Apple iPhone Features

Apple and Cisco make iPhone love.

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:06:00 +0200

Cisco and Apple said that they have settled the iPhone trademark infringement. lawsuit that has surrounded the much-hyped Apple iPhone mobile phone-iPod hybrid gadget. Apple and Cisco stated that Apple will be allowed to use the name for its mobile phone device in exchange for exploring wide-ranging ''interoperability'' between the companies' products in the areas of security, consumer and business communications.

No other details of the agreement were released, and representatives from both companies declined to comment. The companies stated that they would dismiss any pending legal actions regarding the trademark. Aw, c'mon. That's it? No comment? No juicy details on one of the biggest tech-story of the year? How anti-climatic can this be?

In addition, according to Electronics Weekly, Duncan Bryan, licensing director at Quantum Research stated that the de******ion of the iPhone suggests it uses a rear-surface touch screen, and has proximity sensing which can tell if it is held to the ear. This is a Quantum Research capability which they have patented. Duncan also stated that if Apple has used the charge transfer technology to give the iPhone that capability, then Apple could be infring.. ( devamı )

Online Web Conferencing via iPhone.

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:53:00 +0200

Today, Genesys will announce the first web conferencing and online meeting application for the Apple iPhone combining conferencing, the ability to view online presentations, application sharing and sending chat messages. It has a slick interface and so far, Genesys is the only compatible conferencing provider to run on the iPhone due to its standards-based AJAX platform. If my mentioning AJAX on the iPhone sounds familiar, it should, since last week I wrote about SoonR, an AJAX application, which enables Skype to run on the Apple iPhone.

In fact, that article caught the attention of Genesys's PR representative since they also happened to previously represent SoonR. The Genesys rep emailed me about the pending Genesys Meeting Center 4.0 announcement, and explained how it brings multimedia "virtual meetings" to the iPhone allowing users to easily join a voice and web meeting using the iPhone's Safari browser.

"Genesys' strategy is always to provide ubiquitous access to virtual meetings regardless of the platform, browser or device you're using," said Denise Persson, EVP Global Marketing of Genesys. "We are delighted to bring this critical business capability to the iPhone, right from the start. The iPhone's remarkably sleek display is a great display for the simple and user-friendly interface of Genesys Meeting Center 4.0. It's a great marriage of an elegant hardware and brows.. ( devamı )

Mundu IM iPhone Edition.

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:49:00 +0200

Ok, so you got "Skype on" with your Apple iPhone (thanks to your truly) but no doubt you're looking for some IM lovin' on your iPhone that works with MSN, Yahoo, AIM, and Google Talk. After all, IM on the Apple iPhone is sorely lacking and SMS is so 2005.

Well, look no further my friends! Tuesday Mundu will officially launch Mundu IM iPhone Edition (beta) which interoperates with Yahoo, MSN, AIM, and Google Talk. I became aware of Mundu last week but was too busy to write about them.

I should mention that there is also FlickIM, which is optimized for the iPhone, but it only works with AOL's AIM service. Meebo is another web-based IM service which works with AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, and MSN. It's drawback is that it was designed for large PC browsers not the iPhone's small screen. So IMing using Meebo is a bit difficult.

Mundu on the other hand was specifically designed and optimized to work with the Apple Safari web browser on the iPhone and allows you to view all of the various IM services through a single chat window using tabs as separators for your separate IM accounts. (.. ( devamı )

Sony takes on Apple.

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:47:00 +0200

Sony must be reading my blog, since just last week I suggested Sony take on Apple by offering a universal multi-media device that does gaming, mobile calling, video playback, MP3 music, and GPS navigation. I jokingingly called this hypothetical Sony device the Sony PlayStation Multimedia Video GPS Phone - or Sony PSMVGP for short. I knew Sony would be the perfect company to take on Apple and especially that juggernaut known as the Apple iPhone, when I said, "Sony, an expert in electronics, TV screens, and gaming, is the perfect company to take on the Apple iPhone."

I explained last week, "Sony If Sony were smart, they'd come out with a Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) with built-in GPS, GSM cellular service, and wireless Internet ********ality. This hypothetical device would blow away the Apple iPhone. It would offer awesome 3D gaming, cell phone ********ality, Internet/email access, video playback, and GPS navigation. The device would have everything you need for long trips with the kids. They can play videogames, watch videos, or access the Internet. What more do you need? Sony, an expert in electronics, TV screens, and gaming, is the perfect company to take on the Apple iPhone."

Just a few days later Sony launched the Sony Walkman NWZ-A801 and NWZ-S610, which were obviously targeting the Apple iPod MP3/video p.. ( devamı )

100% VoIP on the iPhone

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:46:00 +0200

Truphone has announced true VoIP on the iPhone over WiFi. It's unclear from the announcement what sort of application runs on the iPhone. I assume it's a Flash VoiP softphone of some sort. They also announced VoIP Facebook integration! Oh the irony, I just blogged this morning about VoIP and Facebook integration, as well as native VoIP on the iPhone in this same post using Flash or Adobe AIR (future).

This from the truphone blog...

Truphone will today give the first public demonstration of a Voice over Internet Protocol over Wi-Fi phone call on the Apple iPhone. Chief executive officer James Tagg will make the VoIP call in front of an audience of 350 delegates to DEMOfall 07 in San Diego, CA.

The company will also give a demonstration of an application that mashes up social networking site Facebook and traditional telephony. Any Facebook user will be able to click on a friend's Truphone 'Call Me' button, and a free phone call will be initiated to whichever phone their friend has chosen. This will mean free calls to real phones for everyone in the Facebook community.

Altogether, Truphone will today demonstrate:
- VoIP on the Apple iPhone (SIP-SIP, SIP-Phone, Phone-SIP)
- VoIP from Facebook (to SIP and to PSTN)
- and, as an encore, Facebook-iPhone using SIP.

Update: Oliver Starr from Blognation has some

Flashphone Beta Running on Adobe Flash launches.

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:44:00 +0200

As you know, I've discussed Adobe getting into VoIP in the past where you can use a 100% Flash softphone application. Since the vast majority of PCs, Macs, PockePCs, Windows Mobile, and other operating systems all have Flash installed, in theory you can have easy cross-platform VoIP calls simply by visiting a website with a Flash VoIP applet embedded. Flash applets automatically download in the background without requiring a separate installer or administrator rights. Alas, Adobe still hasn't yet launched their 100% Flash VoIP application.

While we wait for Adobe to offer their VoIP solution, I just learned about a VoIP softphone that runs in 100% Flash using Adobe Flash 9 or later. Even cooler, their beta allows you to make FREE calls using their Flash VoIP softphone aptly named flashphone. Flashphone.ru limits the call length to 3 minutes and just 2 test calls per day (temporarily).

To test this new VoIP browser application, I registered on their website (required) and in just 1 minute I was making free test calls. Here's a screenshot of a test call I made to the U.S. (country code = 1) to TMC's corporate headquarters. (1-203-852-6800 x149 is my extension. The additional '5' digit was just me testing touch-tones.)

Just before the call was connected I did see a popup saying something like "Insert Advertisement here" - so the business model appears to be trying to get advertisers. The sound quality was excellent. It did have a bit of latency, but nothing terrible. Here is a screenshot of the help screen which explains how to configure the microphone you wish to use within the Flash se.. ( devamı )

Congrats to Netgear - wins Top 10 Gadgets 2007 Award.

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:43:00 +0200

Netgear is #3 on Time Magazine's Top 10 Gadgets of 2007 for their Wi-Fi Skype phone - the Netgear SPH200W. The Netgear SPH200W sports 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, around four hours of talk time, WEP / WPA / WPA2 support, and of course the ability to take and make Skype calls wherever there's WiFi. This Skype phone also allows you to manage up to 500 contacts and has a built-in speakerphone. Netgear made the list along with (of course) the Apple iPhone, Palm Centro, Nikon Coolpix S51c, and other cool gadgets, so Netgear is in good company. Congrats Netgear!

Time also announced their Top 10 lists for Toys, Websites, Video Games, Sports Matches, and Sports Moments, as well as Best & Worst Business Deals.
.. ( devamı )

Ribbit Launches.

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:42:00 +0200

Ribbit is a development platform launching today, which enables developers to integrate communications solutions into their web applications. A proprietary softswitch (the Ribbit SmartSwitch) mediates communication across protocols, networks and devices. That includes MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger (soon) and Skype.

Essentially Ribbit is a back-end multi-protocol softswitch (called SmartSwitch) that allows communication between different networks, carriers and device types. The Ribbit SmartSwitch is their own proprietary Lucent-tested CLASS 5 softswitch. When combined with their open Flash/Flex-based API, they enable developers to quickly build innovative, rich voice applications and integrate them into web sites, communities and applications. The Ribbit VoIP client is Flash and since Flash is installed on 99.1% of PCs/Macs, this enables virtually anyone to use it with no installation necessary and with cross-platform support. Here's a diagram of the architecture:

"The world doesn't need another phone company," said Ted Griggs, co-founder and CEO at Ribbit. "What it needs is new kind of phone company, one that liberates voice from its current confines -- devices, plans and business models -- and more readily integrates into the workflow of our professional and personal lives. We've been working hard these first two years to put together the right team, technology, and business model to meet this opportunity, and we're finally ready to go to market."

Ribbit has an interesting business model. Ribbit makes money by charging developers a month.. ( devamı )

Touchmods VoIP App for the Apple iPhone Sparks Controversy.

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:40:00 +0200

Touchmods created a storm of interest when they announced a hack that adds a microphone to the Apple iPod touch and a SIP-based VoIP application that runs on the Apple iPod touch. Well controversy is brewing on Touchmods.net. Yesterday they announced that French ADSL provider Free.fr, has coded an iPhone VoIP application locked to that ISP's service. The site explains: However, since our first iPhone came as a donation from the French ADSL Provider Free (www.free.fr), the recent version of Siphon with iPhone support is temporarily locked to their service. Now, although Free is a French (European) provider, we do believe that many people will try out their service. We also know that many of you is now a little disappointed. As always: we will not let you down, but we also need to respect the ones who take us seriously and donate in time, ie. “before it works”! You need to understand our situation.

Thus, you have to be Free's customer living in France in order to use this app. Not surprisingly, many Touchmods readers are upset that this is an application for the iPhone and not the iPod Touch and that it is locked to a French ISP.

They try and lessen the blow when they write:

Garmin Nuvifone.

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 01:02:00 +0200

Garmin is the big bad boy in the GPS market, but they've now thrown their hat into the mobile phone ring with the Garmin nuvifone (not nuviphone). Garmin recently announced the quad-band nuvifone, a full-fledged GSM HSDPA smartphone built using Garmin's proprietary operating system. The nuvifone of course sports GPS navigation but it also adds web surfing, e-mail, and a built-in camera.

How Garmin was able to extend their "specialized" GPS operating system into something with full-fledged mobile phone and web surfing capabilities is an amazing feat. Though perhaps they started their operating system from scratch. Garmin has been mum on the technical details and the pricing will a release date set for the Fall. Though the fact that its HSDPA means AT&T or potentially T-Mobile.

Some might be quick to compare the nüvifone with the Apple iPhone. Like the iPhone the nuvifone will be 100% touch-screen with no button navigation. However, the touch-screen won't be multi-touch like the Apple iPhone.

However, the Garmin nuvifone has one up on the iPhone in that it it includes Google Local Search, which can sort search resul.. ( devamı )