Archive for February 25th, 2014

By February 25, 2014 Read More →

ZTE launches two new Firefox OS phones

image003ZTE today launches two new innovative Firefox OS phones in the ZTE Open series with the Open C and Open II, and expects to ship over one million Firefox OS phones before the end of 2014. This furthers ZTE’s strong relationship with Mozilla that started with the first ZTE Open which was launched at Mobile World Congress in 2013.

The Open C is one of the first devices to operate on the latest version of Firefox OS and is designed to deliver a better user experience and a higher cost-performance ratio. As part of Telefónica’s long-term cooperation with ZTE, the Open C will be initially launched with Telefónica in Venezuela and Uruguay during the second quarter of 2014.

Also running the latest version of Firefox OS, the Open II is the evolution of the popular ZTE Open, which was launched in 2013 in six countries by Telefónica as well as being sold through eBay in the US and UK markets. Marrying exquisite design with the open-source, Web-based Firefox OS, the Open II provides users with a fantastic experience and a highly affordable price.

Mr.Kan Yulun, CEO of EMEA & LATAM, ZTE Mobile Devices, and Vice President of ZTE Corporation, commented, “ZTE’s strong relationship with Mozilla is in line with our focus on developing a range of devices that fit the consumer’s needs. Consumers want innovative devices that are also cost-effective and by delivering not just one, but two of the first devices with the latest version of Firefox OS, ZTE is continuing to push the boundaries and bring its customers the very latest that mobile technology can offer.”

“ZTE was one of Mozilla’s first partners to launch a Firefox OS phone, the ZTE Open, and we have worked closely together to continue advancing the new platform. The ZTE Open C and Open II are the latest examples of how Firefox OS has evolved to bringpowerful open Web technologies to the smartphone,” said Dr. Li Gong, Mozilla’s Senior Vice President of Mobile Devices and President of Asia Operations.

Powerful open Web performance

Firefox OS is an open-source, Web-based operating system and offers a fresh and simple UI with a full range of features and apps, including camera, dialer, SMS and games created using HTML5 technologies. Web apps are not resource intensive, so users can enjoy higher performance at a more affordable price. The Open C supports bi-directional contact sync and linking as well as Firefox OS’s unique adaptive apps search function which allows users to search for content faster by using the search box at the top of the main home screen.

The Open C delivers superior performance with integrated connectivity as it is powered by a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 200 processor with dual-core CPUs at speeds of up to 1.2 GHz per core from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. As Firefox OS consumes fewer resources, the 1400 mAh battery on the Open C lasts for at least six to eight hours, even when watching videos or listening to music for a long time. The Open C allows people to express their personalities in six colours: dark blue, light blue, turquoise, red, white and orange.

“Qualcomm Technologies has been collaborating with ZTE and Mozilla since the beginning of Firefox OS development, and we’re excited to be a part of the 2nd generation of Firefox device launches from ZTE,” said Jason Bremner, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Firefox OS is an exciting platform that brings the power and ubiquity of HTML5-based applications to mobile devices. Coupled with the powerful Snapdragon 200 processor, for optimal multimedia and performance for superior battery life, the ZTE Open C and Open II truly deliver compelling performance to highly affordable mobile devices.”

Future of ZTE Firefox OS phones

ZTE has great confidence in the prospect of Firefox OS mobile phones. As part of ZTE’s long-term consumer-centric strategy, ZTE plans to update all series of Firefox OS phones from the low to high end. Following the launches of the Open C and dual-core Open II, ZTE also plans to release a 4.5-inch Firefox OS smartphone by 2015.

Firefox OS smartphones are key to ZTE’s growth in Europe and Latin America, as they enable it to better target the entry-level smartphone market, providing an alternative for consumers who have few proven and affordable options. The ZTE Open, launched at Mobile World Congress in 2013, was brought to market with Telefónica in Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Mexico and Uruguay. It was later sold in the US and UK via eBay, initially selling out in just three days. In addition to eBay, ZTE will also cooperate with additional e-commerce platforms for both the Open C and Open II.

“Our first Firefox OS phone, the ZTE Open, proved hugely popular and we are excited to bring even more innovative Firefox OS products to market, starting with the ZTE Open C and Open II. We have huge confidence in the Firefox OS platform and expect to deliver more than one million Firefox OS phones this year alone,” ended Mr. Kan Yulun.

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By February 25, 2014 Read More →

Mail vs. Modern Newsletters

Email-v-mailToday, less and less people are using actual mail to send anything. This is especially true of getting the word out about something. The question is, is it more or less helpful?

 

Getting the Word Out

If you look at your inbox, you probably are receiving many emails per day from companies who want you to take some time to take a look at the product or service they are offering. At some point, the messages simply get deleted, or placed into the SPAM folder, never to be seen again, without even being opened. This can also be said for paper mail. Many people will open their postbox and find it filled with junk mail that will eventually end up in the bin. The most important element to getting a person to read your message is to do something that separates you from the competition. What will make your message special?

 

Subject Line

The potential customer will probably decide within five seconds if they are going to open your message or not. It is very important that the first thing a person sees grabs their attention and makes them want to read what you have to say. In an email, the subject line can be very important because it gives the organization the chance to say something in order to get that message open. For a physical mailing it would be best to create this transparency through something like translucent envelopes, which allow the person to see what is inside.

 

Posted in: Editorial
By February 25, 2014 Read More →

Dual Screen Yotaphone unveiled at Mobile World Congress

Screenshot 2014-02-25 07.27.09Yota Devices, the company that innovated the world’s first dual-screen, always-on smartphone, unveiled the next generation YotaPhone today at Mobile World Congress (MWC). The next generation YotaPhone has full-touch control on its always-on electronic paper display (EPD) and many other new hardware and software features, making it even more intuitive “YotaPhone’s arrival on the market last year marked one of the first game changers in smartphones in many years. Yota Devices proved that there is an antidote to the always-dark smartphone screen,” said Yota Devices CEO Vlad Martynov.

“The future of smartphones is always-on displays allowing users to stay connected without turning off the real world and disrupting the people around you. The next generation YotaPhone takes this totally innovative concept in smartphones and makes it even better. Now, with two full-touch displays, the next generation YotaPhone is twice as smart, twice as useful and twice as beautiful,”

1-Look, 1-Touch Always-On Display

With the first generation YotaPhone, notifications and other important information appear automatically on YotaPhone’s always-on display. The next generation YotaPhone allows users to open and respond to these notifications, with just one touch, without having to wake up and activate the color display. Users can immediately respond to mails and SMSs, accept and decline meeting invites and post to social media.

The next generation YotaPhone delivers an even better reading experience on a bigger and better screen. The always-on EPD display is 4.7” with higher resolution, greater pixel density and a built- in light. “Now you can read comfortably in bright sunlight or in the dark on the always-on display,” explained Martynov. YotaPhone delivers 50+ hours of battery life when reading on the always-on. With two displays, users can choose how best to use their smartphone. They can watch videos, play games, view photos and browse the internet on a bigger, brighter and more brilliant 5.0”

AMOLED display. On the energy-saving 4.7” EPD, they can open and respond to real-time notifications, read books and newspapers, keep track of meetings and post comments to social media. 74% of YotaPhone is usable, interactive display, compared to just 30-40% on other premium Android smartphones.

The next generation YotaPhone also comes with a Smart Power Mode so users can turn off the energy-consuming color screen and perform functions like making and answering phone calls on the always-on display to preserve battery life. The next generation YotaPhone also boasts a Qualcomm quad-core 800 series processor, wireless charging, near-field communications (NFC), advanced anti-theft protection and high-performance integrated hands-free audio (IHF).

“The next generation YotaPhone is sleeker, thinner and even more beautiful,” said Martynov. “The sleek, soft and rounded body fits naturally and comfortably in your hand. We’ve taken a gorgeous phone and made it even more stunning.”

Now Open: YotaPhone SDK

Yota Devices also announced today that it is opening YotaPhone’s SDK to third-party developers. Tools and information can be found at http://developer.yotaphone.com.

“Thinking out of the box just got two times more fun for app developers around the world. YotaPhone’s unique dual-screen, always-on experience provides vast opportunities for third-party developers to adapt and create fun, productive and totally new types of applications,” said Yota Devices also unveiled several new apps at MWC, including Sportscaster, which allows users to track their favorite team, including play-by-play text commentary streamed in real time to the always-on display. Fitness Tracker syncs with any health monitoring device and tracks health status and fitness goals. Yota Devices also announced a partnership agreement with Israel-based Cellrox to include the company’s multi-persona technology on YotaPhone to provide functionality, privacy and security for both corporate and personal use. An agreement was also reached with MobiSystems to allow for reading of office docs on YotaPhone’s always-on display.

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By February 25, 2014 Read More →

Qualcomm Introduces New Snapdragon 801 Processor

SnapdragonToday Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced the introduction of the Snapdragon 801 processor, which includes several new enhancements to its predecessor, the highly popular Snapdragon 800 SoC, while maintaining some important similarities, primarily software and pin compatibility. The Snapdragon 801 processor enables even more compelling mobile user experiences, like higher quality imaging with support for larger, faster camera sensors and improved image post-processing, as well as improved mobile graphics and gaming, higher speed SD card memory, dedicated hardware for dual-SIM/dual active (DSDA) service in China, and enhanced overall performance.

Like the Snapdragon 800 processor, the Snapdragon 801 processor includes integrated 4G LTE Cat 4 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi for seamless connectivity, a quad core Krait 400 CPU for advanced processing performance and an Adreno 330 GPU for premium graphics, all while maintaining industry-leading battery performance. And in the Snapdragon 801 processor, Qualcomm Technologies has boosted the performance of key processing engines, including the CPU, GPU, DSP, camera sensor and memory components. As with all Snapdragon processors, Qualcomm Technologies continues to achieve superior processing performance through the unique and efficient integration of its custom-designed processing engines, including Qualcomm Technologies’ heterogeneous computing architecture. The Snapdragon 801 enables breakthrough, low-power mobile user experiences by utilizing just the right processing engine or combination of processing engines for a given task.

The Snapdragon 801 processor is expected to be available in commercial devices this quarter.

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