Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog, via Just AMP.)

Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

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Nokia was in the touchscreen phone business four years ago, with Nokia 7710 as the flagship of sorts running Symbian OS on Series 90 interface. I got this phone December 2005 till I got Sony Ericsson m600i. Nokia 7710 was a bulky phone, and being the only one in the series meant less software. It died a natural death.

There is also Nokia 6708 (said to be the first touchscreen phone for Nokia). While Nokia 7710 is dead, 6708 seems to live on. But to date, no Nokia touchscreen phone has been released.

The Apple iPhone is an eye-opener for Nokia, and is now trying to catch up. There was a demo of the s60 Touch UI months ago, and now there seems to be a device in existence.

Here is the Nokia Tube.

Too bad. Nokia had the vision right four years ago, but it fumbled and gave up. Now they play catch-up. Will it be the iPhone killer? Too early to tell, but if that’s their goal, well it is wrong. Nokia should just release a good phone with an intuitive interface, that’s all. Nokia 7710’s UI is good though the phone is slow and heavy.

(Photos from Symbian Freak and NokiaPort.de, via Just AMP)

UPDATE:

NokiaPort.de has listed the purported specs for this device:

Display:
- 3.2 inch touchscreen
- Tactile Feedback
- 640×360
- 16 million colors

Camera:
- 3.2 mega pixel
- autofocus

Networks:
- Quad Band GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 Mhz)
- EDGE
- UMTS
- HSDPA

Connectivity:
- Bluetooth 2.0
- Wifi
- GPS
- 3.5 mm jack
- TV out

Other:
- 140 MB of internal memory
- measures 111×52x14.5 mm
- weighs 104 grams

(Update via Just AMP.)

Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Last night, I was having trouble with my Smart postpaid line. I was on the bus when I took a peep at my Sony Ericsson P1i. At the status bar, an icon appeared. So I tapped on it, and a window appeared. It said that “Incoming calls not allowed” and a Settings button appeared. Tapping on the button led me to the Internet accounts settings page. I ignored it and went on with the trip home. BTW, I sent a text message, and at first the sending failed, but on the second attempt, the message was sent. It was 10 minutes before 6PM.

I got home by 7PM, and after dinner, I checked the phone again. The icon remained, and out of curiousity I made a call to our landline. So I keyed in the number and tapped Call. After two seconds the phone returned to standby mode. So I turned off the phone, took off the SIM, and inserted the SIM into a Nokia 3660. I made a call to the same number, and our landline phone made its usual ringing sound. So I inserted the SIM back into P1i, powered it on, and the icon was still there. Making the same call, and the same result - nada.

What I did was to set the phone so that it would connect to GSM network only. The setting before was 3G only. (To do this on P1i, go to Main Menu>Control Panel>Connections>Mobile Networks. On the Mobile Networks window, tap More and then tap on GSM/3G networks.) The phone disconnected and reconnected. The 3G icon was gone. I then made a call to our landline, and the landline sounded. At this point, I received a reply to the message that I had sent earlier; the message was time-stamped 6:10PM.

I set the mode back to 3G only, and after disconnection/reconnection, the suspect icon appeared again. So I set it back to GSM only, and then played Warcraft III: Frozen Throne for an hour. After playing, I set the mode back to 3G, and the suspect icon was gone. Content, I went to sleep.

End of story? Nope. Woke up at around 12 midnight and took a look at the phone. “Emergency calls only,” the phone display said. Set the mode to GSM only, and the operator name appeared. Went back to sleep.

So at 8AM, I set the mode back to 3G, and no problems so far. Must be a problem in Smart’s 3G network yesterday. Or my phone’s getting old.

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Mobility Philippines reports that Smart has started unblocking ports for its 3G service. I had checked that out and here’s what I found:

* I can now access my site’s cPanel, which means port blocking on HTTP is lifted.
* I can now chat via Internet Relay Chat, which means common IRC ports (starting at port 6666) are now open.
* I can now download via torrents. Port forwarding is now allowed over Smart 3G.

Note that there is nothing spectacular about torrent speeds over Smart 3G (at least on my end).

Now if only Smart implements HSDPA (and that would mean getting an HSDPA phone).

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Well, file this under who-tells-the-truth department.

9to5mac reports that Apple is tracking iPhone user data, as reported in a hackint0sh thread. The thread based the assumption on strings found in two apps, where there is a URL with an identifier named IMEI in the string.

But this assumption is immediately debunked by docpool, stating that it is the application ID that is being referenced by the string IMEI. It also linked to a German site, which claims that the application ID is being sent, not the IMEI.

Now, will security analysts stand up and clear this mess up?

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Using your Smart 3G phone as modem, and Smart 3G for your internet access? Or about to use it? Here’s what to expect (or not to expect):

* The connection depends on 3G coverage. It also depends on whether you livein a bunker or an attic.
* Connection is also affected by the weather. Bad weather=sucky connection.
* It is faster than a dialup connection.
* You cannot download via torrents. Smart does not forward the port necessary for torrent clients.
* You cannot use Internet relay chat (IRC). Most IRC servers require IRC clients to respond to ident requests.
* Some ports via HTTP are blocked. This is significant for those who access their Web sites via a cPanel.
* You can do FTP.
* You can get/share files via P2P.

Will update this list when I get to find out new things.

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Some juvenile thingamajigs for everyone.

* The end of the world is near (or so Chicken Mafia may think): Hello Kitty phone lands in the US. Yay!
* Oh, some Hello Kitty AK47 and My Little Pony toy carbines for your daughters, little sisters, little nieces, and godchildren. Nice to start them young, eh? Yay!
* The Capcom Blog releases some character art for Super Street Fighter II HD Remix (that’s a long title for a rework of a game), after being outed by Kotaku. Aside from downloadable copies of artworks, some mistakes in the art works were discussed.

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Google has not ruled out Google Phone. There somewhere in Googleplex is a reference device made by HTC, code-named Dream (appropriate name, if you ask me). Forbes has the following details on the reference device:

It is thin, about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long, and features a touch-sensitive, rectangular screen. Unlike the iPhone, the screen is also time-sensitive: Hold down your finger longer, and the area you’re controlling expands. The bottom end of the handset, near the navigational controls, is slightly beveled so it nestles in the palm. The screen also swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. (The screen display changes from a vertical portrait mode to a horizontal display when someone uses the keyboard.)

The Dream design makes the core functions–e-mail, text documents and YouTube–readily available by putting icons that open those applications along the top of the screen. In its guts, the phone runs a virtual machine so that applications, like the browser, can launch once during a session, then reside in the background. That way, if someone sends you, say, a YouTube video link, you can run it immediately, without restarting the browser. The browser also downloads large files in stages to cut the time it seems to take to bring them onto the phone.

And if things work correctly, HTC is ready to mass-produce the device by 2nd half of 2008. I just hope it is cheap.

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

And that includes the giants: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Microsoft, and Apple.

After much speculation, Google, together with other technology partners, made two major announcements today.

First, the Open Handset Alliance was introduced. The group was formed to “accelerate innovation in mobile and offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience.” No, there is no gPhone, but there will be “gPhones”. What the OHA wants is an open ecosystem for mobile development through an open platform.

The OHA also introduced Android^TM. Android is an open mobile software stack, which includes an operating system, a user interface, middleware, and applications. The ecosystem that the OHA envisions centers on Android as the platform for development. That means all partners comprising OHA are committed to develop hardware and software based on Android.

The opportunities are vast for all stakeholders, including end users:

1. For developers, it will be easier to develop and push applications for mobile phones, at a lesser cost and learning curve. The Alliance will also provide mechanisms for commercialization and distribution of applications.
2. For mobile operators, they will be able to offer cheaper phones and differentiated products. They can customize an Android-enabled device to their own specifications.
3. For device manufacturers, it is much tougher, since all of them will produce devices based on a single platform. This should spur manufacturers to innovate in order to differentiate their products. Using a single and open platform allows them the flexibility in developing devices.
4. In the end, this gives consumers a wider array of choices. And who knows, if someone from the Alliance releases a user-friendly toolkit, consumers can make their own applications even without programming knowledge.

Will the Alliance succeed? That remains to be seen, couple that with the way non-members react.

Google press release
Official Google Blog entry on OHA and Android

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Last week, something happened on my P1i. The programmable key at the right of the phone was set to Main Menu (meaning, when you press that button, the Main Menu is displayed; default is Web browser for this button), and while I was taking some camera shots, I accidentally pressed on that button. What happened?

The menu did appear. In landscape mode.

I regret not installing a screen shot app for the phone. I cannot replicate it now, though the fact that it did happen means it can be replicated somehow. The menu was in grid mode, and the Back icon was on the bottom of the screen (since it was in landscape mode, bottom is the left edge of the screen). The Status bar and the soft keys were not visible. But when I get back to standby mode, the screen was restored to the usual portrait orientation. Going to the main menu, the screen shifted to landscape again.

When I restarted the phone, the main menu is in the usual portrait orientation.

Has anyone experienced the same?

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Walt Mossberg, one of the well-known pundits on things tech, finally called for open phones. What he meant is that carriers should stop locking up phones.

The same model is currently being employed by Philippine mobile telcos. For example, Smart has a retention program, where you can get a free handset (or discounted handset) with a 24-month lock-in period (that means you are tied up to Smart’s service for 24 months; ending your contract prematurely is subject to pretermination charges); Globe has a similar program. I got my Sony Ericsson P1i that way (and before that, a Sony Ericsson K300i) from Smart. So the phone is locked, and I am locked to Smart.

Why lock phones in the first place? I think the main reason is to prevent a consumer from using a subsidized phone with another network. Makes sense, right? Wrong. This doesn’t deter the consumer from SELLING the phone, even if it is locked; and they will earn much more from it, specially if the phone is free. Just browse the forums and see what I mean (like BNC or PinoyExchange). While the phone remains locked, there are unlocking options available anyway (except for latest s60 phones, which are unlockable at the moment).

His most potent argument against locked phones is this:

The carriers defend these restrictions partly by pointing out that they subsidize the cost of the phones in order to get you to use their networks. That’s also, they say, why they require contracts and charge early-termination fees. Without the subsidies, they say, that $99 phone might be $299, so it’s only fair to keep you from fleeing their networks, at least too quickly.

But this whole cellphone subsidy game is an archaic remnant of the days when mobile phones were costly novelties. Today, subsidies are a trap for consumers. If subsidies were removed, along with the restrictions that flow from them, the market would quickly produce cheap phones, just as it has produced cheap, unsubsidized versions of every other digital product, from $399 computers to $79 iPods.

Do you agree with Mossberg? I sure do.

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

In an apparent attempt to appease geek Apple fanboys and to stem the tide that is iPhone hacking, Steve Jobs announced that a software development kit (SDK) for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch will be released in February 2008. An SDK is a set of programming tools and application programming interfaces (APIs) that allows a developer to create applications for a certain platform.

By releasing an SDK, developers who want to create applications for the two products do not have to hack the innards of the device. The device becomes semi-open. Semi, because the device is still not fully open. Consider the SDK or API as a window - you are allowed to take a look but not get in.

Jobs also noted that Apple is going to implement an idea similar to what Nokia did with regards to applications - allow signed apps to be installed. His worry is that by allowing the iPhone to be open, the platform is going to be barraged by malware; by using digital signatures, any wayward app can be traced back to the creator. Engadget Mobile prick Jobs’ balloon, since you can disable digital certificate verification in s60 Nokia phones.

(In a not-so-related note, in UIQ 3, you can still install apps even if the phone tells you that the signature is untrusted.)

Also, most mobile malware are spread via Bluetooth. Another vector of attack would be sending a WAP/Web link via SMS (and going on that link, a malware is downloaded). What does this mean?

Unless Apple implements a strict, signed-only apps policy, digital signature is useless. If implemented, how sure is a user that a signed app is trustworthy?

With these two caveats, the only way you can get an app for your iPhone and iPod touch is via iTunes. Plain and simple. You can almost hear the cash registers ringing now at Apple HQ. Yes, sorry homebrew developers.

Hackers, you may now continue with your work.

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

This is not a surprise. Motorola will buy 50% of UIQ, which is currently 100% owned by Sony Ericsson. UIQ develops an alternative user interface for Symbian operating system, and is the UI for all Symbian-powered SE phones.

Motorola Z8 is a Symbian phone with UIQ as the interface, so the buy-in should not be a surprise at all. Both companies should complement each other, as Motorola is a relative newcomer to the UIQ space, while SE is getting ready to enter the Windows Mobile market.

Well, Nokia shares the s60 UI with Samsung (among others). Hmmm…..

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Apple is currently facing a battle on two fronts, all brought about by making its two latest products as closed systems.

When iPhone was announced, Steve Jobs said a lot of things, leaving people to set high expectations on the device. As they say, the devil is in the details, and when the details and launch date neared, expectations are either whetted or disappointed.

One pitfall of Apple is that they chose to lock the iPhone to a single carrier. But probably the biggest mistake is to make iPhone a closed system. Many were anticipating about the possible things that can be done with an iPhone, only to get themselves disappointed. No third-party software, carrier-locked units, problematic activation system (at first).

In a single stroke, Apple has managed to change the rules of the game. And to enforce the new rules, Apple has released an update that has turned some iPhones into bricks, unlocked and not. Ambulance chasers are now looking for clients for a class suit. It can get ugly.

Learning from its mistakes, Apple introduced iPod touch, an iPhone less the phone capabilities. And this time, they used an encryption system to prevent access to the file system. Yes, Apple has learned all right.

Two giants in their own fields are ready to join the fray.

Nokia, one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers, fired the first shot, taking advantage of the negative perception of iPhone’s closed system by introducing the “Open to anything” initiative. Leveraging on the S60 UI platform, Nokia touts that its mobile phones are open, allowing anyone to develop applications for its mobile phones. Now, if Nokia pushes its buttons right, this is a market opportunity.

The problem with Nokia is that touchscreen is its Achilles heel. Remember Nokia 7710? Nokia started Series 90 as Symbian touchscreen UI, only that 7710 is way ahead of its time, technologically and market speaking. Series 90 is dead, so is 7710. (Speaking of 7710, my 7710 is dead, literally. It won’t power on anymore. The unit is now a brick, after almost two years.)

Now, Apple is content releasing new iPod models, leaving behind old models to dust. Microsoft made a gesture that not only warmed the hearts of old Zune users, it also showed the world how Apple treats its old iPod users.

Microsoft recently released new generations of Zune with new features, and (I’m not sure if this was a product of forward-thinking) old Zunes will get the same features as the new Zunes via software update. Yes, Microsoft shows the right way to treat loyal customers - you do not leave them behind.

(As an owner of a 30GB iPod video, this gesture by Microsoft was touching - no pun intended. Good thing I got this iPod free, otherwise, I would be seething with resentment over the new iPod releases.)

While no iPhone nor iPod killers, Nokia and Microsoft are showing Apple what could have been. In the end, at least we know we have a choice.

To Apple: it should be not just about profit. Treat your customers right, and profit will follow. Learn from your mistakes.

To Nokia and Microsoft (and other Apple competitors): just do it.

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Some people are speculating if iPhone will officially grace our shores. (Let me speculate that if ever it does, Apple will select Globe; but if the criterion is bucks, Apple will select Smart, a money-generating monster.) To be honest, even if I have the means (which I have none at the moment), I will not get an iPhone.

First, it has no mobile broadband features. Sure it has WiFi, but for me who lives in the boondocks masquerading as a city (read: Caloocan) with no broadband connection options to speak of, mobile broadband is essential to me.

Second, Apple is acting as if it is a telco when it is not. Other phone manufacturers release open line products, but Apple does not. I don’t like the almost-dictatorial stance that it is exuding. It should not dictate what telco to choose if I want to use its phone.

Third, and the most crucial: when you buy a product, you own it, and you should be able to do anything you like on it, since you own it. Apple should not dictate to iPhone users what they can and cannot do with the product that consumers bought.

Whoever says that consumers control the market, think again. Companies will try their best to control the market, push people to buy their products, earn big bucks.

So there, plain and simple, the reasons why I will not get an iPhone (assuming that I can afford it).

Will you get an iPhone? (Assume that you can afford it.)

Related readings:
Gizmodo: iPhone Revisited (Verdict: Don’t Buy)
Saunderslog.com: The backlash over iPhone
Machinist: If you care about your rights, don’t buy an iPhone
Engadget: A note to both Apple and iPhone customers on the v1.1.1 update

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Just some thoughts on links lying around the internets.

* You want personalized animated wallpapers on the fly? Fly over (ick) at Red Dodo for a quick fix. The selections are limited as of now.
* Companies should ban this product on their offices. Come to think of it, maybe it’s a good gift to give to your boss. Hmm…
* DSLR camera phones, anyone? Kidding aside, do you think this type of product would sell at all?
* Itching to get an LCD monitor? Hold out for a little longer. Wait till these bastards (and their future variants) become mass-produced. By then, LCD monitors should cost dirt cheap.
* Want to create your own PSP theme? Sony hearts you. Here’s the official Sony PSP Theme Creator. (Will they release one for PS3? Heck, who owns a PS3?)

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

This CNN news report is a puzzler:

High Tech Computer Corp has secured a contract from Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB to design and assemble the latter’s first smartphone running Microsoft Corp’s Windows Mobile platform, the Commercial Times reported, without citing sources.

The order is estimated to exceed 1 mln units, and the smartphone is due to hit the market in the second half of 2008, it said.

The Taiwan company currently ships some 10 mln smartphones per year, and the Sony Ericsson contract is expected to expand shipments by 10-20 pct, it added.

A Windows Mobile-powered smart phone from Sony Ericsson?

As Ubergizmo opines, SE owns a part of Symbian (it owns UIQ too). What is happening here? Is SE getting ready to drop UIQ and Symbian? With the current reputation of SE UIQ 3 phones (not good), this is an option for SE.

Current SE UIQ phones are: P990, W950, M600, P1, W960.

No, I don’t think SE is going to abandon Symbian and UIQ at this point (they might at a later date); it is just too stupid to abandon such investment in capital and technology. Symbian and UIQ are not in the red; SE UIQ3 phones are selling well, despite the not-so-good reviews. SE is probably going to introduce a new line of handsets (the word for this move is diversification), labeled the M series. Yes, there is an M600, but that is just the first in that line. Maybe we will see Sony Ericsson M1 soon enough.

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Originally published at TechWatch@AWBHoldings.com. You can comment here or there.

Speaking of touchscreens, I gave up on Smart giving me that Nokia E61i. Like what happened to my first application for Nokia E61, months had passed and still no phone. So I gave up.

Instead, I went to Smart Wireless Center at Araneta Square-Caloocan (I am forever swearing off SM Megamall Wireless Center) last Sunday after church. Took a number, and waited for more than 20 minutes. My number was 5042. Number currently being handled by agent when I was given a number: 5041. Yes, that long. Why? After serving 5041, the agent heehawed, yawned, looked at his cellphone, went inside the office, chatted with another agent, went back to his table, heehawed, yawned, and looked at his cellphone. Finally, my number was called.

Anyway, I asked him point-blank for the units that were available at that center at that time. So I was shown Sony Ericsson K800i, K610i, P1i, Nokia N73, N92, E90, and one Samsung phone whose model I can’t remember. No Nokia E61i again.

So I settled for this:

This is the Sony Ericsson P1i.

It cost me an arm, but it’s cheaper than the usual retail price, so I guess that’s a bargoon. And I got it on the same day, which was fun. This is my second phone under Smart’s retention program. I got my first one from this Wireless Center also.

Review will follow, after a thorough use. But in a few words: it is the M600i, just add a 3.2mpixel camera and WiFi-B. The package comes with a 1GB Memory Stick Micro (M2).

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