Fifteen Innovative Gadgets for Your Mobile Devices
Adobe released a status report on TV Everywhere this week at Nielsen’s Television Critics Association conference in Beverly Hills, California. The company said that 14.7 million households, which represents about 13 percent of the North American pay television universe, use TVE. That number has tripled during the past two years. More than 100 channels, according to the story at Deadline, are providing content to about 300 sites and apps.
It is not smooth sailing, however. Nielsen said that it is hard for people to log in and the service doesn’t provide a common experience across apps. Another potential problem for the overall business model is that the most successful firm may go it alone:
Most TVE fans watch on an Apple device — a potentially worrisome fact as the electronics company works on a streaming platform that might compete with cable and satellite. Some 30% watch TVE on an iPad, 18% use an iPhone, 10% use Apple TV, 3% use a Mac, and 1% use an iPod.
Android Gets to Work
One of the knocks on the Android operating system is that it isn’t secure or unified enough to be a platform of choice for business. That’s a big problem for Google, so it is developing Android for Work.
Google, according to ZDNet, claims that more than 10,000 companies are testing or using the platform. Among them are the Woolworths, the World Bank, the U.S. Army and the Guardian Life Insurance Company. The four components of the platform are described by ZDNet’s Steve Ranger, who adds that 40 companies are supporting the project, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, Rogers, Bell Canada, Telus Mobility and KT.
The Brain-to-Machine Sector to Grow
The current reality of the brain-to-machine interface (BMI) sector is just a little less bizarre than it sounds. Instead of thinking something and having the actual brainwaves cause a machine reaction, BMI technology relies on sophisticated use of current technologies, such as eye tracking, to control an external activity or improve understanding of behavior, according to ABI Research.
The firm says that BMI product revenue will near $10 million this year, led by the advanced gaming industry. Though it is not a totally science fiction endeavor, some of the details, such as brain-implanted modules enabling disabled people to operate robotic prosthetics, are pretty far out there. However, that ultimate goal of actually having thoughts control machines seems attainable.
Will Windows 10’s Wi-Fi Sense Scare People?
Windows 10 reached general availability this week. One element of the free platform is generating a lot of attention: Wi-Fi Sense. Microsoft has upgraded the operating system’s security compared to previous versions of Windows. However, the new feature makes it seem that that isn’t the case.
InformationWeek’s Kelly Sheridan notes that Wi-Fi Sense is aimed at easing network access. It discovers Windows machines on the network and prompts sharing of passwords among the user’s friends. There are two elements to this, though: The first is the reality, which is that Microsoft is not likely to introduce something at this point that is not at least theoretically sound from the security standpoint. Indeed, the company touts it from that perspective:
Microsoft touts Wi-Fi Sense as a security feature, and notes that shared user passwords are encrypted. Your contacts won’t know what your password is or have access to your device, and the encrypted passwords are securely stored. However, they will be able to jump on your network when within range.
The other issue is appearances. People have for years been counseled to guard their passwords and in general be very careful with anything having to do with online activity. Wi-Fi Sense seems to be going counter to that wisdom. It is likely that Wi-Fi Sense, which is automatically activated in the express installation, will be seen as a vulnerability by users.
iPad, Tablet Woes
Apple, in its most recent earnings report, said that sales of the iPad have dropped by 18 percent. That’s a big drop, and Network World says that numbers from IDC suggest an overall slump in the tablet category:
During the second quarter of 2015, there were over 44.7 million tablets shipped. In contrast, there were 48 million tablets shipped during the same quarter a year-ago. And seeing as how the tablet market is contracting at a slower rate than the iPad, Apple’s share of the tablet market has naturally gone down as well.
IDC reports that the iPad had 24.5 percent of the market during the second quarter, which is trending downward from the 27.7 percent it held last year.
Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at cweinsch@optonline.net and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk.
