July 13, 2008
News, Stuff, Technology
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While most iPhone users are stuck with an iBrickthis morning as Apple’ servers can’t complete the last step of the upgrade process, those of us smart enough to take the unofficial upgrade route 24 hours ago are happily trying out new App Store Apps. This morning I turned my iPhone into a VoIP phone by installing the new Truphone iPhone app ( Truphone company profile).
One of the iPhone 2.0 restrictions that is unfortunate is the fact that VoIP applications aren’t allowed to use the cell/data connection - all that 3G bandwidth could be put to great use. But VoIP apps are allowed on the phone and can use Wifi when it’s available.
While at first it seems that the fact these apps can’t tap into the 3G stream is a real problem, in fact even the allowed activity, VoIP over Wifi, is extremely useful. For example - AT&T mobile coverage at my house/office is very bad, so I rarely use my iPhone for calls there. Instead I just pick up my landline (which is a Vonage VoIP phone). With VoIP over Wifi I can still use my mobile phone to make calls.
I installed the Truphone app this morning and registered online. Calls to any landline anywhere in the world are just 6 cents per minute, and you get a $4 credit to start when you first download the app. Truphone accesses your contact list to allow for one click calls in the same way as normal calls. The differences you’ll notice v. normal cell calls: you must have a Wifi connection to make calls, you can’t receive calls, if a normal voice call comes in your Truphone call is immediately terminated (this really sucks), you can’t use the speakerphone and your “favorite” numbers aren’t imported.
In fact the sound is Excellent
July 5, 2008
News, Stuff, Technology
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Wait. Scroll. Scroll. Tap-tap. Wait. Wait. For many years, that was the typical experience of someone surfing the Web using a mobile phone or PDA, at least in the U.S. Although some content providers offered stripped-down versions of their sites specially designed for mobile users, most did not, and reading a page designed to be viewed on a PC on the small screen was about as much fun as sitting in a dark room reading a newspaper by flashlight.Today, the mobile Web environment is in a period of rapid change, thanks in no small part to Apple’s iPhone. From the phone’s introduction in June, 2007, through March, 2008, 5.4 million iPhones have sold, and to date developers have created more than 17,000 sites or “Web applications” optimized for the device.
But this isn’t a story about the iPhone, per se; it’s a story about designing for the mobile Web. The iPhone was just a catalyst of sorts, bringing buzz, investors, and new technology to the sector. As a result, the mobile Web design and customer experience bar has been raised.
“Mobile Web used to be WAP,” says Matt Murphy, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, the venture capital firm that has started a $100 million “iFund” to develop applications for the iPhone. “Now you have a real browser and a real device. The iPhone is a game-changer.”
“From a design experience perspective, it’s changing the way people view the Web and the value of the mobile Web,” says Kelly Goto, the founder and CEO of San Francisco-based GotoDesign.
Pre-iPhone, says Cameron Moll, principal interaction designer at LDS Church and author of the influential e-book Mobile Web Design, companies typically took one of four approaches to the mobile Web: 1] do nothing and let mobile users scroll their way around sites designed for PC viewing; 2] streamline sites by removing images and styling, making them more manageable for mobile devices; 3] use stylesheets, a tool that allows developers to create different versions of a Web site for different devices; or 4] create an entirely different second site, optimized for mobile users.
June 29, 2008
News, Technology
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Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of wireless handsets, devices and embedded machine-to-machine modules, has been honored with M2M Magazine’s prestigious gold Value Chain Award for its role in a first-of-its-kind agricultural application of wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) technology at Dritz Farms in Lincoln County, Minn. Working with a team of technology partners including Leica Geosystems, Aeris Communications, Resolute Information Technology, Digi International and NovAtel Inc., Kyocera Wireless was recognized for enabling an innovative M2M technology solution that improved agricultural processes and productivity. The gold honor marks the fourth consecutive year Kyocera has received a Value Chain Award.
The groundbreaking Dritz Farms application uses wireless communication and GPS technology to improve farming productivity and efficiency, ultimately improving precious crop yields. Using GPS location information powered by Digi International, the Leica mojoRTK auto-steer platform guides field cultivating equipment with accuracy inside of 2 inches. At the same time, Leica’s Virtual Wrench solution uses a Kyocera M2M module and the Aeris CDMA network for real-time communications. Via the Virtual Wrench Web-based portal, designed by Resolute IT, Leica-approved technicians perform remote diagnostics to help farmers fine-tune equipment and fix problems while field work is underway. An antenna from NovAtel Inc. boosts the CDMA signal so the system operates in even the most remote fields. According to Tim Dritz, owner of Dritz Farms, the entire implementation paid for itself in less than a year.
“Small equipment adjustments can have a large effect on crop yield and even a small deviation can have devastating effects,” said Dritz. “With mojoRTK and Virtual Wrench a tractor is able to steer itself, which allows the operator to closely watch and monitor equipment performance. Without the system in place, it is very easy to deviate and steer farming equipment slightly off planted rows.”
“The power of wireless communication extends far beyond the corporate enterprise, and agriculture is yet another example of an industry where this technology can enhance productivity and deliver bottom-line results,” said Dean Fledderjohn, general manager of the M2M product line at Kyocera Wireless Corp. “This Value Chain award highlights Kyocera’s leadership in the M2M marketplace and demonstrates a growing portfolio of innovative Kyocera-enabled solutions that are flexible and easy to integrate with other leading technology providers.”
Value Chain Awards honor the most successful adopters of M2M technology along with the team of solution suppliers and providers that made their success possible. The awards highlight the process of combining multiple technologies – including device-connectivity hardware, radio modules, network services and application software – and showcase how all elements of the M2M value chain work together to create winning solutions for customers.
“We chose Dritz Farms for a Value Chain Award because it implemented a sophisticated M2M solution that demonstrates how the cooperation of multiple technology providers enables creative solutions that increase performance and in this case, crop yield, while containing costs,” said Peggy Smedley, editorial director and publisher of M2M Magazine. “The M2M market is thriving because teams of technology providers are working collaboratively, for the good of all, to combine telemetry and next-generation wireless applications that increase business value as well as drive M2M adoption.”
The M2M solution implemented by Dritz Farms offers the agricultural industry a compelling new tool to stay profitable in today’s challenging economic environment. In an industry well known for tight margins, the costs of inputs such as seed, fertilizer and fuel have skyrocketed in the last several years while commodity sales have remained relatively flat until recently. Today’s farmers are hard pressed to find new ways to maximize crop yield while reducing production costs. The Leica mojoRTK and Virtual Wrench solution, connected to the Aeris CDMA network by Kyocera’s M2M module, gives farmers that competitive advantage.
“The new mojoRTK product platform is built around Leica’s new ‘MObile Job Console’ and Leica Geosystems’ proven dual-frequency RTK technology,” said Darren Herstedt, Virtual Wrench service and support manager for Leica Geosystems. “Combined with our Virtual Wrench remote service and diagnostics system, we can truly provide outstanding field application performance and unparalleled field support.”
For spec sheets and more information on Kyocera modules, developer kits and case studies, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com/m2m-business. For more information on Leica Geosystems agricultural solutions, please visit www.leica-geosystems.com. For more information about Aeris, please visit www.aeris.net.
June 29, 2008
Internet, News, Technology
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One Voice Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:ONEV) Chairman and CEO Dean Weber, today issued the following corporate update:
“We are pleased to provide our shareholders with the following corporate update:
In the telecom sector our carrier customer in Mexico has indicated their desire to launch MobileVoice services nationally and we are currently defining business models, features and pricing. We are very confident a national launch will happen given several factors including the large revenue opportunities for our customer, the competitive nature of the service offering and as a powerful customer retention tool given number portability beginning July 2008 throughout Mexico. In India, One Voice has installed MobileVoice in our customer’s data center and we are waiting for Internet and telephone lines to be installed and connected to our platform, after which our customer will begin their testing and subsequent launch. We see tremendous opportunities in both Mexico and India with these national carriers.
In the retail sector One Voice just delivered several thousand copies of Media Center Communicator for national distribution in OfficeMax stores throughout the U.S. Next week One Voice will launch beta versions of our new Say2Play and MobileVoice StreetDeck software for download. We look forward to consumer feedback during our beta period to help One Voice continue to deliver quality products and to continue to grow our retail offerings. Visitwww.onev.com/products for product information and beta availability coming next week.
In the embedded sector One Voice is working closely with a large OEM for including voice control on their Mobile Internet Device (MID). Voice control has been stated as the top priority for their MID and One Voice has been selected as their partner.
One Voice is currently securing additional funding to grow our company to meet the demands for our products and technology. Voice control is a rapidly growing sector and One Voice is well positioned to capture market share with powerful products and patented technology.
As always, I appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to a very successful 2008.”
About One Voice Technologies, Inc.
One Voice Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:ONEV) is the world’s first developer of 4th Generation voice solutions for the Telecom and Interactive Multimedia markets. Our Intelligent Voice solutions employ revolutionary, patented technology that allows people to send messages (E-mail, SMS, Instant Messaging and paging), purchase products, get information and control devices - all by using their voice. The company is headquartered in La Jolla, California. For more information, please visit www.onev.com
