Apple's long-rumored iWatch to finally be released in October 2014
Well it looks like Apple's long-rumored iWatch will finally be released in October 2014, and it will most likely be equipped with a magnetic-resonance wireless charging system that will allow the wristable iDevice to be charged from as far as three feet away, according to the site G4 Games.
In fact, G4 Games apparently has seen two iWatch prototypes that should be equipped with a 100mA battery. If true, that's far less capacity than the 315 mA battery powering the unpopular Samsung Galaxy Gear, which is disliked due to its poor battery life, although some users have reported that a late-November update improved battery life a small bit.
If the iWatch that ships does indeed contain a 100mA battery, its small capacity may be mitigated somewhat, according to Ctech News-- the Apple smartwatch will be charged wirelessly as well.
As Ctech notes, charging from that distance wouldn't use closed-in magnetic induction technology, as used in your Sonicare toothbrush or in devices based on the Qi wireless charging standard promoted by the Wireless Power Consortium, but instead a magnetic resonance system.
That solution would be similar to the one the Korea Electronics Technology Institute announced on Thursday, and G4 Games reported in October that Samsung plans to introduce into its phones in mid-2014.
If the charging devices could be placed around your home or office, they may be able to boost the battery whenever you came in range, thus passing on the chore from charger to charger.
However, just keep in mind that all of these possibilities are merely reports here and there from unnamed sources, and should be taken with a grain of salt.
But make no mistake, if Apple and Samsung both bring devices to market that use magnetic resonance charging technology, it would be a step in the right direction, nevertheless.
It will be interesting to see how all of this pans out. As usual, we will keep you posted on these and other developments in the wireless industry.
In other mobile news
Wireless industry analyst Michael Walkley's forecast is actually up from a prior estimate of 171 million iPhone 5S devices that Apple could ship next year.
Apple could then sell an additional 193 million iPhone 5S for 2015, predicted the Canaccord Genuity analyst.
Why the sales estimate increase? Walkley attributed the new forecast to two factors. Surveys taken by Canaccord Genuity point to strong iPhone 5S sales, pegging it as the top-selling smartphone around the globe and at all four of the major U.S. wireless carriers.
A report out Thursday from Counterpoint Research tagged the 5S as the world's best-selling smartphone in October.
The 5S' availability has improved a bit lately as Apple and its suppliers have worked to meet the heavy demand.
A launch of the iPhone 5S through China Mobile is also imminent, according to Walkley, who expects strong sales through China's largest wireless carrier.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Apple had already reached a deal with China Mobile to offer the iPhone to its subscribers.
Neither company has revealed any such agreement, but a preorder page posted Thursday on China Mobile's Web site clearly shows an image of the 5S.
Fiscal 2015 won't start for another year, so analysts estimate that such far in advance should be taken with a grain of salt.
From that point on, Apple's sales will depend largely on the overall demand for the iPhone 6. But assuming a major upgrade and a launch by China Mobile and potentially other new wireless carriers, iPhone sales for that year are certain to top those of 2014.
In other mobile news
Trailing on the coattails of the recent release of the fingerprint sensor-enabled iPhone 5s, more smartphone makers could soon jump on the new trend, if Ericsson's predictions prove true.
By the end of 2014, a whole slew of new smartphones could come with biometric technology, such as fingerprint-recognition hardware and software, among others.
In September, Apple released the iPhone 5S, which included a fingerprint reader, in the hopes of bolstering security and improving usability.
And other mobile makers, keen to jump on the biometric craze, may soon embed the technology in their own devices as well. According to new research by mobile network maker Ericsson, which polled 100,000 people over forty countries, about 74 percent of respondents said they believe biometric smartphones will become mainstream sometime during 2014.
About 52.4 percent of respondents said they want to use their fingerprints instead of a complex alphanumeric combination of letters, numbers and characters.
And in contrast, about 47.6 percent of people say they are interested in eye-recognition technology to unlock their phones.
While Apple currently holds the fingerprint-unlocking smartphone monopoly, mobile makers are expected in the coming year to include increasingly seamless ways of unlocking devices and securing data-- particularly as the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend continues to grow even more.
Also, Ericsson says that health-related technologies will continue to take off in 2014. A total of 40 percent want their phones to record all their physical activities, while 56 percent would prefer a ring-like monitor to keep tabs on blood pressure and their pulse.
The internet is expected everywhere, including subways and other places where many found their web access would cut out. The research showed that the signal bars no longer provide reliable guidance, as a voice call may not be good enough for internet service.
And about 46.5 percent of all consumers use apps to monitor their data consumption. While 24.3 percent wanted to know how much data they utilize, exactly 33 percent wanted to make sure they were billed correctly.
In other mobile news
If you've been recently shopping for a low-cost keyboard for your Android tablet, one has just arrived for the U.S. and Canadian market. Once previously only available in Europe and Asia, the LuxePad A-110 is a small wired keyboard made by the people at Taiwan-based Genius-- a small maker of consumer electronics accessories.
Priced at $20, the small keyboard connects to your Android tablet via its Micro-USB port and offers dedicated keys for locking the screen, playing music, controlling the volume, and handling other specific tasks as well.
The keyboard also includes a stand so you can position your tablet at different angles while you're typing to your heart's desire.
But there's one small caveat however-- the keyboard's specifications say it supports Android 4.0 or higher, so those of you still stuck on an older Android flavor would need to upgrade. Sorry about that.
So just how good is a $20 Android keyboard, you may ask? That's the big question. But at that price it seems worth a try.
But just one final note here-- Genius doesn't sell its products directly. Rather, they're sold through third-party retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Fry's, NewEgg and Walmart.
We couldn't find the LuxePad A-110 listed at Amazon or the other vendors, so it may take some time before the keyboard actually reaches their shelves, however.
In other mobile news
AT&T is making it easier for its American subscribers traveling in Canada to have access to high-speed, G4 and LTE networks. The company is actually making good on a promise it made last year.
The company this morning announced that it has partnered with Rogers Communications of Canada to offer international LTE roaming to its U.S.-based customers.
Under the agreement, AT&T customers with LTE-equipped smartphones, representing about 42 percent of the company's postpaid subscribers at last count, will be able to surf the internet on Rogers' LTE network without needing additional equipment.
But there's a catch-- to take advantage of the offer, AT&T's U.S. customers will need to choose from one of three of the companie's "Data Global Add-On" packages.
For 120 MB of data, customers will be charged $30 per month, while 300 MB will set them back $60 per month. An 800 MB plan goes for $120 per month. It ain't cheap.
AT&T's Data Global Add-on packages are offered in 150 countries around the globe, but this is the company's first foray into partnering with an international wireless carrier to ensure LTE access, however.
In other mobile news
In a letter to President Obama and Congress published early this morning, some of the biggest technology companies in the United States say there is an urgent need to change government spying practices, which the companies claim seriously undermine the rights of individuals not just in the U.S. but globally as well.
Tech giants including Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Twitter and AOL have all signed the letter.
The companies advocate for a clear legal framework for surveillance actions, limits to government data collection and greater overall transparency about government actions.
"People won't use technology they don't trust," Microsoft vice president Brad Smith said in a statement. "Governments have put this trust at risk, and now governments need to help restore it."
Various documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have put a spotlight on interactions between tech companies and the NSA.
The agency's activities have roiled governments in most countries where American technology companies do business, and the firms could be put at a competitive disadvantage as a direct result.
The companies have also, to varying degrees, staked their reputations on an ability to carefully safeguard user information.
In an effort to keep individuals' data secure, the companies said they have been "pushing back on U.S. government requests to ensure that they are legal and reasonable in scope."
Earlier this year, documents leaked by Snowden revealed that the agency had apparently tapped into the fiber optic cables that carry data between the servers of major American tech companies including Google and Yahoo.
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