mobile

Mobile phone disruption coming soon to a TV near you

“If you like developing for a 3-inch screen, I have a 55-inch screen for you,” challenged Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, as he invited mobile application developers into the world of television. Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show, he introduced Samsung Apps, a consolidated app store for televisions, mobile phones and Blu-ray players.

Samsung opens app store for TVs
 You’re welcomeSamsung is a major mobile phone and television manufacturer, with a mobile phone app store already serving subscribers in Europe and Korea.… More

Digital sixth sense pokes a nose over the horizon

8 October 2009 by Steve Blum
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He didn’t invent it, but he might be the one who brings it to market. Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm, talked about a coming “digital sixth sense” at today’s CTIA keynote session. His father, Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs, mentioned that at his age he’d like his mobile device to help him recognize faces and remember names. Paul took the idea to the next level, putting it together with other augmented reality concepts.

It’s still a fuzzy notion.… More

Realtime tweets from Pepcom and CTIA, 8 October 2009

Irwin & Paul Jacobs of Qualcomm on stage talking about mobile phone development history, fascinating long view of industry.

Paul: user interface is the killer app, Irwin: iPhone was the major breakthrough.

These guys love their stuff, think critically about how it’s used, best session of the show!

Far out & spot on prediction from Paul Jacobs: mobile phone will become “digital sixth sense”.

John Donovan, ATT CTO, speaking now, interesting so far, outlining wireless data challenges.… More

Real-time tweets from CTIA and Showstoppers, 7 October 2009

Julius Genachowski, FCC chair, CTIA keynote, commends ATT, Verizon for opening iPhone to Internet calls, adopting Android.

Four priorities at FCC, spectrum for 4G, remove obstacles to 4G, “fair” rules of road for Internet, empower consumers.

Ralph de la Vega, ATT CEO up now, thanks Genchowski, but warns of danger of interference.

Ralph saying US mobile industry most innovative, consumer friendly in world, damn we’re great.

Ralph descends into ATT sales pitch, time for a nap.… More

Over the top of the wall

7 October 2009 by Steve Blum
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Browser developers are doing their best to push apps out of the operating system. Roy Satterthwaite, vice president, Americas for Opera claimed that no one is developing native applications for desktop systems, that the market and the innovation is primarily browser based and the mobile market will go the same way. It’s an arguable point, but the argument is interesting.

Bitstream took the opportunity to launch its BOLT browser out of beta and into the mainstream.… More

Carriers can't rock and roll

6 October 2009 by Steve Blum
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AT&T’s Rob Hyatt and Verizon’s Ed Ruth spoke today about the music business at the Mobile Entertainment conference at the CTIA show in San Diego. Neither were upbeat about their success to date, and both seemed to be waiting for something to happen. They seemed to define that something as “innovation” in the market place, but what they really seemed to want are innovations that allow them to keep music downloads and streaming within their walled gardens.… More

Live from CTIA 2 April 2009: real time tweets

Checking out ISC show at Sands, lots of vendors, buyers & energy. Bull market for security these days.

WiMAX vendors split between ISC & CTIA, focus is on 2.5 GHz for Clearwire, lots of competition at other frequencies.

Back at CTIA, LTE has the support of the big guns at this show. WiMAX US hopes are pinned on Clearwire, more happening internationally though.

Finally found disruption! Magmito.com is phone-top publishing, can do for mobile apps what Pagemaker did for newsletters.… More

Live from CTIA 1 April 2009: real time tweets

CTIA head Steve Largent talking at keynote sez wireless a bright spot in dismal economy.

Tmobile-USA CEO Robert Dotson also upbeat, so far speech is bland banalities, invoking Obama, Charles Lindbergh.

Dotson showing video talking up open source, sez on indy devs to drive innovation.

Dotson links stimulus bill, wireless broadband, rural connectivity & tmobile, guess who’s lining up for government cash?

CTIA survey sez people don’t want more taxes or regulation or to pay higher mobile phone bills.… More

Tweets from Showstoppers at CTIA 31 March 2009


We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is Futile.

Zannel pulls together video, photos, text and pushes it to your social nets. Take video on phone, upload to Zannel, push it to Facebook.

Zannel site provides portal for video, photo, text microblogging, can mash it up, for example on map via geotagging.

Supported sites include twitter, facebook, blip, blogger, wordpress, flickr.… More

Real-time tweets from the Silicon Valley Telecom Council's Spiffy Awards Gala

  • At Silicon Valley Telecom Council Spiffy awards, a comedian is warm up act for a venture cap presentation. Who will be funnier?
  • VC won’t have to be too funny to win, I think.
  • Tim Chang, Norwest Venture Partners up now, says trends are good for telecom.
  • Says U.S. consumers are spoiled, over-entitled and living beyond their means. Recession is good time to reset.
  • Says in recessions “good enough” is good enough for consumers, hard times for premium or leading edge plays.
… More