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:
Psst, Secrets You Share Online Aren’t Always Safe
What you should consider when using secrecy apps
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303880604579405020639967010
A secret is hard to keep on a smartphone.
Yet sharing secrets—broadcasting them, anonymously, with an app as megaphone—is becoming a pastime for millions. It may seem counterintuitive for a generation that has grown up with social networks that tie their names to photos stored forever online. But using apps like Secret, Whisper and Ask.fm, nameless people offer frank glimpses of their lives, glimpses they keep out of Facebook.
As we bare our souls, the question is: Can apps keep our secrets anonymous?
What we found was that none of the apps can guarantee anonymity. Instead, there are trade-offs in privacy and safety. It can be hard to know which apps to trust, but there are three factors to keep in mind: what information you’re comfortable sharing, which company might best protect your data, and which acts the most responsibly when users are in trouble.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The State of Smartphones in 2013, Part III: How the experts use their phones
Tips, tweaks, and cool apps from folks who spend all day, every day, on their phones.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/12/the-state-of-smartphones-in-2013-part-iii-how-the-experts-use-their-phones/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Another example of foolishness of today’s youth and the perils of social media:
The boy’s video demonstration leaked flagship model – HTC dismissed the father
HTC has apparently fired the employee because the son posted online video demonstration of HTC’s as yet unpublished flagship model to YouTube.
Sources:
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/poika+vuoti+lippulaivamallista+videosittelyn++htc+erotti+isan/a971658
http://vr-zone.com/articles/htcs-jeff-gordon-bullies-new-htc-one-leaker/73221.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivOspWGlMdk
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile apps overtake PC Internet usage in U.S.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/28/technology/mobile/mobile-apps-internet/index.html
Americans used smartphone and tablet apps more than PCs to access the Internet last month — the first time that has ever happened.
Mobile devices accounted for 55% of Internet usage in the United States in January. Apps made up 47% of Internet traffic and 8% of traffic came from mobile browsers, according to data from comScore, cited Thursday by research firm Enders Analysis. PCs clocked in at 45%.
Although total Internet usage on mobile devices has previously exceeded that on PCs, this is the first time it’s happened for app usage alone.
The shift follows a freefall in PC sales, which suffered their worst decline in history last year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Samsung Phone unlocks only with your fingerprint
Newest Galaxy model will have biometric security measures
http://www.electronicproducts.com/Computer_Systems/Standalone_Mobile/New_Samsung_Phone_unlocks_only_with_your_fingerprint.aspx
The main button on the Galaxy S5, debuted at this year’s Mobile World Congress in sunny Barcelona—would that I was a smartphone engineer—will double as a fingerprint scanner, unlocking a dust and water-resistant phone that comes with “the world’s fastest” auto-focusing camera, according to its creators.
Furthermore, a press of your finger on the button and Samsung’s partnership with Paypal ensures that paying your bills is as easy as a single touch, and as hard to hack as your own fingerprint.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tiny camera gives you a photographic memory by snapping pics of your life every 30 seconds
http://www.electronicproducts.com/Computer_Systems/Modules/Tiny_camera_gives_you_a_photographic_memory_by_snapping_pics_of_your_life_every_30_seconds.aspx
The Narrative Clip is a wearable camera that clips onto your clothes and snaps pictures every 30 seconds.
The 5-megapixel camera works with Android and iOS devices to create a searchable and shareable photographic memory.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OEM: Windows Phone License Fee Plummeting
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2454101,00.asp
BARCELONA—Windows Phone’s license fee may be going down, down, down.
“We’re hearing Microsoft will drop the license fee quite a bit, as far as 70 percent, which will make their product more competitive in terms of price,” Infosonics CEO Joseph Ram told PCMag.
With license fees dropping, Infosonics would certainly consider building Windows Phones, Ram said.
Ram’s statement comes a few days after Microsoft announced a new list of low-cost phone partners, including Longcheer and Gionee in China, and Karbonn and Xolo in India. Windows Phones based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 platform are designed to compete with devices like Nokia’s X phone, which retails for $122.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple CarPlay debuts with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo
iOS in the Car rebranded with Siri, Maps and third-party music apps all included
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/03/apple-carplay-ferrari-mercedes-benz-volvo
Apple has rebranded its iOS in the Car initiative as CarPlay, and unveiled Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo as the first partners to build it into their vehicles.
Originally announced at Apple’s WWDC conference in 2013, iOS in the Car aimed to connect iPhones into in-car information and entertainment systems.
The rebranding was announced this morning at the Geneva International Motor Show, making it clear that CarPlay is the in-car equivalent to Apple’s AirPlay technology in the living room.
Apple’s Siri virtual assistant technology is key to the initiative, acting as the interface for drivers to access their contacts, make calls and listen to voicemails, while also reading out messages and responding to voice commands.
Apple’s Maps service will be a key feature in CarPlay too, with routes shown on the car’s own screen, and spoken turn-by-turn directions. Digital music is also part of CarPlay
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here’s why the Galaxy S5 has such incredible battery life
http://bgr.com/2014/02/28/galaxy-s5-battery-life/
When it announced the Galaxy S5 this week, Samsung pleasantly surprised the audience at MWC 2014 with the phone’s battery performance. The device packs a 2,800 mAh battery that the company claims can deliver 11 hours of video playback or 10 hours of web browsing over LTE. Samsung’s press materials also say that the phone can offer 390 hours of standby time with LTE on, and 21 hours of talk time over WCDMA.
Furthermore, the company unveiled a new software feature for the phone, the Ultra Power Saving Mode that can offer 24 hours of standby time on a 10% battery. With the battery saving mode on, the phone’s display will show only black and white colors and offer access to only a certain set of applications.
But there’s more to the phone’s battery life than the Ultra Power Saving Mode.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here are 95 Flappy Bird-inspired iOS games… released in the last 24 hours
From Tappy Bieber and Annoying Flappy Fly to Flappy Beard Hipster Quest and Flying Mustache
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/27/flappy-bird-clones-iphone-ipad
That puts recent claims that Apple was rejecting Flappy Bird clones into perspective.
Tomi Engdahl says:
In 2020, Everything Will Be a Game
http://technologyadvice.com/in-2020-everything-will-be-a-game/
According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 85% of the tasks in our daily lives will include game elements by 2020. In other words, our lives will be gamified.
Gamification is already entrenched in our society. Organizations such as the Boy and Girl Scouts use game elements to promote skill development through the awarding of merit badges. We use our smartphones to check in on Facebook, Foursquare, and Yelp in order to earn badges or displace our friends as the “mayor” of a popular restuarant. According to Richard Garriott, longtime IEEE member, “our mobile devices will be the hub for all the ‘games’ we’ll be playing throughout a normal day by tracking the data we submit and using it to connect everything.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Releases iBeacon Specifications Under Non-Disclosure Agreement
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/25/apple-releases-ibeacon-specifications-under-nda/?ncid=rss&source=gravity
Apple has just released the iBeacon specifications for everyone who is a member of the MFi program, Apple’s program for hardware partners (“Made for iPhone program”, etc.). You’ll have to sign an NDA to read the specifications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Basis Goes To Intel For Around $100M
http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/03/basis-goes-to-intel-for-around-100m/
Intel has won the Basis auction, we’re hearing, at a price of around $100 million, according to one source. A second source pegs the deal at closer to $150 million.
Basis makes wristwatch health trackers, capturing 7 percent of the market versus competitor Jawbone’s 21 percent. As Intel was all about the wearables this year at CES, we’re assuming that this buy is an attempt to further its foothold (wristhold?) in the space.
Intel made a lot of noise with its own reference designs at the conference, including a Siri-like Bluetooth headset named Jarvis and a smart chip it dubbed Edison, which has myriad applied uses, including smart baby clothing and even smart mugs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Karbonn to launch Android-cum-Windows smartphones
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/hardware/Karbonn-to-launch-Android-cum-Windows-smartphones/articleshow/31195025.cms?
CHENNAI: Homegrown mobile phone-maker Karbonn Mobiles is all set to launch dual-OS (operating system) devices, which will support both Android and Windows, by June.
The company has just signed the licence agreement with Microsoft to make Windows-based phones and will put this along with its existing Android system to bring out the dual-OS phones in about six months, the company’s chairman Sudhir Hasija said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
NFC-Enabled Cellphones Expected to Dominate by 2018
http://mwrf.com/news/nfc-enabled-cellphones-expected-dominate-2018
IHS Technology, an information source for consumer electronics, predicts that global shipments of Near Field Communication (NFC) equipped technology will more than quadruple from 2013 to 2018, reaching 1.2 billion units.
NFC is a short-range, high-frequency wireless communication technology. It allows cellphones to communicate with other NFC-enabled devices, as well as smartcards and readers. In 2013, shipments of NFC-enabled cellphones rose from 120 million (in 2012) to 275 million units. That 128 percent increase is expected to grow by another 50 percent in 2014, reaching 416 million units worldwide. The increase from 2013 to 2018 is predicted to be a momentous 325 percent.
Although this data suggests a vast impact on cellphone shipments, just 18.2 percent of the 1.5 billion cellphones shipped worldwide in 2013 were NFC outfitted.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s iOS Codes Get Inside Car
Car OEMs’ confusion over smartphone apps integration
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321275&
At the Geneva Motor Show Monday, Apple debuted “CarPlay,” a tool described by the software giant to bring the iPhone user interface to the automobile dashboard, allowing drivers to easily control iPhone apps “from the car’s native interface” or “just push-and-hold the voice control button on the steering wheel to activate Siri.”
With Apple’s announcement, the naked ambition among smartphone vendors to get inside the car has become more evident than ever before. So is the eagerness of carmakers to associate their cars with the popular smartphone platform – at any cost.
Apple boasted that vehicles from Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz to Volvo will premiere CarPlay this week in Geneva. Apple added that additional manufacturers bringing CarPlay to their drivers down the road include BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota.
However, a fair number of car companies listed above as CarPlay supporters are also members of the Open Automotive Alliance – launched at the International CES in January – designed to bringing the Android platform to cars starting in 2014.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
F-Secure: Android accounted for 97% of all mobile malware in 2013, but only 0.1% of those were on Google Play
http://thenextweb.com/google/2014/03/04/f-secure-android-accounted-97-mobile-malware-2013-0-1-google-play/#!yushz
Back in 2012, Android accounted for 79 percent of all mobile malware. Last year, that number ballooned even further to 97 percent.
Both those data points come from security firm F-Secure, which today released its 40-page Threat Report for the second half of 2013.
Android threats are primarily a non-US problem
Despite the extreme focus of malware authors on the Android platform, F-Secure believes it would be incorrect to say that “Google hasn’t been actively making efforts to increase the security of the Android platform.”
We already know that third-party app stores are the most likely sources of mobile malware. How dire is the situation?
For the top four stores (Anzhi, Mumayi, Baidu and eoeMarket), which all cater to the mainland Chinese user population that has restricted access to Google Play, less than 10 percent of the samples were identified as malicious. That’s still a worrying figure
At the very bottom of the list was Google Play itself, with the lowest percentage of malware in the gathered samples: 0.1 percent. F-Secure also noted that “the Play Store is most likely to promptly remove nefarious applications, so malware encountered there tends to have a short shelf life.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Play celebrates its second birthday with improved game support
Offers a free Miley Cyrus album for masochists
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2332654/google-play-celebrates-its-second-birthday-with-improved-game-support
ONLINE STORE Google Play marks its second birthday today with trinkets and baubles for users.
Google launched its Play store to supercede the Android Market, adding music and video downloads, and more recently magazine subscriptions and ebooks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Malwarebytes updates its mobile app to protect Android users from rising ad threats
Aggressive ads on Android are exploiting people to make money
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2332634/malwarebytes-updates-its-mobile-app-to-protect-android-users-from-rising-ad-threats
ANTI-MALWARE FIRM Malwarebytes has updated its free mobile security app to protect users from the rise of what it calls “Potentially Unwanted Programs” (PUPs) affecting Android users.
The update to the app protects users against a rising number of Android apps that cannot be strickly classified as malware.
According to Malwarebytes, PUPs are offered through legitimate channels and are “aggressive advertising and in-app purchases” that exploit people to make money, take unnecessary amounts of personal data and degrade smartphone performance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
San Francisco bar issues passive aggressive Google Glass ban
Bar patrons live in fear of Google Glass
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2332671/san-francisco-bar-issues-passive-aggressive-google-glass-ban
Gastropub The Willows was visited by a Google Glass Explorer and shortly after a notice appeared advising customers: “Our patrons have expressed concern with being recorded while enjoying themselves at The Willows. Kindly remove before entering.”
Although the sign does not mention Glass by name, the sign is illustrated with a crossed out Google Glass.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CIOs Battle Worker Apathy Towards Lost or Stolen Mobile Phones
http://www.cio.com/article/749212/CIOs_Battle_Worker_Apathy_Towards_Lost_or_Stolen_Mobile_Phones
American workers don’t get too worked up about lost or stolen mobile phones — even if those phones contain company data. A large percentage think it’s not their problem and don’t change their security practices afterwards. Are CIOs partly to blame for not setting stricter and clearer mobile security policies?
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Yahoo Maps adds indoor navigation powered by Nokia Here
http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/06/yahoo-maps-adds-indoor-navigation-powered-by-nokia-here/
Google Maps has offered indoor floor plans for quite some time, and now Yahoo is doing the same. Thanks to Nokia Here, Yahoo Maps now packs building layouts, directories and contact info for places like shopping malls, train stations and airports.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Glass Success Depends on Niche Apps
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321331&
Prototyping applications will be key to the success of Google Glass and other wearable glasses, speakers at Wearables DevCon said today. The conference, being held March 5-7 near San Francisco, is designed for wearable makers, software developers, and app creators trying to pick up practical technical knowledge.
It turns out that prototyping sometimes is as simple as imagining the device on your head before coding.
“No one really knows the right way to create apps or what the user experience should be,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vevo teases overhauled apps and a mobile SDK letting third parties offer its videos
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/03/09/vevo-teases-apps-sdk/#!zap9h
At an event in Austin, Texas during SXSW today, music video service Vevo revealed plans to offer a mobile SDK that will allow third-party app developers to incorporate its content.
The SDK will allow developers to query the Vevo database of video metadata and serve up relevant videos. The videos will be monetized with advertising, although the prominence of the ads will vary from partner to partner.
While the SDK will initially be available on a partnership basis, Vevo plans to eventually make it open to any developer once early partners have helped iron out any initial bugs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The land of Milk and Sammy: Free music app touted by Samsung
Ad-free streaming service to milk massive mobile market
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/07/samsung_milk_music/
Seeking to capitalize on its dominance of the Android smartphone market, Samsung has launched a free online streaming music service in the US that’s only available to owners of its Galaxy-branded mobes.
Just why the service is called Milk Music is hard to fathom. But it’s powered by Pandora competitor Slacker Radio, it has 13 million songs in its library, and it offers more than 200 channels of music curated by “top DJs and industry pros,” all delivered free of charge to Samsung customers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Battery-short iPhone users are ‘wall huggers,’ quips Blackberry CEO
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/battery-short-iphone-users-are–wall-huggers—quips-blackberry-ceo-223815099.html
Asked about Apple’s (AAPL) popularity, Chen belittled iPhone users whose batteries run down before the end of the end of the day, forcing them to search for power outlets. “I call you guys wall huggers,” he quipped.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Audi’s in-car LTE from AT&T will cost at least $16 a month
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/10/5491774/audi-att-in-vehicle-lte-pricing-announcement
Audi and AT&T have announced pricing details for LTE connectivity in the 2015 A3 sedan, which will be the first automobile in the US to offer in-vehicle 4G data when it launches this month. Customers will be able to pick between two plans. The first offers 5GB over a period of six months for $99. For drivers that need more, AT&T is also offering a 30GB / 30-month data plan for an eye-popping $499. This “best value” plan works out to over $16 per gigabyte
Thankfully new Audi buyers won’t need to choose between these options while they’re signing the paperwork; all A3 sedans equipped with the company’s “Audi connect” system will receive a free six-month LTE trial period.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Searches for Role in App Age
As Smartphones Undercut Traditional Web Browsing, New Tack Is Needed for Ads
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702304732804579425302808391142-lMyQjAxMTA0MDAwNDEwNDQyWj
ts name has become a verb meaning “to search,” but as users shift to mobile devices, Google Inc. GOOG -0.27% is suddenly faced with the threat that its search engine—and its advertising business—are becoming less relevant.
In response, Google in the fall launched an initiative to better see—and direct—what smartphone and tablet users do on their devices. The effort seeks to mimic what Google built on the Web, with an index of the content inside mobile apps and links pointing to that content featured in Google’s search results on smartphones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung S5 launch coincides with Korean carriers’ phone sales suspension
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/10/us-southkorea-samsung-elec-mobilephone-idUSBREA290DJ20140310
Samsung Electronics Co’s Galaxy S5 smartphone could get off to a slow start in South Korea as the flagship’s launch next month will coincide with a 45-day ban on local carriers selling phones, analysts said.
the communications regulator on Friday banned SK Telecom Co Ltd, KT Corp and LG UPlus Corp from signing up customers or replacing phones for dates ranging from March 13 to May 19.
The carriers, fighting for more share of a market where 7 out of 10 people already have smartphones, had broken regulations by subsidizing more than 270,000 won ($250) the cost of handsets.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google is finally getting serious about wearables
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/9/5487750/google-to-help-developers-use-android-on-wearable-devices
Speaking today at the SXSW conference, Google’s SVP of Android and Chrome, Sundar Pichai, said that in two weeks, Google will be releasing a developer SDK that will make it easier for companies to create wearable devices that run on Android.
“We’ll lay out a vision for developers as to how we’ll see this market working,”
Where smartphones became tiny computers, wearables are becoming nexuses of an array of sensors. Google wants to standardize how those sensors send their data to Android — and that standardization in turn should allow device manufacturers to opt for Android instead of a custom OS.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Lightweight, Waterproof Fitness Watch That’s Worth the Price
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2014/03/tomtom-multisport-hrm-gps-watch/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can I tell you SIM sig in private? Vodafone Germany inks deal with G&D for encrypto tech
Telecoms colossus provide SIM-based security
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/11/vodafone_germany_takes_g_and_d_secure_sim/
German SIM card manufacturer G&D has announced that it will be supplying Vodafone Germany with an end-to-end security system based on the phone SIM.
Emails, documents and VPN connections are signed and encrypted by the SIM so that the user doesn’t have to enter a password or use a security token. The service will not be offered to individual subscribers but will be available through corporate and government sales.
It is available now for Android phones, with BB10 and Windows Phone planned, but iOS will be locked out as it does not provide the necessary access to the firmware.
Crypto-technology does, however, fall under dual-use restrictions governed by the Wassenaar Agreement which means it can’t be exported to places where UN sanctions exist. A Vodafone Germany customer who took his phone with a crypto-SIM to one of those countries would be liable for prosecution. Ironically those are just the countries where you would probably want secure communications.
homepage says:
I like it whenever people get together and share ideas.
Great site, keep it up!
warframe says:
Hi there to all, how is the whole thing, I think every one
is getting more from this website, and your views are
good in support of new users.
psoriasi says:
You’re so awesome! I do not think I’ve read something like this before.
So good to find someone with original thoughts on this subject matter.
Seriously.. thanks for starting this up. This web site is something that’s needed on the web,
someone with some originality!
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Flight of the Birdman: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out
How did a chain-smoking geek from Hanoi design the viral hit Flappy Bird – and why did he walk away?
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-flight-of-the-birdman-flappy-bird-creator-dong-nguyen-speaks-out-20140311#ixzz2vjUCujbn
Tomi Engdahl says:
EXCLUSIVE: here’s why the HTC One 2014 has two cameras
http://www.gsmarena.com/exclusive_heres_why_the_htc_m8_has_two_cameras-news-8002.php
The so-called Duo Camera will allow the user to choose the focus point and create bokeh effects.
The adjustable focus has become very popular since Nokia released the Refocus app and all flagships have it – the Galaxy S5, the Xperia Z2 and the LG G Pro 2 have it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
More handset makers joining WP camp
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20140310PD201.html?mod=2
Microsoft has successfully lured a number of China- and India-based handset vendors to join the Windows Phone (WP) camp, which may help ramp up the ratio of the WP8 phones in the global smartphone market, according to industry sources.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Five reasons Microsoft could become a top Android smartphone company
http://www.zdnet.com/five-reasons-microsoft-could-become-a-top-android-smartphone-company-7000027116/
Summary: I think Microsoft has a real shot of being a top-tier Android hardware company. Yes, I’m quite serious.
Here’s why.
1) Microsoft already makes major profits from Android.
2) Android already owns the market.
3) MS-Android has unique advantages over its competitors.
4) Lower development costs.
5) More apps, more developers
Presto! For far less money, Microsoft cuts its internal development costs and opens its doors to tens of thousands of new developers and hundreds of thousands of new programs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Berger & Montague, P.C. And Del Sole Cavanaugh Stroyd LLC Announce The Filing Of A Class Action Lawsuit Against Google Alleging That The Google Play App Store Permits And Entices Minors To Make Unauthorized In-App Purchases Of Game Currency
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/berger–montague-pc-and-del-sole-cavanaugh-stroyd-llc-announce-the-filing-of-a-class-action-lawsuit-against-google-alleging-that-the-google-play-app-store-permits-and-entices-minors-to-make-unauthorized-in-app-purchases-of-ga-249343121.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Commission and Member States to raise consumer concerns with app industry
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-187_en.htm
Europe’s “app economy” is booming. It employs over 1 million people and is expected to be worth €63bn in the next five years. According to the external app analytics platform Distimo, around 80% of the revenue – estimated at over 10 billion EUR per year – of one supplier comes from purchases made by consumers from within an application by which consumers access special content or features, commonly called “in-app” purchases. For the app economy to develop its full potential and continue innovating, consumers need to trust the products. At present over 50% of the EU online games’ market consists of games advertised as “free”, although they often entail, sometimes costly, in-app purchases. Often consumers are not fully aware that they are spending money because their credit cards get charged by default. Children are particularly vulnerable to marketing of “free to download” games which are not “free to play”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
E Ink Smartphone
https://onyx-boox.com/coming-soon-e-ink-news/e-ink-smartphone/
Low capacity of batteries is a weakness of modern smartphones. Multitude of functions and applications causes increased energy consumption. We have to charge our phones even everyday. That is consequence of using large LCD displays and many aplications that works in background, when device is running.
Low energy consumption is the biggest advantage of E Ink devices, Onyxphone too.
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s BANKS v TELCOs: Mobe payments systems go head-to-head
Two industry bodies, both fighting for your cash – and your identity
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/12/payments_council_and_gsma_identity_schemes/
The GSMA’s Mobile Connect mobile payments project is going head-to-head with the Payments council’s rival Paym system after both systems launched this week.
The mobile operator creates a token which is then shared with vendors to verify who you are. Customers do not necessarily have to tie their actual mobile phone to the token – although that is the obvious choice – as they can elect to use their email address.
GSMA wants to make your mobile phone account your ultimate measure of identification
The project is an umbrella for a number of existing schemes
The association sees the mobile phone number as a unique identifier for a person which can replace multiple usernames and passwords. The scheme is based on the OpenID protocol which is used for the Google+ sign-in among other applications and there are existing Android APIs.
Historically, mobile payments hasn’t been used anything like as much as the banks would like
Of course what is really needed is a system where the connection, presence and billing information the mobile networks have is combined with the services the banks are offering – but that doesn’t look like happening any time soon.
CopyShoppy says:
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
Cheers!
I don’t know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous
blogger if you are not already
Tomi Engdahl says:
ZTE’s Bid to Go Upmarket via Nubia
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321370&
Nubia is ZTE’s vehicle to go “upmarket.” Its mission is to establish a viable consumer brand and consumer channels — in both China and the United States.
This attempt represents a significant commitment by ZTE, whose mobile handset business has thus far thrived by building handsets according to operator specifications and selling them through operator channels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
United Airline to Intro In-Flight Movie Service Starting in April Exclusively for Apple iDevices
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2014/03/united-airline-to-intro-in-flight-movies-starting-in-april-exclusively-for-apple-idevices.html
Starting this April, United Airlines will roll out a new personal device entertainment system onboard select aircraft for Apple’s iPhone and iPad running iOS 7 exclusively at launch time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
BlackBerry’s QNX: Why it’s so valuable to Apple, Google, auto industry
http://www.zdnet.com/blackberrys-qnx-why-its-so-valuable-to-apple-google-auto-industry-7000027169/
Summary: For smartphone giants looking to take their experiences to auto dashboards, all roads at least tie into BlackBerry’s QNX platform. Here’s why.
Apple’s CarPlay has to ride on top of BlackBerry’s QNX platform for in-auto entertainment systems. Ford was reportedly pondering a swap from Microsoft to QNX to for its Sync platform. And it’s highly likely that the front end of Google’s Android in-vehicle efforts are also going to have a QNX play.
So when BlackBerry CEO John Chen calls QNX one of the crown jewels of the company he’s not kidding.
BlackBerry can’t base its entire turnaround on QNX, but rest a assured the car platform will play a key role.
BlackBerry can’t comment on its involvement with Apple’s CarPlay, but the QNX platform does specialize in connectivity to mobile devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ER doctors use Google Glass and QR codes to identify patients
Custom medical application for Glass keeps data off Google servers.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/03/er-doctors-use-google-glass-and-qr-codes-to-identify-patients/
A tech-savvy hospital in Boston developed a custom information-retrieval system for Google Glass, which lets ER doctors scan a QR code on the wall of each room to call up information about patients.
“We replaced all the Google components on the devices so that no data travels over Google servers. All data stays within the BIDMC firewall.”
Patients are “intrigued” by Google Glass, but haven’t expressed any concerns about them, according to Halamka. “Boston is home to many techies and a few patients asked detailed questions about the technology,”
During the beta period, Halamka’s team made various modifications