Windows Mobile latest vapour

Well a startup is giving a to go to tactics that are made famous by Microsoft itself; cheap vapourware tactics. As in touting software that doesn't exist. Their latest attempt for Windows Mobile: Skyfire... err... note to Microsoft and its affiliates: if you can't stop copying everyone else's products, can you try being original in at least naming the copied products? you know... just to differentiate yourself from software pirates.

ok so what is Skyfire? well its a browser for Windows Mobile, akin to one Microsoft had promised in December it will kick iPhone's butt (laughing already? waite, there's more to come). Ok so couple of questions:

Q: Why does Windows Mobile need Skyfire?
A: cuz its current browser sux.

Q: So what makes it so cool?
A: well it can browse the web that will support features which... umm... well some of the other smartphone browsers already support and have been in the market for a while. (check S60 based smartphones for instance)

Q: So its like a normal web browser?
A: Not really, normal browsers download webpages direct to your phone as opposed to Skyfire's approach which uses a proxy-server to send out web content to your Windows Mobile phone. Meaning, another computer does the browsing then sends out supposedly cached content to your Windows Mobile based smartphone (Ahem! does anyone else hear several alarm bells ringing?)

Q: So if the actual processing is done on some other server not my phone, they can see what I am browsing?
A: Interesting question, and here is some really interesting read from Skyfire's private info:

""When you use the Browser, Skyfire has access to, and in many cases will monitor, your Browser Usage."

"Browser Usage Information includes such information as which websites and programs you access or download on your Device, how long you visit such websites and use such programs, your activities (such as products purchased or advertisements viewed) on such websites, which specific areas of a website or webpage you use and for how long, websites you bookmark, search terms you use, referring/exit pages, browser and platform types, the geographic location in which your Device is being used and information you provide on third party websites."

Whoa.... like are you serious? Sounds to me if the US government had gifted Osama with a Windows Mobile phone running Skyfire, he would be long caught and dead by now, they could have monitored his every move! With this kind of browser, who needs spyware or viruses??

But wait, there is one more question...

Q: Where is Skyfire?
A: At the moment, nowhere actually. Like no one has seen it or used it, or download it or allowed to test it or know if it really exists. OK of all the people, even the staff of msmobiles.com, which provides daily news and information to help Windows Mobile users make better use of their devices, has to say this "...we must conclude that it is just another vaporware product ... that in reality may never materialize as a commercial product." - 28 Jan 2008.

not laughing yet? well neither are the Windows Mobile users. So what about the one that Microsoft had promised in December? Here is some interesting buzz their announcement is creating like from electronista.com:

• Pfft. More like, "Microsoft copying iPhone Safari in next WinMobile."
• Always, MS is saying their next version of vapor/crapware will attempt to copy what [already] works now, except to add 10 steps and requires help from IT department.
• more vaporware from Micro$oft..... Promising tomorrow what already exists on the market today.
• Ha Ha Ha... "Microsoft has not issued a schedule for when it expects any of the updates to appear", oh that brings tears to my eyes .. good luck with that Microsoft..

Umm... what can I say.... they've already said it all.

Bilal
http://elanist.com/bilal

how to make S60 browse like iPhone

if you wanna get more out of browsing from your smartphone, there's this guy Harri Salminen who's come up with a pretty cool way to make websites think your S60 phone (come on, its about time you found out your phone is running Symbian (or it should!)) is actually an iPhone. and why the h*ll does that matter? well like Harri says, thanks to all the marketing buzz behind iPhone, many major websites have special optimized pages for browsing on the iPhone, when your S60 phone can render pages just as well, or better.

The screen shots give a general idea about the difference between a standard webpage on the phone screen compared with iPhone optimized:

normal S60 browsing

with the iPhone hack

So your Nokia or any other phone running S60 (depending on what model you have) can do just the same with this little hack. You can download the hack from Harri's website below:

S60 to iPhone hack

Harri had actually encountered a little bug which wasn't letting his N95 make the most of this phone, but thanks to another genius, Robin Jewsbury, there's a fix for that little bug too:

S60 to iPhone bug fix


happy browsing!


Bilal
http://elanist.com/bilal/

Web Browser Short-Cuts for S60

Here are some handy web browser short cut for S60 smartphones posted by Mark Guim:

• Press 1 to open your bookmarks.
  
• Press 2 to search for keywords in the current page.
  
• Press 3 to return to the previous page.
  
• Press 5 to list all open windows.
  
• Press 8 to show the page overview of the current page.
  
• Press 8 again to zoom in and view the desired section of the page.
  
• Press 9 to enter a new web address.
  
• Press 0 to go to the Start Page.
  
• Press * or to zoom the page in or out.