MobileViews Blog

Author: todd

  • Want to Try out the QIK Streaming Software? I Have 500 Invitations

    Have a Samsung or Motorola Windows Mobile phone and want to try out the QIK streaming video service? I have 500 invitations to give away. Here’s how to get one. Check the QIK phone compatibility list before asking for an invitation though…

    QIK sign-up and compatible phone list

    After you sign-up at the link above, send an e-mail to mobileviews(at-sign)qik.com. Type in the same phone number you used during the web sign-up process in the subject line. QIK will send an SMS message to your phone with the download link after you approved.

  • Sony PlayStation Portable 4.01 Firmware Update

    I noticed Sony released the 4.01 firmware upgrade for the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP). Since I rarely use the PSP, the batteries were completely drained and I had to let it charge up before starting the upgrade process. Sony doesn’t let you flash the system unless the battery is over 50% charged (wise decision). It took a bunch of tries to connect to the upgrade server using the PSP’s WiFi net connection. I first thought it might be a problem with WPA2. But, browsing worked reliably. So, it must be some other issue. The main purpose of this minor point release upgrade seems to be video playback issues. You can find more information about the update at…

    Sony PSP 4.01 Update

    When I bought the PSP I thought it would be a mobile web browser tool. But, web browsing on it is a bit clunky and typing is an exercise in frustration. So, that idea didn’t work out. My iPod touch has become my “wander around the home web browser”.

  • Bizarre Zune 2.5 Errors


    I fired up the Zune 2.5 software on my PC running XP for the first time in over a month and kept getting this window popping up again and again. It pops up regardless of whether my first generation Zune is synced or not.

    I really want to like the Zune. But, it keeps throwing barriers to prevent that from happening. I stopped syncing video podcasts because it took so long to convert the video formats and complete the sync (I understand this is NOT an issue with 2nd generation Zune hardware). I stopped syncing music because it seems to lose track of synced music. Some appear on the Zune, some do not. So, I’m trying to use the Zune to sample podcast subscriptions (keepers go to my iPod). But, the multiple error windows are pretty darn annoying. Something to do with XP SP3, perhaps???

  • Ubuntu Mobile Internet Device (MID) Edition

    I watched/read the various articles and blog posts about the recently released…

    Ubuntu Mobile Internet Device (MID) Edition

    earlier this week. I’ve been working with various Red Hat related distros myself (mostly CentOS and, to a lesser extent, Fedora Core) for most of this decade. But, I’ve downloaded and tried all of the Ubuntu distros when they come out. I have to say that this MID Edition is the one that most interests me the most of any Ubuntu release so far. The irony is that I don’t have any actual MID devices at all (unless you count the OLPC XO). I wonder if Ubuntu is going to provide some kind of ready-to-install ISO file that could be installed in a virtual machine for testing.

  • T-Mobile $10/Month Home Service: Tempting, But I’m Keeping my Landline

    Just read this article over on Fortune…

    T-Mobile launches home phone service

    At $10/month, it seems like a good deal. But, I’m sticking with my old fashioned POTS wireline in my home. My broadband provider is simply not as reliable as my POTS provider.

  • Symbian, S60, and UIQ Team Up and Go Open Source

    I usually get all kinds of UIQ press releases that I don’t care about. The one time there is a UIQ related news item I DO care about, I don’t get anything. Figures. I read this on Brighthand and went over to Nokia’s site to find the press release.

    Mobile leaders to unify the Symbian software platform and set the future of mobile free – Foundation to be established to provide royalty-free open platform and accelerate innovation

    The gist of the press release is that Nokia is buying all of Symbian (it already owned a big chunk of it) and is creating the Symbian Foundation. Sony Ericsson and Motorola and kicking in its UIQ (which used to stand for User Interface Quartz – I can see why they got rid of that part) UI into the mix. And Docomo (Japan) sounds like it will contribute its MOAP(S) (Mobile Oriented Applications Platform).

    The big news though, IMHO, is that Nokia says they plan to Open Source this mix under the Eclipse Public License (EPL) 1.0. I guess this is reaction/preparation to/against the Google Android phone platform.

    It is a long haul to get phone OSes off the ground and into the market (just as Microsoft or Google) though. So, I don’t expect to see anything from the Nokia Foundation until 2010 or so at the earliest.