Basic HTML Version
innovations
www.binfo.co.uk
20
magazine
2
i
Fold and go
Jorno claims to have developed the world’s smallest
folding mobile Bluetooth keyboard. The size of a palm
when folded, the Jorno keyboard turns an iPhone,
iPad or Android device into a fully functioning laptop.
It even comes with a detachable cradle that holds
the smartphone/tablet securely in
place, in landscape or portrait mode.
The built-in rechargeable battery is
claimed to last for one month.
http://www.
kickstarter.com/
projects/jorno/
Desktop dock for iPhones
Channel Dynamics describes the iFusion Smart Station as
the first integrated communications docking station for the
iPhone. Combining the usability of a traditional handset
with the functionality of an iPhone, it integrates mobile,
VoIP and desk phone capabilities in a single easy-to
use device. Embedded Bluetooth technology lets
users make and take VoIP, video (FaceTime or Skype)
and mobile calls through one device, leaving the
PC or Mac monitor free. The iFusion Smart Station
is compatible with iPhone PBX apps, such as Cisco
Mobile 8.1, Avaya one-X Mobile and Maxmobile for Microsoft
Lync, and incorporates a duplex speakerphone for handsfree calls. It also
charges the iPhone more quickly than a USB. It is available from Amazon
for £129.99.
Mobile back-up made easy
New mobile phone backup software from
BullGuard addresses two major challenges for
mobile phone and tablet users: how to back-up
and secure mobile content; and how to migrate
data from an old device to a new one.
Suitable for iOS, Android, Symbian, Blackberry
andWindows Phone 7 smartphones, iPads and
Android tablets, Mobile Backup 12 can be used
to back up phone contacts, calendar, SMS, MMS,
pictures, music, videos, files & folders and user
settings to an online back-up drive that can be
accessed via the app’s web interface.When the
incremental back-up option is chosen only those
files that have been changed or added since the
previous backup are uploaded.
The software can also be used to transfer
content to another phone or tablet, even one
running a different OS. If a user loses or changes
their phone, all they have to do is access their
BullGuard online account and restore mobile
content to the new device.
www.bullguard.com
By the end of 2012, almost 20% of smartphone
shipments will include facial recognition, ABI
Research claims. Its
Facial Recognition for Mobile
Devices
report states that in five years’ time,
shipments of smartphones and tablets with the
technology will have increased to 665 million
annually. Currently, only Google’s Ice Cream
Sandwich and Jelly Bean mobile operating
systems support the technology in significant
volumes, with the Samsung Galaxy SIII being one
of the most notable smartphones to feature it.
Facial recognition was developed in the 1960s,
but its take-up in mobile devices has been hampered
by the need to incorporate an accurate enough
sensor (camera) and suitably powerful processor to
undertake complex algorithms without excessive
power consumption. ABI Research senior analyst Josh
Flood claims that many technical challenges have
now been resolved.
He said: “Facial recognition technology has
improved drastically over the last 10 years and
accuracy is almost always above 90%. That said,
lighting conditions and facial expressions can
sometimes cause problems with the recognition.
However, improvements in camera resolution and
processing power utilised by mobile devices has
helped greatly.”
Facial recognition is already being implemented
in smart TVs that don’t have the power limitations
of mobile devices and can be fitted with more
advanced 3D cameras than the 2D ones typically
used in mobile devices.
No more paper
receipts
The issuing of paper receipts
is under attack from a new
service that allows retailers
with internet access to
send electronic receipts to a
customer’s online account for
viewing via a mobile phone,
tablet or PC.
Launched by eReceipts, the
technology gives consumers the
convenience of an online log of
all transactions. Retailers benefit
from detailed information about
customers’ shopping habits and a
potential new revenue source by
allowing approved third parties to
offer geo-located, time-specific
promotions to customers via
mobile and web apps.
Managing director Andrew
Carroll said: “Our research shows
that 90% of individuals would
prefer to have receipts digitally
stored in a cloud account rather
than collecting paper receipts,
while 50% of individuals would
purposefully buy from a retailer
who offered this service over a
paper receipt issuer.”
http://easyreceipts.com
Social messaging
impacts SMS
Social messaging apps are predicted
to cost mobile operators as much as
US$23bn in lost SMS revenues by the
end of this year and $54 billion by
2016, according to a new report by
Ovum. The rise of social messaging
brands likeWhatsApp, textPlus,
Pinterest and fring are expected to
have greatest impact on operators in
Europe and Asia-Pacific. Neha Dharia,
consumer telecoms analyst at Ovum,
said: “OTT players are changing
consumers’ messaging preferences,
and the pressure they are exerting
on operators’ messaging services is
forcing them to offer increased SMS
bundles and to experiment with
messaging pricing models, further
dampening revenue growth.”
www.ovum.com
Facial recognition on the move