Rick Richardson's Views On Technology
  • Home
  • Blog

6 Big Changes Coming to Android Phones

5/29/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
At its recent I/O Developers Conference, Google introduced the newest version of its mobile operating system, Android N. The company will almost certainly name it after a dessert beginning with “n,” in keeping with its habit of thinking with its sweet tooth when christening new Android releases.
While we wait for a name, here’s what we do know is coming from Android N when it ships later this summer:

Split screen mode. Years after Samsung added an option to some of its Android devices to run two apps alongside each other — after which Apple did the same thing in iOS 9 — Google is catching up. You’ll be able to run two apps at once, either stacked one above the other or side by side.

Simpler multitasking. Switching from one app to another should also get simper in N, where a tap of the recent-apps button will no longer show a seemingly infinite list of every app you’ve opened in recent history.
Instead, Android N will automatically sweep away apps you haven’t used in a while — Google’s research showed that most people only flipped through seven apps in this list--and let you swipe the whole thing clean. To jump back to the last app you had open, just tap the recent-apps button twice.

More interactive notifications. Android N will take an existing option to respond to an app’s notification after it appears atop the screen by letting you carry on entire conversations within the notification view. Where a messaging app might now only show a preview of a message, in N it will add a “Reply” button.

Longer battery life. The current Android Marshmallow release has a great feature called Doze that suspends most app activity when the phone isn’t moving. N will expand this function to the times when the phone may be moving but its screen is off — as in, the large amount of time a phone is not being used because it’s in a pocket or purse.

More efficient apps. Reworked code should cut down on the time apps need to install and should also trim their storage needs. And a new Data Saver option will let you constrain an app’s appetite for wireless data.

Security tweaks. The Android components that play media get locked down further in N, with much more limited access to the rest of the system. It’s a response to the “Stagefright” vulnerability that last year could have been used to attack a phone just by sending it a malicious multimedia message.

Android security updates will also download and install in the background, much as they do in Google's Chrome OS--and when you restart the phone to compete that install, you won't have a lengthy wait while Android essentially reinstalls every app.
​
But for your Android phone in particular to get these features, its manufacturer and your wireless carrier (unless you bought it directly from the manufacturer) will both have to ship an Android N update to your phone. And the issue of how many existing devices will get such an update represents a bigger mystery than Android N’s name.
0 Comments

iPhone Case Has a Built-in Photo Printer

5/22/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
There’s a lot of questionable gadgets that pass through popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter, but every once in a while a product pops up that you can immediately tell is going to be something special. Such is the case with The Prynt Case for Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6, a product that was born on Kickstarter, raised more than $1.5 million, and is now widely available.

As its name might suggest, the Prynt iPhone case holds your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s securely but protection isn’t the name of the game here. Instead, the device features a built-in photo printer that lets you capture images and then print them on demand. Sharing pics on Instagram is one thing, but Prynt lets you snap a photo and share it with anyone in real life, whether or not they follow you on social networks.

Here are some key details:
     •  Print photos from your smartphone anytime, anywhere.
     •   Simply attach your smartphone to your Prynt Case, press the shutter button to take a photo followed
         by a short video clip, and get a printed photo in your hands in seconds.
     •   Prynt saves a video inside each photo – just use the Prynt app to unlock and magically replay the
         video.
     •   Making Prynt photos doesn’t require ink cartridges – Prynt ZINK Paper contains everything you need
         to make amazing Prynts. The paper comes in packages of 50 sheets for $25.00 on Amazon.

The Prynt Case for Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 costs $149.99 with free Prime shipping on Amazon, and it’s well worth that price. There’s also another version made for the iPhone SE, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5, and it also costs $149.99 with free shipping.

0 Comments

Button-less Fingerprint Sensors Are Coming to SmartPhones This Year

5/15/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Several reviewers and critics have said that the smartphone has hit a wall with respect to design and innovation. Fortunately, the people at Fingerprint Cards don’t believe that. They recently announced that they have collaborated with TPK, a leading company specializing in cover glass and lamination technology. Through this collaboration, Fingerprint Cards can now offer smartphone manufacturers new, highly attractive and innovative design options where the fingerprint sensor (FPC 1268) is integrated with and under the cover glass.

Jörgen Lantto, President and CEO of FPC, comments: "By teaming up with TPK, we can  provide a highly compelling offering to the smartphone manufacturers, making it possible to mount the fingerprint sensor under the cover glass."

Traditionally, fingerprint readers required a discrete area just for their use. To integrate them most efficiently, smartphone manufacturers have tended to build them into either the home button on the front (as Apple and Samsung do) or the power button on the back or side (as with Google's Nexus and Sony's Xperia).

And the benefits of this technology isn’t just aesthetic. LG Innotek, the research arm of Korean manufacturer LG, points out that waterproofing a smartphone becomes significantly easier without a discrete button for the fingerprint reader. Plus, the sensor itself is less susceptible to being scratched if it sits under the same tough cover glass as the display.

Leading the list of possible adopters of this technology is Huawei and Google. Currently the two leading manufacturers, Samsung and Apple have their own proprietary designs and are not likely candidates for this new technology. But given the desire to have fully water repellant models, both companies are most likely considering under glass implementations.

The first commercial devices are expected to reach the market in second half of 2016.
0 Comments

5/8/2016

0 Comments

 

CPA.com & Confirmation.com Launch Financial Info Exchange

Picture
Last week, CPA.com and Confirmation.com announced the launch of RIVIO Clearinghouse, which delivers CPA source-validated financial documents such as audited financial statements to bankers, shareholders and other investors. These documents are available through a secure, cloud-based platform that offers stronger fraud prevention and more sophisticated controls than existing delivery methods.

Private companies are the backbone of the U.S. economy, making up the overwhelming majority of the nation’s 28 million businesses. Unlike with public companies, whose key data is accessible through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR system, there is no central repository for private company financial information. As a result, many private businesses still rely on outdated methods to distribute financial statements, tax forms and other key documents, such as mailing or hand delivering paper copies or emailing unsecure files. Banks, private equity firms and other users of this information have little way of knowing if the data they receive has been altered.

The RIVIO Clearinghouse transforms how private company financial information is exchanged by:

          •   Validating that a financial document has been uploaded by a licensed CPA firm
          •   Eliminating the possibility that company management can change data once it is uploaded
              by the CPA firm

          •   Allowing companies complete control over who can view the information, so financial data
              remains private and protected

          •   Providing anytime, anywhere access to the information, which can speed lending decisions
              and other business transactions

          •   Protecting private company information with encryption and an IT architecture tested by
              rigorous security audits


 “In today’s digital world, bankers and investors are expecting authenticated sources of data,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com. “The RIVIO Clearinghouse uniquely provides a system where only licensed CPA firms can upload audited and reviewed financial statements used by lenders, private equity firms and others.”

The clearinghouse does not replace or compete with firm or bank portals, since it was designed specifically for transferring information between three distinct user groups with features relevant to each. In time, the RIVIO Clearinghouse can be integrated into these portals.

“One of the key benefits of the new clearinghouse is fraud prevention,” said Brian Fox, CPA, president and founder of Confirmation.com. “It’s easy to alter a paper financial document or create a bogus PDF, but the RIVIO Clearinghouse prevents changes once a CPA firm uploads a financial statement. That provides peace of mind for lenders and other interested parties.”

0 Comments

Foldable Samsung Concept PhoneDoubles as a Tablet

5/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Samsung is rumored to be developing a device that offers both a phone and tablet together
The company is changing the world of smartphones and tablets by putting them together in a foldable device. The rumored project is called Project Valley.

This isn’t the first time Samsung introduced a foldable smartphone concept to the public. In 2014, an ad was released to share Samsung’s idea of a ‘smartlet.’ But in March 2016, the patent for the device was made public, further fueling speculations that Project Valley is already in the works and after three years of development, it is gearing up for release in 2017.

The phone measures 5 inches tall, but can offer a 7-inch display when unfolded. The phone offers a foldable OLED display and will come in two variations based on the processor chip being either a Snapdragon 620 or Snapdragon 820. Moreover, the device will also have 3GB of RAM, non-removable battery and a microSD card slot.
​
The company has put together a humorous commercial on YouTube.
0 Comments

    Author

    Rick Richardson, CPA, CITP, CGMA

    Rick is the editor of the weekly newsletter, Technology This Week. You can subscribe to it by visiting the website.

    Rick is also the Managing Partner of Richardson Media & Technologies, LLC. Prior to forming his current company, he had a 28-year career in technology with Ernst & Young, the last twelve years of which he served as National Director of Technology.

    Mr. Richardson has been named to the "Technology 100"- the annual honors list of the 100 key achievers in technology in America. He has also been honored by the American Institute of CPAs with two Lifetime Achievement awards and a Special Career Recognition Award for his contributions to the profession in the field of technology.

    In 2012, Rick was inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame by CPA Practice Advisor Magazine. He has also been named to the 100 most influential individuals in the accounting profession in America by Accounting Today magazine.

    In 2017, Rick was inducted as a Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achiever, a registry of professionals who have excelled in their fields for many years and achieved greatness in their industry.

    He is a sought after speaker around the world, providing his annual forecast of future technology trends to thousands of business executives, professionals, community leaders, educators and students.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

    Categories

    All
    Artificial Intelligence
    Audit
    Back Up
    Back-Up
    Blockchain
    Climate
    Cloud
    Collaboration
    Communication
    Coronavirus
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Digital Assistant
    Display
    Drone
    Edge Computing
    Education
    Enterprise
    Hardware
    Home Automation
    Internet Of Things
    Law
    Medicine
    Metaverse
    Mobile
    Mobile Payments
    Open Source
    Personalization
    Power
    Privacy
    Quantum Computing
    Remote Work
    Retail
    Robotics
    Security
    Software
    Taxes
    Transportation
    Wearables
    Wi Fi
    Wi-Fi

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.