NET9

NET9: Six Years In...

2011-11-15T03:47:00.001-05:00

Wow! So much has happened this year. For us at NET9, we've had a child born, seen Android take off, iOS mature, the number of tablets rapidly expand, and mourned the passing of a great tech icon.

A great bit of tech news slipped past us without as much as a word from the site about it, but we are very much amazed at the staggering amount of developments that have occurred in this short amount of time. I have a feeling the coming year will bring an avalanche of innovation and progress that will continue to blow our minds.

We've made it through a lot of tough times since we started six years ago, but I see great times on the horizon. We always keep a positive outlook here at NET9, and we believe the future is going to be very bright indeed.

Definitely "Making the future happen" here at NET9. To many more amazing years of mobile tech.

Blogger iOS App

2011-09-09T05:50:00.001-04:00

Google has finally brought Blogger to iOS via official app, and we look forward to using it quite a bit. So far, the app allows just about everything you would expect. You can edit posts, view previous posts, add photos, and publish all from within the app.

There is one thing I don't like about the app, but it's probably something that can be fixed in an update. The keyboard is portrait only, which I never liked using. Other than that, the app is perfect for blogging on the go.

The best feature I've noticed is that the app can be used offline to create posts, although saving/syncing is not available in this scenario. Lets hope Google keeps this app updated.

A New World, A New Life

2011-09-08T18:36:00.001-04:00

It's been an amazing couple of weeks, with the birth of our daughter topping the list of great events here at NET9. We've seen Google gaining ground in mobile with the Motorola deal, as well as Google Plus jump into gaming, while the iPhone 5 is on the horizon from Apple. Speaking of Apple, we were surprised with the news of Steve Jobs stepping down as CEO. Of course many more Android smart-phones and tablets have made it on the mobile scene since our last post as well.

HTML5 is beginning to shape the new web and cloud computing is one of the big topics in development right now. The patent wars are in full force, and social networking royal rumble between Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter is changing the way people communicate forever. No one really knows how these conflicts in tech will end, but one thing is for sure, the events developing now will impact what mobile computing hardware and software we use and how we use it in ways we never imagined.

There's plenty more great tech news just waiting over the horizon, and the year is not over, but coming close to an end. We believe there are a lot of big surprises in store and we're making the most of every opportunity to be a major part of this bold new mobile future.

Cr-48 Update: Offline Apps
Lately, there has been a good deal of work being done by Google and other developers to make Chrome OS useful offline. This work has resulted in several apps that make using Chromebooks offline a bit more enjoyable. I've only just started to find some of these new offline apps, and will be adding more to the list as they become available. Right now, these are my favorites.

Offline Gmail

Using Gmail offline works just as expected, with a slightly unfamiliar appearance than the web version. Reading and replying to email and even composing new mail is possible. Once online, everything is synchronized and works like any other e-mail client. It's not the most elegant solution to e-mail, but it does make using a Chromebook away from Internet access a bit more useful.

Scratchpad
I've been using Scratchpad to take notes and compose this blog post, and so far it works well for my needs on the Cr-48. Until Google Docs becomes usable offline (editing and not just viewing documents), this app will have to do. This is one of my most favorite Chrome apps at the moment thanks to its simplicity and functionality.

Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader
Sure this is a no-brainer application, but I love the idea that I can pick up a book where I may have left off reading on my iPod Touch or PC and have yet another device I can read my books on. The interface is sleek and simple, and there's nothing to get in the way while reading. And while I'm no advocate for reading on a laptop or PC, the Cr-48 display is quite good for the occasional burst of e-reading.

File Manager
Probably the most important offline app for me has to be the file manager for the mere fact that I can save web pages for later viewing, organize pictures, listen to music, and even watch some video when offline. Utilizing a fairly large usb stick, I can work with all my files even when I'm not connected to the web.

So, these are just some of the great apps and tools we take for granted on the more well established OSes we all know an love (or love to hate), but Chrome OS is coming along quite nicely. I look forward to seeing how these and future apps evolve over time into foundations for cloud computing.

New Apple Devices And Software Soon
One post for all the exciting news that has been breaking is just not realistic, so I want to focus on the few items we are most excited about.

iOS 5: This is a big one. Finally, iPod Touches, iPhones, an iPads will be free from needing the initial connection to a computer before using it. That's the one feature I've been waiting for, and all the others are just icing on the cake.

iPhone 5: This iPhone could be the one that gets me to upgrade from my current smartphone, the N97. Considering I use my iPod Touch 4G more than even my desktop these days, the logical progression is to move to an always connected and more powerful mobile device. I see the iPhone 5 being the perfect "next phone" for me.

iPod Touch 5: Here's where things get interesting. I've heard rumors that there may not be a successor to the current iPod Touch this time around, and some that say not only will there be one, but it will include a 3G radio to become that always connected mobile device I want. Depending on what path Apple takes, I could be moving to iPhone territory, or I could upgrade again to one of the best no-contract mobile device coming to market. Either way, Apple will be getting some of my money soon. How exciting.

And speaking of exciting...

First Weeks As A New Dad
My beautiful daughter Amai was born August 19, 2011 and it's been like a wonderful dream I never want to wake up from. She's been keeping her mom and I pretty busy, but every moment with her is a blessing. Our daily activities have shifted to revolve around her and it's an adventure for sure. I've learned to squeeze as much time out of the days, and learning new tricks to getting things done efficiently. So, although we have less time to ourselves (a lot less time), we are getting to the point where Amai's world is running like clockwork. I even had time to write this post without many breaks. We are really looking forward to our future as a family and we hope Amai can look back on this writing when she's older to see all the events that were happening as she grew up in this amazing time.

So, we have a great future ahead, and we are so very excited to still be here to share our thoughts, ideas, and moments with this brave new world.

iPad 2: One More Thing...

2011-03-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

So the iPad 2 has been shown, used, and dissected hundreds of times by the time you’re reading this. The tech in the iPad 2 is not very exciting. Front and back cameras? The iPod Touch 4G has them. Thinner and beveled edges? Got that too. What’s truly exciting about the iPad 2 is the dual-core A5 chip and the Apple Digital AV Adapter allowing you to mirror everything done on the iPad 2.

Aside from a better back camera, these two features are all that I am missing in the iPod Touch 4G. I’m willing to wait for those until my next mobile upgrade. But that doesn't tell you what I think of the iPad 2. I like it, but won’t buy it. I have a laptop, a smart phone, and an iPod Touch. I don’t see and need for an iPad. I have come to the conclusion that if I can’t take a computer with me everywhere, it’s not truly useful to me. Sure, it has a larger screen, but I could have that with the digital AV adapter.

No, the iPad or iPad 2 is not for me. I find the iPod Touch is far more useful to my needs as mobile computer. But beveled edges and cameras be damned! It’s all about the massive number of useful apps and awesome games. Apple has the magic thanks to the developers. It is this growing app “gravity” that will solidify and extend Apple’s lead. There’s no doubt that the iPad 2 will sell in droves and will be great for attracting even more developers perpetuating the process. 2011 is definitely the year of the iPad 2, but the year is just getting started, and a lot can happen in a year.

Nokia+Microsoft, IBM+Samsung, Cr-48 Update

2011-02-17T11:53:00.000-05:00

So, Nokia and Microsoft have joined forces and could either change the mobile industry forever in a huge way, or be the end for Nokia and the beginning of a new mobile era staring Apple and Google. I’m still not sure what to think about this news. On one hand, it’s sad that Nokia has given up on Symbian OS for Windows Phone OS. On the other hand, this could lead to some interesting mobile developments in the near and distant future. I truly hope it works out for both Nokia and Microsoft, and wish them the best. However, I will wait and see what comes of this new partnership. Meanwhile, I’m growing fonder of iOS and even Android to some extent.

IBM and Samsung have announced a patent cross-license agreement, and will likely have a huge impact on computer technology in the world soon. Of course, cross-license agreements like these happen all the time, but I imagine as time progresses this will be one of the most common solutions to the ever growing patent problem that has been stifling innovation for many industries. I look forward to a day when the patent application process is made obsolete and companies can see that collaboration is key to the survival and growth of any industry.

It’s funny how I seem to have not been giving the Cr-48 much time lately, but there are a few good reasons for that. For one, I have been using Netflix [a lot], and I can watch movies on my iPod Touch and PC, but it’s not compatible with Chrome OS and so there’s the problem. The second reason for not using the Cr-48 is mobility. Sure, I could take it some places, but it can’t be with me everywhere I go. The iPod Touch takes care of that problem also. There are other small reasons I haven’t been using the Cr-48 much, but they are few. I have yet to discover a “killer app” for the Cr-48, but for now I can just count on it eventually replacing my PC for most of my everyday use. I think the PC is becoming more of a storage server for files [music, movies, photos, etc.] now anyway. I’ll keep coming back to the Chrome-powered notebook to find new web apps and to do a lot of web work and research, but I don’t see it ever getting as much attention as a mobile computer like the iPod Touch.

Cr-48: Basic Web Apps, Advanced Web Concepts

2011-02-06T13:03:00.004-05:00

So it's been almost two weeks since NET9 got the Cr-48 in the lab, and although I haven't used it every day I have thoroughly enjoyed the time using it. It turns on and boots up extremely fast [my most favorite feature], the hardware is solid and simple to use, and I don't see myself needing much more than Chrome OS has to offer. But this isn't a Cr-48 review, it's the begining of a series of posts surrounding our ongoing experience with Chrome OS as a whole.

Web Apps By Google
The first places I went after starting up Chrome OS were Google Docs, Gmail, Google Reader, and YouTube. Google Docs is how I take my notes, prepare blog posts, jot down ideas, and doodle. I have the ability to read and edit docs from other devices like the iPod Touch, and I have been using Google Docs primarily since it was Writely way back when.

Gmail was the next logical web destination, and my cornerstone of communication. I email, chat, and voice/video call all from Gmail, and have it in a pinned tab always. Instant access to email through the Cr-48 is what dreams are made of.

Speaking of dreams, Google Reader is perfect for my Cr-48 use. I use all the keyboard shorcuts to navigate, and for the first time in a long time, I am able to keep current with all my RSS feeds. In my opinion, Reader was made for Chrome OS.

YouTube, however puts the greatest strain on the Cr-48 of all the Google apps I've used so far. Video is hard work for the little notebook, and I'm sure it has everything to do with Flash at this point. Hopefully HTML5 will solve this problem if Adobe doesn't do so first. For now, YouTube videos on the Cr-48 are barely ok.

More In Store
Aside from the numerous Google apps running on our Cr-48, there are some other very useful apps in the Chrome Web Store. The Box.net app is essential to this sort of OS as a storage alternative/supplement, and a great way to transition to cloud computing in general. Then there’s Picnik, for editing photos online. The concept of editing images online is a powerful one, and Picnik does an excellent job of it. It connects to various sites like Picasa, Flickr, Facebook, and more to offer a seamless experience.

As the Chrome Web Store continues to mature, I’m sure there will be many great new options in the cloud for getting things done as well as an entertainment hub for the future of computing. It is a very exciting time for the web, and we are deeply invested in how mobile will shape it. The Chrome Web Store will be an integral part of shaping the web and how we use it in the future.

Smart, Fun, Cloud
Working in the cloud may be a big deal to most people trying to wrap their heads around the idea behind Chrome OS, but the entertainment and educational factors of such an idea are yet to be tapped. As entertainment is largely at the forefront of any great new technology, it is logical to see entertainment aspects of cloud computing being a very big contributor to its progress. Social games, audio/video streaming, and more will power the cloud after a days work.

Education is another large force that will help the growth of cloud computing the world over. Because it is more economical and encourages collaboration, the global reach of education via the cloud is boundless. Online books, video lectures, and various information on the web is accessible to most anyone. And thanks to cloud computing, more people will be able to afford and obtain an educational experience with greater ease and efficiency.

So cloud computing is here, and Chrome OS is doing an awesome job of bringing it all together so far. For me, it has sparked inspiration about where computing is headed and allowed me to view the web as more of a journey and less of a destination. We look forward to continue the journey by getting to know Chrome OS and the Cr-48 through the coming months, and we’re excited to see what becomes of cloud computing and how it eventually will infect mobile computing.

The Touch, The Cr-48, And The Way

2011-01-30T10:46:00.004-05:00

How Touching

The iPod Touch is one our most used and loved mobile devices to date. Because it has so many capabilities as a mobile computer, it's a wonder why it's not as popular or more so than the iPhone and iPad. Sure, its weaknesses are connectivity and screen size compared to its Apple created siblings, but ironically those also happen to be a couple of the iPod Touch's greatest strengths.

Having the option to chose the way one connects the iPod Touch to the web is the very reason I decided that the iPhone wasn't right for NET9. I'm free from a monthly carrier bill, and I can use apps like Skype, Google Voice, Textfree, etc. to make/receive calls and sms messages for cheap or free over wifi. As for the screen size, my eyes are very good and I have no problem reading text on the smaller screen. I can take the iPod Touch with me anywhere at this size, which makes it 100% mobile.

There's almost no limit to what the iPod Touch can do for my mobile computing experience, and I'm sure Apple will continue to improve this under-hyped consumer device over time. It's currently my main mobile computer at the moment, and shall remain so until something better for my needs comes along.

On Cloud 9
As you may have seen from my excited tweets, I finally received a Cr-48 notebook from Google recently, and have been wrapping my brain around finally seeing my dream of web-based computing. I won't go into a detailed review of the Cr-48 or Chrome OS, because there are so many already out there, and I would rather just integrate my ongoing experience with these sort of devices.

In terms of hardware, the Cr-48 is a solid machine incorporating simplicity and elegance that some see as “cheap” while others see it as “Zen-like”. I love the hardware personally, and it does the job while not getting in the way of what’s important, which brings us to the Chrome OS itself.
Basically, the browser is the operating system and there’s not much left to add to that fact. I see this as the future of cloud computing, and Google has a great head start with Chrome OS.

I plan on pushing this devices capabilities powered by Chrome OS and will continue to report on my progress going forward. The best thing I like about the Cr-48 and Google’s new OS is that it sparks so many ideas for me to put to the test. I am truly thankful for this great new opportunity, and can’t thank Google enough for making this possible.

Uncharted Territories
I believe we are once again transitioning into new and interesting places with respect to mobile technology and all technology as a whole. Devices like Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox 360 prove that slightly advanced camera tech combined with a microphone can provide an amazing gaming experience and possibly a great new computing interface paradigm.

Our mobile devices such as smart phones, media players, tablets, etc. have become our new PCs, and offer many more capabilities at the same time. Features like cameras, microphones, GPS sensors, accelerometers, and touch screens have been incorporated in mobile devices for some time now, but are just beginning to become useful in very creative ways. Meanwhile, technology such as NFC, gyroscopes, compasses, and various new sensors and wireless connectivity options are starting to change the mobile space once again. They are getting smarter.

Between more powerful and faster mobile processors, the growing additions in hardware features, and the smart new ways in which software utilizes the hardware, the future of mobile is becoming a very powerful force indeed. Mobile is starting to learn, to become like our pets, if you will. It is our new keys and wallet/purse. It connects us in more ways than just telephony. It records and outputs our location as well as our textual, audible, and visual memories. It is becoming closer to us than our best best friends. Soon, we will be putting it on like clothes, but eventually it will become part of us like our eyes, ears, nose, etc. We are more than half-way there, and there’s no reason for us to turn back now.

Predictions For 2011

2010-12-05T07:59:00.004-05:00

This is our first predictions post composed entirely on a mobile device [iPod Touch 4G], and we know it won't be our last. NET9 is five years old now, and we are growing a little wiser each day. This year has been very enlightening, and we are excited about the future we are building. So here's what we've got...

- TV is changing, weather you like it or not. 2011 will see concepts like Clicker.com competing with ideas like Google TV for your visual attention, and depending on if you're a die hard cable cutter or just want to add the web to your TV for simplicity, you will have new ways to watch what's on. We also see Google TV coming to PS3 and Xbob 360 in 2011.

- Your mobile device is the new PC and so much more. Today's mobile devices have become more powerful than the desktop PC of five years ago. Not only in power, but in functionality. Watch as the next stage in computing changes again with technologies such as NFC, AR, gyroscope sensors, bio sensors, and compass sensors. This is the tech that you'll see a lot of in 2011.

- Geo location gains steam in 2011. With the much needed help from augmented reality and NFC tech, where you are will be about much more than just checking in to Foursquare or other similar services. Coupons and local deals will continue to drive location-based services for the foreseeable future.

- Messaging, voice, and video communications shape future for carriers. Data rich devices and services are changing the telecom industry, and we see monumental changes taking place in 2011 that will fix or break the way many will use mobile computers. This is one of the largest issues we will face in coming years that affects the progress of mobile computing. I see a future where wifi makes an inevitable comeback because of this.

- Slates, tablets, and pads are the next computing fad. In 2011 we will have several Android tablets, and of course Apple will have an update to the IPad as well. The Blackberry Playbook also comes to market, and I imagine Microsoft and Nokia won't be too far behind. But like the netbook trend before it, we doubt it will last longer than a few years.

- Gesture-based ui and voice recognition begins to replace the mouse and keyboard in 2011. The Kinnect is just a first step for Microsoft's agenda for changing how people use computers. Windows Phone 7 could greatly benefit from this tech and even change mobile computing forever. We see other big companies like Google and Apple continue to advance this new paradigm in computing in the future as well. This is one area we are particularly excited about, and look forward to being a huge part of.

- Touch UI tech reaches inevitable limitations toward the the end of 2011. Touching will give way to letting the advanced camera and microphone technology handle majority the UI in computing. People are getting tired of fingerprints. After that we move to thought-controlled systems. We believe what mobile devices look like will change dramatically during this transition.

- NFC will finally go mainstream in 2011 with big names like Nokia, Google, Apple, and others building the tech into mobile devices. We see mobile payments being the biggest factor in this movement, followed by gaming, file sharing, shopping, and even ticketing.

- "Voltronization" begins now... All the features of our mobile devices will start to come together in very interesting new ways. The hardware is now more than capable, and software is more powerful than ever. Demand is growing for a congealing of all the functions of a mobile device in order to represent more and more of ourselves as accurately as we can. We are here, this is what we are doing, take a look, watch how this happens, it's happening now, and sure you can check it out again later if you like, but we'll be doing something else by then so...

Thanks for another wonderful year. To all our readers, Happy Holidays. Stay warm, safe, and loved. We'll see you in the future.

Time For Some More Change

2010-11-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

So we have been looking at ways to update the site a little and we have decided on brightening up the text and we've added our Twitter feed to the sidebar as well. We are always looking to improving and adapting NET9 as we continue to grow. We hope you like what we've done, and we look forward to your feedback.

We finally got a new iPod Touch [4G] in the lab, and are loving the new features. The screen is amazing, the speed on and off-line is excellent, and the cameras are more useful than we expected. Of course, the mobility of this device is out of this world, and I personally love the multitasking feature. We'll continue to test the capabilities of these iPods as new apps become available and as various web services are adapted to mobile computing devices in the future.

As we come closer to the end of this year, we have seen many trends surfacing that will develop and mature throughout next year. We see this wave of new ideas and products around the same time every year, and this years' trends look to be the Kinect [because gesture and voice interfaces are the future], NFC [near field communication tech will finally start to gain traction in the states and will change the payment process in a huge way], Internet TV [Google TV, Apple TV, and various others are bringing the web and tv together, but each one has their own ideas about how it should work], Social and Location [who and where you are has never been so important in the last few years, and sharing all that was cool, but this time it's personal...].

We are seeing a lot of change in the mobile industry lately. Some of it we like, some we don't like. Some ideas we see as a big deal for the future [AR, gesture/speech recognition] are being overshadowed by frivolous quibbles between the very companies [Google vs. Facebook] that could be developing these ideas more quickly and efficiently. There needs to be a refocus of efforts on the parts of everyone in the coming year, because I see rough roads ahead if we don't.

Miracles Of Mobile

2010-09-22T05:06:00.001-04:00

From going vegan to living a more "green" lifestyle, my mobile devices have helped me organize my time, projects, and ideas in ways I would not have without them. My most recently purchased mobile device being the iPod Touch has seen the most use, and it is amazing.

Time Saver
To many, time is the ultimate resource. It's the only non-renewable resource we have and to most, more precious than all the riches in the world. We mistakenly think time can be "saved" as if it were money, but all we can truly do is make the best of what we have of it. And so, anything that helps us to be more efficient with our time becomes extremely valuable the more we utilize it. However, our mobile devices only allow us to do the things we want to do. It's up to us to decide how we spend our time, be it wise or unwise. With so many time stealing games and other useless apps available for mobile devices growing by the minute, it becomes harder for some to focus on the ways our mobile devices can help us become better people. Nothing's wrong with a little rest and relaxation every now and then, but there should be a balance of what we do with our time even on the move. We use our devices to keep in contact with others, take notes for great ideas, make shopping lists, capture photos and video, save cooking recipes, listen to music, watch movies, read books, surf the web, and so much more all while on the go. Mobile devices are the ultimate time "savers", and they change my life for the better everyday.

Projects Pro
The number of projects I work on is astounding. From small DIY projects around the house to long-term projects that may help others one day, they all grow and develop on my mobile devices now. It used to be harder to do not long ago when the PC was the best place to keep all these projects organized, but now mobile devices have enough power and storage space to keep most of my projects as well as start new ones while away from home. I've been able to put a whole website together for a client while on vacation using only a mobile phone, I've taken notes without writing or typing by using the voice recorder or video recorder on the same phone. I've mapped out an entire trip including hotel, restaurants, gas stations, and other points of interest all on my mobile device. I am able to start and complete multiple projects faster than ever thanks to mobile technology.

Ideas And Goals
With so many thoughts entering my head throughout each day, the quicker I can take some notes down the better. Having a mobile device capable of recording my ideas and goals is invaluable and gives my mind the rest it needs once I know my thoughts will live longer than the moment of conception.

But just having the tools for a job doesn't get the job done. Time is only "saved" when we do things efficiently enough to make room for other things to do or get done. Projects are good to have going, but it is the completed one that is worth anything. And ideas and goals are wonderful things for anyone to have, but the ideas we share and the goals we actually strive for are the ones that change and mold our world.

Near Future And Growing Beyond It

2010-09-18T19:36:00.001-04:00

There's no doubt now that the iPod Touch has been the best mobile device experience I've had to date, and I plan on purchasing the latest update to the iPod Touch soon. I never thought I would be a user of any Apple product, much less a fan of one. But here I am, looking forward to upgrading to a new one already. Of course there are still many things I don't like about the Apple way of doing things, and I continue to be amazed at the great things coming from Nokia, but I am finally beginning to understand how things work on both sides. I know some are wondering where my thoughts about Android are in all this. Well, I have to say that I have yet to see an Android device that makes me have to have one. So, at this point I am Nokia/Apple device advocate and user.

It's probably safe to say that I'll upgrade to a new Nokia phone every 3-5 years and a new complementary type device from Apple every 1-2 years. I really look forward to the advancements in mobile tech from other companies as well, but for now Apple is showing me the most futuristic tech in a single device with the new iPod Touch.

Everything from the retna display to the power and efficient A4 chip inside are pretty nice features for a device that's even slimmer than its predecessors. And that's before you get to the thousands of apps that make such a device so useful.

I could list so many ways the iPod Touch has helped me and my family on a day to day basis, but I'll save those for future posts. I'm constantly finding new ways this device can allow me to grow in the world, and it's very exciting to know that I'll always find something I can improve about myself and the world we live in.

So as we upgrade to new mobile hardware and software to help ourselves and the world for the better, we must remember where we want to go and maybe try to fix some things we've broken along the journey.

Not Here, But Everywhere...

2010-06-17T09:15:00.005-04:00

It's been awhile since our last post, and it most likely will be some time until our next one. However, we haven't given up on NET9. We're just spreading to other places. After all that's what being mobile is about.

As for this post, we've done quite a bit of shopping and changed the way things run around here. For one, we updated our Windows desktop to Ubuntu and hooked it up to an Optoma pico projector, which gives us a huge screen that is quite clear and bright.

Then we purchased a Loopt gyroscopic mouse to control the experience in an more comfortable way while relaxed on the sofa. The Loopt controller looks and feels very futuristic, and the best part is that it just works right out of the box.

My wife recently upgraded to the T-Mobile MyTouch Slide 3G from the aged Nokia 5800, and I have to say Android has become quite impressive. I decided to purchase an 8GB iPod Touch (2nd gen.) for myself though. It's funny how I got to this point, but it feels good to be here.

I had been putting off buying the iPod Touch since it first came on the scene, and for awhile I forgot about it and avoided all things Apple. Without venturing out to other mobile worlds, progress is impossible. So my thoughts on the device are that this is one of the best experiences I've had in a long time. This is coming from a diehard Nokia fan. I seriously wish I had bought this thing sooner. I wouldn't have went for the Nokia N97, and would have just continued using my N95 as my phone. The iPod Touch hardware is really solid, and there's an app for just about anything one could think of for the mobile device.

I won't go into too much detail about the many things Apple did right with this thing, but I will say that I'll be using this a lot more than my other mobile gadgets for now. In fact, this post was composed entirely on the iPod Touch.

The main purpose of this post is mainly to explain that we are still here and growing day by day. We are adapting to the constant change of the mobile industry, and we are virtually finding our way around the web looking for what the future holds for mobile tech. We might post to Google Buzz here, Twitter there, and of course there are the check ins through Foursquare and Facebook. Our comments will be submitted to various tech blogs and sites, and the health of NET9 will be better for it.

So you see, we're no longer the centralized hub we once were, and our ideas and thoughts about the future of mobile will be found in more than one place on the web. This sort of defeats the need for a dedicated blog or site, but that doesn't mean we won't post here from time to time. We will keep the real exciting developments reserved for NET9 here. Thanks to all that follow us, and we will see you out there on the web.

Nokia N8: First Impression

2010-05-02T17:10:00.011-04:00

The news surrounding the recently confirmed Nokia N8 mobile computer has been spreading like a wildfire, and while at first I was a bit disappointed in everything from the look of the device itself to the lackluster look of Symban^3 screenshots. I didn't want to be too quick to judge a device (as I did with the N97), so I waited. And I waited, and I waited until I began to see the true potential of the N8 unveil itself through images and videos. Then I saw the amazing images and video captured with the device itself (wow!). But still I waited, and the news began to reach the many sites and blogs I subscribe to via my RSS reader. The thoughts and opinions pushed and pulled at the Nokia N8 in ways I have not seen in a very long time.

The wait is over. My thoughts on the potential of the Nokia N8 grew from one of disappointment to one of sheer excitement. The Nokia N8 is the big bad wolf from the story of Little Red Riding Hood. The remarkable 12MP camera that can also capture HD video (all the better to see with my dear...). The nearly impossible to believe peta-band radio to make this the first real "world phone" from Nokia (all the better to hear with my dear...). The quick and nimble Symbian^3 powering the fast CPU and utilising the nice amount of memory of the device (all the better to run with my dear...). With so much going on into one device, and so much hype growing around it, I think the biggest teeth the Nokia N8 will show its price. €370 before taxes (all the better to eat you up with my dear!).

So, while the Nokia N8 is the start of the next generation of mobile computers, and my adoration of the device has grown since the web caught the first glimpses of what would be the N8, it may not be my next mobile device. Not because I don't want one, but because I know there will inevitably be a Nokia N9 not far behind it, as well as the firs MeeGo device from Nokia coming soon. It will likely be a showdown between those two for the thrown that the Nokia N97 currently sits. With that said, I'm really excited about the Nokia N8 and what it could do for Nokia and the world of mobile. I certainly look forward to lots of nicely taken 12MP photos and HD videos uploaded to the various video streaming sites.

It's finally time when power, portability, and affordability come together to push the mobile future forward with much force. It's a good time to save toward a new mobile computer.

One Gets New Life, One Grows Smarter

2010-03-30T03:10:00.007-04:00

The N95-3 Lives Again!
So, not long after we got the Nokia N97 into the NET9 lab, our trusty Nokia N95-3 started to bug out on us. At first we thought it was the memory failing on us or maybe the battery wasn't holding a charge anymore. Then we noticed that the power button wouldn't work when we tried to turn the device off. So that's when we decided to open it up to see what was going on. Immediately, we discovered that the power button module was freeing itself from the board. Too much stress on the tiny component, I guess.

So being the procrastinator that I am, I decided to "shelf" the device until just recently. I decided to try my hand at fixing the phone, and I'm happy to say that the results are a success! The N95-3 works like a charm once again, and is back in the labs working hard as you read this very post.

The N97 Gets Even Smarter
Recently, Nokia Beta Labs released a new app for the N97 and N97 mini called Nokia Bots. The application consists of four different "bots" that can be activated via a homescreen widget to learn various routines you usually perform manually and helps to automate the processes.

- The Profile Bot assists in switching your profiles for meetings according to your needs.
- The Alarm Bot helps in setting up a wake-up alarm and night profile.
- The Shortcut Bot provides quick access to your most frequently used apps.
- The Battery Bot notifies of upcoming power issues.

Each bot can be enabled or disabled from the homescreen widget and takes some time to learn your routine. I particularly like the Shortcut Bot, because it allows yet another widget bar for a set of four app shortcuts. Normally, you could only add two application shortcut bars to the N97 homescreen, but using this app allows a third.

Hopefully, Nokia continues to add more bots to this surprisingly useful app as well as make it available to more devices. Currently, Nokia Bots is only available to N97 and N97 mini users.

N Focus Episode #3: On The Right Track

2010-03-22T17:46:00.003-04:00

Episode 3 of N Focus is now live, and we think it turned out okay. We have yet to get comfortable with video production [especially because we're only using the Nokia N97 to do so], and we still are having some synchronization issues with the audio and video. I'm thinking the sync issues is due more to the extremely small amount of RAM on the N97 though.

That said, we're going to just have to continue to refine our footage in order to cope with the problem. It did take us a bit longer to get to shooting this episode for various technical reasons, but we're confident that we can solve that issue going forward. On to Episode 4...

N Focus Episode #2: Better, Still A Bit Rough

2010-03-02T19:24:00.003-05:00

So our second episode is live, and a little better than the "epic fail" that was episode #1. We're still new to this whole mobile video production thing, and we have much to learn still. We got the audio sync issues ironed out [turns out the cool intro video was to blame for that], the audio level is a bit better [keeping the screen in the open position uncovers the microphone], and we actually focused [no pun intended] on the key news at hand.

There are still some ideas we want to try out in future episodes, so bare with us as we find our way. This has already been an enlightening adventure into mobile video production and a real learning experience overall. We can't wait to bring you episode #3 and beyond.

N Focus Episode #1: A Very Rocky Start

2010-02-28T00:09:00.002-05:00

Well, here it is. Our first episode, and boy oh boy is it a mess. We apologize for the poor quality. Like any new endeavor, the first steps are usually the hardest, and this was certainly the case with our first N Focus video. The audio quality is ridiculous, the audio sync was off by a mile [we now know the reason for this], and my frustration of editing video footage over the course of almost half a week shows up in clearly in the final cut. All in all, this first episode, which was supposed to be such an exciting pilot, was a disaster.

However, even in light of all that, we did learn a lot about editing video on the Nokia N97 and are not discouraged one bit. We are already working on episode 2, and have found a solution to the audio sync issue. The intro [as cool as I thought it was] has been scaled down to the bare minimum, we are trying out a common yet tricky editing technique, and we're working on a fix for the sound recording quality too. Please stay tuned as we continue to grow and learn with us here at NET9 as we build our N Focus portfolio. We've got a long way to go, and this is just the beginning of the beginning.

We're Getting N Focus

2010-02-21T15:38:00.006-05:00

We've been busy over the last few weeks getting a grasp on the latest news from MWC 2010, and we have had a real hard time trying to keep up with all the exciting announcements. Everything from the Symbian^3 news, to the Nokia and Intel announcement of MeeGo, to the Samsung Wave with the new Bada OS and a Super AMOLED screen. Of course we can't leave out the Windows Phone 7 Series news. Sure, there's a whole lot more news we'd like to cover in more detail here, but we have been running extremely short on time lately and have come to the conclusion that we need a faster [and more entertaining] way of getting the news out.

That's why we're proud to announce N Focus, our new video channel for NET9 where we will mix as much of the latest news with our thoughts and opinions about that news. But that's not all. The way in which we are recording and editing is the most interesting part. We'll be doing it all on the mobile devices at hand. In this case, the Nokia N97. I have to say, this is the most challenging project we've tackled due to the very very very few video editing options available on the device. Needless to say, our next device will have to have slightly better than average video and photo editing software for our requirements.

We're still working on the first episode, and we hope to get your feedback as soon as we post it. As with any new project, we know there will be room for improvement, and we hope you'll stay tuned as we continue to learn and improve our content.

A Buzzing Sound Heard Around The World

2010-02-12T14:00:00.002-05:00

The latest buzz around the web has to be the new Google Buzz feature in Gmail and Google Maps for Mobile. I won't go into detail how it works, as the site does a well enough job itself, but it's basically a real time status updater similar to Twitter or Facebook. It's social networking meets geo-location, and it works pretty well.

I've been using it since I heard about it, and the buzz is growing fast. It will be interesting to see where users take this new social tool, and of course we can't wait to see what Google has planned as well.

Follow along as we discover cool new uses for this very cool new feature.

Huge News Surrounding Nokia And Symbian

2010-02-04T09:14:00.001-05:00

Symbian 100% Open Source

Talk about huge news...this has to be the biggest today. Symbian is now completely Open Source, which means many things for device manufacturers, developers, and consumers alike. I believe this day will be looked back on as one of the greatest moments in mobile history.

Ovi Store Updated With New Sorting Of Content

Now there's "Top Free", "Best Sellers", and "New" tabs for the various genres of content in the store. Apparently this is will speed access to the content you are looking for. Search, it seems, is still not working at it's best though.

Nokia C5 Images Leaked

We're not sure if this is an actual Nokia device just yet, but if it is, we'll most likely get more information about it at MWC. From the images, it looks to be a low to mid-end device. Let's just hope the C stands for "cheap" as in price and not in terms of device quality.

Ovi Maps Racing: Here And Free

The top-down racer is finally in the Ovi Store for free download [for a limited time?], and is pretty cool from my brief time playing it. Race on default tracks, custom tracks, or build your own tracks, and burn out!

Ovi Maps Reaches 1.4 Million Downloads In 1 Week

Thanks to Nokia releasing free navigation for Ovi Maps, a huge number of downloads of the app have been made in just one week's time. This is big, and there's no doubt that the number

Nokia Diagnostics

This is a pretty simple and self-explanatory application. It allows users to diagnose, troubleshoot, and configure their device on their own. Lets hope even more features are added to the list. I know I would like to see a touchscreen calibrator, brightness control, camera test, microphone speaker test, buttons test, and sensors [accelerometer, GPS, compass, etc.] test.

Latest Nokia N97 Update

2010-02-02T05:09:00.001-05:00

The latest firmware update for the N97 is now version 21.0.045, which brings a few nice treats for device owners:

A little more RAM after booting [up to 53MB]
Improved call reliability
Smoother touchscreen scrolling
Cool new default theme [black]
Browser improvements [faster load times]
Music player improvements
Improved image and video stability

To me, the device is much more responsive as a whole. Smoother transitions, apps launch quicker, auto-rotate is snappier, etc. Great job Nokia!

The iPad Has No Future In The Mobile Space

2010-02-02T04:43:00.001-05:00

That's right, I'm going outright and stating that Apple's new iPad will fail as a truly mobile device...

- It's not mobile enough [can't fit in anyone but MC Hammer's old parachute pants pockets].

- It has no built-in camera [dumb, dumb, and dumb].

- It has no definitive purpose [big smartphone? e-book reader? Internet tablet? what the heck is this thing?! at least we knew the iPod was definitely an mp3 player].

- It's being built around an operating system that already has a device [sure it can make use of all the iPhone and iPod Touch apps, but so can the iPhone and the iPod Touch!].

- It uses the micro-SIM card that hardly anyone uses...yet [okay, this is just Apple being difficult again. Can we at least get two options of the standards for the SIM format? Way to lock down a new device Apple.]

Nokia Frees Navigation

2010-01-21T07:23:00.000-05:00

The countdown is over, the announcement has been made, and Nokia N97 owners like myself are hardly feeling good about being left out yet again. Of the 10 Nokia GP-equipped devices, the N97 would be the last device I would have expected not to be included. Oh well, the news is huge never the less. It shows, Nokia isn't sleeping. That, or Google has made quite the wake-up call.

Nokia Event Countdown

2010-01-20T20:37:00.000-05:00

Online, Offline, And Balancing Both Worlds

2010-01-17T08:12:00.002-05:00

In 2010 , more people will go online for the first time than ever before. This fact is pretty easy to see by anyone that has just a little knowledge of technology trends. However, another fact that is not so easily seen, is that more people will choose to go offline in 2010 than ever before. People are starting to disconnect in varying durations of time. From days or weeks to months and even years on end. Today, we'll look at the pros and cons of each, and then we'll see if there's room in our lives for the best of both worlds.

Always Online
Many of us should know what this is like. Being always connected and updated on the latest whatever. Zoned into the web and the real world tuned out. With the exponential growth potential of mobile technology beginning to develop around the world, the sheer number of people going online and staying online is astonishing. Third world countries are utilizing the lower cost of mobile devices and wireless networks to establish themselves in this global extravaganza. The downsides are numerous however. Network congestion and wireless signal interference are problems that loom in the near future and will soon need to be addressed.

Going Offline
There seems to be a new trend forming where people who once would spend more time online than not are choosing to disconnect and go offline for (seemingly) enormous lengths of time. We're talking days, even weeks here people! This is one of those movements that will allow people to reunite with reality and change the web landscape in a big way. Creativity of people comes mostly from stepping away from what is there to see something that is not yet there. Many great new ideas will grow from this movement and will develop valuable relations between large groups and companies. It's one of those concepts that's hard to grasp by many still, and that may be the biggest disadvantage, but it also may result in a rift of information and resources that always-onliners may miss out on. The offline movement is still in the early stages, so only time will tell how it all plays out.

A Good Balance
I firmly believe a good balance of online and offline time is the most healthy choice for a person. Just like too much water will make you drown and not enough will kill you too, not enough time connected can leave one lost in the world, while too much time online will leave one lost to the the world. I'm not going to tell anyone what a good balance of online/offline time or percentage is. That's something you'll have to figure out on your own. It seems to me a constant tightrope act in my life to keep online time and offline time balanced, and I'm constantly discovering new ways to get the most out of both times. The easiest way for me to keep balanced is to keep focused on one side at a time and not go back and forth between the two too much. Do online activities online and do offline activities offline. Try not to mix the two. Social networks are examples that encourage you to mix the two, and that's where many issues arise. Stay conscious about which world you are in, for a time will come that will make it near impossible to distinguish between the two.

Ovi Maps Racing Coming Soon

2010-01-07T21:17:00.000-05:00

And another cool mobile game to come soon to Ovi Store is Ovi Maps Racing. This one looks extremely fun and could be a winner for mobile gamers looking for a fresh take on the racing genre. Apparently, the game utilizes Ovi Maps to create "real" tracks as well as let players create their own custom tracks to race on. From the video, the game looks to be top-down perspective only game play, but still would be cool if the ability to steer with the built-in accelerometer of the phones that have the feature. I look forward to this title and also hope there's a multi-player function.

Climate Mission Comes To Ovi Store

2010-01-07T20:40:00.003-05:00

Now that N-Gage is pretty much a dead branch on Nokia's tree of services, gamers will begin to have to turn to Ovi Store for future games. One of the first of these games is a unique little title by Nokia called Climate Mission. The game consists of various mini-games played by traveling to different parts of the globe and each new location provides different challenges and even some interesting climate facts. The game is pretty good, and shows that Nokia is still dedicated to the mobile gaming space. Get the game for free at the Ovi Store today.

Happy Holidays From NET9

2009-12-24T14:43:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays to all our readers. We hope you all are enjoying this time with family and friends. We also wish you a Happy New Year as this will be our last post until 2010. Peace be with you.

McWifi To Be Free In January 2010

2009-12-20T19:51:00.002-05:00

Recently, I've had to cut off my cellular service (hopefully only temporarily) because of my personal financial crunch. This is a big downer, as anyone that's been there knows, but recent news of McDonald's restaurants making its wifi free in January is the best glimmer of hope I've stumbled upon since making the hard decision to halt my phone service. I just hope there are no strings attached. I wouldn't mind having to buy a meal to get online, but I'll pass if there's some strange time limit or data usage cap involved.

Here's to seeing you online at McDonald's in 2010.

Predictions For 2010

2009-12-18T20:49:00.003-05:00

The time has come once again for looking into the future to see what we can see. It's been a strange and wonderful year for mobile tech, and we've had a ton of fun, but we also worked very hard to get here in one piece. There were some events that occurred this year that may change our way of life in 2010, but we will fight the good fight and keep pressing on. We are fortunate to have our health and the opportunity to help friends and family in need. There have been many in our community to lose more than they should have this year, and our hearts go out the them. For all those out there still struggling, keep your head up high. For a new year brings renewed hope.

Here are our nine predictions for 2010.

* Visual And Voice Search Will Be Huge

Taking a picture with or speaking into your mobile device to search will be the norm in 2010. Google Goggles and Google Voice Search will make sure of this. This area will grow fast enough to produce some pretty realistic artificial intelligence for the automotive, robotics, computing and several other industries.

* Mobile Gaming On The Rise...Again

Nokia's N-Gage platform gets phased out in 2010, but Ovi takes over where N-Gage leaves off. There will be more games to come to the various app stores out currently. Ovi has much room to grow in this area, as does the Android app store. Both need to grow fast in 2010 in order to be worthy competition to Apple's app store.

* Don't Count Nokia Out Just Yet

Nokia made some pretty risky moves in 2009 even with all the problems they've been having. 2010 will see a slimmer, more agile Nokia, and they will be much better for it. The "fewer, but better" route Nokia will take next year is going to show how serious they are about staying number one. Maemo will make magic, but Symbian still has some tricks to perform.

* Android Goes Beyond Mere Pastries

Android has grown by leaps and bounds in 2009, with several devices being powered by it, and the various updates to the OS and software. 2010 is the year when Android shows it has what it takes as a forward-looking mobile OS. New hardware will push the the still young OS in brand new ways that will leave some other mobile platforms crying home to their mommies.

* The Language Barrier Will Fall

Translation will become less of an option and more of a standard set of tools in mobile devices. I believe the economic recovery combined with the uncertainty of the near future will see many people traveling the world, and mobile near-instant language translation will find great demand because of it. People want to understand each other, no matter where they are or what language they speak.

* Mobile Augmented Reality Grows Fast

Wikitude, Layar, and others will gain ground in 2010. Mobile AR veterans like Nokia will return with great interest in the space, with Google bringing some new tricks to the table. There is big money-making potential in mobile AR, and it will begin to be tapped in 2010.

* All You'll Need Is Your Mobile

2010 brings more abilities to your mobile devices through the growing number of mobile apps and mobile versions of web apps. As your mobile phone becomes more cable of doing the things you used to only do with your desktop or notebook computer, it will be easier than ever to leave the PC and notebooks for longer durations.

* The Beginning Of Something Big

Sometimes we can't help but to look further into the future than we really should. Here, we will briefly speculate what may come between now and that all too familiar year...2012. It could be good. It could be bad. We hope it at least makes you laugh a little.

- In 2010...Google begins to invest in quantum computing -> Google's servers become sentient within two years...two and a half max.

- In 2010...Someone in California will receive a signal from the future on an iPhone -> The perfection of communicating through time disrupts the time-space continuum.

- In 2010...We make contact with extra terrestrial life -> Their technology changes our world forever...the H1N1 virus kills their entire race.

- In 2010...Someone creates a computer virus that uses Google -> It creates a Facebook and Twitter account and becomes most popular consciousness on the web over the next 2 years.

- In 2010...Something bad happens in New York -> Sesame Street won't be the only street hard to find in 2012...

* NET9 Refocus On Mobile Living

In 2009, NET9 focused more on using mobile devices to get where you wanted to go, and once there find something to do. That's still important, but we're starting to discover that mobile is a lot more tied to our lifestyle than we think. 2010 is when we will integrate our mobile devices more seamlessly into our daily lives. We will continue to share our ideas and discoveries from this more intimate experience going forward.

Like always, we look to our beginnings to see how far we've come in order to move on into the future. 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009

Thank you all for reading. We'll see you in the new year.

Mobile Post: Last One Of 2009

2009-12-14T07:38:00.003-05:00

Well friends, this is our last mobile post for the year. We haven't done one in a while, but we just want everyone to know that there will be a lot more of these to come next year. We will no longer refer to them as mobile posts, but due to the current limitations of being able to add images and videos via our mobile devices, you should be able to tell if our posts are from the mobile or not.

This is not our very last post for 2009 either. We have our 2010 predictions post still to come. There's been an influx of mobile news that has developed in just the last couple of months, and we're beginning to see a fairly steady pattern. It seems that more news surrounding mobile is made closer to the end of each year.

Whatever the case may be, the mobile industry is growing at a break-neck pace, and the only way to stay ahead of the curve is to fully emerse yourself in the latest tech trends, and even take a little risk in forming your own ideas on where mobile will take us in the future. We have to remember that the mobile experience is a personal one, and our ideas may not completely mesh well with yours or anyone elses. Our motto however, will always remain the same...

"Don't Let The Future Happen, Make It Happen"

NET9: Four Years, And Still Growing

2009-12-10T09:13:00.002-05:00

Four years ago today, I had a vision that mobile devices and the software and services that power them would be a very big part of humanity's future. Throughout the many months, the NET9 idea has proven to be correct and the path we take from here on still feels right to us. However, I also believe that in order to visualize the future, one must revisit the foundations made in the past.

Year One: Self-Discovery

Our first year was a very big learning experience. How blogging worked and all the things we could do with it. The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet was the cornerstone of many of our mobile news posts, and is still functional to this day. It was this year that we discovered that the Internet on mobile devices was the future and we were excited about the fathomless possibilities that would come from it.

Year Two: Making The Future Happen

Into the second year, we decided to be part of the mobile movement, and solid.gold.code was born. We made many cool new friends and even a few enemies somehow. We predicted that the touchscreen was going to be huge in the near future, and found ourselves distracted by the many time-consuming activities being created for the whole "Web as a platform" blitz. The Nokia N95 3G was added to our mobile device family, and changed the way we looked at phones forever.

Year Three: Time For Games, Time For Change

In 2008, our third year running, we got a little attention from Nokia and were presented with lots of opportunities and motivation to continue to grow our ideas. N-Gage was a big focus as we began to have a lot of mobile gaming fun. We lost ourselves a little that year, but we changed quite a bit toward the end. Little did we know, there was so much more change to come in 2009.

Year Four: On The Move...

This year has been amazing, to say the least. We traveled a lot this year. Physically and mentally. Our journeys helped us realize the importance of mobile navigation and other location-based mobile technologies in the near future. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia N97 were brought into the NET9 experience, and N The World was created from our travels.

The year is almost over, but our journeys with NET9 are just getting started. We have learned a lot about how mobile technology can enrich and even improve our lives. We can't afford to forget what we have learned from our good experiences with the mobile devices we use every day, and we have an obligation to ourselves and others like us to build solutions to the bad experiences we have with these same devices. We must not forget that this technology is merely an extension to what we are already capable of as human beings. We will continue to make the technology do so much more, and we will always find much more to do with it as well.

We've seen where we were, and we think we know where we're going. We hope you've enjoyed the ride so far. We've got a lot of ground to cover. 2010 will be a big year, and we're ready for it...

News From The Future...

2009-11-01T01:32:00.002-04:00

N97 v20 Firmware Update

It's nice, but I'm thinking it didn't really justify the long wait for it. This is how the N97 should have performed from day one.

N-Gage Ends September 2010

Was flawed from day one, and may be better off integrated with Ovi anyway. Let's just hope Ovi lasts long enough for it to even matter.

Sony Ericsson Rachael/Infinity?

This may very well be my next mobile device. I've had a lasting boycott of all things Sony since the days of the Playstation 2 era, but this may be the first step (albeit a large one) towards ending the boycott.

Layar For Symbian In 2010

Was wondering if this would ever happen. I may have a very different device by the time Layar makes its way to the N97 and other Nokia devices though, so this is not as exciting as it could have been.

Adobe Flash 10.1 In 2010

This is gonna be epic...see you in the near future!

NET9 News Bites

2009-09-24T14:08:00.000-04:00

Augmented Reality

In AR news, Mobilizy recently proposed Augmented Reality Markup Language [ARML] specification to the AR Consortium. I think this is a great move and one that will provide part of the foundation for augmented reality in the future.

Meanwhile, Layar Reality Browser has added 3D to its platform. It will be interesting to see how this new feature will be utilized, but I'm sure it will make the mobile AR experience more rich as developers start building upon it.

Imaging And Video

Picasa 3.5 brings face recognition and geotagging to your photos. This makes organizing photos that much better. All those family photos can now have more information than ever before. I can skip all those genealogy programs and have the names right in the images. The geotag feature is also handy for remembering where that mysterious image was taken.

Vitamin D launches object recognition for video. Talk about a breakthrough. This type of technology will be key to home and business surveillance as well as online video search. I look forward to testing the software this fall.

Mobile Web

Opera Mini 5 has officially replaced my original mobile web browser. Everything from the tabbed browsing and speed dial feature to the touchscreen support and virtual keypad have made me spoiled to the point of no return. The best part about Opera Mini 5 is the speed. It's like they threw a ton of magic in the development of this awesome mobile browser. Way to go Opera.

Rumor

Nokia set to buy Palm? Maybe, maybe not. Could change the mobile industry in ways I can't even begin to imagine.

Why Google Needs To Do Mobile Augmented Reality

2009-09-08T21:49:00.001-04:00

Google Maps for mobile is growing and developing nicely. However, there has been a huge and sudden interest in the idea of augmented reality. Even more interesting is that augmented reality (or AR) is going mobile in a big way. Mobile AR is already making its way to Android devices with apps like Layar and Wikitude leading the movement. iPhone isn't too far behind with AR integration after the Yelp application easter egg. Even Nokia is working feverishly on AR projects in its labs. It seems only logical for Google to bring some form of AR to the mobile space. So let's look into why it would be important for Google to get in to the mobile AR game, how they might approach the idea, and where mobile AR could take Google into the future.

~~Augmented Search And Advertisements~~

There is a new data trend starting to make its way around the web and it has quickly become a mobile phenomenon. This new trend is mobile augmented reality. Augmented Reality is a relatively old concept, but mobile AR is a relatively new concept that is set to be the next frontier in the mobile space. Mobile AR is just recently beginning to develop because of the rapid convergence of sensors, cameras, antennas, and high resolution touch-screens into mobile devices that are more pocketable than ever before. The computational power of these mobile devices are no longer a limitation to 3D graphics and video. The only current limitation is still the massive amount of power these devices require, but power saving tech and other neat low power component solutions will eventually push this last limitation aside. There are a lot of big players in the mobile industry that are making strides in the direction of a mobile AR future. Companies like Nokia are showing that there are a lot of ways mobile AR could benefit the mobile user, and companies like Layar and Wikitude are making strides to bring mobile AR to the world. It would seem like an excellent idea for Google to get in on the mobile AR scene soon and in a very big way. Google would immediately benefit from mobile AR through local search and advertisements, while people the world over would gain from having a rich platform for layering the web onto the real world in real-time. However, Google can't wait for too long. It's only a matter of time before the likes of Microsoft or Yahoo! realize the earning potential of mobile AR.

Google Maps Integration Vs. Separate App

So, there are numerous reasons for why Google needs to do mobile AR. The next question would be how should they approach the scene. Some might think Google would be better off adding AR functionality to Google Maps for mobile and save on unnecessary development time and cost. The inclusion of digital compass support and the tweaking of Layers and Latitude to allow personal and public tags to be shared sounds feasible for a company like Google. I would even go as far as to say Street View could potentially be enhanced greatly with user submitted images or images already online that have been geotagged. With these and other creative tools at Google's disposal, it would be to their advantage to add AR features to Google Maps for mobile.

It may also prove to be more advantageous for Google to develop a specific mobile AR application that Google Maps and other Google services could plug into. Imagine integrating not only Google Maps, but using a Google Voice layer to call a local restaurant for what the latest lunch special is, or a local news layer for staying up to date on current events in your immediate area. How about a weather layer that shows you where that storm is and where it's headed. It would also be awesome to have a translation feature that can recognize an image of text and translate it into your native language in real-time (great for that first trip to Japan). Another interesting plug-in would be for the SketchUp application. One could design an add-on to an old building and have it shown how it would look in real-time by the viewer as they walk around. I could go on forever listing the potential uses for a Google made mobile AR app, but until they actually decide to develop one, all we have are hopes and dreams of the future.

From Smartphones To Google Eyes
Which brings us to what could be the future of mobile computing as we do not yet know it. Augmented reality started on the TV and PC, is moving to mobile devices like phones and web tablets, but I have a strong feeling AR will get even closer to us through eyewear. It will likely happen first through eyeglasses and eventually make its way into contact lenses and stand alone implants. No one can predict when or where computing, Internet connectivity, and communications will end up, but if mobile AR takes off like I think it will, the web could look very interesting through our newly enhanced eyes.

First Look: Nokia Booklet 3G

2009-08-24T09:40:00.002-04:00

Well, here it is. A first look of Nokia's new Booklet 3G. I'm still in shock that Nokia is actually coming out with a netbook-like product in the first place, but to have it running Windows?!

I'm sure Nokia has a good explanation for this interesting device, but we'll have to wait for Nokia World 09 for that. It looks like there are some big changes coming for Nokia before year's end. It's all so very exciting.

N97 Update v12.2.024

2009-08-18T15:11:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, we got a new firmware update for the Nokia N97. No official word on the change log, but I can honestly say the device performs much more smoothly than before. Also, the UI transitions seem substantially faster. Even the web browser feels snappier.

This update is a good step in making the device a worthwhile purchase. I'm hoping I won't have anymore corrupt image problems from now on too. Like others out there that are just getting a taste of this latest firmware update, I have yet to see any other noticeable changes. I will continue searching around for anything new, and we'll keep you updated on our findings as well as official announcements.

N The World - Alabama

2009-08-17T20:37:00.009-04:00

Day One [08.14.2009]
We got in town and checked into the La Quinta Inn, went swimming (the pool was great by the way). Stopped by Chocodelphia to see what was good. Ate a late lunch/early dinner at Jose's Cantina, went shopping at Wal-Mart, Michael's, and a few other shops in town. Back at the hotel room, we planned out the next day and got some much needed rest...

Day Two [08.15.2009]
We ate a nice La Quinta Inn breakfast while getting info on Jasmine Hill Gardens. We found out they are closed on weekends, but they were nice enough to let us come anyway. All you have to do is watch the videos and look at the pics to see how beautiful the gardens were (we had to sacrifice our bodies to many ruthless mosquitoes to get this footage). Next, we went to the Riverside Entertainment Center for the casino action. We didn't win, but we didn't loose a lot either. It was a lot of fun anyhow. Afterwards, we went back to Cracker Barrel for a late lunch, got cleaned up and took a nice dip in the pool again. And a good rest for a very eventful day. That night, I would discover how the N97 had failed me. A large number of my photos taken at the gardens were corrupt. What a disappointment. Fortunately, we got a lot of video footage.

[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Day Three [08.16.2009]

We ate a quick breakfast and took a dip in the pool. Then we take a trip to Eastdale Mall where we watch G.I. Joe at the mall cinema and shop around for a bit. The movie was great and the mall wasn't too crowded. Then, we went to Red Lobster for dinner. The weather was just starting to get nasty too. Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for the trip home.

Day Four [08.17.2009]

On the way home, we stopped by Quincy's 777 Casino for a last minute gambling session and won back what we started playing with, so we headed out. It rained most of the way back, but we had a beautiful time in Alabama and were sad to leave so soon. We're back home now and are excited about figuring out where to go next.

This N The World trip was quite enjoyable, and couldn't have gone smoother if it were not for the N97 and the Google Maps application. We managed to save time, money, and energy by finding the best routes to all our destinations while in Alabama. We also were able to use sites like Montgomery Gas Prices to find the cheapest gas in town.

So, even though we lost a lot of nice pictures with the N97, the device more than made up for it. We'll keep refining our techniques in bringing you the world as we make the journey through it. We're continuing to build our N The World concept, and are constantly thinking of ways to enhance the experience. We'd love to hear your ideas as well.

N The World Logo And Thoughts On The N900

2009-08-10T05:48:00.006-04:00

First off, we'd like to introduce our new logo for N The World. You'll see this logo whenever we show videos, images, and more from places we travel to. Our next trip is to Alabama for some casino action. We'll have lots of pics and video when we return.

I've been a huge fan of Nokia's Internet Tablets from day one, and purchased the Nokia 770 as soon as I could affor it. I did a little application development and testing for the first two tablets. Then I migrated to Nokia phones. The N95 was perfect for my mobile needs. Then came the N97, which apears to be more computer than phone. But alas, the low amount of memory and the unrefined UI has me once again in search of another device. Nokia's new tablet may just be what I'm looking for. Sure, I'll miss the ability to have the screen tilt and all the great Symbian apps, but I think I can manage without causing too much damage to my mobile productivity. I can't wait to trial this new Internet Tablet. It will be a very exciting Fall after all.

N The World - Savannah, GA

2009-07-27T00:51:00.009-04:00

We've just returned from our first documented "N The World" trip to Savannah, Georgia. Wehad a great time, and didn't get a whole lot of pics and video, but it was definitely a trip to remember. Being this is our first NET9 sponsored trip, we first would like to explain the "N The World" concept. Then we'll give our initial thoughts on the wonderful trip through Savannah.

N The World is our fresh new series where we utilize various media tools to capture the sights, sounds, and other events in different parts of the world. We'll use text, photos, video, etc. to bring our audience with us on our unique mobile journeys in various places around the world. We are starting off locally to prove the financial feasibility of the concept, and will expand to more far reaching areas of the globe as we receive more funding. Also, we are playing with a lot of developing web technologies, location centric technologies, and many other new tools to enhance the N The World experience.

I know some of our readers will be asking "what's with the name?" Well, we've left it vague enough for anyone to come up with their own idea of what the N stands for (NET9, Nokia, NSeries...). Really, it's just a name we came up with that feels like it fits our new concept perfectly. Anyway, we'll talk more about N The World as we visit additional locations. On to Savannah.

Savannah, Georgia is a very lovely place, with its vast historic architecture and romantic scenery. Some notable places of interest are the beautiful Forsyth Park, The First African Baptist Church, and the unmistakable Talmadge Memorial Bridge. There are also a lot of locations where various movies were filmed, such as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Forest Gump.

[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

We chose to take the trolley tour through Savannah to cover as much ground as possible, and that we did. Our lovely tour guide was very knowledgable and also very witty. There are 8 video clips of the tour and some pictures as well. We truely enjoyed this trip, and we hope you enjoy what we brought back. We can't wait for the next N The World trip. Stay tuned...

Zeemote Review

2009-07-18T01:01:00.008-04:00

We've just received our new Zeemote bluetooth controller and are excited to bring you our initial thoughts about the cool little device. Ironically, there's a lot to cover for such a simple little device, so let's get started.

A Little History...
About three months ago I read about the Zeemote on a mobile phone blog, and at first glance I had doubts about its usefulness. So, i did a little research and found some video of the Zeemote in action. Then it hit me how important such an accessory was for mobile devices. Gaming aside, this little thing changes the entire mobile experience of the modern smartphone and mobile computer. I decided I needed one for the NET9 lab, but it wasn't sold in my region. Fast forward to about a week ago and I had located one being sold on eBay. Now I've always been a little nervous about buying anything on eBay, and twenty bucks would be the maximum I would spend on something like the Zeemote at the time. So I bought it, got it, and it's worth more than I could have ever expected.

Gaming
Originally the Zeemote was designed to offer mobiles a more comfortable or natural gaming experience. Some smart people noticed how complex and also limiting the mobile phone was for gaming and decided to make a wireless controller that most gamers would be use to. With the re-introduction of Nokia's N-Gage gaming platform, and the explosive growth of mobile gaming in general, the Zeemote couldn't have been introduced at a better time. Gaming with the Zeemote brings back memories of my old PlayStation days, except now the console and controller both fit in my pockets. This thing was designed with gamers in mind, and does an excellent job as a wireless mobile game controller.

Beyond Game Control
The Zeemote's usefulness reaches far beyond just game control. Navigating menus is a fluid process and in some cases more comfortable than using the mobile device's own navigation controls. Perhaps it's due to its smaller size or lighter weight than a typical phone. Whatever the case may be, it is definitely a more enjoyable experience to use the Zeemote to move around on a mobile device.

The Perfect External Input Device
For a device like the Nokia N97, the Zeemote shines brightly. Paired with the TV-out feature and multimedia capabilities of the N97, it's the perfect mobile setup when you're not mobile. The mobile device becomes so much more than a personal computer at this point. Also, there's a big advantage to reducing the "wear & tear" of the buttons and touchscreen by using the Zeemote. Of course devices like the N97 have advantages such as accelerometers, magnetometers, GPS, cameras, and other sensors built-in that the Zeemote obviously lacks. This brings a bit of a dilemma for developers as to how to support external input devices along with the features of the mobile device. Like any accessory out there, the Zeemote is limited in its uses, but is only limited by the capabilities of the device it connects to.

It will be interesting to see the Zeemote really take off, and I look forward to updated versions of the Zeemote in the future. The Zeemote team have recently expanded support to more mobile devices including the N97, and I suspect there will be a lot more news about Zeemote in the near future. We will continue playing with the Zeemote and bring you more thoughts and ideas on this cool new mobile controller.

Mobile Post: N-Gage Now On The N97

2009-07-17T12:10:00.004-04:00

That's right, N-Gage is finally available for the N97 through the software updater application on the device. There are a few games missing from the known list, due to incompatibilities I suppose but the ones there work just fine. Another quirk with the games is that the games don't utilize the N97's nice large screen. I'm guessing this is because the games were coded for QVGA screens to begin with.

It will be exciting to see future games make use of the larger screen of the N97 as well as the magnetometer along with all the other cool sensors and features. I hope to soon see a game that uses the compass and camera to augment realit in amazing new ways.

First Post From The N97

2009-07-15T06:12:00.005-04:00

We've discovered that Blogger works well enough to post directly from the N97, and this is a very good thing. There are some quirks that bug me about using the editor, and we'll go over a few of them bellow.

All Caps In "Compose" Mode
I'm not sure if this is a bug related to the N97 web browser or a fault in Blogger, but typing in compose mode keeps text in all capital lettering at all times. There is a simple solution to this, but I wish it were fixed all together. HTML mode works just fine for entering normal text. Things get a bit messy when you want some differently formatted text or text links.

No Copy & Paste?
This is one thing about blogging from the N97 currently. There's no way to paste text copied from the notes or active notes applications. I have to say, that's pretty limited for a device that's supposed to be a"mobile computer" and has a QWERTY keypad. Hopefully there'll be a fix for this in upcoming firmware updates.

Can't Move Images Around
Uploading an image for a blog post is simple enough, but once it's on the page there's no moving it around. Images, It seems suffers the same fate as text. There's no way to cut and paste an image elsewhere in a post. Another failure point for the browser.

With all the drawbacks of using the N97 to post to a blog, it is still better than it used to be. We now have the autosave feature that works and is a huge time saver. There are more formating options, and much better device to create longer bodies of text. What would be great is if Blogger made a better mobile version, or the web browser on the N97 and other Nokia phones were updated with the inclusion of the features missing above. Until then, our mobile posts will be pretty basic.

Nokia N97 Review

2009-07-05T09:20:00.003-04:00

So we've finally received our Nokia N97 and have had a chance to put it to the test for about a week, and we even recently updated the firmware to version 1.1 (which, by the way is a definite improvement in the UI transitions of the device). Like others that have had time with the N97, we have found things we love and hate about the hardware and software. But hey, everything under the sun casts a glimmer and shadow. Anyways, on to the review...

Hardware

Much like the first time using the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, the keyboard and navigation pad arrangement on the N97 took some getting used to. There is quite a bit of a learning curve for those that have not had experience with a QWERTY thumb-pad before, but luckily the inclusion of a touchscreen makes the transition more bearable to new users. The slider mechanism is definitely solid. Strangely, it reminds me of watching Karate moves performed when opening and closing. I don't know how else to explain it. I just snaps in and out of place with great precision. I like the fact that there are so few hardware buttons on the device, aside form the keyboard, and unlike some have noted, the single menu button on the face of the N97 is perfect. USB charging is a welcome transition from the micro power adapter of my previous Nseries devices like the N95. The screen lock slider is a bit "outdated" though. Nokia should have put some effort into developing a touch gesture method for locking and unlocking the phone. Speakers are nice and loud, about the same as my N95. The camera door is nice, but a bit cumbersome to open as it has a very smooth surface. And of course two LEDs are better than one on any device with a 5MP+ camera. The styling and accents of the device overall are very sleek and futuristic. Nokia has done a marvelous job at putting so much functionality into a device that looks and feels so natural. Speaking of functionality, the battery life and 32GB of storage is enough to make netbook users super green with envy. The large screen is set nicely in the middle of the device, making it symmetrical in portrait and landscape modes. The touchscreen works as well as expected, and the device provides nice vibratory feedback when tapping menu items. The sensors give the device a sort of "intelligence" that is quite remarkable. I especially like the built in compass sensor (magnetometer). I believe it will be greatly used in future location-based and directional-based applications like Google Maps and will provide the necessary information for augmented reality to be built upon. Well that about covers the hardware of the N97 in this initial review. On to the software...

Software

Like any other computational device in the world, software is key to making it worth having. It is the heart and soul of any computer, and it gives each device a purpose. The N97 is no different, and S60 5th edition makes it all happen. The Symbian OS provides a very complete computing environment on many Nokia phones, but S60 5th edition brings an easy to learn, easy to use touch user interface that is both familiar and fresh to the seasoned Nokia device user and novice alike. However, the N97 has a far more reaching computing potential than the OS, UI, and familiar device applications. This is a truly connected device, and its the integration with the web is where it will need to shine most to seriously compete with the likes of Android devices, Apple's iPhones, Palm's devices, the plethora of Windows Mobile devices, and etc. The home screen widgets are an obvious good idea, but even this is limited in some way or another. Why not allow for multiple home screens, and why only two shortcut panels and contacts panels? It's a move in the right direction, but Nokia needs to move faster in that direction. The few widgets I've used so far have been very good, and I'm sure can get even better with more development time. The Facebook, AP News, AccuWeather, and Slideshow apps are great examples of how future applications should work. There's just so much potential for software growth and evolution on a device like the N97. The touchscreen, accelerometer, magnetometer, primary and secondary camera, microphone, speakers, vibratory feedback, light sensor, GPS, wifi, bluetooth, HSDPA, and more provide more than enough of a hardware foundation for developers to make some amazing things happen. It will be the software that pushes the limitations of the device in order to show its full potential.

Needless to say, the N97 is one heck of a device, and we are very excited at the prospects of its future. Expect to see a lot of great new things from NET9 and our new Nokia N97 soon.

All Moved In...

2009-06-21T14:20:00.002-04:00

So we're finally unpacked and pretty much settled in our new place, and although there's still a couple boxes left to finish unpacking, we're ready to get back to work here at NET9. Moving is a painful process, but it's very much worth it if you're moving from a small area to a much more spacious accommodation. A lot has developed since we moved in too...

We've added another computer to the NET9 headquarters, we have a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic in the lab, we'll have a Nokia N97 soon as well, and of course we have many more great ideas for the mobile future in development here in our new lab. I'm particularly excited about our upcoming N97 review and we'll hopefully be experimenting with more video content as well.

Anyways, we're back and ready to bring you more exciting mobile coverage and developments. Stay tuned.

Moving...

2009-05-28T03:26:00.002-04:00

That's right, the NET9 lab is expanding and needed a larger area to grow in. Over the next week or so, we'll be getting settled in to the new place. Afterwards, we'll be back on track and ready to work. Onwards to the future...

Ovi Store And New Nokia Tablet Coming

2009-05-25T18:36:00.003-04:00

Nokia's Ovi Store has begun to make it's way around the globe and has launched in Australia, Ireland, and Singapore. I've been excited about Ovi Store since it was announced earlier this year. Nokia's Ovi Store will offer content ranging from applications to games to video clips and more. It will finally bring content discovery for Nokia devices in a more organized and dynamic way. Ovi Store is expected to launch in other countries over the next few days, and you can bet we'll be checking it out as soon as it hits the states.

There's tons of news about the latest Nokia Internet Tablet, and it's enough to make anyone planing to purchase the upcoming N97 take a second look. The biggest problem with the new tablet is that it hasn't even been officially announced and will likely be quite some time after the announcement before it comes to market. The advantages of a device like this is that it will be the first Nokia tablet to incorporate HSPA. Sure, the N900 or "Rover" or whatever the official name of the device will have some features that will make future N97 owners envious, such as the 800x480 resolution screen and a more powerful processor, but the similarities between these two devices are so overlapping the it will be a wonder why anyone would want to wait for the new tablet.

Past Meets Future

2009-05-14T09:02:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I bought a 1972 Ford F100 for $300. I think I got a really good deal. It starts and runs like a champ, has a bit of an oil leak, and some rust spots and a few small dents. It's my new project, and will require a good amount of my time, energy, and money. It won't take me everywhere, but it will get me around town with no problems. This is the latest NET9mobile and I'll try to post updates to it's restoration progress here on the site.

It's great to have a fresh new project to work on again, and this is a big one. We welcome the challenge and we're excited about the old champ. It's always great to see old tech and new tech come together, and I think each and every one of us should reach into the past and bring a piece of it back to meet the future every once in awhile.

Chaos Reigns Supreme...

2009-05-07T14:01:00.001-04:00

I'm sure just about everyone has heard about the latest Oprah giveaway of coupons for a free KFC meal. Well, we went to our nearest KFC today and was about to use our coupon until we observed the madness that ensued. Race, age, and gender are blurred when it comes to getting free food during a recession, especially when that food is fried chicken. Had I thought about it, I would have recorded the event with my phone, but I was in shock and ashamed at the same time.

How could something like this happen in 2009? KFC doesn't exactly have the healthiest food anyway, and I don't understand what is so free about the deal...

You first need a computer (many have this already), electricity (most have access to this, I hope), Internet access (here's where it gets interesting...), a printer (wait, what!?...), ink and paper (that's not free by any means!), a mode of transportation (last I heard, you'll pay for that big time), and time (ah, the most precious thing of all). Sure, these things are had by most of us or we know someone that can get some of it for us to complete our free chicken expedition, but is it really worth the wait? Oh, and if you don't think it's a big deal, you haven't seen the lines. You'll wait, and you still may not get anything due to the barbaric way this event was handled.

There were people being turned down for everything from having printed the coupon from the wrong site to the restaurant not having enough chicken. It's certainly a bad day for chickens all over, but it's humanity that has lost it's mind today. Colonel Sanders would be rolling in his grave to see such things.

5th Day In May

2009-05-05T20:49:00.001-04:00

It's Cinco de Mayo (for a little longer anyway), the Nokia N97 is available for preorder at a cool $699, and tomorrow is my birthday (I turn 28). Of course the most exciting bit of news is the N97 and it's lower than expected price. Sure, there have been doubts about the final performance of the N97 considering it's lackluster processor specs, but it's still a marvel of mobile design and still capable of more than most of the desktop computers of yesterday. I see the N97 not as an end all solution that will never be beat. It is merely a progression of where mobile technology is headed, and a good start to a new way of computing.

We've seen a lot of improvements of the software and some interesting tricks with various combinations of the hardware features in previous Nokia handsets, and I have no doubt we'll see even more with the N97 and future Nseries devices. Mobile technology is growing and developing at a break-neck pace, and it is an exciting time to be a part of it all. It was a mere two years ago when the N95-3 entered the NET9 lab. The N97 will be the next NET9 device of choice come June. Two or three years from now, who knows what cool new device will join the collection of awesome mobile tech here at NET9. One thing's for sure, we can't wait to see what's next from Nokia.

New Shoes

2009-04-28T19:56:00.003-04:00

I successfully bought shoes online via my phone last week and was even able to track my shipment too. Finding good quality clothing that I actually like the look of is hard for me to do. Clothing, especially shoes, are the scariest things I can think of buying online due to the worries of "will it look the same as in the images?" or "it's my size, but will it really fit?" This was my first attempt at purchasing an article of clothing from my phone, and today my shoes arrived.

They are the AND1 Courtyard Slip On Low ordered from Zappos.com and they were apparently limited in the number of pair in my size. I love shoes that don't need strings, and I still miss my previous pair of AND1 slip-on shoes, but these will do just fine for the summer. They're a perfect fit, the price wasn't too bad, and they look good to me. I always liked the AND1 brand and the various styles of off-court shoe selection. It's just a shame they don't make the older styles anymore. Even today, some of them would look quite futuristic.

Sure this is all a bit off topic, but to be truly serious about being a mobile warrior, it all starts with the foundations. One has to be comfortable while on the move, and a good pair of shoes is just as important as a good mobile device. The AND1 Courtyard Slip On Low is now the official shoe of NET9. So, what's your footwear of choice?

500

2009-04-23T12:53:00.000-04:00

We made it! This is our 500th NET9 post. Nothing too significant, just the end of the beginning of what NET9 is becoming. It's been a very interesting journey over these few years, and the best part is that it's just getting started. We have seen so much happen over time in the world of mobile technology. I have a feeling there are even more great new things to come. There's no doubt that we'll be here to share our thoughts, ideas, and opinions on the latest developments about mobile devices, the web, and so much more. Thanks to everyone who's checked us out and especially to those that have given us support over the years. Stay with us as we continue to grow and learn in this great technological time.

"Ah, 500 posts. That makes us too old to turn back, and too young to stop moving forward."

3pm Turns 3 Years Old

2009-04-16T04:34:00.000-04:00

Three years ago an idea was born around bringing music to the web in a free, organized, and easy way. 3pm is that idea, and it is still alive. I learned a lot from working on the 3pm project from the very beginning. How much work was involved in keeping links up to date, how not to tangle certain legal business practices with certain "illegal" creative works, and most importantly how much I love music as an art form.

I made a few cool friends along the way, but tons of enemies also. At first, the adversity of what 3pm brought to my very door drove me even harder and I accepted the challenge with a passion I had never known. It suddenly somehow grew into more of a chore that I made myself do. I think that's when I needed to take a step back from things to see that my new passion for the 3pm movement had clouded my ability to enjoy and appreciate music as an art form. I let 3pm to itself for awhile and started just doing 3pm Injections and it seemed a lot easier for me to work with, but recently the "haters" caught up with me again. This time I couldn't fight what was happening. Entire blog posts were being removed by Google themselves.

Here we are once again. My love for music is stronger than ever, and the 3pm legacy will continue. I will breath life into 3pm so long as I am able to breathe. I've been itching to do an update to the 3pm site lately, and a lot of links are in need of repair. So as we journey into the third year of 3pm's existence on the web, I just want to say thanks for everyone's interest in the idea and Happy Birthday 3pm.

3pm Injection 04.09.2009

2009-04-09T19:55:00.001-04:00

Another day, another new 3pm Injection. We have three new links for you to check out this week. I happened to stumble on an interesting video on YouTube the other day also. The Lonely Island Feat. T-Pain - I'm On A Boat. This has to be the most ridiculously funny music video I've seen since the El Mudo - Chacarron video. Anyway, enjoy the links and have a great week.

[1] + [2] = [3]pm

3pm Injection 04.02.2009

2009-04-02T10:26:00.002-04:00

We haven't had a 3pm post in a while, but it's time for one again. The main reason it's been so long is that we were unsure how to bring you great music from around the web without getting NET9 shut down by the "haters".

So we've decided to try something new. We're gonna give you the actual links to the pages with the music. That way, you can choose the songs you want from a larger selection. It's not the neatest way to do the 3pm Injection, but it's almost all we have left in our bag of musical medicine. We hope you enjoy, and we welcome your feedback.

3 p m - "3 Places for Music"

Mobile Savings: Time, Energy, Money

2009-03-26T21:54:00.002-04:00

We all know that the mobile phones we use today are constantly bringing us new ways to save time. We are able to get near instant information from people and even online resources from around the world. They allow us to textually, audibly, and visually express ourselves as well as experience other people's adventures in the same ways.

Never has humanity been able to "get things done" than right now. The technology is currently available to enable people to do just about any job from just about anywhere in the world. It truly is amazing to see how far we've come over the years in terms of being more productive because of the advancement in mobile devices and services.

Everything from the vast multimedia communications services such as Facebook to mobile coupons from companies like Cellfire are saving people so much money it's ridiculous. And we have grown so used to these services that we begin to forget that not long ago, free and cheap services like these once were sold at a fairly high cost, or hadn't even been thought of yet.

Sure, our current economic climate is quite volatile, but it's conditions like this that bring about some of the most ingenious ideas and being mobile is an important ingredient for individual success as well as the progress of large organizations.

The sweetest part about all this is that if all we did was save ourselves time, money, and energy it would be great just to know we were more efficient, but that's not were it ends. By using less resources, less energy, and saving time that can be spent elsewhere, we are also doing a greater good to our environment and the health of the world we live in. I couldn't begin to tell you how much paper is saved every second, or how much pollution is eliminated by saving the trips downtown by telecommuting.

There are just so many ways mobile tech has, is, and will change the world, it boggles the mind to step back and look at the whole picture and then focus on each individual piece that makes the system work. We have yet to begin combining the plethora of current and future mobile technologies in even more creative ways.

I have to say, it sure will be fun doing the world some good again thanks to mobile tech.

Mobile Post: BlogThis!

2009-03-22T19:08:00.003-04:00

For the longest, time trying to post to NET9 via mobile phones has been nearly impossible. When I finally got to post from my N-95, I was quite excited, but the excitement was short-lived when I noticed that the post format was garbled and just plain sloppy. Well, I finally found a mobile blogging solution. BlogThis! is what works best. I use it now to start up a post while on the move, and when I know I won't have access to a PC for a while.

It also helps when using a bluetooth keyboard for writing up more lengthy articles (much like this one). I think the only element missing from the mobile posting formula is embedding multimedia such as images, video, and sometimes even hyperlinks. Once those become more streamlined and easy to implement, posting via mobile will forever change the Internet in a major way.

I look forward to doing more of these mobile posts in the future and bringing our readers ideas and more ways to bring your mobile creativity to the web.

Home And Away

2009-03-15T10:02:00.002-04:00

We're back home, but I've been so busy and away from my PC lately, so I'm posting on the move once again. So on with the news...

I recently discovered Palringo, an instant messaging application for S60 devices (as well as other platforms), and it supports various instant messaging services such as GTalk, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, and Jabber. The latest version has beta of Facebook chat, which works great for me. Palringo has replaced Octro Talk on my N95-3, and I'll be using it a lot going forward.

Prince of Persia has made a surprise launch onto N-Gage, and looks stunning from what I've seen in the demo version. Once again, N-Gage continues to rock.

And finally, the latest news from Google comes in the form of a new service called Google Voice, which boasts a plethora of features that many other similar services charge for. It'll be interesting to see how this service develops, and I look forward to trying it out soon.

Well, that's all for now. Gotta keep moving.

Mobile Post: Still Enjoying Orlando

2009-03-10T21:01:00.000-04:00

Just a quick followup on our last post, we've been having a ton of fun here at Sea World in Orlando, Florida. We took a lot of pictures and video of the trip, which we are still uploading to our Ovi Share account (see link from previous post).

The N81 8GB and the N95-3 have performed like champs over the last couple of days. I experimented with Qik a bit, but it is a monster of a battery killer over a 3G connection.

As you can see, we've been able to upload several pics and vids to Ovi Share using the mobile site uploader (Share Online app is acting stupid for me). Of course there are some enormous vids that are just too big and the connection times-out on those.

Anyway, we'll have more when we get back to the NET9 lab. See you all soon, and thanks for tuning in.

Monopoly, Nokia 5800 Mess, And SeaWorld

2009-03-05T10:36:00.001-05:00

Monopoly Comes To N-Gage
My favorite family board game has finally made its way to the N-Gage platform. Monopoly is the name of the game, and I can expect to be hooked for hours of dice rolling, "GO" passing, real estate purchasing fun with this one. And don't forget to get this game before April 2nd for the reduced price in your region.

Nokia 5800 Fiasco And Fixed

Recently Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic phone launched in the US with some real issues with AT&T's 3G network, but was thought to be isolated in the New York and Chicago areas. Finally, there has apparently been a fix for the problem through a firmware update for the handset. In a way, this is bad: Nokia looses confidence in US consumers, and consumers feel cheated (even if ever so briefly) out of their money for a device that should do what it states on the side of the box right out of the box. In another way, this is good: Nokia can learn much from this mistake and improve on a more thorough testing of it's 3G enabled phones in the future, and due to the way this went down consumers can look forward to the price of the 5800 to drop faster than it would had the launch been more smooth.

NET9 On Vacation: SeaWorld

Next week NET9 travels to SeaWorld for our vacation, and will be posting pictures and video to Ovi Share using the N95-3. This will be our first trip to SeaWorld, so it will all be an exciting new experience for us. See you all next week!

Straighten Up And Fly Right...

2009-02-26T14:08:00.006-05:00

We've added a new blog to the list of links recently. ...A Dog In That Fight is one that is close to my heart because it doesn't sugarcoat what's going on in this ever changing world we're living in. Because it's still Black History Month, I feel it is my duty to also acknowledge Nat King Cole as one of the greatest African American musicians in the ever growing list of talented artists. I can honestly say that my love of music has brought me far and wide when it comes to the various genres out there, and it is awesome to know that the current generation of musicians are reaching back to put a new spin on the old hits. Nat King Cole Re: Generations is just the kind of music mixtures that will always rekindle my love for music and art in general. Come March 10th, I will buy this album. It will be the first album I buy this year, and I look forward to more great music like this in the months ahead.

On a less related note, our situation with the 3pm Injection posts being removed has forced us to make a tough decision. We have come to realize that the 3pm Injections are a risk to NET9 due to the nature of how we present them. They will not go away, but they will be different from now on. Instead of directly linking to the mp3s themselves, we will list links of places you can access the mp3s. We love music, you love music, and when it comes to the battle between us and the people and companies that think they control how we experience that music, you can rest assured we definitely have a dog in that fight.

Location-Based Everything

2009-02-23T06:49:00.001-05:00

We are at the horizon of an era when just about everything you do will have some sort of connection to your location. Imaging has never been the same since the introduction of geotagging, and based on what Nokia is working on with it's new Nokia Image Space concept, it will get even more interesting. It doesn't stop at images, or even video. Prepare for a future when you will be able to get notifications of the latest deals based on your location, or detailed information on a monument as you focus on it with your camera. Then imagine being able to do what you want with that information. Post it to Flickr with the info or send the same coupons you are receiving at the store near your location to friends nearby.

Nokia is working on a more natural way of showing and sharing images, audio and video with this new concept and it will only get more interesting with the addition of augmented reality features. Combined with the upcoming features of Nokia's Ovi Store, this technology could change mobile computing forever. It's safe to say that location-based services for mobile devices will be a huge part of the mobile future.

Mobile World Congress: The Aftermath

2009-02-22T17:13:00.006-05:00

Lots of great new mobile tech was shown off at the 2009 Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona Spain last week, and we could fill multiple posts with all of the thoughts and ideas we've come to gain from the multitude of new devices revealed at the conference. We have a few that impressed us much more than others, and we'll expand on those below. I have yet to physically attend one of these events, but I have to say, Nokia seems to be the best at presenting their part of the show virtually as well as interactively. It's like being there without being there.

Ovi Store And What It Will Do

Nokia's application store is officially named Ovi Store and will launch in May according to Engadget. The best parts of it's announcement have to be that it won't just offer mobile applications, but mobile wallpapers, tones, games, audio/video podcasts, images, and more. Plus, it will be a "smart store", which means it will be able to suggest content based on your location, personal preferences, and even recommendations from your friends. I've come to love Ovi as a service for my mobile, and I can only imagine it will get exponentially better with the launching of the Ovi Store. Oh, and you better believe NET9 and solid.gold.code will be putting up content when it goes online this May.

Adobe Flash 10 Coming To Several Mobile Platforms

Don't get too excited about this one just yet, but Adobe has announced that Flash 10 will be on most mobile phones in 2010. That's nice, but pretty much expected from most mobile technology aficionados. The thing about this news is that by that time, we will have gotten Flash version 11, 12, or even 13 for the PC, right? Maybe it's just me, but Adobe disappoints me to no end with news like this. All it is is "future hype" about things that should happen anyways and in some cases, should have already been happening. By early 2010, mobile devices will be more than powerful enough to make Flash 10 work. Adobe knows this, we know this, and it's just plain disgusting to hype Flash 10 for mobile in this way. Anyways, at least Adobe is letting everyone know that they are still working on it.

One Charger To Power Them All

The GSMA have announced a deal with 17 companies (so far) in an effort to standardize mobile chargers by 2012. The proposed chargers will be Micro-USB style and potentially consume up to 50% less power while helping to decrease the amount of cable clutter consumers now have. This is just one of many ways the future of mobile will progress for the better. Just imagine the computer industry having multiple variations of power cords and you get the idea of how much of a mess we are in when it comes to mobile standards.

Quick Impressions:

Nokia N86 8MP - As an obvious update to the N85, the N86 is the only phone that I would wait for if the N97 never existed. However, the 8 megapixel camera, OLED screen, and styling update still don't justify a worthy enough upgrade from my N95-3. The N97 has what it takes to get me to upgrade though. Touchscreen, sliding QWERTY, and S60 5th edition. The next phone after that will have to have the combination of the N97 and N86 features along with at least 3 new features not on any of these two phones.

Sony Ericsson Idou -If an 8MP camera isn't enough for you, Sony Ericsson's Idou has 12.1MP for your to chew on. And from what little we've heard, it seems this will be one of the first Symbian Foundation OS powered phones to be shown off in public. It's good to see so much advancement and adoption of mobile technology and open software from Sony Ericsson. Companies like Nokia, Samsung, and even Microsoft would not be the same without Sony Ericsson around to mix things up a little bit. I think the Idou has a real good head start in such a competitive market and it will sell very well.

Samsung Omnia HD (i8910) - This is one phone that sneaked up on us here at NET9. Samsung's Omnia HD will not only be able to capture 720p video, not only have HDMI-out, not only have an 8MP camera, not only have a 3.7 inch AMOLED touch display, but it will also be running S60 5th edition! Way to push Nokia's button's Samsung. This is probably the only phone shown at MWC 2009 that made me second guess my Nokia N97 commitment.

This Quick Impressions segment brought to you by Engadget Mobile.

3pm Injection 02.19.2009

2009-02-19T20:44:00.001-05:00

It seems we've found out why our 3pm Injection posts were getting deleted. It's pretty messed up, but we'll keep trying to bring you links to cool tunes as much as possible. Should this post be deleted, we will repost it. It has worked the second time around for previous posts, so let us see how this goes...

Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

Kanye West Feat. Jay-Z And T-Pain - Go Hard Remix

Young Jeezy Feat. Jay-Z - Put On

Unknown - Rain Or Shine

Lil Wayne - Love Me Or Hate Me

Star Wars - Techno Jedi Master

Gorillaz - Starshine

Gorillaz - Latin Simone

Layzie Bone Feat. Nelly - Number One

Bizzy Bone Feat. Twista - Money Remix

Unknown - Hustlin [78 MB]

I Smell Singularity...

2009-02-15T21:53:00.001-05:00

We are quickly coming to a point where mobile technology is becoming the next major paradigm in computing and will provide many more avenues of connectivity, interactivity, and creativity than ever before. With the number of mobile devices growing at an exponential rate, I imagine it will not be very long before we start building some of this technology into ourselves. Many are worried about this inevitable future trend, but it will be not much different than getting a piercing or tattoo. In fact, it will more likely be similar to picking a pair of new shoes or clothes. I would go so far as to say that my next 6 mobile devices will be the last ones that I will have to put down or accidentally leave somewhere. I could elaborate in so many words how this would be possible, but it would probably take the fun out of actually making it a reality. That said, here are some cool new developments that will give way to that future.

More Mobile Traffic, Faster Networks

According to Cisco, global mobile traffic will increase about 66-fold between 2008 and 2013. With the advent of 3G and the upcoming 4G mobile broadband technology in place, I find the projection to be fairly realistic. Online video for mobile will be huge. Real time editing of online documents, photos, even video will blur the lines of how necessary a dedicated PC will be when those features become available to mobile devices between this time frame. Of course, technologies such as GPS, accelerometers, and augmented reality that would be useless for PC are quickly becoming big hits for mobile. Cisco is on to something here, and I'm sure they and many other companies will be key to fostering this rapid growth in mobile network usage.

Electricity When Needed, Less Needed

What if you could power your mobile device by pressing it's buttons, walking with it in a pocket, even just by talking on it? The technology is one step closer to reality thanks to researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology. The nano generators developed have the ability to convert biomechanical energy into electricity. Once this technology is made efficient enough and cheap enough to produce, It could be possible for on-demand powered mobile devices (think phones that don't need batteries). Combined with microchips that use 30 times less electricity while still running seven times faster than today's best technology, you'll have some interesting new mobile devices to choose from in the future.

And So Much More...

With so many new technology developments surrounding the mobile industry today, it's a safe bet that the mobile devices of tomorrow will blow your mind. I envision the world having biological enhancing mobile devices available soon afterwards such as contact lenses with wireless connections to ultra high speed networks, capable of augmented reality and enhancing services (things like real time language translation, location based advertisements, and night vision or automatic tinting). Of course all of these features will be thought controlled with the same ease as reading a screen, typing, and using a mouse used to be. Most are waiting for, fewer are dreaming of, and only a handful are working towards always on always connection to the world and all that it holds. And even though the world seems to be growing ever so small thanks to our technological advancements, it's also growing so much larger at an amazing pace thanks to human ideas and creativity. All we want is a faster way to access and add to the collective human knowledge database. It has the potential to transcend time and space and right now we are using very "disconnecting" (i.e. keyboard, mouse, screen) tools to connect to it. The tools will change gradually over time to become more a part of us as our hands and eyes and ears are. The funny thing is, those tools are closer than you think.

Nokia N97 Teaser Video

2009-02-13T22:29:00.002-05:00

Another great showing of my future Nokia Nseries purchase. The more I see of this amazing device, the more excited I get about the future of mobile. I've almost saved up enough to get one (no mater how high the price).

3pm Injection 02.12.2009

2009-02-12T16:47:00.000-05:00

This weeks selection of mp3s were chosen with some input from my wife Keita... "With Valentines Day right around the corner we are taking you to the zone. From being unpredictable to catering to your man, to recognizing that you got a bad lady on your side from feeling it coming in the air at night taking you so high. And then just some other random songs that could not wait to be posted. Over and out. Have a Happy Valentines Day!!" ~ Keita Coleman

Update: Okay, something really strange is going on with our 3pm Injection posts. Once again this post was supposed to be for the 6th, but was removed for some odd reason...

Jamie Foxx Feat. Ludacris - Unpredictable

Destiny's Child - Cater 2 U

Stevie Wonder - She's A Bad Mamma Jamma

Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight

John Legend - So High

Tupac - So Many Tears

NERD - Everyone Knows [Remix]

Common Feat. Pharell - Universal Mind Control

Aerosmith - Cryin'

Around The Corner And Back Again

2009-02-12T15:39:00.002-05:00

With the GSMA Mobile World Congress right around the corner, the web has been buzzing with all sorts of cool mobile rumors and even some true and official announcements of new devices. The first exciting word from the web is that the North American version of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic will arrive February 26th at a price of about $400 according to The Nokia Blog. Personally I think the price is a bit steep, but the fact that it's an "unlocked" device with a nice big touchscreen and running the latest S60 5th edition OS makes it almost worth the price of admission. If it were not for the Nokia N97 coming a little later down the road, I may have gone for the 5800. It will be interesting to see how well the 5800 XpressMusic sells in the states.

Speaking of XpressMusic phones, there's been word that a slim and trim Nokia 5630 XpressMusic phone is also around the corner. Interestingly, it will be powered by S60, have HSUPA, and will be N-Gage capable.

Next up, Archos is set to deliver an Android-powered internet tablet at the Mobile World Congress also. The specs so far are pretty amazing, but we'll see if their Android tablet hybrid is powerful enough to compete with other Android-powered devices along with WinMo, Palm, and Symbian powered smartphones. Oh, and don't forget about the possibility of Nokia showing off a new Internet Tablet update of their own. At the very least, Archos would benefit from the Android Market when the device ships.

And of course we can't talk about Android Market without mentioning that Nokia is to launch it's own application store and may announce it at Mobile World Congress as well. It really is amazing how many application stores have cropped up in such a short amount of time. First we have the Apple iPhone App Store, then we got the Android Market, we heard earlier about Samsung launching their application store at MWC, and now Nokia is jumping in on all the fun. I think the whole me-too approach to the mobile application store phenomenon is still a bit too immature, and some may even say it's just a fad, but this is where the future of mobile is headed and I see this as just another paradigm shift that coincides with the history of the personal computing industry.

We've seen similarities between how computers were and how mobile is becoming before, but the similarities blur quite a bit when you can put a device as powerful as yesterday's computers in your pocket comfortably. I imagine many incredible and unique applications will arrive that will bring a new dimension and richness to the mobile experience going forward. It's one thing to have a few major companies provide software that works on a particular mobile platform, but another thing all together when anyone with a good idea can offer everyone a chance to experience that idea directly. The future is very bright for mobile indeed.

Google Latitude

2009-02-05T14:19:00.001-05:00

Hide-n-seek is history, stalking is easier than ever, and the world gets to be a much smaller place thanks to the new Google Latitude feature in Google Maps for mobile. If it's not enough to let your friends and family know how you are, you can now show them where you are. I think it's a very cool feature, and could be very useful/dangerous in some cases. I'll be using it, and I'm sure many of my contacts will also.

3pm Injection 01.31.2009

2009-01-31T05:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome back. We've got a pretty lengthy list of music this week for you all. There's no telling how long these links will stay live, so get'em or forget'em. Our selection so far has been pretty random, and we'd like to know what you want to hear in future 3pm Injections, so please feel free to post any thoughts, suggestions, ideas, etc. in the comments. See you next week with more mp3 links.

Update: I have no idea how this post got removed before, but I don't like it. Let's try this again...

Portal - Still Alive

Jay-Z Feat. Santogold - Brooklyn We Go Hard

Young Jeezy Feat. Pharrell - Rumor Has It

Mims - This Is Why I'm Hot

Kanye West - Stronger

M.I.A. - Paper Planes

Abba - The Name Of The Game

Kanye West - Love Lockdown

Young Jeezy Feat. Nas - My President Is Black

Ludacris Feat. T-Pain - One More Drink

Busta Rhymes Feat. Ron Brownz - Arab Money [2]

Chrisette Michele - Be OK

Overdub - Come As The Starlight

Overdub - Funky Town

BB King - The Thrill Is Gone

Lipps Inc. - Funky Town [2]

Beastie Boys - Shazam!

The Quantic Soul Orchestra - Assassin

William S. Burroughs - Things To Think About

Ads, Games, Tablets, and Panic?

2009-01-28T23:38:00.002-05:00

We've Got Advertising...Again

After a long time without ads on the site, NET9 is trying to support itself in a more turbulent economy in a way that's not too turbulent to our readers. We've selected two advertisement models this time around: PayPerPost and Kontera. I don't expect much revenue from this change, but something is better than nothing in this day and time. It will be interesting to track some of the differences between the two approaches to advertising going forward as well.

Update: PayPerPost has been removed. Guess we don't conform to their terms of service. :)

More N-Gage Games On The Way

Cafe Sudoku just became available for download yesterday, and there are a few more big name games coming soon to N-Gage. Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, Age Of Empires III, Prince Of Persia, Real Football 2009, and Yamake are all launching some time this year. The N-Gage game showroom is filling out quite nicely, and I can't wait for what's coming to the platform next.

Potential Internet Tablet Announcement

The TabletBlog.com believes a new Internet Tablet will be announced and/or released at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. This could be Nokia's big surprise for the first quarter and the company's answer to the netbook phenomenon. We'll have to wait until February 16-19 to see if Nokia has a new tablet to add to its already amazing portfolio.

Mobile Industry: Don't Panic

Informa Telecoms & Media's Global Mobile Market Outlook assures the industry that there's no need for panic even in the economic downturn. Personally, I think certain areas of the industry are fairly safe (such as advertising and mobile software/services), while others (i.e. operators and some device makers) are viable candidates to commence doing the panic dance. It all comes down to what companies can endure the coming months as the economic crunch continues to affect the technology industry as a whole.

3pm Injection 01.25.2009

2009-01-25T00:31:00.004-05:00

Okay everyone, this is a music mix you'll never see anywhere else. This one is dedicated to my cousin out in Louisiana somewhere. He knows who he is. Thanks for introducing me to Asha Bhosle. Enjoy these tracks while they're still fresh. See you next week with a new Injection.

Chabi Kho Jaye

Asha Bhosle - Dum Maro Dum

Requiem For A Dream - Theme

The Chemical Brothers - Shake Break Bounce

Cheb Khaled - Alech Taadi

Batman Begins - Myotis

MI2 - Injection

Wu Tang Clan - Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nothin' To Fuck Wit

Quick Mobile News Update

2009-01-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

Android T-Mobile G2

Images of the possible Android G2 smartphone have been making there way around the web and from the looks of the device it would appear that there will be no hardware keyboard of any sort leading many to believe the update to Android, code-named "Cupcake", will be in this phone by default. Cupcake will bring the touch-screen keyboard feature necessary to use such a device as well as video recording and browser find functions. It looks like Android is growing quite nicely, and will soon be offered on a quickly expanding number of devices too.

Asphalt 4: Elite Racing Now On N-Gage

The follow up to Asphalt 3: Street Rules is now available. Asphalt 4 brings real-time Bluetooth multiplayer mode for true competition with your friends, 28 "real-life" cars and bikes, improved handling, and a new drift engine for some tighter turns on those crazy curves. To me the game looks graphically the same as its predecessor, and there's still no online multiplayer mode. The game is a good update to the series, but for $13.49 there's not enough substance to this racing sequel.

Followup On N-Gage Game Transfers

A while back there was a lot of frustration when many N-Gage gamers discovered game licenses they had purchased were locked to the phone purchased for, and since then Nokia has responded by implementing a one-time transfer of game licenses to a different phone. That's all good and fine for now, but we are still hopeful there will be an easy and potentially more flexible solution to moving one's N-Gage collection to another phone. All About N-Gage has more on this news.

Mobiola Web Camera 3 Mini Review

This week I turned my Nokia N81 8GB into a nice webcam using Mobiola's web camera application. Setup was pretty straightforward. Download the application to the computer and the S60 application to the phone. Connect via USB, WiFi, or Bluetooth. Change some settings of supported IM clients to use the Mobiola video source, and you're good to go. Video quality is very good, but I wish there was audio support as well. Finding a suitable location for the phone to capture video is a bit tricky, but the fact that the connection can be wireless offers more freedom of location choices.This is a great application. It just needs audio support, and it will be a perfect video conferencing solution for mobile warriors.

Nokia N97 Designer Answers Questions

I'm already pretty excited about the Nokia N97, and have been saving up for a device like this since I heard about S60 Touch UI. There have been a lot of questions from other bloggers interested in the device, and Axel Meyer, Head of Design at Nokia Nseries has the answers. Be sure to check out the informative and even inspiring video for the quick Q&A session.

Presidential Inauguration

2009-01-19T06:14:00.001-05:00

3pm Lives!

2009-01-17T02:38:00.001-05:00

Though its history is short, 3pm has had some of the most rapid growth I could have ever expected. It's very existence has greatly impacted NET9. Some ways good, and some bad. Anyhow, 3pm has been dormant for some time now, and we think it's time to wake it up again. Every week we will bring various mp3 links to NET9 in the form of 3pm Injections. Much of it will be music, but we may toss in some other interesting audio files your way as well. Of course everyone is welcome to add suggestions, opinions, links, and more in the comments section too. It's good to have 3pm back in action again. Enjoy the links.

T-Pain Feat. Akon - Bartender
Timbaland - The Way I Are

Rihanna - Rehab

Britney Spears - Womanizer [2]

50 Cent - Get Up

Blue Mambo - Mambo No.5

Ciara - Diva

Palm Pre: Last Chance For A First Impression

2009-01-15T21:14:00.006-05:00

It has been the most recent and popular topic of discussion between some of my friends and myself, and it's obvious that we have different feelings about Palm's latest device. So much so that I have produced a list of some of my favorite responses to the common question of what my thoughts are about the Pre.

...still just a nicely polished rock at the bottom of a raging river...
...more than enough too late...
...brings just those features most future smartphones should have anyway...
...it's more like Palm Premature...
...I'm calling this the most interesting mobile device that I'm not interested in of the year...
...there's this thing called bad timing, and this is the absolute worse...
...ten bucks says you'll get or want something better before it's finally available...
...Dr. Seuss would be proud, Fisher Price will be jealous...
...but, will it blend?...
...I'll buy one when it costs less than the iPhone and is unlocked...
...tamagotchi 2.0?...
...solitaire could be pretty cool on it I guess...
...I predict six months to bring it to market, only one week of strong sales...

It's not so much that I'm pessimistic about Palm's big comeback, I just think the Pre is not intended to be a future phone. Sure, it has some nice ideas that make it shine ever so brightly, but it also lacks some important features many people will come to expect from their next mobile device. Only time will tell if Palm has the right stuff to stay the course this time around.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T07:41:00.003-05:00

Welcome to 2009! We're ready for another eventful year in mobile technology here at NET9, and we hope to see some big announcements early on with CES running from January 8th through the 11th. Stay tuned for more great things to happen in the mobile space in the coming months. Happy New Year from NET9!

NET9: Predictions For 2009

2008-12-21T13:25:00.001-05:00

It would be a major understatement to say that much has happened this year, and there is no doubt that big changes are happening the world over. For many, it has been a challenge never seen before. From local economic struggles to enormous bail outs of mega corporations, the world's economies are in a disturbing state of flux. In order to stay abreast of the latest events in this fragile economic climate, one has to be able to access the information relevant to their needs from wherever they may be. In a time where you can find the shortest route to a destination, the cheapest gas prices in the area, real-time traffic conditions, and price comparisons on any salable object all online, mobile devices are the logical tools for tracking the changes in these growingly important areas. As we once again approach the end of this year and the beginning of a new one, we will attempt to look into the future...

- The Netbook Is The New Notebook
With netbooks growing even more popular than Apple's iPhone, expect to see more iterations of them appearing next year as well. The netbook phenomenon came out of nowhere and has made a niche in this new economic climate. I see this as only the beginning of a new era of computing. Some call it "cloud computing", I call it an evolutionary step in the history of the Internet. I see netbooks becoming increasingly more powerful, faster, and more energy efficient next year. I think much of untested ideas will be injected into some of the many netbook offerings to come. It will serve as a laboratory of sorts for better batteries, alternate connectivity models, display technologies, and more.

- The Sky Is The Limit With Cloud Computing
Once only referred to as "software as services", cloud computing is the new name for what is going on on the web today. Many applications that were previously only know to reside on a user's computer are being recreated for, enhanced by, and adapted to the Internet. This means the ability to create and access your content over the web. It also means that the combination of some of these services will forever change the way the web works. Just look at Google Maps with Street View to get an idea of where the web is headed. The future of the Internet will be very "cloudy", which ironically is a good thing.

- Video And Voice Chat Is Here

With the new voice and video features recently added to Gmail, you can expect a future boom in teleconferencing as well as web cam sales. And with more and more notebooks and netbooks coming standard with web cams built in, the idea doesn't seem as "futuristic" anymore. The next logical stage will of course be mobile video conferencing using those underused secondary cameras we've come to think nothing of. Well at least in the U.S. History has time and time again shot down the idea of video conferencing as a realistic method of communication in America. However, history can change very quickly in the right conditions. We've seen it happen before, and we're seeing it again. Video and voice communications will eventually be together. All it needs is the right conditions, and the conditions are just about right.

- Augmented Reality Is On The Horizon
What can you do with a mobile phone that has Assisted GPS, high resolution video capabilities, built-in accelerometers, built-in digital compass, and "always connected" high speed Internet access? Well, aside from making some interesting phone calls, augmented reality is possible. All these features are common on many phones today, but not exactly all in one device...yet. There is such a device on the horizon that will have all of those features and will be capable of some form of augmented reality. That device is the Nokia N97. The ability to enhance your environmental surroundings with relevant information according to your physical location is near. I have a feeling that the N97 will be the first of many such devices to bring augmented reality forward.

- N-Gage Shows Signs Of Maturity

With the recent release of big title games such as Metal Gear Solid Mobile and Resident Evil Degeneration, N-Gage is finally moving into the mobile gaming spotlight. These are top notch games that bring a new dynamic of gameplay by utilizing as many of the phone features as possible. For instance, Metal Gear Solid Mobile uses the phone's camera as a sort of accelerometer for certain in-game interactions. I look forward to many more awesome games for N-Gage next year. As we've seen so far, they will only get better over time.

- Mobile Browser Wars Begin

As IE mobile faces inevitable evolution, Firefox spreads from Nokia Internet Tablets to S60 devices, Opera Mini/Mobile grows in the sheer number of users, and Google's Chrome browser looking to be the perfect match for mobile devices, the browser wars seem to be heating up once again. This time the battlefield is the mobile space. Because of the larger number of mobile devices to PCs and notebooks, this particular browser war will be much more important to the companies involved. I also believe the winner will not be determined by numbers alone this time.

- In The Future, There Will Be Robots

We're talking about Google Android devices here folks. We all know there will be plenty of them soon, but we don't know what they look like yet. The T-Mobile G1 is the first Android device, and though it's still a "work in progress", I think the Android platform will be one to watch for years to come. I'm very excited to see a fresh new platform for mobile devices. If it doesn't do much of anything, it most definitely puts competing mobile platforms in wake-up mode. Platforms like Symbian and Windows Mobile had better have an air tight strategy to survive in a world where the fast growing Android platform is making big moves. I certainly have high hopes for Android, but it needs something a little more exciting than the G1 to show how good it really is.

- Economic Change Is Affecting Tech Trends

Sony, Apple, Nokia, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, etc. are all making big changes due to the current economic climate. Changes in product offerings, features, and pricing. Changes in marketing, company policies, and even customer support. All these companies are "tightening up" their products and services in some way to ensure they retain customers that are "tightening up" their wallets and purses. This new consumer awakening would cause some level of fear in any major corporation, but depending on how each one reacts, we could see either an evolution or elimination of big names going forward. The consumer has become more powerful than ever before and ironically enough, it doesn't take much to make a big difference in this industry anymore.

- Green Technology For A Better Future
I believe 2009 will be the year that much of the technology we want to use will also be more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Not only because it's the "right thing to do", but because we can no longer afford to continue to use destructive tools in order to be creative. More efficient battery technology is needed now more than ever. Display technology has also developed a lot slower than many expected. Factories producing the devices we love to use need to have much less of an environmental impact. These are just some of the issues that need to be addressed, and one need only look to some of the big company names to see what they are doing to make future technology greener. Companies like IBM are making a big change to develop green solutions, and there are many more following suite. I don't think green technology will make the news very much, but count on seeing results from these developments one way or another.

Thanks to everyone for another exciting year of great mobile trends, and we look forward to seeing even more amazing ideas realized throughout next year and beyond. It's just as important to remember the past as it is to look to the future, so be sure to take time to look at our 2008, 2007, and 2006 predictions too. Lots of change is coming in 2009, but always remember...

"Don't let the future happen, make it happen."

NET9 Turns 3!

2008-12-10T06:51:00.001-05:00

Wow! Has it been three years already? It's amazing how much can happen in only a year. Some good, some bad. I got married in August, moved into a new place, got a new job, and made so many great new friends. Although the economy has gone berserk, and more and more people are losing jobs, I believe the situation will get better. Change is needed for it to do so. We need it now, we need a lot of it, and we all need to take part in it. We are positioning NET9 to be a part of this change.

Hang in there with us as we weather this storm filled with uncertainty and great challenges that will test our resolve like never before. In this new era, you will have to adapt to survive. NET9 is ready for the storm. We will adapt, and we will continue to be part of the future of mobile. We hope to see many of you in the future as well.

An Evolution Is About To Occur

2008-12-02T18:40:00.001-05:00

Nokia recently announced the N97 at the Nokia World 2008 Conference and by the looks of the device, it is what many Nokia fans have hoped would happen. Essentially, the N97 is a cross between the best of the Nokia NSeries line and Nokia's Internet Tablet functionality. It is the answer to my difficult decision to either get a new tablet or a new phone. The N97 in my eyes is both and this is a very good thing. To compare the N97 to my current array of mobile devices is a bit premature for obvious reasons, but it wouldn't be fun not to, right?

So my smallest computer with QWERTY keyboard is my Acer netbook, but it's still not portable enough to take everywhere. It has a nice size screen, and I have no trouble at all with the small keyboard. It just can't fit in my pocket, and that is what I need. A fully functional mobile computer that fits in my pocket. The N95 has done a really good job attempting to be just that, but it lacks something that I believe the N97 has to make it work. I would be fine with the N97 just having the sliding keyboard feature, because neither my netbook nor my N95 have touchscreens anyway, but the inclusion of the touchscreen brings a whole new dimension to the mobile experience.

Of course these features are far from being "new", but for Nokia to finally bring so much into something so little is still pretty remarkable. And we all know that the hardware is only part of the formula Nokia is bringing to the N97. From the Ovi services, to the user interface, to the built-in and installable apps, the N97 looks to be a very flexible device for a variety of use cases.

For some time, I have had a feeling that this sort of evolution/convergence would occur, and I can't wait to hold it in my hands and be able to put it in my pocket at a moment's notice. It will replace many devices in my collection all at once, which in the end is what needs to happen anyways. Save money, save time, save space, save power, save the environment. Time to save for a Nokia N97.

Food And Fun At The Fair

2008-10-05T17:57:00.003-04:00

Whole turkey legs, BBQ ribs that overflow enormous plates, massive corn dogs, bags of cotton candy, a huge variety of funnel cakes, and gigantic cups of southern style sweet tea to wash it all down. That's just some of the awesome feastings we experienced at the Georgia National Fair down in Perry Georgia this Saturday past. Of course if you wanted to enjoy the numerous rides, you would be wise to put a hold on all that food.

We had a wonderful time and I can't wait until the next one. But it's not over yet. If you're in the area, the fair goes on until the 12th of this month.Enjoy while you can. It was a blast.

Changing Of The Guard

2008-10-03T22:16:00.001-04:00

I've been keeping up with the latest mobile news via my Nokia N95-3 mostly, and have to say, there have been times that I still miss the speed and flexibility of a full-featured PC with a web browser that presents the "true" face of the internet.

It once was nice to get most of that experience with the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet and its successors, but it's about time for an upgrade, and I'm hoping Nokia can deliver one that will suit me best. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone looks like a winner to me so far. It finally brings touch UI to S60, which is awesome since I've grown to really love the platform and have been wishing for the same (if not better) touchscreen experience gained from the Internet Tablets.

Another major plus in the 5800's massive list of features is of course its music offerings with the connection to Comes With Music service. I've always been a lover of music, and Nokia has a noble warrior of a device in the 5800 to go head to head with the likes of competitors such as Apple, Sony Ericsson, etc. Also, as a huge fan of what I label as "extension technologies", the inclusion of TV-out and accelerometer features are the keys to making me want to upgrade from my N95-3.

No doubt that this will be one of the greatest milestones for Nokia, but I have a feeling it is only the beginning of even greater things to come. The Nokia 5800 will likely be my next handset, and I congratulate Nokia once again for bringing more to the table than expected.

We're Back, Still Here

2008-09-28T19:49:00.000-04:00

I'd like to first apologize to our readers for the large gap in NET9 posts. There are too many reasons to list, and none of them great enough by themselves to have kept me away from updates on the status of the blog.

So, with that said, NET9 shall continue forward with our original ideas of bringing news about (and sometimes even with) the future of mobile technology. We have decided that even with so many mobile tech announcements made over recent months, it would not be very productive and in some cases redundant to report on old news. This is not our goal. Although I think the news about Google's Chrome browser, the many new smart phones announced by the likes of Nokia, Samsung, RIM, HTC, LG, Sony, etc., and the recent exciting developments in pico projectors are all excellent topics to sink my teeth into, it is all yesterday's news.

It's time for news for tomorrow. Time to look further into the future than ever before. So, join us once again on a trip to the mobile future, and enjoy the ride.

On The Move...

2008-05-29T05:24:00.000-04:00

Moving to a new apartment this week and it will take a few days to get settled in, so I'll be playing catch up on the mobile tech news as soon as I can get the new office/lab set up. I have a couple N-Gage game reviews coming up, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, there's been a lot of other cool mobile news making it's way around the web...

The Internet Tablet line turns 3 years old
The N95-3 finally gets a firmware update
Snakes Subsonic launches for N-Gage
The S60 powered Samsung L870 revealed

More Than One "Snake" Coming To N-Gage

2008-05-20T07:33:00.003-04:00

Just last week we get news of the new Snakes Subsonic game coming to N-Gage soon, bringing back the old fun Nokia game in a bold new way. This week, news breaks of an even more exciting "Snake" game. That's right, Konami is bringing Metal Gear Solid to N-Gage. Any hardcore gamer knows that Metal Gear Solid is one of the best franchises out there, and to have it come to N-Gage means a lot to Nokia's gaming portfolio. It will be interesting to see how this new game play. If it's even a fraction of what the console versions were, this is going to be a monumental addition to the N-Gage collection.

With Companies like Capcom and Konami developing for N-Gage, we will finally have some titles in the "big names, big games" category. More and more people hear about the great N-Gage comeback because of this news for sure. Gonna be a great year for N-Gage, and a great year for gaming.

Simple Improvements To Complex Devices

2008-05-06T09:11:00.003-04:00

It's night, and you hear your N81 8GB chime that the battery is low. Uh oh, forgot to plug it in to the charger. The lights are off, so it's pitch dark and you really don't want to turn on the lights just to see where that tiny little prong plugs in on the phone. So you fumble around with the charger and phone until you finally connect...

Why is there lights for every single button on phones these days, but there's no way to see where various connectors are when you need to plug in? I know it sounds trivial to have such a feature on a mobile device, or any device for that matter, but there are a lot of us that live our lives in the darkness a large percent of the time and we need well lit icons, terminal beacons, and just about anything that helps us even just a little bit while in less than acceptable lighting conditions.

In a time where Timex Indiglo watches, writing pens with battery powered LEDs, and ultra low power plug-in night lights exist, it only makes sense that the devices we use 24/7 should be user friendly 24/7. With the addition to status LEDs, backlit buttons and keys, and even battery indicator lights, it's only logical to have a way to see where those ever shrinking plugs go while in the dark. Be it through a dedicated "light up the sockets" button or some other ingenious method.

Of course it would be great if you could turn the feature off to save power or for those that never really need it. I mean it's not like you would need the lights on all the time anyways, so why not just let the light sensors on these devices determine when it's too dark and turn on when you hit one of the buttons on the device? This brings me to another simple idea of static awareness of devices where your device should know when it's been touched or moved and will react according to what the user wants to happen, but I'll save that for another post.

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary."

Block Breaker Deluxe

2008-05-02T06:55:00.002-04:00

The classic Block Breaker game is back with a fresh new look and lots of new N-Gage goodies this time around. Much more polished than the original, and even the sequel. For anyone familiar with the paddle style games will get a real kick out of this one. With several locations each containing ten levels and a boss level, a ping-pong-like tournament, dozens of paddle and ball upgrades, and a slew of challenging N-Gage point pickups, It's amazing this game only takes up a mere 5 MB of space on the phone.

I haven't had the chance to try the multiplayer mode via bluetooth, but I'm pretty sure it's much like the tournament level where you are basically playing "pong" with the other player. There's an option to change the screen orientation, as well as the key settings to your style of playing. I love all the high score stats that you can check out to see how well you have progressed through the game.

As for my favorite location, it would have to be the Coconut Casino where there are levels you can play mini versions of slot machine, poker, and craps for lots of cash. I just love it when I get poker chips raining down to catch with my paddle. Sometimes it makes me feel like I'm somewhere else when I play this game. Be careful though, this game will suck up your time as it is hard to put down when you get in to a rhythm.

The graphics aren't anything to wright home about, but are good enough to know what's going on. The music and sound effects are clean and cool (some block hits sound like forks tapping on wine glasses). Not much of an online presence with this game. Just the ability to upload your high scores. In fact, there's a Great Gameloft Giveaway Competition going on between April 21 and May 18 where you can submit your score for a chance to win very cool prizes. I really like how Nokia and Gameloft have teamed up for this event. It's a good marketing and distribution technique that will help N-Gage on the path to success.

Overall, it's a great paddle style game with lots of extras and many challenges. If there was a real-time online tournament mode I would have given it the fifth star. Even without that, the game shines pretty bright. Check out the video of the game in action.

Games To Go Rating: 4 out of 5

Space Impact: Kappa Base

2008-05-01T06:41:00.004-04:00

If there's one thing I miss about going to the arcade it's the scrolling shooters. Now I can get that same joy of intense flying and shooting action, and I don't have to stand in one place anymore to do it. Space Impact Kappa Base for the N-Gage platform is one game I have grown to love over the last few days. The action of this game is very fast paced and has a lot of depth.

With three characters to select from, two difficulty levels, ten missions, eight Skyblades with varying attributes, a ton of cool weapons, and a plethora of enemies to take out, there's no way one could get bored with this game. You could spend hours on end just trying to find your perfect setup. It takes credits to unlock many of the weapons and spacecraft, which makes the game that much more challenging. There's also a combo system to multiply points gained in game and a grading system for each mission that shows how well you pilot through.

Of course the N-Gage Arena features are pretty cool too. The World Battle lets you test your skills and uploads your best scores amongst the list of other players. It would be cool if there were more game modes or even just a two player co-op mode, but there's just so much going on in this game already, and I'm pretty sure it pushes the current phone hardware to the limit.

The controls are relatively easy to use on the N81. You can also remap the keys to your liking. The game only plays in portrait mode, however. The music in the game is very good and sound effects are nice as well. The graphics are astounding with the whole 2D mixed with 3D thing going on. Overall, this game rocks, and in it I see much promise of success for the new N-Gage platform.

Also check out the All About N-Gage review and a video of the game in action.

Games To Go Rating: 4 out of 5

More Than Just N-Gage

2008-04-18T22:50:00.003-04:00

So N-Gage has launched, many are still left out of the fun, and some are having all sorts of issues with the platform and games throwing errors like a pro baseball pitcher in his prime. Some gamers will give up on N-Gage right off the bat, some will just wait it out until it's all fixed. Then there are the hardcore gamers like myself constantly in search for something fun to do on the go. Of course it would be quite selfish of me not to share my findings that may or may not add a bit of entertainment to your S60 phone.

Let's start with where these gems can be found. I use MOSH on my N95 all the time to find new and interesting content. It's also a great way to store files quickly to free up space when you run out of room on the memory card. Anyway, there are a ton of games to download on MOSH, and that's just one resource. Games like S-Tris 2 (a Tetris clone), Alpha Wing 2, Frozen Bubble, Block Breaker Deluxe, and Mystery Mansion Pinball are just some of the cool games that bring the arcade to wherever you want to go.

Two of my favorite things about the N95 is the built-in accelerometer and the TV-out feature. Adding gaming as a third ingredient to the mix makes for some serious fun. There has been recent development around the accelerometer lately that goes beyond just using it for user interface purposes. rotateMe and Nokmote make way for demos such as MosKillTo, where you aim and shoot pesky mosquitoes in a virtual room and Mirage Money where you can fly through a virtual or camera-based environment to collect coinage for points. Of course you could mix some games like FreeFlight with Nokmote which is cool in and of itself, but hook it all up to a nice TV and you have something very cool to show off to friends and family.

I have no doubt that we will see a lot more fun ideas spring up around the potential of phones like the N95 and it's accelerometer and TV-out features. I also hope N-Gage will eventually mature into the mobile gaming platform that many have waited for a long time. I'm always looking for more interesting games and applications that push these technologies to the limits, so if you stumble upon anything neat or are a developer that needs a guinea pig to test out their latest creation, I'm always up for something new. Well, back to pinball on the TV for now...

S60 Embassy Sweets

2008-04-05T05:50:00.002-04:00

I've recently become one of many S60 Ambassadors and have received a nice little bag of S60 goodies. The bag included a mousepad, a couple of very nice pens, a slick lanyard, and a cool S60 shirt.
I look forward to performing my new duties as an S60 Ambassador as well as meeting up with other S60 Ambassadors in the future. See you in the streets (I better bring my umbrella, it's raining out there right now).

The Position Art Genius

2008-03-23T09:27:00.003-04:00

As a fellow artist (and self proclaimed genius) it is my duty to present one of the coolest artists of our time. The Position Art Genius, Stavros has recently produced his greatest piece to date in the heart of Rome. Stavros uses a Nokia N82 to geotag his position to create various shapes and even more complex pictures.

I must thank Stavros and WOM World for sending NET9 the awesome T-shirt with a portrait of the genius on the front. I will wear it with honor for the world to learn of Stavros. Also for the signed and numbered super duper limited edition poster. And of course, I can't thank Stavros enough for the one of a kind, framed and signed NET9 position art piece.

For those who are unfortunate not to know the phenomenon that is Stavros, you can become fortunate by learning about the genius at The World Is My Canvas site. Also view some of his great works and photos too. Now please excuse me while I continue to gaze at the great position art Stavros has blessed me with.

Nokia N95: Gaming, Serving, Streaming

2008-03-11T13:50:00.003-04:00

I've been checking out a few cool services and apps for the N95 these days and I continue to be amazed at how fast this device is growing in its capabilities.

First, I have to admit to grabbing the unofficial version of the N-Gage First Access app, and have been having a blast with some of the Games. N-Gage is certainly shaping up to be an awesome gaming solution, and I think I speak for many when I say I can't wait for N-Gage to "officially" appear on the N95 and other supported phones. Looking forward to some fun challenges in the N-Gage Arena.

The next app I got around to checking out is the Nokia Mobile Web Server. This app has been out for some time, but there's been a recent update to 1.2 beta and it is still pretty cool to be able to access your phone from any web browser. Contacts, calendar, messaging, images, etc. is manageable through the web. There's even some cool blogging options in there.

And finally, I stumbled on the cool PocketCaster app that works great for live video streaming from the N95 to the ComVu site for viewing. This could be an awesome way to do live shows on the go. And it works very well over a 3G connection too.

There's just so many great S60 apps and services these days, it's a challenge just to keep up with it all.

N81 8GB and Bose QC3 Headphones

2008-03-09T16:33:00.003-04:00

The Nokia N81 8GB has been reviewed to death and I think it's an okay device by itself, but the special edition kit with the Bose QuietComfort 3 Headphones set it off very nicely. Oh, and the packaging of it all was quite cool also. I'll quickly go over my thoughts about the N81 8GB, but it's the Bose Headphones that will get the best of this review.

N81 8GB
A very sleek Nokia phone with a great music experience and a pretty fun gaming experience, the N81 8GB has what it takes to kick out a nice amount of tunes and even some N-Gage gaming action the way it was meant to be. The slider is solid, and feels even sturdier than the N95-3. However, the plastic back cover felt a bit cheap and made some creaking noises that annoyed me to no end (thank goodness for those noise canceling Bose headphones).

The battery life was pretty good, the Navi Wheel function of the direction pad was fun to play with, but I never saw myself wanting to use it much at all. The camera was sub par and I was disgusted with the image quality I got with it. The wifi and EDGE only connection is enough to browse the web in comfort, and the built-in speakers were excellent. I loved that the screen was flush with the rest of the face of the device, unlike my N95-3 which has that traditional beveled frame for the screen. Scratches may be an issue for the N81 in the long run with a screen like that though.

The button placement has to be one of the worst I've seen to date. It looks as if the designers couldn't decide where to put the music keys so they opted to cram them all at the bottom of the screen with the other keys and hope no one would notice how retarded it actually was to use. Come on Nokia, 16 freaking buttons in an area the size of two stamps is ridiculous! Crowded is not the word for this monstrosity. This should have been a dual slider like the N95, period.

Finally, the last things I dislike about the N81 8GB is that there's no way to expand the storage capacity past the built-in 8GB and no TV-out functionality. For a device that will be primarily a mobile music and gaming machine and more, 8GB is laughable. For a $400+ Nokia phone I expected more than what the N81 has to offer. The styling and durability is spot on, button placement is all wrong, and the expandability is off by a mile. This phone had potential to be so much more than what it is. I hope Nokia can fix it or bring the best parts to future phones.

Bose QuietComfort 3 Headphones
These things are simply awesome! They make up for quite a bit of what's lacking in the N81 8GB for sure. I've never heard a more clear sound of music come from headphones in my life. There's really not much I can say about headphones, but I know I have to get a pair of these when I get some extra cash. They feel great over my ears, have all the adapters needed for travel, and of course the noise canceling feature is top notch. Simply put, these headphones make the difference in any music listening experience. Bravo Bose, Bravo.

Sonic Rush

2008-03-09T15:00:00.004-04:00

This game is pure speed as usual for the classic sonic experience. This time however, theres a dash of 3D action thrown into the mix along with a hip new female character. And if you thought one DS screen would be enough to contain the chaotic speed of Sonic, you would be sorely mistaken. It takes a lot of coordination, patience, practice, and flat out stubbornness to get through some of the insanely complex levels at a break-neck pace.

I honestly don't remember the Sonic games from days of old being anywhere near as hard as this game. Trying to keep track of the super fast blue hedgehog across two screens may give you epilepsy or some sort of motion sickness, but the game is loaded with fun twists and turns that will have you yearning for more. Of course the Sonic fans will love all the new and unique levels that bring a pretty good challenge to the game, but the storyline could surely use an injection of energy. It's possible that the speed and action of the game play just completely overshadows the story and other aspects of the game though.

There's a new playable character, very cool boss levels, and more. I'd recommend this game to anyone with a need for speed and any fan of the Sonic franchise. I like Sonic Rush and will keep it in my collection for the challenge, but I'm more of a Mario kind of guy.

Games To Go Rating: 3 out of 5

So Much Great S60 News Lately

2008-02-24T22:21:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been pretty busy with my new job, but I've kept up to date on what's been going on in the mobile space. Most news has been concentrated around Nokia and S60 though it seems.

I'm really loving the new Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta and all the great features that have been getting a lot of use over the past few days. I also have got the chance to check out the Ovi Share service and like the idea of being able to upload and download pictures as well as video. And of course the new Google Search app is pretty useful too. I'm really excited to see how other Google services evolve and become more suited for mobile devices.

I have some more Nintendo DS game reviews coming up, but I haven't given up on N-Gage yet. In fact, I have a feeling there will be some great news to come about N-Gage from NET9 real soon.

Nokia Nseries Mobile World Congress Virtual Event

2008-02-08T18:58:00.000-05:00

I was offered the chance to go to the Mobile World Congress by Nseries WOM World, but won't be able to attend due to previous engagements that require me to be elsewhere. However, I don't have to miss out on the fun entirely, and neither do you. Check out the virtual event for the latest from the Nokia Nseries Mobile World Congress.

We've Got Snow

2008-01-19T15:46:00.000-05:00

New Super Mario Bros.

2008-01-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

The latest addition to the Super Mario Bros. series brings Mario and Luigi back in the mix with all new levels, enemies, special items, and moves. Of course most of the old school moves are back too, but this time you get to do them in what looks like 3D but is more like 2.5D graphics and stereo sound. Theres new music thrown in for a fresh take on the theme too.

The game reminds me of playing Super Mario Bros. 3 with a lot of Super Mario 64 style thrown in to the mix. Some of the moves take a bit of getting used to, and even the new special items like the mega mushroom, blue shell, and mini mushroom make things a little tricky at times. But in order to get the most out of this game you need to learn how they work to your advantage.

The story is similar, but not quite the same as earlier games, and of course the game is so massive I have yet to see the ending, but I'm sure I won't be disappointed. It's very easy to tell that the development team put some serious time and effort into this game. It's the best Mario game I've played since Super Mario World and Super Mario 64.

Aside from the main game is a nice selection of mini games that are just excellent. It really is amazing how much there is going on in this single game cart for the Nintendo DS. New Super Mario Bros. is one awesome game and I'm happy with the amount of replay value that's in store. It's easily the best DS game I've played so far. I highly recommend it to anyone with a Nintendo DS.

Games To Go Rating: 5 out of 5

Stepping Into The World Of Mobile Games

2008-01-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

After the recent disappointment of the non-launch of N-Gage, I have decided that NET9 needs to have some involvement mobile gaming somehow. I decided on the Nintendo DS Lite as the dedicated mobile gaming platform. I have had the chance to play with the DS off and on since launch, but it wasn't until I got some quality time with my girlfriend's DS Lite that I came to the conclusion that I must acquire one myself. And so my unit is on its way along with the first game up for review, but I'll keep that surprise for later.

I decided on the Onyx black system to blend with the rest of my decor of course, and because black is undeniably very "pimp". I have my eyes on a case for it, and already have a good idea of what games I plan to add to the collection as well. I haven't owned a Nintendo product since the Nintendo 64, which was a blast to play, and I have always believed Nintendo to be the best at delivering a fun new experience with each new system they dream up.

Of course we won't forget about N-Gage either, and as soon as that launches, we will have just as much coverage for that platform. I truly think this year will be a great year for mobile gaming. The Nintendo DS has a lot more room to grow, and N-Gage is right around the corner. I'm very excited about this year and can't wait to share my thoughts about all things mobile.

Nokia N810 Internet Tablet Review

2007-12-28T22:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks again to WOM World for the chance to review the N810. It was a wonderful pre-Christmas surprise that I enjoyed greatly.

The Hardware
The N810 is a very slick mobile device, in more ways than one. The design is much improved over the design of the N800. However, the smoothness of the material and the curvaciousness of the tablet make the N810 quite slippery. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the N95-3's rubberized back. Or maybe the N810 and future Internet Tablets could use a similar coating of some non-slip surface.

To jump right into the quirks of the device, the d-pad placement could not have been worse for people used to the 770 or N800 tablets. There should have at least been a secondary mode of navigation to compensate for the keyboard being closed most of the time, which is how I naturally wanted to use it. However, it did force me to have to use the keyboard more. The slide out keyboard is nice, but I had no problems using the virtual keyboard on the other two tablets. So, to me it's more of a waste of space and materials that could have been something more useful, like TV-out functionality, a nice camera, additional memory card slot, or even a larger battery. Speaking of memory cards slots, I think it was a bad move by Nokia to switch from having two SD slots in the N800 to just one MiniSD slot in the N810. I guess GPS and hardware keyboard were more important for this tablet.

The screen is excellent. Very clear and responds to touch quite well. I like that the stylus and top edge buttons on the N810 are more like the 770 this time around. I also really like the micro USB change (now if only we could use it to charge and power the device). The little LED indicator is a cool addition. Makes the device very futuristic looking at night. The speaker placement was a bit odd, but works well enough for such a feature packed tablet. Of course the screen lock switch was a good move, and shows that Nokia is listening.

The Software
The UI is really nice and the 2008 OS is a heck of a lot more responsive. I don't miss the Opera browser at all either. This one never crashed on me even one time while I surfed the web and used other applications. As for the Application Manager, it still doesn't like me for some reason. Had a bit of an issue installing some apps, and never got Canola 2 Beta to install at all. Good thing the built-in media player was superb. I even enjoyed a couple downloaded shows and forgot for a moment that I was watching them on a mobile device.

I really like the theme transparency features and the ability to resize home applets. I notice most apps load much quicker also. Never really got GPS working for some strange reason, but then I didn't have much time to delve into what supposedly is one of the greatest additions to the Internet Tablet line. Overall, the UI is much more finger friendly than ever before, and that's good enough for my needs.

Final Thoughts
The N810 experience is certainly an awesome one, and these tablets are becoming more and more like ultra portable computers than ever. However, I hope Nokia moves more into a direction where hardware keyboards are replaced with a virtual keyboard with haptic feedback and accelerometers are integrated much like the N95. The potential is phenomenal for these Internet Tablets, and I look forward to what Nokia brings next to this fast growing world of mobile computing.