Journal Of Life

2014年2月26日星期三

Firefox的操作系統將發動 HTML5 Web應用程序的智能設備 ( Firefox OS Will Launch On Web App Based Smart Devices by HTML5 )

$25 Firefox OS Smartphones: Mobile World Congress

Spreadtrum and Mozilla target first-time smartphone users in emerging markets.
Spreadtrum Communications, China's leading mobile chip supplier; and Mozilla, Firefox's OS designer, have teamed up to storm the world's emerging markets with a $25 smartphone, its startling low cost enabled by Web technologies.

The two companies said they have completed the integration of Firefox OS with several of Spreadtrum's WCDMA and EDGE smartphone chipsets.

The first-generation Firefox OS smartphones, which were launched last year by companies such as Alcatel, ZTE, and LG, have been made available primarily through operator channels. Carriers like Telefonica have deployed Firefox OS smartphones, but many analysts see little impact so far on the smartphone market. Scott Bicheno, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, said Firefox OS handsets make up less than 1% of total global smartphone shipments.

The Spreadtrum/Mozilla strategy for $25 smartphones is to change that narrative. Diana Jovin, VP of corporate strategy at Spreadtrum, told us the devices will be sold on the open market and will target first-time smartphone users.

ZTE Launches Grand Memo II LTE, Firefox OS Open C

BARCELONA—Chinese phone manufacturer ZTE opened day one of Mobile World Congress by unveiling its newest flagship phablet, the Grand Memo II LTE.

ZTE put an emphasis on form and function, highlighting design aspects like the carbon fiber back and split-screen multitasking. With LTE support and a Qualcomm chipset, it's likely that we'll see the Grand Memo II in some form here in the U.S.
The Grand Memo II is all screen—80 percent screen, to be exact. The 6-inch 720p IPS display is covered in Gorilla Glass 3, while the back cover is made of carbon fiber weave. The Grand Memo II is impressively thin at 0.28 inches, but ZTE didn't provide exact weight specs. Inside, the plus-sized phablet is packing a large 3200mAh battery, which ZTE claims will last for 16 hours of continuous video playback.

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, the Grand Memo II is poised to compete with this year's crop of flagship phones. ZTE highlighted its split-screen multitasking features, which will help take advantage of the added screen real estate. The Grand Memo II will come with a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Also onboard is 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0.

MWC Bug Art

ZTE also showed off its new Firefox OS device, the ZTE Open C, featuring a 4-inch WVGA display and dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor. The Open C runs the latest Firefox OS 1.3 and will come in a variety of playful colors. Around back is a 3-megapixel camera, and inside is a modest 1400mAh battery.

Pricing was not discussed, but ZTE execs said to expect the Grand Memo II to retail for around $300 while the Open C should be in the neighborhood of $80 at launch. For more, check out our hands-on video of the ZTE Projector Hotspot below.

威盛加入 Firefox OS 平板 Contribution Program

美商謀智 (Mozilla) 發表新款參考平台硬體與工具，除了將加速強化 Firefox OS 生態系統外，也能讓 OEM 廠商、開發者、電信廠商使用更快速、更簡單、更經濟的裝置，建置創新的 Web App 並打造個人化 Firefox OS 經驗。繼鴻海 (Foxconn) 之後，威盛電子 (VIA) 也加入 Mozilla 在今年 1 月啟動的 Firefox OS 平板電腦 Contribution Program，為全球開發者提供 7 吋螢幕「Vixen」參考平台平板電腦 (Reference tablet)，Firefox OS 平板電腦與支援用生態系統將可望更加強化。

Mozilla 本次發表 4.5 吋螢幕的雙核心參考平台手機 (Reference phone)，期望協助開發者測試新版 Firefox OS的功能，並了解 App 是否能因應不同的記憶體容量而順利運行。Mozilla同時也擴大平板電腦Contribution Program，以期協助開發者測試 App 並帶動 Firefox OS 平板電腦版本的開發。

再者，Mozilla 也宣佈新的 Firefox OS PhoneGap 整合計畫，可讓眾多 PhoneGap 開發者快速將現有 App 移植到 Firefox OS 上。新的 WebAPI 另將持續縮短原生 App 與 Web App 之間的差距。在今年全球行動通訊大會 (MWC 2014) 上，Mozilla也發表了即將推出的開發者工具，OEM廠商與電信業者能對應不同客戶層輕鬆自訂所須 Firefox OS。

開發者一直是引領 Web 創新、讓 Web 成為 App 開發與散佈平台的關鍵。透過這些新的WebAPI、工具、參考平台裝置，將有利 Mozilla 催化 Web App 的成長，並繼續弭平其他 App 生態系統所設下的限制。Web 不僅能簡化 App 開發過程、減少目前雜亂的分化 (Fragmentation) 情形，也賦予開發者選擇托管自己 App的權力，或透過 Firefox Marketplace 銷售 App，藉此直接掌握與消費者之間的關係。

最近由 Vision Mobile 所發佈的報告顯示，開發者對 Firefox OS 有興趣的比例在短短半年內已達 7%。此份報告另外強調在 2014 年 Q1，已有 52% 的行動開發者使用 HTML5 開發行動網站或 Web App，另外還有 16% 的開發者表達其加入意願。

另由 Strategy Analytics 所提出的調查結果也指出，要為 Firefox OS 開發行動 App 的開發者人數，在今年可望達成 3 倍以上成長，在在顯示開發者對Firefox OS 的興趣大幅超越其他行動平台。業界的成長動力，是來自於目前數百萬名 Web 開發者均透過 HTML5 進行程式設計，而這些開發者也渴望不需要再學習新的程式語言，或不須針對特定行動平台雇用工程師，即可大步邁入行動產業。

下列不斷擴充的 WebAPI、工具、參考平台硬體，均將帶領 Firefox OS 生態系統不斷茁壯，並證明 Web 確實是 App 開發與佈建的強大平台。

新款參考平台手機 (Reference Phone)

在 MWC 2014 上，Mozilla 將為大家呈現嶄新開發者參考平台手機 ─ Firefox OS Flame，讓開發者能在實際環境中搭配行動網路與真正的硬體特性參數 (如 NFC、Accelerometer、相機)，確實測試 Firefox OS 的效能。如同目前已上市的 Firefox OS 手機，Flame 參考平台手機同樣搭載高通 (Qualcomm) 製造的 1.2GH 雙核心處理器，讓開發者能輕鬆測試高處理器需求的 App 與遊戲。若要針對較小記憶體的特定 Firefox OS 手機設計 App，開發者可調整 Flame 的 RAM 容量 (256MB ~ 1GB)，確認 App 可在較低規格的手機上執行。Flame 亦搭載最新版的 Firefox OS，以利開發者或初期使用者測試每夜更新 (Nightly) 版，並發佈至整體開發平台之上。

Firefox OS Flame (參考平台手機) 規格一覽：

Qualcomm MSM8210 Snapdragon ─ 1.2GHZ 雙核心處理器
4.5 吋螢幕 (FWVGA 854x480 畫素)
相機：機背鏡頭 5MP / 前方鏡頭 2MP
3G UMTS 四頻 (850/900/1900/2100)
8GB 記憶體
256MB ~ 1GB RAM (開發者可自行調整)
A-GPS、NFC
電池容量：1,800 mAh
WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n、Bluetooth、Micro USB

眾多 PhoneGap 使用者現可開發 Firefox OS

於 3 月初發佈的下一版本 PhoneGap ，將開始支援 Firefox OS。廣受跨平台 App 開發者所喜愛的PhoneGap，是基於 Cordova 的領導開發工具。Cordova 是Apache 基金會知名的開放源碼專案，可將 HTML5 App 封裝為原生 App。Firefox OS 與 Cordova 完成整合後，PhoneGap 即能順利支援 Firefox OS 的 App 與相關開發。

PhoneGap 屬於行動 App 開發框架，已擁有許多忠實的開發者。該框架是以 Apache Cordova 開放源碼專案為架構。開發者只要以 HTML、CSS、JavaScript 撰寫 App 一次，即可將之佈署至多款行動裝置中，且其功能與原生 App 完全相同。在整合 Firefox OS 後，開發者僅須再進行最低程度的作業，即可將現有的 PhoneGap App 迅速移植到 Firefox OS 之中。如須更多資訊，可參閱 Mozilla Hacks的相關文章。

應用程式管理員 (App Manager) 可即時製作原型並除錯　簡化 App 開發過程

「應用程式管理員 (App Manager)」可讓行動 App 開發者也能使用 Firefox 開發者工具。應用程式管理員將展現 Web 力量，協助開發者透過自己的桌上型電腦，直接於 Firefox OS 手機上進行 Web

App 測試、佈署、除錯等作業。目前已有數百萬名 Web 開發者是以 Firefox 的 Web 開發工具來撰寫網頁。現更能搭配應用程式管理員而延伸相關功能，以熟悉的相同流程順利開發行動 App。開發者不須再下載其他 SDK 即可使用應用程式管理員，一如 Firefox 瀏覽器已整合的其他開發工具。

由於應用程式管理員與 Firefox OS 都使用了 Open Web 技術，所以除錯、即時編輯、製作原型等作業均極為簡單。舉例來說，若有 OEM 廠商或電信商想針對不同客戶，設計出不同商標的首頁主題，只要使用應用程式管理員，即可在桌上型電腦上開發主題，且在連上 Firefox OS 手機之後，就能即時觀看手機上的顯示效果，不需額外的編譯時間。可參閱此篇 MDN 文章以進一步了解。

新的 WebAPI 與產業普及度

包含2013年發佈的至少 8 個 API 在內 (包含 WebNFC 與Data Store API)，Mozilla 現已率先提供超過 30 個 WebAPI。針對 App 的開發活動，這些新的 API 已為 Web 建構了更多功能與特色。隨著這些 API 逐漸完成標準化的同時，相關產業的普及度也越來越高。三星電子 (Samsung) 已將 Vibration API 與 Battery Status API 添增至 WebKit 中；如 Apache Cordova 與奧多比 (Adobe) 的 PhoneGap 等工具，現亦已納入 6 個最常用的 WebAPI。

鴻海與威盛電子加入平板電腦 Contribution Program

Mozilla 於 1 月啟動平板電腦 Contribution Program，旨在加速建構平板電腦版本的 Firefox OS 與支援用的生態系統。計畫啟動後，鴻海科技集團也率先加入成為首位硬體合作夥伴。緊接在鴻海之後，威盛電子也加入 Firefox OS 平板電腦 Contribution Program 的行列，為全球開發者提供 7 吋螢幕的「Vixen」參考平台平板電腦 (Reference tablet)。開發者現可透過本篇 Mozilla Hacks 文章申請加入此計畫。

參考平台平板電腦 (Reference Tablet) 規格一覽：

威盛 Vixen:

7 吋 1024x600 HD LCD 螢幕
1.2 GHz 雙核心 Cortex-A9 處理器
ARM Mali-400 雙處理器 GPU
8GB 儲存容量
1GB RAM
相機：前方鏡頭 0.3 MP / 機背鏡頭 2.0 MP
802.11 b/g/n WiFi

鴻海 InFocus:

10 吋螢幕 (1280 x 800 像素、24 位元高彩)
A31 (ARM Cortex A7) 四核心 1.0GHz，內含 PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU
16GB儲存容量
2GB RAM
相機：機背鏡頭 5MP / 前方鏡頭 2MP
A-GPS
電池容量：7,000 mAh
WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n、Bluetooth、Micro USB

Mozilla 技術長 Brendan Eich 表示：「很明顯的，由於原生 App 與 Web App 之間的技術差距，有越來越多開發者選用 Web 作為行動 App 開發平台。我們聽見開發者想把 Web 作為主要開發平台的訴求，也認為這些新進開發者所關注的 WebAPI、硬體、工具，現已由 Mozilla 與其合作夥伴完成大幅進展。很高興能在 2014 年看到更多、更精采的行動創新成果。」

ZTE wants to sell 1 million Firefox OS phones this year, Open C and Open II will be among them

Apart from announcing the new Android-based Grand Memo II LTE, ZTE today also revealed future plans regarding its Firefox OS handsets. As Mozilla mentioned last month at CES, ZTE's newest Firefox phones are the Open C and Open II.

The Open C is the best among the two, although it’s still a modest device when compared to today’s high-end smartphones.

Sporting a 4-inch display with 480 x 800 pixels, the ZTE Open C comes with HSPA+ connectivity, a 3MP rear camera, dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of ROM, and a 1,400 mAh battery. The phone measures 126 x 64.7 x 10.8 mm. ZTE will launch the Open C in the second quarter of the year, first in Venezuela and Uruguay (via Telefónica).

As for the Open II, this is the successor to the ZTE Open that was released in 2013. Its features include a 3.5-inch display with 320 x 480 pixels, HSPA+, 2MP rear camera, dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 256MB of RAM, 2GB of internal memory, and a 1,150 mAh battery.

Both new ZTE handsets will be affordable - but certainly not as affordable as the $25 Firefox phone that Mozilla is working on. ZTE says it expects to ship "over 1 million" Firefox OS smartphones by the end of 2014. The Chinese company also mentioned that it’s planning to release a 4.5-inch Firefox handset by 2015. Yesterday, Alcatel already unveiled two 4.5-inch Firefox phones: the Fire S and Fire E.

分析

HTML5 web apps 架構將是未來智能設備相當重要的方向，Android 及 iOS 是否跟隨成為重要的演變，它將使得智能設備獲利方向集中往雲端及物聯網，由 WhatApp 及 Line 的獲利發展方向更可看出這科技方向；
OS 的方向也大幅轉向 Chrome OS 及 Firefox OS 這種以雲端及物聯網應用為主的系統；Firefox OS 將加速帶動智慧型手機低價化、雲端及物聯網應用，預估 Google 將採用這架構避開與 Microsoft、Apple Inc., 專利戰；
若Chrome OS 及 Firefox OS 這種以雲端及物聯網應用為主的系統都大幅使用HTML5 web apps 架構，Web Apps 將成為主流，Google Chrome OS 將得利；
Firefox OS simulator 下載；( 它是 Firefox browser 的擴充檔, 只要安裝 Firefox browser 就可以發展 Firefox OS apps ). ( Firefox OS will be supported in the next release of PhoneGap, the leading developer tool for building apps across platforms. This builds on the recently announced Firefox OS integration with Cordova, a popular Apache Foundation open source project that allows HTML5 applications to be packaged as native apps. )
如何設計 Firefox first apps；
目前由 Apache 之 Cordova Plugin 及 PhoneGap Framework 演進出個種不同之 Cordova Plugin 如 Android Cordova 等，讓 Apps 跨平台之進度又往前邁一步；

2014年2月22日星期六

Google Fiber 大受歡迎，成為 Google主推產品 - 2014 Google 新產品 Chromecast、Chromebook、Google Glass、Google Fiber 將大成長

Google Fiber turned Kansas City into a magnet for tech startups ( Google Fiber 讓 Kansas 市創業經濟大幅成長 )

Soon no one will snicker when Kansas City residents proudly refer to their city as the “Silicon Prairie.” As the Associated Press reports, the presence of Google’s (GOOG) high-speed fiber network has turned Kansas City into a major attraction for tech startups that want to take advantage of the fastest Internet connectivity in the United States. According to the AP, “several startup-friendly locations… have sprouted up in Kansas City in recent months” in residential buildings that give entrepreneurs room for “working on their ideas for the next high-tech startup.”

The AP profiles one such startup residence, dubbed the “Home for Hackers,” that offers entrepreneurs “a deal that allows them to live rent-free” for up to three months “while they develop their business plans.” The house has three spots reserved specifically for entrepreneurs and an additional bedroom set up for “fiber tourists who want a place for a day or two where they can download anything faster than they could elsewhere.”

But despite all the startup activity in Kansas City, the Silicon Prairie’s small businesses say they’re still having trouble overcoming the perception that they live in a second-tier city. In particular, they tell the AP that they still have a lot of trouble raising capital from venture capitalists who prefer to have startups nearby on the West Coast instead of in the Heartland.

“I’ve had some really incredible conversations with some big name VCs, and their first statement is that when you’re in this early stage you have to be here, right next to us,” Mike Farmer, the founder of the Kansas City-based mobile search app Leap2.com, told the AP. “That is a hurdle.”

Google Fiber專案將擴充至美國其他34個城市

All content one space

Google存取服務副總裁Milo Medin於周三（2/19）宣布，Google正準備擴大Google Fiber專案，將1Gbps的光纖網路服務從現有的3個城市擴充至其他在美國9大都會區的34個城市。

Google Fiber為Google在2010年發表的1Gbps光纖到府服務。Google 認為高速的網路服務將是創新的基礎，同時也能助長經濟發展與改善教育品質。迄今已在堪薩斯州的堪薩斯市（Kansas City, Kansas）、德州的奧斯汀市（Austin）與猶他州的普羅沃市（Provo）展開部署，而本周則宣布已邀請美國9大都會區的其他34個城市參與Google Fiber專案。

Medin表示，Google將與這些城市的領導人展開雙方的共同規畫程序，以便評估Google Fiber的部署，Google將會先擬訂一份需要各城市協助的清單，例如地圖以及各種既有的管線，也會要求城市提供存取當地基礎建設或執行程序的許可；之後進行在這些城市部署Google Fiber的相關研究，諸如當地的地形、住家的密度，或是當地條件等，以評估建置成本與時間表。

一直要等到上述的程序結束後，Google才會宣布部署Google Fiber的新一輪名單。這代表這些城市只是潛在對象，不一定全數都能參與Google Fiber專案，但雀屏中選的城市可望在今年底前就可存取Google Fiber服務。

這9大都會區包含亞特蘭大、山貓、納什維爾、鳳凰城、波特蘭、羅列-達勒姆、盬湖城、聖安東尼奧與舊金山等。Google亦說明，遴選這些都會區與城市的原因是相關區域的主事者皆努力想提昇當地所使用的最新技術及網路速度，與Google的想法不謀而合。

What is Google Fiber and why is it so awesome? ( Google 光纖為什麼這麼有吸引力 )

Today, Google announced its latest plans to install Google Fiber internet service in Provo, Utah, Internet rollout plan. The company is in the middle of upgrading the city’s existing fiber network to make it ready for the insane speeds that Google is bringing to town. Google’s currently in talks with property managers to get Google Fiber lines installed in apartment buildings and other large complexes.

which was the third city that the search giant announced for its

However, with the relatively new state of gigabit Internet and its limited rollout thus far, you may not know exactly what Google Fiber is and what it means for consumers. That’s okay, though, as you still have plenty of time before Google Fiber most likely reaches your area. In the meantime, here’s a quick primer to Google Fiber and why you should be jealous of the cities that are getting it soon.

What plans are available?

Google offers three different Google Fiber plans:

5Mbps Internet for $0/month (one-time construction/installation fee)
1Gbps Internet for $70/month (fee waived)
1Gbps Internet with TV for $120/month (fee waived)

Google FiberThe construction fee varies depending on your location. Kansas City residents will have to pony up a $300 one-time fee, while Provo residents only pay $30. That’s quite a big difference in cost. We’re not quite sure why Google has different installation fees, but it could have something to do with each city’s different infrastructures and the difficulty of installing Google Fiber.

The free 5Mbps Internet service that Google is offering with Fiber is particularly interesting. It’s the basic of the basic, of course, but this is the type of DSL service that many ISPs charge as much as $40 a month for, and sometimes even more, depending on your location. Furthermore, Google guarantees that the price of the 5Mbps plan (or lack thereof) won’t be raised for at least seven years.

As for the faster plan, the 1Gbps service comes with a bevy of perks, including 1TB of Google Drive storage with the television service equipped with a 2TB DVR recorder in addition to the Google Drive storage. The DVR can also record up to eight live television shows at once. Along with all that, customers who get the Internet and television package will also receive a free Nexus 7 that is used as the remote control of sorts for the system, and you’ll be able to stream live content to the tablet as well.

Google 的 Chromecast 電視棒終於走出美國，預計 3 月在英國開賣

今天 The Next Web 從一家英國電子零售商處獲悉，之前只在美國有售的 Chromecast 電視棒將從 3 月 1 日起正式在英國開賣。目前 Google 已經證實了這款產品將登陸英國的消息，不過零售商所說的日期僅爲暫定，未來還有變化的可能。

值得一提的是，之前 Chromecast 只支援 Netflix、Hulu 等美國本土應用，漂洋過海後要如何解決水土不服的問題，現在還沒有個確定的答案。不過 Google 已經向所有開發者開放了 SDK，Rdio、Beats 等服務商均表示很快就會改進自己的應用來支援這款裝置。至於價格目前仍是個謎，在英國以後會不會還有其它地區跟進，大家也敬請拭目以待吧。

( 註：由分析數字看， 2014 Google 產品策略主打 Chromecast、Chromebook、Google Glass、Google Fiber，逐漸以雲端加值服務、電信服務為主)