Firefox OS tablet pops up at Computex made by Foxconn: More on the way?

   We heard the rumours the other day and it turns out they were true and Foxconn have announced their partnership with Mozilla on Firefox OS tablets. Indeed, one such device popped up at Computex today, but noone was allowed to touch and we're not entirely sure it's a working device and it's certainly not ready, but it's something for the future.

   Talking of which Foxconn's Young Liu said:

"Currently, Foxconn is executing on a vision of 'eight screens, one network, and one cloud' with all our strength. Besides the native advantages of hardware manufacturing, Foxconn is also developing a brand new integrated approach to providing hardware, software, content, and services."

So if that's anything to go by there could be a fair few more devices on the way from the guys!
Via Engadget.

Foxconn Adopts Firefox OS
New integrated offerings will expand the ecosystem based on open Web technologies
The Foxconn Technology Group today announced at a press event in Taipei a wide-ranging partnership with Mozilla to collaborate on the use of the Firefox OS open platform, based on HTML5 and open Web technologies, on Foxconn devices. Foxconn is extending past its origins in original design manufacturing to a combination of integrated software and hardware offerings, which extends its domain to the open operating platform and positively carries out its integration plan of hardware, software, content, and services.
"Currently, Foxconn is executing on a vision of 'eight screens, one network, and one cloud' with all our strength. Besides the native advantages of hardware manufacturing, Foxconn is also developing a brand new integrated approach to providing hardware, software, content, and services." Young Liu, the general manager of Foxconn innovation Digital System Business Group (iDSBG), said: "Because of our shared vision, we are excited to work with Mozilla. Firefox OS from Mozilla is based on HTML5 and open web technologies. The whole idea perfectly matches to the strategies promoted by Foxconn. We believe that the integration of software and hardware development will offer greater benefits to our customers and consumers."
"We are very excited about the cooperation with Foxconn and we are glad to see more partners supporting the Firefox OS and the open Web." Dr. Li Gong, SVP of Mobile Devices, President of Asia Operations, and CEO of Mozilla Taiwan, also said: "At Mozilla we see the open Web as the biggest and the best platform for the mobile world. The Firefox OS initiative helps solidify open Web standards for mobile computing; it also encourages and enables more openness in system integration and device interoperation. This cooperation demonstrates the full potential of Firefox OS, the open Web mobile operating system, to enable not only the smartphone but also a wide range of mobile devices.
About Firefox OS
Firefox OS is based on HTML5 and other Web technologies and is constructed by Mozilla as an open Web mobile operating system. Firefox OS and the apps are entirely built with HTML5, JavaScript, and new Web Application APIs including emerging Device, Web App, and System API standards pioneered by Mozilla. Firefox OS will set the mobile users, developers, and manufacturers free from the limitation of current proprietary mobile operating systems. Firefox OS has globally gained support from numerous manufacturers and telecom service providers and the first Firefox OS devices will be released this summer. Firefox OS is an extension of the Firefox open Web experience that is secure, private, customizable and puts people in control.
About Foxconn
As the partner of choice for all aspects of contract manufacturing services in Computing, Communication and Consumer electronics ("3C") industries, Foxconn grew to be a US$73 billion revenue group in 2008. Arms with its proprietary eCMMS business model and world leading IP portfolio, Foxconn Technology Group has revolutionized the CEM/EMS/ODM industries since turn of the century. Through its renowned offering of best speed, quality, engineering services, efficiency and value-added, Foxconn Technology Group determines to make the comfort from electronic products usage an attainable luxury for all mankind.
Focusing on fields of interconnection, nanotechnology, heat transfer, wireless connectivity, material sciences, and green manufacturing process, Foxconn's approx. 60,000 filed and over 26,500 granted patent portfolio worldwide, of which contains over 1,000 nanotechnology related patents, made it a recognized leader of innovation. Looking forward, Chairman Gou is expanding the group's scope from traditional 3C industry to including auto parts, content, channel, medical equipment and alternative energy.
A firm believer of social environmental responsibility, Foxconn is not only a proud member of EICC, but also actively promoting wider adoption of better environmental standard in electronic supply chain. This Fortune Global 500 company has actively using its role as the largest exporter and largest non-government affiliated manufacturer in Greater China to make its vision of making the comfort of electronic product usage an attainable luxury to all mankind closer to reality each day goes by.
About Mozilla
Mozilla has been a pioneer and advocate for the Web for more than a decade. We create and promote open standards that enable innovation and advance the Web as a platform for all. Today, hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Mozilla Firefox to discover, experience and connect to the Web on computers, tablets and mobile phones. For more information please visit mozilla.org.

Read More

Rumour: Mozilla and Foxconn to partner on a Firefox OS tablet?

   According to Reuters there is set to be a partnership between the huge manufacturer Foxconn (or HonHai) and the Mozilla foundation in a bid to create a new mobile device running the latter's Firefox operating system.

    There hasn't been any specific information on the news issued from a Mozilla spokesperson, but according to Focus Taiwan the device is quite likely to be a tablet and we'd be pretty excited if this rumour does turn out to be true. That would mean that Mozilla's new OS could, assuming they can offer a good tablet interface, could be seen by OEM's as a compelling new operating system for their mobile devices.

   Obviously, Foxconn and Mozilla declined to comment when asked about the statement by Reuters, but
it's quite well known that Foxconn want to look at ways of generation more revenue and trying to find ways to diversify from their reliance on producing Apple's products. That means Foxconn could be looking at producing the tablet for Mozilla which would help them secure the higher margins which they want.

   In case you haven't seen any of the devices running Firefox OS then head over here and have a little look at all of the devices which there are! We expect there to be many more added in the coming months!
Via Reuters and FocusTaiwan.

Read More

In Other News: 17/04/2013.

• Google has finally told developers that from today they're, "now able to upload screenshots of your app running on 7″ and 10″ tablets to the Google Play Developer Console," something which gives people with tablets these pictures instead of the phone screenshots. It seems that Google is finally turning to their Android eyes towards tablets as Google I/O approaches! Check out the AndroidDeveloperBlog here for more information.
  Via AndroidBeat.

• Samsung appear to have delayed the UK launch of the Galaxy S4, unless you pre-ordered the device! The delay is only a day, so you can pick it up on Saturday instead of Friday! The Inquirer spoke to the Samsung store in Stratford and we're not sure if the issue is wider than that at the moment.
  Via TheInquirer.

• T-Mobile UK are in trouble with the Advertising Standards Authority for their use of 'unlimited' to define the internet on their Full Monty tariff. The ASA took issue with the way the company insisted on peer-to-peer limits during 8am and 2am each day. At the moment T-Mobile are excluding tethering from the plan for new customers!
  Via PCPro.

• Amazon have announced that they will be extending the availability of their app store from the seven countries they currently operate it in to nearly 200 in the coming months! Now where's that Amazon phone got to?
  Via TheVerge.

• Calling all Sony Xperia Tablet S owners! Get yourself ready if you live in America, Canada or South America because tomorrow morning Sony will unleash an OTA for your device which will give you Android 4.1.1 Jelly bean at long last!
  Via AndroidPolice.

• Microsoft and Hon Hia, the parent company of Foxconn have penned a new licensing deal for Android and Chrome OS devices! There can't be too many more people who Microsoft needs to sign up any more!
  Via PhoneArena.

• Sony Mobile have announced that the latest software update for the Xperia V has fixed all of the past 'sleep of death' issues which owners have experienced in the past.
  Via XperiaBlog.

• FunnyOrDie have posted a new mockumentary about Steve Jobs. The show is aptly named iSteve and there's not much to it other than the desire to make you laugh. If you're interested in the show you can check it out here!
  Via IntoMobile.

• Nintendo have confirmed the spring update for the Wii U which was promised wil arrive next week!
  Via Engadget.

• HTC's new flagship, the One, has been getting fantastic reviews from around the web, but it seems as though one person won't be giving it full marks! The review device for one person has developed the strange issue which we see below. It's not known whether the issue affects more than just this single device, but for the moment we'll assume it's an isolated incident!
  Via LandofTechnology.

And finally, what can you do if you have 10,000 iPhones and a fair bit of free time? Dominos! The video below is a pretty cool stunt!

Via Twitter.

Read More

Foxconn have a harder time of it: Some say their too closely linked to Apple.

   You have probably heard of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, although you'll probably know them as Foxconn instead. They're the guys responsible for a huge amount of your own and your family's tech. It seems that the guys at Foxconn have had a bit of a rough time of it lately and apparently their fortunes are very closely tied to those of Apple.

   Foxconn are thought to have somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of their revenue from building Apple's iPhones and iPads, but the guys from Taiwan have seen a 19 percent decline in sales in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, something which Reuters explains by a 'disappointing demand for the iPhone'.

   An analyst from KGI Securities said that, "A quarterly decline was expected, but not a yearly decline... This shows that Hon Hai's revenue depends too much on Apple, and iPhone orders corrected more than expected." The same analyst said that Foxconn's profit is likely to be at risk in the first half of the year as things are expected to stay relatively flat through the next quarter too.

   What do you think? Is Apple going to be able to sell enough iPhones to keep Foxconn in the green or do you think they're sales are going to plateau from here on out?
Via Reuters.

Read More

17/12/2012: Sony updates their Jelly Bean plans, Google apologises for Nexus 4 availability and Foxconn reportedly scoops Amazon phone manufacturing deal! Plus much more!

Sony updates their Jelly Bean plans. It's not all good news.

   In recent times Sony has been heralded as the new champion of the Android modding world with their recent support of modding initiatives and their trial period with the Xperia S in Google's AOSP. So you would think those guys would be good at pushing out software updates to keep their standard users happy too, well yes and no.

   Most of Sony's devices are currently on ICS so this update concerns Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. With that in mind Sony wants get the Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V on to updated version as soon as possible and these updates are 'progressing as planned' and so they should be getting updates right around February and March. After that your trusty Xperia P, Xperia J and Xperia go will be upgraded from the end of March. Followed in the 'subsequent weeks' by Xperia S, Xperia SL, Xperia ion and Xperia acro S updates.

   Sony said that they're 'particularly excited about the Sony Xperia Jelly Bean features and functionality – [they] look forward to bringing you more information on this in the New Year'. Naturally we'll keep you updated on that front.

   Unfortunately though, Sony has taken the decision 'not to upgrade Xperia U, Xperia miro, Xperia tipo, and Xperia sola beyond Android 4.0'. So if you're rocking any of those devices you'll only be receiving your bug fixes and security patches.
SonyMobile Via XperiaBlog.

Google apologises for the issues with the Nexus 4 launch and availability.

   Us folks on the European side of the pond have had the same trouble everyone else in the world has had getting hold of the Nexus 4's at the Play Store price. Google’s UK and Ireland managing director, Dan Cobley, feels our pain and after one of his posts about Google Zeitgesit 2012 on Google+ got high-jacked by disgruntled Nexus 4 chasers, he felt he should address the problem. His statement on Google+ places the blame squarely on the shoulders of LG for not providing the supplies they want or need, but he also acknowledges that there have been communication problems too. His full statement reads:

   "Dear all, I know that what you are going through is unacceptable and we are all working through the nights and weekends to resolve this issue. Supplies from the manufacturer are scarce and erratic, and our communication has been flawed.
I can offer an unreserved apology for our service and communication failures in this process.
I am optimistic that we will be able to share some positive news shortly, but I do not want to cause any more disappointment by making a commitment until we are 100% sure we can deliver on it.
I realise that the people who ordered the Nexus 4 so early are among our most committed and loyal users and we are doing all we can to put things right."

   Since then he has reiterated that customers with orders in the 3-5 day shipping estimate are their main focus at the moment and customers can expect a refund to their Google Play account for shipping charges. If you were promised you would get your phone before Christmas you still will!
Via TechCrunch.

Amazon smartphone rumours start up again. Foxconn has the contract to make them?

   Ever since Amazon launched themselves onto the tablet market with their Kindle Fires, and more recently the Fire HD's, people have been suggesting it would only be a matter of time before Amazon turned their attention to mobile phones.

   According to Taiwan's Economic News, Foxconn have secured an exclusive contract to build Amazon's smartphone! Amazon has supposedly commissioned a maximum of 5 million of the devices, which is a rather understated figure, but it is better to be safe than sorry, as HP and their TouchPad can testify. This could also suggest an initial US or other region specific launch, just as Amazon did when they only launched their Kindle Fire in the US to begin with. The smartphone is set to cost somewhere in between $100 and $200 to manufacture so this could be a high-end device.

   The report says that the phones will be released to the public at some point between the second and the third quarters of 2013. This is a suitably broad 6 month period from April 2013 to September 2013, Amazon will probably have to finalise a release date which doesn't coincide with the launch of the Galaxy S4, Google I/O or any of Apple or other competitors events, which is easier said than done these days!

   What do you think? Would you be interested in an Amazon smartphone? Would you allow it to have adverts on its lock screen like your Kindle does? Let us know in the comments below!
Via AndroidCommunity.

   

 In other news:

• Over the weekend Apple launched their iPhone 5 in China and subsequently shifted 2 million of the new iPhones. On the surface that looks very rosy indeed, however Slashgear have said that it was only with 'heavily subsidized carrier deals' that Apple broke their Chinese sales records. There was reportedly a distinct lack of purchases in Apple's own stores, people instead chose to head to carriers who were selling the new phone for as little as $96 on a contract! Either way this is undoubtedly successful for Apple; the Chinese market is pivotal to making money at the moment because it's so huge!
  Via Slashgear.

• RIM have opened their new “technical review program” to over 120 enterprise and government “customers” and they've offered some pre-release software and devices to these companies to give them the early opportunity to decide if BB10 and RIM's new services are for them.
  
  Some of the people involved are from the 64 Fortune 500 companies RIM offered the chance to beta test their new BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and pre-production BlackBerry 10 smartphones. This is something RIM hopes will “get them started” with the platform and allow them to make an informed decision on whether or not to promote RIM's devices within their company. Now we just need to come up with a convincing business name to get our hands on one of the devices!
  Via TheNextWeb.

• Samsung's Exynos chips have got a very big security flaw in their kernels, which came to light over the weekend. We won't offer up any details at the moment, but there are some temporary fixes for custom roms from CodeworkX. Other than that Samsung is aware of the issues, which affect both the Galaxy S2 and S3 and all of the Galaxy Notes that use Exynos chipsets! There may well be a couple of other devices like the Meizu MX and the Galaxy Player which are affected too. The issue is that malicious apps can easily take control of your phone, so in the mean time please only download trusted apps from the Play Store otherwise you may well be risking your phone. Of course we will update you as soon as we hear more back from Samsung's 'official investigation'!
  Via AndroidCentral.

• Nokia has promised via their US Twitter account that a software update will be arriving for Lumia 920 owners to make their cameras a little bit better in daylight, something which users have been complaining about since the devices launch. The timescale is currently only described as 'shortly', so we're hoping for a pre-Christmas update!
  Via IntoMobile.

• HTC's Butterfly J or the Droid DNA as US readers will know it, will not be coming to Europe in its current form. It seems we will have to wait until CES or MWC at the start of next year to see what sort of equivalent device HTC is planning to offer their European customers! Ronnie from Coolsmartphone got an email from Expansys, who had put the device up for pre-order, it read:

"Thank you for your recent interest and preorder of the HTC Butterfly. Unfortunately, we have now been informed by HTC that this device will not be available in European markets, and as such we have had to remove it from our website and cancel your preorder." Via CoolSmartphone.

And finally, it seems Google is wishing their customers a very Merry Christmas with deal every day from now until January the 1st. They could literally be anything! Today's treat was $35 off of a Hotel, but we have a feeling Google's mobile and tablet users may well have a few useful discounts coming their way in the next few days! Remember to check back tomorrow to see what they're offering. If you did want to claim today's discount head over here!

Via AndroidCommunity.

Read More

21/05/2012

HTC planning a Tizen powered device for 2012.

   Since the departure of Nokia from their ex-partner Intel, their love child, Meego, was expected to be somewhat neglected. But, it wasn't long before Samsung, amongst many others, picked up the buck and started building Tizen. 

   The news here is that HTC will be releasing a phone at some point in 2012 running the software. This is great news for the platform, especially if the rumours that Asus and Acer will be creating phones running this software too before the end of the year pan out. It's become apparent that the platform has been gaining a lot of support from elsewhere too, with the Tizen Association board members now featuring NTT docomo, Orange, Vodafone, SK Telecom, NEC, Panasonic and Telefonica, amongst others. 

   It looks like Windows Phone may very well have a serious challenger for Third spot in the mobile world if the companies follow through on their word!

In other news:

• Apple has once again filed for a ban of the Samsung Galaxy Tab in America, so much for sitting down and talking it out eyyy Apple?
• Foxconn has announced they're spending $210million on a new production line for Apple products.
• Microsoft has unleashed an updated SDK for Kinect on Windows, it's now version 1.5 of the SDK.
• Facebook shares are already down to $33.60 per share, it's harsh to call this bad news, but the Facebook bubble hasn't been quite as huge as expected.
• HTC has been able to trickle some of their devices out today after they were halted by US customs for infringing on dialer patents. The issues have since been addressed but the hold up is because every device has to be checked to prove it's bee updated, which as you can imagine is quite a slow process.
• Samsung's S-voice apk has recently been leaked by XDA developers but Samsung and Vlingo have teamed up to stop you using it unless you really are rocking a Galaxy S3, sorry guys.
• Google Chrome is once again the world's most popular browser and this time it'll probably stick!
• And finally Happy 7th birthday Youtube! You have revolutionised our online experience!

Read More