Thứ Năm, 30 tháng 7, 2009

New GPS platform aims to save batteries

CSR has unveiled a new GPS architecture that it says will let portable devices be constantly location-aware without draining their batteries.
The architecture, SiRFstarIV, was announced on Tuesday along with the first product to use it, CSR's GSD4t receiver for mobile phones and other portable devices.
Mobile phones increasingly have GPS (Global Positioning System) as a feature, for navigation and other location-based services. However, current GPS architecture is a major contributor to battery drain--a situation CSR is hoping to fix.
The U.K.-based company, which has generally concentrated more on Bluetooth chip design, bought GPS architecture firm SiRF in February. As part of the deal, SiRF's founder, Kanwar Chadha, joined CSR as chief marketing officer. CSR was formerly Cambridge Silicon Radio.
Chadha told ZDNet UK on Tuesday that smartphones using current GPS platforms deliver a worse experience than dedicated personal navigation devices with the same technology. He attributed this lag in smartphones to three factors: battery consumption, the time it takes to get a fix on GPS satellites (as the GPS has to turn on and off to save power), and interference from other electronics inside the devices.
"GPS was not designed to be navigation-centric," Chadha said. "If you try to make location available all the time, you drain the battery very quickly. Other radios, the LCD display and the processor also interfere with the GPS signal."
This situation was a driver for the creation of SiRFstarIV, which is "not on all the time, and not off all the time," Chadha said.
The platform instead uses an "aware" state, which "keeps the necessary information to do a very fast calculation from the satellite [and is] alive all the time but in a very low micropower mode," he explained. This approach means the device's GPS does not need to be continually turned on and off to conserve power--hence the speed with which it can get a satellite fix.
Chadha said the SiRFstarIV platform uses between 50-500 microamps. That power consumption level is substantially lower than that found in existing GPS platforms, which burn up power in the milliamps.
The company also looked at the other drags on GPS performance in smartphones for the new architecture.
"The second thing we did is [to] put in a new technology which scans for all the noisy signals that interfere with GPS, and eliminates interferers before they can hit the GPS signal," Chadha said.
The GSD4t receiver is now available in sample quantities to manufacturers of mobile phones and other portable devices, with full-scale production scheduled for October. According to Chadha, the first handsets using SiRFstarIV should become available in early 2010.

by David Meyer

Thứ Tư, 29 tháng 7, 2009

iPhone 3GS crypto is easily crackable

The encryption functionality of the iPhone 3GS is so easy to crack that it is essentially "broken" as far as protecting sensitive personal data like credit card and social security numbers, according to a forensics expert and iPhone developer.
"I don't think any of us [developers] have ever seen encryption implemented so poorly before, which is why it's hard to describe why it's such a big threat to security," Jonathan Zdziarski told Wired.
With physical access to a 3GS iPhone and some free software data can be extracted within two minutes and an image of the entire raw disk in about 45 minutes, he said. The iPhone decrypts the data on its own once the extraction has begun, he explains in a video demonstration.
Apple has been touting the encryption and other features to entice corporate users to the device. And it seems to be working. Nearly 20 percent of Fortune 100 companies have purchased 10,000 or more iPhones per company, the company said on its financial results conference call on Tuesday

by Elinor Mills

iPhone manufacturer to pay family of dead worker

Foxconn, the company that manufactures Apple's iPhone and iPods, has agreed to compensate the family of a Chinese worker who apparently committed suicide over a missing prototype.
A Foxconn official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Tuesday the company will give Sun Danyong's parents a one-time payment of 360,000 yuan ($52,600), according to an Associated Press report. The company also agreed to pay an additional 30,000 yuan ($4,385) for each year either of the parents is alive, the AP said.
That figure is higher than that reported Monday by The New York Times, which stated that the family was receiving 300,000 Chinese renminbi, or about $44,000, and that his girlfriend was getting an Apple laptop.
Sun, who was 25, apparently jumped to his death on July 16 after allegedly losing a fourth-generation iPhone prototype that he was responsible for.
Apple expressed regret over Sun's death and said last week that it was "awaiting results of the investigations into his death."
Foxconn apparently suspended a security official after Sun's death, and the case was turned over to Chinese authorities to investigate. The security officer denied beating Sun but did acknowledge that he became "a little angry," according to The New York Times.
Foxconn General Manager James Lee said this wasn't the first time products given to Sun had gone missing, the New York Times reported. "Several times he had some products missing, then he got them back," Lee said. "We don't know who took the product, but it was at his stop."
Foxconn reportedly has not been able to locate the missing prototype.

by Jim Dalrymple

Apple blocks Google Voice app for iPhone

The long-awaited Google Voice application for the iPhone has been officially shot down by Apple.
There were a scattering of reports on Monday, and then a Google spokesperson confirmed it: "Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users--for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers."
In addition, all third-party applications that use Google Voice have been pulled by Apple, according to a report in TechCrunch. The developer of one of those apps, GV Mobile, says he was told the decision came from Apple because his app "duplicates features that come with the iPhone."
It's unclear why Apple is refusing the app to be sold in its store, though there are hints that it may have come at the behest of AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S. Google Voice is a free application that lets users assign a single number to ring their home, work, and cell phones, and also get voice mail as text transcriptions. Google Voice has been described by some as an "end run" around wireless carriers because it allows for free texts, but users do still use minutes on their AT&T phone plan.
John Gruber of DaringFireball.net reports that it was in fact AT&T's request that Apple block the application, but points out that Apple too has good reason to reject it: "Google Voice is a mobile phone service provided by the maker of one of the biggest competitors to the iPhone OS (Android). What if Google Voice were instead Microsoft Voice?"
It's also by now well established that the application approval process for Apple's App Store can be confusing and frustrating for individual developers, and now even for giants of the technology industry. Just last week, another dust-up occurred with Google and the iPhone, when Apple refused to approve Google's Latitude for the iPhone unless it was designed as Web-based app

by Erica Ogg

Thứ Hai, 27 tháng 7, 2009

RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 (Verizon Wireless)


The good: The RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 offers world-roaming capabilities as well as Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The smartphone offers a great design that combines a sharp display and an easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard in a fairly compact size.
The bad: The smartphone lacks Wi-Fi. The Web browser falls short of the competition, and there's a bit of shutter lag on the camera. You can't save applications to a media card.
The bottom line: With a winning design and fast performance, the RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 is one of Verizon Wireless' top smartphones for both business users and messaging fanatics.
Specifications: Band/mode: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 / UMTS 2100 / CDMA2000 1X 800/1900 ; OS provided: BlackBerry Handheld Software ; Talk time: 300 min
by:
Bonnie Cha
cnet.com

T-Mobile MyTouch 3G - black (T-Mobile)

The good: The T-Mobile MyTouch 3G has a sleek, attractive design with a gorgeous display, tactile controls, and an easy-to-use, customizable interface. Stereo Bluetooth and Outlook e-mail syncing are standard features, and call and data performance are excellent.
The bad: The T-Mobile MyTouch 3G lacks important features like a standard 3.5-millimeter headset jack, a file manager, and camera-editing options. Video quality is uneven, and the HTML browser interface and virtual keyboard have their flaws. Also, it doesn't support Outlook calendar and contacts syncing.
The bottom line: With the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, the Google Android OS gets a much-needed boost. A few complaints remain, and some users may bemoan the lack of a physical keyboard, but we approve of its eye-catching design and interface, improved features, and satisfying performance.
Specifications: Band/mode: W-CDMA 900/2100 / GSM 850/900/1800/1900 ; OS provided: Android ; Talk time: Up to 450 min.

FROM:Internet

Verizon to offer Palm Pre in early 2010

There is still no official word about when or if Verizon Wireless will ever get Apple's iPhone, but the wireless operator has confirmed it will be getting the Palm Pre early next year.
The company's chief operating officer, Denny Strigl, spilled the beans on the impending smartphone availability during a conference call with analysts and investors discussing the company's second-quarter earnings on Monday. The Palm Pre, which was highly anticipated for several months, is currently only available on Sprint Nextel's network.

Since Sprint and Verizon use the same underlying cell phone technology, it shouldn't come as a huge shock that Verizon would be getting its own version of the Pre. But it's somewhat surprising that the carrier will be getting the device so soon.
Earlier reports indicated there might be a longer wait for a Verizon Palm Pre. Just before the Pre was launched in early June, Sprint Nextel's CEO Dan Hesse threw cold water on a statement made by Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam that Verizon would offer the Pre on its network within six months. Hesse wouldn't provide details, but he indicated the exclusivity deal between Sprint and Palm lasted longer than six months.
"They need to check their facts," Hesse said in an interview at a press event the day before the Pre was launched. "That just is not the case. Both Palm and Sprint have agreed not to discuss the length of the exclusivity deal. But I can tell you it's not six months."
Now it appears that Hesse may have been simply parsing words. If Verizon does in fact offer the phone in early 2010, that makes the deal technically longer than six months, but not by much.
A Sprint representative declined to comment on the news that Verizon plans to offer the Pre early next year.
So why is this so important? There are a couple of reasons.
For one, Verizon is in desperate need of some hot new phones on its network. Even though Verizon Wireless has always gotten high marks for its reliable wireless network, it has often been seen as a laggard in terms of getting the hottest new cell phones. AT&T has the exclusive deal with the iPhone. The first and second Android devices are being sold by T-Mobile USA. And Sprint Nextel was the first out of the gate with the Palm Pre. Verizon Wireless has an exclusive deal to carry the BlackBerry Storm, but many loyal BlackBerry users have complained about the touch screen. Research In Motion is readying a new version of the phone for later this year.
For several months, rumors have been flying that Apple might be readying an iPhone for Verizon. And many loyal Verizon subscribers, who don't want to leave the carrier, but really want the iPhone, have been waiting for news of a Verizon iPhone. But such an announcement is not likely coming anytime soon.
Strigl's announcement could give these wireless customers and others looking for an alternative to the iPhone, a reason to stay with Verizon Wireless. Strigl admitted during the conference call that the iPhone 3GS, which went on sale in mid-June, hurt Verizon Wireless' sales the last two weeks of June.
"The iPhone has clearly been a successful device," Strigl said. "And it has expanded the overall phone market. We have been competing successfully and will continue to do so. But we did see an uptick in the last couple of weeks in June. (Still,) we think we are extremely well-positioned going forward. The lineup and pipeline of new products we have coming is strong."
The importance of exclusive deals But the calculated terminology used to describe these deals also indicates just how important exclusive handset deals have become in the competitive wireless market. Carriers see exclusivity on hot new handsets as a way to lure new customers and keep old ones. Recently, these deals have come under scrutiny as members of Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, and the U.S. Department of Justice have all started looking into these deals to determine whether they are really good for consumers and the market in general.
Even Verizon, which has voluntarily offered to limit its exclusive handset contracts to six months, defends exclusive deals. Strigl said during the call that these deals are necessary to spur innovation and competition in the wireless market. He pointed to the Apple iPhone as an example.
Clearly, the iPhone deal has proven to be a major advantage for AT&T. The company announced that it had signed up 1.4 million new subscribers in the second quarter of 2009, about 300,000 more than Verizon signed up during the same quarter. AT&T also said it activated 2.4 million iPhones in the second quarter. And Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, said that more than 1 million units of the new iPhone 3G were sold the first weekend the device was available.
Even though AT&T is taking a financial hit in the short term due to the heavy subsidy it pays on each iPhone sold, the company believes its deal with Apple for the iPhone is an investment in the company's future. Already, the company has increased its average revenue per user due in large part to the $30 a month data fee that is required for each iPhone sold. And because these subscribers are locked into a two-year service contract, AT&T sees the iPhone becoming a profit center in a couple of years.
What's more AT&T says that analysis of its iPhone customers indicate that they not only spend more than other wireless subscribers, but they also are more loyal.
And the only reason that AT&T has been able to reap all these rewards is because it is the only carrier offering the iPhone. If it had to share the iPhone with another carrier, like Verizon, it would drastically reduce the effect the phone has on its future profitability.
But can other devices follow in the footsteps of the iPhone and create so much value for a carrier? It seems unlikely. While some people may argue that the iPhone is by no means the best smartphone on the market, most people would agree that it has raised the bar in terms of features, functionality and usability of smartphones.
So far no other single device has created the same buzz or sales traction that the iPhone has created. For example, the Pre, which was highly anticipated since it was announced in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, only sold about 50,000 phones its first weekend.
For most carriers, exclusive deals with smartphone manufacturers have been used to retain existing customers rather than an attempt to grow its base. T-Mobile USA actually rewarded its loyal T-Mobile customers by offering its new Android phone, the MyTouch, to them weeks before it offered it to non-T-Mobile customers. And Sprint Nextel actually held special parties the night before the Palm Pre launch to allow loyal Sprint customers to buy their pre-ordered devices.
Even AT&T admits that the iPhone will one day be sold by other carriers.
"There will be a day when we are not exclusive with the iPhone," AT&T's CEO Randall Stephenson said, speaking last week at Fortune's Brainstorm: Tech conference. However, he declined to get into details on the company's negotiations with Apple.
Apple's CFO Richard Lindner said during the second-quarter conference call that high iPhone sales volume has laid the groundwork and will continue to pay off years from now, even when the iPhone is eventually offered by other carriers in the U.S.
While Verizon defends the need for exclusive deals, the company has always competed on the merits of its network. The Palm Pre will simply give its customers another compelling smartphone choice. And it will give Palm a greater opportunity to sell handsets, given that Verizon is now the largest wireless operator in the U.S.
Verizon Wireless has long contended that it takes more than a single iconic handset to win in the wireless market long term. And this is why the company plans to build its new 4G wireless network. Strigl also announced during the call that Seattle and Boston would be the first two cities where the new 4G wireless network will be tested later this year. The network is expected to be commercially available in 2010. And it will be completed sometime in 2013.
Verizon executives have also said the company plans to offer its own application store for smartphones. Details of the new store will be released on Tuesday at the company's developer conference in San Jose, Calif.