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* Posts by Ben @ Masabi

2 publicly visible posts • joined 16 Nov 2008

Nokia pulls the plug on wireless payment handset

Ben @ Masabi
Alert

too slow for transport ticketing?

possible explanation:

"Our feeling was the readiness for SWP on devices was not there yet."

The rumour mill (could be untrue) was suggesting that during testing the SIM based secure elements connected to the NFC modem over one-wire protocol were just not quick enough, with transactions taking over 650ms.

That is far too slow for use in Transport systems, where 250ms is generally accepted as the desired transaction time, so that people can get through gates while still walking.

Together with the ongoing debate on chicken and egg, and finding a business model suitable for all collaborators could well have given Nokia "concern with regards to the timing with other elements to make NFC a success,"

In light of this, and China Mobile's tangential activities, we still reckon that the widespread adoption of mass-market consumer NFC handsets is still very much an "if" not a "when" for the time being, and are proceeding with faster alternative technologies for mobile ticketing that work on existing handsets without modification (especially now that mobile barcode is faster than 250ms). http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/19/nfc_forum_video/

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Adobe proposes open access to app stores

Ben @ Masabi

manufacturers are in the hot seat

WE DON'T NEED A NEW MOBILE APP PLATFORM - we just need to make the ones we've got more straightforward for people to use.

Despite Adobe saying that no mobile app platform is over 50%, some stats rate Java penetration on western GSM networks at over 80%, the only major barrier against Java is that end users have no consistency of install and application launch between handsets.

Adobe adding a new flash-lite based environment or app store does not help solve the developers dilema, it just makes it worse. (in fact, I've not heard of a phone that supports Flash Lite without already supporting Java)

The widely praised iPhone TV adverts that show app discovery, purchase and install have helped users become comfortable with the process - building a similar advert for standard phones is impossible as they differ too much.

Users get confused or scared off by too many warning messages and prompts, and either go to the microsoft vista encouraged approach of clicking "YES" to everything, or just running away at the first message that says "this software comes from an untrusted source" when the manufacturers and operators have made it pretty near impossible to reliably sign applications to be from a trusted source (by cunningly tinkering with the root certificates on the phones).

If Apple and Microsoft would support Java, and all handset manufacturers would standardise the security and install messages for app install, users may finally be able to make use of the largest application platform in the world.

We're not looking for a new app store technology here - just a more consistant install experience!

As was discussed at the MDA's workshop, we probably won't get this through comittee, only through the bullying of a dominant manufacturer, or operator.

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