Wireless Muse: Reiter's Wireless Internet Weblog

Apple iPhone needs new package for typing, mobile computing

Now that Apple has proclaimed its intention to get its iPhone into the enterprise (see above), the company needs to offer a hardware/software package that provides a much better typing and document management experience.

Despite the fulsome crowing of Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs and other Apple executives about the wonderfulness of the iPhone’s virtual keyboard, it’s not that good, even with the predictive text. 

Instead of trying to compare the keyboard in a more favorable light to Research in Motion’s BlackBerry keyboard (see below) — which is a joke if you’ve ever used the superior BlackBerry physical keyboard — Apple ought to transform the iPhone into a significantly better portable computing device for enterprise users.

Based on the state of technology, the iPhone’s virtual keyboard will remain inferior to good physical keyboards on cellular phones.  Also, the iPhone’s current lack of good business software, especially office suite software, is a big problem.

Creating a great MID

I believe the iPhone can be one of the best so-called “Mobile Internet Devices” (MIDs) without a great deal of effort.  Today’s MIDs are computing devices — either without keyboards or with keyboards that are small, cramped and difficult to type on. 

Here’s what Apple needs in order to blow these MIDs out of the water:

1.  End the iPhone’s crippled Bluetooth profiles (and people complained about Verizon Wireless crippling Bluetooth functionality in its phones!) so they support, among other things, external keyboards.

2.  Offer a great office suite for the iPhone — at least Apple’s iWork ‘08 and, preferably, Microsoft’s Office 2008 for Mac.

3.  Take advantage of Apple’s brilliant industrial design capabilities to develop the best Bluetooth portable folding keyboard.

4.  Again taking advantage of its design expertise — create a beautiful and functional carrying case for the iPhone + keyboard, including the ability to prop up the iPhone.

5.  Then, sell this hardware/software combination as a brilliant mobile computing solution:  Prop up the iPhone in its carrying case, unfold and pair the keyboard to the iPhone, launch the office suite and you’ve got a great lightweight (under two pounds) package for typing long documents, creating spreadsheets, entering long e-mail messages, etc.

One more thing….

And while Apple is enabling the iPhone’s Bluetooth profile for external keyboards, it should also enable it for tethering as a modem.  I assume AT&T would demand users pay an extra fee for the modem function.

Many business users would love to use the iPhone as a modem with their laptop computers, especially once the pokey EDGE phone is replaced later this year with a 3G (HSDPA) version. 

I sometimes use BlackBerry EDGE phones on T-Mobile, connected to my laptop via a cable.  EDGE is okay for downloading most e-mail and browsing most Web pages.  It’s far inferior to 3G or WiFi, but good enough when they — or an Ethernet connection — aren’t available.

I prefer to use either a regular 3G data modem, preferably Sprint or Verizon CDMA Rev. A because it’s much faster and more reliable than AT&T’s current HSDPA implementation.  Or, I’ll connect a phone as a modem with a cable rather than using Bluetooth because it’s typically easier, faster and more reliable.

Nokia's Mark Selby discusses radio station use of cellular phones

I’ve been meaning for a while to write about a conversation I had with Mark Selby, the vice president of sales and industry collaboration for Nokia, during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (that I attended courtesy of Nokia).  But I returned to the U.S. with a cold, so I haven’t posted this as quickly as I’d hoped.

Selby was one of several top Nokia executives with whom I spoke during the conference.  He was one of the most interesting.

I (and two other bloggers/journalists) asked a fair number of questions about high end cellular capabilities.  But the discussion that especially stuck in my mind was about a, well, “primitive” use of cellular — for plain ol’ voice communications.

Radio community networking

While I was asking about such features as mobile television and live video streaming, Selby discussed how a radio station in a developing country was using cellular.  Relatively few people have cellular phones (or landline phones, for that matter), so the radio station drove into the countryside, with a tuk-tuk, and recorded audio interviews with residents over a week or two and would use those interviews as part of a “talk” show.

Residents who had cellular phones or people who borrowed phones would call into the program, live, to discuss those recorded audio interviews.  The talk show host learns the voices and names of the people interviewed and the people calling and creates a very social environment.

By the way, Selby did an excellent job of detailing the advantages of Nokia’s new N82 five megapixel camera phone (that I hope to receive relatively soon) in a video shot with the N82 (see left).  Lots of good information about the handset’s camera phone capabilities, that Nokia is promoting (see below).

In November 2007 I wrote about Selby’s presentation and the details of the N82 in my camera phone weblog.

Effects of microblogging, politics and The New York Times

I live in one of the most political — perhaps the most political — areas in the world:  Washington, D.C.  I hate politics; I especially hate national politicians. 

All too many politicians are amoral or immoral.  They don’t have the morality of normal Americans and they don’t realize their failings or they know but they don’t care.  As Mark Twain said in Pudd’nhead Wilson, “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”

What does this have to do with wireless data?  Microblogging.  More people are posting microblogs — short comments — from their cellular phones.  I wrote about the ramifications of microblogging in my latest weekly “Thinkernet” mobile communications column in CMP’s “Internet Evolution” (see below).

Today I see The New York Times published an article about microblogging in the current Presidential campaigns.

RIM announces BlackBerry Unite for family/SOHO PC file, PIM sharing

I just finished watching a WebEx briefing where Research in Motion (RIM) announced a fascinating and valuable new “sharing” product — BlackBerry Unite — for consumers and small/home offices for a maximum of five people (see below).

The service will be launched in Spain by Telefonica Espana (see below) with the new BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (two megapixel camera, WiFi), but look for it in the United States and around the world in the months to come.  RIM says BlackBerry Unite software will be a free download and is compatible with BlackBerry 88xx, 87xx, 83xx and 81xx series devices (I have three of those four).

In essence, families and small business employees may share calendars, contacts, bookmarks and computer files on home or office PCs — with an always-on computer connection.  Computer files that can be shared include documents, music, photos and videos (see below).

Saving, backing up

The files that are downloaded may be saved on the BlackBerry, but they cannot be edited unless the user has installed other third party software on the handset.  Of course, RIM is always working on adding capabilities to its devices.

Files, contacts, photos, etc. that have been created on the BlackBerry may be backed up to the Unite server via a USB cable, a cellular connection (EDGE) or WiFi, if the handset includes WiFi.  Over-the-air backup is a great service for ensuring your data is safe as well as for the convenience.

Corporations with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) already have backup capability because data on the handset and corporate server is synchronized.  Also, companies with the BES may install Unite so employees may use both BES and Unite on their handsets.

Security features

In addition, BlackBerry Unite has security functions that enable parents and employers to restrict specific capabilities on BlackBerrys, such as browsing certain Web sites or restricting long distance calls.  Also, for phones that are stolen, users may create a new password as well as either remotely locking the device or wiping out all the data.

What I like about Unite (based on the briefing) is it brings some of the back office capabilities of corporations to consumers and small businesses.  And, it does so in a single, integrated package that, I assume, will be easy to configure and use.

I haven’t used Unite, but I hope to do so within a month or so.

Not for everyone

Of course, Unite isn’t perfect or advisable for certain users.  For example, the service requires a desktop (or laptop) PC where the software resides as well as an always-on broadband connection for polling e-mail messages. 

So if you turn off your computer at night or when you’re away for days, Unite isn’t for you.  You’ll need to stick with (or sign up for) the BES, or the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) that’s geared more for individuals

Also, the service’s calendar and phone book sharing feature doesn’t integrate with Microsoft Outlook or any similar software.  I suspect that for some people who live in Outlook, this could be a deal-breaker because they wouldn’t want to duplicate entries on the Unite server.

In addition, Unite is limited to five employees so that leaves out larger companies, unless they want to establish information sharing among groups no larger than five.  And for you Apple Mac users, forget it; unfortunately Unite works only with Microsoft Windows XP or Vista.

However, during the briefing RIM said the company is getting more involved with developing software for the Mac so I guess one should stay tuned for Mac support in the future.

A good solution for many

Overall, though, Unite looks like an excellent new service from RIM that is leveraging its in-house expertise to provide cellular operators with new ways to differentiate their offerings. 

RIM already is working on version 2.0 so it seems the Unite will be a dynamic platform as the company rolls out new capabilities in the future.

RIM Industry Analyst Summit highlights WiFi, GPS

I recently attended Research in Motion's (RIM) Industry Analyst Summit at its headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario.  It was a valuable and fun time that combined plenary sessions and break-out panel discussions as well as good food, a Toronto harbor river boat cruise, a day of touring in downtown Toronto and a performance of "King Lear" at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

RIM displayed a variety of new handsets, that I can't discuss because they haven't been officially announced.

However, I can say that GPS and WiFi will be two of the most important new technologies for RIM.  Although RIM certainly is interested in capturing a share of the consumer market, especially with its Pearl (81xx) handsets, the company's focus remains the enterprise.

So, use your imagination about how GPS and WiFi could be incorporated into corporate applications.  Also, if you've been reading "BlackBerry Cool" or the "Boy Genius Report" you have a good idea of upcoming phones from various leaked reports and photos.

Update (9/24/07):  Today RIM and T-Mobile announced the new Curve 8320 that incorporates WiFi in addition to its two megapixel camera that was included on the first, 8300, Curve.  The 8320 was one of the phones on display at the RIM conference and I was fortunate to be able to get one to test.

I haven't written a detailed review of the 8320; I'm sure many others will do that.  But if you're interested in the camera aspects of the new BlackBerry, take a look at the article and photos I've posted on my camera phone weblog.

I also posted photos I took with the 8320 on a moblog (see above).

Full Tilt Mobile launches comic strips for Nokia phones

From Chris Pirillo's weblog I learned that Full Tilt Mobile has launched a comic strip application for Nokia Series 60 cellular phones that enables you to purchase "books" of strips you like. 

Categories include animals, reality, family and, a favorite of mine, geeks (such as the comic strip below).

One reason for posting this article is I wanted to post that particular cartoon strip ("UnEmployed" by Matt Steem).  The cost of the cartoons ranges from about $2 to $12, depending upon the number included in the package.

The company is working with comic book artists in several countries -- at least 16 artists in three countries.  The comic application will be available for other cellular phones, iPods and Play Station Portable, according to the company's Web sie.

Avoid XTVWorld

I found articles about Full Tilt Mobile on on two sites:  SymbianOne and XTVWorld.  I'm not linking to XTVWorld because it is the most annoying Web site I've had the misfortune to view. 

The information seens good, but the site launches pop-up ads at an alarming rate and, more fulsome, the Web page continues to pop up over other Web pages.

It's not just the ads, it's the entire XTVWorld page that pops up every few seconds.  I'm viewing it on an IBM ThinkPad with Windows XP and Firefox.  Perhaps it's my configuration, but if you don't want to be driven to distraction, avoid this site  (yes, I know there are pop-up blockers.)