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Symbian – Another Great Mobile Platform

by on Aug 04, 2009 (0) Comments

As a mobile device platform, Symbian has been around for years. Although it has been through several name changes and ownership revolutions, it remains by far the dominant platform for the smart phone market in the world.

About 46 percent of the mobile phones in the world operate on the Symbian platform, but most of them are in Europe and the Middle East. However, Symbian is making strides to close the gap in the U.S. and Japan.

Why this matters to you as a developer or a business interested in reaching Symbian customers is that in 2008, Nokia bought all the shares of Symbian that it didn’t already own and announced that it will become an open source platform, like other mobile platforms. This means that anyone will be able to develop applications for the Symbian-based phones.

Although you may think Symbian will be a late comer to the mobile apps market, it would be unwise to count them out. The platform has been around for years, they have a loyal customer base for the Nokia phones, and technology is a fickle thing.

When the iPhone was first released, it was perfection embodied. There was not a criticism to be had. But when Palm released the Pre, suddenly the iPhone seemed stodgy and lacking – what? No cut and paste on an iPhone? How passé.

So all it will take is for Symbian to come out with some great innovations that capture the imaginations of the population, and they can take hold of a significant portion of the market quickly.

With Symbian phones already in the hands of millions of mobile customers around the world – nearly half the mobile device users – developers and businesses would do well to watch the Symbian development as well.

As they go open source completely in the coming months, a huge potential market opens up for anyone ready to jump in and be an early adopter of the platform, the possibilities are endless.

And with a completely different philosophy governing the marketing of the soon-to-come applications, developers may find in Symbian a more open and accessible wireless application partner.

Get Google Voice For Your iPhone – GV Mobile on Cydia

by on Jul 30, 2009 (0) Comments

Although Apple has once again bowed to AT&T corporate pressure and banned Google Voice and all related apps from the App Store, you can still harness the power of Google Voice for your iPhone.

Go to  Cydia – a kind of “grey” app store for iPhone – and get GV Mobile. It’s free on Cydia, and it optimizes Google Voice for the iPhone. This is where I picked up my version of GV Mobile, and I’m loving Google Voice. It’s a powerful communication tool that takes advantage of the power of a smart phone.

Google Voice is a groundbreaking application that gives you a free phone number you give out as your cell phone number. Regardless of how often you change phones or providers, this number stays the same. Now you aren’t tied to any particular provider.

You can change your Google Voice settings at any time and have your calls forwarded to any phone number you’d like – landline or wireless. It gives you free text messaging, free domestic calls and low priced international calls – all these features leading to the flak from AT & T.

As for Apple, coming from a company that is built on innovation and pushing the envelope, this and similar profits-driven decisions in the recent past are painting the company out of the innovator category and into the corporate profits at all cost box.

Google’s own app was never approved by Apple, but GV Mobile originally had approval – then AT&T stepped in. Before the official Google app was completed, GV Mobile was yanked, and the official app was rejected.

You do have to “jailbreak” your iPhone to use Cydia apps. It’s a reversible technique, but it does void the warranty on your phone.

If you have an Android phone or a BlackBerry, then you’ve got no problems – there are Google Voice apps for both platforms that came out earlier in July. You know we like the Android platform, and this illustrates another reason that it is gaining strength in the smartphone marketplace.

There’s also a web-based Google Voice application. You can manage your Google Voice mail from your iPhone with the web app, too. So far there are some glitches using a Windows Mobile phone with the web app.

Whatever you do to utilize Google Voice, you are going to be hooked on the service. It’s smooth, it’s simple, and it’s going to change the way you communicate.

Here are the screenshots from my iPhone:

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Pay the Right Amount for What You Get

by on Jul 20, 2009 (0) Comments

How much should you pay for web services? There are so many providers that market their services in different ways that it is difficult to know.

Generally speaking, you may pay slightly more for extra quality service and particularly good care, but you shouldn’t pay a premium price for any service, because you are likely not getting anything more than you would for a moderate price.

If a web company tries to tell you that their service provides more so they are worth more, do some careful comparisons. You’ll likely find that they don’t do anything more than their more moderately priced competitors.

What are some standard prices for web services?

Registering
Let’s start with domain name registration, since that’s likely what you’ll want to start with.  A domain name itself should cost you less than $10 a month, or $120 a year.

For a basic package, including no extras, the cost should be even lower. You ought to be able to get a few bonuses like email, managing your domain name, and domain forwarding included in the $10 or under pricing.

Hosting
Many companies combine the domain registration with web hosting services, and that can be a great way to save money.

Hosting companies like Webdatamation generally offer two levels of service. At Webdatamation, we call it Entry Level Hosting and Professional Level hosting, but the names at other companies vary.

Either way, the entry level provides basic services on a shared server, while the advanced offers a dedicated server and usually more monitoring services.

These hosting prices can start as low as an additional $10 a month up to $100 per month for large companies with multiple layers of web pages.

One thing to remember is that the large majority of companies are perfectly fine with the entry level hosting.

If a hosting service tries to sell you on the higher level service and you are a small to moderately sized company, then they are likely trying to get you to buy more than you need.

Choices
At Webdatamation, we off the Umbraco hosting for a set fee, and we offer Sitecore hosting at a variety of levels and custom fees. We offer a variety of choices to each customer. That’s what you want to find in a good hosting service.

Web Design
Design costs can fluctuate a little more because of the nature of the work. Some designs are straightforward and simple, while others require a specialized skillset.

Overall, expect to pay between $50 and $80 per hour for a solid, skilled designer. If you have a complex task, you may need to pay over $100 an hour.

Webdatamation’s designers are not only expert, but a great value for any business. They have the know how to construct any element you need on your web site. Contact us for more information about value pricing and getting the most out of your site.

Is It Coming? Windows Mobile 6.5

by on Jul 13, 2009 (0) Comments

While tech savvy and hardware confident users have already “flashed” their smart phones with bootleg versions of Windows Mobile 6.5, the official release has been moved back several times.

The most recent news from Microsoft points toward a fall release for the upgraded system that will replace Windows Mobile 6.1.

What’s coming up with the new release?

First of all, a start menu that produces large icons in a honeycomb shape, rather than numerous small icons in rows. The idea is that these will be easier to punch without hitting the wrong one.

The 6.5 version will also include widgets on the home screen with quick updates on status info – missed calls, new texts and voice mails, etc.

There’s a visual makeover in most spots for the new OS, making things more touch-friendly all the way around, especially in the messaging and email areas.

When the new app is finally official, there will be a new Windows Mobile Marketplace – a great way to consolidate all those different Win Mo apps floating around the internet. While the apps are now subject to Microsoft approval, iPhone apps store has shown this doesn’t need to be much of a problem.

How will the new OS do? Well, considering that every new feature that Windows is touting for the 6.5 version is already available on one or more other mobile operating systems, its hard to say.

Hardware developers like Samsung are advertising their newest phones as being 6.5 compatible and upgradeable, but the release date has already been moved back several times, making the wait a little long.

With so many other mobile OS developers pushing the envelope every day, it appears that Microsoft may find themselves behind the curve. Those dedicated fans who just love their Windows OS will doubtless be there, but bringing in new users will be a stretch for the venerable company.

IPhone App Development

by on Jul 06, 2009 (0) Comments

Developing apps for the iPhone can be fun and entertaining, but more importantly, it can be profitable for your businesses.

iPhone owners are a desirable demographic for any business, but technology ones in particular. These customers like to see themselves as unique and creative, and they are generally early adopters.

If you can create a clever, functional or fun app for the iPhone, either free or paid, and connect it organically with your company and your company name or logo, then you will have a great match that will build not only your brand and brand loyalty, but will connect you to the iPhone community.

If you don’t have the expertise or understanding of development but want to reach the iPhone market, come to Webdatamation with an idea for an iPhone app, and let us take it from there.

Apple is a proprietary company, and all apps for the iPhone are sold in the Apple Apps Store. You can offer an app for free, or you can charge for it. There is no charge to you if you offer the app for free, and if you charge, then Apple keeps 30 percent of the sales price and you keep 70 percent.

There’s another possibility as well – give away a stripped down version for free, then charge a fee for a more developed, feature filled version.

It’s not a bad deal in many ways, since you set your own price for the app, you pay no hosting fees, Apple will send you a revenue check each month, and you don’t need to open a credit card account or worry about marketing.

Apple has a development program, Software Development Kit or SDK, that developers use to develop iPhone apps. Third party programs are out there that streamline the development process, not just for iPhone, but for android as well.

Games, from simple to more complex, are the top apps for the iPhone. With its high resolution screen and accelerometer, the iPhone is the perfect mobile gaming device. Weather, shopping and radio programs are also popular.

Smartphone apps are a great way to get your name out into the hands of the techy crowd and do some fun and subtle promotion of your product and site that people voluntarily bring into their lives. It’s a win for marketing and a win for your customer, so iPhone app development is a great way to go.

Seven

by on Jun 29, 2009 (0) Comments

No, I am definitely not going to write about the lucky number! I’ll talk about the most anticipated operating system of the year, yet to be released from the stables of Microsoft. Welcome to the new Windows 7.

I already have 7 questions on my mind. What shall be the minimum hardware requirements for this OS? Will the support for drivers be better than the previous releases of Microsoft? Will the new OS beat Vista and rival operating systems on performance issues? What about security? Phew!

Microsoft claims that 7 include “hundreds of improvements based on your feedback” and it runs smoothly, is more reliable and responsive. To some, these promises from Microsoft wouldn’t really matter because of the fact that one size won’t fit all. Though the company is in the process of making high claims about the OS, you simply cannot satisfy each and every user. Moreover, on a lighter note, hundreds of improvements are gateways to a hundred more bugs. I guess Microsoft has taken care of that. We’ll just have to wait and watch.
A fresh OS always brings about fresh thoughts on driver support. If you have been successfully using certain hardware in Vista, it will work on Windows 7. Yes, Vista and 7 drivers are compatible. This might be good news for users who are thinking about migrating from Vista to 7. But if you are using Windows XP, then your hardware vendor must explicitly provide drivers specifically written for 7, for your hardware to properly work.

I had played around with the release candidate some time back and only came to the conclusion that it is slightly more stable than Windows Vista SP1. The UI and the overall navigability of 7 are not strikingly different, but quite similar to Vista SP1 with a few changes thrown around. However, the boot up time and shut down time was quicker than Vista SP1, a statistic that wouldn’t bother me much; I would be more interested in performance. I wouldn’t prefer to comment on that unless the full stable release is on the stands.
Simplicity is sarcastically apparent with 7. The problem is that experienced XP users (in some cases, Vista users too) will have to bear with a few extra mouse clicks to reach to their destination. For example, the “run” option is no more on the Start Menu. You have to search for run, and then click on it from the search results to open up the run window. Moreover in the control panel, you have to put in a few extra mouse clicks to actually select what you would want to do.

4 gigs of RAM is a recommended hardware requirement for Windows 7. Now that’s where things hurt.  Anyway, enthusiasts would go in for the required upgrade, I know. The free release candidate had expired on 1st June. Don’t worry if you’ve missed out. You still have the beta version to download and test.

Let’s see if the guys at Microsoft get lucky with the version 7 this time!

How to Choose the Right Web Design Firm

by on Jun 22, 2009 (0) Comments

Once you recognize the need for a good web design firm, how do you choose from among all the available companies?

Know Yourself

Before you begin looking for a firm to design your website, think about the image you want to portray for your business.

What is the first impression you want customers or visitors to have about your company, and what do you want your site to say about you?

Do you want clients to think your company is modern and on the cutting edge? Creative? Dependable? Traditional? You’re website portrays that image in a few micro seconds.

So know what sense you want to portray,  and decide on some of the basic information you want on your site.

Great Connection

You want a web designer who connects with you, who captures the essence of what your business is about. The right designer understands you, and understands the kind of impression you want to make on your clients.

Talk to several designers and look for a couple who seem to “get it,” to grasp completely what your business is about and who you are.

You want to work with someone who takes your ideas and expands on them in ways that are good for your business.

Evaluate Their Work

Once you’ve chosen a few web designers who seem promising, then you should evaluate their portfolio of websites.

Once you know they understand your requirements, you want to be sure they have the technical and design expertise to back their vision up with product. Look through the sites they have completed and see if there are features and designs that you like.

Ask the designers about their ideas for your website. What elements do they suggests? What kinds of graphics? What kind of layout? See which ideas you prefer.

Determine Costs and Timelines

When you think you’ve decided on a firm, then discuss costs and timelines. These are two important items that can make or break a deal.

With Webdatamation, you will get quality web design at a reasonable cost. We’ll work with you on meeting deadlines, and are very responsive to customer concerns.

For web designers who understand your business and understand all the technical aspects of web design, speak to the experts at Webdatamation.