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:
Exclusive: OtterBox maker explores $2.5 billion-plus sale: sources
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/27/us-otterproducts-sale-exclusive-idUSKBN0GQ2C420140827
Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Otter Products makes cases for handsets produced by the likes of Apple Inc, LG Corp and BlackBerry Ltd. The company describes OtterBox as the top-selling protective case for smartphones in the United States and Canada.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DEFCON: Blackphone
http://hackaday.com/2014/08/27/defcon-blackphone/
Despite being full of techies and people doing interesting things with portable devices, you don’t want to have an active radio on you within a quarter-mile of DEFCON. The apps on your phone leak personal data onto the Internet all the time, and the folks at DEFCON’s Wall Of Sheep were very successful in getting a few thousand usernames and passwords for email accounts.
Blackphone is designed to be the solution to this problem
The core functionality for the Blackphone comes from its operating system called PrivatOS. It’s a fork of Android 4.4.2 that is supposed to seal up the backdoors found in other mobile phones. There’s also a bundle of apps from Silent Circle that give the Blackphone the ability to make encrypted phone calls, texts (with file sharing), and encrypted and password protected contact lists.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google’s Project Ara Is Science Fiction, Says Critic
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323667&
Google’s Project Ara to develop a modular mobile smartphone is destined to remain nothing more than a science project, Richard Windsor, founder of the blog-site Radio Free Mobile and a former senior analyst at Nomura Securities, has warned in his blog. He said he believes Google has the resources to overcome the engineering problems involved in making the device a reality, “but the ergonomic and economic issues will never work.”
Separately, it has emerged that Google is partnering with Chinese fabless chip group Rockchip for the development of an applications processor for the customizable handset project whose aim is to develop hardware blocks that can be swapped in and out, as with a Lego set. On the ergonomics side of the equation, Windsor suggests that the nature of the modular design outlined by Google would prevent substantial parts of the device from being integrated together, removing the potential space-saving benefit gained. He also cautions that standard connectors and the requirement for each components to be in a separate case will mean that there will be far more material in this unit than in a regular device.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Forget iPhone: 4 Megatrends in China’s Smartphone Market
Tense techno-politics unfolds as Asian suppliers fight over China
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323672&
Who will own the display technologies likely to dominate the rapidly changing smartphone market in China?
China is “the new battlefield” for the global display industry, as Xin-Qing Liang, secretary general of the China Optics and Optoelectronics Manufacturers Association, put it during his keynote speech.
Display vendors from China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan are jostling for bigger market share in China’s smartphone market.
Hsu started out noting that “the Chinese market we all knew is nothing like the Chinese market we know today.” In his slideshow, he illustrated a number of “megatrends” in China’s smartphone market.
Xiaomi ignited the trend of smartphone models with high-end specs at low cost, which has spread among top Chinese brands that include Coolpad, Huawei, ZTE, and Oppo.
China brands today exceed iPhone’s spec in every aspect
Hsu explained that China’s brand names will focus only on high-spec flagship models, while their middle- to low-end models will be “outsourced” to ODMs. Tier 1s are focused on “branding,”
“The white box display spec is no longer accepted by China’s ODMs now.
Emerging markets — specifically Africa and India — are relying on the South China supply chain.
“Have you ever heard of Tecno Mobile?” Tecno Mobile is the top African brand, owned by the Chinese.
Tomi Engdahl says:
First 64-bit Android phone has no 64-bit software
The HTC Desire 510′s low-end Qualcomm 410 processor longs for Android L.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/08/first-64-bit-android-phone-has-no-64-bit-software/
When Apple launched the iPhone 5S with a 64-bit processor, it sent the rest of the spec-obsessed SoC world on a race to catch up. After about a year of lag time, the Android ecosystem has finally started to catch up, with HTC announcing the Desire 510, the first 64-bit Android phone.
The Desire’s 64-bit badge comes courtesy of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410. The first 64-bit Qualcomm chip isn’t a high-end monster that rivals the Snapdragon 805; it’s instead a low-end chip—Qualcomm’s lineup is being upgraded from the bottom up, it seems. The SoC has four Cortex A53 CPU cores running at 1.2GHz, 1GB of RAM, and LTE. The rest of the phone is packing a 4.7-inch 854×480 display, 5MP camera, 8GB of storage (plus a microSD slot), and a 2100 mAh battery.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The LG G Watch R is a round, retro smartwatch with good looks to spare
Great artists steal
http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/27/6075787/the-lg-g-watch-r-is-a-round-retro-smartwatch-with-good-looks-to-spare
LG’s G Watch was one of the first Android Wear devices to hit the market, but it didn’t quite capture the fancy of the buying public the way the beautiful, round Moto 360 did. So LG went back to work, and came up with a beautiful, round smartwatch of its own. Meet the G Watch R.
The G Watch R’s key feature is its display, a 1.3-inch Plastic OLED panel that takes up 100 percent of the watch’s round face. LG promises that it’s viewable in sunlight and clear from any angle, and the plastic also comes with some durability benefits — the G Watch R works in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The screen rests in a stainless steel frame, and comes with an interchangeable calf skin leather strap. This device looks perhaps more like a normal analog watch than any other we’ve seen before, including the Moto 360.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung’s Gear S smartwatch doesn’t need a phone to get online or make calls
http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/27/samsung-gear-s-3g/
Samsung is taking the wraps off of yet another new smartwatch, but the Gear S (not Solo) has a twist: there’s a 3G modem inside. While it may not be especially fast, that means that even when outside the range of a Bluetooth-connected phone or WiFi, it can still send and receive messages or make calls. It has a 2-inch AMOLED screen plus a dual-core 1GHz CPU inside along with GPS, heart rate and motion sensors, all powered by a 300mAh battery Samsung says can last up to two days. It runs Tizen instead of Android Wear
Tomi Engdahl says:
A visionary world premier: Fraunhofer IIS presents world’s first emotion detection app on Google Glass
http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/en/pr/2014/20140827_BS_Shore_Google_Glas.html
Erlangen, Germany, August 27, 2014: The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS has adapted its SHORE™ real-time face detection and analysis software to work with Google Glass, the first app of its kind. With the aid of Glass’ integrated camera, the app detects people’s faces and determines their emotions by analyzing their facial expressions. The so-called Glassware (Google Glass app) simultaneously gauges the person’s age or detects their gender among other things, but it cannot determine their identity. All calculations are performed in real-time by the CPU integrated in the eyewear.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia: Read our Maps, Samsung… We’re HERE for the Gear
Only on the Tizen smartwatch…
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/29/samsung_to_use_nokia_maps/
Ostensibly getting Samsung, the world’s biggest smartphone manufacturer, to use Nokia’s HERE Maps is a huge win.
Unfortunately it’s not Samsung throwing Google Maps out of its smartphones but rather a realisation that Google isn’t going to rush to port maps to Samsung’s home-grown operating system, Tizen.
The “HERE for Gear” sees the excellent Nokia software running on the new Samsung Gear S smartwatch in the form of an application called Navigator which offers turn-by-turn walk navigation and public transit routing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is This Tiny Stock the Next Big Thing?
http://venturecapitalnews.us/home/post/is-this-tiny-stock-the-next-big-thing/582?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral
How much of your life do you remember? The answer is around 0.001% – that’s if you have good memory! This is about to be changed by a Start-up company called LifeLogger ( Stock Quote: LOGG +5.8% – website) which I believe will be the Next BIG THING in High-Tech industry this year.
LifeLogger was named one of the top 5 Start-ups at CES 2014 by Enterpreneur.com and other tech media and it might sound as Start Trek technology which seems to be too far away but their idea is trully brilliant and is here today. Following the positive CES2014 response and reviews in January, Lifelogger went public and is trading under the trading symbol LOGG which makes it one of the first and very few publicly listed companies in the booming Wearable Tech industry and the potential in LOGG and the lifelogging idea i believe is Huge.
Wearable technology industry is expected to grow to the staggering 20 Billion by 2018 and the recent extremely successful IPO of GO PRO only proves that lifelogging has a huge potential .
“Ferguson protests send Taser stock up 30% “ because of the police bodycam which Taser is developing – this is just another form of video lifelogging. What happened in Ferguson actually started the “Wearable Camera Petition” last week which quickly garnered the required 100,000 signatures to receive a White House reply .
Tomi Engdahl says:
Information Mobility Means Business Opportunity
http://mds.ricoh.com/blog/information_mobility_means_business_opportunity
For most people, the term information mobility implies smartphones or tablets; but for the modern enterprise, information mobility means much more than that.
Information mobility is really about information in motion – how information is captured and transformed; how the right information is found and shared across the enterprise, and ultimately, how it is used productively to better business outcomes. Information mobility includes new technologies revolutionizing the way people collaborate and connect, changes in information management process, as well as workstyle innovations in a continually evolving workforce.
You can pick almost any process—product marketing, accounts receivable, customer service, sales enablement—and look for ways to improve your information mobility. How can you transform your information to create value?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ralph Lauren, Athos launch data-driven wearable tech
http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Ralph-Lauren-Athos-launch-data-driven-wearable-5718941.php#photo-6787467
Fitbit and Up are one thing, but two sportswear makers — the mighty Ralph Lauren and a new Redwood City company called Athos — have their gloves on in a bout to create the next level of wearable tech.
The Ralph Lauren Polo Tech shirt with OMSignal technology will be tested at the U.S. Open on Marcus Giron, the No. 1 intercollegiate singles player.
The technology detects physiological data to capture movement and direction, and measure heartbeat, respiration, stress level and energy output. Data will be transmitted from a black box of sorts to the cloud, analyzed with algorithms and fed to a smartphone app.
Meanwhile, Athos is introducing shirts and shorts ($99 each) with sensors that use electromyography (but no wires) to detect heart rate, breathing and muscle exertion, with data transmitted by a thumb-size metal Core device ($199) in a port on the clothes to a smartphone app (near right), where the user can get instant analysis of how hard the right thigh is working in comparison to the left, for example, along with tips on improving efficiency and form.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Broadcom offers $19.99 Internet of Things development kit
It’s a Raspberry Pi for wearables
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2362294/qualcomm-offers-usd1999-internet-of-things-development-kit
BROADCOM IS OFFERING developers who want to experiment with the Internet of Things (IoT) a low cost, generic device to play around with and explore.
The Wiced Sense consists of a small Bluetooth Smart – also known as Bluetooth 4.0 or LE – powered device with five low powered micro electro-mechanical systems sensors (MEMS), such as those found in IoT devices.
Bundled with it is an accompanying smartphone app that Broadcom claims can be connected and running development programs in minutes.
Example use cases include a baby monitor that detects temperature, movement and breathing, or a pet tracker that sounds an alarm if your pet leaves a certain area, but the important thing is that the only limit is the developer’s imagination. The main purpose of the device is to help developers create brand new ideas and test them without the need for expensive prototypes.
The Wiced Sense is compatible with both iOS and Android phones, supports iBeacon and NFC tag reading, and offers full encryption, certificate signing and verification.
The device is already on sale at $19.99.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connect your Bluetooth® Smart product to an Android or iOS device
Endless ‘appcessories’ with TI’s SimpleLink™ SensorTag
http://www.ti.com/ww/en/wireless_connectivity/sensortag/index.shtml?DCMP=sensortag&HQS=sensortag-bn
The award winning SimpleLink Bluetooth® Smart SensorTag, based on TI’s CC2541 Wireless MCU,is designed to shorten the design time for Bluetooth app development from months to hours. With a SensorTag App and no required hardware or software expertise, the kit removes the barriers to entry for smartphone app developers who want to take advantage of the growing number of Bluetooth Smart-enabled smartphones and tablets. The over-the-air download feature provides the ability to update the SensorTag firmware from a central device like a smartphone, tablet or PC.
$25 – order today!
The SensorTag now supports iBeacon technology, allowing you to quickly and easily evaluate iBeacon for “indoor GPS” applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Partnering With American Express On New iPhone Payments System
http://recode.net/2014/08/31/apple-9-9/
Apple has reached an agreement with American Express to work together on its new iPhone payments system, according to sources familiar with the talks. American Express is one of several partners Apple will need to sign up before it can launch its new payments plan, which sources say it plans to announce at its September 9 product event.
Apple’s new payments system is expected to let iPhone 6 owners use their phones in place of credit cards, debit cards or cash to pay for goods in brick-and-mortar stores. Apple’s new payments system is expected to let iPhone 6 owners use their phones in place of credit cards, debit cards or cash to pay for goods in brick-and-mortar stores. Customers will present their phones at the checkout counter of partnering retailers to transmit payment information to complete a purchase. It’s not clear which retailers have signed on to accept such payments.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Revealed: The new phones and waterproof tablet that Sony has up its sleeves for IFA 2014
http://9to5google.com/2014/08/30/revealed-the-new-phones-and-waterproof-tablet-that-sony-has-up-its-sleeves-for-ifa-2014/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Wear powered Sony SmartWatch 3 and ‘SmartBand Talk’ with curved e-ink display launching at IFA 2014
http://9to5google.com/2014/08/30/android-wear-powered-sony-smartwatch-3-and-smartband-talk-with-curved-e-ink-display-launching-at-ifa-2014/
IFA 2014 is right around the corner and we’re expecting to see quite a bit of tech launched during the show. Sony is in attendance this year and their official press event is scheduled to happen on on Sept. 4th, 2014. Sources familiar with Sony’s plans have informed us that we can expect two new wearables to launch next week at IFA 2014…
Tomi Engdahl says:
What Happened to Motorola
How a culture shift nearly doomed an iconic local company that once dominated the telecom industry.
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2014/What-Happened-to-Motorola/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Has Considered $400 Price for Wearable Device
http://recode.net/2014/08/30/apple-9-9-2/
Apple executives have discussed charging around $400 for the company’s new wearable device.
Pricing has yet to be finalized for the forthcoming product, which is expected to begin shipping next year. Sources say consumers should expect a range of prices for different models including lower priced versions.
It is not immediately clear if the price will be settled in time for Apple’s Sept. 9 press conference when it is expected to introduce the new iPhones and announce a wearable device. Apple declined to comment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG Announces the G Watch R
by Brandon Chester on August 27, 2014 11:00 PM EST
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8438/lg-announces-the-g-watch-r
It looks like LG really isn’t keen on waiting for IFA to reveal some of its new products. Yesterday we detailed the announcement of the LG G3 Stylus, and today LG is giving a sneak peak at its first smartwatch with a round face. It’s called the LG G Watch R, and as you may have guessed, the R stands for round.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Unveils the Curved Gear S Smartwatch With Tizen and 3G Connectivity
by Brandon Chester on August 27, 2014 11:45 PM EST
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8439/samsung-unveils-the-curved-gear-s-smartwatch-with-tizen-and-3g-connectivity
Samsung has announced a new device in their line of Gear smartwatches. Their latest watch is the Samsung Gear S, and it’s one of the only smartwatches on the market that sports 3G connectivity. This allows it to function on its own without having to be forever tethered to a smartphone to access notifications and other content.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Code/red: Apple Plans to Announce Wearable in September
August 27, 2014, 10:19 AM PDT
http://recode.net/2014/08/27/codered-apple-plans-to-announce-wearable-in-september/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Said To Team With Visa, MasterCard On iPhone Wallet
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/14/09/01/0247247/apple-said-to-team-with-visa-mastercard-on-iphone-wallet
Apple plans to turn its next iPhone into a mobile wallet through a partnership with major payment networks, banks and retailers, according a person familiar with the situation. The agreement includes Visa, MasterCard, and American Express and will be unveiled on Sept. 9 along with the next iPhone
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chumps stump up $1 MEELLLION for watch that doesn’t exist
By the way, I have a really nice bridge you might like…
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/01/ritot_projection_watch_million_dollars_crowdsourced_funding_but_no_prototype_exists/
An Indiegogo project to build a watch that projects its display onto your hand has blown the doors off its target by raising a million dollars in funding – even though no functional device has yet been built.
The Ritot watch uses a DLP matrix in a wristband to project an image on to the back of the wearer’s hand. In addition to the time, the watch can show caller ID, texts, Facebook statuses and tweets.
It’s a compelling device. Having raised 2,482 per cent of its target funding of $50,000
Unfortunately, there is a problem. It’s hinted at in the Indiegogo pitch
“Currently we don’t have a fully working prototype, the photos in campaign [sic] are computer renderings of what we envision the device to look like.”
It’s telling that Kickstarter would not have accepted a project at this stage. Indiegogo is more liberal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wearable technologies myths video:
http://www.tivi.fi/kaikki_uutiset/video+taas+murtui+kourallinen+puettavan+tekniikan+myytteja/a1007369
Tomi Engdahl says:
Common App Rejections
https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/rejections/
Before you develop your app, it’s important to become familiar with the technical, content, and design criteria that we use to review all apps
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Wear to support local music and GPS, become runner’s best friend
Top Android execs detail upcoming updates for Google’s wearables platform.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/09/android-wear-to-support-local-music-and-gps-become-runners-best-friend/
One of the biggest downsides to Android Wear—or (nearly) any smartwatch—is that it requires a tethered smartphone to work. This is fine for day-to-day activities where you have your smartphone anyway, but for activities where you’d rather carry a lighter load, like running, Android Wear doesn’t help much.
In an interview with CNET, Android Engineering Director David Singleton and Vice President of Android Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer talked about the future direction of the platform, including announcing upcoming standalone functionality that doesn’t require a smartphone. They revealed that Google will update Android Wear “several” times before the end of the year, with the first update coming this week.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple sets developer rules for HealthKit, HomeKit, TestFlight, and Extensions ahead of iOS 8 launch
http://9to5mac.com/2014/09/02/apple-sets-rules-for-developers-using-healthkit-homekit-testflight-and-extensions-ahead-of-ios-8-launch/
Today, Apple has updated its official App Store developers Review Guidelines to outline the requirements for iOS 8 applications that will make use of the new HealthKit, HomeKit, TestFlight, and Extensions services.
“Apps using the HealthKit framework that store users’ health information in iCloud will be rejected.” This point should reduce fears of intruders being able to access a user’s health data, especially after the scandal surrounding the leak of celebrity photos potentially stored in iCloud.
“Apps that share user data acquired via the HealthKit API with third parties without user consent will be rejected.”
“Apps that provide diagnoses, treatment advice, or control hardware designed to diagnose or treat medical conditions that do not provide written regulatory approval upon request will be rejected.” This point is crucial in that these fine print allows Apple to work around the FDA’s regulatory guidelines for mobile health applications.
“Apps using the HealthKit framework must provide a privacy policy or they will be rejected.”
“Apps must not use data gathered from the HomeKit APIs for advertising or other use-based data mining.” Same deal with HealthKit
Apps using the HomeKit framework must have a primary purpose of providing home automation services
Apps using the HomeKit framework must indicate this usage in their marketing text and they must provide a privacy policy or they will be rejected
Apps using data gathered from the HomeKit API for purposes other than improving the user experience or hardware/software performance in providing home automation functionality will be rejected
Apps using the HealthKit framework must comply with applicable law for each Territory in which the App is made available
Apps may not use user data gathered from the HealthKit API for advertising or other use-based data mining purposes other than improving health, medical, and fitness management, or for the purpose of medical research
Apps that share user data acquired via the HealthKit API with third parties without user consent will be rejected
Apps using the HealthKit framework must provide a privacy policy or they will be rejected
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Game Console Maker Ouya in Sale Talks With Chinese Internet Giants, Others
http://recode.net/2014/09/02/android-game-console-maker-ouya-in-sale-talks-with-chinese-internet-giants-others/
Ouya, the maker of a low-cost Android-based gaming console of the same name, has been engaged in preliminary acquisition talks with multiple big players in China, as well as a few here in the U.S., according to several sources close to the situation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
For $3,500, a Spy-Resistant Smartphone
March 18, 2014
Prime ministers, business executives, and ordinary citizens clamor for phones that can’t be snooped on.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/525556/for-3500-a-spy-resistant-smartphone/
Ever since Edward Snowden came forward with a trove of secret documents about the National Security Agency, business has been booming for Les Goldsmith, CEO of ESD America.
Goldsmith’s company sells a $3,500 “cryptophone” that scrambles calls so they can’t be listened in on. Until recently, the high-priced smartphone was something of a James Bond–style novelty item. But news of extensive U.S. eavesdropping on people including heads of state has sent demand from wary companies and governments soaring. “We’re producing 400 a week and can’t really keep up,” says Goldsmith.
The Las Vegas–based company prepares and packages the device, called the GSMK CryptoPhone, by first wiping the software from an ordinary $350 Samsung Galaxy S3 handset. It then adds a version of Google’s Android operating system, licensed from the German company GSMK, that has been tweaked to add call encryption and fix security flaws.
Sales have tripled since Snowden’s revelations began last June, and close to 100,000 of the handsets are in use worldwide, according to Goldsmith. Secure calls work only between two cryptophones. To set up a secure connection, each handset creates a cryptographic key based on a sample of random background noise. Everything takes place on the handsets, so no unprotected data leaves the device.
Secure phones aren’t new. In the 1970s, the NSA developed a “secure telephone unit”
Handsets can be infected by malware that listens to calls, copies data, or transmits a device’s location. Some spies even employ fake base stations, known as interceptors, that harvest calls and text messages.
That’s reason enough for politicians, dissidents, and top executives to worry.
The CryptoPhone’s $3,500 price tag (which pays for three years of service, not including calling charges) puts the device beyond the reach of most individuals and small businesses. A competing device, the Hoox m2 smartphone that French IT contractor Bull began selling in January, sells for 2,000 euros ($2,740) and is also aimed at corporate users.
For the most part, consumers haven’t joined the security rush. According to Gartner, a firm that tracks technology trends, few have even purchased antivirus software for their phones. Sales of mobile security software are about $1 billion a year, a fraction what’s spent on desktops, even though mobile devices now outnumber PCs.
Yet secure communication products could eventually have mass appeal as consumers tire of being tracked online. Some of the most successful apps of the past year have featured self-destructing messages or anonymous bulletin boards.
Companies on a budget could turn to the $629 Blackphone handset, which launched in February and also offers encrypted calling. The device is the product of a joint venture between Spanish smartphone startup Geeksphone and Silent Circle, a company that markets apps for encrypted calling and e-mail on Apple and Android devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do you remember the Nokia worm game? (Started in Nokia 6110- and 5110 phones, was in up to a total of more than 400 million phones)
The original developer Taneli Armanto made a comeback in the game industry with a new generation of worm game.
Snake Rewind the application will be in stores in autumn 2014 Free Application will be available to all mobile platforms.
SNAKE REWIND COMING 2014
http://www.rumilusdesign.com/media/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mysterious Phony Cell Towers Could Be Intercepting Your Calls
Every smart phone has a secondary OS, which can be hijacked by high-tech hackers
http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/mysterious-phony-cell-towers-could-be-intercepting-your-calls
Like many of the ultra-secure phones that have come to market in the wake of Edward Snowden’s leaks, the CryptoPhone 500, which is marketed in the U.S. by ESD America and built on top of an unassuming Samsung Galaxy SIII body, features high-powered encryption. Les Goldsmith, the CEO of ESD America, says the phone also runs a customized or “hardened” version of Android that removes 468 vulnerabilities that his engineering team team found in the stock installation of the OS.
To show what the CryptoPhone can do that less expensive competitors cannot, he points me to a map that he and his customers have created, indicating 17 different phony cell towers known as “interceptors,” detected by the CryptoPhone 500 around the United States during the month of July alone.
“Interceptor use in the U.S. is much higher than people had anticipated,” Goldsmith says. “One of our customers took a road trip from Florida to North Carolina and he found 8 different interceptors on that trip. We even found one at South Point Casino in Las Vegas.”
Who is running these interceptors and what are they doing with the calls? Goldsmith says we can’t be sure, but he has his suspicions.
“What we find suspicious is that a lot of these interceptors are right on top of U.S. military bases. So we begin to wonder – are some of them U.S. government interceptors? Or are some of them Chinese interceptors?”
Interceptors vary widely in expense and sophistication – but in a nutshell, they are radio-equipped computers with software that can use arcane cellular network protocols and defeat the onboard encryption. Whether your phone uses Android or iOS, it also has a second operating system that runs on a part of the phone called a baseband processor. The baseband processor functions as a communications middleman between the phone’s main O.S. and the cell towers. And because chip manufacturers jealously guard details about the baseband O.S., it has been too challenging a target for garden-variety hackers.
“The baseband processor is one of the more difficult things to get into or even communicate with,”
But for governments or other entities able to afford a price tag of “less than $100,000,” says Goldsmith, high-quality interceptors are quite realistic. Some interceptors are limited, only able to passively listen to either outgoing or incoming calls. But full-featured devices like the VME Dominator, available only to government agencies, can not only capture calls and texts, but even actively control the phone, sending out spoof texts, for example. Edward Snowden revealed that the N.S.A. is capable of an over-the-air attack that tells the phone to fake a shut-down while leaving the microphone running, turning the seemingly deactivated phone into a bug.
”As we drove by, the iPhone showed no difference whatsoever. The Samsung Galaxy S4, the call went from 4G to 3G and back to 4G. The CryptoPhone lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Though the standard Apple and Android phones showed nothing wrong, the baseband firewall on the Cryptophone set off alerts showing that the phone’s encryption had been turned off, and that the cell tower had no name – a telltale sign of a rogue base station. Standard towers, run by say, Verizon or T-Mobile, will have a name, whereas interceptors often do not.
And the interceptor also forced the CryptoPhone from 4G down to 2G, a much older protocol that is easier to de-crypt in real-time.
“If you’ve been intercepted, in some cases it might show at the top that you’ve been forced from 4G down to 2G. But a decent interceptor won’t show that,”
Though Goldsmith won’t disclose sales figures or even a retail price for the GSMK CryptoPhone 500, he doesn’t dispute an MIT Technology Review article from this past spring reporting that he produces about 400 phones per week for $3,500 each.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Launches Virtual Reality Headset For Galaxy Note 4
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/09/03/1756254/samsung-launches-virtual-reality-headset-for-galaxy-note-4
Samsung has launched a virtual reality headset called Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition. It uses the new Galaxy Note 4 for a screen and technology from Oculus VR.
Despite partnering with Oculus, the Gear VR won’t run Occulus apps, but Samsung says porting titles over shouldn’t be too hard. From the article: “This is Oculus’ first consumer product and, bizarrely, it’s on a Samsung device.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook Blamed For Driving Up Cellphone Bills, But It’s Not Alone
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/14/09/03/2241256/facebook-blamed-for-driving-up-cellphone-bills-but-its-not-alone
“Consumer site MoneySavingExpert.com reported today that it has seen “many complaints” from users who believe a recent increase in data-related charges on their cellphone bills are the result of Facebook’s auto-play feature. The default setting for the auto-play feature launches and continues to play videos silently until the user either scrolls past it or clicks on it; if the user does the latter, the video then goes full-screen and activates audio. The silent auto-play occurs regardless of whether users are connected to Wi-Fi, LTE, or 3G.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is that a 64-bit ARM Warrior in your pocket? No, it’s MIPS64
Use your Imagination: When two tribes go to war
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/02/mips_warrior_64_bit/
Chip designer Imagination Technologies today went public about its new processor design – the 64-bit MIPS Warrior I6400.
It’s an ambitious blueprint, aimed at car dashboards, digital TVs and tablets – the usual space for Imagination – all the way up to data center-grade compute, storage and networking kit. In other words, wherever arch-rival ARM is attempting to spread its limbs.
The I6400 CPU is pretty much a MIPS64-friendly version of the 32-bit Warrior P5600 that was talked up last fall, with a few extra features thrown in.
For example, the I6400 has the simultaneous multithreading (SMT) seen in Imagination’s 32-bit Meta system-on-chip family: this technology essentially turns each physical core into two or four virtual cores. A hardware scheduler interleaves the virtual CPU threads into the processor’s execution queues, the meat grinders of the chip.
Where rival ARM’s shift from 32-bit ARMv7 to 64-bit ARMv8-a involved rewriting chunks of its instruction set and forcing some low-level engineers to learn a new assembly language, MIPS64 is basically MIPS32 with instructions for using 64-bit-wide data, and it runs MIPS32 code without a mode switch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sex is great in books, lousy in apps, says Apple
New App Store guidelines offer rules for smut and new home automation and health APIs
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/04/apple_new_app_store_guidelines_for_developers/
Apple has published a new set of guidelines for its App Store, and suggested that those who want to depict sex on iThings should write a book or song instead of an app.
The guidelines offer plenty of rules capable of riling developers.
Novice developers are warned that “We have lots of serious developers who don’t want their quality Apps to be surrounded by amateur hour,” so “If your App looks like it was cobbled together in a few days, or you’re trying to get your first practice App into the store to impress your friends, please brace yourself for rejection.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung, Philips and Infineon slapped with €138m fine for chip price fixing
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2363228/samsung-philips-and-infineon-slapped-with-eur138m-fine-for-chip-price-fixing
CHIP MAKERS involved in a price fixing racket stretching back over a decade have been fined €138m by European regulators.
An antitrust investigation into chips used in mobile device SIM cards found that Infineon, Philips and Samsung colluded to artifically manipulate the price of SIM card chips.
Renesas, a former joint venture between Hitachi and Mitsubishi, was also implicated in the investigation but was granted immunity after whistleblowing the existence of the cartel.
European Commission (EC) VP in charge of competition policy Joaquin Almunia said, “In this digital era smart card chips are used by almost everybody, whether in their mobile phones, bank cards or passports.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Phone Firewall Identifies Rogue Cell Towers Trying to Intercept Your Calls
http://www.wired.com/2014/09/cryptophone-firewall-identifies-rogue-cell-towers/
Rogue cell phone towers can track your phone and intercept your calls, and it’s only a matter of time before they’re as ubiquitous as GPS trackers. But at least now there’s a way to spot them.
A firewall developed by the German firm GSMK for its secure CryptoPhone lets people know when a rogue cell tower is connecting to their phone. It’s the first system available that can do this, though it’s currently only available for enterprise customers using Android phones.
GSMK’s CryptoPhone 500, a high-end phone that costs more than $3,000 and combines a Samsung Galaxy S3 handset with the CryptoPhone operating system, offers strong end-to-end encryption along with a specially hardened Android operating system that offers more security than other Android phones and the patented baseband firewall that can alert customers when a rogue tower has connected to their phone or turned off the mobile network’s standard encryption.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple design head Jony Ive ahead of iWatch debut: ‘Switzerland is in trouble’
http://9to5mac.com/2014/09/03/apple-design-head-jony-ive-ahead-of-iwatch-debut-switzerland-is-in-trouble/
Ahead of Apple’s September 9th event that will include the introduction of Apple’s first wearable computer, along new, larger iPhones, The New York Times has profiled the existing wearable market. The juiciest bit from the story? A purported quote from Apple design chief Jony Ive, relayed by another Apple designer. Said Ive, referring to the existing watch market, “Switzerland is in trouble.”
So, it appears Jony did not actually say “trouble.” He said something “bolder.” Perhaps “screwed” ?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel reveals MICA, its first luxury smart bracelet
http://www.cnet.com/news/intel-reveals-mica-its-first-luxury-smart-bracelet/
The bracelet, with a sapphire display and semiprecious gems, was made for the high-end women’s accessory market and will be sold at luxury retailer Barneys New York.
Intel on Wednesday revealed its first luxury smart bracelet for women. Designed with fashion house Opening Ceremony and called MICA, or “My Intelligent Communication Accessory,” the high-end wearable includes a curved sapphire touchscreen display.
CNET last week reported that Intel was expected to introduce the bracelet shortly, in a sign of the company’s ambitions to expand into wearable technology and beyond its core chipmaking business. The MICA is one of a handful of electronics that double as women’s jewelry, including the $80 Misfit Bloom stainless steel necklace, which houses a fitness tracker, and Ringly, a ring starting at $195 that sends notifications from your phone using vibration and light.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung could give virtual reality the kick in the pants it needs
http://www.cnet.com/news/samsungs-work-with-oculus-could-give-vr-the-kick-in-the-pants-it-needs/
While Oculus has been the pioneer in virtual reality, Samsung’s Gear VR, which uses Oculus software, could bring VR to the masses.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Future Fueled by Phablets – Worldwide Phablet Shipments to Surpass Portable PCs in 2014 and Tablets by 2015, According to IDC
http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS25077914
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. September 3, 2014 – According to a new forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker, worldwide phablet shipments (smartphones with screen sizes from 5.5 to less than 7 inches) will reach 175 million units worldwide in 2014, passing the 170 million portable PCs expected to ship during the same period. Next year, total phablet volumes will top 318 million units, surpassing the 233 million tablets forecast to ship in 2015.
While phablets are a relatively new category of device, first picking up volume in 2012
the growth of smaller, 7 inch tablets has begun to slow. IDC expects more consumers to shift back toward larger-sized tablets with their next purchase. However, that trend hasn’t made up for the decreased shipments of smaller sizes, which has resulted in lower overall expectations for the tablet market in 2014 and beyond.
As the Smart Connected Device market matures, and emerging markets drive more of the growth, the percentage of the market made up of phablets plus regular smartphones is expected to increase.
In 2014 IDC expects smartphones to represent about 70% of the total market. By 2018 that will grow to 75.6%.
While consumers in places like the United States and Western Europe are likely to own a combination of PCs, tablets, and smartphones, in many places the smartphone — regardless of size — will be the one connected device of choice. Dropping average selling prices (ASPs) for phablets and smartphones will help drive this trend.
“Clearly, mobile computing is a space where consumers are still trying to figure out what mix of devices and screen sizes will suit them best,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hands-On With The Samsung Gear S Smartwatch
http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/03/hands-on-with-the-samsung-gear-s-smart-watch/
Samsung announced its new curved-display smartwatch last week, but today we were able to get up-close and personal with the new wearable. Unlike most smartwatches, the Gear S has two very special features. The first is a curved 2-inch, AMOLED display, and the second is 3G connectivity, allowing the smart watch to be used independent of a smartphone.
The curved display measures in at a 260×480 resolution, and under the hood you’ll find a GPS sensor, an accelerometer, gyroscope, UV detector, barometer, and heart rate monitor, alongside 4GB of internal storage and 512MB of RAM. It’s all powered by a dual-core 1.0 GHz processor and Tizen, Samsung’s own mobile operating system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Introduces the Latest in its Iconic Note Series – The Galaxy Note 4, and Showcases Next Generation Display with Galaxy Note Edge
http://www.samsungmobilepress.com/2014/09/03/Samsung-Introduces-the-Latest-in-its-Iconic-Note-Series—The-Galaxy-Note-4,-and-Showcases-Next-Generation-Display-with-Galaxy-Note-Edge-1
The Galaxy Note 4 embraces Samsung’s heritage of an unrivaled Galaxy mobile experience. Its extraordinary 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560×1440) Super AMOLED display reproduces clearer and more vivid images with deep contrast, better viewing angles, and response times as fast as a millionth of a second, providing a tremendous viewing experience.
Making everyday tasks much faster and easier, the Galaxy Note 4’s S Pen has been specifically evolved to serve as the primary tool that users go to for common, everyday mobile device use. This new S Pen offers a much more authentic pen experience, with a more natural brush effect that perfectly emulates writing on paper with a fountain or calligraphy pen
The Galaxy Note Edge’s unique curved Edge screen provides quick access to frequently used apps, alerts and device functionality – even when the cover is closed – all with the swipe of a thumb. Users can also receive notifications directly on the Edge Screen while watching videos without disturbing their viewing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 looks and feels like a premium device (hands-on)
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/03/samsung-galaxy-note-4-hands-on/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony announces its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z3
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/03/sony-xperia-z3/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony reveals Android Wear-based SmartWatch 3, along with e-ink-equipped SmartBand Talk
http://gigaom.com/2014/09/03/sony-reveals-android-wear-based-smartwatch-3-along-with-e-ink-equipped-smartband-talk/
The company has decided to go with Google smartwatch software efforts rather than its own.
The SmartWatch 3 comes with a 1.6-inch 320×320 transflective display
Sony’s decision to go with Google Android Wear software will surprise many people, as the company had previously ploughed ahead with its own watch software.
It will cost €230 ($302) in Europe
Unlike the first SmartBand, the SmartBand Talk comes with a curved 1.4-inch, 288×128-pixel e-ink display for email notifications and so on. As the name suggests, it also has a microphone and speaker for voice commands, and can also be used to handle calls over Bluetooth. However, with a 70mAh battery, they’d better be short calls.
It will cost €160,
Tomi Engdahl says:
DWNLD Gives Web Publishers A Platform For Building Affordable, Customizable Native Apps
http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/03/dwnld/
DWNLD, is launching to help web publishers quickly, easily, and affordably build awesome native mobile apps.
DWNLD hopes to cash in on the trend of more and more publishers turning to native apps in lieu of mobile web sites. The platform was built to help media companies or brands or really anyone with a web presence to build those apps and submit them to the Apple App Store and Google Play market.
“The lines between the web and native apps is blurring,” Lanman said in a phone conversation. Nowadays, there shouldn’t be any reason why a web publisher can’t also publish a native app, except maybe development costs. But DWNLD is set to change that.
Once registered, DWNLD can import a publisher’s web content into its content management system and generate a native app based on it. Apps are customizable, enabling publishers to define the overall look and feel based on a variety of different templates, fonts, and color combinations. They can also incorporate a number of different types of rich media, including photos, videos, links, GIFs and the like, and display them natively.
Instead of charging for the cost of app creation, DWNLD has a flat cost of $15 per month. For many publishers, that follows the usual hosting model that they are already used to. Publishers can also monetize their apps by enabling advertising, of which DWNLD takes a cut.
And that’s how the company really hopes to make money.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The giant falls: Chinese manufacturers overtook Samsung
China’s major smart phone manufacturers Huawei, Lenovo, Xiaomi, ZTE and Coolpad sold from April-June, 75 million Android phone. At the same time, Samsung sold 74 million phones.
The Chinese Manufacturers’ sales grew by about 25 percent from the previous quarter and by seven-fold from a year earlier
Business Insider Intelligence company , the Chinese companies have about 30 percent of Android phones in the market.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/uutisia/jattilainen+kaatuu+kiinalaisvalmistajat+ohittivat+samsungin/a1008724
Tomi Engdahl says:
CHART OF THE DAY: Chinese Smartphones Are On The Rise
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-chinese-smartphones-are-on-the-rise-2014-9#ixzz3CLDbFoI1