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  • Testing shows voice-over-LTE power drain is improving, but it’s still no 2G

    VoIP calling over 4G networks may be the wave of the future, but as wireless and testing measurement company Spirent discovered last November, voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) technology still has a lot of kinks to work out before it can match the power efficiency of our old reliable 2G networks.

    Tests of MetroPCS’s new VoLTE service found that 4G calls drained twice as much as regular CDMA ones. At the time, however, Spirent Global Director of Insights Amit Malhotra predicted that VoLTE’s power efficiency would improve as both VoLTE network and handset technology progressed. Fast-forward four months and Malhotra’s prognostication appears to be coming true.

    Spirent recently performed a new batch of tests using Metro’s newest generation VoLTE handset, the LG Spirit 4G, and found that the current drain from a VoLTE call had dropped by 33 percent compared to LG’s first-generation VoLTE smartphone, the Connect. Improving power efficiency by 33 percent is a tremendous number when it comes to cellular battery life, which tends to measure progress in tiny increments. But there is still one big qualification to that good news: 2G is still a more power-efficient technology.

    Spirent VoLTE round 2 LTE

    With its latest generation handset, LG improved the overall radio performance of the phone by using an integrated CDMA-LTE radio, rather than the dual chips used in the older Connect (it also beefed up the Spirit with a much larger 2150 mAh battery). That resulted in an 18 percent current drain improvement for CDMA calls in addition to the improved performance in VoLTE. Even with its efficiency boost, VoLTE still ate up far more juice than a CDMA call on either the new Spirit or the old Connect.

    Spirent VoLTE round 2 CDMA

    Spirent’s tests concluded that the LG Spirit would support 875 minutes of talk time in CDMA mode, but only 575 minutes when solely making 4G calls. The Spirit’s bigger battery (with 38 percent more capacity than the Connect) gives the device a big boost in single-charge lifespan, but that 300-minute differential is still huge.

    The bottom line is that while VoLTE’s battery drain is improving it still has a ways to go before it can match the power efficiency of 2G. CDMA and GSM technologies went through more than a decade of optimization to reach their current efficiency levels.  Hopefully VoLTE can close that gap in a much shorter interval. The big improvements LG and MetroPCS demonstrated in a single generation of handsets is a good sign that it can.

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  • ICYMI: IER Research Drives the Budget Debate

    WASHINGTON D.C. — The Institute for Energy Research continues to be a driving force behind sensible, pro-growth energy policies. As Congress considers ways to end failed energy subsidies that waste taxpayer money while seeking new revenues to fill budget deficits, …

  • Sponsored post: Plantronics® Voyager Legend™ brings it all together

    The world’s smartest headset interacts seamlessly with all of the devices, technology and people in your life. Combining triple-mic audio precision with voice commands and Smart Sensor™ technology, the Voyager Legend understands how and when you want to talk. The sensors react when you put the headset on, letting you instantly take calls without a click. If you’re already wearing it, the Voyager Legend headset announces callers by name, allowing you to answer or ignore a call with a voice command. Voice commands also let you check the remaining battery level, connection status and more.

    The Voyager Legend headset can connect to your smartphone and tablet while the Smart Sensor technology will recognize which device you prefer to use. Plus, the free Find MyHeadset™ smartphone app for Android helps you locate your headset when it’s buried in a laptop bag or left behind at a restaurant.

    The Plantronics Voyager Legend headset, delivering unsurpassed audio clarity and all-day comfort, is now available from AT&T. Get yours at att.com/legend.

  • Tripwire Buys nCircle

    Tripwire Inc., a provider of IT security software, is buying information risk and security performance management company nCircle. Terms were not released. Tripwire is backed by Thoma Bravo. The acquisition was financed in part by Thoma Bravo, along with cash from Tripwire’s own earnings and bank loans, the firm said.

    PRESS RELEASE
    Tripwire, Inc., a global provider of IT security solutions, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire nCircle, a leading provider of information risk and security performance management solutions. The acquisition is expected to close in April and is subject to the customary closing conditions. The terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed.

    “Tripwire and nCircle have the opportunity to be a powerful and transformational combination in the rapidly changing security market,” said Jim Johnson, CEO of Tripwire. “Our combined solutions are uniquely positioned to align security posture with business objectives, a crucial step in making security and risk meaningful and actionable across the enterprise.”

    In 2012, the two companies’ combined bookings were approximately $140 million, together they had over 500 employees and more than 7,000 customers in 96 countries. The combined company would have ranked among the largest security and vulnerability management companies in this competitive space including IBM, EMC, Symantec and McAfee. Tripwire is highly profitable with a customer base that includes nearly 50% of the Fortune 500.

    “Security experts know that continuous monitoring — the process of finding and eliminating vulnerabilities before they can be exploited — is a foundational component of any security framework and the most cost effective way to reduce the risk of security breaches,” said Abe Kleinfeld, CEO of nCircle. “The combination of Tripwire and nCircle brings together the industry’s leading researchers and the broadest and deepest solutions for reducing risk.”

    Today, cyber security is more than an IT problem, the convergence of security and risk now impacts the entire enterprise and executives are demanding risk-based security solutions. Following the acquisition of nCircle, Tripwire’s combined solutions will enable senior security officers to make risk-based security decisions aligned with business priorities and goals.

    In a Gartner Inc. report titled Meeting the Information Needs of the Chief Risk Officer in 2023 analysts Paul E. Proctor and Rob McMillan said, “Chief Risk Officers will have the benefit of an engaged executive team, but the challenge of a constantly shifting universe of risk to present and prioritize for stakeholders. To manage their responsibilities they will need new knowledge, tools and techniques for gathering, assessing and presenting information.”

    “It’s difficult to mitigate attacks without understanding vulnerabilities and assessing that resources allocated to IT security are spent wisely,” said Charles Kolodgy, research vice president, security products at IDC. “Organizations must also be able to maintain an optimal security posture. The combined solutions will enable Tripwire to advance the state of the art in risk-based security management.”

    About nCircle
    nCircle is the leading provider of information risk and security performance management solutions to more than 6,500 businesses and government agencies worldwide. nCircle solutions enable enterprises of all sizes to (1) automate compliance and reduce risk, and (2) measure and compare the performance of their IT security program with their own goals and industry peers. nCircle solutions may be deployed on a customer’s premises, as a cloud-based service, or in combination, for maximum flexibility and value.

    About Tripwire, Inc.
    Tripwire is a leading global provider of IT security and compliance solutions for enterprises, government agencies and service providers who need to protect their sensitive data on critical infrastructure from breaches, vulnerabilities, and threats. Thousands of customers rely on Tripwire’s critical security controls like security configuration management, file integrity monitoring, log and event management. Tripwire solutions provide integrated controls for unprecedented visibility and intelligence into business goals.

    The post Tripwire Buys nCircle appeared first on peHUB.

  • UCLA Stroke Center awarded ‘comprehensive stroke center’ certification

    The UCLA Stroke Center has been certified as a comprehensive stroke center by the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The center, part of UCLA Health and the UCLA Department of Neurology, is one of the first 10 stroke centers in the nation to receive the prestigious designation.
     
    The certification, which confirms that the UCLA Stroke Center has met the highest national standards for safety and quality of care, further enhances the center’s national reputation as an innovator in clinical care.
     
    “This is a true team effort, reflecting the efforts of over 200 physicians, nurses, therapists, pharmacists and technologists at the UCLA Stroke Center and spanning all of UCLA Health.” said Dr. Jeffrey Saver, the center’s director and a professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “It is a reflection of our team’s sustained, collective commitment to saving the lives of our stroke patients.”
     
    The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, conducted a rigorous on-site review at UCLA, collecting data and evaluating the center’s performance based on the commission’s requirements for the certification designation.
     
    The commission now certifies two levels of stroke care, “primary” and “comprehensive.” Comprehensive stroke centers offer the highest level of care, including neuro-intensive care units, complex neurosurgical interventions, and advanced brain and blood-vessel imaging.
     
    Since the UCLA Stroke Center was established in 1994, it has offered stroke patients state-of-the-art facilities and highly skilled specialists, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As part of a major academic institution, the center also has been a world leader in researching and implementing new ways to improve stroke survival and recovery.
     
    For example, nearly a decade ago, center researchers invented the MERCI Retriever — a mechanical device that removed stroke-causing clots from the brain. The center supplanted the MERCI device last February with the SOLITAIRE Flow Restoration Device, which dramatically outperformed the standard mechanical treatment. SOLITAIRE proved to be so superior that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ended its clinical trial nearly a year earlier than planned due to SOLITAIRE’s significantly better outcomes.
     
    The UCLA Stroke Center was also an innovator with the establishment, in 2009, of its Telestroke Network Partner Program, which gives emergency departments at community hospitals across California the opportunity for direct, immediate, around-the-clock video consultations with UCLA stroke neurology experts. Within 15 minutes of being contacted, a neurologist can be interviewing and counseling a patient and family and performing a stroke-specific neurologic exam through a two-way video connection. The UCLA stroke specialist can view any local diagnostic images online as well.
     
    The commission’s certification shows that UCLA has achieved the highest standard of stroke care by ensuring that patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.  
     
    “The dual mission of the UCLA Stroke Center is to provide the best possible care for every patient with cerebrovascular disease and to innovate new methods to diagnose, treat and cure stroke,” said Dr. Neil Martin, chair of the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery and a member of the UCLA Stroke Center’s steering committee. “We look forward to serving the Los Angeles community as a certified comprehensive stroke center.”
     
    The UCLA Stroke Center, recognized as one of the world’s leading centers for the management of cerebral vascular disease, treats simple and complex vascular disorders by incorporating recent developments in emergency medicine, stroke neurology, microneurosurgery, interventional neuroradiology, stereotactic radiology, neurointensive care, neuroanesthesiology and rehabilitation neurology. The program is unique in its ability to integrate clinical and research activities across multiple disciplines and departments.
     
    For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter. 

  • ABI: Tablets Will Take A 35%, $8.8BN App Revenue Share This Year – Passing Smartphones By 2018

    ipad-mini-white

    Despite being such a (relatively) new category of device tablets are racing up on their smaller cellular cousins, with rapidly growing user adoption and smartphone-surpassing web page traffic generation. Little wonder then that tablet apps are also generating increasing amounts of revenue — predicted to pass smartphone app revenue within five years.

    Making a forecast in a new report, analyst ABI Research predicts tablets will account for more than a third (35%) of total app revenues this year, or some $8.8 billion out of a total pool of $25 billion. That’s still a way behind smartphones of course — projected to generate $16.4 billion this year, or just under double the amount generated by tablet apps — but the revenue share is growing and ABI reckons tablets will surpass smartphones in app revenue generation by 2018.

    The reasons for tablets to become ultimate app revenue winners are down to their larger screen, which offers plenty of scope for developers to build attractive wares, and also lower cost slates helping to ramp up tablet ownership and increase app downloads, reckons ABI.

    “The larger screen makes apps and content look and feel better, so there are more lucrative opportunities,” says senior analyst Aapo Markkanen in a statement. ”One might think that the bigger installed base of smartphones would compensate for the disparity, but that notion fails to take into account the arrival of low-cost tablets, which hasn’t even started yet at its earnest. The smartphones paved the way for them, but in the end we believe that it’s the tablets that will prove the more transformative device segment of the two.”

    The analyst adds that the tablet category is also well placed to open up the computing market by addressing underserved demographic groups such as the elderly and children. “The really big deal about tablets is how they will help to finally bring the computing age to, for instance, children and the elderly,” says Markkanen. ”The business opportunity associated with them is undeniable, but at the same they can also bring about very significant social benefits.”

    On the OS front, ABI predicts that the lion’s share of the app wealth this year will continue to be generated within Apple’s iOS ecosystem: it expects 65% of the combined $25 billion to come from iOS vs just over a quarter (27%) from Google’s Android ecosystem. While “the other mobile platforms” will generate the remaining 8% between them (ABI does not break this out).

    Despite dominating app revenue, ABI recently predicted that Apple’s iOS will only account for 33% of the smartphone app downloads this year, vs. 58% being Android apps. However Apple’s tablet lead with its iPad devices continues to be a big one, with ABI expecting 75% of the tablet apps downloaded this year to be iPad apps, vs. just 17% being Android apps. Amazon (with its Kindle Fire tablet) is projected to get around 4% app share, while Windows tablets are relegated to around 2%.

  • Report: NVIDIA Tegra 4 Faster Than Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor

    Report: NVIDIA Tegra 4 Faster Than Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor

    A new report from The Linley Group claims that the NVIDIA Tegra 4 is faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800. However, there is one problem: Neither chip has been built yet and findings are based on what NVIDIA provided at MWC. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro was increased to 2.3GHz and a 10 percent performance increase was added thanks to the Krait 400 core. On the basis of that data, it was determined NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 will be faster.

    Phone Arena decided to take a crack at figuring out which processor is indeed faster based on “a more mathematical based estimate”.

    “Qualcomm’s new top-line 800 should actually beat out the Tegra 4. Consider that the latter scored scored 16,436 in the general-purpose Quadrant v2 benchmark. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 scored 12,417. Taking that score and adjusting it from the 1.7GHz clock speed of the ’600′ and computing it for the 2.3GHz ’800′ results in a score of 16,799 without factoring in any improvement to the Krait 400 core.”

    Until both processors and more details are released, it’s a guessing game as to which will be the fastest. While the Tegra 4 offers speed at high power consumption, Qualcomm offers more power efficiency.

    Via: Phone Arena
    Source: Microprocessor Report (Subscription required)

    Come comment on this article: Report: NVIDIA Tegra 4 Faster Than Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor

  • 13 Hurt in D.C. Shooting; Surveillance Footage Released

    The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department has released footage of a drive-by shooting that occurred in Washington D.C. on Monday, March 11.

    According to police, the shooting took place in the 1200 block of North Capitol Street at around 2:10 am. A surveillance camera was able to capture the event, which may have involved two different cars. The footage was released so that the public might be able to help identify the “vehicles of interest.” The D.C. police are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting.

    The footage shows two very dark-colored cars drive by a large group of people outside of a D.C. apartment building. As the gunshots begin, people can be seen running in different directions and falling as they are shot. Though initial reports stated that one of the vehicles may have been a BMW, police have stated that neither of the cars in the video appear to be a BMW.

    The Associated Press is reporting that 13 people were injured in the attack, with one of them critically wounded. None of the victims are expected to die, and the police are currently interviewing witnesses to determine a possible motive for the shooting.

    (Image via Washington Metropolitan Police Department Facebook page)

  • Kinect Code Samples Go Open Source To Encourage Development

    Kinect for Windows has inspired developers to create some really impressive applications. That’s apparently not good enough, though, as Microsoft is now making Kinect for Windows partially open source to encourage more development on the platform.

    The Kinect for Windows team that its sample code is now open source under an Apache 2.0 license. The 22 samples are available in C#, C++ and Visual Basic.

    So, why go open source? The team says that there are four reasons for the move:

  • Easy Access -> we will continue to release our sample applications as part of our Developer Toolkit. However, that’s a large download & install that can be cumbersome if you just want to quickly view or access code on the web
  • Reuse The Code -> we’re releasing all the samples under an Apache 2.0 license so that you can take the code and reuse, remix, etc. Also, we’re using a Git repository so it’s easy clone & fork if you want
  • Get Feedback -> we will use CodePlex’s built-in feedback & discussion tools to get community input on the samples. We want to hear from you to understand what we can do better with the samples
  • Faster Updates -> we will be able to update samples more quickly on CodePlex (compared to Toolkit releases). CodePlex also has a “Subscribe” feature that enables you to follow the project and get notified when something changes, a bug gets fixed, someone says something smart in the discussions, etc.

    • The majority of the code will still remain proprietary, but the release of code samples should at least help push Kinect for Windows development into new areas. The sensor has already provided a number of unique applications, and developers being able to muck around with the code might yield even more interesting results.

    All of this news was posted on Microsoft’s new Kinect development blog. It will be kept separate from the regular Kinect for Windows blog, and will focus entirely on “going behind the scenes with the K4W engineering team and will go deeper on the technology and APIs, share tips & tricks, and provide other tidbits of information relevant to those building K4W applications.”

    [h/t: CNET]

  • Pinterest launches web analytics service to track engagement with photos

    Businesses and bloggers posting photos to Pinterest will now have a better way to monitor whether people are actually clicking on those images.

    The popular online pinboard launched a web analytics service Tuesday morning. Pinterest wrote in a blog post  that accounts will now be able to monitor clicks and pins around photos:

    “If you have a verified website, you’ll get information about how many people have pinned from your site, how many people have seen these pins, and how many people visited your site from Pinterest. We’ll also show you a selection of your most repinned, most clicked, and most recent pins so you have a better idea of what’s popular. For example, if you have a travel blog, you’ll be able to see whether people are pinning your ski vacation posts or beach vacation posts more.”

    Pinterest recently raised a massive $200 million funding round led by Valiant Capital Management that put the company’s valuation at $2.5 billion. It had previously raised $100 million in May 2012. Pinterest began rolling out options for businesses in November 2012, so adding an analytics platform for users to measure who’s clicking on photos and engaging with accounts is a logical next step.

    pinterest web analytics 2

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  • Galaxy S IV-like eye-tracking tech coming to iPhone, other smartphones [video]

    iPhone Eye-tracking App
    Samsung’s (005930) next-generation Galaxy S IV is set to debut later this week, and it is expected to pack several exciting new features when it does. Among them will be a new eye-tracking feature that can automatically scroll content on the display as the user’s eyes near the bottom of the screen, and a feature that will pause media playback when the user’s head turns away from the phone. This will be the first time such functionality appears on a popular smartphone out of the box, but an Israel-based startup is already working to bring eye-tracking technology to popular smartphones like the iPhone and Android handsets.

    Continue reading…

  • You’re the villain who killed the Marvel Comics giveaway

    If you were anywhere on the Internet yesterday then you likely learned that Marvel comics, publishers of popular series like The Hulk, Captain America, Thor (sadly a personal favorite of my wife) and more, teamed up with Comixology for a giveaway. The Marvel #1 promotion wanted to distribute over 700 free comics via its platform.

    Well, to say there was demand may be the biggest understatement I make today. Fans flocked to the website and the servers were periodically overloaded and taken down. Now the company has been forced to suspend the giveaway as it tries to recuperate from the overwhelming onslaught.

    According to Comixology CEO David Steinberger: “We expected a high degree of excitement for the Marvel initiative — and had believed ourselves prepared – but unfortunately we became overwhelmed by the immense response. We’re still struggling to keep our systems up”.

    Steainberger goes on to explain “we’re pausing the Marvel Comics #1 promotion for the time being. For those of you that want to take advantage of the offer — you will get your comics”.

    For now the company has put up a form where fans can go to fill out their email address. Comixology promises to keep customers up-to-date about what is going on with the offer and also insures that those who managed to get in when the contest was live will receive their free comics, but there is no guarantee of exactly when that will be.

  • Lookout Security app updated to provide hotfix for Galaxy S III lock screen hack

    lookout_mobile_feature

    Mobile security is being an increasingly big deal, and after that tricky little lock screen hack was discovered last week on a few Samsung model phones, it’s easy to see why. Fortunately, expert security application Lookout has released an update on the Play Store that temporarily patches this issue until Samsung can get a bugfix out to all of the afflicted devices.

    Essentially, the hack involved trying to place an emergency call and accessing emergency contacts, then backing out to the home screen from the contact list. This would give the user full access to an unlocked home screen. Lookout has fixed that glitch by preemptively bringing the emergency dialer to the foreground when it’s running, which breaks the home button trick. This hotfix works on the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S III Mini, and the Galaxy Note II. Not a perfect solution, but hopefully this will hold people over until Samsung can personally fix the problem.

    source: Lookout Blog

    Come comment on this article: Lookout Security app updated to provide hotfix for Galaxy S III lock screen hack

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  • Spotify hits 6 million paid users as market for music streaming heats up

    Music subscriptions services, which provide an alternative to purchasing songs on sites like iTunes, continue to gain in popularity. One example is Sweden-based Spotify, which is expanding rapidly across the globe and has now added another 1 million paid subscribers in the last three months.

    According to figures reported by CNET and confirmed by Spotify, the company now has 24 million active users and 6 million paying subscribers across the world. Spotify is also growing rapidly in the United States, where it arrived in July 0f 2011 and is this week hosting musicians at its “Spotify House” at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

    Despite the hype, the underlying economics of Spotify’s business model remain uncertain. The service is beholden to musicians and studios, which request a 70 percent cut, and it must contend with a growing list of competitors that include Pandora, Rdio and SoundCloud. Meanwhile, YouTube is expected to launch a subscription service of its own in coming months and even Apple is expected to get into the streaming game too.

    This competition validates the underlying premise of Spotify — that people want access to a giant catalog of music instead of buying it piecemeal through iTunes — but the arrival of deep-pocketed rivals may hurt Spotify’s ability to compete in the longterm.

     

     

     

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  • Evolv Adds $15M Series D

    Evolv, a developer of data analytics software focused on workforce profitability, has raised $15 million in Series D financing. VantagePoint Capital Partners led the round. Existing investors GGV Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Khosla Ventures also participated.

    PRESS RELEASE
    Evolv, a pioneer in SaaS-based predictive data analytics that provides a holistic view into workforce profitability, has closed a $15 million Series D financing, led by VantagePoint Capital Partners, the company announced today. Existing investors GGV Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Khosla Ventures also participated in the round. Evolv will use the funds to further develop its predictive analytics solutions and to support continued vertical market and geographic expansion. These investments will further enable Evolv customers to utilize analytics to drive meaningful operating margin improvement via better insights into key drivers of workforce productivity, retention and profitability.

    Evolv was founded in 2007 on a simple premise that big data predictive analytics and machine learning can be used to correct the inefficiencies that undermine the profitability of the frontline “hourly” workforce – which today represents 60 percent of all US jobs. Evolv’s customized solutions profile top performers, predict employee success, benchmark workforce performance, identify effective and ineffective training and management practices, predict employee tenure, recommend organizational improvements, lengthen the average employee lifecycle, and ultimately, improve operating profitability.

    Evolv’s first of their kind solutions have delivered an average of $10 million in P&L impact to each of its customers, while simultaneously increasing workforce tenure by an average of 15 percent and workforce performance by 5 percent. Evolv enables employers to finally look at their workforces through the lens of big data predictive analytics to select, develop and retain a more productive, positive and ultimately more profitable workforce. Via its SaaS-based solution, Evolv supports its customers in debunking workforce myths that have historically undermined profitability for employers and job satisfaction for tens of millions of employees.

    “At Evolv, we are focused on the most valuable asset of any company – its people. We believe that data will change how the workforce is selected, retained and developed and we continuously show in each customer relationship that data provides a more certain and replicable path to increased productivity and profitability than traditional employment practices,” said Max Simkoff, CEO and co-founder, Evolv. “Our customers use Evolv’s workforce profitability solution to both uncover and implement key insights about how to optimize the entire employee lifecycle.”

    “Evolv is a defining leader in predictive analytics technology and showcases how big data can be leveraged to improve stagnant business processes,” said Bill Harding, Managing Director, VantagePoint Capital Partners and new member of the Evolv Board of Directors. “We are confident about Evolv’s dynamic business model and fully support the management team as they continue to improve relationships between employers and employees.”

    About Evolv

    Evolv harnesses the power of big data predictive analytics and machine learning to uncover and correct the inefficiencies that undermine profitability of global workforces. Evolv’s SaaS-based analytics platform delivers actionable decision support throughout the employee lifecycle by identifying improvement areas and transforming core operational business processes to drive increased employee retention, productivity and engagement.

    About VantagePoint Capital Partners

    VantagePoint Capital Partners is a leading global investor in energy innovation and efficiency, information technology, digital media and healthcare. With a best-in-class investment team of business and scientific experts, a broad network of corporate Strategic Partners, accomplished Senior Advisors, and more than $4 billion in committed capital, VantagePoint has the resources and talent to build important, industry-leading companies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Beijing, VantagePoint has active investments in over 70 companies.

    The post Evolv Adds $15M Series D appeared first on peHUB.

  • Apple’s iWatch Will Measure More than Time

    Have you recently noticed all the journalistic detective work about the watch that Apple is developing?

    Using unnamed company sources, patent filing analysis, and other sleuthing methods, technology writers have sketched a number of hypotheses about the appearance and material features of the soon-to-launch product. In particular, the NY Times and Wired suspect that Apple will use curved glass as a key design feature.

    Apart from looking cool, how would Apple’s watch really be different than a Timex? What new functions might it perform that create value for consumers? I’ve seen much less investigation of these sorts of questions. However, one doesn’t need to be Dick Tracy — the comic strip detective with a penchant for futuristic wrist-watch gadgets — to note clues to the answer.

    Using evidence and a bit of logic, I bet the iWatch will be much less a time piece and much more platform for auto-analytics and managing yourself. Three clues:

    Look at that wall. Sneak past the the greeters and MacBooks, iPhones, and iPads at your local Apple store and somewhere toward the middle or back you’ll likely to see a display like this:

    store.png
    (Photo with permission from Ernesto Ramirez)

    At first glance it appears to be not much more than eclectic mix of items from various brands that feed the Apple ecosystem. But there’s an underlying coherence to the display. Most items are so-called “wearable technologies.” Here’s a quick sample:

    #3.Fitbit One and Zip physical activity sensors
    #6.Scosche Rhythm heart rate monitor armband
    #7.Jawbone Up physical activity and sleep sensor
    #12.Nike+ Fuelband physical activity sensor
    #18.Lark Life physical activity and sleep sensor
    #19.iBGStar blood glucose sensor
    #20.iHealth wireless blood pressure wrist monitor

    Unlike other wearable technologies like, say, headphones, these devices allow you to monitor and analyze sleep, health, and fitness levels. In short, your well being.

    Might Apple’s proprietary sales data and in-store feedback on these wrist-hugging SKUs be informing what should go into an iWatch that consumers will pay for? I strongly suspect so.

    What’s less clear is whether Apple will eventually sell its watch right alongside the other options or if the displays are only temporary experiments meant to be replaced by Apple’s own watch solution.

    Look at what Apple knows. Complexity is one of the key challenges facing users of those devices on the wall. Today there are more than 500 commercially available tools available to the auto-analytically inclined, in three varieties:

    • wearable technologies, like the ones mentioned above can be sensors that “passively” monitor your body’s systems; many new tools can also be used to help you monitor and analyze your own cognitive and emotional states
    • mobile phone apps often require a more hands-on (or “active”) approach to data entry than wearable technologies
    • computer software passively monitors your usage activity to help you understand when you are most productive, how often you switch work tasks, and how much time you’re really spending on Twitter.

    Building on Apple’s insight and capabilities across all three areas, an iWatch could seamlessly weave them together. For instance, with an iWatch you could simultaneously track your mood, monitor physical activity levels, and then wirelessly transmit your data to your MacBook or iPad.

    On your laptop you’ll likely use an app for aggregating, filtering, and visualizing your digital personal data collection. You’ll also be able to look at correlations between data sets, like whether your lunchtime jog seems to boost your mood and work productivity.

    Look at Apple products’ aspiration. The ancient Greeks often made a distinction between two notions of time, Chronos and Kairos. Chronos is chronological time which flows ineluctably along by seconds, hours and years, unaffected by human interests. Kairos, etymological root of “care,” is time laden with human meaning and activity. “Lunchtime,” “a good night’s sleep,” and a “long and rejuvenating walk,” all convey this sense of Kairos.

    A Timex is mainly chronological. What Apple could be doing is making a “kairologocial” tool that tracks and monitors the data around the experiences you care about. How much you actually slept, when and how far you walked. Basic questions rooted from everyday experience might now be by settled by data on a “watch” — a “kairometer” — rather than guesswork.

    Transforming the user’s experience by making impersonal things more personal and intimate has long been at the core of Apple product’s value proposition. For example, Steve Jobs positioned the iPad as a way for customers to “connect with their…content in a more intimate…way than ever before.”

    The Apple watch would likely build on this logic, aiming to make users’ experience of time more intimate by tying it to who they are and what they care about.

  • Chipper Jones Yankees Rumors Shot Down

    Earlier this week, the New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman stated that Larry “Chipper” Jones would be “perfect” for the Yankees. Now, Chipper Jones himself has shot the rumors down, much to the delight of Atlanta Braves fans.

    The rumors fueled rampant speculation that the Yankees, who are plagued with injuries, could be getting desperate, and are looking for just about anyone to fill their roster.

    Jones is more than just anyone, however. During his 19-year MLB career with the Atlanta Braves, Jones earned eight National League All-Star awards and was the National League’s 1999 MVP. He ended his career in 2012 with a .303 batting average and 468 home runs. The third baseman

    As much as the Yankees might want him (and as much as they may be willing to pay him), it seems that Jones is happy with retirement. The baseball star took to Twitter to dispel the rumors that he could soon be seen wearing pinstripes:

    Later on, Jones even joked about how the rumors had raised his Twitter follower count:

    (Image via Djh57/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Galaxy S IV called Samsung’s ‘last act in Apple’s shadow’

    Samsung Galaxy S IV Analysis
    Samsung (005930) is about to blow open the smartphone industry with innovative next-generation smartphones that break the mold and reinvent the smartphone experience — but not with the Galaxy S IV. So says Forbes contributor Haydn Shaughnessy, who recently chatted with IBB analyst Jefferson Wang about Samsung’s future. According to Wang, the Galaxy S IV will be Samsung’s “last act in Apple’s (AAPL) shadow” and the flagship smartphones that the company is developing for 2014 and beyond will feature a complete reimagining of the digital experience.

    Continue reading…

  • These Are Some Of The First Apps You’ll See On Google Glass

    Google Glass is going to change our lives, or so says Google. It’s latest marketing campaign seems to indicate as much, but what about everyday use of Glass that doesn’t involve flying in jets or skydiving? What about the normal apps we use on our smartphones? How will those translate to Glass?

    The Google Glass team hosted a developer panel at SXSW Interactive where they showed off a variety of third party apps for the platform. This is the first time that Google has shown anything beyond in-house software for the device, and the results are promising.

    To prevent any unwanted notifications or annoying interruptions that would seem inherent to wearable computing, Google is putting strict guidelines into place for app developers. The four main rules are “design for glass,” “don’t get in the way,” “keep it timely,” and “avoid the unexpected.” These four rules will hopefully ensure that Glass never becomes a nuisance.

    Sticking to these design principles, The New York Times app really seems to embrace what Glass can bring to consumers. First and foremost, the app can deliver hourly breaking news updates to your peripheral vision, but only if you want it to. To view news manually, you just have to use the “look up” head gesture to have a stream of images and headlines delivered to Glass.

    Other third party app developers include Path and Evernote. Both of which allow you to share images with people right from Glass while also receiving notifications when friends upload photos to each respective service.

    As for Google’s own services, the company showed off how Gmail will work on Glass. For starters, users can reply to emails using Glass’ built in microphone. The app can also be configured to only deliver emails marked as important to Glass so that your peripheral vision is not always bombarded with each and every email sent your way.

    Here’s a video taken at the talk showcasing how Gmail works on Glass:

    Other developers will be able to start developing for Glass later this year when the Mirror API is released. Google will probably be holding more hackathons for Glass as well in the near future, and maybe the next one won’t be exclusive to those who preordered the hardware at least year’s Google I/O.

    [h/t: The Verge]

  • Reuters – Evonik Owners Place More Shares Ahead of Listing

    The owners of Evonik have placed a total of 12 percent of their shares in the German chemical company, more than initially planned, ahead of its stock market listing scheduled for next month, Reuters wrote. The sale of additional shares in a private placement met with “strong interest from domestic and international investors,” said the maker of battery chemicals, animal feed additives and acrylic glass, even as it warned that the business environment would remain challenging this year. Among the buyers was Singapore state investor Temasek, Evonik said, adding that its two main owners, the RAG trust and buyout firm CVC Capital Partners, could part with an additional 2 percent of their shares.

    (Reuters) – The owners of Evonik have placed a total of 12 percent of their shares in the German chemical company, more than initially planned, ahead of its stock market listing scheduled for next month.

    The sale of additional shares in a private placement met with “strong interest from domestic and international investors,” said the maker of battery chemicals, animal feed additives and acrylic glass, even as it warned that the business environment would remain challenging this year.

    Among the buyers was Singapore state investor Temasek , Evonik said, adding that its two main owners, the RAG trust and buyout firm CVC Capital Partners, could part with an additional 2 percent of their shares.

    “Following a very good first half, organic sales growth weakened slightly in the second half of the year,” Evonik said, reporting a 2 percent fall in fourth-quarter sales to 3.27 billion euros ($4.26 billion)

    The adjusted profit before interest and tax slipped 3 percent to 336 million euros, also because of the sale of its Carbon Black unit in 2011.

    Documents seen by Reuters last month showed that RAG, which holds 75 percent of Evonik, and CVC, owner of the rest, had already sold a stake of almost 4 percent with the aim of placing about 10 percent of the shares in total with various financial investors.

    The most recent share deals with investors valued all shares in Evonik, which ranks as Germany’s second-largest diversified chemicals group after BASF, at 14.5 billion euros, a person close to the sellers told Reuters.

    The private placement with institutional investors was arranged by MainFirst Bank AG.

    Chief Executive Klaus Engel said it remained unclear whether there would be a public offering of shares as part of the listing, still slated for end-April, or only the chance for existing shareholders to trade on the open market.

    The group expects sales to be higher in 2013 as it builds extra output capacity in emerging markets such as Singapore, China and Brazil but operating results should remain flat.

    CVC and RAG, a public-sector trust that will bear the liabilities of Germany’s wound-down coal industry, decided last month to revive their plans to take Evonik public as stock markets recovered.

    The STOXX Europe 600 chemicals sector index has gained 4.4 percent so far this year.

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