MobileViews Blog

Category: Mobile Devices

  • Google Market Cap Overtook Apple on Oct. 16 (Fri)

    aapl_vs_goog_20091016

    I remember being a little surprised when Apple’s (AAPL) market cap caught up and overtook Google’s (GOOG) earlier this year. I wondered at the time how long that would last. Apple’s stock share price has been on a tear for most of this year. It has more than doubled since the beginning of 2009 (up around 120%). Google’s share price is up nearly 80% since the beginning of the year. But because of the arithmetic involved (share price times number of shares available), Google’s market cap is back to being larger than Apple’s again as of October 16, 2009.

  • Podcast 35: Starbucks iPhone Apps-Conversation w/CIO Stephen Gillett

    In MobileViews Podcast 35 I speak with Starbucks CIO & GM for Digital Ventures, Stephen Gillett, about Starbucks’ two new free iPhone apps: myStarbucks & Starbucks Card Mobile.

    The myStarbucks app provides store locations, a drink builder, food & coffee menus. One of novel aspects of this app is that it tells you were various coffees come from and a bit about each one’s distinctive flavors. Starbucks Card Mobile lets you store your card numbers (more than one) and get balance information for each one. You can also reload your Starbucks card from the app. And, you can even make purchases from the app in 16 locations around the Seattle and Silicon Valley.

    FYI: If you noticed errors of Starbucks store locations in myStarbucks, head over to Starbucks’ web feedback portal found…

    MyStarbucksIdea.com

    – You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
    – You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
    – You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.

  • Zune (1st gen) sometimes not starting when charged

    My 1st generation Zune has been acting oddly for the past couple of months. It sometimes refuses to start (light the LCD) when it is charged (sometimes fully charged). Plugging the Zune into a power source (AC adapter in my case) lights the LCD and lets me use the Zune. But, still, it is annoying. It is a good thing I never take the Zune out? Otherwise, I might be faced with a temporary brick.

  • Project Gotham Racer for Zune HD? Now, I Might Have to Buy a Zune HD 🙂

    Any info on availability/pricing of Project Gotham Racer for the Zune HD? The game was a favorite of mine on the 1st gen Xbox.

    Originally posted as a comment by Todd Ogasawara on TechFlash using Disqus.

  • Mini-Podcast 12: Recorded in a Noisy Downtown Area Using an HTC Touch Pro2

    Although I only started podcasting regularly starting late last year (2008), I’ve been testing mobile podcast recording options for about two years now. I’ve tried a bunch of Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and smartphones, a LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen (which actually does a pretty good job of it) and an iPhone 3G. I would say the LiveScribe pen has the best recorded sound quality of all those devices. But, the problem is that because of the pen’s odd design and lack of a pen tip cap and pocket clip, it is not something I carry with me except when I know I am going to use it.

    It is a bit early to say for sure, but it looks like the HTC Touch Pro2 may be the right device for mobile podcast recordings. Its recordings have small but noticeable audio compression artifacts. But, I think the overall audio quality is acceptable for podcasts (especially short ones like my infrequent, so far, mini-podcasts). However, I was very impressed by signal-to-noise ratio (me talking vs. everything else) in this podcast which was recorded in busy downtown area next to a busy street.

    – You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
    – You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
    – You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.

  • Mini-Podcast 11: HTC Touch Pro2 Voice Notes Recording Sound Quality Sample

    The T-Mobile HTC Touch Pro2 is a Windows Mobile 6.1 touch screen smartphone. It comes bundled with a voice recording app called, reasonably enough, Voice Notes. I used it to record this brief (1 minute 10 seconds) Mini-podcast 11 to give you an idea of its recording sound quality. I think it sounds reasonably good although there is noticeable audio compression that gives it a kind of AM radio sound quality to it.

    This mini-podcast was recorded in a reasonably quiet room. I’ll test recording a mini-podcast outdoors to see if the Touch Pro2 might be a useful tool for on-the-spot interviews/conversations for future podcasts.

    – You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
    – You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
    – You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.