Archive for the ‘speculation’ Category

Nokia’s Android flirtations revealed

We don’t know if this device is “super confidential” or not, but we’ve just come across yet another Nokia N9 lookalike with a non-MeeGo operating system on board. Well, it looks that way, anyhow. There’s no way to verify that the Android homescreen we see above is a legitimate Gingerbread installation and not a mere screenshot (the resolution looks all wrong, for one thing), but the source of this image is the same Chinese fellow that posted a picture of Nokia’s Windows Phone prototype, the Sea Ray, way back in May, so we’re inclined to believe he’s got an inside line on these things. Additionally, the undersized Android UI elements on the screen actually encourage us to believe that this is indeed a Nokia testing device — if we were going to fake something like this, we’d use a regular screen grab for our tomfoolery — and Stephen Elop has openly admitted that Nokia spent a couple of wild seconds contemplating a switch to Android. Well, folks, here’s what that alternate future might have looked like.

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Nokia’s Android flirtations revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSP2 To Be Announced At E3, According To Publishers [Gaming]

Word on the street is that Sony will be announcing a proper sequel to the PSP in just a couple of weeks at E3. That’s right—we’re not talking something slimmer, more slidy-outy, or colorful. A true PSP2. More »










Video Games – Games – Fan Pages – Wallet – Sequel

Apple to announce iAd / AdKit ‘mobile advertising system’ on April 7th?

Since Apple’s acquisition of Quattro Wireless in January, both parties have been keeping mum on plans for Madison Avenue domination, but now MediaPost claims to know a thing or two about the newlyweds. According to the report, Apple will apparently unveil “a new personalized, mobile advertising system” which will go by the underwhelming name of “iAd” on April 7th. The article speculates that the service could be heavily focused on location-aware advertising, though that angle could hit some snags as apparently coffee-partner / arch nemesis Eric Schmidt and a little company called Google hold patents on said functionality. Of course, something that drives a wedge between these two players wouldn’t exactly be a surprise at this point — and we’d be happy if Apple doesn’t cash in on those ad-supported OS ideas it’s recently had.

Really, we’re not surprised to hear this may be coming, as a tipster just pinged us with info that an “AdKit” reference has shown up in a special file on Apple’s public “Phobos” server. This file, which is called StoreBag, provides a public XML interface into iTunes. That interface describes how applications and web browsers can “call home” to either retrieve iTunes information pages or to request that iTunes jump to a given product listing.

What you see here is a key-value pair from that file. The URL string that follows after the “adkit-product-url” key suggests that Apple is about to introduce a way to link ads with product URLs. How will this URL work exactly? It’s hard to say without any further details, which are regrettably sparse on the ground, but it suggests that ad sourced product links can be used in a similar way to affiliate-driven links.

<key>adkit-product-url</key>
<string>http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/adkitProduct</string>

Not much else is known about Apple’s first venture into the ad business at this stage, but Steve Jobs has allegedly told some executives that this will be “revolutionary” and “our next big thing.” Frankly, we’re starting to get a little concerned with just how often the folks in Cupertino are bandying around the word “revolutionary” — but we’ll hold our judgments until after this announcement happens (if it happens at all).

Apple to announce iAd / AdKit ‘mobile advertising system’ on April 7th? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 01:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon iPhone? Don’t Hold Your Breath

With plenty of heat on AT&T this past year, hopes have been running high for Apple to share its iPhone with Verizon. However, an analyst does not foresee a Verizon iPhone arriving anytime soon.

That’s because Verizon recently announced a partnership with Google to offer two new Google Android-powered handsets this year. That would suggest Verizon’s near-term direction is with Android, said Scott Ellison, an IDC analyst, in a ComputerWorld article.

Ellison added that there’s no sign Apple is ready to share its iPhone with another carrier. Also, three IDC analysts said Verizon probably won’t receive the iPhone until it converts to its fourth-generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

Several months ago, some analysts speculated the iPhone would be shared with the Verizon network by 2010. Many sources have claimed AT&T’s exclusive contract with Apple ends next year, though this remains unconfirmed. Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg told The Wall Street Journal that Apple is more likely to bring the iPhone to Verizon once the telecom company deploys its LTE network. He explained the majority of the wireless industry plans to transition to LTE in the next few years, and it would then make sense for Apple to bring Verizon on board. Verizon has said it is rolling out LTE next year.

Of course, cellular networks take several years to deploy and optimize, so we didn’t believe Verizon would get the iPhone as soon as it began rolling out LTE. Thus, IDC’s reasoning is plausible. Meanwhile, iPhone owners disgruntled with AT&T, or Verizon customers eagerly awaiting the iPhone to land on their network, can keep wishing for the day Apple ends its exclusive relationship with AT&T.

See Also:

• Verizon iPhone Could be Here Next Year
• Verizon Promises Two New Android Phones This Year
• 4 Reasons Apple Should Share the iPhone With Verizon
• Rumor: Apple Developing Two New iPhones for Verizon
• How AT&T Stumbled Through the iPhone 3GS Launch
• iPhone Owner Sues AT&T, Apple for Tricky MMS Marketing

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Flip Video remote control shows up at FCC — bigger things to come?

A brand spanking new filing with the FCC shows a Flip Video-branded RF remote control, produced by Foxconn, which frankly raises more questions than it answers. Looking at its robust size, which is comparable to that of the Flip Ultra Video HD, we can be pretty sure this isn’t meant to remotely control anything that’s out at the moment. Head honcho Jonathan Kaplan has already expressed a definite interest in expanding the brand, and Cisco’s acquisition of Pure Digital was said to be “key” to its strategy of expanding its presence in the “media-enabled home.” So, given the parent company’s somewhat unsuccessful history of building media hubs, and the simplified control scheme that just screams for an on-screen menu, this may well be the prelude to a new Flip-branded whole-home DVR setup, an idea that Cisco discussed over the summer. Or it could be something entirely different — we just know it’s something.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Flip Video remote control shows up at FCC — bigger things to come? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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