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Jorge-Vieira
04-03-15, 10:40
Google Taps Yezz For First Project Ara Modules, Working Smartphone Coming Spiral 3



http://media.bestofmicro.com/8/1/482401/gallery/YEZZ_PROJECT_ARA-CP3_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/YEZZ_PROJECT_ARA-CP3,0101-482401-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)
Yezz (http://www.sayyezz.com/projectara/) just might be one of the most important tech companies you've never heard of.
The company has been sending out teaser emails ahead of MWC 2015 saying vague things such as "Yezz has adopted Project Ara," which could mean anything, really. We visited the Yezz booth at MWC to see what exactly is the big deal, if anything.
Yezz showed us copious mockups of modules, as well as a pretty 100-page design book full of sketches of possible modules. The Yezz team also had a mockup an Ara Endo replete with flashy modules. It was all just paper and plastic, and to be frank, we were a bit skeptical. We've seen plenty of plastic Project Ara-related mockups, and we're not at all excited about them at this point.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/7/X/482397/gallery/yezz-demo-modules-4_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/yezz-demo-modules-4,0101-482397-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)I was smelling the familiar foul, metallic scent of vaporware until Yezz' Maurizio Sole Festa, VP of Marketing, told us that the hardware prototypes are real. It turns out that the company was actually underplaying its hand with those vague emails.
Yezz is making modules for Google's Project Ara modular smartphone initiative.
The Real Deal

The company is designing some of the hardware inside of the modules, but it's also an OEM, manufacturing its own modules as well as the designs of other companies. For example, Festa told us that although Toshiba designed and showed off (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/toshiba-marvell-project-ara-modules,28398.html) some camera modules, with the full reference design laid out, it's Yezz that will be making them.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/7/Y/482398/gallery/yezz-demo-modules-3_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/yezz-demo-modules-3,0101-482398-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)"This is my Darth Vader," said Festa, holding up a module with Lord Vader's visage printed on the back. "This is exactly what our designer has designed for gaming. So the idea is that this is a super video card...and then my phone [would be] perfect [for] gaming."
Of note is the fact that Yezz is looking at building a small game controller that would slot into the Endo. He further noted that if you are a gamer and pop in a discrete GPU module, you could opt for a battery module with much greater capacity.
He said that Nvidia would ostensibly hand over core reference designs, and Yezz will manufacture it -- ”it” meaning a discrete GPU, in the form of a module. An Nvidia GPU module is not something that's set in stone, he said, and he also noted that Google would be the one to ultimately make those sorts of deals.
Yezz is very much in tight with Google. It doesn't appear that Yezz is technically part of Project Ara within Google ATAP (the marketing materials are perhaps overstating that part, but it's unclear), but it is the de facto module maker for the Project Ara initiative and pilot launch in Puerto Rico.

It might not mean much in the long run -- it's impossible to predict how these things will shake out -- but a note in the history of Project Ara is the fact that Yezz is the first Project Ara module OEM.
That's an enormous coup for the small company, and it's an opportunity to take early control of what could be a hugely important market -- one that could ostenisbly create an entire (large) cottage industry of module makers and accessorizers. This is because the concept of a modular smartphone with discrete, upgradable components is the exact paradigm of the home-built PC. A Project Ara phone will be an enthusiast-class device.
For PC enthusiasts, it should be refreshing to see so much freedom in a smartphone platform. "There’s no two individuals that are exactly the same, and I do believe that’s why this technology is important," said Festa.
For Yezz' part, although Festa shared plans for the near future that bordered on the grandiose (hey, he is the VP of Marketing, after all), there are some very specific, concrete plans, as well. There will be at least ten modules ready to go by the launch of Project Ara's Spiral 3 (exactly enough to completely fill all the slots on an Endo) later this year -- eight for the back of the device and two for the front.
The company took things a step further by illustrating what the first Ara phone could look like, equipped with those ten modules.
Yezz calls it the Core Standard configuration.
The First Project Ara Phone: Yezz' "Core Standard" Configuration

It's odd that such an important image is just sitting there, in a physical paper book, but there you have it.
The front of the device has two module slots -- a small one at the top and one that's larger; these will be filled by a proximity sensor/light sensor/receiver and a 4.7-inch HD display, respectively. According to the mockup, you'll be able to see notifications and the time on the lock screen, which looks exactly like Motorola's Active Display feature.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/7/T/482393/gallery/yezz-core-config_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/yezz-core-config,0101-482393-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)The rear will include a 5 MP camera module, WiFi/Bluetooth, a USB port, a 3G HSPA/SIM module and a "standard" battery. The bottom 1 x 2 module is reserved for a speaker, and there's a 2 x 2 module that will be the standard, basic APU, which is a quad-core (1.5 GHz) chip with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage.

There's an entire module (just a 1 x 1) solely for the 3.5 mm audio jack. It's interesting to see that so much real estate is occupied by that one port; you have to wonder if a more clever configuration could include the headphone jack with another module.
Yezz showed us additional conceptual drawings of possible configurations, although Festa said that these models were still just concepts at this point, with no solid plans for development yet.
One of those, the "Add On Module" configuration, includes a little notification bar on the front and top of the Endo. On the back, wild module ideas abound, such as an LED-packed flashlight powered by Energizer, a far more powerful and spacious SoC (2.3 GHz quad core, with 2 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage), an extended battery, a fingerprint reader, a breathalyzer, and a breath strips dispenser. (Repeat: A breath strips dispenser.)

It also sports a leather flip cover that uses an E-ink secondary display with solar charging capabilities baked in. (While you're dreaming, dream big, right?)

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http://media.bestofmicro.com/7/W/482396/gallery/yezz-smartphone-mockup-2_w_300.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/yezz-smartphone-mockup-2,0101-482396-0-2-6-1-jpg-.html)
http://media.bestofmicro.com/7/V/482395/gallery/yezz-smartphone-mockup-1_w_300.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/yezz-smartphone-mockup-1,0101-482395-0-2-6-1-jpg-.html)

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Festa stated unequivocally that the Core Standard configuration will be a real product that you will be able to buy, just as soon as Google completes its trials, finalizes details and greenlights the official launch. (Google, Festa told us, is very much in the driver's seat here. But he noted that Project Ara is a project, after all -- a collaboration -- and Yezz is part of making Project Ara a Real Thing; some of those details of which company does what will be sorted out later.)
An incredible part of this story is how quickly Yezz came into the picture. We did not, for example, see Yezz at CES, and that's because the company wasn't showing anything particularly compelling at that time; it's involvement in Project Ara, and thus it's impressive development, came after. It's been less than two months in the making.
Timeline

Despite the startlingly short lead time, when Project Ara launches in Puerto Rico, Yezz will have working modules that will form a fully operational phone. That phone, as noted above, will be the Core Standard configuration model.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/8/0/482400/gallery/yezz-smartphone-mockup-3_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/yezz-smartphone-mockup-3,0101-482400-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)When asked how far along Yezz is in the process of making these modules, Festa said, "All the reference design is laid out, so I think after Spiral 3 is completed, we will be able to proceed with final testing and mass production."
He added, "We’re already working with development boards, and we're already blowing out fuses." (At this we all chuckled.) "Google has provided us boards for our engineer to start testing a micro version of the circuits, and once we finish, we will integrate and lay everything into a PCB [that is the] actual size of the modules."
"For us, on the phone, this takes anywhere between 75 to 120 days, according to the extent and complexity of the project. With the downloadable MDK and the development website, Google has already handed over to us an incredible amount of work."
There's no guarantee that Project Ara will ever make it past (or even to) the pilot launch in Puerto Rico, but if things continue to work out on Google's end, it appears that Yezz will be ready with a pile of working modules and the first Project Ara smartphone.


http://ops.bestofmedia.com/us/ooyala_frame.html#M0dTFxczpV-wfIh44j4phtwWp3hPYiIn


Update, 3/5/15, 2:45am PST. We have spoken again with Yezz and are updating this article for clarity: Yezz is by no means an exclusive OEM for Project Ara; the MDKs are available to anyone who wants to use them. Google has not partnered specifically with Yezz in any way, any more than it may have and/or will work with any other company that plans to manufacture modules for Project Ara.
Yezz is using the Project Ara MDK reference designs to make its first round of modules for the Core Standard configuration.
We referenced the fact that Yezz will build a module based on Toshiba's camera module reference design, which is true, but that design is open to any module developer; it's not as if Toshiba has contracted Yezz to be its OEM.

Yezz confirmed that it is not part of ATAP. It is simply a company that is diving into making modules for Project Ara.

Regarding the pilot launch in Puerto Rico (Spiral 3) and Yezz' involvement, I failed to accurately paint that picture; put simply, Yezz plans to support Project Ara's pilot launch in Puerto Rico, and that's as far as any statement on the matter goes at this point. The pilot launch will begin by the end of 2015.






Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/yezz-google-project-ara-modules,28686.html

Jorge-Vieira
09-03-15, 16:10
The Click ARM One is an ARA-like modular tablet

Spanish company ImasD has unveiled its own take on Google's Project Ara modular concept - but in tablet form. Furthermore ImasD has already started taking pre-orders for the Click ARM One (http://store.click-arm.com/tienda/index.php?id_product=21&controller=product&id_lang=1) 10-inch modular tablet. This promising ARA-like competitive tablet hopes to appeal to a wider audience by opening up the component design specs of its tablet modules.
http://hexus.net/media/uploaded/2015/3/3890e24f-7421-40e2-8e74-04ef36a94bb9.jpg
The 'ARM' in the slate's name does not have anything to do with the British chipmaker; it simply stands for 'Advanced Removable Modules'. The device's storage, memory and even the display modules will be swappable and the company says it will support open source operating systems including Android, Ubuntu, Tizen and more.
The basic version of the tablet will come with a 'CK Core' module featuring Samsung's Exynos 4412 CPU and 2GB of RAM. The components, including this core, can be easily replaced by other available modules to upgrade or update the Click ARM One's specs. Other components which are designed to be replaceable include the mainboard with HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB, a 16GB storage module, and a 10.1-inch panel with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels.
http://hexus.net/media/uploaded/2015/3/3dc9fb6e-6eb2-4ff3-a22f-ca802749b563.jpg
The manufacturer has designed the tablet with a traditional desktop PC in mind, where users can decide on the specification of their system without destroying component warranties. Just like Google and PhoneBloks, ImasD is also encouraging third party hardware developers to create modules compatible with the Click ARM One through the mini PCI Express port located on the motherboard. These connectors will open up an array of possibilities in module choices and allow users to connect any existing technology that supports the standards and is compatible with the OS of the device.
ImasD hopes to start shipping the Click ARM One tablet this summer, with pre-orders priced at €289 (£208, US$313). In addition to this limited edition tablet device, with only 1,000 units to be built initially, the firm has partnered with Circular Devices to launch a modular phone called the PuzzlePhone (http://www.puzzlephone.com/).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Lry0aygoTBE



Noticia:
http://hexus.net/mobile/news/tablets/81469-the-click-arm-one-ara-like-modular-tablet/

Jorge-Vieira
30-04-15, 10:27
Nexpag Modular Smartphone Case Evokes Project Ara Concept


http://media.bestofmicro.com/4/Z/493955/gallery/9d4597e26bf3e48bfbdc7a5f7905396c_original_w_600.pn g

Nexpag (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nexpaq/nexpaq-the-first-truly-modular-smartphone-case)is a new modular case for your smartphone. The case is similar in concept to project Ara, with the ability to have many different modules that can be switched out to change the features of the phone. Nexpag differs in that it's a case that offers some similar functionality. The Nexpaq case is currently being designed for the iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S 6 edge, and Samsung Galaxy S5. By connecting the handset to the case via its typical power connector, the case is capable of providing extra services to the phone.
Currently, there are 12 modules that have been designed, with a variety of features. Three of the modules focus on data, allowing you to connect extra storage such as SD cards or USB flash drives to the phone, or simply working as 64 GB of extra storage.
Three other modules are a little more unique. These modules have the ability to check air quality and measure temperature and humidity, and one is a breathalyzer.
The remaining modules have functions for a flashlight, laser pointer, hot keys for programming shortcuts into the phone, a speaker, and additional battery life. The case itself already contains a built-in battery that will charge your phone and prolong the battery life, but the battery module allows you to increase this even more.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/4/Y/493954/gallery/854e703eabb8cb46815ae908aac72ffe_original_w_600.jp gCurrently, the case and modules are still under development. The company is running a Kickstarter to raise money to further development and start production, and if successful, it's expected to enter the market in the first half of 2016.
Given its similarity to Project Ara, if this case manages to make it to market first, there is potential that it could somewhat undermine the popularity of the modular phone project. Project Ara phones would allow a much greater level of customization, but many users might prefer adding features to a phone instead of needing to piece together a phone from scratch.



Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/nexpag-modular-smartphone-case,29012.html

Jorge-Vieira
03-06-15, 15:23
Working Project Ara Phone Hands On, Interview With New ATAP Ara Lead Rafa Camargo

We interviewed Project Ara Technical and Engineering Lead Rafa Camargo and briefly went hands on with a working phone.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/X/500649/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-5_w_600.jpgClick to enlarge | Credit: Alex Davies (http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/X/500649/original/Google-Project-Ara-5.jpg)
Since being announced in 2013 by Motorola, Project Ara (http://www.projectara.com/), Google’s modular smartphone project that is being developed by its ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) division, has gone through a few ups and downs. The initial excitement about the project soon turned to skepticism in many circles as many questioned whether Google could make a modular smartphone work, and if people even wanted such a product.
Then in January 2015, at the Project Ara Developer Conference, Google showed off a working second-generation Spiral 2 prototype (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/project-ara-spiral-2-announced,28401.html) that validated the concept. It also announced that a pilot program to sell Ara phones and modules in Puerto Rico would be starting in the second half of 2015.
Later at Mobile World Congress in March, budget phone OEM Yezz made a big splash (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/yezz-google-project-ara-modules,28686.html) with its announcement of support for Ara. The company probably was a little more enthusiastic for the platform than Google wanted and showed off some fanciful module ideas that were a bit beyond Google’s vision for Ara. Despite that hiccup, it looked like Project Ara was final starting to coalesce into an actual product you might be able to buy.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/Z/500651/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-3_w_600.jpgClick to enlarge | Credit: Alex Davies (http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/Z/500651/original/Google-Project-Ara-3.jpg)For this year’s Google I/O, then, we were excited for and expecting to hear more about plans for Project Ara. After nothing was mentioned at all in the initial keynote, we were worried that perhaps the project was in trouble. However, when walking the I/O show floor later in the day, we saw that there was a Project Ara section of in the ATAP booth. Although there weren’t any phones on display, we were told to expect some important Ara news in the following morning's ATAP session.
Hot-Swapping Modules, For The First Time In Public The ATAP session (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/google-atap-reveals-multiple-projects,29209.html) was full of amazing ideas and new technology, but after over an hour, we were beginning to think that perhaps we were told wrong, and Ara wasn't going to get a mention after all. Just before the end of the session, though, there was a "one more thing" moment, and Project Ara finally made an I/O 2015 appearance.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/T/500645/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-4_w_600.jpgClick to enlarge | Credit: Alex Davies (http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/T/500645/original/Google-Project-Ara-4.jpg)
To our surprise, Ara was presented on stage by a new Google face, Rafa Camargo, instead of the expected Ara project lead Paul Eremenko. Camargo showed an Ara Spiral 2 endo (endoskeleton), the basic metal frame of Ara that holds all the modules. He then proceeded to install a selection of modules into it, including an SoC and battery, and booted up the phone. As far as we know, this only the second time that a Project Ara Spiral 2 has been publicly turned on, the first time being at the Ara Developers Conference.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/U/500646/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-6_w_600.jpgClick to enlarge | Credit: Alex Davies (http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/U/500646/original/Google-Project-Ara-6.jpg)
The Ara unit Camargo was demoing seemed to be the same unit that was shown earlier in the year. It was made up of smooth plastic modules with dye-sublimation printed images on them, rather than the 3D printed modules originally presented when Ara was announced. With the Ara still powered on, he then inserted a camera module, which instantly added camera functionality to the phone without having to reboot it.
It was impressive, and this was the first time the hot-swappable module feature has been shown publicly. With the camera active, Camargo then took the first public photo from an Ara phone.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/U/J/500059/gallery/ATAP-Project-Ara_w_600.jpgClick to enlarge | Credit: Alex Davies (http://media.bestofmicro.com/U/J/500059/original/ATAP-Project-Ara.jpg)
You can see the results of that shot in the tweet below from the official Project Ara account:

First public photo from our ARA phone at #io15 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/io15?src=hash). Next app install will be @googlephotos (https://twitter.com/googlephotos) to fix lighting. #ProjectAra (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProjectAra?src=hash) pic.twitter.com/EvFCQbbHo8 (http://t.co/EvFCQbbHo8)
— Project Ara (@ProjectAra) May 29, 2015 (https://twitter.com/ProjectAra/status/604377737176829952) Despite the fact that this was an impressive demo, it was very short, and no additional information as to what comes next for Ara was offered, such as an update on the Puerto Rico pilot. Luckily, we were able to catch up with Camargo at the ATAP booth, which you can see in our interview video below. We also got to briefly go hands-on with a Project Ara phone, but unfortunately we weren't able to capture it on video.
The Interview (video):http://ops.bestofmedia.com/us/ooyala_frame.html#5mNmVndToe6iMZfj-VU84CEOxdPjASnR
Interview with Google Project Ara Technical and Engineering Lead Rafa Camargo



We learned from talking to Camargo that he was new to Project Ara, and this tied into the announcement (https://plus.google.com/+GoogleATAP/posts/CyX1extcEbp) on the same day that Ara lead Paul Eremenko was moving on from Google. At first this seemed to be a sign of problems with the project, but we later learned that it is all part of the ATAP way.
At ATAP, projects are given two years to go from an idea to a marketable product. At the end of that time, Google can either kill the project, transfer it to Google proper (like it did with Project Tango (https://developers.google.com/project-tango/)) or grant an extension, which it has for Ara.
This extension comes with a catch though: the entire team has refreshed so new blood can be injected into the project to help turn it into a commercial offering. Camargo has replaced Eremenko as the new head of Ara, and his many years at Motorola before a brief stint at Amazon's hardware division, Lab126, should be immensely beneficial to Project Ara.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/W/500648/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-1_w_600.jpgClick to enlarge | Credit: Alex Davies (http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/W/500648/original/Google-Project-Ara-1.jpg)Camargo wasn't able to give us any real new information, his hands being tied by PR, but he was still able to give us some good insight as to where Ara is today. He also explained why it is such an important project for Google.
In our interview, we asked Camargo what's next. His response was that the "hard part," the underlying technology development, is complete, and now they are focusing on building "hardware for partners."
He also said that Project Ara enables "innovation in hardware in the same way that [mobile] apps did for software," and they were in the process of getting hardware partners on board to "create an ecosystem of hardware solutions."
He also talked about how Ara will fundamentally change how we use mobile devices. "Smartphones have been great in bringing mobile computing to everyone," he said, but he notes that when you look at the history of computing, when vertically integrated platforms have changed to open ones, innovation has exploded, and costs have lowered. He believes that mobile is ripe for this change, and that Project Ara can drive it.
Project Ara will not only allow big companies to contribute ideas to the platform, but smaller garage-based innovators, too. Lastly, he talked a little about how Ara isn't just innovation in hardware but "innovation in business models" as to how modules will be sold. You will be able to buy, rent or even trade modules for Ara phones.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/V/500647/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-2_w_600.jpgClick to enlarge | Credit: Alex Davies (http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/V/500647/original/Google-Project-Ara-2.jpg)
Hands On With The Working Project Ara (Spiral 2) Handset Our hands-on time with the Ara Spiral 2 prototype (above) was extremely limited, and I couldn't shoot any video of it. We were able to hold the working unit but weren’t able to explore any of its functionality, nor add or remove any modules. We can say that the unit felt like a finished product, rather than some a cobbled–together prototype. Of course, thanks to the metal endo, it did feel heavier than most current smartphones, but not so much that it would bother us.
However, one limitation due to the modular nature was immediately clear: The screen-to-body ratio for such a large device was quite poor. There was a lot of bezel surrounding the 4.5-inch screen, but, at least using current technology, there probably isn't a way to address this without losing the modular functionality.
Like Google is doing with virtual reality and its Cardboard viewer (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/google-cardboard-2-vr-jump,29207.html), tit is also trying to democratize mobile hardware development and user customization with Project Ara. However, unlike Cardboard, there wasn't really much new information announced at I/O. It's hard to judge as to where Google is with Ara and how far out it will be before consumers can get their hands on a device.
With the transition to a new leadership team, it's also difficult to even say if the Puerto Rico pilot will happen in 2015. Even so, it was encouraging to see, and even briefly use, a working phone, even though it was still a Spiral 2. The next Spiral 3 revision, which is supposed to be the unit that will be sold during the pilot program, will bring further hardware innovations to the platform.
More news will be released at the next developer conference, but its timing not been announced yet, and Camargo suggested following the @ProjectAra (https://twitter.com/projectara) twitter account for the latest news. Of course, since we're keen on the promise Project Ara, we'll also continue bring you any news about it -- so stay tuned to our feeds, too.


Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/google-project-ara-interview-hands-on,29233.html

Jorge-Vieira
18-08-15, 08:38
Project Ara, the modular smartphone from Google, delayed into 2016


One of the most ambitious things that was meant to happen to smartphones this year, Project Ara, has been delayed until next year. Google's modular smartphone was meant to debut this year, has been delayed until 2016.


image: http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/7/47078_01_project-ara-modular-smartphone-google-delayed-2016.png (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/7/47078_01_project-ara-modular-smartphone-google-delayed-2016_full.png)
http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/7/47078_01_project-ara-modular-smartphone-google-delayed-2016.png

The reason? There were "lots of iterations" of Project Ara, "more than we thought" according to the team behind the modular smartphone. There were a few posts on the official Project Ara Twitter page, where they said "where are we headed next? We are looking at a few locations in the U.S.".

At least we're only a few months away from 2016, I guess.






Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/47078/project-ara-modular-smartphone-google-delayed-2016/index.html

Jorge-Vieira
20-08-15, 12:45
Project Ara may have been delayed due to bad magnets (http://www.kitguru.net/laptops/mobile/matthew-wilson/project-ara-may-have-been-delayed-due-to-bad-magnets/)


Google is attempting something pretty different with Project Ara. The idea is to build a modular smartphone, where customers can upgrade individual components easily by sliding them on to the back of the device. In previous prototypes, the modules were attached by electro-permanent magnets, unfortunately, it seems that they just weren’t quite strong enough to pass the drop test.
Following this week’s delay of Project Ara (http://www.kitguru.net/laptops/mobile/matthew-wilson/googles-project-ara-has-been-pushed-back-to-2016/) from this year to next year, the official Ara Twitter account has given us an explanation but also teased something new for attaching modules in the future.
http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Spiral_1_Prototype__thermal_imager_and_pulse_oxime ter_shown_.0-e14213447493191.jpg (http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Spiral_1_Prototype__thermal_imager_and_pulse_oxime ter_shown_.0-e14213447493191.jpg)
In a tweet, the Ara Twitter account said (https://twitter.com/ProjectAra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw): “No more electropermanent magnets. #ProjectAra #FailedTheDropTest”. It then followed up on that, teasing something new in the future: “We are testing a signature experience to attach/detach modules. #ProjectAra #HopeYouLikeIt”.
We don’t know what this ‘signature experience’ will be or what it will involve but hopefully Google will update us soon as there are still quite a few people eager to see how the modular smartphone concept turns out.



Noticia:
http://www.kitguru.net/laptops/mobile/matthew-wilson/project-ara-may-have-been-delayed-due-to-bad-magnets/

RCS_007
20-08-15, 13:03
Eu não me importava se fosse preciso aparafusar cada um dos módulos.
Ao menos tornava-se mais resistente o telemovel

Enzo
20-08-15, 13:20
Podia ser tudo com parafusos minis ao estilo daqueles que se veem nos coolers a ar para CPU ou click&push, como vemos normalmente nos sistemas que usam cartões de memoria

Jorge-Vieira
20-08-15, 16:39
Project Ara Update: No More Magnets, No Puerto Rico, But It's Coming In 2016 (Maybe)

http://media.bestofmicro.com/U/2/474122/gallery/project-ara-2_w_600.png (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/project-ara-2,0101-474122-0-2-12-1-png-.html)The first Project Ara smartphone was supposed to arrive this year, but the team announced that there have been some significant changes to the platform, and the launch has been delayed for 2016.
Changes Recently, the Project Ara team said on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ProjectAra/status/631903968562536448) that the platform won't launch in Puerto Rico anymore, as originally planned. Instead, the group is looking to launch the first Ara products in the United States.
The team also seems to have taken some steps to overhaul how the platform works. For starters, the electro-permanent magnets have been removed from the platform. Previously, these were used to hold the modules stuck to Ara's endoskeleton. However, according to Google engineers, they just weren't strong enough to survive drop tests. They now seem to be "testing a signature experience to attach/detach modules," which may put the modules in more fixed "docks" that don't let them detach so easily.
Another interesting change made to the platform is that Ara is becoming a little less modular, and the group seems to want to stick more components together in the same module in order to save space. This is an approach other (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/puzzlephone-simple-approach-modular-phone,28138.html) modular device companies have taken (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/vsenn-new-projecta-ara-competitor,28035.html) as well, although Ara will likely still maintain the most modular platform of them all, as high modularity has been its main promise from the beginning.
Chances Of success Project Ara, or the idea of making a completely modular smartphone, has always been a highly ambitious one, with little chance of success. At least the strategy sounds right; as any market matures and saturates, the trend is almost always towards increased customization. Products go from having multiple color options, to a wider variety of SKUs, to decoupling the internals as much as possible to increase production efficiency.
The efficiency is usually obtained by allowing other companies to specialize on a given component and make a higher quality one for a lower price than the original integrated company could have ever made. This is why the idea of a modular smartphone seems like a good one, in concordance with business successes in the past.
The much harder part about this modular strategy is the execution, especially if it's done too early to be technically possible or for the market to accept it. A modular device needs not only to work well enough as a smartphone, but it also needs to be as competitive as possible with the more integrated standard smartphones.
Compromises Modular devices are going to be better in some areas than traditional smartphones, such as being less expensive over the long run to own, as you can just replace a needed component, and it allows for a wider variety of user-controlled customizations.
They are also going to be worse in other areas. The batteries may end up with lower capacity because of a lack of space, or the devices could be significantly thicker than current high-end smartphones. The speed of the information transferring between the components could also take a hit, which could reduce performance and increase latency, but whether this will be felt in normal usage by Ara customers remains to be seen.
The Project Ara team's job is to ensure the advantages are as compelling as possible compared to traditional smartphones (with a wide availability of quality modules from day one, for instance) while also minimizing whatever drawbacks a modular platform might have.
Announcing Too Early The biggest fear surrounding Project Ara is that it could end up like another Google Glass. Many think that what was really wrong with Google Glass was that it was announced too early, before it was ready for the mass market, and before it was a practical and useful product. Design-wise, the device doesn't look particularly attractive, and the battery life is too short to be truly usable.
It could be years before Google Glass could be turned into an appealing product for the masses, and that's only if it survives whatever skunkworks rebirth Google has planned.
Google may have made the same mistake with Project Ara, which clearly has a multitude of technical challenges that are left unsolved. It appears that the company may not have anticipated some of those challenges. Imagine, for instance, if the iPhone was announced in 2005 in a much more unfinished state, in its early days of development, instead of six months before being launched in 2007.

One advantage of unveiling it early, though, is that the company gets more feedback about it than it would have gotten otherwise (a strategy which Steve Jobs clearly didn't believe was worth it). Also, because Ara is essentially a multi-partner product, it can cooperate more openly with other companies and increase the availability of modules for the 2016 launch.
However, if some other unexpected problems arise in 2016, and the launch is delayed for yet another year, those who may have been excited about it back in 2014 may already lose interest by then. That's why Google needs to get Project Ara right this time, as it may not get another chance.



Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/project-ara-no-magnets-2016,29890.html

Lima21
20-08-15, 18:38
Excelente iniciativa , digo mesmo uma revolução no mundo dos "celulares"

Jorge-Vieira
22-08-15, 14:39
Where Are You Going, Project Ara? (Opinion)

http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/X/500649/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-5_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-5,0101-500649-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)Over the last couple of days, the Project Ara Twitter feed has suddenly come to life, as the PR team attached to the project has been trying to keep the world informed of what's happening with the ambitious modular smartphone project. Couched in upbeat, humorous language, the feed has spit out some news that has Ara fans puzzled and concerned. Didn't we just see a fully functioning prototype at Google I/O (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/google-atap-reveals-multiple-projects,29209.html)? What's going on?
Red Flags Waving As we wrote yesterday (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/project-ara-no-magnets-2016,29890.html), there are several bits of news that have come through that throw up some red flags. In summary:

-Project Ara will no longer use electropermanent magnets to keep the modules attached to the endo
-More intelligence is being moved to the core module
-The 2015 Puerto Rico pilot project has been scrapped, and a new one somewhere in the U.S. is being planned in its place
-The release date for the final consumer version of the phone has been pushed back to sometime in 2016
Magnets, Core Module, Cancelled Plans We should note at this point that the "failed drop test" hashtag from @ProjectAra (https://twitter.com/ProjectAra/status/634441734001299456), which we and many others wrote about, was meant to be a joke. However, in context, the hashtag accompanied the statement that Ara was moving on from using electropermanent magnets and looking at a "signature experience to attach/detach modules." According to a Google representative, that will include some combination of hardware and software.
Joke or not, it's alarming that the Ara team is suddenly throwing out the way the modules attach to the endo. We were told that the decision was made because the team felt that a solution that consumed less power was preferable, but it's awfully late in the game to be calling such an audible, isn't it?
http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/W/500648/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-1_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Google-Project-Ara-1,0101-500648-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)The decision to move some more intelligence onto the core module is quizzical, too, and frankly more of a dramatic statement. The core module already resembled an SoC; even if that's a space-saving measure, as the tweets suggested, that cuts against the whole point of Project Ara. There was a basic SoC, but the rest of the device's functionality was going to rely on plugged-in modules. If more of that functionality gets baked into the SoC, then...what's special about Ara compared to every other handset out there?
In its tweets, Project Ara also promised better battery life and a better camera. Why it's promising these things is odd, because it would seem that its module maker partners would be the ones in charge of those improvements. (Perhaps the Ara team is making its own modules. Or maybe we're just reading too much into the tweets.)
http://media.bestofmicro.com/7/S/482392/gallery/Ara_w_300.jpgOf secondary concern is that these changes could seriously affect module makers. There aren't that many companies we're aware of that are even attempting to make Project Ara modules, and major bumps in the road for the endo's design could mean trouble for those few in development.
With these hardware changes suddenly afoot, it's no wonder that the Puerto Rico pilot was cancelled. But that's just it -- it's not good news that the Ara team is making such dramatic changes that are fundamental to the handset instead of launching a pilot program. At this stage, the group should be putting some finishing touches on the design and build, not rethinking them entirely.
Assurances A pessimist would be screaming "Vaporware!" at this juncture, but there are reasons for optimism, too. It's unfortunate that Puerto Rico won't pan out, but a Google rep told me that a U.S. pilot is definitely in the works for 2016, pending the selection of a location. (The criteria for selecting a location is not something Google is sharing at this time.)
I was also told that, "We're working closely with module developers to communicate any changes and how that will affect development timelines. We are not aware of any partners that will have to scrap their module plans because of the changes in architecture."

The rep added, "We're confident that we're on the right track and working towards a launch in 2016" and noted that the Ara team is heads-down and hard at work to bring Ara to the people.
It's hard to tell from our limited interactions with those working Project Ara, but either there's a very brave front being put on, or the group truly isn't drenched in flopsweat. Optimism from the Ara camp may not equate to optimism for those of us on the outside, but maybe it's reason to stave off our pessimism. Maybe.



Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/project-ara-red-flags,29905.html