Mobile, tablets, browser technology trends - 1st Quarter 2013 - Wrap up

There were so many people who talked to me about different technology trends happening in the mobile, tablets and browser space. Since, I generally keep track of these things, I thought I should highlight hot topics in technology happening each quarter in one blog post.So, I decided to start with this blog post to give all the technology news which happened this quarter. I will try to give updates like this for the succeeding quarters in different blog posts.

Here goes...

Browsers- Firefox and Opera

• Opera changing browser rendering engine from Presto to Webkit

• Firefox OS coming up

  • http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/partners/

  • High customizability of the phone.

Phones

HTC One

• HTC One- http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/htc-one-specifications-htc-m7-20-02-2013/

• 4.7 inch HD display

• 2 GB RAM

• 32 or 64GB storage

• Comes with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS

Blackberry

• http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/30/blackberry-10-event-roundup/#continued

• This is going to decide the fate of Blackberry (In fact they change their name from RIM to Blackberry). They are really serious about this

• Full touch phone

• Buttons on the side of the phone

• Has 2 ports - micro USB and micro HDMI connections

• BB10 OS

• Blackberry Hub feature, like the control panel of your computer

• Releasing today with AT&T at $199 with contract. Will release in other operators in the next upcoming weeks.

• http://bgr.com/2013/02/05/blackberry-10-android-apps-316402/

• Blackberry planning to update their Android emulator to run Jelly Bean apps

• You can port Android 4.0+ apps to BB10 platform.

Phone Specs (HTC One, Blackberry Z10, iPhone5, Nokia Lumia 920)

• http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-one-vs-lg-nexus-4-vs-iphone-5-vs-blackberry-z10-vs-nokia-lumia-920-spec-showdown

Apple iOS updates

• iOS 6.0.1

  • http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57543794-37/apple-releases-ios-6.0.1-with-over-the-air-update-tool/

  • Kept users installing over the air software updates

  • iOS update app, a new thing. Removes itself after install

  • Exchange bug that could delete a meeting for all invited attendees if one user declined an invitation. The issue could be so bad that some companies put into place specific workarounds

• iOS 6.0.2

  • http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57559832-37/apple-releases-ios-6.0.2-to-fix-wi-fi-issue/

  • to fix a Wi-Fi issue affecting its newest devices.

• iOS 6.1

  • adds Long Term Evolution (LTE) support to 36 additional iPhone carriers worldwide—or now 56 total.

  • ability to use Siri to purchase movie tickets in the U.S through Fandango

  • iTunes subscribers can download individual songs to their iOS devices from iCloud.

Issues--

• With just a few quick steps, it’s easy to open the phone app on any locked iPhone running iOS 6.1.

• the process involves holding down the power button and aborting an emergency call.

• iOS 6.1.1

  • This update fixes an issue that could impact cellular performance and reliability for iPhone 4S.

• iOS 6.1.2

  • Fixes an Exchange calendar bug that could result in increased network activity and reduced battery life

• iOS 6.1.3 beta

  • http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/14/new-ios-6-1-security-grants-limited-access-to-phone-app-photos-email-messages-facetime/

  • fix a hole that can let someone gain access to your iPhone by sneaking past the lock screen

  • offers some enhancements to the Maps app for Japan

iPhone5S and iPhone Mini rumours

• http://www.fastcompany.com/3006599/tech-forecast/get-ready-apples-cheap-iphones-colorful-iphones-and-iphone-5s-due-july

  • Low cost smartphones , different colors

  • iPhone 5S - colored and bigger size

Android

• Security Enhancements in Android 4.2.2

  • It includes a feature with which your users will be able to verify applications prior to installation thereby preventing harmful apps from entering the mobile device.

• enables you to configure VPN in such a way that it will not have access to the network until a VPN connection is established

• Galaxy S4

  • To be unveiled in the middle of march in New York May 14th.

  • Eye tracking feature

  • http://www.zdnet.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-to-launch-on-14-march-7000011779/

• Ubuntu phone

  • Canonical - company

  • The Touch Developer Preview can run on Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets, as well as the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 smartphones - Developer version

• E-ink 3G smartphone - http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/27/meet-the-entirely-e-ink-3g-smartphone-that-could-cost-as-little-as-a-dumbphone/

• Runs on Android

  1. Advantage - Battery life, Price

  2. Prototype unveiled in Mobile World Congress 2013

 Interesting Problems

• http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/18/blackberry-tiff-vulnerability/

  • Essentially, hackers could rig a TIFF file with malware and then trick a BlackBerry user into loading it via webpage, email or an embedded message, thus allowing the bad guys into their company's Enterprise Server.

  • Blackberry released an update to fix this.

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/22/samsung-copy-paste-problem

  • Since June last year, users of Samsung smartphones and tablets have been complaining that apps crash when they try to copy text, and that the only solution is to wipe the apps and data - a "factory reset" of the phone - and reload them. Other users have found that the phone restarts spontaneously.

• http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/6/4071766/galaxy-s-iii-bug-bypasses-lockscreen?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

• new bug has been found on the Galaxy S III that can let users bypass the lockscreen and access all phone functions

 TABLETS

• Galaxy Note 8

  • http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-02/25/samsung-galaxy-note-8-hands-on-preview

  • Lighter than the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and only a shade heavier than iPad mini

  • Only advantage is the S pen.

• Apple announced the 128GB iPad

• HP 7 inch slate tablet

  • http://gizmodo.com/5986522/hps-going-android-with-169-slate-7-tablet?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

  • Cost $169 ($30 < Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD)

• its stainless steel frame and soft-touch back that's available in gray or red. The device measures .42 inches thick (about the same as the Kindle Fire HD‘s .41 inches) and weighs 13.05 ounces, making this tablet lighter than the Fire (13.9 ounces) but heavier than the Nexus 7 (12 ounces).

• Biggest advantage is - The Slate 7 has a microSD card slot and microUSB port.

• 1024 x 600-pixel - resolution lower than kindle and nexus 7

Other Technology news

• Nationwide launched their insurance app

• Samsung Wallet App - exact copy of Passbook

• iWatch

  • http://gizmodo.com/5985897/an-apple-slap-bracelet-patent-doesnt-tell-us-much-about-an-iwatch?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

  • a flexible display embedded in,, a slap bracelet, a large touch screen that can handle playlists, text messages, even maps; charging through kinetic energy

• Amazon Kindle in Cars

  • http://www.studentnewsie.com/will-we-get-amazon-kindles-in-our-cars-17316

  • e-books and audio book combination - Whispersync

• Siri integration with Cars

  • http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/06/siri-in-cars/

• Chromebook pixel (Easter bug)

  • http://www.gizmag.com/macbook-air-vs-google-chromebook-pixel-specs-comparison/26371/

  • Lack of standard apps like word, excel etc.

  • Primarily for web browsing

• http://www.gizmoenvy.com/2013/02/22/konami-code-easter-egg-discovered-on-googles-chromebook-pixel/

• Google Glass-

• http://www.zdnet.com/google-glass-contest-gives-non-devs-a-chance-to-grab-1500-specs-7000011561/

  • Based on augmented reality and voice commands

• Microsoft Blue-

• http://gizmodo.com/5986499/report-microsoft-blue-is-coming-this-summer-with-internet-explorer-11-baked-in?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

  • Microsoft's big yearly updates which includes IE 11, Bing search updates, support for 7/8 inch form factors and update for Windows 8 phone as well.

  • Coming this summer