Posts Tagged ‘iPhone’
Wireless, Chipless Tech Transfers Cash from Your Smartphone Using Ultrasound
Zoosh me a $20?
You can read , but as a basic summary, NFC is a short-range wireless tech similar to RFID, in which small chunks of information can be passed among devices like smartphones and all sorts of other appliances like point-of-sale units, subway entry points, and even less mechanical items like movie posters. There's only one major NFC-enabled smartphone--the Samsung Nexus S--in the U.S. at the moment, and the infrastructure is in its infancy, but other countries have robust NFC or NFC-type setups and all signs point to a North American embrace as well.
But NFC is a few years off, and Zoosh is here right now. Zoosh, coming from a small Silicon Valley startup, is a software solution that uses the audio hardware found in phones to communicate. As every phone is necessarily equipped with a speaker and microphone, Zoosh saw an opening to use that hardware, rather than create something new. To send data (whether it's a URL, a phone number, or payment information), Zoosh broadcasts ultrasonic audio in a frequency not audible to human ears, around 20,000Hz. A speaker in another phone (or, later, a point-of-sale unit, which the startup claims can be upgraded for only $30) picks up that audio and translates it back into the intended data. You can see it in action in this wholly Silicon Valley video.
What's most intriguing about Zoosh is its ease of adoption. All a smartphone needs is a simple app that unlocks its ability to communicate in this way, and there's no need to worry about compatibility, as all phones have the required hardware. We don't know many specifics at the moment--the speed of transfer and amount of data that can be transferred is still unknown--but it's a surprising and seemingly very practical solution. At least, it's a practical stopgap until NFC gets here.
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Google Translate Hits the iPhone App Store
The best and worst in mobile 2010: It’s all about Apple and Android
It’s been a big year for mobile news. Android continued its strong growth in the smartphone market, Apple shook things up with the iPhone 4 and completely rejuvenated the tablet market with the iPad, and former mobile titans like RIM, Palm and Nokia struggled to maintain their relevancy.
I may be a little biased as VentureBeat’s lead mobile writer, but this year made it clear to me why mobile is one of the most exciting and vibrant areas in technology right now. The research firm IDC predicted in September that this year over last, and it doesn’t look like that will slow down anytime soon. Come next year, we can expect cheaper and more capable smartphones, and tablets that can finally stand up to the iPad.
But before we enter 2011, let’s take a look back at some of the best and worst stories in mobile news this year.
The Best
The iPad finally gets the tablet right, others follow suit
Apple’s wildly successful tablet was one of the worst kept secrets in the technology industry by the end of 2009, when multiple reports pointed to the fact that Apple was gearing up to introduce a tablet device. But not everybody was excited for yet another computing platform (). But, Apple being Apple, it managed to defy expectations , and it continued to do so as the tablet sold like crazy, .
Mere speculation of the iPad sparked an entirely new wave of tablets earlier this year, but most of those early entries failed, like the HP Slate and (more on the latter below). As it was becoming clearer that the iPad was a success, pretty much every major technology company threw their hats into the tablet arena, with the majority adopting Android as their tablet platform of choice. While is the only legitimate Android iPad competitor right now, we can expect even stronger competition next year. RIM also , which looks cool, but didn’t do much to negate the company’s failure to innovate this year (see below).
Android adoption grows like wildfire thanks to killer devices
Google’s Android platform wasn’t truly successful until the release of the Motorola Droid in November 2009, which was buoyed by a strong anti-Apple marketing campaign. Verizon apparently spent $100 million advertising the Droid, an investment which went on to help the entire Android platform in 2011. Earlier this month, Google’s every day (nearly 10 million a month), up from around 50,000 activations at the beginning of the year. In comparison, in its last quarter.
We can also point to the slew of great Android devices this year as a driving force behind the platform’s success. The year started off with the first true “Google phone”, the Nexus One, which Google attempted to sell on its own through an online store. That plan , but the Nexus One heralded other superpowered Android phones like the Evo 4G and Droid X. In the second half of the year, Samsung unveiled its ambitious Galaxy S line of phones across all major US carriers, which we’ll discuss further below.
Basically, if you were on the lookout for an Android phone this year, it was tough to be disappointed.
Apple’s iPhone 4: Its most polished entry yet
Despite the many great Android phones that hit the market this year — which brought a sexy new design, high-definition video recording, front facing camera and FaceTime for video conferencing, and a high-resolution “Retina Display.” Apple didn’t increase the iPhone’s screen size to compete with larger Android phones, but the iPhone 4’s display looks so good it didn’t seem to matter that it was still 3.5-inches.
But while the iPhone 4 is definitely one of the best phones to come out this year, it isn’t without it’s problems, as we’ll discuss below.
Samsung comes out of nowhere to become a major Android manufacturer
Samsung has been building mobile phones for years now, and it’s also released a couple of low-end Android phones. So you can imagine the surprise when, seemingly out of nowhere, featuring its droolworthy 4-inch Super AMOLED screens and its powerful 1-gigahertz Hummingbird processor. And the company didn’t just focus on hardware — Samsung also managed to bring its Galaxy S phones across all major U.S carriers.
The company’s ambition has seemed to pay off. Samsung announced in November that it , and earlier this month we reported that . Much of the hardware in the Galaxy S phones went into Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablet, which has sold 1 million units two months after it launched. And of course, Samsung’s Galaxy S experience , the second Google phone and Nexus One successor.
Front-facing cameras for mobile video chat
Before we knew the official specifications of the iPhone 4, it was widely known that it would pack a front-facing camera for mobile video conferencing. At the time, I argued that , something I believed would be the next killer feature in smartphones. When Apple finally unveiled the iPhone 4, its was one of the biggest announcements. Finally, we had a simple way to initiate mobile video chats from our phones as easily as making a standard phone call.
While FaceTime is certainly restricted by only working on WiFi networks, Apple made the technology even more useful and the most recent iPod Touch version (which also sports cameras).
Android phones like the Evo 4G, MyTouch 4G and Nexus S also feature front-facing cameras, and I suspect the feature will become even more common next year. The new wave of front cameras also opened the doors for , which has created mobile video chat apps that will work across the iPhone and Android.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 is surprisingly cool
Perhaps it was the low expectations going in, but count me as shocked that Microsoft was actually able to make a desirable smartphone platform in Windows Phone 7 — one that offered some key difference from its competitors, as well as an attractive and refreshing user interface.
Microsoft , but didn’t until October. And by that point, it was obvious that to regain its relevancy in mobile devices. The company , and a few weeks after the phones hit shelves. Microsoft announced yesterday that , which doesn’t tell us much about actual users, but it’s a sign that consumers definitely want the phones.
Microsoft knew what it needed to succeed: Attractive high-end smartphones, a strong app community and a modern OS. With Windows Phone 7, it managed to put together all of the right pieces to deliver a platform , even if it is several years too late.
Worst
Microsoft’s Kin: The phones nobody wanted
Kin. Need I say anything else? From the moment , its misguided attempt at capturing the youth market, it was clear that Kin was an idea several years too late. They were severely restricted phones that had subscription plans just as expensive as real smartphones. So it was no surprise when Microsoft, surely with plenty of egg on its face, several weeks after the phones hit stores.
At the time of the Kin’s death, I wrote:
What started as an ambitious attempt to justify Microsoft’s purchase of Danger, the company behind the popular Sidekick messaging phones, turned into a misguided attempt at trying to figure out what young people find cool. Never mind that many teenagers and twenty-somethings had already moved on to legitimate smartphone platforms.
The Kin phones lacked an application store and seemingly basic functionality like a calendar and instant messaging software — a glaring omission for something aimed at “connected” youth. Ultimately, the Kin’s failure is one Microsoft needs to remember: Instead of trying to force-feed a lackluster product to consumers, perhaps it should devote more time on creating something people actually want — like it did with the Xbox 360.
Microsoft kills the Courier dual-screen “digital journal”
At a time when every company seemed hell-bent on taking on the iPad with tablets of their own, was a breath of fresh air. Courier was a dual-screened “digital journal” that was touch-screen capable, but also featured a stylus pen for hand written text, diagrams and more. Video demonstrations of the product made it seem like the evolution of the digital planner, combined with a personal journal and web-enabled tablet.
It was an ambitious move for Microsoft — so before the project even got off the ground.
iPhone 4 design issues: Antennagate, glassgate and the elusive white iPhone 4
As beautiful as Apple’s iPhone 4 may be, it became clear over the course of the year that Apple may have actually over-designed the phone to the point where its looks was interfering with its functionality.
The first big issue was antennagate: As soon as the iPhone 4 started getting into consumers’ hands, many began to notice that they could repeatedly kill their iPhone’s reception by holding the lower-left corner of the device. This time around, Apple made the device’s antenna an integral part of its design, and it appeared as if that allowed users to easily block reception. The issue became so widely known that to address the issue, where he mentioned that in a similar manner. Jobs , and instituted a program to offer free cases to every iPhone 4 owner.
But the iPhone 4’s troubles didn’t stop there. Several gadget sites eventually reported on another phenomenon, , where certain cases that slid onto the back of the iPhone could trap dirt and debris, eventually leading to scratches and cracks on its rear glass panel. Apple never admitted to the issue, but ended up removing sliding cases from its online stores and retail locations. The company is reportedly investigating just how widespread the issue is. It doesn’t appear to be affecting as many users as antennagate, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple is keen on avoiding any further controversy with the iPhone 4.
The iPhone 4’s design was . Apple showed off white iPhone 4s when it was first announced, but that version never found its way to stores. Apparently, the white iPhone 4’s glass back was leaking in light — to the point where it was washing out pictures taken by the device’s camera. The issue was apparently discovered at the last-minute by Apple. The company ended up delaying the release of the white iPhone 4 three times without explanation– now .
HP buys Palm … and does nothing with it
Following lackluster sales of the Palm Pre and Pixi, former mobile leader Palm was in a tough spot at the beginning of the year, and it quickly became obvious that the company was looking to sell. after from four other major companies. The acquisition showed that HP was serious about becoming a player in the smartphone business, and we argued .
That may still happen eventually, but for now it doesn’t look like HP has done much with Palm. In October, of Palm’s innovative webOS operating system, but at the same time it revealed the Palm Pre 2, which was nothing more than a speed upgrade to the original Pre. At a time when killer Android phones were coming left and right, it seemed downright crazy that Palm still didn’t have a major new handset. At least early next year with the “PalmPad.”
RIM and Nokia continue their downward spiral into irrelevancy
I suppose it was too much to ask to see some spark of innovation from either Research in Motion or Nokia this year. Both companies managed to release new flagship devices that somehow feel several years too late.
, it’s first attempt at combining a multitouch screen with its beloved BlackBerry hardware keyboard, which ran its new BlackBerry 6 operating system. Unfortunately, the new OS wasn’t the major upgrade that RIM needed to compete with more modern competitors, and the Torch was hampered by a slow processor and low display resolution. In the end, it was a minor release when RIM needed something major. Next year RIM may release a phone featuring the next-generation OS on its PlayBook tablet, but who knows when that will actually happen.
Nokia faced similar software problems with its N8 smartphone. In my review, . Nokia too is gearing up to release a next-generation OS next year, dubbed Meego, together with Intel. But Meego has seen some serious delays, and unless it comes out early next year, it risks being too little, too late, for Nokia.
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Companies: , , , , , ,
Sony Ericsson’s PlayStation Phone expected to debut in April (report)
The rumored Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone powered by Android could hit stores as early as April, according to the news site .
Pictures and videos about the upcoming game-focused phone have been appearing for a few months, suggesting that something is happening. The phone would likely be Sony’s response to the competitive threat from Apple’s iPhone, which has become a major gaming device with tens of thousands of game apps. And since it’s running Android, it will give that platform some much-needed gaming cred as well.
Sony Ericsson also has to worry about the threat from Windows Phone 7 phones, which feature integration with Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming service.
Pocket-lint said that the phone would like be announced at the Mobile World Congress in February, not at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, as some had hoped.
, the phone will come with a slide-out keypad that features game-like controls in the familiar PlayStation pattern of a square, x, triangle, and circle buttons. The device reportedly has a 1 gigahertz Qualcomm MSM8655, 512 megabytes of random access memory, a gigabyte of read-only memory, and the screen is 3.7 to 4.1 inches.
Sony Ericsson hasn’t commented. But the company’s chief executive, Bert Nordberg, said in November, “There’s a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere”, when asked about the PlayStation phone’s existence.
“Sony has an extremely strong offering in the gaming market, and that’s very interesting”, Nordberg said before adding: “gaming, including content, is a very interesting proposition”.
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Photo app Instagram is (probably) raising money from Benchmark
I’m hearing that , an iPhone photo application that’s attracting a lot of buzz, is raising a new funding round led by Benchmark Capital.
To be clear, my source is well-positioned to hear about the deal, but they aren’t directly involved, so you may want to classify this as a rumor. Last month, that Instagram was looking to raise money at a $20 million valuation, with Sequoia Capital positioned as the lead investor. I’ve emailed Instagram, Benchmark, and Sequoia for comment, and I’ll update if I hear back from any of them.
, add filters and location information, and post them across multiple social networks. You can follow other users’ photo streams and comment on photos or say that you like them. I haven’t seen any user or download numbers, but it seems like Instagram is becoming the default photo-sharing app among many of the people I know in the startup world.
Benchmark’s social portfolio already and . — Tumblr is so photo-heavy that the two companies could be seen as potential competitors, though Instagram lets its users post their photos to Tumblr.
Back when the Instagram team was from Andreessen Horowitz and Baseline Ventures. However, , and he said he would take a more passive role in Instagram.
Companies: , , ,
Photo app Instagram is (probably) raising money from Benchmark
I’m hearing that , an iPhone photo application that’s attracting a lot of buzz, is raising a new funding round led by Benchmark Capital.
To be clear, my source is well-positioned to hear about the deal, but they aren’t directly involved, so you may want to classify this as a rumor. Last month, that Instagram was looking to raise money at a $20 million valuation, with Sequoia Capital positioned as the lead investor. I’ve emailed Instagram, Benchmark, and Sequoia for comment, and I’ll update if I hear back from any of them.
, add filters and location information, and post them across multiple social networks. You can follow other users’ photo streams and comment on photos or say that you like them. I haven’t seen any user or download numbers, but it seems like Instagram is becoming the default photo-sharing app among many of the people I know in the startup world.
Benchmark’s social portfolio already and . — Tumblr is so photo-heavy that the two companies could be seen as potential competitors, though Instagram lets its users post their photos to Tumblr.
Back when the Instagram team was from Andreessen Horowitz and Baseline Ventures. However, , and he said he would take a more passive role in Instagram.
Companies: , , ,
Foursquare unveils comments and photos with new iPhone app
Popular check in application today unveiled the next version of its iPhone application according to the . The most notable features include being able to comment on friend’s check ins and photo sharing. The app is available .
Last week, the company shared an indicator of the , which thanked “SantaJobs,” apparently a reference to Apple cofounder and CEO Steve Jobs.
The comments feature is meant to help give users some added value around meeting up with friends and exploring around town. For example, a user could see that a friend checked in nearby and tell them to come join them at the bar for a drink. Comments are only viewable by Foursquare friends.
The photos feature will allow for users to attach photos to a friend’s comment or the venue itself. Photos attached to a friend’s comment will only be visible by friends, but photos on venues will be visible by everyone.
The two new features are planned to be available on Android next week and the company points out that apps like Instagram, FoodSpotting and PicPlz, which use photo sharing and Foursquare, are trying to integrate with the new features.
The New York City-based company, founded in 2009, has raised more than $21 million in funding and currently has more than 40 employees in its hometown and a new engineering office it’s opening in San Francisco.
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