| Apple met with the FDA, reportedly readying 'Healthbook' for iOS 8 Feb 1st 2014, 01:57, by Matt Swider 
Later this year, iOS 8 could give new meaning to the phrase "an Apple a day keeps the doctor away," as the iPhone maker is reportedly focusing on health tracking technology. Apple executives met with directors of the US Food and Drug Administration to discuss mobile medical applications last month, The New York Times discovered in the FDA's public calendar. The talks involved high-level Apple employees, including Jeff Williams, senior vice president of operations, Bud Tribble, vice president of software technology, and Michael O'Reilly, a medical doctor in Apple's government affairs department. The FDA meeting details haven't been disclosed, but combined with a report today about iOS 8, it suggests that Apple is going all-in with health monitoring in its next iOS update. What is Healthbook?Healthbook is supposed to be a pre-installed iOS 8 app that monitors and stores fitness metrics, according to unnamed sources who spoke to 9to5Mac. It's interface is said to match Passbook, but instead of accumulating digital tickets and coupons, it calculates steps taken, calories burned, miles walked and weight loss. These are pretty standard stat-tracking features that can be obtained from current wearables like the NikeFuel Band SE and Fitbit Force. iWatch and HealthbookThe Healthbook report contains a "one more thing" style surprise when you factor in the unconfirmed iWatch, which is said to enhance this software with vital signs the iPhone is incapable of tracking. Blood pressure, hydration levels, heart rate, and possibly glucose levels are additional metrics that could be introduced, according to 9to5Mac's sources. We're not sure how wearable can keep track of hydration outside of a user manually logging every drink consumed, but when it comes to glucose levels, Google found a way in its smart lens prototype. Logging medication information is said to initiate helpful pill-taking reminders at scheduled times, a feature that could tie into the existing iOS 7 Reminders app. iPhone 5S was just the beginningApple's first foray into health monitoring came last year when it introduced iPhone 5S and its M7 coprocessor that could keep track of steps. The company showed how Nike was integrating its Nike Fuel metric into the new phone and Fitbit has since expanded its app to use the M7 processor to log steps walked even without a Fitbit tracker. It'll be interesting to see if Apple works with or against Nike in realizing its health monitoring ambitions. Apple CEO Tim Cook is still on the sneaker company's board and Apple snagged at least Nike employee last year. Either way, this blip on Apple's radar last year could become the highlight of iOS 8 this fall if development of Healthbook gets into shape and joins the rumored iPhone 6 and iWatch in time. - Read our iPad Air review for the tablet that's already on Apple's diet
       |  | PlayStation app update adds mobile livestream viewing Jan 31st 2014, 21:34, by klee 
Sony updated its mobile PlayStation app for Android and iOS with a new feature to watch livestreams from PS4 gamers while on the go. The new addition comes labeled as the "Live from PlayStation" section, letting users browse game streams from their devices. Actually watching livestreams, however, will kick the video over to open in separate applications. Specifically Ustream feeds open in the service's own application, while Twitch.tv streams play through a mobile device browser. Just below the video window, there's also now added support video playback from PS Store notifications in the What's New pane. This list will propagate with live game sessions from friends to get to watching their streams faster. 
PSN goAlong with the new live video support, the app fixes a niggling issue of waking up the main system every time users want to do something. Now the app allows mobile devices to queue up downloads or accept friend requests. With the new update, the PlayStation app is starting to catch up fast with the SmartGlass app Microsoft introduced during the Xbox 360 days. The update is rolling out to a wide variety of devices around the world right now for both Android and iOS platforms. - You're going to need a PS4 to go with that app so check out our review!
Via SlashGear        | | US Cellular trying to reel you in with $50 no-contract unlimited everything plan Jan 31st 2014, 18:49, by JR Bookwalter 
The term "unlimited" hasn't really applied to cellular data since the heady days of the original iPhone models, but that hasn't stopped carriers big and small from tacking the term onto just about any ol' plan. Regional carrier US Cellular added a new plan to its no-contract lineup on Friday which serves up unlimited talk, text and data for a mere $50 per month, although for now consumers will need to pick up a new handset in order to get it. According to CNET, the new No Contract Unlimited Data, Talk & Text plan offers coast-to-coast coverage with no roaming charges and free activation, but there are a couple of "gotchas" that make the package a little less desirable. To sign up for the plan, customers need to invest in one of four Android smartphones; the good news is that three of them are LTE-enabled, and the carrier promises the unlimited plan will expand to include others in the near future. Unlimited, with limitsIf LTE isn't a selling point, the ZTE Director can be had for a mere $50, and even cheaper ($19.99) when purchased online; the waterproof Kyocera Hydro XTRM or the midrange Samsung Galaxy Axiom are each priced at $130 after rebates. By far the most lust-worthy of the US Cellular unlimited options is the Motorola Moto X, which the carrier offers for $300 after rebates - although that's not much of a bargain considering the smartphone can be found unlocked direct from the manufacturer for only a few bucks more (starting at $329.99). The more troubling part of US Cellular's new "unlimited" plan is the data part of that equation is actually limited to the first 500MB at high speed, with the rest throttled at far pokier 2G (i.e., EDGE) speed. That bit of bummer aside, the plan otherwise mostly matches the same offering from T-Mobile US, although there's no indication for how long US Cellular might keep this "limited time offer" as part of its no-contract lineup.        | | Ericsson to expand in Europe, China Jan 31st 2014, 15:30, by Dean Wilson 
Ericsson is hoping to expand its business in Europe and China, where it said there is an increase in demand for 4G mobile networks. Hans Vestberg, CEO of Ericsson, said that some larger projects in the US have been a bit slow, but it has gained market share in Europe, which it can now upsell on. He said there are also other markets of interest, including China and Russia, according to The Economic Times. With 4G LTE adoption increasing throughout the world, Ericsson is hoping to increase its share of the action. Upgrading current networks to 4G provides a lucrative opportunity for any company that can secure the contract, and there is still a lot of work to be done in this sector in the big European and Chinese markets. Regaining groundEricsson reported revenue of $1.4 billion (£850 million, AU$1.6 billion) in the final quarter of last year, just shy of average analyst forecasts. It also inked a cross-licensing agreement with Samsung for various mobile standards, including GSM and LTE. The company secured LTE contracts with two major operators in China in the fourth quarter. The period also saw some growth in key European markets and Ericsson said the negative impact of these modernisation projects is now behind it. At one time Ericsson had operating profit margins higher than 20 per cent, but last year this figure was just 6.2 per cent. It has a lot of ground to recover, and markets outside the US just might help with that. Ericsson shares were up $0.60 (£0.36, AU$0.69), or 5.02 per cent, to $12.55 (£7.62, AU$14.40) at the time of writing.        | | Android dominated almost 80 per cent of smartphone market in 2013 Jan 31st 2014, 15:22, by Dean Wilson 
Android ruled the mobile roost in 2013, accounting for almost 80 per cent of all devices shipped throughout the year, according to research conducted in over 50 countries by Canalys. The report shows that Android was loaded on 785 million of the 998 million smartphones shipped globally in 2013, marking a 54 per cent increase in shipments over the year before. This gives Google's popular open source platform a whopping 79 per cent market share for 2013, up significantly from the already impressive 68 per cent slice of the pie it gobbled up in 2012. It seems like there's no stopping the little green robot. One of its main supporters, Samsung, continued to take the lead, accounting for 32 per cent of the overall market, more than double that of Apple, which took second place. Rivals in the roostThe growth means rivals have to suffer, and Apple lost the most, with its market share falling from 20 per cent in 2012 to 15 per cent. Year-on-year shipment growth was just 7 per cent, with Apple moving 154 million units. However, its market share for the fourth quarter grew from 13 per cent to 17 per cent. This is likely due to the pre-Christmas shopping frenzy, when Apple products are often high on people's lists. Interestingly, Windows Phone saw the biggest year-on-year growth of 69 per cent. 32.1 million units with Microsoft's mobile OS shipped in 2013, but it still only managed to grab 3 per cent of the market, up one percentage point from the year before. Canalys believes that Lenovo, which managed to squeeze into third place behind Samsung and Apple in 2013, will double its market share over the next two years, thanks to its recent acquisition of Motorola.   | |
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