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  • Google Local For Mobile: Not Just The USA

    Google Local For Mobile: Not Just The USAFor those who have better thing to do with their lives than fanatically watch every twist and turn of online technology, or if you’re living outside the US of A, you may well not have been using Google’s recently launched Google Local For Mobile (GLM)- or even have heard of it.

    Here’s the heads-up – it’s a service that runs through a downloaded Java application on a number of mobile phones, giving on-the-move mapping, route planning and local information.

    As with their browser-based mapping services, you can view either a map, satellite view or a overlaid combination of the two.

    Superimposed on this is local business information, currently, but we can see that with Google’s penchant for adding advertising to everything, this may be soon added to.

    Google Local For Mobile: Not Just The USAYesterday we revealed how GLM has GPS hidden inside, but isn’t currently enabled and it was while playing around with this, we discovered another interesting undocumented feature.

    Google are telling everyone that it just covers the US. Quoting from their FAQ

    Does Google Local for mobile work everywhere?
    Not yet. Local for mobile is currently available in the US only. We’re working to increase its availability as soon as possible.

    We found that with a little playing around, you can investigate around Europe and plot routes using the click to select mapping.

    So, how do you explore Europe?
    Here’s how we discovered it, there may be other ways.

    • Download the app to your mobile using the ‘Other’ mobile provider option
    • Select a handset close to your own (we’ve found that it doesn’t need to be your exact handset)
    • Download and run the app
    • Shift to satellite view and you’ll see the whole of the USA
    • Scroll right towards Europe
    • Zoom in to your desired Euro location
    • Select 2 (Directions) to find route
    • Use ‘Select point on map’ to select the starting point, then finishing point
    • The route will be calculated
    • Click 3 to start stepping through your route
    • Have fun

    Google Local For Mobile: Not Just The USAMore detail than the browser version
    The discovery doesn’t end there. After chatting further to Cristian Streng, we now also realise that there’s detail on the Mobile version that isn’t available via the ‘normal’ Web-based Google Maps.

    To illustrate it, he sent us some screen grabs showing mapping data of Germany that is currently only available in GLM.

    If you fancy having a look around too, but want to save the mobile phone data charges, we’ll pass on a tip from Cristian. He very sensibly did his investigation using a PC-based Java Virtual Machine rather than spending money on GPRS charges. Smart.

    If you didn’t know it already, this makes is clear that software is there to play with, and if you do, you may find lots of areas and features that you’re officially told aren’t there. So, go, explore.

    Google Local For Mobile
    Cristian Streng Mobile GMaps app

  • Vodafone Licenses Intertrust DRM

    Vodafone Licenses Intertrust's DRMIntertrust must have though that all of the xmases came at once on the day Vodafone confirmed their licensing deal. It’s not every day that the World’s largest mobile operator signs a deal like that with you.

    The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) specified DRM (Digital Rights Management)contains what they refer to as, the essential patents – the minimum required to run the very basics of the content/rights protection.

    Vodafone Licenses Intertrust's DRMThe Vodafone deal goes well beyond these basics and licenses all of the technologies and patent that Intertrust have available.

    When we asked which of the Intertrust pieces of technology they were planning to use, Vodafone became unusually very shy, explaining that they didn’t have definitive plans as to which parts would and wouldn’t be used.

    Vodafone Licenses Intertrust's DRMBoth Vodafone and Intertrust declined to reveal the value of the transaction, but given the need for separate deals with the handset companies, it may be here that Intertrust make most of their money. This will not be optional if the handset manufacturers want to be on the Vodafone service and offer content.

    The length of the deal has been loosely described as ‘Long-term licensing’, but Vodafone didn’t reveal how long this was by the time we went to press.

    Intertrust
    Vodafone

  • HD, Or The Lack Of It, Could Hit UK Commercial Broadcasters

    HD, Or The Lack Of It, Could Hit UK Commercial BroadcastersFollowing the BBC confirmation of High Definition Television (HD) trials for 2006, all of a sudden it feels like there’s a plethora of High Definition services and trials in the UK next year.

    At an event held in London earlier in the week, under the auspices of the Royal Television Society, Pat Younge from Discovery USA provided news of his experiences. The bad news for commercial UK broadcasters is it costs more; doesn’t bring any extra revenue from advertisers; and it doesn’t increase viewing hours … but if you don’t have it, viewers will seek it out and they’ll end up watching you competitors.

    The BBC is, as usual, unwilling to be left behind in new developments. With the expectation of World Cup Soccer in High Def on D-Sat (Digital Satellite) next year, the UK commercial broadcasters, ITV; Channel Four; and Five need to be on HD, but will try and ride on the BBC’s coat tails.

    HD, Or The Lack Of It, Could Hit UK Commercial BroadcastersSpeaking at the same event, Richard Freudenstein, CEO, BSkyB, was careful not to mention what the monthly subscription will be for HD on Sky when it launches. He spent his time talking up the platforms’ HD bouquet that will include Sky One, sports and movies with an HD Sky Plus box and plenty of storage capacity.

    DTT (Digital Terrestrial TV) in France (quaintly abbreviated in French as ‘TNT’) will be MPEG 4 capable and is HD-ready from go, but finding capacity on the MPEG 2 Freeview platform in the UK is going to be more of a challenge. The BBC’s Jana Bennett, Director of Television is tasked with making the UK trials a success and wants to see the offering across all platforms. She hopes that, as well as cable and satellite, broadband will be a route into the home.

    HD, Or The Lack Of It, Could Hit UK Commercial BroadcastersConfusion still reigns
    Although the industry know they must go to HD, it’s clear that they’re far from having a strong hold over it. From listen to the snippets of conversation in the halls before and after the main event, it’s clear that there also remains broadcast industry confusion over the strengths of the various picture standards. This was given away with phrases like “I think 1080 refers to the number of lines” coming from the lips of one ‘expert.’

    The equipment people have to buy for their homes is still an area of confusion, not helped by the next-gen DVD industry not agreeing their standard (Blu-ray, HD-DVD).

    Once they do and this combines with the widely-predicted, continuing reduction in price, those exciting big displays labeled ‘HD-ready’ will really start to fly off the shelves.

    Until then it’s a case of buyer beware – if you can resist the fantastic picture.

  • GPS Discovered In Google Local For Mobile

    GPS Discovered In Google Local For MobileDespite their emphatic denial, Google appear to be planning to bring GPS to the recently announced Google Local For Mobile.

    Clever clogs, Cristian Streng has been digging around in his Google Local For Mobile .jad, the downloaded binary file for his Nokia 6600 and he found the following “GpsEnabled: false.” Well I never.

    Just to refresh you, here’s what Google say in their FAQ

    Does Google Local for mobile use GPS to figure out where I am?
    Google Local for mobile doesn’t use any GPS technology, even if your phone has a built in GPS location device.

    It looks like v2.0 could well be different.

    GPS Discovered In Google Local For MobileCurrently the users of the service have to key in or select the desired starting and destination points, and press a key to mimic their progress in the real world. Using GPS eradicates the need to tell the system where you are, or update the system to your progress.

    With GPS Google’s service becomes a huge threat to many of the companies that already sell handheld navigation system like TomTom and Navicore. The disadvantage of Google’s approach is that the phone must be connected to the network, racking up data charges for the mobile owner. This disadvantage vanishes when the phone user had an all inclusive data rate.

    GPS Discovered In Google Local For MobileThe GPS feature could well be waiting for a second release of the service, or waiting for next-gen handsets with aGPS built into them, to become more widely used.

    Google isn’t alone in their desire to provide mapping services to mobiles. Guy Kewney tells us that there have been mutterings about Yahoo Maps linking up with mobile phone companies too.

    Google Local For Mobile
    Cristian Streng Mobile GMaps app

  • Is Mobile TV Currently Just A Big ‘Love In’?

    Will BBC have a TV to go?The BBC needs to move fast to create suitable partnerships to be able to ride the new wave of ‘TV on the go’. That’s my conclusion after attending a recent IIC event last week (that’s the International Institute Of Communications to you). There I can reveal I was drawn into what felt very much like a mobile content ‘love fest’.

    Representatives from a diverse group of media industries including MTV and BT were prophesizing mobile TV is the saviour of TV. Trials in Europe have indicated that across the continent viewers can’t get enough of TV on a tiny little display on their phones and this isn’t just the ‘bite sized’ mobile episodes that commentators had been predicting. It appears that mobile TV is able to actually increase the number of hours that viewers consume, which many thought had peaked.

    With this new form of TV, it is said ‘you no longer need to be a couch potato, you can be a potato anywhere’ so expect many hours of work to be lost to must watch TV phenomena like ‘I’m a celebrity’ and ‘Big Brother’.

    Channel 4 New Media has recently announced the launch of a mobile TV channel dedicated to Channel 4 content on mobile phones. Sky is planning a 19 channel launch in conjunction with Vodaphone and an ITV mobile service has been announced.

    The mobile manufactures need to provide the right interface with an easy to navigate EPG and the content needs to be held securely on the device it’s downloaded to minimise the potential for sharing.

    All the big players have a keen interest in the success, from the handset makers, the telcos and of course, the content owners who will expect to negotiate a premium for their programming. The players are going to have to effectively perform a ‘land-grab’ to make sure that an ‘ipod’ like solution does not steal their planned-for bonanza.

    Where though does a Public Service Broadcaster fit into this increasingly monetized market? The BBC has been looking at DAB technology providing ultra local TV, but this is unlikely to the drive young affluent consumers who are the usual early adopters of new gizmos.

    We are consistantly drawn back to the same conclusion with Mobile TV. This content may be offered; handset makers can produce the equipment; consumers may dabble with it if it costs them nothing.

    The still unanswered question is, will the consumer put their collective hands in their collective pockets to pay for it?

  • BBC ‘FreeSat’: Where’s The Service?

    BBC FreeSat: Where's The Service?Much has been made of what have been reported as poor results at BskyB (Profits announced on Friday 4 Nov 05 saw a pre-tax rise of 13.6% to £200m), intense competition is given as the cause of the lower than hoped for growth in subscribers.

    The competition is attributed to the steady increase in Freeview penetration but where is the much trumpeted BBC free satellite offering, they labeled FreeSat?

    Speaking recently with an NDS insider it was brought to my attention that this new ‘platform’ could be something of an empty threat. This must, of course been judged through the knowledge that NDS is the TV conditional access subscriber technology company used by Bskyb.

    Even bearing this in mind, we felt it was worth asking ourselves a few questions about how it would work, who would view it and what would be its purpose:

    How would it work?
    BBC FreeSat: Where's The Service?Most would consider a UK satellite rival needs to be positioned to use the same satellites as Sky services that’s Eurobird and Astra 2. If you move away from their orbital positions, you’re going to have to duplicate a whole load of services across two platforms with the expense that will entail.

    Who would view it?
    Presumably the target audience are those who want Freeview but aren’t currently served. Freeview coverage is growing steadily and a Satellite installation is always going to be more costly than a terrestrial one, so I reckon numbers here will be limited.

    BBC FreeSat: Where's The Service?The other group that would be interested are the ‘churn’ which are now reported by Sky as around 11%. These are subscribers who are leaving their Bskyb packages – but they’re really already on the Sky Freesat as unless someone comes and takes away their Set- top-box and mini-dish. They’ll get many of the FTA (Free To Air) services like ITV3 that aren’t available on analogue terrestrial and, for a small charge, can obtain a viewing card that will allow them to view those encrypted services like Channel 5, Channel 4, ITV1 and ITV2.

    So what’s the purpose?
    It seems to me that one purpose of the BBC floating the idea of FreeSat is as a spoiler to Bskyb. To perhaps deter those at the margin from signing up and also to increase the traditional broadcasters negotiating position when speaking to Sky.

    With the promise of Satellite delivered HDTV in 2006, the continuing growth of Sky+ and the strategic takeover of Easynet, Sky still looks to know where it’s going. Given time and with the right marketing by Sky, many ‘Free-viewers’ will trade up to a Sky package that fits their requirement.

    Long term, as long as Bskyb retains its hunger for subscribers, and continues to secure content that viewers wish for, I’d back it against ITV and the cable companies, with or without a new BBC sponsored Satellite version of Freeview.

  • Nokia 770 Internet Tablet Ships

    Nokia 770 WiFi Tablet ShipsWe first reported the news of the existence of the Nokia 770 back in May 2005, when Janne Jormalainen, Vice President of Convergence Products, Multimedia at Nokia showed it to a slightly stunned crowd at LinuxWorld Summit in New York. Now it’s shipping.

    At the time, we enthused – naturally. How else could we react to a WiFi-powered Web browsing tablet with a 65k colour screen, that gives 3 days of browsing or 7 days of standby? We saw it as the TV watching buddy that we’ve always wanted. We could finally dump the laptop, removing its leg-heating characteristics at the same time.

    Nokia 770 WiFi Tablet ShipsWell today, Nokia are announcing its actual availability and they’ve expanded its capabilities to enable Web browsing using Bluetooth via your mobile.

    We were naturally straight on the phone to Nokia, lining up our review copy. We’d been aware of a version floating around for a while, but knew the release of software it had on it really didn’t cut the mustard. Soon, dear reader our impression of it will be revealed.

    Nokia 770 WiFi Tablet ShipsFor Linux hackers everywhere, there’s the great excitement that the 770 will be running Debian Linux, with the new platform – derived from the Linux GNOME UI – going under the name “maemo”. Development on maemo has continued since May and the end of October saw the release of maemo 1.1 Release Candidate 5. They’ve even given it the fancy new name of Nokia Internet Tablet 2005, if you please.

    Nokia are actively encouraging ‘Hackers’ to produce software for it. They’ve even got a maemo WiKi (shock, horror).

    Nokia 770 WiFi Tablet ShipsVoIP was hinted at back in May. It’s now been confirmed by our old mate Janne Jormalainen, “During the first half of year 2006 we will launch the next operating system upgrade to support more presence based functionalities such as VoIP and Instant Messaging.”

    For once with a technology product, Europe will be seeing this little beauty first, with the US having to wait a whole week longer. Prices appear to have shifted a little, upwards sadly, to €350 ($412, £240).

    Nokia 770

  • TiVo, Yahoo Deal Connects

    TiVo, Yahoo Deal ConnectsTiVo and Yahoo are linking up to provide a reasonably extensive collaboration.

    TiVo Series 2 users will be able to program their TiVo over the Web, from anywhere with an Internet connection. Simply by browsing Yahoo’s TV episode page, TiVo users will be able to click on ‘Record to my TiVo box’ to setup a record. Next time the TiVo connects to receive updates, the Yahoo service will instruct the TiVo to record the program.

    Programming your Tivo over the Internet has been possible since the first generation TiVo’s, but it required the hardware upgrade of adding a network card inside your TiVo and a small amount of fiddling with software. This deal makes it a simple point and click operation.

    TiVo, Yahoo Deal ConnectsWe understand that both companies see this as a cross-promotion service, so moines haven’t been exchanged. Proof of the promotion for TiVo are see at the bottom of the Yahoo page explaining the service, where non-TiVo owners are given the chance to buy a machine for $49 after rebates.

    We’d imagine that the possibilities of a deal between these two companies could be quite substantial, giving Yahoo a direct connection to the living room, something they’ve had strong desires on for quite a while.

    For a long time there have been a number of rumors about TiVo being bought/swollowed up by another, more in fashion (therefore more monied) company.

    TiVo, Yahoo Deal ConnectsThe programming your Tivo remotely part of the deal mirrors the deal they did with AOL a number of years ago, but as we mentioned, gives Yahoo an output in peoples TV rooms.

    After pioneering PVR’s along with the now non-existant ReplayTV, TiVo has been slowly slipping from dominance as other players realised that they could achieve pretty much say as they had done. This has been mainly true, excepting the excellent User Interface that TiVo has triumphed with.

    Yahoo/TiVo service
    TiVo

  • MacExpo UK Review (2/2)

    Further to the first part of this review.

    MacExpo - Expo or Shop?Hash showed off Animation Master which is a very simple (if you believe the demos) animation package. It has a huge library of pre-built characters, objects and even things like types of walks for the characters. Lip syncing even looked easy. Though the package is simple, you probably need some basic creative skills and understanding of animation to do anything sensible with it. Visit their Website and look in the gallery, the video of “I will survive” of Gloria Gaynor fame is a true classic.

    Shure had their in-ear phones and were letting people try them (using replaceable foam in-ear sleeves, the comments from staff about ear wax were not pleasant). The big news is that they are now available in black to suit both iPod and PSP users. The black E4c’s (previously reviewed on the site) look better, but don’t sound any better, as this would be hard as they already sound so good.

    There were lots of iPod and laptop cases and Be.ez make a range that can hold your iPod and accessories, laptop, laptop accessories and one that holds a Mac mini AND keyboard meaning you can almost use your mini as a laptop. All the cases are made out of 5mm polyurethane adequately protecting whatever’s inside.

    MacExpo - Expo or Shop?LaCie had lots of disk systems on offer (firewire, USB and Ethernet) offering easy access to multi-terrabytes of data. An external 5 1/4″ drive (the size of a CD-ROM drive) can hold up to 1TB (big disk) while the double width bigger disk extreme can hold up to 2TB. There’s also external RAID drives, the biggest F800 holds up to 2TB supporting Firewire 800 (up to 80MB/s transfers) and the biggest S25 support 160MB/s and up to 2.5GB (which is 3GB internal) both support hot-swappable drives. The newest addition is the mini which looks just like a Mac mini and sits underneath it (and can be stacked with more minis), each one containing up to 250MB of disk.

    Roxio have released Toast v7 which now is much more than just CD/DVD burning software, it can now create music DVDs with menu navigation, HD photo shows and much more.

    Many usual suspects were there (Adobe, Quark) but Macromedia weren’t, maybe this is due to Adobe buying them?

    Hopefully next year the show will revert to more of an expo and less of a computer fair.

    Hash
    Shure
    Be.ez
    LaCie
    Roxio

  • BBC Radio 1 Does Video, With Gorillaz – News release

    BBC Radio 1 Does Video With GorillazExclusive animated footage from Gorillaz Demon Days Live in Manchester will be available ‘on demand’ via the red button on digital television for seven days, courtesy of BBC Radio 1.

    This is the first time Radio 1 has delivered visual content on demand for TV and takes the BBC’s plans to visualise radio up a gear.

    The ground-breaking initiative means viewers with digital satellite, cable and Freeview can enjoy audio and animated visuals from the gig at the push of the red button for a week after transmission.

    Radio 1 will broadcast audio from Friday’s on Lamacq Live from 9pm on Monday, November 7. From 11.30pm the same night, the station will make visuals and audio of the event available from all BBC TV channels (via digital TV) and online at bbc.co.uk/radio1. Freeview viewers will be able to press red from Radio 1.

    Gorillaz Demon Days Live is a trailblazing event for the Manchester International Festival, the world’s first commissioning arts festival which kicks off in 2007. Jamie Hewlett – co-creator of Gorillaz visual identity – is producing exclusive visuals for the evening.

    Daniel Heaf, Radio 1’s Interactive Editor said; “Radio 1 knows how important visualisation is for its young listeners. This collaboration with Gorillaz Demon Days Live demonstrates how the station can provide world class music content across multiple platforms.”

    BBC Radio 1 Does Video With GorillazDan Duncombe, Digital Media Manager at Parlophone, comments, “Giving fans the ability to access content across a number of digital platforms is a key part of the Manchester events. These shows are groundbreaking and working with Radio 1 has allowed us to take this further in terms of reach as well as interactivity. Gorillaz fans throughout the world can access and interact with this exclusive audio and visual content, making it a truly global and multi platform event.”

    Gorillaz Demon Days Live sees the musical collaborators behind smash hit album Demon Days brought together for the first time ever, to recreate the album over five remarkable and unrepeatable evenings; it’s also the first time Radio 1 audiences can receive on demand visual content on digital television (DTV).

    People can listen to Radio 1 – and any other BBC radio station – via DTV. Recent research shows nearly 10 million people in the U.K. listen to radio via DTV every week (RAJAR Q3 2005).

    This initiative uses the thinking behind the BBC Radio Player – which allows people to listen to BBC Radio programmes via the Internet for a week after transmission – to give DTV listeners more control.

    BBC Radio 1 can be found on Freeview, Sky Digital, NTL and Telewest.

    Gorillaz
    bbc.co.uk/radio1