Financial Chronicle : FC KNOW, Tuesday
By Oct 25 2010
Who could have imagined the unprecedented influence of iPhone’s revolutionary user experience on the smartphone market? The smartphone and the universe surrounding the device provide immense potential for innovation. Would you like your smartphone to automatically switch to silent mode the moment you enter your office? Basically, the phone is “context-aware”; by constantly learning from the user’s activities it takes appropriate action. “Context-aware” computing is a niche area on which technology giants like Intel are heavily betting, writes G Krishna Kumar
Multiple sensors
The phone can switch function depending on the user’s grip, allowing the user to flip between phone, camera, music, for example, without pressing any button. Today’s smartphones carry sensors that detect motion, temperature, noise, proximity or light. This provides a huge opportunity for innovative applications, and exciting games can be developed with a combination of sensors. Gartner estimates mobile gaming revenue, under $5 billion in 2010, to grow over two fold by 2014. Surveys indicate that the mobile gaming industry is expected to explode in India too. IPhone is already stealing market share from gaming giants Nintendo and Sony. Smartphones, with faster processing power aided by 3D graphics and sound effects, would propel the gaming market.
Research firms predict that the wide-screen tablet market will touch over 200 million devices by 2014, a tenfold growth from now! Smartphones will witness strong competition from tablet devices, especially the five-inch devices. In fact, there is high potential for coordinated innovation for tablets and smartphones.
Just touch?
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an innovative spring-based smartphone design using “haptic feedback”. It interacts with a user through the sense of touch. The shape of the mobile alters, depending on the situation, allowing “eyes-free” interaction wherever possible. MIT researchers are building pressure sensors into the phone that can detect the exact position of a person's fingers.
Battery life
With all the computing power packed into smartphones, improving their battery life through energy harvesting is another area with high potential for innovation. Nokia’s prototype, which draws energy from mobile antennas to charge itself, could be an answer. Nokia also filed a patent for kinetic- energy-style phone batteries recently that allows the device to be partly powered by the user’s movements. Solar powered smartphones is yet to gather momentum, but will definitely be a winner.
Home & car entertainment
Smartphones would play a key role in home entertainment. The demand to share mobile screens on televisions, directly print mobile photos, and edit mobile content on PCs is increasing. Smartphones working seamlessly with home entertainment devices (like TV and home theatre) are becoming a reality. The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) allows consumers to share multimedia content between their mobile phones and other electronic devices. In-car entertainment, a rapidly growing and evolving field that allows all occupants of a car to use features like navigation and entertainment, provides a huge opportunity for innovation. GENIVI is an association of automotive, consumer electronica and mobile handset companies looking at adopting an in-vehicle infotainment open source development platform to accelerate innovation.
Google’s open and free mobile software platform Android has gained popularity with many original equipment manufacturers adopting the platform. There is excitement in the smartphone platforms market with Apple's iPhone OS 4, Nokia's Symbian and Meego (with Intel), HP’s WebOS, RIM’s BlackBerry and Microsoft’s WinMobile competing for market share. Recently, Airtel, China Mobile, Vodafone and other operators formed Wholesale Applications Community, an open mobile development system.
Another emerging trend is operators trying to attract subscribers with their own version of App stores. Even BSNL is expected to launch an App store for its wireless subscribers.
Every smartphone manufacturer aims to woo the consumer by bringing in exciting experiences. The consumer’s desire for the smartphone to seamlessly function as a mobile phone and an integral part of the home and in-car entertainment segments will certainly fuel continuous innovation, at least for the next few years.
The writer is director—engineering, Teleca Software Solutions India
By Oct 25 2010
Who could have imagined the unprecedented influence of iPhone’s revolutionary user experience on the smartphone market? The smartphone and the universe surrounding the device provide immense potential for innovation. Would you like your smartphone to automatically switch to silent mode the moment you enter your office? Basically, the phone is “context-aware”; by constantly learning from the user’s activities it takes appropriate action. “Context-aware” computing is a niche area on which technology giants like Intel are heavily betting, writes G Krishna Kumar
Multiple sensors
The phone can switch function depending on the user’s grip, allowing the user to flip between phone, camera, music, for example, without pressing any button. Today’s smartphones carry sensors that detect motion, temperature, noise, proximity or light. This provides a huge opportunity for innovative applications, and exciting games can be developed with a combination of sensors. Gartner estimates mobile gaming revenue, under $5 billion in 2010, to grow over two fold by 2014. Surveys indicate that the mobile gaming industry is expected to explode in India too. IPhone is already stealing market share from gaming giants Nintendo and Sony. Smartphones, with faster processing power aided by 3D graphics and sound effects, would propel the gaming market.
Research firms predict that the wide-screen tablet market will touch over 200 million devices by 2014, a tenfold growth from now! Smartphones will witness strong competition from tablet devices, especially the five-inch devices. In fact, there is high potential for coordinated innovation for tablets and smartphones.
Just touch?
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an innovative spring-based smartphone design using “haptic feedback”. It interacts with a user through the sense of touch. The shape of the mobile alters, depending on the situation, allowing “eyes-free” interaction wherever possible. MIT researchers are building pressure sensors into the phone that can detect the exact position of a person's fingers.
Battery life
With all the computing power packed into smartphones, improving their battery life through energy harvesting is another area with high potential for innovation. Nokia’s prototype, which draws energy from mobile antennas to charge itself, could be an answer. Nokia also filed a patent for kinetic- energy-style phone batteries recently that allows the device to be partly powered by the user’s movements. Solar powered smartphones is yet to gather momentum, but will definitely be a winner.
Home & car entertainment
Smartphones would play a key role in home entertainment. The demand to share mobile screens on televisions, directly print mobile photos, and edit mobile content on PCs is increasing. Smartphones working seamlessly with home entertainment devices (like TV and home theatre) are becoming a reality. The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) allows consumers to share multimedia content between their mobile phones and other electronic devices. In-car entertainment, a rapidly growing and evolving field that allows all occupants of a car to use features like navigation and entertainment, provides a huge opportunity for innovation. GENIVI is an association of automotive, consumer electronica and mobile handset companies looking at adopting an in-vehicle infotainment open source development platform to accelerate innovation.
Google’s open and free mobile software platform Android has gained popularity with many original equipment manufacturers adopting the platform. There is excitement in the smartphone platforms market with Apple's iPhone OS 4, Nokia's Symbian and Meego (with Intel), HP’s WebOS, RIM’s BlackBerry and Microsoft’s WinMobile competing for market share. Recently, Airtel, China Mobile, Vodafone and other operators formed Wholesale Applications Community, an open mobile development system.
Another emerging trend is operators trying to attract subscribers with their own version of App stores. Even BSNL is expected to launch an App store for its wireless subscribers.
Every smartphone manufacturer aims to woo the consumer by bringing in exciting experiences. The consumer’s desire for the smartphone to seamlessly function as a mobile phone and an integral part of the home and in-car entertainment segments will certainly fuel continuous innovation, at least for the next few years.
The writer is director—engineering, Teleca Software Solutions India
