Category: Current and Future Trends

Articles

Dell’s new Inspiron 20 is a giant tablet for work and play | Engadget

Dell announces new Inspiron 2-in-1 and All-in-One PCs | Windows Experience Blog

From the horse’s mouth

Dell Inc.

Press Release

My Comments

Dell Inspiron 20-3000 Adaptive All-In-One desktop tablet

The “adaptive all-in-one” tablet is still persisting as a computer form factor. Previously, I had given this form-factor a fair bit of coverage on this site, including reviewing a Sony VAIO Tap 20 which is the prime example of this class of computer.

What are these computers? These are an 18”-23” tablet computer that run a regular-computer operating system like Windows 8.1 and are able to operate on batteries for around 2.5-6 hours or on AC power. They have a kickstand or desktop pedestal so they can become a desktop computer when used alongside a (typically wireless) keyboard and mouse. I had seen the “adaptive all-in-one” tablet computer as a “lifestyle computer” that can be taken around the house as required and one example of its use that was mentioned was as a gaming tablet.

Dell have even come to the fore with this class of computer by launching the Inspiron 20-3000 at this year’s Computex Taipei. But this unit has been positioned as an entry-level “family computer” or “lifestyle computer” with the use of the Pentium economy-grade quad-core horsepower. As well, it can run on its own battery for six hours. This is compared to most of the other computers in this class which implement the more powerful Intel i3 or i5 processors.

This is an attempt by the regular-computer scene to consider itself relevant in the face of the iPad and similar mobile-platform tablet computers being used along with cloud-hosted “software-as-a-service” options for common computing tasks. But this model could fit in well in the “family house” scenario or as a large-screen “family computer” or “lifestyle computer” intended to be shifted around at a moment’s whim — something you could use for browsing the Web, checking on Facebook, doing basic word processing or viewing multimedia content.

Article

Apple: New ‘Metal’ Platform to Improve iOS Gaming | Mashable

My Comments

Android has come a long way ahead with mobile games performance courtesy of the NVIDIA Tegra chipsets and similar high-performance chipsets being implemented in the top-end tablets. This has also be brought up with variants of that operating system being compiled and shoehorned to exploit these chipsets leading to tablets showing up with the kind of performance expected of by hard-core gamers.

Now Apple’s not leaving itself behind with their iOS platform. They have written in to iOS 8 some code that takes advantage of their latest A7 chipsets by implementing the “Metal API”. This allows the operating system to have the games work directly with the iPhone’s or iPad’s processor to yield smooth performance rather than using OpenGL for this purpose, which could allow game developers to target the latest iPads as a games platform for the “full-on” titles. There was even a “demo” of this being shown today at the WWDC Apple-platform developers’ conference based on the Unreal Engine 4 gaming engine to prove what this was about.

There are questions that have to be raised about the “Metal” API regarding battery runtime because some of the games may ask more of the iOS device when in full flight. Similarly, games for the mobile platforms may only be seen to work well for “short-play” casual or strategy titles where continual interaction may not be seen as important.

Could this mean that all of the main mobile platforms could come up with the kind of gaming expected of console and regular-computer platforms, where there is the high level of responsiveness being expected?

Articles

NFC detects fake wine | NFC World

NFC-based seal tracks counterfeit booze | CIO

INSIDE Secure launches CapSeal to identify counterfeiting in wine, spirits market | Drinks Business Review

From the horse’s mouth

Selinko

Press Release

INSIDE Secure

Press Release

My Comments

You could use your Android smartphone to tell if this is the Real McCoy

INSIDE Secure and Selinko are using NFC technology as part of a bottle-seal mechanism to determine whether that bottle of premium French wine or Scotch whisky was filled with the real drink rather than a cheaper poorer-quality substitute. This kind of bottle-refilling fraud has been affecting the supply of good-quality wine and spirits mainly in the Asian market in a manner similar to selling “knock-offs” of  luxury bags, watches and  similar items.

The technology is very similar to what FinnCode are doing with Giuletti Accordions to help with identifying the authenticity and provenance of the accordions that they make. This also works in tandem with an instrument registry that allows people buying any of these squeezeboxes second-hand to know whether have been stolen or not and if the instrument was used for a memorable gig or recording that someone claims it was used for,

The bottle seal works with an NFC chip that is deactivated when the bottle is opened or tampered with and works hand-in-glove with regular wine corks or bottle caps so that the look and experience isn’t lost. The NFC chip will work with NFC-capable smartphones, tablets and laptops to allow consumers, the licensed trade and others in the supply chain to identify if the bottle is still sealed and what is meant to be in the bottle.

I see this working beyond checking the authenticity and provenance of a particular wine or spirit to even checking the authenticity and provenance of other products sold in bottles or jars that are attractive to counterfeiters. Examples of these include soft-drinks such as the legendary Coca-Cola, spreads like the legendary Vegemite or even medicines that are still sold in bottle form.

Similarly, I see this also as a way to clamp down on drinks theft in other situations like hotel minibars or the home by being able to determine whether the bottle was opened and any drink was taken. This is even though one could replace the cork or cap or dilute the drink to make it look newly purchased.

It shows that NFC and QR-code technology provides a common method of creating a unique direct link to online data resources through a common smartphone or tablet as a way of “knowing more” about a product.

Article

Ex-Beats, Spotify Execs Form Soundtrack Your Brand To Sell Spotify To Businesses | TechCrunch

Spotify-based service puts an end to lousy coffee shop music | Engadget

Previous Coverage

Make Spotify and Shazam work with your favourite bar or cafe

From the horse’s mouth

Soundtrack Your Brand

Product Page

My Comments

Spotify – to be available as a legitimate business music service

Spotify is now moving in on the commercial-music-playout game by working with a firm founded by the founder of Beats Music to offer businesses access to the Spotify music library for a subscription.

The main issue that was being considered an obstacle for Spotify to enter this game was copyright implications concerning playback of music in a commercial setting like a bar or a shop. This involved the concept of making sure musicians, composers and record labels got their public-performance royalties when music is used this way and has been sorted out in Stockholm before the service went to launch in that market.

They want to offer features like scheduled music so you can have particular music to set a venue’s mood for a particular time of day; along with offline play so that slow Internet connections don’t impact on music playout. This also allows Spotify business customers to establish their presence on the Spotify service which may, hopefully, allow either a “take it home” service for the music or the ability for regulars to influence the playlist and is part of allowing that business to cement their position on Spotify like they can do on other social media.

Article

Samsung Premiere 2014 set for June 12, here come the AMOLED tablets! | Android Authority

My Comments

Those of you who use recent Samsung, HTC or Sony premium smartphones will notice that they implement AMOLED display technology. Here, the display has that high contrast ratio along with vibrant colours and a wide viewing angle, courtesy of the fact that each pixel lights itself rather than a light source illuminating the display.

There have been a few attempts to bring the technology to large TV screens but Samsung are now implementing it in two new Galaxy Tab S tablet models. These will have either an 8.4” display or 10” display depending on the model  This will be augmented with the “Tab Into Color” tagline to augment the vibrant colour and high contrast features that they have. As well, it becomes feasible for Samsung to design them as highly-slim units due to the display technology not needing a backlight.

Personally, I would also like to see people who manufacture consumer and small-business electronics devices like printers and hi-fi components implement the AMOLED display technology on these devices, especially as a tool to differentiate the premium models from the rest of the range. This is because they work well as a low-power just-as-bright substitute for the vacuum-fluorescent display that has been commonly used on consumer electronics devices. Some devices like the recently-reviewed Brother MFC-J6720DW A3 multifunction printer or the Cyrus Lyric CD receiver implement a touchscreen as the operating interface and they could use the same display technology as the Samsung Galaxy S or Sony XPeria smartphones,

Who knows whether the OLED family of displays will displace the LCD displays in most common applications or not.

Article

UPnP+ links non-IP devices to wide-area networks | EETasia

My Comments

The recent extension of the UPnP Device Architecture specifications, known as UPnP+ is being worked on at the moment by the UPnP Forum. This is to extend the reach of the UPnP Device Architecture specification sets to satisfy certain new realities.

One key reality is to make UPnP work properly with the “Internet Of Everything” concept. This is where devices are able to interlink with each other and share their information in a manner not dissimilar to the concept associated with the Internet.

It will be achieved with native support for IPv6 across IP networks. This takes advantage of the huge number of addresses this standard offers compared to the legacy IPv4 which most of the Internet works on at the moment.

As well, a SensorBridge Device Class will be defined. This caters for the “bridge” device that links sensors and similar devices that work on non-IP networks with IP-based networks. The article talked of the non-IP wireless-sensor networks as being Zigbee, Z-Wave and ANT which take advantage of low-power low-overhead operation suited for those fields. These devices could be represented by “black-box” devices that stand between an Ethernet or Wi-Fi-based home network and the sensors or controllers such as the Honeywell Evohome Mobile Access Kit, but could also be represented as software integrated in either a router that also has a Zigbee or Z-Wave interface or a smartphone, tablet or laptop with Bluetooth 4.0 Smart interface.

There will also be inherent support for cloud-based “hosted” services to be part of the UPnP ecosystem. Of course, I find that the term “cloud” alludes a lot to services hosted by other parties away from the main home network, typically to provide remote access from smartphones, tablets and other computers connected via the Internet. In the context of “Internet Of Everything”, it could extend to service providers like utilities or monitored-alarm companies using this data to participate in the “Smart home” concept.

I would see this come in to its own with home and other networks that are operating along the line of “Internet Of Everything” and this could be supported with newer devices that have newer UPnP+ firmware in place.

Article

Home inkjet printer fabricates circuit boards on photo paper | ComputerWorld

Video

My Comments

There have been a few methods for building electronic-circuit prototypes which involved a “breadboard” of some form and having the components anchored down with either mere friction, with wires inserted in a spring or screwed down with a screw and washer. This was either used to teach electrical and electronics concepts or to “rough out” an electronic-circuit idea and having it work properly before spending time on building a printed circuit board for permanent deployment.

Now Microsoft have come about with a method of making printed-circuit boards using the common inkjet printing method that most printers (including a lot of the ones reviewed here) implement. Here, users could design a circuit using a regular computer and print this out on the photo paper. But the inkjet printer would have to be equipped with a cartridge that holds a special conductive ink and think it is printing something in black and white.

You could then think that you have to solder down the various regular components like diodes, resistors, capacitors and transistors, punching their wires through the paper. But this could prove to be difficult with heat-based soldering and wires attached to the components. Instead, Microsoft and 3M are implementing “stick-on” components that are conductive through the tape as a way to build the circuit that work in a similar way to a SIM card where there is conductive areas on that card.

There would be the requirement to use card-grade paper for improved mechanical reliability as well as the ability to connect regular wire to these circuits whether to connect regular batteries, switches and the like or connect between two circuits. Another issue would be to provide the conductive-ink cartridges for most of the currently-issued inkjet printers so that one can get going with using these printers for turning out the printed circuit boards.

But what I see of this is that equipment used by most computer users could come in to its own with learning electronics or building electronics circuits, especially “short-order” circuits. At the moment, the idea hasn’t been commercialised but the kind of people who could make it sell would include the educational sector or electronics shops of the Maplin, Jaycar or Radio Shack kind.