Developers, Developers, Developers, is the famous quote Joshua Topolsky the editor of Engadget chose to start on the new Engadget Show.

Mobile developers get a lot of attention from many sources including phone manufacturers (Nokia, Apple) and mobile OS companies (Symbian, Microsoft, Sun for J2ME, Apple, Google etc).

Apple’s iPhone is a unique device as it has an OS that supports only one device so compatibility is not an issue. In all other cases, developers face problems due to the fragmented nature of the device market. Every device has its attributes that deffer from one device to another (even when they have the same OS) thus applications need to be tested and adjusted per device. Developers that created an application in J2ME, for example, are usually required by the operators to support at least 10 devices and even more. In order to test the applications and adjust them to all relevant devices, and to keep up with the new models that are released to the market, developers need to get all the devices or to use a service that provides them a remote testing service that holds all the relevant devices.

Perfecto Mobile provides web access to real mobile handsets. Such a service enables developers to access devices and test their applications on them without the need to physically have them near them. Another company that offers such a service is Device Anywhere that was founded in 2003.
PerfectoMobile have recently raised 7 million dollars for its QA service.
PerfectoMobile completed raising funds just in time, time when developers get more attention and resources from the different companies to try and attract them to use their platform and their devices.

When writing these lines, we entered Perfecto Moibile’s website and found that the service is very unstable at the moment with error 503 on every landing (update: it is now back online).

We are glad we are not developers who need the service immediately and hope that some of the money raised will be used to eliminate denial of service situations.

Since Modu’s soft-launch in Israel Modu kept its cards very close the the chest. We only know that about 500 devices were sold (actually it was given free because users had to provide feedback about the product). Modu did not share information about its future deals, about expected launch time of the modu2, and of course no real details about the soft launch in Israel at all. Modu did share with us that users’ feedback claimed it is “the real thing” somehow i find it very hard to imagine people’s reaction to a very poor featured but small device is that this is the real thing. especially if the demographics of these users is youngsters who have no money. And how much can you appreciate a feedback you get from someone who got something for free and is obliged to provide you with a feedback?!
Today we are informed that Globe Telecom, the second largest operator in the Philippines is about to launch the Modu. It is said that the company will run an ad campaign of 1 million dollars. In an interview to Pocket-Lint, Modu’s CEO, Dov Moran stated that “The device just isn’t good enough for demanding Brits and Americans who like to surf the internet and stay connected”. Moran forgot to mention that the launch in Israel is more a friendly gesture than a public demand for the device.

In other words in most countries a device which lacks 3G connectivity is not welcome, that is not the situation in developing countries and this is why Modu will launch there.

[via Calcalist]