Weekly Wireless Report WEEK ENDING May 1, 2015

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: This Week’s Stories Apple Watch Review THIS WEEK’S STORIES April 30, 2015 Apple Watch Review

The Apple Watch is now on the wrists of members of the general public for the first time, and opinions Opens about its usefulness are flying fast and furious. To Apple, Android App

Here at TechCrunch, we’ve been sharing our thoughts in an ongoing diary, featuring daily entries PRODUCTS & SERVICES describing what it’s like to use the Watch as we become more familiar with the new gadget. Microsoft Details Windows 10

As A Service Now, though, after over a week with the Watch, here’s a more cohesive look at how my thoughts on the

wearable computer and its place in my life have jelled. This review should give you a more direct Apple And IBM Team On iPad answer to the question, “Should I buy one?” Apps For Elderly

The Apple Watch is a design feat, no matter how you look at it. The construction of the case, and the EMERGING TECHNOLOGY attention to detail paid to elements like the digital crown and strap connector are outstanding. In Tesla's New Product Is A general, the feel of the Watch on the wrist is way beyond anything that anyone else making Battery For Your Home smartwatches has so far produced.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Some of the standout design features of the Watch include the weight of the case, which is substantial Here's Why Salesforce May enough to satisfy a regular watch-wearer like myself without feeling burdensome. The aluminum models Sell Out To Oracle feel featherweight by comparison, which just goes to show that Apple took into account a range of user

comfort-levels and experience with wrist-worn accessories; for my money, though, the substance and Sprint Makes Wi-Fi The 'Fourth perceptible density of the stainless steel Watch collection is where it’s at. Layer' Of Its Network With New

Boingo Deal, Small Cell Push My review unit came with the white flourelastomer sport band, which proved surprisingly comfortable, And Wi-Fi Router and easy enough to get on and off the wrist once you get used to its unique pin-and-tuck clasp

mechanism. Said mechanism ends up being much better than a standard strap, in fact, because the INDUSTRY REPORTS tucked portion acts as a shim to snug up fit comfortably, and you don’t have that tail end hanging off the Nokia Shares Off 10% On 1Q way it often can. Networks Decline

Generally, I’ve been wearing the Apple Watch from when I wake up to when I go to bed, with nary a YouTube Touts Influence break in between (except to shower), and the Sport Band’s comfort-oriented design really shines with While Casting Doubt On TV’s this kind of use. I’ll go from using it at my computer to hitting the road for a run, then simply rinse it down

quickly in the bathroom sink before it hits my wrist again, and so far, it’s been nothing but a pleasure to wear in all these different settings.

On the other hand, the black leather loop bracelet has been more of a mixed bag. This strap option, also supplied by Apple for the purposes of this review, closes thanks to magnetic segments that attach to one another, surrounded by a sealed external skin of leather. The leather extends all the way to the connector component at the end of the strap, making this a versatile option for those looking for something that matches both aluminum and stainless steel case options, so in that regard it’s a good general choice.

Overall, I’m satisfied with the band and will definitely continue to use it, but it does have a tendency to slip somewhat looser when you bend your wrist, as the magnets slide against each other and drop down a couple of links, meaning you’ll find yourself readjusting throughout the day. It doesn’t happen that often (only when my wrist bends at a fairly dramatic angle from my forearm) but it’s just enough to ensure the leather loop strap isn’t strictly a set-it-and-forget it option once it’s on your arm.

These elements remind me of the mechanical and automatic watches that I love, and Apple’s design team was clearly on the same page when they came up with the Digital Crown.

Apple’s crown takes the traditional watch crown as its primary design influence, but the function it serves is quite different. A regular watch’s crown lets you set the time, date (if you have such a complication) and, in the case of mechanical watches, wind it to build up a reserve of energy to power

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the movement of the hands. Apple’s Digital Crown allows for a very different kind of input, controlling scrolling primarily, and acting as one of two physical buttons on the Watch when you press down on the top.

Using the Digital Crown is pleasant, and offers a lot of tactile satisfaction, with the proviso that you do have to take some time to get used to it. It’s very responsive, and as such, can feel a bit fiddly at first. I think I was used to having to perform more exaggerated gestures with devices that serve similar functions on the desktop, like the mouse scroll wheel, which meant having to get used to the Digital Crown’s fine-tuned level of heightened motion sensitivity.

Using Force Touch (pressing down more firmly on the watch than is required for taps) to expand your control options is another Apple Watch feature that isn’t instantly apparent, but that quickly becomes second nature when using the gadget. The reason it takes time to get used to is that it’s brand new, appearing only on the new 13-inch MBP and 12-inch MacBook in addition to here, and that there aren’t any visual cues to let you know that you should press down to expose more options.

I quickly found myself Force Touching whenever I encountered a road block on the Watch, however. The process went as follows: recall or expect some function from a native Watch app that I can’t seem to find, Force Touch, and in most cases find said function.

Force Touch also provides moments of light, but fun surprise, like when I realized earlier today that you could deep press on the color picker in the Digital Touch sketch app to get a color wheel that allows you to go beyond the pre-set options. Overall, it’s a feature that feels ripe with promise, especially once third-party apps get the opportunity to explore it further.

The Digital Touch features of Apple Watch are those unique messaging features you’ve probably heard a lot about, which work exclusively watch-to-watch and which allow you to send your friends sketches, taps and even an approximation of your heart beat.

At first, as I shared in our Apple Watch experience diary, these features seemed primarily novelties that I didn’t really see much value in. That was due largely to the fact that I had a very small group of potential recipients to use Digital Touch with. Sending my lovely boss Matthew Panzarino my heartbeat, or goofy sketches and oddly intimate taps was, in a word, weird.

But it wasn’t quite as weird when a couple good friends received their Apple Watch units on the first day of availability, and it was far less strange when I picked up a 38mm Apple Watch Sport for my girlfriend via an online classified. Long-term, based on what I’ve experienced so far, most Digital Touch features are probably going to be used exclusively between myself and her, but that doesn’t mean they’re extraneous to the experience; in contrast, it actually emphasizes just how right Tim Cook is to call the Apple Watch its “most personal device ever.”

With a little work, I could see additions to the current Digital Touch feature set making it more appealing for use among a close circle of friends, but for now, for me, it’s an aspect of the Watch with essentially an audience of one.

Besides Notifications, the Apple Watch feature that I use most frequently is without a doubt Glances. You access these by swiping up from your watch face, which then shows you one of up to 12 single screens complete with information from a corresponding companion app on your device. Apple offers a number of stock glances with its system software, including Battery, Weather and a Now Playing screen, but third-party developers can also populate Glances with info from their own apps.

I’m still tweaking my own selection of Glances, but I generally find myself using the Battery and Weather ones most frequently. These just happen to be the pieces of information I find most useful beyond system notifications on my Watch, and since I don’t necessarily like the Battery complication flinging my total remaining power in my face all the time, I much prefer keeping it hidden but still close at hand.

The Calendar Glance is also clutch for giving you a heads-up on any looming appointments and meetings, and in terms of third-party apps, I’ve been greatly enjoying the Air Canada Glance, which actually provides an ongoing countdown to your next scheduled flight, provided it’s occurring within 24 hours of when you take a look.

Glances aren’t perfect, however; data refresh often takes time, especially when it’s fetching the info from third-party apps on your iPhone over Bluetooth. But while the Glances implementation something that leaves me hopeful for improvements in future versions of Watch OS and with future hardware, it’s

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still an essential experience even as-is, and something that I’d have a hard time giving up now that I’m used to it.

This native app is worth a separate shout-out since it’s such a great feature for those who’ve come to depend on their as their primary cameras. The Camera Remote app from Apple gives you a real-time preview of your smartphones viewfinder on your wrist, as well as the ability to tap to choose focus/exposure, and to trigger the shutter, or implement a timer followed by a 10-frame burst.

It’s a great feature if you want to do anything other than point and shoot with your camera, and it’s great even just for ‘periscoping,’ or reaching higher heights by extending your arm to get a shot you wouldn’t otherwise be able to capture. I’m still just starting out in terms of testing the full range of what you can accomplish with this and simple accessories like a tabletop iPhone tripod, but it’s definitely a super cool built-in feature.

The Apple Watch’s performance was something that I honestly wasn’t expecting to find all that impressive, given the consensus from early reviews. And when it comes to third-party apps, there’s definitely work that needs to be done since funneling data from your phone leads to holdups, as you can clearly see in the video review above. But overall, the performance of the device was a pleasant surprise, perhaps in part because I had low expectations going in.

In short, despite some disappointing waits for data to load in apps like Instagram, Apple Watch’s performance is up to snuff for just about everything you’ll likely end up using it for most, including activities like checking the time, receiving and triaging notifications, and using the native Glance extensions. Below, you can see how it shapes up broken down across specific features.

The Apple Watch is many things, but it might be surprising to some to find that it’s a great Dick Tracy watch, in that the speaker phone functions of the wearable are extremely capable. The built-in speaker is clear and loud enough, and the microphone, according to call recipients, is also easy to listen to and understand.

Where the Watch Phone app encounters some issues is in actually being able to field calls consistently, as I had a few examples of trying to accept a call on my wrist but not having the action register. In the end, though, it’s a very handy feature, especially if your phone is in your bag – provided you’re alone or unconcerned with looking a little awkward talking to your wrist on a busy street.

I seem to be one of the lucky ones for whom Siri works almost perfectly in terms of gleaning my intended meaning, and that luck continues on the Apple Watch, once the feature is active. The voice prompt of “Hey Siri” doesn’t work all that consistently, activating the feature about two-thirds of the times I intend it to, but the Digital Crown long-press is always effective, and Siri transcribes my words nearly perfectly once it’s active.

On the iPhone, I don’t often find myself using Siri, but it’s been a more regularly accessed resource on my Apple Watch thus far. Especially in cases where the canned responses set by Apple (and customized by myself) are insufficient for replying to messages, a quick dictated response has proven immensely useful and almost never disappoints. Again, your mileage may vary, but the Siri of Apple Watch may not be the Siri you remember if you haven’t used the virtual assistant in a while.

One of the recurring joys of using the Apple Watch, especially for a gadget fiend like myself, is just taking in the quality of that screen. I’ve used just about every Android Wear device on the market, and they honestly don’t even compare – looking at them now is almost like looking at a VGA display after using a Retina iPhone.

Text is so crisp that the size of the font doesn’t bother me at all, though again, it’ll depend on your specific needs here (I dial down the system font size on iPhone, for context). It’s pretty enough that I always now read out the entire email on my wrist when it’s plain-text formatted, in fact, rather than opening up the Mail app on my iPhone.

Touch is very responsive, as you’d expect from the company that changed touch input forever, and in general even though touch targets tend to often be small, I had no problems in terms of missed or mistaken input (including with the tiny number pad you use to input your passcode, where I still expect a miss every time despite myself).

There’s one notable exception to that rule however: Whenever there’s a single-line text link at the top of the screen to return to a previous page, I have trouble getting the Watch to respond to my tap on that

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consistently. It seems to be limited to that specific instance, so it seems likely that Apple can target it for improvement in future software updates.

Touch is responsive, as you’d expect from the company that changed touch input forever.

On the whole, response and tap accuracy were great, though, and as an added bonus, taptic response when you Force Touch during things like Workouts are great workarounds for making a touchscreen device more usable while engaged in more active use.

Speaking of that Taptic Engine, it’s a real game-changer when it comes to wearable tech. Apple’s take on haptic feedback really does merit a different name from what others have offered, because it provides a very different experience. Especially with Prominent Haptic turned on (I did this after a couple of days and have left it on since), you won’t miss any important notifications, or helpful indicators like turn directions when navigating.

The best part about taptic may be that it seems almost certain to make it out to the rest of Apple’s product lineup eventually (it’s already in the new Force Touch trackpads, after all). Experiencing it on the Apple Watch, it’s hard not to get excited about a future in which Apple’s devices share not only industrial design and software language, but also a signature haptic response, as well. With the Apple Watch pre-launch push, a big part of the story Apple told was around the device’s health-related features. These are found mostly in the Activity and Workout apps on the Watch, where you can track your general physical wellness, and specific activities like runs or bicycle rides respectively.

I’m an avid runner, and have used a host of different wearables and activity trackers to try to maintain some kind of record of my regular runs (between once a day and once every two days, depending on how lazy I get). I am not, however, very committed to continuous heart rate training or anything so specialized, just to give you a sense of how I approached evaluating the Watch as a fitness device.

For my purposes, it’s the perfect activity tracker, mostly because it’s one I’m already wearing. I’ve never been able to consistently use things like the Fitbit or Jawbone UP (it inevitably ends up in a drawer because it’s too niche) and dedicated devices for more serious athletes like GPS runner’s watches likewise end up gathering dust.

Apple Watch is an effective fitness tool because it tracks your activity whether you tell it to explicitly using the Workout app or not, and therein lies its value. Whatever you may think about its scientific accuracy or suitability for high-performance training, it’s the first activity tracker that stands a good chance of remaining in active use for a long period of time, and that’s what counts for most people, and for me.

The Apple Watch’s battery works as advertised, meaning you’ll be able to use it for a full day, and you’ll have to charge it during the evening or at night – every day. It’s not a dream situation, but it also becomes a habit faster than you might expect.

I was also expecting to have to watch my usage closely to make sure I made it through a day, given how much I anticipated using it; luckily, the closest I’ve come to exhausting the battery (aside from day one, which involved a lot of filming and setup) was when I hit the bed with 3 percent remaining after a long day with not one, but two active Workouts. Throughout the rest of my time with Apple Watch, it’s hit the

The Apple Watch is a unique device that was, for a host of reasons, harder to review for a general audience than just about any of Apple’s other products. Part of it is the personal nature of a computer you wear nearly all the time. That said, during the course of my experience with Apple Watch, it’s become apparent that I won’t go back to life without one.

For most people, the Apple Watch Sport is probably the best choice right now, given some of the version one hiccups the Watch still exhibits, but I think most iPhone users will find it adds significantly to the experience of owning an Apple smartphone, and the list of benefits it offers is only going to get longer over time.

techcrunch.com

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Microsoft Opens Windows 10 To Apple, Android Apps April 30, 2015

Microsoft hopes to get more people using the next version of its Windows software on all kinds of “In a major strategy shift, a devices by giving them access to many of the same apps they're already using on Apple or Android top executive told an phones. audience of several thousand In a major strategy shift, a top executive told an audience of several thousand software developers software developers Wednesday that Microsoft will release new tools to help them quickly adapt the apps they've built for Wednesday that Microsoft will Apple or Android gadgets, so they will work on smartphones, PCs and other devices that use the new release new tools to help Windows 10 operating system coming later this year. them quickly adapt the apps On the first day of the company's annual software conference, other executives showed off more uses they've built for Apple or for Microsoft's holographic "augmented reality" headset, the HoloLens — although it's not yet for sale. They also announced the official name for a new web browser, called "Edge," that they promised will be Android gadgets, so they will faster and more useful than the that's been a Microsoft mainstay for 20 years. work on smartphones, PCs and other devices that use All those initiatives are tied to the impending release of Windows 10, the centerpiece of Microsoft's ambitions to regain the stature it commanded when Windows-based PCs dominated the computing the new Windows 10 world. Today, after losing ground to smartphones and tablets that run software from rivals Apple and operating system coming Google, Microsoft wants to make Windows 10 the universal software for PCs, phones and other later this year.” Internet-connected gadgets.

"Windows 10 represents a new generation of Windows, built for an era of more personal computing," CEO said during a keynote speech, adding that today's consumers and corporate workers want to have the same experience when they are using a variety of devices.

Although Microsoft has previously shown off some features of Windows 10, it's hoping to enlist an army of software developers as allies in its campaign to build enthusiasm for the new release. The company is using the three-day conference, called Build, to demonstrate more features and app-building tools, with an emphasis on mobile devices as well as PCs.

"Our goal is to make Windows 10 the most attractive development platform ever," Vice President said.

To win over consumers who use competing software, Microsoft needs to persuade outside developers, who create software for consumers and corporate clients, it's worth their time to create new apps and programs for Windows 10.

"Getting developer buy-in is absolutely the crucial thing," said J.P. Gownder, a tech industry analyst at Forrester Research. He said Microsoft has struggled with a "chicken-and-egg" problem, in which developers have been reluctant to build mobile apps for Windows because relatively few people use Windows phones and tablets.

Currently, there are more than 1.4 million apps for Android phones and about the same for Apple devices, while there are only a few hundred thousand apps that work on Windows phones and tablets.

Microsoft's move to help developers adapt their Apple and Android apps for Windows 10 is a major change from the past, when each company maintained rigid differences in their software platforms. Microsoft is also hoping to entice developers by promising that apps for Windows 10 will work equally well on PCs, mobile gadgets, game consoles and even the HoloLens.

The company has another big carrot to wave in front of those developers: Microsoft has already said it will release Windows 10 as a free upgrade to people who now have PCs or other gadgets running the previous two versions of Windows, provided they upgrade in the coming year. That could help create a huge new audience of Windows 10 users in a relatively short time, Gownder said.

Myerson predicted there will be a billion devices using Windows 10 within the next two to three years. Apps for all those devices will be distributed through a single Windows app store. Myerson also said Microsoft will partner with wireless carriers so consumers who lack credit cards can pay for apps on their phone bill — a popular method in developing nations.

Microsoft has not said exactly when Windows 10 is coming, although some were hoping the company would announce a date on Wednesday.

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Since he became CEO last year, Nadella has been presiding over a major overhaul at Microsoft. He has redesigned some of Microsoft's most popular programs for mobile users and invested in new "cloud-computing" services, in which businesses pay to use software that's housed in Microsoft's data centers.

Microsoft announced several new initiatives Wednesday for its Azure cloud-computing service, which has emerged as a fast-growing rival to a popular cloud business operated by Amazon. Microsoft is releasing new programming tools for Azure clients to create programs for computers that run Apple and Linux software, as well as those that run Windows.

wirelessweek.com

Products & Services Apple And IBM Team On iPad Apps For Elderly April 30, 2015

Over the next five years, millions of elderly residents in Japan will receive iPads with custom-built apps from Apple and IBM especially designed for their unique needs. Launched in collaboration with the Japan Post Group, the initiative will provide a testing ground for computing services aimed at the world's fast-growing population of senior citizens.

The Japan Post Group, which provides postal, banking and insurance services to the country's 126 million people, already offers a nationwide "Watch Over" service to check on the well-being of elderly residents. While the global population of seniors is projected to grow rapidly by mid-century, Japan has already experienced a dramatic demographic shift, with one out of every four citizens currently over the age of 65.

The Japanese iPad program aims to provide the Apple devices to between 4 million and 5 million Japanese residents by 2020. It also builds on the Apple-IBM partnership launched last year with the goal of providing more apps and services for mobile enterprise Relevant Products/Services users.

Announced in July, the MobileFirst for iOS initiative brings together Apple and IBM for the joint development of iPad apps designed especially for mobile business needs in a variety of industries. Among some of the first apps the companies have rolled out are several aimed at the healthcare sector, including Hospital RN, Hospital Lead, Hospital Tech and Home RN.

Working with the Japan Post Group, the partners are betting that iPad's intuitive apps also hold promise for elderly users with different information needs than those of global enterprises. To be launched as a pilot service of the Japan Post Group sometime during the second half of this year, the senior computing program will provide users with health and medication alerts, links to community support and other custom-built apps.

A sample screenshot of the program's iPad interface shows a greeting page with large icons for "My Family," "My Health" and "My Community," along with a telephone icon to call for help, a button for questions and a link to the Japan Post.

Taizo Nishimuro, CEO of Japan Post Group, said the effort aims to "bring our elderly generation into the connected world, expand our businesses by deepening relationships, and discover new ways to strengthen the fabric of our society and economy."

New Accessibility and Language Technologies

In addition to providing seniors with iPads offering custom settings for users with vision or hearing problems, the initiative will give them access to the full range of other Apple apps and content, including FaceTime, iCloud Photo Sharing, the iTunes Store and the iBooks Store.

IBM researchers have also worked to develop Japanese natural language analysis, tracking Relevant Products/Services and other accessibility technologies "to guide seniors and make the experience more natural," the company said.

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Among the custom-built apps will be systems to help users remember to take medications, watch their diets, find help with grocery shopping and even locate job opportunities. IBM also plans to help with integration services and training for Japan Post Group employees.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty said the Japan Post program offers great promise for the world's aging population. By 2050, according to estimates from the United Nations and the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 21 percent of the global population will be 65 or older, compared to 11.7 percent in 2013.

"This initiative has potential for global impact, as many countries face the challenge of supporting an aging population," Cook said.

mobile-tech-today.com

Microsoft Details Windows 10 As A Service April 30, 2015

At a Windows breakout session during Build 2015 today, Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s operating systems group, talked more about the company’s favorite new term: “Windows as a service.” Belfiore talked about what it means for Windows 10 upon launch and beyond.

Microsoft has referred to Windows as a service multiple times throughout Windows 10’s development, mainly to emphasize that the company’s latest and greatest operating system will not just have updates like previous Windows releases, but more significant improvements over its lifetime. Today we learned a lot more.

Belfiore told a group of reporters that Windows 10 will not be arriving on all devices at the same time. To put it simply, Windows 10 will launch on PCs first, and sometime later will arrive for phones. Other devices like Hub and Microsoft HoloLens will follow.

Microsoft did not share a Windows 10 release date yesterday like many expected, nor did it today. Belfiore said that the company is sticking with its “this summer” timeframe, but emphasized that when the company reveals a date, it will only apply to PCs. Everything else will come in the weeks and months that follow.

As Belfiore noted, Windows of course has a much bigger userbase on the PC than on the phone. Because of this, and since Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for the first year, Microsoft wants to make sure it properly promotes, and gets users excited about getting, the new version.

Furthermore, Windows 10 for phones has to go through carrier testing, something Microsoft naturally has little control over. The last reason for the release gap is one we have heard Microsoft say before when admitting that Windows 10 for phones is behind its PC counterpart in terms of features and stability: was released before 8, so the latter simply has a late start.

Windows 10 as a service also means that some Windows 10 features we’ve seen already won’t be there at launch. Microsoft mentioned a few of these yesterday, and Belfiore reminded reporters of two today: support for porting Android, iOS, and Win32 apps to the Windows Store and extension support in . Both won’t be available when Windows 10 launches, but will come soon after.

Last but not least, Belfiore confirmed that the program will continue even after Windows 10 launches. In other words, when Windows 10 testers upgrade to the final build, they will be able to choose if they want to stay with it, or to receive newer builds and continue testing upcoming features.

A lot of the above was rumored last month, but now it’s official. Windows 10 will be a massive, but staggered, launch, both in terms of initial debut and new features.

venturebeat.com

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Emerging Technology Tesla's New Product Is A Battery For Your Home May 1, 2015

Tesla has unveiled a suite of new energy products, including a wall-mounted battery that will be sold for “Home batteries power up use in consumers' homes. overnight, when energy Tesla is calling the rechargeable lithium-ion battery the "Powerwall." As the name suggests, the unit is companies typically charge designed to be mounted on a wall, and connected to the local power grid. less for electricity. Then, they can be turned on during the It will be sold to installers for $3,500 for 10kWh, and $3,000 for 7kWh. Deliveries will begin in late summer. day to power a home. The batteries typically cost Home batteries power up overnight, when energy companies typically charge less for electricity. Then, thousands of dollars, though they can be turned on during the day to power a home. The batteries typically cost thousands of dollars, though many utility companies offer rebates. many utility companies offer rebates.” Kimbal Musk, a Tesla board member, told CNNMoney earlier this week that the new battery would slash consumers' electric bills by 25%.

The announcement was made during an event in California. In promotional materials, Tesla referred to the battery as "the missing piece." In addition to the Powerwall, Tesla also announced an energy storage system for businesses, and a large scale system for use by utilities.

"The issue with existing batteries is that they suck," said Tesla CEO Elon Musk. "They're really horrible."

When coupled with solar energy, the batteries will help accelerate the move away from fossil fuels, he said.

"That's the future we need to have," Musk said. "It's something we must do, and we can do, and we will do."

Speculation over the new product line has been building since Jeff Evanson, Tesla's investor relations director, sent a letter to investors and analysts saying the electric car company would soon announce a "home battery" and a "very large utility scale battery."

Tesla has talked about releasing a home battery for about a year.

Tesla shares have jumped 20% over the past month as investors speculated about the battery's technical specifications and market potential. The company is scheduled to announce its first quarter earnings next week.

money.cnn.com

Mergers and Acquisitions Here's Why Salesforce May Sell Out To Oracle April 30, 2015

Is Salesforce for sale? There are credible rumors that suggest the customer relationship management (CRM Relevant Products/Services) company is getting ready to put itself on the open market. News reports suggest Salesforce is working with financial advisors to assess takeover offers. That happened, swirling reports say, after one major company made a buyout offer.

Whether it’s true or not, Salesforce stock is responding. The stock prices climbed 11.6 percent on Wednesday, which values the company at about $49 million. The question is, who would be interested in bringing the growing CRM firm into its fold?

Oracle, IBM, Google, SAP and Microsoft Relevant Products/Services are among the names analysts are tossing around as possible suitors. In fact, it may have been Oracle’s move to raise $10 billion that started all the rumors and Oracle could be the frontrunner in the race to acquire Salesforce.

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We caught up with Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, to get his thoughts on the rumors and who would be the most likely suitors. He told us it certainly seems that Salesforce has put itself on the block. If not, it would be easy enough for the company to say that's not the case, he said. As he sees it, the public nature of events suggests that either the company is trying to attract market interest and/or competing bids, or that a deal that is in process leaked out.

“As to its reasons behind this, the company's management likely determined that this is simply the right time to sell,” King said. “Market interest in technology is high -- just see the goofy valuations achieved by startups with few customers and no profits -- and interest rates are phenomenally low, easing the burden on borrowing enough cash to make a deal work.”

King said one could also argue that Salesforce has gone about as far as it can as an independent entity. Taking the company to the next level will require a large, experienced parent with deep pockets and a wide customer base.

As he sees it, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft seem to be the most likely contenders. Oracle's at the top of King’s list, mainly because the company's cash position is strong and acquiring Salesforce would give an immediate jolt and credence to Oracle's cloud Relevant Products/Services solutions and strategy, which he said is far weaker than its direct competitors.

“Marc Benioff (pictured) is also a more charismatic and visionary leader than either Mark Hurd or Safra Catz, Oracle's current co-CEOs,” King said. “There have been tensions between Benioff and [Oracle Executive Chairman] Larry Ellison but if Oracle is looking for a leader that can take it into then future, Benioff would be a strong contender.”

Microsoft is King’s second choice, mainly because CEO Satya Nadella's vision of the cloud is as muscular and far reaching as Benioff's. Microsoft has a pot load of cash on its books, but there are also synergies between Microsoft's existing customers and Salesforce that would provide ways to quickly monetize the purchase, he said.

Finally, IBM might see Salesforce as a way to rapidly extend its already proactive cloud strategy and sizable solutions portfolio -- but the cost is nosebleed high and a deal would cause tensions with numerous IBM partners, King said.

“Similar tensions would make a deal difficult for SAP to contemplate, and HP has enough on its plate with the ongoing spinoff of the PC and printing divisions,” King said. “Google could pull off a deal financially but its acquisitions have tended to focus on long-term strategic benefits rather than immediately impacting the market.”

mobile-tech-today.com

Sprint Makes Wi-Fi The 'Fourth Layer' Of Its Network With New Boingo Deal, Small Cell Push And Wi-Fi Router April 30, 2015

Sprint struck a multi-year Wi-Fi offloading agreement with Boingo Wireless to seamlessly offload its customers' data traffic to Boingo's Wi-Fi networks at 35 major U.S. airports. The Boingo deal is one element of Sprint's evolving strategy to make Wi-Fi an integral part of its network as part of an effort to improve the performance of its network.

Under Sprint's agreement with Boingo, up to 40 million of the carrier's handsets will be able to auto- authenticate with Boingo Wi-Fi hotspot connections at no additional charge. Sprint has around 56 million total customers. Usage while connected to Wi-Fi does not count towards a customer's monthly service plan. The full list of participating airports is available here.

Sprint and Boingo conducted successful market trials that started more than a year ago with millions of Sprint handsets. Boingo announced an agreement in March with a Tier 1 U.S. carrier but at the time did not name Sprint.

As the service expands, Sprint travelers with Passpoint-enabled devices will be able leverage Boingo's "Passpoint Secure" Wi-Fi networks, Sprint said. Boingo's Passpoint networks include WPA2 enterprise- grade encryption technology. Boingo said that, on average, Boingo Passpoint users connect to Wi-Fi three times more often than average users and stay connected three times longer.

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Over time, Sprint's agreement with Boingo might expand to other airports or venues. "We are always considering additional options and could certainly expand to other locations," Sprint spokeswoman Adrienne Norton told FierceWireless.

In a company blog post, Sprint CTO Stephen Bye wrote that the carrier views Wi-Fi as "a complementary fourth layer of our network (the first three layers being our 1.9 GHz, 2.5 GHz, and 800 MHz spectrum bands). By enabling customers to move more smoothly between trusted Wi-Fi and cellular, our customers will have a better mobile experience in more locations, all while lowering their cost of data usage."

Sprint offers Wi-Fi calling on the newest iPhones and most of its Android smartphones. Sprint now has more than 25 smartphone models and more than 15 million customers with the ability to use Wi-Fi calling. However, currently Sprint's Wi-Fi-to-cellular handoff is not smooth and if a customer initiates a call in a Wi-Fi coverage area and then leaves Wi-Fi coverage the call will likely drop.

Sprint also today launched Wi-Fi Connect, a consumer Wi-Fi router that prioritizes Sprint specific Wi-Fi Calling over all other Wi-Fi traffic and includes "smart connect" technology that dynamically manages 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands for optimal Wi-Fi data performance. For customers who need additional in-home coverage, the device is free of charge if they have broadband Internet access and Sprint's Wi-Fi Calling capability on their phone. The device is not for sale though, Norton said.

Interestingly, Sprint is also launching outdoor small cells with Wi-Fi to enhance coverage and capacity. "The current product we are working with for outdoor street level coverage includes Wi-Fi and should be commercially deployed in the near future," Bye wrote. Norton declined to comment on which vendor Sprint is working with, or when and where Sprint will deploy outdoor small cells.

Sprint's Wi-Fi push comes as the carrier is reportedly planning to announce a new network upgrade effort. The carrier is widely expected to announce new network upgrade plans during its first quarter earnings call, scheduled for May 5.

Other carriers have been steadily building up their Wi-Fi capabilities. T-Mobile US disclosed in March it is seeing strong adoption of its Wi-Fi calling feature, and according to a T-Mobile executive the carrier now counts more than 7 million users of Wi-Fi calling. Last fall T-Mobile made a big push for Wi-Fi calling by letting customers upgrade to a new Wi-Fi capable smartphone if they didn't already have one. In addition, the carrier began offering Simple Choice postpaid customers a free proprietary "Cellspot" Wi-Fi router for their home to enhance their in-home coverage.

AT&T Mobility is a major Wi-Fi proponent itself and currently owns and operates around 34,000 Wi-Fi hotspots at restaurants, bookstores, hotels and other locations.

fiercewireless.com

Industry Reports Sony's Back! Walkman Not Included April 30, 2015

Sony will turn a tidy 140 billion yen ($1.2 billion) profit this fiscal year, the company predicted Thursday.

Should the forecast hold, it would be a return to form for Sony? But maybe not to the Sony you remember.

Sony is famous for creating innovative consumer electronics like the Walkman, Discman and Trinitron. But these days, the company isn't making much money on gadgets. Instead, it's turning a profit on components that go in other people's gadgets.

It's part of a strategy announced in February that focuses Sony on a few key growth drivers. Image sensors and the PlayStation are on that shortlist, as are music and movies -- despite the devastating hack on Sony Pictures late last year.

Of those businesses, only PlayStation is tied to Sony's legacy as an elite hardware company. But even that is changing, as Sony invests in streaming services like PlayStation Now that allow people to play

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without a game console. Suri that Nokia moving fast on the necessary integration planning as it prepares to acquire Alcatel-Lucent. He said Nokia has established a structure designed to minimize disruption to the business.

The pivot may be radical, but many feel it was also inevitable.

Years of losses on hardware have taken their toll on Sony, which struggled to compete as high-end products like TVs become commodities.

We're now a long way from the glory days when Sony's engineers led the way. They helped create the CD, invented a new type of television and relentlessly miniaturized almost every type of electronic device.

They also helped Sony dominate large markets like video games, and produce quirky experiments like the robotic dog Aibo. Sony's creations virtually defined the entire electronics industry.

Now, Sony is about components.

"Whether it's a device that goes into other manufacturers' products or sometimes our own, if there's innovation there ... that's something I get excited about," CEO Kazuo Hirai told the Wall Street Journal.

money.cnn.com

YouTube Touts Influence While Casting Doubt On TV’s Future April 30, 2015

YouTube used its NewFront event on Wednesday night in New York to take some direct shots at the TV ad business, and some subtle digs at Facebook’s emerging Web video prowess. “The company’s mobile audience for adults between The basic message during the Web video giant’s presentation—which doubled as a 10th birthday party 18 and 49—the ad for the service—was, essentially: our stars are influential, our viewers are young, they favor consuming media on mobile devices, and they are never going to watch TV the way that previous generations did. community’s sweet spot–is larger than any cable YouTube’s head of content and business operations, Robert Kyncl, noted the recent surge in cable TV network’s, executives said, cord-cutting options by evoking Ernest Hemingway’s famous line from “The Sun Also Rises” about going bankrupt gradually, then suddenly. citing a Google commissioned Nielsen study “For 60 years, Hollywood has owned the living room,” he said. But in five years, Mr. Kyncl predicted, the covering the period of majority of ad-supported video viewing will occur on mobile devices. “That shift requires partnering with a new set of players.” December of 2013 to February 2015.” Naturally, that would include YouTube. Already, the company’s mobile audience for adults between 18 and 49—the ad community’s sweet spot–is larger than any cable network’s, executives said, citing a Google commissioned Nielsen study covering the period of December of 2013 to February 2015.

But YouTube used its elaborate sales pitch to hammer home how YouTube isn’t just big, but particularly engaging to younger audiences—showing images of the site’s stars interviewing President Obama and clips of presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton using YouTube to announce her candidacy, while also touting that he movie “The Fault in Our Stars,” based on a novel authored by YouTube creator John Green, topped more established Hollywood vehicles at the box office.

“Today our influence is greater than ever,” said Mr. Kyncl.

That sort of talk was a far cry from several years ago, when YouTube used its NewFront event to trumpet its growing relationship with a slew of Hollywood stars. But over the past few years, YouTube has embraced the idea that it has birthed a new generation of talent and content types—and advertisers need to get on board.

For much of the night, YouTube walked the advertisers and agency executives through different content genres, from comedy to cookin, that fall into the premium “Google Preferred” sales bucket, which is aimed at setting aside the most desired YouTube content for brands. Presenters included BuzzFeed’s

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president of motion pictures, Ze Frank, YouTube comic Grace Helbig and gaming enthusiast Justine Ezarik.

Ms. Helbig was one of several speakers who took subtle shots at Facebook FB -0.18%’s video explosion, which has been driven in large part by the fact that videos on Facebook play automatically in people’s news feeds—often on mobile devices. When people see an ad on YouTube, Ms. Helbig said, they are “not just passively seeing it as they scroll by.”

But perhaps the most memorable moment of the night was an appearance by Mr. Green, whose novel “The Fault in Our Stars” was inspired by a teen cancer victim he met via YouTube, who practically scolded advertisers into buying more ads on YouTub, less they miss out on an entire generation.

“Lots of online video is well-supported by advertising.. but most [content] is dramatically underfunded,” he said. That’s led many creators toward “building a world where they don’t have to depend on advertising and they are thriving.”

Mr. Green argued that while TV shows like “CSI Miami” are great “distraction” for many Americans, YouTube viewers exhibit a different level of engagement and passion. “We are not in the distraction business,” he said. “We are in the community business.” And brands that don’t realize that soon will be left behind.

But for the most part, the night was upbeat, particularly the closing musical performance by Bruno Mars, who performed the single “Uptown Funk,” which appropriately features the line “don’t believe me just watch.”

wsj.com

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