Innovative Technology of the Week | Touch Screens on the Back of your Phone

Is Autcorrect ready to handle input from the back of your phone and four additional fingers? Google has recently applied for a patent to add touch screen capabilities to the back of Android devices. Luckily, the touch capabilities are likely to be limited to window/screen control functionalities like scrolling and clicking rather than composing messages. How will the technology differentiate between your shoulder holding your phone to your ear and intentional directions from your other fingers? I guess we'll find out. 

Click here to learn more about touch controls on the back of your future Android devices 

Innovative Tech of the Week | The Kid's Tablet

Finally - a solution to feeling dumber than our kids when they teach us how to do something on our iPad. Starting October 1, Toys R Us will debut the Tabeo, a tablet just for kids running on Android OS. 

"The device is wrapped in a soft "bumper" to protect the hardware if it falls out of a child's slippery fingers. It also includes extra controls in the device's built-in browser. For example, parents can set different Internet safety controls for up to eight users, either by blocking certain categories of content or disallowing access to specific sites. The Tabeo can also be set to allow Internet access only on certain days or during certain hours." 

It will be interesting to see if parents prefer to get kids their own or keep letting them use the family tablet. While the Tabeo seems much more kid-proof, many of the child safety apps and cases available for regular tablets can render any tablet "safe for children." 

Learn more about the Tabeo kids tablet here 

JBKnowledge's SmartBidNet Software Releases Preconstruction Android App

from the SmartBidNet Blog

College Station, TX (PRWEB) July 16, 2012

SmartBidNet construction bid software introduces the Android version of its mobile application for commercial general contractors. Released from beta testing on July 11, 2012 in the Google Play marketplace, the app provides all functionalities of SmartBidNet’s iOS app for the Google Android operating platform.

“These days, we all value a solution by its mobility and accessibility. I, for one, am not interested in an application unless I can access it seamlessly from my smartphone. We have to assume our clients feel the same way and are very excited to offer this feature to iOS mobile and now Android mobile users. We’re hoping to get lots of feedback from our users to further improve both applications,” stated SmartBidNet President James Benham.

Click here to read the full article

Technology of the Week | The NBC Olympics App

"The "NBC Olympics Live Extra" app will let users watch more than 3,500 hours of live events on tablets and smartphones. But only customers who have a cable or satellite subscription will get full access -- and the app is available only on Apple devices and a "select" list of Android phones and tablets."

Not much else to say here other than download the app and GO TEAM USA!

Click here to learn more about and download the NBC Olympics Mobile App

And click here to check out our Infographic of the Month: 2012 London Olympic Village Construction

Innovative Tech of the Week | Google's Challenge to Siri

The only thing better than an automated personal assistant programmed into your phone that recognizes your voice? One that's also integrated with the neverending universe of possibilities that is Google search. Android has just seriously stepped their game up with Google Now, Siri's latest challenger. 

Steve Jobs said from the beginning that Siri is not an attempt to enter the search business, but rather an application built to customize user experience and avoid the ambiguity of search. But Google Now incorporates all of the customization of Siri (minus the witty jokes...for now) and enhances that customization with the power of Google search. 

"I was in San Francisco last week to cover Google I/O and meet with some other companies in the area. I had a meeting in Mountain View on Friday morning. Google Now sent me a notification about 45 minutes before my meeting that said I should leave if I wanted to make it on time. It even took traffic into account. Incredible." 

Google Now will be released in Android's upcoming version Jelly Bean, but one glaring problem remains. Android devices are infamously not equipped to handle operating system updates. According to this article, only 7% of Android users are even using the most current version of the OS, Ice Cream Sandwich, that launched seven months ago. 

Click here to learn more about Google Now 

Innovative Tech of the Week | on{X} Every Day Mobile App

Yet another app so simple you wonder why no one has tried to sell it to you before. Developed by Microsoft's Bing search engine, on{X}, now available in Beta, allows users to set recipes and rules for every day reminders and tasks. It can alert you by 7am if snow is forecasted for the day or launch the music app or GPS while walking or driving. While this daily rules concept is not new, it hasn't been integrated extensively with search until now. 

"It's clear that the fledgling service has a ways to go, though. Currently, much of the on{X} experience takes place in a Web browser: You can only add, modify, or code rules from the website. The mobile app allows you to delete or turn off rules, or view the activity log related to individual rules."

It is also only available on the Android mobile platform for now. So it's only a matter of time before Mac releases a competitor. But the idea of of not having to remember to set reminders sounds pretty good to us, no matter who's developing the application. 

Click here to learn more about this mobile app that automates daily tasks

Tech of the Week | JBKnowledge | The Desktop/Smartphone

"Using virtualization tools like Citrix and VMWare, Canonical says that IT departments could issue a single device that covers both the desktop and mobile needs of employees."

A new system called Ubuntu for Android will allow devices to run the Android OS for smartphone purposes, and switch to Ubuntu when connected to a keyboard and monitor via a dock - essentially a mobile phone and desktop all--in-one. 

"The system reportedly lets you share your smartphone’s contacts, media, and apps among both Android and Ubuntu. The Ubuntu environment also supports MMS/SMS and phones calls: a pop-up window appears when you receive a call, and you can simply mouse over and click to answer."

The system is expected to eventually come already installed in devices, so no further installation or purchase is necessary. While others, like Motorola, offer similar systems, the Ubuntu/Android partnership is expected to be much more advanced. 

Our only concern for this type of technology is that losing your phone will become all the more terrifying when it is also your desktop...

Click here to learn more about this mobile technology 

Tech of the Week | JBKnowledge | BlackBerry With Wrap Around Screen

Practical or not - the designs inspired by the competition between smartphone developers are pretty fantastic. It's not often you see a BlackBerry design concept, more often the iPhone or Android take the stage. But designer John Anastasiadis took a pretty good stab at a BlackBerry revamp with a wrap around screen you've probably never seen the likes of before. Before you mention it, he even says the phone can tell the difference between a touch command and someone simplying holding the phone. 

"John explains, 'The front and back cameras are positioned underneath the screens. When needed the area around the camera lens becomes transparent. The wrap around screen can allow for separate workspaces and/or a more three-dimensional interaction with the device. Obvious benefits apply to business, entertainment and navigation applications.'”

Click here to check out photos of this incredible BlackBerry design and learn more

Tech of the Week | JBKnowledge | Smartphone + Car Stereo = Dash

"Since the advent of portable electronics, man has been trying to jury-rig portable electronics into automobiles to replace the lowly car stereo. Those days may soon be coming to an end."

Dash, currently a project raising funds on Kickstarter, is essentially a device/system that turns your smartphone into your car's stereo system. The body (double din standard, 4inx7in) of the device is installed in the car, replacing the current stereo, and the interchangeable face plate on the front can be adjusted to fit whichever smartphone you insert to operate your stereo. Once placed into the body, your smartphone controls your entire entertainment system, from an interface you're already used to. Via your phone, Dash can access: your entire music library, streaming radio, bluetooth, video, car computer, phone calls, and more.

"The whole getup is scheduled to launch in July for $300, provided Dash meets its $45,000 fundraising goal. If it gets off the ground and works as advertised, we’ll have come a long way from the early days of in-vehicle entertainment. More importantly, we’ll be closer to a future where your phone is your main computer and you simply go around docking it into things."

Click here to learn more about Dash 

Mobile Technology in Construction

The two most well quoted predictions in the mobile device industry are:
1) 50% of American mobile users will own a smartphone by Christmas 2011
2) One in three of Americans will own a tablet PC by 2015

comScore statistics from June 2011 show that with only a few months left until Christmas, the amount of smartphones users is only at about 34%. And we’ll give prediction 2 at least a year or two before cross-examining, but note that as of June 2011 still only 8% of Americans own tablets.

Click to read more ...