I recently found out that Microsoft Communicator Mobile is also available on Symbian and downloadable free from Nokia’s Ovi Store. This was the first tangible result of a collaboration between Microsoft and Nokia, where enterprises can now streamline their business messaging with Microsoft Mobile Communicator for Nokia Symbian devices.

Some supported devices for the Microsoft Communicator Mobile Symbian application include:-

• Nokia E5 (Comes bundled)
• Nokia E71
• Nokia E72
• Nokia E51
• Nokia E52
• Nokia E63

Simply brilliant. Now I can convince people to throw away their Windows Mobile 6.5 phones.

Check out the screenshots:

I will buy the XBox 360 and Microsoft Kinect just for this game or this kind of interaction, if it ever comes out. It’s simply jaw dropping and amazing. This just made me think about my discussion on “The Future of Porn“.

Peter Molyneux demos Milo, the virtual boy

I’m always searching for my dream laptop, and I can’t seem to find the perfect one. The closest to perfection is the MacBook Pro 13″, or the Sony Vaio Z, but each has some small quirks. So here’s what I’m looking for.

• 13″ LED (backlit) Monitor
• 1920 x 1080 resolution (like the Sony Vaio Z)
• Intel Core i7
• 10 hours battery life or more (i.e. actual usage, not at minimum power)
• Less than 2kg (like the Sony Vaio Z)
• 8 to 16gigs 1066/1333 mhz RAM
• 320gig SSD (Preferably Intel X25-m)
• Switchable discrete graphics card to play games (and save battery life)
• Standard Sized Backlit Chiclet keyboard (like the MacBook Pro)
• DVD±RW/±R DL/RAM Drive without tray (like the MacBook Pro)
• Non-removable battery (like the MacBook Pro)
• Clean base and sides (no hard edges and ports sticking out, like the MacBook Pro)
• 2 x USB 3.0 and/or 1 x Firewire 800
• 1 x SDCard reader
• 1 x Ethernet
• Wireless N
• Bluetooth
• 3 years warranty

As you can see, the MacBook Pro 13″ still wins on aesthetic, however loses on specifications. I love the Sony Vaio Z for the specifications, however the keyboard (it needs to be bigger sized) and battery life doesn’t fit my criteria. HP Envy is good too, but the 13″ desperately need a spec upgrade.

How much will I be willing to pay for this? Anywhere from SGD$4,000 to SGD$6,000. If you (manufacturers) can create a laptop of that power and beauty, you’ve got my money in your pockets. Of course, you (manufacturers) should offer lower specifications for the average consumer. Who will be the first one to offer something that I’ll love?

Finally. After 2 whole months of “announcement” and after writing about “Why Adobe might fail with Flash 10.1 on Android“, I’ve totally lost hope for Adobe after they have expressed differently about the distribution of Flash 10.1. Now that Adobe Flash 10.1 is on the Android Market, my worries have lessened. However, is this Flash 10.1 distribution available to all Froyo devices other than the Nexus One? Let’s hope so. From AndroidCentral, Motorola Droid users will soon be able to download Flash from the market as well.

The final build number is 10.1.92.8. Let’s hope Adobe continues to update Adobe Flash 10.1 through the market.

Singapore has plenty of non-technical technology conferences, and we intend to correct that and have a technology-only conference.

GeekCamp is an international network of technology-only conferences, where the participants generate the content. Based on the open-enquiry philosophy of BarCamp, GeekCamps seek to address the perceived culture clash of BarCamp, by limiting discussion to purely technical matters. GeekCamp topics have included introductions to Haskell (programming language), PostGIS, and Web Service APIs.

If you are a geek, developer or programmer who works with technology most of the time ranging from Java, Python, C++, MySQL, Objective C, Android, PHP, MySQL, Ruby, Linux and anything else in the Open Source Movement and otherwise, the GeekCamp is the perfect event for you.

If you want to share your experiences in programming and web development, please go to the GeekCamp Wiki and volunteer yourself for speaking

For more information, Please visit our wikipage at http://geekcamp.pbworks.com to see topics and speakers.

Date: September 4th 2010
Time: 10am to 5pm
Venue: SMU, SIS Seminar Rooms 2.1-2.4
How to get there: Exit Bras Basah mrt station on the Circle Line
What to bring: Laptops, 3G dongles, power extensions
Register: http://www.flickevents.com/e/geekcamp

Introducing Voice Actions for Android

Well, finally this is out on Android. I wonder how it fares compared to the iPhone and the upcoming Windows Phone 7, which also has this Voice Action features. To find out more, read Just speak it: introducing Voice Actions for Android

Let’s cut to the chase. How do you get it for your Android phone?

1. Go to Android Market
2. Search for “Voice Search” (this app includes Voice Actions) and install it
3. Search for “Google Search” and install it

Or just use these 2 QR codes:

Voice Search

Search widget

Google Chrome to Phone

Next up, Google Chrome to Phone is released. This allows your Chrome browser to push links, maps, and currently selected text and phone numbers to your Android device. To find out more, read Instantly zap links, maps and phone numbers to your Android phone with Chrome to Phone!

How to get it:

1. Download Google Chrome to Phone Extension for your Chrome browser
2. On your Android phone, go to Android Market
3. Search for “Chrome to Phone” and install the app
4. Note: It doesn’t seem to be available in Singapore yet as of this writing

Yes, you heard it right. Everything seems to be working fine too.

Source: HTC.HDBLOG.IT

You can download Android Froyo 2.2 for HTC HD2  - shubCRAFT CM6/Froyo/Themed RC1.1 shown in the video.

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Last week I was invited to an LG Optimus GT 540 event in conjunction with a Meet and Greet with Lee Min Ho. Here are the photos and videos I took.

Videos

Photos

Hey everyone!

Do you hate SingTel? Do you love to help SingTel give to charity?

*MAKE* SingTel donate $200,000 to charity by folding an e-heart on http://www.singtel.com/touchinglives. Yes that’s right! Each time you fold an e-heart just by simply clicking a few buttons, you MAKE SingTel donate $1 to charity.

Here are the details regarding this Fold-A-Heart campaign:

SingTel is committed to raise more than S$2 million in 2010 for SingTel Touching Lives Fund (STLF), its philanthropy programme. The beneficiaries of the STLF this year are: APSN Chao Yang School, APSN Tanglin School, AWWA Early Years Centre – EIPIC, MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School, Singapore Cancer Society and Students Care Service.

How you can help:
Fold an origami heart today! Look out for the advertisement that SingTel will place in the TODAY newspaper from 2 to 6 August 2010. Cut out the red rectangle and follow the instructions to fold an origami heart. Then, drop this folded heart in any posting box throughout Singapore (no postage required). With every folded heart collected, SingTel will donate $1 to the STLF.

Alternatively, you can fold an e-heart on http://www.singtel.com/touchinglives.

You can also show your support for the less privileged children and youths by making a personal donation:

Call 1900 112 8811 or dial *8111 (for SingTel mobile customers) to make a $5 donation.
All lines are open until 31 December 2010.

You can also donate online via DBS iBanking at http://www.dbs.com.sg/

Or send us a crossed cheque made to ‘SingTel Touching Lives Fund’ and mail it to SingTel Group Communications, 31 Exeter Road #19-00 Comcentre, Singapore 239732.

Adobe Flash 10.1 was officially released at the end of June for Android phones. However, I have not seen any existence of a release even up to now. The reason? Adobe decided to let the phone manufacturers release Flash 10.1 with their Android 2.2 update.

Original Plan

When Google announced the capabilities and availability of Adobe Flash 10.1 Beta during Google IO a few months ago, it was impressive and running smoothly on the Nexus One. Adobe Flash 10.1 Beta was available on the Android Market for phones. Those Android 2.2 capable phones, like the leaked version of Android 2.2 on the Nexus One, were able to download this installation directly from the Android Market and get Adobe Flash 10.1 on their phones. All was good, and I thought Adobe was going to release their Adobe Flash 10.1 similarly, allowing consumers to download or more importantly update their Flash player.

Failed Strategy

During the times of Adobe Flash Lite, when Adobe half heartedly released a mobile version of their Flash player, Adobe let manufacturers decide and test whether if their phones were capable of running Flash Lite. The onus was on the phone manufacturers to make sure that Flash Lite worked properly. Adobe did not manage this properly and manufacturers didn’t have any incentives to actually provide a good Flash experience, which resulted in an utter failure of Flash Lite in majority of the phones out there. Then Apple came and said Adobe Flash is redundant in today’s web. Adobe defended but damage was already done.

Lessons not learnt

Google had the same problems with Google Maps and other Google applications that came with the phone. It was bundled together with Android 1.5 and that made it difficult for Google to quickly fix bugs, release new features to older versions that aren’t yet obsolete. Google realized this and separated their Google Maps and other Google applications bundled with the phone with their Android operating system, released it on the Android market, and controlling the updates and releases to their different phones and OS versions. Now, consumers benefit from the constant updates of Google Maps, keeping their phones relevant and updated without relying on the sluggish speed of manufacturers pushing out updates.

Adobe, once tried and failed, is again making the same mistake by giving the power to the phone manufacturers to distribute Flash 10.1 for Android.

Possible Comeback

As seen by Google’s success with unbundling their apps away from the manufacturers and the Android operating system, Google has successfully fixed bugs and update their Google Maps and other apps quickly, bringing new features constantly, out-of-band from the manufacturers’ updates.

Proven and successful by Google, Adobe should distribute their Adobe Flash 10.1 for Android through the manufactures during the Android 2.2 Froyo update, together with offering it on the Android Market for those Adobe Flash 10.1 capable phones to install, should the manufacturers somehow not distribute or deliver a quality build. This allows the distribution, and the ability to update new versions and bug fixes to your consumers directly without being at the mercy of phone manufacturers.

Vote of No Confidence

I was once a supporter of Flash being on smart phones, but with the availability of Adobe Flash 10.1 for Android not dictated by Adobe, I’ve lost all confidence in Adobe. Until they start distributing their Adobe Flash 10.1 for Android through the market, I will support Apple’s position to use HTML5 for mobile device development instead of even considering the possibility of Flash.

For those who own the Nexus One and got the Froyo update, I’m sad to say you might not get the full goodness of Flash 10.1 Final except from what they currently have on the market, Adobe Flash 10.1 BETA 3, which might be good enough. Unless Google decides to push it out as an update.