Monday, November 8, 2010

Mobile Buzz

Mobile Buzz

Samsung Continuum With Secondary ‘Ticker’ Display Unveiled

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 10:45 PM PST


In a press event, Samsung and the big red – Verizon – have finally unveiled the Samsung Continuum. The handset sports a 3.4-inch S-AMOLED screen along with a secondary 'ticker' display measuring 1.8-inches. The bottom sides of the phone feature a grip sensor which activates the 'ticker'. The 'ticker' provides users with weather information, IM and e-mail notifications and stock market information etcetera.Samsung_Continuum

Since the Continuum is a Galaxy S series phone, the rest of the internal specifications of the handset are similar to other Galaxy S series handsets. The phone is powered by a 1GHz Hummingbird processor and packs 512MB of RAM along with a microSD card slot (expandable up to 32GB, 8 GB pre-loaded).

The Continuum also sports the usual GPS with A-GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and a 3.5mm jack. Sadly, the handset will be running on Android 2.1 with the usual Samsung TouchWIZ UI on top of it. Samsung have also pre-loaded Swype on the phone for ultra-fast typing speed.

The phone will hit the Verizon retail stores from November 11 and will cost $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year contract.

It was originally rumored that Samsung will be unveiling a Google experience device at this press event along with the Continuum.


Samsung Continuum With Secondary ‘Ticker’ Display Unveiled originally appeared on Techie Buzz written by Rajesh Pandey on Tuesday 9th November 2010 01:45:55 AM under Mobile News. Please read the Terms of Use for fair usage guidance.

Opera Mobile 10.1 Beta for Android: Review and Benchmark

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 10:08 PM PST


Android doesn’t have a dearth of browsers. But as they say, the more the merrier. Opera Software has just released Opera Mobile for Android – the more capable sibling of Opera Mini. “Android users now have a better choice when it comes to using a browser on their mobile devices,” said Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. “With Opera’s new browser for Android, we give users the opportunity to access the Web, using the best tools available”.

The folks at Opera Software were kind enough to provide me a preview release in advance. I have been using Opera Mobile on a regular basis for almost a week on my Xperia X10 (Android 2.1), as well as Chinmoy’s Legend (Cyanogen 6). Here’s my in-depth review of Opera Mobile. Please keep in mind that this review was done using a pre-release build of Opera Mobile. It’s possible that there might have been some changes in the final build.

Opera-Mobile-Android

At first glance, Opera Mobile is indistinguishable from Opera Mini. However, under the hood, there are major differences. In Opera Mini, the webpages are first sent to Opera’s remote servers, where they are rendered and compressed, and then sent to your device. Opera Mini doesn’t render the webpage. Instead it simply displays the parsed output received from Opera Mini’s servers. The compression algorithm used by Opera Mini not only saves bandwidth, but also dramatically speeds up browsing on slower internet connections. On the other hand, Opera Mobile is fully capable of rendering webpages locally. This enables it to handle dynamic web content (powered by JavaScript, AJAX etc.) better than Opera Mini. However, if you wish, you still have the option of enabling compression to improve page loading speed on slower connections. In Opera Mobile, like in Opera for Desktop, this feature is called Opera Turbo.

Opera-Mobile-Settings

As mentioned above, Opera Mobile’s biggest benefit over Opera Mini is its improved rendering capabilities. For example, it supports Geolocation, border-radius and CSS3 transitions. But, how does it stack up, when compared to other popular Android browsers? I compared it with Froyo’s stock browser and Firefox Mobile 4 Beta 2 (Fennec) to get an idea.

I started off with the Acid3 Test, which puts the browser’s CSS rendering capabilities through the paces. To my surprise, I found that none of the browsers managed to pass the test. Opera was the best performer, but by a fairly small margin.

Opera-Mobile-Acid-3
Acid 3 Test: Higher is Better

Next, I used the Sputnik test to check out the JavaScript rendering abilities of Fennec, Opera Mobile and the default browser. Sputnik is a crucial benchmark that indicate how standard compliant the JavaScript engine of each browser is. Opera pretty much owned this test. In fact, it was the only mobile browser that managed to finish the test without crashing or stalling.

Opera-Mobile-Sputnik
Sputnik: Lower is Better

Finally I picked the HTML5 Test to check out how future ready these browsers are. This test suite includes 300 tests that cover a wide-range of HTML5 and other related technologies that are likely to gain prominence in the future. Opera for desktop performs quite poorly in this test. Unsurprisingly, Opera Mobile fared even worse, with Fennec almost tripling Opera’s score.

Opera-Mobile-Sputnik
HTML5 Test: Higher is Better

The other critical factor when choosing a browser is speed. Opera for desktop is currently the fastest browser in the market, with a sizeable lead over Chrome. Does the mobile counterpart live up to Opera’s reputation? I tested this too, using Sunspider artificial benchmark.

Opera-Mobile-Speed-Test
Sunspider Test: Lower is Better

I used my friend’s Samsung Galaxy S (Android 2.2 – Darky’s Raw Steel) to run the speed tests. Sadly, Opera Mobile turned out to be a dud in the speed department. Not only was it slower than Firefox and the stock browser, but it was so by a huge margin. To be honest, the results took me by surprise, as I didn’t notice any speed issues during my regular browsing sessions.

Opera Mobile’s interface is amongst the best I have seen in mobile browsers. In many mobile browsers, tabs almost appear to be an afterthought. Switching between them is often clumsy and time-consuming. Not in Opera Mobile. Features such as instant history navigation (pages from the history are opened instantly) and speed dials only adds to the intuitiveness of Opera Mobile. Other features we have come to expect from Opera Mobile and Opera Mini are also present in this build. Some of the notable ones are – password manager, bookmark and speed dials synchronization, search engine bar, in-page find, saving of pages, private data cleaner, download manager and more. Today’s release also introduces Pinch-to-Zoom support to Opera’s mobile products for the first time.

Opera-Mobile-Autocomplete

Unfortunately, there are a few serious issues with Opera Mobile that might be a deal breaker for many. First of all, the installation is pretty huge. In fact, with a disk space (ROM) requirement above 22 MB, it is the largest installed app I currently have on my handset. Also, if you switch to some other app while using Opera Mobile, the browser will quit and will be restarted when you return to it. This is actually not too different from the way other browsers work, and thankfully, Opera Mobile’s loading time is quite small. In fact, it’s actually less than half of Firefox’s loading time. However, the problem is that if you press the back button before the page has been loaded, Opera fails so remember it. Finally, possibly the biggest disappointment for me is the lack of any social feature whatsoever. You can’t tweet links, share webpages on Facebook, or send links via SMS. Adding this shouldn’t be too hard for any Android app developer, and by not taking advantage of the opportunities offered by Android, Opera Software is missing out on a trick or two.

On the whole, Opera Mobile manages to impress on its very first outing. It has a lot going for it. The interface is intuitive and functional, there are plenty of unique features that make it stand out, and it has a competent rendering engine. If it can improve upon it’s JavaScript benchmark scores and become more social, it might manage to become the definitive Android web browser. Nevertheless, if the missing sharing options aren't a deal-breaker for you, I would highly recommend checking it out.

[ Download Opera Mobile 10.1 Beta for Android | Appbrain ]


Opera Mobile 10.1 Beta for Android: Review and Benchmark originally appeared on Techie Buzz written by Pallab De on Tuesday 9th November 2010 01:08:28 AM under Mobile News. Please read the Terms of Use for fair usage guidance.

[Rumor] Nexus One About To Get the Android 2.3 Gingerbread Update Soon

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 09:11 AM PST


According to an earlier report, Google’s next flagship Nexus Two was going to be launched today, on 8 November.

According to Android and Me, the Nexus Two exists and is coming soon. Samsung will reportedly unveil the Nexus Two in a press event being held on November 8. Radio Android also picked up the same information through an anonymous tipster. The available information suggests that the new device will be called the Nexus S, and as far as hardware is concerned, will be identical to the Samsung Galaxy S series of phones. This means that it will sport a 4-inch SAMOLED screen and will be powered by a Hummingbird processor.

That goes in line with the latest rumors of Android 2.3 Gingerbread arriving on some devices. A new rumor has surfaced that claims that Android 2.3 is coming soon to the Nexus One.

Nexus Two has been delayed and the Android 2.3 Gingerbread was supposed to arrive on the 11th of this month, so the release of Gingerbread falls into place with the only announcement on this update (by Alvaro Fuentes Vasquez). Alvaro Fuentes Vasquez, a member of the leadership team of the Open Handset Alliance has claimed the arrival in a tweet saying,

Preparen sus Nexus One (Developer version) para la actualización vía OTA de Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) para los próximos días :-D

that translates to,

Prepare your Nexus One (Developer version) for Android OTA update 2.3 (Gingerbread) in the next few days:-D

Now, everyone has his or her eyes set on this decisive Thursday. You can see the tweet that fueled this possible rumor here.

(Source)


[Rumor] Nexus One About To Get the Android 2.3 Gingerbread Update Soon originally appeared on Techie Buzz written by Chinmoy Kanjilal on Monday 8th November 2010 12:11:42 PM under Mobile News. Please read the Terms of Use for fair usage guidance.

Motorola Droid Pro Pricing And Launch Date Announced

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 07:57 AM PST


It was exactly a month ago that Motorola had announced the Droid Pro. However, back then the company did not mention when the phone will be launched and its pricing. Today, Verizon has made both – the pricing and the launch date – official. The Pro will hit the Verizon store shelves on November 18th whereas online orders start from November 9. Droid_Pro

The Droid Pro has a 3.1-inch screen with HVGA resolution. The phone is powered by a 1GHz OMAP processor and packs in 512MB of RAM. The Droid Pro sports both EVDO Rev.A and WCDMA antennas for global roaming capability. Users can find out the whole specification of the Droid Pro here.

The phone will cost $179 after a $100 mail-in rebate on a new 2-year contract from the big red.

The full unlocked version of the handset will retail for around $749.


Motorola Droid Pro Pricing And Launch Date Announced originally appeared on Techie Buzz written by Rajesh Pandey on Monday 8th November 2010 10:57:59 AM under Mobile News. Please read the Terms of Use for fair usage guidance.

HTC Working On Its Own App Store

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 07:15 AM PST


HTC, the most popular Android phone maker and one of the biggest backers of Windows Phone 7 is said to be working on its own version of an online application store.

According to a report by FT, HTC is currently hiring staff in Taiwan to prepare for the launch of an online store which would sell apps and ebooks. The application store would be integrated with the Sense UI which HTC uses on Android devices and will possibly use in its Windows Phone 7 devices soon.

HTC recently launched the HTCSense.com cloud based service. HTC CEO, Peter Chou recently commented that it was no longer enough for HTC to just customize the Android UI with Sense. “It is not enough to be skin-deep. We need to go bone-deep“.

Source: FT


HTC Working On Its Own App Store originally appeared on Techie Buzz written by Pathik Shah on Monday 8th November 2010 10:15:37 AM under Mobile News. Please read the Terms of Use for fair usage guidance.

15 Top iPhone Applications For Web Designers

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST


iphoneThe iPhone is a fantastic gadget, with an appealing design, great functionality and unbeatable flexibility. But what makes the iPhone truly a fantastic gadget is the number of applications you can download on it, for any number of uses.

The handpicked software applications listed in this article are tailor made for the web designer or web developer in you. Use them to play with color schemes, update websites, detect fonts, manage your to-do list, manage databases, keep track of time, blog, review website statistics and bill your client.

1. Manage Your CSS With CSS Cheatsheet

Want to get your CSS perfect but keep forgetting the basics? Use CSS Cheatsheet to understand your site's CSS. It comes with useful references, great tutorials, and best of all, you can use it offline as well.

2. Edit Your FTP Files With FTP On The Go

Do you want to edit files located on your FTP server and maintain your website? Use FTP On The Go, an application that has a built-in browser that lets you make updates from your iPhone directly from the application.

3. Review Web Statistics With Ego

Want to check your web statistics every now and then? Ego is your best bet for this task. Ego supports sites such as Squarespace, Google Analytics and Twitter. Sit on your favorite couch and track your website's traffic without having to move anywhere.

4. Create Cool Images With ZeptoPad

Hit by sudden inspiration and wish you had a paper and pen handy? Don't worry; with ZeptoPad, all you do is draw on your iPhone screen with your fingertips. What's more, this application comes P2P access, which means you can share your fingertip masterpieces with pals who use ZeptoPad.

5. Create Your Own Color Palette With Palettes

If you see a color that you like, lift it, from any image or site, using Palettes. This application allows you to create a palette of your own out of the colors you lift. The best news is, you can import your colors to tools such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop as well.

6. Track SEO With ProSEO

Keep your website's ranking high on search engines using the Search Engine Optimization master application, ProSEO. Track the progress on any domain and the keywords that drive traffic to sites. A cool add on is the phrase counter which stays on top of repeat phrases. This tool also analyzes image tags and link anchor text for you.

7. Manage Your Time With WorkTimer

Do you find yourself running out of time, wondering where all the time went? Tighten up on how you spend time using WorkTimer. Now you'll always have a log of how many hours you worked on that low-paying project!

8. Find The Perfect Color With CliqCliq

Sometimes no color satisfies one's creative need and you will want to search for that exact shade of whatever. CliqCliq Colors can find you the color you want, and to top it, can convert your color to different formats and scales. You can also just take colors that you see on your iPhone's screen.

9. Identify Fonts With WhatTheFont

If you happen to see an attractive font or lettering, just take a picture of it using WhatTheFont. This application will identify the font for you and then you can go ahead and use the font in your own site or design.

10. Monitor Performance Analytics Using Analytics

Track web traffic and check statistics, and view more than 50 Google Analytics reports, sources of traffic and ecommerce statistics with Analytics, the top application of Google Analytics.

11. Share Photos With Photobucket

Share your favorite pictures and stay on top of your pals' latest escapades via Photobucket! This is a must application for any designer who wants the best pictures for web designing. Photobucket is one low-costing tool with high-performance features.

12. View Any Code Source With Source Viewer

You can view any source code on your computer. What about wanting to do the same on your iPhone? Now you can; SourceViewer allows you to view any source code – CSS, Javascript or HTML.

13. Monitor Your Servers With Ping

Stay on top of your servers with Ping, whether you're on a private network or on the internet. Now wherever you are, you can check if your servers are performing as they should.

14. View Any Database With DatabaseViewer

Viewing databases has always been the domain of a larger computer. But with DatabaseViewer, you can view any database on your iPhone, be it MS Excel, SQL, MS Access, or FilePro. That's not all; you can synchronize your database to stay on top of the latest data and table updates.

15. Stay Updated With Dexigner

If you are a web developer or designer, you'll want the latest news pertaining to your field more than you'll want to hear about the Middle East. Use Dexigner to get the latest news on design, delivered straight to your iPhone.

Guest post by Karel Zeman, the owner of GO-Gulf.com, a web design Dubai Company that provides website design solutions in Kuwait, Sharjah and Middle East.


15 Top iPhone Applications For Web Designers originally appeared on Techie Buzz written by Guest Posts on Monday 8th November 2010 08:00:00 AM under Mobile News. Please read the Terms of Use for fair usage guidance.
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1 comment:

  1. Hope WayNovember 5, 2020 at 4:51 AM

    Great info! I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have. Human Resource

    ReplyDelete

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