Mobile Views and Reviews

why VLC for iPhone is pulled off from App Store

2011-01-10T00:44:00.000-08:00

With in three months after its release, VLC media player is pulled off from Appstore. Last night when I searched the news at various blogs, that was something new for me to know that VLC client duplicated a lot of functionality that was already in the native iPod app. The biggest reason might have been the duplication factor since Apple doesn’t usually like apps that duplicate the iPhone’s native features.

The biggest reason behind diversified use of VLC media player is that it can play any kind of formats and on the other hand, itunes does not support different video formats. Not only this, since VLC media player is a free and open source media therefore it was much more convenient than any other media player.

There were several reasons for pulling it back apparently which includes the media player was very buggy. Lots of users reported problems with playback and file format support. However, this is not the major reason.

Actually the issue as reported by a well known source is VLC was pulled based on licensing issues. As we reported, the VLC iPhone app was released back in October (the already-existing iPad app was made universal). For an app to be in Apple’s App Store, that app is under Apple’s DRM (Digital Rights Management) policy through the App Store and iTunes’ Terms and Conditions.

VLC is “open source” software, meaning that it is protected under the GNU General Public License (GLP). This license states that software must be freely distributed and can be collaboratively developed, which is the way that the VLC desktop client has operated for years.
Anyhow lets see how soon we will be able to get it back or a new alternate one on App Store.

Apple’s sales going to be increase by 5% this year

2011-01-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

Verizon Wireless, the top U.S. mobile provider, plans on Tuesday to unveil a version of the Apple Inc iPhone for its service and will kick off sales of the device a few weeks later that’s what reported by Wall Street Journal today.

According to WSJ, Verizon Wireless which is one of the largest mobile phone companies in US will sell 9 million to 12 million iphones in 2011. According to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray Cos. assumes that this will make a considerable difference in sales on Apple Inc’s and will boost it up to 5%.

The agreement between Verizon Wireless and Apple marks the end of AT&T's iPhone exclusivity. AT&T Inc, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service, has been the only operator to sell iPhone since it launched in 2007.

Since AT&T’s growth is heavily dependent on iphones sales past few years, the news however is quite upsetting for few users, as ne mentioned at WSJ, “I was forced by Apple to leave Verizon because Apple did their big business deal with ATT and ATT forced me to have a contract and renew every time I needed a new IPhone which was often for various reason like needing video capacity which the 3GS offered. I want Steve Jobs to reimburse me for what ATT will charge me to leave. I want Verizon because their service is better.”

However someone suggested “A key will be whether or not Verizon offers unlimited data. If not, grandfathered ATT users will be reluctant to give that up. I cannot imagine anyone staying with ATT if Verizon does offer unlimited data. ATT service is unusable in New York City”.

Anyhow, further details about the news and further analytics can be easily accessed by writing to Yukari Iwatani Kane

12 Android phones to come in 2011

2011-01-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

AT&T has announced its plan to release almost 20 Android based phones in mid of 2011. According to a recent press release issued at CES in Las Vegas, the president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, Ralph de la Vega, said the company will have at least 20 devices on the market by the end of the year that can utilize 4G speeds (both HSPA+ and LTE, with the former already deployed to “virtually 100% of network” and the latter due for completion in 2013).

Those devices include three Android( )-based smartphones: the Motorola Atrix 4G, HTC Inspire 4G and Samsung Infuse 4G (which is billed as the thinnest Android smartphone to date). The company also says two 4G-enabled tablets will hit the market in 2011, as well as modems and hotspot devices.

Seems like AT&T has big plans for 2011 and they have already created hype by introducing this extensive release of phones and 4G hype. Already tough time for the competitions.

Sony Ericsson to announce another Xperia product in MWC, 2011

2010-12-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

Sony Ericsson LiveView Firm Update is on its way

2010-12-22T22:25:00.000-08:00

Sony Ericsson LiveView which initially came up with a Bluetooth micro display as an innovative product, is underforming. The purpose of this remote display was to act as a conduit for Android Smartphones, enabling one to display incoming calls, send messages and checking twitter/Facebook messages majorly.

The idea was innovative and no doubt superb but would have been successful only in case the product works well. A lot of consumers reported seevral bugs in it, which were related to Bluetooth connectivity issues particularly when using the LiveView with non-Sony Ericsson devices.

Good news is , Sony Ericsson is going to roll out an update via its SE Update Service in January, 2011 that will fix most of the bugs in the existing firmware. Liveview is one such good device, but loosing its fame and functionality due to the issues in the hardware. Hopefully this update will become helpful for this device.

Meego Ignored, Nokia is in talks with Microsoft for Windows Phone devices

2010-12-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

This is not a rumor. The news initially emerged from "Mobile-Review.com" that Nokia is in talks with Microsoft to provide Nokia branded phones running Microsoft software. Seems like the new management of Nokia is probably very satisfied and personally like windows OS where most of the mobile users are already showing their association and convenience towards Android based phones. I think this technology exchange will not be very helpful for them.

Forget me, lets see different user’s review – people are actually not very happy with this exchange. Ideally Nokia should have considered the sales figure of already launched Microsoft windows based phones, the flat graph shows customers have much better options to buy. But interestingly, a windows based phone lover commented on it saying “Initially Android’s sales were also low, and they started rising after a span” Nice justification, but I must say there was a reason for growth. Though Android was launched in few countries and they have only one phone, but seems like 2011 will be the year of their growth. But its too early to conclude.

Interesting past is how Nokia forgot Meego. Initially, they were focusing on it and bringing it as a direct competition to Android, but became victims of delays and rumors might be management too. I loved the remarks of Lucian on unwired who concluded Meego as “I doubt Nokia will actively promote Meego to other phone manufacturers the way Google and Microsoft did it, because Nokia has a conflict of interest. They want the whole OS to be their "competitive advantage" (which as I mentioned is a mistake). And even though they want the OS to be their competitive advantage, they are willing to use an OS (WP7) which gives them NO competitive advantage. How confusing no? I bet that's the state of their long term strategies, too – confusion”

Nokia C3 - Only for Status Updaters ?

2010-12-20T22:52:00.000-08:00

Actually No, the Qwerty based slick and smart phone is no doubt very good for texting and updating statuses for Facebook freaks and tweeples but it got some other cool features as well. Being user of this phone, i would love to list some good things about this phone, which is

1. A user-friendly Qwerty based text pad,
2. Social Network Integration
3. The most effecient battery time i have ever used
4. Really cool and perfect multimedia options
5. and above all very reasonable and affordable Price :)

Few odds about this phone are

1. 2.0 mega pixel camera is not smart enough
2. No Mark All and Mark several option in Texts, which is actually annoying
3. Problems in updating or installing 3rd party applications
4. Does not have 3g :)

But since the phone is meant for heavy text users and those who update their statuses very frequently, so the "Odds" are genuinely bearable :) Grab it and enjoy - Recommended!

Amazing View of Nokia 3120 classic taken from SEk790i

2009-12-19T08:21:00.003-08:00

Blackphobia, Why always Black handsets ?

2009-12-19T05:07:00.000-08:00

iPhone 3G S - S for speed

2009-06-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

Apple Company has announced a newest version of the iPhone: the iPhone 3G S. The ‘S’ stands for Speed, with Apple claiming that the new iPhone 3GS is the fastest, most powerful iPhone. New iPhone 3GS is built to run data-intensive applications much faster. It can also record video.

Apple’s new iPhone 3GS has a new processor built-in. Apple claims that it is up to 2 times faster than the previous iPhone version. Loading messages is 2.1 faster, load the NY Times in Safari: 2.9 times faster. It also consumes less battery charge, which has an impact on the improved battery life. Although it looks almost exactly like the 3G, it’s much, much faster — few tasks are almost four times faster.

The phone can record video in VGA format at 30 frames per second. That’s equal speed as compare with some video cameras, but not quite high-definition video. New camera comes with auto focus, auto exposure, and auto white balance.

Never Miss a Shot-Sony Ericsson K800i

2009-06-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

The most Stylish phone:Nokia 6600 slide

2009-06-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

Now seriously, i found Nokia 6600 slide the most stylish of all the phones i have ever seen. A sophisticated slider phone, which is available in only Black skin color. On the front there is a wide 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches TFT, 16M colors display and just under that there is a D-pad and four buttons, and when slider is opened there is a nice set of keypad, which will surely be helpful while messaging. On the top front there is a ear piece and a video call camera. On the back 6600 slide is equipped with 3.15 mega pixel camera with auto focus and LED flash. Nokia 6600 Slide’s measurements are 90 x 45 x 14 mm, 52 cc and weights around 110 g, which means it can easily fit in your jeans pocket. For further specifications and details, visit GSM Arena. Abbu has recently bought it in Rs 22,200 from a local market. I think it is not much expensive as compared to other Sony Ericsson and LG phones. Buy it and explore it – and have fun :)

New Palm Pre and how it will make difference?

2009-06-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

FastLaneJB is of the view that "this is no different to Google as well. Personally I'm of the opinion that Americans don't care about the camera / video recording as much as Europe / Asia. Apple, Google and Palm are all US based companies and all didn't put too much effort into the camera side of things at a guess because their home market doesn't demand it.

Take video recording for example. Google's added it, Apple is going to add it and Palm have said they will add it as well but none of them deemed it important enough that it needs to be there for rev 1.0 of their OS. And to be fair they'd mostly be right as they can sell well enough without it.

I dont know about the Pre but the iPhone costs roughly $100 in BOMs to make. So if you add $2 say extra onto that but still sell the device for the same price then over sales of 1 million devices you make $2 million less dollars in profit. So a few dollars on production extra is a big deal.

Ignoring the iPhone the Android G1 and I think the Palm Pre are both capable of video. Android added it in 1.5 and Palm have said it would could at a later date. I think it's not so much the hardware but programming the software to do this is quite a lot of work.

So when starting with a phone OS from scratch it's just not seen as important enough for the effort involved to make these 1.0 releases."

Nokia N79 Versus Nokia N82 - Who is the winner ?

2009-06-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

Found out a little argument session at GSMArena today where people are discussing the difference between Nokia N79 and Nokia N82. helpplz2oo9 a Phone Enthusiast thinks that N82 is the clear winner, while the N79 is having a significant distant 2nd place but in the end he says it might just his opinion. Then ClonMult the moderator stated "But there is also the practical element of almost being unable to get hold of a new N82 - the Nokia UK shop doesn't list them as available any longer. I'll have to pick one up from the local electronics exchange store - ie. 2nd hand".

Concluding it, Shaun3230 stated N82, overall and argubly camera. you do not need an 8mp unit. And the N82`s cam is real great coupled with one of the best flash to be paired on a phone. Thanks to GsmArena for providing a forum where people can discuss real views and reviews of different phones.

Camera Quality of Nokia 6300 and my Dining Table

2009-06-01T06:30:00.001-07:00

Check out the camera quality of Nokia 6300 at Dining Table. I tried my level best to capture the original colors of salad but could not make it perfectly possible. Anyways here is the few collection:

Why i am out of Mobile Reviews these days ?

2009-05-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

The reason why i am not reviewing mobiles and gadgets from past few weeks is that i am out of time and mind too :$. I was busy in studies, exams, prsentations and projects and had a very hectic routine. Although i came across many handsets and very different user opionion about few famous handsets, unfortunately i could not post them on MobilenReviews. I hope something interested will soon be here. Wish me luck and keep reading stuff here -

Have a Great Summer and Enjoy the Mangoes!!

Should i go for Nokia 7610 Supernova?

2009-05-18T04:40:00.000-07:00

The other day i was viewing user comments of Nokia 7610 supernova, many people are not happy with the phone reason being the touch feature usually get stuck while dialing or doing texting. However, the overall design of this phone is too classic and is too appropriate for a common user specially girls.

Check out some user reviews at GSM ARENA. I will soon review this phone and will give my personal opinion.

Nokia 3120 Classic - A Mobile with Style!!

2009-05-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

I already recommended this phone as a perfect gift to present someone whom you really care and love a lot. To be very honest, this phone is a good combination of Nokia 6233 and Nokia 6300 . Price of both these handsets is almost the same. Nokia 3120 classic basically has all the missing featuires of both these phones individually and collectively, with improved battery, camera and flash. Thanks to Nokia for another great product.

Nokia 6300 with a battery solution ?

2009-05-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

Nokia has been pioneer in providing the most user-friendly handsets so far that even looks great. Hira my sister had this phone last year – Today I decided to write her personal opinion about this cell phone.

She is an M.B.B.S student , and always saw her taking snaps of the environment around her – Before asking her the reason , I thought may be its her hobby but when she told me that she is collecting these pictures for the research for her Community Medicine subject. I was surprised to know how the advancements in today’s technology can really help a MBBS student as well.

Besides collecting pictures, other advantages include a slim candy bar build and solid design. At just 91g it is as close to a featherweight as you’ll get for a phone with so much metal in its casing. A good proportion of the front fascia and the back battery cover are made of cold silver metal. The front buttons are silver plastic, while the upper third of the back of the casing, screen surround and shortcut buttons are black plastic, the latter punctuated by a silver navigation key. The color scheme and use of metal lend an air of sophistication to what is essentially a low cost, mid range handset.

It is 106.4 mm tall, 43.6 mm wide and 11.7 mm thick. That doesn’t quite match the W800i’s ‘Size Zero’ 103 x 47 x 9.4mm but it gets close enough for me, and very importantly, this phone beats the W880i hands down on the all important factor of usability.
The 6300’s main keys are sizeable and clearly marked, making fast texting unproblematic. The Nokia selection keys and Call and End keys are well spaced, and the navigation pad and its central select button are large.

The major disadvantage of the phone includes no UTMS support, and low battery. It is prone to fingerprints and it always takes the portrait orientation of images taken with the camera. Videos can only be taken at QCIF (176 x 144 pixels) resolution only. Side keys are difficult to press although the keypad of the phone itself is very convenient. Last, there is no infra red port.

Nokia 6300 has a memory card slot located under the rear plate, on the left – a happy solution allowing memory card changing without switching off the device. The slot is for microSD cards; one such of 128 MB capacity is directly available with the purchase of the phone, whose internal memory is otherwise rather limited (approximately 7.5 MB).

Story of my very own SE k510i

2009-05-08T02:05:00.000-07:00

Its been 2.5 months, I am still using Sony Ericsson K510i and now getting bore with it. Apart from the fact that I am getting impressed by the lavish phones in the market day by day, it seems like my best buddy is soon going to expire.

I realized that the phone memory is now not enough for me, and there is no external slot for memory card. So I am facing some real big issues with the memory. For example I cannot add my favorite videos. Images, songs, and cannot keep more than 150 sms in phones memory. Then, the picture quality is day by day getting poorer and poorer but I think that is because of the dust over camera lens. Another drawback, I cannot tune FM on my way back to home from office and that’s the only time I really feel the need of listening something soothing.

Appearance!! mmm ... I will not blame my SE here. I think its me who really misused it. Otherwise it was one of the stylish phones of SE family at that time. There are scratches over the body and therefore it is loosing its original color now. I will soon add recent photos of this phone.

I am thinking and thinking, but still have not decide which phone to buy. I think I should change my cell phone immediately.