More often than not, lately, the big phone providers, are focusing on the latest online trend, Social Media. Sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, brought everyone an online portal, on which to share their thoughts, feelings,absurdities and emotions. The popularity of these services, and the myriad of others that seem to appear on a daily basis, Is driving device manufacturers to include native applications to access these services.

Nokia are the latest on this bandwagon

The fact that phone makers are picking up on the whole self promotion, social media wave is not surprising. I wonder though, is this something that all mobile phone users want or need.

Admittedly I’m a twitter user, and I find it a useful tool, occasionally. I follow a whole heap of web sites that provide pertinent Windows Mobile information, that I might use, some what like a RSS reading application. Sometimes though I wonder, shouldn’t use of these services be a personal choice, and not an included service on a mobile phone, that you inadvertently use without prior knowledge of what the service is, or does, or leaves you open to?

Creating a profile on any social media network, leaves you open to as many whack jobs, self promoters, sales people and genuine people as you can handle. Filtering that combination of input, is well above the average level of work, and time that most people have in a day online. A lot of people get sucked into affiliate services that let them automate their Twitter accounts, and get lot’s of followers, as a marketing tool. Lot’s of people hook up with the same add ons and get spammed, and get no value from their social networking accounts.

So seeing this press release today from Nokia, this post is my reaction, and action.

What I wonder is

• do these apps, and their inclusion value add to the device?
• does the inclusion of these native apps, value add to the social media site?
• Should people not have the choice to install these apps themselves?
• Should device manufacturers assume that these are apps that people want?

I’d like to see your opinions and views here, but I’ll state mine, to start you off.

I can get a multitude of free third party apps to access all of these services, I would like to control what software I have included on any new phone I get, there is only one third party social media app I’m interested in, and I want a phone with as little service provider customisation as I can get!

Some how, the idea that a phone OS would work flawlessly, seems to be secondary to picking up on what’s hot online, is this actually what mobile device marketing has come to?

Seriously, crack me a comment below, if you think differently!

That old maxim really is true.  Just when I thought my summer was going to be nice and quiet, two new phones just fell out of the sky and landed in my lap.

The first is the HTC Snap, which is Sprint’s new Windows Mobile Standard (non-touch) device.  I have been using this phone for a few days now, and it has already impressed my as one of the best non-touchscreen phones I have used.  Stay tuned as I will be taking a close look at this phone along with my good friend Judie Lipsett from Gear Diary.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch as they say (well, actually, Judie is at the ranch…but that is neither here nor there) Sprint contacted me to ask whether I would be interested in reviewing one of the hottest phones to hit their network…ever.  Of course, I am talking about the Palm Pre, which arrived at my house yesterday.  I am already head over heels with this phone, which has just exceeded my expectations in so many ways.  Watch for a multi-part review on this one, as we will take a look at the hardware, the WebOS interface and software, and then wrap it up with a look at how well the phone performs as a phone and Internet device.

Don’t forget, we will also be continuing our multi-part look at the Pantech Matrix Pro, as I will be handing that off to Brian so he can add his input to the series (I swear, Brian, the phone is in the mail…soon…I promise).

So, stay tuned.  It is shaping up to be a busy and exciting summer here at JAMM.  You won’t want to miss a second!

SPB Software announced today that the Pharos Traveler 137 smartphone will be shipped with versions of SPB Mobile Shell 3, SPB Keyboard and SPB TV.  SPB Mobile Shell and SPB Keyboard are included to work with the Traveler 137′s flush-mounted touch screen, while SPB TV will provide users with the opportunity to watch streaming TV while on the move.    Read on for the full press release:

Pharos Packs Traveler 137 with SPB Software

St. Petersburg, July 14th, 2009 – Spb Software – a top mobile applications developer – is proud to announce that Pharos Traveler 137 comes bundled with customized SPB Mobile Shell, SPB Keyboard, and SPB TV.  Pharos Traveler 137 GPS Smartphone became the honoree of the CES 2009 Innovations Design and Engineering Award, in the Wireless Handsets category.  The SPB Software products bundles with Traveler 137 are called on to compliment the award-winning hardware by providing an even more fluid and seamless user experience and enabling the Pharos customers to do more with their phone and mobile Internet connectivity.

To make the most of the Traveler’s unlocked 3.5G potential and its exquisite 3.5″ flush-touch screen, Pharos has included several products from SPB – all bestsellers and highly appreciated by users.  SPB Keyboard supports intelligent landscape input on Traveler 137, and makes fast touchscreen typing – an easy task.  SPB Mobile Shell gives the Pharos Traveler 137 a fun, skinnable and widget-based desktop with 3D animation.  SPB Mobile Shell also adds a handsome time screen and weather service, syncs the phone’s picture contacts with Facebook, and provides instant access to programs, features, and settings. For entertainment and latest international TV-news, the Traveler 137 offers SPB TV for watching live TV directly on the phone.

I tell you!  There have been a lot of announcements here lately about App Stores.  First, I saw that LG had made one; but limited it to overseas.  Today, Handmark made news by letting us all know that they are in the process of testing one as well.  Now, Verizon seems to be feeling left out and wants a piece of the pie!  I believe this is all going on because of the previous announcement by Microsoft that only Windows Mobile 6.5 devices will be allowed to access  the new Windows Marketplace.  I know I was distraught.  I have a nice WinMo 6.1 phone and can’t even get to their App store.  It seems like everyone else is ready to take advantage of this awful slip-up by Microsoft.  I mean, there is some serious revenue to be made here, right? 

Also, I think that we are seeing this because of the huge amount of Windows Mobile devices out there ( I know there marketshare is slipping, yes).  You know I have read a lot of articles where everyone is just counting the days of Microsoft.  So sorry for all of you out there; but Microsoft is not going down!  Boo hoo!  Today, they have announced that the Windows Marketplace will first only be available for Windows Mobile 6.5 when it comes out in the fall.  However, by the end of the year, Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 will have access as well!  Hip hip hooray for Microsoft!  

I caught this over at Engadget.

Can I just say, some people have way too much time on their hands. I remember the hubbub associated with the news that someone had ported Windows to a Nokia device, Why oh why though if you were an Apple user, more importantly an iPhone user, Would you want to run Windows 95 on an iPhone.

Why anyone would want to actually run Windows 95 on any thing is still perplexing, As you can see from the video though, it is mainly emulator dependent on the Mac, and does not seem to run that well on the actual iPhone.

I suppose we have to accept that hackers are going to take advantage of our little pocket computers, and innovate with them. The iPhone has been well protected, but as more people get their hands on the SDK, we  may see more WhatThe’s like this. Now I’m a sceptic, the emulator action on the mac looks OK, but the iPhone seems to be showing a single graphic. Hmmm! *scratches head*

The original source for the video, is a site called GooDiPhone, some great comments to be had there, I found this on the UberReview though!

Even though it seems a bit left of field, this is another example of the power of the generation of mobile devices we are using now. Think about the last generation, they were just able to keep up with your first computer, Commodore 64! If your handheld is now running Windows 95, you’ll be running Vista on it by the end of the year.

Good or Bad, it’s a sign of things to come!