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WAP Insight Vol: 2 Issue 26 25th June 2000Free 1.2 Toolkit from NokiaNokia has releases its WAP Toolkit 2.0 for content developers. The product is available free of charge and provides a PC-based environment for developers to write, test and de-bug WAP 1.1 and 1.2 applications. However the toolkit contains two separate mobile phone simulators (both Nokias, of course). A Nokia 7100 Series phone simulator is provided for prototyping WAP 1.1 services. In addition, a second ‘concept’ phone simulator is provided for prototyping WAP 1.2 applications, including push services. The new release even contains a limited version of the Nokia WAP Server although applications can also be stored and queried directly from the PC file system. The company claims that to date well over 100,000 developers have already downloaded previous versions of the Nokia WAP toolkit. Interesting features include a WBMP graphics tool that allows users to convert GIF and JPEG images into a WMBP and then modify the images. Press release 1.2 Toolkit Logica’s m-WorldGate for
i-mode
Logica has released m-WorldGate which it claims is the
world's first commercially available cHTML
(compact HTML) gateway. Compact HTML is closely based HTML and allows
information to be presented on any mobile phones supporting a cHTML browsers.
Although invented by Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, cHTML is independent of the air
interface and could therefore be run over GSM
or CDMA, for example. With cHTML Internet content providers are therefore not
required to learn new methods of programming or rely on converters
to produce WML code for WAP phones. “We have all watched the remarkable
success of Japanese carriers such as NTT DoCoMo who use compacted forms of
HTML,” said Frank Eastaughffe, head of Logica's mobile Internet business.
Strange comment that. WAP Insight believes the other Japanese carriers all use
WAP not i-mode. T-Mobil pips Cellnet to GPRS
GSM network operator T-Mobil has launched a GPRS data service on its T-D1 network in Germany, beating BT Cellnet to the post by three days. The network uses Motorola Aspira GPRS core and infrastructure technology from Cisco Systems developed by their Invisix joint venture. T-Mobile claims GPRS will be deployed countrywide across Germany, providing high speed data to all subscribers on the T-D1 network. The system is facilitated by Motorola's Timeport p7389i GPRS phone which it claims is the world's first GSM tri-band GPRS handset. GPRS is generally regarded as vital for WAP’s competitiveness. Press release Aspira http://horizongprs.motorola.com SmartGroups now in WAP formatIt is now possible to access SmartGroups.com - the online community for special interest groups - using a WAP-enabled mobile phone. WAP phone users can: - access all of SmartGroups (not just the group dedicated to WAP); view details about group events; read emails posted to the group; and send emails to the group. Subscribers need to go to ‘Your Details’ when logged into SmartGroups to create a WAP enabled account. SmartGroups intends to add more WAP functionality in future. WAP Insight would tell you more about the WAP section which is available at www.theWAPgroup.com or via email to wapgroup@smartgroups.com but we’ve been thrown out of the group for failing to read the small print carefully enough. www.smartgroups.com/text/en/newfeatures/ i-mode now in English
Initially aiming at foreign users based in Japan, NTT
DoCoMo has added to its i-mode portal site a variety of services in English,
thereby upping the stakes in its rivalry with WAP. To begin with there will be
15 different types of content, including news, travel information and
entertainment, accessible by simply selecting a title on the i-mode portal. This
initial offering will become available after July 3rd 2000 but the
company says it plans to continue expanding its English based content. Walled gardens falling?A row has broken out over external access from Trium Geo-@ handsets supplied by UK operator, BT Cellnet. Users require a four digit code to enable them to re-program this WAP phone so that it can access other portals besides BT Cellnet’s own portal offering (genie). The Geo-@ is, of course, a pre-paid WAP handset and Mitsubishi (which makes the phones) alleged that it had been asked by Cellnet to lock the phones. Cellnet says it will now make the code available to anybody who asks for it. [Anybody know what it is?] The argument illustrates how operators prefer the ‘walled garden’ approach to WAP, rather than letting users roam to any WAP site they wish. Recently France Telecom lost a similar battle to restrict users to its own WAP portal. |
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