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Ballmer Joins List of Android Skeptics, Questions Google's Strategy

Paul Lilly — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:38:24 -0600

Google's open-source Android platform may not have revolutionized the mobile industry just yet, but it has spurred some interesting comments among top level execs. Two weeks ago, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said that the current iteration of Android isn't "good enough to put the Sprint brand name on it," and taking it a step further, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer says he sees the move as being finanically unsound for Google.

"They can hire smart guys, hire a lot of people, blah dee blah dee blah, but you know they start out way behind, in a certain sense," Ballmer said while speaking at Telstra's annual investment day.

Ballmer went on to say that he doesn't understand Google's strategy, criticizing a product launch launch "that has no revenue model." But the potshots didn't end there. Ballmer further indicated that "Google doesn't exactly bubble to the top of the list of competitors we've got going in mobile." Oh snap!

Is Ballmer underestimating the potential of Google's Android platform? Hit the jump and give us your thoughts.

New Software Will Restrict Cell Phone Use While Driving

Alex Castle — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:03:19 -0500

Good news for anyone who doesn’t want to talk on their cellphone in the car, but lacks the actual resolve to not pick up the phone while driving: Canadian software company Aegis Mobile has announced new software that will hold your calls for you while you drive.

The software, called DriveAssistT, will be able to detect when a cell phone is moving at automobile speeds and block incoming calls. Callers are redirected to a message saying that the person being called is driving, and can opt to leave a voice mail if it’s an emergency. Whether car passengers using the software will be able to recieve calls isn't known.
Some states have laws requiring drivers to use a hands-free set in the car, but studies have shown that the greatest risk comes from the very act of talking, not from holding the phone, lending credence to the idea behind DriveAssistT.

The software is launching in partnership with auto insurance provider Nationwide. The insurance company plans to offer a discount of 3 to 10 percent for drivers who use DriveAssistT.

Would you use DriveAssistT if it were offered on your phone? Tell us after the jump.

T-Mobile Concedes 1GB Download Cap Limit for Android

Paul Lilly — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:35:53 -0500

Phew, that was a close one! T-Mobile could have found itself on the receiving end of another angry online mob. We've seen a rash of them as of late, such as the public outcry in defense of Daniel_K and his modded Creative Drivers, and, more recently, the Amazonian backlash towards EA for saddling Spore with draconian SecuROM DRM. T-Mobile could have been next, had it decided to stick with its guns and impose a one gigabyte cap on its upcoming G1 phone. Now T-Mobile is saying that the bandwidth limit has been removed, at least until it reviews its plans and comes up with a new one.

"We removed the 1GB soft limit from our policy statement, and we are confident that T-Mobile G1 customers will enjoy the high speed of data access over our 3G network," T-Mobile wrote in a statement. "The specific terms for our new data plans are still being reviewed and once they are final we will be certain to share this broadly with current customers and potential new customers."

Good thing too, because the limit would have affected customers who plan to use Android features, and the last thing T-Mobile and the new Android platform needs is bad press if it is to wage war with Apple and the iPhone regime.

Amazon Plans on Launching Mobile Store for Google's Android

Paul Lilly — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:05:11 -0500

We're still a month away from seeing the first mobile phone running Google's Android mobile platform hit the retail sector, but while ordinary folk have to wait patiently, there exists a handful of Google and maybe T-Mobile employees plugging away on the new phone. And it's from spotting one of these pre-release units in the wild that VentureBeat reports that Amazon will have a mobile store in place by the time Android ships.

Speculation suggests that the Amazon music store on Android will most likely be a mobile version of its existing AmzonMP3 online digital music store. Such a move would certainly heat up the competitive juices between T-Mobile's HTC Android phone and Apple's iPhone, and perhaps help Amazon grab some of the marketshare controlled by iTunes.

Let the mobile phone wars begin.

Oh No! Cell Phones Affect Sperm Quality, Researchers Say

Paul Lilly — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:15:37 -0500

The Cleveland Clinic has bad news for amorous males who tote their cell phones in their pants pocket. According to the Clinic's research, mobile phones left on talk mode can reduce the quality of sperm.

"We believe that these devices are used because we consider them very safe, but it could cause harmful effects due to the proximity of the phones and the exposure that they are causing ot the gonads," says lead researcher Ashok Agarwal.

Agarwal and his team studied semen samples from 32 men with each person's sperm placed in small conical tubes, and then separated them into two groups. One group was kept clear of any cell phone emissions, while the other group sat 2.5 centimeters away from an 850MHz cell phone in talk mode, The researchers did this to simulate active cell phones kept in pants pockets while talking on headsets.

"On average, there was an 85 percent increase in the amount of free radicals for all the subjects in the study," noted Agarwal. "Free radicals have been linked to a variety of diseases in humans including cancer."

But don't panic just yet. By Agarwal's own admission, the small sample size can't be viewed as conclusive, nor does it take into account layers of skin, bone, and tissue that might protect precious sperm.

Even still, how long do you give cell phone manufacturers until they start marketing new models as being semen safe?

Rumor: T-Mobile to Launch First Android Phone Very Soon

Pulkit Chandna — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:59:23 -0500

It is well known that T-Mobile will be launching the maiden Android-based phone, which in all likelihood would be the HTC Dream. Now, Reuters is reporting that the launch of the first Android device could be just a few weeks away. September 23rd might witness an official announcement from T-Mobile and Google – members of the Open Handset Alliance, according to the report, which is based on intel gained from two anonymous persons. After the launch of Android, Cell phone users will be spoilt for choice as far as mobile platforms are concerned.

Rumor: Google Android in Just a Month?

Paul Lilly — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:49:54 -0500

According to a previous report by The Wall Street Journal, Google's open-source Android platform likely won't see the light of day until 2009, but that may not be the case. A new rumor hitting the web claims that T-Mobile will debut the first Android phone for pre-sale as early as September 17th.

Blog site TmoNews, who claims to be privy to this information based on a "trusted source," also says the new phone (codenamed G1) will cost consumers $399 - ouch! But that's when it goes fully public. TmoNews says the G1 pre-sale will last for one week and be available only to T-Mobile customers, who will be able to pick up the phone for $250 below retail. Everyone else will have to wait until mid-October.

The site also claims the G1 will come in black, white, or brown and include a 3-inch wide touch screen, 3G support, and a slide-out Qwerty keypad. Anyone that plans on picking one up will need a Gmail account, or so the rumor goes.

Sony Ericsson Profits Plummet 97 Percent, Job Cuts Coming

Paul Lilly — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:39:37 -0500

If Sony Ericsson were capable of self-fulfilling prophecies, it would wish it could take back its ominous profit warning issued in late June. The company said it would break even in the second quarter due to disappointing European sales of its mid and high-end mobile phones, but even that turned out to be wishful thinking as Sony Ericsson on Friday posted a staggering 97 percent drop in Q2 profits. To help weather the financial storm and reduce operational costs, the mobile phone maker plans to cut 2,000 jobs "within the next 12 months."

Sony Ericsson only shipped 24.4 million units in Q2, compared to Nokia's 122 million handsets in the same period, who on Thursday announced better-than-expected earnings. Relief doesn't appear to be in sight either, as SE indicated "challenging market conditions" would remain through the rest of the year.