Posts Tagged ‘blackberry’

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Deposit Checks With Your Cell Phone

May 11, 2010

I have to hand it to the folks at USAA. They are ahead of the game in every respect. They have released a mobile application that allows you to deposit a check using your cell phone! For over a year, they have had an application that allows customers to deposit checks using a computer and a scanner. This has been incredibly helpful as they do not have local branches.

This is relatively straight forward technology has been made possible because of the switch in the banking industry to “check truncation.” In the old days, seven years ago, the physical check was sent from the recipient’s bank back to the check writer’s bank. This was a laborious task that took a lot of resources to manage all of those paper checks. Under the check truncation process, an electronic image of the check is deemed just as good, so once a bank has an image of the check, they can destroy the original.

However, under their new application (currently only available for iPhone and Android devices), a customer simply takes a picture of the check and it is deposited into their account.  I have yet to use this technology, but it would certainly help around my house as checks often sit attached to our refrigerator waiting to go upstairs to the scanner for deposit. You can watch a YouTube video of this process here.

I have yet to use this application myself being a Blackberry owner, but USAA’s website promises a Blackberry version soon. If you have used the application to deposit a check, please drop me a line. I’m anxious to know how it worked for you.

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Carriers Need To Steal From Google’s Playbook

November 4, 2009

Greetings all. I apologize for the unannounced long absence from the blog. In short, things got busy on the consulting and family fronts and I put the blog on the back burner for a while. Lots has happened in the last few months. One of the biggest news events that I have been waiting for has been Verizon Wireless’ release of the Blackberry Storm 2.

I had been waiting on this for a while as the more I used my Storm, the slower it got. We are almost back to the early Windows days when you had to reboot your servers daily to keep them running smoothly. I can only surmise that the issue has something to do with memory leaks or ill-behaved applications that do not release resources when they can.

Like many of you, I had been watching the blogosphere to see what fellow bloggers were writing about expected releases. The first date that felt real was October 21st. However, as the 21st approached, rumor had it that Verizon Wireless was delaying the release because of an issue they found while testing.  This led to an interesting conversation with a good friend and fellow wireless industry veteran, Mary Foltz. (Mary is one of those rare individuals who has long history with a carrier (Sprint Nextel) and is also a founder of a company (Air Arts).

Beta programs. Yup, that’s right, the carriers should take a page from Google and launch hot new phones quickly under a “beta” program. These phones would be offered on the carrier’s developer web page with the stipulation that the phone is in beta mode, it may never be launched, and results may vary. ANYONE who registers for the developer page should be given access to this program and not just special partners. This allows the carriers to get some great pre-launch publicity, shake the kinks out of a phone before “public launch” and make their developer community feel special. Who knows, maybe they might even have applications developed for the phone on the day of the public launch.

Beta programs are a tried and true method over the last few years to get applications to market while setting customer expectations for something special, but also to expect issues. Having a positive reporting mechanism for issues will only increase the community feeling that they are special and valued and improve the beta experience. Personally, to get my hands on the Storm 2 a month or two earlier, I would have put up with a lot of “issues”. (Yes, I am a phone geek.)

Imagine if Verizon Wireless had used a beta program to launch the original Storm. They would have had a product to market to satisfy the core gadget hounds. Those hounds would have expected some of the early problems that were reported by Storm users. Instead of being negative publicity, it would have been part of the beta program and allowed Verizon additional time to correct these problems. I also guarantee that some of the problems that surfaced after launch were never identified by their testing houses. Two or three months later, after most of the bugs were vetted and worked out, the phone could have been released. By that time, expectations would have been set for any issues that were not corrected during the beta process and again, avoiding negative publicity and customer experiences. The net result – core gadget hounds get their phones early and are happy while the general population gets a much better phone that has been put through the paces.

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You Will Get a Charge Out Of This

July 2, 2009

What seems like such a logical product feature is finally coming to pass thanks to, gulp, the Europeans… If you have owned more than one mobile phone, chances are you have more than one mobile phone charger. There is even a good chance that those phone chargers are not interchangeable leading to a huge black hole of old cell phone chargers in landfills. One estimate I read was that 1.2 billion cell phones are sold each year, each with its own charger. This seems a bit high, but maybe not that far off the mark.

The major cell phone companies have all voluntarily agreed to standardize on the micro USB port for cell phone charging. This includes the Apple iPhone which might also translate into standardization of the microUSB for iPods in the near future. Forget the cable to synchronize your PDA while on the road, no worries, just ask one of your collegues who has a PDA – even if it is a different brand.

I got fed up with all of the different chargers that I purchased one of those universal power adapters that will power my laptop, iPod and phones by purchasing separate “tips”. This was fantastic when I was routinely carrying four or five different phones for demonstrations. Even phones made by the same manufacturer used different power tips. I have five different power tips for Motorola phones alone! Every time I would upgrade my phone, I would receive a new charger – even on the off chance that the phone I was upgrading used the same charger as one of my old phone.

One estimate is that this agreement could reduce by half the number of chargers produced each year and save nearly 50,000 tons of charger trash from reaching our landfills. (I wonder what the half-life of a phone charger is anyway…) Having one power adapter for multiple devices will not only reduce the waste, but also reduce the clutter in my briefcase or bags when I travel. Not having to spend an additional $25 each time I upgrade my phone for a new car charger is also a bonus. (OK, I never paid that much, but that is what the carriers sell them for in the store.)

Who stands to gain from this switch? In short, just about everyone. Less junk in landfills and no unneeded production costs. Even the folks that make these chargers will likley continue to make them for the cell phone manufacturers. Carriers will likely sell more replacment chargers than they currently do. Since replacement chargers are not subject to subsidies, they actually stand to make MORE money from this switch. I doubt if the handset manufactuers will lower their prices so this will help them as they can charge the same amount without the cost of buying, packaging and shipping the chargers. The biggest winner of all, however, will be Mother Earth who no longer has to ingest old cell phone chargers.

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iPhone or Storm – A Not So Surprising Answer

June 17, 2009

A friend of mine wrote to me this week asking my thoughts on the Storm vs. the iPhone. This reminds me of cold calls from business school. No matter what the case, class or situation, the answer was always the same – “it depends.”

If you have been reading this blog, you will know that I have a Storm. But you might also pick up a love for the iPhone. As a true consultant, I made a list of the features of each and made my selection. This method should work for just about any phone so feel free to insert any phone you are considering. Everyone’s feature list will be slightly different, but here are some major categories to consider:

The Network – While all of the phones are cool, at the end of the day the device is a interesting brick without network coverage. All of the major networks (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) will have decent coverage in some parts of the country. The question is how are they where you live. In the Washington, DC area, and most of the north east United States, VZW will have the best coverage. However, the true test is how is the coverage where you will use it most such as your office, home and commute between the two? If you don’t get great coverage in one of the areas but still want a cool phone, check into Femtocells. (Read my post Femtocells – Your Own Cell Tower) VZW has released theirs and I know that AT&T was working on one.

In addition to coverage, you need to think about what network most of your friends, families and co-workers use? Having the free mobile-to-mobile minutes doubles my minutes of use (MOUs) each month. This is not only important for you, but also for the people calling you.

Features – The next major area to consider are features. Make a list of all things that are really important to you. If synchronizing to your iTunes library is important, that may swing you to a iPhone or Palm Pre. If multitasking is important (being able to switch between editing an email, calendar entry, and that hot new application is important…) then you may want to move towards the Blackberry. If your organization uses the Blackberry Enterprise Server, then your choice is made for you. Are you a Mac user at home or the office – advantage iPhone…

Applications – Are there any applications that are only available on one platform vs. the other? Then your decision may also be made for you if you think that it is an important application.

You will notice that I didn’t list price here. For any smart phone platform, you will be paying a little up front but the kicker is the monthly service contract…

So as you can see, there are many factors that will push you to one side or the other. I strongly advise taking advantage of the carrier’s 30 day trial period before porting your number. This will allow you to try out the features of the platform and the coverage areas. All you will be responsible for will be the usage during the trial period. And also strongly consider getting the insurance. I never purchased the insurance until I found my new PDA (list price without subsidy $600) dropped into the toilet by Not Me and I Didn’t Do It, two frequent visitors to any house with kids…

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The Accessory You Didn’t Know You Needed

June 10, 2009

About a month ago I purchased my first bike in about twenty years. (Ok, I had one but never rode it…) I’ve really enjoyed riding my bike along the Potomac to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate, or in the other direction past Memorial Bridge. It is a much more interesting cardio workout than sitting in the YMCA.

While on my rides, I have taken to listening to Slacker on my Storm. Not having any kind of arm band for my Storm, I put it in my pocket and rode off into the sunset hoping that it would not fall out on the way. That is until I Googled Blackberry Storm Bike Mount and found The Mount Guys.

I love the name because it tells you exactly what they are and what they do. They sell mounts for all sorts of equipment such as phones, iPods, satellite radios, etc. for cars, boats, motorcycles and bikes. I ordered two mounts for my Storm, one for my bike and one for the car that fits into the cup holder. I opted not to get the mount that attaches to the vent, although may think about that for my CRV that doesn’t have a dashboard mounted cup holder.

The mounts arrived within a few days and installation was simple. For the bike, the mount fits on the handle bar and the blackberry fits snugly within the mount. I have used it on several trips and find that it is very convenient for skipping songs and I could even answer calls while on the bike. I don’t know if I would actually dial while riding but certainly could initiate voice dialing if necessary.

This is the best accessory that I have purchased yet for a phone. It appears sturdy and has only one flaw that I can find, it only allows you to use your phone in portrait mode, not landscape. My suspicion is that have a standard mount that isn’t adapted to the touch screen and that a rugged version that would allow landscape rotation would add a few dollars to the cost. As it is, the version I purchased was only $17. There was a more expensive version created by RAM that sold for $38 that was marine grade and may work in landscape mode, but I don’t think I need that level for my bicycle. Motorcycle owners may consider the more expensive model.

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A New Mac vs. PC Commercial

June 2, 2009

I can see it now, the new Mac vs. PC commercial need a makeover. The new commercials will be the iPhone vs. the Berry. I’m not sure who will replace John Hodgman as the PC, but I think dipping into the Daily Show well again and selecting Aasif Mandvi would be a great choice.

The commercials would be largely scripted the same. The capable, but frumpy Blackberry would talk about the features it wished it had and the iPhone will be surprised that these features are not standard on all phones. Casts of other characters could play popular applications available for the iPhone and not available on the Berry. That could even be the name of the Blackberry character, “Berry.” Of course just like the PC commercials, the Berry would crash periodically and need to be rebooted by yanking the battery. 

These commercials, of course, are largely consumer focused, but isn’t that the point? Apple will get adoption at the grass roots level and then corporations will have to figure out how to support these phones with limited security and application management solutions. But at the end of the day, what CIO is going to tell the CEO that he can’t use the coolest phone on the block? Even the Secret Service had to bow to the wishes of President Obama to allow him to carry a PDA. (Of course, he is using a specially modified Blackberry with enhanced security software installed.)

While Blackberry still rules with about double the market share over the iPhone, their dominance is on shaky ground. A few extra features and and additional carriers and Apple can make a serious run at the dominant slot for corporate communications. Security, centralized management and true multi-tasking are key for corporations to adopt the iPhone. But these are things that can be added within a year. Now that Apple has mind-share, and the consumer market waiting for each iteration, RIM had better watch out.

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New BlackBerry OS – Will it solve the problems?

June 2, 2009

I updated my Storm yesterday with the new version of the BlackBerry OS. This takes me from 4.7.0.75 to 4.7.0.148. While I like my Storm, there were definitely a few problems that power users were experiencing. Some of the big concerns were periodically would not ring for inbound calls, would periodically require a reboot to speed things up, and on very rare occasions, the phone would crash.

To be fair, I run a number of different applications on my Storm including Google Sync and Salesforce that always run in the background. In addition to those programs, I’m a frequent user of VZ Navigator and Slacker (both of which also released major upgrades that dramatically improve performance). 

The upgrade process is smooth, although it does require connecting to a PC with BB Desktop Manager running. I believe the iPhone does all OS upgrades over the air (OTA) which is much easier. The upgrade process is relatively smooth. It starts with conducting a full back up of your Blackberry and then the upgrade. This adds time but I suppose is much better than losing all of your data if the phone bricks in the middle… Most of the data came back OK. For some reason, the calendar (that I sync with Google) didn’t get reloaded and it lost all of my user data for programs such as Google and Slacker.

Out of the box, things appear to be running a bit smoother. The new versions of Slacker and VZ Navigator have much better performance, although the latter still has some additional cleanup work to do on its interface. If you have a Storm, please let me know how your upgrade process is going and if you experience any issues.

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Pre Pre Announcements

May 29, 2009

Woe is Sprint. They haven’t even launched the long awaited Palm Pre smart phone and already Verizon Wireless and AT&T are sucking all of the wind out of their sails. Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam announced in an investor web-cast that his carrier will begin selling the Palm Pre at the end of the year giving Sprint a woeful six months of exclusivity to try to woo Palm die-hards to its subscriber roles. 

Will the Pre be worth it? Hopefully Palm has spent as much effort designing and building the product as they have hyping it. Signs say that they have really thought about how the modern consumer and business person operates to have some very useful features. Highlights include:

  • Multiple calendars – This is something that I really need to learn how to use for my Blackberry Storm. With two different Google Calendars (one personal and one that a client uses) plus trying to synchronize with my desktop and notebook Outlook calendars, this is a great feature. It also automatically manages contacts in different places to synchronize and keep those contacts consistent. (Nothing worse than having two different mobile numbers for the same person…)
  • Background applications – Apple, are you listening? The ability to have multiple applications open and switch between them without having to shut down is a major feature that mimics how people actually work. (I apologize to any of you who are organized enough to completely put away one task on your desk before starting the next…)
  • Direct access to iTunes – This is a recent rumor that may or may not last but apparently the Pre will be able to purchase non-copy protected content directly from iTunes. This opens a whole host of music and podcast options.

The Pre also includes a slide-out keyboard instead of a touch screen. Personally, I think you either need to go keyboard or touch screen. I have never really felt comfortable with the slide-out keyboards. Perhaps this is because the keyboard is below the screen surface and it makes it slightly uncomfortable to hold. I will reserve judgement on this feature to actually try typing on a production model.

Will the Pre compete with the iPhone or Blackberry? My personal take is “Yes, in some circles.” If you are a die-hard Palm fan, this will likely be a great upgrade to your old Treo. If you are a die-hard Sprint customer, then this could be the smart phone for you. If you currently are an AT&T or a Verizon Wireless customer and are not a Palm user, you should likely skip this phone in favor of the iPhone or a Blackberry model… 

The bigger question is will this have a significant impact on Sprint? In six months I think we are all going to look at the number and say that defections to Sprint are negligible and that at best, it has saved them a number of subscribers from defecting away…

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Browser Compatabilty – Why Doesn’t Anyone Think of Mobile?

April 23, 2009

Traditional web developers must be going crazy these days with all of the new browsers on the market. It used to be that there were two main browsers that most users utilzied. Now a user has the choice of a bevey of new browsers from Opera to Chrome, to a new version of IE that promises to shake things up. This is great for the industry but opens a pandora’s box of headaches for developers as they strive to make their webistes look right across browsers.

I read a great article recently that discusses a number of new tools available to help test browser compatibility for websites. http://tinyurl.com/cxczjv. It is a great read for anyone doing website development.

What we need, however, is a tool that makes it easier to develop for mobile platforms. Not only for the number of browsers that are out there, but adjusting the design of sites from the desktop to the mobile phone. The iPhone and Blackberry Storm do a decent job of rendering the full web experience on a mobile phone with the iPhone taking the lead by far. However, sites will look and operate much better with some minor tweaking for these specific browsers.

Mobile Internet usage is doubling year-over-year. Comscore reports that over 62MM US residents accessed the Mobile Internet in January alone. This number will only increase with the surge in popularity of Internet enabled devices such as the iPhone, Palm Pre, Windows Mobile phones and of course, Blackberries.

Now here is the interesting question, “Can Mobile Access will impact Google search engine rankings for all websites?” If the answer is YES to this, then savvy web marketers will begin tweaking their sites for mobile access now, rather than later.

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