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Intel preparing to launch mobile processors at MWC?
Feb 22nd
Mobile World Congress is edging closer and closer, and rumor has it that Intel is planning to show off their first mobile-based processors there. Apparently, they’re going with the name of Medfield, at least for the time being, to refer to their mobile processors. We already know that Motorola and Lenovo are on the list to get these chips, so we expect something on that in Barcelona next week. Word on the street also points to Atom-based processors, so there might be more than one avenue to follow.
It’s worth noting that currently, Intel’s mobile processors will only be able to handle 3G speeds, so unless they come up with a 4G chipset, they might be out of the game before they even get started. Intel reportedly plans to introduce basic chipsets first, and gradually release more powerful and advanced processors. Something about that tells me they won’t be very successful in a rapidly changing market like this one, but only time will tell.
Analyst Patrick Moorhead had this to say about Intel’s entrance into the smartphone market:
While Intel has a long way to go in proving themselves, they have the start they never had before at a time to take advantage of the mammoth growth in smartphones. Never count Intel out.
More on this as it develops. So what do you think about the 3G limitations of Intel’s first mobile processors? Anyone think Intel will rise to new heights in the smartphone market? Let us know in the comments!
Source Statesman
Intel preparing to launch mobile processors at MWC? originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
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Moneto’s $30 Android mobile payment kit goes on sale, brings contactless payments to six Samsungs
Feb 21st
Not everyone’s smartphone has NFC, and of those that do, an even smaller subset have official Google Wallet support. It would seem Mountain View’s complacency is Moneto’s gain, as the outfit’s recently put up for sale its NFC-enabled microSD card — enabling plebes everywhere sans contactless circuitry to sashay their way into mobile payment heaven. That card is also stuffed with 1GB of storage for your exploits and those plunking down three Hamiltons are also privy to a credit thrown in. There’s one caveat, however, as per its website the service currently only works on variants of the Galaxy S (including carrier permutations like the Vibrant, Fascinate and Galaxy S 4G). Support for an additional forty devices is inbound but before committing, we’d peep the latest compatibility info from the horse’s mouth in the more coverage link we’ve included below.
Continue reading Moneto’s Android mobile payment kit goes on sale, brings contactless payments to six Samsungs
Moneto’s Android mobile payment kit goes on sale, brings contactless payments to six Samsungs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mobile Miscellany: week of February 13th, 2012
Feb 18th
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you’re like us and really want to know what’s going on, then you’ve come to the right place. This week, we bring you announcements of LTE expansion from AT&T, US Cellular and Verizon, along with news of three Samsung smartphones that received WiFi certification — each are thought to be high-end devices and bound for US carriers. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride. Let’s explore the “best of the rest” for this week of February 13th, 2012.
Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of February 13th, 2012
Mobile Miscellany: week of February 13th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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RockStar bringing Max Payne to mobile devices in ‘next couple months’
Feb 16th
There are few games from the past that really stick with me, but Max Payne is one of them. Needless to say, when RockStar announced last September that it would be bringing the franchise to mobile devices my interest was piqued. Since that time attention turned mostly to the development house’s release of Grand Theft Auto III for Android, but now that Claude and company are pulling in the steady downloads it’s time to ask when I will see Max bullet-timing his way across the screen of my Galaxy Nexus. Turns out RockStar has an answer (sort of). Here is an excerpt from a Q&A:
“‘Any news about Max Payne on iOS?’ – avbros
Yes – following the release of Grand Theft Auto III for iOS (and Android devices) late last year, the original Max Payne will be our next release for mobile devices. We will have an official announcement soon confirming the release date, but you can expect it to finally be released sometime in the next couple months.”
So what if the question pertained only to iOS devices? The answer certainly seems to imply Android will be getting in on the action as well. Max Payne will get the same treatment as GTA III when it does go mobile, a full HD port tailored to the mobile experience. I can’t wait to see how RockStar pulls this one off.
[via Androinica]
PayPal backs out on NFC, focuses on mobile transactions
Feb 15th
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, PayPal has doubled back on their initial support of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, dropping the development of their NFC mobile point of sale transaction plans. David Marcus, PayPal’s VP of mobile, clarified this move by stating, “By the time NFC catches up, we’ll be in a world that will move away from the point-of-sales terminal.” To this end, they are refocusing their efforts instead on a different sort of payment system wherein your mobile phone number is attached to your PayPal account with a pin code. In a point of sale situation, the PayPal user would choose PayPal at the checkout area and enter their mobile number followed by their pin number; following payment a receipt would be sent to the mobile device attached to the account.
The theory here would promote convenience for the buyer because they wouldn’t have to pull out their wallet or mobile phone, and convenience for the seller because it would require mainly a software update, rather than installing new hardware. As a perk, users of PayPal’s new system would also get a credit card to use when the default payment method was not available.
Here’s my issue with this system. When using a credit card, NFC, or any physical payment system, in order for a thief to use what’s yours at a point of sale, they have to somehow physically take something from you, be it your wallet or your phone. With PayPal’s new system, the thief only needs information: your phone number and your pin. I’m sure there will be safeguards against this sort of thing, but people are already wary of NFC, an arguably secure system (in most situations). Giving them even less control may be a bit much, even for something as splendid as convenience. Time will tell, of course, both for NFC and PayPal’s new system, but this writer won’t be forsaking his wallet anytime soon.
Source: Wall Street Daily, via PhoneScoop
PayPal backs out on NFC, focuses on mobile transactions originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
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Cisco: mobile connections will hit 10 billion by 2016, helped by tablet boom
Feb 14th
That Cisco’s always been prescient. Three years ago, the networking giant predicted a 66-fold increase in worldwide mobile data traffic — a surge that was expected to dovetail with the spread of 4G networks. With us so far? Sounds pretty obvious sensible, right? Well, the company’s got more wisdom to share from its crystal ball: the outfit’s just released its annual mobile data traffic forecast, and the marquee stat is that there will be an estimated 10 billion mobile connections by 2016. And though Cisco expects the bulk of these (8 billion) to take the form of cell phones, it also foresees a rise in tablets: there will be 5 billion of them, the company says, and that’s not even counting all those WiFi-only models floating around (Cisco tallies WiFi traffic in a different forecast, released later in the year). If the market does indeed swell to 5 billion cellular-connected tablets, that would represent a 25 percent jump over today’s global figure. Moreover, Cisco estimates that by 2016 21 percent of those 5 billion tablet owners will be relying solely on mobile data to get their internet fix.
All told, whatever the mix of smartphones and tablets, we’re going to be chugging down an insane amount of data: 10.8 exobytes per month, worldwide, or 130 exobytes annually — a lofty figure that breaks down to 33 billion DVDs, among other cutesy equivalents. One last stat before we sent you off into a statistic-laced coma: 4G will account for only six percent of mobile connections by 2016, but is expected to generate 36 percent of mobile data traffic. We’ll let you newly minted LTE adopters chew on your piggy data-hogging habits; the rest of you can find more numbers in the PR after the break.
Continue reading Cisco: mobile connections will hit 10 billion by 2016, helped by tablet boom
Cisco: mobile connections will hit 10 billion by 2016, helped by tablet boom originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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