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Push posts

Push notifications go live on iPhone courtesy of Tap Tap Revenge

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 15th 2009 @ 2:01AM

iPhone OS 3.0 may not be available to the masses for a couple days yet, but that's not stopping Tapulous (nor Apple's App Store overlords, apparently) from rolling out a new version of its ridiculously popular Tap Tap Revenge that's fully ready to take advantage of push notifications right here and right now. We've taken the new build for a spin, and in brief, it works as designed -- notification times ranged from near instantaneous to just under a minute. One of our editors here was testing on a cellular connection and the other was on a SIM-less iPhone 3G running just WiFi, so it looks like this setup will work pretty seamlessly regardless of what kind of connection you happen to be enjoying / tolerating / loathing at the moment. Follow the break for a quick video demo.

[Thanks, Brandon]

Gallery: Push notifications go live on iPhone courtesy of Tap Tap Revenge

Continue reading Push notifications go live on iPhone courtesy of Tap Tap Revenge

Developers get first look at Apple Push Notification service on iPhone OS 3.0 beta

by Paul Miller posted May 18th 2009 @ 4:50PM

Well, what do you know: it really does exist. Apple's at last showing off push notifications outside the clutches of Cupertino, with registered iPhone developers getting a special version of the Associated Press app to test out on their super fine iPhones running the latest and greatest iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5. Devs are instructed to let Apple know if they don't receive notifications from the app within 48 hours, and it sounds like this is an ideal setting to test out the server and make sure everything is humming along nicely before us proles start choking up the network with our inane Twitter noodlings.

Gallery: Developers get first look at Apple Push Notification service on iPhone OS 3.0 beta

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Gmail gets pushed to select BlackBerries

by Tim Stevens posted May 5th 2009 @ 8:19AM

There's a new push purveyor on the mobile scene, come to show the competition what's what -- despite being completely dependent on that competition, at least for the moment. Hot on the heels of RIM adding a push API, Google is enabling some BlackBerry users to get their Gmail and Google Calendar goodies shoved straight to their handsets. However, there are a number of shortcomings here that make this addition somewhat limited in usefulness. For one thing users have to be connecting to BlackBerry Enterprise Server instances, and furthermore those instances have to be backed by Microsoft Exchange. Additionally, only 250 users per Enterprise Server instance can get their mobile Gmail on, changes made to appointments on a handsets cannot be pushed back to Google Calendar, and to top it all off searching for Gmail messages still requires a separate app. Updates and improvements are coming, but until then it's caveat emailor.

RIM pushes standardized push framework for BlackBerry OS

by Chris Ziegler posted May 4th 2009 @ 3:49PM

RIM has announced the availability of a new push API framework for BlackBerry devices that'll allow developers to push up to 8 kilobytes of data at a time -- just enough for a glanceable update, we figure -- to handsets. Though the full API is just now being announced, it's actually based on technology culled from RIM's Web Signals tech announced last year that allows users to subscribe to push updates over the web. True push available to third-party developers is a long time in coming for every platform -- and for devices as connected as BlackBerrys (and their users), we're thinking that an official solution for this should play pretty well. The API's available now to members of RIM's Alliance Program.

RIM CEO on BlackBerry Storm: "nobody gets it perfect out the door"

by Darren Murph posted Apr 16th 2009 @ 8:04AM

If there's ~~one~~ two things we love, it's hearing RIM's own Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis open their gaping traps. While the former was sufficiently panned back in January for exclaiming that buggy smartphone software was simply the "new reality," his partner in crime may have just done him one better. In a recent sit-down with Laptop Mag, Mike was specifically asked to address that aforementioned quote. His response? "That's our first touch product, and you know nobody gets it perfect out the door. You know other companies were having problems with their first releases." If you're struggling to translate that into layman speak, allow us: "Tough luck, early adopters!"

As the interview progressed, the co-CEO took the opportunity to snub Apple on its inability to get Push Email out early on, noting that BlackBerry OS has "constantly been underestimated" and was "designed to multitask from day one." He also stumbled all over himself when it came to speaking about the BlackBerry's web browser, stating that "by writing our browser in Java, that provides our CIOs and wireless managers the assurances they need, to allow the browser to access internal information at the same time it accesses external information." We've literally meditated on that for a solid half-hour, and we still have absolutely zero idea what it means in English. Nevertheless, the whole thing is a pretty great -- if not comical -- read, so give it a look and share your colorful opinions in comments below.

Google Sync debuts for iPhone, Windows Mobile and SyncML devices

by Paul Miller posted Feb 9th 2009 @ 12:59PM

Google just announced a new service for pushing Gmail contacts and Google Calendar updates to mobile devices. For iPhone and Windows Mobile devices Google is using Exchange ActiveSync with some limitations due to the beta nature of the service, but it'll also work on many other devices that support SyncML (a vendor list is here). Google Sync works automatically, and replaces all existing contact and calendar information on the device, so sync-er beware -- we wouldn't let Google get close to our contacts without some serious preflight cleanup and maintenance. Google Apps users can enable the service per domain. There's an explanatory video after the break.

Continue reading Google Sync debuts for iPhone, Windows Mobile and SyncML devices

Push notification services now in hands of select few iPhone devs

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 1st 2008 @ 7:08AM

You have to be one of the cool kids to get it, but Apple has apparently pushed out another beta of iPhone firmware 2.1 (along with the SDK) to a few devs that for the first time contains a "rough" implementation of Cupertino's arguably overengineered solution for dancing around the contentious background app issue. The Push Notification Service routes real-time notifications through an Apple server, which in turn tosses those notifications onto iPhones around the globe -- a service Apple intends to make available to a general audience in September. There's apparently no actual hardware running on Apple's end yet, though, so the chosen few included in the early seed will just have to close their eyes and make believe as they enjoy the fruits of a new ROM a few days before their equally qualified, equally worthy counterparts.

[Via Gearfuse]

Sprint's "Mobile Mail Work" brings corporate mail to non-PDA devices

by Sean Cooper posted Jun 20th 2008 @ 9:28AM

Tired of just how productive -- and smug -- your co-workers are with all that 'Berry mail, direct push, and instant connectivity? Sprint's about set to cover your six with its new Mobile Mail Work, a push mail solution for non-PDA handsets. Launching on the Samsung Instinct -- pictured above and mentioned no less than six times in the PR material -- it'll see you picking up your Exchange mail, works both on and off-line, and even features searchable contacts. Not too shabby, huh? The price of admission you ask? Free for all those on Everything, Talk / Message / Data share, and the Vision Pro packages, all others can hop aboard for $9.99 a month. The software will be available via Sprint's mobile web downloads, and should support 11 more sets in the coming weeks. So go on, wreck your life by tethering yourself to your office mail, we know you wanna, and now Sprint wants you to, too. Follow the read link to check the list of supported devices

Verizon's RemoSync brings Direct Push email to select handsets

by Darren Murph posted Jun 10th 2008 @ 11:44AM

Hankerin' for some bona fide push email on your VZW handset, are you? If this is indeed the case, look no further than RemoSync, the latest Get It Now application that enables a handful of the carrier's handsets to get their Exchange-hosted email pushed directly to them. More specifically, those who purchase the app will be able to read, compose, reply, delete, forward, etc. emails, download Outlook contacts and view those immensely annoying calendar events. The pricing structure is quite curious, though. First off, it'll cost you $9.99 per month, and while a data plan isn't required per se, those without one will be charged $1.99 per megabyte (or "airtime") when using RemoSync. For a list of compatible mobiles, tap the read link and give that scroll wheel a few turns.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Helio will push your Gmail to you -- or any other mail, for that matter

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 24th 2008 @ 10:44AM

Owners of Helio devices equipped with the MVNO's "Ultimate Inbox" feature -- Ocean, Fin, Mysto owners, we're looking straight at you -- will find that they now have a fun little gem waiting for them. Gmail's now being touted as supporting push notifications right alongside Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, and My Helio, but the real trick here is that Ultimate Inbox now supports push for any POP or IMAP account of your choosing. In other words, that "my bad, I haven't checked my email recently" excuse suddenly holds, like, zero weight if you own one of these devices. Sorry!

iPhone gets ActiveSync support for Exchange

by Sean Cooper posted Mar 6th 2008 @ 12:41PM

As was hinted at some days ago, the Cupertino crew decided that the iPhone was finally ready for prime time in belt clips around the nation. Well, great news friends, Enterprise to Apple means Microsoft Exchange and ActiveSync support. We can expect features like Push mail and Contacts, Global Address List, Cisco IPsec VPN, authentication via certificate, and even remote wipe. Also on the table is Salesforce.com's Sales Force Automation CRM Application (SFA) and they've even thrown in support for maps. When can we get our greedy little hands on this you ask? As soon as the next iPhone firmware update rolls out, that's when.

Qtek 9000 gets AKU2

by Marc Perton posted Apr 7th 2006 @ 5:20PM

Qtek has become the latest company to bless another group of customers with the glories of AKU2, adding not just push email, but the extra bonus of A2DP to their version of the HTC Universal (owners of the i-mate version have had the goods for a month already). Owners of the Qtek 9000 can hop over to Qtek's web site and download the update right now. Now. So, do it already!