Brainstorm: less functionality per device, more devices
I just recently got my first bluetooth headset. This is only relevant because it got me thinking. The typical cell phone (including the Neo) is built upon the idea of putting as much functionality as possible into one device. And manufacturers have gotten very good at this. What if one took the UNIX approach to hardware development. Instead of monolithic do-everything devices, create many single purpose devices that do their jobs very well, and can be chained together. This approach has some advantages: 1) Easier (and cheaper) to upgrade. Need more processing power? Add another or a smarter cpu pebble. Need gps? Add a gps pebble. Need storage, add a storage pebble. Need a camera, add a camera earring or watch or ring. 2) Cheaper initial investment. A basic phone could be a headset, a gsm transmitter, and little tablet UI device. 3 (or maybe you stick the gsm transmitter in the ui, so 2) little cheap devices that can be sold for tens, rather than hundreds of dollars. However, as a consumer desires more functionality, they buy more devices. 3) Carry only the functionality you need. Are you going clubbing? Probably won't need that gps unit, or the media player. Heading out to the woods? Ditch the second cpu, but grab an extra battery. 4) Interoperability. By opening the standard up to many manufacturers, a more robust ecosystem is created, and the entire platform improves. Disadvantages: 1) More items to lose. Perhaps they could snap together, like legos, or be carried in some sort of bag all together? 2) Intra device bandwidth is at a premium. Bluetooth 3.0 is probably necessary if you want to keep your storage in a separate device from your cpu or your ui. This in turn creates extra demands on batteries. Again, perhaps a standard snap together interface can carry power and data. 3) Potential incompatibilities. Different devices might not speak the same protocol, even if they are supposed to. This can be disastrous when your cpu is not from the same company as your storage. 4) Potential security risks. Running all that data over the air means it is easier to read it, in the event that your encryption fails. And since encryption is likely to be run off a chip, rather than a more general purpose cpu, security holes are more difficult to fix. 5) Harder to write the software. Obviously, this makes your OS about 1000% more complicated. Anyway, it seems like it COULD be an interesting sort of thing to try. Jonas ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: adding data services with t.mobile for neo 1973
I also have t.mobile. The key to getting the plan you need with any GSM carrier is to tell them you have a phone that goes with the plan you want. For example, call them up and tell them you just bought an unlocked Treo 700w from Palm and want a data plan for it. They will happily provide one. The people you talk to on the phone for these companies are reading from scripts. They are not allowed to say things that are not in their books (think of it like a choose your own adventure over the phone where you don't get to know what your choices are). That said, in my few months since I switched to tmobile from att / cingular, I have found their phone zombies to be much superior to other companies. I even got them to list what tcp ports they block on their gprs coverage. So they may surprise you. Jonas P.S. I am not a normal subscriber to community, so if this does not go through to that list, please forward it so that others may see this answer for reference. ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Real Neo1973 photo / Neo delayed...!?
On Jan 10, 2007, at 2:47 PM, Marcin Juszkiewicz wrote: With 64M flash and 1G card? Bigger flash capacity cards will come. And your Neo can keep getting bigger and bigger cards, while that iPhone is going to be stuck with 4 or 8. Besides, there are only 3 capacities of portable music player: 1) Small enough such that you have to change it around constantly 2) Large enough such that you can store all the music you regularly listen to. 3) Large enough to store your whole collection. The number of GB that corresponds to the above categories of course varies from person to person, but all current flash capacities are in category 1 for me... Now bluetooth stereo headphones, on the other hand; those are cool. Jonas___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Real Neo1973 photo / Neo delayed...!?
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 - -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Is the Bluetooth A2DP? IE, can we use stereo headsets and will it therefore make a better iPod than the iPhone? ;) Jonas - -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (Darwin) iD8DBQFFpQU7qwBH78TAMSURAi33AKCCALNNon7atXSk2p5gzn+8doKr4QCaAyFa ytkmBZ4FufrEFDxAndS254k= =LEFc - -END PGP SIGNATURE- -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (Darwin) iD8DBQFFpQVDqwBH78TAMSURAiebAJ9rIgAQuzXTHrarRhJQCht6uJDZWACfVp2H CD/ymTnhzsn8XhUqqVlTn7E= =zbZE -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ OpenMoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
