I think it started with the iPhone and Safari, combining the power of a Webkit browser and a mobile phone for the first time. Later adopted by Nokia and Google among others, the mobile browsing experience has improved in leaps and bounds over the last three years. Today, vendors offer to deliver the “real Internet” to devices but I’m not certain that the “real Internet” is what matters for mobility.
Last year the addition of internet connectivity on commercial flights boomed with all major US airlines offering internet connectivity on some flights. In-flight internet access is so mainstream now that it was featured on NCIS this week. Aircell is one of the major suppliers of hardware for internet in the sky and the company has unveiled its latest system.
There’s a lot of discussion about the role of convergence of devices. Everywhere you go, it seems that someone’s pushing the notion that every function needs to be converged into one device. Now convergence is a great idea: the idea of carrying one device instead of multiple devices is compelling, but is it really realistic? Sure, I’d rather carry one device than two, but our research shows consumers will carry two or, in some age demographics, they’ll even carry as many as three.
While integrated 3G connectivity was tipped for inclusion in the PSP Go back in its rumor days, in the end Sony went for the simple route and just gave their handheld WiFi and Bluetooth. Thanks to PSP update v6.10, that Bluetooth can be used to tether the Go to a cellphone, meaning connectivity isn’t just limited to wherever you can find a WiFi hotspot.
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Archos have confirmed that their Archos 9 Internet Tablet will go on sale come October 22nd, with pricing starting from $499. Speaking at the IDF 2009 conference this week, the company surprised many who had expected the 9-inch touchscreen slate to retail for several hundred dollars more than that.
Femtocells aren’t exactly embedded into the public vocabulary yet, but the carriers are ramping up to make a pretty decent push for it. So far we’ve seen a handful of models from some of the bigger operator names, but now a Scottish firm, HSL, are promising a single femtocell that can support users on different networks.
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Verizon are reportedly looking into ways in which subscribers without data plans can be prevented from loading up their handsets' web-browser, after recognising that it was too easy to do so accidentally and be charged $1.99 each time. According to carrier spokesperson Tom Pica, "it is obvious to [Verizon] that we need to fix this aspect of our service."
I am a connected sort of guy. Everywhere I go I have internet access on my iPhone. I can check email, browse the net and do whatever I want, assuming the AT&T network is cooperating. The thought of being without connectivity is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat.
The longest time I typically go each year without connectivity is the three-hour flight to CES in Las Vegas in January. That is a long three hours for me. Thankfully, Aircell has been rolling its Gogo in-flight Internet service out to many airlines over the last year. The company has announced that Gogo has now turned one year old.
After their hands-on earlier this month with the Zune HD, CNET are back with a second round of photos showing the OLED PMP’s on-screen keyboard and browser. As you might expect, given the fact that the Zune HD’s browser was developed by the Internet Explorer Mobile team, functionality is similar to what you’d find on a Windows Mobile device.
Could this be Nokia’s upcoming Internet Tablet? Having heard little about the likely Maemo powered refresh from the company for a couple of months now, both the image you see here (more after the cut) and an FCC filing have appeared in short succession. Both the device, and the FCC diagram, seem to match the leaked image of what was called the N900 “Rover” Internet Tablet from May.
More live images after the cut
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