Palm webOS Pioneering key features are now borrowed by iOS, Android, and Blackberry.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Palm webOS Pioneering key features are now borrowed by iOS, Android, and Blackberry.

Something that maybe you will remember with love, was written by our colleagues of the CalgaryHerald with an excellent description of every pioneering Palm webOS key features that are now replicated by rival mobile operating systems.

This is what  GADJO CARDENAS SEVILLA, WHATSYOURTECH.CA, CALGARY HERALD said:

It has been two years since HP shelved the webOS mobile operating system it inherited from Palm, yet many of the key features of that pioneering smartphone and tablet OS are now standard features in iOS, Android and even BlackBerry.

I recently revisited webOS by using both an HP Veer and Palm Pre 3 smartphones, neither of which made it to Canada. Despite being left behind in 2011, I found both these devices to be useful and intuitive and the operating system to be both elegant and fast.

Looking at the mobile landscape today, it is clear that a number of webOS-exclusive features were too good to die with the mismanaged OS. They have been ‘borrowed’ by today’s biggest mobile players.

Notifications

webOS had a very elegant way of pushing notifications on the homescreen of devices. The Palm smartphones that had an indicator light would pulse to notify users (not unlike how BlackBerry’s red notification light works).

For newly received messages and e-mails, webOS would flash the headers at the bottom of the screen and users could act on these by clicking to go to the message body or by swiping to the left to dismiss the alert for the time being.

webOS also allowed users to swipe down on the homescreen to toggle important controls such as Wi-Fi, Airplane mode, Bluetooth and even check the battery percentage.

These two features have, in some shape of form, been used in Android as well as iOS. This feature is called Window Shade (since you have to ‘draw’ them down or up to access them) or Control Center in iOS. Notifications on iOS and Android are variations of what webOS has used from the start.

Multi-tasking

webOS touted real-time multi-tasking where you could pause an application, open another, and then go back to the previously opened application without losing your place.

webOS handled this by using the ‘Cards’ paradigm with each app, page or instance, appearing as a card that could be moved around, accessed or swiped away when no longer needed.

BlackBerry’s PlayBook used a similar way to multi-task with an almost identical way to dismiss unused applications; BlackBerry 10 also has a tweaked version of this as well.

This style of multi-tasking will be one of the big features in Apple’s upcoming iOS 7 refresh ,and is an improvement over the way multiple apps are currently handled. Once more, the elegance and efficiency of webOS has transcended its roots and become the preferred way to handle multi-tasking on various mobile platforms.

Touch to Share

Long before NFC (Near Field Communication) was a buzzword for mobile commerce and sharing files between smartphones, webOS had a feature that allowed users of Pre smartphones to share websites, e-mails, photos and various other bits of data between devices.

Samsung’s S Beam feature is very similar although it uses an NFC chip instead of straight-up Bluetooth. S Beam makes it possible to share contacts, photos, audio and video files by simply touching two compatible devices together.

In the Apple world, the feature is coming to iOS 7 in the guise of AirDrop. AirDrop already exists with Apple’s notebooks and desktops, but will become even more useful when iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads can send files wirelessly to each other without requiring to touch each other.

Inductive Charging

The ability to charge your phone or tablet ‘wirelessly’ may seem common now for Nokia Lumia and Nexus 4 owners but this was introduced back in 2009 with its TouchStone charger and remained a feature of all webOS devices until the time that HP stopped making mobile hardware and relegated webOS to open source.

The only feature I don`t see replicated at this time by others mobile manufacturers, is the unique  Palm webOS Wave launcher.

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BlackBerry 10 N series Qwerty smartphones pictures leaked, Black and White?

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.        

BlackBerry 10 N series Qwerty smartphones pictures leaked, Black and White?

The picture above, if you observe the left and right smartphones, both are for us the same model but in two colors , white and black, the Blackberries 10 N series (BlackBerry X10) qwerty smartphones (the smartphone on the middle is a Blackberry 10 Z-10 slab phone) 

A closer look of the black model, posted by Crackberry :

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BlackBerry 10 L Series all-touch smartphone leaks on hands on video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

BlackBerry 10 L Series all-touch smartphone  leaks on hands on video.

A comparison with the somewhat bulkier Dev Alpha B device and  the iPhone 5, a quick run through of the BB10 OS itself and a look at the removable back and  a replaceable battery.

Translated  from Vietnanis to English: 

Fortunately for the evening I had the opportunity to holding the handset has not been the launch of the BlackBerry , the L-Series. Machine design is quite nice due to no longer be placed in a plastic frame as the Dev Alpha A / B again. 

In addition, the L-Series was almost complete, both hardware and software. Perfect good quality and full functionality of the BB10 OS we've ever known, not locked or limited to a certain function, including making phone calls or texting.configuration information almost no official due to the present time RIM has not yet been referred to us. 

What we can see on the L-Series is lightweight, smaller size Dev Alpha B a little, just hand.

Screen quality is quite good, very smooth and nice font, 1280x768 resolution with Dev Alpha B.

The front of the glass cover almost the entire front and stretched out to take two edges of the screen makes us feel bigger. terms of ports and port location, it is just like the the current Dev Alpha, including micro HDMI and micro USB on the left side, a 3.5mm audio port on the top edge, the power button on the top edge and 2 volume control keys on the right side. 

The keyboard is a bit difficult to press as it is slightly sunk compared to the side of the machine. Regarding the quality of finishing, I can say the L-Series held its already almost perfect, not longer a pure form , could this be the final test version of RIM before they introduce BlackBerry 10 to 30/01 next year.

Although made ​​of plastic, very solid body, no creaking joints and connectors on the camera body is made ​​very carefully. The back cover of the machine can be removed so you can change it easily (batteries LS1, like Dev Alpha B). The back cover of the machine is made ​​of plastic, similar to the body, it is quite flexible and the NFC chip affixed. 

Adding a point to make the L-Series is more complete than the Dev Alpha is that it can normal calling and texting. This is a big difference compared to the previous Dev Alpha we have ever known.

 I have tried to remove the SIM Viettel and called a SIM Mobi success, no trouble at all, the machine can also send and receive SMS messages, connect to BIS service, up Internet 3G delicious, in general it is not like a complete smartphone.

 Even the software in the machine fully functional, not limited as before although the
BB version 10 that the L-Series is running is still a beta version. However, the beta should react slightly slower and not touch sensitive, sometimes hanging a place to restart the machine, the new normal is, hope that this error will not appear in the version of BB 10 officially.

Source: tinhte

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Video: BlackBerry10 L-series tutorial -gestures.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Video: BlackBerry10 L-series tutorial -gestures.

 You're walked through the gesture motions that will be used on the device BlackBerry 10 L-series to be launched in January 30, 2013.

Source: Crackberry

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WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

RIM offers free voice calls over Wi-Fi with BBM.

BlackBerry users will be able to make free voice calls over a Wi-Fi network using the popular BBM messaging service.

Research In Motion Ltd. announced Wednesday that it's adding the feature to BBM. Users will be able to switch back and forth from a text chat to a voice call. A split-screen option will let them talk and text at the same time.

The new feature is a free update for existing customers and comes months before RIM introduces its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones, which are seen critical to RIM's survival.

RIM surprised analysts in September when it announced that the number of BlackBerry subscribers grew, thanks in part to emerging markets and its popular BBM service. It's struggling in North America as customers migrate to flashier iPhones and Android phone.

RIM stopped short of offering the BBM voice feature over wireless carriers' own cellular networks. Doing so would have potentially created more congestion on cellular data networks and deprive carriers of revenue for voice calls. With the new feature, the free calls are limited to times and places where Wi-Fi is available.

The Canadian company said the BBM voice feature is especially attractive for developing markets. Unlike regular texts, BBM messages are not charged on a per-text basis.

Although RIM is struggling in North America, the BlackBerry continues to sell well in such markets as South Africa, Nigeria and Indonesia.

The BBM service has long been a reason for BlackBerry users to not defect to other smartphones but there are rival messaging services. There are more than 60 million BBM users worldwide.

RIM said the BBM voice update is currently available for BlackBerry smartphones running the BlackBerry 6 operating system or higher, with plans for BlackBerry 5 later. RIM's latest phones run the 7 operating system. The next version, BlackBerry 10, will come soon after a Jan. 30 launch event.

AP.

Related post: RIM to launch BB10 smartphones in Jan 30 with business, gaming and social apps.

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Q3 2012: Android Marks Fourth Anniversary Since Launch with 75.0% Market Share in Third Quarter, According to IDC .

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Please click on the charts to enlarge the view.

Android Marks Fourth Anniversary Since Launch with 75.0% Market Share in Third Quarter, According to IDC

01 Nov 2012

 The Android smartphone operating system was found on three out of every four smartphones shipped during the third quarter of 2012 (3Q12). According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, total Android smartphone shipments worldwide reached 136.0 million units, accounting for 75.0% of the 181.1 million smartphones shipped in 3Q12. The 91.5% year-over-year growth was nearly double the overall market growth rate of 46.4%.

"Android has been one of the primary growth engines of the smartphone market since it was launched in 2008," said Ramon Llamas, research manager, Mobile Phones at IDC. "In every year since then, Android has effectively outpaced the market and taken market share from the competition. In addition, the combination of smartphone vendors, mobile operators, and end-users who have embraced Android has driven shipment volumes higher. Even today, more vendors are introducing their first Android-powered smartphones to market."

"The share decline of smartphone operating systems not named iOS since Android's introduction isn't a coincidence," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "The smartphone operating system isn't an isolated product, it's a crucial part of a larger technology ecosystem. Google has a thriving, multi-faceted product portfolio. Many of its competitors, with weaker tie-ins to the mobile OS, do not. This factor and others have led to loss of share for competitors with few exceptions."

Mobile Operating System Highlights.

Android, having topped the 100 million unit mark last quarter, reached a new record level in a single quarter. By comparison, Android's total volumes for the quarter were greater than the total number of smartphones shipped in 2007, the year that Android was officially announced. Samsung once again led all vendors in this space, but saw its market share decline as numerous smaller vendors increased their production.

iOS was a distant second place to Android, but was the only other mobile operating system to amass double-digit market share for the quarter. The late quarter launch of the iPhone 5 and lower prices on older models prevented total shipment volumes from slipping to 3Q11 levels. But without a splashy new OS-driven feature like Siri in 2011 and FaceTime in 2010, the iPhone 5 relied on its larger, but not wider, screen and LTE connectivity to drive growth.

BlackBerry's market share continued to sink, falling to just over 4% by the end of the quarter. With the launch of BlackBerry 10 yet to come in 2013, BlackBerry will continue to rely on its aging BlackBerry 7 platform, and equally aging device line-up. Still, demand for BlackBerry and its wildly popular BBM service is strong within multiple key markets worldwide, and the number of subscribers continues to increase.

Symbian posted the largest year-on-year decline of the leading operating systems. Nokia remains the largest vendor still supporting Symbian, along with Japanese vendors Fujitsu, Sharp, and Sony. Each of these vendors is in the midst of transitioning to other operating systems and IDC believes that they will cease shipping Symbian-powered smartphones in 2013. At the same time, the installed base of Symbian users will continue well after the last Symbian smartphone ships.

Windows Phone marked its second anniversary with a total of just 3.6 million units shipped worldwide, fewer than the total number of Symbian units shipped. Even with the backing of multiple smartphone market leaders, Windows Phone has yet to make a significant dent into Android's and iOS's collective market share. That could change in 4Q12, when multiple Windows Phone 8 smartphones will reach the market.

Linux volume declined for the third straight quarter as did its year-over-year growth. Samsung accounted for the majority of shipments once again, but like most other vendors competing with Linux-powered smartphones, most of its attention went towards Android instead. Still, that has not deterred other vendors from experimenting, or at least considering the open-source operating system, as multiple reports of Firefox, Sailfish, and Tizen plan to release new Linux-based experiences in the future.

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