handset

Google: Android still on track for 2008 debut

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:59:23 -0400

Google maintains the first Android OS-powered handsets will hit the market before the end of 2008, publicly refuting reports to the contrary. Last week TheStreet.com, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that internal delays would force Google to keep a lid on Android until 2009. However, a spokesperson with the Web giant contradicted the report, saying "We're still on track to announce Android-powered phones this year. Some of our partners are publicly stating that they plan to ship Android phones in the fourth quarter."
In the meantime, a few more Android details emerged at the tail end of Google's recent I/O 2008 conference: According to ZDNet, an Android fireside chat revealed that the operating system's open-source status will afford operators the latitude to disable applications as they see fit, promising significant differentiation from one Android handset to the next. Also, as expected, there may be an integrated applications/content purchasing system built into Android. In addition, Google said it will not inaugurate its next Developer Challenge until after the first Android devices are on the market.

For more on the latest Android news:
- read this ZDNet article

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"True BREW Testing": Advice and Tips for Creating a Successful App

Fri, 30 May 2008 17:24:01 -0400

The application testing and review process that is used to approve BREW applications for distribution to customers is well known for its rigorous requirements.

Operators know that an application that successfully makes its way through the certification process will perform well and will download over-the-air to the device as it should. It will not interfere with a handset's voice services, disrupt the handset's hardware or firmware, or cause problems to the network. And the application will be digitally signed by an approved developer, which ensures that it is an authentic BREW product.

The process, called "True BREW Certification," has been in place since the inception of BREW in 2001, when it was used to evaluate the applications that ran on the first BREW-enabled handset. Since those initial implementations, thousands of applications have been introduced by more than 80 developers, whose products are offered on devices from 45 manufacturers for use on 60 operator networks. Today, True BREW testing must meet those volumes and it must consider, as well, how applications use newer technologies and features now popular on mobile phones, such as Bluetooth, streaming media and GPS-enabled location-based services, and how the software interacts with the network or a content provider's server.

Despite the market growth and some increasingly sophisticated tests, the True BREW testing process itself and the basic testing criteria haven't changed much over the years, says Kathy Braegger, head of developer relations at Qualcomm Internet Services.

"But obviously, the more complex and rich the applications are becoming, the more we have to test for," she said. "Always the goal is making sure that the end user has a good, quality experience with that application. That's huge for BREW."

All applications are tested on actual handsets in San Diego by a Intertek NSTL, which has been the sole vendor providing True BREW testing services since the 2001 BREW launch. Several testing levels are offered, depending on the intended use of an application. The levels include a "full test" of all True BREW test procedures that is used for every application; approaches to extend a full test of a single application to multiple handset platforms to eliminate redundant tests (which can eliminate up to one-third of the tests needed after the first full test); and self-testing, in which qualified developers evaluate their own applications according to True BREW test criteria, prior to submission, to streamline the certification process. Self-tested applications are subject to spot-testing process to ensure they comply with True BREW performance and quality standards.

"Self-certification is much more prevalent today than it has been ever before, because as the test plan gets known and developers get their own processes down for quality assurance testing, they're able to satisfy the requirements," said Brent Melson, vice president of technology for Intertek NSTL (National Software Testing Labs).

Wherever possible, QIS has also built efficiencies into the certification process to help meet increasing certification demands, Braegger said. For example, it has created a way to identification device families, such as the Motorola RAZR, which have similar screen sizes, keypads, or other features that can benefit from a multiple platform testing strategy. It has also eliminated the need for re-testing of specific software components, such as the proprietary BREW module information file (MIF) that every BREW application must have, when a particular application is tested for multiple devices.

Aaron Rosenzweig, an Intertek NSTL project manager who oversees True BREW testing at the company's San Diego labs, said that the vast majority of the tests, around 80-85%, are conducted to evaluate the interactions between the application, the handset and the software that is installed on the device by the manufacturer.

According to Rosenzweig, some of the most severe problems are those that affect the handset power cycle, for example when a key press shuts off the phone off or causes it to freeze up. Other failures might stem from faulty functionality of the application, as when a ring tone, once purchased, won't run on the handset, or when the use of an application prevents the use of voice calls or text messages.

The certification is not intended to make sure a BREW application is likeable or even useful. Nor is it a guarantee that operators will adopt an application. Ideally, a developer would have a distribution agreement and pricing plan negotiated with an operator before submitting an application for True BREW testing, which must be paid for by the developer.

The testing process is also more extensive and lengthier than the testing regimens used by the Symbian Signed, Windows Mobile Mobile2Market, and Java Verified certification programs, according to Intertek NSTL, which provides testing services for all of these. Braegger, of QIS, said that an application that passes through True BREW testing without any failures can be certified in a day if it is prioritized for an operator. Otherwise, a developer should expect it to take about 4-6 days.

Ultimately, an application's potential to attract the interest and commitment from an operator will depend on the product's basic market potential. GlobalLogic, a software engineering company that creates applications and conducts QA testing for BREW developers, also offers usability testing to make sure its customers' applications will be liked and used by consumers.

"It's one thing for an application to pass certain tests that are driven by True BREW certification [and other] testing requirements," said Chet Kolley, an area vice president at GlobalLogic. "It's another thing for the application to work well and look good for the consumer," he said.

The most important test case to keep in mind, in other words, is how a customer will use the application on their phone.

True BREW Testing Goals, Priorities, and Responsibilities
Tests	Severity Level	Responsibility
Application does not disrupt network, shared resources, or other subscribers	1	True BREW Testing and Developer
Application does not disrupt handset hardware and firmware	2	True BREW Testing and Developer
Application does not interfere with OEM phone functioning	3	True BREW Testing and Developer
Application is stable and basic functions are present	4	True BREW Testing and Developer
Phone meets functional requirements, including displays, data entry, and control	5	True BREW Testing and Developer
Application is useful, appealing, popular, meets business goals	6	Developer

Source: Qualcomm Internet Services

QUICKLINKS: Sprint to debut Samsung Instinct June 20; Dior follows in Prada's footsteps with fashion phone;

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Sprint to debut Samsung Instinct June 20.

Dior follows in Prada's footsteps with fashion phone.

Videocon woos Motorola's handset biz.

Call Genie, vlingo team on multimodal mobile search.

Tira Wireless debuts handset database

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Mobile technology and services provider Tira Wireless announced the launch of Tira modd, an open handset database promising developers and publishers information on more than 17,000 unique device/operator combinations from over 1,200 device models offered by 54 manufacturers. According to Tira, the database platform combines automated tools and processes to acquire, characterize and share mobile device data from across the globe--a dedicated device team will profile new devices and validate device characteristics acquired from multiple sources including manufacturers, operators and the development community. The firm adds Tira modd represents the culmination of over six years of research and development, highlighted by experience porting over 500 mobile apps to create in excess of 30,000 unique builds.

Tira modd is available in three versions: The Standard Edition is available as a downloadable client for Windows PCs, with advanced query and data export capabilities; the Enterprise Edition is an open API offered as a web service for developers seeking to integrate the database into their applications, with an OEM option for customers that want to resell the data; and the Go Mobile Edition is a web-based version, freely available to members of the Tira Go Mobile Community.

For more on Tira modd:
-read this release

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Nokia launches Mobile Games Innovation Challenge

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Nokia launched its worldwide Mobile Games Innovation Challenge, a global competition encouraging development of new game concepts that exploit the features and functionalities of the handset giant's N-Gage-compatible devices as well as its Java-and Symbian-based Series 40 or S60 devices. According to Nokia, the three most innovative game concepts will receive Nokia Publishing pre-production contract offers, with the first-place winner also awarded $40,000, second place earning $20,000 and third place given $10,000 to further develop the concept. Entries will be judged by an external panel of mobile gaming experts based on criteria including innovation, fun, feasibility of execution, and market potential--Nokia encourages contestants to enter more than one mobile game concept, and will accept submissions here through August 20, 2008. Winners will be announced at the Nokia Games Summit, taking place in Rome in October.

For more on the Mobile Games Innovation Challenge:
-read this release

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Opera Mini 4.1 mobile web browser debuts

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Web browser development firm Opera Software released the beta preview of its Opera Mini 4.1 mobile web browser, promising a more interactive browsing experience on both the handset and the Internet. According to Opera, the newest Mini is up to 50 percent faster than Opera Mini 4, with new features including automatic URL completion suggestions, the ability to save web pages for subsequent offline viewing, in-page content searching, and file download and upload. Opera Mini is now available to download for beta testing.

For more on Opera Mini 4:
-read this release

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QUICKLINKS: CTIA Wireless 2008 Smartphone Summit; Sony Ericsson launches first U.S. HSDPA phone;

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:59:55 -0400

CTIA Wireless 2008 Smartphone Summit. FierceWireless

Sony Ericsson launches first U.S. HSDPA phone. FierceWireless

Videocon to bid for Motorola's handset biz. FierceWireless

Kyocera goes GSM. FierceWireless

QUICKLINKS: Finding the smartphone sweet spot; entertainment tops Handango Yardstick;

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:59:55 -0400

> Finding the smartphone sweet spot. FierceWireless

> Entertainment tops Handango Yardstick. FierceMobileContent

> Sprint launches EV-DO Rev. A handset. FierceWireless

> Samsung, Adidas unveil fitness phone. FierceWireless

> eMobiStudio software update promises to boost smartphone memory. Article

Just how far will Nokia's transformation go?

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Faced with intense competition from Apple--and with Google on the horizon--Nokia expanded far beyond its core device business last year, introducing new web, music and gaming services in concert with new handsets. "We are constantly thinking beyond the phone," said Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo in summer 2007. "Devices alone are no longer enough." But as the company continues its metamorphosis from manufacturer to service provider, it threatens to irreparably damage its relationships with network operators. Realistically speaking, how much further can Nokia go? Already Orange UK griped in a leaked memo that the combination of the Nokia Music Store link and Orange's own branded music service on the same handset could confuse its subscribers, prompting a threatened boycott of Nokia's new N81 device. Don't expect rival operators to keep their mouths shut much longer.

Nokia to reintroduce N-Gage this week

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Nokia will officially relaunch its N-Gage mobile gaming platform this week, according to a post on the handset giant's official N-Gage blog. According to Nokia, consumers with N81 and N81 8GB devices will have "exclusive access to the pre-release version of the N-Gage application and one or more N-Gage games." In addition, Nokia will debut an N-Gage First Access forum to solicit user feedback and recommendations. In related news, Nokia Games Publishing will launch on N-Gage a virtual pet application titled Creebies, enabling users to customize, nurture and accessorize 3D pets that grow and mature over time. Each Creebi may also interact with others via Bluetooth. Nokia will also premiere Dirk Spanner and the Fallen Idol, an N-Gage title inspired by classic film noir.

For more on Nokia's N-Gage relaunch:
-read this blog entry

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