Tech o Blog

Sunday 2 March 2014

Android in 2020: the future of Google's mobile OS explored

Cast your mind back to late 2008, when the first Android-powered handset saw the light of day. Obama won his first Presidential election, Apple launched its App Store (the iPhone had appeared the year before), Google announced its own Chrome browser and we got our first look at the company's new mobile OS on the T-Mobile G1.

The Android of 2013 is a world away from that 2008 version, where the Android Market was in its infancy, there were no native video playback capabilities and the G1 had no multi-touch support. But Google is going to have to keep innovating and improving its mobile OS to keep the lion's share of the smartphone market.

We've taken a peek into the future to consider what Android might look like in the year 2020. With new Android monikers now appearing about once a year, its codename should start with an "R" - Rhubarb Pie, Rocky Road or Rice Pudding, perhaps? Or maybe even Rolos, given the tie-up deals Google is putting in place these days?

Here are the four key features we think could play the biggest part in Android's ongoing evolution over the next seven years:

1. Maps in Android in 2020

Apple's Maps app may not have set the world alight when it launched, but it's here now (alongside Nokia's offering), and that means Google needs to up its game to stay ahead. The 2013 Google Maps refresh brought with it a greater level of customisation based on your personal searches, and this

will only increase in the future.

With Google Now and Google Latitude tracking your every move, you'll see directions to your favourite pub appear on-screen every Friday lunchtime. If the pub in question has an Android-powered bar installed, you might even find your tipple of choice waiting for you when you arrive Android in 2020: the future of Google's mobile OS explored

As for all of the services hanging off Maps, Google is already hiring out the Street View cameras and enabling you to peek inside buildings - you can expect Android 2020 to offer better imagery of most public buildings, as well as tappable info as you move around.

There might even be an option to enable Google to anonymously augment its Street View data with the snaps you take on your phone to provide an even more up-to-date view of the world.

2. Android messaging in 2020

Google has already made its intentions clear with the Hangouts upgradewe got at I/O this year. With Facebook, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Snapchat, Skype et al to battle against, there's no doubt we'll see Google push further into the universal messaging game, covering SMS, email, instant messaging and video calling with tools that are baked into Android.

You won't have to have separate apps for each of these, as the UI will be unified in a way that makes it easy to seamlessly slip between each method of calling.

We might even get Google Voice in the UK by the time 2020 rolls around, though don't hold your breath.

How far Google can go depends on the networks and its competitors in the field - it's already launched an ultra-fast internet service in the US, so telecoms could be next. And the company has been sniffing around unused wireless spectrum frequencies, too.

Don't be surprised to see free 5G video calling and texting between Android devices by 2020, with all of your conversations grouped by person rather than platform, and archived and searchable in Gmail.

Eric Schmidt has already predicted that every human will be online by 2020 (no doubt hoping that we'll all have a Google+ page too), and the more people his company can help get connected the better for Google's bottom line.

3. Android payments and security in 2020

Over the next few years our phones will become even more important for making payments, transferring money and verifying our identity (everything from getting through the door at work to logging into Facebook).

The Google Authenticator app of 2020 could work with your device's NFC chip to automatically log you into Gmail when you sit down at your laptop, for example, or pay for your flight when you step on a plane. Apple has Passbook, and Google will want an equivalent in place too.

We've seen tattoos and pills shown off as possible authentication triggers of the future, and Android 2020 will play a big part in proving you are who you say you are, whether it's at a coffee shop or Google I/O.

Basic face recognition is already available, but in the years to come it has the potential to get much more accurate. It might even be joined by fingerprint or retina scanning built into Android's camera app, or at least part of the phone, now that Apple has shown that fingerprint scanning is a viable option with its new Touch ID technology.

4. Android hardware in 2020

Hardware innovations are going to play a big part in Android's roadmap. Besides the obvious smaller, thinner, faster improvements for our phones,bendable screens should be in place in the near future - the likes of Samsung have the tech already in production, and Android will change to adapt itself through scrolling rivers of news, status updates and other notifications.

Ever-changing, ever-optimising displays will be the order of the day, and the batteries and mobile processors of 2020 should be able to keep up.

Google Glass has of course generated plenty of buzz this year, good and bad, as has the rumour of an Apple iWatch to compete with the Galaxy Gear. It looks like the wearable tech revolution is about to take off, and by the time 2020 rolls around this could mean miniature devices on our glasses, wrists and clothing, ready to capture every moment and record every movement.

You won't need to take photos any more, since Google will simply pick out the best pictures from the unedited stream of the day's events. Nor will you need to decide what to eat for dinner - Android 2020 will know what you've been doing today (and what you're probably doing tonight), and can pick out the most suitable foods for you.

Android: the 2020 edition

The only certainty about Android's future is that it has a fight on its hands to stay competitive. Apple's new-look iOS 7 has given Google plenty to think about, not least with its tie-ins with Facebook, Twitter, Bing, Flickr and Vimeo.

Android's continuing integration with Chrome and the desktop/laptop will make for an interesting story too - they're both run by the same man,Sundar Pichai, remember - and perhaps Google's biggest challenge will be to convince us that we can trust it with more and more information about where we are, who we communicate with and the way we live our lives.

Forget 3D. Your dream TV should be 4K

The 3D-TV fad seems to be fading -- and giant, cinema-style 4K sets are the newest cutting-edge tech marvels destined for your living room.

A truckload of new TVs, with screen resolutions four times greater than so-called full HD screens, are being unveiled at this week's IFA technology show in Berlin. The screens -- referred to as 4K or ultradefinition -- were among dozens of new gadgets on display for the 250,000 people who descended on Berlin's conference halls.

The show features gear ranging from big-screen smartphones to self-stirring cookware, but the big buzz this year is about 4K. The first sets should be available for preorder this fall. There were still plenty of 3D screens, including a 103-inch Panasonic set that doesn't require viewers to wear 3D glasses. The excitement over them, however, seems to be dying down.

The new 4K sets from LG, Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, and Toshiba show a level of detail you'd expect on a movie screen; their resolution equals that of professional cinema cameras, like the Red One. The detail is stunning, and viewers can comfortably sit close to the screen. Even from only a few inches away, it's impossible to discern a single pixel.

Sony claims that chips in its flagship set can scour normal Blu-ray films and display extra details, producing pictures far sharper than what normal sets can offer. In demonstrations, films looked stunning on the new screens.

Not to be outdone, Panasonic teamed up with Japanese broadcaster NHK to create an 8K set -- with resolution four times greater than its rivals' and 16 times greater than Full HD

Saturday 1 March 2014

Boeing reveals new spy phone

Boeing has stepped outside the field of aeronautics to develop a security focused smartphone – the Boeing Black. The device will be unavailable to the general public, being designed from the ground up to be the go-to device for the US Defense and Security communities. It offers what Boeing describes as “trusted access to data," allowing said agencies to carry out highly sensitive missions.

Product specifications

Boeing has made it clear that due to the covert nature of the device, the inner workings of the phone will not be made available to the general public. However some basic specifications for the spy phone have been released.

According to its product page, the Boeing Black runs a heavily customized version of Google's Android operating system and weighs in at 170 g (5.9 oz) with a 4.3 x 540 x 960-inch qHD display. The Bluetooth-enabled smartphone has room for two SIM cards, allowing the user to switch between government and commercial networks.

There's no word on how much internal storage the device will carry, but it does offer a microSD expansion slot. The handset is powered by dual 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A9 CPUs, supports LTE connectivity and hosts a 1,590 mAh battery.

Whilst these specifications appear underwhelming when compared with flagship handsets such as the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S5, it's fair to say that the Black isn't aiming to compete with the cream of the Android crop.

The device was designed with modularity in mind. The back of the phone slides off to allow various modules such as additional sensing equipment or satellite connectivity, giving the phone a high level of flexibility for a secure mobile device.

Security features

Boeing Black is in effect a sealed unit, utilizing covered screws and epoxy glue to seal the casing. According to papers sent to the Federal Communications Commission, "Any attempt to break open the casing of the device would trigger functions that would delete the data and software contained within the device and make the device inoperable."

This also means that it is impossible to service or swap out components within the phone.

On top of these physical safety measures, the Boeing Black boasts a plethora of software security elements covering a wide range of functions. One such example of the data protection software utilized in Boeing Black is disk encryption, a system that effectively protects stored information by converting it into an unreadable code.

We reached out to Boeing for comment on the device, with the company simply stating that “Boeing Black delivers unique embedded hardware and software security solutions, operating system policy controls, and compatibility with leading mobile device management systems."

Due to the fact that the phone's target client base is the US intelligence and defense community, no price or release date has been announced by the aeronautics giant.

Is this the world's smallest RC helicopter toy

The Nano-Falcon easily sits in the palm of your hand

Namco Bandai subsidiary CCP toys has launched its Nano-Falcon remote-controlled helicopter toy, which it claims is the world's smallest. The Nano-Falcon, which is designed for indoor flight, has a body size of just 6.5 cm (2.5 in) long and weighs a scant 11 g (0.38 oz). The infrared controller, which takes four AA alkaline batteries, has a range of just 5 m (16 ft), which may be a good thing, lest you lose sight of it!

Despite its small size, the Nano-Falcon is no slouch when compared with other miniature RC helicopters. Employing a dual rotor "double inversion mechanism," it can hover, rise and fall, turn left and right, and fly back and forth just as you would expect. CCP has flexed its technological know-how by using the dual rotor to reduce the required diameter of the rotor, while implementing a gyro sensor to improve its stability.

You can expect about five minutes of flight time on a full charge before its rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery runs out of juice. To recharge it, you connect it to the controller with the charging plug (or with a USB cable sold separately) for about 30 minutes.

A standard computer mouse dwarfs the Nano-Falcon

Of course, the RC toy market is overflowing with miniature helicopters, so it's difficult to say with any degree of certainty if it is indeed the world's smallest, but it certainly looks the part. Although there are plenty of other micro flying vehicles, like the militarized Black Hornet and Seiko Epson'sFR-II, this one can be yours for 4,704 yen (US$49.70).

Drive Suits let you become a real-life Transformer

For the past few years, entrepreneur Drew Beaumier has been creating life-size Transformers-inspired costumes known as Drive Suits. Thanks to the wearer’s motorized “drive boots,” they can actually trundle along the ground when in “vehicle” mode. It may be a bit late for Halloween, but you can now buy one of your own.

Some of Drew’s existing Drive Suits include a VW Beetle, a Mustang, a Camaro and various motorcycles. In all cases, the person wearing the suit can hunker down and use the knee-mounted drive boots to move the “vehicle” forward at about 12 mph (19 km/h), then spring up and strut around like Optimus Prime.

Drew Beaumier, dressed up as a motorcycle

Each of the suits are made by hand from gently used toys and sporting gear. It takes him about 50 hours to assemble one suit, which can be made to resemble a vehicle of the buyer’s choice.

A complete Drive Suit, including vehicle body, helmet, motor-equipped drive boots, battery belt and charger will run you about US$1,800 plus shipping.

Top 10 coolest high tech toys for kids

1. Sphero 2.0

Play augmented reality games with the robotic ball Sphero 2.0

The Sphero 2.0 robotic ball is what every little ball might aspire to be, if it could but dream. You can take it for a jog, see it swim or glow, race it under furniture, launch it off ramps and even use it as a game controller.

Apart from the fun games one can play with a ball that zips around the floor at a blistering 7 ft (2 m) per second, this smartphone-controlled toy really comes to life when you start downloading apps that let you play augmented reality (AR) and mixed-reality games with it.

For instance, when you view your kitchen floor (or any setting) through your device's camera when it's running the AR based Rolling Dead app, you'll see zombies spawning under the kitchen table that can be destroyed through a fireball shooting Sphero. In reality, the robot ball rolls on the floor towards invisible zombies. In mixed reality golf, players swing their phone to putt the Sphero into a virtual hole.

More than just a powerhouse of fun, this programmable ball lets kids as young as 8 years learn coding, if they're of a mind to program it to do simple things like follow a preset course. The Sphero 2.0 is available for US$129.99.

2. Anki Drive

Anki Drive self-driving race cars evolve unique personalities the more they are played wit...

Remember the sassy smart car "KITT" of Knight Rider fame? Well, the Anki Drive smart cars may not be life size or have all those bells and whistles, but they can sure drive by themselves; they also evolve unique personalities the more they are played with.

Take them out of the box and pair them to smartphones (iOS only for now) via Bluetooth and they are ready to zoom off on a vinyl race track. The inbuilt artificial intelligence keeps the cars on course, letting you maneuver them by tilting the phone. You can play against other people or the AI (which gets other cars to nudge, slam or box you in) or both. The fun really begins in the battle mode where players get to fire virtual pulse weapons or tractor beams at other cars on screen which disables or slows down the real-life cars.

At the end of the race, players are awarded points based on performance which they can use to beef up their cars with new weapons, expanded capabilities and more. These become permanent facets of the cars personality enabling players to build formidable self-driving race cars over time that race a certain way no matter who plays with them.

The starter kit retails for $199.95 at Apple's stores and additional cars are $69 each.

3. littleBits

littleBits electronic bricks lets you combine everyday objects with electronics to create ...

Ever wished that creating things with electronics could be as simple as snapping a few blocks together? littleBits makes it so. The littleBits building blocks are color-coded circuit components that you can attach to each other, and you don't have to know any electronics to create cool stuff with them.

What's more, you can combine them with ordinary objects to make uncommon things like an animated holiday hat that displays a ghostly Santa flying his reindeer when tapped, or a bow tie that jiggles at the sound of your voice.

You can grab the Base Kit for $99 and watch your kids unleash their imagination. Premium and Deluxe kits retail for $149 and $199 respectively.

4. Ubooly

Ubooly uses your smart device as its brain and engages kids with updated content

Ubooly puts a fresh spin on plush toys by having your iPhone or iPod Touch zip into the cuddly body of a stuffed animal. Activate the Ubooly app and Ubooly's face appears as you swipe the screen and awaken it.

The toy listens and responds to a person's voice and falls asleep when ignored. Part of its ongoing charm is the fact that it can constantly be updated with new stories, jokes, games and songs to keep kids engaged.

As well as being uber cute, the toy is a win-win proposition for both parents and kids – parents can rest easy in the knowledge that their smart device is safe from harm in a furry casing, while kids get to play with their parents' gadgets to their heart's content.

The toy is pretty inexpensive too, with a small Ubooly priced at $29.99, and a Jumbo version at $59.95. The app is free to download.

5. Lego Mindstorms EV3

Lego Mindstorms EV3 lets you create mind-blowing robots you can program after you build th...

Remember sitting in front of a Lego pieces piled willy-nilly on the floor? Now imagine putting them together to create functional robots you can program to do your bidding, after you finish building them.

Lego Mindstorms EV3 gives you the ability to piece together truly awesome robots like the fierce cobra bot R3PTAR and the scorpion like SPIK3R. You can control your creations with a remote or from your smart device via Bluetooth, and do things like have the cobra bot strike out by moving your device the same way. There's also an app with animations to help you with the build process for the five EV3 robots in the set.

Programming the finished creation is as simple as dragging and dropping instruction modules into a visual workspace and hitting play at the end. The bots also come with pre-written programs that showcase their more advanced capabilities, such as shooting red balls at infrared targets or navigating around obstacles.

With 594 bricks and a variety of sensors, motors and components, the EV3 offers a robotic programming playground that's extremely addictive. Price: $349.99.

6. Sparkup Magical Book Reader

The Spark Reader reads to your child in your own voice

If you enjoy reading stories out loud to kids, but find the fact that you might not always be available (or inclined) slightly troublesome, here's a high-tech alternative instead. Just clip the Sparkup Reader to a book and read the story out once into its microphone.

The device captures the audio for each page which kids can playback later. They'll just need to attach the reader to the book, and turn to the page they want read, to hear the recording. If you balk at the thought of yet another rendition of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, the Sparkup Reader will take care of it for you. It's available for $59.99.

7. Nano-Falcon Helicopter

The Nano-Falcon is the world's smallest remote controlled helicopter

Small enough to use a lemon as a launch pad, the Nano-Falcon is one of the most adorable remote-controlled (RC) helicopters we've laid our eyes on.

It's the world's smallest RC helicopter according to the Guinness Book of Records, weighing a mere 11 g (0.38 oz). You can get it to hover, rotate, execute turns and fly about with the aid of an infrared controller. With a range of 5 m (16.4 ft) and a continuous flying time of about 5 minutes, this tiny toy comes recommended for kids above the age of 6 years. It's priced at $49.70.

8. RoboMe

RoboMe lets you customize robotic avatars with fun personalities and quirky behaviors

Having a robotic avatar hanging on your every word can be kind of engaging and that's what you get with WowWee's RoboMe. You can give the customizable robot a face by sliding your iPhone or iPod Touch into RoboMe's robotic body and play around with individual features on its face, such as its eyes, hair, accessories or more, to create distinct looks and even expressions (like gazing at you with lovestruck eyes).

Aside from giving it any personality you like, it's easy to program all kinds of quirky behaviors into it, such as having it dance if anyone shakes its hand or run away when hearing a key phrase. It understands voice commands and is smart enough to move through a room or any setting by itself without running into things; a remote control also gives you control if you desire it.

Things get even more interesting when you experiment with RoboMe's "remote visual telepresence" feature. Paired with a second iPhone, it transforms into a robotic spy – you can see and hear whatever RoboMe does. Sounds like an argument for getting one of your own, don't you think? Just to pop by and see if the kids are really doing their homework.

RoboMe retails for $100.

9. LeapReader Pen

LeapReader Pen teaches kids to read and write

Not stopping at teaching young kids to read, Leapfrog's LeapReader Penalso helps them learn how to write stroke-by-stroke. The pen instructs kids via a built-in speaker as they trace out letters in the provided workbook and eggs them on with encouraging words, flashing lights and sounds.

The paper in the workbook incorporates embedded ink, which means a child just needs to press down with the pen to make a stroke. The pen doesn't write on any other paper or surface apart from the special paper provided in the workbook, which means you don't have to worry about kids using it to scribble on walls.

To access the pen's reading features, kids simply need to touch the words in specially printed picture books to hear them spoken out aloud. Designed for kids 4-8 years, the pen is priced at $50.

10. 14-in-1 Educational Solar Robot Kit

Create 14 solar robots with the 14-in-1 Educational Solar Robot Kit from OWI

Say goodbye to batteries forever with the OWI 14-in-1 Educational Solar Robot Kit. This innovative kit lets you build 14 different robotic creatures and things, all powered by the sun, capable of moving on land or water.

At the entry level, kids can try their hands at building a crawling beetle, a tail-wagging dog, a floating boat and more. The more advanced (level two) projects take the form of a walking crab, a slithering robot and even a zombie chaser, to name a few.

It's a great toy to get kids interested in renewable energy sources while training them in hands-on robotic building. The kit retails for US$31.95.