Visual Interfaces for Mobiles @ NCSU: November 2012

Find: Indystate - why is the ios device majority the network traffic minority? The Android engagement paradox

Because the online mobile experience isn't as engaging.

The Android engagement paradox

IBM’s Digital Analytics Benchmark reported US Black Friday sales and the news is reasonably good. Overall online sales grew by 17.4% while mobile grew to make up 24% of traffic.
The data goes further to show the split between device types. I illustrate this split with the following graphs:

Of the 24% of traffic made up by mobile devices, phones contributed 13% and tablets 11% (or 54% and 46% of mobile respectively). Of the phone traffic, iOS devices were about two thirds of traffic and Android one third. Of tablet traffic, iPad was 88%, Kindle and Nook were 5.5% Galaxy Tab was 1.8% and other tablets were 4.4%.
Overall, iOS was 77% generated mobile traffic and Android (excl. Kindle, Nook) was 23%.
That’s an interesting snapshot of the consumption of mobile devices, but is there a pattern here? I also took a look at the same data from 2011 and 2010.

Besides the pattern of significant mobile growth (from 5.2% to 24% of online in two years) there is the curious effect of iOS growth outpacing Android growth. Android went from 1.43% of Black Friday shopping traffic in 2010 to 4.92% in 2012. In same time iOS went from 3.85% to 18.46%. In other words, while Android is up by a factor of 3.4, iOS is up by a factor of 4.8.
The reason is evident in the graphs above: the iPad is now the predominant mobile shopping device. You can observe the pattern in the following graph:

Find: How mobile is taking over our computing load, hour by hour

How mobile is taking over our computing load, hour by hour

Although mobile has been coming on strong as a primary means of computing, it still lags overall desktop internet usage. But for some publishers who started on the web, there are already moments during the week when mobile drives the majority of traffic or sales.

The Guardian’s traffic by hour

The Guardian’s Anthony Sullivan, group product manager for Guardian Core products at Guardian News & Media, said Monday that mobile — both smartphones and tablets — now contributes about 35 percent of traffic overall. That’s up from 10 percent at the start of 2011, when it was primarily smartphone traffic. (See disclosure below)

But at 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. in the morning local time, the Guardian gets more traffic from mobile devices. It also sees more mobile visitors than desktop visitors on Saturdays at 3 p.m. when the Premier League is under way.

Meanwhile, online design store Fab.com said late last month that on Saturdays between 12:00 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time, it sees 53 percent of its sales from mobile devices. On recent weekends, sales from mobile devices are now up to 40 percent, with weekend mornings before noon leading the way. Saturday evenings are also very popular with mobile users, with 44 percent of users buying on mobile devices between 6 p.m. and midnight.

The numbers are still early and these two properties are pretty popular with mobile users. Sullivan said in a Guardian story that the tipping point in favor of mobile might still be two years away. Fab’s CEO and co-founder Jason Goldberg, however, said based on the fast growth of mobile sales, he believes that Fab will see more parts of the day in which traffic from mobile devices goes over 50 percent in the coming months. And he said mobile will contribute more sales than desktop on certain days “soon.” Currently, 33 percent of Fab’s sales come from mobile devices.

The numbers underscore why mobile is so powerful. And it highlights the continuous nature of computing these days. The reality is today we are constantly on some type of computer throughout the day, moving back and forth between devices for different tasks and different settings. Mobile devices fill in the times when reaching for a laptop or desktop is more difficult, including early mornings, during lunch, as we settle in for the night and during the weekends....

Find: Ouch! Nokia head of cameras and imaging Damien Dinning has left the company (updated)

Land rover??

Nokia head of cameras and imaging Damien Dinning has left the company (updated)

Damien Dinning, a Nokia executive who headed up the company's imaging department, has left the company. Dinning previously worked with Nikon and then oversaw the release of the Nokia N8, the 808 PureView, and the Lumia 920 — three phones with category-leading cameras at the time of their launch. Nokia's cameras and imaging strengths have been a particular focus for the manufacturer as it moved over to Windows Phone devices last year as a way to differentiate its handsets from the competition. There's no word yet on Dinning's next move, but Dinning tweeted a few days ago that he was "incredibly excited" about something happening on December 10th that has nothing to do with Nokia directly — we'll see if he reveals his next move then.

Spotted: Good idea - Smartphone gives bikes an automatic gearbox

Smartphone gives bikes an automatic gearbox

Combining an iPhone's sensors and Bluetooth can make changing bicycle gears manually a thing of the past

Find: Good idea - iRotate grasp: automatic screen rotation based on grasp of mobile devices

Though maybe not the best implementation.

iRotate grasp: automatic screen rotation based on grasp of mobile devices

Lung-Pan Cheng, Fang-I Hsiao, Yen-Ting Liu, Mike Y. Chen

Automatic screen rotation improves viewing experience and usability of mobile devices, but current gravity-based approaches do not support postures such as lying on one side, and manual rotation switches require explicit user input. iRotate Grasp automatically rotates screens of mobile devices to match users' viewing orientations based on how users are grasping the devices. Our insight is that users' grasps are consistent for each orientation, but significantly differ between different orientations. Our prototype embeds a total of 32 light sensors along the four sides and the back of an iPod Touch, and uses support vector machine (SVM) to recognize grasps at 25Hz.

Find: Jolla gives a first glimpse at its MeeGo-based Sailfish OS

Another os challenger.

Jolla gives a first glimpse at its MeeGo-based Sailfish OS

As promised, Finnish startup Jolla has given a first demo of its new MeeGo-based OS, Sailfish. The company, which was founded by a number of ex-Nokia employees, demoed the OS at a live show in Finland earlier today, but has uploaded a promotional video to YouTube. MTV 3 Finland has a live demo of the new OS running on what looks like an old Nokia N950 developer device that's worth checking out for a closer look at the OS.

There are a few interesting UI concepts detailed in the video. First, the homescreen itself acts as a multitasking menu: when in an app you can swipe it away to push it to the homescreen, where it'll act like a large, interactive widget. The application drawer itself lives underneath the homescreen and can be accessed...

Find: RIM CEO Thorsten Heins: 'we have this one shot with BlackBerry 10'

They have good aim, but can they execute?

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins: 'we have this one shot with BlackBerry 10'

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has spent the past week on a media blitz, speaking to multiple outlets about his plans for the BlackBerry 10 launch on January 30th. RIM will be missing the important holiday shopping season with that launch date, so it's no surprise to see Heins making the rounds. The good news for RIM is that Heins is a relatively open and candid CEO — especially compared to his predecessors — and not afraid to drop a hint or two about the company's future plans.

We sat down with Heins to discuss the current state of BB10 and RIM's plans for the launch, and we managed to gather a few of the aforementioned hints about ambitious plans for "mobile computing." RIM wants to do more than just survive in the smartphone space....

Find: Are third-party security apps still necessary with Android 4.2?

Are third-party security apps still necessary with Android 4.2?

Aurich Lawson

While Android 4.2 Jelly Bean was only an incremental update for the mobile operating system, it introduced a ton of much-needed security improvements. As we touched upon in our exhaustive review, Google stepped up its game by implementing native security features that perform functions like scanning side-loaded apps before they're installed to run them against other known cases of malware, and offering SMS confirmation to notify the user if an application wants to send out a text message.

The addition of these features is a step in the right direction, but there were already a wealth of third-party security applications available in Google Play. Companies like Lookout, AVG, and Avast all base their livelihood on protecting Android users (and some iOS users, too) from break-ins. The plethora of third-party apps got us wondering: will Google's inclusion of its own security features render those third-party applications obsolete?

Third-party apps

Let's start with Lookout, a mobile security app with a majority of its customers using the Android platform. This app contains most of the features that Google offers natively in Android 4.2, as well as a basket full of other features that aren't available in the Android OS. There's a free and premium version of the security suite: the free version protects against malicious software, provides data backup and restoration, and helps locate the phone if it's misplaced. The premium version requires a $2.99 monthly subscription and gives you access to several other features, like the ability to remotely lock a phone from a website. But where Lookout really hopes to keep its edge against Google's native security implementations is with its Mobile Threat Network, which the company says constantly analyzes apps from Google Play and third-party markets and scans for new mobile threats that arise globally.

Find: Who wants a Firefox phone? Take a visual trip through Firefox's mobile OS

A completely open source mobile os will be nice.

Who wants a Firefox phone? Take a visual trip through Firefox's mobile OS

Over a year ago, Mozilla announced its plans to work on its own mobile operating system, dubbed Firefox OS. The company officially made a prototype simulator available for developers and anyone curious enough to play around with it (though it's still in early alpha). The OS does take some of Android’s core functionality so it works on Android-capable handsets, but Mozilla also built the UI and application stack around Gecko, the Firefox HTML rendering engine.

While the advent of yet another mobile operating system might seem a little redundant, what with webOS and Chrome OS already in the wild, Firefox OS is actually a good thing. Though there are already a number of existing open source software projects with the same goal, Mozilla's is based on B2G, or Boot to Gecko. The platform is entirely based on standards-based Web technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) and this makes the barrier to entry for developers quite low. By publishing the code and the OS simulator now, Mozilla opens the door for developers to begin making applications for it.

Though it’s not technically a 1.0 release, the simulator will make it easier for developers to stay current with future updates to Firefox OS. It's easy to install—all you have to do is download the file from Mozilla and then right-click and open it up in the latest version of Firefox. The browser will then install the Simulator as an add-on. Once it's finished, you'll be able to launch the simulator yourself with a one-click button.

Spotted: Again, thought provoking - Power efficiency for software algorithms running on graphics processors

Akenine Moeller chooses problems well.

Power efficiency for software algorithms running on graphics processors

Björn Johnsson, Per Ganestam, Michael Doggett, Tomas Akenine-Möller

Power efficiency has become the most important consideration for many modern computing devices. In this paper, we examine power efficiency of a range of graphics algorithms on different GPUs. To measure power consumption, we have built a power measuring device that samples currents at a high frequency. Comparing power efficiency of different graphics algorithms is done by measuring power and performance of three different primary rendering algorithms and three different shadow algorithms. We measure these algorithms' power signatures on a mobile phone, on an integrated CPU and graphics processor, and on high-end discrete GPUs, and then compare power efficiency across both algorithms and GPUs.

Find: Nvidia reports a third of its business is now 'non-PC,' doubles tablet shipments from a year ago

Another sign of the times: nvidia is one third mobile.

Nvidia reports a third of its business is now 'non-PC,' doubles tablet shipments from a year ago

One of the main beneficiaries of Android's exponential growth in mobile devices has been Nvidia, whose third-quarter revenue reached a record high of $1.2 billion this year. Some 30 percent of the company's income is now derived from the provision of "non-PC" chips, primarily Tegra systems-on-chip, which have figured in some of 2012's highlight devices like HTC's One X and Google's Nexus 7. Nvidia has already secured a firm foothold for itself in the Windows RT tablet space as well, providing the processor for Microsoft's Surface RT and others, though growth in that segment has already been strong. CEO Jen-Hsun Huang notes that the company's "tablet business grew 100% year-over-year."

Find: milestone - Qualcomm surpasses Intel as most valuable chip firm

There's the -- that was the mobile train going by. Q is smart: their wireless chips are in both apple and android devices. They have a local r&d office, too.

Qualcomm surpasses Intel as most valuable chip firm

Qualcomm technology powers e-reader screen.

Booming smartphone and mobile device demand drives value of Qualcomm past that of Intel as PC market lags.

Find: Imagination Technologies buys MIPS, hopes to compete with ARM processors

Arm gpu designer buys old line cpu maker. Must be for the patents, otherwise I see little connection.

Silicon shakeup: Imagination Technologies buys MIPS, hopes to compete with ARM processors

Imagination Technologies PowerVR devices stock press 1200

Two companies you've probably never heard of have struck a deal that could help shape the future of the processor industry. Imagination Technologies, whose PowerVR GPUs power every Apple iPad and iPhone, the PlayStation Vita, loads of Intel Atom chips and a great many Android devices as well, has agreed to buy CPU designer MIPS for $60 million. Remember when AMD bought ATI? It's a little bit like that, but for mobile and embedded devices.

Typically, Imagination's graphics are baked into silicon alongside an ARM-based processor, but ARM has been threatening to steal some graphics customers as of late, putting its own Mali GPUs into Samsung products like Google's Nexus 10 tablet. With this deal, Imagination could theoretically compete.

Find: applying animation principles to mobile UI design

We spoke about the temp of animation and ui in class.

The illusion of life: applying animation principles to mobile UI design

In 1981, Disney animators introduced the world to the 12 basic principles of animation. For many, the 12 rules are held in the same esteem as Dieter Rams' ten principles of good design, and are seen as something of a bible to would-be animators. In a chapter in her book, The Mobile Frontier, Rachel Hinman looks at how the Disney principles can also be applied to mobile UI and game design, pulling in examples from Apple, Microsoft, Google, Palm, and more. Hinman believes that motion is all-important in mobile design, and highlights how transitive animations and other techniques can help bring a little "magic" into a mobile user experience. The full chapter has been published online by Smashing Magazine, while the book itself is available.

Find: HUB Raleigh Contributes To The Evolution of Co-working in Downtown

When you turn your idea into a startup....

HUB Raleigh Contributes To The Evolution of Co-working in Downtown

Office space at HUB Raleigh

Last week, HUB Raleigh had its official grand opening. This co-working space on Hillsborough Street adds to the growing startup scene and Innovate Raleigh initiative that continues to spread around downtown Raleigh. The space is set up for established startups in the area to work from so that they can tap the greater HUB network for future growth. I went to the packed grand opening party and returned the next day for a visit.

We’ve talked about co-working before and while I myself do not work for a startup, the community aspect around a co-working space is a natural fit for downtown. Both sides can benefit from the social aspect at HUB and the close proximity to the services in the downtown districts.

I like to compare co-working to the idea of our “third place.” There’s where you live, (first) where you work, (second) and your regular place to socialize. (third) This is a theme that is very alive and true for downtown regulars. With co-working, the community aspect of a third place is weaved into the work aspect of the second. For most, this creates relationships, personal and business, that really help create new businesses and bring ideas into creation.

Others just want to get out of the house and that’s fine too.

Grand opening party at HUB Raleigh

HUB Raleigh is slowly trying to create that community between visitors and users. For example, they have a calendar where anyone can post an event from business to social. The Click Cafe is the HUB’s on-site gathering space for breaks over food and drinks. And as community goes, HUB has members that are active in Durham’s startup scene and other places around the triangle. HUB contributes to what is going on in the triangle rather then compete and possibly take away.

I mentioned the HUB network that members are a part of. HUB is part of a 28 location network, mostly with locations in North America and Europe, where members have access to those locations and the community around it. If a startup in Raleigh decides to work in San Francisco, HUB San Francisco is now a place for them to reach to if needed. This network helps startups ease into different areas and HUB Raleigh helps visitors ease into here.

Growing startups like The ...

Find: idc's indystate - Android hits 75 percent market share for smartphones

Apple at 16, everyone yes at single digits.

Android hits 75 percent market share for smartphones

Google's Android software for mobile devices was running on 75 percent of smartphones shipped in the third quarter, as the search company extended its lead over Apple, according to research firm IDC.

Find: AT&T, T-Mobile to share networks in New York and New Jersey in wake of Hurricane Sandy

Awesome! Let's just keep doing this. Why not?

AT&T, T-Mobile to share networks in New York and New Jersey in wake of Hurricane Sandy

AT&T and T-Mobile have just announced that the two companies have decided to share their networks in the New York / New Jersey area. This move will let both AT&T and T-Mobile customers connect to either company's network, and should help those in the area that are having trouble finding cellular reception in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which hit earlier this week.

The carriers say that customers will be able to use their phones as they normally would, and that they will just connect to whatever network is strongest in their current location. Customers will not have to change their current rate plans or service agreements either. This is the first time that AT&T and T-Mobile have cooperated in such a fashion, and they are able to...

Find: Carriers switch on stolen cellphone database

Ok. Well that took too long to do.

AT&T and T-Mobile switch on stolen cellphone database (update: Verizon and Sprint too)

AT&T and T-Mobile have introduced a database that will track stolen cellphones and keep them from being used on the carriers' networks. All four major US carriers agreed to contribute to the database back in April; CTIA executive Chris Guttman-McCabe told IDG News that AT&T and T-Mobile have collaborated first because their GSM networks are essentially interchangeable.

"The goal is to not only protect the consumer by cancelling the service, but by ultimately protecting the consumer by drying up the after market for stolen phones."

It's not clear when Verizon and Sprint will introduce their own efforts, but all four carriers will operate a combined database by the end of November next year. The database records the unique IMEI...

Find: 'Pinch' connects multiple smartphones and tablets together to make a display

An idea we've played with in class.

'Pinch' connects multiple smartphones and tablets together to make a display

Not content with synchronizing your phones to make one giant speaker? Researchers at the Tokyo University of Technology have developed "Pinch," an interface that lets you connect multiple devices together to form a giant disjointed display. Although the technology behind the interface remains a mystery — described only as a Wi-Fi based system — a video posted by DigInfo TV shows Pinch in action. To connect two devices, a user simply needs to pinch two adjacent screens together. The screens can be linked together in whatever alignment you choose, as the position and screen size of each display is communicated on a successful pinch. It's not the first time developers have managed to link together multiple smartphone displays, but this...

Find: Android 4.2 beefs up security with malware scanner for sideloaded apps

About time.

Android 4.2 beefs up security with malware scanner for sideloaded apps

Android 4.2 may not be a revelatory upgrade over Google's original version of Jelly Bean, but one area that's received some significant attention is security. The latest Android release includes a malware scanner that instantly analyzes "sideloaded" apps — those installed from sources other than Google's own store — for potential threats.

Enabling the added security via settings adds a new step to the installation process: Google will sample a given app and compare it to a broad list of "known applications" that combines Play's catalog with popular apps that may not be available in the store. (Purchases made from Amazon's Appstore for Android fall into this category, for instance.) Most installations will proceed as normal, but in...

Find: The fourth-generation iPad's new GPU is a quad-core monster

If it's hard on a tablet, how about a 30' display?

The fourth-generation iPad's new GPU is a quad-core monster

We already know that the biggest change in the not-so-different fourth-generation iPad is its brand-new A6X processor, but we've still been left to guess at many of the details. We know that it uses two of Apple's custom ARM CPU cores, and we know that Apple promises twice the CPU and GPU performance of the previous-generation iPad, but up until now we haven't known just how its quad-core GPU would deliver the promised performance gains.

That has changed now that Chipworks has taken the A6X apart for analysis. The new A6X, which like the A6 and newer A5 chips is manufactured on Samsung's 32nm process, is apparently 30 percent larger than the A6 despite using the same CPU cores. As in the A5X, most of that space is being taken up by the massive graphics processor required to drive a high-resolution panel like the iPad's Retina Display.

We had guessed that the new iPad could be running the same Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX543MP4 as the A5X, simply running at a higher clock speed—this would theoretically be able to reach the doubled performance claims that Apple is making, but as we know, ramping up clock speed can be a power-inefficient way to raise performance. Chipworks' analysis shows the GPU cores to be much larger than the SGX543MP4's, though, and based on this information AnandTech deduces that the A6X is using a more-powerful PowerVR SGX554MP4.