Oct

29

monkey_on_iphone.jpgколи под наемHouse members in the next Congress could get Apple’s iPhone as their newest communication gadget.

The Chief Administrative Office (CAO), which oversees the communications systems for the House, has begun testing a small number of iPhones within its ranks to see if they are compatible with the working needs of lawmakers and staff.

“The reason we’re trying them out is because we heard a lot of people wanted the option to have them,” said Jeff Ventura, a spokesman for the CAO.
The iPhone has garnered tremendous attention since its release in July 2007. In addition to being heralded as one of the greatest modern inventions, it’s received its share of criticism for its touch-screen keyboard and slow connection speeds.

The CAO plans to decide whether to give members the option of using the phones, which are offered exclusively under AT&T contracts, by the beginning of the next Congress in January.

The cell phone of choice in the House is currently the BlackBerry, with nearly 8,200 in active use.

If the CAO decides to offer members the option of using the iPhone, BlackBerrys are likely to remain the primary tool of communication on the Hill. If lawmakers opt for the iPhone over the BlackBerry, they will be required to pay for it out of the Member’s Representational Allowance.

But switching to the iPhone will be a costly investment.

The House’s e-mail is set up in a way that all the messages are delivered via a BlackBerry Enterprise server. That server is not compatible with the iPhone, so the only way people could get their e-mail would be to plug the iPhone into their computer. Because the iPhones would require a new server, the CAO is testing it before making the investment, according to the CAO officials.

Read Full Story at The Hill

Oct

23

Read Full Story: “After months of delays, Research In Motion on Wednesday finally announced a November 4 launch date in the United States for the BlackBerry Bold smartphone.

Nearly four months behind schedule, the Canadian smartphone maker might have lost momentum. The result is that many customers tired of waiting may have instead opted for the  popular iPhone.

‘Hopes for Bold are fading given time-to-market,’ wrote Cowen & Co. analyst Matthew Hoffmann in a note to clients.

RIM had first announced the launch of the 3G phone with built-in GPS, its answer to Apple’s iPhone, in July. That came  around the time Apple was releasing the iPhone 3G. But the launch was postponed until August because of battery life issues and overheating problems, and then it was postponed again.

RIM tries to justify the delay with mentions of the detailed attention given to the product.

‘The development of the BlackBerry Bold smartphone was an ambitious undertaking, and we focused intensely on the things that are most important to mobile customers,’ said Mike Lazaridis, RIM’s president and co-CEO, in a statement.

Wall Street took notice of the delay, and its concerns have reflected on the company’s shares, which have plunged in recent months–the stock lost nearly half its value in October.

Investors appeared displeased Wednesday by the news. In midday trading,  shares plunged $3.49, or 6.9 percent, at $47.04.

While the Waterloo, Ontario-based company was intensely focusing on things ‘important’ to mobile customers, Apple hurried and stole the show.

Apple sold 6.9 million units of its 3G touch-screen phone compared with 1.1 million in the year-ago quarter, the company said on Tuesday, when it announced its fourth-quarter financial results.

RIM sold 6.1 million BlackBerry devices during the same period.

‘We sold more phones than RIM,’ Steve Jobs, rubbing salt in the wound, said on the conference call.”

(Via .)

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