Phones

Open Handset Alliance Getting Bigger By The Day

The Open Handset Alliance, which is headed by Google and which develops Android handset platform, on Wednesday announced that fourteen additional companies have joined the association with the aim to assist in further development of the Android, build new devices powered by the operating system or enable infrastructure. By joining the alliance, many new members directly or indirectly confirm launches of Android-based handsets.

The new members of the Open Handset Alliance are: AKM Semiconductor, ARM, Asustek Computer, Atheros Communications, Borqs, Ericsson, Garmin International, Huawei Technologies, Omron Software, Softbank Mobile Corp., Sony Ericsson, Teleca AB, Toshiba Corp. and Vodafone.

“Sony Ericsson is excited to announce its membership of the Open Handset Alliance and confirm its intention to develop a handset based on the Android platform We believe Sony Ericsson can bring a wealth of experience in making consumer focused multimedia handsets with new user experience to the Alliance drawing on the successes of the Walkman and Cyber-shot sub-brands,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, corporate vice president and head of creation and development at Sony Ericsson.

New members will either deploy compatible Android devices, contribute significant code to the Android Open Source Project, or support the ecosystem through products and services that will accelerate the availability of Android-based devices. With these commitments, the Open Handset Alliance will continue to drive greater and faster innovation for the benefit of mobile users and everyone in the industry.

“Asus is a leading handset manufacturer that will soon deliver high quality, innovative Android devices and technology for world class carriers and consumers,” said HC Hung, general manager of personal mobile devices business unit at Asustek Computer.

Open Handset Alliance members’ continued contributions to Android promises to give everyone in the mobile ecosystem a free and complete mobile platform to build Android devices. The new members are expected to add to the momentum of Android device availability, providing developers with a greater opportunity to deploy compelling applications that will reach a global audience. As a result, consumers around the world should benefit from a better mobile experience that features less expensive devices, more compelling services, rich Internet applications, and easier-to-use interfaces.

“Joining the Open Handset Alliance today is a logical step in our mobile internet journey. Working with emerging terminal platforms for smartphones is critical for us to deliver unbeatable customer experiences and accelerate time to market for innovative products and services,” claimed Frank H Rovekamp, global chief marketing officer at Vodafone Group.

This can only mean great good things for Android and Mobile fans alike and I personally look forward to seeing what’s next for this group. Have a look at their site and see just how many people are involved with this project (you’ll be amazed).

Posted by: John

[source and story]

Internet Explorer 6 on 6 video

We mentioned the other day about a ROM for the Touch HD that includes the new version of Internet Explorer Mobile. Well Pocketnow have installed it on heir Touch HD and have produced a video of it in action. It has support for Flash and AJAX, plus has a much improved rendering engine although it still seems a little slow and video playback was choppy in YouTube. Video of it in action after the break.

Asus Glaxy 7 reviewed

It’s been several months now since we last caught sight of the 5-megapixel Asus Glaxy 7 phone, but it seems that Mobile Review were lucky enough to snag one for a quick review. So far, based on their impression on this Omnia look alike, it’s pretty well built and the Glide interface is almost on par with HTC’s TouchFlo3D.

IE 6 on 6 available now for the Touch HD

MoDaCo have released a custom ROM for the HTC Touch HD and included in the ROM is the much anticipated IE 6 on 6. The ROM is a World Wide Edition in English and is based on the HTC 1.19 Asia ROM. You must download the whole ROM image and upgrade your phone with it, as this browser is not available as a separate download. Since it is not clear which manufacturers will release a ROM upgrade with this browser, it may well be that some phones will never ever get this browser officially. You can find all the details over at MoDaCo.

via msmobiles

Metal Gear And Other Konami Classics Coming To iPhone

As rumoured, the next Metal Gear game will be appearing on iPhone and iPod Touch. Those aren’t the only games Konami is bringing to Apple mobiles, though.

Zune Mobile Not a Phone, Still a Mystery as to what it really is

It seems that the Zune phone concept will only remain a concept, and the Zune Mobile title actually refers to a Zune-centric software package designed for Windows Mobile. This much we know based on the latest reports that are coming out on the internet, but as to what it will specifically do and contain is still anybody’s guess. Contrary to previous belief, Pink is actually a codename for a set of consumer-focused premium services being developed for Windows Mobile which Zune Mobile is a part of. It’s not a gadget on its own.

LogMeIn Ignition now available for iPhone and iPod Touch

If your a user of LogMeIn then you should check out the iTunes app store as they have just released LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone and iPod Touch users. You can now remotely control your PC or Mac. Zoom, scroll and select all with just a flick of your fingertips, and when you need to type, activate a full on-screen QWERTY keyboard, or use any of the special keyboards, including function keys, tab, ESC and navigation arrows. All the details and links after the break.

iPhone 3G sim unlock coming New Years Eve

The guys over at Dev-Team-Blog have updated their blog with the news that they have now got a working unlock now for the iPhone 3G. They say the 3G unlock codenamed “yellowsn0w”, is now completed and is currently being packaged into a user-friendly application with the simplicity that you see in QuickPwn or BootNeuter. The target release date for the unlock is New Year’s Eve 2008. This unlock method is available to iPhone 3Gs that have 2.11.07 baseband or earlier, they did warn you. The unlock requires a jailbroken 3G iPhone.

via Dev-Team-Blog

O2 launches Litmus mobile app store

App Stores are like buses, none for ages then two come along together, this time its from O2 the network operator who have announced O2 Litmus in a beta flavour for now. James Parton, head of O2 Litmus said “What you see here is the culmination of a long journey during which we have spent a lot of time talking to O2 customers, application developers and industry expert types to ensure O2 Litmus is not just another ‘me too’ offering, but something truly unique and valuable.” You can visit the app store here. or read on for more info.

Spb Holiday Sale: Software treats for all tastes

Spb Software, the world’s leading Windows Mobile software developer announces the start of Spb Holiday Sale 2008, which will run from December 16th until December 30th at the developer’s official website. For the first time ever, Spb launches a major sale campaign, offering a 30% discount across its entire product line: from usability applications to platform enhancements, from advanced business applications to games.