SYNAPSE CIRCUIT GOOGLE TALK

 Android L 5: Finally supporting 64-bits!

Android One: The sub $100 handset to enter world markets!

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

GOOGLE TALK
Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers. What’s happening tonight? What are you up to? Well, I can see that a lot of you have read my latest articles including the latest one on Apple!

Here’s the lowdown on Google...

#Google #Asus #Samsung #HTC #Nexus6 #AndroidL #Android5

SHOULD GOOGLE BE SCARED?
You know what I am on about... Should Google be scared of the imminent iPhone 6 launch whereby it is said that Apple have been said to have manufactured something like 150-odd million iPhone 6 units ready to engulf the competition... Oooh! Be afraid. Be very afraid...

Hmmmm... Gone are the days where iPhone fans sleep out on the streets in line to the Apple store to be the very first of a batch of very special people to hold the iconic smartphone. I saw people walk up to the iPhone 5 and walk away again in the stores upon the first day of release. Gone are the days where the iPhone is the dominant handset on the streets! Today paints a different picture of London’s hip inhabitants brandishing their sense of fashion regarding their choice of handset or handsets as so many people have a secondary phone! And from what I can see in my weird and wonderful neighbourhood the iPhone is outnumbered by around 10 to 1 by an array of Samsung handsets that includes the Galaxy S4, S5 and Note 3. Then it’s HTC One M7 and M8 followed by Sony and LG handsets. Oh, the other day I saw a rare Acer Liquid S2 and it looked great! Whoa! I went off on a little tangent there... The question is: Can the iPhone 6 recapture the smartphone market? The short answer is probably not... And now for the long answer...

ANDROID 5 / ANDROID L

The current buzz in the world of smartphones is Android L, version 5! When Apple announced the forthcoming iOS 8 what must have struck even the most ardent of iPhone fans can see that iOS 8 has taken so much from Android – especially the interactive notifications! Therefore I would imagine that many iPhone fans are secretly curious about the originator of mobile operating system innovation, Android! I know I would be! Just as I am curious about the iPhone 6, Samsung’s Tizen and Microsoft’s Windows phones – any development in mobile device technology! As a result of this perceived curiosity I reckon that many iPhone users will hold off on the iPhone 6 until they see what else is on offer! Yes, I do not deny that I am an Android fan as I have worked out that it is the best operating system for my needs and if you think differently I won’t begrudge you for it! Lol! I am happy. You’re happy! End of! But as an Android fan I have to say that I am very, very interested in what I think is the biggest and most important release of Android – version 5 codenamed “L”.

Check out my coverage of this year’s Google i / O to find out in depth why I and millions of others are excited about Android 5:-

i / O 2014 Thoughts & Reaction

In a nutshell Android 5 – the preview – looks simply amazing and it looks as though it is going to blast other mobile operating systems out of the water for shear innovation. This “Material” development looks like magic! I for one can’t wait to have Android 5 on my devices!

NEXUS

If you know anything about Google then you will know that with each major release of Android comes a new device in the form of a Nexus handset. Nexus is the only way to enjoy Android in its pure form. Android 5 could possibly present a problem for manufacturers that uses a user interface (UI) overlay to effectively cover Android that is unique to each manufacturer i.e. Samsung uses ‘TouchWiz’ and HTC uses ‘Sense’ and so on.

Android 5 will be a milestone when released and one can be said that it its coming of age. Android 5 could very well be the point at which Google will lay down rules regarding manufacturers using their own custom UI on top! Will these manufacturers comply? I would imagine that the top Android handset manufacturers will see the UIs as a means of identification and therefore there is bound to be some friction with a few manufacturers... Yes, I have Samsung in mind! Lol! But if Samsung and other manufacturers were to use Android 5 without using a UI overlay it could result in more sales as many, many people do not like TouchWiz or any other UI. I don’t like HTC Sense as a personal choice. The main point of focus should be Android and with version 5 it should come as a gift to manufacturers. If I am correct, Huawei have used the official Google Now launcher on their latest handsets and I presume that this is to usher in the pure Android experience when it is released this Fall. Perhaps Huawei have inspired other manufacturers to drop custom UIs to preserve the integrity of what will no doubt be the most advanced and greatest operating system in the world. I guess it helps that Android has the world share of the market! Manufacturers should be thinking the following:-

1. Creating a launcher that users can either download or purchase on Google Play; a “launcher” is an alternative user interface to customise the Android interface. So, if you don’t like the current interface on your handsets just go to the Google Play Store and type in “launcher”. Take your pick!

2. Custom widgets to add more functionality to Android.

3. Developing applications for the office; school / education; video editing; music composition and so on. I reckon manufacturers can make a fortune by selling quality apps that you will find on iOS devices. I know that I would purchase good apps that allow me to be productive!

Let’s not forget that Android L is compatible with 64-bit processors and this should start a new era of applications that will resemble programs on the PC or MAC. This also means that there will be a new era of handsets...

The Nexus 6! Already there is rumour that the Nexus 6 handset will be a 6 inch manufactured by Lenovo / Motorola and feature a 64-bit processor! Gosh! Again, 6 inches will not be considered to be a “phablet” by today’s standards and what better way to show off Android 5 than on a big screen? We could be seeing a Nexus 6 handset in October at the earliest to coincide with the release of Android 5!

There are also rumours about the next Nexus tablet that is said to be 8 inches and manufactured by HTC. Other rumours say that it will be made by Asus again! Either way I don’t mind as HTC and Asus make great products! And yes, there is rumour that the new Nexus tablet will feature a 64-bit processor. Now does this mean that Google will stop making a 7 inch tablet? Is this the end of the line for the Nexus 7 tablet? Could the Nexus 7 become a “phablet” in the not so distant future? The market indicates that this is what the “phablet” has evolved into. Me? I am all for it! It is so enjoyable to be able to be productive on the move on a big screen. The amount of articles I have started whilst on public transport; the music I have been composing and the poetry that I write on my Galaxy Note 2 is a dream for my busy and creative mind. My Galaxy S4 just looks small now in comparison.

I wonder if the new Nexus tablets will feature 4G by default and thus doing away with the need for a Wi-Fi version. It makes sense to me! The cost of adding 4G is really very small that it is not worth creating a Wi-Fi only model.

PHONEBLOKS

Phonebloks or Project Ara is yet another exciting development to come from Google. It is said that a working Phonebloks modular handset should be with us by December. It has great implications where customization is concerned but how will Phonebloks affect other Android manufacturers? Will people stop purchasing / taking out contracts on premium handsets? There again I would imagine that manufacturers would be creating the kind of Sci-Fi looking handsets through the mastery of the flexible screen and being able to print circuit on paper thin materials that would allow for foldable handsets and tablets.

In the meantime I would love to have a Phonebloks handset when it is fully realized! I wonder if it will be possible to create an Android kit in a similar fashion to the Raspberry kits whereby folk can learn how to program and perhaps create apps too! With Google anything is possible!

PREDICTION
I do enjoy making predictions because I am often wrong or proved right in the long term! Lol! But it is fun to make predictions...

The Apple biased tech-media have it that Google Android has peaked and thus this notion paves the way for the iPhone. Now if Android has peaked with handsets featuring 5 inch and above 4K screens then how do they think the iPhone 6 will go down? Surely if Android has peaked then this could mean that the iPhone could effectively be finished too! But the truth is that Android handsets have peaked by the way of design with the exception of the LG G3 and that a new era of design is about to kick in – it already has! The first wave of this new era has seen the “phablet” stretch to 6.5 inches to 7. We’ve seen the 7 inch Android Galaxy Q launched in China!

Designs accommodating the flexible screen are coming! But in the meantime what will happen is that what was once considered as high-end such as the Galaxy S4 will be sold for around £150! The low-end handset will retail at around £30! We will see these low-end handsets coming from China and will be made from surplus quad-core CPUs when the 64-bit CPU comes into effect. I will give it a year or a little under.

Although Apple got the jump on the 64-bit processor it is unable to compete at the mid to low end of the Android handset market. And these low-end handsets will be very powerful and capable. I would imagine that Apple will continue with this “premium” idea of what a iPhone should be and that will continue to hammer the nails of its coffin lid tightly shut!

APPLE’S MISTAKE

Apple made the mistake of entering pointless and continual litigations that effectively cost its reputation. Now that is ONE MASSIVE PR FUMBLE!!!! The constant litigations sent a message to the consumer that the competitors are better; why else would they try to get competitive products off the shelves (so to speak)?

When you’re busy initiating litigations all over the world you are not taking care of business at home! Apple should have been making inroads to make its loyal followers understand that it is in their best interests to be able to choose mobile devices of differing screen sizes and to forego this idea of “premium” materials that have proven to be delicate. My nephew’s iPhone 5S looks like it has been in a warzone in comparison to my Galaxy S2 that looks pretty much like it did when I first got it! Because Tim Cook was haunted by the ghost of Jobs he kept pursuing this idea that iOS is so different from Android when with each iOS update it took on Android attributes; a lot of people can see through that.

The way forward for the iPhone is to allow it to integrate with Google and Microsoft mobile devices and to bury or cremate this “us against them” attitude with Jobs. Technology should bring us together instead of dividing us.

That’s something to think about!



NO!
I don’t think Google are going to lose much sleep over the iPhone 6. Google has its objectives to meet for this and the foreseeable years to come! I haven’t even touched about Android Wearable; TV and Auto. Writing a good article on Google is hard work because they have so many irons in the fire! What will happen to the driverless cars? What are they going to do with all that robot technology they have purchased? What’s the future of Project Glass? Is there a Project Glass 2 in the pipeline? Will it cost considerably less? In a way the Android handset and tablet battle – if there was one – has already conquered a vast majority of the world. I reckon Google are currently thinking beyond handsets and tablets. The day is fast approaching when you will be able to pick up a quad-core pre-64bit CPU for £30! Already we can pick up a 7 inch 3G enabled tablet from Archos for £80! Come Christmas ’14, handsets and 3G / 4G enabled tablets will be sold very, very inexpensively that Apple and possibly Microsoft will be sitting it out in the cold. This will not be the fault of Google why these other tech giants aren’t competitive. No! It will be the result of pointless litigation over innovation. Manufacturers have to give consumers what they want. If a manufacturer wants to stick its head in the sand and say, “We are the epitome of premium prestige...” then good luck! When the innovation of a retail outlet is placed above the products within you know something is wrong.

Roll on Google! Show me what you’ve got!

THANKS FOR READING...
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SYNAPSE CIRCUIT PROJECT ARA CONFERENCE 2014

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
PROJECT ARA:
CONFERENCE 2014
#Google #ProjectAra #Phonebloks

Good afternoon, Synapse Circuit Readers! How goes it? I hope that all is well in your world! It may please you to know that it is once again a sunny day in London Town! However, there’s a distinct arctic breeze cutting through the air!

I tell you, it’s great to see a future technology blossom. It’s greater still to be writing about it. Such a blossoming technology is Google’s Project Ara: the world’s first modular handset.


RAPID
From idea to physicality can take eons but Project Ara is blazing on all cylinders and it could be on the market early 2015! You never know, it could be on the market towards the end of this year at the speed the development is going! Unlike Google Glass which seems to be taking forever to get that wearable device to the market; it’s gone on sale for one day only and for $1,500!!!??? The price seems a little steep but I am sure that the price of Google Glass will come down once it is mass produced!





Even now, Ara, the modular phone appears to be ready! My guess is that there are manufacturing details regarding the module aspect to sort out. I am also wondering if the Ara handset will be ready to launch worldwide simultaneously or just the USA in the first instance.

CONFERENCE
Last night I watched the conference from the comfort of my home office seat...

I was thrilled to see how one will be able to customize the physical modular aspects as well as how Android allows for customization through the use of wallpapers, widgets and custom launchers! It just looks fantastic! What’s more is that the base model will probably cost around $50! I am curious as to how much it would cost to have the largest size and the best modules attached! Still, I would hope that the cost will not be the equivalent to, let’s say, the latest top of the range Samsung Galaxy handset.

It was interesting to listen to the key developers speak about how the modules are magnetically shielded and how certain aspects of Android would have to change to accommodate the various modules from a myriad of manufacturers.

POSSIBILITIES
Technically it is possible to combine two endoskeletons together to create one heck of a phablet! I would also imagine that it’ll be possible to create a modular tablet too! Yes, it would make sense to be able to create a tablet for a specific use in mind: entertainment / leisure or heavy duty business / creative use!

I have understood that it’ll be possible to swap out components even when the handset is on! Very nice! If I heard correctly, the battery can be swapped out and there will be enough power left in the handset during the swap! Brilliant!

EXCITEMENT
Once again, it’s Google that is creating the excitement regarding the mobile device market. This move can be great for the environment due to the fact that the mass of discarded electronics is having an adverse effect on the planet. You crap upstream and it comes downstream. You can’t escape it and it is heart warming to see that Google is paving the way for manufacturers to be planet friendly.

I believe that such modular components will be easier to repair and recycle. Imagine a broken screen easily replaced with a new one and the old one recycled without having to go through the current process that produces toxic waste; children in other parts of the world are removing the gold from discarded electronics while breathing in toxic smoke. Heavy metals such as nickel and mercury find its way into the water stream. The people who work at the dismantling of discarded electronics often suffer from awful skin lesions and yet they keep working for miniscule pay because they can’t afford to feed themselves. It’s unacceptable in this day and age.

These heavy metal pollutants are affecting water life, the earth – nothing can grow in the land used for dismantling electronics. It’s a crazy situation we are all creating. I try to be responsible by giving my old (fully functional) electronics to second hand charity shops in the hope that someone will find use for it. Or I take them to computer exchange shops – if the devices aren’t too antiquated.

I wonder if other manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, etc will develop a modular handset too... And if it were to happen would the modules be compatible with Ara? It’d be great if other modular projects from other manufacturers would be compatible with each other thus minimalizing waste / pollution.
 
What do you reckon?   

Take good care!

Thank you for watching and reading!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit website for video, i-PDF and more! 

Synapse Circuit Dot Com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT PROJECT ARA: PHONEBLOKS

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
PROJECT ARA: PHONEBLOKS
#Google #ProjectAra #Phonebloks

Good evening / early morning, Synapse Circuit Readers! How goes it? I hope that all is well in your world!

When I first wrote the article on Phonebloks which became Project Ara (apparently Google Motorola back then had this building block approach to handsets in their sights already) somebody commented that it can’t be done. I laughed out loud and replied, “Nothing is impossible...”

http://synapse-circuit.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/synapse-circuit-phonebloks.html

IT’S HAPPENING!
The idea is so brilliant! Just like we are able to put together our own PC configurations we’ll soon be able to build our own Android handsets to our preferences! Goody!

A functioning prototype should be ready within a few weeks and it could be commercially available early next year! Or perhaps – with a bit of luck – it could be ready as early as the fall this year! Either way this is very, very exciting! And I am sure that other manufacturers will follow suit! Better still... Imagine a scenario whereby you can purchase component blocks from Samsung, LG, HTC, Asus, etc. I wonder if a swivel camera, as found on the Oppo N1, will be possible... Just for the fun of it, would it be possible to add 3 camera modules on it!

In terms of RAM and storage capacity Project Ara could bring down the cost of RAM and storage options down dramatically! Items such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and LTE could be put in a cost effective context too!

I believe that there will be 3 base endoskeleton sizes: mini, medium and jumbo! I would go for the jumbo model! I just love these massive handsets! Why not stretch to tablets too! I am pretty sure that the project will extend to tablets too! It would be fantastic to be able to build our own tablets! If you look at how Apple sells its iPad the LTE model costs considerably more than the Wi-Fi version - £130 more! It’s a rip off! Now imagine having thousands upon thousands of the LTE component there for the taking at a decent price, say £30! I am hoping so much that this will be possible!

Project Ara will give us so much freedom! Freedom to choose our own network and moreover, we’d be able to get the very latest Android operating system! I can’t wait! Bring it on! Hey! I just had another thought! When 3D printers become a household option we can print some of the Ara body parts! But I envisage a situation whereby we take our designs to a print bureau with a commercial 3D output facility! Cool!

For the Project Ara initiative, Google has partnered with NK Labs to do the electrical, mechanical, and software engineering and with 3D Systems to make a high-speed 3D printer to mass produce the Ara endoskeletons.

Oh, let's have some massive battery options! 

What do you reckon?   

Take good care!

Thank you for watching and reading!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit website for video, i-PDF and more! 

Synapse Circuit Dot Com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT: PHONEBLOKS

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
PHONEBLOKS
#phoneblok #handsetbuildingblocks

Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! I hope that you had a good day! I have been busying lining up stuff to review! I’ve got a backlog that I have to sort out! I promise you that the reviews are going to come soon!

One my Cyber-travels I came across a pretty neat idea. It’s something that I have thought of but there is nothing new under the Sun, right?

PHONEBLOKS
The person or persons behind Phonebloks reckon that Electronic goods weren’t meant to last. I am not so sure about that. Take the PC as the precursor to the “building block” approach; I have always appreciated the fact that I could extend my PC with removing and replacing components such as the graphics card, more RAM, etc. I am not the kind of person to purchase a PC each year. Heck no! I use my PCs until they are worn out! Oh, another thing about the PC is that one could – with a bit of studying – build and service one’s own system. I reckon custom builds last the longest!

This building block approach could work with the mobile devices (handsets, phablets and tablets). That said, I don’t fully agree that mobile phones are so disposable. I tend to keep my premium handsets as you have probably gathered for a number of reasons, first and foremost is that I take good care of my handsets. My phones look as good as new! Nonetheless I definitely would want to build my own handset by the block!

OPERATING SYSTEM
I envisage that this would be a good platform for Android. I don’t see Apple part taking in this idea... ...perhaps they might do something similar. Hmmmm... MicroNokia could possibly do this as this is pretty much PC territory!

When Motorola announced their “customizable” Moto X I have to say that this what I hoped for and who knows if Motorola would jump on this idea? I think they ought to put their stake in as fast as possible! I also think that this is very much a Google vehicle too! Google + Motorola = Phonebloks! Yes or no?

Perhaps we can see other operating systems establish themselves via this method such as Ubuntu, Tizen, FireFox and some new ones too!

Bring it on! You can check out the Phonebloks site here: Site

What do you reckon?

Take good care!

Please enjoy the video below! Feel free to leave some comments and subscribe!

 

Thank you for watching and reading!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit website for video, i-PDF and more! 

Synapse Circuit Dot Com