[Chinese]-[介紹] Skyfire 手機瀏覽器

之前看過很多篇文章在討論Skyfire browser,今天AAS又出了一篇文章討論它.  呵呵,選日不如撞日,今天就來給他試試看吧!

安裝完試用了幾分鐘,感覺是個很有潛力的產品,它可以提供您類似於PC的使用經驗. 如果您用的手機是智慧型手機例如Symbian或是Windows Mobile,建議大家都去安裝使用.  等這個軟體開發完成,應該是可以取代您目前手機上笨笨的瀏覽器.

行動網(Walled Garden Mobile Portal),應該是岌岌可危了.

您可以使用手機上的瀏覽器拜訪這個網址 http://get.skyfire.com,它的程式會自動判別手機型號,您確定後按下載按鈕即可.

AAS網站上有發表過好幾篇文章介紹這個瀏覽器,最近一篇文章(9th Dec, 2008)是由Steven Litchfield發表的,您有興趣的話可以點擊這點.

AAS上的文章一向不錯,所以在此我就不班門弄斧了. :) 就貼一些螢幕截圖給大家參考看看.

程式開啟畫面,告知您仍然是測試版.

瀏覽器的預設首頁.
您注意到了嗎? 是不是看起來跟一般PC上的Portal首頁一樣,這就是厲害的地方啦,它可以提供您類似於PC上的瀏覽使用經驗,這軟體應該是我印象中目前為止最接近的.

您可以看看每天新聞頭條.

其他語言版本的Portal畫面也沒問題,秀一下我常上的中文新聞網站.
當然您的手機上面要安裝有亞洲語言(例如中文)等字型才能正確顯示啦.

看看NGN LIVE Web 2.0 Portal,一樣是沒問題啦. :)

還可以zoom in一下,注意看......文章.

可以看影片嗎! 來試試YouTube吧!

有圖有真相.

影片可以直接在瀏覽器裡面播放,不用跳到外掛程式去了,感覺起來還蠻順的,不知道他們怎麼做到的.


其他一些關於使用軟體上的T&C以及軟體支援的手機型號等問題,可以在 http://www.skyfire.com/about/beta 此獲得解答.

試用後您會愛上它!

[Review] Skyfire Mobile Browser

Many people are talking about skyfire browser recently. Today I downloaded and installed it into my Nokia N96. After playing with the software in a few minutes, I believe it will be the ultimate mobile browser which I won't miss on my smart phone.

You can download the beta software at http://get.skyfire.com just by using your phone browser to access the web site.

AAS had published several articles to discuss this browser. You can find the latest one (as of my writing on 10th December 2008) from Steven Litchfield at here.

The preview is much better than mine. :) Therefore, I will only publish some of screen shots taken while I played with the software.

The software launch screen. It's still in beta version.

The default homepage of the browser.
Did you notice that the layout of the home screen? It is the only mobile browser which can offer closest to my PC using experience so far.

You can read popular news.

News in other languages such as Chinese is also a piece of cake.
Of course your device must have Asian language pack installed.

To access NGN LIVE portal, no problem at all. :)

You can zoom in as well.

Another one of my favorite sites, YouTube!

Video can be played back directly in browser. This is quite an unique feature to give an end user a PC like using experience. Very good indeed!


Other T&C with regards using the software and handsets supported can be found at http://www.skyfire.com/about/beta.

Give it a try and enjoy it.

+883 Country Independent Access Code Approved by ITU

To prove the concept of the "ONE Number" for life concept turned into an reality sooner, I would like to highlight one of excited developments which is the +883 global country code been created by ITU.

A company called Voxbone started the iNum initiative. According to the explanation of the iNum posted on their web site,
iNum stands for international Number. It is a new kind of global phone number for a new kind of world -- a world with a new geography that's about local presence and global relationships, not about distance or national borders.

iNum is making use of the +883 global country code newly created by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). Unique selling points of a global country code are:

• area code for earth
• worldwide lifetime numbers
• with global number portability

You can find out more details and learn how to participate from their web site at http://www.inum.net

Jim Courtney posted an article titled "Area Codes Are Dead — Thank VoIP" at GigaOm on 12 Nov 2008.
"Over the years we have seen the gradual separation of phone numbers from geographical location. To date, Skype’s SkypeIn service has been the best demonstration of this trend; even though I live and work just outside Toronto, Canada, I have a Palo Alto, Calif., SkypeIn number for historical family reasons, and I recently acquired a San Francisco number for Truphone. The same separation can apply to most VoIP-based voice services."
For those of you who are interested, please check it out his original post there by following the link below.
http://gigaom.com/2008/11/12/one-number-for-worldwide-local-access-becoming-a-reality/

Just imagine the potential of incorporating this "ONE Number" concept into either your femto cell or HSPA/3.5G WiFi router at home or your 3.5G HSPA mobile device, you have a global number portability and presence. In addition with a help of the new innovative service such as the [NGN LIVE MMSC] global open MMS (Picture Message) service, one new kind of global operator solely rely on the Internet has been created!

One NUMBER ID for life

Personally I believe that the "one number" concept is very important and it's only a matter of time when will the concept become a reality. I wrote an email to explain the concept to my colleagues in 2007.

Thinking of the scenario that consumers have a broadband access at home and/or HSPA/3G on the road. Have used Fring for more than one year (I have my virtual PSTN number bind to my Fring account), it turns out very useful and help me save my international phone bills (using VoIP call out credit). In fact, I should say "two numbers". One is a real no. for domestic/home use and another one (virtual) for international incoming calls/outbound calling use. You can use it when you're roaming abroad. Carriers should keep an eye on Mobile VoIP and prepare a very good IP data billings strategy.

Thomas F. Anglero wrote an article talked about the same concept on 22 July 2007. In his theory, I quote
"GoogleTel = Ubiquisys (Femtocells)+ Bandwidth (Dark Fiber and 700MHz Spectrum) + Grand Central (One Number ID)
It seems very obvious at this moment what Google is doing. They are building a US nationwide Telecom operator but without the Telecom legacy. Look at the following Google equation:"
For those of you who are interested in his post, please follow the link below to read his original post there.
http://anglero.blogspot.com/2007/07/googletel-ubiquisys-femtocells.html

You may be wondering why I posted an article to talk about an one-year old article. Well, it's related to my next post to discuss the newly approved +883 location independent "country" code. With all the excited development and technology advancement, we are not far away from the reality of this "ONE NUMBER" for life concept.

Stay tuned.

[Review] NGN LIVE Multi-Access Web 2.0 Portal

[NGN LIVE Portal] is a multi-access enabled web 2.0 portal which means that it can be accessed by any PC browser of your choices or by a WAP browser on smart phone.

What kind of services are offered by [NGN LIVE Portal]?

Well, some of features to be highlighted are:

1. To use it as a digital photo frame without extra cost to you.

2. To play flash games on PC for fun and it's free of charge to you.

3. To download content such as ring tones, wall papers, themes and streaming videos.

4. Have forums, news and reviews for opinions exchanged and community support.

[How To] Play FREE Flash Games On Your NetBook or MID

1. Visit [NGN LIVE BETA] web site at https://www.ngnlive.com

2. Click the [Flash Games] on the [Main Menu] section to the left of the home screen.

3. Choose [Action Games] category or whatever category interested to you.

4. Pick the [Raiden X] game (one of my faviorates) from available games.

5. Wait for loading of the game completed and you're all set.

6. Press the [Enter] key to start the game.

7. Enjoy it and have fun.

Sorry! I am not good at playing it and should try it out on a slower computer.

[How To] Use Your NetBook as A Digital Photo Frame

1. Visit the [NGN LIVE BETA] web site at https://www.ngnlive.com

2. Click the [Media Share] link on [Main Menu] section of the home screen.

3. You will see many of photo sets for selection. Let's say, choose the [Asian Beauty Series 1] album set by clicking on the link at the bottom of the preview photo.

4. Wait until the page is fully loaded, then click the [Thumbnails] link at the top of screen.

5. You will see list of thumbnail preview of all photos in this album set, wait until the page is fully loaded then click the [Preview Icon] next to the name of any photo.

6. Here you go. You have your own digital photo frame without buying any additional gears which may easily cost you extra USD180~.

7. Want to flip to the next photo in this album set? No problem. Simply move your mouse over to the right edge of the preview photo and click on the [Next] link there.

7. You can also go back to the previous preview photo by moving your mouse over to the left edge of the preview photo and click on the [Prev] link there.

8. You are all set. You have your own digital photo frame without paying extra money by fully utilizing your mini NetBook. All laptop and PC can apply the same concept and the [NGN LIVE BETA] web site is fully compatible to all major browsers. You can upload your own photo to the web site as well. This is fantastic to frequent business travelers. The only thing to do is to apply an account from them.
Have fun and enjoy it. Make yourself closer to your loved ones no matter you are at work or travel.

9. You can resize the browser screen to fit it to the right side of your laptop work space while at work.  Wonderful!

To surf on the Internet using mini Netbook everywhere

One of the most wanted gifts for X'mas last year (2007) is Asus EEE PC 700. I have found this kind of mini netbook, as it is so called now, to be very useful when you are on the move.  No mater you are on vacation or on a biz. trip overseas.

Okay admited it by yourself, you use your over USD1,500 laptop to do things such as surfing on the Internet, reading/replying emails, writing documents, prepareing power point slides, watch video and listen to music.  All of those works can be easily done by using this one third of the price (~USD500)  mini Netbook.  Therefore why not spend less and do more with it.  I have the same thought as this lady has, and am you?

GPS Related Services

The third thing I want to talk about is GPS location based related service. We all know that Google Map and Nokia Map with help of embedded GPS receiver can fix your current location and dispaly it on the map on your mobile phone. You can find POI (Point Of Interest) interested to you. And you can also plan your itinerary (driving or walking) by utalizing its navigation planning feature as well. Sorry turn by turn voice guidance you have to pay for it.

Unfortunatelly till end of this year (2008), the embedded GPS feature is still a premium feature and only available to mid to high end phones. Luckly starting from next year (2009~), my estimation is that we should be able to see more and more mid range hand phones (~USD250) to have this GPS receiver embedded, with the help of Taiwanese chipset design house such as MTK. Smiles!

In addition to the two above mentioned software, I would liek to add another application called GyPSii into the watch list.

Features of the GyPsii are

• Mobile client available to Symbian, Windows Mobile, Apple iPhone 3G, and RIM
• To fix your location by either GPS embedded in phone or your IP address assigned
• Integrated portal (sync. between web and WAP)
• Samsung announced to pre-installed the client in some selected phones

To me, it has a sense of social netoworking in location.  Give it a try and let me know how do you think of it.

Mobile VoIP and IM : Fring

The next thing I am going to discuss is VoIP. Apparently there are lots of options available to you. Skype is very popular. Unfortunately it’s mainly to be used on your PC. On your mobile phone, I recommend to use Fring. One single client can connect to Skype, MSN, Yahoo, AOL and even SIP. You can chat with your friends no matter what kind of IM they use. And the best part is, you can even buy a dial in number for either your Skype and or SIP account, then the Fring software can be used as a 2-way communication tool.
I have found that its voice call quality is very good most of time providing both parties in call conversation are not traveling in high speed both under 3G mobile network's coverage.

Features highlight of the Fring software are

• A mobile client to do IM and VoIP
• Support Skype, MSN, Yahoo, AOL and SIP
• Can do traditional pstn/mobile call out via either Skype or SIP
• Native client is compatible to Nokia Symbian, Window Mobiles
• Fring Lite (Java client) was introduced recently to support mass market feature phones

This is the second software I will recommend you to be on your mobile device.

Panorama photo taken by Samsung INNOV8 is AMAZING

The photo taken by Samsung INNOV8's 8MP camera is amazing! I must say that it is the beast in terms of features and quality among all 5MP plus and above camera handsets I have used so far. Okay, this may be a bit subjective as I am not an expert in photo shooting I must admit it. :)

To prove my point. You may say to see is to believe. Let's take a look at following two photos taken last week. Amazing, isn't it. And the best part of it is, to take a panorama photo like this is full automatic. Just point your camera and press the button one time to begin the shooting procedure. After finish it, the software will do the magic for you.


Samsung, what a great job done!

Integrated (Push) Email client : Nokia Email Service

Nokia is now shifting focus of the company itself from a pure handset manufacturing company toward a service and software solution provider. Personally I think this is a smart move because it can lock in the end users and make the cost too high for them to change brand of handsets used.
The very first software from their offering is no doubt a dedicated email client. Mail for Exchange software itself has been a very successful story to Nokia. Nokia has now decided to offer this Mail for Exchange software to all of their Symbian hand phones. In addition to that, they take one more step further to offer a separate email client for end consumers which allow them to use it to manage up to 6 email accounts of their own all via the new Nokia email client.

Features of the Nokia Email Client are

1. A Mobile email client in your Nokia devices
2. Support POP3 / IMAP protocol
3. To View, respond, forward, compose and delete emails
4. To Manage your email inbox, outbox, drafts, and sent folders
5. Currently compatible to Nokia Symbian S60 3.0 and 3.1 devices

Give it a try at http://email.nokia.com