Mobile data increased very much last year. I expect the growth to continue. If operators do not invest enough to their network and/or find suitable charging schemes the network can become more congested than before.
4G mobile device speeds becomes the new standard. As competition move to that end, there will be fast growth there. Shipments of ’4G’ LTE devices, that is handsets, dongles and tablets, reached almost 103 million units in 2012, according to figures published by ABI Research. It interesting that almost 95% of the devices shipped went to North America and the Asia-Pacific.
3G will become the low-cost option for those who think 4G option is too expensive. What is interesting to note is that not everyone who upgraded to an LTE-capable device last year took out an LTE subscription; in fact, only around half of LTE device owners also have an LTE subscription.
The shift to 4G can take many more than year to fully happen even in USA. ABI expects the rate at which 3G subscribers with LTE handsets upgrade to LTE connections will gather pace over the next two years. And even longer in Europe. Carriers should not be panicking. And 3G will live and expand besides 4G for quite a long time. For many of those living outside cities, 3G internet connections are still hard to come by.
Apple and Samsung will continue to make money this year as well as people rate Apple and Samsung more highly than ever. Accountant Deloitte predicts that Smartphone sales to hit 1bn a year for first time in 2013.
Samsung is currently the world’s leading seller of phones and televisions. Those leaders should be careful because competition is getting harder all the time. Samsung boss has given warning on this to employees. Remember what what happened to Nokia.
Android will dominate smart phone market even stronger than before. Digitimes Research: Android phones to account for 70% of global smartphone market in 2013.
Windows Phone 8 situation is a question mark. Digitimes predicts that Shipments of Windows Phones, including 7.x and 8.x models, will grow 150% on year to 52.5 million units in 2013 for a 6.1% share. There is one big force against Windows Phone: Google does not bother doing services for Windows Phone 8, Google’s sync changes are going to screw Gmail users on Windows Phone and there are issues with YouTube. Does Windows Phone even have a chance without Google? For active Google service users the changes are pretty that they get this phone.
Competition on smart phones gets harder. It seems that smart phone business have evolved to point where even relatively small companies can start to make their own phones. Forbes sees that Amazon, Microsoft, Google, will all introduce branded mobile phones.
Patent battles are far from over. We will see many new patent fights on smart phones and tablets.
Mobile phones still cause other devices to become redundant. Tietoviikko tells that last year mobile phone made redundant the following devices: small screen smart phones (4 inch or more now), music buying as individual tracks or discs, navigators (smart phone can do that) and a separate pocket size camera. Let’s see what becomes redundant this year.
Many things happens on Linux on mobile devices. Ubuntu now fits in your phone. Firefox OS phones from ZTE will come to some markets. ZTE plans to make Open webOS phone. Meego is not dead, it resurrects with new names: Samsung will release Tizen based phones. Jolla will release Sailfish phones.
Cars become more and more mobile communications devices. Car of the future is M2M-ready. Think a future car as a big smart phone moving on wheels.
Nokia seemed to be getting better on the end of 2012, but 2013 does not look too good for Nokia. Especially on smart phones if you believe Tomi T Ahonen analysis Picture Tells it Better – first in series of Nokia Strategy Analysis diagrams, how Nokia smartphone sales collapsed. Even if shipment of Windows Phone 8 devices increase as Digitimes predicts the year will be hard for Nokia. Tristan Louis expects in Forbes magazine that Nokia abandons the mobile business in 2013. I think that will happen this year, at least for whole mobile business. I have understood that basic phone and feature phone phone business part of Nokia is quite good condition. The problems are on smart phones. I expect that Windows Phone 8 will not sell as well as Nokia hopes.
Because Nokia is reducing number of workers in Finland, there are other companies that try to use the situation: Two new Finnish mobile startups and Samsung opens a research center in Espoo Finland.
Finnish mobile gaming industry has been doing well on 2012. Rovio has been growing for years on the success of Angry Birds that does not show slowing down. Supercell had also huge success. I expect those businesses to grow this year. Maybe some new Finnish mobiel game company finds their own recipe for success.
Late addition: Wireless charging of mobile devices is get getting some popularity. Wireless charging for Qi technology is becoming the industry standard as Nokia, HTC and some other companies use that. There is a competing AW4P wireless charging standard pushed by Samsung ja Qualcomm. Toyota’s car will get wireless mobile phone charger, and other car manufacturers might follow that if buyers start to want them. Wireless charge option has already been surprisingly common variety of devices: Nokia Lumia 920, Nexus 4, HT, etc. We have to wait for some time for situation to stabilize before we see public charging points in cafeterias.
1,261 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Creating a complete Android game from scratch in one month
http://bigosaur.com/blog/1-complete-android-game-in-one-month
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nice job, technology. Now we have to work FIVE TIMES HARDER
Now that your phone is a computer, you’re never off the clock
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/23/technology_has_made_us_work_five_times_harder/
Researchers have claimed that modern technology has made workers almost five times more tired productive than they were in the ’70s.
A business report painted this as entirely good news, hailing the fact that workers are now chained to their smartphones or fondleslabs and can work around the clock.
In a paper called the “Individual Productivity Report”, analysts from the O2 Business and the Centre for Economic and Business Research claimed there had been a 480 per cent rise in “ICT-related labour productivity” between 1972 and 2012, compared to a relatively meagre growth of 84 per cent for overall labour productivity.
Tech-driven productivity will go up even further, the report continued, driven by high speed mobile internet access and tablet computers, allowing wage slaves to put nose to grindstone wherever they happen to be.
The researchers predicted that tech-related productivity would soar by 22 per cent between 2012 and 2020, or 2.5 per cent a year.
“Employers have been able to condense work-flows among fewer workers. The result is fewer secretaries taking diction, for example, and more managers dealing with their own administration in emails and exchanging documents online.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG’s curved-screen G Flex smartphone revealed in photos and video
http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/23/4932252/lg-g-flex-photos-video
We’ve seen rendered images of LG’s G Flex and its curved OLED display, but the device itself has proven elusive — until now. Argentinian broadcaster Telefe apparently managed to obtain the phone for an in-studio hands-on video, and journalist Federico Ini has provided The Verge with additional photos.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The fourth platform supposedly dead? New applications downloaded 10 million times in 24 hours
Blackberry messenger BBM: AA downloaded 10 million times a day, the company announced in a statement. RIM’s phones has not suddenly become huge hits, but the app is for the Android and iOS users.
BBM with the help of other software platforms for users to chat with BlackBerry users, but it also acts as a mutual exchange of messages.
Overall, the BBM users is claimed to be up to 60 million.
“We strive to be a leader in the private messaging system focuses on community service network. We want to serve anyone who needs BBM’s privacy, manageability, and reliability features that provide instant messaging, “said deputy director of the BlackBerry’s Andrew Bocking.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/neljas+alusta+muka+kuollut+uutta+sovellusta+ladattiin+10+miljoonaa+kertaa+24+tunnissa/a940777
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tracking Companies Agree to Notify Shoppers, But Retailers Demur
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/10/22/tracking-companies-agree-to-notify-shoppers-but-retailers-demur/
Shoppers may soon learn which stores have been watching them as they stroll through the aisles.
Over the last two years, retailers such as Nordstrom have hired software firms that gather Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals emitted from smartphones to monitor shoppers’ movements around stores. They use the data to study things like wait times at the check-out line and how many people who browse actually make a purchase.
Most of the time, consumers have no idea that they’re being tracked.
Now that could change. In response to growing public unease about privacy, on Tuesday a group of companies providing retailers with location tracking services agreed to give consumers notice that they are tracking them — and to encourage retail companies they work with to post instructions explaining how to opt-out of tracking.
Even without signs, he says, consumers can opt-out from tracking in all stores via the Smartstoreprivacy website.
The tracking companies have agreed to only collect aggregate information about people’s movements and to scrub information that could tie the smartphones back to the identity of their owners.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Memo to Workers: The Boss Is Watching
Tracking Technology Shakes Up the Workplace
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303672404579151440488919138
Dennis Gray suspected that workers in his pest-control company were spending too much time on personal issues during the workday. So the general manager of Accurid Pest Solutions in southern Virginia quietly installed a piece of GPS tracking software on the company-issued smartphones of five of its 18 drivers.
The software allowed Mr. Gray to log onto his computer to see a map displaying the location and movement of his staff.
“We were certainly impressed with the software,” said Mr. Gray.
Blue-collar workers have always been kept on a tight leash, but there is a new level of surveillance available to bosses these days. Thanks to mobile devices and inexpensive monitoring software, managers can now know where workers are, eavesdrop on their phone calls, tell if a truck driver is wearing his seat belt and intervene if he is tailgating.
“Twenty-five years ago this was pipe dream stuff,” said Paul Sangster, CEO of JouBeh Technologies, a Canadian company that develops tracking, or “telematics,” technology for businesses. “Now it is commonly accepted that you are being tracked.”
Office workers have come to expect that their every keystroke is tracked on a server somewhere, but monitoring for hourly and wage workers has long been limited to video cameras in the break room and GPS on delivery trucks. Companies are now watching a wider swath of blue-collar workers more closely to ensure work is getting done.
A 2012 report from research firm Aberdeen Group found that 37% of companies that send employees out on service calls track the real-time location of workers via their hand-held devices or vehicles.
“It’s not a question of whether companies should monitor,” said Lewis Maltby, founder of the National Workrights Institute, which promotes employee privacy. “It’s a question of how.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung apologizes to Chinese consumers for smartphone issues after being criticized by state media
http://thenextweb.com/asia/2013/10/24/samsung-apologizes-to-chinese-consumers-for-smartphone-issues-after-being-criticized-by-state-media/
Samsung has apologized to Chinese consumers after China’s state broadcaster singled the company out in a half-an-hour program late Monday, criticizing its Galaxy S and Note smartphones for crashing as many as 30 times a day.
In a statement on its Chinese website — translated by TNW — Samsung says: “We welcome the scrutiny by the media. As a result of management problems, we have brought inconveniences to consumers, and we offer our sincere apologies.”
The Korean company will be repairing the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 smartphones free of charge, and will refund those who have already paid to fix their devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Reports 26% Growth In Q3 Operating Profit, But Warns Of Slower Smartphone Sales
http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/24/samsung-reports-26-growth-in-q3-operating-profit-but-warns-of-slower-smartphone-sales/
Samsung reported that its Q3 operating profit surged 26% to 10.2 trillion won (about $9.6 billion), but continued to warn that its smartphone sales will slow thanks to increased competition. Its earnings growth was driven mainly by Samsung’s chip business profit, which doubled to 2.06 trillion won, the highest in three years, thanks to stronger chip prices this year after a fire last month at one of competitor SK Hynix’s Chinese plants created a shortage in a key component. Demand for chips was driven by mobile devices, servers and the release of new game consoles.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cover Is An Android-Only Lockscreen That Shows Apps When You Need Them
http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/24/cover-android/
You have more apps than you know what to do with, but Cover could fix that. It’s an Android lockscreen replacement launching (invite-only) today that adapts to show your top productivity apps at work, favorite chill out apps at home, and driving apps in the car. With a $1.7 million seed led by First Round Capital, Cover is proudly Android-first and -only, and could expose the inflexibility of iOS.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Japanese operator license 5g Section of Tokyo Olympic Games
Japanese mobile operator NTT Docomo has announced that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, you have a 5g network.
The promise of a brave, because 5g networks standards is not yet an international agreement.
Mobile networks, is currently undergoing a transition to 3G networks to 4G or LTE networks, but firm in the industry for some time outlined what the next generation might be.
What kind of radio technical solutions to achieve this, it is still open.
NTT Docomo introduced a timetable for the International Conference on Broadband Broadband World Forum in Amsterdam.
South Korea targets are Japaniakin tougher. There, too, will be held in the winter Olympics in 2018, and formed the ground-5g in the Forum’s goal is to introduce some form of 5g’s.
5g of the standard work of the next important milestone is the World Radio Conference in 2015.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/uutisia/japanilaisoperaattori+lupaa+5gta+tokion+olympialaisiin/a941430
Tomi Engdahl says:
Patent Filing Reveals Samsung’s Designs For Google Glass Competitor
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/13/10/24/2045247/patent-filing-reveals-samsungs-designs-for-google-glass-competitor
“A South Korean patent filing, complete with memos and device designs has let the cat out of the bag about Samsung’s new head-mounted wearable device to compete with Google Glass, two days after Microsoft was found to be testing a similar prototype.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
That’s a lotta cats: 40% of YouTube vids are streamed to mobes
All well and good, but where’s the revenue?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/21/mobile_tops_youtube_charts/
40 per cent of YouTube streams are being delivered to mobile devices, to Google’s delight – though this could seen as a failure to get beyond blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cat videos into something more profitable.
The company also reported that YouTube’s mobile users now account for 40 per cent of the traffic, to the voluble delight of recently-departed product manager Hunter Walk
There’s no denying that YouTube is popular on mobile devices, though we’d argue that much of that consumption isn’t mobile. YouTube has become a popular jukebox for those who find Spotify’s freemium offering too complicated – or expensive – so iPads around the world are potentially sitting in man caves playing music while appearing as mobile consumers of video.
Tomi says:
$10 Smartphone to digital microscope conversion!
http://www.instructables.com/id/10-Smartphone-to-digital-microscope-conversion/?ALLSTEPS
The world is an interesting place, but it’s fascinating up close. Through the lens of a microscope you can find details that you would otherwise never notice. But now you can.
This instructable will show you how to build a stand for about $10 that will transform your smartphone into a powerful digital microscope. This DIY conversion stand is more than capable of functioning in an actual laboratory setting. With magnification levels as high as 175x, plant cells and their nuclei are easily observed! In addition to allowing the observation of cells, this setup also produces stunning macro photography.
The focus lens of about any cheap laser pointer will acts as the macro lens on the microscope stand.
Tomi says:
Ask Hackaday: Does Project Ara Solve the Phonebloks’ Problems?
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/30/ask-hackaday-does-project-ara-solve-the-phonebloks-problems/
Our tips line is blowing up again, this time directing us to Motorola’s Project Ara: a phone with modular components that plug into a base “endoskeleton.”
Project Ara is frighteningly similar to the (presumed vaporware) Phonebloks concept
There’s a conspiracy theory circulating that suggests Motorola released the Phonebloks concept as a viral marketing scheme to generate hype before revealing the official product line.
Tomi says:
Use Your Smartphone as a Microscope for Less Than $10
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/30/use-your-smartphone-as-a-microscope-for-less-than-10/
[Yoshinok] recently posted an Instructable on doing a $10 smartphone-to-microscope conversion. The hack isn’t so much a conversion as just a handy jig, but it’s still interesting. The basic idea is to set up a platform for the slides, and to mount the smartphone directly above. The trick, and the reason this can be called a microscope, is that [Yoshinok] embeds the lens from a cheap laser pointer into the smartphone holder. He is able to get 40x optical magnification with the lens, and even though it sacrifices quality, he uses the built-in digital zoom to get up to 175x magnification.
Tomi says:
1Sheeld Uses Your SmartPhone as an Arduino Accessory
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/29/1sheeld-uses-your-smartphone-as-an-arduino-accessory/
The Arduino can be a bit of a gateway board. You start with an Uno, then a shield, then another. Before you know it, you have an entire collection of shields. This is the problem 1Sheeld wants to solve. 1Sheeld allows a you to use your cell phone as a sensor and I/O suite for your Arduino, replacing many existing shields.
Currently the 1Sheeld page is just a sign up for an upcoming kickstarter,
高品質 ランニングシューズ says:
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good, every one be capable of simply understand it, Thanks a lot.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Prepare Product Design in Wearable Technology
http://subscriber.emediausa.com/Bulletins/BulletinPreview.aspx?BF=1&BRID=57407
As the number of smartphone users grows and the smartphone become the hub of information for its users, there will be an increasing number of devices that will connect to and exchange data with smartphones. These are products that must be worn on the user’s body for an extended period of time
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: Windows Phone overtakes iOS in Italy and makes progress in Europe
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/11/04/report-windows-phone-overtakes-ios-in-italy-and-makes-progress-in-europe/
There’s good news for Microsoft’s mobile efforts, as according to a latest report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showing data for the three months to September 2013, Windows Phone has overtaken iOS in Italy and now makes up one in 10 smartphone sales across five major European markets – the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
According to Kantar, Windows Phone’s progress is driven “almost entirely” by Nokia sales — as it continues to progress rapidly in Europe. For the last three months to August this year, Windows Phone-based devices accounted for 9.2 percent of smartphone sales in the same five markets.
Nokia has also been showing signs of growth in emerging markets, in particular Latin America.
In China though, local brands are the ones holding an edge over foreign brands.
Android devices account for a staggering 81.1 percent of the Chinese market
Tomi Engdahl says:
T-Mobile’s Wacky Plan to Trash the Wireless Business Model
http://www.businessweek.com/printer/articles/164414-t-mobiles-wacky-plan-to-trash-the-wireless-business-model
Legere, chief executive officer of T-Mobile US (TMUS), the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the country, was giving an interview to Bloomberg TV in July to introduce a program that would allow customers to upgrade their phones twice a year.
For the last 10 years, AT&T and Verizon, which together have more than half of the market by number of subscribers, have been the quickest to roll out big, fast wireless networks. Their advertisements have focused more on quality and reach than price; they could assume, correctly, that customers would pay a premium for the largest, fastest network. T-Mobile’s ads claim no such superlatives, though Legere’s network is large enough and just as fast.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android 4.4 KitKat and Google’s quest to take over the world
http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/1/5053878/android-4-4-kitkat-and-google-quest-for-the-next-billion
Can a low-end Android phone be any good? For Mountain View, a billion users are at stake
At its root, Google’s Android platform has always been about growing the audience for the company’s services and thus expanding its core business of selling advertising space. Even if the Nexus 5 is a flagship, what matters more to Google in the long run is the size of the fleet behind it. You can see that motivation driving the development of Chrome OS and the Chrome browser itself, though nothing exemplifies it quite so well as the newly released Android 4.4 KitKat.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Video: BlinkScan Captures Multiple Images at Once
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1394&doc_id=269350&cid=nl.dn14
Standalone scanners have slowly become outdated over the years. Most people who scan images either have a scanner integrated into a printer or just snap a picture from a smartphone. Easy-to-assemble cardboard structures have been made for use with phones. The cleverly built Scanbox uses neodymium magnets to hold itself together. A smartphone rests at the perfect location for snapping photos of documents, and the box folds back up when you’re done.
The BlinkScan can scan multiple images at once. It will automatically format each picture nicely and create separate image files for each one
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon does FAA victory lap, offers 1-day Kindle discounts
http://www.geekwire.com/2013/amazon-celebrates-faa-victory-oneday-kindle-discounts/
Amazon was one of the winners in the FAA’s decision last week to allow electronic gadgets to be used during all phases of flight.
The company is celebrating (or capitalizing) on the decision today with a special one-day promotion
Tomi Engdahl says:
United States allows a wider use of mobile devices for flights
In the U.S. airline passengers will soon be more extensively used for mobile devices, says the aviation authority. Less stringent rules will take most of the U.S. airlines in force at the end of the year.
In the future, the United States for passengers to read downloaded e-books, play games, and watch videos through the flight of the aircraft taxiing, takeoff and landing time. Telephone calls can not be made during flight.
Recommendations adopted the Committee heard and First-passengers, cabin crew, aircraft manufacturers, and mobile technology experts.
For Europe flights mobile devices must be switched off during taxiing, takeoff and landing time.
Source: http://www.3t.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/teknologia/yhdysvallat_sallii_mobiililaitteiden_laajemman_kayton_lennoilla
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia and Windows global momentum continues
http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/news-articles/Nokia-and-Windows-global-momentum-continues
The latest smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, for the three months to September 2013, shows Windows Phone now makes up one in 10 smartphone sales across the five major European markets*, has overtaken iOS in Italy, and is gaining momentum in emerging markets.
Windows Phone, driven almost entirely by Nokia sales, continues to make rapid progress in Europe and has also shown signs of growth in emerging markets such as Latin America.
Android remains the dominant operating system across Europe with 71.9%, an increase of 4.2 percentage points compared with the same period last year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How the W3C met its Waterloo at the Do Not Track vote showdown
And why the silent majority could defeat the web’s madmen
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/05/do_not_track_w3c_ads_privacy/
How did it come to this Simple: money. And mobile.
Unlike on the desktop, where Google reigns as king, the mobile web is a naked scramble because no one search engine or ads network dominates. No-one company dominates to the same extent, although Google is getting close. eMarketer in August said 48 per cent of US mobile ad revenue would go to Google this year.
Facebook is the ads mens’ number-two target behind Google; 15 per cent of ads spend is expected to go to Mark Zuckerberg’s company by the end of this year
Twitter, Pandora and YP are expected to be the next biggest three, although in single digits.
The amount of money spent by those trying to target you on mobile was set to grow in 2013: eight out of 10 US ads buyers said last year they’d increase what they spend on mobile ads in the coming 12-18 months, with three quarters saying they’d devote at least five per cent of their total ad budget on mobile.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ex-Googlers Bring A/B Testing to Mobile Apps
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/11/leanplum/
Google doesn’t like to guess. The web giant famously tests the effectiveness of everything, from the placement of ad blocks on a search results page to the color of its logo.
To do this, the company uses something similar to focus group testing: Different users will be shown different versions of a website, and the company tracks which versions perform better. It’s called A/B testing, and it’s now being used by everyone from tech startups to political campaigns.
Momchil Kyurkchiev and Andrew First did hundreds of these tests for Google. Now, their company Leanplum, which launches today after a year in beta, wants to help bring the same kind of thing to the rest of world, offering A/B testing tools for developers building mobile apps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart glasses revolutionizing the business – like up to billion in savings
Smart glasses can improve the efficiency of workers in many industries. This is how the research firm Gartner, the latest report.
According to the chief information officers should consider the Google Glass and other smart glassed recovery from a business perspective.
Gartner believes that, for example, in the manufacturing, field service, retail and health care lies in a lot of possibilities.
The research firm sees the greatest potential for exploitation is field service with installation and repair done on the spot. Smart glasses can increase the profits of savings through a billion dollars each year.
“The main benefits of the Field Service will be on the identification and correction of defects more quickly, without the need to distant places to bring in more experts,” research director Angela McIntyre says the release.
Workers can be displayed through a glass, for example video of how certain maintenance operations are carried out. Thus all the measures do not necessarily have to memorize. At the same time to give up a large part of the classroom training, because a large part of the work can be learned by using the glasses.
The more experienced expert may also have to take part in the operation, and to see the video with what the situation really is, and to communicate in real-time location of the country.
Operations may also be aided videotape, and that customers may be necessary to prove that the maintenance or installation is subjected to a functional properly.
Only one percent of the companies make use of them in the United States.
Gartner predicts that the next few years, glasses are becoming more common in sectors which are made of mobile work. Such companies within five years use ten per cent.
Also, the retail, consumer products and healthcare industries can benefit from the technology. Their side is, however, more of a visual information retrieval.
In health care, in turn, for example, doctors could consult, where appropriate, specialist doctors, who could see the same spot as the doctor.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/cio/alylasit+mullistavat+bisnesta++luvassa+jopa+miljardin+saastot/a945134
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung: Get ready to BEND OVER – foldable fondleslabs ‘by 2016′…
… but first, we’ll need to penetrate ‘technology barriers’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/06/samsung_foldable_display_timeline/
Samsung has stuck a timeline on its introduction of foldable screens on phones and tablets at its Analyst Day in Korea today, aiming to bring the tech out in late 2015 or early 2016.
The electronics firm had already teased its vision for foldable phones in a rather terrible advert it aired at CES earlier this year
Samsung has already brought out its first curved display with the début of the Galaxy Round last month and according to the slide, bending displays should come around sometime next year. The Korean chaebol has pegged foldable screens for 2015 to 2016, although it does have a little sticker labelled “Technology Barriers” standing in the way of that.
Just exactly what those roadblocks could be isn’t detailed, but there is the not insignificant problem that foldable displays don’t necessarily mean foldable fondleslabs. To be able to roll up or fold up, your mobile device requires foldable and bendable batteries, processors, memory and other bits, not just flexible screens.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Glass developers will get their first crack at its SDK later this month
By Richard Lawler posted Nov 6th, 2013 at 10:16 PM
http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/06/google-glass-gdk-hackathon/
Developers seeking to create apps for Google’s Glass headset have had limited options so far, but the company will break things wide open during a two-day hackathon — like the ones held earlier this year to show off its Mirror API — starting on the 19th.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung admits its software needs improving, commits half of R&D workforce
Samsung is just like the Red Sox
http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/6/5071994/samsung-analyst-day-2013-software-investment
Samsung today admitted it needs to work on software, an area it’s “not as good” at as hardware.
Samsung makes a massive commitment to improve software
It’s true that software imperfections have yet to hamper Samsung’s march to global dominance. 2013 has seen the Korean company post consecutive profit records and improve its marketshare in key areas, including strengthening its grip on the number-one spot in the smartphone market. That said, Samsung isn’t taking any chances; Kwon says that half of his Research and Development (R&D) workforce is focused on software, and the efforts to improve software are likely to grow moving forward. Given the company is currently spending over $3 billion per quarter on R&D, that represents a colossal investment in software.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google starts testing ART, a potential replacement for Dalvik in Android
http://gigaom.com/2013/11/06/google-starts-testing-art-a-potential-replacement-for-dalvik-in-android/
Google is looking to replace Dalvik, the software that lets you run software on Android. The new runtime is called ART and if you have Android 4.4, you can start testing it now.
After a 2010 spat over how Java works in Android with Oracle, Google is moving on to a new way for apps run on mobile devices. Dubbed ART, the new runtime environment is available as a preview option in Android 4.4. Developers are encouraged to try it and provide feedback for ART and if you have Android 4.4, you can test it yourself although you may not see much difference just yet.
On a sparse web page for developers, Google said the new runtime is experimental and a work in progress. You can enable it in Android 4.4 through the Settings, Developer Options menu.
I did just that on a Nexus 5 and after a reboot, Android spent about 10 minutes optimizing my apps to run. I don’t yet see any difference in the apps.
Currently, Android apps run in what’s called Dalvik, a runtime environment that compiles Java bytecode “just in time” so that Android can run it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung CEO promises to deliver devices with ‘folding displays’ in 2015
http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/05/samsung-ceo-folding-screens-by-2015/
At Samsung’s Analyst Day, alongside talking serious financial numbers, forward looking statements and such, the company has announced that it will bring fully-foldable screens to willing customers some time in 2015. The screen tech (which we’ve seen an incremental nudge towards with the Galaxy Round) could find its way into both typical smart devices like tablets and smartphones as well as wearables, which is something that Samsung has shown more than a passing interest in.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft glues Windows 8, Windows Phone programming programs
One account lets you publish for both platforms, CHEAPER
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/07/microsoft_unified_developer_accounts/
In a step toward creating a single, unified app store for both desktop Windows and Windows Phone, Microsoft has announced that developers can now register for both stores simultaneously using the same account.
The change also lowers the cost for developers somewhat. Previously, an individual Windows Store developer account cost $49 per year, while an individual Windows Phone account cost $19 per year. Company accounts cost $99 for each store.
Under the new pricing model, companies still pay $99 per account, but because each account now works with both stores, companies that build apps for both Windows and Windows Phone effectively now save 50 per cent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android tops 81 percent of smartphone market share in Q3
http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/strategy-analytics-q3-2013-phone-share/
Now that we know what smartphone market share looked like in the third quarter when broken down by manufacturer, it’s time to compare performance by platform. As you’d imagine, the world is still Android’s oyster. Strategy Analytics estimates that the OS has crossed the symbolic 80 percent mark, reaching 81.3 percent of smartphone shipments by the end of September.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung promises 4K smartphone screens for 2015
Samsung Galaxy S5 likely to ship with a 2K display
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2305373/samsung-promises-4k-smartphone-screens-for-2015
KOREAN PHONE MAKER Samsung is promising that in two years time it will ship a smartphone with a 4K resolution display.
In a presentation at its Analyst Day event, where the firm admitted that its Touchwiz user interface is a bit rubbish, Samsung claimed that 4K smartphones will start to arrive on shelves in 2015. The firm said that in two years it will be able to squeeze Ultra HD 3840×2160 resolution into a smartphone display.
2015 is a long way off however, but the firm promised that it will ship a smartphone with a 2K display next year.
The firm said it has developed a 5.2in display with WQHD 2560×1440 resolution and a pixel density of 560ppi. It probably doesn’t take a genius to work out what screen will probably appear the Samsung Galaxy S5.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm closes fiscal 2013 on a mixed note with Q4 earnings report
http://www.zdnet.com/qualcomm-closes-fiscal-2013-on-a-mixed-note-with-q4-earnings-report-7000022898/
Summary: The chip maker squashed revenue estimates, but a missed earnings target coupled with a weak outlook ends the fiscal year on a sour note
Qualcomm counted up approximately $60.2 billion in total device sales during the quarter, up 29 percent y-o-y, shipping an estimated 260 to 264 million 3G/4G units priced at an average of $227 to $233 each.
Over the 12-month period, Qualcomm estimated that it shipped between approximately 1,017 and 1,033 million 3G/4G units with an average price-per-unit range of $223 to $229. That rang up to approximately $231.2 billion in total reported device sales, up 23 percent annually.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Is Testing A Program That Tracks You Everywhere You Go
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/google-testing-retail-tracking-program-2013-11
Google is beta-testing a program that tracks users’ purchasing habits by registering brick-and-mortar store visits via smartphones, according to a report from Digiday.
Google can access user data via Android apps or their Apple iOS apps, like Google search, Gmail, Chrome, or Google Maps.
If a customer is using these apps while he shops or has them still running in the background, Google’s new program pinpoints the origin of the user data and determines if the customer is in a place of business.
Google gets permission to do this kind of tracking when Android users opt in to the “location services” option in their smartphone’s options menu and when iOS users agree to allow “location services” for Google apps like Gmail and Google Maps.
The program was hinted at in an AdWords blog post from Oct. 1 regarding Google’s new “estimated total conversions” initiative.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How About a Motorola Tattoo – on Your Throat?
http://www.androidheadlines.com/2013/11/motorola-tattoo-throat.html
I have heard it all – talk about the twenty-second century – Motorola has sent to the U.S. Patent Offices, an application for “Coupling an Electronic Skin Tattoo to a Mobile Communication Device!” This has to be Google’s influence on Motorola, as they would be far too conservative to image an idea such as this, ha…this has Google written all over it!
It’s main purpose is to eliminate outside noise from your conversations should you be out in a noisy environment. By using the vibrations from your vocal cords to transmit your voice, a substitute microphone if you will, it would totally eliminate any outside noise from attempting to enter your “tattooed” conversation.
Further down on the description, it says it could even be used like a lie detector
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nvidia CEO: Android ‘the most disruptive operating system in decades’
Jen-Hsun Huang loves Google’s green robot thiiiiiis much
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/08/nvidia_ceo_android_the_most_disruptive_operating_system_in_decades/
Nvidia cofounder, president, and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is a big, big fan of the Android operating system – a fact that he made abundantly clear when speaking with analysts and reporters after announcing his company’s financial results for the third quarter of its 2014 fiscal year on Thursday.
“Android is the most disruptive operating system that we’ve seen in a few decades, in a couple of decades,” Huang said.
“Android is not just about phones,” he added, citing its appearance in not only smartphones, but also in tablets, set-top boxes, gaming systems, and all-in-one PC such as the HP’s Slate.
Tegra’s success is closely tied to Android success, and Huang waxed enthusiastic about Google’s operating system. “Android is probably the most versatile operating system that we’ve ever known,” he said, “and has the benefit of also being connected to the cloud. And so the day that you turn it on, it’s incredibly useful, with all kinds of applications already on it.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
SK Hynix, Mediatek Rise in 2013 Rankings
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320015&
SK Hynix and Mediatek are expected to be among the big chip winners in 2013, according to a forecast by IC Insights. Preliminary figures show the two companies leading the field in revenue growth at 44 and 34 percent to push into the top five and 20, respectively.
Mediatek is expected to rank 16, up from 22 in last year’s list, with smartphone application processor shipments nearly doubling to 200 million up from 108 million last year. The company “is experiencing extremely strong demand for its devices in the booming low-end smartphone business in China and other Asia-Pacific locations.”
The Taiwan chip vendor still distantly trails mobile market leader Qualcomm, which reported Wednesday annual sales of a whopping 716 million chips, up 21 percent from its previous year. It logged revenues of $24.87 billion, up 30 percent over the prior fiscal year, with net income up 22 percent to 7.91 billion.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rochester Optical commits to making custom prescription lenses for Google Glass
http://phandroid.com/2013/11/07/rochester-optical-google-glass/
One of the biggest questions many people had when Google announced Glass was regarding those who wear prescription eyewear. Surely, Google wouldn’t leave out those who need some corrective lenses, right? Google thankfully quelled fears early on, noting that they were already working on prototype Glass units that could be outfitted with prescription lenses.
The first of those early prototypes will come in the form of a new hardware revision that Google will be issuing to existing Glass Explorer users and all the new ones that will come as a result of newly-issued invites. That revision will also include an external earbud for those who don’t think the bone-conduction method works well enough.
Today, we learn about one of the first optical providers who will officially provide prescription lenses that can be cut to fit Google Glass. The company is Rochester Optical, a Rochester, NY based firm with what sounds like a pretty impressive track record in the eyewear industry.
Tim Moore, the company’s new marketing strategist, made the news public on his Google+ account.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PSA: The Latest Google Play Services Update May Disable Android Device Manager (Remote Lock And Wipe) In Device Administrators
http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/11/06/psa-the-latest-google-play-services-update-may-disable-android-device-manager-remote-location-and-wipe-in-device-administrators/
It’s a simple fix: just check the version number of your Google Play Services app (it seems to be affecting both 4.0.30 and the slightly newer 4.0.31), then check the Device Administrators section of your Security settings page. If Android Device Manager isn’t enabled (and you want it to be), tap it and press activate. Problem solved.
The larger issue is that this seems to be affecting users without alerting them, so at least some Android phones could be lost or stolen without having the location and wipe security feature that the owner was depending on.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Glass XE11 update adds commands to search Google Calendar, get directions home, & more
http://9to5google.com/2013/11/07/glass-xe11-update-adds-commands-to-search-google-calendar-get-directions-home-more/
Google today announced its XE11 update for Google Glass and highlighted a few of the new features on its Google+ page for the wearable. New for Google Glass is the ability to search Google Calendar with commands like “my agenda” and “what am I doing in November?” Google noted that “Calendar search works for Google Calendar users with Gmail and private search enabled.”
The update also includes a highly requested feature from users in the XE11 update: the ability to get directions home or to work with voice commands
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facial recognition, once a battlefield tool, lands in San Diego County
http://cironline.org/reports/facial-recognition-once-battlefield-tool-lands-san-diego-county-5502
On a residential street in San Diego County, Calif., Chula Vista police had just arrested a young woman, still in her pajamas, for possession of narcotics. Before taking her away, Officer Rob Halverson paused in the front yard, held a Samsung Galaxy tablet up to the woman’s face and snapped a photo.
Halverson fiddled with the tablet with his index finger a few times, and – without needing to ask the woman’s name or check her identification – her mug shot from a previous arrest, address, criminal history and other personal information appeared on the screen.
Halverson had run the woman’s photograph through the Tactical Identification System, a new mobile facial recognition technology now in the hands of San Diego-area law enforcement. In an instant, the system matches images taken in the field with databases of about 348,000 San Diego County arrestees. The system itself has nearly 1.4 million booking photos because many people have multiple mug shots on record.
For some, the use of biometric technology by police represents a radical milestone in the militarization of American law enforcement.
For years, technology that was developed on the battlefield has been migrating into domestic police agencies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Said Developing Curved IPhone Screens, New Sensors
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-10/apple-said-developing-curved-iphone-screens-enhanced-sensors.html
Apple Inc. is developing new iPhone designs including bigger screens with curved glass and enhanced sensors that can detect different levels of pressure, said a person familiar with the plans.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Apple Bought $578M Worth Of Sapphire In Advance
http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/08/why-apple-bought-578m-worth-of-sapphire-in-advance/
Apple is building a manufacturing plant in Arizona that will be used by GT Advanced Technologies to make sapphire crystals for use in its products. Apple currently uses sapphire in its home buttons and camera lens covers, but several details about the material itself and the nature of its deal with GT indicate that it could be expanding its interests in the hard crystalline substance over the next several years.
Sapphire, specifically synthetic, manufactured sapphire, has several properties that make it of interest to Apple. First of all, sapphire is superior to glass, even Corning’s Gorilla Glass material, in several ways. Synthetic sapphire has no color, as it’s a single crystal grown to be optically transparent — making it look very similar to glass. But it’s also extremely hard — 9 on the Mohs scale — which means better scratch resistance.
“Chemically strengthened glass can be excellent, but sapphire is better in terms of hardness, strength, and toughness,”
Though Apple currently uses sapphire for its touch sensors, GT’s increased output in 2014 points to a much larger role for the material in Apple’s business. This could point to Apple beginning to use sapphire for the screens of its devices. Though there are production challenges, it’s technically possible that Apple has found a way to make it economically feasible to replace the glass material that they’re using with sapphire.
Apple’s investment in sapphire glass displays just how important it views the material. This could also mean that it is setting itself up to protect the supply of material over the course of the next few years. Apple has often done this with components like Retina displays.
Either way, Apple is planning on using sapphire on a much larger scale than it has previously.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Release of Our Free Android Permissions Dashboard
http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00002638.html
F-Secure App Permissions, our Android permissions dashboard, launched on November 1st. And in just under one week, there are thousands of installs and extremely positive feedback. Thank you!
Best of all — App Permissions requires ZERO permissions.
It’s totally free, small, and easy to use.
You’ll find it on Google Play: F-Secure App Permissions.
Tomi says:
Google Glass Is Great for Toddlers. Seriously.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/06/toddlers-wearing-glass/
If you really want to test a new gadget, take it on vacation. That’s what I did with Google Glass, and the result was revelatory.
Let me say up front: I’m wary of giving my two-year-old access to technology.
Despite her limited time spent with them, she can dive right into my iPhone and Nexus 4 and start scrolling through the pictures. But she can’t take the photos herself. Well, not of anything she wants to.
But she can with Glass.
After watching me wear Glass for a few days on vacation, she started asking to wear them as well. I, tentatively, let her, firing up the video camera as I did so.
What surprised me was she more or less understood how to use it. As soon as I dropped them on her face she said, “OK, Glass take a picture of daddy, cheeeeeeese.” No, she wasn’t doing it properly, but she understood the syntax. As soon as I showed her how to press the button to take a picture, she started firing them off herself.
But it’s been interesting to me to see how very much more receptive kids seem to be to Glass than adults.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown: Fitbit Flex
http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=268332&cid=nl.dn14
They recently ripped into Fitbit’s newest pedometer/heart-rate monitor/sleep-tracker wristband. What kind of a diet helped this thing fit into its tiny jacket?