Huawei had a pretty good 2013, wants to ship 80 million smartphones this year
At Huawei’s CES press conference, executive VP Colin Giles reminisced on 2013, when the company truly embarked on moving from an ODM to a consumer-facing OEM. By the end of the year, 95% of all handsets left its factories with the Huawei branding attached, and in Q4 2013, smartphone shipments topped 17.5 million. In the previous quarter, the Chinese phone-crafter jumped into the top three manufacturers worldwide, according to various analysts. Despite all the company’s success and rapid growth, there’s no intention to slow down — Giles wrapped things up by setting Huawei’s sales targets for 2014, and no less than 80 million devices will do.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Dish launches a wireless set-top box and one that can record eight shows at once
Dish may have announced a smart TV app yesterday, but that doesn’t mean it’s quite done with the CES announcements. Here in Vegas, the company is showing off two more Dish set-top boxes, both of which are meant to work alongside the Hopper DVR to extend your TV-watching into other rooms of the house. Most notable, perhaps, is the Wireless Joey, which eliminates the physical connection to the Hopper, making it ideal for rooms that either don’t have a coaxial input, or that have a wall-mounted TV setup. Instead of cables, the box uses a wireless access point with 802.11ac WiFi to create a private connection, with room for up to two set-top boxes per access point. Additionally, the aptly named Super Joey adds two additional tuners to allow for recording of up to eight simultaneous shows (any four, plus ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC).
On the software front, the Hopper’s user interface has been fine-tuned so that it’s easier to manage the various tuners. You can also now search by “Recommended Shows.” Meanwhile, the Dish Anywhere app now has transfers built in, so that you don’t have to use a separate app. It’s coming first to iOS and Android devices, with a Kindle version coming later in Q1. Additionally, the Dish Explorer app for iPad is getting voice search for live, on-demand and recorded shows. In terms of availability, we so far know that the Super Joey is coming sometime in Q1, with the Wireless Joey following in Q2. As for the apps, you should be able to enjoy the integrated Transfers right now, though the rest of the app updates aren’t scheduled to roll out until later this year.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Pebble introduces the Steel, an all-metal smartwatch with an elegant look (video)
To say 2013 was a good year for Pebble is a huge understatement. The company started out at last year’s CES showing off functional versions of its iconic smartwatch — you know, the one that generated over $10 million on Kickstarter in a matter of weeks — and it ended the year by announcing it had pushed more than 300,000 units and was planning to launch a dedicated app store. But while the watch has a healthy ecosystem, loyal following and a sporty look, the Pebble isn’t exactly the kind of device you slap on your wrist for wine-tastings or galas at the local art gallery. For those types of events, you’ll need a premium-looking smartwatch, but good luck finding one; you’ll probably just opt for your traditional Rolex or other fancy piece of wrist jewelry over anything else on the market.
Fortunately Pebble didn’t come to CES empty-handed this year. CEO Eric Migicovsky announced the Pebble Steel at the company’s press conference this morning, which takes the original Pebble watch and encapsulates it in an all-stainless steel, CNC-machined body. If you like the idea of the Pebble, but don’t think it radiates enough elegance or class, the $250 Steel may be more up your alley. The new device will be available alongside its predecessor on January 28th, but you can pre-order it beginning today.
So what did we think about Pebble’s new look? In a nutshell, we like it (although the jury’s still out on the name itself). Keep reading below to get our full take on the new watch, and enjoy the image gallery and hands-on video first.
Before we go any further, let’s make an important clarification. The Pebble Steel isn’t replacing the original version, which will continue to be available for $150 through several different channels. Fortunately, it isn’t creating fragmentation within the Pebble lineup either; aside from a few minor hardware changes (such as a new charger, Gorilla Glass, an anti-fingerprint coating and an LED notification light, which is used to indicate the watch is charging), the Steel adds very little extra functionality. Many of the other specs remain the same: the e-paper display, waterproof design, user interface and battery are identical.
Indeed, the most striking changes to the Steel are all cosmetic, all of which are welcome improvements that give the Pebble a much more mature appearance. The stainless steel body is surrounded by a small, black racing stripe near the top, which doubles as an external antenna; without it, the Bluetooth signal would be consistently obstructed by the watch’s metal chassis. Each Steel will come with two wristbands — leather (below) and metal (above) — but this time, standard bands aren’t going to be compatible. Pebble plans to release the design specs in a 3D-printable format, in case third-party manufacturers want to come up with a wider variety of options.
You can also choose between two available colors: Brushed Stainless and Black Matte. While both models feature the same build material and quality, the black unit’s casing is coated with a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) finish that helps make the body more scratch-resistant and slightly more durable.
We’ve always been fond of the original Pebble’s look, but there is definitely something to be said about the fact that the Steel is simply more stylish, not to mention easier to use. It still feels just as comfortable to wear and even the buttons offer a more enjoyable experience; we didn’t feel like we had to push as hard on the Steel’s buttons to navigate around the UI, which is a huge win for the watch’s industrial design.
Earlier we mentioned that the Steel unfortunately doesn’t use the same charger as the original version. Since the new watch is shaped quite a bit differently than its predecessor, the team had to make some adjustments. Fortunately, the result is at least a good one: In theory, since the contacts actually have a little bit more surface area, it charges the Steel faster. Also, don’t worry about having to buy a new one — as you might expect, it’ll come with one in the box.
On the firmware side, the Steel will come with Pebble OS 2.0 built-in, and you’ll be able to take advantage of the company’s new App Store. CEO Eric Migicovsky tells us that more than 6,000 developers have already submitted apps, so the Steel should have a pretty healthy selection of games, watchfaces and other apps when it launches. This list of apps includes ESPN, Pandora, GoPro, Yelp, Foursquare and Mercedes.
Pebble Steel. January 28th. Tell your friends.
Mozilla kicks off Firefox OS tablet developer program, teases new ZTE phones
As it turns out, Mozilla’s Panasonic smart TV deal is just the start of its Firefox OS plans for this year. The web pioneer has just unveiled a tablet developer program that will give dedicated contributors both reference hardware (initially from Foxconn) and other resources; they’ll help create the tablet-native Firefox OS in the same communal fashion that Mozilla builds its desktop browser. The firm tells us that it wants to start the program shortly after CES, with a goal of finishing its slate interface sometime this year.
The company is also providing the first details of ZTE’s second-generation FFOS smartphones. The Open family is expanding to include two upgraded models, the Open C and the dual-core Open II; there isn’t much more to say at this point, although we should learn more in the near future. If you’re looking for something more tangible, you’ll be happy to hear that VIA Technologies has released a version of its tiny APC Rock desktop PC with Mozilla’s OS pre-installed. The bare system is available by itself for $59, while those who want it in a recycled case (Paper) will pay $99.
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Tablets, Mobile
Source: APC (1), (2), Mozilla Blog
Qualcomm’s AllPlay wireless streaming adds iHeartRadio, Panasonic and Altec Lansing to its list of partners
Though Qualcomm introduced the AllPlay wireless streaming technology at its Uplinq conference in San Diego four months ago, it wasn’t ready for OEMs and app developers to start incorporating into their products. That ends today, however, with the official commercial availability of the AllPlay smart media platform. Several companies have already committed themselves to the standard, like Grooveshark, Tune-In, Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, Panasonic and Altec Lansing, with more on the way. A key factor in AllPlay’s platform is Qualcomm’s new smart audio module — which has an Atheros 2×2 dual-band WiFi SoC — that manufacturers can simply pop in their existing offerings and have it instantly be AllPlay-friendly. Today’s announcement also includes the release of AllPlay’s Click SDK so that developers can start integrating AllPlay functionality into their Android and iOS apps.
As a brief reminder, AllPlay is an audio-streaming solution based on Qualcomm’s AllJoyn connectivity framework. It’s thus designed to be open source, promising universal interoperability among software and hardware that adhere to the AllPlay protocol. That means AllPlay devices should play well with compatible apps and vice versa. Thanks to a Party mode feature, you can play different songs on different speakers throughout the house and have separate volume controls for each. Other goodies include support for a variety of different audio codecs (MP3, AAC, AAC+, FLAC and WAV just to name a few) and DLNA support.
“We prefer the analog approach of interoperability,” says Sy Choudhury, senior director of product management for Qualcomm. Either consumers have to buy into a single company, or they have to settle for something like stereo Bluetooth, which Choudhury says doesn’t offer high enough audio quality. “Snapdragon allowed a lot more interoperability and smaller OEMs to join the mobile market … we’re trying to do the same with the home audio industry.” As for just when we’ll see the first consumer device with AllPlay, that remains to be seen, but it seems like we should expect a few by the end of 2014.
Filed under: Wireless
Source: Qualcomm
Panasonic will bring Firefox OS to your smart TV this year
Firefox OS won’t be confined to small devices for much longer. Panasonic has announced a partnership with Mozilla that will see it launch Firefox OS-powered smart TVs and other “smart screens.” The deal potentially opens up the frequently proprietary world of TV software — since the program guide and other interface elements will be web pages, they won’t be limited to any one company’s hardware. It should also be easier to write remote control apps, personalize the interface and integrate TVs with home automation systems. Panasonic isn’t going into more detail about the hardware at this stage, but it tells us that the first Firefox OS TVs should arrive in the “latter part” of this year.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Software, HD
Source: Mozilla Blog
Engadget for Android 2.0 is here!
You’ve been asking for a new version of our Android app, and we’ve been listening. And after months of development and testing, Engadget for Android 2.0 is finally here, just in time for you to use it stay on top of all of the latest news from CES! We’ve totally rebuilt the app from the ground up, with a ton of new features and enhancements, including:
- An all new card UI layout: Each card highlights the media within the article, highlighting comment count and share tools
- Most Popular articles lets you get a quick view of what’s trending on Engadget
- Easy content sharing via any app on your device that supports sharing
- Podcasts now play in the background
- Send tips to Engadget directly from the app
- Quick access to sections like Reviews, Videos and Galleries from the side drawer
- Comment counts turn orange as the conversation goes deeper, letting you know where to join in
- Articles now have related content and tags support to find more of the content you love
- Articles also have a “back to top” icon to quickly return to the top of any article from anywhere
- Greatly improved performance
The app is available right now from Google Play, and supports both phones and tablets. Download it today, and let us know what you think!
Filed under: Announcements
AT&T Introduces ‘Sponsored Data’ to Allow Businesses to Cover Cost of Mobile Data Downloads
AT&T today announced a new Sponsored Data program to allow its customers to download content or apps over cellular data, with businesses picking up the cost of the data — that is, downloads won’t affect the users’ monthly wireless data plan allotment.
The system, which works similarly to toll-free 800-numbers, was originally rumored nearly two years ago.
According to AT&T, the service will allow companies to sponsor data use across a number of industries including healthcare, retail, media and entertainment, and financial services, and giving a number of possible use cases in its press release announcing the program:
– Encouraging customers to try a new smartphone or tablet app.
– Promoting movie trailers or games.
– Providing patient healthcare support via wellness videos.
– Encouraging customers to browse mobile shopping sites.
– Allowing businesses with ‘Bring Your Own Device’ policies to pay for the data employees use for specific business-related apps and services.
– Enhancing customer loyalty programs by providing sponsored data access to products and services.
For users, the program will be nearly invisible, with post-paid customers receiving automatic access to Sponsored Data when on AT&T’s domestic wireless network. Prepaid customers will not be able to use the Sponsored Data program.
U.S. cellular carriers have been in something of a marketing war in recent months, particularly between T-Mobile and AT&T. Recently, AT&T began a new promotion to offer up to $450 in credits to customers that switch to it from T-Mobile.
The new sponsored data program, if widely adopted, could reduce user concerns over data usage, particularly after AT&T has moved aggressively to wean customers off of its unlimited data plans.
     |
CES 2014: Ion Audio Introduces Bluetooth Cassette Adapter to Upgrade Older Stereos [iOS Blog]
Ion Audio has introduced a Bluetooth-enabled cassette tape adapter that allows older stereos to stream music wirelessly from mobile devices.
The device is rechargeable via USB and lasts up to six hours on a charge, turning on and off automatically when inserted and ejected from the cassette deck and somewhat supports hands-free calling by routing incoming call audio through the car’s speakers — though a speakerphone will still be needed to talk.
With Cassette Adapter Bluetooth from ION, your car’s cassette player instantly becomes a wireless Bluetooth receiver. Just like that, you can stream music from any Bluetooth music player or phone. No complicated installation. No cables. No tangled or snagged tape. Just pop it in and it automatically turns on. Cassette Adapter Bluetooth contains a long-lasting rechargeable battery for even the longest road trips. Plus, you now have a hands-free solution for phone calls.
Now, you can use your car’s speakers to hear phone calls and music without having to buy a new stereo head-unit. Both of your hands stay safe on the wheel while your audio source stays in your pocket. Cassette Adapter Bluetooth is the last cassette you’ll ever need and the first —and only—step to bring your favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks into your car.
Pricing and availability information have not yet been released. The last U.S.-sold automobile to offer a factory-installed cassette deck was the 2010 Lexus SC430.
Thanks Eli!
| |
CES 2014: Kolibree Debuts Smart Toothbrush to Track Brushing Habits [iOS Blog]
Kolibree has introduced the world’s first connected electric toothbrush at CES this year, designed to track brushing habits and encourage better dental care. Kolibree analyzes brushing habits and then displays them on a mobile dashboard, which can be accessed via an iOS app.
The Kolibree uses Bluetooth to connect to an iPhone, automatically synchronizing data each time the toothbrush is used. A built-in sensor measures the amount of time that a user spends brushing and whether hard to reach areas were properly cleaned.
The toothbrush itself features switchable heads, allowing multiple users to use one toothbrush base, but the company suggests that sharing could complicate the data gathering process and recommends an individual brush for each person. The Kolibree toothbrush has vibration speeds and brushing patterns ranging from 4000 to 12500 RPM, and the battery lasts for approximately one week before needing to be recharged.
Kolibree’s app works with up to five different brushes in order to make family management of dental hygiene a simpler task. Kids and adults who need motivation to brush can earn badges and track their brushing progress via a graph.
While Kolibree does not proclaim to solve periodontal disease or suggest that it can keep cavities or gingivitis at bay, the better you take care of your teeth, the more likely it is that you can and will avoid serious problems. Before Kolibree, the issue is that there has been no easy and quick way to monitor whether you’re doing an A+ job or a C- one when you brush, so how can you improve on a habit you don’t have any data about? Kolibree solves that problem.
Kolibree plans to launch a Kickstarter in the summer to accept pre-orders for the device, which will range in price from $99 to $200. The product is expected to ship during the third quarter of 2014.
| |
AIVAnet 