Wap Review

Ovi Browser, First Look - With Download Links

Published

on July 30, 2010

. 2 Comments

Ovi Browser - Start Page Ovi Browser - Zoomed Out

Nokia's Beta Labs introduced a Beta of the Ovi Browser Wednesday. It's based on the Vision browser from Novarra, which Nokia acquired five months ago. The Ovi browser is a proxy based browser, similar to Opera Mini. It renders and transcodes web pages on a server before sending them to the phone client in a highly compressed format. Nokia claims that the compression reduces web traffic by up to 90%.

The Ovi browser supports the Nokia 2700 Classic, Nokia 2730 Classic, Nokia 3120 Classic, Nokia 3600 Slide, Nokia 5130 XpressMusic, Nokia 5220 Xpressmusic, Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition, Nokia 5330 Xpressmusic, Nokia 5610, Nokia 6300i, Nokia 6303, Nokia 6500 Slide, Nokia 6500 Classic, Nokia 6600 Slide, Nokia 6700 Classic, Nokia 7210 Supernova, Nokia 7900 Prism and Nokia X3. If you have one of those devices you can download the browser from browser.ovi.com

I don't have a supported device but wanted to see what the Ovi browser was like. Visiting browser.ovi.com with an N95, I got a "Sorry your device is not supported..." message. But by impersonating a Nokia 5130 with Firefox's User Agent Switcher Add On I was able to grab the jad and jar files and Bluetooth them to the N95. The Ovi Browser installed and started up only to display, "Ovi Browser does not run on this device." I finally had success with MicroEmulator, a PC Java ME emulator.

If you want to try running the Ovi Browser on an unsupported device, here are links to copies of the jad and jar files.

JAR Signed JAD Unsigned JAD

Running on MicroEmulator, the Ovi Browser was actually quite impressive. Like Opera Mini, the browser has two modes. With "Column View" off, it's a "keyhole browser", like Symbian Webkit, where page is displayed with original formatting intact but highly reduced in size (image above, right) and you can zoom in on a small area (image below, left). In the other mode with "Column View" On, the page is simplified and reformatted into a single column (image below, right). Both modes worked well on the sites I tried. Fonts were attractive and readable and there was no overlapping of text and images.

Ovi Browser - Zoomed In Ovi Browser - Column View

Fans of column view will be happy to know that it actually seems to works on all sites, unlike with Opera Mini where Mobile View is disabled and horizontal scrolling occurs on Blogger hosted blogs and many mobile sites. On the other hand the Ovi browser forces some desktop sites into Column View and disables the option to turn it off! This happens with the full version of Google News and with those pesky Blogger blogs.

One of the selling points of Novara's Vision browser was that it transcoded Flash videos on the server into a format that the client could play. It doesn't look like that feature made it into the Ovi Browser Beta. When I tried to watch a Flash video on the YouTube desktop site I got the dreaded prompt to download the Flash plugin.

The Ovi Browser's user interface is intuitive but a bit cumbersome. With Column View on the 2, 8, 4 and 6 keys scroll one screen up, down, left and right respectively. Those are the only keyboard shortcuts that I could find, all other actions are accomplished through a hierarchical menu. Consequently, it takes multiple key presses or taps to access common actions like bookmarking a site, opening a bookmark or toggling column view on or off. With column view on the 2, 8, 4, 6 shortcuts do not work making scrolling to the bottom of a long page a bit tedious. On the plus side the numeric access key shortcuts that are used by some mobile sites do work in column view.

For a first Beta, the Ovi browser is remarkably stable and usable. I'm hoping that Nokia will continue to develop this browser and bundle it with all their S40 phones. There is a real need for good proxy based browsers on low end phones and the in developing world where resource constraints, high data costs and the lack of 3G limit the browsing experience. In my experience, the browsing with Opera Mini on a feature phone actually rivals that that of any smartphone. The only thing holding back mass adoption of mobile browsing is the cost of data. Hopefully network operators will make lower cost data bundles available to users of basic phones with highly efficient browsers like this Opera Mini or the Ovi Browser.

Straight Talk - $45 Unlimited Talk, Text, Data, Roaming and 3rd Party Apps On AT&T

Published

Dennis Bournique

on July 28, 2010

in Carriers

. 0 Comments

Samsung SGH-t401

Mexico based América Móvil, the fourth largest mobile network in the world, doesn't have a network of it's own in the US but operates the country's largest MVNO under the TracFone banner with subsidiary brands Net10, Safelink and StraightTalk. The latter has been offering unlimited talk, text in and data for $45/month since late last year.

Straight Talk phones are only available online and at Wal-Mart stores. While Straight Talk is attractive to heavy talkers and texters, the data part of the deal is less than inspiring due to the locked down nature of the service and handsets. You have to use one of Straight Talk's selection of feature phones which are BREW based and do not allow the installation of any apps, paid or free. The only use for that unlimited data was browsing the mobile web with the rather feeble WAP browsers that are pre-installed on the phones. Because the phones don't support Java ME there's no way to use the Opera Mini or Bolt browsers or IM, Gmail or Google Maps apps.

LG 620G

All that changed early this month when users on Howard Forums reported seeing a new line of Straight Talk GSM phones in a few Walmart stores. Monday, on their blog, Straight Talk confirmed the launch of the GSM service and the GSM phones are now available on Straight Talk's website.

The new phones are:

The Samsung T401G (top), a rather plump $99.99 candybar with a three row QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the side.
The LG 620G (above, right), a $69.99 12 key slider.

Both phones have an MP3 player, 1.3 MB video capable camera, Bluetooth and a 176x220 px screen. The T401G's screen is 2.1 inches, the 620G's screen size is unspecified but looks to be about the same size. Neither supports 3G either, just GPRS and Edge. They are available at Walmart stores across the country and online at Straighttalk.com. The onlines prices are $45 higher because they include the first month's service.

In addition to the unlimited plan, the GSM phones can also be used on Straight Talk's $30/month "All You need" plan which includes 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and 30MB of data.

Several Howard Forums users have bought these phones and reported that the phone's home network is AT&T with free roaming, probably on T-Mobile, in some areas. This is a good deal as the Straight Talk CDMA phones do not roam off of Verizon. TracFone and Net10 phones come with either a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM depending on the market. So far no one has reported finding a Straight Talk phone with a T-Mobile SIM.

The phones and SIMs are both locked. An AT&T SIM will not work in a Straight Talk phone. More significantly, a Straight Talk SIM will not work in an unlocked GSM phone, so forget about using one in an iPhone or Nexus One.

Perhaps the nicest thing about Straight Talk GSM is that, unlike all of Straight Talk's previous offerings. the LG phone lets you install and run Java apps from third party sites. The Bolt browser, Opera Mini 3, 4.2 and 5.1, Google Maps and Gmail apps are all reported to work. Plus the phone can download and use free ringtones and video clips from 3rd party sites.

It looks like the Samsung may not share the LG's openness as there are no reports on the Howard Forums thread of downloaded apps working with it. In fact two posts users have reported that neither Opera Mini or Bolt worked on the Samsung.

All in all I think Straight Talk's GSM offering is a good one, mainly because of the free off network roaming and degree of software freedom offered by the LG model. The lack of 3G or higher spec handsets is disappointing but it is unlimited prepaid data with support for third party apps. The only other unlimited everything prepaid offer is Sprint's Boost Mobile which costs $5 a month more and does not roam off of Sprint's native network which offers a much smaller coverage footprint than Straight Talk's AT&T plus roaming.

Found On The Mobile Web #225

Published

Dennis Bournique

on July 26, 2010

in Found on the Mobile Web

. 0 Comments

Found on the Mobile Web is a weekly WAP Review feature listing newly added and updated sites on the YesWAP.com mobile portal and WapReview mobile site directory. With these latest additions the directory and portal now list 2296 mobile sites.

Local Search

Parking Assistant www.anagog.com/wa/ A Google maps mashup the uses the Geolocation JavaScript API to create a map showing nearby parking lots. Green and red icons indicate free and paid lots, respectively Although the developer calls it an "iPhone WebApp" webapp it also works well with the Android browser, Samsung's Dolfin and Opera Mobile 10.1! Source: PC World
Content: Usability:

Entertainment

io9 m.io9.com Mobile edition of Gawker Media's science fiction blog covering science fiction movies, books, TV programs and comics. Source: Eugenia's Rants and Thoughts
Content: Usability:

Air Travel

PriorityPass www.prioritypass.com/mobile/ Priority Pass is a service that for an annual fee lets members use over 600 business airport class lounges at 100 airports around the world. The Priority Pass mobile site lists participating lounges by airport and provides walking directions to each lounge.
Content: Usability:

Tech/Tech News Sites and Blogs

Danielle Gatsos daniellegatsos.wordpress.c

om Marketing professional Danielle Gatsos' mobile friendly personal blog covers social media marketing, video, graphic design and mobile and digital technology.
Content: Usability:

Home/Reference - Tools

FEMA m.fema.gov The US government's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s innovative mobile site now lets disaster victims to apply for FEMA assistance using their mobile phone.

FEMA's site also provides information on emergency services in regions affected by a disaster and has general information on what you should do in the event of a hurricane, flood, tornado, earthquake, terrorist attack, thunderstorm, tsunami, wildfire or severe winter storm. Source: Federal Eye
Content: Usability:

Portals

Netvibes Touch iphone.netvibes.com Personal portal site Netvibes has launched optimized "Touch Web" versions of the site for the iPhone, iPad and Android. Instead of using a single URL with browser detection and adaptation, Netvibes provides separate URL for each platform:
iphone.netvibes.com
ipad.netvibes.com
android.netvibes.com
The appearance, UI and content of all three variants appears to be identical although there are probably some behind the scenes device specific optimizations

The sites use HTML5 local storage and real time synchronization of read/unread items across platforms to deliver a seamless experience to desktop and mobile browsers.
Source: NetVibes Blog
Content: Usability:

Gossip

Necole Bitchie m.necolebitchie.com Having a name resembling that of a celebrity seems to be the key to success for gossip bloggers. First there was Perez Hilton, then came Necole Bitchie, who focuses on the music industry with an emphasis on black artists.

Of course success requires much more than a memorable name and Ms. Bitchie clearly works hard at her trade, updating the site frequently throughout the day. And now thanks to a new mobile view created with Mobify you can follow NecoleBitchie.com on your phone.
Content: Usability:

Mobile - Operators

Pay as you go Wiki paygsimwithdata.wikia.com The "Pay as you go SIM with data Wiki" is a mobile friendly community site listing details of prepaid data offers for operators around the world. Currently it has information on relatively few countries and operators, but it's a Wiki which anyone can add to so it should grow as the community shares its local knowledge. Source: @skr
Content: Usability:

Shopping - Deals

dealnews.com dealnews.com/iphone/ Popular deals site, Dealnews.com's "Touch Web" optimized site helps you find bargains on gadgets, computers, electronics and more. With a page size of only 24 KB the site would work on almost all phones except for the fact that the product links require JavaScript, which is not supported by many feature phones.
Content: Usability:

Job Search

Jobmail (ZA) www.jobmail.co.za/mobile/ Search for jobs and browse through job listings in Africa, Europe and the Middle East with the mobile edition of South Africa's largest job search site. Source: mobiThinking
Content: Usability:

US Mobile Data and Voice Options For Travelers

Published

Dennis Bournique

on July 23, 2010

in Carriers

. 5 Comments

I get a lot of questions in comments on what options visitors to the US have for using a local SIM to avoid the exorbitant international roaming charges that almost all operators charge. So here's a break down of the easiest and best value options for visitors. As it's difficult for travelers to order online and have a SIM shipped internationally, I've limited this post to offers that are widely available in US retail outlets.

Postpaid or paid monthly plans are the norm for most in the US and tend to offer the greatest value for heavy users. Unfortunately, they are almost impossible for non-US residents to get as a US bank account, credit card and employment is generally required to pass the mandatory credit check.

That leaves prepaid which is slowly gaining traction in the US and in the process is becoming more competitive and affordable.

In order to use your phone in in the US with a local SIM it most be unlocked and support the US frequency bands which are different from those used in most of the world.

The two national US operators are T-Mobile and AT&T.

T-Mobile uses the 1900 mHz band for GPRS/Edge and the 1700 (downlink) and 2100 (uplink) bands for UTMS/HPSA/HPSA+. 2100hz is the standard 3g band in most of the world , however for a phone to work with T-Mobile 3G, both 1700 and 2100 are required. As far as I know, the only non-US market phone that supports 1700/2100 is the unreleased Nokia N8. So your non-US phone will only get Edge speeds with T-Mobile US. This is unfortunate as T-Mobile has better prices and better prepaid coverage than AT&T.

T-Mobile: Other than a small walled garden of free sites, T-Mobile has no data options at all for their traditional pay as you go plans.

To get real data you have to go with the Flex-Pay hybrid option that lets you use any of T-Mobile's "Even More Plus" post-paid plans on a month to month basis. The cheapest plan is $29.99 for 500 "anytime" voice minutes, unlimited calls to other T-Mobile phones and unlimited nights (9:00 PM to 6:59 AM) and weekends (Midnight Friday to Midnight Sunday). More voice minutes are available at a higher monthly price. (all plans) There is a $1.21/month 911 fee on FlexPay accounts in all states and you may have to pay state sales tax which varies between 0 and 10.75% depending on state (sales tax rates).

Unlimited data can be added to any Even More Plus plan for $10/month for feature phones, $25/month for smartphones or $30/month for BlackBerry BIS. T-Mobile does not cap their unlimited plans but will throttle service to Edge speeds in any month where you exceed 5GB.

Unlimited SMS/MMS is a $10/month add-on. Without the add-on incoming and outgoing SMS or MMS cost 20 cents each.

The easiest way for travelers to get a Flex Pay SIM is at a T-Mobile company operated store. These are quite common in the T-Mobile service area (coverage map) (store locator). If you are staying in a city there will generally be a T-Mobile shop within a few blocks of your hotel. Unlike in some countries SIMs are not generally available at airports or convenience stores. T-Mobile lists a $9.99 charge for a Flex-Pay SIM although I've heard that this is often waived.

T-Mobile's data settings:
APN - epc.tmobile.com (no user id, passwpord or proxy needed.)

MMS settings:
APN - wap.voicestream.com
MMSC URL http://216.155.174.84/servlets/mms
MMSC proxy: 216.155.165.050
MMSC port: 8080

AT&T Logo

AT&T uses the 850 and 1900 mHZ bands for both GPRS/Edge and 3G. Most areas have both 850 and 1900 coverage but quite a few are 1900 only (map). Unlike T-Mobile you will have service if your phone supports either band although a phone with both the 850 and 1900 bands will give you better coverage.

Except for a special iPad plan, AT&T's prepaid pricing is pretty bad, especially for data. The operator recently discontinued their hybrid plans and now offers only pay as you go with a basic rate of 25 cents/minute for calls and 20 cents each for SMS/MMS. The voice rate can be reduced 10 cents/minute and free to other AT&T phones with a $1/day fee (charged only on days when you make or answer a call). Unlimited voice is available at $3/day (only charged on days used) and there is a $60/month unlimited voice and data plan. Details of all prepaid voice plans are here. SMS/MMS bundles are available at 200 texts for $4.99, 1000 for $9.99 and unlimited for $19.99. AT&T charges a whopping $20 for a SIM. There is a 0.20 to $1.50 monthly 911 fee charged in some states in addition to applicable state sales taxes.

Ad hoc data is automatically enabled on AT&T prepaid at $0.01/KB. The only data packages available on AT&T are 1 MB for $4.99 and 100 MB for $19.99. Text and data bundles expire after 30 days but unused texts or data rolls over if another bundle is purchased before the expiration date.

AT&T offers iPad owners a free micro-SIM with data only pricing of 14.95/month for 250 MB or $25/month for 2 GB. The SIM must be activated in an iPad. There's reportedly a hack to activate the iPad SIM with a PC browser with a modified user agent to impersonate an iPad. Once activated it's possible to use the micro-SIM with an adapter in other devices. The iPad SIMs are data only, there is no option to use voice or text.

As with T-Mobile the easiest way to get a SIM and pay for service is at an AT&T corporate store (store locator). AT&T's prepaid coverage (map) is inferior to T-Mobile's but iPad band users get the the benefit's of the operator's much larger post-paid coverage area (map).

AT&T data settings:
APN - WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM (no user id, passwpord or proxy needed.)

MMS settings:
APN - wap.cingular
User name - WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM
Password - CINGULAR1
MMSC URL - http://mmsc.cingular.com

Here's a table summarizing both operator's plans:

Plan	Monthly Base Price (sales tax of 0-10.75% of total cost additional)	SIM Cost	Voice	Text	Data
T-Mobile Flex Pay "Even More Plus	$29.99 + $1.21 911 fee	$9.99	500 Min included (overage - $0.45/minute)	$0.20 each Unlimited - $10/month,	Unlimited - $10/month (Smartphones $25, BlackBerrys $30)
AT&T Go Phone	0 + $0 - $1.50 911 fee	$20	$0.25/min 10/min with a $1/day fee (charged only on days used). Unlimited voice is $3/day (only charged on days used)	$0.20 each 200 - $4.99 1000 - $9.99 unlimited - $19.99	ad-hoc - $0.01/KB 1 MB - $4.99 100 MB - $19.99
AT&T GoPhone Unlimited	$60+ $0 - $1.50 911 fee	$20	unlimited	unlimited	ad-hoc - $0.01/KB 1 MB - $4.99 100 MB - $19.99
AT&T iPad Plan	0	0	voice not available	text not available	250 MB - 14.95 2 GB - $25