Motorola+Qtopia=Linux Smart Phone 176
lems1 writes "Start compiling the excuses you will tell your boss to upgrade your cell phone now. Motorola has opted to use Trolltech's Qtopia to power up the next generation of SmartPhones. Get the scoop/specs from here and a nice high-res picture from this other link.
The phone will have 'digital camera, video player, MP3 player, speakerphone, advanced messaging, instant Internet access and Bluetooth wireless technology' capabilities. On top of being Linux-based of course." Update: 11/12 00:44 GMT by T : Yep, this is the same phone mentioned a few weeks ago.
"Phone"? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:"Phone"? (Score:4, Informative)
I'd like to see a few more features:
a real camera: 3 MP camera (minimum), 5x optical zoom, USB port and SD slot
VGA port: display images on big screen
takes mpeg video/audio clips
webcam functionality--turn it on, scp an image every 3 secs to your server
built in laser pointer
voice recorder (can send as voicemail message to others, like a mailing list)
IR beaming capability a la Palm
PalmOS, for that matter
wi-fi, embedded httpd; people could browse to your phone while connected
MP3/Ogg/WAV stereo output
biometric security: require your fingerprint or retinal pattern to activate
about 128MB to hold all this stuff
Am I forgetting anything?
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2, Insightful)
That would be a perfect phone - for people like us. Joe CellPhoneUser wouldn't even understand what most of the features are, let alone use them.
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2, Informative)
Nah, maybe VNC?
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2)
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2)
Re:"Phone"? (Score:3, Funny)
Or maybe an acronym that actually makes sense?
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2)
Re:"Phone"? (Score:1)
We'd never enjoy another movie at the theater.
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2)
Sooo... what you're saying is that there'd be no change in the enjoyment of the movies?
Re:"Phone"? (Score:3, Insightful)
do any DESKTOPS even offer all of these functions in one unit?
either way, physical restrictions will prohibit this from being practical (gotta have big antenna to transmit high bandwidths, room for a speaker, optics for the high-quality camera, microphone for the recorder, place ti put your fingerprint for security, somewhere to hold a stylus, room for the VGA port and accompanying hardware. oh.... and a battery big enough to support
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2)
Yea, the kitchen sink.
Re:"Phone"? (Score:1)
You won't need the monitor cables because you can just point your device at a nearby surface.
Imagine if they were strong enough (laser-based?) to project a small image 50m or so
Re:"Phone"? (Score:1)
Coffee. It must make coffee.
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2)
AM/FM/DAB radio, Television, knife, screwdriver set, marlin spike, toothpick, taser, comb, cigarette lighter, sattelite navigation, surround sound.
Re:"Phone"? (Score:2)
remote control device for bullet proof car
homing beacon
dual use electromagnet (picking up henchman's knives/undoing russian lady spy's zipper).
One more step towards Star Trek... (Score:1)
Seriously thou, isn't having that much options on a cellphone make it slightly more confusing to use? Especially for those who drive and talk?
Re:One more step towards Star Trek... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:One more step towards Star Trek... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:One more step towards Star Trek... (Score:2)
Nah. I've discovered that if you just pay full attention to your phone you can handle it all right.
Although everyone else on the road seems to get confused after that. What's with them anyway, don't they know how to drive?
KFG
Never post a 2848x2562 picture!!! (Score:1)
Re:Never post a 2848x2562 picture!!! (Score:1)
I wish they'd stop... (Score:5, Insightful)
How about a solid, reliable phone that just makes really, really, really good, clear calls? To many of the current generation have that "disposable" feel to them.
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:3, Interesting)
I want a phone into which I can dictate... then just sync it into my computer and let dragon dictate transcribe it for me.
Palm, page, phone, and dictaphone... my belt makes me look like BATMAN these days.
Davak
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:2)
Wait, I don't see what the problem is. I actually want more devices AND a utility belt. But only if I can carry a grappling hook around, too.
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:1)
The other day I recorded a 20 minute talk and it took about 800K. Then connect it to a bluetooth-enabled PC and transfer the file to it. It's in AMR format, but you can get converters for it for free. I have one that does AMR to OGG.
Then have you
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:2)
And a pager still? Wow, hello mr. dinosaur man. Why not consolodate the pager and phone? Work for some weird company who won't let you use a different page #, one that happens to be on t
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:5, Insightful)
how about a nice nokia 2100 [nokia.com] if you don't want any features? or siemens a50? [my-siemens.com]
the thing is that those phones(that don't have much features) do exist, but they're a horrible deal to actually buy(cost nearingly the same as the next phone in the range with couple of more useful functions), you essentially save a bit(not nearingly enough) of money to have things disabled.
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:3, Insightful)
INCREDIBLE! They wont trust you with a five minute digital recorder, but they will trust you with a very high quality four hour long range bug otherwise known as a cell phone? Ask any salesperson - the cell phone is the ultimate bug:
1) Dial out to say your per
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:2)
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:2)
I'm not a consultant, but I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express. I agree. People try some of the most ridiculous strategies for security - and most of the time overlook the obvious and most serious threat of all. Cover the basics before you worry about the extremes.
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:2)
1) the heavier & bulkier it gets. They were just about to get to the size of a lapel pin that I could wear on my shoulder like a star trek insignia.
2) the more unstable it gets. There's nothing worse or more embarrassing than losing a call because your phone crashes. This happens even with relatively simple WAP phones, and all the time with the old VisorPhone I had.
3) the less electronics I would buy. If phones and PDAs were separate and
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:3, Insightful)
Not really. Phones have been getting smaller and lighter, despite the fact that they have added features to it (camera, Bluetooth, GPRS, WAP, EDGE, color-screen, polyphonic ring-tones etc. etc.). The size is starting to reach it's limits, since the device still needs a keypad, and the screen (color-screen these days) are getting bigger.
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:1)
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:2)
Because. It's. Not. Allowed. To. Be. There. In. The. First. Place.
Security, don't ya know.
Re:I wish they'd stop... (Score:2)
i am pleased (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:i am pleased (Score:2)
Re:i am pleased (Score:1)
But what network does it use? (Score:3, Insightful)
that's kind of important to those of us with a choice.
looks nice though. I never liked the clamshell design but now it's growing on me... much better than having to lock the keypad all the time
Re:But what network does it use? (Score:1)
If only it was an iDEN phone...drool...
Re:But what network does it use? (Score:2)
Please, Verizon, pleeeeaaaassseeeeee!
If someone can determine if there's a CDMA version of this phone, please post below!
Re:But what network does it use? (Score:1, Informative)
850/900/1800/1900
GPRS as well...an not thats not a seperate band. Uses 1900MHz.
There isnt really anyone using 850 yet, but there are many carriers that will be adding it since analog is no longer required and the 850 GSM actually runs on the same freqs as analog. 824-849MHz.
Yeah... (Score:3, Insightful)
What worries me about this wonderful Swiss-Army phone is the software. If it ran Palm OS, I could easily continue to use all my current favorite software.
Where do I find software for this beast?
If it runs pure linux stuff, yeah! But if it runs some hybrid, I'll wait a couple of versions down the line until the software is commonplace.
Re:Yeah... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Yeah... (Score:2)
Re:Yeah... (Score:2)
anyways.. series60(nokia+some others) symbian phones are starting to have a pretty good portfolio when it comes to software. since 7650 has been out for a year already, and the appearance of other s60 phones has made it pretty nice looking pl
Re:Yeah... (Score:2)
Very well put. In the US you are at the mercy of your carrier as to what phones they will allow you to use. For example, try and get a J2ME enabled phone you can use on Verizon.
Of course they have bucketloads using their GetItNow service (also known as Qualcomm BREW) and the apps only come for a fee (which Qualcomm and Verizon get a portion of).
To write a "free" program for any Verizon cellphone would require me to spend over $6,000 a year at Qualcomm, get it
Re:Yeah... (Score:1)
MontaVista has announced [mvista.com] that it runs their Linux, so technically it should be able to run arbitrary Linux stuff. But information on how to download applications and on applications that are hooked up to the phone's buttons and display might also be needed... If it does run Qtopia then there are a lot of Qtopia applications available.
Zaurus software perhaps? (Score:1)
Since the Zaurus runs Qtopia, you would hope that a fair quantity of the Zaurus software would run on this phone. Whether the insanity runs as deep as I've seen for the Zaurus (i.e., running apache and sshd) is yet to be seen.
Also, wouldn't it have support for J2ME as well?
What they don't tell you... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:What they don't tell you... (Score:2)
I was afraid that was going to be a goatse link!
This is Linux's Omaha Beach (Score:3, Insightful)
Cell phones are the battleground where Linux will defeat Microsoft for world domination in the OS war. When executives who buy Linux-based phones note how reliable the OS is on their phone, it's a short mental leap to see it's reliability on the internet, servers, phone systems, and eventually the growing server and desktop.
Many techs think this is naive, but just ask a suit. You'll be surprised to hear the phrase "I thought Linux was dead". Executives are like salespeople; they only believe what they see, and what they see is the end product.
Re:This is Linux's Omaha Beach (Score:2)
Re:This is Linux's Omaha Beach (Score:2)
Then they'll have absolutely no interest in this [attwireless.com], right? No business executive could possibly have a use for a phone that can sync directly with their Windows programs and includes p
Re:This is Linux's Omaha Beach (Score:2)
Re:This is Linux's Omaha Beach (Score:3, Insightful)
First of all, they are unlikely to know or care what OS the phone runs. Secondly, you are asking for a (possibly correct) conclusion based on faulty reasoning, which is a terribly slippery slope. There are many phone (or PDA) operating systems, and most of them are utterly unsuitable
Re:This is Linux's Omaha Beach (Score:2)
Ogg Vorbis? (Score:3, Informative)
Anyone know (or have reason to guess) if this thing will play Ogg Vorbis or FLAC audio files? Despite my decided lack of money I would buy an iPod if it had Vorbis support, and while I don't need a walkman, I do need a cell phone.
Re:Ogg Vorbis? (Score:4, Informative)
Rob Lanphier
Helix Community Coordinator
Re:Ogg Vorbis? (Score:1)
Re:Ogg Vorbis? (Score:2)
Rob
karma whoring (for the first time!) (Score:1, Redundant)
Trolltech(R), a leader in multiplatform development frameworks, today introduced Qtopia(R) Phone Edition (Qtopia Phone), a Linux(R)-based application platform for phones.
The combination of Qtopia Phone and embedded Linux creates a robust operating environment with the flexibility to support phones with limited capacity, feature phones and high-end enterprise smartphones. Qtopia Phone provides all the base Qtopia applicati
Confused (Score:1)
Re:Confused (Score:3, Interesting)
What sticks are good UIs.
Qt/Embedded vs Qtopia (Score:5, Informative)
Save Some Time (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Save Some Time (Score:2)
Where are the specs?
Also, which cell-phone companies support/permit it?
VisorPhones (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:VisorPhones (Score:1)
Keep a level head about this (Score:1, Flamebait)
Not for me (Score:2, Troll)
Re:Not for me (Score:1)
Re:Not for me (Score:1)
Re:Not for me (Score:1)
Hearing Aid Compatible Phone? (Score:2, Insightful)
mistake (Score:4, Insightful)
Choosing Qt/Embedded means that Motorola is now tied to the fortunes of Troll Tech. The GPL option of Troll Tech's license may be acceptable for open source developers, but it wouldn't be an option for Motorola should Troll Tech decide to take a wrong turn somewhere with where they take Qt/Embedded (some would argue that they already have). Furthermore, commercial developers for these phones have a much higher cost of entry into the market than if Motorola had chosen one of the LGPL'ed toolkits.
Altogether, Motorola is in roughly the same situation with respect to Troll Tech as they would be with respect to Microsoft if they had chosen Windows CE. But Microsoft at least is guaranteed to stay around a little longer.
What is particularly sad is that Qt/Embedded really has technically no advantages over any of the alternatives. Even compared to X11 and Gtk+, Qt/Embedded is slow and memory hungry; it's less featureful and without open implementations.
Congratulations on a good marketing and sales job to Troll Tech. But this is a pretty sad day for Linux and open source.
Re:mistake (Score:1)
You mean open implementations like this [handhelds.org]?
Re:mistake (Score:2, Insightful)
Commercial developers have to pay to use QT? Big deal, it only means that their commercial margin will be a bit lower. And if they don't want to, they can distribute their software as GPL.
But meanwhile there are lots of free software products hitting the internet instead of the shelves from the non-commercial developers. And guess what, they
i want the new pocket pc 2003 t-mobile phone! (Score:2)
Why?
Because you can use Visual Studio 2003 to easily write apps for the
Just about any app you can think of that would be useful could
$500+ for Visual Studio? (Score:3, Informative)
Nokia wants to sell phones, not software, hence it's in their best interest to provide free development tools. Thanks to this enlightened policy, there's a TON of software out there for Nokia phones.
Re:$500+ for Visual Studio? (Score:2)
Obligatory stupid comment (Score:1)
ROAR! I want CDMA+Bluetooth and I want it NOW! (Score:1)
Sprint and Verizon, what gives? What the hell do you guys have against BT??? I work in the industry and have even queried a few manufacturer reps and higher-ups at the carriers and the results have been disparaging, to say the least. Reps scurry away quickly with hands firmly clamped over their ears
Only one question is important to 80% of people (Score:2)
Motorola+Qtopia= (Score:2)
"Motorola" and "smart" in one sentence? :X (Score:1)
You must be kidding. I bought one of their timeport phones and it was the total suckage. I asked a couple friends why that was, and they gave me that pittying look - "Look...that poor sod bought a motorola, how sad..."
A lot of stuff runs linux nowadays. But just because you can slap linux on a machine doesn't mean it's a good machine...
Motorola? Eeeek. (Score:1)
What matters is the interface (Score:2)
I had a Motorola Accompli 008 (I needed a calendar) which can be described as an older version of this phone I believe and it sounds like this phone have some of the same flaws according to a small "review" I found here [mobileburn.com].
Basically, the interface on the Accompli 008 sucked. It has got to be pretty easy to use or I'll simply not use it. I ended up only using it as a phone and it wasn't very hand in that regard. This smartphone sounds like it's become a bit better, but not that much. Today I have a SE P800 an
Re:Obligatory (Score:1)
$35 (Score:2)
Re:Obligatory (Score:2)
though, what can they really do about it?
.
Re:Obligatory (Score:1)
Re:Obligatory (Score:1)
Troll being the operative word. ;-) (Score:1)
Re:Don't forget... (Score:1)
My guess: They are afraid to do so, since the first time someone refuses to pay up and claims this is fraud, or at the very least not valid, those who have paid would join up in a class act. There are also some US federal laws that make it illegal to send bills that are a fraud. SCO has probably judged they would 1: lose, 2: get bad press, stopping the rise in t
Re:I wouldn't buy it.... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:I wouldn't buy it.... (Score:2)
however, learning yet why operator tie in sucks and how phones aren't 'free'? when you can change the operator if they suck without hassle(or big fees) the operators are far more likely to make the network actually usable(than just concentrating on locking the poor sobs in).