Posts Tagged ‘Android’

The Right Price for an eBook…Let the Consumer Decide

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

The recent war of words between Apple and Amazon regarding the correct way to price an eBook says a great deal about Apple’s brand value and their ability to leverage success in music market. Ironically in this case the roles are reversed with Amazon charging $9.99 for a best-seller and Apple planning to $12.99 – $14.99. By pricing eBooks aggressively Amazon hoped to stimulate demand, an important lesson learned from Apple’s success in music market. What is not clear is whether Apple’s pricing for eBook’s will proved to be as successful as their 99c per song and whether the download-to-own is the correct approach. Both vendors are deploying in-house content protection technologies.

Just looking at the sheer volume of second hand books available for sale on Amazon.com, my guess is that any eBook pricing model that does not allow the owner to resell the content is not likely to succeed. Moreover, the business model for eBook needs to correctly reflect the way people consume and acquire books. For example support an electronic book library or so-called subscription based models is an important requirement. The ability to share a book with friends and family, typical of books clubs all over the world is another model that must be supported. Text books also pose a serious challenge to the monolithic download-to-own model. This is to say nothing of the different types of devices, with either fixed or removal storage and a multitude of operating systems (e.g. Android, Symbian).

What is clear is that a one-size-fits-all approach (download-to-own) will not allow the eBook market to reach its full potential. Any viable content protection technology for the eBook market needs to support the full range of business models.

OMA DRM 2.1 is such a scheme, providing an ideal solution for eBook market. As an open DRM scheme it enjoys the support of content owners and service provides alike. The scheme is very robust and widely deployed. Moreover the scheme supports all the enhanced business models required by the eBook market.

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Discretix to Provide Android and Windows Mobile DRM Security for Sony Ericsson

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Discretix Multi-Scheme DRM Client Will Secure Subscription-Based Music and Video Services on Sony Ericsson Android and Windows Mobiles Phones.

FIRA de BARCELONA, SUITE 4.7HS22 / BARCELONA, SPAIN — (February 15, 2010) — Discretix, the leading global provider of embedded Windows Mobile and Android security DRM, today announced that Sony Ericsson has chosen Discretix’ Multi-Scheme DRM Client to protect distribution and consumption of multimedia content on select mobile phones and for its PlayNow services.

Discretix’ Multi-Scheme DRM Client has been deployed on select Sony Ericsson mobile phones based on the Windows Mobile and Android operating systems.  The embedded technology enables a wide variety of business models including subscription-based music and video services for the consumer market.

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MIPS Technologies and Partners Accelerate SoC Design for Android™-Based Devices

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

INTERNATIONAL CES, LAS VEGAS, Nev. – January 5, 2010 – MIPS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MIPS), a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital consumer, home networking, wireless, communications and business applications, today announced it is working with leading providers of key IP for the connected digital home—including audio, video, graphics and security functionality—to help SoC developers get to market quickly with fully-integrated hardware/software solutions. MIPS is working closely with Chips & Media, Discretix, Tensilica, Vivante Corp. and other leading providers of semiconductor IP to help customers meet cost/performance targets with solutions that optimize performance for devices based in particular on the Android™ platform.

For more information: http://www.discretix.com/corporate/pr050110.html

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Discretix Joins ARM Solution Center for Android

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Optimized for Android and already selected by several Tier-1 Mobile Device OEMs, the Discretix Multi Scheme DRM client ensures quick time-to-market for next-generation open source mobile and connected devices.

http://www.discretix.com/corporate/pr071209.html

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iPhone doesn’t neither does Droid

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Verizon are doing level best to expose the weaknesses of the iPhone in the current “droiddoes” campain. Both the Apple iPhone and Motorola Droid devices are packed full of features, but both do not do security. The ability to install applications on the device – something common to all smartphones – comes with huge security risks, for individual subscribers, service providers and enterprises.

Limiting subscribers to downloading applications from approved app stores, certainly mitigates some of the risk. However there are several well known and freely available cracks online that will effectively bypass almost any restrictions and protection mechanisms.

Just in case the simple man on the street felt he had nothing to lose, vulnerabilities of the operating system pose other threats, placing the end-user at risk. Viruses and the trojan horse can reveal and/or modify personal information. These viruses can grab personal payment information such as credit card numbers, illegally obtain contact information from our private phone book stored on the mobile phone, and access our home network using a mobile device’s WiFi capabilities.

As smartphones become more prevalent and entrenched in our work and home lives, their security requirements increase as well. Without such safeguards in place, people will never feel safe using smartphones, thereby preventing these powerful innovations from ever reaching their full potential.

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