Category Archives: webOS
Tizen mobile OS 101: Understanding Tizen’s origins
Rating: Yet another mobile OS – this one backed by Samsung and intel
Whilst Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS continue to dominate the mobile OS scene, there are still a number of alternatives vying for attention in the mobile sector. One of these is Tizen which – like Google’s Chrome and H-P’s webOS all use Webkit and a Linux kernel. By contrast, Mozilla’s Firefox (see here) has its own runtime environment in terms of Geko not Webkit. Where has Tizen sprung from? Well it’s really a joint effort by Intel and Samsung which spearhead the Technical Steering Group (TSG) which leads the Tizen Project. To give Tizen a bit of marketing clout there is also a Tizen Association which can be found here. Continue reading
Time is running out for Ubuntu/Android project
Rating: NexPhone just needs $946,500 before mid-Nov
When Canonical first launched Ubuntu for Android at the MWC show back in February [2012], GoMobile News was quite intrigued. The idea of capitalising on the fact that the latest smartphones have dual core processors in order to run two different OS simultaneously was impressive. Of course, it is possible to run two different mobile OS on the same device – which is amply illustrated by HP’s TouchPad tablet. We run both the original OS – webOS, along with a version of Android from Cyanogenmod on our TouchPad. But not both simultaneously. With Unbuntu for Android, you can run a desktop OS (Ubuntu) and a mobile OS – Android, at the same time. The catch? As far as we can tell, the software isn’t user installable despite being Open Source based. So we’ve been waiting for a device manufacturer to implement it and that seems to be on the cards with the NexPhone from NexCrea. Continue reading
Adding Google apps to Android on the H-P TouchPad
Rating: You end up with access to Google Play
Regular readers may recall that GoMobile News finally bit the bullet and installed a version of Android (4.0/Ice Cream Sandwich) on our HP TouchPad tablet here. Given H-P’s current woes, Android is obviously the future for H-P tablets. Anyway, for copyright reasons, GoMobile News didn’t install the full set of Google apps because legally it isn’t permitted. See our previous story here. Continue reading
GoMobile News finally puts Android onto its HP TouchPad
Rating: Dual boot facility courtesy of CyanogenMod 9
Being something of purists, here at GoMobile Towers we were extremely reluctant to defile our HP TouchPad by taking off its native webOS. However, unimpressed with the apps available for this superb tablet, especially when we learnt the dual boot option was working extremely well. So it was off to our good friends webOS Nation for some really simple advice on how to perform this upgrade. We regret not having dug out the totally unofficial Google apps whilst we were about it. Anyway, we can confirm that Android 4.0 (Gingerbread) works really well on the TouchPad. Continue reading
Smartphones drive rapid increase in mobile trading says City Index
Rating: 20 per cent of trades are now mobile says Joshua Raymond
Along with using mobile phones to bet on horse racing, another early established use for the mobile web was to use smartphones to bet on stocks and shares. And over here in Blighty (the UK), the handset which helped build this market was RIM’s BlackBerry. How things have changed it seems. Writing for the City A.M. newspaper, Joshua Raymond, chief market strategist with City Index, outlines how things have changed radically in terms of using smartphones to make trades on the stock markets. For example, Raymond reveals that,”Three years ago, the average volume of trades we [City Index] took from clients via their mobile device was just 2 per cent, while less than one in ten clients actually used their mobile devices to trade. Today, that figure is much higher and the iPhone appears to be responsible for a radical rise in usage. Continue reading
Manufacturers of Android phones continue to compromise users’ security
Rating: So says MWR InfoSecurity in light of MWC 2012
According to MWR InfoSecurity, a UK based IT security consultancy, users of mobile phones are still being put at considerable security risk because manufacturers of Android devices are not doing enough to safeguard users security worldwide. “Android mobiles are being compromised daily exposing users to a real security risk,” said Ian Shaw, md with MWR InfoSecurity. He warns users to beware because manufacturers that they are just not doing enough. Shaw continued, “Manufacturers of Android mobile phones will once again be launching their latest models and as before, we will be warning users and manufacturers at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that not enough is being done to safeguard user information.,” Shaw says. The increasing lack of security controls on the phones are exposing users to fraud and other criminal activity, the company maintains. Continue reading
Skyfire targets Europe with data optimisation
Rating: Company’s browser is an accidental iOS app hit
Chatting to the CEO of Skyfire, Jeff Glueck, yesterday, GoMo News suddenly appreciated why around 12 million people have downloaded the company’s browser for iOS and Android. The split is roughly 7 million Android users and 5 million iOS users. The browser’s chief capability is to be able to convert video formats on the fly. So if a web site is utilising Adobe Flash, then the data will be converted to HTML 5. “It enables iOS device owners to unlock the potential of the full Internet rather than rely on Apple-friendly sites,” Glueck explained. Amazingly, Glueck was almost dismissive of the million of dollars these apps rake in per annum. Why? Because his company’s main focus is on helping out operators and the move into Europe (via a UK office) is to promote SkyFire’s on-the-fly video data compression offering. However, he did also mention that an add-on for an Android browser will present one US based operator with opportunities to advertise to its own customers. Glueck described it as an antidote to the demise of the operator portal – which quite frankly hardly anyone ever visits these days. Continue reading
HP updates webOS for Pre smartphones and Touchpads
Rating: Pre users get 2.2.4 and Touchpads get 3.0.5
Last Thursday [12tth January 2012], HP released new versions of its webOS. Owners of Pre 2 and Pre 3 smartphones should receive OTA (over-the-air) notification of the free update to version 2.2.4, whilst TouchPad tablet owners will be notified of the availability of version 3.0.5 as a download. Continue reading
RIM probably isn’t trying to license BB10 – only its protocols
Rating: We also like the rumour about only one BB10 handset
BlackBerry maker, Research In Motion (RIM), continues to make the headlines. This time it centres on BB10 [BlackBerry 10 OS – formerly known as BBX]. In a Jeffries & Co research note co-written by analyst, Peter Misek, it seems to suggest that RIM is contemplating licensing its OS to the leading mobile phone vendors. GoMo News humbly suggests that other industry observers have got the wrong end of the stick and that RIM is actually considering licensing parts of its software. What used to be called the protocols. We also like the suggestion made in the Boy Genius Report blog here that RIM has decided to concentrate on making just the one BB10 handset aka Apple with its iPhones. Continue reading
You can access Hotmail on a webOS device
Rating: Actually it’s quite easy once you know how
Although this advice was tested out on an HP TouchPad, we’ve got no reason to believe that it might not also work on an HP Pre 3 smartphone. GoMo News was astonished to discover that despite the close relationship between HP and Microsoft, the latter hasn’t bothered to introduce direct support for Hotmail/Windows Live Messenger (WLM) for the webOS platform. The problem appears to be that the WLM doesn’t recognise the webOS browser. We’ve also discovered that it is feasible to access your Hotmail messages via the native webOS client which also downloads your WLM contacts, too. Continue reading
Picsel makes office suite for HP Pre available
Rating: webOS version of SmartOffice – shame it don’t support rtf
Over the weekend, GoMo News received a mailshot from Scottish mobile app specialist, Picsel. It explained that its office suite for webOS was now available via the HP App Catalog online store for those with webOS based devices and in particular the Pre3 handset. This might sound unimportant given that webOS devices come with Quickoffice. However, as Picsel says, its SmartOffice for Pre on webOS is able to view and share but also edit Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents. The key word here is ‘edit’ because otherwise those with webOS devices – such as our HP TouchPad tablet – have to convert most common format documents in order to edit the. Which is a pain. But the biggest pain, however, is for some peculiar reason the .rtf (rich text format) still isn’t supported by an webOS office suite Continue reading
How to install Kindle on a UK TouchPad
Rating: Beating the non-US block on a webOS device
It’s just like Google’s Music beta service which the search engine company is determined to restrict to US citizens only. For some reason Amazon in its infinite wisdom has decided not to allow non-US citizens to use the Kindle app on webOS devices. This seems to be despite the fact that the iOS and Android versions of the Kindle app are global. So GoMo News had to search for a way to beat this blocker. And thanks to a posting on Amazon’s own Kindle forum here, we’ve discovered a solution. This solution will cover installing other webOS apps which for some reason aren’t available via the HP App Catalog. It assumes you’re using a Windows based PC to install apps onto a webOS device. Continue reading
Your chance to nab a cheap Mango phone in 3 days
Rating: Just get onto the Dell Swarm in time
Following our prediction that the Windows Phone Mango update (7.5) should be available any time now given that the real thing is as already shipping in Japan and Taiwanese WP7 owners apparently already have it, GoMo News has hit upon a great way to get a cheap Mango phone. We’ve already been contacted by one reader who swears he’s actually got the update (as opposed to a new handset with Mango). Look for Jimmy’s comment against this story (here). Well, taking a cue from Jimmy, GoMo News was trying to figure out the best way of obtaining WP7.5 at minimal cost. And the answer appears to be Dell Swarm. Continue reading
HP TouchPad refund scheme will upset its employees
Rating: Newly announced refund scheme doesn’t apply to them
Under the heading of ‘HP webOs devices – At HP we always think about you!’, HP has launched a refund programme for those who bought either a TouchPad tablet or a Pre3 smartphone at full price. The company intends to refund the difference between whatever price the customer paid and the fire-sale prices at which both products were sold off. The offer applies to the UK; Ireland; France and Germany. The offer does not, however, apply to HP employees. There are a couple of catches, however. For starters you can’t just rush out and buy such products now because the offer only applies to those who managed to register their webOS device online before August 23rd [2011]. So there’s no point in tearing out to buy a 32 GB TouchPad for £249 from PC World right now and trying to claim the refund. Incidentally, which lucky blighters managed to buy a Pre3 for £69 as the refund page implies? Continue reading
Mobile OS acquistion speculation grows
Rating: Who will buy webOS? BlackBerry? QNX? Symbian?
A very popular game at the moment is who might buy one of the failing mobile OS? Prime candidates for a sale at the moment are the ex-Palm OS – webOS – which HP doesn’t seem to want any more. Then there’s the BlackBerry OS which could come with QNX if you decided to buy Research In Motion (RIM) itself. Alternatively there could be Symbian but GoMo News believes it is too strategic to Nokia even now to sell off to a Japanese handset manufacturer who still uses it. There’s also a strong temptation to think purely in terms of the number of apps in a mobile OS’ online app store. Other considerations might prevail – such as acquiring an OS purely for its patents or to take just one advanced aspect of the OS and build it into an existing OS. Continue reading
