mwc2016
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Facebook, Intel and carriers team up to rethink telecom networks
Facebook set out to create a better home for your data with the Open Compute Project, but that's only part of the problem -- without good telecom networks, you can't get that data. That's where the company's new Telecom Infra Project aims to help. The partnership with 30 companies (including Intel, Nokia and multiple carriers) hopes to improve the cost, speed and reach of networks through open, collaborative designs. Ideally, you'll see technologies like 5G arrive faster, and data service in rural areas where it would normally be impractical.
Here's our first look at the HTC Vive consumer edition
After announcing that the consumer version of the Vive VR headset will be going on sale for $799, HTC finally let us get a close look at its hardware today at Mobile World Congress. For the most part, it looks a lot like the Vive Pre we saw back at CES, but HTC says it reworked the headband and added other tweaks to make it a lot more ergonomic. We weren't able to touch the headset (by threat of tackling), so we can't say if it actually feels any different. Pre-orders for the Vive will begin on February 29th, and it'll start shipping out in early April. Chris Velazco contributed to this report.
A one-man protest at Mobile World Congress
Conferences like Mobile World Congress are typically exciting times. Details of glitzy product launches and demos fill websites and newspapers with promises of a better tomorrow. While the world watches Barcelona, though, groups are taking the opportunity to highlight other causes. Public transport workers, for example, are striking this week in the city, causing widespread disruption. It's an effective bargaining chip for those upset with their contracts, as attendees at the world's largest mobile conference have seen simple 10-minute subway journeys turn into two-hour traffic jams.
Exploring Barcelona's greatest museum with Project Tango
Lenovo and Google are hard at work on the first consumer-friendly Project Tango smartphone, but actually building the thing isn't the only hurdle that needs clearing. The bigger problem is an existential one: How do these huge companies convince people that spatial-sensing smartphones are worth buying over another shiny flagship? The key is building fun, useful experiences that are possible only with the fine-grained location data Tango devices can capture, and I got to play with a couple on a field trip to Barcelona's gorgeous Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.
Facebook's latest VR video innovation is a big deal
Streaming video in virtual reality, as with just about everything, isn't easy to pull off well. The experience of watching 360-degree videos in VR usually comes in one of two flavors: grainy and blurry or high-quality but slow-loading. But Facebook's recently announced dynamic streaming technology for the Gear VR could change all that. Basically, it uses several copies of a video in multiple resolutions to make sure you're looking at the highest-quality version possible, while video on your periphery is lower-quality. The kicker? It makes those adjustments on the fly, as you move your head around the scene. After seeing the dynamic streaming technology in action, it definitely feels like something that every VR platform needs.
O2 CEO says blocking mobile ads isn't 'the answer'
Just a few days after Three announced it was going to block mobile ads at the network level, O2's CEO, Ronan Dunne, has spoken out against the practice. In an interview with Campaign at MWC, Dunne criticized pop-ups and other "intrusive forms of advertising" but added that grand-scale blocking wasn't "the answer." It's a slightly different tune than O2 was humming late last year. Days after EE said it was considering ad blockers on its network, O2's MD of digital commerce made it clear that the carrier was in the advanced stages of assessing the technology itself, and was even testing it with some customers.
Netflix is going all in on HDR and more original content
After revealing an ambitious plan for global expansion earlier this year, Netflix is now looking to focus on what's arguably the most important part of its business: content. In a recent meeting at Mobile World Congress 2016, the video giant shared more details about what subscribers should expect next. And that mostly revolves around making a bigger push for original shows, improving the Netflix mobile apps on iOS and Android, and bringing support for high dynamic range (HDR) programming.
Oppo can fully charge a smartphone in 15 minutes
Most people might not drool over Oppo phones, but they're going to get a feature that might get those salivary glands pumping. This morning at Mobile World Congress, the company showed off its new SuperVOOC quick-charging technology. If real-world results are as promising as they say, Oppo fans will be able to fully charge some of their devices in 15 minutes. No, seriously.
Volvo is the latest to add phone-free Spotify to its rides
Volvo has been involved with a fair bit of high-tech stuff as of late, but the latest announcement from the company is a little less fantastical than garbage-collecting robots. The Swedish car manufacturer is partnering with Stockholm-based Spotify for a native streaming app in its XC90 SUV, S90 sedan (above) and V90 wagon this spring, no mobile device required. Accessing the streaming service in your new ride will require a Spotify Premium account, much like using it on a PlayStation 4 or other device would.
Zuckerberg finds it funny some still don't trust Internet.org
Despite onstage sweat, several wireless microphone issues and pointed (but important) questions from his interviewer, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg held his ground at Mobile World Congress tonight. For the most part, the keynote discussion wasn't very different from his previous talks at the conference, which included a recap of Facebook's recent initiatives. But Wired's Jessi Hempel, who moderated the chat, pushed him to open up around India's recent ban of Facebook's Free Basics program (a part of the Internet.org initiative).
Oral-B's new smart toothbrush tracks movement with your phone
Oral-B debuted its Smart Series of connected toothbrushes last year, and at Mobile World Congress 2016, the company announced a new model. The Oral-B Genius touts Position Detection tech that uses motion sensors and your phone's camera to track your oral hygiene. Those bells and whistles keep tabs on location, pressure and brushing time to offer feedback on how well you're cleaning your teeth. All of those details come to you through the companion app on your trusty handset. In fact, there's a holder that comes with the high-tech toothbrush so you can put your phone on the mirror in front of you while brush.
Samsung's Galaxy S7 and Gear 360 event: Here's what you missed
Samsung wasn't going to let LG have all the limelight. The mobile giant's press show at MWC was memorable, to say the least, not just for the launch of the Galaxy S7 (and S7 Edge), or even the Gear 360 VR camera, but because parts of the show were delivered over Gear VR headsets. Oh, and some chap called Mark Zuckerberg showed up. Catch a breakdown of everything that happened right here.
LG came out fighting at Mobile World Congress
MWC proper hadn't even started, yet LG was already poised to be the talk of the show. Its G5 flagship surprised everyone with its snap-on accessories, but that wasn't the main talking point. The company also introduced a dizzying array of accessories that covers everything from audio to aerial drones. There was a lot to cover, but we break it all down for you right here.
MediaTek's octa-core mobile chip focuses on efficiency
Back in June, MediaTek announced its Helio P10 mobile chipset, which will offer octa-core processing and faster LTE to the masses; today, we know that it'll finally be getting into consumers' hands by way of the Sony Xperia XA. So what's next? The Helio P20, of course. Compared to its predecessor, this new chip -- also featuring eight Cortex-A53 cores and LTE Cat 6 -- is a notable upgrade in terms of power efficiency as it'll be fabricated with a 16nm FinFET+ process instead of the old 28nm. For the same reason, the CPU has been allowed to go beyond the old 2GHz limit to 2.3GHz, and the old Mali-T860 GPU has been switched to ARM's cream-of-the-crop Mali-T880 running at 900MHz. As a bonus, the P20 features the same Imagiq image signal processor as the flagship 10-core X20.
Verizon starts testing 5G wireless in the field
At last, 5G cellular data is leaving the lab. Verizon and Samsung have started testing the multi-gigabit wireless access in "real-world" conditions around Verizon's HQ, including indoors and in moving vehicles. The experience isn't the same as what you'd get on a phone -- this involves specialized equipment just a short hop away from a base station -- but the early results are promising. There's enough bandwidth to comfortably stream 4K video, including VR clips that require 17 simultaneous feeds. For all intents and purposes, you're getting fiber optic speeds over a long-range wireless link.
Intel bets big on 5G to avoid missing out on mobile (again)
Remember WiMAX? So does Intel -- and it doesn't want to repeat the failure of that 4G technology, which it backed heavily before it lost out to LTE, when it comes to the next generation of networks. To that end, the chip giant is making it clear at Mobile World Congress today that it's gearing up in a big way for 5G, which could potentially end up being 10 to 100 times faster than today's LTE networks. That includes announcing a slew of partners -- from AT&T and Verizon to Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE -- with which it will be collaborating to develop and test 5G offerings.
Motorola chief Rick Osterloh weighs in on life under Lenovo
Motorola's split from Google and absorption by Lenovo left many people wondering if one of the world's most interesting phone makers would get mismanaged into oblivion. Motorola President Rick Osterloh sought to clear the air with a candid chat session at Mobile World Congress, where the answer was a pretty emphatic "no." "We've done an enormous amount of great stuff as part of a broader company," he said.
Adobe Lightroom mobile brings more desktop tools to Android
Adobe's Lightroom mobile got a handful of useful desktop features on iOS back in December, and now those tools are available on Android. In terms of more robust editing, the Android version now offers a dehaze tool that will help with any fog and haze adjustments on a photo. There's also split toning for adding color to the shadows and highlights of an image and a targeted-adjustment feature for those more precise tweaks. A point mode in the Curve tool gives you full control over the contrast and tone of the snapshot you're editing. If you make changes that you want to carry over to other images, Lightroom mobile already gives you the ability to copy/paste them on another photo.
Visa thinks your car should pay for its own fuel
The jury may still be out on the usefulness of the Internet of Things, but payments giant Visa is 100 percent sure it doesn't want to miss out. Today it announced plans to push Visa payments into numerous fields. We're talking "wearables, automobiles, appliances, public transportation services, clothing and almost any other connected device" -- basically, anything that can or will soon connect to the internet.
Kyocera shows off another solar-powered prototype smartphone
Last year, during Mobile World Congress, Kyocera teased a rugged smartphone with solar charging built in. What made that concept device interesting was how its sun-powered films were laid out: they sat between the LCD and touch panel, as opposed to being somewhere on the outside of the body. Now, Kyocera's building on this idea with a new prototype handset, which it has once again created in tandem with Sunpartner Technologies, a French company that focuses on solar tech.
