Smartphone Apps!

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Like many of you, I carry a smartphone (Nokia 5800) in my pocket. Whether you have a Nokia, a Blackberry, an iPhone or any other smartphone in your pocket, you will find these applications useful : 1. Mail for Exchange 2. Opera Mini 3. Gmail Client 4. Google Search 5. Google Maps

[I have purposefully left out games and social networking related apps here.]

Google provides three of the five applications in my list, but Microsoft's Mail for Exchange simply rocks. Another interesting fact is that although Opera has very little share in the regular browser market, it has created a following in the mobile browser segment.

Some gripes though:

1. Would really like a Google Reader application, better still if it is integrated in the Gmail application. Also, the Gmail team should really provide a proper resolution icon, as currently it is the worst icon on my Nokia 5800 menu screen.

2. Opera should provide seperate applications for touchscreen and regular smartphones as I find the buttons too small for fast and accurate use on my touchscreen Nokia 5800.

3. Maps loading and routing can be improved a thousand times.

4. Mail for Exchange rocks, but when will we have the capability to read HTML emails properly? And folders support? Maybe RSS can be added here as well, like in Outlook 2007.

Future mobile/cell phones!

in

The mobile/cell phone is the hot thing right now as far as software and hardware is concerned. The recent spate of high profile launches by Google (G1 and Android), Apple (iPhone & SDK), Palm (Pre & WebOS), Blackberry (Storm) and Nokia (X6) tells the action is in this market. With the success of the App Store and the launching of similar channels by Nokia, Palm, Blackberry and Google, this has also become the hottest platform for application developers and service providers right now. And we all know that the success of a device or a platform is almost entirely dependent on the number of third party developers/partners it has. One more thing that makes it attractive is the ease of development and deployment. Many of the current computer accessories and gadgets that are increasingly being found in our houses do not stand a chance to survive if the hardware manufacturers and perhaps the network operators can handle this growth properly and provide proper service.

Some gadgets the cell phone can replace (or has done that already):-

0. Your landline or wired phone 1. GPS devices 2. Digital Cameras 3. Video Cameras and Webcams 4. Netbooks 5. iPods and other music players 6. Kindle and other eBook readers 7. USB Drives 8. Wireless routers and hotspots 9. Remote control, smart keys and your wallet

(Left anything from this list? Let me know through comments below)

One issue with the cell phone is that connectivity to your computer depends on proprietary hardware and varies by the manufacturer. Also while the battery life on these gadgets is improving day by day, carrying around a charger is still an issue. Hopefully we will see a standardization on the USB as wired and Bluetooth/WiFi as the wireless means of communication between the phone and the computer. And charging by USB will be icing on the cake.

Yeah, lets hope for that!