Author: Kevin C. Tofel

UPDATED. Thanks to a tip from one of our readers (thanks Gerard!), it appears that there’s a huge data outage for Nexus Owners on the T-Mobile network. I’ve verified the issue on my own Nexus One and just did a little digging. According to forums at both T-Mobile and XDA-Developers, it’s a wide scale issue and nobody seems to have an answer. One would hope that this has something to do with fixing the 3G issues on the handset, but I think that’s an overly optimistic view. The fix would likely be announced from Google or HTC, for starters and it wouldn’t hamstring the entire T-Mobile network for Nexus One owners.

When I try to access the web over 3G, I get redirected to a T-Mobile page with this statement: “To connect to the web with the device you are using, you will need a webConnect data plan.” It’s almost like everyone that has a Nexus One with T-Mobile SIM suddenly “lost” their data plan at the same time. Early reports say this happened around 4:30am ET. For now, I’m on Wi-Fi, but for Nexus One owners on the road, this is a disappointment. I’ll get an update out once I gain more info or the problem is resolved.

I have to wonder: are the only people with this issue the ones who bought the unsubsidized phone? When I bought a SIM for mine — which I bought unsubsidized — there was a hassle to get the plan I wanted. The rep ended up adding a different data plan and then told me he’d have to switch it to the Android data plan. Hmm….

Update: As of 1:00pm ET, I noticed that my data connection was restored. I’m also hearing similar reports on Twitter. For now, there’s no official word on the root cause or solution.

HTC Magic owners finding the stock Android experience a bit too blah have a downloadable treat today. The HTC Europe site just released a ROM update for the Magic that brings a little bling, courtesy of the HTC Sense user interface. For those keeping track, this is version 3.05.401.3 and you’ll need a Windows PC to run the RUU — short for ROM Update Utility, of course. The update completely flashes the handset, so make sure you’ve got all your important bits and bytes backed up or in the cloud. Engadget commenters also point out that those crazy cats at XDA-Developers have had an ROM with Sense for a bit now, so you could always go unofficial routes as well.

Bear in mind that there are two versions of the Magic — one branded “with Google” and one without. This ROM is for the non-Google-branded device, which is phone version PVT32A. If you’ve got that one, you can some add some sense to your phone. It’s smart of HTC to offer this type of customization, but I’d like to see the company work something out with Google. There’s not much “sense” to have some Android handsets locked down in terms of look and feel if it’s going to be allowed on others. I realize that Google wants some control over the experience, but having it both ways seems a little contradictory.

What a crazy, hectic 48 hours it’s been. I almost feel exhausted by all of the Apple iPad news, analysis, polls and commentary that have flooded my system. If I had to peg the overall sentiment about Apple’s new product, I’d guess it to be two to one with the majority of folks disappointed. I can understand that due to the belief that Apple would exceed expectations. Honestly, I think they mostly met expectations — my basic predictions mainly came true. I never expected Apple to reinvent the Tablet PC and handwriting recognition on a slate, so perhaps that’s why I didn’t feel let down. Clearly, however, folks wanted more.

But if you step back from those “wants” and simply look at the device and the use case scenario, one could argue that Apple just introduced one of the first commercially available smartbooks to the masses. Did Cupertino just pull a fast one and corner the smartbook market before anyone else could get that market off the ground?

Let’s look at the loose definition of a smartbook for a second. Granted, this isn’t defined in stone, but I think most folks will agree with these characteristics. And for clarification, I’m taking much of list directly from Qualcomm’s Smartbook site, since they coined the term.

• Instant-on access – smartbooks should wake up instantly and be ready to go.
• 3G connectivity — mobile broadband allows for smartbook usage in places outside of the home and Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Ultra-portable design — Qualcomm defines this as less than 20mm thick and under two pounds in weight.
• All-day battery life — 8 to 10 hours on a charge with standby times of at least a week.
• Built-in GPS — location is important and desirable for LBS.
• Customizable interface — “intuitive, one-touch navigation to your favorite applications,” says Qualcomm.

So that’s how Qualcomm defines a smartbook. Of course, they make ARM processors which power smartphones today and smartbooks are essentially mobile devices that use the guts of a smartphone but on a bigger display. Having said all that, which attributes would you say don’t apply to the Apple iPad? I don’t see a single one — all of these smartbook characteristics are attributable by Apple’s newest mobile device.

My personal take on the device — after digesting the information over the past two days — is that the iPad is evolutionary and not revolutionary. Apple essentially evolved their iPhone ecosystem beyond handsets and into smartbooks. I’d even go out on a limb and say that every company with thoughts of entering the smartbook market is already fighting an uphill battle for three reasons.

• Most consumers don’t yet know what a smartbook is. And yet Apple is ready to provide them one without even using the new device class name. In one fell swoop, they “reinvented” a market that was waiting to get started. One could even argue that the term “smartbook” won’t even take off if the iPad becomes a runaway success.
• All of the smartbooks I’ve seen use very similar guts to power the device, but they all use different operating systems. And by different, I mean “unfamiliar” to your average mainstream audience. The iPad uses the easy recognizable iPhone operating system which tens of millions of consumers already recognize and use. Back in June, I said this of operating systems on smartbooks: “Linux is definitely capable for this type of device, but for your average consumer to use it on a device, it needs to be slick, intuitive and have a familiar feel to it.” Aside from the Linux reference, my statement applies fairly well to the iPhone OS, no?
• Any smartbooks to hit the market now will be compared to the iPad. And if they don’t offer seamless media sync, intuitive interfaces that people understand and a wide array of software applications out of the box, they won’t compete well.

Summing up all three of those reasons indicates the challenges that smartbooks were — and still are — expected to face. Yet Apple has just leap-frogged right over those challenges and turned them into the strengths of their latest creation. For the first time that I can remember, Apple hasn’t waited for others to create a market with marginal products and then jump in with latest iWhatever that improves upon the failures of others. Instead, Cupertino leveraged a familiar mobile operating system, created their own silicon to power it and took it upon themselves to lead a market — all while others have futzed about for over a year trying to determine if such a market would even take shape. And here’s the ultimate irony — 12 months ago when I saw an early smartbook prototype, it was actually a tablet form factor; a convertible tablet, yes, but still a tablet.

I’ve said in the past that I’m actually an ideal candidate for a smartbook because I mainly need a decent web browser to use to consume information. All the apps that I’m already using on my iPhone are just the icing on the smartbook cake. When I look at the iPad in that light, it actually becomes appealing to me. But if you’re one of those that has already condemned the iPad, that’s OK. However, I think you’ll have to condemn the entire smartbook market by proxy too at this point.

“There is nothing wrong with your monitor. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For this browsing session, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your monitor. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to… the newly designed jkOnTheRun.” — homage to The Outer Limts, 1963.

After many long hours of design, feedback, and testing, we’ve got a fresh new coat of paint! For the first time since our acquistion, I believe that jkOnTheRun is now fully integrated with the great GigaOM Network of sites. And it’s not just some visuals that have changed. We were late to the tagging game, so you’ll now see posts with relevant Tags to help you find information faster. Plus, we’re in full control of what Topics are hot, so you’ll see those Topics change as fast as the news does. We’re also making it easier for you sift though content to get at what you want — each post will have a brief excerpt to help you decide if the post is worth further reading. And there’s easier methods to “get social” with jkOnTheRun as well.

Now change of any kind is a tough nut to crack — there’s simply no way to make everyone happy. But we’ve taken your feedback and also evaluated the changes as if we were readers of the site ourselves. We think the new changes add value for the audience and we hope you do as well. Of course, our focus won’t ever change — James and I are devoted to bringing you news, views and reviews that you can use in your mobile lifestyle. Enjoy!

Is it just me or did anyone else expect the final mobile version of Firefox by now? I don’t think there’s an officially planned release date, but in mid-December word hit that the portable version of Firefox would arrive “any day now.” Instead, we’ve seen two release candidates — no, wait; make that three. The third release candidate arrives today for Maemo devices and I’ve already installed the 12.8 MB download on the loaner Nokia N900 I’m using. Here’s the funny thing though — Mozilla has disabled plug-in’s like the one used for Adobe Flash. That’s totally unexpected and it indicates some issues that need resolution before the final production version. Here’s what Mozilla says:

“Support for plugins has been disabled. On most Web pages that use the Adobe Flash plugin, the performance of the plugin didn’t meet our standards, and the interactivity and performance of the entire Web page was negatively impacted, especially on pages with multiple instances of the plugin. Advanced users can enable plugins for experimentation and testing purposes only. We are working on ways for the user to have control of which sites to enable plugins for, as some sites, like YouTube, do work quite well. That capability will most likely be packaged as a browser add-on.”

Note that extensions and themes are different from plug-ins, and their existence on a mobile client is ground-breaking. For example, with the Weave extension, the Nokia N900 can continuously synchronize with Mozilla’s servers so that my desktop browsing environment is essentially the same as that on my phone. That’s a huge win from a mobile device standpoint.

This release candidate also focuses on other performance improvements, which is good because I’ve found performance in prior versions to lag behind the native Nokia N900 browser — ironically, that’s a Mozilla-powered client, too. And after just a few minutes of using the new release candidate, I still believe the native browser is marginally faster. Others may see a variance simply based on the sites they visit, but for now, I’ll manage my own bookmarks manually and stick with the native browser which does support Adobe Flash.

Related Research: What Does the Future Hold for Browsers?“

Finally, after much anticipation — it’s here! OK, maybe I’m overly excited by a simple phone dock, but I really need something to hold the Nexus One while I sleep. I’ve tried to hold it myself all night long, but that effort has only resulted in cramped fingers and extra screen smudges. So I’ve just ordered the phone dock for my N1 at the cost of $45. As expected, it does include a Bluetooth radio and Google says it pairs with the phone automatically upon the first physical dock. This allows for wireless music playback through the dock to external speakers that you provide.

Placing the Nexus One in the dock automatically brings up the Clock application thanks to the small, metal contacts on the bottom of the handset. This provides clock functionality, alarms, picture slide shows, music and one-touch local weather. Is it worth the $45? Some would say that’s a bit much although it charges the phone while docked. Since I’m relying heavily on the device as my bedside alarm, I’m dropping the cash for it. If you’re not sure the dock has the functionality you need, you can grab the PDF user guide to get a better idea of the features.

MoTR 195 is 43:30 minutes long and is a 40 MB file in MP3 format.

CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly.

HOSTS: James Kendrick (Houston), Matthew Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (Philadelphia)

TOPICS:

Apple intros the iPad
What device(s) does it replace? Who needs one? Who doesn’t?
Apple’s now in the chip business
Is it a smartbook?
Who’s buying an iPad?

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After the Apple iPad introduction, we asked if you were planning to purchase the latest mobile device from Cupertino. As of this morning, just over 2,000 readers responded to the poll. 42% of the respondents voted in the “Not a chance” category and 31% are still undecided. That leaves just 27% of those that took the poll plan to grab an iPad when it becomes available around the end of March.

I voted in in the undecided category for a few reasons, most of which we’ll be talking about in this morning’s podcast, so tune in later for more thoughts. What’s most interesting to me is that the device is generally what was expected and yet it seems that expectations weren’t met. At least, that’s the feeling I get from both the poll results and the numerous reader comments. Has Apple lost some of it’s magical ability to exceed expectations? And even though Apple essentially trashed the concept of netbooks, I still believe that they’ve introduced a smartbook in a slate form factor.

That mystical unicorn we knew as the Apple tablet is here. But will you be purchasing an Apple iPad? After reviewing all of the specifications and pricing, I’m personally not sure it’s right for me at this point. In fact, I’m thinking this is more of a smartbook than anything else. Perhaps I’ll change my mind after giving it some thought — and there’s plenty of time for that since the device won’t be shipping for at least 60 days.

That gives us a chance to pick your brains and see if you’re planning to purchase an iPad. Have at it in the poll! And if you’re not yet sure, just see what everyone else is saying in these comments — there’s quite a few interesting opinions there!

Image credit: Engadget

Updated with additional specifications and images from Apple. After much hype, speculation and years of waiting, Apple introduced the world to its new tablet, the iPad. Here’s a brief rundown on this multi-functional, multi-touch device that looks like a bigger version of the iPhone. What’s most astounding is the reasonable pricing and no-contract, low-cost deals for 3G connectivity. Looks like I did OK on my earlier predictions, although I priced it too high.

Display: 9.7″ IPS capacitive display, resolution unknown as of yet. Resolution of 1024 x 768

Weight: 1.5 pounds

Thickness: 0.5″

CPU: The Apple A4, a 1GHz ARM-based CPU powers the iPad.

Input: An on-screen keyboard is used for text, or an optional keyboard can be used. Gestures and touch also work. There is no handwriting input or recognition.

Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, a U.S. contract-free 3G option is available for $14.99 for 250 MB per month or unlimited for $29.99 a month on AT&T which includes free AT&T hotspots. International deals by June, but all iPad 3G models are unlocked.

Storage: 16 to 64 GB of flash memory

Battery: Integrated 25 W/hr battery rated at 10 hours of video watching, web surfing over Wi-Fi or listening to audio.

Peripherals: A keyboard dock will charge the iPad. A case will also be available.

Pricing: $499 for the base model with 16GB. $599 for 32 GB. $699 for 64GB. 3G adds $130 to any non-3G model.

Availability: Shipping in 60 days for Wi-Fi models, 3G models to follow 30 days later.

Applications: Apple leveraged the existing iPhone app store so all current apps will run on it. Apps can be pixel-doubled for full-screen usage. YouTubeHD videos will play in full screen. There appears to be no support for Adobe Flash. E-book content will be available through the new iBooks application — prices look higher than on Amazon. iWork is completely redesigned for use on the iPad, complete with gesture input and interaction.

Although my Google Nexus One no longer has issues finding a 3G signal, there’s still a bunch of device owners that are living on the EDGE. Literally. The phones are simply unable to see or maintain a speedy 3G connection, regardless of the hack used. I’ve been following along in the official Google Nexus One help forum since this issue surfaced and there’s some good news to be had. Ivar, a Google Employee posted this timely information:

“I wanted to post an update to the Nexus One Help Forum to let you know what we’ve been working on to help address the 3G issues some of you have been facing. I also wanted to thank you for being patient as we work to investigate the problem, an effort which has included our hardware partners. Our engineers have uncovered specific cases for which a software fix should improve connectivity to 3G for some users.  We are testing this fix now, initial results are positive, and if everything progresses as planned, we will provide an over-the-air software update to your phone in the next week or so.”

As previously suspected, there’s a software issue affecting the 3G radio signals in Google’s newest Android phone. Thanks to over-the-air update functionality, my hope is that all Nexus One owners receive the firmware fix before the end of next week. It’s simply crippling to a speedy device to be hobbled by a lowly EDGE connection. And I’m very curious what the 3G speeds will be like after the update, since T-Mobile claims to have upgraded their entire 3G network to the faster 7.2 Mbps flavor of HSPA. This software fix might further optimize the radio for faster throughput. I saw 2.1 Mbps down on my Nexus One when I landed in Philadelphia, but since then, I’ve only been able to manage roughly half of that speed.

A few months back, I gave up on posting all of the various Apple Tablet rumors. There were just too many and to be honest, I was simply tired — after all, these rumors have run rampant for years. Now that I’ve caught my breath and also because it’s a foregone conclusion that Apple will indeed announce a tablet device later today, I figured I’d gather my thoughts and put my odds-making skills to the test. Some of these are no-brainer, even-money “bets” but a there’s a few long shots in the mix.

The Apple Tablet will run on a new version iPhone OS (1 – 1) — If you were expecting a slate running the full Mac OS X desktop user interface, I think you’ll be disappointed. Apple has taken what they need for mobile devices from the OS X kernel and created the iPhone OS for that. Assuming the tablet isn’t geared primarily towards productivity, an upgraded iPhone environment is better suited to a slate. And this of course will allow for the existing software ecosystem to expand — perhaps with little to no modification by developers of iPhone apps.

The screen size will be 10″ with a resolution of 1280 x 800 (3 – 2) — Another relatively safe bet although the device could be slightly smaller, or even come in different sizes, with different price tags to match. There’s an off-chance that the tablet runs a lower resolution, but Apple prides itself on its display capabilities. On a 10″ device, this resolution will look fantastic and since I expect it geared towards content consumption, it’s all about the display.

Expect a price point around $700 with 3G contract (3 – 2) — I think Apple would be hard pressed to sell a device of this size and scope without some type of 3G radio. Wi-Fi is a given and will be used around the home. In fact, I think this device will be used more around the house then out and about — however, it will need 3G on the run. The price point fits a gap in Apple’s product line as well. This is a complementary product, not a replacement product.

AT&T will offer iPhone tethering for the new device only (15 – 1) — OK, this is a long shot, but I’m thinking that Apple could “pair” an unsubsidized slate tablet with the iPhone for 3G connectivity. Say $40 a month and Apple gets a cut of that data revenue stream. In this case, there could be a Wi-Fi-only slate that would appeal to iPhone customers and ensure that Apple has folks using two of their devices together.

Verizon will provide connectivity for the slate — and new iPhones (4 – 1) — This is more likely scenario than the iPhone tethering possibility. Apple is leaving money on the table here in the U.S. by not offering a CDMA iPhone. I still question the strategy of offering one, but it’s possible that summer sees an iPhone for Verizon that includes an LTE radio with 3G fallback. Same with the slate — if not the first version, then perhaps the second iteration.

The Apple Tablet will not offer handwriting recognition (5 – 1) — This will dismay many longtime Tablet PC owners, but Apple won’t tread the same path at Microsoft on this one. Input through touch, voice and gestures will be the primary methods because handwriting recognition takes good software (which Apple surely has), but more importantly — powerful hardware, i.e.: x86 architecture. That leads me to what’s inside the slate.

An ARM processor will power the tablet (3 – 2) – I mentioned before that the perfect storm is here for ARM computing in the mobile space. Apple will have designed their own chip with help from others (as well as their P.A. Semi team) and bypassed Intel for the tablet. I don’t see Apple porting the iPhone OS to x86 unless they have some virtual machine or other tech that will help support the existing iPhone apps. We could see a Cortex A9 dual-core CPU at 1.5 GHz or greater.

Battery life will be in the all-day range, depending on usage (5 – 2) — Having a lower powered ARM CPU can help, but I expect we’ll hear about some tweaked battery technology as well. You’ll be able to watch at least two full length movies if not three. Web surfing will be all day and audio listening will be in the 15 to 20 hour range if you turn the display off.

Gaming will be a huge play (4 – 1) — Nintendo and Sony should be worried after today. I anticipate the tablet to be heavily marketed as a portable gaming device as well as a media consumption slate. The display paired with connectivity and a solid CPU will take the gaming experience to a new level.

E-book content will be a key factor (3 – 2) — Although Steve Jobs previously felt that people don’t read anymore, there’s too much data to refute that thought. Apple wants a piece of the e-book and digital periodical pie, so there will be several content partners involved in today’s announcement.

You’ll be able to stream iTunes and AppleTV content to the slate, possibly from the cloud (8 – 1) — Another long shot, but I see this device as both a web tablet and a mobile media powerhouse. Anything that can extend the iTunes ecosystem is money in the bank for Apple, so this device should do just that.

Those are my basic thoughts on the device and of course, there are plenty of rumors to support — or refute — what I’ve outlined. So place your bets and leave your comments and thoughts. You have just a few short hours until the gate opens and the race begins!