mobile devices
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MIT-IBM developed a faster way to train video recognition AI
Machine learning has given computers the ability to do things like identify faces and read medical scans. But when it's tasked with interpreting videos and real-world events, the models that make machine learning possible become large and cumbersome. A team from the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab believe they have a solution. They've come up with a method that reduces the size of video-recognition models, speeds up training and could improve performance on mobile devices.
Animal Crossing creator open to the idea of AC-themed mobile apps
With many companies pursuing mobile counterparts for established series, even monstrously-long JRPGs like Final Fantasy 6, we asked Animal Crossing series creator Katsuya Eguchi, through a translator, if there was any hesitation to do the same for Animal Crossing. After all, the relaxed nature of checking in with villagers and tending a town feels well-suited for a mobile device, especially in comparison to braving a 15-minute JRPG boss battle. Eguchi reaffirmed the series' home on Nintendo hardware, pointing out that while some may enjoy Animal Crossing in short spurts, there are many that spend the time to meticulously organize their towns, down to the location of each and every flower. He also feels that the 3DS' inputs lend themselves to that style of gameplay better than the existing options on smartphones. With that said, Eguchi did express interest in leveraging mobile devices in a way that could bring fans back to their primary Animal Crossing experience. He offered examples of hypothetical apps that would let you create clothing designs on the go, or serve as reminders of appointments made to hang out with the villagers in their town. Eguchi seems open to the idea of working with mobile devices, provided it's something that would inspire players to return to the central Animal Crossing experience more often. [Image: Nintendo]
Priceline says mobile flight bookers like taking it easy
Priceline.com is one of the most well-known flight- and hotel-booking sites out there, and the company recently shared some information with TUAW about how its mobile device-based users tend to set up travel. The company identified three trends for the people booking flights from mobile devices like iPhones and iPads, presumably through the company's iOS app. First, those who booked air travel on mobile devices tended to be younger than the average purchaser of a flight ticket on a desktop. The average age for a mobile booker was around 32, about six years younger than desktop users. That still seems old to me, but it makes sense that the people booking flights tend to be older, as they're most likely to have the money for traveling this way. Mobile air bookers also tend to book things closer in advance, says Priceline, and about half of those booking flights by mobile device only booked one-way tickets, which the company says means those users like to make plans on the move rather than far ahead of time. Finally, mobile bookers had one big advantage: They tended to pay less for their tickets, with an average price of $283 as compared to desktop users' $315. I'm not sure that means mobile bookers have a nose for deals necessarily; maybe it just means that people tend to book pricier flights on the desktop in general. No matter what the reason, it's definitely interesting that there are such clear differences between Priceline's mobile users and those on the desktop.
Samsung creates F2FS file system for NAND flash storage, submits it to the Linux kernel
Has the lack of NAND flash storage-optimized file systems been bugging you? Then you've got something in common with Samsung, which has developed F2FS (or "Flash-Friendly File-System") for the memory of choice for mobile devices and its specific "internal geometry." It's based on a log-structured method, but tackles problems associated with older file systems intended mainly for retro, spinning-disk storage. The company isn't keeping its hard work behind lock-and-patent either -- it's gone open-source and submitted the file system to the Linux kernel, meaning you could see it implemented in Android hardware of the future. It's nice to see Sammy contributing code for the greater good, and if you've got the skills to understand it, a low-down of F2FS is available at the source below.
World of Midgard opens up Kickstarter campaign
All right, so you've probably seen your fair share of Kickstarters for MMORPGs by now. Including ones aiming at being an old-school revival. And you've seen a lot of them offering to let you play on both mobile devices and on your desktop... Wait, that part is kind of new. And if it appeals to you, you should probably take a look at World of Midgard's new Kickstarter project. The game is currently running in a beta state, but the development team wants to move forward and complete the game in a suitable fashion. That means a need for money, and that's why the game is opening the doors to crowdsourcing. The project offers an exclusive mount for players who donate just up to the $15 level, with increasingly extravagant rewards for those who offer more. If it sounds like your cup of tea, take a look at the project and consider sending a few dollars along to help development.
This is the Modem World: I hate passwords
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology. I get it: The Internet is a dangerous place. People want my stuff. There are bad people out there, yadda yadda yadda. But the password requirements and security verification processes in place are Kafkaesque, mind-bending, and straight-up annoying. Every time I need to access my online mortgage account, I am forced to reset my password because, without fail, I enter the wrong one three times. I couldn't tell you what my Apple ID is because it has an even itchier verification trigger finger, especially when you have more than one device accessing the same account. Get it wrong on one, and all your devices are borked.
Insert Coin: Rowdy Robot creates Bluetooth 4.0 beacons that activate automatic alerts
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. It's no secret that Bluetooth 4.0 is energy efficient, but now a startup called Rowdy Robot wants to use it for something rather less predictable than monitoring heart palpitations during your Tour de France training. A network of little beacons ("tōds") interacts with your iPhone or iPad and lets you receive movement-triggered alerts: like when your kid wanders too far, or when they finally return home after hanging out with the corner cartel. Many uses will be similar to NFC tags, but with the advantage of a vastly greater range of up to 500ft -- plus a single beacon can last for years on a single battery. Of course, it could also work with location-based services, triggering automatic updates as you pedal past the Arc de Triomphe -- but none of this will happen unless you check out the video after the break and help Rowdy Robot meet their $50,000 target.
Apple, Sony, others sued by Graphics Properties
Apple and a few other big electronics companies are facing yet another lawsuit, this time from a company called Graphics Properties, formerly known as Silicon Graphics. These patents target a process that turns text and images into pixels for display on mobile screens, and Silicon Graphics is claiming that Apple, Sony, HTC, LG, and Samsung are all infringing on its patent rights. The company already filed for bankruptcy a couple of years ago, but its filings with the court say that unless these companies stop selling devices using technology it claims to have developers, it will "suffer irreparable harm." Obviously, neither Apple or any of the other companies had a comment to share, as they all prefer to let this play out in court. But we're guessing if Apple did have a comment, it would be something along the lines of, "Not this nonsense again."
CCP considering the cloud, wants to put EVE gameplay on mobile devices
EVE Online developer CCP is looking for a way to bring its Internet spaceships into the cloud. CCP's chief marketing officer David Reid said at last week's Fanfest in Iceland that the company is in talks with OnLive, Gaikai, and other services to try to bring the popular space simulation MMO to one of their platforms.Reid said there "isn't some giant announcement" for release on any other platforms but PC and Mac at this time. But he also said CCP is thinking about ways to bring elements of EVE, including the upcoming Planetary Interaction system (in which players can set up to harvest resources from virtual planets) "finding their ways to tablets and mobile devices." CCP is considering a number of ways to do that, and "to add new sorts of experiences" to the game.
Nexon signs agreement with Unity Technologies for development platform
If you know MMOs, odds are good you know what Nexon is -- one of the biggest free-to-play publishers in South Korea with a stable of several games that have been quite successful in the US as well. You may not know of Unity Technologies, however. That may well change, as Nexon has just signed a license agreement with Unity Technologies to allow the company the rights to utilize the Unity development platform for further projects. The Unity platform is meant to allow easier deployment of applications to alternative platforms, with the platform being in place for browsers, iOS, Android, and other systems. Nexon's agreement with Unity allows them full rights to the software for any and all subsidiaries, as well as the right to modify and alter the source code as necessary. Which projects Nexon has in the pipeline that might utilize this technology are unknown at this time, but it seems that the company is dedicated to branching out into alternative platforms. [Source: Nexon/Unity Technologies press release]
Conquer Online taking itself on to the iPad
Conquer Online took the step toward cross-platform play options not so long ago with the release of a Mac client, but it's moving forward yet again. The game is going to be launching on the iPad as well in the very near future, complete with a touch-based interface and all of the game's existing free-to-play content. While the iPad has seen its share of MMO-style games since its introduction, this is the first time an established game has been ported over to the platform. And make no mistake, there are a lot of features available to players, as evidenced by the game guide for players planning on moving in to the iPad version. Take a look past the cut for a trailer previewing the gameplay and mechanics on the tablet, and keep your eyes peeled for the exact release date. It's not quite the World of Warcraft demo someone managed to run on the iPad a few years back, but it's still quite interesting. [Source: Press release]
Apple devices dominate airport Wi-Fi
Anyone who has spent time around an airport recently has probably noticed that Apple devices -- particularly the iPhone and iPad -- seem to be everywhere. Ina Fried at the Wall Street Journal reports that Wi-Fi hotspot provider Boingo has the stats to prove that Apple devices are now dominating mobile device Wi-Fi connections at airports. The figures from June, 2011 show that the iPhone makes up 42.1 percent of the mobile device connections to Boingo's airport hotspots, while the iPad is second at 23.5 percent. Don't count out the iPod touch -- it's the third most popular device at 17.5 percent. For mobile devices, that means that Apple products make up a whopping 83.1 percent of all of the connections to Boingo's hotspots. Android? It's taking a very small back seat to iOS at 11.5 percent. Fried notes that the figures reflect a trend that inflight Wi-Fi provider Gogo has also noticed. In a recent report, Gogo said that the iPad (a device that didn't even exist two years ago) now accounts for one-third of all inflight Wi-Fi connections, with Macs near 20 percent and Windows PCs leading at about 41 percent. Boingo states that mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad have come to dominate the connections at airports, accounting for 60 percent of total traffic with the other 40 percent coming from traditional laptops.
Microsoft patent application details pico projected shared workspace, sounds vaguely familiar
"Combined Surface User Interface" is a cool little patent application filed by Microsoft back in 2010, detailing the creation of a shared workspace stitched together by pico projectors attached to mobile devices. Users can interface with the projected area through motion captured on a camera. If the whole thing sounds a bit familiar, don't worry, you're not crazy. Earlier in the month, a patent application from Apple surfaced carrying the "Projected Display Shared Workspaces" title, detailed a fairly similar scenario. Interestingly, the two applications were filed a week apart, Microsoft's on February 3rd, 2010, and Apple's on February 11th of that year. It's important to note, before jumping to any conclusions, of course, that the granting of patents in a case like this doesn't hinge on the filing date.
Report: Not much has changed in the growing smartphone market
It's that time of the month again -- another report is out from Millenial Media about advertising on the smartphone platforms, with more conclusions about what the market's been up to lately. This month, the big news is... that there's not a lot of big news at all. Apple continues to sit on top of the manufacturers list, Android tops the list of operating systems, and the smartphone market continues to grow, increasing its impressions shares 6 percent month-over-month in the mobile device market as a whole. In fact, for the first time in the history of the report, the top 20 list of devices doesn't list any feature phones at all; it's all smartphones, all the way down. Apple's own share continues to grow. Overall iOS impressions on Millenial's network have increased 47 percent since January, probably due to the release of the white iPhone 4 and the iPad 2. Across all of the advertising revenue collected, iOS accounted for 50 percent, a 6 percent growth month-over-month. This means that even though there are more Android users out there, iOS continues to be more profitable. In general, this hasn't been a very surprising month in the smartphone advertising market. But all of the trends we've seen lately continue to develop in their various directions -- Android keeps getting more users, but Apple's still the one making most of the profits.
The Daily Grind: Are you interested in mobile MMOs?
With the growing ubiquity of smart phones, tablet PCs, and other devices that hook up to the internet on the road, mobile MMOs have begun to take off. Admittedly, the gameplay is still not wholly complex, but games like Pocket Legends have staked their futures on the novelty of an MMO you can play from anywhere while doing almost anything. While you might be able to fault the overall depth of the experience, being able to log into a massive and persistent world on a portable device is still worth some novelty. Of course, the real question is whether or not there's any merit to the game beyond novelty. After all, if you're on the go, you're generally doing something that would require concentration, not tapping at your phone's screen. The field is still expanding, but today we ask -- are you interested in mobile MMOs? Are they the sort of thing that tickles your fancy? Or do you see them as a neat idea that ultimately isn't really suited to the way you like to play online in the first place? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
New iPad MMO Fleck turns real maps into fantasy landscapes
With the sheer number of GPS-enabled devices capable of gaming, it seems inevitable that games will start taking the hard part out of developing intricate maps. Sure enough, the brand-new iPad MMO Fleck is giving you the chance to fight monsters, tend gardens, and meet new friends, all by wandering around in your neighborhood. The game is build on an overlay by Google Maps, letting players explore the fantasy world at the same time that they move through the real world. The game is currently available for the iPad and browsers, and the team at Self Aware Games is also working on porting the game over to support other mobile devices such as iPhones, Droids, and similar smartphones. The game currently supports play throughout the continental United States as well as portions of southern Canada and northern Mexico. While the game's location-based setup might make travel times a uniquely involved process, iPad owners might well find something to like in Fleck as development continues.
The Extended Experience of Guild Wars 2: Taking Tyria outside of your PC
A new profession may not have been revealed a few weeks ago at PAX, but ArenaNet had a different surprise up its sleeve: the Guild Wars 2 "Extended Experience." At our demo interview with Colin Johanson, he unveiled a few details about the Extended Experience Team at ArenaNet and told us that the members were working on Guild Wars 2 apps for smartphones and the iPad. Fans have been clamoring to know more since then, and today, our questions have been answered thanks to the newest ArenaNet blog entry. Follow along after the jump to see all the new details about "Gaming Outside the Game."
Microsoft becomes official ARM licensee, could an MS microprocessor be next?
ARM processors are so hot right now, especially in the mobile space, where they power many of the greatest smartphones, tablets, and mobile devices coming down the turnpike. Microsoft is apparently looking to merge in on that action, becoming an official ARM licensee. It's unclear exactly what MS will be doing with its new found technical rights, but General Manager KD Hallman said "With closer access to the ARM technology we will be able to enhance our research and development activities for ARM-based products." This likely means Microsoft will be better optimizing Windows Embedded and Windows Phone for the processor architecture, but also opens the door for Ballmer & Co. to create their own magical microprocessor and, ultimately, use it to rule the world with an iron fist. Terms of the agreement were not given, but hopefully nobody in Redmond had to lose any appendages to seal the deal.
Apple market share climbs to 6.8% in Europe
Hardmac is reporting that Apple's market share in Europe has risen to 6.8%. That's not quite as high as the around 10% share for computers in the US, but it is a full two percentage points higher than it was last year. Windows still dominates in the EU, with 92% of all computers running some variation of it. Most of the growth in Europe has come from OS X Intel computers, but the iPhone and the iPod touch have contributed about half a percentage point as well (not to mention that interest in the iPhone almost certainly drove some Mac purchases, even if we can't see that directly in the data). It'll be interesting to see what happens with the iPad release this weekend; while Microsoft's Windows clearly has a solid grasp on the market, you have to think that the iPad will probably put a dent in some of their sales, especially netbooks and even some notebooks. In another year from now, Europe may be on pace to match up with the US share soon.
Entelligence: Context is the killer application for mobile
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. We live in a world of diverse mobile devices. Laptops, smartphones and everything in between define the mobile experience of the 21st century. But what is the killer application for mobile computing? We all know the theory of killer apps -- they're the reason and the purpose people invest in new devices. The killer app in the early days of PCs was the VisiCalc spreadsheet. PageMaker and the creation of desktop publishing were the killer apps for the GUI-based PC, most notably the Macintosh. But for mobile, it's not as clear; some people think the killer app for mobile is email, while other say it's the mobile web. Personally, I don't think there's one specific killer application -- I think the killer app for mobile is simply context.
