innovations
20
magazine
2
i
The multifunction watch
TheWATCH fromALCATEL ONETOUCH combines the look of a traditional
watch with the multi-functionality of a smartwatch.
Available in a range of styles and finishes for men and women, theWATCH
connects to Android and iOS smartphones via Bluetooth.
It has multiple sensors including a heart-rate monitor, an accelerometer,
gyroscope, altimeter and e-compass that can be used to track sleep cycles,
distances covered, steps taken and calories burned.
When the smartwatch is connected to a smartphone, it alerts the user to
call notifications and social media updates and vibrates if users stray too far
from their phone.
Touching theWATCH’s screen activates a multimedia remote control that
lets users control music, take pictures from their phone from a distance or make
their phone ring in order to locate it.
You’ve got it covered
A new service that aims to take the complexity out of
managing, securing and updating multiple mobile devices
in an age of choice for employees has been launched by
Vodafone UK.
Total Managed Mobility (TMM) enables large organisations to
create a customised mobile device management (MDM) solution
optimised for current and future needs.
Instead of selecting a single MDM product that attempts to
cover all devices and operating systems or adding new solutions
on an ad hoc basis, TMM offers a combination of MDM solutions
in one portfolio, including Blackberry, Good for Enterprise and
Vodafone’s Secure Device Manager (powered by Airwatch).
David Langhorn, Head of Corporate and Large Enterprise at
Vodafone UK, said: “Businesses are looking for a secure, simple
way to manage all the mobile devices across all operating
systems that their employees use for work, without having to
purchase a new application every time a new device comes onto
the market. That’s why we’ve launched the new TMM service –
to give IT managers the peace of mind that they’ve got device
management and security covered.”
Phablets hit the spot
The success of the iPhone 6 Plus highlights the
popularity of smartphones with larger screen
sizes. So successful are so called phablets that
Juniper Research is predicting a three-fold
increase in sales between 2015 and 2019,
when smartphones with larger screens will
number 400 million or 20% of all shipments.
The bulk of these will be budget devices with
screens of 5.5-6.9 inches.
Tablets, Phablets
& Hybrids: Ecosystem Evolution, Vendor
Landscape & Forecasts 2014-2019
attributes
the success of phablets to growing use of
smartphones for content consumption and
gaming.
The BT elements 1k is ideal for anyone who needs to use
a landline phone outdoors, from home workers with large
gardens to car dealers with large forecourts, factory workers
and even farmers.
It has a range of up to 1,000 metres, is
totally dust-proof and waterproof up to
1 metre.
Useful features include
Nuisance Call Blocking,
which lets customers block
calls from international
numbers, withheld
numbers and unknown
callers; a Do Not Disturb
mode, which switches off the
ringer for all callers except those
specified as VIPs in the contacts list;
and call barring to selected numbers,
such as premium rate lines.
.
A landline made
for roaming
The return of the QWERTY keypad
Surprising as it may seem, not everyone
likes an on-screen keypad; there are still
plenty who prefer buttons that you press.
To meet their needs, BlackBerry has
launched the BlackBerry Classic, combining
the iconic QWERTY keypad design of the
Curve and Bold with the speed and security of
BlackBerry 10.
BlackBerry executive chairman and CEO
John Chen said: “BlackBerry Classic is the
powerful communications tool that many
BlackBerry Bold and Curve users have been
waiting for. It’s the secure device that feels familiar in their hands, with the added
performance and agility they need to be competitive in today’s busy world.”
The BlackBerry Classic has a three times faster browser than the BlackBerry
Bold 9900, 60% more screen space, 50% longer battery life and a greater variety
of applications.
In addition to the QWERTY keyboard with trackpad and navigation keys, the
phone has a 3.5in touch screen display, front- and rear-facing cameras and up to
22 hours of battery power.
UK patent for mobile number screening
Cloud comms company Magnetic North has secured a
UK patent on its Mobile Number Screening technology,
which has been shown to increase mobile connect rates in
outbound call centre campaigns by as much as 40%.
It does this by interrogating the network status of mobiles to
identify the estimated one in three devices that are either turned
off or roaming overseas.
Eliminating time wasted calling such devices maximises
agent talk-time and leads to increased sales and successful call
outcomes. One customer making calls on behalf of Sky TV saw
its talk time increase by over 35% after adopting the feature.
