A new GSM Association (GSMA) initiative involving Huawei and eight major mobile operators aims to put 3G connectivity into a range of devices across the consumer electronics, clean energy, healthcare, transport and utilities sectors. The GSMA's 'Embedded Mobile' initiative wants to encourage manufacturers from outside the telecoms industry to include 3G modules in everything from cameras and cars to environmental sensors and electricity meters. The modules, which consist of a 3G modem and software, can relay a continuous stream of real-time data and images which, for example, could monitor a vehicle’s tyres and electrics for early signs of any faults.

 

The operators involved in the project are South Korea's KTF, Canada's Rogers Wireless, The Philippines's Smart, Japan's Softbank, Telefonica, Australia's Telstra, Telecom Italia and Vodafone. The hope is to attract other telecoms vendors and mobile operators into the initiative. One of the initiative's first priorities is to develop a common application interface (API) so that consumer products with embedded 3G modules will work with any 3G network. The goal is to produce an API by the second half of next year.

 

A new player for in the home is coming!

Plugwise developed a plug which sends, receives, measures, and switches. This device is placed between the plug and the socket. Each plug connects to other plugs most efficiently. This results in a highly reliable wireless network.

Each plug sends the measured energy consumption to the Plugwise PDA or the Plugwise software programme installed on your own PC. This programme allows the user to monitor energy use and simultaneously offers automatic switching on the basis of user-customized switching schedules.

These schedules may for instance be synced with arrival and departure times, day and night rhythms, and values of energy consumption (among other things: standby-killer). All this is possible for each individual appliance, room, or group of appliances of your choice. In addition the programme includes functions such as budgeting and advice on saving energy. Because of the wireless network the system allows easy extension with additional Plugwise products.

This technology uses Zigbee in combination with a mesh system. Opportunities for CAT-iq?

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today launched a new consumer tool on Bluetooth.com, the Bluetooth Gadget Guide, to help consumers match their current Bluetooth enabled devices to companion products.

 

  

The  Bluetooth Gadget Guide helps users find products based on the gadget they already have, gives instructions on how to connect gadgets, and shows what gadgets have capability to print, stream stereo music, transfer data and more with Bluetooth technology. The Bluetooth Gadget Guide is one of many applications  available on Bluetooth.com  for consumers who already have a Bluetooth product or are looking at what products to buy.    

 

 

Using a simple three-step process, the Bluetooth Gadget Guide walks consumers through selecting the two Bluetooth enabled products they are interested in, then supplies product descriptions, information on all the Bluetooth experiences possible with the pair of devices, and product availability for each device.  Built for easy navigation, users can browse available gadgets by scrolling through product pictures and descriptions.  Filters allow consumers to search by a specific Bluetooth device or by experience, such as streaming music or wireless gaming.  Visitors will be able to choose from a comprehensive list of products or type in their product for a personalized search.  The Bluetooth Gadget Guide also gives consumers access to complete pairing instructions for their specific combination of products, avoiding the hassle of following two instruction manuals to pair a set of devices. 

 

 

The Bluetooth SIG has partnered with its more than 11,000 member companies to create the Bluetooth Gadget Guide  and ensure it remains the most up-to-date, comprehensive listing available to consumers.  Members are invited to enter new product information once they pass through the Bluetooth SIG’s qualification program. 

 

 

To experience the Bluetooth Gadget Guide, go to the site. 
 

Symbian CEO Nigel Clifford used this morning's opening keynote address at the Symbian Smartphone show in London to call on developers from across the computing and software world to focus on the new Symbian Foundation platform. "The eco-system is now bigger than Symbian," Clifford said.

He described the Symbian Foundation as being aimed at attracting developers who had previously been put off from developing for the mobile industry due to complex terms and conditions and licensing issues. "We used to live in an 'either / or' world. Either free code but a small mobile footprint or pedigree, or proven software at a cost. The Symbian Foundation combines both and doesn't require a trade-off for developers." Although the platform is not expected to be up and running until the first half of 2009, Clifford said that "the DNA for the foundation code" is already in place and running on new handsets. Symbian's main shareholder Nokia is currently in the process of buying out the other shareholders in the company to create the Symbian Foundation, which is set to compete with other open-source mobile platforms such as Google's Android. 

 

Commenting on the ten-year anniversary of Symbian's inception, Clifford said that the number of Symbian smartphones shipped surpassed the 200 million mark earlier this year and is on track to reach 250 million by year-end. He said Symbian is used in over 250 different handsets; the most recent - the Samsung I7110 - was unveiled yesterday and will be available in selected markets next month. Among the new announcements by Symbian and its key partners at the show were the Symbian Analysis Workbench (SAW), a visual analysis tool aimed at making it easier for Symbian developers to fix defects and optimise code, and ARM Profiler for Symbian OS, which claims to deliver high performance and reduced power consumption for Symbian-based devices. ARM and Huawei have also joined the Foundation, taking total global membership to 52 companies.

The consumer broadband Internet market could be set to follow the same trends as the voice market when it comes to fixed-mobile substitution – if operators can improve on connection speeds for mobile broadband services. 

In a new report published on Tuesday, telecoms consultancy Analysys Mason says that 47% of all broadband subscribers in Europe will access the Internet through mobile networks by 2013.

 

The report also predicts that in five years' time, nearly a quarter of all broadband-equipped households could be using mobile networks only, foregoing a fixed connection altogether.

 

"Take-up of broadband via mobile USB modems has surprised many in the fixed broadband space – and, indeed, the mobile business – and the early indications are that consumers in Europe are using mobile broadband as a substitute for fixed," said a statement from Analysys Mason.

 

Indeed, the GSM Association announced in August that global HSPA mobile broadband subscriptions had hit 50 million, rising from 11 million a year earlier.

 

Read the full article.

In the recent organised event (by mashup*) about the future of mobile phones, the conclusion was that simplicity of these smartphones in particular is key.

There was much discussion, and many points put forward and received - but it’s a fascinating conclusion, given where the mobile devices/services ecosystem has been going recently. Of course, simplicity may not necessarily mean the dumbing-down of the diverse range of apps, devices, and services - it may just mean that people want access to potentially complex offerings, but in an intuitive and clear way.

If you want to read more  about the thoughts of the group, then got to the  the mashup* site, here.

During the Broadband World Forum Europe 08, we noticed at the Thomson stand an interesting and somewhat weird product; the DECT Symbio. This is a Cordless DECT phone and Internet radio. An innovative new product that combines Internet radio with VoIP telephony.

 

 

We see this product as an interesting attempt to combine two products in one, with a very special 'phone' design.
Anticipating the future CAT-iq products, this is a good attempt by Thomson, to do something else

 

See the video

 

 

 

or download the brochure.

 

The consumer is being confronted with many many products that should be easy to use without any difficulties.

 

However the reality is that 'simple to use' is often just a phrase.

 

I found an interesting blog about usability, called uselog.com. As you are involved in the development of new products, just have a look at this blog. 

The European Parliament formally adopted a range of new telecoms measures yesterday but significantly watered down plans to create an EU-wide 'super regulator' that would have power to overrule national regulators, reports Reuters. Instead, the Parliament has backed the creation of the Body of European Regulators in Telecoms (BERT) group, an enhanced version of the existing European Regulators Group (ERG) that comprises the 27 member state national telecoms regulators.

 

Rather than giving the European Commission a veto over regulatory decisions - as was the original plan - BERT will take decisions by a two-thirds majority. BERT will be funded by a mix of EU money and national government money, says Reuters, also watering down a proposal for full EU funding that would have made the body independent of national governments. The decision to create BERT was first reported in the summer after a number of national regulators were understood to have objected to the original proposals. 

 

According to Reuters, the new regulations will also allow national regulators to impose functional separation on incumbent fixed-line operators, and also remain in charge of decisions on spectrum - rejecting plans for a pan-EU approach to spectrum allocation. Other measures include increased consumer rights disclosures and increased e-privacy provisions.

 

Source http://www.gsm.org/

 

This week, The Photokina in Cologne takes place. We will put some news about products who might be interesting to CAT-iq technology.

 

 

Kodak Debuts World’s First OLED Wireless Frame, Unmatched Image Quality from Any Viewing Angle Delivered by Kodak-Invented OLED Technology

 

 

Eastman Kodak Company has introduced the world’s first consumer-available wireless picture frame featuring innovative Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology, a Kodak invention that produces exceptionally sharp and vivid image quality. The frame will be on display at the Kodak booth (Hall 5.2) at Photokina. OLED technology generates greater color depth and saturation than other displays, on panels that are substantially thinner, resulting in a sleek, low-profile design.

 

 

The new KODAK OLED Wireless Frame features built-in Wi-Fi technology that enables the display of pictures as well as access to videos and music stored on a PC elsewhere in the home. The wireless feature also enables connectivity to online photo and video sharing sites and Internet content portals for news, weather, sports and more.

 

 

At the heart of the new KODAK OLED Wireless Frame is an ultra-thin, 7.6-inch diagonal digital panel that produces stunning image detail regardless of viewing angle. The viewing experience is further enhanced by KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology, which automatically processes images to improve exposure, brightness and color, and KODAK Image Science, which optimizes image quality for display on OLED panels.

 

 

The KODAK OLED Wireless Frame requires no backlighting, and incorporates an ambient light sensor that optimizes the viewing experience by adjusting display brightness based on the surrounding light.  Kodak has also designed a premium audio system into the frame, providing outstanding sound reproduction for videos, digital music and online content.

 

 

Pricing and Availability
The KODAK OLED Wireless Frame will retail for US $999 (MSRP) and will be available at kodak.com from November 2008, with additional online and retail distribution to be announced later in the year.