Category: Mobile Tech

Coffee Talk #86: Windows Phone 7, Xbox Live, and Your Next Phone

Earlier today, Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress. It’s an important step for the company’s mobile future and by most accounts, it’s a huge leap forward for the Windows Mobile Operating System. After losing ground to RIM’s BlackBerry OS in the business world, as well as Apple’s iPhone OS and Google’s Android OS in the consumer market, Microsoft is stepping up its game. One of the ways it’s attempting to reach out to consumers is through connectivity with Xbox Live. Here’s the official description of Windows Mobile 7’s “games hub”:

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your lovely Valentine’s Day surprises, the NBA All-Star Game, or what you think of the Winter Olympics so far, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Earlier today, Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress. It’s an important step for the company’s mobile future and by most accounts, it’s a huge leap forward for the Windows Mobile Operating System. After losing ground to RIM’s BlackBerry OS in the business world, as well as Apple’s iPhone OS and Google’s Android OS in the consumer market, Microsoft is stepping up its game. One of the ways it’s attempting to reach out to consumers is through connectivity with Xbox Live. Here’s the official description of Windows Phone 7’s “games hub”:

This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox Live experience on a phone, including Xbox Live games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements and gamer profile. With more than 23 million active members around the world, Xbox Live unlocks a world of friends, games and entertainment on Xbox 360, and now also on Windows Phone 7 Series.

There are a several interesting implications here. First of all, Microsoft has a huge opportunity to compete with and possibly eclipse the games market in Apple’s iPhone App Store. The company already has deep relationships with several of the best game developers and publishers in the world. Secondly, Windows Phone 7 Series has the chance to extend the social aspects of Xbox Live in a major way. So many people use Facebook and Twitter on mobile devices. By unchaining Xbox Live from a console or PC, the company could make the service a major force in social networking.

I want to know what you think of Windows Phone 7 Series. Check out the official press release and look at its impressive features. Can you see yourself using a Windows Phone 7 Series device in the future? If so, is Xbox Live connectivity a major reason why?

Best Care Package Evar!!!

My friend Justin (RPadholic @jpkmets) sent me an awesome care package consisting of an Amazon Kindle, a Big Trouble in Little China t-shirt from The Wing Kong Exchange, and a Porkchop Express sticker. Everything in the box is pure awesome.

As many of you know, Big Trouble in Little China is one of my favorite movies of all time. I want to be more like Jack Burton. I reviewed a first-generation Kindle for a friend’s newspaper and loved it, but had to send it  back. I love the look and feel of the Kindle 2 and promptly downloaded Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball (i.e. the reason why I started late on the site today *snicker*).

Thanks Justin!!!

Apple iPad Costs as Little as $229 to Build According to iSuppli

Market research firm iSuppli published a chart that revealed that the Apple iPad costs between $229.35 to $346.15 to make. The initial price of the device ranges from $499 to $829. Take a peak at this nifty chart.

If iSuppli’s numbers are accurate then Apple will be making a pretty penny off each iPad sold right out of the gate. Considering that none of its parts are bleeding edge, the estimates are totally believable.

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Can You Guess the Next Google Android Build Names?

Astute observers know that after the alpha and beta builds of Google Android, the company has been going down the alphabet and naming builds after desserts — Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo (frozen yogurt), Gingerbread, etc. Let’s play a game and name upcoming builds of Google Anroid ourselves! Does anyone know a dessert that starts with the letter “H”?

Linus Torvalds Loves His Google Nexus One

Linux creator and programming man-god Linus Torvalds loves his new Google Nexus One. He recently raved about the phone on his blog, saying:

I have to admit, the Nexus One is a winner. I wasn’t enthusiastic about buying a phone on the internet sight unseen, but the day it was reported that it finally had the pinch-to-zoom thing enabled, I decided to take the plunge. I’ve wanted to have a GPS unit for my car anyway, and I thought that google navigation might finally make a phone useful.

And it does. What a difference! I no longer feel like I’m dragging a phone with me “just in case” I would need to get in touch with somebody – now I’m having a useful (and admittedly pretty good-looking) gadget instead. The fact that you can use it as a phone too is kind of secondary.

That’s some pretty awesome geek cred for the Nexus One. The only problem is that it doesn’t really need geek cred. It needs mainstream marketing and, for whatever reason, Google seems content to (only) bombard the world with AdSense spots for the phone. While I still believe that the Nexus One was the first brush stroke of a much larger painting, getting mainstream attention never hurts. A lot of people became aware of the iPad simply because Stephen Colbert busted one out during the Grammy Awards.

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Poll: What Was Your Favorite Super Bowl XLIV Tech Commercial?

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First off, congrats to the New Orleans Saints on winning Super Bowl 44! Now that we’ve been bombarded by 52 Budwesier commercials (that still won’t make it a good beer), let’s discuss your favorite tech commercials that aired during the game. I’m disqualifying all the GoDaddy.com spots because I’m tired of Danica Patrick. Dante’s Inferno was the only videogame commercial I recall (I could have missed some). The choices in this poll are Google, Vizio, Intel, and Motorola. Let’s check out the videos and get to the poll!

Google’s ad was the most romantic and a lot of people were raving about in the Twitterverse. I thought it was cute…but that’s about it.

My personal pick is this Vizio ad, simply because Tay Zonday rules. “Chocolate Rain” forever!!!

Motorola promoted its upcoming Devour phone (a mid-level Android phone coming to Verizon) and MotoBlur with Megan Fox (with her circus-freak thumbs) in a bath tub.

I thought Intel’s commercial was lame, but it made drool for a MacBook with an i5 or i7 processor.

AT&T Keeping the Apple iPhone Until 2011? (Oh Noes!!!)

When I first read this report from GigaOm my initial thought was, “Please God don’t let AT&T hang onto the iPhone until 2011.” That would truly suck, as I would love to use the iPhone as a phone (crazy idea, I know) but have little faith that AT&T will substantially improve its network in 2010. Thankfully Credit Suisse’s Jonathan Chaplin’s theory is a bit…basic:

We believe there is a 75% probability that AT&T keeps exclusivity in 2010. We arrive at this probability through a two step process: First, we try to determine whether the Apple / AT&T agreement expires in 2010. The consensus view is that it does; however, we couldn’t find compelling evidence that this is the case. We conclude that there is only a 50% probability that it ends in 2010. Next, we try to determine whether AT&T bids for another year of exclusivity if exclusivity does end in 2010. We conclude that they would and that they can afford to compensate Apple such that Apple would be economically indifferent. Our approach yields a 25% probability for this outcome. Taken together, we see a 75% probability that AT&T keeps exclusivity for another year.

I expect more from a Swiss banker (like Claudio Castagnoli). Is it me or does Chaplin’s theory seems third-grade-ish?

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Teens That Buy Their Own Phones More Likely to Talk About Sex

This report from Pew Internet (embedded below) has all sorts of interesting figures on how young adults use modern tools like social networking services, mobile phones, and the Internet, but one interesting bit uncovered by CrunchGear revealed that teens that buy their own phones are more likely to engage in “naughty” activity. John Biggs reported that, “The Pew Internet Project says that kids who buy their own phones are four times as likely to sext — that is send inappropriate images or texts to other kids.”

Ah, to be a teenager again…. Honestly, I don’t think it’s a big deal or a cause for alarm. It’s a perfectly natural combination of raging hormones and technology. I’ve actually never sent a sexual SMS or MMS. Have any of you?


Source via CrunchGear

Joojoo Tablet (aka CrunchPad) in Full Production

Fusion Garage has announced that its Joojoo tablet — the device formerly known as the CrunchPad — is in full production. In addition to facing stiff competition with Apple’s iPad, the Joojoo is also the center of a nasty legal squabble, but that hasn’t stopped it from going into production. Here’s the official description:

JooJoo, officially introduced in December 2009, is the category-creating Web tablet that provides near instantaneous Internet access and the best online experience. The African word “joujou” means magical object and Fusion Garage’s JooJoo brings users into an online world where everything on the Internet is just a single touch away. Powered by Fusion Garage’s innovative browser-based operating system, JooJoo enables users to quickly and easily tap into Internet applications, news, music, high definition video, social media and web services. JooJoo has revolutionary hardware, including the largest capacitive touch screen of any device on the market — 12.1 inches — providing full screen content viewing. Its ultra-portable, ultra-thin design offers the best Internet experience anywhere — on the couch or on the go, standing or sitting.

In an interview with Engadget, Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishna touted the Joojoo’s advantages over the iPad, name Flash support and a larger app store due to it being an open device.

Still, this is definitely David going up against Goliath. What do you guys and gals think? Does the Joojoo have a chance? Or will Goliath kick the crap out of David this time around?

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Google Nexus One Getting Multitouch This Week

One of the big complaints on Google’s Nexus One phone is that it didn’t integrate multitouch functionality. A firmware update — available on a rolling basis this week — fixes that issue. In addition to new features in Google Maps and the addition of Google Goggles, this update adds pinch-to-zoom functionality in Maps, the web browser, and the photo gallery.

*sigh* I’m trying to be patient because I want an Android 2.1 phone with a good keyboard…but the Nexus One is so tempting!

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