Mobile Update (Including Blackberry Thunder Pics)

A nothing unusual have happened so far this week.  Nothing in way of an iPhone-type launch of the week.  So far there are only news of things to come.

Blackberry is beginning to show it's hands more as sites devoted to RIM products begin to trickle out more information regarding specs, pictures, and functions (more pics here).   Although not yet released into the hands of the masses, some sites have more than just pictures.  They've got preliminary reviews.  

Nokia is also said to be out their own smartphone finally.  The E71 is said to be in at least one store and there is a launch party where early adopters are invited.  $480 a pop.  Not sure if there is going to be a subsidy and how much.  I must say, life for mobile warriors just gets harder and harder.  But in an entirely good way.  Lots of choices.  Also, S60 looks good from Nokia.  And they will definitely be joining Apple, HTC, Samsung, Blackberry, and a few Chinese iPhone clones with their own touch-screen before the end of the year (we'll be watching to see if this pans out).   

Other Mobility Related News:

• Now, Google Map give you walk directions.  Good for mobile warriors like myself who are close enough to walk or bike to work or find the shortest routes anyway.  (By the way, I've started biking in June 7, I've saved $60.52 according to AAA and $23.67 in actual gas).
• New Walkman Phones from Sony - still waiting for Sept/Oct release of Xperia.  
• MySpace now supports OpenID.  As a mobile user, it help to be able to have to remember only one login. I don't use MySpace myself but some of you might.  I'm a Twitter/Cirqo guy. 
• Transistors on paper.  It is one of those things that we're not going to see for a while but it does offer hope for bright mobile future.  It does not appear battery technology will be making any kind of revolutionary leap forward.  So, it's up to scientists and researches to improve other areas of electronics to improve mobile device efficiency.  
• Bad news for mobile warriors who work from home.  Metered bandwidth in the works?

We're going to be in a hold pattern as far as new product releases for a while.  But keep an eye on Apple.  There's a lot of rumors that stemmed from their quarterly conference about new products.  I'm not buying it.   A laptop refreshes are also consider a new products.  iPod Classic and iPod Touch, that we all know are due for an upgrade, will also be considered new products.  Both categories of Apple products will be refreshed in the next couple of months.  

Again, I don't think we'll see any thing revolutionary (if at all) until Macworld 2009.  I want to be wrong.  I wish dearly to be wrong but watching Apple in the past few years, it's pretty easy to guess what Apple is usually up to leading up to the Holiday Seasons.  

Having said that, the most significant thing coming from Apple is that they expect lower operating margins.  Lots of folks, and I think they're right on this count, is lowered price points.

So, we'll see!