[Mobilepartners] EXTERNAL NEWS (11/3/2006)

Fri Nov 3 11:23:15 EST 2006

TGIF,

I am in the process of recommending which mobile platforms to support. While I received feedback from some of you as to which platforms are being used (number of users, types of devices, etc.), it would be a great help to receive feedback from additional departments, labs, and organizations. If you have not done so already, please send me an email as to the following:

- What devices do you see being used by your clients/customers at MIT?
- How many mobile devices are in use in your department? (per platform: Palm OS, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry)

Thanks in advance!

Now for the external news...
Here are some news items that might be of interest:

1. BlackBerry Internet Service Version 2.0 and 2.1
2. Coming Soon to Cingular: Treo 680 Release Date and Pricing (Cingular: Palm OS)
3. Coming Soon to Cingular: Cingular's first HSDPA smartphone (Cingular: Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC)
4. Palm Releases Verizon Treo 650 Updater (Verizon Wireless: Palm OS)
5. T-Mobile Hybrid Service (Wi-fi/GSM) Trial in Seattle

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1. BlackBerry Internet Service Version 2.0 and 2.1

Most of major carriers have rolled out the newer version of BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) which no longer stores email messages in a separate server (prior to pushing them to devices). Users who upgrade to the new service will not have to worry about having the messages stored as well as the storage limits from each carrier.

Links:
* "What Is - Different versions of BlackBerry Internet Service?"
http://tinyurl.com/yclfuy

* BlackBerry Internet Service
http://www.blackberry.com/support/client/index.shtml

[Impact on MIT: Most BlackBerry users at MIT are using BIS through their carrier of choice. These users may wish to upgrade to BIS 2.0 or higher as soon as possible in order to make sure that MIT email is not getting stored in the carrier's servers. Users should contact their carrier to inquire about upgrading (typically free of charge).]

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2. Coming Soon to Cingular: Treo 680 Release Date and Pricing (Cingular: Palm OS)

Treo 680 is likely to be released by Cingular in November. The initial pricing is a bit on the high-end, but we can expect the prices to decline over time to below $200 range.

Links:
* Palm Infocenter Article: http://tinyurl.com/yzjfcf
* Video (20 minutes): Hands-on with Treo 680 and interview with Palm's Product Manager (Only for those REALLY interested in Palm OS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-qqbT4BWeU

[Impact on MIT: Palm OS will likely to have strong presence at MIT. Treo 680 will only be available for Cingular customers in the near future. Initial pricing is still on the high-end, but prices likely to decline to $100+ range in the next few monts.]

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3. Coming Soon to Cingular: 8525 Cingular's first HSDPA smartphone (Cingular: Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC)

More memory, higher-speed HSDPA network (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access comparable to EVDO speeds) and wi-fi built-in. This new device is expected to be an improvement on 8125.

Links:
* Engadget Mobile Article: http://tinyurl.com/ymeg9z
* Cingular Website: http://business.cingular.com/businesscenter/8525/

[Impact on MIT: The refined version of Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC devices will be showing up. If these new devices are more responsive (with addition of extra memory), we may expect more users adopting the new devices in the coming months through all major carriers.]

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4. Palm Releases Verizon Treo 650 Updater (Verizon Wireless: Palm OS)

The update features the following:

- Enhanced memory handling for opening larger web pages 
- Optimized Bluetooth performance and added support for additional headsets and carkits 
- Adds Dial Preferences screen to Phone Application 
- Enhancement to Date/Time preference panel to address daylight savings time and network time issues 
- Adds support for certain cradle-based accessories, including speaker docks 
- Integrates the Treo 650 E911 Updater to improve the ability of emergency response personnel to locate users who dial 911 from the Treo 650 smartphone
- and more...

Links:
http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/treo650updater/verizon.html

[Impact on MIT: Users of Verizon Treo 650 may wish to update their devices on an individual basis.]

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5. T-Mobile Hybrid Service (Wi-fi/GSM) Trial in Seattle

T-Mobile recently started a trial of hybrid cell phone service in Seattle. Two handsets (non-smartphone devices) are being tried out. The idea is to provide VOIP service through T-Mobile's HotSpot wi-fi network and seamlessly switch to a cellular network when the users are moving around.

It will be interesting to see how the trial pans out.

Links:
http://www.theonlyphoneyouneed.com/

[Impact on MIT: While there is no immediate impact on MIT, this type of service might be appealing in the future as we can leverage our campus wi-fi coverage. Currently, only T-Mobile is offering the trial in Seattle, but if and when other carriers start offering the service and devices, we may want to pilot a project.]

Have a great weekend!

Andrew
_______________________________________
Andrew J. Yu
Mobile Devices Platform Coordinator
Software Release Team
Information Services and Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Building W92-140B
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307

Phone: 617-324-8985
Fax: 617-258-8736
Email: AndrewYu at mit.edu
http://web.mit.edu/swrt