TechEye |  |
- Human magnetic field offers communication hope
- Apple is serious about TV business
- Foxconn cancels Indonesian plans
- Battery prices to halve by 2020
- Microsoft slips anti-privacy gear into Windows 7 and 8
- Toshiba: the nightmare continues
- PC sales plummet
| Human magnetic field offers communication hope Posted: 01 Sep 2015 02:08 AM PDT
The electrical engineers showed off a wireless communication method that sends magnetic signals through the body which offers a better method of communicating than, for example, Bluetooth. A demonstration at a conference in Italy showed a "proof of concept" method that they believe could be developed into an ultra low power wireless system to transmit data. Patrick Mercier, a professor at the university, said: "In the future, people are going to be wearing more electronics, such as smart watches, fitness trackers and health monitors. Currently these devices transmit information using Bluetooth radios, which use a lot of power to communicate." He said that Bluetooth uses electromagnetic radiation to transmit data but radio signals are partly blocked by the body and so need extra power. The demonstration used a technique the boffins call magnetic field human body communication, which isn't blocked by human tissues meaning that less power consumption is needed and data loss is far, far lower than Bluetooth. If the method is successfully turned from proof of concept to commercial reality, it means longer battery life for wearable devices. The engineers were quick to point out the technique doesn't pose any serious health risks because the signals are far lower than MRI scanners, for example, or wireless implant devices. The illustration shows the prototype developed by the engineers with magnetic field generating coils on three parts of a body including the head, an arm and a leg. |
| Apple is serious about TV business Posted: 01 Sep 2015 01:23 AM PDT
Apparently it wants to get into the video streaming business, just like Netflix, and make its own content. Jobs' Mob has held preliminary talks with executives from Hollywood in recent weeks to gauge their interest in spearheading efforts to produce entertainment content. The dark satanic rumour mill suggests that Apple wants to create development and production divisions that would churn out long-form content for online streaming. Cupertino, California-based Apple is looking to start hiring for the planned division in the coming months. It is not clear if Jobs' Mob will be focusing on TV series, movies or both. Apple raised a few eyebrows when it announced that it would delay its live TV service to at least next year. It had planned to introduce the service, delivered over the internet, this year. The suggestion here is that Apple wants to go into the whole thing much larger than originally planned. It might have a few problems however. Big Content has been dragging its feet with its Apple dealings ever since Steve Jobs' bragged how he got one over on them over supplying content for iTunes. There is also the example of the publishing companies that made the grave mistake of assuming that what Jobs' suggested for ebooks was legal. As a result the studios will be looking at the contracts very carefully and considering the implications before signing any more Faustian pacts with Apple. |
| Foxconn cancels Indonesian plans Posted: 01 Sep 2015 01:21 AM PDT T Foxconn said last year it may invest $1 billion in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. However it looks like the scheme had to be abandoned over land rights. The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Suryo Bambang Sulisto said that the company’s broader expansion plan in Indonesia looked unlikely. Foxconn, which assembles products for global phone makers, and more, is one of the companies likely to be affected by a new law due to take effect in 2017 requiring firms that sell smartphones and tablets in Indonesia to produce 40 percent of its content locally. The rule is part of a push by President Joko Widodo to transform Indonesia from an economy that consumes products into one that produces them. However it could increase costs and restrict access to technology. Foxconn had previously planned to invest in hardware such as phones, tablets and televisions, as well as telecommunication services in Indonesia. The company had hoped to tap the domestic market of about 250 million people and use it as a base to export to the rest of Southeast Asia. But talks with authorities had stalled because the government was reluctant to accept Foxconn’s request for free land. Last month, Foxconn partnered with China’s Xiaomi to assemble phones in India. |
| Battery prices to halve by 2020 Posted: 01 Sep 2015 01:20 AM PDT
The report was prepared by Australian consultancy AECOM and published by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) claims that Li-ion battery prices will fall by 60 per cent and flow battery tech will drop by 40 percent. The 130-page study expects all battery technologies to drop in price. However, the largest reductions are forecast for Li-ion and flow-battery technologies. Lithium-ion (Li-on) batteries will drop from $550 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2014 to $200 per kWh by 2020; and flow battery prices will drop from $680 per kWh to $350 per kWh during the same time. The study said that the rapid uptake of solar provides a useful analogy to what could occur in the energy storage market. As technology prices have potential to reduce as technology development simultaneously improves, the study said. “The behind-the-meter market segment of energy storage is widely expected to undergo a similar boom to the solar PV industry, with a tipping point expected within the next ten years as further cost reductions are achieved.” The study also said that battery technologies offer “unique advantages” in that they can easily be scaled to suit many uses and have high cycle efficiency. A big reduction in battery prices provides real opportunity for multiple applications, including commercial and residential distributed energy. |
| Microsoft slips anti-privacy gear into Windows 7 and 8 Posted: 01 Sep 2015 01:19 AM PDT
In April, Microsoft released a non-security update for both Windows 7 and 8. This update, 3022345, created a new Windows service called the Diagnostics Tracking service. Microsoft told us that it increased the amount of diagnostic data that the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) can collect to better diagnose problems. It also collected data for third party applications that use the Application Insights service. Application Insights allows app developers to track performance issues, crashes, and other problems of their applications. The Diagnostics Tracking service collects this data and sends it to Redmond. Since then Microsoft has updated the service twice. Updates 3068708 and 3080149 installed automatically with the normal Windows Update settings. While another update, 3075249, enhanced the User Account Control (UAC) feature to enable it to collect more information from the elevation prompts. It is all very Windows 10. Users don't know what’s being sent, and it can’t be readily controlled. There is little chance of interception as the traffic is encrypted. Windows Firewall can blocking the traffic and disabling the service is also possible. However it is unlikely that many will know or do so. It is not clear why Microsoft is suddenly becoming all obsessive about collecting user data.
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| Toshiba: the nightmare continues Posted: 31 Aug 2015 06:41 AM PDT
Toshiba delayed its financial results in March after accounting discrepancies forced the management to be replaced by a fresh team of unsullied people were voted on to its board. According to Reuters, the latest discrepancies relate to problems at a US subsidiary and some errors on charges on fixed assets at several other subsidiaries. CEO Masashi Muromachi said he couldn't apologise enough for the trouble caused by the Toshiba errors but would now announce its financial results on September 7. Muromachi said Toshiba had discovered 10 new instances of accounting mistakes and said that if he couldn't meet the new deadline he might resign. But that would likely lead to more turmoil at Toshiba because he was appointed first as interim CEO and then as permanent CEO. |
| Posted: 31 Aug 2015 06:28 AM PDT
IDC said that sales of desktops fell 21.2 percent but notebooks fared worse and fell by 28.6 percent to 1.9 million units. Some of the region is troubled by conflict but that isn't the reason for the decline. According to IDC, there was too much existing stock swilling around in the channel, exacerbated by a slowdown in demand and currency fluctuations. Fouad Charakla, analyst research manager for the region, said that in the UAE, a slowdown in tourist spending from Russia and from Europe inhibited demand for PCs. HP is the leader in the region but its shipments fell 26 percent in the second quarter. Lenovo, in second place, saw its shipments fall by 19 percent with Dell declining by 10.3 percent and Acer showed a decline of 29.3 percent and Asus falling by 26.7 percent. Charakla said 2015 will be see region's worst ever performance with low oil prices also affecting spends. Meanwhile, sales of tablets and smartphones are cannibalising demand for PCs. |
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