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:
Unbundling innovation: Samsung, PCs and China
July 10, 2014
http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2014/7/10/unbundling-innovation
It seems pretty clear now that the Android OEM world is starting to play out pretty much like the PC world. The industry has become unbundled vertically between components, devices, operating system and application software & services. The components are commoditised and OEMs cannot differentiate on software, so they are entering a race to the bottom of cheaper and cheaper and more and more commoditised products, much like the PC industry.
The funny thing about this is that part of the original promise of Android was that it would allow OEMs to avoid this. Part of the promise was that because Android was open, OEMs would be free to customise it to differentiate their products on top of a common platform. But of course, it hasn’t really worked out like that. I think there are a couple of reasons why.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple-designed iBeacon hardware hits FCC: for Apple Stores, developers, or consumers?
http://9to5mac.com/2014/07/12/apple-designed-ibeacon-hardware-hits-fcc-for-apple-stores-for-developers-or-consumers/
iBeaconFCC
On July 4th of this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made filings public from Apple regarding an Apple-branded piece of iBeacon equipment. The hardware is shown above to be a rounded hub-like device with a USB port and a dedicate on and off switch at the bottom…
It is powered by a 5 volt power supply and it works on a 2.4GHz wireless frequency.
iBeacon is an Apple technology first introduced at WWDC 2013 alongside iOS 7. iBeacons allow developers to create iOS applications that can use iBeacon hardware sensors to provide precise location information for the corresponding app.
Apple has a developer website dedicated to both iBeacon software and hardware
Tomi Engdahl says:
LinkedIn acquires Newsle, a Google Alerts-style service for you and your network
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/07/14/linkedin-acquires-newsle-google-alerts-style-service-network/
LinkedIn’s has announced it has acquired Newsle, a service that lets you import your contacts from Facebook or LinkedIn and scans the Web to alerts you whether anyone in your network has been mentioned on the Web.
Last year, LinkedIn acquired Pulse, a news-reader app similar to Flipboard.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft: Over 12 million activations for Lumia 520
http://www.wpcentral.com/microsoft-over-12-million-activations-lumia-520
Microsoft finally offered up some concrete numbers on at least one Windows Phone device as the company revealed that the budget-themed Nokia Lumia 520 has so far registered over 12 million activations.
While third party data had already strongly suggested that the Lumia 520, and its T-Mobile variant the 521, have been the most successful Windows Phone device in terms of shipped units, the specific activation numbers revealed today by Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner finally give a real idea of how successful the budget priced phone has been since its launch over a year ago.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Hat Puts Your Head in the Game
http://hackaday.com/2014/07/22/smart-hat-puts-your-head-in-the-game/
With Google Glass pushing $1,500, it’s only natural for hackers to make a cheaper alternative. [Avind's] $80 version might not be pretty, but it gets the job done.
Using a Raspberry Pi loaded with speech recognition software, a webcam, 2.5 inch LCD display and a handful of other parts, [Arvind's] hat mounted display allows him to view email, Google Maps, videos or just about anything he wants.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone teardown artists CRACK OPEN Amazon’s Kindle Fire
Amazon handset proves a complex bit of kit in repair tests
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/25/amazon_kindle_fire_smart_phone_teardown/
The teardown team at DIY house iFixit has cracked open Amazon’s Kindle Fire smartmobe, and it seems the new handset is indeed a complex piece of kit even by modern smartphone standards.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Project HiJack
http://web.eecs.umich.edu/~prabal/projects/hijack/
Hijacking power and bandwidth from the mobile phone’s audio interface.
Creating a cubic-inch peripheral sensor ecosystem for the mobile phone.
We currently have an example application for iOS, and are working on Android and Microsoft applications. The code for the microcontroller, a TI MSP430, is also available.
HiJack hardware is available from Seeed Studio.
“Project HiJack uses iPhone audio jack to make cheap sensors”
“HiJack Lets You Interface With The iPhone Through the Headphone Jack”
Tomi Engdahl says:
FLIR ONE
http://www.flir.com/flirone/
Normally, our vision is limited to a very small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thermal energy has a much longer wavelength than visible light. So long, in fact, that the human eye can’t even see it, just like we can’t see radio waves.
With thermal imaging, the portion of the spectrum we perceive is dramatically expanded, helping us “see” heat.
The patented, exclusive image-blending process called Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging combines the photo with the thermal image, producing images of unrivaled clarity and quality.
The most compact long-wave Infrared sensor in existence, Lepton captures detailed thermal images or video at the touch of a button.
Scene range temperature: 32 °F to 212 °F (O °C to 100 °C)
iPhone compatibility: iPhone5, iPhone5S running iOS 7 or above
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flir One case turns Apple’s iPhone into a high-end thermal imaging camera
By Sam Oliver
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/07/22/flir-one-case-turns-apples-iphone-into-a-high-end-thermal-imaging-camera
Thermal imaging company Flir has announced that pre-orders for its new One iPhone case — which will let outdoorsmen, HVAC contractors, and people who simply like to see how hot things are convert their iPhone 5 or 5s into a thermal camera — will begin Wednesday, with the device coming to Apple retail stores in August.
Flir hopes the One’s relatively modest $349.99 price tag — a significant discount from the company’s other cameras, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars — will inspire even more creative applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gamers In The Internet Age Need Top Notch Protection
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/developers_corner.asp?c=338
Gaming in the Internet age has brought a ton of great innovations, but it’s also brought a ton of dangers to privacy and our connected devices.
Whether talking about laptops or mobile devices, there are more Internet based viruses and malware out there than ever before. The really bad news is that hackers are starting to realize the potential of computer and mobile gamers when it comes to getting access to their financial information.
Internet gaming services as well as Android and iOS devices have seen an uptick in the number of people who store their personal and financial information on their gadgets for easy access. That easy access goes both ways.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Way to Monitor Your Sleep Without Wearing a Tracker
http://mashable.com/2014/07/24/sense-sleep-tracker/
movie dragon says:
Hi! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content.
Please let me know. Thank you
Tomi Engdahl says:
Publicity to share links pointing to this blog are always wellcome.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Better Google Glass For $60 (This One Folds)
http://hackaday.com/2014/07/28/a-better-google-glass-for-60-this-one-folds/
For [Tony]‘s entry for The Hackaday Prize, he’s doing something we’ve all seen before – a head mounted display, connected to a Bluetooth module, displaying information from a smartphone. What we haven’t seen before is a cheap version of this tech, and a version of Google Glass that folds – you know, like every other pair of glasses on the planet – edges this project over from ‘interesting’ to ‘nearly practica
Tomi Engdahl says:
One in the i for Apple: Smartphone that costs just £26 set to rival the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy at a fraction of the cost
The Indian-made Karbonn A50S hopes to rival market leaders
It shares many of the functions of handsets costing many times more
Britons can buy the handset online and have it sent to them
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2707480/One-Apple-Smartphone-costs-just-26-set-rival-iPhone-Samsung-Galaxy-fraction-cost.html#ixzz38lnMWFSW
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Big Brother’ airport installs world’s first real-time passenger tracking system
Civil liberty groups criticise a new tracking device at Helsinki Airport that can monitor passengers’ footsteps, from arrival at the car park to take-off
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10997539/Big-Brother-airport-installs-worlds-first-real-time-passenger-tracking-system.html
All mobile phones logged into the Wi-Fi network at Helsinki Airport will be monitored by an in-house tracking system that identifies passengers’ real-time movements.
The technology has been criticised by privacy advocate groups, but is said to be aimed at monitoring crowds and preventing bottlenecking at the airport, which sees around 15 million passengers a year, Bloomberg reports.
About 150 white boxes, each the size of a wireless internet router, have been placed at various points around the airport. Equipped with tracking technology from the Finland-based retail analytics company Walkbase, each device is designed to collect the “unique identifier numbers” of all mobile phones which have Wi-Fi access switched on. Users wanting access to the WiFi network will be notified of the monitoring system before they log in to the network.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone kill switch could save US consumers $3.4B, study says
http://www.cnet.com/news/smartphone-kill-switch-could-save-consumers-3-4b-study-says/#ftag=CADf328eec
If kill switches became standard in all phones, consumers could save big on replacement phones and insurance coverage, according to a researcher from Creighton University.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google releases the source code for its I/O 2014 app as a template for developers
http://thenextweb.com/google/2014/07/31/google-releases-source-code-io-2014-app-template-developers/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Square readies new Reader with chip-and-PIN card support ahead of EMV adoption in the US
http://thenextweb.com/us/2014/07/30/square-readies-new-reader-chip-pin-card-support-us/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Indian Inventor Makes A Decidedly Unsexy (But Cool) Open Source Glass Clone
http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/29/indian-inventor-makes-a-decidedly-unsexy-but-cool-open-source-glass-clone/?ncid=rss&cps=gravity
Tomi Engdahl says:
Take a look at HP’s luxury smartwatch
http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/01/HP-gilt-smartwatch-michael-bastian/
Despite their utility, smartwatches remain a geeky niche item thanks to a certain lack of je ne sais quoi. However, HP is partnering with a retailer called Gilt to build an Android- and iOS-compatible smartwatch that may finally tick the style box, thanks to US designer Michael Bastian. He’ll take care of the design, which will feature a circular, 44mm stainless steel case and swappable band
HP will add the watch’s smart features, which will include notifications like email, text and calls, along with user controls for music and other apps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG Heart Rate Monitor Earphone review: good fitness gadget, poor earphones
http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/29/lg-heart-rate-monitor-earphone-review/
Heart rate monitors are no longer the exclusive domain of fitness gadgets. The last 12 months have seen sensors make their way into smartphones and wearables, replacing for many of us the need for a standalone pulse monitor. The problem is a lot of these options have been unable to deliver accurate heart rate mesurements, partly because those sensors have to maintain contact with your skin; if they slip, then the readout skips. Maybe LG has the answer, then: Put heart rate monitoring technology into a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
LG’s Heart Rate Monitor earphones link to an iOS/Android app, with absolutely nothing burdening your wrists.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft: IE11 for Windows Phone 8.1 is TOO GOOD. So we’ll cripple it like Safari
Grudgingly supports quirky features so sites look right
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/01/ie11_nonstandard_feature_support/
The forthcoming Windows Phone 8.1 Update will include plenty of tweaks and fixes for Internet Explorer 11, and while many of them are designed to improve the browser’s web standards compliance, Redmond says others are designed to do exactly the opposite.
The problem, to hear Microsoft tell it, is that IE11 on Windows Phone is just too good. Its compliance with web standards is so total, so perfect, that mobile web sites don’t render the same on IE11 as they do on other mobile browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
In fact, they often look downright awful. We’re told.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Leaked Windows Phone 8.1 Update specs tease details of Nokia’s next mobes
New screen sizes, dual SIMs, voice over LTE, and more
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/29/windows_phone_81_update_1/
The website wranglers at Microsoft appear to have accidentally let slip some details about the forthcoming update to Windows Phone 8.1 – as well as some hints at what we can expect from future handsets running Redmond’s mobile OS.
Native 540-by-960 resolution will be supported on devices with screens with diagonals of up to six inches, while 1280-by-768 and even 1280-by-800 resolution modes will be supported for devices with six- and seven-inch screens.
Bluetooth support will be enhanced
Mixed GSM and CDMA radios will be supported for dual-SIM phones
voice over LTE (VoLTE) will be available
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s official: You can now legally carrier-unlock your mobile in the US
Tomorrow belongs to us, says iFixit boss
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/02/unlock_your_mobile_phone/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flappy Bird is back, and now you can play with friends
http://www.polygon.com/2014/8/1/5960051/flappy-birds-family-app-multiplayer
Dong Nguyen, through his .Gears studio, released Flappy Birds Family today through the Amazon Appstore for Android, but not on Apple’s App Store or Google Play yet. The free game is compatible with Amazon’s Fire TV platform, and includes new obstacles, like ghosts, for players to avoid.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon Appstore Expands to 41 New Countries and Territories, Including Egypt, Indonesia, Singapore, and Turkey
https://developer.amazon.com/public/community/post/Tx15B7GNU90TO6Z/Amazon-Appstore-Expands-to-41-New-Countries-and-Territories-Including-Egypt-Indo
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Up to two BEEELLION’ mobes easily hacked by evil base stations
Android, BlackBerry, and Apple fall to OMA-DM flaw – claim
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/08/two_billeeon_mobile_phones_easily_hackable_with_dummy_base_station/
The mechanisms used to update smartphone operating systems over the air are vulnerable to hijacking and abuse, researchers have claimed.
Mathew Solnik and Marc Blanchou at security firm Accuvant told conference attendees that the problem lies in the Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA-DM) protocol, which is used by about 100 mobile phone manufacturers to deliver software updates and perform network administration.
They found that, to access to handsets remotely, the attacker needs to know the handset’s unique International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number and a secret token.
Tomi Engdahl says:
End-to-end development of personalized medical devices
https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/campaigns/single_topic.cfm?Component=222538&ComponentTemplate=186312
The medical devices industry is experiencing an evolutionary transformation in which diagnostic and therapeutic treatments are increasingly personalized, with patient-specific customization aligned to individual patient conditions, improving therapeutic benefits and in most cases, lowering overall costs.
To support this transformation, medical device companies must evolve their business models to support an engineer-to-order approach in addition to a traditional build-to-stock business. This situation creates the need for business and technical systems that flexibly adapts to both engineer-to-order and build-to-stock delivery of personalized medical products.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AMOLED mobile displays to cost less than LCDs within two years
07/23/2014
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2014/07/amoled-mobile-displays-to-cost-less-than-lcds-within-two-years.html
According to the OLED Technology Report from NPD DisplaySearch (Santa Clara, CA), manufacturing costs for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) mobile phone displays are expected to fall below costs for liquid-crystal display (LCD) mobile phone displays within two years due to rapid improvement in AMOLED panel production yields.
Manufacturing costs for AMOLED panels are currently 10-20% higher than for TFT LCD displays; however, Early on, AMOLED panels were expected to cost less than LCD panels, because they do not require backlighting.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building A Home Made iPhone
http://hackaday.com/2014/08/06/building-a-home-made-iphone/
A few years ago, [Michele] built a mobile device with a touch screen, a relatively powerful processor, and a whole bunch of sensors.
. [Michele] calles it the iGruppio. Although it’s not a feature-packed cell phone, it’s still an impressive project that stands on its own merits.
Inside the iGruppio is a Pic32mx microcontroller, a 240×320 TFT touchscreen, and enough sensors to implement a 10 DOF IMU
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s ‘Sproutling!’ Wearable Tech For Babies Has Come to Full Term
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/its-a-sproutling-wearable-tech-for-babies-has-come-to-full-term?trk_source=popular
Parenthood 2.0 has finally Sprouted. Designed by “alums of Apple and Google,” Sproutling, a new app—and, even better, wearable band and wireless charging dock—disrupts how disruptive babies can be.
At the dawn of time, humans had to stay within earshot of their young—that is, until the audio-only baby monitor opened up the whole of downstairs to them. That is the might of technology. Or was. Now, in what may signal the peak of bio-technical evolution thus far, child care can be carried out while you get closer with your beloved, the iPhone.
“Being a new parent is like trying to make it to 10 different appointments in a new city without using a GPS. It’s a life full of uncertainty and no clear turn-by-turn directions, which leaves parents (and newborns) trying to slowly learn and guess along the way, night after sleepless night,” the promo says.
While parent 1.0s could only blindly guess as to whether their child was, say, awake by using their senses, with Sproutling, you’re getting 16 different measurements every second.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wait, an actual QR code use case? TGI Friday’s builds techno-restaurant
Flop out your mobe and get it over with as quick as you can
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/08/tfi_fridays_go_tech_in_manchester/
The good burghers of TGI Friday’s have cooked up a plan to get you in and out of their eateries faster: using mobile tech.
The restaurant’s Manchester Piccadilly Station branch is the first Fast Track TGI Friday’s, which aims to serve you within ten minutes and help you pay quickly and leave by using your mobile phone.
TGI Friday’s is not alone in exploring tech. Pizza Hut has looked at using a Microsoft Surface style table
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trying to sell your house? It’d better have KILLER mobile coverage
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/30/mobile_coverage_is_the_top_thing_house_renters_look_for/
Young property buyers see mobile coverage as a more important when it comes to choosing a location – rating it as more important than proximity to schools and transport or local crime rates, says a report commissioned by mobile survey company RootMetrics.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Multiple user accounts coming to Android phones ‘n’ slabs
Someone’s thought of the children, but perhaps not of Samsung, VMware and Citrix
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/08/user_accounts_coming_to_android/
It looks like user accounts are coming to Android.
“Tablets are able to have multiple accounts for multiple users, allowing the users to install an app only for themselfes . Storage space of phones is growing”
That suggestion prompts a response from an Android development project team member to the effect that “The development team has implemented this feature and it will be available as a part of the next public build.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cheap wearable electronics start coming from China:
Bluetooth2.1+EDR Smart Health Bracelet Sleep Sport Pedometer Wristband
http://www.banggood.com/Bluetooth2_1EDR-Smart-Health-Bracelet-Sleep-Sport-Pedometer-Wristband-p-939761.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Xiaomi makes its cloud messaging service optional for users following security concerns
http://thenextweb.com/asia/2014/08/10/xiaomi-makes-miui-cloud-messaging-service-optional-users-following-security-concerns/
Fast-growing Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi is making the cloud messaging service that is automatically activated on its devices optional for users, following security concerns raised during the past week.
The MIUI Cloud Messaging service works much like Apple’s iMessage. It routes SMS sent between fellow MIUI device owners via the internet, meaning that they can message each other for free.
However, a recent report from F-Secure highlighted that the service appears to share a range of information with a server in China — including the device’s IMEI number, customer’s phone number, phone contacts and text messages received.
Now Xiaomi is introducing a way for users to opt out of the service if they wish
In response to a range of conspiracy theories offered following F-Secure’s findings, Barra said that the MIUI Cloud Messaging service does not store information about a user’s phone book or their social graph (i.e. details of overlap between users) on its servers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
NVIDIA Tegra K1: First Mobile Chip With Hardware-Accelerated OpenCL
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/14/08/10/1835228/nvidia-tegra-k1-first-mobile-chip-with-hardware-accelerated-opencl
The latest CompuBench GPU benchmarks show NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 running whole OpenCL algorithms around 5x faster than any other mobile device, and individual instructions around 20x faster!
it is clearly the only mobile chip that actually gives you proper hardware-accelerated OpenCL (and CUDA of course!).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maxim’s Articles
Ambient-Light Sensing for Portable Displays
http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/maxim/ambient-light-sensing-for-portable-displays/
Adding an ambient light sensor to portable devices such as tablets, smartphones, and laptops extends battery life and enables easy-to-view displays that are optimized to the environment. This discussion covers the various issues that arise when using such sensors in portable devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft isn’t out of the entry-level market yet, after announcing a $25 Nokia feature phone
http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2014/08/11/microsoft-isnt-out-of-the-entry-level-market-yet-after-announcing-a-25-nokia-feature-phone/
Fresh from a change of direction which will mean an end to Nokia X, Asha and S60 devices, Microsoft has pulled a bit of a surprise with the announcement of a €19 ($25) device aimed squarely at first-time phone buyers across the world.
The company is putting all its smartphone efforts into the Windows Phone platform, but the new Nokia 130 bucks that trend since it is built on Nokia’s Series 30 software.
Despite the less-than-impressive specs, the device is interesting because it appears to go against the focus on Windows Phone.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook Messenger Privacy Fears? Here’s What to Know
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/08/08/facebook-messenger-privacy-fears-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
The Internet has been simmering lately over privacy concerns surrounding Facebook FB Messenger app, which will soon become the only way mobile users can send and receive messages on the social network.
But amid the forced adoption of Messenger, some bloggers have cried foul over seemingly draconian permissions required for users of the Android version of the app. Most of the criticisms echo a December Huffington Post article that highlighted several Orwellian-sounding policies, like the ability of the app to “call phone numbers without your intervention,” and “use the camera at any time without your permission.”
“Facebook has pushed this too far. It’s time we stood up and said ‘no!’” The Huffington Post article said.
But according to Facebook, the concerns about its Messenger app are overblown, and based on misinformation.
Much of the problem, Facebook says, is due to Android’s rigid policy on permissions.
While Android app users must agree to all permissions before using the app, iPhone users can decline to give permission to the app for some features
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook Messenger Hysteria
http://itworksllc.net/facebook-messenger-hysteria
There’s a lot of hysteria floating around because of the new requirement to install Facebook Messenger on your phone. To clarify, you don’t HAVE to install Facebook Messenger on your phone. You simply have to if you want to continue sending messages to your Facebook friends, because Facebook has decided to make it a separate app. Why? Who knows – but it’s most likely that Facebook is trying to become huge in the messaging arena, like AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and ICQ once were.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft celebrates reaching 300,000 Windows Phone apps
Almost doubles in a year
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2359614/microsoft-celebrates-reaching-300-000-windows-phone-apps
MICROSOFT HAS ANNOUNCED that it has reached some 300,000 apps in its Windows Phone store, almost doubling ts apps count in a year.
The firm is playing catchup with apps compared to Apple and Google, but says that hundreds of new applications are added to its store every day.
Its 300,000 and rising tally looks light when compared against Apple and Google’s numbers, both of which tot up to some one million and have stayed relatively consistently level for some two years.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawei to slash low-end mobile phone models: executive
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140809000040&cid=1206&MainCatID=12
Huawei plans to phase out more than 80% of its low-end mobile phone models in the second half of this year and keep only a few models in the market, a senior executive of the company has told Shanghai’s China Business News.
In the future, Huawei will focus more on mobile phone branding and profits, said Richard Yu, CEO of the Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Khronos unveils OpenGL 4.5, broadens OpenCL 2.0 language support
New SPIR spec makes compute kernel compilation a breeze
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/11/khronos_unveils_opengl_4_5_and_spir_2/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Guy Tracks Everything About Himself And Puts It Up Online For Everyone To See
http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/07/this-guy-tracks-everything-about-himself-and-puts-it-up-online-for-everyone-to-see/?ncid=rss&cps=gravity
Software developer and designer Anand Sharma started tracking everything about himself in March, including how many steps he takes in a day, the distance traveled, how he traveled there (bike, walking, plane, etc) and even how many GitHub commits or Instagram uploads he’s made throughout the day.
Sharma uses various apps on his phone such as Nike+, FourSquare and Moves to track it all.
He also said it was helping him to make overall better decisions. Sharma illustrated this with how he’s been tracking his vitamin level. “My Vitamin D is low right now, so I know I need to spend more time in the sun and not forget to take my vitamins. I think I’m so used to seeing things on digital interfaces that it has become the way I most easily think and process information. And seeing it change in response to things I do creates a great feedback loop,” Sharma told
Tomi Engdahl says:
This is Samsung’s VR headset
http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/12/5996293/this-is-samsungs-vr-headset
Samsung will be showing its rumored virtual reality headset at its upcoming product event in early September, The Verge has learned, where the company is widely expected to announce the Galaxy Note 4. The headset — codenamed “Project Moonlight” — appears to be a bit like Google’s Cardboard, a box with lenses that can effectively turn a smartphone display into an immersive world.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Verizon to launch VoLTE in Q4, but delays first LTE-only phones to 2016
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/verizon-launch-volte-q4-delays-first-lte-only-phones-2016/2014-08-12
Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) intends to launch Voice over LTE service in the fourth quarter of this year, and the carrier plans to use the technology to introduce new, high-definition telepresence services, according to Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo.
It’s not clear what the cause of the delay is, but it could relate to Verizon’s oft-stated concern that its VoLTE service needs to be just as reliable as its CDMA voice network. By removing CDMA chipsets Verizon could lower the cost of its phones. Verizon’s voice traffic currently travels over its CDMA network, but the carrier is moving that voice traffic to its LTE network with VoLTE.
Verizon executives reiterated this spring that the carrier plans to launch VoLTE sometime this year on a nationwide basis.
As for Verizon’s competitors, T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) recently said it now has 200 million POPs covered with Voice over LTE technology on it network, though it doesn’t sell many VoLTE-capable phones. AT&T Mobility (NYSE: T) has launched VoLTE in some markets in the Midwest. Sprint (NYSE: S) for its part has not yet given a timetable for when it will launch VoLTE, though there are rumors it may do so in the first half of 2015.
Shammo said VoLTE “doesn’t create a lot of incremental benefit” but that it does open up “many new doors for many technologies to launch on that platform.”
Based upon evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) and available commercially beginning with 3GPP Release 9, LTE Broadcast replaces clunky unicast content delivery with a single-frequency network broadcast mode that can send the same content to mass audiences within a specific area. Shammo said LTE Multicast is a “pivotal” technology “that starts to change the way content is delivered over a mobile handset.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Uber Is About To Launch An API
http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/12/uber-api/
Uber wins when you hit the “Request A Ride” button, so shouldn’t it try to put that button everywhere? It seemed like a smart plan, so I did some digging and now sources confirm to me that Uber plans to launch an API soon.
Google Maps was just the start. While it’s not clear what the exact functionality will be, the Uber API could potentially let partnered developers add the request button to their apps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yo now lets you send links, “Yo” hashtags and set up IFTTT-style alerts with other services
http://thenextweb.com/apps/2014/08/12/yo-now-lets-send-links-post-hashtags-set-ifttt-style-alerts-services/
Yo, a simple messaging app that sends nothing but the word “Yo,” just got a little more complicated.
Growing tired of a simple “Yo?” The updated app now lets you attach any link saved to your clipboard; simply long-press the username in your home feed to attach and send the URL. A simple upgrade, but one that gives you the ability to explain why you’re messaging (or just virtually prodding) someone.
There’s also the Yo Index, which transforms the app into a more advanced notification system. By plugging into third-party websites and services, the app can send you a “Yo” when a user you follow on Instagram posts a new photo, or when a post on Hacker News breezes past 500 up-votes. It’s similar to If This Then That (IFTTT), although the resulting action is obviously just a “Yo.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
iOS drops to 67% enterprise share in Q2 2014, Android grows to 32%, and Windows Phone stays flat at 1%
http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2014/08/12/ios-drops-67-enterprise-share-q2-2014-android-grows-32-windows-phone-stays-flat-1/
Apple’s iOS still rules the enterprise space, even after having fallen 5 percentage points to 67 percent of total device activations in Q2 2014. Android device activations increased the same amount to 32 percent of total activations last quarter, while Windows Phone activations remain consistent with the five previous quarters: flat at 1 percent.