Motorola invented mobile phone but it was Nokia that made it big with 400+ million handsets sold every year! Motorola had some succees with its Razr phone but could not hold it for long. With Android-based Droid Motorola seems to get traction again. One hopes to see the once mighty mobile company scale greater heights.

My colleague Moe Kelley makes an incredibly important point in his recent post about the importance of aesthetics.

Yesterday I was teaching the E Ink case study in my New Technology Ventures program at London Business School. It involved a fascinating and lively discussion, about what were the key parameters that characterized the available technologies, and re-emphasized just how important the aesthetic of books is.

I love books. I have a house full of books. My wife worries about the load on the ceilings. There are stacks of them in our bedroom. And in lots of other places in the house. I have a clinical Amazon.com habit, going back more than 10 years to 10 September 1999 (my sister’s birthday), during which I have bought hundreds of books.

Nevertheless, the class almost unanimously recognized and embraced the elegance of the industrial design of the Kindle DX that I used to demonstrate what E Ink does. It’s a different aesthetic, but compelling nonetheless.

Kindle DX

Although technology (hard factors) matter, even in high-tech we must never lose sight of the importance of soft factors, such as aesthetics.

One of the most interesting and insightful pieces of thesis work that I supervised at MIT involved a systematic exploration of the relationship between these hard factors (functions, performance) and soft factors (ease of use, aesthetics), and how their relative importance to customers evolves over the life cycle of a particular product type.

Getting this balance wrong the other way can, however, also be disastrous; much of Motorola’s current parlous position flows from it being seduced by the soft factors success of the RAZR:

Motorola RAZR V3

It provides the user with a total sensory experience – from the innovative metallic finishes and use of materials to a truly revolutionary, chemically etched keypad created from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. The Motorola RAZR V3 is the ultimate, beautiful slim-phone.

Take time out to enjoy the feel, touch and finish of the model RAZR V3. The metal materials and finishes
create a smooth, easy-to-use phone that has real visual impact. The spun metal finish of the keypad is designed to gently reflect the light, whilst a blue electro-luminescence panel defines each character and key, creating an unmistakable RAZR V3 signature.

As a result, it lost sight of how technology was evolving, and was extremely late in responding to the transition to the app phone.

The new Motorola (s MOT) Droid is pretty hot today. It’s a phone! It’s a brand! It’s an iPhone killer! But here at GigaOM we decided to ask a far more important question, “Is it a RAZR killer?” Can today’s Droid phone top the world’s most ubiquitous mobile gadget on its path to crush the iPhone? Can it even get close to the iPhone? Let’s see how the competition stacks up:

	iPhone	RAZR	Droid
Release Date	July 2007	2004	Nov. 6, 2009
Numbers Sold	34 million	More than 100 million	We’re waiting ….
OS	iPhone OS	None, it’s not a smartphone	Android 2.0
Device Cost	$99-$249 with 2-year plans	$100 unsubsidized today (the GSM version of the RAZR cost $500 when it launched on Cingular)	$199.99 after a rebate, with a 2-year contract
Hottest Feature	Touchscreen/browser	World’s first slim phone, latest RAZR has an 18-k gold cover	Android 2.0!!!
Best Quote	“This device is a true game-changer. Why? The immediacy of the data at your fingertips is huge. Imagine, looking up anything, anywhere.” — AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega	“Bafflingly enough, the hottest, most popular phone of 2005 is a phone from 2004, the RAZR V3,” said Miro Kazakoff, senior associate at Compete, a firm which tracks shoppers’ browsing habits. “The big thing we saw [in 2005] was this triumph of form over features.” — PC Mag	“The abundance of Google applications is to be expected, of course, but it also underscores an important strategic about-face for Verizon, which has consistently tried to ‘own the customer’ by closely regulating third-party apps and preventing outside brands from approaching its subscribers.” –GigaOM

A troupe Downloadsof little ballerinas showed off their fancy footwork as they performed for Affiliates(and then swarmed) David Beckham during the First Namelaunch of the Motorola Razr 2 V8 in Beijing on November 24.Isla is so
slim so soon
New mom Isla Fisher looked thin and sexy just four weeks after giving birth as she stepped out with her fiance, Sacha Baron Cohen, and their new baby, Olive, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on November STOP STRIPPING
Most facial astringents and toners contain harsh chemicals that strip and dry out your skin. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Formula is 100% natural, so it cleans, conditions and tones while actually protecting your skin’s essential moisture balance. Find a retailer near you at

Motorola Droid

Recently, Verizon and Motorola (and perhaps Google) have struck back at Apple Inc.’s iPhone with a “Droid Does” ad campaign that highlights many of the lacking features of the iPhone. It’s a pretty cleaver ad that parody’s Apple’s own cutesy iPhone ads (check below). The ads have recently popped up during the MLB postseason and a lot over this past weekend during NFL football. According to cell phone megasite Boy Genius Report, the Motorola Droid is the best Google Android handset to date.

It’s been about 2 years since the original iPhone came out and there have been many who have claimed to be THE “iPhone Killer” yet none have actually lived up to the moniker in terms of sales or usability (the usability can be debate with the Palm Pre and my current favorite Android handset in the US, HTC’s myTouch). Whatever opinion you may have about Apple Inc., there is no doubt to the fact that Apple forever changed the mobile cell phone industry with their iPhone and its exclusive U.S. deal with AT&T. For Verizon, it is clear that this one single phone from Apple has been a pain in their ass despite being the superior mobile network over AT&T. Whatever you believe about the deal that didn’t happen between Verizon and Apple back in 2007, the fact is Verizon did not get the iPhone and has been looking that signature phone ever since. Verizon put their eggs in the basket before by touting the Blackberry Storm as the “iPhone Killer” and the result was a mediocre at best for both Blackberry and Verizon.

For Motorola and Google, the success of this phone is not only important from a business standpoint but in many ways revenge towards Apple. Google and Apple recently had a fallout that resulted in Google CEO Eric Schmidt resigning from Apple’s board of directors and there is the ongoing saga of rejection of Google Voice from Apple Inc.’s App Store. Those who have been following Google probably saw the collision course with Apple was inevitable when Google released the Android OS for mobile technologies and when they announced the Chrome OS for computers – territories that both Apple compete in. As for Motorola, their cell phone division went from having the hottest phone in the world (the RAZR V3) to barely surviving in less than a decade. Apple did partner with Moto to release an iTunes-enabled phone that was both a sales disaster and innovative failure for both companies. Apple ditched Moto and created the iPhone while Moto failed to be relevant. There have been industry whispers that indicate Google having a direct hand in production of Moto’s Droid handset. The Tripartite Pact between Verizon, Google, and Motorola is a clear shot for vindication.

My take? I like my iPhone, but seeing the huge jailbreaking community only verifies the lacking capabilities of the iPhone. In other words, the iPhone could do so much more. Plus the big elephant in the room is AT&T. God I have no idea how I have been an AT&T customer for 10 years now, but damn I can’t take it anymore. I don’t need to elaborate further, just Google it yourself and you will see the dissatisfaction with AT&T among iPhone customers. The exclusive deal with AT&T has to end not only because AT&T sucks but because it will help Apple achieve further sales success. It’s only smart economics. I also like what Android brings to the table, and hopefully the Moto Droid does some innovative things to perhaps force Apple to innovate further and faster (c’mon Apple is clearly holding back). I don’t know if the latest Verizon campaign dampens the possibility of the iPhone going to Verizon, but please get this phone on there.

Would I get the Moto Droid? Let’s put it this way: Verizon = Awesome, Google = Very Awesome, Moto = uh…

Yep, Moto is the weak link in this Tripartite Pact and I’ll hold my judgment until this things come out. If HTC made the phone, I’d jump it no question. Moto just makes me hesitate and I have a wait and see approach right now.

Moto Droid's Virtual Keyboard

Droid's back

Sliding Keyboard

What is for sure?…Windows Mobile sucks. Big time.

Alrighty! Let me start off by finishing you all about my epic Wednesday night. Went to church, read some more about King David — I swear, I don’t think his story is ever going to end. Tyler and Chris helped me build a Yu-Gi-Oh! deck and then pwned me at the game. Then Jacob texted me asking for his RAZR back that he let me borrow at the end of last year because Kimmie got her phone wet and needed another one. I got ticked off at him for even asking anything of me and threw it onto the highway and beat it with a rock. :/

So Thursday I actually brought the destroyed phone back to him because I was still annoyed. Our art journals were totally due, but I got out of class after about three minutes because Mrs. Callie was driving us to teen court and it was time to leave. It was at the Bolton Avenue Community Center; I rode there with Bradley, Kayla, David, and Bates. Other people from Rapides were there too like Brooke (she’s even an attorney), Nicole, and some other freshman that I don’t know.

We were there from eight AM to two PM, so it was a long day, but it was very entertaining. We found out all about the positions you can try for — jurors, attorneys, clerks, and bailiffs — and filled out an application on which ones we’d like to be. I applied for juror and clerk. We had tons of guest speakers with the jobs of defense attorney, bailiff, police officer, and even a forensic analyst! I loved that part because I’m interested in becoming a forensic analyst, but from what she said I can tell it’s going to take a lot of work. One of the police officers that came up volunteered to get Tasered and mauled by one of the huge Mechelse dogs.

When we finally arrived back at Rapides the final bell had already rung and I had to run to the bus. And on the bus I get a text from Kim saying that Mrs. Farrington, our English teacher that was in charge of putting on the play, wanted Kayla and I to go into the auditorium first thing Friday morning to practice our song since we didn’t have time to practice . I told Kim to tell her that was fine and that we couldn’t find the karaoke version of the song we were supposed to sing. Kim then told me that she said we wouldn’t be singing just because we couldn’t find the karaoke version.

Let me tell you, I was pretty pissed. I memorized lyrics and practiced for a while, and she’s gonna wait until the day before the assembly to say that I’m not going to get to do it? No. Wrong. I went on my second angry rampage in two days and told Kayla the news; we then agreed that we would go to school and argue with her about her decision until she changed her find again.

When we got to school this morning, that’s exactly what we did. She acted as if she’d never said that we couldn’t sing. We all gathered into the auditorium to practice and it all ran pretty smoothly. The assembly started at 8.30 and I got to sit in the audience and watch the two best parts: the part where Jesse was dancing at the “party” with a balloon between his legs and squeezed it until it popped, and the part where Regan (in her grannie outfit complete with glasses, a flannel nightgown, and a cane) got up and started getting her groove on when she got so into it that she thrust her cane down to the stage and started getting crazy.

Kayla and I were the closing part of the performance. I was kind of nervous and pretty much looked over everyones’ heads the whole time. We really messed up on the line “That’s the story of my life” because for some reason that line is so hard to sing. But I thought we did…okay-ish. After our performance, we huddled together in a line, all holding hands, and took a bow. Jesse decided to pop another balloon, which flew into my face and made me laugh.

Afterwards, a lot of people told Kayla and I that we did good, but I really wasn’t too happy with the performance myself. And what’s done is done.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. So…that’s my week! Yeah! I feel like there’s something that I forgot to say… But I’m sure it’s not that important so it can wait until tomorrow. Peace out, mah nigs!

truly yours,

.chizuru

—————-

Now playing: Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart
via FoxyTunes

The Motorola RAZR has great design, and
it was great. It had a Mini-USB port, a VGA ZOOM
4X camera, and lots of cool features to back it up.
Remember back in the day when everyone had to have one? It gave Motorola
a lot of money, but now, they dropped into a hole. Now Samsung is the leader.
But a lot of people still have their RAZRs, but not as many people do like, in
2005. So that’s Ian Talks About for today.

Since I don’t have anything real to show you, here are five pictures I’ve taken with my crappy RAZR. Super-compressed for your enjoyment.

Remember when the Motorola Razr control the phone market. It seemed like everybody had one, it is similar to the iPhone’s and Blackberry’s that everybody has now. Many people were drawn to this particular phone as it had a very cool design, despite the fact that it had ZERO amazing features.

Will years later it seems that the RAZR is still popular and as a result of that Motorola has released a LuK Hot Pink version for the South Korean market. This phone offers a few different features compared to when it was first released in this can be banked on technology. The LuK Hot Pink RAZR will feature 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Bluetooth and video call capabilities.

Even though it is released in South Korea, I really doubt that you will make a big impact here in the United States. The main reason behind that is that the price tag of $400 is bound to turn many people off. Especially since the RAZR is no longer the hot phone it once was.

Subscribers under 18 need parental consent. By subscribing (a) you certify that you are the account holder or have the account holder’s permission, and (b) you agree to these terms and the full terms and privacy policy at www.jamster.ca. Unused credits roll over to the next month. You will be charged $10.00 per month for the Jamster Plan Subscription (4 ringtones, 6 graphics and 1 game or application per month) until you cancel. Charges will appear on your cell phone bill or be deducted from your pre-paid balance. Standard text messaging rates, data charges and other charges may apply. Not available on all carriers or cell phones. To cancel, text “STOP” to 65555. For help, text “HELP” to 65555, send an email to info@jamster.ca or call (866) 678-JAMS(5267).

Jamster content is available on the following wireless carriers: Bell, Fido, Rogers and Telus.

Moto, my Motorola Razr V3i mobile phone, is my dearest phone. Got it as a gift for my final placement in engineering college and have been using that phone since then till today (its almost three years now). I still remember the day when EEE delivered this mobile to me and how we clicked photos like crazy with it. 

 I am not one of those phone freaks. Not those kinds who eats, sleeps and drinks with the phone. As if my life depended upon my taking that call. Rather, I believe that these mobile phones invade your lives and make you depend on them.

I’ve seen a lot people who can’t live without their phone even for a second and some of those fanatics who lock and unlock their phone just to check somebody has messaged them or if they have missed any calls. Mind you this happens every 5 mins. And then there are those who take pleasure in writing really loooonnngggg messages. I don’t talk much on phone and SMS is not my kind of way of communication.

Its true that at some moments messages are the best option to talk but even in those circumstances I cant go beyond 4 messages at one go (Prefer the full length QWERTY keyboard any day). I’ll always find excuses to end the conversation if it goes beyond the 4 limit. My general flow of messages is this:

            1^st msg: Reply to the question being asked or my question to somebody

            2^nd msg: Clarification/more detail

            3^rd msg: Same as above (but with a lot more frustration. Grrr)

            4^th msg: Closing remark (which generally is going out for lunch/dinner or felling sleepy or the trump card, my balance is low will ttyl, brilliant!)

Coming back to my Moto, the best of it is its look and feel, its mp3 player, its awesome sound, more-than-good-enough camera and my collection of music and pics in it. Though the pic of my Moto might show that it has endured a lot and it is due an image makeover but strangely it still feels, acts and behaves the way it does when I first got it. Maybe I will never change my phone no matter what people tell about you. You are definitely the best, dude. Even the iPhones’ and the Blackberrys’ can’t be compared to this beauty. May you live forever and never get stolen

P.S.: My Moto has hanged only twice and has gone for repair to the service centre only ONCE in its entire lifetime. Now that’s something that can’t be matched.

Motorola V8 RAZR2
SALE PRICE $219.99

UNLOCKED MOTOROLA RAZR2 V8 THRILLS WITH STYLE.
As one of the slimmest flip phones on the market, this device offers an unmatched music experience.
With a cell phone like this, it’s not so easy to pinpoint the best aspect. Is it the touch-sensitive controls, External color display or just the way it automatically syncs with Windows Media Player? Regardless of your favorite part, the unlocked Motorola RAZR2 V8 is a great choice for any situation.

Last year, I wrote an entry which looked at AdMob’s monthly Mobile Metrics report and concluded that smart phone platforms from Nokia, RIM and Windows Mobile had a higher share of ads served compared to that of Apple’s iPhone.  I pointed out that this was not consistent with the browsing market share numbers reported by Net Applications. Well, iPhone has addressed that discrepancy to leave absolutely no doubt whatsover! Just take a look at the March 2009 report from AdMob (left). I have included the March 2008 report (right) as well for easy comparison.

The iPhone and iPod Touch together have a 22% share (more than the rest of the 18 platforms listed in the table) of the 7.65B ad requests made to AdMob – the distant third is the Motorola RAZR platform with a 2.7% share. Contrast this with March 2008 when the RAZR platform had a 5.6% share of ~2.86B ad requests. It is clear that the phenomenal success of Apple’s AppStore has a lot to do with the dominance of the Apple platforms. In fact, AdMob reports that applications have had a big impact on the growth of mobile data usage. According to AdMob, in March 2009, more than half of the total number of ad requests for the iPhone came from applications. It is clear that applications (especially the free variety) provide a tremendous opportunity to drive mobile advertising and will benefit ad networks such as AdMob.

Since both of my cameras are still broken and I REALLY wanted to update, I decided that shitty quality pictures taken with my phone would do. So here are some freaky clouds.

Those clouds look like a mountainside, kida.

And these clouds look like the filthy water in the nearest beach.

Estoy por intentar revivir mi viejo Motorola RAZR V3, el cual esta en las últimas, ya que apenas prende. Pero por lo menos se puede llegar a la pantalla del bootloader (*+#+PWR) por lo que intentaré flashearle un BootLoader más flexible que el que tiene. El actual es 8.23 y le voy a poner un 07.D0 que por lo que dicen es bastante más flexible.

Luego de eso intentaré flashearle un Monster Pack y ver si eso lo revive. Si no anda, ya veremos, pero por el momento asi como esta tampoco funciona, por lo que no creo que pierda mucho.

Ya les contaré como me fue.

ACTUALIZACION: (11/04/2009):

Finalmente le cambié el BootLoader a la versión 07.0D y le instalé un par de Monster Packs distintos pero nada, el problema persiste. me parece que el problema debe ser de hardware, por lo que hasta aquí llegó mi amor.

Si alguien sabe algo más al respecto sobre como arreglarlo, bienvenido sea. El problema es que al encenderlo la pantalla uqeda negra y no hay manera de que prenda, aunque cuando arranco con el BootLoader si se ve.

Para Guswolf que me preguntaba que programas usé para flashearlo, usé el RSD y el FlashBackup.

Dit moeten we toch écht niet willen: een mobiele telefoon met – hou je vast – een ingebouwd scheerapparaat. Leuk voor onderweg? Not! Scheer je weg met deze overbodige onzin. Het apparaatje komt – hoe kan het anders? – uit China. Ongetwijfeld zijn er allerlei chemische goedjes in verwerkt, die we hier in de EU al jaren geleden in de ban hebben gedaan.

Scheer je weg met deze overbodige gizmo's!

Beroerd taalgebruik
Wellicht is dat ook de reden dat dit speeltje voorlopig niet naar Europa komt. Misschien zit ‘m dat ook wel in het beroerde taalgebruik op de website: “Today, we want to introduce a Razor that is super-fit men used . Convenience to carry and practical. As long as you give the battery can be full of electric shaving, and can also dial phone, dual sim card dual standby, listen to music, support Bluetooth and 8GB expansion. Oh, No, this is a cell phone. Mobile phone can also be a razor, it is amazed.“

Je schijnt er ook mee te kunnen bellen.

In de prullenbak
Waar hebben die Chinezen het over? Nou, over alle mogelijkheden van deze kitscherige gizmo. Je kunt er mee bellen, mailen, sms’en, mms’en, fotograferen, muziek beluisteren en opnemen, bluetoothen en scheren natuurlijk! Motorola had een poos geleden al een model dat RAZR werd genoemd. Nu is er dus een écht RAZoR bijgekomen. Het is een échte Razorphoney. De kwaliteit van het gemiddelde Chinese product kennende, zal het ding snel in de prullenbak belanden. Dan kan er weer een nieuw overbodig stukje ‘technisch vernuft’ op de markt worden gebracht. Ideetje: een mobieltje met ingebouwde citruspers én elektrische tandenborstel? Yep, China mag dit kopiëren. Dat doen ze overigens ook zonder mijn toestemming!

]]> http://thatiphoneguy.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/cool758-razor-phone-really-can-shave-awaits-complete-market-saturationseriously/ Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:34:46 +0000 thatiphoneguy http://thatiphoneguy.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/cool758-razor-phone-really-can-shave-awaits-complete-market-saturationseriously/

Sure, the 120 million mark of the RAZR V3 might be a little hard to grasp at, but with innovative features like shaving people’s faces, we could really see this Cool758 “razor phone” breaking into the double digits. Just pop the cap off the bottom and you’ve got a fully functional shaving implement, perfect for rubbing across your chin repeatedly in a vain hope that it’ll knock off a few bristles before that very important meeting you’re late and ill-prepared for. If shaving isn’t your thing, there’s always its dual-sim capability, a touchscreen, and a 2 megapixel camera to fall back on. No word on price or availability.

Via : Engadget.com

I decided to put this link up because when I was first looking for it, the software was almost impossible to find. I don’t know how many people still have this phone but this application is very handy. Once installed, you can modify the contacts on your phone, copy pictures from your phone, and sync with the contacts on your PC.

When you are on the download site, scroll down to the section titled NEW. You will see a link that says “Motorola Phonetools Installer Only”.  It is a 76Mb download. Install it, follow the prompts and your phone will be recognized in minutes.

Download Motorola Mobile Phone Tools here