IVE IS HYPE SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

"And the hype completes the deception..." 

 SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
WADING INTO JONY IVE’S ARGUMENT WITH MOTOROLA

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! How are you? As always I hope that all is well in your world and that your tech is functioning as it should! Are you enjoying the Lollipop upgrade on your Moto G 2014? I certainly am!

Speaking of Motorola... Have you read Jony Ive’s thinly veiled attack upon the Motorola ‘customize it yourself’ concept?

“Their value proposition was, ‘Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever color you want,” Ive said. “And I believe that’s abdicating your responsibility as a designer.” Jony Ive

Here’s what I think...

#Motorola #RickOsterloh #MotoX #JonyIve #ProjectAra #Design

THOSE GUYS
Huh, huh... Yes, those guys over at Apple love to talk up a good fight and fall short – seriously short – of delivering the goods. The philosophy at Apple is, “Show me the money!” Cook’s syrupy sickly sweet tones are just another way of saying, “Cherching!” <The sound of a cash register> Treat Apple customers mean (by these jacked-up prices) and keep them keen! Yet Apple comes across as a New Age religion heralding the future... It is such an odd thing to see iPhone users lining up outside an Apple store faithfully to receive communion.

The truth is that Apple is a laughing stock in terms of technology and design. I will tell you why in a bit... Hold on!

LEGACY
Once one is labelled a guru one can either be humble and set the standards or feel the need to smite those that dare to sing from another hymnbook. “Me! Me! Worship me!” Another way of looking at Jony Ive’s outburst is that once he is done with Apple or vice versa he’s not going to leave much of a “design” legacy. The truth is that the iPhone is super-bland in its appearance; at best it looks like a device that came from a 1960s Sci-Fi movie or from the 80s Buck Rogers TV series.


Ive is supposed to be a “designer” but the iPhone has stayed practically the same from the first to the latest – just a little elongated! To me that is not what design is about. I think Samsung learned this the hard way with the Galaxy S5. They tried to make a design signature by making minimal changes from the Galaxy S4 to the S5 and, from where I am sitting, it didn’t work out as Samsung envisaged. Again, the LG G3 was able to stand out from the blandness with a great looking design. Yes, HTC did great with the One M series aesthetics but the cameras were a disaster! And, as you know, Motorola put in a sterling effort with the Moto range and when it introduced the front-facing speakers the design went from very good to awesome!

Ive’s comment about Motorola allowing the consumer to choose colours and materials for the back came across as idiotic! The basic Moto X is just gorgeous as it is – I should know as I reviewed it. Being able to specify colours and materials such as leather for the back is being able to personally decorate the cake! Check out here: MotoX 2014 Review.



So, in my most humble opinion, that’s what design is all about... ...it’s about giving people a choice! The base Moto X 2014 is simply awesome and to have the ability to customize it is sublime! If Ive’s take on design is to not give the consumer a choice then why release the iPhone in a couple of different colours? Jony says, “Here’s the bloody iPhone! Take it or take it!”

That’s not a legacy I would be satisfied with if I were called a “design guru”.

ARASTED DEVELOPMENT
Another technological design concept that is going to squash Ive’s iPhone into a tiny footnote (if he’s lucky) is Project Ara! Now if I were a designer I would have wished that I had came up with that concept! Put simply: Project Ara has the capacity to change the smartphone world! No matter how many times Cook and co utters the word “fantastic” in the direction of the iPhone it is never going to take away from the fact that an Ara phone goes beyond superlatives. When Project Ara goes global it will most likely eclipse any smartphone sales record. It just so happens that I have 9 Android handsets and I would want an Ara handset in addition to my Moto G 2014, Nexus 6, Galaxy Note 4, etc.



No, I am not a handset nut! Pardon the technical term... ...I just don’t see the point of reselling old handsets as I am never going to get true value from it. I would rather use the old handsets as experimental units for rooting and installing a custom ROM, etc. It’s always good to have a spare! Wink, wink...

In any event I do think that Ive is overrated as a designer. It’s Android that’s paving the way for design developments as all the OEMs want to differentiate from the other. Also the Android operating system itself allows for OEMs to design handsets (and tablets) that pushes the envelope of what Android can do! I mean the Air Gestures, Multi-Windows and S Pen from Samsung with the Galaxy Note series is just amazing! I love that you can operate the Moto X with voice commands without touching it!



The iPhone is not only bland in appearance but the iOS operating system is uninspired. Ive must know this deep down inside as he – along with Cook and co – keep trying to slate the competition.

APPLE WATCH
Just one look at the Apple Watch design tells me that Ive isn’t much of a designer. The Samsung Gear S and Moto 360 are two fine examples of a smartwatch! All that Apple is doing at the moment is to smooch up to the fashion circles to get consumers to believe that the Apple Watch is a desired fashion item. It’s not!



And this is what I appreciate about the Android (and Tizen) based smartwatches – they sell themselves. The OEMs don’t try to sell you on fashion; they sell you on the functionality. I predict that the Apple Watch is going to stink once users figure out that they’ve been short-changed. The Apple Watch design is so, so bland. I can almost guarantee that the functionality will be hugely disappointing hence the need to hype it as a fashion item. No doubt that the parishioners of the Church of Apple will line up to get one to complete the set. But the other guys have such a great choice in smartwatches! Once again, when it comes to smartwatches it is Android that leads the way in design. Tizen too! As Tizen works with Samsung Android handsets it’s still an Android experience. I do appreciate with the Gear S that I don’t need an additional handset to make call.

VERDICT
Jony Ive is more hype than designer. Apple is good at designing hype. But to be fair, a lot of people buy into hype over substance. Not me!

Thank you so much for reading Synapse Circuit!

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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...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT GOOGLE i/O 2014 PREDICTIONS

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
GOOGLE i/O CONFERENCE 2014 PREDICTIONS
#Google #i/o2014 #Android #Chrome #ChromeOS #Glass #Nexus #Silver

Good early morning, Synapse Circuit Readers. How are you today? I am feeling pretty good of late. The was Sun is out albeit sporadically but it is better than no Sun at all! Yes, the Animation Special is on the way! Again, life has a habit of taking over an intended course of action! But the Animation Special is on the way!

Yes, as always the world of Tech is constantly throwing up all manner of things – some good and some bad! What’s happening with Google?

THE UNEXPECTED
The Google Input / Output conference is coming up pretty fast and it seems like this year’s conference will be a pivotal one in terms of what Google brings to mobile and wearable devices.

The one thing nobody could have anticipated was the sudden departure of Google + Vic Gundotra! What on Earth happened there I wonder? It is said that it is because G+ has failed to match or surpass Facebook in terms of users. If this is true I think this is because Google have done a number of things to hurt G+...

1. Time; Google haven’t given G+ enough time to build and develop like Facebook. As massive as Google is there is no way they can spring a social network of the magnitude of Facebook metaphorically overnight. Facebook has been around for 8 years and is still going strong-ish! G+ has been around for only 3 years. Google must give their social network time to develop!

2. Google have shot themselves in the foot by insisting upon its people using their real names and as a result I am sure that this has caused all sorts of issues for individuals involved in an “Alternative” lifestyle be it music, political viewpoint, etc. It took Facebook a comparatively long time before they changed its User Name policy.

3. Annoyingly they badgered users to tie in their YouTube, Blogger and other accounts to G+. I am quite sure that G+ users would have preferred to allow their other Google accounts to develop naturally on their own. I think G+ users, like me, prefer to keep the accounts separate.

Well, that’s all I can think of at the top of my head. All of the above does not bode well with social network users. I personally feel as though Google are forcing itself upon the users. That said, I do think G+ is a great alternative to Facebook and Twitter. I find that in many ways G+ is better than Twitter in that it is easier to connections with others. And, yes, G+ - like all the social networks – has a factor of detractors, trolls, etc but it is easy to block undesirables. I also find it annoying to not only receive G+ notifications but to get them by email too????

I can only speculate that Google have changed its mind regarding the direction of G+ is going. I think we have already seen the direction... I am not sure that I like it! I’m beginning to think that Tim Cook and crew may be right about, “Google drops projects that aren’t profitable...” I just hope that Google will assign a team of visionaries to give G+ a good overhaul! I mean, just look at the recent change in the Facebook for Android app – this change has been a very good one! Google needs to assign a forward thinking team behind G+ for sure!

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED?
Hmmmm... One can never quite tell with Google... One year they are skydiving showing off Glass and the next year they are quite subdued.

ANDROID 64-BIT
I am anticipating the announcement of a 64-bit version of Android. CPU manufacturer Qualcomm are developing 64-bit CPUs as are other manufacturers. So, could it be Android 4.5 or Android 5 that will be ready to take on the 64-bit CPU? Or will there be a 4.5, Liquorice or Lollypop, before the 64-bit 5? Oh, then there’s project HERA that is said to not only bring new icons but to fuse parts of the Chrome OS; here I just hope that Android users will be able to get to use those wonderful looking Chrome apps! We’ll see!

SILVER
Apparently, the Nexus range of devices is giving way for the new premium “Silver” range. Google is reputedly working with manufacturers to lose UI overlays. Some report that this move is to “take back control of Android from Samsung” but I think that’s a load of horsepoop! I think that because Google will make great changes to Android that it will look to maintain the Nexus vanilla ethos and work with manufacturers to create the best premium experience. I am sure that Samsung, HTC, LG, etc will be still releasing handsets with their own particular UI overlays. Then again if Android becomes more advanced that they won’t have to utilize custom UIs. I have always said that the likes of Samsung should offer widgets over a UI!

In any event I expect that there will be a Nexus 6 handset and Nexus 7 III tablet this year. It’d be great if the premium Silver range extended to tablets!

However, going back to the Silver handset(s)... Google are keen on banishing external storage capacity on their handsets so as a result I am expecting them to announce at least 64GB storage capacity as standard. There again, Google does want us to use their cloud service. But that’s another incident where I am not too happy with Google. Everytime I take a picture I get pestered to back it up on Google Plus and / or Drive services. I wish Google would take a step back once it has let me know that the facilities are available. I find Google too invasive at times. Gosh! I went a little off topic! Anyhoo! Could it be that HTC will be responsible for the first Silver device?

GLASS
Yes, the controversial Google Glass! I do think that Google Glass will take off when it is finally available to the public. There have been some negativity towards Glass and it seems to be coming from deeply religious people who believe that it signals the beginning of Transhumanism and how the human being will become a machine. But I am sure that if one of those anti-Tranhumanist folk lost a limb that he or she would welcome a bionic one to replace it. See my GLASS: TRANSHUMANIST HYSTERIA article here: http://synapse-circuit.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/synapse-circuit-google-glass.html

I expect Google to announce the availability of Glass.

ANDROID WEARABLE
Smartwatches are definitely here and I envisage that Google will be announcing a few wearable models that will be on sale this year. It looks as though they are partnering with Lenovo Motorola to bring out a selection of smartwatches. Who knows if there will be a wearable computer – apart from Glass – thrown into the mix?

GOOGLE NEXUS
It is doubtful if Google will discard the Nexus concept altogether. No! I have it mind that Google will keep the Nexus concept going for cost effective handsets. I do believe that Google will announce a sub £100 Nexus handset not too dissimilar to the Moto G. According to CEO Larry Page it costs about $5 dollars to make a handset so I can only hope that the level entry Nexus will boast last year’s spec as found in the current Nexus 5. Why not? We are seeing the prices of top Samsung handsets fall quite dramatically... The Galaxy S3 is a still top notch handset – if you can live with not having 4K video. Imagine the Nexus level entry range having the innards of the Galaxy S3? Then again look at it this way: pick up a handset such as the Galaxy S3, root it and install a custom ROM that will give you the vanilla Android experience. If Google are going to announce a level entry Nexus handset they certainly have a bit of work cut out for them. I am curious as to what is going to happen there. Of course, Google may just drop the Nexus range altogether which would be rather strange given that they have established it as an excellent brand.

With the Nexus 7 III I am expecting a design that features a slimmer bezel and perhaps we’ll be seeing a multitude of different sizes i.e. 7”, 8.9” and maybe, just maybe, a 10”! I’ve heard rumours that LG, HTC and ASUS will do a tablet for Google.

HTML5 APPS & VP10
In conjunction with the latest Android and Chrome OS and Chrome (browser) developments I am expecting to learn more about how Google will use HTML5 and the video format VP10 (an upgrade from 9 maybe) to create cross platform apps that can not only run on Android but iOS and Windows 8 too! Again, I am expecting to see how HTML5 will enable Android to adopt some of the ChromeOS characteristics.

HTML5 is really starting to take off now with apps and websites making use of its multimedia capabilities. Could it be that Google will announce a follow up to their one time App Inventor which is now owned by MIT that uses HTML5 routines? You just never know with Google. I think that drag and drop HTML5 apps has the potential what to be WYSIWYG is to website creation. Do you remember when it was all about hand coding to build a simple page? It’s going to be pretty much the same with apps – simple drag ‘n’ drop content to create simple apps. It would be something if Google’s Web Designer program will feature an output to APK?

CHROME OS
I would imagine that there will be more Chromebooks and one that will feature 4G built in as well as WiFi! I am expecting something from Samsung, Dell and HP.

I find myself wondering why there isn’t a Chrome OS tablet... Perhaps that’s coming through Lenovo Motorola.

MAPS
I am anticipating more on Google Maps by the way of development. I couldn’t possibly imagine that those developments can be other than all round improvements, 3D imaging and so on.

CONCLUSION
It is going to be a very exciting conference from Google this year as they keep pushing the boundaries of technology. We’ve yet to learn what these robots are going to do that they have recently acquired. I hope to learn more! Get ready!

IN THE MEANTIME...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

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!

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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!

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