This is a huge surprise. Just when pretty much the whole world had already written off Microsoft as having failed at the mobile game, they come out with the Windows Phone 7 Series (let’s call it WP7S). Forget the cumbersome name and instead check out the freshest UI and mobile experience in years. The video above is a lengthy 22 minutes but if you’ve got the time, it’s a great way to learn about the main features of this new OS and actually see a device in action. I’d also suggest you check out Gizmodo’s thorough analysis here.

Microsoft’s new mobile OS is a complete departure from the past. Thank God! The interfaced is called “Metro” and borrows heavily from the Zune HD and XBox experience. Although it won’t be available until the holiday season, the WP7S team will have the cooperation of all the major carriers (with AT&T being the “premier” one… huh?). Also, 9 manufacturers are on board so far, including Dell, Samsung, and LG. And to ensure that each device lives up to Microsoft’s standards, each manufacturer will have to adhere to a “tough, but fair” set of hardware requirements — sounds like the only leeway they’ll get is whether or not to include a keyboard. Read more →

When Jobs & Co. unveiled their newest toy to the world last Wednesday, I was more disappointed at the long list of missing features than wowed by Apple’s magic. And it seems most people out there had the same reaction I did. Nearly half of CrunchGear.com readers that took this poll said they would not be forking over money to purchase an iPad. The remaining half was split between wanting to buy one and “Meh, I could go either way”. This reaction is completely logical; without some of the much-anticipated features such as a camera, simultaneously-running apps, an option besides AT&T, Flash, GPS, and an earth-shattering new user experience (just to name a few) the iPad simply doesn’t live up to the hype that had snowballed since rumors of such a device had surfaced years ago. At first, you may think the iPad is just a big iPod touch, but then you’d be under-appreciating what’s perhaps its most important feature: a glossy 9.7 inch, 1024 x 768 resolution screen.

Apple is no doubt taking a gamble by entering a relatively uncharted product category. Many people, including myself, aren’t convinced that this is a device  that actually solves a need. I’ve already got a smartphone and laptop, do I really want to pay for this in-between thingy? The feeling of “omg, this is going to change everything.” that followed the announcement Read more →

It definitely was a fun & educational weekend a couple weeks ago here in Boston for 2009’s Voices That Matter: iPhone Developers Conference. The hundred or so attendees all had their MacBooks out, taking notes, downloading presentations, and even coding as some of the speakers demonstrated the challenges of tomorrow and the best ways to tackle them. It was great to be in a building full of smart people — mostly developers, some designers, and some business folks — and be able to get different perspectives on where the iPhone and mobile in general is headed.

There were 20 presenters in total covering topics  ranging from app submission best-practices, to advanced accelerometer techniques, to hybrid app development, and more. I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of my favorite presentations and share some of the documentations (if available). Read more →

Contrary to what Gizmodo posted today, I actually think this Verizon ad is somewhat clever. It may seem like the marketing execs over at VZW are getting a bit desperate with this obvious attack at the iPhone, but I think — despite it’s corniness —  it’s pretty smart and targeted.

Of all the US carriers, it’s safe to say that VZW has the collection of the least exciting mobile devices. AT&T, Sprint, & T-Mobile all have flagship smarphones, and perhaps Verizon is now ready to put some money behind their own, The Motorolla Driod. The specs are impressive and so is the Android 2.0 OS. Personally, I think the iPhone is still the device to beat, but not everyone buys into what Apple’s selling. And with this new Moto supposedly being “the Android device to beat,” I think this is a clever attempt at wooing all the smartphone users with contracts expiring and also those people that haven’t yet found something exciting enough to buy that isn’t an iPhone.

You’ll get a different response depending on who you ask, of course. The Google camp is definitely pushing the idea that browser-based applications will be the future of how people interact with and use the web, especially on mobile devices, but not everyone agrees. Seeing the incredible success of app stores (especially Apple’s) and the lukewarm excitement around web apps, it’s a tough position to take. Ultimately, I think Google’s predictions are correct but way premature.

There are many benefits of developing for the browser but also some big drawbacks. As the big picture of the mobile platform battles pans out, we’ll surely still a variety of options to develop for. Apple’s iPhone Google’s Android OS, and Blackberry will likely lead the pack with Win Mobile, Palm’s Web OS, Symbian, and others still fighting for a slice of the action. With such a fractured landscape, a browser solution would allow companies and individuals to develop a single application that’ll work across all platforms with powerful — most likely WebKit — browsers. This would not only ensure a consistent experience from device to device, but also greatly reduce the amount of time and money required for design, development, and maintenance. Although this sounds great, a lot still needs to happen before we’ll begin to see a browser-based app strategy really reach its potential.

I think two key things need to happen in the mobile ecosystem before the browser will be a real competitor to native apps:

1. The code needs to evolve. Although mobile browsers have made huge strides in the last couple of years, basic html, css, & javascript still wont be able to accomplish many of the more complex functions and visualizationsthat native apps currently support. With HTML 5 being right around the corner, that divide will still exist but it’ll be much less apparent.
2. Mobile data network connections need a boost. 3G networks are now fairly widespread across the planet, but downloads at around 1000kbps still wont cut it for most folks. The 4G speeds that WiMax and and other standards promise will be the boost many of us are looking for, but we’re still many years away from the painstaking roll-outs of these networks.

So is the future of mobile in the browser? Read more →