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:
The new iPhone is more resistant to drops than previous versions
SquareTrade tested from Apple by immersing them in water and dropping a fair meters.
The test results show that Apple has managed to improve the iPhone’s durability. IPhone 6 fall lasted six instillation without significant damage. Only minor dents came to the corners. The larger the iPhone 6 Plus did not fare as well.
In water for 10 seconds: It causes loss of sound, but the audio devices returned later as they dry.
The results showed that the new iPhone has so far been the most durable of Apple’s smartphone. But it is not designed for harsh conditions or as a sustainable work phone.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1808:uusi-iphone-kestaa-paremmin-pudotuksia&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Keyboard Apps Dominate The App Store’s Top Charts After iOS 8 Release
http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/19/keyboard-apps-dominate-the-app-stores-top-charts-after-ios-8-release/?ncid=rss
As the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus go on sale today, many consumers will be getting their hands on Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 8, for the first time. And what are iOS 8 users downloading from the App Store? From the looks of things, it’s keyboards. That’s right — after years of strictly controlling the iOS user interface, Apple has opened things up. You can now replace the default iOS keyboard with that of your own choosing, including apps from popular keyboard makers like SwiftKey and Swype, the former which says it has now been downloaded 1 million times, and has become the No. 1 free app on the App Store.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A history of wearable tech
http://edn.com/electronics-blogs/now-hear-this/4434926/A-history-of-wearable-tech
Think wearables are new? Think again. Wearables have been around long before the Pebble, Galaxy Gear, and Google Glass hit the market. It all started back in 1961 with a gambling device created by an MIT professor called Beat the Dealer. Take a stroll down wearable memory lane in this great inforgraphic from Mashable.
http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE0LzA1LzEyLzc4L3RlY2g5LjYzMTI2LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4OTYwMD4/9d56ecba/d2a/tech9.jpg
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Announces iOS 8 Adoption Has Already Reached 46%
http://www.iclarified.com/44129/apple-announces-ios-8-adoption-has-already-reached-46
Apple has announced that iOS 8 adoption has already reached 46%. First spotted by iClarified, Apple quietly revealed the statistic on its App Store Distribution page.
The company says iOS 8 adoption reached 46% on September 21, 2014. 49% of users are still using iOS 7 and 5% of users are on earlier firmware versions.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s iOS 8 flops: What bit of our BATTERY-DRAINING update didn’t you like?
Listen up Cupertino: fanbois just aren’t that into you anymore
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/23/apples_ios_8_flops_as_fanbois_fail_to_make_the_swap/
More than half of all the Apple faithful have declined the opportunity to update their mobes to iOS 8, the newest iteration of the firm’s mobile operating system.
Five days after iOS 8 was released, Cupertino has admitted that just 46 per cent of its iColytes chose to update. The new software launched with the usual fanfare followed by complaints about battery life and patchy Wi-Fi.
This is a slight slip from the 49 per cent adoption rate for iOS 7 at the same point after release.
Another problem with iOS 8 is that it requires a motherlode of free space on a device to install over the air. Plugging their mobe in might prove too much of a drag for the lazy iGeneration.
Cupertino also used a queueing system intended to make sure there were no unbecoming bottlenecks during the iOS 8 rollout.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adobe swallows Aviary, hopes to stuff Creative Cloud into mobes
Firm will open up APIs to third parties with new Creative SDK
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/23/adobe_acquires_aviary/
Adobe has gulped down editing app firm Aviary to beef up its mobile image-fiddling software with an eye on the professional crowd.
“While mobile has transformed so many industries, it has not yet transformed how creatives work. A year ago, we rebooted Adobe’s mobile strategy with an eye on the future of creation. We imagined ways that Creative Cloud could enable frictionless creativity across devices, and mobile apps that work magically with desktop apps,”
“But great Adobe mobile apps are not enough. Creativity must be connected across all the apps that you use, Adobe and beyond.”
The software development library is being built by Adobe to allow third-party developers access to Adobe APIs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
F-Secure’s free security for older Samsung
Samsung’s device users in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have free access to the F-Secure Safe data security, which promises protection from malware, identity theft, fraudulent websites and applications as well as network attacks.
“Safe is after the introduction of automatically free of charge for two years, after which the owner can activate for free for one more year,” F-Secure’s Consumer Sales and Marketing Director Perttu Tynkkynen to explain.
The normal annual license price of 49.90 euro
The advantage is not only tied to the purchase of new equipment, but it also offered to existing Samsung users. Available through Samsung uPick
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samsung.samsungupick&hl=fi
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/kaikki_uutiset/fsecuren+ilmaista+tietoturvaa+myos+vanhemmille+samsungeille/a1013808
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do Specs Matter Anymore For the Average Smartphone User?
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/14/09/23/043210/do-specs-matter-anymore-for-the-average-smartphone-user
While reviewing a recent comparison of the Nexus 5 and the iPhone 6, OSNews staffer Thom Holwerda raises some relevant points regarding the importance of specs on newer smartphones. He observes that the iPhone 6, which is brand new, and the Nexus 5 launch apps at about the same speed.
Those who use their phones to their maximum capacity for things like gaming are a staunch minority. Do smartphone specs even matter for the average smartphone user anymore?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia saw the future, but couldn’t build it
Everything that Apple and Google are today, Nokia wanted to become
http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/22/6826051/nokia-saw-the-future-but-couldnt-build-it
There was once a time when my search for a new phone would start (and likely finish) with a visit to Nokia.com. The Finnish company had the widest choice, the best designs, and the most respected brand around the world, so it was pretty hard to pick a bad phone from its catalog. Try doing the same thing today, however, and you’ll find every link on the Nokia homepage pointing to Microsoft’s Mobile Devices division — the new incarnation of the Nokia most of us knew and loved. It’s a vastly different mobile world we’re living in now, but what’s most striking about it is that Nokia saw it all coming.
The best phone in the world today is dressed from head to toe in aluminum and has an outstanding camera that protrudes from its body. So did the Nokia N8 in 2010.
Nokia’s biggest failure was an unwillingness to embrace drastic change. The company sowed the seeds for its self-destruction when it made “the familiarity of the new” the tagline for its big Symbian upgrade those many years ago. It feared alienating current users by changing too much, so it ended up with a compromised mess of an operating system that wasn’t fit for the future. Even as it was making one mistake, however, Nokia was keenly aware of the threat of another.
Jumping to Android was widely advocated as a quick shortcut to making Nokia’s software competitive, but Anssi Vanjoki dismissed that idea as a short-term solution that was no better than “peeing in your pants for warmth in the winter.”
I was among those who thought him wrong, but the recent financial struggles of HTC, Motorola, and Sony have shown him to be more prophetic than paranoid. Nobody outside of Google, Samsung, and Microsoft (by virtue of patent royalty payments) is making real money off the sales of Android phones.
Eventually, Nokia’s hand was forced into making a switch and it chose Microsoft’s Windows Phone as the platform to build its future on. That construction project is still going on, though it no longer carries the Nokia name.
The list of things Nokia saw coming but failed to adapt to is regrettably long. Another instance where Anssi Vanjoki seemed to exaggerate was when he predicted that DSLRs would be replaced by cameraphones. I mocked his outlandish claim then, but to look at the new iPhones, the Panasonic CM1, and Nokia’s own Lumia 1020, there are now certainly enough excellent options to make at least a few people drop the bulky dedicated camera.
Before the iPhone had apps and Android got Maps, Nokia phones had both. Today there isn’t a flagship smartphone without either a metal or faux metal finish.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Friendly Reminder: Do Not Place Your IPhone In a Microwave
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/14/09/22/1540207/friendly-reminder-do-not-place-your-iphone-in-a-microwave
Placing your iPhone in the microwave will destroy the phone, and possibly the microwave. While that might seem obvious to some people, others have fallen for the “Wave” hoax making its way around online. The fake advertisement insists that the new iOS 8 allows users to charge their iPhones by placing them in a “household microwave for a minute and a half.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do Not Toss Your iPhone 6 in the Microwave
http://news.dice.com/2014/09/22/do-not-toss-iphone-in-microwave/
Things You Shouldn’t Microwave
http://chemistry.about.com/b/2013/06/11/things-you-shouldnt-microwave.htm
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone camera evolution: How does the iPhone 6 camera compare to previous iPhone cameras?
http://snapsnapsnap.photos/how-does-the-iphone-6-camera-compare-to-previous-iphone-cameras/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung launches $19.99 Power Sharing cable for charging micro USB devices with your Galaxy phone or tablet
http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2014/09/23/samsung-launches-19-99-power-sharing-cable-charging-micro-usb-devices-galaxy-phone-tablet/
Samsung today launched a new accessory for its Galaxy line of products that isn’t just a gimmick but looks extremely useful: meet the Samsung Power Sharing cable for $19.99. In short, the cable lets you use select Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets to charge your other micro USB devices.
Samsung lists the following compatible devices for being able to share power: Galaxy S 5, Galaxy Tab S 10.5, Galaxy Tab S 8.4, Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Avant, and Galaxy Note 4.
cable is compatible with “any device that can be charged via Micro USB cable”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Putting the ‘Wear’ in Wearables
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1324039&
It’s clear from the success of the Nike FuelBand and Fitbit that people are interested in tracking their health. In fact, a recent survey suggests that 75% of Americans believe that wearables will positively impact their health. While activity trackers may be good for your waist, they can kill the perfect outfit. Wellograph, a stylish wellness watch, wants to correct this.
Wellograph wants to create an activity tracker that you will want to wear proudly to an important business meeting or a first date. And it’s doing this with a keen eye for design and the selection of the right materials.
Unlike other activity trackers that just track activity, Wellograph monitors your heart rate, which means that it has the ability to calculate calories burned and measure your aerobic fitness
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here’s What I Learned Using Teen-Monitoring Software On A Sorority Girl’s Phone For Two Weeks
http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/i-used-teen-monitoring-software-on-a-strangers-phone-for-no?utm_source=digg&utm_medium=email#4eg99hn
BuzzFeed News’ Katie Notopoulos, reporting live from inside a 21-year-old’s iPhone.
Snooping on a stranger’s phone seemed, frankly, thrilling. What fascinating secrets might I learn? For years now, phones have been near-complete gateways into our personal and professional lives. What story could I piece together about their life based just on a text message trail? Would I actually be able to “know” a person just from their phone?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Meet Sense
The first system for understanding your sleep and bedroom
https://hello.is/?utm_source=Digg&utm_medium=Mobile&utm_term=Sponsorship&utm_campaign=Digg%20Mobile
Sense is a simple system that tracks your sleep, monitors the surroundings in your bedroom and reinvents the alarm, so you can sleep better.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Designing for wearables: Tremendous opportunity but not without challenges
http://www.edn.com/design/systems-design/4434880/Designing-for-wearables–Tremendous-opportunity-but-not-without-challenges
There’s been much buzz about wearables in recent years but little real traction so far. While Apple’s Watch announcement earlier this month shined a spotlight on the segment, there are still design and supply-chain challenges to overcome before engineers and industry players can begin to fully take advantage of the rapidly increasing wearables opportunity.
Many believe the wide-open wearables space, a hot topic at next week’s Designers of Things Conference, will be won not by a single industry player or platform, but by the maker community and open-source replications on designs.
Freescale is taking that route with the WaRP (Wearables Reference Platform, photo right) open-source community board designed from the ground up specifically for the wearables space.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Motorola Shamu (Nexus 6/X): 5.92″ screen, 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution, 498 PPI display, 3,200 mAh battery
Exclusive: This is ‘Shamu,’ Motorola’s upcoming Nexus 6/X
http://9to5google.com/2014/09/24/exclusive-this-is-shamu-motorolas-upcoming-nexus-6x/
Google’s upcoming “Nexus 6″ (some claim it will be called “Nexus X”) has long been rumored, and there have been many leaked specifications and details rolling out for quite some time now. But there hasn’t been much solid information about the device quite yet, leaving many who have passed on the iPhone 6 and OnePlus One hopelessly waiting to know if the wait will be worth it. For those of you who fall into this category, you’re in luck.
If any smartphone is really a phablet, this is it—shipping with a behemoth screen that’s a massive 5.92-inches diagonally, with the device’s body being just a bit larger than that.
It is of our understanding at this point that the device will have a Snapdragon 805 processor as many have suspected and will pack 3 GB of RAM. As far as flash storage goes, we’re directly familiar with at least one device of the 32 GB storage capacity,
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Will Be ‘Lucky’ to Ship Apple Watch by Valentine’s Day
http://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/24/apple-watch-lucky-to-ship-in-feb/
Apple may not be planning to launch the new Apple Watch until February 2015 or later, according to a new report from The Information (via Business Insider). When the Apple Watch was introduced earlier this month, Apple gave a non-specific “early 2015″ timeline for its release, with no additional information on when we might expect to see the device.
According to the report, Apple initially planned to have the watch ready to ship in time for the 2014 holiday season, but had problems finishing software development in time.
a delay on the software side first surfaced shortly after the keynote
none of the display units were running the actual operating system, Watch OS.
Instead, the devices displayed only screenshots of various functions and while some Apple employees gave demos of functional units, reporters were not able to explore the software themselves.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android smartwatches to sell for $30 by 2015, analyst says
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2687404/android-smartwatches-to-sell-for-30-by-2015-analyst-says.html
The worldwide smartwatch market is poised for lift off and could gobble up 40 per cent of the consumer wristwatch market by 2016.
That according to Gartner anlaysts, who have also predicted Android-based smartwatches could retail at an average price of $30 by 2015 as OEMs capture the consumer mass market in China and internationally.
Gartner analysts say that nine out of the top 10 smartphone vendors have entered the wearables market to date or are about to ship a first product, while a year ago only two vendors were in that space.
“In 2014 we are seeing a few more positive developments in terms of design and user experience (UX) and we therefore expect consumers to show more interest in these products in the second half of the year.”
Original design manufacturers (ODMs) and semiconductor vendors in China are ready to take on the next generation of consumer. There are a growing number of local Chinese vendors that have launched fitness wrist bands, putting pressure on established players such as Fitbit and Jawbone.
Although these vendors currently have a primarily local market focus they will eventually turn to international expansion.
McIntryre said products and offerings among Chinese vendors were similar to those of other vendors with a variety of form factors, operating systems, connectivity and sensor options.
“International expansion will start to accelerate in 2015 and in this context we expect several Chinese vendors to build on Android Wear in parallel to create more appeal,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
FBI boss slams Google, Apple for phone, tab encryption that puts people ‘above law’
Wants snooping access to protect kids and catch terrorists
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/25/fbi_boss_slams_google_apple_for_encryption_that_puts_users_above_law/
FBI Director James Comey has complained to journalists that Apple and Google’s use of encryption on phones and tablets makes it impossible for cops and g-men to collar crooks.
“There will come a day – well it comes every day in this business – when it will matter a great, great deal to the lives of people of all kinds that we be able to with judicial authorization gain access to a kidnapper’s or a terrorist or a criminal’s device,” he apparently told a press conference.
“What concerns me about this is companies marketing something expressly to allow people to place themselves above the law.”
And, on iOS 8, not all data is encrypted on the gadgets, and some information can still be extracted if the g-men really want it, security expert Jonathan Zdziarski says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Schmidt hits the brand: Apple’s iPhone 6 is a year too late, scoffs smug search supremo
Google boss admits competition in phone market ‘brutal’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/25/schmidt_hits_the_fanbois_samsung_had_your_shiny_new_toys_years_ago/
When asked what he thought about the hyped up iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Schmidt smugly offered: “I think Samsung had those products a year ago.”
Next, Schmidt, who once served on Apple’s board, acknowledged that Google was locked in a fierce battle with Apple in the smartphone space, calling the competition between Cupertino and the Chocolate Factory “brutal” but necessary.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel Takes $1.5B, 20% Stake in China’s Tsinghua, To Market Intel Chips with Spreadtrum
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2014/09/26/intel-takes-1-5b-20-stake-in-chinas-tsinghua-to-market-intel-chips-with-spreadtrum/
Confirming speculation yesterday morning by Chinese media and social networking outfit Tencent, chip giant Intel (INTC) said early Friday morning it will invest $1.5 billion for a 20% stake in a holding company established by the Chinese state-backed Tsinghua Holdings, owners of wireless chip maker Spreadtrum, and that it will work with the company to “expand the product offerings and adoption for Intel-based mobile devices in China and worldwide by jointly developing Intel Architecture and communications-based solutions for mobile phones.”
Intel will work with Spreadtrum to develop and sell so-called system-on-a-chip processors based on Intel’s instruction set architecture, for mobile phones, to be made available in the second half of next year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook Is Partnering With Stripe to Power “Buy” Button
http://recode.net/2014/09/25/facebook-is-partnering-with-stripe-to-power-buy-button/
Facebook first began testing a “Buy” button within the News Feed in July, and payments startup Stripe has been tasked with powering the technology, Re/code has learned.
The “Buy” button, which allows Facebook users to purchase goods that are featured in ads or posts on the social network, is still in its test phase, but multiple sources said Stripe’s technology was supporting the button. A Facebook spokesperson confirmed Thursday that Stripe is the sole Facebook payments partner behind the test.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Eventbrite Now Has An All-In-One App For Event Organizers Called Neon
http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/24/eventbrites-neon-launches-as-an-all-in-one-box-office-sales-app-for-organizers/
Eventbrite’s new Neon, launching in the app store today, combines the functionality of both its organizer side apps At the Door and Entry Manager into one single smartphone app.
Eventbrite has been working on making it easy to process ticket sales right at the box office and at larger venues for a few years now. However, the process was divided into one app for iPhone and Android called Entry Manager and another app for iPad called At the Door.
The new app also gives organizers the ability to track sales and get analytics insights that were previously not available in the other apps.
While Eventbrite says it wants to just focus on processing tickets and offering sales insights to organizers at event venues like a concert hall or the box office, Neon actually has legs beyond just that. Eventbrite created their own custom credit card payment processing dongle and software a while back for At the Door.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Study: Multimedia Multitasking May Be Shrinking Human Brains
http://science.slashdot.org/story/14/09/25/224249/study-multimedia-multitasking-may-be-shrinking-human-brains
It seems that switching between laptop, smart phone and tablet may be shrinking our brains and leaving us prone to higher levels of anxiety and stress reports new research from the University of Sussex in the UK. The researchers point out that the link is currently a correlation rather than a proof of causation
Brain scans reveal ‘grey matter’ differences in media multitaskers
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/newsandevents/?id=26540
Simultaneously using mobile phones, laptops and other media devices could be changing the structure of our brains, according to new University of Sussex research.
A study published today (24 September) in PLOS ONE reveals that people who frequently use several media devices at the same time have lower grey-matter density in one particular region of the brain compared to those who use just one device occasionally.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung has more employees than Google, Apple, and Microsoft combined
And other fun facts about Samsung Electronics’ massive headcount.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/09/samsung-has-more-employees-than-google-apple-and-microsoft-combined/
Samsung loves “big.” Its phones are big, its advertising budget is big, and as you’ll see below, its employee headcount is really big, too. Samsung has more employees than Apple, Google, and Microsoft combined
At 275,000 employees, Samsung (just Samsung Electronics) is the size of five Googles! This explains Samsung’s machine-gun-style device output; the company has released around 46 smartphones and 27 tablets just in 2014.
Samsung Electronics and Sony Electronics are pretty comparable in terms of product range.
What is Samsung doing with all those people? Well, for starters, the company has a shocking number of software engineers: 40,506 as of 2013. That’s almost an entire Google’s-worth of people making software. Actually, consider that Google’s employee breakdown only lists 18,593 people in “research and development” (read: making software), and it seems Samsung has twice as many software engineers as Google. This army of software engineers is a fairly recent development for Samsung. The software headcount has grown 45 percent since 2011.
Everyone can name notable pieces of Google software, but Samsung’s “2x Google” software engineer headcount hasn’t created the same level of impact. There is, of course, Touchwiz and Samsung’s range of redundant Android ecosystem apps. The company has to port Android and Touchwiz to every new handset it makes, and when you release 70-ish devices every year and have to support everything for around two years, that’s a very big project.
Besides the usual Samsung Electronics product roster of phones, tablets, wearables, semiconductors, display panels, TVs, laptops, printers, cameras, home theaters, and home appliances, Samsung Group makes gigantic container ships, arctic ice breakers, self-propelled howitzers, credit cards, oil-refining plants, power plants, wind turbines, water treatment facilities, steel mills, life insurance, theme parks, ultrasound machines, X-ray scanners, Aperture Science-style robotic machine-gun sentries, and the world’s tallest skyscrapers (like the Burj Khalifa).
Samsung’s setup of companies within companies can lead to crazy situations like one part of Samsung Group buying another part of Samsung Group for billions of dollars.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Galaxy Alpha review
Samsung puts on its designer suit
http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/26/6845869/samsung-galaxy-alpha-review
The hardware won’t hold you back, but the software will
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tech More: Google Samsung Android
Confidential Documents Reveal How Google Is Trying To Limit Samsung’s Control Of Android
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-restrictions-android-2014-9#ixzz3EWnTnC7p
Tomi Engdahl says:
Startup Behind Anonymous App Secret Unveils Another New App: ‘Ping’
http://recode.net/2014/09/26/startup-behind-anonymous-app-secret-unveils-another-new-app-ping/
The startup behind anonymous posting app Secret has unveiled another new app, Ping.
The app works by sending users notifications to their phone’s lock screen. People select the topics they wish to follow — “Trending on Twitter” or “Apps Worth Downloading” — and then Ping alerts them when new stuff crops up from that specific category.
So far, it doesn’t look like Ping has anything to do with Secret, the company’s other app.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartwatch Dev Kit: TI Chronos Not Just for Goal-Line Tech
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323812&
Smartwatches seem all the rage these days, with more models continually appearing. The advent of wearable-specific platforms, such as Android Wear, gives developers a chance to create interesting apps, but first they have to learn something about how smartwatches behave in a real-world environment.
For those working on a limited budget, a good place to start would be the Chronos development kit from Texas Instruments. The kit, along with substantial free software support from TI, provides a starting place for developers new to this kind of wearable computing. It’s admittedly a first-generation design, without the graphics capability that Android Wear requires, but it still offers plenty of opportunity.
For example, the Chronos was reportedly the basis of smart watches used in the recent World Cup soccer matches in Brazil.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hands-on: Gear VR is better than smartphone VR has a right to be
Or: Why the Galaxy Note 4 is the first phone I want to strap to my face.
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/09/hands-on-gear-vr-is-better-than-smartphone-vr-has-a-right-to-be/
Over the last few years, I’ve tried a number of virtual reality “solutions” that involve popping a smartphone into some sort of mask that straps to your face. On the surface, it seems like a natural fit to use a phone as a combination virtual reality display, head-tilt sensor, and processor that avoids the need to tether to a bulky PC tower.
Unfortunately, every one of the prototype phone-based VR devices I’d tried delivered an on-the-cheap virtual reality experience that ranged from awful to mediocre. Issues with optics, frame rate, and accurate head tracking have plagued all of these efforts to the extent that I began to think modern cell phones just weren’t up to the task of driving convincing virtual reality.
Thus, I was a bit skeptical of Gear VR, Samsung’s recently announced hardware effort that turns the upcoming Galaxy Note 4 smartphone into a VR headset using a holster powered by Rift maker Oculus. The middling hands-on experience with Gear VR reported by our own Ron Amadeo earlier this month didn’t really change my impressions, either.
One big leg up Gear VR has over previous phone-based virtual reality systems—and even over current Oculus development kits—is its impressive resolution. The 1440p, 515 PPI display on the Galaxy Note 4 doesn’t totally do away with the problem of visible pixels, but it’s above or equal to most any other consumer-grade VR product on the horizon.
The only thing that really breaks this immersion is the lack of any lateral head tracking on the Gear VR. Unlike the Rift DK2, which uses an external camera to figure out when your head changes position, Gear VR has no way to account for any head movements, aside from angular direction. Very quickly, you learn not to lean in to look more closely at a virtual object unless you want to feel your stomach drop.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ubuntu Touch For Phones Hits RTM, First Phones Coming This Year
http://news.slashdot.org/story/14/09/28/0230224/ubuntu-touch-for-phones-hits-rtm-first-phones-coming-this-year
In early 2013, Canonical showed the world Ubuntu Touch, a version of Ubuntu developed specifically for smartphones. Now, the mobile operating system has finally reached “release to manufacturing” status.
The first phone running Ubuntu Touch, the Meizu MX4, will start shipping in December.
iGeek suggests the Pro variant may have a Samsung Exynos 5430 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 2560×1536 resolution screen
Ubuntu Touch finalized, first phones coming this year
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2687847/ubuntu-touch-finalized-first-phones-coming-this-year.html#tk.fb_pc
It’s coming on real phones, too, with the first phone with Ubuntu Touch shipping this December.
As the Oppo N1 was to CyanogenMod, the Meizu MX4 will be to Ubuntu. You’ll soon be able to get phones that ship with officially supported Ubuntu software—no more hacking around on Nexus devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
When Everything Works Like Your Cell Phone
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/14/09/28/1341216/when-everything-works-like-your-cell-phone
The Atlantic is running an article about how “smart” devices are starting to see everyday use in many people’s home. The authors say this will fundamentally change the concept of what it means to own and control your possessions. Using smartphones as an example, they extrapolate this out to a future where many household items are dependent on software.
When Everything Works Like Your Cell Phone
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/09/when-everything-works-like-your-cell-phone/379820/?single_page=true
When a thing connects to the Internet, three things happen: it becomes smart, it becomes hackable, and it’s no longer something you own.
Tomi Engdahl says:
THP Semifinalist: OSHWatch
http://hackaday.com/2014/09/28/thp-semifinalist-oshwatch/
No, it’s not a finely crafted wrist accessory from Cupertino, but [Jared]‘s OSHWatch, but you’re actually able to build this watch thanks to an open design and reasonable, hand-solderable layout.
Built around a case found on DealExtreme that looks suspiciously similar to enclosures meant to hold an iPod Nano, [Jared]‘s smartwatch includes a 128×128 RGB OLED display, magnetometer, accelerometer, Bluetooth 4.0 transceiver, and a lithium-ion charger and regulator circuit. Everything is controlled with a PIC24
OSHWatch
http://hackaday.io/project/2263-OSHWatch
An open-source “smart watch” that can be built from easily available parts, and assembled by hand. Designed for hackers
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google’s Confidential Android Contracts Show Rising Requirements
https://www.theinformation.com/Google-s-Confidential-Android-Contracts-Show-Rising-Requirements
Google for years has tweaked its search engine to promote other revenue-generating Google Web services in the search results, much to the dismay of some rival Web companies. Now, there is new evidence Google is following the same playbook with its Android mobile operating system, which has become a key vehicle to distribute its revenue-generating mobile apps on phones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hacker ports Minecraft to Android Wear smartwatch
Requires desperation and tiny fingers
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2372795/hacker-ports-minecraft-to-android-wear-smartwatch
AN ENTERPRISING MODDER has become the first person to successfully port a game to Google’s Android Wear mobile operating system, having shown a video of himself playing Minecraft on a Samsung Gear watch.
Having already conquered most operating systems, Corban Davenport decided, quite reasonably, that the Pocket Edition of Minecraft for Android could be ported to his watch, since it, with a Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz and 512MB of RAM, is more powerful than a lot of low-end phones.
Exactly how he did it isn’t fully clear, but it’s safe to speculate that he sideloaded it by using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) facility that allows communication between desktop machines and Android devices.
Hypothetically, using this method could make a device vulnerable to the Shellshock or Bash bug, >but the circumstances that would trigger such an attack are so complex as to be almost a non-issue, though Android developers are working on patches, to be better safe than sorry.
The porting process is complex
As Android Wear devices become cheaper and more widespread, we can expect to see the modding community out in force to find new and different uses for the technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PROJECT ARA NEWS
http://blog.phonebloks.com/post/98723406113/project-ara-news-by-giulio-minotti-paul-eremenko
The project’s development continues apace through the collaboration with many partners such as Quanta, Toshiba, Rockchip, Foxconn and others.
Many companies, large and small, as Laird Technologies and Array labs are developing modules with innovative features never seen before.
Project Ara will use a modified version of Android L, developed in collaboration with Linaro. Thanks to this version, the modules, except the CPU and the display, will be hot swappable.
LCU14 : Opening Keynote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQhbM55F23U&feature=youtu.be&t=44m12s
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple poaches Visa’s NFC payments expert to expand Apple Pay in Europe
Read more at http://www.cultofmac.com/298124/apple-poaches-visas-nfc-expert-lead-apple-pay-europe/#1AwuCW3b63wrXIdU.99
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pebble Gets A Permanent Price Cut, Plus Background Sleep And Activity Tracking
http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/30/pebble-price-cut-background-activity-sleep/
Smartwatch pioneer Pebble is hoping to make its platform accessible to more people with a permanent price drop of $50 and $30 for both the original Pebble and the Pebble Steel, putting them at $99 and $199 respectively. Pebble is also further iterating on its platform, with new added activity and sleep tracking features, both of which can run in the background, albeit at a slight cost to battery life.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Real Reason PayPal Isn’t an Apple Pay Preferred Partner
http://bankinnovation.net/2014/09/missing-from-the-paypal-ipo-apple-pay/
Earlier this month, before Apple Pay came out, Bank Innovation wrote that Apple and PayPal had been involved in talks for … something. We’ve finally tracked down the full story.
Sources close to Apple and PayPal and in the financial services industry have confirmed that PayPal and Apple were indeed in talks for PayPal to be a “preferred payment process” for Apple Pay. However, PayPal pissed Apple off so much that Apple excluded PayPal from Apple Pay altogether.
But while these talks were going on, PayPal went ahead and partnered with Samsung on the Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner, a move that was reportedly forced onto PayPal by eBay CEO John Donahoe. PayPal’s now-former president David Marcus was purportedly categorically against the Samsung deal, knowing that it would jeopardize PayPal’s relationship with Apple. Donahoe won the day, however.
Tomi Engdahl says:
On The Future of Apple and Google
http://stevecheney.com/on-the-future-of-apple-and-google/
When Tim Cook was interviewed by Charlie Rose after Apple’s mega launch event a few weeks ago, he scoffed at any mention of competitors, highlighting only Google as Apple’s arch-rival.
Apple and Google are entrenched in a modern version of the PC war, and are the only two players with relevancy at the operating system level. Here are some thoughts on why this is important and what’s next as we enter the golden years for mobile and approach the early beginnings of the post-mobile era
Tomi Engdahl says:
With ‘Fabric,’ Twitter Aims to Win Back Developers
https://www.theinformation.com/With-Fabric-Twitter-Aims-to-Win-Back-Developers
Twitter is preparing a push to mend fences with app developers, with the hopes of embedding itself into more mobile apps and collecting deeper data on mobile users.
The company plans to unveil a new app development platform called “Twitter Fabric” that contains tools for developers to help people sign up for their apps more easily, sell ads on them, uncover technical glitches and view other analytics. Fabric would propel Twitter into deeper competition with Facebook, Amazon and Google, all of whom have taken steps to plug their systems deeper into everyday interactions on mobile devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MediaTek May Narrow Qualcomm’s Lead in China’s 4G Market
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1324149&
MediaTek, Taiwan’s largest chip designer, has a chance to narrow Qualcomm’s lead in China’s 4G smartphone market with the launch of a new octo-core processor in the first quarter of 2015. MediaTek is sampling now the MT6795, a new 64-bit LTE True Octa-core SoC and will start selling the chip early next year, according to Joey Lee, a company spokesperson.
The Hsinchu, Taiwan, company, which has a larger share than Qualcomm in China’s 3G handset business, should be able to pare Qualcomm’s lead in the 4G LTE segment with the introduction of the MT6795, according to Randy Abrams, a Taipei-based analyst with investment bank Credit Suisse.
“The chip will provide Samsung Galaxy Notes-like performance at half the price,” Abrams said in a phone interview. “It’s for Chinese brands that want performance comparable to Galaxy Notes or the Apple iPhone at the equivalent of $300 to $400 retail for a handset.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dropbox for Android users can now export files to SD cards
http://9to5google.com/2014/10/01/dropbox-for-android-users-can-now-export-files-to-sd-cards/
After several requests, Dropbox for Android users can now export files to their device’s SD card. This new feature will help keep important items like documents and photos accessible whenever offline or switching from one device to another.
To move a file from the cloud to an SD card, tap the “Quick Action” button to the right of the targeted item that you’re trying to save. After that select “More” then “Export” and hit “Save to Device.” From there, your device’s SD card should show up as an eligible save option.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hong Kong’s Protesters Don’t Need the Internet to Chat With One Another
http://time.com/3449812/hong-kong-protesters-firechat/
FireChat connects directly to other protesters’ phones, building a massive network
When you pack that many people into a tiny area, your phone’s Internet grinds to a halt.
Smartphones should make it easier to organize protests, but they’re as good as bricks when cell towers get overloaded with traffic or when governments decide to flip the switch.
In the face of these hangups, Hong Kong’s demonstrators have turned to FireChat, a smartphone app that allows users to communicate even when they can’t get online or send texts. Unlike chat programs that work over the Internet, FireChat connects directly to other nearby users within up to about 250 feet.
FireChat is based on mesh networking, in which every device on a network works as a node for expanding that network. The idea’s been around for decades, now popular as a way to communicate during disasters like hurricanes. But Hong Kong shows it’s useful during civil disobedience, too. Some 200,000 people there downloaded the app between Sunday and Tuesday, said Micha Benoliel, CEO of Open Garden, the company behind FireChat, sending it skyrocketing to the top of the region’s app store charts.
Still, FireChat isn’t perfect for protesters. The chat rooms are open, making it easy for a first-timer to join — but that first-timer could also be a local authority poking around at the goings-on.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Little service firms successful thanks to fragile smartphones
Asphalt fallen smartphones are a familiar sight in the new mobile phone fast-fit chains. Although the situation seems bad, the phone can be easily and quickly switch between the new glass and the screen. Also, the battery can be replaced.
Small private cell phone outages have become far more common over the last couple years. They pääbisnes is to change the new glasses, and display pudonneisiin the ground and shattered smartphones.
Quick outages will also change, tired of the new batteries to replace, even though many think that it can not make the current phones.
“The authorized overhaul can go up to two weeks., It is the consumer’s real hard to understand,” last April Itäkeskus Mobile Clinic – services firm founded by Daniel Frank says.
“Two weeks without a phone is a very long time in the modern world.”
“(Iphone) 4 or 5 glass change is going in the best case, while you wait. Fact, the work process is not very long. IPads and other tablets will take more time, an hour or two,” says Durckman.
Mobile phone service for small business is such a young field that just anyone is not about information. Entrepreneurs are largely unorganized.
The demand for low-maintenance services has created not only to dissatisfaction with the warranty servicing the slowness and expensiveness, it also means that they will be broken by a surprisingly wide.
At large phone manufacturers have different rules with respect to maintenance. Apple will provide genuine parts only to authorized SERVICE. It makes the iPhone servicing small-industry companies other cheaper, because the replacement parts are used for repairs.
All admit that the mostly manufactured in China supplies the parts of varying quality.
“Many of the parts are manufactured in the same factories, however, as the original”,
Apple’s policy: “If the phone is mounted on a small maintenance equipment parts, authorized service provider will not take it any longer: Telephone is unserviceable. Terribly lots of companies in China manufacturing these parts and tolerances are extremely small.”
Source: http://www.hs.fi/tekniikka/a1305880518751
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Pay to Be Included in iOS 8.1, Sources Confirm
http://bankinnovation.net/2014/10/apple-pay-to-be-included-in-ios-8-1-sources-confirm/
Based on multiple sources close to Apple, Bank Innovation has learned that iOS 8.1 will include Apple Pay, and the current expected timetable for the public release is schedule for October 20.
Similarly, multiple sources close to Apple — as well as MacRumors — report that iOS 8.1 contains hidden code that will allow Apple to “test” Apple Pay with the private beta release of iOS 8.1, as Bank Innovation has previously reported.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia’s HERE Maps For Android Beta APK Leaked, Works Fine On Non-Samsung Hardware
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/09/29/nokias-here-maps-for-android-beta-apk-leaked-works-fine-on-non-samsung-hardware/
Last month Nokia announced that it would release a version of its highly-regarded HERE mapping and navigation app for Android, but only to licensed partners, starting with Samsung. Late last week an APK for a beta version of HERE, labeled as 1.0, was posted to MediaFire and spotted by Spanish language Android enthusiast site El Android Libre. The app appears to work with any Android device running 4.0 or higher.
HERE and now: Nokia’s curbing Windows Phone development in a bid for mapping supremacy
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/09/25/nokia-here-maps-android-ios-world-by-storm/
Today, Nokia’s HERE Maps is regarded as one of the four big guns in the global online mapping space, alongside Google Maps, TomTom and OpenStreetMap. Other brands you may be familiar with typically use one of the aforementioned companies’ maps, including Apple, which largely uses TomTom, though also taps additional third-party data from the likes of OpenStreetMap.
No longer tethered to its mobile phone dominance, Nokia is beginning to push HERE maps out into the connected devices ecosystem. A tie-up with Samsung announced in late August, revealed that HERE would be bundled with its new Gear S Tizen smartwatch, serving up turn-by-turn navigation on your wrist. The following day, it was announced that HERE would finally arrive in native form for Android phones – replete with offline maps – though exclusively on Samsung Galaxy devices initially.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung’s Galaxy Alpha is harder to repair than the iPhone 6
iFixit bemoans handset’s thin display and use of adhesive
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2373608/samsungs-galaxy-alpha-is-harder-to-repair-than-the-iphone-6
THE SAMSUNG GALAXY ALPHA is a tricky device to take apart, iFixit has revealed in its latest teardown, with the smartphone ranking as harder to repair than the iPhone 6.
Samsung released the Galaxy Alpha in the UK last month, and iFixit has decided that now is the time to pull it apart to see how easy it will be for buyers to repair it.
“We spent about half an hour heating and prying around the edge of the front panel until we were ready to lift it up without destroying anything,” iFixit said.
“The display assembly is held in with a significant amount of adhesive and requires very careful prying and a considerable amount of heat to remove without cracking the thin glass or cutting cables.”