The platform wars is over: Apple and Google both won. Microsoft wanted to be the third mobile ecosystem, and it has got clear solid third position, but quite small market share of overall smart phone market. Apple now sells around 10% of all the 1.8bn (and growing) phones sold on Earth each year and Android the next 50%, split roughly between say 2/3 Google Android outside China and 1/3 non-Google Android inside China. So Apple and Google have both won, and both got what they wanted, more or less, and that’s not going to change imminently.
Wearables and phablets will be the big device stories of 2015. I think that the wearables will be the more interesting story of them, because I expect more innovation to happen there. The smart phone side seemed to already be a little bit boring during 2014 – lack of innovation from big players – and I can’t see how somewhat bigger screen size and higher resolution would change that considerably during 2015. CES 2015 debuts the future of smartphones coming from all places – maybe not very much new and exciting.
Say good-buy to to astronomical growth in smart phone sales in developed countries, as smartphone market is nearly saturated in certain regions. There will be still growth in east (China, India etc..), but most of this growth will be taken by the cheap Android phones made by companies that you might have not heard before because many of them don’t sell their products in western countries. The sales of “dumb phones” will decrease as cheap smart phone will take over. Over time this will expand such that smartphones take almost all phone sales (perhaps 400m or 500m units a quarter), with Apple taking the high-end and Android the rest.
The current biggest smart phone players (Samsung and Apple) will face challenges. Samsung’s steep Q3 profit decline shows ongoing struggles in mobile – Customers sought out lower priced older models and bought a higher percentage of mid-range smartphones, or bought from some other company making decent quality cheap phones. Samsung has long counted on its marketing and hardware prowess to attract customers seeking an alternative to Apple’s iPhone. But the company is now facing new competition from low-cost phone vendors such as China’s Xiaomi and India’s Micromax, which offer cheap devices with high-end specs in their local markets.
Apple has a very strong end of 2014 sales in USA: 51% of new devices activated during Christmas week were Apple, 18% were Samsung, 6% Nokia — Apple and Apps Dominated Christmas 2014 — Millions of people woke up and unwrapped a shiny new device under the Christmas tree. It is expected that Apple also will see slowing sales in 2015: Tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted Apple will face a grim start to 2015 with iPhone sales plummeting by up to a third.
In few years there’ll be close to 4bn smartphones on earth. Ericsson’s annual mobility report forecasts increasing mobile subscriptions and connections through 2020.(9.5B Smartphone Subs by 2020 and eight-fold traffic increase). Ericsson’s annual mobility report expects that by 2020 90% of the world’s population over six years old will have a phone. It really talks about the connected world where everyone will have a connection one way or another.
What about the phone systems in use. Now majority of the world operates on GSM and HPSA (3G). Some countries are starting to have good 4G (LTE) coverage, but on average only 20% is covered by LTE. Ericsson expects that 85% of mobile subscriptions in the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa will be 3G or 4G by 2020. 75%-80% of North America and Western Europe are expected to be using LTE by 2020. China is by far the biggest smartphone market by current users in the world, and it is rapidly moving into high-speed 4G technology.
It seems that we change our behavior when networks become better: In South Korea, one third of all people are doing this ‘place shifting’ over 4G networks. When faster networks are taken into use, the people will start to use applications that need more bandwidth, for example watch more streamed video on their smart phones.
We’re all spending more time with smartphones and tablets. So much so that the “second screen” may now be the “first screen,” depending on the data you read. Many of us use both TV and mobile simultaneously: quickly responding to email, texting with friends, or browsing Twitter and the news if I lose interest with the bigger screen. Whatever it is I’m watching, my smartphone is always close at hand. There is rapid increase of mobile device usage—especially when it comes to apps.
The use of digital ads on mobile devices is increasing. Digital ad spend is forecast to increase 15% in 2015, with research saying it will equal ad spending on television by 2019. Mobile and social media will drive 2015 spending on digital to $163 billion, with mobile ad spending expected to jump 45%. “Almost all the growth is from mobile”
Mobile virtual reality will be talked about. 3D goggles like Sony Morpheus and Facebook’s Optimus Rift will get some attention. We’ll see them refined for augmented reality apps. hopefully we see DIY virtual reality kits that use current handsets and don’t cost thousands.
Google glass consumer market interest was fading in the end of 2014, and I expect that fading to continue in 2015. It seems that developers already may be losing interest in the smart eyewear platform. Google glass is expected to be consumer sales sometime in 2015, some fear consumer demand for Glass isn’t there right now and may never materialize. “All of the consumer glass startups are either completely dead or have pivoted” Although Google continues to say it’s 100% committed to Glass and the development of the product, the market may not be.
The other big headliner of the wearables segment was Apple’s basic $350 Watch. Apple invest its time when it released the Apple Watch last quarter, going up against the likes of Google’s Android Wear and others in the burgeoning wearables area of design. Once Apple’s bitten into a market, it’s somewhat a given that there’s good growth ahead and that the market is, indeed, stable enough.
As we turn to 2015 and beyond wearables becomes an explosive hardware design opportunity — one that is closely tied to both consumer and healthcare markets. It could pick up steam in the way software did during the smartphone app explosion. It seems that the hardware becomes hot again as Wearables make hardware the new software. It’s an opportunity that is still anyone’s game. Wearables will be important end-points both for cloud and for messaging. The wearable computing market is one of the biggest growth areas in tech. BI Intelligence estimates that 148 million wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers will ship in 2019.
I see that wearables will be big in 2015 mainly in the form of smart watch. According to a survey by UBS, 10% of consumers said they were very likely to buy a smartwatch in 2015, even though so far, no smartwatches have resonated with consumers. I expect the Sales of fitness wearables to plunge in 2015 owing to smartwatch takeover. In the future you need to look at exercise and fashion products as being in the same space. Samsung, Motorola, LG, and Apple debuted or announced smartwatches in 2014, so it’s no surprise that smartwatches are expected to be huge in Las Vegas at CES January’s show.
The third mobile ecosystem Windows phone has some new thing coming as Microsoft ready to show off Windows 10 mobile SKU on January 21. But it does not well motivating to me. After all, the vision of a unified Microsoft world extending across all screens is great, and it’s what Microsoft has needed all along to make Windows Phone a winner. The problem that hits me: if you fail enough times at the same thing, people stop believing you. It’s not just that Microsoft keeps failing to integrate its mobile, desktop, and console products. But Microsoft keeps claiming it will, which starts to loose credibility.
Mobile will change on-line sales in 2015: Phones have already radically altered both the way Americans shop and how retail goods move about the economy, but the transformation is just beginning — and it is far from guaranteed that Amazon will emerge victorious from the transition (this will also apply to other “traditional” players in that space).
Mobile payment technology reaching maybe finally reaching critical mass this year. Long predicted but always seeming to be “just around the corner,” mobile payments may finally have arrived. While Apple’s recent Apple Pay announcement may in retrospect be seen as launching the coming mobile payment revolution, the underlying technologies – and alternative solutions – have been emerging for some time. Maybe it isn’t going to replace the credit card but it’s going to replace the wallet — the actual physical thing crammed with cards, cash, photos and receipts. When you are out shopping, it’s the wallet, not the credit card, that is the annoyance.
Mobile money is hot also in developing countries: ordinary people in Africa using an SMS text-based currency called M-Pesa. M-Pesa was invented as a virtual currency by mobile network provider Vodafone after it was discovered that its airtime minutes were being used and traded in by people in Africa in lieu of actual money. In Kenya, a critical mass was quickly reached, and today, over 70% of the 40 million Kenyans use M-Pesa.
Mobile security will be talked about. Asian mobiles the DDOS threat of 2015, security mob says article tells that Vietnam, India and Indonesia will be the distributed denial of service volcanoes of next year due to the profieration of pwned mobiles.
Intel is heavily pushing to mobile and wearable markets. Intel is expected to expand its smartphone partnership with Lenovo: Intel will provide both its 64-bit Atom processor and LTE-Advanced modem chips for the Lenovo phones. The 4G phones follow Intel’s announcement in October of its first 4G smartphone in the US, the Asus PadFone X Mini. Now Intel remains well behind Qualcomm — which controls two-thirds of the global mobile modem market — and MediaTek as a supplier of chips for smartphones and tablets. Intel faces tough competition trying to fight its way into mobile — a market it ignored for years. Intel in early 2015 will introduce its first 4G system-on-a-chip under the new SoFIA name. Such chips include both a processor and modem together and are sought after by handset makers because they’re smaller in size than separate processor and radio chips, and use less power (matching Qualcomm’s Snapdragon).
Mobile chip leader Qualcomm will be going strong in 2015. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 is not only a killer part, it has raised the bar on what a mobile SoC has to be in 2015. It can power devices that drive 4K (3840 x 2160) TV, take 4K videos, run AAA games and connect to 5-inch HD display. There are finished, branded products just waiting to be released. I am convinced Qualcomm is on track to deliver commercial devices with Snapdragon 810 in mid-2015. I expect Qualcomm to be strong leader throughout 2015.
More material worth to check out:
New questions in mobile
http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2014/11/20/time-for-new-questions-in-mobile
What’s Next in Wireless: My 2015 Predictions
http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/issues-insights-blog/2015-predictions.htm
1,230 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone growth over in China?
China sold 98.8 million smart phone in the first quarter. The amount is 4.3 per cent lower than a year earlier. IDC Research already forecast that the Chinese market is saturated.
According to IDC, the Chinese market must now think of the way the Western countries and Japan. Almost everyone already has a smartphone and now the task is to convince buyers to manufacturers that upgrading to a new device is necessary.
Apple has increased to become China’s largest smart phone manufacturer – captured market share already 14.7 per cent
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2812:alypuhelinkasvu-ohi-kiinassa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung is imploding in China
http://uk.businessinsider.com/samsung-china-sales-q1-apple-xiaomi-idc-plummet-2015-5
Samsung has seen a catastrophic collapse in China over the last year, with its smartphone sales market share halving in 12 months, according to new data from IDC.
In Q1 of 2014, Samsung shipped 20.5 million smartphones; in Q1 of 2015, that figure has plummeted to 9.6 million.
Meanwhile, Apple has enjoyed year-on-year growth of more than 62%, making it the single-largest smartphone seller in China.
With a large-screened iOS device available, consumers have turned away in huge numbers from high-end Android manufacturers like Samsung, with devastating results: The South Korean smartphone company’s profits cratered, with Apple now taking 93% of all profits in the entire smartphone industry.
China’s Smartphone Market Contracts Year Over Year for the First Time in Six Years, According to IDC
http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prSG25614115
IDC’s latest Mobile Phone Tracker shows the China smartphone market contracted by 4% year over year (YoY) with 98.8 million units shipped in the first quarter of 2015. This is the first time in six years that the China smartphone market declined YoY as the market continues to mature.
“Smartphones are becoming increasingly saturated in China,”
IDC expects relatively flat growth for China in 2015. Other trends to expect in China this year include:
Multi-brand strategies. Huawei and ZTE are positioning younger sub-brands Honor and nubia, respectively, to chip away at Xiaomi’s user base, and to attempt to gain a loyal fanbase. Lenovo is also getting into the mix with the Motorola acquisition, not to mention its upcoming online-focused Shenqi division.
Higher price tier competition. More vendors like Huawei, Lenovo, and even Xiaomi are trying to push higher into the mid to high-end segment.
Non-traditional channel strategies. Reduced operator subsidies mean that vendors will further expand channels into more vendor-branded retail shops, direct online sales, and eTailers instead. In particular, they are trying to save on the cost that they had to pay to the traditional dealers/distributors in the past.
Expansion into overseas markets. With the market in China slowing down, Chinese vendors will focus on increasing their presence in India as well as more Southeast Asia countries in 2015.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Worker fired for disabling GPS app that tracked her 24 hours a day [Updated]
“This intrusion would be highly offensive to a reasonable person,” lawsuit says.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/05/worker-fired-for-disabling-gps-app-that-tracked-her-24-hours-a-day/
A Central California woman claims she was fired after uninstalling an app that her employer required her to run constantly on her company issued iPhone—an app that tracked her every move 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The suit, which claims invasion of privacy, retaliation, unfair business practices, and other allegations, seeks damages in excess of $500,000 and asserts she was monitored on the weekends when she was not working.
Arias’ boss “scolded” her for uninstalling the app shortly after being required to use it, according to the suit. Her attorneys said the woman made $7,250 per month and that she “met all quotas” during a brief stint with Intermex last year.
“This intrusion would be highly offensive to a reasonable person,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Watch review: best functions are fitness, texting, paying, and airport check-ins, a good product with a chance to be great
A Month With the Apple Watch: Does It Pass the Test of Time?
http://recode.net/2015/05/12/a-month-with-the-apple-watch-does-it-pass-the-test-of-time/
Thumbs-up or down?
So, after a month, is it thumbs-up, or thumbs-down? I like the Apple Watch. It’s a gorgeous piece of hardware with a clever and simple user interface and some fine built-in functions. It already has more than 4,000 third party apps. I will probably buy one.
Where’s the killer app?
Some commentators have complained that the Apple Watch lacks a “killer app” — the one thing that would make it irresistible to consumers. But I disagree. I think any new device like this becomes attractive when it looks good, works well, and does multiple useful things of different value to different users.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Android One, Google’s program to bring quality low-cost smartphones to developing markets, debuts in Europe with a decent $260 device available in Turkey — Android One launches in Europe with a decent and affordable smartphone
Android One launches in Europe with a decent and affordable smartphone
http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/12/8592251/android-one-launches-in-europe
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ina Fried / Re/code:
MediaTek Tries 10-Core Chip in Latest Bid to Crack High-End Phone Market
http://recode.net/2015/05/12/mediatek-tries-10-core-chip-in-latest-bid-to-crack-high-end-phone-market/
Chip company MediaTek is hoping a 10-core processor will give it the boost it needs to break into higher tiers of the phone market.
With its new Helio X20 chip due at year’s end, the company is arranging the 10 cores into three groupings, with dual 2.5GHz ARM A72 cores for the most demanding tasks along with two quad-core groupings for less demanding tasks.
For a while now, semiconductor design firm ARM has been pushing the notion of one group of cores for performance tasks and a second, more power-sipping group for when less oomph is needed. However, MediaTek appears to be the first to go with three arrays of cores — an approach that MediaTek says can save up to 30 percent off a standard implementation of ARM’s “big.little” approach.
With the Helio X20, MediaTek says it is a leader in performance and power efficiency. The chip also packs support for two main cameras, high-resolution 2K displays and an always-on microcontroller to listen for voice input and handle music playback without having to wake any of the main processing cores.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MediaTek Rolls 10-Core Monster
Helio X20 targets efficiency over performance
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1326590&
MediaTek essentially created an extension of ARM’s big:LITTLE technology with its latest mobile SoC, showing differentiation is still possible in this space.
Several weeks after the first hints of the new product were leaked, Taiwan’s MediaTek formally announced the newest king of the company’s product lineup. Positioned as a high-end mobile processor, the Helio X20 touts a unique architecture and the latest in ARM CPU and GPU technology.
Not to be outdone by octa-core mobile SoCs, the Helio X20 touts 10 Cortex-A CPU cores (deca-core) in a “tri-cluster” configuration plus one Cortex-M4 core typically used for microcontroller applications. The first CPU cluster contains two of the latest 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 cores with a top clock frequency of 2.5GHz, while each of the other two clusters have four low-power (but still 64-bit) ARM Cortex-53 cores.
The reason for two quad-A53 clusters is that one cluster is optimized for higher performance, with a maximum frequency of 2.0GHz, while the other is optimized for lower-power consumption with a maximum frequency of 1.4GHz. What MediaTek has created is an extension of ARM’s big:LITTLE power and performance optimization technology.
Many SoC vendors used the original big.LITTLE ARM approaches to assign execution of tasks to the core, or cores that can most efficiently complete it. High-end cores such as the Cortex-A72 took jobs where performance was needed, and more power-efficient cores like the A53 were used for background and “light-weight” tasks.
MediaTek contends that by creating in the chip more tiers (or gears as they call them), tasks can be further optimized. At a little less than half the size of the A72 cores and less than a quarter of the power, the A53 in a quad-core configuration can provide a very power efficient solution for most tasks in a die area smaller than two A72 cores. Then, by segmenting them further according to the task requirements and adding in an extremely low-power core like the M4, the system is better optimized, across all potential tasks and applications.
The Helio X20 also contains the latest ARM Mali GPU technology
The SoC’s 12-bit, dual image signal processors are capable of handling a two 13MP cameras at 30fps. The Helio X20 also sports MediaTek’s first CAT-6 LTE world modem that supports 28 LTE bands and 2×20 carrier aggregation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wall Street Journal:
Lee Jae-yong, likely Samsung’s next chairman, may shift strategy to reinvigorate the company’s weakening smartphone business, focus less on scale, more on M&A
After Galaxy Smartphone Debacle, Samsung Questions Game Plan
Heir apparent is likely to rethink his father’s big-scale strategy; the iPhone 6 challenge
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/after-galaxy-smartphone-debacle-samsung-questions-game-plan-1431388870-lMyQjAxMTE1MTEzMTYxMTEzWj
In February, Samsung Electronics Co. asked employees a curious question about its future.
Five years earlier, its top management had declared a 10-year expansion plan to quadruple annual sales to $400 billion and establish Samsung as the world’s No. 1 technology brand. Now, Samsung seemed to be questioning whether it should follow through. A survey sent to thousands of employees asked: Do you think those goals should be changed?
Such introspection goes to the highest levels of the South Korean giant these days, say people familiar with the company. The Samsung Group conglomerate’s chairman, 73-year-old Lee Kun-hee, built its flagship electronics company on a strategy of flat-out global-market-share expansion, and its “Vision 2020” plan was meant to keep it doing that.
But a heart attack incapacitated Mr. Lee in May 2014. His absence coincided with a disastrous year for Samsung Electronics, as sales of its latest Galaxy S smartphone fell far below expectations after three years of blockbuster revenues for earlier versions.
Tomi Engdahl says:
QR code attached to the frequency converter helps the diagnosis of it
cneider Electric has expanded its industrial AC drives in its product offering. New devices are Altivar 900 drives Process and Process Altivar Drive Systems
In order for users to continue to facilitate maintenance and troubleshooting, as well as reduced downtime and lower costs arising from his office, they can access with their own mobile devices access technical documentation and support, as well as diagnostic information. Device error codes created a dynamic QR code can immediately access the extensive support material that helps solve the problem situations effectively on the ground.
In addition, the user can Marked drives QR-codes may contact directly the Schneider Electric customer service. QR code provides the user with the network found on the support material.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2807:qr-koodilla-kiinni-taajuusmuuttajan-diagnostiikkaan&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Watch’s Hidden Diagnostic Port To Allow Battery Straps, Innovative Add-Ons
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/15/05/04/192255/apple-watchs-hidden-diagnostic-port-to-allow-battery-straps-innovative-add-ons
Apple’s Watch launched two weeks ago to some unbelievable hype and coverage in the press. However, it appears one feature flew under the radar and Apple actually had just one more trick up its sleeve. You see, on one side of the watch face is a hidden door that exposes a 6-pin port. It’s assumed that this could be used for diagnostic purposes, but with an Apple Watch in hand, a company by the name of Reserve Strap was able to verify that it could also be used for charging.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook uses Nokia maps in mobes, Instagram and Messenger
Now you can get HERE, there
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/05/facebook_trialling_nokias_here_before_potential_purchase/
Facebook, mentioned as a potential buyer of Nokia’s HERE business unit, isn’t waiting around for a sale and has signed a deal to integrate the Finnish corporation’s maps on the mobile version of its site, as well as in Facebook Messenger and Instagram on Android.
HERE is the business unit consolidating Nokia’s mapping and location assets under a single brand. Largely rooted in the automotive-grade mapping equipment developed by Navteq, acquired by Nokia for $8.1bn in 2008, the location platform is currently licensed by Amazon, Bing, Yahoo!, Flickr, SAP, Oracle, and now Facebook.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Don’t look now: Fujitsu ships new mobe with EYEBALL-scanning security
Because passwords are just so passé
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/13/fujitsu_thinks_fingerprints_are_pass_new_smartphone_scans_your_eyes/
The Fujitsu Arrows NX F-04G, first displayed at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, comes with the usual accoutrements you’d expect in a smartphone. It has a 5.2-inch 1440-by-2560 resolution touchscreen, an eight-core Snapdragon 810 processor, NFC, and the Android 5.0 operating system.
But unlike most handsets, the Arrows NX F-04G’s front-facing camera doubles as a biometric iris scanner to replace passwords for operating the phone and its apps. The software closes in on the irises, matches them to the version stored internally, and then grants access (or not).
Given the system, the camera specification on the phone seems a touch odd. The handset has a 21-megapixel camera on the back, but the iris-scanning front camera is a paltry two megapixels, which suggests either the iris-scanning software is very good or someone at Fujitsu economized a little too much.
Iris scanning has been around for a while and in controlled circumstances can be very useful. But attempts to introduce it on a commercial level have proven fraught with difficulties.
although “everybody” in the mobile phone biz is said to be looking into iris scanning as an authentication option – including Samsung, for example – Fujitsu appears to be the first to actually bring a device to market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Forget silly privacy worries – help biometrics firms make MILLIONS
Beancounter reckons dabs-scanning tech is the next big moneypit
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/10/forget_about_privacy_and_well_all_make_beeelions/
Tech firms are set to experience a biometric bonanza – as long as they can persuade ordinary folk to give up worrying about their privacy.
That’s the claim in a briefing note from “growth consulting firm” Frost & Sullivan, which suggested the number of smartphones equipped with biometric gubbins will soar from 43 million to 471 million by 2017.
This, according to the beancounters, means the biometric revenue from smart phones will soar from increase from $53.6m in 2313 to $396.2m in 2019, amounting to an annual growth rate of 39.6 per cent.
“Due to existing hardware capabilities across devices, most of the growth is expected from facial and voice authentication technologies,” said Frost & Sullivan ICT Global Programme Director Jean-Noël Georges.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Replace IR sensing with proximity detection
http://www.edn.com/design/sensors/4439433/Replace-IR-sensing-with-proximity-detection?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150514&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150514&elq=9b42c03a8c3c4f2eae49d8ff699fb483&elqCampaignId=23003&elqaid=25903&elqat=1&elqTrackId=d424882138d54db4a1661e89193895fb
Proximity detection adds many smart features to the devices we use. For example, when making a call with a phone held to your ear, face detection using proximity sensing can disable the touchscreen and turn off the LCD when they are not needed to prevent accidental touches and to conserve battery life. Proximity detection in mobile devices is traditionally implemented using infrared (IR) sensors. However, adding IR proximity sensors to mobile devices increases system cost. This article discusses implementing proximity detection using the inherent characteristics of the capacitive touchscreen system to reduce cost and device size.
Proximity sensors are switches that detect and report the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. They are an important component in mobile devices with a touchscreen interface.
The primary function of proximity detection on mobile phones is to prevent undesired or accidental touches on the screen. The most common use case for this feature is the human face coming in contact with the touchscreen during a phone call. The face or ear lobes can generate undesired touch events when they make contact with the touchscreen surface.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nubia Phone Dual Antenna Tuning Debuts
Cavendish Kinetics MEMS tuning-in LTE
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326595&
A dual-antenna tuning system in ZTE Corp.’s latest nubia Z9 bezel-less smartphone is being made possible by a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) capacitive tuning array chip from San Jose, Calif.-based company Cavendish Kinetics Inc.
ZTE is using Cavendish Kinetics’s SmarTune RF MEMS Antenna Tuners, a switched capacitive tuning array incorporated into an integrated circuit, for its dual antennas. Dual antennas could be used with two tuners for the dual-band, single-feed antenna to capture any LTE or 3G band, greatly reducing the size, bill-of-materials (BOM) and insertion loss of smartphone RF, Tony Massimini, chief of technology at Semico Research Corp. (Phoenix, Arizona) told EE Times.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Owen Williams / The Next Web:
European mobile networks reportedly plan to block all advertising, targeting Google
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/05/15/european-mobile-networks-reportedly-plan-to-block-all-advertising-targeting-google/
A report from the Financial Times today claims that European mobile networks are preparing to block advertising across the Web.
According to the story, which cites anonymous sources, the carriers have installed software from Israeli ad-blocking firm Shine in their data centers to block advertising in Web pages and apps, but not social networks.
The plan – which would be devastating to companies reliant on advertising – is not limited to a single European network. Its apparent aim is to break Google’s hold on advertising.
The FT report says that “an executive at a European carrier confirmed that it and several of its peers are planning to start blocking adverts this year” and will be available as an “opt-in service” however they are also considering applying the technology across their entire mobile networks.
This isn’t the first time a provider has tried to blanket block ads.
In 2013, French ISP “Free” blocked advertising in a firmware update to its router but was forced to back down by the government. In the US, some providers tried to inject additional advertising, which was also met with backlash.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OpenSignal now helps you find the world’s free Wi-Fi hotspots
http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/14/opensignal-now-helps-you-find-the-worlds-free-wi-fi-hotspots/
Crowdsourced wireless coverage startup OpenSignal has launched a new app that shows you all the free Wi-Fi hotspots in your locale.
With Wifimapper, the London-based startup is taking its swath of existing data and pushing it into a new standalone app for iPhone. This could save millions of people mobile data charges by helping them tap into all the cafes, pubs, and other public places that offer Internet access gratis.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nano coating protects Huawei’s flagship
Huawei rely on the new P8 flagship model on nano-technology coating. It protects the unit from liquids and corrosion.
Nano Coating has developed an English P2i. The company produces nano-coating, pulse plasma process, which forms a water-repellent surface of the electronic equipment. The technique has been used for over a hundred million different device.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2813:nanopinnoite-suojaa-huawein-lippulaivaa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exclusive: Apple delays HomeKit launch
http://fortune.com/2015/05/14/apple-delays-homekit-launch/
Apple’s connected home platform will likely arrive in early fall, rather than early summer.
Apple fans hoping for an imminent release of the company’s home automation platform, HomeKit, will have to wait. Sources participating in the program tell Fortune that the launch date has moved back from an anticipated May or June time-frame to something closer to late August or September.
To be clear, Apple has never announced a launch date for HomeKit, but partners had said during this year’s CES, the annual consumer electronics trade show, to expect something in spring.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Robert Cookson / Financial Times:
Sources: Several European mobile operators plan option to block ads on their networks this year, consider blocking Google ads by default to force concessions
Mobile operators plan to block online advertising
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0%2F7010ae7a-f4c6-11e4-8a42-00144feab7de.html#axzz3aGycyaHA
Several mobile operators plan to block advertising on their networks, setting the stage for a battle with digital media companies such as Google, AOL and Yahoo.
One European wireless carrier told the Financial Times that it has installed blocking software in its data centres and planned to turn it on before the end of 2015.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ed Bott / ZDNet:
Microsoft says it’s taking over updates for Windows 10 Mobile devices
http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-says-its-taking-over-updates-for-windows-10-mobile-devices/
Summary:It’s not exactly Android-style fragmentation, but Windows Phone users are perennially frustrated at carriers dragging their feet on operating system updates. That’s all changing with Windows 10 Mobile, the company says. And this time they mean it.
When Microsoft introduced Windows Phone, nearly five years ago, the company promised that it would control the update process, bypassing the carriers if necessary.
The reality of the update process, through major updates to Windows Phone 8 and 8.1, hasn’t held up to that ideal, especially with U.S. carriers involved.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to me that that statement applies to all Windows 10 Mobile devices, personal and business, and that the new mobile update process will be consistent with the update process for Windows 10 on PCs. Updates will contain security and reliability fixes as well as new features.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Abhijeet M. / SamMobile:
Samsung tells users Samsung Wallet will be discontinued June 30 as it prepares to launch Samsung Pay — Samsung Wallet to be discontinued on June 30th — With Samsung Pay’s launch inching closer and closer, the Korean manufacturer has decided to shut down the Samsung Wallet service
Samsung Wallet to be discontinued on June 30th
http://www.sammobile.com/2015/05/14/samsung-wallet-to-be-discontinued-on-june-30th/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Technology Lab / Information Technology
Cortana for all: Microsoft’s plan to put voice recognition behind anything
Microsoft and co. make computer vision, voice, and text processing a Web request away.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/05/cortana-for-all-microsofts-plan-to-put-voice-recognition-behind-anything/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Brett LoGiurato / Fusion:
Politicians are using Snapchat to attract young supporters ahead of the 2016 election, presenting a challenge to regulators
The ‘Poof!’ election
Snapchat is going to be huge in 2016 — and regulators have no idea how to handle it
http://fusion.net/story/135572/snapchat-election-2016-apps/
As he gears up for a presidential run, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley held a conference call with donors and supporters Thursday night, informing them that he would make some kind of announcement on May 30.
He also had a message — and an exclusive photo — for his followers on Snapchat.
“Stay tuned for May 30th…” he said, referring to the date when he’ll announce whether or not he’ll challenge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
O’Malley, who is widely expected to run, is one of a handful of politicians experimenting with Snapchat, a messaging app that has exploded in popularity over the past year.
O’Malley’s team has found it useful — along with the streaming app Periscope — to engage a broad audience. They’ll post candid photos and videos of O’Malley’s impromptu guitar-playing on the stump, for example.
“In every election cycle, campaigns will have new technology to employ,” said Paul S. Ryan, the senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center. “In that sense, it’s nothing new. We’ve gone through this before.”
What is new, however, is the potential conundrum that an app like Snapchat uniquely presents. One of the key features that has made it popular with young people is the fact that its messages disappear within seconds — unless the user receiving the Snapchat takes a screenshot.
For its part, the Federal Election Commission sounds quite unsure how and if it would attempt to regulate not just Snapchat, but any app. Julia Queen, a spokeswoman for the FEC, told Fusion that the commission has “internet regulations but they don’t specifically cover apps.”
The potential challenge here for the FEC, Ryan said, would come in enforcement. If someone wants to break the rules via Snapchat, how would anyone know?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:
Apple readies “TVKit” SDK for Apple TV, and Apple Watch updates like “Find my Watch”, irregular heart beat notifications, third-party watch face “complications” — Apple readies first significant Apple Watch updates, ‘TVKit’ SDK for Apple TV
Apple readies first significant Apple Watch updates, ’TVKit’ SDK for Apple TV
http://9to5mac.com/2015/05/18/apple-readies-first-significant-apple-watch-updates-tvkit-sdk-for-apple-tv/
Nearly a month after the release of the first-generation Apple Watch with Watch OS 1.0, a proven source has disclosed a collection of upcoming Apple Watch software and hardware updates. Currently in development, the features seek to enhance Apple Watch security, connectivity with other Apple devices, health and fitness features, Wi-Fi capabilities, and integration with third-party applications. Additionally, Apple is also priming major updates for the Apple TV in both the hardware and software departments, including Apple Watch integration. Below, we detail what users can expect from Apple Watches and Apple TVs in the future…
Tomi Engdahl says:
Triumph Prototypes Bra as Wearable Device
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20150515/418380/
Triumph International Japan prototyped a bra that has a speech recognition function, can measure heart rate and the amount of activity and feature other functions normally used for wearable devices.
“We evolved a bra, which is the ultimate wearable device for women, so that it not only makes the wearer look beautiful but also has many functions to enhearten her,” the company said.
It took six months to design the concept of the bra, “Triumph Wearable Bra for Female Attractiveness,” and prototype it. Triumph International Japan is not planning to commercialize it.
The bra comes with four major functions.
First, the bra has a speech recognition/response function
Second, when the “excitement button” located in the center of the bra is pressed, the “excitement lamp” blinks on and off with a pattern in accordance with the heart rate
Third, the bra comes with the “excitement pad,” which can measure calorie consumption, the number of steps, travel distance, sleeping hours, etc.
Fourth, a selfie stick is attached to one side of the bra.
Tomi Engdahl says:
In 2012, the Court ruled that Samsung’s smartphone design trespass against Apple’s design rights. Now, the appeals process is over and the basis for Apple failed to convince that the equipment design was functional feature.
This will remove a threat given the many other smart phones. For example, Huawei or Xiaomin models found time to direct iPhone-copies.
The decision also means that Samsung’s compensation for Apple to shrink.
According to Apple, to appeal the decision shows that Samsung’s products will copy the iPhone design. Samsung submits that the decision, in turn, shows that Apple’s requirements with regard to design are greatly exaggerated.
Both are probably right.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2841:apple-ei-saanut-suojaa-iphonen-muodolle&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel has a big breakthrough in 4G
Intel has finally received an important breakthrough in the North American smartphone market. Asus new Zenfone 2 device, which uses both Atom processors that Intel’s own 4G modem is first obtained from the Yankee market.
The importance of Intel’s point of view is that what is inside the shell. The processor is a quad-core Atom Z3560 Moorefield, which operates at a clock frequency of 1.8 gigahertz. The more expensive models, the clock speed has been increased 2.33 gigahertz.
The modem is Intel’s XMM7262 circuit that supports LTE connectivity up to category 6. The second SIM slot modem works on 2G and even that comes from Intel.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2842:intelille-iso-4g-lapimurto&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Chips Could Bring Deep Learning Algorithms To Your Smartphone
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/15/05/17/1224229/new-chips-could-bring-deep-learning-algorithms-to-your-smartphone
At the Embedded Vision Summit, a company called Synopsys, showed off a new image-processor core tailored for deep learning. It is expected to be added to chips that power smartphones, cameras, and cars. Synopsys showed a demo in which the new design recognized speed-limit signs in footage from a car. The company also presented results from using the chip to run a deep-learning network trained to recognize faces.
Silicon Chips That See Are Going to Make Your Smartphone Brilliant
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/537446/silicon-chips-that-see-are-going-to-make-your-smartphone-brilliant/
Many gadgets will be able to understand images and video thanks to chips designed to run powerful artificial-intelligence algorithms.
Many of the devices around us may soon acquire powerful new abilities to understand images and video, thanks to hardware designed for the machine-learning technique called deep learning.
Companies like Google have made breakthroughs in image and face recognition through deep learning, using giant data sets and powerful computers (see “10 Breakthrough Technologies 2013: Deep Learning”). Now two leading chip companies and the Chinese search giant Baidu say hardware is coming that will bring the technique to phones, cars, and more.
Chip manufacturers don’t typically disclose their new features in advance. But at a conference on computer vision Tuesday, Synopsys, a company that licenses software and intellectual property to the biggest names in chip making, showed off a new image-processor core tailored for deep learning. It is expected to be added to chips that power smartphones, cameras, and cars. The core would occupy about one square millimeter of space on a chip made with one of the most commonly used manufacturing technologies.
Pierre Paulin, a director of R&D at Synopsys, told MIT Technology Review that the new processor design will be made available to his company’s customers this summer. Many have expressed strong interest in getting hold of hardware to help deploy deep learning, he said.
Synopsys showed a demo in which the new design recognized speed-limit signs in footage from a car.
The new core could add a degree of visual intelligence to many kinds of devices, from phones to cheap security cameras. It wouldn’t allow devices to recognize tens of thousands of objects on their own, but Paulin said they might be able to recognize dozens.
That might lead to novel kinds of camera or photo apps. Paulin said the technology could also enhance car, traffic, and surveillance cameras. For example, a home security camera could start sending data over the Internet only when a human entered the frame. “You can do fancier things like detecting if someone has fallen on the subway,” he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exclusive: Apple delays HomeKit launch for some devices
http://fortune.com/2015/05/14/apple-delays-homekit-launch/
Apple’s connected home platform will likely arrive in early fall, rather than early summer.
Apple fans awaiting the company’s home automation platform, HomeKit, may have to wait longer than expected for some of its features to appear on select partners’ devices. Sources participating in the program tell Fortune that the launch date for some devices has moved back from an anticipated May or June time-frame to something closer to late August or September.
To be clear, Apple has never announced a launch date for HomeKit, but partners had said during this year’s CES, the annual consumer electronics trade show, to expect something in spring. One partner had told Re/code to expect products in time for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Humble QR Code Is Being Disrupted… And Going Dotless
http://techcrunch.com/2015/05/18/dotless-qr-codes/?ncid=rss#.utwu3c:IKEd
Many in the West are still dumbfounded that QR codes are a thing. Well, heads-up, the humble QR code as you know it is being disrupted. At least that’s according to Visualead, an Israel-based startup backed by Alibaba that announced a new ‘dotless’ format today.
Alibaba, which invested ‘millions’ in an undisclosed round for Visualead in January, is among the first to trial dotless QR codes.
“This is the next step from the visual QR code. Our development is based on feedback that we got from the market,” Alva said, “And it will make codes more obvious for consumers to interact with.”
Taking a step back for a second, QR codes are big business in Asia, and particularly China, where they are a key mechanism for facilitating online-to-offline commerce — take a ride on the Beijing subway and marvel at how many codes are included in ads. Alva claimed that visual codes can be four times more effective at getting a response from customers.
Like anything, however, introducing a new standard takes time. Alva is optimistic that getting Alibaba on board will help dotless codes gain adoption with greater speed.
“In one day we can penetrate hundreds of millions of devices [via Alibaba’s Taobao app],” he said.
http://www.visualead.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Unilever global SVP Marc Mathieu hails implant as ‘next frontier’ to smart watches
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/05/14/unilever-global-svp-marc-mathieu-hails-implant-next-frontier-smart-watches
Smart watches will pave the way to the “next frontier” in connectivity which could see the rise in popularity of implants, according to Unilever’s global senior vice president of brand marketing Marc Mathieu.
“People are always on, never offline. That is the next frontier. Now we have it on our wrist, but I would be surprised if we don’t do it in an implant form pretty soon. Why have it on your wrist if you can have it permanently in you?” he said.
He pointed to the rise of mobile, social media and increased consumer demand for content, along with the internet of things as just some of the catalysts prompting a radical change in how marketers build their brands.
“The question is how do we ensure we bring the consumer on the journey with us in this world that is changing? It’s easy for us to think technology first, not people first. We must remember we are doing our job as marketers for people first,” he said.
People pull in brands like Apple because of iTunes, and Google with search, maps and email “multiple times and on our terms”, Mathieu said.
“The audience is not listening to you any more. we need to think about that in terms of how we build brands in the future,” he added.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Less than half of mobile data transferred to mobile network
Juniper Research says that in 2018 the number of mobile data will grow 197 thousand petabytes. Mobile networks in terms of a good thing is that only 41 per cent of this amount goes through the mobile networks. Wi-Fi networks bear most of the burden.
Smartphones downloadable data, especially in increasing the video, the amount of which will grow 8-fold between 2014-2019. At the moment, global IP data traffic with video accounting for about 60 per cent. In many countries, especially in Western countries, it accounts for more than 70 percent within the next 2-3 years, Juniper predicts.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2846:alle-puolet-mobiilidatasta-siirtyy-kannykkaverkossa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Xiaomi Picks Leadcore to Go Vertical
In search of its own custom processor
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326617&
Perhaps, it’s about time, maybe it’s inevitable. When Apple, Huawei and Samsung, three out of the five largest smartphone vendors in China are already designing handsets using their own processors, Xiaomi figures it’s time to go vertical.
Xiaomi wants its own custom-designed processors to differentiate its products and control its destiny, an executive of Leadcore Technology told EE Times.
Rather than putting together an in-house chip design team, Xiaomi chose Leadcore, a fabless chip company wholly-owned by China’s Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group, as its partner to source the technology
Leadcore is working with China’s fastest growing smartphone company on “all three different levels — product, technology and patent,” Marshal Cheng, vice president of Leadcore explained during a one-on-one meeting at China’s industry gathering here this week.
“The modem technology that’s ready in silicon and patent portfolio created by CATT including LTE and LTE-A make us very attractive to Xiaomi,” explained Cheng.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:
Tim Cook: Apple Watch in stores ‘by June’, in talks for Apple Pay in China
http://9to5mac.com/2015/05/19/tim-cook-apple-watch-in-stores-in-june-in-talks-for-apple-pay-in-china/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Watch: Not a winner yet
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/now-hear-this/4439461/Apple-Watch–Not-a-winner-yet
The Apple Watch, one of the most anticipated and supposedly game-changing wearables in the tech industry, has arrived and, obviously, it has not met Apple’s sales expectations. In fact, that may be why Apple has not released the initial sales figures. The market is still trying to decide: Is this product a winner or a loser?
My verdict: It is not a winner yet—and it may never be unless it proves its value. However, it is a marvelous piece of jewelry and a technological masterpiece. This intriguing gadget fully embodies Apple’s design philosophy, and demonstrates keen attention to Apple’s commitment to a better user experience. I would say that it is a very well-executed and well-made product.
Apple is the only one of the few smart watchmakers that understands that a watch is not only a status symbol but also needs to reflect the personality of the wearer. Unfortunately, the electronic nature of the watch means that it cannot begin to compete with its high-end mechanical counterparts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat:
Adblock Plus launches Adblock Browser: Firefox for Android with built-in ad blocking
http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/20/adblock-plus-launches-adblock-browser-firefox-for-android-with-built-in-ad-blocking/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
Samsung launches Flow, an app that lets you transfer activities across devices, in beta in the US for select devices including Galaxy S5/6/6 Edge, Note 4/Edge
Samsung’s Flow app lets you transfer what you’re doing across devices
http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/19/8624803/samsung-flow-released-move-apps-across-devices
Samsung is making it easier to move between its different devices throughout the day. To do that, it’s today releasing an app called Flow, which is essentially Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Continuity feature: a tool that lets you easily set down your phone and pick up what you were doing on your tablet, or vice versa. Unlike Continuity, you have to specifically tell Flow what activity you want to transfer and where you want to pick it up, but that doesn’t necessarily make it less seamless — in some cases, it might be preferable to actually tell your device when you’re interested in transferring something.
Once Flow is set up on a group of Samsung devices, it’s activated through either the Android share button or, in some apps, a dedicated Flow button. It’ll ask which nearby Samsung device the activity should be sent to, and then — at least, according to Samsung’s video — it’ll pop up on that device pretty much immediately.
Flow’s other big feature is sort of like a save-it-later button for anything and everything. It doesn’t appear to actually save the content, but it does allow you to basically bookmark what you were doing in an app and pick it back up later. Additional features are supposed to come to Flow in the future, too. Those include the ability to synchronize notifications and mirror apps. From its earlier video, it appears that Samsung eventually wants to make this work on the desktop, too.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mary Jo Foley / ZDNet:
Microsoft rolls out touch-first test versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint for Android phones; devices must run KitKat 4.4.x or higher, have at least 1GB RAM
Microsoft rolls out touch-first Office apps preview for Android phones
http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-rolls-out-touch-first-office-apps-preview-for-android-phones/
Summary:Microsoft is rolling out test versions of its standalone, touch-first Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps for Android phones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
News & Analysis
China Wonders: Whither Wearable Wares?
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326620&
DONGGUAN, China — Surveys indicate that 45.7 percent of consumers stop using their wearable devices within a month. In six months, that number swells to almost 99 percent. The sobering stats that show how quickly wearables pass into oblivion comes from a survey by Tencent, China’s popular Internet service portal. They illustrate the dilemma of the wearable market in China — which designs, produces and consumes a majority of the world’s wearable devices.
Many Chinese system and IC designers are keenly aware that they’ve got to rethink this whole thing if they want a viable future for wearable electronics.
Chinese vendors see the nascent wearable market, despite its uncertainties, as their chance to seize the initiative, compared to their catch-up/copycat status in smartphones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tone: An experimental Chrome extension for instant sharing over audio
http://googleresearch.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/tone-experimental-chrome-extension-for.html
Sometimes in the course of exploring new ideas, we’ll stumble upon a technology application that gets us excited. Tone is a perfect example: it’s a Chrome extension that broadcasts the URL of the current tab to any machine within earshot that also has the extension installed. Tone is an experiment that we’ve enjoyed and found useful, and we think you may as well.
New Chrome extension lets you share links with sounds
http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/19/8626795/google-tone-chrome-extension
The extension is simple but effective. Users need only install Tone and click the blue icon in the corner of their browsers to send a message. The app will make a few beeps and boops, and other computers with Tone installed will receive a notification, complete with the original user’s Google profile picture. However, the app isn’t without its limitations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Watch, Android Wear Updates Begin
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1326663&
The first update for the Apple Watch makes performance improvements across the board, while Google is finally sending Android 5.1.1 to its line of Android Wear wearables.
Apple and Google both began distributing system updates to their wearables this week. The improved operating systems add some new features as well as eliminate a series of bugs. With the new code installed, today’s leading smartwatches just got a bit smarter.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tearing Down The Apple Watch
http://hackaday.com/2015/05/20/tearing-down-the-apple-watch/
Tomi Engdahl says:
First WiGig-connected smartphone
WiGig is a 60 GHz radio technology, which will bring ultra-fast Wi-Fi connection to mobile devices. Chinese Letv has now introduced the world’s first smartphone, which technology is integrated. It is based on Sibeam SiI6400 chipset.
WiGig is also opens on an important role in 5G-standardization. It can be implemented fast interior connections in small areas subject to lower mobile frequencies should not be wasted.
Chinese Letv has already presented a ground-breaking mobile phones. Le Max smartphone also includes the first market for the C-type USB connector smartphones.
La Maxi sales will begin in June.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2848:ensimmainen-wigig-yhteydella-varustettu-alypuhelin&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
KFC Tray Typer keyboard is finger clickin’ good
http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/19/8624295/kfc-tray-typer-wireless-bluetooth-keyboard
It’s a first world solution to a first world problem: a super-thin, rechargeable Bluetooth keyboard that arrives with your tray of fast food, connects to your smartphone, and lets you text with sticky fingers without messing up your screen. The KFC Tray Typer — part of an advertising campaign for the fast food chain in Germany — is a high-tech replacement for the usual grease-absorbing paper slip that’s served up on fast food trays. Presumably, it’s durable enough to get wiped down and re-used — although the advert’s creator, Serviceplan, claims the smart paper trays were so popular when handed out during the opening week of new restaurants that “every single one … was taken home.”
The Tray Typer may sound far-fetched, but technologically it’s cutting edge — not science fiction. In 2013, a UK-based electronics company named CSR showed off a Bluetooth keyboard that was just as thin and flexible as the Tray Typer. It wouldn’t be the craziest electronic peripheral the fast food chain has come up with either
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scratch Wireless targets bargain hunters with $99 smartphone, free Wi-Fi calls
http://www.cnet.com/news/scratch-wireless-targets-bargain-hunters-with-99-smartphone/
The company, which already offers free mobile phone service via Wi-Fi networks, is trying to make a name for itself with the introduction of a $99 Android handset.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobiles at school could be MAKING YOUR KID MORE DUMBER
Instant messaging and Candy Crush Saga in class creates learning not-spots
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/21/kids_without_mobes_in_school_do_better/
Restricting smart watch and mobile phone use can be a low-cost policy to reduce educational inequalities. This is the conclusion of a report by Louis-Philippe Beland and Richard Murphy working at the London School of Economics Centre for Economic Performance (pdf) and Louisiana State University.
Prof Beland told El Reg: “Whilst we cannot know for sure which students are distracted by the phones the most, this implies that low-achieving students were most disrupted and distracted by the presence of phones, while high-ability students are not impacted. If we think that the distractions affect everyone equally, even those not using the phone, then we might expect an equal response across all ability groups. These results imply that only those using the phones are distracted.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Watch Lacks Pulse, Says Startup
Bloom paves way for medical-grade sensors
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326647&
Today’s wearables don’t pass a physical exam, according to the chief executive of a startup that’s designing a medical-grade device. Julien Penders will share his opinions and experiences in a talk at the Embedded Systems Conference in Silicon Valley.
The Apple Watch, for example, is a cool device but it doesn’t deliver the kind of data doctors and medical researchers need, said Penders, a former researcher at the Imec institute outside Brussels.
“It’s pretty limited,”
“It’s a great first step…on the other hand, the user experience is good as an extension of your phone with notifications — that’s well designed,” he added.
To be truly useful, health devices need to be validated in trials in both hospital and home settings. The developers can begin to push the boundary of how often the devices can be relied on for medical-grade data, he said.
So far, Bloom is working with Samsung, in part because it offers an open cloud platform based on its SmartThings acquisition. Samsung is “taking it to another level of more interoperability with devices and easier access for users, so we are pretty happy with that,” he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chrome for Android is now ‘almost entirely open-source,’ letting anyone build a Chromium-based mobile browser
http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/21/chrome-for-android-is-now-almost-entirely-open-source-letting-anyone-build-a-chromium-based-mobile-browser/
Google has uploaded the majority of the remaining Chrome for Android code into the open-source Chromium repository. In other words, Chrome for Android now matches Chrome for desktop in terms of available open source code, letting anyone examine, modify, and compile the project.
Chromium is the open source Web browser project that shares much of the same code as Google Chrome, and new features are often added there first. Google intended for Chromium to be the name of the open-source project, while the final product name would be Chrome, but developers have taken the code and released versions under the Chromium name. Eventually, browser makers used it as a starting point; Opera, for example, switched its browser base to Chromium in 2013.
Until now, however, Chromium was largely a desktop-only affair
A Chrome for Android software engineer posted on Reddit to say that “Chrome for Android is now almost entirely open-source.” The “almost” refers to licensing restrictions: media codecs and some of proprietary Google features can’t be included in Chromium.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stephen Shankland / CNET:
After $25 Firefox OS phones fail to get traction, Mozilla will explore implementing Android app compatibility in future versions with focus on a few key apps
Mozilla overhauls Firefox smartphone plan to focus on quality, not cost
http://www.cnet.com/news/mozilla-overhauls-firefox-smartphone-plan-to-focus-on-quality-not-cost/
After its $25 phones fail to dent the dominance of Google and Apple, the Firefox backer will try to compete using technological superiority — and maybe by adding key Android apps, too.
Mozilla has revamped its Firefox OS mobile software project after concluding that ultra-affordable $25 handsets aren’t enough to take on the biggest powers of the smartphone world, CNET has learned.
The nonprofit organization rose to prominence with the success of its Firefox Web browser a decade ago, but it’s having trouble achieving the same success with its Firefox operating system for smartphones. According to a Thursday email from new Chief Executive Chris Beard, Mozilla has changed its strategy to a new “Ignite” initiative that emphasizes phones with compelling features, not just with lower price tags. It’s also considering letting its operating system run apps written for its top rival, Google’s Android.
“We will build phones and connected devices that people want to buy because of the experience, not simply the price,”
Mozilla is in a hard place, said Avi Greengart, an analyst with Current Analysis: apps are at the heart of the mobile market today, and Android and iOS dominate that world.