KDDI "Smart TV Box" Cable TV STB runs Android 4.0

http://www.diginfo.tv/v/12-0144-r-en.php

KDDI has announced a cable TV set top box running Android 4.0. The Smart TV Box, by Panasonic, has a customized interface and home screen, and can be controlled via the buttons or touch pad of the remote control. KDDI are also planning to include location relevant service applications, such as an online supermarket.

"On the Home screen, the main item is the program you're currently watching, and services are shown around the edges. When you slide up, the screen shows information for the family to share. For example, there's a calendar everyone can write in, to share their schedule."

"The right side of the Home screen is the usual broadcast area. With the Smart TV Box, in addition to the functions of previous set top boxes, we have customized functions such as recording, creating a system which is much easier to use.

"The Play area, on the left of the Home screen, has Video, Music, and Game categories. In Video, you can watch NicoNico Douga and YouTube as well as KDDI's pay services."

"The Application area, at the bottom of the Home screen, lets you choose and download applications from three markets: au Smart Pass, Google Play, and Cable Market."

The Smart TV Box features a dual-chip for Android and TV applications, three USB ports, an SD card slot, and a Wi-Fi access point. An external hard drive can also be used for recording. From now on, there are plans to release a full range of content, including games optimized for the Smart TV Box.

In August, KDDI and JCN will start a service trial, and cable TV companies plan to offer the Smart TV Box from autumn onward.

Paper Computing technology the first step to paper-based Google Docs

http://www.diginfo.tv/v/12-0200-r-en.php

At the University of Tokyo, the Naemura Group is developing paper computing technology, which can automatically erase, copy and print hand-drawn sketches on paper.

As well as using a camera and computer, this system uses a laser and UV light, making it possible to work directly with the hand-drawn sketches using the computer.

So for example, the user can leave only the edges of hand-written characters, creating 3D like text, or draw a figure by hand and color it in automatically.

"This is one technology for truly turning ordinary paper into a display. Until now, it's been possible to project things onto paper and use it as a screen, or import things drawn on paper to PC by using a digital pen. But the first method uses light, so the results can only be seen in the dark, and with the second method, even if you can import things, you can't access them on paper from the computer."

The pen for sketching uses Frixion thermo-sensitive ink, which becomes transparent when heated, and sketches drawn by the Frixion pens are lit from behind by a laser to erase them. The ink can be erased to a high level of accuracy, at intervals of 0.024 mm.

The paper is coated with a photochromic material, which changes color when it absorbs light, and a DMD-driven UV projector with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels is used to print the image onto the paper.

"The idea is to do computing on paper. But in the future, we'd like to enable several people to create one document, like with Google Docs, actually using real-world paper while far apart. We'd also like to enhance the rendering that's possible through collaboration between people and computers. For example, by giving more detailed access than you get by hand, and enabling you to draw large areas at once."

How HTML5 Crashed, Burned, And Rose Again

http://readwrite.com/2013/11/18/assessing-the-aftermath-of-the-html5-hype-cycle#awesm=~onznRqWvpKu3BU

In April of 2010, Steve Jobs penned an open letter titled "Thoughts on Flash" in which he stated the "new open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win". Facebook seemingly later validated Jobs’ thought when rumor came of a major initiative called Project Spartan that would make Facebook apps completely based on HTML5.

HTML5 was the next big thing. The unifier. The Holy Grail. Code once, it works everywhere. That was the promise.

Hip, Hop, Hype & HTML5

And so up rose the hype and expectations around HTML5, the mark-up language and set of web standards promulgated by the World Wide Web Consortium and adopted in large part over the past four years by all major browsers.

It was during this period in 2011 and 2012 that startups emerged in publishing, gaming, financial services, etc. touting HTML5 as a key to their offering, attracting investors who bought in and invested big bucks to support the early adopters.  

During this same period of time, the inevitable debate began. Who will be the winner on mobile—Native Apps or HTML5? It was framed by most as a winner takes all.

In the summer of 2012 Facebook dumped its HTML5-based mobile app due to performance issues. Project Spartan was dead. A few months later, Mark Zuckerberg said in an interview that "betting too much on HTML5 as opposed to native" app development was Facebook’s biggest mistake. Just like that, it was no longer cool to talk about HTML5. We had a winner of the Native vs. HTML5 debate by knockout. HTML5 is dead! Long live Native!

HTML5 & The Trough Of Disillusionment

The evolution and trajectory of HTML5 described above is very common with emerging and disruptive technologies. The truth? HTML5 is far from dead. Gartner Research has analyzed the patterns tied to new technology adoption and dubbed it the “Hype Cycle”. See the chart below to get a flavor for the different stages of the cycle. HTML5 has been riding this same curve, almost to a tee.

When HTML5 received the major hype from the industry giants, it was still a very nascent technology with lots of holes. It was not ready for prime time.  Instead of recognizing this fact and tempering its application, many companies commissioned ambitious HTML5-based projects and were deeply disappointed and critical when their expectations were not met.

Stability & Adoption

Despite the various high-profile failures, all the benefits of HTML5 that started the hype in the first place did not magically disappear. Over the past 18 months many of the holes in the technology have been plugged as the operating systems, mobile browsers and devices have advanced and gotten stronger with improved HTML5 functionality tied to each new release. People also are replacing their smart phones fairly often, so the majority of smart phone and tablet users now have devices much better suited to support HTML5.

Below is a chart from the end of last year showing the HTML5 feature progress within major browsers. It has only gotten better in 2013.

And while some major technology and gaming companies swore off HTML5 when their expectations were shattered, others stepped up to embrace HTML5. Companies like Disney, NBCU and Viacom and brands like Progressive Insurance and HBO. Why? Very simple—it makes business sense. Building apps in HTML5 is cost effective and has allowed these companies to provide engaging content to their users on mobile devices in unique ways without sending them into the arms of Apple or Google. This was part of the initial appeal of HTML5 and the value of that is now becoming reality.

Other technology companies like Mozilla, Samsung, Intel and Amazon have started to develop HTML5 offerings that are now beginning to emerge from early testing. This summer Amazon announced to the developer community a major Web app initiative tied to HTML5. Samsung and Intel are sponsors of the HTML5-based open source Tizen an operating system based on Nokia and Intel’s old MeeGo project. Mozilla launched its new HTML5-based operating system in Brazil and will be launching later in Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

If we use Gartner's methodology, next comes the Slope Of Enlightenment. Companies, channels and applications are doing things with HTML5 that nobody envisioned a few years back. For example Kik—a popular mobile messaging app with close to 100 million registered users—bet on HTML5 and now supports multiple forms of rich media content (videos, games, memes) within its chat messenger service. No download required, just instant fun.

Did all the early hype ultimately help or hurt the progress of HTML5? Probably a bit of both. On one hand, the hype helped bring HTML5 to the forefront and led thousands of companies (Disclosure: mine included) to adopt it for their products and services. The early adopters who were able to survive the downturn find themselves in enviable positions to capitalize on their lead.

HTML5 is now close to prime time and more and more business are looking to HTML5 to solve market challenges. When the pendulum swung away from HTML5 in 2012, it swung pretty far and scared away many potential innovators. How much farther along might HTML5 be if expectations had been tempered and more companies focused on its potential rather than its failures?

CES 2012: Tobii's Eye-Tracking Prototype Puts Your Gaze in Control

Tobii showed off it's latest prototype at CES Unveiled this year, an eye tracking technology that allows a user to control games, desktop interfaces and page scrolling purely based on the movement of your eyes

Google Lets Developers Pay To Translate Their Android Apps Into Almost Any Language

http://readwrite.com/2013/11/11/google-offers-developers-the-ability-to-pay-to-translate-their-apps#awesm=~onzi5d60wRFJYx

Mobile apps are international phenomena. So is the Android operating system. Google knows the importance for developers to easily extend the international footprint so today it announced that its App Translation Service is now available to all developers. 

The App Translation Service was announced at Google’s I/O developer conference earlier this year and allows for developers to hire human translators across the world to transcribe their apps from English into the local tongue. Want your app to be read in Farsi? Russian? Japanese? Developers can hire a professional translator through Google Play Services to bring their app to users’ native tongue across the world.

Google says that 1.5 million Android devices are activated every day and the vast majority of those smartphones and tablets go to countries where English is not the first language. As such, Google announced at I/O a suite of localization services and techniques to help developers be able to support true international launches of their apps such as the ability to accept a variety of forms of payment and currency through Google Play and to test a localized app. 

It is important to note that not all Android apps can be sold or have in-app payments for every country around the world. Free apps are available wherever a user can access the Google Play Android app store.  If a developer wants to charge for an app or feature or service with an app, it has to do so in countries where Google can accept payments. That list is quite long, ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe. Most major countries are supported, but developers should check Google’s list of supported countries before attempting to translate an app into a local language.

 

Summary; Android developers can choose to have their apps translated and deployed all the way from Albania to Zimbabwe.

THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL: 2013

http://www.businessinsider.in/THE-FUTURE-OF-DIGITAL-2013/articleshow/25661902.cms#THE-FUTURE-OF-DIGITAL-20139

We're at Business Insider's Ignition event to hear from business leaders and notable folks in the tech space, hearing their thoughts on where the future of digital business is heading.

To kick off today's events, Business Insider CEO Henry Blodget delivered the following presentation.