Mobile infrastructure must catch up with user needs and demands. Ubiquitous mobile computing is all around us, not only when we use smartphones to connect with friends and family across states and countries, but also when we use ticketing systems on buses and trains, purchase food from mobile vendors, watch videos, and listen to music on our phones. As a result, mobile computing systems must rise to the demand. The number of smart phones will exceed the number of PCs in 2014.
Some time in the next six months, the number of smartphones on earth will pass the number of PCs. This shouldn’t really surprise anyone: the mobile business is much bigger than the computer industry. There are now perhaps 3.5-4 billion mobile phones, replaced every two years (versus 1.7-1.8 billion PCs replaced every 5 years).It means that mobile industry can sell more phones in a quarter than the PC industry sells in a year. After some years we will end up with somewhere over 3bn smartphones in use on earth, almost double the number of PCs. The smartphone revolution is changing how consumers use the Internet: Mobile browsing is set to overtake traditional desktop browsing in 2015.
It seems that 4G has really become the new high speed mobile standard widely wanted during 2013. 3G will become the low-cost option for those who think 4G option is too expensive, not everyone that has 4G capable device has 4G subscription. How the situation changes depends on how operators improve their 3G coverage, what will be the price difference from 3G to 4G and how well the service is marketed.
Mobile data increased very much last year. I expect the growth to continue pretty much as projected in Mobile Data Traffic To Grow 300% Globally By 2017 Led By Video, Web Use, Says Strategy Analytics and Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2012–2017 articles.
When 4G becomes mainstream, planning for next 5G communications starts. I will expect to see more and more writing on 5G as the vision what it will be destined to be clears more. Europe’s newly-minted 5GPPP Association plans to launch as many as 20 research projects in 2014, open to all comers, with a total budget of about 250 million euros. The groundwork for 5G, an ambitious vision for a next-generation network of networks that’s still being defined, and the definition will go on many years to come. No one really knows today what 5G will be because there are still several views. Europe’s new 5GPPP group published a draft proposal for 5G. 5GPPP is not the only group expected to work on standards for next-generation cellular networks, but it could become one of the most influential.
The shifting from “dumb” phones to smart phones continue. In USA and Europe smart phone penetration is already so high levels that there will not be very huge gains on the market expected. Very many consumers already have their smart phone, and the market will be more and more on updating to new model after two years or so use. At the end of 2013 Corporate-Owned Smartphones Back in Vogue, and I expect that companies continue to shop smart phones well in 2014.
The existing biggest smart phone players will continue to rule the markets. Google’s Android will continue to rule the markets. Samsung made most money in 2013 on Android phones (in 2013 in West only Samsung makes money from selling Android), and I expect that to continue. In 2013 Apple slurped down enormous profits but lost some of its bleeding-edge-tech street credit, and I expect that to continue in 2014.
The biggest stories of the year 2013 outside the Samsung/Apple duopoly were the sale of Nokia’s mobile phone business to Microsoft and the woes of BlackBerry. BlackBerry had an agonising year and suffered one of the most spectacular consumer collapses in history, and I can’t see how it would get to it’s feet during 2014. Nokia made good gains for Windows Phones during 2013, and I expect that Microsoft will put marketing effort to gain even more market share. Windows Phone became the third mobile ecosystem, and will most probably keep that position in 2014.
New players try to enter smart phone markets and some existing players that once tried that try to re-enter. There are rumors that for example HP tries to re-enter mobile market, and is probable that some other computer makers try to sell smart phones with their brands. In the Android front there will be new companies trying to push marker (for example OPPO and many smaller Chinese makers you have never heard earlier). Nokia had a number of Android projects going on in 2013, and some former Nokia people have put up company Newkia to follow on that road. To make a difference in the market there will be also push on some smaller mobile platforms as alternative to the big three (Google, Apple, Microsoft). Jolla is pushing Sailfish OS phones that can run Android applications and also pushing possibility to install that OS to Android phone. Mozilla will push on with it’s own Firefox OS phone. Canonical will try to get their Ubuntu phone released. Samsung is starting to make Tizen powered smart phones and NTT DoCoMo could be the first carrier to offer a Tizen powered device. None of those will be huge mainstream hits within one year, but could maybe could have their own working niche markets. The other OS brands combined do not amount to 1% of all smartphones sold in 2013, so even if they could have huge growth they would still be very small players on the end of 2014.
As smartphone and tablet makers desperately search for points of differentiation they will try to push the limits of performance on several fronts to extremes. Extreme inter-connectivity is one of the more useful features that is appearing in new products. More context-aware automatic wireless linking is coming: Phones will wirelessly link and sync with screens and sensors in the user’s vicinity.
You can also expect extreme sensor support to offer differentiation. Biomedical sensors have lots of potential (Apple already has fingerprint sensors). Indoor navigation will evolve. Intelligent systems and assistive devices will advance smart healthcare.
Several smartphone makers have clear strategies to take photography to extremes. 40 megapixel camera is already on the market and several manufacturers are playing with re-focus after shooting options.
In high-end models we may be moving into the overkill zone with extreme resolution that is higher than you can see on small screen: some makers have already demonstrated displays with twice the performance of 1080-progressive. Samsung is planned to release devices with 4k or UHD resolutions. As we have seen in many high tech gadget markets earlier it is a very short journey to copycat behavior.
It seems that amount of memory on high-end mobile devices is increasing this year. To be able to handle higher resolutions smart phones will also need more memory than earlier (for example Samsung lpddr 4 allows up to 4 GB or RAM on smart phone as now high-end devices now have typically 2GB). As the memory size starts to hit the limits of 32 bit processors (4GB), I will expect that there will be some push for chip makers to start to introduce more 64 bit processors for mobile devices. Apple already has 64-bit A7 microprocessor in iPhone 5s, all the other phone-makers want one too for their high-end models (which is a bit of panic to mobile chip makers).
You will be able to keep your mobile phone during some flights all the time and browser web on the plane more widely. At some planes you might also be able to make phone calls with your mobile phone during the flight. Calls on flights have been theoretically possible, and United States has recently looked at mobile phone calls allow the flights.
In year 2013 there were many releases on wearable technologies. Wearable is a trend with many big companies already in the space, and more are developing new products. It seems that on this field year 2013 was just putting on the initial flame, and I expect that the wearable market will start to heat up more during 2014. The advent of wearable technology brings new demands for components that can accommodate its small form factor, wireless requirements, and need for longer battery life.
The Internet of Things (IoT) will evolve into the Web of Things, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web. The Internet is expanding into enterprise assets and consumer items such as cars and televisions. Gartner suggests that now through 2018, a variety of devices, user contexts, and interaction paradigms will make “everything everywhere” strategies unachievable.
Technology giants Google Inc. and Apple Inc. are about to expand their battle for digital supremacy to a new front: the automobile. The Android vs. iOS apps battle is coming to the automotive industry in 2014: car OEMs aren’t exactly known for their skills in developing apps and app developers don’t want to develop so many different versions of an app separately (for Ford, General Motors, BMW, and Toyota). I am waiting for Google’s response to Apple’s iOS in the Car. Next week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Google and German auto maker Audi AG plan to announce that they are working together to develop in-car entertainment and information systems that are based on Google’s Android software. The push toward smarter cars is heating up: Right now, we are just scratching the surface.
For app development HTML5 will be on rise. Gartner predicts that through 2014, improved JavaScript performance will begin to push HTML5 and the browser as a mainstream enterprise application development environment. It will also work on many mobile applications as well.
1,857 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
SIMBAND
http://www.samsung.com/us/globalinnovation/innovation_areas/
Samsung Simband is not a product. It’s a reference design. It’s our concept of what a smart health device should be. Devices based on the Simband platform will be able to gather vital diagnostic information – from your heart rate to your skin’s electrical conductivity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We’re Opening the Ecosystem
Samsung Architecture Multimodal Interactions (S.A.M.I.) will be a data broker that will enable wearable devices like those based on Simband to upload information to the cloud. From there, developers can access the data and leverage it to create entirely new applications. S.A.M.I. will be the first truly secure, open, diverse data platform of its kind.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Posts Project Tango Tablet Signup
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322657&
Developers can now sign up to be notified when Google starts selling its Project Tango Tablet Development Kit this summer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Movidius Redefines Computer Vision
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322651&
You’ve heard about the Movidius Myriad 1 vision processing unit (VPU) inside Google’s Tango prototype — a handset that, for one thing, can map 3D spaces just by walking through them. But what about this VPU at its heart, that Movidius Ltd. in San Mateo, Calif., claims is 10-times faster and bears little resemblance to the graphics processing units (GPU) with which we are all familiar.
“We believe that cameras in general and mobile cameras in particular are going through a revolution which we call computational imaging which brings in new functionality,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intelligent case makes your smartphone even smarter
Here’s a case that actually receives your notifications before your phone even does.
http://www.electronicproducts.com/Packaging_and_Hardware/Device_Packaging/Intelligent_case_makes_your_smartphone_even_smarter.aspx
The Lunecase was created by a group of Ukranian innovators that call themselves Conceptor.
The team wanted to do something good with unused energy so they transformed the unused energy that’s emitted from an iPhone (electronic devices tend to emit very small amounts of electromagnetic energy) into a notification system.
The Lunecase detects when you’re receiving a call based on the wavelength of your cell signal and will alert you on the back of your iPhone case using your phone’s energy field as its only power source. The embedded LEDs will show light up a unique icon depending on the notification you’re receiving.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Now Has An Alarm That Can Wake You Up To Keep You From Missing Your Stop On Public Transportation
Posted by Michael Crider in Applications, News
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/06/07/google-now-has-an-alarm-that-can-wake-you-up-to-keep-you-from-missing-your-stop-on-public-transportation/
you’ll love the newest feature added to Google Now on Android. If you open Google Now when you’re using public transportation, it may offer an integrated alarm for saved locations like home and work. The alarm knows where and approximately when you should exit – just tap it, and it will alert you before you get there
This is an interesting addition to Google Now – it doesn’t seem to hook into the alarm function of the standard Clock app.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s Maps Are Still Lost
http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/08/apple-maps-are-still-lost/
Apple, during WWDC last week, delivered some significant updates across various parts of its business. It released, among other things, some 4,000 new APIs (and a new programming language) to developers; a renewed, more aggressive effort in cloud services; and some changes across its mobile and desktop operating systems to make them a lot more integrated with the primary way that we use our computing devices these days — to go online and interact with other services.
But one area of Apple’s business was nearly nowhere to be found at the main event: Maps.
“There were multiple improvements that didn’t make it into iOS8,” a source tells us.
Two years after parting company with Google, Apple is still trying to work out its killer Maps app.
Why didn’t they appear? One tipster says it was a personnel issue: “Many developers left the company, no map improvements planned for iOS 8 release were finished in time. Mostly it was failure of project managers and engineering project managers, tasks were very badly planned, developers had to switch multiple times from project to project.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Although it’s still early days for genomics, costs and lives are being saved applying the technology to cancer treatments and pregnancy care, he said. Today about $12 billion of the estimated $20 genomics industry is in oncology, he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DNA Chip Will Plug Into Handsets
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322662&
BRUSSELS, Belgium — After claiming in March it brought the cost of sequencing a human genome to $1,000, Illumina Inc. has set its sights on a consumer product. The company aims to deliver a chip that plugs into a smartphone, bringing genetic medicine to the individual.
The smartphone will become “a molecular stethoscope,”
“We will not need a primary doctor in the future, you will get tested [at home or in a clinic] and go directly to a specialist — I believe it will happen in five to seven years,”
Researchers at Illumina are already working on pieces of the solution.
So far, Illumina has demonstrated digital microfluidics on silicon with the help of researchers from the CEA-Leti. Illumina hopes to launch in July devices that can assay as many as 16 samples in silicon, using technology it acquired, he added.
Another issue is handling cloud connectivity given some uses generate as much as a 100 Gbytes of data.
Although it’s still early days for genomics, costs and lives are being saved applying the technology to cancer treatments and pregnancy care, he said. Today about $12 billion of the estimated $20 genomics industry is in oncology
Tomi Engdahl says:
Uber and Amex Partner on In-App Loyalty Program
http://recode.net/2014/06/09/uber-and-amex-partner-on-for-in-app-loyalty-program/
American Express cardholders spend hundreds of millions of dollars on Uber per year, according to Leslie Berland, who leads digital partnerships and development at American Express.
Now the two companies are pairing up, allowing people who use both to earn Amex loyalty points by riding with Uber and to pay for Uber rides with points as well.
It’s the first time Amex has combined “the ability to earn points and burn points together,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s iOS 8 Includes Code For Running Apps Side-By-Side
http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/09/apples-ios-8-includes-code-for-running-apps-side-by-side/
One thing that had been rumored for inclusion in iOS 8 that wasn’t announced on stage was a new trick for the iPad that would let it run two apps side-by-side concurrently.
It wasn’t unveiled, but developer Steve Troughton-Smith has uncovered code that suggest it was at least in development.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft OEM partners VP predicts sub-$200 Windows smartphones in 2014
Read more: Microsoft OEM partners VP predicts sub-$200 Windows smartphones in 2014 – FierceWireless:Europe http://www.fiercewireless.com/europe/story/microsoft-oem-partners-vp-predicts-sub-200-windows-smartphones-2014/2014-06-05#ixzz34EgHB4BE
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartwatches: a Functionality of the Smartphone on Your Wrist
A brief review of the upcoming wrist gadgets that will take part in the new wave of companies’ racing.
http://articles.informer.com/smartwatches-a-functionality-of-the-smartphone-on-your-wrist.html
Nowadays we are witnessing the tendency of turning our wearables into devices and gadgets. No doubt that one of the most popular accessories are watches, so why won’t we make them as functional as possible? News of the recent months bristle with announcements of smartwatches from the leading mobile platform developers. So let’s have a brief look at the upcoming wrist gadgets that will take part in this new wave of companies’ racing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Theater chain bans Google Glass
Alamo Drafthouse, with theaters nationwide, bars the eyewear amid piracy fears.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/theater-chain-bans-google-glass/
“Google Glass is officially banned from @drafthouse auditoriums once lights dim for trailers,” the chain’s chief executive, Tim League, tweeted. The decision comes as Google has made the eyewear readily available to the general public, and it follows a slew of incidents in which wearers of Google Glass have had brushes with the law.
Also in January, a California motorist was cited for wearing Google Glass while driving, but she was cleared months later.
Google Glass has also been banned at restaurants, strip clubs, and other venues like casinos.
Tomi Engdahl says:
shimmer
http://www.shimmersensing.com/
At Shimmer we believe wearable wireless sensor technology empowers people. Our mission is to provide new data, new solutions, and new insight. We are committed to driving innovation in wearable wireless sensing through quality, integrity, reliability, and openness
The all new Shimmer3, the most advanced body worn wearable wireless sensor platform is now available to pre-order. The platform includes an upgraded state of the art microprocessor, improved data quality and low profile end-user focused enclosure.
For academic, applied and clinical researchers integrating wearable sensing technologies into a wide range of applications, Shimmer offers a flexible wireless sensor platform, scientifically reliable data, and complete control of data capture, interpretation and analysis.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dropbox For Business Acquires MobileSpan To Make Bring-Your-Own-Device More Secure
http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/10/dropbox-mobilespan/
Dropbox has just acquired MobileSpan, a startup that helps enterprise employees access corporate firewalled content securely. MobileSpan will shut down at the end of 2014, and active development will cease immediately.
The idea was to secure the connection rather than lock down a user’s device, making BYOD much simpler. Due to device fragmentation, it’s tough to scale to work on every mobile handset and laptop.
Dropbox isn’t the only one with that dream. It’s battling Box, Microsoft, Google and more in the fight to provide enterprise cloud storage, access and collaboration.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Jewelry Lights Up and Buzzes When Your Phone Needs You
http://www.wired.com/2014/06/launching-bluetooth-jewelry-that-helps-filter-your-phone-calls/
We’ve all done it: You’re at a restaurant, enjoying a nice moment with a friend when all of a sudden you hear your phone buzz. You want to stop the conversation, reach for your phone and check the notification. You really really do. But that would be rude…right?
We’re in a constant battle with our technology; do we control it or does it control us? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. Ringly, a new line of technology-enabled rings, wants to make sure we have a say in which notifications are put in front our faces.
The rings, which launch today, are connected to your phone via Bluetooth Low Energy. You can configure the ring and its accompanying app to notify you when certain things are happening on your phone (calls, texts, emails, push notifications from Tinder, etc) by blinking colorful lights and soft vibrations.
The team hints at potential future applications—things like gesture controls, easy mobile payments, unlocking doors.
You can pre-order a Ringly for $145-$180
Tomi Engdahl says:
Entirely new 1Password for Android app now available with redesigned interface, totally free until August 1
http://9to5google.com/2014/06/10/entirely-new-1password-for-android-app-now-available-with-redesigned-interface-totally-free-until-august-1/
After teasing the redesign earlier this year, 1Password has finally launched a much-needed update to its Android app.
For those unfamiliar, 1Password is a service that allows you to store all of your passwords within a single app. To access them, all you have to do is log into the app with your master password. From there, you can copy and paste the login you’re looking for into another app or website. The clipboard then auto-clears itself, the app relocks itself, and you are logged into.
While 1Password is normally a premium app, you can get all the features of it for free through August 1st.
Tomi Engdahl says:
China’s Alibaba Group to buy mobile devices focused on the browser manufacturer UCWeb. It is one of China’s biggest online shopping industry buys. UCWeb employs 3,000 people. The company has developed browsers for Android and iOS.
The company’s products have more than 500 million users (most in China, but the company has a large user base in Indonesia, India and Russia).
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/kiinalaiset+valloittavat+nettia+alibaba+ostaa+selainvalmistajan/a993124
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT, Wearables Drive Lower Power Memory Innovation
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322689&
The Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable devices are putting even more pressure on memory to consume less power — even beyond the requirements of today’s smartphones and tablets. They also have other specific needs, depending on the use-case.
Requirements vary significantly with IoT, according to Hung Vuong, chairman of JEDEC’s JC-42.6 Subcommittee for Low Power Memories.
For wearables and sensors, for example, density and performance are not necessarily the driving requirements.
“What the industry is trying to do is take your laptop computer or your tablet or smartphone and shrink it down so it fits on your eyes, your wrist, any other part of your body,” says IDC analyst Ramon Ramirez
“No one wants a wearable that they have to take off and charge multiple times a day.”
Add to that the sensors, the UI, and the overall experience requirements. “The pressure this puts on memory is absolutely tremendous,”
Ramirez says memory for smartphones and tablets is fairly commoditized and standardized, but given the variety of use cases for wearables and IoT, devices are going to be very application-specific, and it’s unlikely one vendor will be able to meet all the needs of every device.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Market Monitor : Q1 2014 :: LTE Smartphones Grow 91% Annually
http://www.counterpointresearch.com/q12014marketmonitorlte
According to the latest granular research from Counterpoint’s Market Monitor service, the global LTE smartphone shipments grew 91% annually in Q1 2014 reaching more than a fourth of the total smartphone shipments during the quarter.
Apple was the leading LTE smartphone with 42% share inspite of its narrow portfolio
Samsung saw a slight increase in its LTE smartphone share as it more than doubled its volumes compared to Q1 2013, thanks to its wider portfolio, reach and marketing muscle. Samsung’s LTE portfolio spans from the premium Galaxy Note III to mid-tier Galaxy Core LTE
The top five fastest growing smartphone brands were Kyocera, ZTE, Huawei, Sony and LG obviusly growing on a smaller base compared to Apple & Samsung but capturing market share as growing faster than the overall market
Huawei & ZTE will try to dominate in entry- to mid-tier wholesale price bands in LTE smartphones with majority of volumes coming from China and prepaid segments of US & Europe
Tomi Engdahl says:
Starbucks starts rolling out wireless phone chargers nationwide
http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/12/5801716/starbucks-rolling-out-powermat-wireless-chargers-nationwide
19
inShare
Starbucks plans to install Powermat’s wireless charging stations at its coffee stores across the US. After a small pilot run with these “Powermat Spots” — small circles that are seamlessly implanted in tables and counters — the larger rollout will kick off within Starbucks and Teavana locations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Eventually the charging stations will make their way to the company’s coffee and tea shops nationwide.
The deal is a major victory for Powermat and the Power Matters Alliance, which remains embroiled in a standards war with the Wireless Power Consortium, purveyor of the Qi charging standard.
most people still need to buy a compatible case for their phone before ditching the USB cable that came with it.
“Devices will come out with compatible technology, and we’ll see an industry that’s been hamstrung a bit with standards issues and conflicting implementations coalesce a common ground,”
During the early trials in Boston and San Jose, Schreiber said people typically used the Powermat Spots for an average of 15 minutes — not quite topping off the battery, but giving them enough of a boost to get them to their next destination.
“The way we interact with power today is unchanged since the time of Thomas Edison,”
And while the battle between PMA and Qi is by no means over, Schreiber may be right in claiming that deals like this one will decide the outcome.
Tomi Engdahl says:
India, Indonesia to Get $25 Smartphones
Mozilla’s Firefox Operating System Powers Devices Priced for Emerging Markets
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/mozilla-to-sell-25-smartphones-1402466959-lMyQjAxMTA0MDEwMTExNDEyWj
Smartphones as cheap as $25 powered by Mozilla Corp.’s software will be available in India and Indonesia later this year, a senior company executive said.
U.S.-based Mozilla has collaborated with four handset makers and five wireless carriers to provide five Firefox-powered smartphones in Europe and Latin America so far. The handset makers include ZTE Corp. 000063.SZ -0.61% and LG Electronics Co. 066570.SE -0.64% , while the wireless carriers include Telefónica SA, Deutsche Telekom AG DTE.XE +0.08% and América Móvil SAB.
“One U.S. dollar means a lot of things to consumers in emerging countries,” he said. “It’s difficult to sell smartphones that cost more than US$50 in those markets.”
To tap the next billion first-time smartphone users, Mozilla is collaborating with Chinese chip maker Spreadtrum Communications Inc. to unveil a low-cost chipset that enables smartphones priced at $25 this year.
“With a $25 price tag, there is no price gap between a smartphone and a feature phone,”
With lower prices for smartphones and a larger distribution network, Mozilla expects Firefox-powered smartphone shipments to exceed 10 million units in the next 12 months, Mr. Gong said. The Firefox operating system currently runs on more than one million smartphones, he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android’s App Permissions Were Just Simplified — Now They’re Much Less Secure
http://www.howtogeek.com/190863/androids-app-permissions-were-just-simplified-now-theyre-much-less-secure/
Google just made a huge change to the way app permissions work on Android. Apps already on your device can now gain dangerous permissions with automatic updates. Future apps can gain dangerous permissions without asking you, too.
This is all thanks to the latest Play Store update and its simplified app permission interface. The core idea here — making Android app permissions comprehensible to normal users — is good. The implementation is the big problem.
Permission Groups Contain Both Safe and Dangerous Permissions
The big problem is that groups can contain both normal, basic permissions as well as more dangerous permissions.
Every App Gets Internet Access
Google has also given each app Internet access, effectively removing the Internet access permission. Oh, sure, Android developers still have to declare they want Internet access when putting together the app. But users can no longer see the Internet access permission when installing an app and current apps that don’t have Internet access can now gain Internet access with an automatic update without prompting you.
Android App Permissions Were Broken, Anyway
Android’s app permission system was already broken. It’s less of a permission system and more of a demand system. An app demands that it requires certain features, and you can take it or leave it. You can’t choose whether you want to give an app some permissions but not others. Android actually had a built-in permission manager that was being worked on, but Google removed it.
And all the while, Apple’s iOS has a functional permission system that gives users control.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung bets big on fingerprint scanning in its war with Apple’s iPad
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/13/samsung-bets-big-on-fingerprint-scanning-in-its-war-with-apples-ipad
New Galaxy Tab S is thinner, lighter and first to use a high-resolution OLED screen, but is it enough to beat the iPad Air?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exclusive: Google Wants To Collect Your Health Data With ‘Google Fit’
http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/06/12/exclusive-google-to-launch-health-service-google-fit-at-developers-conference/
Google is planning to launch a new health service called Google Fit to collect and aggregate data from popular fitness trackers and health-related apps, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the company’s plans. It will launch the service at the Google I/O conference for developers, being held on June 25 and 26.
Such a service would mark a direct challenge to Apple’s HealthKit framework, launched last week and rolling out with its new mobile platform iOS 8 this fall to aggregate data from wearable devices and apps. Last month Samsung also unveiled Sami, a biometric data platform that collects health information from devices and apps too.
It’s unclear if Google Fit will be a service build into the next version of Android, or a standalone app that Android users will be able to download independently.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia’s Here Buys Medio Systems To Push More Personalised Location Services
http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/12/nokias-here-buys-medio-systems-for-more-personalised-location-services/
Less than two weeks after buying natural language startup Desti, Nokia’s mapping division Here is announcing another acquisition to enhance its service: it is buying Medio Systems, a specialist in predictive analytics that Nokia will use to give users of its location-based services more personalised results and maps.
Or as Here’s VP of search Don Zereski described it to me: “The map I see will be different from the map that you see.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
OnePlus One debut stymied by Open SSL bug
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/8332/20140611/oneplus-one-debut-stymied-open-ssl-bug.htm
The Open SSL bug, which some believe could be as worrisome as the Heartbleed Bug, has forced OnePlus to delay the launch of their OnePlus One CyanogenMod-based handset. The reports come even as customers who made pre-purchases of the device were told that they would be shipping in mid to late May. Now in mid-June, no devices have been launched.
Those customers were sent emails from OnePlus over why the smartphone had yet to be shipped, with the company worried about the Open SSL bug hampering the phones functionality and success if the company were to ship the devices immediately.
While most observers argue that the Open SSL bug is not to see the overall concerns that the Heartbleed Bug had on the tech world, as this one doesn’t appear to be as widespread or as invasive as the Heartbleed bug, but it has forced a number of companies to look twice at their software before delivering it to the public.
The Open SSL bug has reportedly been in the coding for 15 years before it was discovered in May.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Firefox OS Apps run on Android
https://hacks.mozilla.org/2014/06/firefox-os-apps-run-on-android/
We built Firefox OS as a mobile OS that puts the Web and Open Web Apps at the centre of the mobile experience. The efforts to reduce the performance gaps between the Web and native are paying rich dividends and our work on exposing device capabilities to the Web via WebAPIs, have made web first app development a viable alternative to native platforms.
Now, with Firefox for Android 29, Mozilla is extending this open Open Web Apps ecosystem to Android. Over the past few months, we have been working on providing a “native experience” for Open Web Apps. What this means is that as a user, you can now manage your web app just like you would a native app. You can install/update/uninstall the app and the app will also show up in the App Drawer as well as the Recent Apps list.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dear Google: don’t screw up Android
KitKat made the best of Android accessible to more people than ever, but what will the next version do?
http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/13/5800300/android-kitkat-legacy
The history of Android has always been about more.
Late last year, Google sought to correct that by putting the brakes on and introducing Android 4.4 KitKat, an OS update that was about less.
KitKat simplified the interface, reduced the minimum specs for a good user experience, and made it easier for Google’s partners to update their devices more rapidly. As a result, Android is now more inclusive and consistent than it’s ever been. But to rectify the fragmenting effects of Android’s constant evolution, Google had to pause that essential process. What happens when the L successor to KitKat debuts, most likely at Google I/O later this month?
Google’s KitKat has been surprisingly successful at reducing the amount of fragmentation in the Android ecosystem. It’s still far from the unity of iOS, but it’s much better than it used to be. Now, Google is preparing to unveil its next big wave of Android updates.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple: REIGN OF FIRE coming to Europe courtesy of old iPhone chargers
Fanboi? Living with one? Get the hell out of your house, NOW
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/13/help_my_iphone_has_burned_my_house_down/
Apple has recalled an iPhone charger over fears it could burn down fanbois’ houses.
Although the fruity firm stopped short of warning of imminent conflagrations, it euphemistically said that certain models of the Apple 5W European USB power adapters “may overheat and pose a safety risk”
Anyone concerned about their charger should look at the label between the prongs. If it shows the words Model A1300 and the letters “CE”, it’s time to panic.
If the model number is A1400, rest easy and charge away without fear.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hands-on: Mozilla’s Firefox OS web apps hit Android with native-like capabilities
http://www.greenbot.com/article/2363264/mozilla-extends-firefox-os-apps-to-android-devices-we-go-hands-on.html
Sick of Google Play? Android users can on dip into yet another app store. Mozilla recently announced that Firefox OS apps now run on Android. All you need is Firefox 29 for Android or higher and you’re all set.
“Over the past few months, we have been working on providing a ‘native experience’ for Open Web Apps,” Mozilla recently said on its Hacks blog. “What this means is that as a user, you can now manage your web app just like you would a native app.”
Installing an app from the Firefox Marketplace works just as you’d expect it to in any other app store. Tap an app’s install button and it automatically downloads to your device. Just like native apps, an icon shows up in your app drawer (but not your homescreen) after installation.
Unlike native Android apps that rely on the Java programming language, Firefox OS apps are built with the same technologies used to create websites including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Google is taking a similar tactic with its Chrome packaged apps for PC desktops.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IBM says it’s made your mobe more chatty
New chippery said to extend range, battery life
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/16/ibm_says_its_made_your_mobe_more_chatty/
One of Big Blue ‘s out-of-sight, out-of-mind divisions says it has developed chippery to extend the range, speed and battery life of mobile phones.
IBM last week announced the 7SW SOI, a Radio Frequency Silicon on Insulator it says is the latest in a product line it says has already clocked up over seven billion sales around the world. Most of those sales were effectively invisible because IBM sells this kind of stuff to mobe-makers, who make a fuss about things like processors but don’t bother mentioning other bits of their products’ innards.
Perhaps they ought to, because IBM claims the 7SW allows smartphones to more aggressively switch between different radio frequencies, making it easier to make a connection with LTE base stations. IBM also claims the new chippery effectively extends base stations’ range.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT cup claims ‘instant’ identification of what’s in it
A tricorder for your coffee or a cup of stupid?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/16/iot_cup_claims_instant_identification_of_whats_in_it/
Are you a Silicon Valley man-child, too distracted by the ethereal beauty of your last thousand lines of code, or too dependent on others to bring you stuff, to ever notice what you’re actually drinking? Fear not. Rather than have to lift your head or sully your senses with the mundane world, you can now rely on the Internet of Things to pay attention on your behalf.
That’s because this startup, Vessyl, had added a brand-new layer of “get technology to imitate my parents” to the Internet of Things, with a cup.
Really. Vessyl’s claim is that it can tell the difference between Starbuck’s and coffee, between coffee and orange juice, orange juice and water, water and Budweiser. And it’ll download that into an app in your phone so you don’t have to try to remember whether that was your eighteenth coffee or merely your eighth.
For just $US99 (pre-order price) or $US199.99 (expected 2015 shipping price), it’ll even track your hydration, based on the wellness urban myth that you have to drink “eight glasses of water a day” (here’s a handy debunking, by no means the only one).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon’s 3D smartphone is a gimmick—but it could present a huge retail opportunity
http://qz.com/221076/amazons-3d-smartphone-is-a-gimmick-but-it-could-present-a-huge-retail-opportunity/
It’s rumored that Amazon will launch its own 3D smartphone on June 18. While it may be compelling, a sexy 3D feature won’t catapult Amazon into the lead of the cut-throat smartphone category. If this were true, the EVO 3D, introduced two years ago by HTC and the W960, introduced by Samsung four years ago, would have been top sellers rather than niche products. However, a smartphone that renders 3D images does present an internet retailing opportunity for Amazon. It would be useful to Amazon in selling tangible consumer merchandise, just like Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet was designed to improve Amazon’s merchandizing of ebooks and video streaming products.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Agency Aims to Regulate Map Aids in Vehicles
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/business/agency-aims-to-regulate-map-aids-in-vehicles.html
Getting directions on the road from Google Maps and other smartphone apps is a popular alternative to the expensive navigation aids included in some cars. The apps are also a gray area when it comes to laws banning the use of cellphones or texting while driving.
The Transportation Department wants to enter the argument.
The department is intensifying its battle against distracted driving by seeking explicit authority from Congress to regulate navigation aids of all types, including apps on smartphones.
The measure, included in the Obama administration’s proposed transportation bill, would specify that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has the authority to set restrictions on the apps and later order changes if they are deemed dangerous, much the way it currently regulates mechanical features of cars.
Tomi Engdahl says:
June 12th, 2014, 06:55 GMT · By Silviu Stahie
First Ubuntu Phone Shown by Meizu at Mobile Asia Expo, Looks Stunning
http://news.softpedia.com/news/First-Ubuntu-Phones-Shown-by-Meizu-at-Mobile-Asia-Expo-and-They-Look-Stunning-446395.shtml
The first Ubuntu phone has been shown at the Mobile Asia Expo 2014 by Meizu, the first company that decided to adopt the new operating system from Canonical.
Unlike some of its direct competitors, like Firefox OS, Ubuntu doesn’t rely too much on web apps. This is one of the reasons why Firefox OS was launched faster on the market, but the two operating systems are aimed at different devices.
Ubuntu for phones is able to power high-end products
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bring your own device, as long as it’s Microsoft
Windows Phone puts out enterprise call
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/16/windows_phone_enterprise_mobility_feature/
Enterprise procurement still accounts for most of the smartphones in use by employees. Furthermore, BYOD in the enterprise may even have peaked. So while IT departments ponder how to cope with the onslaught of users wanting to connect their favourite mobile phones to the corporate network, those same users are beginning to think this is not such a good idea after all.
According to IDC, employees are starting to baulk at “spending £500-plus of their own money on a device they will use for work”.
Also many enterprises are now offering nice handsets from an approved list, a strategy known as CYOD, or choose your own device, which removes some of the motivation that has driven BYOD.
Corporates no longer have to fear being pulled onto platforms by users if they can lure those users onto the platforms they are happy with. However, consumerisation remains a powerful force in driving the selection of that approved list.
Let’s look at how those big companies are prepared for enterprise mobility and what they are looking for in an enterprise platform.
When IDC surveyed companies it found their priorities to be, in order: security; cost; manageability; end-user pull; and regional support.
Even where cost was the most important factor, security was the second most important.
Windows Phone 8.1 has addressed many significant issues for IT departments, IDC reports.
While corporates might value the ability for users to have the same desktop and phone interface, the value of the user pull generated by Xbox, with the virtuous knock-on effects on manageability and cost, is not to be under-estimated. Nor are the reduced costs of developing across platforms.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wearable Data Acquisition on the Golf Course
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1322726&
Up to now we have seen video and imaging techniques applied to sports, but now data acquisition has added to our understanding of our own dynamic movements. And it will go beyond just golf. Baseball and tennis are on tap for this same real-time metrics.
Maybe data acquisition is not so esoteric to the wider world.
Tomi Engdahl says:
With an Amazon Smartphone, the Retailer Seeks a Tether to Consumers
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/business/with-an-amazon-smartphone-the-retailer-seeks-a-tether-to-consumers.html
Hold the phone: Amazon wants to burrow even deeper into your life.
The retailer is expected to introduce a smartphone on Wednesday at an event in Seattle, a long-rumored project that aims to close any remaining gap between the impulse to buy and the completed act.
The phone is the last and most crucial link in this colossal enterprise. It is a singular gamble for a company that, for all its technology components, is still primarily a merchant. Because even the smartest tech companies have trouble with phones.
A Google smartphone, the Nexus One, failed to catch on. Google next bought Motorola and then dumped it. BlackBerry, once the dominant smartphone maker, is struggling to survive. Microsoft’s Windows Phone has less than 3 percent of the global market. A Facebook phone stumbled last year.
When it comes to smartphone profits, Apple and Samsung divide them up, leaving crumbs for every other manufacturer.
At least in the United States, phones are a mature market, with 120 million sold last year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Unveils Simband Fitness Tracker, Digital Health Initiative
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/samsung-simband,news-18852.html
Not content to stop at fitness bands and smartphones with heart monitors, Samsung today showed off a new prototype wrist monitor while announcing a new cloud-based health data service that aggregates all your readings from different devices. At an event in San Francisco, the Korean tech giant talked about its desire to create an open platform for digital health information that doctors, developers and patients can all take advantage of.
Samsung Architecture for Multimodal Interactions (SAMI), will be a cloud-based open software platform, where a variety of devices and sensors can securely store data. Developers and scientists can then create algorithms to analyze the data, and find new insights, Samsung says. The personal data stored in SAMI will still be owned by the individual and is totally secure, like money in bank.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google And Apple Fight For Your Heart As Healthcare Defines The Latest Smartphone War
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2014/06/12/google-and-apple-fight-for-your-heart-as-healthcare-defines-the-latest-smartphone-war/
The Mountain View developers will have been working on Google Fit for some time, so put aside any thoughts of this being an immediate reaction to either Apple’s HealthKit or Samsung’s SAMI products (both of which also promise the ability sync health data and leverage the cloud for storage and statistics). Many Google Now users will already be familiar with the pedometer built into the information service, and it would not surprise me to have that data become one of the founding steps of Google Fit – after all, what better way is there to promote the value of a service by using a customer’s own data?
I find it more interesting that the major mobile manufacturers have all settled on health as the next big area to do battle with on the smartphone fields of war.
A quick glance at the specifications of the leading smartphones tells a similar story, with almost identical chipsets, speeds, and storage options. Cores, CPUs, GPUs, memory, storage, and more, are all broadly similar. The battle to convince a user to buy a certain phone because it has a specific chip, larger memory capacity, or other hardware has passed. The baseline of every smartphone now is broadly similar, so the easy sell of bigger and better hardware is no longer available. Other areas will need to be considered to increase the pace of user acquisitions.
The real value, the true unique selling points, will be found in the software. Not just in the apps available or how easy the built-in apps are to use, but the software that will have a memorable real world impact on the user. Create great user experiences, and they will not only stay with a device and the associated ecosystem, but evangelise it to their friends.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple is KILLING OFF BONKING, cries mobe research dude
Final hope for NFC payments now rests with … bankers
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/10/apple_killed_nfc_says_juniper_research_report/
A new report by Juniper Research makes much less bullish predictions of NFC uptake than we’ve seen before – and the report’s author, Windsor Holden, blames Apple for snuffing out hopes of future pay-by-bonk and such wireless stuff.
Retailers will still put contact-less technology into their tills so people can pay-by-wave with their credit and debit cards; very few customers pay by hovering their phone over the cash register.
The big news in the NFC mobile payments world is a switch from the Single Wire Protocol (SWP) – which put the secure element in the SIM card and gave the operators control of payments – to Host Card Emulation (HCE), where the secure element is in the handset and gives the control to piggyback (over-the-top) players, most significantly the banks.
What we haven’t seen is handset manufacturers who are supporting NFC taking it out of the devices. Yet operator schemes to prop up NFC are failing.
Holden believes the future of NFC is in the hands of the banks, which will need to spend huge amounts of money to change consumer behaviour, and hope that the handset manufacturers don’t give up on a technology which is designed to disintermediate their key customers in the meantime.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google names first round of Glass at Work partners
http://www.zdnet.com/google-names-first-round-of-glass-at-work-partners-7000030585/
Summary: Google chose broad mix of industry segments to develop enterprise applications for Glass, ranging from medical and media to sports and entertainment.
While Google Glass remains a subject of mockery in the consumer realm, the wearable computing glasses continue to push forward with applications designed for businesses.
On Monday Google announced the first round of Glass at Work Certified Partners, a program of Google-authorized companies selected to build enterprise solutions for Glass.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ahead of Apple’s HealthKit, WebMD app now tracks health & fitness data from connected accessories
http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/16/ahead-of-apples-healthkit-webmd-app-now-tracks-health-fitness-data-from-connected-accessories/
WebMD today launched “Healthy Target”, a feature within its iOS app that lets users track health data from a variety of sources like activity trackers, glucose meters, and other iPhone-connected health and fitness accessories.
http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/16/ahead-of-apples-healthkit-webmd-app-now-tracks-health-fitness-data-from-connected-accessories/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hacker Geohot releases root tool for Galaxy S5 and most other Android devices
http://www.geek.com/android/hacker-geohot-releases-root-tool-for-galaxy-s5-and-most-other-android-devices-1596797/
Google and the big Android OEMs have been beefing up security of the years, which is a good thing for everyone. As a consequence, however, it’s harder to gain root access to new Android devices.
After XDA members took up a collection now valued at over $18,000, famed developer George “Geohot” Hotz has come forward with a working root method. Oh, it also roots almost every other Android phone.
Having root access to your Android device means you can make system-level changes — it’s like running an administrator account on a computer.
The Towelroot tool developed by Geohot differs from all the standard root methods in that it uses an exploit to root phones. Simply install the APK from Geohot’s site and run it. It looks like most devices running Android 4.4.2 or earlier can be rooted with this method.
Towelroot is based on a Linux kernel vulnerability previously uncovered by hacker Pinkie Pie, which is bad news from a security standpoint.
This is all great news if you want to use root-only apps on your device, but it’s even better news for malware creators. Since this is just a one-click APK, it could be packaged with other apps and distributed to unsuspecting users.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WebMD Launches Health Improvement Program for iPhone® to Make Biometric Data Understandable and Actionable
WebMD Healthy Target empowers individuals to create and sustain healthy habits
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/webmd-launches-health-improvement-program-for-iphone-to-make-biometric-data-understandable-and-actionable-2014-06-16
“WebMD’s Healthy Target empowers consumers to make behavioral changes that can improve their physical and mental health,” said Dr. Michael Smith, Chief Medical Editor at WebMD. “To achieve successful, sustainable behavioral change, consumers must learn how to track and manage the factors that contribute to healthy living.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Parallels’ new remote desktop apps let you control your PC like a phone
http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/17/parallels-access-for-android-and-iphone/
Remote desktop apps have an easier time working on tablets, where you have a lot of display area to work with, but they’re frequently awkward on smartphones. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could control a PC at home like it was just another phone app? Parallels is tackling that challenge head-on with smartphone-friendly versions of its Access app for both Android and the iPhone.
You can launch programs, select text and type almost as if the computer’s software were built for a small screen.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon triples Android app store content, remains in third place
Claims Kindle Fire developer revenues match the competition
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2350435/amazon-triples-android-app-store-content-remains-in-third-place
ONLINE RETAILER Amazon has boasted that it tripled the number of applications on its Android app store in the last year alone.
The firm reckons that for developers the option is a real contender that earns outfits similar revenues to those of the other app stores. This was found by an IDC survey that was sponsored by Amazon.
Despite the growth Amazon seems desperate for more developer attention, and in its statements it painted the picture that its Appstore is paved with gold.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nike finally introduces a Fuelband app for Android
http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/17/nike-fuelband-android-app/
Despite rumors of the Nike+ Fuelband’s demise (and a cozy relationship with Apple), the sportswear maker has finally expanded its compatibility by releasing a sync app for Android. Just like the iOS companion app, it communicates with Nike’s wearable fitness tracker over Bluetooth, but this one only works with the newer Fuelband SE and a select list of Android phones. Requiring Android 4.3 and Bluetooth LE support
we’re wondering how Nike+ will fit into the health and wearable plans being laid out by Apple, Google and the rest.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inside the Secretive R&D Lab Behind the Amazon Phone
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-17/inside-the-secretive-r-and-d-lab-behind-the-amazon-phone
More than 1,600 people claim Lab126 as their employer on the professional networking site LinkedIn (LNKD). Just a few months ago, Amazon investors might reasonably have demanded to know what those expensive engineers and product managers—and many others working on device hardware and software from Amazon’s offices in Seattle and in Cambridge, Mass.—were actually doing.