Ruler is Back (nokia 3310)

                                            
The Nokia 3310 is a Nokia-branded mobile phone developed by HMD Global. It was announced on 26 February 2017 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in Barcelona, Spain, as a remake of the iconic original Nokia 3310 that was produced in the early 2000s.

ABOUT NOKIA:

Nokia used to be one of the world’s biggest mobile phone manufacturers but it fell behind with the advent of iPhone and Android smartphones. In 2014, Nokia’s Devices and Services division was sold to Microsoft. In 2016, Finnish company HMD Global bought a part of Microsoft’s feature phone business and has a licensing agreement that allows it to make smartphones under the Nokia brand.

Launch:

On 14 February 2017, it was reported that a modernised version of the 3310 would be unveiled at the 2017 Mobile World Congressin Barcelona by HMD Global Oy, a Finnish manufacturer with rights to market phones under the Nokia brand, with the price point of 59 euros.^[1][2] On 26 February 2017, the modernised version of the 3310 was relaunched at a price of €49.^[3]

The Nokia 3310 has been reported to only run on 2.5G networks at the time of launch, which has subjected the phone to criticism, and means that it will not initially be released in many countries, including Australia, which is switching its 2G mobile network off.

Features and design:

The phone features basic functions like an FM Radio, a web browser and a voice recorder. It has a 2MP camera for photos and video recording. The original Snake game has been replaced by Gameloft's "Snake Xenzia" with updated modes and graphics. The design of the phone heavily mimics its predecessor both in design and form factor and it comes in colors similar to the original phone: dark blue, gray, etc.

Nokia 3310

OUTSIDE

• Beautiful push buttons and iconic, shaped design
• 2 MP camera with LED flash for simple snaps
• Headphone jack for your tunes
• 2.4” curved window with polarized layer for better readability in sunlight
• Available as both single SIM and dual SIM variants

INSIDE

• 2G connectivity for calling and texting
• All-new UI with nods to the original
• Awesome battery life, with up to 22 hours talk time
• FM radio and MP3 player for music
• 16 MB storage4 plus a MicroSD card slot with support up to 32 GB

Lenvove (Tango os)

Original author(s)	Google
Developer(s)	Google
Initial release	June 5, 2014; 2 years ago
Development status	Active
Platform	Android
Available in	English
Type	Mobile computer visiontechnology platform
Website	Tango

Tango (formerly named Project Tango in-testing)

Tango (formerly named Project Tango in-testing) is an Augmented reality Computing platform, developed and authored by Google. It uses computer vision to enable mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to detect their position relative to the world around them without using GPS or other external signals. This allows application developers to create user experiences that include indoor navigation, 3D mapping, physical space measurement, environmental recognition, augmented reality, and windows into a virtual world.

The first product to emerge from ATAP's Skunkworks group,^[1] Tango was developed by a team led by computer scientist Johnny Lee, a core contributor to Microsoft's Kinect. In an interview in June 2015, Lee said, "We're developing the hardware and software technologies to help everything and everyone understand precisely where they are, anywhere."^[2]

Google has produced two devices to demonstrate the Tango technology: the discontinued Peanut phone and the Yellowstone 7-inch tablet. More than 3,000 of these devices had been sold as of June 2015,^[3] chiefly to researchers and software developers interested in building applications for the platform. In the summer of 2015, Qualcomm and Intel both announced that they are developing Tango reference devices as models for device manufacturers who use their mobile chipsets.^[4][5]

At CES, in January 2016, Google announced a partnership with Lenovo to release a consumer smartphone during the summer of 2016 to feature Tango technology marketed at consumers, noting a less than $500 price-point and a small form factor below 6.5 inches. At the same time, both companies also announced an application incubator to get applications developed to be on the device on launch.

At Lenovo Tech World 2016, Lenovo launched the world's first consumer phone based on Tango, as well as releasing it as "Tango"

2016 is set to be a very big year for Google phones. The search giant just announced two new Pixel phones to compete with the Apple iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy models. But if you're in the market for a new phone this November with the latest Google tech, you may have a hard decision ahead.

Remember the Lenovo Phab2 Pro, the huge 6.4-inch phone with Google's Tango depth-sensing 3D camera system that scans the world around you, can play augmented reality games, help navigate indoors, or see how new furniture and appliances might fit in your home? It's coming next month, according to Google.

Update, November 1: It's here, but it may not ship until December. One more delay for the phone.

Though the phone was originally supposed to ship in the summer, and later got delayed to September and then a nebulous "fall," Clay Bavor, head of VR at Google, confirmed to CNET that the phone will go on sale this November. (Yes, that's the same month as Google's Pixel phones.) The Phab2 Pro should sell for $499 unlocked in the United States, equivalent to £345 or AU$672.

It's important to note that only the Google Pixel phones will be compatible with the Daydream VR headset, not the Phab2 Pro. (It doesn't have the required AMOLED screen to support smooth VR.) That means tech enthusiasts will have to choose between virtual reality and augmented reality if they buy a new Google phone next month.

That might not always be the case, though. "You can imagine in the future you won't have to make a choice, but that's a bit further out," said Bavor, hinting that a single phone might eventually support both the Tango and Daydream platforms.

              Project Ara

Google cancels Project Ara, its modular phone project that was intended to allow you to build your own smartphone

You may have heard the term 'modular smartphone' bandied around but what does that mean and what is Project Ara? We explain what you need to know about Google's modular smartphone including the release date, features and developer editon. Read: The best smartphones 2016.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could swap individual bits such as the camera for a better one if you want to? Here we explain how Google Project Ara could enable exactly that, and how it could flip the industry on its head.

Google announced major changes to Project Ara at Google I/O. Check out the details below as well as information on the Developer Edition release date. Also watch the new video above to check it out.

What is Project Ara: What's a modular smartphone?

A modular smartphone in it's simplest form is a handset which can be easily upgraded by swapping individual components, or modules, in a plug and play style. It can be likened to upgrading a PC with a new motherboard, CPU or graphics card – out with the old, in with the new one component at a time.

It's a bit like Lego. You start with a bare-bones shell then add a processor, memory, battery, camera and other modules to create a smartphone that's perfect for you. Also see: Fairphone 2 hands-on review.

It could be the only phone you need to buy because every time an updated part is available, such as a new camera, you can buy that individual part rather than an entirely new device. It could also be possible to opt for a larger battery instead of a better camera, for example.

Project Ara is being developed by Advanced Technologies and Products (ATAP), following Motorola being sold to Lenovo. Project Ara is based on Phonebloks (below) which was created by Dave Hakken.

In the case of Project Ara, the modules slide in from the side and are held in place by magnets. Instead of using unreliable contacts, the device will use wireless 'capacitive interconnects'.  There are three different sizes of module: small square, big square and rectangle.

Update May 2016: At Google I/O 2016, the firm has announced that the Ara has been rethought somewhat. It unveiled a new Developer Edition which is scaled back somewhat from the original concept. The device now consists of a frame which 'contains all the functionality of a smartphone' so it includes the CPU, GPU, antennas, sensors, battery and display. Google says this frees up more room for hardware in each module.

On the back are six modular slots. These are all plug and play thanks to Greybus - "a new bit of software deep in the Android stack. Greybus supports instantaneous connections, power efficiency and data-transfer rates of up to 11.9 Gbps."

The design is also tweaked to be more cubical and more like Phonebloks but the creator isn't too happy with Google's changes. On the new frame Dave Hakkens said: "It means your phone still gets obsolete after a while. What if your screen breaks? Well you still need to replace the entire phone. And after a couple of years it gets slow and you need to replace your entire skeleton."

"A system like this makes other companies want to compete instead of collaborate. They will build their own modular phone, want to create their own ecosystem with their own sizes and connectors. Making modules not compatible with each other anymore. Which ends up in a lot of different modules. Developers will need to make their hardware work on different platforms. If Google truly wants to make a phone for the entire world, they should collaborate with others and make an open standard owned by the industry. Not one company." he added on the subject of Google controlling the ecosystem of modules.

Project Ara: UK release date and price

At its first Project Ara developer conference, Google confirmed that it aimed to release the device in January 2015. The base piece, called the 'gray phone' is set to be priced at $50. Of course, the individual modules will vary in price.

“It’s called the Gray Phone because it’s meant to be drab gray to get people to customize it,” said Project Ara's Paul Eremenko. Google began shipping Ara development boards to developers in July.

In a later developer conference, which was held on 14 January 2015, Google unveiled 'Spiral 2' and announced that it was planning a Puerto Rico trial of 'Spiral 3' in the third quarter of this year, made from converted food trucks. That is no longer happening, it has confirmed on Twitter, and Project Ara has been delayed until some time in 2016.

Update May 2016: As per above, Google has rethought Ara and the Developer Edition will be released this autumn. You can fill out a form on the new site if you're interested. This means we're getting closer to a consumer model which you'll be able to buy in 2017 so stay tuned for more information.

Project Ara: Challenges

You might be drooling onto your keyboard at the thought of a device like this but there are some downsides and plenty of hurdles. The way a modular smartphone works, means that it's going to be bigger and heavier than current smartphones.

By the time you buy the gray phone and all the modules you want, it's likely to end up being more expensive than an equivalent pre-made smartphone. Even with clever techniques, it's possible there will be connection issues between the modules.

Then there's the fact that not all module combinations will provide a good experience. For example, a low power processor isn't going to cope well with running a higher resolution screen or top-end camera.

Currently, a smartphone's software is optimised (or should be) to the hardware on which it runs. This is a little different when your components can be completely different to the next persons's.

In some ways these problems already exist with Android smartphones and even little things such as the use of different Bluetooth chipsets means third-party products work with only certain handsets.

Plus, there's no guarantee that there will ever be new components released. In the past we've seen laptops with interchangeable graphics cards, yet despite promises to the contrary, no upgrades were ever launched leaving users disappointed.

There are a lot of potential problems with modular smartphones like Project Ara but if they can be ironed out, then these device could cause a storm in the industry and could become the new norm – Build-a-Bear but with smartphones.

Let us know what you think below and if you have any further questions which you want answered on the subject.