I’ve just installed another beta app — Mobile Web Server from the Nokia Beta Labs team. Look, this is cool. Mobile phone as personal URL — complete with mobile web server. Go to www.mymobilesite.net to get started. I think the potential of this is enormous.

I had a bit of a rant about Wibree a while ago. As a standalone wireless access method, I didn’t think it had much to offer. However, Nokia has managed to persuade the Bluetooth Special Interest Group to merge Wibree into its Personal Area Network offering (see this article).

I like the idea of low power anything though. Bluetooth has always been too power hungry (running my E60 down in a couple of hours). If Wibree is incorporated as a Bluetooth extension (and firmware upgrade available) why would I use any other version (that is, high power) Bluetooth?

Unless, of course, no upgrade path was offered, and only new devices supported that “new and improved” Bluetooth.

I’m using a Lenovo Thinkpad T60p notebook. This machine has built-in Wireless WAN — that is, all I should need to do is put in a SIM card (with 3G service enabled, straight out of my mobile phone) and it should go.

 Well, it should, and in theory it does, but only with Vodafone. Absolutely no choice of service provider. No, I can’t use Optus, or 3, or even Telstra (in Australia) though it looks like I can install WWAN services for Verizon and Cingular (both of which I have no hope of using in Australia!)  I would like to be able to choose the appropriate provider, indeed, from a business perspective it is vital. Consider this, if my business were on a contract for mobile services, I’d probably have good commercial (and probably legal) reasons to stay with an existing contract. But if you have the Thinkpad, you’re locked in. Great if you’re already a Vodafone customer. Not so good if you’re with someone else.

I can see the value in a bundle approach — Vodafone and Lenovo have a good partnership I’m sure — and it certainly makes sense to use an embedded WWAN in a notebook. I like the idea, and in Australia I know that HP also have a WWAN-enabled notebook (using Vodafone also). No need to carry around a separate PCMCIA card or silly EVDO dongle. Give me WWAN as I want to use it though, not as the vendor decides for me.

I use a Nokia E60 (and N73) and for some time have been looking at using Google Maps on this platform. If you go to the Google Maps website, you’ll see Microsoft Windows Mobile, Palm and Blackberry for download. No mention of Symbian or Nokia! BUT — if you point your E60 mobile browser (as I did) to www.google.com/gmm you’ll get a link for Symbian! Check out the photos!

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Your advanced smartphone should have some or all of these: Bluetooth, Infrared, WLAN or WiFi, oh and some combination of cellular technology like GSM, GPRS, 3G, HSDPA, WCDMA, etc etc. And a camera, a music player and a radio. Mobile TV, hard to like that where we’re paying high bit rates for data. Show me a genuine uncapped wireless data plan for mobile devices in Australia and we’d unleash some great creativity and collaboration. In less than 2 years I expect that there will be WiMAX enabled smartphones too. Wait until corporates put in their own WiMAX base stations.

But this is something else — Wibree. A sort of extension/enhancement to Bluetooth. So your phone can talk with your watch. Or open your garage door. I don’t think so! I’ll need some convincing on this one guys.

Why not use your Wii controller instead! Check out LiquidIce’s Wii Blog – has some good links to interesting uses for portable game controllers. Hey, why isn’t there a phone add-on for your GameBoy??