Verizon to Introduce 'Any Apps, Any Device' Option in 2008

Alex

This announcement is most likely a reaction to the Google/Sprint OHA Announcement from a few weeks ago. This announcement doesn't really impact EVDO Mobile Broadband Cards, since you can already run any program from your laptop - but more towards handsets and PDAs.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

It's a step in the right direction but it sounds like Verizon still wants to approve the apps. And the Brew platform isn't controlled by them and is expensive to get into.

Google is a few steps further but not to the degree of how open PC's are.

Would be difficult to happen but it would be cool to see phones lead to a common hardware reference platform similar to PCs/laptops. There could be different classes like with or w/out keyboards, cameras, etc but a common hardware reference platform. This would open up for varying operating systems like we have in the PC world that we could choose to install on the device, including one that is open source. Phone hardware makers would create device drivers per function, similar to PC world. They may develop drivers for several phone OSs, similar to PC world.

Google is sort of proposing this but is not as open as the PC/laptop platform. At least the carriers are starting to give up tight controls. Baby steps...

opg4759 · EVDO User Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 36

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

I understand the need for tight controls of the communications (with CDMA/GSM anyway), but not the OS, hardware or applications running.

I could envision a common hardware phone reference platform where you insert a carriers' approved radio, and they include the drivers/phone app. That's no different than adding a carriers' card to a laptop. I do think an open phone platform would be technically achievable, and would be more than what Google is attempting, but it's probably a long ways off and the carriers would have to want it as well. May never happen but I do like the idea of phones being as open as PC/laptops.

Ideally, the communications side would be open too, which WiMAX is attempting to do - where the carrier has no idea of or control of the device that is connecting. As long as the IEEE specs are followed within guidelines, QoS should be met - theoretically. The network builder would have to design QoS for any IEEE approved devices, not carrier approved devices.

If VoIP over WiMAX ever becomes realistic with same/better QoS as current cell service, what I described should be possible.

jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

Many years ago as a Hypercard enthusiast I wrote a dialer program to call my new answering service. I had some code in the dialing string that accidentally knocked out their mini frame for half an hour. Imagine what might happen on a cellular network!

...and whatever happened to the good old days when you could get free long distance calls by whistling into the pay phone?

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2004

Given that apps of any kind can already be written for PDA phones, including traps to the OS, the risk is no different. The carrier would simply need to be able to quickly shutoff service to a device that is a runaway.

Imagine a phone with several micro-sd sized slots. One for storage, carrier com card, GPS and other peripherals. Want a new phone? Move all the cards and software - no need to deal with carrier. Want a different carrier? Just switch the comm card (probably a slot larger than micro-sd for a while). Want a different OS? Might be doable if the drivers for your peripherals are also available for that OS. We can do this with PCs/laptops, why not phones?

The cable box industry is being forced into an open platform. Would be interesting if the cellphone industry heads there too.

In the near future, the 'cellphone' term will go away for the term 'comm device' or something. The phone feature will eventually just be A feature, not THE primary feature. Give it another decade or two and we'll be embedding all this into our bodies and the cyborg revolution begins - that is if we don't destroy the planet first.