11:06 AM by sUnShInE in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

New York City plans to build a wireless network of unmatched scale and scope, including the capacity to send and recieve data while traveling at speeds of up to 70 mph.

The City's commissioner of the Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications, Gino Menchini, described the planned network as "the most challenging and most comprehensive" wireless project that he's aware of -- an assertion that was backed up by vendors that have seen the request for proposals (RFP) issued by the city.

"No one has ever attempted this before on such a scale," said Roger Skidmore, vice president and chief product officer at Austin-based Wireless Valley Communications Inc., which sells software for designing and managing wireless systems.

In fact, some vendors have asked whether New York would scale back some of its requirements, such as a mandate to support 2Mbit/sec. data rates and streaming video from thousands of users simultaneously. But But city officials rejected the requests in written responses. The RFP is "demanding and aggressive," Menchini said, but he believes that its requirements can be met.

Bids from vendors are due by July 21, and Menchini said he expects to award contracts for three-month pilot projects to multiple bidders by year's end. The final contract is expected to cover five years, with options for two five-year renewals.

Plans call for the wireless network to initially support up to 5,000 end-users and then be expanded. The RFP doesn't specify a rollout date, but Menchini said he wants installation of the network to start "as soon as possible."

Read more at Computer World.

04:56 AM by Montalvo in Archive | Mobile Sites

Here's the result of my tests with PHP and RSS feeds:

NewYorkTimes
http://tupalmx.com/pruebasphp/grab_NYT-2.php

Take a look, and tell me what do you think.

Greetings from Mexico.

Samuel F. Montalvo
TuPalMX / MComm
Guadalajara, Jalisco MEXICO

11:28 AM by sUnShInE in Archive | Mobile Sites

Tennis anyone? This year you can follow live Wimbledon action using your internet enabled PDA or smartphone giving you the latest scores, match results, order of play, and player biographies.

IBM, who is responsible for all the tech stuff this year, is piloting streaming live action to wireless devices for the first time. Follow the action with a 'Pocket Wimbledon' version of the website, optimised for PDA display over GPRS.

This year they're also using a secure Wi-Fi LAN with 100 client laptops and desktops and 60 PDAs. The units are deployed in the players' lounge, the press centre, and at access points around the grounds.

Official Wimbledon Championships mobile services are offered by 3 and 02 in the UK, and ESPN Wireless in the U.S.

Go Roger! Go Amelie!

07:38 PM by Colin Dunstan in E-Book General | Reading Recommendations

Booksense has now published its Summer 2004 Paperback Fiction Picks, plus lists of the following categories: "Outstanding New Fiction", "Vivid Lives and Compelling Voices", "Captivating Nonfiction", "Wonderful Titles for the History Reader", "A Deeper Look at Contemporary Issues", and "Summer Picks for Suspense and Mystery".

03:10 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

The Guardian has an interesting article today on how new breakthroughs aimed at boosting phones' power and storage capacity could herald the technology's next great leap forward.

- the first phone with integrated hard disk storage is on its way (thanks to 1-inch hard disks - iPod made the first move)
- fuel cells powered by tiny hydrogen-based energy sources are being tested
- watching TV footage on mobiles by next year
- view programmes you've recorded at home as well as access Sky Plus-type functions, such as pausing live TV when the phone rings
- new technologies delivering fold-up screens

04:55 PM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

AvantGo for Palm OS5 5.5 and AvantGo for Palm OS4 4.2 were both just released. No changelog supplied.

04:25 PM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Portable Audio/Video

Taiwanese company GoDot refreshed its website, now offering some interesting details on the new GoDot M8370 and GoDot M8570.

The M8370 looks like a very well-done clone of the iPod to me, and at least its specs can also compete with Apple's masterpiece: it offers a 1-inch hard drive, 17mm thickness, Ogg Vorbis support, and USB 2.0. The M8570 looks more like a cell phone, and offers similar features like the M8370 (with a bigger 1.8-inch hard drive).

Do you think Apple will be delighted to hear about this?

01:16 PM by sUnShInE in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Cool news for Vindigo users. Vindigo is now offering its service, as well as that of many others including the NY Times and Mapquest, for mobile phones.

If you're an Alltell, AT&T Wireless, Cingular, Sprint PCS, U.S. Cellular, or Verizon Wireless customer, head over to Vindigo to find out what services you can put on your cell. Please note that not all services, with the exception of Vindigo itself, are available from each of these providers and not all phones can receive the service.

Us TMo users seem to be SOL. Oh well. I guess I'll stick with the PDA version