Apple iPad isn’t a cellphone. Apple iPad doesn’t have a forward facing camera. I’ve been ranting about that kind of stuff all over my Twitter account for quite a while. Seems like Truphone wants to shut me up with their announcement:

Truphone, the global mobile operator, today announced the availability of its application that offers thousands of Apple iPad customers the ability to make voice calls. The company’s award-winning VoIP application turns the tablet-sized device into a mobile phone that offers free or low-cost international calls, as well as advanced Instant Messaging features that integrate a user’s contacts from across multiple IM networks.

Truphone was the first to officially launch a mobile VoIP calling application for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch platforms, and the company continues to lead the way with the launch of Truphone for iPad.

The Truphone iPad application offers customers free calling to other Truphone and Google Talk users when connected over Wi-Fi, and international calling to mobile phones and landlines for as low as 5 cents a minute. Truphone also offers an unlimited calling plan and free voicemail.

Yeah. So now you can use Truphone to actually make VoIP calls to other Truphone and cellphone users for relatively cheap. The Truphone application is free, there are some fees involved calling phones other than Truphone user to Truphone user.

[ Links: Truphone, Truphone Rates ]

AIPTEX has presented its portable pico projector PocketCinema T30 for mobile phones and media players during CeBIT 2010.

The PocketCinema T30 allows you to connect external media players to project videos and pictures up to 65-inch screen. The pocket size design and the embedded rechargeable battery enables you to watch and share your favorite movies, music videos or photos at anytime and anywhere with your friends.

Link to the original article…

Adobe has announced that Adobe AIR, synonymous with desktop application development and applications like Twitterriffic [ site here ] or Skimmer [ site here ] will be bringing their ability to run on almost any OS – currently Mac OS X, Linux and Windows are now supported – and coming to the mobile smartphone market. Many popular applications are already deployed via the Adobe AIR runtime, an Adobe Flash based runtime that runs on most desktop OS machines already. So this is a very good thing for developers and customers alike.

Twenty-four of the largest phone operators have banded together to challenge the dominance of mobile app stores, such as that operated by Apple. The Wholesale Applications Community, as it is known, aims to make it easier for developers to build and sell apps “irrespective of device or technology”.

As well as the 24 network operators, the work is also supported by hardware manufacturers such as LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, as well as industry body the GSM association.

On top of the ability of the upcoming Adobe Flash CS5 to publish applications to the Apple iPhone; this sounds like a great time to be a developer of if you’ve already fallen in love with some Adobe AIR apps already.

Over at Adobe TV, there’s a video of Adobe AIR running on Android already up – [ view here ]

[ Links: Adobe, Mobile Firms Unite to Offer Apps, AIR Coming to Android/Mobile Devices ]

LG Electronics and Skype today announced ‘Skype on Your TV’, its broadband TV with embedded Skype capability, which allows Skype users to make voice and high-definition video calls directly from their family room without a PC. The Skype Your TV will be demonstrated this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show.

“Embedding the Skype software in our broadband HDTVs enriches the user experience, allowing consumers to connect with family and friends from the comfort of their family room without a PC,” said Peter Reiner, senior vice president, marketing, LG Electronics USA. Skype on LG HDTVs will give our customers another flexible option in allowing them to communicate using Skype, as well as access content directly through their HDTV.”

The Skype service on a TV will work much as it does on a PC. A TV program will stop playing once a Skype call is made or answered. The new LG TVs will also deliver familiar Skype features, including free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls to other Skype users, calls to landline or mobile phones at Skype’s low rates, and being invited to participate in voice conference calls with up to 24 other parties.

Link to the original article…

In a move that is equal parts “about time” and “how in the heck will they do it”, VMware has announced that they are working on mobile OS virtualization for the smartphones that are always growing in processing power and capabilities.

VMware has flagged smartphones as the next platform in the evolution of virtualization, but at least one major competitor, Microsoft, says that it sees no demand for the technology.

Speaking to Computerworld, Srinivas Krishnamurti, VMware’s head of mobile phone virtualisation said the company’s vision for virtualization on smartphones went beyond the basic dual-boot prototypes currently in development to one that ran both a private and work operating system and profile at the same time.

“We don’t think dual booting will be good enough – we’ll allow you to run both profiles at the same time and be able to switch between them by clicking a button,” he said. “You’ll be able to get and make calls in either profile – work or home – as they will both be live at any given point in time.”

Even though the example(s) show Microsoft WinMo and Android, if down the road it means that I can run Maemo 5/6 on the Nokia N900 and run an instance of Mobile OS X – the OS that’s on the iPhone – or Google Android or even Microsoft WinMo… I’ve found a project that would allow me to use different browsers, connectivity, or features that aren’t always on my phone of choice. Can’t wait to see what happens with this. No announcement on availability.

[ Links: Computer World Australia, VMware ]

mSpot already offers the ability to find song lyrics and download ringtones of popular music; they’ve now added the ability to view movie rentals through their website for $4.99 for each movie with no application needed. Point your browser to http://m.mspot.com and go from there with no application download necessary.

mSpot’s Mobile Movies are available on over 30 different cell phone models, including the iPhone, smartphones and some high-end feature phones, and across all major carriers. In the coming months, the service will be available on over a hundred different phone models.

“The launch of Mobile Movies makes mSpot the first company to give movie lovers what they want, when they want it,” said mSpot CEO Daren Tsui, whose favorite movies include “Mission Impossible” and “Airplane!” “Whether you’re lounging on the beach, taking the train, or just relaxing at home, we’re making movies instantly accessible to consumers everywhere.”

mSpot has inked partnerships with major studios, including Paramount Studios and Universal Studios Home Entertainment, giving mSpot customers direct access to the movies they love the most. Soon, mSpot expects to announce additional studio partnerships, giving its fans access to thousands of movies across over a hundred different mobile phones.

And before you ask, yes it does support the iPhone too. Thanks to Margaret for the tip!

[ mSpot ]