In my previous post on the Nexus One I wrote that that the Nexus will take sometime in beating the ever present iPhone, I still maintain this. But let me for a change say this that the way things are going (in the Google world) competitors need to feel threatened. What made me think so? well to begin with was the Google’s new approach to buying a Mobile Phone which gives one the ability to explore a mobile phone in ways that were previously unimagined. Impressive is the word that comes to one’s mind followed by “Ingenious”. Imagine holding your hand next to the screen in order to compare it with an editable image and then see how the Nexus One would look in your hand.

The Android today is running on at least 20 devices, in 19 languages, in 48 countries supported by 59 mobile companies. All this happened just a year back! That’s good going so far. Google now is selling the Nexus One on a Google hosted web store and the first device to be sold will be the Nexus One off course. This is quite different form the previous practice and welcome indeed. According to Google they want to “make the overall user experience simple: a simple purchasing process, simple service plans from operators, simple and worry-free delivery and start-up.”

It takes someone like Steve Jobs to make an iPhone, the very device that has literally taken the world by storm. As of today some 21 million devices of various models starting from the iPhone to the iPhone 3G and the 3GS have been sold. Downloads at the Apple Store have crossed the 3 billion mark in just 18 months. Even if these figures are exaggerated by 10% we can safely say that iPhone has sold like no other mobile phone has. Like it or not this makes it the most popular device on the planet. Try as the may Nokia (with Maemo), HTC (with Android) and Samsung (with Bada or TouchWiz UI) are no match for the iPhone.

But now it seems Google with HTC has got the iPhone in the crosshairs with the much touted and hyped about device called as the Nexus One. It is said that the looks alone are enough to make one drool. Both companies have worked hard in an effort to beat the mobile phone the world loves so much. The device is going to have a Snapdragon CPU clocking at a cool 1 GHz, it will boast of Android 2.1 besides having a 5 MP camera. The important specs are:

• 3.7″ capacitive Touch screen with 480 x 800 display.
• 512 MB of ROM and RAM
• 4 GB microSD card (included) and expandable microSD up to 32GB

I think it will be a long time before Nexus will be able to make a serious dent in iPhone’s popularity. Yes, iPhone’s market share will go down but it will take a sometime, ingenuity and good luck for Nexus One or any other mobile phone to beat the iPhone. Simply because people the world will not stop using their devices and Apple will not stop making/selling new models. In my opinion the coming months will see intense competition which is good for the buyers. The unlocked device it is said will cost around $530, whereas a two year contract with T-Mobile will cost something like $200.

Listening to, reading and finding translation of the Quran is a daily ritual for most Muslims. This can be done using the paper version of the Quran or using specialized software like Quran Reciter etc. Now several websites offer this facility online for free. Tanzil.info is one such website which lets users read and listen the Holy Quran. It also allows users to read translation of the Holy Book in multiple languages.

The interface is attractive and user friendly to use. First time visitors will not find themselves lost in the maze. One can browse through the entire Quran via Suran, Ayah, Juz or even page. Next comes the recitation which can be listened online as well as offline using a separate application. There are 19 Qaris to choose from and the biggest names like Al-Sudais, Abdul Basit and Al-Ghamdi etc are included in the list. A simple mouse-over provides translation in the selected language. A total of 69 types of translation options exist. For example in the English language one can read translation by about 12 people like Marmaduke Pickthall and Mahammad Asad etc.

Motorola Droid, the phone which is a direct iPhone competitor, and is grabbing lot of attention in US market due to Google open source android SmartPhone OS and the application ecosystem surrounding it. The phone so far has been available in US only by verizon for $199 and rest of the world is still waiting for it.

Well, the good news is that in couple of months, Motorola is going to release unlocked version of Droid throughout the world. Motorola is expected to launch the Motorola Droid (unlocked) in February and as well as announce the release of Droid 2 aka Sholes or Shules or Sholes Tablet.

Nowadays if you are not tweeting then you’re not in the circle. Most of us tweet or retweet using a PC, however, there are other options available as well. One can make use of his/her mobile phone, PDA or smart device. The Zune HD that was hit the markets sometime back created quite a stir. Then came news of the Bing app for iPhone and now there is a Twitter app for the Zune HD.

Frankly, the kind of service Twitter offers suits mobile devices. I mean most of us tweet several times a day as random thoughts hit our minds. The convenience for tweeting offered by a mobile device is much more as compared to a PC/Laptop.

The application is free! It allows users to read updates as well as update their posts from the Twitter account. The Zune HD requires a WiFi connection so connectivity can be limited depending on where one is located.

Previously users had to use the Browser, now the app will make it easier to cache pages and view their tweets offline. I guess not we are waiting for a Facebook application. More info the app is available here.

Samsung unveiled a new Smartphone OS for Samsung mobile phones called as Bada. Whatever that means is of no importance, the fact is that now the competition is steeper than ever since iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian now have a competitor which has a growing market share.

The OS is an extension of the Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. The OS is meant for touch screen phones only and Samsung hopes to increase the market share by some 50%. Developers have been encouraged to develop applications on for Bada. Since it is meant for smart devices therefore the apps are themselves going to be advanced in any and every form. Features will include motion sensing, face detection, web control, weather updating and sensing various activities etc.

Some of the service features of the Bada OS include device synchronization, e-commerce services, location based services, content management and social networking that is location based. The SDK is available for download at a dedicated website.

Linked closely to this whole story is the Bada challenge award for developers to share an amount of $ 2,700,000 by simply submitting apps for the OS. Users will be able to buy apps form the Bada store and make payments via their mobile phone bills. Upon launch the app store will be available to some 50 countries and by the second half of 2010 it will be global.

Handsets are expected to be released in first half of 2010. More info at the Bada website.

Red Laser for the iPhone is one neat application that will save you a lot of hassle and some money in the long run. The application is ideally suited for shoppers who don’t like haggling or prefer the price quoted to them by the shop. The truth is some shops and stores do not display prices and when you walk over to the clerk you are given a handsome bill.

With Red Laser the iPhone simply takes a snap of the bar code, interprets the item and goes online to leading e-Shops like Amazon, after running a search for the item and fetches you the price of the item instantly. This means one does not get the price of the item from the store or shop that he or she is standing in, rather he/she gets a second or even third opinion on the item’s price from other outlets.

This lets one make comparisons and prevents shoppers from fleecing customers. The items are then added to a list automatically which can then be e-mailed to for later reference or for making purchases online from one’s PC.  A good shopping aid I must say, try it out. The application has been designed by occipital and is available at the Apple Store for a just $1.99.

Samsung Behold II the very mobile phone we talked about some time back is all set for release on T-Mobile networks on 18^th November. The device runs Android 1.5 and is a smart phone by all standards. The device is expected to cost around $200 with a T-Mobile contract for a two years contract initially (rumored).

It sports the TouchWiz UI as is the norm in most Samsung smart phones of the day. It is thin, not as thin as the iPhone but still enough to attract Gizmo loving humans! A relatively new feature is the camera button on its side which is sensitive enough to feel half touches, for focusing only.

The N900 from Nokia announced in September 2009 at Stuttgart Germany has finally been released. The smartphone has all the features of any leading mobile phone of the day, GSM, HSDPA, WiFi, 3.5″  TFT touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, 32 GB internal storage with options for expansion via external storage, DLNA, 5 MP cam, Dual LED flash, video light, geo-tagging, digital compass,  A-GPS  etc etc. The most outstanding feature however, is the open source Maemo operating system running the device.

Maemo is a faster OS and supports running of multiple applications. Users can for instance surf the web and listen to music at the same time. The Maemo operating system  is similar to a PC’s OS. Best of all it is open source.

José-Luis Martinez who happens to be Vice President for N series devices said the following about the N900.

“The Nokia N900 has generated a lot of interest since its public launch in August, which has been reflected in the device preorders. What’s exciting is the Maemo software, which takes its cues from the desktop computer and offers a full browsing experience like no other handset. We believe the Nokia N900 will be a very compelling device for people who are passionate about technology.”

Well if that be the case then is the N900 going to pose a challenge to the iPhone? And what about the new entrant Android? Does the Android have another competitor? More infor on the Maemo is available at the Nokia Maemo website. The mobile phone info is at the Nokia website. Watch the Nokia N900 video review at Youtube.

With winters just around the corner, each one of you might be thinking of impressing each other with a new look. Be it in clothes, home decor, makeup or mobile phones. Here I bring some exciting and most irresistible WinterBoard themes for iPhone taken from the site iPhoneMVP. These are all a must try. Download them and before you go to your workplace, switch your iPhone to a new theme everyday. You will soon notice people getting distracted by your great new collection.
                                                                                                                               

    BettyBoop                                                             iComplete 3                                  eGlass V3 Theme

Theme 10                                            Tron Recognizer Theme         The Metal Blue Thing Blue

      Straight-P Theme                           iBugnah Theme                            Revolver Remix Theme

The ones without the download link can be obtained from Cydia. Cydia is an application that allows you to add other applications to your iPhone or iPod Touch. In order to get Cydia on your iPhone/iPod Touch, you will need to jailbreak it. See the procedure from below.

How to get them?

1. Your device must be jailbroken.

2. Make sure you have WinterBoard installed via Cydia.
3. Make sure you have the modmyi source installed in Cydia.
4. Search for Revolver Remix in Cydia, run the install.
5. Open WinterBoard and activate the above Themes.

Also Seee Top 12 best WinterBoard themes for jailbroken iPhone/iPod Touch