Blog | News & Information on Wireless Services & Telecommunications
Posted: 07/26/11 by Mobile Future Team
Today, we celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark legislation that made equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities the law of the land. Since its passage over twenty years ago, the increased accessibility wireless innovations have afforded those with disabilities is truly transformational. With the help of wireless devices, the disability community is experiencing quality of life advances and new independence in their everyday lives.
The awe-inspiring progress and profound innovation we’ve seen in the mobile applications market has opened up a new world of possibilities for the 54 million Americans living with disabilities. These innovations are allowing kids with disabilities to bring the technology they need to school on the coolest new smartphones and tablets, and with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day this year, wireless advances will allow them to live their lives the way they always have.
These transformative technologies include:
Having a modern speech synthesizer in the palm of your hand. Instead of relying on computers and cumbersome devices to convert text-to-speech, those with visual impairments can now employ ZoomReader to hear what’s written on everything from menus to medications and e-mails. Using the iPhone’s built-in camera, users are able to convert writing into text which the app can read aloud or magnify so those users with low vision can more easily read. The camera’s LED flash can also be used as a flashlight to make reading in dark places easier with LED Torch Flashlight.
Even US currency can now easily be identified and read aloud with the help of your smartphone and LookTel Money Reader .
Touring local museums. Keen Guides has revolutionized the way those with hearing impairments tour local venues. By combining video tours with closed captioning, Keen Guides lets users experience a variety of locations including cultural sites, colleges and parks all around the country via their mobile device.
Communicating with others. iConverse helps individuals with communicative disabilities express their thoughts and feelings by providing images and icons of various everyday occurrences for the users to select. Not only does the app allow users to develop their own custom images, but users can add text to the pictures which the app reads aloud.
Placing a call with minimal steps. For those with visual and dexterity impairments, navigating an address book and dialing a number can be a hurdle. A Special Phone has eliminated many of these challenges and allows users to place a call by simply shaking the smartphone.
Our mobile device has quickly become one of the most important gadgets we own. For the one in five Americans that has a disability, smartphones have moved far beyond being just a communication tool- they are revolutionizing the way people with disabilities interact with the world around them. As we continue down this road of exciting innovation and jaw-dropping developments, the future advancements in accessibility are endless.
Posted: 07/08/11 by Mobile Future Team
As Mashable highlighted, in just six months customers downloaded over 5 billion applications from Apple’s App Store and yesterday, the total number of app downloads surpassed 15 billion. In three years, the App Store has grown to include over 425,000 apps and over 100,000 of these are designed for the iPad.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 06/27/11 by Mobile Future Team
According to Mashable, it is estimated that Instagram enthusiasts have uploaded more than 100 million photos to date. The popular photo-sharing app is currently accessed by more than 5 million users who post around 860,000 photos a day.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 05/06/11 by Mobile Future Team
A new report from research firm IHS iSuppli forecasts mobile app store revenues to grow 78% from last year, reaching $3.8 billion this year and $8.3 billion by 2014.
As reported in CNET, IHS mobile analyst Jack Kent stated:
"With consumers continuing to show robust, unflagging interest in downloading games and other applications to devices like smart phones and tablets, collective revenues from the four stores will climb sharply this year."
To read more, click here.
Posted: 04/14/11 by Mobile Future Team
If watching Charl Schwartzel win the 75th Masters this past weekend ignited your inner Arnold Palmer, then these “8 Mobile Apps for Golf Season” from Mashable will put you on the right track to perfecting your game. Included in the run-down of apps is a virtual golf instructor, a directory of major golf courses across the U.S. complete with grass/bunker information, and straight from USGA, the complete guide to golf.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 04/07/11 by Mobile Future Team
The release of apps and services that aid Americans with disabilities shows no sign of abating and the release of ZoomReader, a new app that reads aloud any text, should have those with visual impairments particularly rejoicing. The app uses the iPhone or iPod touch’s camera to take a picture of text- including nutrition labels, menus, books and e-mails- and converts the image into text which the app reads aloud. Also, the app highlights and magnifies the converted text on the iPhone’s screen as it reads the text aloud so those with low vision can easily follow along.
As reported in The Wall Street Journal:
“Doug Hacker, vice president of business development for the Vermont-based Ai Squared, said it decided to develop the app because of the enormous popularity of the iPhone in the visually impaired community. According to a survey the company conducted, it believes roughly a third of its current 150,000 to 170,000 customers own an iPhone and the majority of the rest want one. “The community tends to be behind the curve as far as technology is concerned, but because of VoiceOver, almost every blind person is buying it,” said Mr. Hacker, adding that it expects a “burgeoning marketplace.”
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 03/29/11 by Mobile Future Team
Capitalizing on customer’s cravings for Samoas, Tagalongs and Thin Mints but tendency to be without cash on hand, the Girl Scouts of northeast Ohio are now accepting credit card payments via their smartphones. Using Intuit GoPayment, a credit card reader that attaches to Android, BlackBerry and Apple devices, the Girl Scouts are keeping pace with the rapidly growing mobile-payment trend.
Also, the Girl Scouts of America have recently launched their first app, Cookie Finder, available on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The app directs users to the closest cookie sales and can be used all over the country.
To learn more, click here.
Posted: 03/28/11 by Jonathan Spalter
I am truly amazed by the mobile technology that has been unveiled at this year's CTIA Wireless show in Orlando, Florida. It seems only fitting that in such close proximity to the Magic Kingdom, the innovation on display in the convention center has made a trip around the exhibit floor a futuristic and magical experience.
Check out some of our team's favorite emerging wireless technologies and apps:
- Software technology that recognizes faces and automatically tags your friends.
- A wireless fertility monitor that indicates optimal fertility based on body temperature.
- An app that promotes safe driving by automatically silencing cell phones when the car is moving over 10mph.
- Remote physiological monitoring that measures key vitals and sends to the cloud for medical monitoring via cell phone or computer.
Augmented reality is the new reality for next generation mobility. This is just taking-off, and it is an exciting moment for the future of mobile user experience and interface. Ericsson's "Connected Tree" -- a live, mobilized orange tree which is now turbo-charged with augmented reality pop-ups viewable on your handset.
Speaking of taking off, Key Ring Reward Cards by Mobestream Media won first place at the CTIA Emerging Technology Awards in the Mobile Applications -- Mobile Commerce category. Key Ring is a handy app that consolidates consumers' plastic loyalty cards onto their smartphone to make saving more convenient and it helps retailers communicate real-time with their customers.
Bill2Mobile received second place honors in the Mobile Applications -- Mobile Commerce category. Its iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch app allows customers to opt for paperless bills and makes it more convenient to monitor statements and accounts with a mobile device.
In addition to perusing a seemingly endless exhibit floor hosting infinite apps, smartphones, tablets, and other handheld devices -- one very hot topic weighing on everyone's mind is spectrum.
In the conference keynote, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski explained:
"This explosion in demand for mobile services places unsustainable demands on our invisible infrastructure -- spectrum. Spectrum is the oxygen that allows all of these mobile innovations to breathe. Whether or not most Americans know the physics of spectrum, they know what it feels like to have a dropped call or a slow connection or cranky Wi Fi...
It is essential that we move quickly -- not because of the benefits of action, but because of the costs of inaction. If we do nothing in the face of the looming spectrum crunch, many consumers will face higher prices -- as the market is forced to respond to supply and demand -- and frustrating service -- connections that drop, apps that run unreliably or too slowly."
As we continue to take huge leaps forward into the exciting and futuristic realm of mobile, the message is clear: we must have more spectrum in order to keep pace with innovation and consumer demand for the products we just can't live without.
This article was originally posted on Huffington Post.
Posted: 03/03/11 by Mobile Future Team
A few new stats caught our eye this week:
- Smartphones outsold PC’s.
- According to IDC, in the fourth quarter of 2010 100.9 million smartphone devices were shipped compared to 92.1 million PC units.
- Mobile app revenues projected to reach $38 billion by 2015.
- Forrester Research analysts also estimate that by 2015 mobile applications, services and business management revenues will reach $54.6 billion a year.
- By 2015, e-commerce is expected to reach $278.9 billion in the United States according to Forrester.
Posted: 02/11/11 by Mobile Future Team
If you’re looking to go beyond the traditional bouquet of red roses and box of chocolates to show your affection this Valentines Day, your smartphone has the answer. Mashable and Refinery29 compiled a list of apps that are sure to spice up your Valentines celebration, but don’t be alarmed if you find yourself gravitating to these heartfelt apps all year long. Included in the run-down are virtual card-making apps, romantic recipe apps and a music streaming app that only plays love songs.
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Tags: Applications, Consumer Awareness, Consumer Benefits, Innovation, Mobile Applications, Mobile Health, News, Smartphone, Wireless Devices, Wireless Innovation, Mobile Ability