Once a year the mobile industry gathers for the CTIAWireless show, North America’s premiere mobility conference, held this year inNew Orleans. Vendors roll out a number of new products, with the hopes thateveryone will go ooooh and ahhhh.
Among the fun announced so far this year:
· Kyocera has released the Hydro, a new waterproofphone running Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s yet another addition to the list ofwaterproof phones out there, an area where Kyocera already has some experience.
· US carrier Verizon has announced a “blank slate”initiative for enterprise customers. This will allow enterprise customers tocustomize the Android tablet experience with apps suitable for that company’sparticular industry, and sometimes ruggedization for outdoor use. The reason?There’s still a level of discomfort with tablets at the enterprise level,especially because tablets being brought into the office are often personaldevices, complete with the security issues that come part and parcel with same.If this US-based initiative actually makes enterprise customers south of theborder more comfortable with Android in the workplace, it will obviously haveimplications in Canada, too.
· Unnecto has announced the Quattro, aninexpensive unlocked dual-SIM phone. While dual-SIM isn’t really that big athing in North America yet, it’s becoming more popular in areas of the worldwhere mobile has largely displaced the landline (or leapfrogged it altogether).By having two SIMs in the same phone, you can have both your home and worknumber in the same phone, or share a single handset between more than onemember of your family, without having to share the same number.
There’s more to come from the CTIA floor over the next twodays, undoubtedly, so stay tuned.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Lenovo haslaunched their K-series televisions–powered by Android Ice Cream Sandwich–intothe Chinese marketplace. Shown earlier this year at CES, the televisions willbe available in a 42-inch model (6,499 yuan, or roughly $1,030 CAD) and a55-inch model (14,999 yuan, or roughly $2,378 CAD).
Television models from other manufacturers are, of course,already starting shipping with built-in apps like Skype and YouTube, so this seems thenatural next step for our entertainment hubs, rather than continuing to have to bolt on an external device like the AppleTV or Boxee Box for a fuller experience. And the flexibility of Android makes it well suited for the task, especially with the tie-in to Google Play and its media library. But it does make me wonder: withall of the recent stories of Android becoming a target for malware, it meansthat you might have to start worrying about your TV becoming a vector for evilactivity. Even when you’re not watching Jersey Shore, that is.