Android needs to target lower-end mobile devices, according to Broadcom

Broadcom is one of those companies that’s so big it’s slightly unnerving. Its “stand” at Mobile World Congress was more like a small village, and the mere 25 minutes I had to talk to Michael Civiello, Senior Director of Marketing at the Mobile Comms Business Unit wasn’t barely enough time to cover what the company actually does. But those 25 mins raised some very interesting bits of information - including the central position that Broadcom has carved itself in mobile phone manufacturing, and its opinion on what Android isn’t doing quite right.

The open application store industry is where iPhone will see competition. PocketGear has bought out Handango

Mobile applications are often the subject of some seriously ostentatious advertising and promotion. Apple regularly quotes its most recent “billion” landmark, and the Wholesale Application Community announcement at MWC last week was the very definition of grandstanding. But in the older market of platform agnostic app stores, things are quickly getting very interesting. Todays announcement that PocketGear has bought out competitor Handango is only the most recent of several interesting developments.

Nokia reinvents NFC with Explore and Share mobile content service

Here’s a quickie on a “new” service from Nokia that it has released an official video for today. Explore and Share is a way for people who buy their phones in a Nokia retail store to get content from the Ovi store onto their phones incredibly quickly.

Consumers don’t really use Blackberry apps - so here come Super Apps for businessmen

I’ve always been a bit wary of applications on the Blackberry. It’s not that I don’t think RIM is up to scratch, it’s that apps aren’t really what the Blackberry is for. It’s the premier business mobile in the world, and the flash-bang of the iPhone app store doesn’t really belong there. And it would seem that RIM is thinking along the same lines, as I spoke to Mike Kirkup, RIM Director of Developer Relations, about its philosophy of app development surrounding the Super App.

Finally getting to play with Swype, and loving it: mobile text input evolves

I finally got to play with Swype this week at the Mobile Focus event in Barcelona. This is an application that GoMo News has been following for months. If you’ve got a touchscreen phone then you’ll probably be using it soon enough. I’m serious - this app is so good, you won’t be able to avoid it.

You know what? Novarra’s “OneWeb” mobile app program is actually pretty good.

How many times have you heard “develop once, publish anywhere”? It’s a phrase that actually makes me stop listening these days. It has been promised so many times by so many different companies that it has lost all meaning. So when OneWeb came up in my interview with Randy Cavaiani, VP Marketing for Novarra, I almost shook my head in despair. But as I talked to Randy, I realised that Novarra might actually be on to something here. Might be.

#MWC Nokia N900 chat with Peter Schneider

I was lucky enough to get some of Peter Schneider (the in house Nokia N900/Maemo guru) time during Mobile World Congress this week and he told me a little about the Ovi Store. I was very impressed with the fact that they are so intent on adding content to it they waived the token $50 fee. I find this a nice step in the right direction and a gesture signaling that Nokia is ready to have the N900 stores shelves stocked.

#MWC We get a free Nexus from Google

Google pulled one of the best tricks in the book.

Nokia is dropping the price for developers who make mobile apps for Maemo

I was lucky enough to get some time during MWC with Peter Schneider (the in house Nokia N900/Maemo guru) this week and he told me a little about new moves for Maemo developers on the Ovi Store. I was very impressed with the fact that they are so intent on adding content to it they waived the token $50 fee. I find this a nice step in the right direction and a gesture signaling that Nokia is ready to have the N900 stores shelves stocked. See a short video interview below:

Free Nexus One? Google pulls one of the best tricks in the book

Yesterday Google was running a program where if you came and sat in the audience to listen to a presentation about creating apps for the Android platform, you would get to leave with a brand new Google Nexus One. Hundreds (if not thousands) of journalists, exhibitors, booth girls, PR agents, etc., etc. thought they would take advantage of Google and get in on this to pick up a free Nexus One. Wow, well aren’t we smart, taking advantage of Google like that.

DeviceAnywhere taps into Latin America

Rating: 3G networks making virtual Lab viable

It seems that remote testing specialist, DeviceAnywhere has spotted the opportunity that Latin America offers as one of the world’s largest cellular markets. Hence it has partnered with local specialist, Certified, to offer its Virtual Developer Lab (VDL) through Vivo.

#MWC Nokia Money review with Waltteri Karhusaari

Nokia Money is one of the most interesting services I saw during day 2 of Mobile World Congress. It truly gives all kinds of control to the consumer in ways they may have never thought possible. In many emerging markets people will never have their own bank account or credit card or debit card. Nokia Money gives them the opportunity to do what was once impossible for them by enabling them to transfer money from person to person and from person to company using technology instead of actually handing cash back and forth. This saves them time and money plus enables them in ways never thought possible.

NFC still lacks real impetus

Rating: 4 out of 5. Must try harder

As a mobile barcode bashing technology, NFC really has to try harder. It did get a bit of a fillip from the GSMA’s support at MWC 2010. What NFC needs is more NFC enabled handsets and the right focus on markets which actually need NFC.
This year saw the first ever SIM-based NFC payments pilot at a Mobile World Congress. The list of backers was relatively impressive.

Windows Phone puts spotlight on Flash support

Rating: Microsoft can’t do it but we can

The decision to leave support for Adobe’s Flash out of Windows Phone 7 caused a big stir at MWC 2010. Which is why other players such as ST-Ericsson, Marvell and the Limo Foundation are trumpeting their ability to support Flash.

4 Chinese handset vendors develop taste for JIL

Rating: Connection with Wholesale Applications Community likely

Four Chinese handset manufacturers suddenly get excited about JIL (Joint Innovation Lab) compatibility. Could this have something to do with the earlier announcement that the Wholesale Applications Community is going to be heavily biased towards JIL and OMTP BONDI? Probably.

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