Newest Pocket PC kid on the block - BSmart Communicator

[Andy Sjostrom]

<a href="http://www.bsmart-solutions.com/Comm-MainFeat.htm">http://www.bsmart-solutions.com/Comm-MainFeat.htm</a><br /><br />Michael van Oosten sent in this link to a Malaysian company, BSmart. BSmart focuses on Microsoft Windows Embedded development and has now announced plans to bring a Pocket PC with integrated GPRS and GPS to market.<br /><br />In my opinion, it has a cool "Star Trek"-look. I also note, with great joy, that GPS is integrated. I do hope to see much more GPS integration in PDAs and smartphones, because I firmly believe that integrated GPS is the most cost efficient, open and accurate path to real location based services. The BSmart Communicator is a great "answer" to Jason's recent post <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=668">"Chip crammed with phone, GPS, Bluetooth"</a>. Would be nice to see an Xscale processor in this beauty, though!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/bsmart.jpg" />

[JornadaJ]

Maybe I missed it, but I see nothing about a release date, or how much this is going to cost. If it is as sweet as it seems to be, I might ditch my Jornada.

[Brad Adrian]

I was looking all over this site for something that specifically said "Pocket PC" and couldn't find anything. Did I miss it, or could it be that this is a WinCE device and not necessarily a Pocket PC?

[Larry Day]

Did anyone else catch this?

BATTERY
Type Rechargeable
Capacity Lithium Polymer @ 1680mAH (Standard)

Average run time Up to 4.5 H
Standby time Up to 250 H

Up to 4.5 H?! Big whoopee! 8O

[GregWard]

It says WinCE 3.0 on the Tech Specs.

I can't believe it's only 900/1800! Not much use to you North Americans then! When will these guys learn that the world is getting smaller?

To me making dual-band seems clever - but what's the big deal with adding 1900? OK I think there may be an issue that 1800 and 1900 are too "close" for auto band selection (at least that was Motorola's excuse as to why you have to set 1900 manually on their Timeports) - but I (for one) can normally work out if I got off a plane in the US or not!!! :?

Surely it can't cost that much to add 1900? Or are they just trying to rip us off with a later range extension a la Nokia and the 9290 (from a European perspective that is).

[Brad Adrian]

It says WinCE 3.0 on the Tech Specs.


But WinCE 3.0 does NOT necessarily mean it's a Pocket PC; the Casio BE300, for instance, uses 3.0 but isn't a Pocket PC. For this new device, I couldn't see what the INTERFACE is.

[Chubbergott]

Am I the only paranoid person around here or does the integration of GPS (although welcome on many levels) raise at least a tiny little question mark?

Particularly in the light of a recent BBC article on implanting GPS chips into our bodies.

Does anybody know of any regulation to protect privacy? In the UK, the government actually sells electoral information to various mail-shot companies. Imagine if, as you're walking down the street, you get spammed about the shops you are passing?

Maybe a little off-topic, sorry, but intereseting nonetheless.

Have we got the right balance between post-911 security and personal privacy?

[burmashave]

Am I the only paranoid person around here or does the integration of GPS (although welcome on many levels) raise at least a tiny little question mark?



I am paranoid, but not exactly for the same reason. I would not want to expose my telephone to viruses and bugs. Additionally, I do not want my pocket pc always exposed to potential network attacks or eavesdropping. Given that the incentive for telephone hacking is potentially free telephone calls, I am happy with a simple standalone mobile phone.

As for the privacy issue of a user's location, that's pretty much gone. (If I understand your concern.) Officials can pretty well determine where cellular calls are placed. GPS simply makes location more precise.

Integration of phones and PDA's seems to be the holy grail for some companies; however, is quite possible none of these devices will take off. They certainly seem to be ripe for integration; however, other devices headed toward integration never took off. Two examples of this would be telephone/PC integration and fax/copier/printer integration. Both are available now, but not widely used.

I am happy using my (small) mobile phone and my pocket PC separately. They would only be improved if I could easily share a phonelist between them.

Gratuitous Dig:
By the way, given the current reliability of the Pocket PC OS. I definitely would not want a phone that might need rebooting. I can see myself throwing such a device out the window pretty quickly.

[Garibaldi]

:twisted:



Oh great, drive by/walk by spamming. What will they think of next?

[CoffeeKid]

All these new PPC devices with GSM / GPRS.... I can hardly wait.

Except for one thing.

AFAIK, none of these hybrids yet offer the ability to port that GPRS signal over to my notebook.

I bought a Motorola P280 to give me wireless, high speed (heh heh - not really) Internet access on my NOTEBOOK computer.

Yes, having wireless access on the PDA is awesome - it can handle roughly 30 to 40% of my "wireless internet needs", via email, limited web browsing, other stuff.

But I need wireless internet connectivity on a full Windows XP (or Mac OSX) notebook computer for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is complex document sharing, web access, and access to CMS interfaces and extranets.

Until some of these gsm/gprs/ppc hybrids wake up and smell the connectivity concerns of the professional market out there, I'm not buyin'.

[Chubbergott]

AFAIK, none of these hybrids yet offer the ability to port that GPRS signal over to my notebook.


I would expect it to be a given that you can use the PDA as a 'modem' for your notebook.... at least, this is the case on other platforms I have read about.

[GregWard]

Does anybody know of any regulation to protect privacy? In the UK, the government actually sells electoral information to various mail-shot companies. Imagine if, as you're walking down the street, you get spammed about the shops you are passing?


Continuing the "off-topic":-

The European Data Protection Act is designed to protect privacy. Not many people seem to have noticed this but, in theory at least, I think Virgin would be the only UK network who could safely sms you based on your location. Why? Because they did - in fairness to them - make a specific "deal" of it when they launched. The others launched pre this technology. The DPA is generally seen as embodying "clarity of purpose" - ie I can DO anything with your private data (including your current location if I have it) PROVIDED I clearly told you what I was going to do.

So with any other network I think (not sure the Data Protection Commisioner would agree!!!) that you could challenge them on the grounds "you didn't make it clear you would use my data this way when we made our contract".

The Electoral Roll information is likely to be removed shortly as a result of some guy (in Yorkshire from memory) challanging on exactly this sort of ground - so it can be done!

Doesn't help the Americans though - more "freedom of information" and no DPA!

This could get nasty at some point - the really good news is that with GPRS you'll be the one that pays for the spam!

[Brad Adrian]

Well, the idea of wireless and location-based marketing has been described for a while now, but the technologies required and device penetration haven't been sufficient to make it a serious consideration. There are all kinds of intriguing possibilities, like sending electronic coupons when I walk into a store, delivering an audio clip as I approach a billboard, and so forth.

However, the consumer data I've seen makes it pretty clear that most people have great concerns about getting spammed. The ONLY way I think this will ever work will be on a strictly-defined opt-in basis. Not only will most people demand that THEY select the vendors who send such messages, they will also want to stipulate the KIND of messages sent and WHEN they are sent. So, privacy demands will be a primary concern, but they will result in a system that is palatable because the consumer is calling the shots.

[EuroMartin]

The GPS function is purely for the user of the phone.
Today, there are no services available to carry the position back to the operators, plus, this will of course be an option to set on the phone.
Attempts with BigBrother-functions are generally not liked by the public. Hmm, I wonder why...

Your location is not revealed to anyone (through GPS, that is...). :)

Best regards
/Martin Persson

[Duncan]

Umm Brad - I wouldn't necessarily trust the pictures for this but the screenshots are undeniably showing the Pocket PC interface...