FXI Technologies develops Cotton Candy on a (USB) stick
Cotton Candy takes the guts of an Android phone and crunches them down into a USB stick, essentially acting as a computer you can plug into anything with an HDMI or USB input.
android
Cell phone market bigger than we thought
The researchers at Deutsche Bank are throwing out old estimates of the worldwide mobile phone market because they say we’re still underestimating its size. The reason? They’re still trying to grasp how many cell phones are made and sold in China. As a result, Deutsche Bank is increasing its 2011 forecast of the worldwide market to 1.68 billion phones, up from 1.57 billion earlier this year.
“The bulk of this change comes from an additional 115 million GSM 2G units going into emerging markets,” a research note from the firm says.The problem with counting the phones sold in China is that a sizable chunk of them are “Shanzhai” phones, or knock-off phones that are cheap to make and popular in China and in neighboring emerging markets. The manufacturers of these handsets don’t have official licenses to build phones from the Chinese government and typically do not sell them through what we might think of as traditional retail channels.
But even though Deutsche Bank has talked to contacts in the country to get a better feel for the true number of phones being made and sold, it says it’s still difficult to know the true size.
“It’s also worth pointing out that we could still be missing some number of shanzhai phones…In a note following our recent China trip, we pointed out that many of the China handset makers sell $20 phones. These go to emerging markets prepaid customers, and we know no data source capable of tracking these units,” Deutsche Bank said.
Zeroing in on the true size of that market is not the only factor increasing this year’s forecast though. Phones using LTE technology are rolling out faster than anticipated in the U.S. Previously, Deutsche Bank was expecting 3 million LTE phones this year, now it’s doubling that number.
In addition to the worldwide numbers in basic handsets growing, consumers still just can’t get enough of smartphones. Smartphones shipments will grow by 30 percent this year over 2010 levels to a total of 423 million units, with Android phones accounting for 220 million of those, Apple iOS phones for 80 million, Nokia 70 million, and Research in Motion selling 50 million BlackBerry handsets, according to Deutsche Bank.
This year’s growth isn’t expected to slow any time soon either. DB is upping its estimate for smartphone growth in 2012 too. Anticipating smartphone prices to drop below $150 next year, the group is expecting overall unit sales growth to hit 36 percent.
Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr user Wesley Fryer
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Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continuesThe rise of tablets in the enterpriseA Media Tablet Forecast, 2011 – 2015
20+ Great Geeky Posters For Your Office [PICS]
Posters are a great way to cheer up your work space, whether your home office, the walls of your cubicle or even your swanky corner suite.
We’ve got a great selection of geeky posters and prints from classic Apple advertising to curious Android typographical illustrations.
Take a look through the image gallery, click through on the blue title text for more info on each image, and let us know in the comments which posters you’d pick for your office.
1. xkcd Map of Online Communities
” src=”http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/online_communities.jpg”>
xkcd’s “Map of Online Communities” is a fascinating snapshot of 2010’s web world.
Cost: $15
2. eBoy Cities Posters” src=”http://8.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/poster-rahmen.jpg”>
We’re big fans of the eBoy group’s pixel art. They’ve created a whole collectible series of city posters that includes North American locations as well as London, Paris, Tokyo and Berlin.
Cost: $27
3. Periodic Table of Typefaces” src=”http://4.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/typeface.jpg”>
The “Periodic Table of Typefaces” is a witty take on font classification. Also available: “So You Need a Typeface” flowchart and “Typefaces of the World.”
Cost: From $16
4. VectorSetPosters
As well as digital tools for designers, these VectorSets are available as prints. With tons of different sets, you could create a really striking grouping.
Cost: From $24.49
5. Andy Versus” src=”http://7.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/android.jpg”>
One of a set of Android-themed illustrations, this poster depicts a little green bot fending off attack from a rather familiar figure…
Cost: $15
6. Nintendo Evolution” src=”http://8.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/evolution0.jpg”>
This simple Etsy print would be a great pic for a Nintendo fan.
Cost: From $8.50
7. Susan Kare Apple Prints” src=”http://7.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/smiling-computer-detail.jpg”>
Former Apple designer Susan Kare offers limited edition prints of her classic icons.
Cost: From $89
8. The Oatmeal Grammar Pack” src=”http://7.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/apostrophe_thumb_large.jpg”>
The Oatmeal’s “Grammar Pack” includes four great comics: “how to use an apostrophe,” “how to use a semicolon,” “10 words you need to stop misspelling,” and “when to use i.e. in a sentence.” We can’t think of a better set of rules to stick on your wall, especially if you work with words.
Cost: $32
9. Retro Videogame Propaganda Posters” src=”http://4.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/retro_videogame.jpg”>
Frogger, Dig Dug, Tron, Joust, Donkey Kong all get propaganda posters in this rad, retro set.
Cost: $49.99
10. Typography Deconstructed” src=”http://4.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/typedecon.jpg”>
More fun for font fans, this gorgeous graphic deconstructs typography, and would look great in your design department.
Cost: From $35
11. Fail Whale” src=”http://8.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/failwhale.jpg”>
If you’re a fan of Yiying Lu’s “Fail Whale,” then this three-foot wide version should bring a smile to your face.
Cost: $49.99
12. eBoy FooBar Poster” src=”http://4.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/foobar.jpg”>
Grab a slice of web history with this now classic depiction of Web 2.0 circa 2006. It’ll be a collector’s item one day…
Cost: $27
13. Google Doodles” src=”http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/dna0.jpg”>
Everyone loves Google Doodles. Sadly, Google’s online store offers just seven designs in print. Collect the lot and hope for more in the near future.
Cost: From $4.75 each
14. Evolution of the Geek” src=”http://7.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/geek.jpg”>
Flowtown had a hit with its great “Evolution of the Geek” infographic. Now you can buy the poster version.
Cost: $19.99
15. Typographic Maps” src=”http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/nyc.jpg”>
There’s a whole set of typography-themed maps that accurately depict the features of major U.S. cities using nothing but type.
Cost: From $30
16. Susan Kare Facebook Prints” src=”http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/party.jpg”>
As well as Apple-themed prints, some of Kare’s contemporary Facebook icons are also available as limited edition prints.
Cost: From $89
17. Visual Aid Posters” src=”http://9.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/visual.jpg”>
We adore Visual Aid’s huge collection of geeky prints. They offer graphical explanations of a huge range of topics including color theory, types of hats, The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones, table settings, flight times and much, much more.
Cost: From £4 (approx $6.50)
18. Mac Reference Posters” src=”http://4.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/mactrack.jpg”>
This excellent Etsy poster offers you a field guide to Mac trackpad gestures. Also available is an OS X button legend and a quick reference for shortcuts.
Cost: $20
19. Why Working at Home is Both Awesome and Horrible” src=”http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/working_home_poster_large0.jpg”>
More from The Oatmeal with this hilarious comic that explains why working at home is both awesome and horrible. It’s an absolute must for any telecommuter.
Cost: $11.95
20. iA Web Trend Map” src=”http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/posters/wtm5-3.jpg”>
iA has mapped the 140 most influential people on Twitter, when they started tweeting and what they first said. Fascinating.
Cost: $59.50
21. Apple’s “Think Different” Posters
Finally, you can still get hold of Apple’s iconic “Think Different” posters on sites like eBay. Some are more rare than others, but just imagine how great the whole set would look framed on your office wall.
Cost: Varies
More About: accessories, android, apple, art, gallery, geek, Google, infographics, List, office, office accessories, posters, typography
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Motorola Televation turns cable TV into IPTV streams for the whole home
Motorola’s latest wares are on display at the 2011 Cable Show (we suspect the sluggish cable boxes actually in service right now are rarely mentioned) including this “Live Streaming Device” aka Televation. Functioning as a cable company provided, in-home-only Slingbox, it transcodes the MPEG-2 TV broadcasts into MPEG-4 IP streams for viewing on other devices (Android or iOS tablets, IP-connected TVs, etc) that are on the same local network at whatever bitrate or resolution they can handle. Motorola figures this cuts out legal disputes like those encircling Time Warner’s TWCable TV iPad app since it uses existing TV broadcasts. Collaborating on the project were engineers from Comcast, which could make for an existing branch on its existing plans for new boxes, IPTV, and mobile apps. Sling / Echostar has been trying to crack the cable box market with its more flexible solution for years and is expected to announce the new Aria platform tomorrow, so may the best platform — and not just the one with the cheapest / sweetest deal for the cable company — win.
Continue reading Motorola Televation turns cable TV into IPTV streams for the whole home
Motorola Televation turns cable TV into IPTV streams for the whole home originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google Maps Navigation to get offline mode? Garmin and TomTom on notice
Dutch tech site All About Phones claims that Google Maps Navigation will get a true offline mode later this summer. In December the Android app received an update that cached routes and the surrounding areas, but without a data connection you still couldn’t enter a new destination. A source inside the Dutch telco industry said that Goog would removing the requirement for coverage — an obvious next step for the nav tool, especially with Ovi Maps bringing its turn-by-turn prowess to WP7. The move is also bound to be another thorn in the side of standalone GPS makers like Garmin and TomTom. After all, it’s tough to compete with free.
Google Maps Navigation to get offline mode? Garmin and TomTom on notice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.