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HTC will reportedly give the world a glimpse of one of its upcoming smartwatches later this month
Feb20
on February 20, 2014
at 5:47 am
Struggling Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC previously confirmed that it would release a wearable device this year — and today Bloomberg reports that the company will preview a smartwatch at Mobile World Congress later this month.
HTC will only be letting carriers have a glimpse of the smartwatch prototype, which will feature the Mirasol display technology seen in Qualcomm’s Toq device, Bluetooth connectivity and a music player, though there are no plans to unveil it publicly, Bloomberg reports.
HTC is also reportedly developing another smartwatch using Google Now, which will likely have an AMOLED screen, as well as a smart wristband that plays music and comes with activity-tracking features, though these two may not be demonstrated.
The company hasn’t decided yet if any of these devices will go into final production, Bloomberg reports. With its entrance into wearables, HTC is set to enter an increasingly crowded market — and it faces a tough challenge in trying to reverse sagging revenue and earnings performance last year.
➤ HTC Said to Plan Smartwatch Preview Amid Declining Market Share [Bloomberg]
Image via Mandy Cheng/AFP/Getty Images
Rumors of Apple showing interest in buying Tesla resurfaced earlier this week after the SF Chronicle reported that Apple’s M&A chief met with Elon Musk last spring. In an interview with Bloomberg TV (hat/tip MacRumors), Musk confirmed that Tesla did have conversations with Apple, but he couldn’t comment on whether they revolved around any kind of acquisition.
Musk also said that a Tesla sale is “very unlikely,” because there currently isn’t any scenario that would improve the probability of it creating a mass-market affordable and compelling electric car.
I think that’s very unlikely, because when you stay super focused on achieving a compelling mass-market electric car, I’d be very concerned in any acquisition scenario, whoever it is, that we may become distracted from that task, which has always been the driving goal of Tesla.
He did note though that if there were ever a scenario which could better its task, “then possibly it would make sense to entertain discussions.”
It’s not difficult to see why Apple would be interested in Tesla. After all, Apple announced its “iOS in the car” initiative at WWDC last year to bring its mobile OS into dashboard systems — and Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly mentioned the company’s interest in expanding to new product categories.
➤ Elon Musk: Tesla Had Conversations With Apple [Bloomberg TV]
Read – What if Apple bought Tesla?
Image via Joe Raedle/Getty Images
In November last year, Microsoft unveiled plans to release Office 365 Message Encryption, a new service allowing you to send encrypted emails to anyone outside your company. Today, the service has become generally available.
The message encryption service means that no matter the end destination of your email being sent via Office 365, Microsoft is adding another level of protection against unauthorized access. This would come in useful for sensitive communications, such as a bank sending credit card statements to their customers or a mortgage broker asking clients for financial information.
To start using the service, you have to purchase a subscription for Windows Azure Rights Management, which already includes Office 365 Enterprise E3 and E4. Users who already have an existing subscription to Office 365 E3, Office 365 E4 or Windows Azure Rights Management will begin to see the message encryption service light up.
➤ Office 365 Message Encryption — now rolling out! [Microsoft Office Blog]
Read – Starting early 2014, you can send encrypted emails in Microsoft Office 365 to anyone
Image via Microsoft Sweden/Flicker, thumbnail image via Mario Tama/Getty Images