The Firefox web browser is known for pushing out updates quickly and it looks like Firefox is committing to the same release schedule for its new mobile OS.
In outlining the company's strategy this weekend, Alex Keybl, Mozilla's Manager of Release Management promised significant quarterly updates to the Firefox mobile OS.
Now version 1.0 of the would-be iOS and Android contender is out of the gate, the company said it also plans security updates every six weeks.
In a post on the Mozilla blog Keybl said: "Now that we have our v1.0 behind us and we're moving forward with even more partners, we're going to do our best to bring Firefox OS back into our heartbeat and will make quarterly feature releases available to partners along with six-weekly security updates for the previous two feature releases."
Emerging
He added that the strategy will easily outstrip other OS-makers in the mobile space: "As far as I know, that's the most aggressive mobile OS release strategy out there (and may still require some tweaking).
"This sort of alignment across multiple browser products, and now an OS, is unprecedented at the pace we're moving. Keep it up, Mozillians."
Handsets running the Firefox OS are now rolling out in emerging markets, with 16 countries targeted for launch this year. It is unlikely to be available in the U.S. or the U.K. until 2014.
The future of live events is digital, and soon, your ticket, the way you pay for drinks and even your ability to share the experience on social networks, could all be done with a tap of the wrist.
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) wristbands are set to feature at many festivals and events this summer as an alternative to the NFC smartphone.
Most RFID wristbands contain short-range - typically 3-5cm - passive tags and don't require batteries, but instead, are powered when placed near or 'tapped' against an RFID reader.
When detecting an RFID wristband, the reader 'agitates' a magnetic field created by a coiled antenna within the tag. The tag then uses this kinetic energy to 'power-up' and send data (held within the tags' memory), back to the reader.
The tags in RFID wristbands can either be personalised with someone's profile (e.g. data is held directly on the chip itself) or they can be used as an access 'key' to a secure database of personal data.
What else can RFID wristbands do?
ID&C is the UK company behind the wristbands at many major festivals including Isle of Wight. The company has also worked with brands such as Adidas.
More than 40 festivals around the world have used RFID wristband technology to offer fast-track entry, cashless payments and perhaps the most exciting bit - integration with social media.
Yes – after buying a ticket online, you'll have the option to link your RFID wristband to your Facebook or Twitter account, enabling you to post, Tweet, share and like all your favourite parts of the festival.
RFID bands are also being used for posting to social media
Footage from last year's Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee, show's how RFID wristbands helped generate 1.9 million Facebook likes.
In the UK, wristbands were used at some festivals last summer including the Isle of Wight, Wireless and Wakestock. An estimated 3.5 million festivalgoers around the word have now used them.
What about using NFC smartphones instead?
The problem with using NFC smartphones instead of wristbands is that not everyone has one. This alienates ticket-holders and brings contactless participation down from an achievable 100 per cent if you issue every attendee with an RFID wristband.
Then there's the fact phones run on batteries, and unlike RFID wristbands, will run out at some point during a multi-day festival. And, with limited (sometimes non-existent) ways to re-charge your phone in a field, your e-wallet, e-ticket and the ability to brag to your friends on Facebook, will vanish.
To say there's no place for NFC at festivals is wrong though. The Samsung Galaxy S4 for example, has been used as an RFID reading device and it's a perfect hand-held scanner for smaller events.
RFID bands are relatively low cost
It's not just the practical issues mentioned above that affect festival-goers though, but the data integrity and security of any RFID system at a festival crumbles when the contactless device isn't locked to your wrist, synced to your profile and made non-transferable.
You might not see RFID wristbands at every festival this year, but with a reported three million Facebook likes and a billion cashless transactions already made with them, it won't be long until they're everywhere.
Just a few hours after we marked our calendars for its launch on August 1, leak artists have celebrated the Moto X phone's impending 'coming out party' by slipping out an official-looking shot.
Just ten days from the official reveal, prolific Twitter leaker @EvLeaks (via The Unlockr) has gotten his or her mitts on another press render of a Motorola device, following recent Droid family leaks.
Although it's nice to see the phone in its official guise, rather than blurry-cam snapshots or videos, there isn't much new information to bring you beyond the photo.
The homescreen gives us a look at stock Android running on the device, but the transparent menu keys, as Engadget points out, suggests there'll be some minor UI modifications from the Motorola division.
Born in the USA
The 'designed by you' and build in the USA smartphone will be officially presented to the world on August 1, after the company requested RSVPs from the media for an event.
It is thought that smartphone fans will be presented with a host of customisation options, including build materials and personalised engraving.
The device is also expected to be the first to run Android 4.3 out of the box, which most observers expect to be the subject of Google's 'breakfast with Sundar Pichai' event on Wednesday.
After all the speculation and rumors, the Moto X is finally just around the corner. Earlier today Motorola began releasing press invites for a special Moto X event on August 1st, which will take place in New York City.
The press release doesn’t really give us anything new to go on, but it’s nice to finally see that the phone’s secrets will be divulged. If the rumor mill proves right, the Moto X will be a modest handset – specs wise – with a 720p display, 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, a 10MP rear cam and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box.
So why so much hype and excitement? First, because it is the first Motorola phone built directly under Google’s influence. Second, because the phone will be made in the United States and will feature special customization capabilities.
What do you think, are you excited for the Moto X or not? Share your thoughts below.
The invite - which could double as a clothing brand ad - simply says "Moto X," the date, the place and "RSVP here." The Motorola "M" floats above looking like the Bat signal.
The invitation features two handsets in the hands of two hip women, one in black and one in white, indicating that, like your style, you can customize the phone just the way you want.
That's it?
Black and white may seem a little on the limited side when it comes to creating a phone that matches the unique you, but from what we've heard many, many more options are due with the Moto X.
Motorola's branding for the phone has centered around a "designed by you" mantra, and so far it sounds as though a palette of colors and engravings will be possible. Users are said to be able to create a personalized default wall paper with a picture, while wood, metal, fabric and ceramic are all tipped as optional casing materials in addition to default plastic.
On the operational side of things, the invite shows a camera lens centered roundly on the back of the device, and the flash below. A jack is clearly visible on the top.
We've heard several times that the phone's sensors will be a thing to marvel, so tuned into your surroundings that the phone even knows when you're traveling in a car. The device is believed to house a 1.7GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM.
A version running Android 4.2.2 was reportedly in carrier testing, but if Google reveals Android 4.3 next week, perhaps we're in for the updated OS on the Moto X?
