Technology Research

Project ARA Modular Phone

Project Ara is a modular smartphone which in theory should allow the user to easily replace components such as the CPU, camera, battery, the amount of storage and RAM, and even the keyboard and display. All of these hardware pieces come in the form of modules which can be fitted on the mainboard/frame/foundation or whatever you want to call the main hardware dock that accommodates all the other modules.

• Release date set for first part of 2015
• costumizable proccessor, battery, storage, etc.
• Bluetooth, wifi
• http://tabtec.com/android/google-io-project-ara-gets-demoed-for-the-first-time/

Apps • Operating System

Google Drive

Google Drive is a cloud storage service. Essentially, it's a beefed-up version of Google Docs. You can store your documents, photos, music, videos, etc. all in one place.

• Free
• Performance depends on internet speed
• Infinite
• Internet cloud based
• You can easily convert a finished version to a Word doc, PDF or other document format. Store files, create presentations and share music, videos, and more.
• https://drive.google.com

Inductive Charging

Inductive charging (also known as "wireless charging") uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through an inductive coupling to an electrical device, which can then use that energy to charge batteries or run the device.

Office 365

Whether you’re working in your office or on the go, you get a familiar, top-of-the-line set of productivity tools. Office applications—always the latest versions—let you create, edit, and share from your PC/Mac, iPad®, tablet, or phone with anyone in real time.

The Cloud

Storage that lives on a secure server and travels over the internet to be accessed on many devices.

Adobe Creative Cloud

With new, connected Creative Cloud apps and services, you have all the tools and assets you need to create amazing work across desktop and mobile devices. There are plans for everyone, including students, photographers, and small and medium business.

Server-Side Processing

Remote processing is streamed over high-speed internet, local devices need light weight processors to recall remotely processed information. Desktops can theoretically be pulled on any screen and have continuity between experiences.

Desktops from multiple operating systems can be used concurrently. Games with full graphic settings can be rendered and streamed with little to no latency on a strong internet connection.

OnLive is a pioneer in this space, delivering both games and desktop experiences to a wide gamut of devices.

PlayStation is releasing a server-side processed game streaming box called the PSVITA TV.

Laptop/ Accessory Carrier

provide a brief description here that includes:

• $65.49
• about the size of a laptop bag yet contains more compartments for extras
• has places to keep all different sized tech secure and in the same place as you travel
• carries all essential tech and accessories without being bulky
• sleek unassuming design with an option for cross-body carry or hand carry

Pockets

Perhaps one of the most overlooked luxuries in our high-tech device-focused world.

WiDi

No cables. No clutter. Just Intel® Wireless Display (Intel® WiDi). Effortlessly stream movies from your Ultrabook™ or 2 in 1 device to your HDTV, play PC games on your home theater, or display a business presentation from your tablet on the conference room big screen. Whatever your needs, choose the technology that’s right for you.

MOTA SmartRing Notification Center

The MOTA SmartRing is designed as a notifications hub for your finger, delivering updates when you have new text messages, email, calendar events and incoming calls.

Offered in "midnight black" and "pearl white," the ring also has a silent vibration mode that can be tailored to deliver different vibration patterns for your smartphone contacts.

• Not yet available, still in kick-starter stage
• Bluetooth
• Receive notifications
• Links with social media, email and calenders
• https://www.mota.com/mota-smart-ring/

MiraCast

Miracast is a peer-to-peer wireless screencasting standard formed via Wi-Fi Direct connections in a manner similar to Bluetooth. It enables wireless delivery of audio and video to or from desktops, tablets, mobile phones, and other devices. It allows users to, for example, echo display from a phone or tablet onto a TV, share a laptop screen with the conference room projector in real-time, and watch live programs from a home cable box on a tablet. Both the sending and receiving devices must support Miracast for the technology to work. However, to stream music and movies to a device, such as a TV, that does not support Miracast, adapters are available that plug into HDMI or USB ports.

Miracast allows a portable device or computer to send, securely, up to 1080p HD video and 5.1 surround sound (AAC and AC3 are optional codecs, mandated codec is linear pulse-code modulation — 16 bits 48 kHz 2 channels). The protocol uses a direct Wi-Fi connection between the two devices without involvement of a wireless router and cannot be used to stream to a router access point. It was created by the Wi-Fi Alliance.

BlueScape

Introducing Bluescape™ by Haworth, the visual collaborative workspace. Work at the same time or on your own time in an always-on collaboration space, seamlessly sharing ideas, media and documents.

Input: Touch • Mouse • Draw • Other

Cintiq Companion

Intel Core i-7-3517U processor 1.9 GHz

• $2149.00
• performance
• 13.3" (1920X1080 HD)
• Mini Display / USB 3.0
• 19 VCD, 3.42 A (65W)
• Drawing/ Sketching Wireless display with Windows 8 operating system and 512 GB SSD
• http://www.wacom.com/en/us/creative/cintiq-companion

iBeacon

Introduced in iOS 7, iBeacon is an exciting technology enabling new location awareness possibilities for apps. Leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a device with iBeacon technology can be used to establish a region around an object. This allows an iOS device to determine when it has entered or left the region, along with an estimation of proximity to a beacon . There are both hardware and software components to consider when using iBeacon technology, and this document will give an introduction to both, along with suggested uses and best practices to help ensure a highly effective deployment leading to an outstanding user experience.

https://developer.apple.com/ibeacon/

http://estimote.com/?gclid=CP2skM2O0MACFStgMgod3RUA1A

Nymi

Your Nymi lets you use your unique cardiac rhythm to authenticate your identity, allowing you to wirelessly take control of your computer, your smartphone, your car and so much more.

As you wake up know that wherever you go the Nymi will be interacting with your devices, creating a smart, password and key-free environment. The Nymi will also have customizable notifications. If you’re the kind of person who likes to be connected to their emails, texts and social updates, you’ll never be behind with the Nymi.

• $79
• bracelet sized
• connection type
• USB charged
• bluetooth

Disney Touché Specific Touch

Touché is a new sensing technology that proposes a novel Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing technique that can not only detect a touch event, but simultaneously recognize complex configurations of the human hands and body during touch interaction. This allows to significantly enhances touch interaction in a broad range of applications, from enhancing conventional touch screens to designing interaction scenarios for unique use contexts and materials. For example, in our explorations we added complex touch and gesture sensitivity not only to computing devices and everyday objects, but also to the human body and liquids. Importantly, instrumenting objects and material with touch sensitivity is easy and straightforward: a single wire is sufficient to make objects and environments touch and gesture sensitive.