Samsung to license Apple’s Safari Browser?

Let me get this straight.

According to Engadget Samsung just announced the SGH-L870, a Symbian device which includes… wait for it… the Safari mobile browser. Safari is based on Webkit just like numerous other browsers, including the S60 Browser.

If true, this represents a significant effort by Apple to break into new segments of the market where they have lacked presence on mobile hardware other then the iPhone. This would be a smart move as it’s clearly no longer a 2-3 player desktop only game (Mac, Windows, Linux) for software platforms as mobile platforms continue to gain marketshare. Not to mention the Safari browser has considerable name and brand props that the S60 Browser lacks as I went over in this post.

But sorry, I just don’t buy this. I’m going out on a limb and calling this news as lost in translation. It just is too unlike Apple and I just don’t see Symbian playing nice with another Web-kit browser when they already offer a great one, which by the way supports video and Flash where Safari mobile does not.

Advertisement

Boston Symbian Event

An Evening with S60 lands in Boston on Thursday June 5th from 8 PM to 10:30 PM at The Living Room. This all part of Dan Shugrue’s grass-roots marketing campaign to help get the word out to the general population on how open and cool S60 is. There is also the S60 Ambassador program for folks who are looking to enfranchise the public in return for some free Nokia product and accessories.

Register here.

In other S60 news, AllAboutSymbian has released their latest podcast touching on N-Gage, Maps, and Apple’s impending 3G iPhone release. I’ve been listening to Rafe, Ewan, Stefan, and Steve for awhile now and this podcast series is a must listen for anyone into Symbian and mobile in general.

Mobile Web Technologies Overview Article

Check out this great article from Forum Nokia for an overview of Mobile Web Technologies.

A great introductory piece for new web developers in mobile as well a clear distinction of what WRT is and where it fits into Nokia’s offerings.

Adobe Open Screen Project; A Welcome Unity

So the inevitable convergence is happening with Open Screen Project. The program is dedicated to ensuring a consistent rich Internet experience across a broad range of digital screens and form factors including mobile phones, consumer electronics, televisions and personal computers. This move solves quite a bit of the fragmentation issues that Flash was facing across both desktop and device platforms and more clearly indicates how Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) will play into the mobile space.

The other big news is that Flash will no longer require licensing. So there will be a more compelling reason for carriers and handset manufacturers to develop and include it in their offerings (are you listening Apple?).

I see two big contributing factors that has led to this program. One was Microsoft Silverlight’s emergence as a player outside the Windows Mobile space on S60, though it’s important to note that Silverlight is indeed a plug-in technology and not a run-time as of right now. Another was Adobe’s Mobile and Devices Business Unit merge with its Experience and Technology group. The re-org obviously positioned them tactically to enact a strategy just like this one where before it would have posed quite a few challenges.

All in all, I see this move as good for developers and consumer alike.

I met Microsoft’s Don Dodge!

My trip to Nantucket was side-swiped by mother nature. Rainy and freezing, I had foolishly dragged my bike over with me thinking I’d ride the entire island, but it was not to be. But on the ferry ride back, I’m tapping away on my N95 and I look up and think “hey I know that guy from somewhere…”, and then it occurs to me, the ultra-exclusive, invite-only Nantucket Conference was this weekend, attracting people just like him; New England’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and tech executives.

In talking with him, Don was immediately charismatic and conversational, letting me in on some of the great stories he heard at the conference. As a long-time reader of his blog, this confirmed to me his tremendous insight into business and innovation and I was thrilled that he sat down and talked with me for a while. He even gave me his off-the-record opinion on the Microsoft-Yahoo merger melt-down that happened only hours before. Very inspiring conversation indeed

Whether you like Microsoft or not, it’s clear that visionaries like Don are what helps them retain their juggernaut status. Any MBA student (like myself),aspiring entrepreneur, or venture capitalist can stand to learn a lot from his blog here. A favorite post of mine are his thoughts on dividing equity in start-ups.