Archive for the ‘Cell Phone Wars’ Category

Friday, November 14, 2008 8:53 AM/EST When I met with Google's mobile platform and open source evangelist Vic Gundotra 11 months ago, he mused about how great it would be to speak into his iPhone and get Google search results. Google programmers have made that possible, adding voice recognition technology to the company's search algorithm to make the iPhone even more appealing, according to the New York Times' John Markoff who wrote (subscriber wall): Users.... can place the phone to their ear and ask virtually any question, like "Where's the nearest Starbucks?" or "How tall is Mount Everest?" The sound is converted to a digital file and sent to Google's servers, which try to determine the words spoken and pass them along to the Google search engine. Apparently, the search results will also sometimes include local information thanks to the iPhone's location-based services. My first reaction to this is: Wow, Google just achieved a significant technology feat and is letting Apple reap the rewards first, with support for other phones later. Gundotra raved about his iPhone last December, but wouldn't you think there comes a point when Google would be a little selfish and keep such a crown jewel as voice search for its own Android mobile platform? Such a move would surely boost sales of the T-Mobile G1. Ah, but we can debate Google's competitive finesse later. Let's enjoy the achievement first. According to Markoff, Apple will make the free Google app available today through its iTunes store. As of 8:30 EDT, there is no sign of it. The software is flawed, as Markoff said queries can appear as gibberish, but Markoff noted Google executives said they believed it was accurate enough to be useful to people who wanted to avoid tapping out their queries on the iPhone's touch-screen keyboard. Moreover, Google watchers said it won't be a stretch to improve now that Google has built the software. Full story

Verizon To Launch Storm Nov. 21 Friday, Nov 14, 2008 7:01 AM ET Verizon Wireless today announced it will launch the BlackBerry Storm on Nov. 21, just in time for the start of the holiday season. As Verizon's (and Research in Motion's) answer to the iPhone, the touchscreen device carries the same $199 price ... Full story

  Washington (ChattahBox) - Dell has announced they are not yet ready to launch their own iPod killer. Earlier reports stated that Dell was going to put out a new advanced MP3 player. It was going to compete head-to-head with the iPod with a price tag of $99. Dell is not ready to release it just yet though as they ... Full story

Watch out, Sony and Nintendo; overnight, the maker of the iPhone is making a mark on the handheld gaming industry By Arik Hesseldahl I didn't expect much from games on the iPhone. I had visions of casual games, perhaps a fancy take on solitaire or a version of poker that takes advantage of the handset's touchscreen. Surely not a true mobile gaming experience. Boy, was I wrong. For the last few days I've been sampling some of the games available from the iTunes Store on the iPod Touch, and I've been stunned at how elaborate and involved they are. On the iPod Touch I've played a version of Gameloft's Real Soccer 2009 that rivals the version of the game on the Nintendo DS, and I didn't even miss the buttons. I've seen demonstrations of Sim City, forthcoming for the iPhone and the Touch from Electronic Arts (ERTS), that look more elaborate and sophisticated than any versions I've played before on a desktop PC or console. Full story

In a move aimed squarely at building market share, the companies said they will strategically collaborate on research, marketing, and applications. By Marin Perez InformationWeek Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) and LG Electronics on Monday inked a deal for strategic collaboration on the next generation of mobile devices. The agreement ensures that the two companies will work together on research and development, marketing, applications, and services for mobile convergence devices "This agreement between LG and Microsoft will create critical momentum in the industry," said Yong Nam, LG's CEO, in a statement. "With this partnership, mobile computing will truly become an everyday reality, and LG and Microsoft will be at the forefront of it." Full story