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California may ban terrible default passwords on connected devices
California looks set to enact a law that aims to protect connected devices against hackers. The state senate has sent Governor Jerry Brown draft legislation that could beef up security across the vast ocean of smart gadgets.
MIT created the smart home app of the future
A researcher at MIT's Fluid Interfaces Lab is looking beyond the Internet of Things. With the Reality Editor app, Valentin Heun proves that all of our smart objects can be linked directly together as we see fit. Currently, the smart thermostat, cameras and other connected gear that you have scattered throughout your house probably don't talk to each other and can't be paired for specific tasks. That's where the Reality Editor comes in.
Oral-B's smart toothbrush wants to fix our dumb hygiene habits (hands-on)
Were we expecting to find a Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush here at MWC? No, we weren't. Did we physically put it to the test, after a long line of other exhibition goers? No, we certainly did not. However, we'd be more than pleased to show you how the Oral-B's SmartSeries 7000 might earn its keep. As you're about to see, the $220 gizmo can do plenty of things that normal toothbrushes can't.
Home automation is the future and Archos knows it
Yes, this is another post about the internet of things blorg -- you know, that terrible buzz phrase for this new and actually exciting era of connected gadgets. Except this time, it's brought to you by Archos. The French outfit's branching out from its traditional portfolio of Android smartphones and tablets with a new Smart Home solution -- an ecosystem that's similar to Smart Things. The platform, which Archos announced just prior to the new year, incorporates a tablet-like gateway and various sensors that users can place in and around their homes for remote monitoring. Archos is gearing this whole system more toward convenience than security and its array of Bluetooth sensors proves this point. Smart Home revolves around Archos' gateway, a 7-inch tablet that gathers and manages a feed of all the data from its various Bluetooth sensors; sensors designed to monitor video, motion, weather and electricity. Though the initial $200 kit comes with just the gateway, one video camera and one motion sensor, users can go out and buy additional sensors piecemeal for anywhere from $14 - $50 (e.g., the weather sensor costs $30).
Smart Power Strip now works with SmartThings WiFi hub to keep your home always connected
If you couldn't tell by its name alone, the Smart Power Strip's a card-carrying member of the 'internet of things' or, for those of you without jargon translators, 'connected devices.' The current Kickstarter project (and recent Insert Coin semifinalist) is nearing the final throes of its funding goal and to sweeten the pot for potential backers, its creators have announced SmartThings compatibility. We know... that's a lot of 'smart' being thrown around. Allow us to explain. SmartThings is essentially a remote-controlled WiFi hub that monitors and governs all of the (wait for it) smart things, like the thermostat or lighting, around your house. The Smart Power Strip does just the same, granting users access to plugged in objects via a smartphone app. It's easy to see why the two would want to link up in an happily ever internetted world. But buyer beware: you'll have to specifically elect to receive a SmartThings compatible Smart Power Strip when you back the project, otherwise you're in for a plain 'ol intelligent power strip. How very common, we know.
IDC: connected device shipments up 29.1 percent in 2012, smartphones and tablets rule
Researchers at IDC have had their ears to the ground keeping tabs on shipments for specific types of devices, and now they've painted a bigger picture of the hardware battlefield in 2012. "Smart connected devices" -- a category which includes desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones -- saw a total of 367.7 million units shipped in Q4 2012, up 28.3 percent from the year before. In total, over 1.2 billion units were shipped last year, marking a 29.1 percent upswing from 2011. Naturally, tablets and smartphones drove the boost by carving out roughly 60 percent of the year's combined marketshare, while PCs and notebook shipments sank by 4.1 and 3.4 percent, respectively. While Samsung and Apple each claimed crowns in specific gadget divisions, Sammy came out on top with smart connected devices in 2012 as a whole (and in Q4) thanks to a 20.8 percent marketshare, beating Cupertino by 2.6 percent. Lenovo finished in third place with a 6.5 percent slice, while HP and Dell trailed behind with 4.8 and 3.2 percent, respectively. IDC notes that Cook. and Co. could have come in a more distant second, but the debut of the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini pulled it out of a slump from earlier in the year.
Research shows Apple makes top 3 connected devices in US
JiWire culls a requests from approximately 289,000 public Wi-Fi locations in the US and uses this information to produce a quarterly report on mobile devices. Its latest report for Q3 2011 confirms what Apple fans already know -- iOS devices rule in the connected device category. In its broadest sense, a "connected device" is any device that connects to the Internet. For the sake of this study, connected devices are defined as mobile devices that may or may not have a cellular connection. It's the device you pull out of your bag when you're sitting at Starbucks. According to JiWire, almost 80 percent of ad requests in the US come from an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The iPhone is number one with 41.9 percent of ad requests, the iPad is second with 23.8 percent and the iPod touch is third with 14.1 percent. Number four is Windows Mobile 7 with 4.9 percent, and the numbers drop precipitously from there. From quarter to quarter, iOS fell 2 percent, but it still has a significant lead over Android in the US. Ad requests from iOS devices (79.9 percent) are 7 times greater than Android (11.0 percent). Interestingly enough, the mobile platform with the biggest jump is Windows Phone. It's in third place with 5.2 percent of the ad requests, but its quarterly share jumped 1.2 percent. Microsoft recently released Windows Phone 7.5 Mango and unveiled its first Nokia Windows Phone handsets; two factors which could explain this jump A similar trend occurred in the UK. The iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are the top three connected devices with 71.1 percent of the ad requests. Android is second with 16.6 percent, and Windows Phone is third with 8.1 percent. iOS, though, dropped a significant 6.5 percent, while Windows Phone jumped 5.5%. Android was the only other platform to gain ground last quarter in the UK. It climbed 1.5 percent, while all other platforms fell. In the US, Apple is clearly in the lead and holding its own against the competition. Apple also dominates in the UK, but it appears that Android and, particularly, Windows Phone took a bite from Apple's lead. Now that the iPhone 4S is available, it will be interesting to see if this trend continues in the current quarter. Show full PR text New Trends in Location and Mobile Data Unveiled in JiWire Mobile Audience Insights Report 66 percent prefer to make a purchase in a physical store when within a five-mile radius SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 6, 2011 - JiWire, the leading location-based mobile media company reaching the on-the-go audience, today announced its latest Mobile Audience Insights Report, which examines connected-device adoption, location- and mobile-shopping trends, as well as check-in behavior and public Wi-Fi trends. This quarter's report uncovers several key emerging trends in the location and mobile markets that include the following: Proximity Marketing – 66 percent prefer to purchase in a physical store within a five-mile radius. Tablet adoption continues – Tablet usage is up 84 percent since Q4 2010. Checking-in – Consumers are split evenly between liking, disliking and not interested. Mobile Device Trends Adoption – iPad, Android and Windows Mobile 7 gain market share in the U.S and U.K. Mobile Shopping Behavior & Proximity Marketing Trends In the midst of the U.S. holiday shopping season, the study looks at mobile-shopping behaviors between genders and also highlights consumer attitudes toward shopping online versus in store. Male consumers surpassed female consumers in the shopping department – 73 percent of males make purchases on their mobile devices compared to 61 percent of females. A consumer's proximity to a store significantly influences purchasing behaviors as well. Sixty-six percent of consumers prefer shopping for a $50 dollar item at a regularly visited store if within 5 miles; however, when the same consumers are 20 miles outside of the same store, 72 percent prefer making purchases on their laptop and mobile devices. Other findings include: 18 percent are using a connected device to actually make purchases even when physically in the store. 28 percent of respondents said they comparison shop on a mobile device when in a store. 63 percent of consumers prefer to shop both in store and online; 22 percent prefer to shop exclusively in store. "The retail experience remains critical. While consumers are increasingly using mobile to research and make purchases, we are seeing that the in-store shopping experience is equally if not more important, even with a tech-savvy audience," said David Staas, senior vice president of marketing at JiWire. "This holiday season, brands have a great opportunity to not only leverage digital and mobile, but also execute 'clicks-to-bricks' approaches to drive in-store traffic, utilizing location and proximity to deliver the right advertising experience." As people continue to become increasingly mobile and strive for constant connectivity, mobile-device habits have shifted from larger devices like laptops to smaller, more portable devices like smartphones and tablets. Tablet usage has nearly doubled in the past year, growing by 84 percent since Q4 2010. Since last quarter, tablets and smartphones are showing relative growth in usage while other devices like netbooks and laptops have remained stable or declined. Tablet usage is up 20 percent, smartphone usage is up 24 percent and by comparison, laptop usage is down 10 percent. Other key findings include: Consumer purchase intent is 50 percent higher for smartphones and/or tablets compared to laptops over the next six months (25 percent versus 16 percent), continuing to accelerate the shift in device ownership. Adults 24 years old and under are more likely to purchase a smartphone and/or laptop in the next six months while adults between the ages of 25 and 44 are more likely to purchase a tablet. Tablet Adoption Continues, Fueling Mobile Commerce Since inception, tablets continue to gain popularity with on-the-go consumers, having nearly doubled in growth over the past year. The study determined that the tablet audience is very comfortable making purchases on their device, purchasing items more frequently than just smartphone owners, and often spending more. For example, 82 percent of the tablet audience is willing to make purchases directly on their mobile devices (smartphones or tablets) compared with 76 percent of smartphone owners. Other purchase preferences include the following: 67 percent of tablet owners are willing to spend $50 or more, compared to 57 percent of smartphone owners and 52 percent of laptop. Electronics, retail, entertainment and travel are the most frequently purchased categories, with tablet owners leading all of these categories in terms of purchase frequency. Location Media: Consumers Remain Split on Value of the Check-In Despite all the attention and focus on checking in, the jury is still out when it comes to consumer attitudes around this component of location media. In fact, consumers are split three ways; 35 percent feel positive toward it, 35 percent either do not like it or understand it, while 30 percent do not care about checking in. Additionally, the primary drivers of this trend appear to be among males. For example, 39 percent of males claim that they "like" or "love" checking in while only 30 percent of women feel that way about checking in. Not surprising, the most popular check-in categories are restaurants, hotels, pubs/bars and health clubs. Mobile Device Trends and Adoption In Q3 2011, the iPad, Android and Windows Mobile 7 continue to gain market share not only in the U.S., but in the U.K. as well. Likewise, market share continues to decrease when it comes to the iPhone and iPod Touch – in the U.S. and U.K. Additionally, the U.S. and U.K. both saw a drop in market share with the iOS, but in both cases, it still holds the No. 1 ranking.
SlingPlayer for Connected Devices is here, arrives first on Boxee Box (video)
Sling first expanded its SlingPlayer app to Facebook and Chrome a few days ago, and now the company is extending those streams to the TV (without a dedicated SlingCatcher or mobile device TV-out) with apps for connected devices. Today the company announced the Boxee Box app would be first out of the gate, arriving ahead of the promised Google TV version we're also expecting. Interestingly, there does not appear to be a charge for the app (which runs $30 on mobiles and tablets), so if you have a Slingbox Solo or Pro-HD and one of the green and black media streamers all you have to do is download and press play. We'll give it a shot and let you know how it works, until then just press play on the demo video embedded above for a quick look.
iOS devices popular on surveyed restaurant Wi-Fi networks
Meraki is a networking company that installs Wi-Fi networks in places like Starbucks and Burger King. The company looked at the devices that connect to its network and discovered the top device is the iPhone. Unlike many metrics, this number is not based on a small sampling. Meraki has a network that reaches 40 million users in 140 countries around the world. The iPhone accounts for 32% of the devices connected to this vast network. It is followed by Windows machines (23%) and Mac OS X (13%). The iPod touch and Android are tied at 11%, and the iPad grabs a surprisingly small 4%. When combined, the trio of iOS devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) account for 47% of all devices that connect to Meraki's public Wi-Fi networks. Add in Mac OS X, and Apple products make up 60% of the devices browsing from your local Starbucks. An interesting side note to the iPad stats: though the iPad doesn't connect as often as the iPhone, it's a data hog and devours 400% more data than the average iPhone, iPod touch or Android device.
T-Mobile announces tiny new "embedded SIM" for connected devices
Sure, SIM cards are small, but they're not tiny, and fitting the entire assembly into an embedded device requires a lot of space -- so T-Mobile's new embedded SIM system should make it possible to build even smaller connected devices like hospital monitors and smart energy meters that can report back to a server. The new SIMs are the size of a pinhead and made of silicon instead of plastic, which allows them to be coded at the factory and hard-mounted directly to a device, skipping the provisioning and installation steps that would come with regular SIMs. Devices with the new SIMs are expected to be out and sending data over T-Mo's network in as little as six months -- the first is an energy meter from Echelon that should hit soon.
