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:
Apple’s iPhone, the New International Currency
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-02-06/unlocked-iphones-are-hard-currency-in-brazil-italy-other-countries
Do the math, and that’s no surprise. Exiting the store with my plastic Apple shopping bag secured by a rope drawstring, I no longer thought of the phones inside as appliances. They were more like gold bars.
Transnational workers rich and poor have long dealt in an ever-evolving system of arbitrage for luxury goods carrying significant price differences around the world.
Wiens says he’s seeing more and more widespread iPhone arbitrage.
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Flappy Bird’ Removed from App Store by Developer
http://www.macrumors.com/2014/02/09/flappy-bird-removed/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Pixel Density Race and its Technical Merits
by Joshua Ho on February 8, 2014 4:25 AM EST
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7743/the-pixel-density-race-and-its-technical-merits
While this has always been an issue that’s been in the background since Android OEMs started releasing devices with display PPIs above the 300-400 “retina” range, recent events have sparked a broader discussion into the value of pursuing the PPI race that is happening between Android OEMs.
Apple uses to indicate a “Retina Display”. This number corresponds to around 300 PPI for a display that is at 10-12 inches from the eye. In other words, this is about 60 pixels per degree (PPD).
human vision systems are able to determine whether two lines are aligned extremely well, with a resolution around two arcseconds. This translates into an effective 1800 PPD.
The Snellen eye test, the well-known chart of various lines of high contrast text with increasingly small size, gives a reasonable value of around 1 arcminute, or 60 PPD for adults
the most reasonable upper bound for human vision is the .5 arcminutes value
Tomi Engdahl says:
NYPD dons Google tech specs: Part man. Part machine. All Glasshole.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/10/nypd_tests_google_glass/
“If it works, it could be very beneficial for a cop on patrol who walks into a building with these glasses on,”
Google said that it wasn’t working directly with the police on their Robocop aspirations, but that the Glass Explorer programme – the only way to get your hands on the wearable tech at the moment – was open to anyone who wanted to test the specs
Tomi Engdahl says:
At Sochi Olympics, Crowdsourced OpenStreetMap Trounces Google Maps
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/sochi-maps/
OpenStreetMap, the crowdsourced Wikipedia of cartography, looks to have much better coverage of the Olympic sites
Google still has a huge advantage in navigation — typing an address into your phone and getting step-by-step directions to your destination.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qipp debuts ‘Clippy for your STUFF’ app
Bluetooth tags turn turns things into things on the internet
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/10/qipp_database_for_your_posessions/
A new mobile app called Qipp aims to help you organise your life by putting all of your possessions into a database.
Qipp is, however, getting ahead of itself when it describes the simple database as being “the internet of things”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Releasing First Android Phone
Finnish Smartphone Maker Readies Device for Barcelona Exhibit
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702304104504579374893734151208-lMyQjAxMTA0MDAwNjEwNDYyWj
Nokia Corp., whose mobile-device business will soon be bought by Microsoft, plans to introduce this month a smartphone powered by a version of Google’s Android mobile software, according to people familiar with the matter.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chastened HTC turns to cheaper smartphones in search for profit
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/10/us-htc-strategy-idUSBREA180XG20140210
Smarting from growing losses, Taiwanese phone maker HTC Corp says it will expand its range of cheaper products as it fixes off-target marketing for its premium smartphones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Team Behind Facebook For Feature Phones Launches Chaatz, A Mobile Messaging App Aimed At Emerging Markets
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/10/team-behind-facebook-for-feature-phones-launches-chaatz-a-mobile-messaging-app-aimed-at-emerging-markets/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Future Samsung phones could share what you type with other apps
‘Context’ would reportedly share typing, sensor data, and app use
http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/10/5399138/samsung-context-smartphone-service-google-meeting
According to The Information, Samsung has been developing a service called Context that would collect what a person types, what apps they use, and what data their phone’s sensors pick up, and then allow developers to tap into that pool of data to enrich their apps.
The service has reportedly been delayed by disagreements over whether it would actually help Samsung sell more smartphones, and it’s unclear if it will ever launch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Glass Gets Korean Upgrade
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320937&
Researchers in Korea have leapfrogged Google’s Project Glass with a custom chip geared to deliver augmented reality experiences on a heads-up display. They will detail their work and show a relatively crude prototype at this week’s International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours, release date, price and features
Everything you need to know about Samsung’s flagship smartphone for 2014
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2317640/samsung-galaxy-s5-release-date-price-specs-and-features
Russian Blogger Eldar Murtazin is claiming
that it will be unveiled at 6pm on 23 February
Samsung has also confirmed that its next generation smartphones will ship with 64-bit processors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
EA steers angry customers away from reviewing games at Google Play
http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/9/5395338/ea-dungeon-keeper-review-scam-google-play-store
12
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Two-time “Worst Company In America” winner Electronic Arts isn’t doing its publicity department any favors. The company’s new freemium game Dungeon Keeper tricks frustrated players into leaving bad reviews on its own site, instead of on the Google Play Store, Gamasutra reports.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MediaTek’s new octa-core processor to compete with Qualcomm over the premium LTE smartphone market
http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/11/mediatek-octa-core/
MediaTek, a chipset manufacturer based out of Taiwan, has been making some huge moves lately
MT6595 claims to be the first octa-core LTE system-on-chip with an H.265 Ultra HD Codec built-in to the platform, which offers 4K2K video recording and playback capabilities.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exclusive: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Says App ‘Gone Forever’ Because It Was ‘An Addictive Product’
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lananhnguyen/2014/02/11/exclusive-flappy-bird-creator-dong-nguyen-says-app-gone-forever-because-it-was-an-addictive-product/
The mysterious developer of the world’s most popular free app, who drew global attention this past weekend with his sudden decision to remove it, tells Forbes that Flappy Bird is dead. Permanently.
“Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed,”
“But it happened to become an addictive product.”
there are certainly no shortages of Flappy Bird replacements
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tinfoil hats proven useless by eleven-year mobe radiation study
Your phone won’t fry your brain, say MTHR boffins
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/12/mobiles_dont_fry_your_brains_11year_mthr_study/
A long-term longitudinal study in the UK has concluded that mobile phones are safe, with the publication of a report finding “no evidence of biological or adverse health effects” from using mobiles.
The second MTHR (Mobile Telecommunications and Health Report) study is a follow-up to a prior report published in 2007.
“This independent programme is now complete, and despite exhaustive research, we have found no evidence of risks to health from the radio waves produced by mobile phones or their base stations. Thanks to the research conducted within the programme, we can now be much more confident about the safety of modern telecommunications systems.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google just killed $150M in Android developer payments (and it’s a good thing)
http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/27/google-just-killed-150m-in-android-developer-payments-and-its-a-good-thing/
This week Google finalized a change that will clear spammy, ridiculous ads like those that pretend to be software updates or important notifications on your phone, and at least 20,000 apps will have to change their ways and stop abusing their users — or risk being kicked off Google Play.
“The ad market has been a gray area, and some ad networks became very spammy,”
In the early days of Android, Google didn’t make a big fuss over these clearly annoying practices, perhaps partly because developers were having a difficult time monetizing on Android.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s Mobile Muddle
http://stratechery.com/2014/microsofts-mobile-muddle/
Saying “Microsoft missed mobile” is a bit unfair; Windows Mobile came out way back in 2000, and the whole reason Google bought Android was the fear that Microsoft would dominate mobile the way they dominated the PC era.
Everyone had to start from scratch, and if starting from scratch, by definition Microsoft didn’t have any sort of built-in advantage. They were simply out-executed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Safety may be driving the increased use of location-based apps
http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/21/safety-is-driving-the-growing-use-of-location-based-apps/
You’re out having a quiet dinner. Why announce it on social media? So your friends will come join you? Guess again. Surprisingly, a vast majority of teens and adults say they do so because sharing their location with friends and family makes them feel safe, according to a recent study.
Location-sharing apps let you broadcast where you are.
Location-sharing for safety may be driving the growing acceptance of these apps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
28 Days of Fame: The Strange, True Story of ‘Flappy Bird’
http://mashable.com/2014/02/10/flappy-bird-story/
In just a few weeks, the mobile app Flappy Bird became a global phenomenon. It was a simple game, but frustrating and endless.
The story of Flappy Bird — its sudden rise and equally sudden fall — is hard to pin down.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Five unusual ways in which Indians use mobile phones
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-26028381?
The mobile phone in India has many uses other than making calls and sending messages. For hundreds of millions of people, a mobile phone is sometimes the only piece of technology in their homes. This has led to unique uses for the phone in the country – the world’s fastest growing market for mobile phones with 900 million subscribers. Here are five unusual Indian uses for the mobile phone.
MISSED CALL
THE TORCH
THE RADIO
ALTERNATIVE TO YOUTUBE
SCANNER/COPIER
Giving missed calls where the caller disconnects after a ring or two is hugely popular in India and is often used as a way to pass on “the message” without being charged for a call.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Strange bedfellows: Microsoft could bring Android apps to Windows
http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/12/5404098/microsoft-considering-android-apps-on-windows
Microsoft is stuck in a position where it’s struggling to generate developer interest in its latest style of apps across phones and tablets.
Some argue Microsoft should dump Windows Phone and create its own “forked” version of Android — not unlike what Amazon has done with its Kindle Fire tablets — while others claim that’s an unreasonably difficult task.
Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the company is seriously considering allowing Android apps to run on both Windows and Windows Phone.
Of course, this is a refrain we’ve heard before — the specter of BlackBerry’s failed effort to boost the relevance of its BlackBerry 10 platform by supporting Android apps
While the latest rumors suggest that Nokia is significantly forking Android to push its own apps and Microsoft’s services to the masses with a low-cost handsett, sources say that Microsoft’s plans could be far less involved. The company wants to enable Android apps on Windows and control the store that consumers download them from
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Mobile World Congress is on its way, and as usual, we’re expecting a ton of interesting gadgets to be unveiled during the event.
Source: http://www.gforgames.com/gadgets/nokia-multiple-android-phones-may-june-40359/
Tomi Engdahl says:
11 Year MTHR Study Finds No Danger from Wireless Mobile Phone Radiation
Posted Wednesday, February 12th, 2014 (8:21 am) by Mark Jackson
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/02/11-year-mthr-study-finds-danger-wireless-mobile-phone-radiation.html
11-year long and £13.6m UK study found “no evidence” of biological or adverse health effects.
Overall the lengthy research programme found no evidence that exposure to generally low frequency base station (mobile network) emissions during pregnancy affects the risk of developing cancer in early childhood, and no evidence that use of mobile phones can lead to an increased risk of leukaemia.
It’s natural for people to fear what they can’t see
Tomi Engdahl says:
A look at Apple’s R&D expenditures from 1995-2013
http://www.tuaw.com/2014/02/12/a-look-at-apples-randd-expenditures-from-1995-2013/
For a company that makes as much money as Apple, you might be surprised to learn that it spends far less on Research and Development (R&D) than many of its competitors, including bigwigs like Google, Microsoft and Samsung.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IDC: Android and iOS accounted for 95.7% of global smartphone shipments in Q4 2013, and 93.8% for the year
http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2014/02/12/idc-android-ios-accounted-95-7-global-smartphone-shipments-q4-2013-93-8-year/#!vz0Oe
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android’s ‘Open’ System Has Limits
To Get Access to Key Google Apps, Device Makers Abide by Company’s Strict Terms
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304888404579378850231234912.html?dsk=y
Google Inc. says its Android mobile operating system is “open.” But newly discovered documents reveal the strings attached.
The documents show that Google has imposed strict restrictions on device makers that want access to its search engine, YouTube or the more than one million apps in its Play Store. In return, the device makers must feature other Google apps and set Google search as the default for users, according to the agreements.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flappy Bird really *is* dead – beware of infected fakes that promise to keep him alive!
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2014/02/11/flappy-bird-really-is-dead-beware-of-infected-fakes-that-promise-to-keep-him-alive/
What to do?
Don’t get sucked into this sort of trick, even if you missed out on Flappy Bird when it was alive and you are determined to find out what the fuss was about:
Be wary of apps from alternative markets.
Use an Android security and anti-virus program
Use a tool like the Sophos Privacy Advisor to review the sort of behaviour you can expect from new apps
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android’s ‘Open’ System Has Limits
To Get Access to Key Google Apps, Device Makers Abide by Company’s Strict Terms
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702304888404579378850231234912-lMyQjAxMTA0MDEwMjExNDIyWj.html
The documents show that Google has imposed strict restrictions on device makers that want access to its search engine, YouTube or the more than one million apps in its Play Store. In return, the device makers must feature other Google apps and set Google search as the default for users, according to the agreements.
European antitrust authorities are examining those conditions, among others, as they consider whether Google has abused Android’s position as the leading smartphone operating system. In Europe, companies with dominant market share are required to promote competition, said Ioannis Lianos, a professor at University College London who studies competition law.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Would (and should) Microsoft enable Android apps on Windows?
http://www.zdnet.com/would-and-should-microsoft-enable-android-apps-on-windows-7000026266/
Summary: Microsoft management is believed to be debating the technical and strategic wisdom of enabling Android apps on Windows and Windows Phone devices. But would such a move hurt or help Microsoft?
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Android OEM licensing terms leak; “Open” comes with a lot of restrictions
A look at a Gingerbread-era list of the requirements Google imposes on Android OEMs.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/02/new-android-oem-licensing-terms-leak-open-comes-with-restrictions/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Glass enthusiast: It’s not worth the headaches
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57618825-71/google-glass-enthusiast-its-not-worth-the-headaches/
Chris Barrett, who was first to take Google Glass into a casino and also said he was first to film an arrest with Glass, finds he gets too many headaches. He’s also lost his enthusiasm for the gadget.
His experience has persuaded him that Google Glass should include a health warning
Google is confident Glass doesn’t carry with it potential health hazards.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Thought mobe banking apps were safe from nasties? THINK AGAIN
Fake SSL certs let cybercrooks hoover up login creds and redirect transactions
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/14/fake_ssl_cert_peril/
Fake SSL certificates in the wild for Facebook, Google and Apple’s iTunes store create a grave risk of fraud for people who bank online using their smartphones.
Analysis outfit Netcraft said it has found “dozens” of fake SSL certificates impersonating banks, ecommerce sites, ISPs and social networks. The counterfeit credentials create a ready means for attackers to run man-in-the-middle attacks against the customers of affected companies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone sales increased dramatically in 2013, and sales exceeded for the first time the basic phone sales, research firm Gartner estimates.
Last year was sold to research firm Gartner estimates that 968 million smart phone, and their share of the total phone sales was 53.6 per cent. Research the company, the smart phones were sold for the first time more than the basic phones.
Smartphone sales grew last year by more than 42 per cent compared to 2012.
Was the number one smartphone manufacturers Korean Samsung, with a market share for the full year was 31 per cent
The second-largest smartphone maker, Apple had a market share of 15.6 per cent last year
The third in a fair difference was the Chinese Huawei, a slice of the market for smart phones was 4.8 per cent last year.
LG Electronics’ market share in smart phones was 4.8 per cent
China’s Lenovo took the smartphone market last year by 4.5 per cent
Source: Digitoday
http://www.digitoday.fi/mobiili/2014/02/14/lypuhelimet-voittivat-peruspuhelimet-ensi-kertaa/20142277/66
Tomi Engdahl says:
In-app purchases are evil
Column If I buy an app, I’ve bought an app
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/2328920/in-app-purchases-are-evil
I was a bit shocked though, because the ‘apps’ had advertising.
It’s now 2014 and all hell has broken loose. I have no problems paying for an app. That’s fine, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a desktop program. But when I buy an app, I want to buy an app. I don’t want to buy a licence to be given the opportunity to buy more parts of the app. In-app purchases are the work of the devil himself… well, more Satan’s marketing department.
I’m not alone, fortunately, and this week saw the launch of honestandroidgames.com, a website dedicated to apps that are paid for, sure, but paid for just the once, either as an upfront fee or a single in-app purchase.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Where is the Lifelogging Movement Headed?
http://www.getsaga.com/blog/where-is-the-lifelogging-movement-headed/
It’s easy to suggest that lifelogging is going mainstream
Fitness trackers are going to prove to be just the entry point for wearable computing and sensors to enter most users’ lives.
Just the number of smart watches that have rolled out over the last last year or so has made the interest in wearable computing obvious.
The biggest constraint for making wearable computers mainstream is pricing. One of the more common complaints over the last year has been that, for their price points, smartwatches just weren’t attractive to wear.
With the slew of data that the sensors in our pockets and on our wrists collect, we’re already dealing with a wealth of information.
What if a sensor could note details about when you experience stress, correlating your physical symptoms with data about your surroundings?
The lifelogging movement is really only getting started.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple exploring cars, medical devices to reignite growth
Thomas Lee and David R. Baker
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Apple-exploring-cars-medical-devices-to-reignite-5239850.php
Adrian Perica is a very busy man. Over the past 18 months, the mergers and acquisitions chief at Apple has been scouring the globe looking for deals
Such a buying spree has ignited fierce speculation in tech circles and on Wall Street about Apple’s future ambitions, especially as smartphone and tablet sales start to slow.
But Apple is thinking bigger. Much bigger.
Wearable devices make intuitive sense for Apple; electric cars and cardiac monitors not as much. And that’s exactly why Apple should pursue those ideas, some analysts say.
Tomi Engdahl says:
You’re not going to read this
But you’ll probably share it anyway
http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/14/5411934/youre-not-going-to-read-this
Earlier this month, there was yet another lengthy public debate about Upworthy, the two-year-old publisher that has become one of the most popular sites on Facebook due to its knack for overselling its bite-size content with “curiosity gap” headlines
Tony Haile, CEO of Chartbeat, which measures real-time traffic for sites like Upworthy, dropped a bomb: “We’ve found effectively no correlation between social shares and people actually reading,” he wrote.
The media industry has fully digested the idea that likes and retweets are marks of merit and that the viral effect of social media is the ultimate affirmation of relevance, which is why every major news organization now has at least one social media editor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Basis In Acquisition Talks With Everyone
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/16/basis-in-acquisition-talks-with-everyone/
Basis Science, the company behind the Basis Health Tracker Watch, is on the market, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Though its market share is unclear, the company would be an interesting buy for any of the big four
Tomi Engdahl says:
Devices on Net to Top 6 Billion in 2014
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321005&
In the next 12 months, the number of Internet-connected devices across the globe will rise 6% to 6.18 billion, according to an IHS report published Wednesday. Some of the most popular devices for 2014 are, not surprisingly, video game consoles, media tablets, mobile handsets, LCD TVs, set-top boxes, and laptops
Media tablet production will increase 25%, and cellphone production will rise 7%.
The need for always-on, always-connected access continues to push consumers toward more sophisticated devices.
After 2014, a slowdown in production growth will happen, despite of a continued rise in absolute numbers for total units produced.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Contract Raises Questions
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1321019&
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Research: Cheating on Exams with Smartwatches
https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/amigi/cheating-on-exams-with-smartwatches/
A Belgian university recently banned all watches from exams due to the possibility of smartwatches being used to cheat. Similarly, some standardized tests in the U.S. like the GRE have banned all digital watches. These policies seems prudent, since today’s smartwatches could be used to smuggle in notes or even access websites during the test. However, their potential use for cheating goes much farther than that.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lumia is in fashion
http://conversations.nokia.com/2014/02/14/lumia-fashion/
Cutting-edge interactive skirt made up of Lumia 1520 smartphones hits London Fashion Week 2014.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple passing Microsoft
February 12, 2014
http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2014/2/12/apple-passes-microsoft
A symbolic moment, this: in Q4 2013 the number of computers* sold by Apple was larger than the number of Windows PC sold globally. If you add Windows Phone to the mix they’re more or less exactly equal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fast-food can be ordered by mobile phone – picked it as your order
Taco Bell’s application showcases the restaurant’s entire menu of different options. The order is made on the basis of a list of our ready-made and is applied on site. Payment is made in advance by credit card attached to the application .
Prices will vary by time of day , and by default the application represents the closest office of prices and information .
Mobile applications have been tested by other American chains like Starbucks coffee shop , as well as Pizza Hut.
The applications are projected to success in the fast food business, as they are very suitable for extensions of existing policies
Burgers from a mobile phone to do was tested for more than 10 years ago in the Hartwall Areena in Finland (Aldata & Carrols). Software was then exported to USA and was tested with Subway (Zonepay).
Sources: Tietoviikko and Talouselämä
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/pikaruoan+voi+tilata+kannykalla++sen+kuin+noukit+tilauksesi/a968222
http://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/ohi+sampylajonon/a2045340
Tomi Engdahl says:
Roaming: 300 million extra customers for telecoms companies when roaming charges end, survey shows
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-152_en.htm
94% of Europeans who travel outside their home country limit their use of services like Facebook, because of mobile roaming charges, according to a new survey of 28,000 EU citizens. The European Commission calculates that telecoms companies are missing out on a market of around 300 million phone users because of current pricing strategies, with negative effects for other businesses such as app makers.
At the same time as booming use of mobile at home, especially use of mobile data, other effects of roaming premiums include:
47% would never use mobile internet in another EU country.
Only 1 out of 10 would use e-mails in the same way as at home
More than a quarter of us simply switch off our mobiles when we travel in the EU
Millions divert to SMS rather than pay for calls
Frequent travellers – the most lucrative section of the potential market – are more likely to switch-off their mobile phone data roaming capabilities than the occasional travellers. The Commission believes this is because frequent travellers are better informed about the real costs of data roaming in Europe than less frequent travellers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google and Apple: Let’s pop a cap in that Flappy Birds crapp app flap
Devs claim the tech titans are trying to shut this thing DOWN
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/17/google_and_apple_call_an_end_to_crap_flappy_apps/
Apple and Google have apparently launched a campaign to shut down the fledgling Flappy Bird clone industry after banning copycat games from app stores.
A number of devs have claimed their Flappy apps have been rejected from both the Apple app store and Google Play.
After Dong Nguyen removed Flappy Birds from both app stores, a number of other firms have released clones and other games borrowing aspects from of the hit game.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple & Google Begin Rejecting Games With “Flappy” In The Title
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/15/apple-google-begin-rejecting-games-with-flappy-in-the-title/
The Flappy Bird phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down, despite the fact that the original title was yanked out of the App Store by creator Dong Nguyen
the App Store’s top charts are being absolutely decimated by “Flappy Bird” clones. And users are still eating them up en masse.
But perhaps enough is enough?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook Home isn’t dead yet & more surprises from engineering director Jocelyn Goldfein
http://venturebeat.com/2014/02/17/facebook-home-isnt-dead-yet-more-surprises-from-mobile-engineering-director-jocelyn-goldfein/
Facebook isn’t blind to the problems it’s had on mobile.
The social network famously backtracked from its early decision to build HTML5-powered apps, and its overhyped Facebook Home Android skin hasn’t really gone anywhere. But according to Jocelyn Goldfein, an engineering director who joined the company in 2010, Facebook has learned from its past mistakes.
Apps like Paper show a new Facebook that can actually design something that’s beautiful.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Secret revealed: inside the most scandalous social network
Will anonymity make Secret essential reading — or become its undoing?
http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/17/5419814/open-secret-how-two-google-refugees-built-the-next-big-thing-in
the partygoers are all staring at, and talking about, an app called Secret. Lately it’s been topic number one among Silicon Valley tech workers, venture capitalists, and the media who cover them. All around San Francisco, people are devouring their Secret feeds, with their unpredictable mix of sex, drugs, and industry gossip.
The secrets have all been posted by your friends, though you’ll never know which friend: Secret is “anonymish.” It’s a feed of gossip created by the contacts in your iPhone, but labeled only as being from a “friend” or “friend of a friend.”
Originally, Secret wasn’t supposed to be a social network at all.
Like Secret, Google+ launched as an effort to make people feel more comfortable in sharing more privately.
Content is king, as the saying goes, and the content on Secret is more compelling than most. It’s hypnotic in the way Facebook once was, before it became crowded with advertising and posts from distant acquaintances.