WWDC 2014: With iOS 8, Apple takes battle with Android to the next level

June 4, 2014

Jun 4: Apple is calling the iOS 8 the biggest release since the launch of the App Store and it does give users plenty of new features and developers the tools to create amazing new apps. But what does this mean for Android and Google? How do the two biggest competitors in the mobile OS market stack up against each other? How does this latest release change the game?

WWDC 2014

Apple CEO Tim Cook took some serious potshots at Android during the keynote address. When talking about users who switched from Android to iOS, he said: ”They had bought an Android phone, by mistake, and then sought a better experience. And a better life. And decided to check out iPhone and iOS.” He also pointed out how Android was the place where malware ruled.

Tim Cook"s jibes aside, an iOS 8 vs Android assessment is necessary and important, given that they are the biggest mobile players in the world. We"re looking at these comparison points in particular: Messages, Camera, Online Cloud Storage, Continuity, HomeKit and HealthKit app. The reason we"ve included HomeKit and HealthKit app is because these areas are going to experience massive growth in the mobile sector and there"s no way that Google hasn"t started working on these.

Messages: Apple has given iMessage a serious upgrade. Users can now name message threads, exit or enter a thread as they wish. There"s also a Do Not Disturb option to a group chat without having to leave it. Audio and video messages can be shared on Group chats and regular iMessaging. They also have a Snapchat-like self-destruct function that users can opt out of too.

Also SMSes, can be synced across Apple devices from Macs to iPads. iMessage now feels like a combination of WhatsApp, Snapchat and regular messaging.

No wonder that Jan Koum, WhatsApp"s CEO was unhappy and tweeted saying, “very flattering to see Apple “borrow” numerous WhatsApp features into iMessage in iOS 8 #innovation”

So how does Android"s SMS app compare to iMessage?

Google had merged Hangouts and the SMS app which meant that users could search across contacts, including Google accounts. All SMS and MMS messages come in this one place.

Of course, users who might be on devices such as Nexus 4 which had a native SMS app might not choose to merge the two given the privacy issues that plague Google.

Hangouts, of course, allows users to have groups chats, share videos, etc, but this SMS-Hangout marriage is an Android KitKat feature. Since only 9 percent users are on this build of Android, most people are still stuck on the boring SMS app.

Add to that the fragmented manufacturing scene that Android faces, users get different SMS apps in different devices. Unless it"s a pure Android phone.

In the short-term, Apple"s iMessage is winning purely because if you have an iPhone 4S and above — you have all access to all the features. In Android, getting the latest feature in SMS, depends on what build of smartphone you"re using.

Camera: In iOS 8, shooting and editing photos will definitely get better. Users can now take a picture, then modify it with a single touch. The new camera app will let users adjusts exposure, brightness, contrast, and more.

In fact as you make the changes to photo"s colour scheme, the smartphone will show how the levels are changing in real time. Interestingly third-party app developers can make their filters and editing tools also accessible in the Photos app directly.

There"s also a Time-lapse mode in Camera. Basically it can help users capture the sun setting, etc. iOS 8 will take the photos at selected intervals and stitch it together as video.

In Android, the Camera app in KitKat also offers features similar to iOS 8. Users can instantly edit pictures will filters, change exposure, contrast, crop a picture. Of course, unlike iOS 8, Android doesn"t allow third-party apps to provide their filters, but again the native Camera apps are pretty evenly matched.

Of course, OEMs tend to add their own modes to the camera app and thus Android has an advantage here that Apple doesn"t always offer.

HealthKit app: Let"s face it Google is far behind Apple in this area. There are APIs on Health from Google but no dedicated health app like Healthkit. Of course Google could announce its own native app for this at the upcoming Google I/O later this month (25-26 June) but for now Apple has the lead.

The HealthKit app can pull in data from other third-party apps and this can be accessed by healthcare professionals as well of course depending on how much access users give to this app.

Apple partnered with the world-renowned Mayo Clinic on this. With HealthKit, the iPhone will keep a tab on important health metrics on a daily basis, and over a longer period.

After Mayo Clinic, Nike is also partnering with Apple for HealthKit. Apple promises that the data on Health will have deep privacy protection in place to store these sensitive records safely.

Of course, Samsung is one Android manufacturer that has been taking the Health-Smartphone link seriously. The S5 comes with a heart-rate sensor, an improved S-Health app, but given that its not available on other Androids, it"s pretty much an S5 and Samsung feature.

HomeKit: Google might have bought Nest first but Apple showed that it leads in the smart home game by announcing HomeKit. Essentially Apple is hoping that users will trust their iPhones and sync it with other home products.

Users can connect their iPhone/iPad and control garage-door openers, lights, and security cameras, even thermostats and switches.

Users can just control these through Siri. For example, they could say “Get ready for bed” and the house lights will dim. Of course. you"ll need products that are certified for the HomeKit.

For Android, catching up to the competition will be tough. As this Mashable piece points out, “Google will have a tough time convincing consumers that Android will safeguard their privacy and security as well as iOS might (the stat that Tim Cook cited, that 99% of mobile malware targets Android, happens to be true).”

Cloud capability: Even with the new iCloud Drive, Apple is still playing catch with Google. Google Drive already lets you edit documents from inside and share links on Gmail via Google Drive.

iCloud Drive offers similar features to users and now allows them to arrange documents, photos by tags, folders etc. Apple will also let you share large files as well which is something that Google was already offering. Where iCloud Drive is concerned, this is nothing new and doesn"t really set iOS 8 apart from Android.

Also users can search for iCloud documents directly from the Spotlight bar, which means that you don"t actually have to save documents on the iPad or iPhone. Google Drive doesn"t yet offer this feature, where you can search directly for Google Drive docs from the Search bar on the Homepage.

Continuity: Continuity is where Apple"s advantage of being a hardware and software manufacturer is showcased. Documents from OS X can open seamlessly on iOS and vice-versa. You can also take calls from your iPhone on your MacBook or iPad or iMac.

To be fair, Motorola and Samsung have offered features similar to this. Also, Gmail lets users access the email via draft with its real-time saving capability. Google also offers browsing and tab sync via its Chrome browser extensions, features which are similar to Continuity.

The problem though for Google is that it doesn"t occupy an important part of the Desktop space or even the PC space and thus such syncing is only available at an account level on Google.

Apple has come very close to the idea of "one OS, one account but multiple devices" with Continuity.

It"s clear that despite Google"s dominance in the smartphone market, Apple has more than just a few tricks up it"s sleeve. It has also shown that it isn"t shy of taking the battle to the next level. iOS 8 allows Apple users to bring their devices together in a seamless manner — something that Android will be looking to do as well. The battle has been joined — just how will Google respond?

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Sudden spike in air pollution in Delhi

Agencies

June 29,2020

New Delhi, Jun 29: Witnessing azure skies and breathable air for the last three months, Delhi on Monday recorded deterioration in its air quality, with particulate matter with diameter of 2.5 and 10 microns -- too small to be filtered out of the human body -- standing at 52 and 297 micrograms per cubic respectively.

Gufran Beig, Project Director of System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), said that the sudden spike in air pollution is due to a mild dust storm blowing from Rajasthan.

"Since the wind direction is changing and moist air is coming in, the air quality in Delhi will become better by tomorrow," Beig told IANS.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed that the overall air quality near Delhi Technical University (DTU) area stood at 326 micrograms per cubic, followed by 308 at Narela and 307 at Mundka.

Out of 36 stations, the AQI in as many as 30 stations was above 200 micrograms per cubic till 1 pm on Monday.

The System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research categorises air quality in the 0-50 range as good, 51-100 as satisfactory, 101-200 as moderate, 201-300 as poor, 301-400 as very poor, and above 400 as severe.

According to SAFAR's website, "PM 10 (coarser dust particle) is the lead pollutant. AQI is likely to improve to moderate category by tomorrow, and further improvement is expected by July 1."

Researchers indicated that PM 10 and PM 2.5 will be 170 and 47 micrograms per cubic on Tuesday.

With no vehicles plying on the roads or industries shut due to the lockdown since March 25, Delhi's air quality had improved drastically.

According to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, if the low levels of air pollution reached during the lockdown period are maintained, India's annual death toll could reduce by 6.5 lakh.

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70% startups say business hit by COVID-19, 12% have shut down: FICCI

Agencies

July 6,2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has made an unprecedented impact on the Indian businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups. According to a joint survey by FICCI and Indian Angel Network (IAN), the pandemic has hit the businesses of around 70% startups.

With uncertainty in the business environment and an unexpected shift in priorities of the government as well as corporates, many startups are struggling to survive, it says.

In a nationwide survey on the 'Impact of Covid-19 on Indian Startups' involving 250 startups, 70% participants said their businesses had been impacted by Covid-19 and around 12% had shut operations.

The survey shows only 22% startups have cash reserves to meet the fixed cost expenses over the next 3-6 months, and 68% are reducing operational and administrative expenses.

Around 30% of the companies said they would retrench employees if the lockdown was extended too long. The 43% startups have already started 20-40% salary cuts over April-June.

Over 33% startups said investors had put the investment decision on hold and 10% said the deals had been scrapped. Only 8% startups had received funds as per the deals signed before Covid-19 outbreak, the survey revealed.

The reduced funding has forced startups to put a hold on business development and manufacturing activities, which has resulted in loss of projected orders.

The survey highlights the need of an urgent relief package for startups, including possible purchase orders from the government, tax relief and swifter tax refunds, and immediate fiscal support measures, including grants, soft loans and payroll grants.

Besides 250 startups, 61 incubators and investors also participated in the survey.

While 96% of investors accepted that their investments in startups had been impacted by Covid-19, 92% said their investments in startups would continue to be low over the next six months.

Around 59% investors said they would prefer to work with the existing portfolio firms in the coming months. Only 41% said they would consider new deals.

"A comparison of priority investment sectors before and during Covid-19 shows 35% investors are now looking at investments in healthcare startups, followed by EdTech, AI/Deep Tech, FinTech and Agri," said the survey.

Around 44% incubators surveyed said their day-to-day operations had been considerably hit by Covid-19. Most incubators are now supporting their portfolio firms by providing them virtual platforms to interact with mentors, investors and industries.

Dilip Chenoy, FICCI Secretary General, said, "The startup sector is stressed for survival at the moment. The investment sentiment is also subdued and is expected to remain so in the coming months. Lack of working capital and cash flows may lead to major layoffs over the next 3-6 months."

Indian startups needed an enabling ecosystem and flow of funds to continue operations, the survey said.

Padmaja Ruparel, President, Indian Angel Network & Co-Chair of FICCI Startup Committee, said, "In these uncertain times, as investors, we must play an important role to provide the Indian startups funding, mentoring and hand-holding support to stay afloat and come out at the other end of this crisis."

To that end, IAN recently announced a debt fund to help IAN portfolio companies raise working capital and ensure business continuity by partnering with debt providers.

This must be replicated on a wider scale, so a larger number of startups are provided the capital support to make it during these tough times, Ruparel said.

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Global mobile phone shipments to decline 14.6% in 2020: Gartner

Agencies

May 27,2020

Due to impacts of COVID-19, shipments of total mobile phones are forecast to decline 14.6% in 2020, while smartphone shipments will achieve a slightly slower decline of 13.7 % year over year to total 1.3 billion units this year, according to a Gartner forecast on Tuesday.

"While users have increased the use of their mobile phones to communicate with colleagues, work partners, friends and families during lockdowns, reduced disposable income will result in fewer consumers upgrading their phones," Ranjit Atwal, Senior Research Director at Gartner, said in a statement.

"As a result, phone lifetimes will extend from 2.5 years in 2018 to 2.7 years in 2020," said Atwal.

In 2020, affordable 5G phones were expected to be the catalyst to increase phone replacements, but now it is unlikely to be the case.

5G phones are now forecast to represent only 11% of total mobile phone shipments in 2020.

"The delayed delivery of some 5G flagship phones is an ongoing issue," said Annette Zimmermann, Research Vice President at Gartner.

"Moreover, the lack of 5G geographical coverage along with the increasing cost of the 5G phone contract will impact the choice of a 5G phone."

Overall, spending on 5G phones will be impacted in most regions apart from China, where continued investment in 5G infrastructure is expected, allowing providers in China to effectively market 5G phones.

The combined global shipments PCs, tablets and mobile phones are on pace to decline 13.6% in 2020, according to the forecast.

PC shipments are expected to decline 10.5% this year. Shipments of notebooks, tablets and Chromebooks are forecast to decline slower than the PC market overall in 2020.

"The forecasted decline in the PC market in particular could have been much worse," said Atwal.

"However, government lockdowns due to COVID-19 forced businesses and schools to enable millions of people to work from home and increase spending on new notebooks, Chromebooks and tablets for those workers. Education and government establishments also increased spending on those devices to facilitate e-learning."

Gartner said that 48 per cent of employees will likely work remotely at least part of the time after the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 30 % pre-pandemic.

Overall, the work from home trend will make IT departments shift to more notebooks, tablets and Chrome devices for work.

"This trend combined with businesses required to create flexible business continuity plans will make business notebooks displace desk based PCs through 2021 and 2022," said Atwal.

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