Simon’s Blog

The technical details of Android, the new Google mobile phone OS platform, are now out. There are many articles on the Web discussing the new platform, many of which seem to get things horribly wrong. So, I thought I’d try to put some perspective on Android here…
First, the web browser. At the Android [...]

A couple of days ago, I wrote about the inability of traditional media companies to get their “product” to consumers, when they want it, the way they want it (see, Clueless Traditional Media - Andreessen Hits Nail On Head).
However, in the spirit of fairness, I thought I should point out that it’s not only the [...]

At 6pm today, the iPhone launches in the United Kingdom. Remember the massive overnight queues and the unrestrained joy in Palo Alto and New York when the iPhone was originally launched? Well, here’s the scene of the UK launch in London today…

On the weekend of the US launch, there was talk [...]

I wrote yesterday that it wasn’t clear if, despite all the noise, Google is serious about Android being open (Is Android Really Going To Be Open?). Today, people have today been digging around and found a couple of amusing things on this topic. First up, it’s a quote from the Android FAQ. [...]

(This post last updated 11 Dec 2007, to reflect the 4 Dec Microsoft Xbox software update) 
The Xbox 360 is an excellent device for letting you stream media to your TV. Setting up your Xbox 360 to wirelessly stream audio and video from your computer is easy when you know how - you can be up [...]

With all the news coverage surrounding Google’s new Android platform, I wondered what the state of play was with Sun’s new JavaFX Mobile platform was. It seems that the current state of play is this: software emulators, and actual developer handsets (built by openmoko, at a guess), will be made available near the [...]

Facebook has just revealed the details of its new social advertising platform. At first glance, the ideas seems pretty smart, making excellent use of the key strengths of Facebook. However, I think there’s actually a massive potential problem with the new offering: a problem that might mean Facebook has no chance [...]

It’s been a while now since Google’s Android announcement, and as people digest what details there are, it’s clear that we’re short of more than a few important facts. Of course, the way Android’s communications are handled is entirely up to Google and the rest of the “open” handset alliance. However, for every [...]

As the technical details about Android, Google’s mobile phone operating system, begin to surface, we’re starting to get the first glimpses of how it compares to other upcoming phone OS platforms. One key question is: how will Android compare to Sun’s JavaFX Mobile platform?
While both Android and JavaFX Mobile seem to be what you [...]

Over the weekend, I was talking with a friend about the increasing popularity of downloading TV shows and movies. The main point I was making was that the companies that create the great shows seem totally unable to supply their content such that people can watch what they want, when they want. [...]