Business News Holding

Category: smartphone

  • JOBS: Manager of Hardware Engineering with consumer video electronics experience


    Cisco’s Emerging Technologies Group (ETG) focuses on creating solutions in new and adjacent technology markets, and is looking for high energy, high impact individuals who want to help shape Cisco’s future by building our next USD $1B business.

    Consumer TelePresence is a new Business Unit being incubated in ETG, and we are currently seeking a Manager of Hardware Engineering to help lead this incubation through to a significant business. Leveraging technology developed for our enterprise TelePresence product, the fastest growing product in Cisco’s history, CTBU will bring to market a breakthrough, consumer version of TelePresence which will provide a unique, in-person experience when communicating with friends and relatives over the internet.

    Job Description:

    Reporting to the Director of Hardware of TSBU, the Manager of Hardware Engineering will be responsible for the following:

    • Build world-class engineering team
    • Work with product management, market development, and customers to develop, refine, validate, and prioritize product requirements and product roadmaps
    •Work with industrial design team to ensure constraints are met in developing compelling consumer designs.
    • Define product hardware architecture and system level designs based on product requirements and business model.
    • Work with director of software to ensure a complete system and make appropriate trade offs as a team
    • Develop product hardware functional specifications
    • Develop product prototype
    • Make strategic trade-offs in make-buy-partner technology decisions
    • Drive to develop and protect intellectual property for market leadership.
    • Lead development, launch and successful revenue growth of the product(s)
    • Develop, and adhere to, resource plans, schedule, and budget

    Requirements:
    • Previous multiple year experience in the consumer electronics market, bringing multiple successful products to market.
    • Experience with video, audio products and solutions.
    • Track record of developing “disruptive” products and bringing them to market
    • Very high technical competence, individual technical accomplishments with repeated, proven track record for product delivery
    • Entrepreneurial drive, demonstrated ability to achieve stretch goals in an innovative and fast paced environment
    • Strong leadership and management skills, ability to deliver results with a small, fast-paced teams, and ability to work across teams
    • Strong ability to stay in sync with key customer requirements and deliver products to meet the requirements, making appropriate trade-offs
    • Experience in building high performing engineering teams
    • Strong inter-personal skills and teamwork
    • Ability to work and thrive in a true “startup” mode

    Other desired qualifications include:
    • Work experience with successful startups
    • Brought products to market with cameras or displays
    • Experience with visual communications systems.

    This position is located in San Jose, CA, US

    For click here for more information.

  • Voice-enabled MIDs To Be New High-end Smartphones


    You may still be getting your head around the acronyms for ultra-mobile devices (UMDs) but it seems that MID and UMPC will soon be tripping off our tongues.

    The market for UMDs – a catch-all term that includes ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs), netbooks, and mobile Internet devices (MIDs) – is expected to grow rapidly, according to ABI Research.

    Total revenues earned by vendors in the UMD market are expected to increase from USD $3.5 billion in 2008 to nearly USD $27 billion in 2013.

    Philip Solis, principal analyst with ABI Research, said that while many UMD devices are currently used as “companions” to mobile phones that will quickly change.

    “Cellular voice-enabled MIDs, in contrast, will be able to replace phones entirely; they will become the new high-end smartphones,” he said.

    The ABI Research report said that over five years the distribution mix for UMDs will change significantly.

    This year, retail sales account for only 14 per cent of shipments, while UMDs provided by mobile operators stand at nearly 30 per cent. The balance are sold directly by manufacturers.

    Operators currently subsidize UMDs for the sake of their potential services revenue, but they would prefer not to.

    By 2013, only 20 per cent will be operator-provided, while retail sales are expected to account for 75 per cent.

    In 2013 more than half of all UMDs will have x86 processors at their heart (largely Intel’s Atom), with the balance based on ARM processors.

    When it comes to operating systems, in 2013 Linux will outnumber Windows devices by two to one across all UMDs, despite the higher return rate for Linux products (compared to Windows products) experienced by netbook vendors today.

  • Windows Mobile Not Coming To The iPhone

    Suggestions that a Norweigan developer produced software that allowed Windows Mobile to be run on the iPhone look like being a hoax.

    A demonstration shown by iphonefreakz.com of an application that gave users a choice of OS when the iPhone is booted up was part of a viral marketing campaign.

    It was claimed that the application worked much like Bootcamp and would be released in January.

    Seems like that isn’t about to happen – at least not from this particular Nordic hoaxer.

  • Free-to-air Is Key To Mobile TV


    People are reluctant to pay for mobile TV, favoring instead free-to-view broadcasts, according to research.

    More than 330m mobile users worldwide will own broadcast TV-enabled handsets by 2013.

    The market for mobile TV is expected to expand rapidly over the next few years, spurred on by the smartphone which is driving improvements in screen quality, microchips and antennas.

    Yet a report from Juniper Research says that less than 14 per cent will opt for mobile pay TV services.

    Although mobile broadcast TV will generate global annual end-user revenues of USD $2.7 billion by 2013, this level is markedly lower than previously forecast.

    In terms of end-user revenues, the US will be the largest single market for mobile broadcast TV services in 2013, followed by South Korea and China.

    Dr Windsor Holden, the report’s author, said the increasing availability of mobile handsets capable of receiving free-to-air analogue and digital terrestrial TV signals would adversely impact the prospects for dedicated mobile broadcast TV networks.

    "The development of terrestrial TV-capable receivers with comparatively low power consumption, and the availability of these receivers in mass market handsets, throws into question the business case for the deployment of a dedicated network in many markets."

    The report notes that operator decisions to offer DVB-T handsets in Germany has effectively closed the door for DVB-H in Germany.

    It also argues that the strong take-up of analogue TV handsets in China – and of one-seg handsets in Japan – indicates that free-to-air services will continue to predominate.

    However, Holden believes that this trend in turn has created a further opportunity for streamed TV services.

    "There will always be a market for some form of premium TV service on the mobile handset, and with broadcast TV in many markets likely to consist simply of the free-to-air terrestrial signals, the gap in the market is likely to be filled by streamed video-on-demand services over the 3G network," he said.

  • Blackberry Storm's Clickable Touchscreen a Winner


    Whether the Blackberry Storm unveiled today lives up to its much-hyped “iPhone killer” title remains to be seen.

    What’s certain is that RIM – the champion of corporate emailers – appears to have delivered excellent new touchscreen technology in its first handset not equipped with a physical keyboard.

    The much-awaited Storm has a spring-loaded touchscreen that responds with a “click” like a physical keyboard.

    RIM is counting on the clickable tactile interface being a big factor in challenging Apple’s iPhone and its growing market share – both for business and consumer customers.

    The Storm will be available later this fall, exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers in the US and Vodafone customers in Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand.

    Consumers in RIM’s Canada are also to get the new handset via Telus.

    No price has been disclosed yet but reports suggest the Storm will carry a retail price of USD $199 when it goes on sale as early as November.

    The handset centers on a 3.25-inch, 480×360 display and an accelerometer switches the display from portrait to landscape.

    There is a 3.2MP camera, with video capture, and the phone supports a range of audio, still image and video formats, including MP3, JPEG and MPEG 4, respectively.

    Content is stored on Micro SD memory cards of up to 16GB.

    It’s the use of a touchscreen rather than a physical keyboard for the first time that really signals RIM’s determination to square up to the iPhone and respond to market demands – especially from non-business users.

    The Canadian phonemaker also appears to have listened to users who claim the iPhone’s glass screen is awkward to type on because its virtual buttons provide no tactile feedback.

    The Storm’s whole screen is backed by springs, and when pressed, it gives under the finger. This could give better typing accuracy compared to the iPhone.

    This enhanced typing feature – combined with BlackBerry push e-mail and tighter server integration – could make the Storm the first touchscreen smartphone truly usable for composing/sending frequent e-mail.

    The smartphone will work both on Verizon Wireless’ network and on Vodafone’s, even though they use incompatible technologies.

    This means the Storm will be equipped with radios to handle both networks, making international roaming a possibility.
    Verizon Wireless is the last of the four national US brands to unveil a flagship touch-screen model.

    AT&T has the iPhone, Sprint Nextel sells the Samsung Instinct, and T-Mobile USA just announced the G1.
    The BlackBerry Storm smartphone also includes the following features and functions:

    • BlackBerry Internet Service, BlackBerry Unite!, BlackBerry Professional Software and BlackBerry Enterprise Server support
    • Preloaded DataViz Documents to Go allows users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset
    • Built-in GPS supports location-based applications and services, as well as geotagging of photos
    • Media player that can play movies smoothly in full-screen mode, display pictures and slideshows quickly and manage an entire music collection; playlists can be created directly on the handset and there’s an equalizer with 11 preset filters – including “Lounge,” “Jazz” and “Hip Hop” – for customized audio ranges when using wired headphones or external speaker
    • A 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, support for Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP) and dedicated volume controls
    • Sleek, elegant design with contoured corners, stainless steel back and chrome accents surrounding its large (3.25″) glass lens; its exceptional 480 x 360 resolution at 184 ppi is crisp and bright with eye-pleasing clarity
    • An ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts backlighting for ideal screen viewing and an accelerometer that allows customers to view applications in either portrait or landscape mode by simply rotating the handset
    • Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides approximately six hours of talk time on 3G networks and 15 days of standby time
    • Virtual keyboards are also available in AZERTY, QWERTZ and other configurations to support different language groups.

  • US To Miss Out On HTC Touch


    HTC’s Touch HD has joined the Blackberry Bold and Nokia 5800 on the list of 3G smartphones that have no US release date.

    HTC has announced through its Twitter feed that says that although it "looked into it," it has decided that by the time the HD could be converted and imported into the US, the device would be "old news".

    It is promising "other cool stuff" later down the line, but gave no details on what this involved.

    The phone can theoretically support American GSM and EDGE networks, but would likely require conversion of its 3G support to work on networks like AT&T’s.

    The HD’s 3.8-inch touchscreen display is capable of resolutions up to 800×480 – substantially higher than most phones in North America, including the iPhone.

    Among the various other theories being put forward for the decision is that AT&T demanded that the HD be kept out of the US to prevent any competition with the iPhone 3G.

  • iPhone Big Carrot For AT&T


    Thirty per cent of US consumers who purchased Apple’s new iPhone 3G from June through August 2008 switched from other mobile carriers to join AT&T, according to a survey by the NPD Group.

    AT&T is the exclusive mobile carrier for the iPhone in the US.

    Nearly half (47%) of new AT&T iPhone customers that switched carriers switched from Verizon Wireless, another 24 per cent switched from T-Mobile, and 19 per cent switched from Sprint.

    Unsurprisingly, the new iPhone was the top selling smartphone between June-August, pipping RIM’s Blackberry Curve and Pearl to the top slot.

    The Apple device is now the second best-selling mobile phone handset among US consumers, after Motorola’s RAZR V3.

    Before the launch of the iPhone 3G, iPhone sales represented 11 per cent of the consumer market for smartphones (January through May 2008), according to NPD’s iPhone 3G Report.

    However, after the launch of iPhone 3G, Apple commanded 17 per cent of the smartphone market (January through August 2008).

    Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for the NPD Group, said: “While the original iPhone also helped win customers for AT&T, the faster network speeds of the iPhone 3G has proven more appealing to customers that already had access to a 3G network.

    Rubin said that in general terms, the iPhone had boosted overall smartphone sales.

    “The launch of the lower-priced iPhone 3G was a boon to overall consumer smartphone sales,” he said.

    The average price of a smartphone sold between June and August 2008 was USD $174, down 26 per cent from USD $236 during the same period last year.

    During June through August 2008, the top four best-selling smartphones based on unit-sales to consumers were as follows:
    1. Apple iPhone 3G
    2. RIM Blackberry Curve
    3. RIM Blackberry Pearl
    4. Palm Centro

  • 12 Mpx Camera, Touchscreen Phone Due From Sony Ericsson


    The smartphone camera race roars on with news that Sony Ericsson is shaping up a 12 megapixel camera on a CyberShot phone.

    Currently codenamed the Kokura, it will apparently also feature a touchscreen and iPhone-like interface, according to Mobilementalism.

    Based on leaked information, the site says the Sony Ericsson handset will be based on the TI3240 chipset with the Symbian OS version 9.4 and S60 interface.

    It also reports another offering from the phone maker – another CyberShot phone currently codenamed the Yurika.

    Aimed at the youth market, it will feature easy access to Facebook, Yahoo!, YouTube and so on.

    According to Mobilementalism, the Yurika will come with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard as well as a touchscreen and similar iPhone-like interface to the Kokura.

  • HP To Target Consumer Smartphone Market


    Hewlett-Packard is seeking to capitalise on the success of the iPhone by launching a smartphone that gives it a stronger footing beyond the enterprise market.

    The new device will fall into the HP iPAQ line that has been developed around Windows Mobile for business use.

    While the new smartphone will still be marketed at corporate users, it is expected to also be targetted at the consumer market.

    Details on the consumer mobile are sketchy but reports suggest it will have a touchscreen, keypad and run Windows Mobile 6.1.

    Expected in Europe before the end of 2008 it will be be released worldwide in early 2009.

    HP is among a host of big names, including Nokia, RIM and Google with its Android platform, seeking to capitalise on the success of the iPhone in the consumer market.

  • iTunes "Closure" Threat Passes as Royalties Unchanged


    Whether Apple would have carried out it’s threat to close down its iTunes Store rather than operate at a loss will never be known.

    Apple had raised the possibility of shutting iTunes if the US Copyright Royalty Board decided to increase the royalty fees paid to publishers and songwriters.

    But the CRB opted to keep rates the same for digital music stores late last week, so removing any need for Apple to make good its closure threat.

    The three-member CRB kept the royalty rate at 9.1 cents, and mandated a 24-cent rate for ringtones.

    The board has never before established mechanical rates for digital files.

    With that little problem behind them Apple can now focus on other threats to iTunes’ dominance of the music download scene – like the launch of Nokia’s Comes With Music program.