BlackBerry

Interview with DataViz's Jenn Figueroa

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:35:35 -0500

If you've used smartphones for any period of time, you've more than likely heard of DataViz. Founded in 1984, DataViz now creates software products for a number of platforms, the most notable of which is probably its Documents To Go office suite for a variety of mobile platforms including Palm OS, Symbian OS, BlackBerry, Linux, Java, and Windows Mobile.

I caught up with DataViz spokeswoman Jenn Figueroa, who talked with me about the company and its plans for the future.

FMIT: What are some of the challenges in the development of DTG (Documents To Go)?

JF: "There are two challenging factors. One of the challenging issues developing a Microsoft mobile office solution is adapting the form factor into an environment where there is limited real estate with device screen size. We took a step back and came to the conclusion that it's not about squeezing MS office into a mobile device, but more about supporting all the features that make the most sense to enable users to use and share documents and data no matter where they are.

"Another challenging issue was the ability to maintain file integrity (in the form of file formatting and data). When it comes to complex Office documents, even today's more powerful smartphones have problems supporting them fully. One obvious reason why is screen sizes on smartphones are still limited, so showing all the complex formatting and layout of a Word, Excel and PowerPoint file may not be the most practical nor useful.

"With this in mind DataViz developed InTact Technology, a key feature in Documents To Go. With InTact Technology, the complex formatting and layout of the original desktop documents are maintained, once they've been edited on the smartphone. By making sure desktop documents and the formatting associated with them are always kept to their original form, users can remain confident when using their Office files on their smartphone. They never have to worry whether the original file has been compromised. InTact is a major importance in our mobile version of Office as there really hasn't been any other mobile solution in the market to match our level of file compatibility."

FMIT: Could you share with us more about the development of DTG for the BlackBerry? How long did it take to create, and are there any unique problems to the BlackBerry platform or issues encountered during development?

JF: "Developing for BlackBerry was a larger project than other recent platforms we've tackled because we had to rewrite Documents To Go in Java. We spent a couple months researching and prototyping before really diving in. From that point it took about 15 months to get to our first release.

"Since then we've spent an additional nine months adding features to bring our Java product up to speed with our C++ product, which is offered on all our other supported platforms. Of course in some ways our Java code now surpasses our C++ code. Other than having to rewrite everything, one Java-specific challenge has been managing memory usage to avoid long garbage collections which can leave the phone unresponsive until complete."

FMIT: DataViz has done a tremendous job so far with its DTG and RoadSync product line. Are there any other software or products that the company is looking into or developing at the moment?

JF: "Listening to our customer's and responding to their feedback has always given us an edge over the competition. By maintaining an open dialogue with our customers we are able to advance our development efforts to provide users with the products they need. At this time we are focusing our efforts on adding features to Documents To Go and Roadsync as well as porting the solutions to other mobile platforms."

FMIT: Are there any plans to develop for Google's Android?

JF: "We are very interested and currently investigating."

FMIT: Are there any plans to develop for Apple's iPhone?

JF: "We are currently developing Documents To Go for the iPhone and anticipate a 2009 release. In fact Documents To Go for iPhone, is our No. 1 customer request due to our strong brand recognition in North America and the increasing iPhone base of users."

DataViz to release office suite for the iPhone in 2009

Paul Mah — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:08:39 -0500

BlackBerry users would recall that Documents To Go for the BlackBerry was a very recent addition. Interestingly, DataViz considers that development for the BlackBerry platform to be larger than other recent projects to date. In order to port Documents To Go to the BlackBerry platform, DataViz had to practically rewrite Documents To Go in Java. Indeed, the company spent a whooping 26 months, from prototyping all the way through actual coding and bringing the resulting Java code up to speed with their C++ codebase.

While DataViz spokeswoman Jenn Figueroa said that the company has been working on a port of Documents To Go for the iPhone, she confirmed that this product is their top customer request. In addition, she revealed that DataViz is anticipating a 2009 release for Documents To Go for the iPhone. Furthermore, DataViz is "very interested" with Google's Android platform, and are currently investigating its feasibility.

Moving forward, the company intends to focus its efforts on adding features to Documents To Go and Roadsync, as well as porting these solutions to other mobile platforms.

For more:
- check out the full excerpt of our correspondence with DataViz (web only)

Forwarding your text messages to your email

Paul Mah — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:13:04 -0500

I came across txtForward earlier today, which I thought was worth a mention here. As its name suggests, txtForward automatically forwards incoming or outgoing text messages to a specified email address. This could be a boon for the heavy text user who might just want a simple and reliable way to archive their messages. And in case you didn't realize, text messaging is apparently being used by teens to avoid taking phone calls by their parents.

Anyway, the unfortunate state of affair is that most smartphones simply do not treat text messages as important, and hence are generally limited in terms of message-level searching, as well as in their backup and archival.

Available for the BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, the BlackBerry version of the software worked flawlessly for me. Of course, the trial is limited to only 10 forwarded messages, so my experience with it is limited. One downside for privacy advocates is that the emails are sent out via Electric Pocket's servers, though the company gave assurance on its website that no logging, recording, or monitoring of messages takes place.

To read more on the article:
- check out this product from Electric Pocket

The BlackBerry Storm is out

Paul Mah — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:10:07 -0500

The BlackBerry Storm is RIM's first touch screen smartphone, and runs on version 4.7 of the BlackBerry operating system. What is unique about the Storm is its "SurePress" touch screen, which provides realistic tactile feedback akin to that of an actual button. In addition, the Smartphone incorporates a wide variety of new, touch-based keyboard and device shortcuts--not to mention gesture-based navigation methods.

Now that it has finally been released, we put together some links of what others are saying about it.

Check out these write-ups, reviews and comparison sites:

Our initial news report of the touchscreen Blackberry Storm
BlackBerry Storm available for $199
Check out this slideshow of the RIM BlackBerry Storm
MobileBurn does a video review of the Storm
Sales figures for the BlackBerry Storm look strong so far
Have a look at this comparison of the BlackBerry Storm with the G1 and iPhone 3G
Shortage of BlackBerry Storms causes price of RIM stock to fall

DataViz announces Documents To Go Premium for BlackBerry Smartphones

Paul Mah — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:21:01 -0500

DataViz, maker of the Documents To Go Office-compatible suite has announced Documents To Go Premium for BlackBerry Smartphones. Besides the native Office 2007 support, a copy of its new PDF viewer "PDF To Go," will be offered as a free bonus for customers who upgrade to Documents To Go Premium Edition. Press Release

Shoot&Proof application adds legal value to photos

Paul Mah — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:55:10 -0400

French developer Codasystem has announced the release of BlackBerry support for its Shoot&Proof application. The smartphone-installed software establishes the legal value of photos snapped by the built-in camera. The "when" and "where" of photos taken by the BlackBerry is recorded--a important feature for those in industries such as construction and public works, real estate, poster advertising and media. This makes the service to stand out from a plethora of similar services for publishing and sharing photos. The other platform supported at the moment appears to be Microsoft's Windows Mobile devices.

For more:
- check out this article from BlackBerryCool.com

Google releases Gmail for mobile 2.0

Paul Mah — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:44:41 -0400

Google has released version 2.0 of Gmail for mobile devices. Designed for devices with J2ME support and BlackBerry Smartphones, the new version is touted as faster and more reliable. Article

The rise of application stores for mobile software

Paul Mah — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:05:23 -0400

Probably as a result of pressure from Apple's highly successful application store, the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, Research In Motion (RIM), has unveiled an application storefront for the BlackBerry operating system. Indeed, Google also announced an Android Market earlier, which will serve as an online center for its open-source operating system. Not to be outdone, Microsoft has also been spotted posting job advertisements for new staff for a Windows Mobile related "Skymarket" service. As expected, carriers are not keen to give application developers free reign on this lucrative front. At this point however, there appears to be nothing much they can do against this inexorable trend. Principal analyst Charles Golvin at Forrester Research believes that wireless carriers can already "see the writing on the wall." The upside, of course, is carriers will still make money on their data plans.

To read more about mobile application stores:
- check out this article from CNET News

RIM jumps past Windows Mobile in 2Q 2008

Paul Mah — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:21:15 -0400

The latest numbers from Gartner are out, and though almost every platform saw increased sales for devices, the big winner here appears to be RIM. While Windows Mobile increased its share slightly, RIM has almost doubled its share to 17.4 percent since this time last year. This represents an almost 5 percent lead on Windows Mobile, which is surprising given the enhancements that Microsoft has put into it. In addition, handset manufacturers such as HTC have provided some pretty outstanding phone designs based on Windows Mobile. Certainly, support for non-work related usage, such as support for audio and video content, is surely helping the previously enterprise-centric only device along. It remains to be seen how the second half of 2008 will go, with the launch of the Bold as well as a slew of other improved devices from RIM.

For more on the story:
- check out this jkOnTheRun article

InterNoded IMDM manages multiple messaging platforms

Paul Mah — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:43:21 -0400

If you ever have a problem with managing multiple smartphones that users demand be allowed to connect to your corporate email server, then perhaps you should consider taking a look at the InterNoded Mobile Device Manager (IMDM). The IMDM is the only solution on the market that can manage devices based on the BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Good Messaging platforms, all from within the same system. While I have not yet had the chance to actually try out the software, the slides and screenshots I've seen have shown a comprehensive administrative interface where the user is able to provision their device of choice via a simple self-service portal. While other features, such as password resets and device wipes, can be found on the latest versions of Windows Mobile and server-side software for the BlackBerry, IMDM offers a consistent interface and platform to do it. On the administrative end, the consistent interface also makes defining IT policies across various smartphone platforms a breeze.

To find out more about the InterNoded Mobile Device Manager:
- check out the InterNoded website