Windows Mobile 7 to Emphasize Social Networking?
By Jason Ankeny
A new Microsoft job posting discovered by MobileTechWorld suggests the software giant's forthcoming Windows Mobile 7 operating system will focus squarely on social networking integration. The posting to the microsoft-entertainment-jobs/com website reads in part "'Social Networks' and ‘Mobile Phones' are two rapidly evolving socio-cultural phenomena that deeply impact the way in which people interact with each other. How would you like to be at the confluence of these phenomena--not as an observer but as someone who is defining the course? The Windows Mobile 7 Communications group is building experiences on the phone that present your content--friends, pictures, messages, events--to you in immersive and engaging ways.
Our vision is to bring social networks to life. For example imagine seeing all the newsfeeds from all the networks you care about in a single hub on the phone. Or imagine the phone instantly telling you what your friend is doing and where he is when you get a call from him... Our aim is to build a ‘Mobile Social Platform' that provides rich APIs to both internal and external applications and to not only enable but also inspire them to build compelling social experiences."
The Microsoft posting, which seeks a senior program manager to oversee development of the social networking platform, adds there are "several" Windows Mobile 7 teams developing social experiences. "The vision of WM7 and especially the Communications team is ambitious. We are not building yet another cool phone; but one that is truly personal and relevant. Yes--the competition is stiff; but it's exceeded only by our desire to win." Microsoft is expected to launch WinMo 7 sometime in 2010. [FierceMobileContent]
Entertainment Tops Handango Yardstick
For the first time ever, entertainment content sales topped smartphone content provider Handango's year-end Yardstick global trend report, moving up from third place in 2006. According to Handango entertainment content accounted for 17 percent of total smartphone content sales in 2007, with business and professional content dropping year-over-year from 18 percent to 16 percent, heralding a consumer shift in using smartphones beyond business and productivity-related activities.
Other leading Yardstick categories in 2007 were productivity applications like address book and calendar in third place and games in fourth place. In addition, the Ringtone Megaplex library was 2007's best-selling application on both the BlackBerry and Windows Mobile platforms. The Handango Yardstick consolidates and reports on key smartphone market data based on content purchases across the firm's distribution network.
BlackBerry
Handango reported a stellar year for BlackBerry, with a 135% year over year increase in the number of new mobile content titles added to the Handango catalog. This operating system continues to be popular with consumers interested in Business & Professional applications, as sales in that category topped 31 percent in 2007, while Entertainment content came in second at 23 percent.
The top 10 best-selling applications for BlackBerry in 2007 were:
1. Ringtone Megaplex (ringtone library)
2. Sudoku (puzzle game)
3. Colour Your Trackball (trackball customizer)
4. IM+ (instant messenger)
5. Ascendo DataVault (password manager)
6. WorldMate Live Gold Membership (travel assistant)
7. Aces Texas Hold'Em - No Limit (poker game)
8. IM+ for Skype (instant messenger)
9. SplashID for BlackBerry (information security)
10. Crackberry Ringtones Deluxe (ringtone library)
Windows Mobile Professional
The PPC 6700, which launched in 2005, topped the list of Windows Mobile Professional devices, demonstrating that older devices have remained popular with consumers downloading smartphone applications. Business & Professional applications remained the number one category in terms of sales for this operating system at 19 percent in 2007, with Entertainment applications coming in second at 15 percent.
The top 10 best-selling applications for Pocket PC in 2007 were:
1. Spb Pocket Plus (today screen plug-in)
2. Spb Mobile Shell (today screen plug-in)
3. Pocket Informant 8 (today screen plug-in)
4. MobiTV (streaming television)
5. Spb Backup (file backup)
6. Microsoft Voice Command (voice control)
7. Spb Diary (today screen plug-in)
8. Spb Time (clock)
9. Spb Phone Suite (phone features)
10. Spb Brain Evolution (brain trainer)
Read more - FierceWireless
Linux To Challenge Symbian, Microsoft In Mobile Phone Market
Purple Magic is a 3G Linux reference feature phone that costs less than $100 and combines video telephony, music playback, high-speed Internet browsing, and video streaming.
By Elena Malykhina
As the smartphone market matures, Linux will become one of the leading mobile platforms, ABI Research predicted at its press event in New York City on Thursday, the same day as NXP Semiconductors and Purple Labs unveiled what they claim to be the first 3G Linux phone under $100.
Carriers worldwide will support three major mobile operating systems -- Symbian, Linux, and Microsoft, said Stuart Carlaw, a mobile and wireless analyst at ABI Research.
"Linux has an incredible destabilizing effect on this market. It will be a way a new entrant can come into market without signing up for the development cycles of Symbian or Microsoft," Carlaw said.
Linux developers differentiate themselves by introducing a lot of firsts to the smartphone and cell phone market, or so they claim.
OpenMoko last year began selling the first Linux smartphone based completely on open standards. The Neo1973 smartphone, developed in partnership with First International Computer, a manufacturer of motherboards and notebook, PC, and PDA peripherals, uses OpenMoko's mobile communications platform. All parts of the platform are open sourced, including the user interface layer.
Read more - Information Week
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