Apple’s iBeacon technology at forthcoming Coachella Music & Art Festival

From the latest app updates, it is reported that at the forthcoming Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival, the audience will have on-site iBeacons which will push notification with other information to users as they walk the grounds at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

The 2014 Coachella iOS app includes support for Apple’s iBeacon; Bluetooth enabled micro location technology capable of delivering proximity aware notification, information and navigation to the users. Beacons are a low cost hardware which is small enough to be attached to a wall or countertop which is battery operated, low energy Bluetooth connections to transmit messages directly to a Smartphone or tablet and can be used to transform how retailers, event organizers, educational institutions, transit system etc communicate with people indoors.

Coachella’s website states, ‘Use Bluetooth to interact with beacons placed around the grounds’, though it is unknown how the festival plans are likely to implement this technology. Recent deployments include the NFL’s Super Bowl installation at major events and an interactive scavenger hunt at CES. Apple launched iBeacon enabling it in their stores using Bluetooth and has been making great progress in implementing great products.

iBeacon for in-store help

Customers will find iBeacon a lot helpful while going around shopping and if a store has the system in place, finding in-store help and receiving information related to products, according to the location would be much easier and quicker since iBeacon has the potential of being an inherent part of a shopping activity.

After introducing iBeacon as a part of iOS 7 in the year 2013, third party implementation of the location aware tech are gradually moving out with Major League Baseball announcing plans in February to deploy beacons in over 20 ballparks by opening day.

The Apple Store App uses Bluetooth to gather location based information from iPhone users and while the technology has received mixed reviews, it seems to be a cool concept especially for retailers while others find privacy an issue. Retailers are getting in on the act like Macy’s stores and pilot programs at various grocery stores.

Download App for free at the Festival

Apple takes credit for the largest rollout so far after its installation of beacons last December in US Apple Store and customers using iBeacon have found it helpful with regards to in-store help, avail location aware product information and purchase items quickly with EasyPay.

Recently, the Dutch micro location firm, LabWek, launched mApp an iBeacon based platform which was designed for interactive museum exhibits. Those who will be attending Coachella which is likely to be held from April 11th to 18th can take the opportunity of downloading the app for free from the iOS App store.

Coachella organizer Goldenvoice together with the updated app has also released set time and added new acts to the latest list of performers. The organizers of the popular music and art festival Coachella are all out for iBeacon and the latest update is that the technology is likely to be used during this great event.

The official festival website also states that using the mobile app, attendees can also use Bluetooth to interact with beacons which may be placed all around the ground.

Adobe’s Mobile Version for its suite of Photography for iPad

Adobe will be introducing a mobile version of its Lightroom Raw editing program for iPad, touch friendly accompaniment for its suite of photography software bringing about powerful new tools to Apple’s iOS. Photographers had been asking Adobe for a mobile version of Lightroom for some time.

Adobe had demonstrated an early beta version of the application at a sneek peek session last year at the Photoshop World show in Las Vegas and it seems that Lightroom Mobile is now almost ready for its official launch. Adobe will make the iPad a more viable solution for the mobile version that would largely lineup with desktop version with regards to features.

 The app which is available at iOS Apple store offers users who have invested in Adobe’s ecosystem, a new way to organize and sync images within the prevailing Adobe mobile content creation leasing a version of Lightroom photo editing which is optimized for tablets. Its tagline for the product is `Take Lightroom anywhere’, and the representative indicated ecosystem with an impressive app of built-in RAW image editing functions.

Lightroom enables Tablets to edit remotely 

Adobe with its Lightroom Mobile for iPad has enabled tablets to edit remotely, large RAW image files, adding new dimension to photographer’s workflows but without any limitations from desktops and laptops. Lightroom 5 on Mac or PC with Adobe’s Smart previews technology can generate a DNG image from RAW image data and sync the file with Lightroom mobile. Moreover users can also edit this smaller file on the iPad with Lightroom’s RAW toolset and then sync the changes if any, back to the original RAW image on completion.

Users need to have Lightroom 5 running on the desktop or laptop, Lightroom’s mobile service and lightroom mobile for iPad in order to function which means that owners of non Creative Cloud Photoshop of Lightroom will need to subscribe in order to qualify for Adobe Creative Cloud product.

Various Amazing Features

Adobe had announced that the iPhone version is in the pipeline but has not disclosed the estimated release date. Some of the features include editing and organizing images from anywhere at any time, seamless sync between desktop, web and mobile, access and view photos on lightroom.

Edit everything from Smartphone photos to raw images from DSLRs with Smart Previews since Adobe Lightroom Mobile is capable of handling virtually any image format, Smart Preview creates smaller stand in files for efficient and quicker work, import images from iPhone or iPad camera roll direct into the Lightroom catalog and enhance them using familiar and powerful Lightroom tools while sharing them online easily and quickly.

Advanced Healing brush in removing unwanted flaws or objects, radial gradient tools enables to create off center vignette effects, Creating HD video slide shows with images, video clips and music, showcase images, present photos with built in slideshow and much more.

iPad 2 with running iOS 7

Lightroom Mobile for iPad from App Store is a free 41.6MB download but needs an iPad 2 running iOS 7 or later with also updated Lightroom 5.4 for Mac and a Creative Cloud Subscription.

Besides this, Adobe is also offering a 30 day free trial together with Photoshop Photography Program special which includes Photoshop CC, lightroom desktop, web and mobile, a 20GB cloud storage accompanied by Behance ProSite for $9.99 a month.

Transparent Texting Technology - Walking Friendly Phone

Apple has plans to develop a walking friendly phone through transparent texting technology which will enable the user to watch before leaping and save the danger of texting while walking especially if the user is outdoors. Apple, the giant tech has filed a patent for new transparency technology designed to enable iPhone users to text messages safely while walking, in creating smarter phones to help people to see where they are heading.

Their technology would be modifying the app’s background of the text and project live video images from the rear camera on the screen on whatever is in front of the user, thereby reducing the chances of tripping or bumping into obstacles while engaged in texting messages. The user would then see of what lies ahead as they walk and avoid a collision.

The US patent first filed in 2012 refers the technology as `an user who is walking while participating in a text messaging session may inadvertently collide with or stumble over objects in his path because his attention was focused on his device’s display instead of the path that the was traversing’. In the patent design, the familiar white background to iMessage chat is substituted by video with the text bubbles either in opaque or semi opaque and the transparent texting technology can be turned on or off as per the user’s choice.

App Button Adapted for Web Browsing …..

This system can be activated with the help of the in app button which could be adapted to use for web browsing as well as iBooks with text over live background and the system would need the user to point the Smartphone directly in front of them as more phone use would provide a megapixel view of the pavement. The patent stated that the development would prevent users from `colliding with or stumbling over objects’, and was filed in September 2012, with the US Patent and Trademark Office was disclosed recently by technology journalist in America.

Credits go to Stephen Ward as the inventor of the application and he states that `the background within the text messaging session can continuously be a live and current video image of the view seen by the camera at any given moment’. Device users are now less likely to stumble over objects while texting messages while walking. The application titled transparent texting adds that `with the visual nature of text messaging session, the user would often find it difficult to divide his attention between the device’s display and the environment surroundings.

Capabilities to Alter Background Projecting Live Video images

As per report on The New Zealand Herald, the transparent texting technology will have the capabilities to alter the background of the phone’s application to project live video images with the rear camera on the device’s screen helping users to see any obstructions that may be in their way while texting and walking. It is still unknown when the device would be available to iPhone users and Apple is yet to confirm if the system will be incorporated into its next iOS system. Apple’s iOS 8 is scheduled to be released in September and will furnish updates of both iPhone as well as iPad devices technologies.

Apple Acquires UK Based Novauris Technologies

With further improvements in the technology behind Siri, Apple has confirmed to TechCrunch, that it has purchased UK based Novauris Technologies, automatic speech recognition (ASR) Technology Company. This company grew out of Dragon System R&D U.K. Ltd; is the British research subsidiary of Dragon Systems and a well known voice dictation pioneer.

The company founded in 2002, is managed by CEO, Yoon Kim, Co-founders, Melvyn Hunt and John Bridle with background work at Dragon, Nortel, SRI, Marconi and Aurix. Apple along with its confirmation to TechCrunch had remarked that `they buy smaller technology companies from time to time and that they generally do not discuss their purpose or plans’.

Financial terms of the deal had not been disclosed.Novauris began operation in March 2002 after reassembling most of the former U.K. R&D team of Dragon Systems. While founder Jim Baker funded the initial development work and originally owned the company, it was Bridle and Hunt who bought him out along with some help from other private investors in September 2004.

Thereafter they brought in Kim who headed TTS Company, NeoSpeech as CEO. Though the acquisition had taken place last year, the same had not been reported. The team, now at Apple is working on improving Siri, the speech based virtual assistant technology which come pre-installed on Apple’s mobile devices. Apple it is also rumored to be working on some significant changes to Siri with iOS 8, and probably expanding its ability to interface with third party apps.

Huge Vocabulary Automatic Speech Recognition Technology

Novauris’ technology had been used by companies such as Panasonic, Verizon Wireless, Samsung, Alpine, BMW and others and also powered much different voice in activated mapping systems. Novauris may not have been a popular name but the founders were internationally recognized speech researchers and key members at Dragon Systems, a company which was known for products like `DragonDictate’ and `Dragon NaturallySpeaking.’.

Moreover the company had been developing its own huge vocabulary, automatic speech recognition technology for access to information, locally stored on mobile devices or remote servers which had been patented in the US as well as abroad and licensed to major corporations all across the world.

Embedded as well as Server Space

The biggest difference about Novauris with regards to the competitive landscape was that they operated in the embedded as well as the server space and also owned the core engine. This has made them a very valuable asset to Apple, that they had made efforts to acquire Nuance, the technology which powered Apple’s Siri and a partnership which was not disclosed but officially confirmed only last year. Nuance Company who merged with ScanSoft in 2005 had acquired the rights to the Dragon product and offered further connection between these companies.

Novauris’ products have been supporting iOS and iPhone through its Embedded ASR – NovaSearch Compact and Server ASR – NovaSearch Server technologies. Moreover, the company’s voice recognition products also support a wide range of languages namely U.S., U.K. German, Canadian French, Singapore English, French, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Mexican Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese etc; and its applications and services have the capabilities of searching on device content such as apps, contacts, FAQs, translation, music as well as assistance with navigation or search contents on device’s App store.

Apple Leading the Way to Greener and Sustainable Internet

Apple being a tech company is reported to be leading the way towards a greener and a more sustainable internet according to a new report, The Telegraph. The first to use hundred percent renewable energy to power the iCloud was the California based company and to operate the largest private owned solar installation in the US at the North Carolina data center.

Greenpeace’s report, `Clicking Clean’, on How Companies are Creating the Green Internet, on viewing and evaluating the energy choices of 19 major tech internet companies and on surveying their electricity supply chains of over 300 data centers, ended up with the conclusion that Apple with all its data centers powered by energy from sustainable sources seemed to be more aggressive in reaching the goal of 100 percent renewable energy, declaring that the company had put in efforts in helping to set a new bar for the industry.

Greenpeace, founded in 1972, a not for profit and a nongovernmental environmental organization, has often campaigned against the worst climate offenders. Recently it has turned its focus in making the internet a greener place wherein the infrastructures can be powered by renewable energy sources. According to Gary Cook, senior IT analyst at Greenpeace, he states that Apple’s quick shift to clean energy has made it clear why it is one of the world’s most innovative and popular companies.

Apple Leading in Renewable Energy

According to a spokesperson for Apple, he states that `they believe in actions speaking louder than words, especially when it comes to issues as important as climate change, where Apple is proud to lead the industry by powering their data centers with hundred percent renewable energy for more than a year’.

He further adds that they have built the country’s largest private solar array and fuel cell installation at their site in North Carolina with innovative clean energy projects which are in the works for data centers in Nevada and Oregon. Greenpeace had earlier criticized Apple for using coal power for services like iCloud and the voice controlled `personal assistant’, Siri, more than their prevailing rivals.

Internet Energy Usage Growing Rapidly

Facebook as well as Google were commended for their energy efforts. It was reported that Facebook powered its Iowa based data center with wind energy with the energy company, MidAmerican Energy investing around $1.9 billion on one of the world’s biggest order of onshore turbines meant to meet the social network’s demand.

Google on the other hand used power purchase agreements for wind energy in providing electricity for its services like Gmail and YouTube. With Amazon Web Services, it was found that only fifteen percent of the energy was sourced with renewable energy. Company which hosted Netflix, Vine and Spotify and various others, sourced 28 percent of the demand from coal power, with nuclear energy providing 27 percent while gas provided 25 percent.

According to David Pomerantz, a collaborating author on the report states that with the internet energy usage growing rapidly, it is found that for the first time, a large number of technology leaders led by Apple, Google and Facebook are working to power the internet with hundred percent renewable energy which is a major shift.