Mobile payments in 2013

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Taylor White

This week for “Wireless Wednesday” we’re talking about mobile payments for the year 2013. Fierce Wireless just wrote a great article about this exact subject last week. Check out the excerpt from the article pasted below–

In the early 1900s, the burgeoning automotive industry created a sort-of gold rush, with a variety of players chasing a piece of this new market. With that, explained Yankee Group principal analyst of mobile money, Nick Holland, some players would fail, some would be acquired or vanish into the ether, and a select few would succeed.

The current state of mobile payments is also a gold rush, Holland said, and the product that scales the best for all, not necessarily the best technology, is the one that will succeed.

Indeed, mobile payments are already a multibillion-dollar industry.

Forrester Research issued new data predicting that U.S. mobile payments will climb to $90 billion by 2017, a 48% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from the $12.8 billion spent in 2012. Last year Gartner predicted that worldwide mobile payment transaction values would surpass $171.5 billion in 2012, and Juniper Research predicted global Near Field Communications retail transactions alone will grow to $110 billion by 2017.

The way the mobile payment ecosystem is currently set up has most of the major players in one of two camps: vendor-driven or user-driven initiatives. The vendor-driven approach includes companies such as Square and PayPal, which offer devices to attach to a vendor’s phone to process credit and debit cards. On the other side there are the user-driven mobile payment services like Isis and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Wallet, which incorporate mobile payments as a part of an ecosystem. With these, a business isn’t forcing you to use this technology, rather it’s another option to pay for items.

“One is when the phone becomes a surrogate for the card, and one is when the phone becomes a surrogate for the terminal,” Holland said.

It’s difficult to predict whether mobile payments will become the norm. The situation is further stymied by the fragmented nature of the ecosystem and the number of players vying for a piece of the market. Thus, it makes much more sense to compare the players to others within their own camp, and to look at whether that camp at large will succeed.

What do you think about mobile payments? Are they something that you would use, or do use? Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook/Twitter.

To read the rest of this article or to see it in its original format, click here.

Wilson Electronics at CES

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Taylor White

We had a great time at CES 2013! Check out the photos below–

Attention Road Warriors: In-Vehicle Navigation Control Telematics at CES 2013 Won’t Disappoint

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Taylor White

For our third and final CES installment we decided to focus on ‘In-Vehicle Navigation Control Telematics’. Given our company’s focus on in-vehicle accessories we wanted to cover this topic because these types of products help us stay safer when we travel. Over the last five to six years there has been a huge change in the way vehicles allow us to communicate. Everything from hands-free Bluetooth connections to intuitive GPS navigation is now available. Below we’ve highlighted the two CES Innovations winners announced thus far for this category. We’re certain there will be many more of these technologies that will be unveiled at this year’s show.

Pioneer AppRadio 2 by Pioneer – This product got four out of five stars from Antuan Goodwin in his CNET review. According to Pioneer, its AppRadio is “the first car stereo to revolutionize the driver’s experience by bringing compatible phone apps to the dash for the ultimate in-vehicle smartphone experience.” Goodwin’s review states the products second generation is much improved because it’s no longer exclusive to iOS folks, it’s now available for Android as well…with the purchase of an adapter. Goodwin mentions there are a still a few oddities when it comes to Android compatibility but overall it’s a step in the right direction for a very cool product.
Dragon Drive by Nuance Communications – The voice recognition folks at Nuance have created this platform that allows the driver to be hands-free for just about any task needed on the road. According to Nuance’s Website Dragon Drive “allows you to speak your request and the car responds with a spoken answer or completed task. There’s no faster or safer way to access the content you need – with your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.”

These, along with many other great automotive enhancements will be featured at this year’s show. In-vehicle connectivity is becoming increasingly more important. As more technology is introduced to the automotive world folks will be able to stay connected safer while on the road. If you’re at the show come see us at booth 35666 and say “hi!”

CES 2013 – Cell Phone Edition

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Taylor White

In keeping with our ‘what-to-watch-for-at-CES’ theme we thought since we’re a cell phone signal booster company our CES blog entries wouldn’t be complete without talking about some of the phones and phone gizmos that will be debuting at the 2013 show.

Cellular handsets are always a huge part of the show and there are always many to drool over, particularly for folks who aren’t beholden to the iPhone. There are also a lot of phone enhancements that are really cool. The 2013 show will be no exception. Below we’ve highlighted a few cell phones and cell phone accessories that have caught our eye. New mobile handsets are always high on our ‘must see’ list at the show.

Samsung Galaxy S® III – This phone promises to impress as much, if not more, than its two predecessors. According to Samsung, this phone “is now easier, faster and even more beautiful than before.” Of course they’re going to say their product is great. That being said, a recent October review by Gareth Beavis does tag this as a pretty sweet phone. Beavis gives the phone four-and-a-half out of a possible five stars. Beavis offers the following statement in summary: “So to summarize: if you’ve been waiting feverishly for the new Samsung Galaxy S3, you will not be disappointed. It’s fast, it’s sleek and it packs the latest technology that will get your pulse racing.”
Samsung 64GB microSD Card – This is another sweet product by Samsung. In addition to its 64 gigs of memory this card “is designed to meet the security, capacity, performance and environmental requirements of emerging audio and video consumer devices. It features a security system to protect card content, is excep tionally fast and provides the highest memory capacity today.”
GSpot by Gopod Group Limited – GSpot uses a special app, which can extend two more SIM cards for iOS and Android devices. It supports voice calls, SMS and Internet share.

These, along with a slew of other new handsets and handset accessories are sure to excite us at CES. The show is nearly here. It’ll be great to see the new products in every category. The show always offers lots of fun new technologies and devices.

If you’re at the show and would like to visit with us we’ll be at booth 35666. Come say hi!

Hot CES 2013 Product Preview: In-vehicle gadgets/accessories

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Taylor White

Yup, it’s that time of year again. The magic is in the air and every technology junkie is gearing up for the season, with dreams of new gadgets and gizmos laced with the sent of fresh electronics packaging. No, I’m not talking about the holidays; I’m talking about CES 2013!

In the spirit of this wonderful time of year we’re going to highlight a few looked-forward-to items that are debuting at the show next month. The first category we’re going to cover: Gadgets/Accessories, specifically of the in-vehicle nature. We’ve browsed through the CES Innovation Honorees that were announced on November 12 and picked a few of our favorites. Find them briefly highlighted below:

Cobra iRadar S-Series by Cobra Electronics – This radar detector looks to be great for all speed-demons out there. This puppy utilizes your Bluetooth to connect to your smart phone for the product’s heads-up-display. This connection also provides access to Cobra iRadar, the largest community-based detection system, making it easier to detect any ‘fuzz’ in your area. Disclaimer: we do not condone exceeding the speed limit, this is just a cool gadget.
Y-CHARGE by TYLT – This car-to-USB power adapter charges two products at one time. In addition, it charges most tablets, which is big because a lot of USB car chargers don’t have enough power to charge a tablet. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket easily and lets you share the charging love with a travel companion (or another of your gadgets).
InSeam by iSimple® – This device adds a Bluetooth connection to any vehicle for hands-free calls and streaming audio through a vehicle’s sound system. It can be used with a vehicle’s original steering wheel controls. This is a great addition to a vehicle as it makes talking while traveling safer.

These products, along with many others, will offer technology that makes folks’ lives easier (and likely a lot cooler). Make sure to come see us in booth #35666 at CES 2013 if you have a chance to attend the show. Hope to see ya there!

WiMax

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Taylor White

What’s the deal with WiMAX 4G? Is it even relevant anymore?

We have spent some time the last couple of months digging deeper into 4G’s bag of tricks and comparing the various protocols that dare to call themselves ‘4G’. We’ve covered LTE and HSPA+. Next up: WiMAX. The big question about WiMAX is whether or not it’s even relevant anymore given the big shift towards LTE as “the” 4G protocol of choice.

According to PC Magazine’s Sascha Segan, “The WiMAX story actually began with home connections instead of phones. WiMAX started out as a way to deliver wireless broadband to homes and businesses. In many parts of the country, ‘wireless ISPs’ still deliver home broadband via WiMAX.”

Sprint is the only U.S. carrier that uses this protocol for its 4G and is the only carrier that has ever used it. In addition, Sprint was the first major U.S. carrier to throw its hat into the 4G ring. The company launched its WiMAX network in September of 2008. In the article I cited above Segan sheds some light on why the company took the WiMAX gamble:

“At the time, 3G networks ran at about one megabit per second, and Sprint’s XOHM WiMAX promised to be at least twice as fast. Sprint took the WiMAX bet in part because at the time it was backed by Intel, which promised to put WiMAX into dozens of laptops and help make WiMAX the worldwide standard. It was also backed by Nokia, which was, at the time, the world’s number-one cell phone company.“

Most folks agree that while WiMAX is noticeably faster than 3G networks it’s the slowest of the three 4G protocols. In fact, Gizmodo’s Andrew Tarantola quipped in June that, “the only thing slower than the Sprint 4G WiMAX network is the Sprint 3G network.”

In fact, Sprint seems to be abandoning WiMAX. According to CNET’s Jessica Dolcourt the wireless carrier is no longer launching handsets that use WiMAX technology. This information begs the question: What is Sprint moving to as its 4G of choice? Yep, you guessed it…LTE. According to Gizmodo’s Tarantola the company is launching its LTE network the end of this year in Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, and San Antonio with plans to cover the rest of the U.S. by the end of 2014.

As we’ve taken a look at the different 4G options one thing is clear. LTE seems to have won the day. Although a huge part of 4G has been marketing hype according to all mobile experts, LTE is still pretty fast and has shown that it truly is the next big thing in mobile communications.

Textually Active Teens

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Taylor White

Have you seen our latest infographic? Check it out below and let us know what you think!

Here are Some Interesting Statistics About Teenage Texting–

- 63 percent of teens text every day

- A typical teen sends about 100 text message per day

-Voice usage has declined the most among teens

-Teens prefer texting over calling

-66 percent of those aged 18-29 have a smartphone

Wireless Wednesday–Apps!

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Taylor White

This week for “Wireless Wednesday” we’re talking about apps! Today @FierceWireless came out with their 2012 “Mobile App Holiday Must-Haves.” What makes this article better than most best app roundups? This one has broken down the apps into 10 categories. They are Food & Drink, Games, Lifestyle, Music, News, Photo & Video, Productivity, Social Networking, Travel, and Weather. We decided to feature our favorite app from each category in the excerpts below. This week we will focus on the first 5 topics, and next week we will look at the last 5. To see all of the apps that were included, click here.

Food & Drink

Food Network on the Road
(Developed by Food Network)
Available for: iOS
Released: August
Price: Free
Food Network on the Road is a mobile-optimized travel guide to the five-star restaurants, greasy spoons, bakeries and food trucks featured on the cable channel’s marquee programs like Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, Cupcake Wars and Giada’s Weekend Getaways. Viewers search for featured restaurants by city, chef, cuisine type or program title–whether you’re looking for a specific spot that once made your mouth water or just seeking out recommended dining wherever your travels lead, the app can feed your hunger, complete with address, phone number and driving directions for each restaurant. Users also can save places they want to visit (or visit again), create road trips based around restaurant wishlists, recommend spots to friends, and earn Food Network badges upon arriving at their dining destination.

Games

Punch Quest
(Developed by Rocketcat Games)
Available for: iOS
Release: October
Price: 99 cents
If your initial response to Punch Quest is something along the lines of “That is an awesome title for a game,” then this old-school, arcade-style platformer is unquestionably for you. Rest assured that the game doesn’t skimp on the punching or the questing: Your hero rushes headlong through a monster-packed dungeon, throwing haymakers at everything in sight–ogres, zombies, priceless pottery, whatever. Along the way you can unlock special skills and “supermoves,” ride a dinosaur that shoots lasers from its mouth, don stylish hats and destroy a supernatural egg that transforms you into a magical gnome. And if you think that last sentence is over-the-top, just wait until you play the game.

Lifestyle

WeottaGo
(Developed by Weotta)
Available for: iOS
Release: May
Price: Free
If you live in the moment, then don’t let another second go by without downloading WeottaGo, which makes recommendations based on the user’s whereabouts but also takes into account the current time and weather conditions, as well as corresponding merchant and event factors like hours of business, restaurant seating availability and movie showtimes. Filters include category, popularity, mood and distance, and suggestions evolve as the day progresses, changing in relation to what’s happening now and what’s happening next to guarantee there’s always something to do. WeottaGo also offers comprehensive details on the venues and events in question. And the more you use the app, the better it understands your likes and dislikes, making it even easier to plan an afternoon coffee break or a night on the town.

Music

Timbre
(Developed by Intrepid Pursuits)
Available for: iOS
Release: September
Price: Free
If live music is essential to your existence, then Timbre is a must-have on par with earplugs and comfortable shoes. More than just a location-targeted interactive concert calendar, it’s a conduit for connecting bands with potential new fans. Timbre determines your whereabouts and shows you all the performers playing your area–click an artist’s name and the app dials up a clip of their most popular iTunes track and corresponding link to the storefront, as well as venue information, ticketing options and Facebook and Twitter sharing. If you’re on the fence, you can listen to additional songs from the group’s catalog or swipe the screen to see what other shows might float your boat instead.

News

Pocket
(Developed by Idea Shower)
Available for: iOS, Android
Release: 2007
Price: Free
Previously known as Read It Later, Pocket enables users to store news articles, video clips and webpages for future access. Content may be cherrypicked directly from the browser or saved from any of more than 300 other apps like Twitter, Flipboard, Pulse, and Zite; once something is in Pocket, you can read or view it anywhere and anytime, regardless of whether your device is connected to the Internet. A bevy of content management, sharing and filtering tools further improve the experience, helping explain why Pocket users save a million magazine articles, YouTube videos, recipes and wishlist items every day.

There you have it folks! Make sure and check back next week for the other 5 “must have” apps of 2012! What are your favorite apps? Did any make the list? Let us know in the comments section below, or on our Facebook/Twitter.

Tech Tip Tuesday–Test Mode

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Taylor White

Happy Tech Tip Tuesday!

This month we’re talking about a common question in tech support–”how do I really find the signal strength on my phone?” Well, let’s address that! As you probably already know, two of the most common phones today are the iPhone and android phones. Today, we’re going to go over how to access the signal strength in both of these common phones. If you happen to have a different phone other than an iPhone or android, there are other resources available to find your signal strength. You can find a list for the other phones here: http://www.wilsonelectronics.com/test-mode-instructions

For finding signal strength in a phone, we access it’s “test mode”. Test mode is a part of the phone’s programming that accesses data not commonly available.

To get into test mode on an iPhone, you first go to the dial mode, and type in
*3001#12345#*, and then hit call. This has put your phone in to test mode. Up where your bars used to be (top left corner), there is now a negative numerical value. This is all great and dandy, but what in the world does this number mean?! Well to give you an idea, -60 relates to being next to the cell tower, while -105 is about where you can expect to start dropping calls and seeing failed text messages. A signal of -80dB to -90dB is the recommended for using data/internet.

Test mode for an Android phone is easy as well. First, go to your System
Settings. Scroll to the bottom, and click on the About Phone button. Now, scroll to the Settings button and click on it. Your signal strength should be listed about halfway down. It has the same dB range as the iPhone (and all phones for that matter).

There you have it! As always, if you need a stronger cell phone signal, Wilson Electronics can help! Give our Technical Support team a call at 1-866-294-1660, or shoot us as email at tech@wilsonelectronics.com.

Wilson Electronics Senior R&D Engineer Named a ‘Leader Under 40′

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Taylor White

ST. GEORGE, Utah, Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Chris Ashworth, a senior R&D engineer at Wilson Electronics, has been named a ‘Leader Under 40′ by Control Engineering.

For each of the past three years, the Control Engineering Leaders Under 40 program has identified and recognized 10 young engineers who have made significant contributions toward the control engineering profession. The goal is to get more young people interested in engineering.

“I am grateful because I really enjoy what I do,” Ashworth said. “It’s an honor to be recognized by the Leaders Under 40 program.”

Among achievements noted by Control Engineering, Ashworth has participated in Federal Communications Commission rulemaking by developing technical rules for industry-acceptable consumer cellular signal boosters. He has led the design of 15 cellular signal boosting products from concept to manufacturing and production testing.

He also holds four provisional patents related to the design and automated control of signal boosters in a constantly-varying environment.

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