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Phonebloks: The smartphone for the rest of your life

What does 20 million tonnes of electronic waste look like? Well, it looks something like a large container train full of decaying technology stretched all the way around the world. Every year we dispose of at least that quantity of 'e-waste' and our phones are one of the biggest causes. The solution? Phonebloks -- the mobile phone you'll never need to throw away.

When electronics decide to give up it's usually just one component that's causing the problem. Enter Phonebloks: a fully customizable phone built from, you guessed it, blocks. Phone getting slow? Change the memory block. Like taking pictures? Update your camera. The blocks then attach easily to a base which connects them all together.

The designers at Phonebloks are not the only ones seeking a solution to the planet's growing e-waste problem. One of the zanier concepts by Daizi Zheng is a phone powered by a 'bio battery' that feeds on the sugars and enzymes in Coca Cola and it's supposed to last 3-4 times longer than a lithium battery.

What if you could buy a smartphone that would last you for the rest of your life?

This is the dream of Dutch designer Dave Hakkens, whose 'Phonebloks' concept has captured the public imagination and received celebrity endorsement from the most unexpected quarters.

Phonebloks is a radical cell phone idea that aims to dramatically reduce global electronic waste ('e-waste') by offering users the opportunity to upgrade parts -- or bloks -- of their cell phone rather than having to replace the entire device.

Hakkens says that he came up with Phonebloks as a response to the accelerating pace of technological waste: "I don't like the direction electronics are heading. They get more disposable and get a shorter life with every model. This gives a lot of e-waste."

The environmental campaign organisation Greenpeace estimates that global e-waste now amounts to between 20 and 50 million tons a year. Put into perspective, they say that quantity of waste, loaded onto container trains, would stretch all the way around the world.

Speaking at the CleanUp 2013 conference in Melbourne Australia, Professor Ming Wong, director of the Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences at Hong Kong Baptist University, described the growing problem of e-waste as a "timebomb."

"[It] is the world's fastest growing waste stream, rising by 3 to 5% every year," said Wong.

The Phonebloks concept aims to decrease e-waste by offering consumers the opportunity to replace individual components of their phone, while retaining the device's basic frame.

Once constructed, Hakkens hopes that the Phonebloks handset will be built from components that can be 'clicked' together like Legos. Each component will have its own function e.g. Bluetooth, WiFi, battery, or camera. When a component stops working or needs to be upgraded, it can be quickly replaced with a new 'blok'.

In theory, Hakkens believes that choosing separate components could enable users to personalize their cell phone to their own specifications, adding an improved camera, increased storage or a larger battery.

"The idea is to set up a platform which, if used correctly, can reduce the amount of waste significantly," Hakkens says.

At present, Phonebloks is still a long way from reaching the market -- indeed its inventor hasn't even asked for any money to begin developing it. For now, Hakkers has simply been gathering support for the concept through the "crowd-speaking" platform Thunderclap.

At the time of writing, the Phonebloks concept video has received more than 12 million views on YouTube and been shared on social networks more than 650,000 times. The project has also received support from the actor Elijah Wood and television correspondent Jessica Northey.

The Phonebloks concept is not without its critics. Some argue that making a device that can more easily be upgraded will increase e-waste rather than reducing it. Others suggest that it would be

impossible to build a functional smartphone in a modular way.

Hakkens says that at the very least his campaign has shown that there is an appetite for an environmentally friendly cell phone and that even though the concept was only officially launched a week ago "we are already having conversations with some serious players."

Tom Dowdall, a Climate and Energy spokesperson for Greenpeace, says that the interest in Phonebloks may be useful in underlining the growing prooblem of e-waste: "Hopefully the popularity of the Phonebloks concept will spark more action from the major manufacturers. It should not be beyond the innovative phone companies to make products that are upgradable and designed to last."

One of Steve Jobs' last gifts was left in a brown box and handed out at his memorial service.

Inside the brown box was a copy of "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Hindu guru Paramahansa Yogananda. The book was about self realization, Salesforce (CRM) CEO Mark Benioff told an audience at annual tech conference TechCrunch Disrupt. Benioff, who wrote some of the first code for the Macintosh, was one of Jobs' closest friends and colleagues.

"That was his message," Benioff said. "Actualize yourself.... He had this incredible realization that his intuition was his greatest gift, and he needed to look at the world from inside out."

Benioff emphasized the spiritual side of Jobs' personality, a trait he says is often lost in the books and movies recounting Jobs' legacy.

Before Jobs passed away in October 2011 , the Apple founder knew the people who would attend his memorial. Known for his vision and precision, Jobs organized the speakers, the attendees, and the performers, Bono and Yo-Yo Ma would play at a memorial service as planned, Benioff recounted. On the way out, each guest received the gift.

"I knew that this was a decision that he made that everyone was going to get this," Benioff, said. "Whatever this was, was the last thing he wanted us to all think about."

Benioff suggested the tech giant do some of its own soul searching at a time when the company is no longer positioned as the clear front-runner in a market it once dominated.

Samsung and Google's (GOOG, Fortune 500) Android devices are outselling Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) landmark products like the iPhone and iPad, and shares of the tech company have tumbled 30% over the last year. Benioff said Apple should understand the importance of the gift left to Jobs' friends and colleagues.

"For [Apple], they need to find themselves and be who they are," Benioff, said. "In many ways they're still trying to be him. They just need to be who they are truly. Respect the past, and, as Steve would say, 'Project the future.'"

US NSA and UK GCHQ 'can spy on smartphones'

German privacy campaigners have welcomed Edward Snowden's disclosures about NSA surveillance

The US National Security Agency (NSA) is reported have cracked the security codes which protect data on iPhones, Blackberries and Android devices.

German news weekly Der Spiegel says documents suggest the NSA and the British GCHQ made joint efforts to gather intelligence.

Teams looked at each phone to crack its privacy codes, Der Spiegel said.

Saturday saw thousands of demonstrators in Berlin demand that the NSA stop monitoring internet users.

Codes unlocked

The documents Spiegel has seen do not show whether or not there has been mass surveillance of phone use.

Once the intelligence teams had unlocked the codes, agencies could read a user's contacts and lists of who had been called.

The BBC's Steve Evans in Berlin says the reports do seem to indicate that the British and American security agencies have the ability to read private communications beyond what might have previously been thought possible - or desirable by those who fear the intrusion of the state.

The magazine did not explain how it had obtained the documents.

Protesters in Berlin demanded the NSA "stop watching us"

But one of the authors of the article, Laura Poitras, is an American filmmaker with close contacts to the NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

'Champagne'

According to the documents seen by Der Spiegel, the Canadian manufacturer of Blackberry phones began using a new method to compress the data in May 2009.

Intelligence agents were unable to access some information on BlackBerry phones for about a year afterwards, the Associated Press news agency said.

Der Spiegel's article said that GCHQ then cracked the problem, too - and analysts celebrated their achievement with the word "Champagne".

A stream of recent revelations about international data surveillance has ignited a heated debate in Germany about the country's co-operation with the United States in intelligence matters.

Report: Apple testing bigger iPhone screens

Apple is testing iPhone display screens as large as 6 inches, according to a new report.

The screens, ranging upward from 4.8 inches, would be a pretty massive leap from the 4-inch display on the iPhone 5. But don't expect to see them when Apple rolls out new iPhones next week.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that the bigger screens could signal a future move by Apple to offer iPhones of various sizes. That would put them more in line with their chief rival, Samsung, which has put a dent in the iPhone's dominance with devices like their Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines.

On Wednesday, Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Note 3, with a whopping 5.7-inch display that further blurs the boundary between large phone and small tablet.

On Tuesday, Apple is expected to roll out two different iPhones -- an update to the iPhone 5 and a cheaper model that would be designed to appeal to buyers in emerging markets like China and India.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has knocked Apple's rivals for making "trade-offs" in order to pack larger screens into phones, although he has not ruled out such a move for future iPhones.

Opinions are split on whether Apple will also introduce other products, like a new iPad or a much-anticipated smartwatch, next week.

The Journal report said the iPhones unveiled next Tuesday will likely have the same size screen as the current model. An Apple spokesperson, predictably, declined to comment.

Samsung's hefty 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 is sort of a cross between a phone and a tablet and comes with a stylus for more precise navigation. The company is expected to unveil a new model September 4 that will boast an upgraded camera, better battery life and 3GB of RAM.

Fall is here, which means new smartphones are on the way. Apple will hold an event September 10 to launch the successor to its aging iPhone 5, seen here. The new iPhone is expected to have a faster processor, an improved camera, longer battery life and a fingerprint scanner for added security. Its screen size may remain the same, though.

BlackBerry, once the king of business-oriented phones, is now struggling to catch up. Unlike past BlackBerry models, its flagship Z10 smartphone has no physical keyboard. It also offers a feature that splits the phone into two separate devices -- one for work and one for personal use -- so IT departments can control the flow of sensitive data.

HTC's flagship phone, which runs the Android Jelly Bean operating system, has a 4.7-inch display screen and a souped-up camera with a countdown timer for better selfie pics. It's not available on Verizon, however.

This phone boasts a 5-inch display, a 13-megapixel camera and a feature that shuts down background activities to save battery life. And you can take it to the pool: Sony claims the phone can survive in shallow water for up to 30 minutes, providing all its ports are sealed. Available on T-Mobile only.

This big-screen, feature-laden phone has emerged as perhaps the top rival to the once-dominant iPhone. It boasts a 5-inch HD screen, a zippy quad-core processor and a 13-megapixel camera.

Geared to mobile photographers, the Nokia Lumia 1020 packs a whopping 41-megapixel camera that captures extremely high-resolution images. These features come with a price -- the Windows-based phone costs $300, about $100 more than most other high-end models.

The most ambitious smartphone from Motorola since Google bought the company, the Moto X also claims to be the first phone manufactured in the U.S. Hands-free voice controls allow you to operate the phone without touching it -- a handy trick if you're across the room. It's scheduled to go on sale in late August.

Acer's Liquid S2 Phablet Arrives Early at 4K Party

There's no doubt the phablet trend is going strong in some parts of the world, but the widespread appeal of the Liquid S2's 4K video capabilities is much less clear. "There are only a handful of 4K TV sets or monitors available," said Roger Entner, principal analyst at Recon Analytics. "Also, what is the point? We are going beyond the capabilities of the eye to perceive differences."

Against the backdrop of the IFA 2013 trade show in Berlin on Monday, Acer introduced its new Liquid S2 smartphone, a six-inch full HD handset capable of capturing 4K video.

The Liquid S2 has the distinction of being the first smartphone with officially announced 4K Ultra HD recording capability. To support that high-resolution video, its six-inch screen offers full HD with IPS technology and 1080p resolution.

The Android phablet will run on 4G LTE networks and operate on the WiFi 802.11 ac standard. It also boasts dual speakers powered by Dolby Digital Plus.

Gorilla Glass 3.0 from Corning provides a scratch- and shatter-resistant curved screen that creates an edgeless feel around the rim of the smartphone. Its Zero Air Gap Display, meanwhile, removes air between the touch panel and the LCD module to improve the touchscreen function and make the screen more readable in sunlight.

Acer will release the Liquid S2 smartphone in Europe in the middle to end of October. While the company has not finalized deals with carriers, Acer currently sells smartphones in Germany, France, the UK, Russia, Italy, Spain and the Ukraine, and expects to distribute the Liquid S2 to most of that footprint.

The U.S. market might never see the Acer Liquid S2, or at least not until after other markets get the release. Acer currently does not sell smartphones in the U.S. market, Acer spokesperson Erin Davern told TechNewsWorld.

Phabulous Phablet

Phablets have recently overtaken both tablets and portable PCs in terms of shipments in Asia, IDC recently reported, but appeal in the U.S. is still limited.

"I think there is always a market for certain screen sizes," Manuel Linnig, spokesperson at Acer Europe, told TechNewsWorld. "If you look at Asia right now, there is a trend for big phones. In the U.S. and Europe, people say, 'I like it, but it's too big.' It's still in this gray area."

The category has been popularized by handset models such as the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z Ultra and LG Optimus G Pro.

"Phablets are going to have their uses, but we are still looking quite hard for them," said Roger Entner, principal analyst at Recon Analytics.

Ultra HD 4K Video

The Acer Liquid S2 is capable of capturing 4K video, also known as Ultra HD. While the details state that the phablet has a full HD screen, it's not yet clear whether the screen resolution matches the video capture capabilities. Full HD is typically 1080p, which is 1920 x 1080.

"If you're able to capture 4K video, what good is it if you can't see 4K video?" noted Carrie Sylvester, an analyst in the Consumer and Professional Imaging Group at InfoTrends.

4K is not widely available and therefore requires a larger investment -- such as an Ultra HD 4K television -- in order to view those high resolutions.

"If you want to watch video in 4K, you have to transfer or connect with a screen with 4K," said Linnig. "Of course, you can always watch [on the Liquid S2] in full HD."

Currently, "there are only a handful of 4K TV sets or monitors available," Entner told TechNewsWorld. "So going 4K video capturing is certainly ahead of its time. Also, what is the point? We are going beyond the capabilities of the eye to perceive differences."

'Out of Their Radar'

4K technology is still making its way to the mainstream, with just slow pickup among early adopters at this point.

"I can tell you that 4K isn't on the radar screen of most photographers or professional photographers right now," Sylvester told TechNewsWorld. "A lot of them don't know much about it unless they're tech-savvy and tend to be early adopters of technology. 4K is just a little out of their radar."

Cinematographers, in fact, may be the first to take advantage of the new capabilities.

"I think this will first appeal to cinematographers -- people who need that high-end capture and viewing," Sylvester suggested. "I think it's going to take a while before it starts to reach the masses."

Toward that end, Acer and other consumer electronics companies will have to educate consumers on 4K technology.

"It's going to take a lot of education and evangelism on the part of the vendors," said Sylvester. "They have to tell people what this is and why you need it."

Why would Acer make a phablet handset with 4K video capture capabilities at this point? The same reason LG upped the resolution on its forthcoming Quad HD smartphone panel -- to establish a market lead.

"Acer wants to show technology leadership," said Entner. "Even if it's beyond what really matters."

4G: Is It Really Worth All The Hype?

We should probably take network providers' promises about 4G coverage with a cellar of salt.

There have been many pivotal moments in the ascent of man.

The invention of the wheel. The discovery of fire. The ability to Sky+ entire series of Man vs Food.

Might we soon add 4G mobile data transfer to that list?

Certainly we're increasingly using our phones as a gateway to the internet.

One survey showed an average nine-and-a-half hours per user per month of access via a mobile browser.

Another claims that by 2014 mobile web usage will surpass desktop browsing.

With 4G promising download speeds that will in some cases match or better that via wifi, surely it’s a no-brainer that 4G will soon be ubiquitous.

Well, no. Not yet anyway.

Imagine if you could only make fire in certain parts of the country. Or drive your car in certain towns.

Bit useless, eh?

For the time being, that's perhaps 4G's biggest problem.

Vodafone has launched, but only in London. O2 covers inside the M25, but also Leeds and Bradford.

Both of course promise far broader 4G access in the near future.

But take a look at EE, which launched late last year. Despite enjoying a monopoly, they currently have 637,000 users - a fraction of the estimated 82.7 million mobile phone subscriptions in the UK.

EE launched 4G late last year

It covers 60% of the population, and is available in over 100 towns and cities - not exactly comprehensive.

And it's a bit of a bummer if you’re not amongst that number.

Part of EE's problem may have been the lack of competition, not to mention the 4G-capable handset required nor the premium that all three network providers charge for access to fast data on the go.

I do wonder whether people actually are crying out for this service, particularly when the companies providing it claim it’s all about downloading entertainment on the move, streaming live HD TV wherever you are, and so on.

I'm still on a 3G handset. I have little interest in live events and instead download my media when at home, via broadband.

So, when out and about, 3G covers my web browsing and I have plenty stored on my devices if I find myself having a quiet moment.

Plus, 3G is more than capable of streaming live video, as the Sky News iPhone app demonstrates.

Of course, that only applies if you have a decent 3G signal in your area. Which isn’t always the case.

And which perhaps means we should take the network providers’ promises about coverage with a cellar of salt.

Most likely, increased data usage will eventually drive people to 4G services.

In general, whilst bigger isn’t better when it comes to mobiles - faster certainly is.

Nokia: The rise and fall of a mobile giant

From market domination to sell-off in less than 10 years. As Microsoft swoops in to buy Nokia's mobile business for £4.6bn, what happened to Finland's most beloved company, and why would Microsoft take it on?

Whenever you turned on one of Nokia's legendary handsets, you always got the same thing: that famous signature logo, holding hands.

And for more than one generation, it was hand-holding Nokia did best - carrying people through, bit by bit, the mobile revolution.

Because way before we were shouting, "Damn you autocorrect", we were grappling with new-fangled predictive text.

In the days before highly customisable backgrounds and operating systems, there were swappable (and very, very cool) fascias.

And, of course, more than 12 years before anyone ever made birds angry, there was the mobile game to rule them all: Snake.

Nokia were by no means the first company to release a commercially available mobile phone, but it was the first to do it really well, and with true mass appeal.

"Back in the 1990s there weren't these other big brands," says Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight.

"Nokia were so dominant. People didn't talk about what brand, it was just about the number, 3210, or whatever you had. They took users on a journey."

Era of complacency

So far, so good - but then one presentation changed everything.

"Complacency had kicked in," Mr Wood continues, "they felt they could do no wrong.

"Then all of a sudden, in January 2007, Steve Jobs walked on to a stage and pulled an iPhone out of his pocket and changed the world forever."

The fall was swift. According to figures from analyst firm Gartner, Nokia's smartphone market share in 2007 was a dominant 49.4%. In subsequent years, it was 43.7%, then 41.1%, then 34.2%.

In the first half of this year, it had plummeted to just 3%.

Many blame this decline, at least in the initial stages, on Symbian, the firm's mobile operating system. It was, to paraphrase a welter of expert opinion, simply not up to the job.

"They missed the importance of software," Mr Wood says.

"Nokia make great phones, they still do. They went through this incredible decade of innovation in hardware, but what Apple saw was that all you needed was a rectangle with a screen, and the rest was all about the software."

Windows gamble

It took just a few years for Nokia phones to go from being the must-have handset in your pocket, to being the long-forgotten handset, nestled in that eternal graveyard of the mobile phone - the kitchen drawer.

So why would Microsoft spend £4.6bn on a business that looks like it's on the way out?

To use a romantic analogy: they were the only two left at the party who hadn't paired up with anyone.

"They were left dancing together, and thought they might as well go home," jokes Mr Wood.

"Microsoft was left with few alternatives, because they've got to succeed in mobile."

But far from facing an awkward morning after, buying up Nokia's phone business does make a lot of sense for both parties.

For starters, Nokia's flagship smartphones already use Windows Phone, Microsoft's operating system which, although still way behind its competitors, is at least gathering some modest momentum.

With Nokia's phone business moving in-house, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer tells the BBC that the acquisition means they can "improve the agility" of innovation in mobile.

Roberta Cozza, an analyst with Gartner, agrees.

"I think that for Microsoft to compete in today's mobile market against Apple and Google they needed to be more than just a software company," she tells the BBC.

"Depending on the way they figure out the organisational structure with the Nokia people inside, they can allow Nokia to innovate around hardware, and get input from them on the operating system, and gain the opportunity to deliver more competitive products."

Additionally, Ms Cozza says, Microsoft gains key expertise in emerging markets.

"Nokia has know-how of this market that goes beyond the hardware," she says.

Reinventing Nokia

It's hard to imagine Nokia as anything other than a mobile phone company.

But a peek into its history shows a deep-rooted ability to reinvent itself. Indeed, there was a time when Nokia was famous for its durable rubber boots and car tyres.

"I wouldn't be against the 'new' Nokia managing to pull something off," says CCS Insight's Mr Wood.

Clues to the company's future lie with recent strategic movements.

One recent deal, for example, saw Nokia buy up Siemens' share in Nokia Solutions and Networks, a mobile broadband company.

Also remaining in Nokia's portfolio is its well-regarded maps division - Here - which is the mapping software of choice in 80% of cars that feature built-in dashboard navigation.

And then of course, there are those all-important patents. Thanks to Nokia's early dominance, it owns many crucial patents on which the mobile industry relies.

Forbes estimates that Nokia's portfolio is worth somewhere in the region of $4bn (£2.6bn).

So while this may signal the beginning of the end for Nokia as a well-known brand in the hands of millions, many believe it is in good shape to move forward and build as a key player behind the scenes - without the distraction of chasing mainstream popularity.

"Essentially what's left is a new Nokia," Mr Wood concludes.

Samsung beefs up Knox malware protection with Lookout

Samsung has signed a deal with an anti-virus firm to offer improved protection to its Galaxy-branded Android devices.

Samsung's Knox security product helped the firm's handsets be approved for use by Pentagon workers

It will use San Francisco-based Lookout's software to scan handsets and tablets for threats.

The feature will be targeted at business users as part of the firm's forthcoming Knox security product, which was announced in February.

Numerous studies have indicated that many hackers have focused their efforts on Google's Android system.

Analysts said the move was designed to reassure companies that Samsung's Android phones were a safe alternative to the Blackberry and Windows Phone platforms which have promoted their enterprise security facilities as key features.

More malware

Lookout's chief executive blogged that malware protection had become increasingly important at a time more employees were linking their own devices to office networks.

"One in three companies now allow employees to bring their own devices to work, and whether or not it's allowed, employees are doing so and company data is being accessed outside of the corporate network, potentially putting that data at risk," wrote John Hering.

The company said its servers would scan Samsung's mobile devices against known malware that could be introduced via email attachments, webpages or file-sharing services.

Other anti-virus firms have also been quick to play up the threat to Android devices.

Kaspersky recently announced that it had detected 57,000 new examples of malware specifically targeting the operating system since the start of the year.

McAfee has also warned that new types of spyware and code designed to bypass bank ID protection had helped swell the amount of Android malware by 35% in the April-to-June quarter.

The US government has also issued its own alert suggesting 79% of all malware threats to mobile operating systems were directed at Android in 2012.

"Android is the most insecure mobile system of all the mobile ones, and that's been made more difficult because it's so fragmented," said Richard Absalom, an analyst at telecoms consultancy Ovum.

"It's not just that that people are still running old versions of the software, but that Samsung and other vendors are forking the OS in different ways."

Google itself has taken steps to address the problem. Earlier this month it banned apps from its Play store that make changes to a device without the owner's knowledge or consent.

But one expert suggested the firm had still not gone far enough.

"New variants of Android malware are found every day, with most designed to steal money from users by signing them up for expensive premium rate SMS scams," independent security analyst Graham Cluley told the BBC.

"Much of the Android malware has disguised itself as fake versions of popular apps like Angry Birds or Instagram, and although its normally encountered in unofficial app stores they have also managed to intrude into Google's official Play store on a worrying number of occasions."

Defence-approved

Samsung began offering its Knox product to selected Galaxy S4 handsets in May and has promised it would be extended to other devices.

The Pentagon is among organisations to have authorised the use of handsets which include the feature.

"This approval enables other government agencies and regulated industries such as healthcare and financial services to adopt Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets," the South Korean firm said at the time.

Ovum suggested the latest announcement would help give the company an edge over other Android manufacturers such as Sony, HTC and LG.

"What Samsung is doing here is seeing a gap in the market," said Mr Hering.

"Blackberry's share within enterprise is dropping and Windows Phone isn't picking up as fast as Microsoft might have hoped.

"Samsung is the biggest individual smartphone manufacturer out there and it thinks it can now make a major play in the corporate market."