Conversion seems to be the rage at this week’s BREW 2007 Conference in San Diego. We reported yesterday that Innaworks had developed a BREW to J2ME converter, and today we’re getting word that Javaground, a solution provider for mobile content development, has also announced that the Javaground Solution, an automated development and porting solution with ports Java apps to C/C++. Past converted mobile gaming titles including Casino Royale and Spiderman 3.
Javaground is currently offering a free one-month trial license of its mobile development and porting solution. Contact the company at BrewConverter@javaground.com to obtain the free trial license. So get converting already!
Javaground
The classic wooden brick stacking game might seem an odd choice for a mobile game, but early next year we’ll get to see how it translates to the third screen. I-play announced at this week’s Licensing Show in New York that it has secured the rights to bring Jenga to the mobile platform worldwide sometime in the first half of 2008.
“Jenga’s universal appeal and accessibility makes this game a perfect fit for mobile gamers who represent a broad age demographic and even split across both genders,” said Leighton Webb, Senior Vice President for Content Strategy & Publishing. “We hope that gamers of all ages will be able to enjoy this game as a family, with their kids.”
Jenga is now sold in more than 50 countries, and has been crashing on coffee tables for nearly 25 years. Stacking things has always made for good gameplay on mobile phones, so maybe I-play is on to something.
I-play
This week SEVEN, a provider of push e-mail software, and UFIDA, one of the largest independent software providers in China, announced a new partnership that will provide UFIDA Umail to more than half a million enterprise customers in China. Under this deal SEVEN will become the market leader for push e-mail services in the Chinese market.
Umail allows UFIDA Mobile customers to have access to their mainstream e-mail accounts via their mobile phones, and with the push technology will provide the access to messages in less than a second.
“Mobile consumers are constantly on the go,” said Ross Bott, chief executive officer of SEVEN. “Enterprise subscribers are in and out of meetings or traveling and they’re never in one place for an entire day, and our solution can travel with them. Mobile email means that people can be mobile, giving them greater flexibility in their day and where and how they work.”
This service will even allow customers to access multiple e-mail accounts at once, and customers will be further be able to have access to their contact lists, as well as calendar and even archived folder, and do all of this from a mobile device.
Seven
It seems like everyone wants to be an individual, or at least and individual that goes along with the crowd. To this end OwnSkin is a new user-generated mobile theme community that lets people personalize their mobile handsets. In additional the usual stuff, there are plenty of wall papers, themes and other goodies that you can download and install.
From the look of it a lot of the content features “licensed” characters and themes, so no word on how often some of this stuff gets removed, and since it is user-generated we’re thinking this is best described as a “use at your risk,” but if you want more than just a wallpaper of your car or a few seconds of the latest Fall Out Boy song as your ringtone, check out OwnSkin and see if they have anything you’d like to make your own!
OwnSkin
We’re getting word that Yeigo, the VoIP and IM service for mobile handsets, is now supported on Windows Mobile 6.0. The software app has been available for Windows 5.0 since February, and now the mobile VoIP solution is up and ready to go for Windows Mobile 6.0.
The team offers some insight on the Yeigo Blog.
The major players in the electronic entertainment industry are bringing out the big guns when it comes to mobile games. With a mobile phone in nearly everyone’s pocket that’s a bigger market than the current generation of consoles combined!
Vivendi Games Mobile has announced their second half line up, and it is an impressive one. This includes titles that are original properties as well as games based on Sierra Entertainment franchises. In total Vivendi Games Mobile will be introducing 10 new titles for the second half of 2007.
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If you’re one of those people who has deadbeat friends that never seems to have cash, you can ask for that $5 back if they’re a Verizon Wireless subscriber. As our sister site at Crunchgear is reporting Verizon is adding mobile payment options, which means that customers can use their handsets to send money to each other using a service from Obopay Inc.
This service will be available in the coming weeks, and the Obopay service will eventually even let customers conduct transactions by waving their phone at a retail checkout or an automated bank cash machine. Prepay and billing options will be available, but we’re still going to have to see how quick retailers will adapt to the new service.
[Via Reuters]
Today Alltel and Mobile Complete announced the launch of the Alltel Virtual Developer Lab, a new remote testing service, which gives developers Mobile Complete’s remote handset and access technology. This allows real-time access to phones on the Alltel CDMA network, and now the entire development community can interact with these devices just as if the phones were physically in their hands.
“The launch of the new remote testing service, reinforces our commitment to support all facets of the product development process, said Wade McGill, senior vice president of wireless products for Alltel. “Access to the most advanced mobile phones and the ability to communicate and share information among developers is crucial to the development and delivery of quality mobile content.”
Benefits for developers including global service that is available 27/7, as well as removing the need to ship phone for firmware updates, and opportunities for greater collaboration. Mobile phones have already helped connect people and now this technology looks like it will help mobile developers!
Alltel Wireless
Mobile Complete
Could a Skype killer be on the horizon? Possibly, according to the developers at JAJAH. The company has announced its No Headset campaign, and Web site, with the slogan “You Liked Skype, You’ll Love JAJAH.” This campaign is being launched to increase public awareness for the JAJAH service, and users are being rewarded with official clothing if they “creatively dispose of their existing computer headset.” Examples can be viewed on a special Web site that has been launched that provides program details, and includes videos of such “creativity.”
“JAJAH is revolutionary because it lets you make free and low-cost global calls using your everyday mobile or landline phone,” said Roman Sharf, JAJAH co-founder. “Services like Skype require headsets, software downloads and sometimes other technical equipment, making them way too hard for the everyday consumer to use.”
As a side note: In fairness there are plenty of options for using Skype without a headset, including a new dual-use Philips VoIP phone that can be used as a traditional wireless phone, and as a Skype phone. More importantly as a Skype phone the Philips VOIP8411B/37 can even be used without a computer. It only requires a broadband connection and will work with dynamic and static IP address. I’ve been using it for the past week, and it is an excellent landline and Skype phone.
What JAJAH is doing is also very interesting. From the Web site, JAJAH lets callers enter their cell or landline phone number, along with the number they wish to call and JAJAH connects both parties. These calls are then free between JAJAH users for up to 30 minutes a day, and this includes calls to across town or across the planet.
No Headset
JAJAH
Philips
Push it, push it real good. That’s the word from SEVEN, a developer of push e-mail software. Today SEVEN announced the availability of push e-mail software for a variety of mobile phones and smartphones including the Nokia N95 to the Mail Movistar Empresas and Mail Movistar Profesional services, which are provided through the mobile unit of Telefónica in Spain. This will provide subscribers with an easy access in real time to their corporate and personal-mail accounts through their mobile phones.
“Telefónica’s diverse mobile phone and smartphone offerings allow its subscribers with the luxury of mobility,” said Ross Bott, CEO of SEVEN. “Combining these stylish mobile phones with SEVEN’s mobile email service available through Movistar allows customers to stay connected anywhere, anytime. As the largest push email software provider in the world, we thrive on furthering the connectivity of our subscribers and increasing their mobile email access.”
Seven
Orange UK, a mobile provider of phone service and directory assistance, and PhoneSpots, a provider of mobile advertising technology for the local search market, have announced a partnership. Orange has selected PhoneSpots’ mobile advertising exchange to deliver enhanced listing information and targeted advertising to mobile phones that call the popular “118 000” directory. A text message containing enhanced listing and advertising will then be automatically sent to the caller’s mobile handset.
“Caller experience is paramount for Orange UK’s directory assistance business, so it’s critical that our callers find value in the content and advertising we deliver,” said Jon Cheetham, Senior Product Manager, Orange UK. “The PhoneSpots mobile advertising exchange enables us to strike the delicate balance between creating a premium caller experience and delivering successful advertising campaigns.”
The mobile advertising exchange is powered by the company’s “context engine” software. This analyzes each directory assistance query and then determines the most relevant advertisement and content to deliver with the requested listing. PhoneSpots enables customers such as Orange to receive payment from advertisers on a pay-per-click, pay-per-call, CPM impression or subscription basis.
PhoneSports
Orange UK
Searching for anything in China can be a long and somewhat complicated process, but we’re hearing that mobile searches might just a bit easier, as Google has announced plans to add mobile messaging functions to its online search in China. The message service will likely be free, especially as Google is interested in building marketshare. With a billion people that could be a huge market to own!
[Via TMCnet]
The fourth title in The Fast and the Furious has just rolled onto the mobile platform. Since being launched in 2004 this franchise has been quite successful, pulling away with seven million paid downloads. And the latest title is available this week through an agreement with Universal Mobile Entertainment and I-Play.
The Fast and the Furious: Fugitive is based on the time between the two films, and focuses on an entirely new chapter set in Miami between the two films. Developed for the BREW platform the game was unveiled this week at the BREW 2007 Conference.
“BREW customers have a treat in store with The Fast and The Furious: Fugitive 3D. This game has been developed by our internal team who continually raise the bar in terms of innovation, and have created a visually stunning 3D game,” said David Gosen, CEO, I-play. “Some of the visual effects that add to the game’s realism include the reflection of the clouds and buildings in the rear window and the pre-race cinematography that’s pulled straight from the movies.”
The game is available now from I-Play.
This week Microsoft officially unveiled the new face for MSN Mobile, which features a completely redesigned look. The portal offers access to e-mail, news, sports, entertainment, local movie listings, maps and directions and other Windows Live services including Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Live Search and Windows Live Spaces.
The content includes access to up-to-date content from partners including MSNBC and FoxSports.com, MSN’s exclusive online sports partner. The new MSN Mobile is now available in the United States, with additional worldwide markets to follow throughout the rest of 2007.
MSN Mobile
Today 4INFO has announced that it has completed a $10 million Series D found of funding led by Gannet, Co. Inc. Since the carefree days of VC money flowing are a thing of the past, we’re certain 4INFO will put this funding to good use, and the company plans to use the money for product development and to expand its sales and distribution teams, while trying to grow into a profitable company.
“We’re proud to have the opportunity to build on our relationship with Gannett, a visionary company that is leading traditional media’s expansion into the mobile sphere,” said 4INFO CEO Zaw Thet. “Gannett’s support enables 4INFO to continue to advance our business of providing useful, timely information to consumers via their mobile phones and marketers with a unique way to reach an engaged mobile audience.”
As a provider of SMS based mobile search and alter services, 4INFO offers free access to real-time sports scores, 411, stock quotes, weather updates, horoscopes and other content. The SMS Publishing Platform allows print and online publishers to mobilize their content.
4INFO
Software development on mobile has been essentially divided among two camps including Java ME (Java Micro Edition) and BREW, and this has made development difficult as software creators had to basically make two versions. Innaworks hopes to reduce the effort a bit with their new alcheMo, an automated Java ME to BREW porting solution, which the company is showcasing this week at the BREW 2007 Conference in San Diego.
“alcheMo is technically very impressive. It is the first automated J2ME to BREW porting solution I know of that works on standard unmodified J2ME games. alcheMo has every potential of revolutionizing the way the industry tackles platform fragmentation,” said David Brittain, VP Technology, Superscape. “On the Spring Break: Wild Waves project, alcheMo shows that a single code base is a reality and simultaneous J2ME and BREW development is no longer an expensive luxury. Equally impressive is the quality of Innaworks’ relentless customer service. I enjoyed working with their dedicated and talented team who helped make Spring Break: Wild Waves a success.”
This new software will allow one code base, created by one team to create an app for both Java ME and BREW devices. Additionally, one coding solution means that the work can be done in Java, an easier language for programming, while functional tests need be performed only once to cover both platforms.
innaworks
Clippz.com hopes to use their “Cascade” technology to let users “sideload” optimized video clips from the Internet to a mobile device, thus bypassing mobile carriers. We like the sound of this, and Clippz.com could be one to watch. The site deploys their proprietary (but still patent-pending) tech to deliver the video to more than 150 specific mobile video players, including mobile phones, as well as PDAs and portable media devices such as the Zune and iPod. This content is thus delivered as device-optimized files without requiring and intermediation from the mobile network. Better still you won’t need to convert the files or install any additional software.
“Clippz.com offers something absolutely new to the rapidly growing number of mobile video consumers who are using more than 1 billion devices worldwide,” said Philip John, CEO of Clippz Ltd. “Sideloading device-optimized video content to a mobile device without having to go through a mobile carrier has never before been available on this scale.
According to the company, their technology is based on an intelligent mobile video encoder that can convert a single input video into multiple outputs based on a predefined set of more than 30 different device profiles. Thus content can come from various sources, including YouTube, MySpace and Metacafe and downloaded from Clippz.com to a computer, then “sideloaded” onto a mobile device in the appropriate optimized format. This sideloading can be done via Bluetooh, USB cable connection or from a memory card.
Clippz.com
At the NXTcomm trade conference this morning AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson announced live video sharing on their 3G enabled handsets. If both users have a compatible handset and are in a 3G coverage area, you can invite the callee to see your video by just pressing your camera button. The functionality is based on Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem and runs on compatible phones such as the Samsung A717, Samsung Sync, and LG CU500v. Stephenson also said you can expect to see them reach the other two screens as well.
The launch has some restrictions, though. It’s currently available in three markets: Atlanta, Dallas, and San Antonio. Only one phone can stream video at a time, and it’s also a bit pricey. You can pay per minute at 35 cents a minute or buy in bulk at $4.99 for 25 minutes (19.96 cents/min) or 60 minutes for $9.99 (16.65 cents/min). You can see a demo of the video here.
As our sister site at Crunchgear is reporting, Fring is getting about to announce that their free VoIP service will be able for Windows Mobile devices, including Windows Mobile series 5.0 and 6.0 handsets and PDAs.
Watch their own blog for more details.
Fring
Glu Mobile is set to take on the world, or so it seems. We’re hearing that the company has opened a new development studio in Beijing, China, which is headed by Kim Daniel Arthur, former head of the Glu studio in London. This will allow Glu Mobile to expand in China and other Asian markets.
Additionally, Glu Mobile is set to open offices in Milan, Italy and Madrid, Spain. It’s a small world after all!
[Via GameDaily]
