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Notes from MWC: Copying iPhone, Offline Gmail, Turn by Turn GPS for iPhone

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Apr 12, 2001
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Mobile World Congress 2009 took place this week in Barcelona, Spain bringing together the major players of the mobile phone industry. While Apple chose not to attend, a lot of the talk still surrounded Apple's iPhone. Here are a few notes of interest to come out of the conference.

- Apple's iPhone seemed to take center stage during a panel discussion with CEOs from Microsoft, Nokia and AT&T. They criticized Apple's closed vertical ecosystem. Microsoft's Steve Ballmer, specifically, had this to say:
"I agree that no single company can create all the hardware and software," he said. "Openness is central because it's the foundation of choice."
Click to expand...
One audience question asked why these panelists were so worried about Apple when the iPhone holds only a small percentage of mobile phone marketshare. AT&T's De la Vega summed up the answer: "Because the other 99.5 percent of the industry is trying to copy the iPhone."

- Apple's investment in supporting upcoming web standards may begin to pay off with a new breed of "offline" web applications. Google demoed a version of GMail that will still work even when Airplane mode is on. Airplane mode effectively takes the iPhone offline, but by using local storage capabilities found in HTML5, users would still be able to browse and manipulate their mail. A YouTube video shows it in action. These sort of offline web applications have been discussed as possibilities in the past given Apple's investment in web-standards. Of course, these apps would work on any HTML5-compliant browser, including Android phones.


141922-sygic-iphone-turn-by-turn-3_425.jpg


Photo from The iPhone Blog
- A company called Sygic demonstrated a full featured turn-by-turn GPS application for the iPhone and is planning on submitting it to the App Store despite SDK terms that seem to specifically prohibit such applications.

- Gizmodo took a look at the new Android G2 and liked it with the exception of the typing interface.

Article Link: Notes from MWC: Copying iPhone, Offline Gmail, Turn by Turn GPS for iPhone
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/02/18/notes-from-mwc-copying-iphone-offline-gmail-turn-by-turn-gps-for-iphone/
too funny

In front of all those CEO's ( Ballmer included ) saying 'Because everyone is trying to copy the iPhone!' - Ah, that's just good stuff, right there!:cool:

Also, to have turn by turn directions on the iPhone would be great. Absolutely fantastic. I really hope Apple approves of such an App. Someone refresh my memory as to why the SDK says they can't?
 
Ballmer..

Ballmer, you two-faced scumbag. You have NEVER been a fan of "openness" so for you to comment that 'openness is good' is beyond irony.
 
JonJ said:
Ballmer, you two-faced scumbag. You have NEVER been a fan of "openness" so for you to comment that 'openness is good' is beyond irony.
Click to expand...

agree!!!

Bout the only times I can remember his openess was way back in the day when he "opened his arms" to xerox :)

that and who can forget "Wild Tongue"!
 
ag

Ahhh Ballmer is wrong like always. "No company can do software and hardware"... Ummmm hellloooooo who's your favorite company to copy? I think it's Apple, well they all that plus they can kick you in your sack.
 
Integration of software and hardware is what makes the iPhone work so well...so you're wrong Ballmer.
 
The last time that I checked, integration between hardware and software is what people want. Ballmer doesn't know what he's talking about.
 
Kilamite said:
Integration of software and hardware is what makes the iPhone work so well...so you're wrong Ballmer.
Click to expand...

Ditto ------ That's because No single company has create a single device like the iPhone in concept or usability --- so why not rail on the successful company that does do this well

Ballmer ----- What a total Dushbag --- Even his half lies don't ad up now !!!!
 
If this is quick, like the real thing, it will be excellent.

Only problem is when you are out of signal?
 
I've come to terms with the idea that if Turn By Turn becomes available it will be for a monthly fee. I seriously doubt that we'll see it included in the data plan (like Sprint does) and that we'll see another $10 +tax vanish from our bank accounts if we want it. I don't have the best sense of direction when I travel but it's not worth $120 a year when I already have a TomTom.

When Sygic gets rejected - which it will of course - I guess might have become a Jailbreaker.
 
Openness

The hardware/OS integration on the iPhone (and on all macs) is what keeps them from being as screwed up as Windows machines.

I feel there is a lot of openness on the iPhone.. that's why there's an enormous app store.
 
Ballmer, what a player hater! He can't play the game. Poor little guy, I think he needs a hug! :(
 
"Because the other 99.5 percent of the industry is trying to copy the iPhone."
Click to expand...

Talk about a blatant attempt to spread misinformation. I'm pretty sure the iPhone accounts for more than .5% of the phone market. Maybe I'm wrong, but even if the numbers show its market share being that small, the prevalence of Apple's approach and the way they've positioned themselves as the de facto standard for how phones should work should worry some of these people a lot. It's the old Coke-vs-Pepsi thing--if the big guys flinch (i.e., copying Apple outright, which many of them are doing) they lose in the minds of the consumer who will view their product as a wannabe and not as good as the original. If I were in their position, I'd be scared.

This is the same kind of attitude the rest of the industry had about the iPod in its first few years. "What? It's all proprietary? Other music stores can't be part of it? Apple's not licensing their DRM? BWAHAHA! Now that we've created our Plays For Sure ecosystem where everyone can be a part, Apple is doomed!"

Such nonsense. Instead of downplaying the iPhone, they should be brainstorming for great ideas that leapfrog Apple and leave the iPhone behind before it's too late. Instead, they're going to hand over their lunch money to Apple just like they did with music.
 
Auzburner said:
Absolutely, we also need a video recording app. It has been done easily and Apple simply won't allow it, because - just because...
Click to expand...

the only reason i can see for holding back video recording ( which many of us had or still have on hacked phones ) is that the quality was not so hot. when you consider that direct upload to youtube was also working fine, you have to figure youtube will be attacked with crap quality videos.

sorry if this is off topic.
 
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