French Night at Faconnable Beverly Hills

What better conbination could there be? Champagne & shopping @ Faconnable!

Wine Aficionado Ian Blackburn was on hand to encourage us to "Learn About Wine", which has a membership program that allows you benefits, events and advantages. KCRW's Evan Kleiman says that "LearnAboutWine is "LA's source for wine education..." There were so many interesting people on hand. Le Menu - French Baguette Sandwiches which included Jambon et Brie avec Beurre et Salade, Salade Nicoise avec Thon, Mozzarella et Tomates, Filet Mignon sur Baguette, Moules a la Mariniere, Quiche Lorraine, and Terrine de Pate on Toast Points drizzled with Verjus Port Glaze and garnished with Julienned Belgian Endives. Yes, this was an evening to remember!
If you get a chance, please stop by Faconnable at 9680 Wilshire Blvd. http://www.faconnable.com/ and ask for Ms. Rogers. She'll be glad to assist you!

Nokia N82 Camera Phone for Photographers launched

Nokia has launched its new multimedia handset the Nokia N82 that has been optimized for photography, navigation and internet connectivity. With the help of the phone, you can capture your favorite moments with the phone’s high quality imaging capabilities and even share it with other on web with just one click.

A-GPS with pre-loaded Nokia Maps, 5 mega-pixel camera, Xenon flash, Carl Zeiss optics, internet connectivity, 2GB microSD card are incorporated in this mobile device. Users can store 900 high-resolution photos or up to 84 minutes of high quality video.
The GPS functionality that comes with 15 million point-of-interests enables the user to locate and navigate the most interesting sights, bars or restaurants. You can save map screen shots to the gallery and also sent these routes to friends by MMS. A free voice guided navigation trial is also available.

Technical Specifications

General
Operating Frequency
WCDMA2100 (HSDPA), EGSM900, GSM850/1800/1900 MHz (EGPRS)
Automatic switching between bands and modes
Dimensions
Volume: 90 cc
Weight: 114 g
Length (max): 112 mm
Width (max): 50.2 mm
Thickness (max): 17.3 mm
Memory Functions
Up to 100MB internal dynamic memory* for messages, ringing tones, images, video clips, calendar notes, to-do list and applications
Hot swappable microSD memory card slot
* Dynamic memory means that the available memory is shared between dynamic memory functions. When any of these functions is used, there is less available memory for other functions which are also dependent on dynamic memory.
Power Management*
Battery: Nokia Battery (BP-6MT) 1050mAh
Talk time: up to 190 min (WCDMA), up to 260 min (GSM)
Stand-by time: up to 210 hours (WCDMA), up to 225 hours (GSM)
Still images: up to 290 pictures (with flash)
Video capture: up to 110 minutes (VGA, 30 fps)
Video call: up to 120 minutes
Video playback: up to 200 minutes (VGA, 30 fps)
Music playback: up to 10 hours (offline mode)
* Operation times may vary depending on radio access technology used, operator network configuration and usage.
Display
2.4" LCD QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) TFT color display with up to 16.7 million colors
User Interface
Operating system: S60 software on Symbian OS
User Interface: S60 3rd edition, Feature Pack 1
Automatic screen rotation
Call Management
Logs: keeps lists of your dialed, received, and missed calls
Voice dialing (with Speaker independent name dialing (SIND)) and voice commands
Nokia Push to talk (PoC)
Messaging
E-mail (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3), MMS, SMS
Data Transfer*
WCDMA HSDPA 2100 MHz with simultaneous voice and packet data (PS max speed DL/UL= 3.6Mbps/384kbps, CS max speed 64kbps)
Dual Transfer Mode (DTM) support for simultaneous voice and packet data connection in GSM/EDGE networks. Simple class A, multi slot class 11, max speed DL/UL: 177.6/118.4 kbits/s
EGPRS class B, multi slot class 32, max speed DL/UL= 296 / 177.6 kbits/s
GPRS class B, multi slot class 32, max speed DL/UL= 107 / 64.2 kbits/s
*Actual achieved speeds may vary depending on network support.

Imaging
Imaging and Video
Up to 5 megapixel (2592 x 1944 pixels) camera, Carl Zeiss Optics: Tessar™ lens, MPEG-4 VGA video capture of up to 30 fps
Direct connection to compatible TV via TV-out or wireless LAN/UPnP
Front camera, CIF (352 x 288 pixels) sensor for video telephony
Video call and video sharing support (WCDMA network services)
Integrated xenon flash
Slideshow from gallery
One-click upload of photos & videos to web
Nokia XpressPrint: direct printing via USB (PictBridge), Bluetooth connectivity (BPP), and WLAN (UPnP) or via online printing
Mobile Video
Video resolutions: up to VGA (640 x 480 pixels) at 30 fps
Recording indicator
Audio recording: AAC (AMR for MMS)
Digital video stabilization
Video file format .mp4 (default), .3gp (for MMS)
White balance, scene and color tone setting
Zoom: Digital up to 10x (VGA up to 4x)
Front camera: CIF (352 x 288 pixels) sensor for video telephony
On-device video editing
Mobile Photography
Image resolution: up to 5 megapixels (2592 x 1944 pixels)
Auto focus
Amber colored auto focus assist light and recording indicator
Still image file format: JPEG/EXIF
Auto exposure - center weighted
Exposure compensation: +2 ~ -2EV at 0.5 step
White balance: automatic, sunny, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent
Scene: automatic, user, close-up, portrait, landscape, sports, night, night portrait
Color tone: normal, sepia, black & white, negative, vivid
Zoom: digital up to 20x (5 megapixel up to 6x)
Xenon flash
On-device photo editing
Camera Specifications
Sensor: CMOS, 5 megapixel (2592 x 1944)
Carl Zeiss Optics: Tessar™ lens
F number/Aperture: F2.8
Focal length 5.6 mm
Focus range 10 cm ~ infinity
Macro focus distance 10-50 cm

Music
Music Features
Digital music player - supports MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA/M4A with playlists
OMA DRM 2.0/1.0 & WMDRM support for music
Integrated stereo hands-free speaker
Stereo FM radio (87.5-108MHz) with Visual Radio support
Nokia Stereo Headset HS-43 in-box
Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0 with A2DP Stereo audio

Explore
Navigation
Integrated Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS)
Pre-installed Nokia Maps application and free downloadable maps*
* The service is available free of charge, although any data transferred over the network will incur charges from your network operator. To check the availability and cost of the service, contact your network operator or service provider.
E-mail
Easy-to-use e-mail client with attachment support for images, videos, music and documents
Compatible with Nokia Wireless Keyboard SU-8W (sold separately)
Browsing
Full web browser support (HTML)
Digital home
Play video, music and photos on home media network - compatible TV, stereo and PC over WLAN/UPnP
Java Applications
Java MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 (Connected Limited Device Configuration (J2ME))
Over-the-air download of Java-based applications and games
Other Applications
Personal Information Management (PIM)
Advanced S60 PIM features including calendar, contacts, to-do list, and PIM printing
Settings wizard for easy configuration of e-mail, push to talk and video sharing
Data transfer application for transfer of PIM information from other compatible Nokia devices
WLAN wizard
Connectivity
Integrated WLAN (802.11 b/g) and UPnP
Bluetooth wireless technology with A2DP stereo audio
USB 2.0 via Micro USB interface and mass storage class support to support drag and drop functionality
3.5 mm stereo headphone plug (Nokia AV Connector) and TV out support (PAL/NTSC)
Nokia Nseries PC Suite connectivity with USB, and Bluetooth wireless technology
Local synchronization of contacts and calendar to a compatible PC using compatible connection
Remote over-the-air synchronization
Send and receive images, video clips, graphics, and business cards via Bluetooth wireless technology

Video
Video Features
Video player - supports MPEG4, AVC/H.264, H.264, H.263, RV
OMA DRM 2.0/1.0 & WMDRM support for video
Resolution: MPEG4 VGA @ up to 30 fps scaled to QVGA on device or VGA in TV-out mode
Transfer your videos from compatible PC: Windows Media Player, USB mass-storage file transfer or Nokia Nseries PC Suite using full-speed USB 2.0 connectivity
Video Center
Pre-configured video services and dynamic expansion with new services
Video podcasting: find, subscribe, download, view with mobile device
RealPlayer media player
Full-screen video playback to view downloaded, streamed or recorded video clips
Supported video formats: MPEG-4, H.264/AVC, H.263/3GPP, RealVideo 8/9/10

Package Contents
Standard Sales Package Contents
Nokia N82
Nokia Battery BP-6MT
Nokia Travel Charger AC-5
Nokia Music Headset HS-43
Nokia Connectivity Cable CA-101
Nokia Video Connectivity Cable CA-75U
Nokia 2GB microSD Card MU-37

Nokia PC Suite 6.85 upgrade (Beta)

Looks like Nokia has PC Suite version 6.85.11.1 just about ready for official release. And it has been nicely improved from the previous version.
The first thing you notice when you launch Nokia PC Suite 6.85 is the new sidebar.

The upper part of the sidebar allows you to Drag&Drop any file from your PC to your Nokia phone. Below D&D utility is message preview window, that shows the latest incoming messages. It can be minimized to a small bar. And finally, there’s a new “Settings” option in menu. Here you can set audio&video conversion parameters, and, best of all, it allows you to specify default location paths for Data, Music, Video and Application files on your Nokia handset .

Key features :

· Automatic, secure data, information, pictures, and music transfer from phone to phone or phone to PC

· Fast, easy connection to the Internet

· Connect wirelessly or via cable

· Connect by using your phone as a modem· Manage messages, contacts, images, and music· Synchronize your phone and PC calendars

· Install Java™-based applications in your phone

· Convert ringing tone formats

· Play multimedia messages and videos

· Send text messages from the PC

· Back up and restore phone files

· Over 30 languages

Requirements for Nokia PC Suite :

Available hard disk space: 150 MB (file size approx. 25 MB)

Supported operating systems:

* Windows Vista x32 and x64 editions

* Windows XP Professional x64 edition

* Windows XP (Professional or Home Edition) (Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2)

* Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4)

Connection methods: USB cable, infrared, or Bluetooth

Supported Bluetooth stacks / software:

* Windows Vista x32 and x64 editions:

o Microsoft Windows Bluetooth

* Windows XP x64:

o Microsoft Windows Bluetooth

* Windows XP:

o Microsoft Windows Bluetooth (only in Service Pack 2)

o Toshiba Bluetooth stack for Windows XP/2000, driver version 4.0 and 5.0

o WIDCOMM BTW 1.4, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0

o IVT BlueSoleil Bluetooth stack for Windows XP/2000, driver version 1.6.1.4 and 2.x

* Windows 2000:

o Toshiba Bluetooth stack for Windows XP/2000, driver version 4.0 and 5.0

o WIDCOMM BTW 1.4, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0

o IVT BlueSoleil Bluetooth stack for Windows XP/2000, driver version 1.6.1.4 and 2.xRight-click the Bluetooth icon in the Windows tray and select Advanced Configuration. On the General tab you can see the version of the stack.

Windows Media Player 11 is required when using Windows built-in applications with Nokia phones.

DOWNLOAD

Palm OS on Nokia: Strategy or tactic?

I was stunned today when I saw the press release from Access Company saying that they're giving away a beta version of the Garnet emulator for Nokia's N-series Linux tablets (link).

The Garnet emulator lets you to run most Palm OS applications. So in layman's terms, Access is giving away Palm OS for use on any N-series tablet.

I hadn't previously heard any hints from Access about offering Garnet for other platforms. I thought it was only supposed to be available with Access Linux.

I got excited by the announcement, figuring maybe Access had realized that the real innovation is going to come in the applications layer, not the core OS plumbing. I imagined all sorts of scenarios for what they might be planning:

--How about porting Garnet to some other Linux implementations. Hmm, what comes to mind? Maybe Google's Android? Access would need cooperation from Google in order for the emulator to talk directly to Linux. Would Google help with that?

--There is a need in the market for a mobile application environment that's truly "write once, run anywhere." Might Access intend to use Garnet to compete with Java? That would involve porting Garnet to operating systems other than Linux. How about Windows Mobile and Symbian? How about the iPhone?

--There are several ways Access could make money from this:

• Give away the emulator in beta but charge for the final version.
• Give away the emulator on N-series but charge for it on other platforms.
• Give away the emulator everywhere and make money by selling support software and bundling a software store and taking a cut of the purchase fees for apps (a derivative of the iMode and Acrobat models).

Intrigued by the possibilities, I talked to folks at Access. They shot down most of my speculation. As it was explained to me, this is a tactical move. By porting Garnet to the Nokia tablets they can get some testing for the emulator, and also give a "more interesting ongoing proposition for current developers." (It says something about the momentum for your OS when you feel the installed base of Nokia Linux tablets is an attractive developer target, but I guess you take what you can get.)

Access might try to put the emulator on other standard Linux implementations, but they're very busy working on software for licensees they can't talk about yet, and don't have time to port to anything else, including Android.

That's a shame. In my opinion, there's more of a market for Garnet on other platforms than there is for a Linux phone OS now that Google is giving one away.

But Access believes Google's nonstandard approach to Java and Linux is not going to go down well with the mobile development community. They said Android faces big challenges and a likely backlash.

Okay. I guess only time will tell whether that's justified self-confidence or denial of reality.

Meanwhile, I'll go play with Garnet on my Nokia tablet and wonder about what might have been.

Google's Android revealed: Component software for the mobile world

Google today released a lot more details on its Android mobile operating system, including the software development kit. It looks like it would be fun to write apps for Android. The most interesting news is that Android puts a heavy emphasis on component software, encouraging developers to create software modules that can be shared with other developers and reused across applications. It's similar in spirit to what happened with mashups in the web apps world, although the technology involved is quite different.

If the developers follow through, this could make Android a very attractive and flexible development environment.

Google is offering $10 million in prizes to the best Android applications. That's an astonishing amount of money for the mobile apps space, where developers are used to living on stale bread with an occasional beef jerky chaser. For comparison, $10 million is probably more than the total marketing program budget in my last year at PalmSource.

It must be nice to work at a company that has limitless financial resources.

The price also says something about Google's business strategy for Android: Collect a lot of compelling applications that will generate user demand for Android phones. I think they can get the apps, but whether those will generate user demand remains to be seen. Having a big apps base didn't help us as much as you'd expect at PalmSource.

The other interesting news is that this is an entirely Java-based development environment, with a lot of extensions provided by Google for things like multimedia and font management. Although Android is based on Linux, as far as I can tell it's being used strictly as plumbing; the applications can't access it directly (at least not in this version). Data exchange between apps, and application access to phone features, can be locked out by the operator or handset manufacturer.

This should make Android a pretty secure operating system, although it won't be much fun for developers who like to mess around with the low levels of an OS.

Can Android become a standalone runtime? The reliance on Java raises the possibility that the Android applications layer could be ported to other operating systems. I think this would be a pretty cool strategy for Google, as it would enable it to drive the applications experience on a lot of different phones. But it wouldn't be a lightweight layer -- Google has built a huge amount of middleware on top of Linux that would probably have to be ported as well. Unless Google designed the Android apps layer to be portable, something they haven't mentioned, I think the port would be pretty difficult.

Some other tidbits about the OS:

--Features supported in the OS include a built-in browser, 2D and 3D graphics, SQLite database, video and audio playback, GSM, Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G wireless, camera, compass, GPS, and accelerometer (if the appropriate hardware is included in the phone). That's a pretty standard feature list.

--There's also a set of optional APIs that can be excluded by an operator or handset manufacturer. They include mapping APIs and peer to peer messaging between phones. Google positioned the peer messaging as a way to let two users play checkers, but you could also use it to create an instant messaging application that bypasses SMS. I'll be interested to see if any operators allow it on their networks.

--The development environment is a plug-in to Eclipse, another standard approach. The SDK includes an emulator so you can test your apps before the hardware ships. That's essential, since Android phones are about a year away.

--Core apps included with the OS include mail, SMS, calendar, browser, contacts, and maps. The mapping app is the only unusual one.

--There is support for multitasking threads, and an application can run in the background (this should enable things like MP3 playback while you're browsing).

--Each application runs in a separate Linux process. This helps with security. Apps remain running until they're no longer needed and the system decides that it wants their memory. This feature seemed slightly weird. Windows Mobile also tends to leave code running until the space is needed, and that has resulted in performance and stability problems. Presumably Android will handle things better.

The other thing Google warns you about is that if your application doesn't use the proper calls to explain what it's doing, the OS may assume it's not important and shut it off arbitrarily. That can also happen to a properly-written application if the system runs low on memory. This is kind of spooky, and could result in lost user data, especially if the user loads up a lot of applications.

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer applications that quit only when I push the quit button.

--The security model is heavily sandboxed (meaning applications are isolated from each other). To reach outside the sandbox (to exchange data with another app, read the address book, or access the phone's features), applications have to ask permission at the time they are installed. Permissions are based on "trusted authorities and interaction with the user." In other words, an operator or handset vendor can lock them down, and if not then the user will be asked to grant permission. Users will not be asked again when the application is run; if permission was not granted at install, the app will just fail. I believe this is going to be a serious support problem -- it means the same application may work on a phone when it's on one network, but may not work on that same phone on another network. Good luck explaining that to the user.

Google may be counting on user complaints to force the operators to turn on permissions.

--The user interface needs work. Google says it's still working on the final user interface for Android, and that's a good thing. Engadget nicely posted a bunch of screen shots from the current interface today, and they have problems (link).

The first thing that bothers me is the icon carousel at the bottom of the screen.



I think it's a great design, but it's awfully reminiscent of the interface in Yahoo Go. Maybe that's just a coincidence, but Google lately has shown a disturbingly Microsoftian tendency to borrow ideas from others.

The overall interface design is relatively clean, at least compared to the overdesigned clutter that you see on a lot of smartphones. But it's optimized to look pretty on a computer screen rather than be usable on a real-world phone.

The giveaway is contrast. Most computers are used indoors, in a room with moderate lighting. By comparison, mobile phones are used in all sorts of settings, including outdoors in bright sunlight. In those conditions, subtle differences in contrast between text and background can easily be lost. For a good example, check out the screen shot below:



Looks nice on your computer, huh? But let's reduce that screen image to about what it would be on a real phone:



Already the text gets hard to read. Now take your computer outside into the direct sunlight. Go ahead, I'll wait for you to get back...

Done already? What you saw is that the words "Call Back," "Done," and so on pretty much disappeared because they're written in dark gray on a black background. You can find a lot of other examples like this in the Google screen shots.

A recommendation to everyone who creates phone interfaces: White on black. Black on white. Large fonts. It may not be the most beautiful design, but at least people will be able to use it.


What it means to the industry. I continue to think that the ultimate success of Android will depend on the creativity of the devices built on it, and we can't judge that until those devices ship. But in the meantime, I'll be very interested to see what sort of applications appear. Google can definitely excite developers, especially when it shovels money at them. This is an immediate challenge to Microsoft and especially Symbian, which has struggled to get developers to work with its very complex native APIs. The more that Android sucks up developer activity, the harder it will be for other platforms to get developer support. Android is a much cleaner design than older platforms like Symbian, and the component development model might drive the rapid creation of a lot of interesting applications.

Will Android be limited to the mobile space? That's the other key question. There's nothing in the Android development model that limits it to mobile phones, and in fact Google says openly that it's appropriate for use on all sorts of devices. Let's wait a few years for the Android applications base to mature. If it does well, we might eventually see Android devices that seek to directly challenge PCs.

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PS: Thanks to Ubiquitous Thoughts for featuring last week's post on the Android announcement in the latest Carnival of the Mobilists.

Dame Elizabeth Taylor in Beverly Hills

GEARYS Beverly Hills had a fabulous party today for Elizabeth Taylor's line of jewelry - House of Taylor. The event was first class all the way. Elizabeth Taylor was greeted by a huge crowd of people. I mean young and old were there. She looked beautiful! http://www.pictureperfectagency.com/index.php?module=assetserver&page=setDetail&setId=79181&startRow=0&3dc46087b8da53b0dd14a6dec122789c=0b5e306217834d5f16701ad697a7dfa2

The event was first class, and Dame Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry is Divine! You can't find a better looking, helpful staff then those lovely people at GEARYS Beverly Hills. Even the President is a first class act!

Holiday wish list: I want that 8 karat Princess cut, canary yellow diamond ring w/ white diamond baguettes - House of Taylor, of course....

Bally Switzerland shoe connoisseurs party

Bally Switzerland - 340 N. Rodeo Drive, threw a very nice event/cocktail party that featured the new creative director for Bally, Brian Atwood. Shoe connoisseurs like Interior Decorator Nate Berkus (we love Nate!) and Rachel Zoe, Brittany Murphy, Kathy Hilton, and so many other fabu people who couldn't help but shop shop shop! It was for a good cause. Part of the proceeds from the evening, helped support the Environmental Media Association. Dagmar(The GM of Bally)what a lovely party!