CES 2011 - A brief summary of innovations

Attendees: 140,000(international attendees 30000)

Companies: 2,500

Approx products displayed: 20,000+

Quite a few new technologies were on display at the CES and most exciting categories were in mobile computing. Here is a very short summary of the products on display and the technologies of interest that are powering them.

Tablets/SmartPhones:

This was definitely the year of the tablet. Over 80 tablets announced and launched at the CES. And Motorola not only take home the best category award for Motorola Xoom and also was the “best in show” product. Same with Motorola Atrix 4G - won the best smartphone. The overall tablet trend in the show was large screens, customized OS & high speed connectivity. Some had innovative form factors notably the Dell tablet that can swivel and becomes a touch-tablet or a keyboard-laptop Inspiron Duo. Or the Samsung tablet with slideout keyboard. Some tablets have 4G/LTE planned at launch. Toshiba had their tablet on display in a glass showcase so none was allowed to touch it – possibly some new functions on the way. The already out Samsung Galaxy also had a lot of buzz in 7” category, with many media-apps for their SmartTVs running on it. It also has 4G and wi-fi versions now. There were also quite a few low cost tablet options mainly from companies in China & Taiwan running various flavors of Android. However, the major software differentiator here was who is running Honeycomb version of Google made for tablets?  Answer: Motorola, LG & Toshiba. Some tablets shown will run the Microsoft Corp's Windows 7 PC software (Samsung slideout) and RIM showed off their business-focused 4G PlayBook tablet. Other tablets were from ASUS, Acer, MSI and many more.

LTE Chipsets: LG announced that they have been working with VZW on LTE since 2008 and showcased a few of their LTE offerings. Wireless module WM300 based on L2000 chipset – identified as world’s 1^st LTE chipset. There were quite a few USB LTE modems from Sierra and Pantech as well. For now, only plug-in laptop modems can take advantage LTE, but at the show, Verizon showed off smart phones from Motorola (Bionic), LG, HTC and Samsung smartphones that use LTE.

   

Windows on mobile chipsets: Microsoft announced that they will support Windows on ARM and NVIDIA.  So expect a longer battery life from windows.  To counter the tablet threats, Intel and AMD are putting graphics capabilities in the GPU for faster performance on games etc

Connected Appliances:  

Everything in home appliances appears now to have a net connection and a display. The fridge that can do energy management for the entire home. Can offer your recipes of choice, can show you weather and other stats like how many times you opened the fridge door (energy mgmt tips). There were also washers and dryers that can tell you to delay the cycle till the smart grid rates drop to minimum and can show you many tips pulled from the clouds. All clouds. The issue here may be all appliance companies, utility companies, TV/cable companies want to do that. One or two distribution/pricing/GTM strategies will eventually need to emerge.

3D TVs/3D displays/3D LCDs/Mobile 3D:

This was anticipated and 3D TVs amassed a lot of attention at the show. The quality has improved multiple times e.g. LG’s no flicker 3D. They also showcased 3D without glasses. This technology is making inroads outside TVs now and we could see 3D in laptop and mobile displays. There is a lot of speculation about if 3D will really take off but the 3D technology without glasses shows some promise based on the response there. The bulky, expensive, battery-powered glasses are also paving way for light, inexpensive glasses.

  

Convergence/Media Everywhere: A few companies are trying to solve the problem of viewing user’s owned media from any of their owned devices. Qualcomm’s Skifta showcased this based on their Skifta app (similar to DLNA). Motorola showcased Medios and mover solutions. The solutions also target cloud based contents like netflix. Major push was seen on TV makers trying to solve that problem as well.

TV based video-calling: TV/chipset makers in association with VOIP companies showcased this technology in action. Notably Sony was demo’ing Skype video calling on their TVs and Intel demo’ed Cisco Umi running their chipsets. Services to be ordered from these respective providers (in this case, Skype and Umi). Question-How many services/bills can customers handle? Expect some service consolidation here…

SmartTVs: Samsung used their keynote to show this product through a story setting interspersed during their CEO address. High quality TV that can pull the contents from all internet providers, has widgets and apps.  Also, saw a few more SmartTVs from TCL that support Kinect like interface for (or instead of) their remote. User can sit in front of the TV and with wave of hands can scroll, select, push, pause – everything that you can do with a remote. User would need to get used to some new gestures.

Technologies to reduce “Driver Distraction”: Hyundai showcased a technology that uses camera/sensors based “obstacle detections” for alerting a distracted driver. The demo was as you are “distracted” (call/sms), the sensors detect a vehicle in front, car brakes by itself or tightens your seatbelts w/ an audible alert.

Form Factor Trends

How many screens do we need in our lives? SmartPhone, TV, Laptop, Tablet and ..?

 

Early Jan 2011, I had an opportunity to attend an awesome panel discussion at CES about “Gadgets Everywhere and the Role of Wireless”. The discussion brought forth some interesting predictions of future that got me thinking. The panel seemed to agree that the tablet is the 4^th and “final” screen in user’s lives. Well, that “final” screen sounds like a familiar phrase as experts indeed had called mobile (or smartphone) as the final screen few years ago. That leaves us with a question: really how many screens do users need?

For the past few months, I have been using all the 4 screens in my life. Let’s for a moment, leave the TV screen aside - as an inevitable screen for every family to watch and enjoy contents together. That leaves us with 3 “personal” screens. So do we need them all?

Recently, when I started using the tablet, I had thought I will use the other 2 devices a bit “less”, paving the way for zeroing down on the best 2 of 3 that fulfilled all my needs. However, interestingly I did find a place for all 3 personal screens. and boy, did they fit their place each so well! I started using the tablet for a few applications where the laptop and smartphone were “less efficient” or simply “inadequate”. For example, the tablet was still as portable as the Smatphone but made the content-watching much better, with their bigger and better screens. The ready-to-consume contents viz. Books, Videos/movies and Pics play and look much better on the tablets. And unlike the heavier laptop, it did make me free from “desk” and entered the other rooms of my home. You could hold it like a “bedside book” for reading. You could make it stand for playing a movie. But the most amazing thing with the touch interface is that it almost minimizes the learning curve for non-computer-literates like my 3year old son or my parents. All they had to do to watch a content was to simply touch what they want to play. That for me is cool. Now the “Intent” takes over “methods”. This is how it should always have been. No need to read user manual or need any hand holding. Someone recently said at a conference: “The user manual is merely a list of design failures”. So true! If a consumer facing product’s interface is intuitive, it should just unbox and be ready to serve.

So are tablets already to take over laptops or smartphones? Not so fast. Like many other people, I am not a tablet-typer. So it is tough to create any docs or contents with tablets. Nor do they have a good MS-Office or productivity app suite for my office work. (It may change once the Googles or Apples of the world will solve that or if MS Windows tablets take off again). So yes, tablets are here to stay but not ready to kick the laptops out yet. There is a ton of opportunity to make the tablet more usable and enjoyable with software solutions (apps). That’s where the innovation will continue happening. With its portability combined with HW components like GPS and other HW components providing user context, the possibilities are endless.

There is a prediction that the tablets will become the only “away from home” consumption device. I agree. TV will remain unchallenged at home. Laptops will be around for a while at work and work-from-home. I especially like the idea that the tablet will be the device to enjoy while “leaning back” (content consumption) and laptop is for “leaning forward” (content creation). To take this idea further, TV will be a device to enjoy with family while relaxing “feet up” and the smartphone is a device to use while on the go (“feet on”). Unless we stop getting in some of these positions, all these screens are here to stay. So yes, my guess is 4 is a maximum. Only way from here is to go down to 3 or may be a 2 with some more evolutions of HW/SW. What’s your take?

PC World - First LTE Base Station Runs WiMax Too

PC World - First LTE Base Station Runs WiMax Too Every new generation of technology comes with a standards war. First there was GSM, CDMA and then GPRS, 1x. Then came cdma200o and UMTS. Now there is LTE and Wimax. Much like the DVD wars of Blu-ray v/s HD-DVD camps, the suppliers need to find the right time to launch the products going one way or the other. The LTE v/s WiMax war has the suppliers in flux too. So what do to you expect? Dual-mode products. Much like AT&T that was moving from TDMA to GSM in 2001, with devices like Siemens S45 TDMA-GSM-GPRS technologies, expect to see dual/triple mode devices in next 2 years. ANy guesses on who will win the war here?

"Voice Pay" - Pay by Voice

Now you can pay by simply using your voice. Voice Pay: Pay by Voice: "To use Voice Pay, consumers first need to set up an account. This one-time enrollment process involves calling a Voice Pay number from a cell phone and establishing a user name and password, as well as providing credit-card information. The consumer will also be asked to register a particular cell-phone number and give a voice print by repeating a series of randomly generated numbers."

P.s. Make sure you do not day-dream of shopping. Before you know, your account deposits will follow whatever you say before you wake up :-)

iPod and Nike Sports kit

Do you jog with your iPod? Now it helps you keep track of your health as well. iPod with Nike Sports Kit, complete with the pedometer.

iPhone is OK'd by the FCC

The iPhone is OK'ed by FCC today. The only question now is the timing and pricing of the launch. Since there is so much press and blogging on iPhone aleady, I would refrain from writing about it. Will that price point work to get Apple the stated goal of 10% market share? is the question now. TG Daily

qode.com - It's in the code

This company qode.com - It's in the code has a downloadable Java application that can enable your mobile phone to read Barcodes. This technology is being used in Japan to read barcodes (from billboards or magazines) by pointing your cell camera to the barcode and taking a picture. The web browser instantly takes you the website with special offers. Imagine a McDonald's billboard with a barcode on it. You take a picture and get a 20% coupon on your cell.

I have a version of this app on my MOTORAZR and it works well. I also tried this on the ISBN number of the book on my desk and I was taken to its publisher's website.

Sabeer Bhatia - The Hotmail founder

Recently had a chance to meet with Sabeer Bhatia, The hotmail founder. He gave a talk in UCSD on "Web 2.0" and what was memorable in his talk was his story of selling hotmail.com to Microsoft. I found this story on Asiaweek.com about him pretty close to how he described his negotiations with Bill Gates & co. Currently he is busy with Arzoo.com in India, apart from his NanoCity project. Got to see the human side of the big names in Silicon Valley.

Jott.com - Mobile Note Taking and Hands-Free Messaging

Just came across this company. Jott Networks. Jott.com - Mobile Note Taking and Hands-Free Messaging Started by 2 ex-Microsoft employees. The idea is simple. Speak something and it becomes a written word.

Most Americans spend time a lot of time in the car and get an idea or a thought while driving when there is nothing to write on or the hands are on the wheel. Here is your chance to let someone else write it down and send to wherever you want. It could be as simple as you need to reserve a seat for dinner or as important as a patent idea. The company provides a number for you to call and then all you need to do is leave a voicemail. The tool sends you the written note in an email or text message format.

The RIM-Microsoft war starts...

Motorola Moto Q The world's thinnest
office email phone powered by Microsoft Window's mobile 5.0 versions (first such device) is all set to challenge Blackberry's RIM
next spring. It will be an interesting game to watch. Somehow I sense a deja vu. Reminds me of the last OS war between Microsoft
and Symbian (Nokia).

Motorola and Samsung to share mobile technology patents

Motorola and Samsung to share mobile technology patents| Reuters.com Many big companies are avoiding the patent fights which are proving to be really expensive to everyone and ultimately hurting the industry. Here is a news of two big mobile companies coming together to resolve their patent differences. Samsung and some Japanese companies are already doing that in some other areas. Not everyone agrees though that, resolving it outside courts might be a good idea. Nokia has decided to challenge some decisions in this regard with Interdigital. Nokia may contest patent arbitration decision - Yahoo! News

The telecom consolidation continues....

Motorola buys Sendo | Reuters UK Just when I wrote about consolidation, here is one more...Mot buys Sendo now.

BenQ Buys Siemens Mobile

BenQ Buys Siemens Mobile - News Headlines - Mobiledia The consolidation continues in both sides. Cingular buys AT&T Wireless, Sprints acquires Nextel and now BenQ buys Siemens mobile. Sony Ericsson is already an old story. How long will this continue? In long term, I guess there will be only a few telecom carriers on one end and a few chipset manufacturers on the other end. In the middle, there will be the (remaining few) handset manufacturers who might end up just being the "cost cutting" and "form factor/UI" experts, with their markets shares looking like dancing graphs every quarter.

Markets are already watching the new kid on the block

BW 50: Qualcomm: The Son Gets The Call
Markets have already started watching him. So far the reviews are positive. They say now he has to eye big partners like Motorola.

Qualcomm CEO elect Paul Jacob's headline event

Recently attended the SDTC headliner event Qualcomm CEO elect Paul Jacobs' address and interview . A well-attended event with about 300 San Diego telecom folks around, looked like all the advertising of this event that SDTC did had paid off.

After the initial SDTC formalities, it came to Dr Paul Jacobs' interview. This young CEO-elect who is all set to take over a multi-billion company (by July 1st ) which some say is the poised to become next monopoly, a la Microsoft, looked quiet pleasant and an accessible kind of person. and there he was… He started off by saying everyone to please switch their cell phones ON as that is what would keep everyone in the business. :-)

His speech

In his 10 page presentation titled "Convergence at hand - New opportunities for Qualcomm and its partners", Dr Jacob talked mainly about two issues he says are close to his heart and also feature on his agenda for years to come: partnerships and innovations.

what partnerships?

Well... the first one is well-known about Qcom, but the second? He explained. For past few years, QC has been active in building the telecom eco-system that has enabled the manufacturers, carriers and content developers launch some new products and services, and they will continue doing that. Apart from the technology, does that sound a lot like Brew? well, yes. After all he was one of the main driving forces behind the idea of BREW itself. (In fact he came up with that name BREW, which he talked about later in Q&A.)

What kind of partnerships he means? He continued... Companies from Japan are coming up with a lot of innovative ideas for products like cell phone eg. someone developed an application to take a picture of english text and translate to Japanese. Well, Qualcomm would not get into such innovation, but partner with such companies to integrate those ideas in their platforms and enable them run. He maintained QC enabled the garage developers by making them available the BREW platform and training.

Okay, what about carriers? He said just like everyone else, QC is watching the telecom markets and services launched in Asian hubs of Japan and S Korea, the region which is being termed the "World's laboratory" for telecom.
Customers in these countries can shell out top $$$$ for advanced business and entertainment services on cell phones. He cited video services as an example. When video was offered "flat rate", the uptake was huge. So huge that it took 70%+ of the network bandwidth. but when carriers brought it to "per packet" service, the demand reduced very drastically. so how can QC help here? By optimizing the bandwidth of networks with technological innovations so that carriers can still offer these services at a flat rate or equivalent.

Keeping the costs down

As opposed to the Asian markets, US markets are very conservative in spending on new services like video. These markets are also "price conscious", so it becomes essential to reduce the price of the handsets. That’s where QC comes in. By integrating as many applications as possible in a single chipset, they can help bring the costs down. For countries like India and China where the market potential is huge but the demand is basically towards the low price devices, it makes sense to keep the costs down by integrating as many things as possible in a single chip. (Markets like Japan/Korea are ready to pay for the secondary ASICs on the board) and this is why Qualcomm is focusing on integration.


The person

All in all, Paul Jacobs talked and sounded like an engineer. He knew the technical implications of what he was promising. That's a good thing to see.


Q & A

Later there was a pretty light interview and Q&A session which I tried to capture in brief summarized way...

Q: How did you come up with the name BREW?
A: It was very interesting. We discussed and debated a lot and I finally came up with the name BREW. The room laughed as they thought I was thinking beer. :-) Some thought it is a take on Java. Some thought this name is already overused. I wrote these letters on board and kept them for weeks. 'W' was easy (for wireless), 'B' was to be for basic or binary, but 'R' & 'E' was tough. Later someone suggested runtime environment. and there it was. but then Legal team said, forget it, someone would have a trademark on it already. I pushed for it for all the hardwork and they found there was no trademark.

Q: You mentioned "partnerships" 21 times and "innovation" 15 times, what about a partnership with Nokia?
A: Did I mention "execution"?
Q: yes, I hope not Nokia's execution though :-)
A: yes, we are afraid of each other, but yes, in some areas we would like to co-operate and some other areas, we would remain competitors. Same is true with TIs and Intels of the world.

Q: You talk so much about data apps and future of cell phones. Which phone do you use and which app do you use?
A: I use Motorola 710 and I use brew calendar sync app on that one. I also play the solitaire game in the car, when I am not driving!

Q. What keeps awake at night?
A: Partnerships and innovation leadership

q. Are you targeting UWB area also?
A: yes

Q. what did dad tell after the press conference ?
A. Nothing specifically but Bill told me "Paul don't sc#@w this one up!" :-)

A. Say, you go to a party. What do you tell the people about what you do?
A. I tell them about cellular telecom. I tell them our chips and that they are in a lot of cell phones, just like "Intel inside" thing in PCs. I tell them about data, voice, brew, data apps and so on until they leave.

Q. Will you be able to clear the hurdles in getting the spectrum for mediaflo?
A. yes, there is a resistance from incumbent players but it benefits them ultimately. Video clips on phones would drive people to go to the TV channels anyway.

Q. There is always a gap between concept and technology. Where do you stand?
A. Well we achieved great things in CDMA. We got into gsm and now, we are actually welcome in the GSM operators doors. So I am hopeful.

What's this blog about?

What's this blog gonna be about?
"well, it is going to be random thoughts typed down with some irregularity".
Very scholastic sounding statement which shows enough lack of clarity to pass off as a Microsoft's error message. :-)

But this blog is mainly going to about happenings in Mobile telecom area and trends. And some personal experiences at work and industry along the way.

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