Android Authority |
- Orange partners with Facebook to launch “Party Call”, a social networking based calling service
- Rumors abound that Foxconn is to manufacture Microsoft and Amazon branded smartphones for delivery in 2013
- Google+ requirement for posting reviews on Google Play now in effect
- IGZO-powered Sharp Aquos Phone Zeta SH-02E to start shipping in Japan on November 29
- Rumor: Xiaomi planning to release an Android-powered smart TV
- Lenovo P770 launched in China, takes aim at the RAZR MAXX HD
- Random Thought: Why hasn’t anyone made an Android powered WiFi router?
- Barclays: 1080p screens to become commonplace by the middle 2013
- Talking Tom Cat app maker to introduce real life toy to interact with the app (video)
- Samsung: no child labor in China, but will address labor issues in manufacturing facilities
| Orange partners with Facebook to launch “Party Call”, a social networking based calling service Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:32 AM PST Last week, Orange in collaboration with Facebook threw Hello, the launch party of "Party Call". Party Call is a social networking based calling app that will allow Facebook users to call their friends without even knowing their cell phone numbers. Good or bad? We will find that out when the app is officially launched, in France in summer 2013, followed by other European nations. The app will be rolled out to various mobile and desktop platforms. Since Party Call won't be relying on cell phone numbers, it definitely has the potential to be a global product, such as Skype. According to a Facebook spokesperson, "By connecting its Party Call service to Facebook, Orange will be able to offer customers a truly personal experience. It is a great example of how companies can use Facebook's open developer platform to make their products social. We are really happy that Facebook is transforming telecoms just as it has gaming, music, video and numerous other online services". It appears that Party Call will be even more integrated with Facebook than T-Mobile's Bobsled, a service that was withdrawn soon after launch due to its design, which made it appear as a Facebook offering. Thanks to Facebook's open API that allows high integration of the service, users will be able to invite friends and post the call details to Facebook. The app will be available in both free and premium versions. The premium version, priced at £6.99 in the UK, would include extra features such as customized voicemail, message transcription, etc. What does the launch of Party Call and similar services mean for the telecom players? Essentially, they’ll have another service that will attempt to rob them of the already dwindling voice revenues. Of course Party Call is expected to compete directly with services like Whatsapp, Skype, and Viber. Given the proliferation of Facebook, a successful debut of Party Call might turn the service in the next big disruption after Skype. Sometimes in the close future, you might not need to ask for phone numbers, and instead you could just befriend people on Facebook to add them to your phone contacts. How many of you think that Party Call (or something along the lines of it) could be the next big thing? Would you like to see a Facebook phone next? Tell us. Related Posts |
| Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:15 AM PST
The source isn’t from within Foxconn but is actually someone further up the supply chain that needs to send parts for the production run. They point out that Microsoft’s and Amazon’s own-brand handsets will only have a limited shipment volume initially. Suspending belief for a moment and actually taking this to be true, this means that Microsoft could be making true its promise to develop more hardware (after the Surface RT and Surface Pro), this time in the smartphone sector. It could also mean that the long standing rumor that Amazon are making a handset could be true. In October Steve Ballmer said very candidly that Microsoft is planning to develop more hardware: “Is it fair to say we're going to do more hardware? Obviously we are…” Of course, he didn’t elaborate what he meant by that. More tablets? More Xbox consoles? Or maybe a smartphone. If the Foxconn upstream source is right then Microsoft will create a smartphone based on Windows Phone 8. As for Amazon, it has long been thought that the company was looking to develop a smartphone to complement its Kindle Fire range. The latest Kindle Fire series has a version with 4G LTE and Amazon’s secret Lab 126, which develops the company’s gadgets, has been hiring new people and even moved to significantly bigger office space. Obviously any device that Amazon made would run Android with a tweaked UI to make it look and feel like the Kindle Fire range. But, and here is the telling point, the source says that the production will be for a limited number of handsets. This is not what Amazon does. When it releases a device, it makes them by the million. As for Microsoft, it could be feeling the pain of the lack of Surface RT tablet sales and therefore want to limit the production. But why would Microsoft want to make its own brand of smartphone when it basically has Nokia doing its bidding and churning out Windows Phone based devices of every type and variety? What do you think, will we see Microsoft and Amazon release their own branded smartphones in 2013?
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| Google+ requirement for posting reviews on Google Play now in effect Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:01 AM PST Some people often hide behind anonymity when leaving scathing reviews about certain apps and games on Google Play. Not that there's anything wrong with them if the feedback given was legit, but it's not unusual to see bogus reasoning with very little substance. After a recent APK teardown of the latest Google Play app reveals that future reviews on Google’s storefront require folks to use their Google+ account, it looks like the feature is being gradually rolled out. The changes are now visible on the web interface of the store and some devices. Past reviews on Google Play are now shown as written by "A Google User". As for new reviews, they will now show your Google+ profile name and picture. While the name will link to your Google Plus account, the review itself won't be shown on your page. Integrating Google+ profiles with the Play Store won’t exactly stop spammy reviews from showing up, but at least users can now quickly click on the reviewer’s name to check whether there’s a real person or a “bot” lurking, behind in order to judge the merit of the opinion. Do you agree that this is a step in the right direction for Google? Are you more likely to post reviews on Google Play now or less due to privacy issue? Please leave your comments below. Related Posts |
| IGZO-powered Sharp Aquos Phone Zeta SH-02E to start shipping in Japan on November 29 Posted: 27 Nov 2012 02:32 AM PST Despite being knee-deep in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy, Sharp is still hard at work in promoting new Android devices with quite the innovative specs. The Aquos Phone Zeta SH-02E is the company's new Japanese flagship phone and will hit the market on November 29. Available for pre-order starting a couple of days ago at NTT DoCoMo, this big guy has been in the headlines lately mostly due to its display. And not just because the panel is pretty humongous (4.9-inches in diagonal), but also because it makes use of the new IGZO technology. Short for indium gallium zinc oxide, that should take everything that is cool about LCD displays normally and improve it with a never before seen low power consumption. The display itself doesn't sport the greatest resolution around (1,280 x 720 pixels), but it will definitely prove a crowd pleaser if it manages to stay sharp (pun intended) while saving up a bundle of energy. Truth be told, we're yet to take the SH-02E for a spin and see how everything plays out and, with the Asus Padfone 2 being the only other IGZO phone around, it might still be a while until we can replace the "shoulds" and "coulds" with more definitive terms. Other than the IGZO screen, Sharp's new handheld is not awfully special, but it does come with decent specs for a high-end phone, including a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD support, a 16 MP rear-facing camera, Android 4.0 ICS, and a 2,320 mAh battery. Okay, scratch that, that's more than decent, except for the running of Ice Cream Sandwich. No words on pricing just yet, while a launch outside Japan has very slim chances of ever happening. Then again, who knows, this might just be Sharp's ticket out of bankruptcy and its chance of making it big both in the East and West. Related Posts |
| Rumor: Xiaomi planning to release an Android-powered smart TV Posted: 27 Nov 2012 02:10 AM PST Chinese start-up Xiaomi has hit the headlines a bit over the past few months with the launch of the quad-core M2 and, most recently, their Android set-top box. Now, according to unnamed sources, Xiaomi is looking to produce a feature packed Android smart TV. Earlier this month, Xiaomi launched its first attempt to invade Chinese homes with the all new Xiaomi TV set-top box. The Android-powered media device went on limited sale at just 299 Yuan ($48), with features including Apple Airplay support, free video streaming, and a dedicated PopCap gaming channel. Details are still unconfirmed, but it seems the pebble shaped home media center could be a tentative first step towards the launch of a fully featured Android smart TV. The smart TV would likely be manufactured by Foxconn along with Xiaomi’s phones and will integrate with the Chinese company’s recently launched store and video streaming apps. Adding a smart TV to Xiaomi’s product line would make logical business sense, and revenue made from renting and selling content through the household device could be used to keep hardware prices to a minimum. While rumors are hotting up, the likelihood of Xiaomi launching their smart TV platform in the near future are pretty dim, as regulatory issues are currently plaguing the current set top box’s media services. Related Posts |
| Lenovo P770 launched in China, takes aim at the RAZR MAXX HD Posted: 27 Nov 2012 01:45 AM PST
The Lenovo P770 is the Chinese electronics manufacturer first stab at the stamina phone market, which will put it in direct competition with the RAZR MAXX HD. To attempt to topple the reigning king, Lenovo have equipped the P770 with a 3,500mAh battery, together with a 4.5 inch 960 x 540 display, 1.2Ghz MediaTek MT6577 dual-core CPU and 1GB RAM. Android comes in 4.1 Jelly Bean variety with Lenovo’s own UI on top. While the P770 could be a great alternative to the mighty RAZR MAXX, Lenovo have decided to only launch the phone in China where it will cost 1699 Yuan ($272). Related Posts |
| Random Thought: Why hasn’t anyone made an Android powered WiFi router? Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:58 AM PST Consumer networking equipment doesn’t get a lot of attention, frankly because no one really cares. You buy a router, it works, and you forgot about it because it’s hidden behind a table. Once or twice a year you have to reboot it, but other than that … why bother upgrading? Sure, there was the transition from 802.11b to 802.11g, then 802.11n after that, and now we’re waiting for 802.11ac to become a standard, but I’d like to propose something a bit different. I want to see someone make a WiFi router that runs Android. Think of all the things you could do if you had a box that could run applications all day, every day. Geeks call such a box a server. Some of you probably already have a network attached storage device. But I’m thinking big here. Take a look at this Kickstarter project called “AdTrap”. It’s a box that sits between your modem and your router. Instead of installing an ad blocker on your computer, AdTrap removes ads before they even touch your WiFi router. It’s a great idea, but isn’t it just software? Why does such a feature require additional hardware? Think of all the other things you could install on a router that could run apps. Your torrenting app is the first obvious example. Dropbox could make an app that replaces your NAS. Someone could make a peer to peer social network that doesn’t require a massive server farm. Opera could make an app that routes all your network traffic through their compression algorithm. Facebook could make an app so that all your friends can use your WiFi network should they happen to be visiting. The possibilities are endless! How would one even install and configure apps on such a router? In much the same way that it’s done today. You type in an IP address, username, password, and you’re in. If Chinese companies can make sub $100 Android phones that have 3G and GPS, then surely someone could make an Android powered WiFi router. Am I insane or do you think there’s something to this idea? Related Posts |
| Barclays: 1080p screens to become commonplace by the middle 2013 Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:16 AM PST Remember when LG announced the world’s first dual core smartphone, the Optimus 2X? That was back in December 2010. By the time the second quarter of 2011 rolled around, we had the Samsung Galaxy S II, the HTC Sensation, and the Motorola Droid X2. Moral of the story: Once a new technology hits the market, it takes less than six months for everyone else to put it inside their devices. According to Focus Taiwan, who references a research note published by Barclays, 5 inch 1080p screens are going to be everywhere by the middle of 2013. Now this shouldn’t surprise any of you. HTC’s Droid DNA was the first 1080p smartphone on the market, but there are countless rumors circulating around the internet that say Sony, ZTE, Huawei, and Lenovo are going to introduce their respective 1080p phones early next year. Why do you even want to have a phone with a 1080p screen? Easy, the pixels disappear. Text looks so sharp that it can cut you. HD videos play without the need to be scaled down. And because 1080p screens need a lot of horsepower to do their thing, phones that utilize said displays will come with quad core processors and at least 2 GB of RAM. When is Samsung going to release their 1080p phone? That’s a question no one really knows the answer to right now. Some people say Samsung is going to delay the Galaxy S IV until the summer of 2013 because they can’t quite figure out how to manufacture smartphone sized 1080p AMOLED displays. Others say that Samsung is going to show off a 1080p AMOLED display at CES in January. Between now and February, when Mobile World Congress takes place, we’re bound to hear even more rumors, which will further muddy the waters. All we know is that handset makers looking to call their upcoming smartphones “flagship devices” will have to go 1080p or just go home. Related Posts |
| Talking Tom Cat app maker to introduce real life toy to interact with the app (video) Posted: 26 Nov 2012 10:00 PM PST
For those who’d rather watch than read, the video is down below. The Talking Tom Cat dolls come in three varieties; Tom, Angela, and Ginger. Each of which is controlled by the free Talking Tom Cat app in the Google Play Store. So who would be interested in these real life Talking Tom Cat dolls?The answer to that is simple. Children who have never heard of them before and If you’re thinking of buying one of these for whatever reason, they’ll set you back $49. According to the webpage linked above, they’re even fun without the smartphone. So uninstalling the app won’t shut them up. Just like taking the batteries out of a Furby won’t always shut them up. Will anyone be buying one of these? You know, for your kids. Let us know in the comments. Related Posts |
| Samsung: no child labor in China, but will address labor issues in manufacturing facilities Posted: 26 Nov 2012 07:40 PM PST In response to allegations of abusive labor practices in its manufacturing facilities in China, Samsung initiated an audit of its suppliers in the country. While no cases of child labor have been found, Samsung nonetheless says it is addressing other “inadequate practices,” including illegal overtime, sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse. Labor concerns in China are not solely the problem of Apple and Samsung. But given that the two companies are currently at the lead in the smartphone industry, observers are keen to notice whenever either Apple or Samsung slip up in their labor practices, or that of their vendors and suppliers. As such, US-based China Labor Watch has criticized these firms for alleged malpractices, such as child labor and underpayment. Given these concerns, Samsung has initiated an audit of its Chinese factories to determine any irregularities affecting the 65,000 employees or so. The audit reports not having found any case of child labor after reviewing HR records and doing face-to-face interviews and identity checks with employees. However, there are other findings that are as serious, including sexual harassment, verbal abuse, physical abuse and illegal overtime. Samsung to address labor concernsSamsung is instituting some changes, some of which will be effective immediately. These include new hiring processes that ban discrimination, and require personal interviews to confirm an applicant’s identity and age. Samsung is demanding that suppliers institute measures to prevent identity fraud, and this can be done through electronic devices that can detect fake IDs. Samsung has also committed to eliminate hours beyond legal limits by 2014. Samsung will also set-up a hotline that will accept calls for any labor violation or inhumane treatment. According to the report, Samsung is reviewing 144 additional suppliers by year-end, and will insure that audits are confirmed by an independent party, in particular the Validated Audit Process of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition. Driving up costsThese latest changes by Samsung come amid changes in the Chinese labor environment, particularly with workers demanding better benefits. The bigger implication here might be that as Chinese manufacturing firms move to improve the welfare of workers, costs will most certainly be driven up. Will China’s comparative advantage be lost if manufacturing becomes too expensive? Will these changes affect Samsung’s bottomline? In a recent analyst report, Apple itself is said to have peaked in terms of the extraordinarily high profit margins it could charge per device. As such, the iPhone 5 may already be eating into the company’s gross profit margins. In Samsung’s case, it does not thrive on profit per unit, but on volume. With increased manufacturing costs, the Korean company will have to sell millions and millions more in order to ensure profitability. Samsung Electronics Announces Corrective Measures of Working Conditions at Supplier Factories in China SEOUL, Korea – November 26, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, holds itself and its supplier companies to the highest standards. In response to China Labor Watch's reports on our suppliers, we conducted an audit over a four-week period in September of 105 suppliers that manufacture Samsung products in China, covering more than 65,000 employees. The Samsung audit team, comprising 121 trained and certified employees, undertook this urgent and broad-scale action to ensure our suppliers in China are compliant with applicable labor laws and Samsung's Supplier Code of Conduct. Samsung did not identify any instance of child labor during the audits after reviewing HR records of all workers aged below 18 and conducting face-to-face ID checks. However, the audit identified several instances of inadequate practices at the facilities, including overtime hours in excess of local regulations, management of supplier companies holding copies of labor contracts, and the imposition of a system of fines for lateness or absences. Samsung is currently reviewing 144 more supplier companies in China, which will be completed by the end of this year. From 2013, Samsung will ensure the independence of the audits and continue to monitor working conditions at 249 Samsung suppliers in China through the Validated Audit Process of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, a third party audit program. We are now designing, researching, and/or implementing corrective actions to address every violation that was identified. Corrective actions include new hiring policies and work hours and overtime practices, among other steps, to protect the health and welfare of employees. Corrective Actions in Progress New Hiring Process to Avoid Child Labor Immediate Actions to Complete by the End of 2012 Commitments to Address Working Hours To serve customers better, Samsung mostly manufactures its products in-house through the company's own facilities, although some manufacturing is outsourced when necessary. Unlike companies that rely predominantly on the outsourcing of manufacturing, Samsung can maintain its own high standards throughout its in-house manufacturing network to offer world-class working conditions. Samsung takes concerns about working conditions in China seriously and, whenever an issue is identified, we take immediate and appropriate steps to correct it. Our goal is to assess, improve, and continuously monitor every aspect of working conditions at Samsung supplier facilities to meet our own high standards.
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There are some things you can rely on, like your bread always landing butter side down if you drop it, and there are some things you can’t, like being able to get a taxi actually when you need one. There are also news sources that you can rely on, say like the BBC (and Android Authority) and there are those who you need to think twice about before quoting. A story has broken which says that sources close to Foxconn reckon that the big Chinese manufacturer has orders from Microsoft and Amazon for smartphone production.
Phone battery life is becoming a more prominent feature when choosing a new phone, and while it's nice to have a quad-core super phone, what’s the use when you’re out of juice by lunch? Thankfully, Lenovo has heard our cries and comes to our aid with the P770.
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