As anyone who knows me well will attest, I’m not a fan of Apple. While I feel their products and user interfaces are top shelf, I do not agree with their overall business practices. However, that does not mean that I don’t respect what Jobs has done or admire who he is.

Steve Jobs was about more than the products and the companies he created. Jobs is legendary for how he lived his life. He was a man of principle. He had a vision of how to make the world a better place for everyone through technology and had the conviction to see it through no matter what the obstacles.

While I could illustrate this through numerous examples, I am going to pick one that has created a passion for me – the mobile phone. Jobs had a vision that the device we carry around with us everywhere we go could be more than a simple phone if it could be freed from the restrictions the carriers placed on it. Instead of talking about what could or should be done, Jobs took his vision and implemented it. In the face of opposition from carriers, existing manufacturers, and doubters (like me at the time), he had the conviction to take on the establishment to change the world. In four short years, he transformed the mobile industry from a slow moving, carrier controlled environment to a fast moving, Wild West environment where the only limit to what can be done is your imagination.

His vision and conviction has opened the mobile industry up for thousands of developers across the world to put a power in our hands that would have been unimaginable five years ago. It has revolutionized an industry and given me a canvas on which to build my own dream and vision. Without the vision and conviction of one Steve Jobs, that canvas would not exist. Even though I never had the opportunity to meet him, I would only have one word to say to him: Thanks.

In memory of Steve Jobs, I’m going to close with “one more thing”. In August, when Steve Jobs stepped away from Apple, I was reading through the many tributes paid to him at the time. One video that particularly struck me was the commencement address he gave at Stanford in 2005. It’s only 15 minutes long, but it’s worth watching every minute of it. Not only does it give you insight into the kind of person Steve Jobs was, but it will also inspire you. Enjoy.

The Financial Times put up a very interesting technical Q&A on why they chose to develop a web-based app instead of a native app. FT neatly summarizes why they pursued a mobile web strategy over a native app strategy, as well as the challenges involved.

You can read the full Q&A here, but here are my key takeaways from the article:

1. FT developed for the web for two reasons: the ability for users to see new features and changes immediately; and to save time and money on development and maintenance.
2. FT views native apps as a bridge technology until web apps mature.
3. Web standards are not owned by any one company and are universally supported whereas native apps, in FT’s terms, are like “building a train for a particular gauge of track”.
4. They also note: “App stores are controlled by their owner and may apply charges, rules and policies which are never a constraint with HTML5, distributed purely via the web.”
5. Since web development can leverage a lot of existing development tools, design of an HTML5 app can be faster and more efficient.
6. They also pointed out two challenges. One was that they were breaking new ground, and two was properly optimizing the experience.

It’s refreshing to see a big brand come out and show that a web-based mobile app can be every bit as good as a native app. It’s also refreshing to see a big brand not give into the app store hype and take the bold step of developing for the mobile web.  You can view the app on an iPhone or iPad by going to http://app.ft.com.

FT’s observations confirm what we’ve seen developing for mobile, and I’m convinced that mobile web apps are not an experiment, but a trend that will grow over time as more companies recognize the benefits of developing for the web over the rules and constraints of the app stores.

(This post was originally posted on our miniListings blog. Since it contains pretty generic advice, we decided to post it here in case you missed it over there.)

After months (and months, and months, and months, and…) of rumors, Verizon and Apple announced yesterday that the iPhone will be available on Big Red starting February 10. The first question for many people now is what do I do? Well, it depends on your situation. Here are a few scenarios I’ve come up with and my personal recommendations based on reviewing the announcement and various media comments.

Scenario #1: I already have an iPhone, should I switch to Verizon?

I’ll spend the most time on this scenario, as it the one facing most of you. A lot of you are fed up with AT&T’s service, especially in cities like New York and San Francisco. However, in the majority of places, AT&T’s service has not been bad. My recommendation is that unless you are getting downright awful service from AT&T, don’t run out and switch. Keep in mind the following:

• If you upgraded to an iPhone 4 last summer, you will have to pay a hefty early termination fee to leave AT&T. Ask youself, is the AT&T service really that bad that I am willing to drop the $200 (or more) it may take to leave AT&T?
• Your existing iPhone is not compatible on the Verizon network, so you will also need to purchase a new phone when switching. This is going to cost you a minimum of $200 for the 16GB model. You may be able to offset some of the cost by selling your old phone, but I am guessing there will be a lot for sale in next couple of months, driving the price down.
• If you surf the net while on the phone, you will be very disappointed with the Verizon iPhone. Due to technology limitations on the Verizon network, you cannot access data services while talking on the iPhone.
• If you do a lot of travelling overseas, the Verizon iPhone will not work in countries that use GSM instead of Verizon’s CDMA technology. This includes all of Western Europe and the majority of Eastern Asia. Heavy overseas travelers are best served sticking it out with AT&T.
• In general, CDMA phones are slightly slower than GSM phones, so you may notice that the Verizon iPhone may be a little slower than your AT&T iPhone.

So when would it make sense to switch?

• Your iPhone is unusable in the places you need to use your phone most (like your home or office) because AT&T’s coverage is poor or non-existent. If Verizon’s coverage is better, spend the money so your phone is usable.
• If your company has a corporate Verizon plan, it may be cheaper to switch to Verizon rather than paying your own way on AT&T. You will need to do your own analysis to see how long it would take to break-even on the switch over.
• If you are no longer under contract with AT&T (meaning you have the iPhone 3G), then you are in the best position. AT&T and Verizon are in a brutal fight over market share to be #1, so you can play them off each other to get the best deal.

Scenario #2: I’m already a Verizon customer and have been waiting for the iPhone to upgrade.

To begin with, you are the big winner – your dreams have been answered! However, before getting caught up in the euphoria and immediately purchasing an iPhone, be aware that Apple regularly refreshes the iPhone every summer. I suspect this summer will be no different and that we will see the iPhone 5. What will it bring? It could bring support for Verizon’s upgraded LTE network, a faster processor, and/or a better form factor. No one knows for sure as Apple closely guards all future device plans. Rumor also has it that Verizon is putting some hefty termination fees and upgrade restrictions on the iPhone. Make sure you understand what the upgrade restrictions and fees are so you can make an informed decision about your purchase.

Consider this: The iPhone 5 will most likely be available in July. You’ve already waited 4 years for the iPhone to land on Verizon, what’s another 6 months?

Scenario #3: I just upgraded my phone on Verizon, should I switch to the iPhone?

In short, my answer is no, unless you are completely tied into the Apple environment with a Mac, iTunes, Apple TV and more. In other words, you are a die-hard Apple loyalist (or fanboy as many people refer to you). Android has significantly closed the gap on Apple in terms of functionality, and Verizon offers the best Android phones out there. Unless you have a really good reason for switching, you may be disappointed to find out that the iPhone is not that much better than the Android device you just got, and in some areas could even be worse (gasp!).

Scenario #4: I like the carrier I’m on (T-mobile or Sprint), but want the iPhone, should I jump to Verizon?

Wow, this is a good question and quite the dilemma to be in. Well, we know that the exclusivity with AT&T is over, so I would expect that it is only a matter of time before the iPhone shows up on Sprint and T-mobile. If you’re under contract, I would recommend waiting it out. If you’re not under contract, it’s a personal decision on how bad you want the iPhone. I suspect that if you weren’t already desperate enough to switch to AT&T, then you can wait – at least until the iPhone 5 comes out.

In summary

To be blunt, the iPhone showing up on Verizon is a bigger deal to the media and financial analysts than it should be to you. I am sure that you will see many pundits talking about how important this is for Apple and Verizon. I’m sure you will also see people lining up outside Verizon and Apple stores leading up to the February 10 launch.  Make sure you don’t get caught up in the hype and make an informed decision that you won’t soon after regret.

If there are any other scenarios you’d like me to weigh in on, feel free to ask in the comments. I’d be more than happy to give you my two cents and help you with your decision process!

After trying a few things with the HTC support folks (who, by the way, were very easy to deal with), they suggested I return the device. Reluctantly, I agreed, and within a couple of days I had my replacement device.

Little did I realize how far things have come in the smartphone world in the last year, particularly with Android. I inserted and installed my old SIM and SD cards into the device, powered it up, entered my google account name and password, and within 10 minutes, my new phone was setup nearly identical to my old phone. All of my contacts, emails, wifi and network settings (including hotspots and encryption keys), and applications were on the new phone. Outside of a few miscellaneous settings and icons that needed to be arranged on the home screen, everything was just like I had it on the old phone. Best of all, it was all done over the air. No need to find any cables, hook up the phone to a computer, sync with an App Store or desktop application, or any other extra steps. In short, I was blown away!

I then realized that with Android, you are storing all of your data in the cloud. So when you change phones, all of your important data moves with you. Given the advances that are occurring in smartphone hardware these days, this is an absolutely liberating feeling to know that I can go out, pick up the latest Android device (like a Nexus S or G2), and within minutes be up and running just like before. No longer am I locked into a device, manufacturer or carrier. Without a doubt, there is serious power in the marriage of mobile computing and the cloud.

By the way, to make sure this works, you need to have checked the “Back up my data” and “Automatic restore” boxes under the Privacy Settings in Android (Go to Settings -> Privacy). Yes, I know it is a little unsettling knowing that all of your data is being stored on someone else’s servers, but I’d say the convenience is worth it.

For anyone out there who has went through the upgrade process lately with an iPhone or BlackBerry, is it as simple as what I went through with Android, or is it painful and complex?

We first met Linda at the Winkelmann office in April, 2007. At the time, we were a young company that had decided it was time to get serious, stop working out of Devesh’s Newport Beach apartment, and get a real office. We decided to look in Fullerton and were directed by the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce to Linda. They said she had a small office available for rent on the second floor of their building.

Upon arriving at the office, we were immediately greeted by Linda’s warm smile and charming personality that we all came to know and love. Needless to say, it was an easy decision for us to rent the office, and one which we never regretted.

During our short stay at the office, Linda always made us feel at home. We were always invited to office events, pot luck lunches, and treated as part of the Winkelmann team. Linda also became an informal mentor and advisor to our business. She helped us with general advice, and gave us valuable guidance as we developed a product for the real estate market. She opened up her impressive network of contacts to us and was genuinely interested in helping us succeed.

When it came time for us to leave the office at the end of September, 2007, Linda said something to me that I will never forget. She said that once you work with us at Winkelmann, you become part of our family – for life. She just didn’t tell me that, she meant it. Over the last three years, Linda remained by our side and was always willing to help. She always welcomed us at her office meetings to run crazy new mobile ideas past her team. She always made time for our questions or to go to lunch to get more specific guidance on how the industry worked. No matter how busy Linda was with her work, when I would talk with her, she had a way of making me feel like my problems were the most important thing on her mind. Truly, she made sure that we remained a part of the Winkelmann family.

I, for one, will never forget one of my last interactions with her at the Leading RE conference in Las Vegas this past March. As usual, Linda was extremely busy talking with her network of friends and colleagues discussing both business and catching up on personal details with everyone. During the entire conference, no matter how busy she was with her work at the conference, she repeatedly went out of her way to make sure that she introduced us to as many people as she could. I didn’t ask her for the help, she did it because we were part of her “family”. That’s just who Linda was.

We here at Aumnia are all proud and honored to say that we knew Linda Hawkins and were, and still are, part of the Winkelmann family. She was a great human being and an inspiration to all of us. With her passing, we lost more than just a business colleague or customer, we lost a mentor, friend, advisor, and most importantly, a part of our family. We will truly miss her.

The G2 is T-mobile’s follow up to the first commercial Android device, the G1. In the two years since the release of the G1, cellphones have changes radically, and the differences between the G1 and G2 are a great example of the advancements. The G2 takes advantage of T-mobile’s HSPA+ network, which allows for download speeds in excess of 20Mbps (faster than most home internet connections), and has a “stock” version of Android. A “stock” version of Android allows the Android operating system to be upgraded faster, which I have found to be a major benefit of the Nexus One that I’ve been using. I consistently get Android operating system updates 2-3 months before anyone else. The bottom line, if you’re looking for a clean Android experience and can’t get your hand on a Nexus One, the G2 is the next best thing.

Nokia also began shipping its N8 smartphone last week. While still the leader in both overall and smartphone shipments, Nokia has become all but forgotten due to all the iPhone and Android hype. It’s quite an unfortunate situation as Nokia still makes great hardware, and the N8 is no exception. However, since Nokia does not have a strong relationship with any of the major US carriers, no one has launched a major marketing initiative around the device. Unless Nokia really steps up both their marketing effort and carrier relationship status in the US, I would suspect that Nokia will continue to fade away into a niche player in the US market, which is a shame based on the quality of their hardware. If you’re seriously interested in picking up the device, your best bet is going to be to shell out the cash and buy the N8 directly from Nokia.

While I am not a huge tablet fan, BlackBerry maker RIM announced their tablet called the PlayBook last week. My first reaction was that RIM is making a huge mistake, until RIM co-CEO Mike Lazardis spoke about it. RIM is positioning the PlayBook as a companion to their smartphones targeted directly at business users. I think BlackBerry may be onto something. Businesses may be hesitant to buy employees iPads due to the level of distraction from games and apps that are available. With the PlayBook, enterprises will be given more control and the majority of applications will be business oriented. I suspect that businesses will be more receptive to buying their employees PlayBooks, which could overflow into consumer sales, much like their BlackBerry smartphone platform. In essence, I like the strategy, now it is up to RIM to execute.

In other handset news, another interesting device released last week was the R2-D2 themed Droid 2 from Motorola. Themed cellphones is an untapped market in my opinion. People are always looking for a way to stand out from the crowd, and themed cellphones are a great way to achieve it. I’m very curious to see how well these R2-D2 themed units sell. If they sell as well as I think they should, I suspect that you will see a lot more themed cellphones making their way into the market.

Finally, if you are interested in what the future holds for mobile phones, then take a look at this Mozilla video for a concept phone called “Seabird – A Community-driven Concept Phone.” Mozilla does not have any intention to build the phone, but it is clearly a sign of what is possible and what could be coming to mobile phones in the near future. I particularly like the idea of the included Bluetooth headset/mouse as well as the projectors that allow you to turn any surface into an interactive screen. I suspect that you will see phones within the next 2 or3 years with this type of technology, and I can’t wait!

In other comments at the conference, Verizon inidcated that tiered pricing for mobile data usage is coming within the next six months. With Sprint CEO Dan Hesse hinting at the same thing for his network, I am fearful that carrier greed could become the biggest impediment to mobile broadband adoption. I understand that the carriers need to make money, and that networks cost money to build, but if consumers start getting charged by the bit to download emails, access the web and watch streaming content, I suspect that mobile broadband adoption will slow – considerably. Lets face it, the internet as we know it today didn’t really take off until flat rate broadband pricing to the home was introduced. If the carriers begin metering users, many of the most innovative services that are being developed for mobile, like streaming content, will suffer and could die, killing innovation. In other words, the biggest impediment to carriers signing up more mobile broadband customers are most likely the carriers themselves.

Finally, I want to wrap up this week with another fun video featuring Dot, “the world’s smallest stop-motion animation character.” At first glance, this would appear off-topic on a blog focused on mobile, except for the fact that it was shot using a Nokia N8 cellphone equipped with a microscope attachment. I can still remember the days when my Dad had to carry around not only a TV studio-sized camera but also the entire VCR unit itself to shoot home movies. Now they can be shot on a device that not only produces better home movies than that old video camera but also takes pictures, plays music and lets you talk to anyone in the world at anytime. Truly amazing when you consider the progression of technology over the last 30 years!

In other handset news, Nokia and BlackBerry maker RIM, two manufacturers that are falling out of favor with investors, made major announcements last week. At their self-hosted Nokia World Show, Nokia touted that they are still the industry leader with 260,000 smartphone activations a day (compared to Android’s 200,000 and iOS’ 80,000). Unfortunately, perception is reality, and while Nokia still has the lead, they are suffering from a perception problem that John Biggs at MobileCrunch so eloquently describes. Along those same lines, RIM announced earnings last week. While the results blew past analyst expectations and a bright future was painted by management, the reality remains that Android continues to rapidly close the gap on RIM’s dominance in North America according to the latest ComScore stats. Both RIM and Nokia had better not be content to rest on their laurels because as they say in the mutual fund world – “past performance is not an indication of future performance.” I’m not surprised that Nokia and RIM are doing well when you look at past and current stats. When you look at trends, though, both Nokia and RIM should be concerned, and I mean very concerned.

As usual, I wanted to wrap up this week on a fun note. Motorola is launching a Star Wars themed R2-D2 Droid handset later this year on Verizon. While the hardware and wallpapers for the device look cool, they are not nearly as cool as this prototype Star Trek Communicator themed Nokia device. It’s quite a shame that only 14 were made back in 2008. I’m not even a Star Trek fan, and I found this concept prototype just too cool. Definitely worth spending the 9 minutes to watch the video.

I recently ran the algorithm using 10 names from the mobile industry and here are the top 20 names that were returned from the algorithm. If nothing else, these are 20 good people to follow if you are in the mobile industry and use Twitter:

1. Rudy De Waele – @mtrends
2. Paul Golding – @pgolding
3. Heike Scholz – @mobilezeitgeist
4. Russell Buckley – @russellbuckley
5. Ajit Jaokar – @AjitJaokar
6. Mike Butcher – @mikebutcher
7. Peggy Anne – @peggyanne
8. Helen Keegan – @technokitten
9. Andrew Grill – @AndrewGrill
10. Graham Brown – @grahamdbrown
11. Kei Shimada – @kei_shimada
12. Lisa Whelan – @lisawhelan
13. Tomi Ahonen – @tomiahonen
14. Ilicco Elia – @ilicco
15. James Parton – @jamesparton
16. Robert Scoble – @Scobleizer
17. Tor Bjorn Minde – @EricssonLabs
18. Andreas Constatinou – @andreascon
19. Caroline Lewko – @CarolineWIP
20. Juha Christensen – @JuhaC

The most interesting takeaway from the list for me is its distinctly international flavor – particularly European. While some of this could be due to how the algorithm was seeded, I believe it reflects the fact that many of the thought leaders in mobile are located outside the U.S.

I’ll try to run the algorithm again in a few months and update the list. In the meantime, I’d be interested in the following:

• Are you surprised by who is (or is not) on the list
• Is there anyone not on the list who is a must follow in mobile?
• What is your reaction or key takeaway from the list?

Feel free to  let me know in the comments.

Kicking things off, rumors about the iPhone becoming available outside of AT&T continue to grow, which given the results of a JD Power and Associates study highlighting AT&T’s poor network performance, can’t happen soon enough for many people. The chic rumor is that the iPhone is coming to Verizon given Apple’s orders for CDMA chipsets. While this is what most people want, another possibility raised last week is that Apple is creating a “world-phone” iPhone. In other words, one device that is compatible with mobile networks around the world. I think this a better possibility than a Verizon iPhone. A “world-phone” iPhone could also lead to the phone landing on T-mobile, which is another rumor that is gaining momentum. Of course, Apple’s lips are sealed, so I don’t suspect that we will know anything until the day after it happens, at best!

Speaking of AT&T, executives at the company have implied that the new BlackBerry Torch sales are not meeting expectations. Not a good sign for BlackBerry, who is continuing to struggle against the rising tide of Android devices. It is also rumored that many of BlackBerry’s best customers, like financial institutions, are starting to experiment with iPhone and Android devices. As I mentioned before, BlackBerry would be best served to keep their “bread-and-butter” enterprise customers happy and forget about competing in the consumer market.

In Android news, T-mobile announced the G2 device – the follow-on to the G1 who many consider “the original” Android device. The device looks great on paper, but the best part could be that it will run a stock Android build. In other words, no carrier crapware or special UI’s like Sense, TouchWiz or MotoBlur. If my NexusOne is any indication, this means that it will be one of the first devices to get new Android builds, which I’ve found to be one of the best, if not the best, feature of the NexusOne.

Another hot rumor last week is that Microsoft will launch Windows Phone 7 October 11 in a flashy New York City event. Microsoft has committed over $500MM to the launch of their latest mobile OS, so I would expect this event to be quite the party. Unfortunately, I don’t think that I’ll be on the invite list, but I’m willing to tag along as someone’s guest if you need company for the week….

Finally, Nokia is preparing to launch the Nokia N8, their latest attempt to head off the iPhone and Android juggernaut. In order to build buzz for the device, they released a rather racy, but not over the top, interactive video featuring a self-described “sizzling hot” model. Is Nokia worried that the N8 cannot stand on its own, or is this a genius move by Nokia to create buzz about the device? I’ve embedded the video below, and I’ll let you be the judge.