2011 September » TamsPalm - the Palm OS / web OS Blog

Localization – where it pays out

Sep 282011

The topic of software localization (aka the translation of apps) is a long and bitter one: for literally ages have developers been fighting about its merits and non-merits.

The fine folks from Distimo’s have now provided us with a few charts which could bring “clearance” into the clutter. Let’s dive in.

First of all, we see which sore has the most uni-national apps. Nokia clearly leads – this is what they get for repeatedly commiting “ovicide in China”:
localization pays 1 Localization where it pays out

This finding is further clarified in the figure below, which also mentions the strong role of Hutchison’s proprietary channel in Italy:
localization pays 2 Localization where it pays out

Finally, a chart which compares US and ROW popularity using the top lists of various app stores:
localization pays 3 Localization where it pays out

How has localization worked out for your company?

P.S. Get more data here:
http://www.distimo.com/publications/

Open source – or – the fake silver bullet

Editorials 4 Responses »

Sep 262011

bada opensource Open source or the fake silver bullet Even though I originally wanted to write something about the BlackBerry for quite some time, the ever-famous myth of “open source solves everything” IMHO needs debunking more urgently.

The reason for this hits us via the Wall Street Journal, who claim that Samsung is to open-source its bada platform shortly:

Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE) plans to open up its homegrown mobile software platform to outside developers and device makers next year in a bid to kick-start growth in the operating system and reduce its reliance on Google Inc.’s Android in the increasingly litigious smartphone and tablet computer business.

Samsung “is planning to make Bada software an open source platform next year,” a person familiar with the situation said, adding the South Korean firm has no plans to buy a software company.

…

Having seen a similar trend with various companies in the past, it is difficult to decide what Samsung wants to achieve. Given that Hutchison Austria has advertised bada as an “open source OS” in the past, it is entirely possible that Samsung wants to provide its developers with better debugging facilities similar to the source code sharing which has led to the Windows 2000 source code leak. This would be a smart move, making work a lot easier for its partners.

On the other hand, however, we could see a IT manager lemming reaction: when threatened (like the critter on the left), go open source. Then, expect to seee Linux number 2, with thousands of developers flocking in to develop for you. This trend has been visible with various companies, (almost) all of which have failed.

If Samsung expects to save development costs, this is a failed concept. Just because an OS is open source, it will not be developed – MeeGo is the best example. Finally, let’s let a former Symbian honcho speak his feelings:

The culture within Samsung is too secretive to make this work: in my view they would raise expectations they couldn’t fulfill, which is worse than not open sourcing in the first place. We saw quite a bit of that with Nokia too. Samsung would need to create an internal open source mindset and culture, while building an open source eco-system. We all have seeen with Nokia that this does not work, if you are under time pressure. In fact it is becoming increasingly clear that in fast paced markets, you can only build an open source project if you already have an open source culture. There are many examples: look at Eucalyptus vs. OpenStack in the fast moving cloud space. Even if you have an open source culture, you are disadvantaged if you are not perceived to have one (or perceived to have less of a track record than your competitor): see KVM (RedHat) vs. Xen (Citrix).

What do you think?

Image: Wikimedia Commons / Frode Inge Helland

Android user base surges up, dwarfs iPhone user base by 2:1

News No Responses »

Sep 262011

The research firm Nielsen have recently revealed their numbers concerning the smartphone world. The results are not at all surprising.

Evidently, for every one iPhone user, there are two Android users. While the growth of iPhone has been stalled, there is a 13% increase in the Android user base.

RIM’s share is dropping. We hope that the new gen QNX phones might be able to save it. What is interesting here is that the iPhone 5 will be released soon. So these numbers will be changed in the next report.

Source: Nielsen

PalmUnlocker’s Pre 3 Unlocker now available for $49

News No Responses »

Sep 262011

Everyone is aware that HP has liquidated all the stock of the webOS devices. It has been running across the net that around 10,000 Pre 3 phones had been manufactured and locked to AT&T.

If someone can get their hands on these phones, or any unlocked phones, they might well find an unlocker handy.

You can find an unlocker at http://www.palmunlocker.com/products/unlock-hp-pre-3.

The people behind the unlocker boast that it can unlock any phone.

Nothing much to add here…!!

Leo Apotheker’s Goodbye memo to HP employees

News No Responses »

Sep 262011

Leo Apotheker, aka the wrecker of our beloved webOS, as we all know, has been told to step down from the position of CEO. Customarily, every CEO writes a memo to all the employees before using his access card the last time.

Here is Leo’s goodbye memo

TO: All HP Employees
FROM: Léo Apotheker

Dear HP Employees:

This afternoon, HP issued a press release announcing my resignation as president and CEO, positions I have held with great honor this past year. Meg Whitman will assume the role of president and CEO.

As you know, Meg is a technology visionary with a proven track record of execution and has served HP well as a member of the board for the past eight months. Meg will be supported by a broad and deep management team, and I have the utmost confidence that HP will succeed in executing its strategic evolution.

On a personal level, I cannot begin to express the admiration I have for all of you – and what you have accomplished together. Over the past year, we were tasked with developing a strategic vision for HP and I know we have made important contributions to the company’s future.

Your efforts on behalf of HP and your dedication to our customers have inspired me – and I am confident that HP has a bright future because of the talented people that come to work here every day. Thank you for your commitment to HP and for your dedication in serving HP’s customers and partners. It has been a tremendous honor and a pleasure to work with you here at HP.

Sincerely,

Léo Apotheker

Well, that is a brisk one.

BlackBerry developers make the most money

Development, Miscellaneous 2 Responses »

Sep 262011

Traditionally, the BlackBerry was considered the number one platform for making money. It might not be hip, but is said to bring in the loot.

A market research firm has now announced a report with some interesting data. The full release is below, with key passages highlighted by yours truly.

Google’s Android Market is the most used app store amongst commercial developers with 47% of commercial developers having some experience with the store compared to 43% who have used Apple’s App Store, according Evans Data’s new Application Distribution survey of over 400 commercial developers, conducted in August. In addition, Android Market edged out Apple’s App Store as the store more developers thought would be dominant in two years. However, developers selling apps through BlackBerry App World made significantly more money than developers using either Google’s or Apple’s stores.

“The industry has a perception that developers are going to target either Android or Apple, and those two will define the market,” said Janel Garvin, CEO of Evans Data Corp. “However, there’s room for more than two. BlackBerry developers are not as plentiful but 13% make over $100,000 from the App World apps, which is considerably more than Android or Apple developers, and will help that platform continue to be compelling to developers, especially in the enterprise.”

Other highlights from this comprehensive survey, conducted in August 2011, include:

—Visibility for their apps is the biggest complaint that developers have about app stores in general with 37% citing this as the biggest problem.

—Paid apps with no ads is the monetization model more developers use followed by subscriptions.

—Games are the most likely type of apps to wind up in app stores, with 27% placing that type of app in a store, followed by business apps at 21% and productivity apps at 20%.

The Evans Data Application Distribution survey examines the views and usage patterns on commercial developers and focuses on monetization models, distribution channels, app store features and policies, end user support, and also shows ratings of detailed feature sets by users of various stores of those stores.

Those interested in buying the report can do so here:
http://www.evansdata.com/reports/viewRelease.php?reportID=31

Gartner lowers forecast for Android tablets shipments

News No Responses »

Sep 252011

Gartner, the analyst firm, has lowered it’s forecast for the number of Android tablets shipped since it’s last prediction in the previous quarter. The projection has been lowered by as much as 28%.

The global media tablet sales to end users are to amount to 63.6 million units this year, which is a staggering 261.4% increase from 2010 sales of 17.6 million.

Android tablets are forecast to ship 11 million units in 2011, accounting for 17.3 percent of total sales – up only slightly from Android’s 2010 market share of 14.3 percent.

According to Gartner’s Carolina Milanesi

Google will address the fragmentation of Android across smartphone and tablet form factors within the next Android release [the Ice Cream Sandwich], which we expect to see in the fourth quarter of 2011…

…“Android can count on strong support from key OEMs, and has a sizeable developer community.

She also commented on the holistic picture

…We expect Apple to maintain a market share lead throughout our forecast period by commanding more than 50 percent of the market until 2014…

…This is because Apple delivers a superior and unified user experience across its hardware, software and services. Unless competitors can respond with a similar approach, challenges to Apple’s position will be minimal.

The data released by Gartner is as follows.

Worldwide Sales of Media Tablets to End Users by OS (Thousands of Units, September 2011)

The demand for MeeGo anad webOS is clearly out of proportions (pun intended). And QNX is also predicted not to sell well, adding to the woes of the already troubled RIM.

Since the demand for the tablets is very high, this makes me think about the future of laptops, netbooks and desktops.

Source: Gartner

SanDisk 64GB microSDXC memory card will be available shortly in the UK

Uncategorized No Responses »

Sep 252011

There were rumors and reports about a behemoth of memory card in the making. But we never knew who was going to release it. The massive SanDisk 64GB microSDXC memory card. The memory card can hold approximately 30,000 digital photos, more than 2,000 music albums and over 24 hours of 720p HD video footage – so there’s more than enough room!

Interestingly, you can drop the memory card from ten foot high and it would still work and it has a 5 year guarantee, so you know you’ve got a quality and durable product.

The card will be available with Mobillefun UK who would be selling it form the 3rd October for £139.95. Though the card is a bit pricey but the amount of room you will get for your money is unbelievable.

Also, very few phones at present support external memory beyond 32 GB. Nothing much to add here.

It’s official, Meg Whitman replaces Leo Apotheker

News No Responses »

Sep 232011

It’s official, Meg Whitman has replaced Leo Apotheker as the CEO of HP. Apotheker, as we had reported yesterday, was heading a diseased organization that was his own creation.

Whitman is the legend behind eBay’s success. We have the Press release from HP for your eyes only.

HP Names Meg Whitman President and Chief Executive Officer

Ray Lane appointed executive chairman;

Léo Apotheker steps down as president, chief executive officer and director

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011 – HP today announced that its board of directors has appointed Meg Whitman as president and chief executive officer.

In addition, Ray Lane has moved from non-executive chairman to executive chairman of the board of directors, and the board intends to appoint a lead independent director promptly. These leadership appointments are effective immediately and follow the decision that Léo Apotheker step down as president and chief executive officer and resign as a director of the company.

“We are fortunate to have someone of Meg Whitman’s caliber and experience step up to lead HP,” said Lane. “We are at a critical moment and we need renewed leadership to successfully implement our strategy and take advantage of the market opportunities ahead. Meg is a technology visionary with a proven track record of execution. She is a strong communicator who is customer focused with deep leadership capabilities. Furthermore, as a member of HP’s board of directors for the past eight months, Meg has a solid understanding of our products and markets.”
Whitman said, “I am honored and excited to lead HP. I believe HP matters – it matters to Silicon Valley, California, the country and the world.”

Speaking on behalf of the board, Lane said, “We very much appreciate Léo’s efforts and his service to HP since his appointment last year. The board believes that the job of the HP CEO now requires additional attributes to successfully execute on the company’s strategy. Meg Whitman has the right operational and communication skills and leadership abilities to deliver improved execution and financial performance.”

Financial analyst conference call details

HP will host an audio webcast for financial analysts and stockholders to
discuss today’s announcement. Details are below:

When: Sept. 22, 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET

URL: www.hp.com/investor/briefing

It is recommended that attendees dial in 15 minutes early to avoid
registration delays.

Nothing much to add here…!!

HP looking for new CEO

News No Responses »

Sep 222011

Leo Apotheker is better known as the man who drove HP right down the toilet. Since his arrival in October 2010, things have went from bad to worse. Apotheker who was previously the CEO of SAP, was appointed HP CEO while the hardware giant was looking towards software and cloud for future growth.

HP bought Palm in the hope of turning webOS into a profitable platform, but failed miserably to do so and it had to sell the remaining TouchPads at half the price, not to forget the recent firing of scores of developers and engineers.

Mobile Business Briefing reports

HP’s board is rumoured to be weighing up the possibility of replacing its current CEO, Léo Apotheker, with former eBay chief Meg Whitman, according to Bloomberg and Reuters sources.

The sources said Whitman – who successfully built up eBay’s business during her time there – is being considered to fill the CEO role on a temporary or permanent basis.

Since the time the news (or rumor) went public, HP saw a relief in its share prices which increased by 7%. The same share prices had dropped to more than 50% since the arrival of Leo Apotheker. The news also added US$3 billion to HP’s market value.

HP to lay off more webOS people

News No Responses »

Sep 212011

After waving goodbye to the webOS platform, HP has decided to cut more jobs pertaining to webOS development.

Mobile Business Briefing reports

HP announced in August that it would stop offering devices powered by webOS, and was “exploring strategic alternatives” for the device software platform. HP acquired webOS – which powered its short-lived TouchPad tablet – when it bought Palm in 2010 but has said it plans to shut down its mobile devices business during its fiscal fourth quarter which ends on 31 October.

This sure is a bad news for developers and engineers alike. The silver lining here is that the developers would now be a soft target for Apple and Google.

Samsung: let’s converge TV and smartphone

News No Responses »

Sep 192011

Samsung is the king of tzhe hill in the Smart TV market: they have recently managed to distribute a total of 10 million apps to Smart TV owners. However, the incumbent manufacturer LG has recently ganged up with Hutchison, promoting the interconnection features between their phones and television sets.

Samsung is now fighting back by calling up a contest for converged applications. In particular, the following types of application are sought:

There are three categories of Converged Apps that Samsung is encouraging developers to explore:

Controller Apps – These Apps enable a second device to control an App on the TV, thus providing touch or mouse input and interactivity that a standard remote control cannot.
Companion Apps – These Apps use a second device to provide additional information (including via web sites and social media sites) that is synchronized to, and supplements, what is shown on the TV itself.
Interactive Apps – These Apps allow the user to use a second device as a secondary display. For example, a user can pause a video on the TV and resume it on the other device.

Not much to add here…

HP Firesale – in comic form

Funny Stuff No Responses »

Sep 182011

In Austria, we say that those who have the harm don’t have to worry about the jokes. HP liquidated its webOS platform in a never-before-seen firesale…

The UK Magazine MobileToday has now run the following, truly sweet comic:
hp firesale comic HP Firesale in comic form

Not much to add here – except that subscribing to MobileToday is worth it if just for the comic alone…

PRESS RELEASE – Krusell – TOP-10 selling phones for August 2011

News No Responses »

Sep 152011

The Krusell’s List of Top Ten selling phones for August has been released. Samsung Galaxy S II is still on top of Krusell’s Top seller list for the second month in a row.

Krusell – TOP-10 selling phones for August 2011.

1. (1) Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II

2. (2) Apple iPhone 4

3. (4) Nokia 3720 Classic

4. (3) HTC Sensation

5. (7) Nokia C5

6. (-) Samsung GT-B2710 / Xcover 271

7. (10) Samsung B2100

8. (6) Nokia 6303 Classic

9. (-) HTC HD2

10. (9) HTC Desire HD

() = Last month’s position.

What is most surprising here is the entry of the Old HTC HD2 out of the blue to claim the 9th Spot. The device runs on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional which is already seeing the end of it’s days.

Ulf Sandberg CEO at Krusell’s quoted:

The last month we have all read more than what probably is healthy for us, regarding the legal wars between Apple and Samsung. Even though Apple is making life hard for Samsung, the Galaxy II is still number one on our list. What device that will have the top position for September, hopefully will be the results of the consumers choice…

The Swedish manufacturer of carrying cases for portable electronics, Krusell’s list is based on the number of pieces of custom made mobile-, smartphone cases ordered from Krusell during August 2011. Krusell’s list is unique due to the fact that it reflects the sales of phones on six continents and in more than 70 countries around the globe.

Older Entries

TamsPalm – the Palm OS / web OS Blog

Localization – where it pays out

Open source – or – the fake silver bullet

Android user base surges up, dwarfs iPhone user base by 2:1

PalmUnlocker’s Pre 3 Unlocker now available for $49

Leo Apotheker’s Goodbye memo to HP employees

BlackBerry developers make the most money

Gartner lowers forecast for Android tablets shipments

SanDisk 64GB microSDXC memory card will be available shortly in the UK

It’s official, Meg Whitman replaces Leo Apotheker

HP looking for new CEO

HP to lay off more webOS people

Samsung: let’s converge TV and smartphone

HP Firesale – in comic form

PRESS RELEASE – Krusell – TOP-10 selling phones for August 2011

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