How Google's Project Ara Smartphone Works

Project Ara is real, and Google has its fingers on the pulse of the technologies required to make modular smartphones a reality. Given the overwhelming public response to the Phonebloks concept, it's something that users seem to want, too. But whether or not Project Ara modular phones have a future in the smartphone marketplace will largely depend on whether or not there's a strong hardware ecosystem to support it. The custom PC market wouldn't have flourished a decade ago if component manufacturers weren't making user-friendly video cards, storage drives, motherboards, and power supplies--the building blocks of a PC. That's the point of this week's Ara Developers Conference: getting partners excited and educated about how they can build hardware to support that vision for a modular phone.
The two-day conference, which was also streamed online, coincided with the release of the Project Ara MDK, or Module Developers Kit. This MDK provides the guidelines for designing Ara-compatible hardware, and along with the technical talks presented at the conference, offer the first clear look in the technologies that make Ara possible, if not completely practical. I attended the conference and read through the MDK to get a high-level understanding Google's plans for Ara, which goes far to address the concerns we and experts have had about the modular phone concept. I'm not yet a believer, but at least this clearly isn't a pipe dream. The following are what I consider the important takeaways from what Google has revealed so far.

Project Ara is two core components: the Endoskeleton and the Module

On the hardware side, Google has laid out specific guidelines for how Project Ara phones can be built. The most important piece of hardware is the chassis, or what Project Ara leads are calling the "Endoskeleton." Think of this as an analogue to a PC case--it's where all the modular components will attach. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the design of Razer's Project Christine, in that a central "spine" traverses the length of Project Ara phones, with "ribs" branching out to split the phone into rectangular subsections. In terms of spatial units, the Endoskeleton (or Endo) is measured in terms of blocks, with a standard phone being a 3x6 grid of blocks. A mini Ara phone spec would be a 2x5 grid, while a potential large phone size would be a 4x7 grid.

Fitting into the spaces allotted by the Endos structure would be the Project Ara Modules, the building blocks that give the smartphone its functionality. These modules, which can be 1x1, 2x1, or 2x2 blocks, are what Google hopes its hardware partners will develop to sell to Project Ara users. Modules can include not only basic smartphone components like the display, speakers, microphone, and battery, but also accessories like IR cameras, biometric readers, and other interface hardware. The brains of a Project Ara phone--the CPU and memory--live in a primary Application Processor module, which takes up a 2x2 module.While additional storage can be attached in separate modules, you won't be able to split up the the AP--processor, memory, SD card slot, and other core operational hardware go hand-in-hand.

Project Ara's prototype Application Processor module, which house the CPU, memory, SD card slot, and other core hardware.

Three new technologies make Project Ara work

Project Ara is only viable because its a confluence of new technologies that have been in development for years, and are almost ready to be put in consumer hardware. These three are the most important:
The first is UniPro, which is a high-speed interface protocol that Project Ara uses to allow its modules to speak to each other, though the hardware of the Endo. They share a common low-level language for communicating and building a network. The UniPro protocol has been in development for several years as a way to build a standard for mobile phone accessories--think of it like the USB protocol, but optimized for mobile. Its development is overseen by the MIPI Alliance, an organization composed of over 250 mobile companies, and Project Ara is tapping into the latest UniPro 1.6 spec, which offer high-bandwidth and low power connections between the modules.

Even though the modules know how to speak to each other, they need a way to physically connect to the Endo. The second technology Project Ara uses is capacitive M-PHY, a physical layer spec also developed by the MIPI Alliance and made to work with UniPro. For Project Ara, M-PHY is a capacitive interface, which means that the connection points won't be worn down over time from swapping modules in and out of the phone. Ara's implementation of the M-PHY interface block calls for 10 connection points, eight of which are for data (four pairs of lanes), one for power, and one for ground.

The final technology in Project Ara's module design is the use of electropermanent magnets for affixing the modules in place in the Endo. This is really cool--normal electromagnets magnetize depending on if current is running through them. That would be a battery drain, but electropermanent magnets only use current to flip magnetization on and off; it's able to retain its magnetized state without draining additional power. Project Ara engineers are hoping that electropermanent magnet design can be further miniaturized before modules go into production, since every bit of PCB space in the module is precious.

Google expects the Endoskeleton cost to be under $100

When users buy a Project Ara phone, they'll start by buying just the Endoskeleton and basic components, which Google has priced at around $50 for what they call a basic "grey" phone. That includes $15 for the Endo frame, $15 for the display, $5 for a battery, $10 for the main Application Processor module, and $5 for a Wi-Fi unit. These are just the bill of materials cost, and aren't what users will actually pay for modules, but Google is confident that getting started with a working Project Ara phone will cost well under $100. In terms of overall pricing for building a full-featured Project Ara phone, Google says that the only real cost overhead for Ara modules are Unipro technology and the electropermanent magnets. In addition, they expect that a flourishing component ecosystem will drive down prices and offer users more options for pricing.

Endoskeletons will last 5-6 years

Once you buy an Endo, Google expects that it should last you 5-6 years. The capacitive pads for the modules go a long way to keeping the metal Endos durable, and the UniPro/M-PHY interface has enough bandwidth for futureproofing (10Gb/s for most modules, 20Gb/s for large modules). The Endo will have a small battery built-in to supply reserve power, and that's one of the limiting factors for the lifespan of a Project Ara shell.

Modules are hot swappable

That built-in battery in the Endo is separate from the battery that will normally power the phone, and is needed to support hot swapping. Users will be able to swap out almost every module type without having to power down or reset their phone, the display and AP notwithstanding (for obvious reasons). That means that you'll be able to replace the main battery when it's low without turning off your phone, something that no smartphone can do today, even with external power attached.

Modules can have multiple functions

Google showed several prototype modules, including a Wi-Fi unit, biometric sensor (which measured pulse using an IR camera), and a dummy module that does nothing. The dummy module showed that developers will have about 40% of the PCB add their own hardware, with the rest dedicated to Ara-specific chips and tech, such as the magnets and UniPro processing. For larger modules, developers are able and encouraged to maximize their use of space, meaning that modules can have multiple functions. In fact, to build the display module, the Project Ara team used a Samsung screen that didn't take up all of the space available, so they packed in another small battery. Batteries everywhere, please.

3D Printing will get a boost from Project Ara

Even if Project Ara doesn't work out, there's one industry that may benefit from the R&D conducted for it: 3D printing. Google is working with 3D Systems in developing a new 3D printing machine that can print efficiently at volume, something that existing printers are not very good at. 3D printing will be used for Ara phone users to customize the casings for their modules, which are user-serviceable and snap fit around the PCB and safety shield.

The 3D printer in developing will print acrylic-based plastic, similar to what Shapeways calls its Detailed Plastic material. It'll be able to print cases in CMYK color (plus clear) with detail at 600DPI, and a sub-micron surface finish. The new printer, which is expected to be completed for Alpha testing mid-summer, prints using an assembly line track that goes in oval, like a racetrack. Unlike 3D printers like the MakerBot, the print head or build platform doesn't move back and forth across two axes--multiple heads and platforms work in unison, moving in just one direction to increase print efficiency.
Google is also working with Carnegie Mellon to develop conductive ink printing, so 3D printers can print electronics, like a Wi-Fi antenna while making a module casing. This technology is still a ways off, and won't make the 2015 Project Ara launch. There will also be a second Project Ara developers conference the July for artists and 3D printing companies to get involved.

Project Ara will not run stock Android

Because of the driver code required to support UniPro modules and other accessories, Project Ara phones will run a fork of Android for the foreseeable future, less the core Android team deems those features worthy to include in the mainline release. The software stack for Project Ara is one of the development threads that needs to be resolved before these phones can work, since Android doesn't support dynamic hardware configurations today. Ara will introduce generic class driers for UniPro modules (similar to how USB is processed), and some hardware drivers will be to be downloaded through a software distribution system like Google Play.

Project Ara isn't for the Internet of Things

Project Ara's leads made it very clear that they were not trying to build a jack-of-all-trades platform that would serve to be the hardware for the Internet of Things. That is, don't expect to plug Project Ara modules into watches or refrigerators. They want to build a viable smartphone platform first. But that doesn't mean that Project Ara devices have to be used as phones. You could imagine giving a child an Ara Endo with basic media and camera functionality but no Wi-Fi or cellular modules, allowing them access only when they're ready. It's like buying someone an iPod Touch that could later be upgraded to an iPhone.

Project Ara will launch early this year

As part of Google's ATAP (Advanced Technologies and Products) division, Project Ara is only given 24 months to go from concept to real product that users can buy--or at least one that demonstrates market viability. That urgency, along with the fact that only three Googlers are working Ara full-time, allows the team to take more risks and recruit technologists without having to commit them to a long-term tenure. It's a model that Google is adapting from DARPA, where Project Ara lead Paul Eremenko worked before Motorola and Google. Eremenko will take Project Ara through fruition in April 2015, which means Project Ara phones are much closer to reality than concept.

Google's Project Ara Modular Phone: What's New

19 Programming Languages Were Compared To Countries. The Outcome Is Hilarious!

Every language known to mankind has its own characteristics. Its formation and evolution is something that needs to be appreciated at all times. All this is done to make sure that interpersonal communication is eased out. In similar fashion, computer languages are created to ensure smooth running of operations, and geeks do take these languages seriously. But a few geeks on the internet took the other route and churned out what computer languages would represent if they were countries. Wonder what they were smoking! Anyway, check this out.

1.Perl: China

2. SQL and PL/SQL: Germany

3. Python: The Netherlands

4. C#: Switzerland. 

5. Java: USA

6. Swift: Japan

7. Assembly language: India

8. Cobol: Russia

9. C++: United Kingdom

10. PHP: Brazil

11. Scala: Hungary

12. Ruby: France

13. Awk: North Korea 

14. JavaScript: Italy

15. R: Liechtenstein

16. C: Norway

17. LISP: Iceland

18. FORTRAN: Antarctica

19. Tcl: Kiribati

12 Silly Things Indians Are Obsessed With

Welcome to India Sirji ! Welcome to the nation of vapid convictions. No wonder, India is the land of multitudes of cultural values, religions, theories, fables, languages, practises and a lot more; all that for obtuse beliefs that leads to nowhere.
We the people create our own boundaries, cry and whine over them and do nothing about it. Here’s a list of debacles that Indians go through.

1. Let’s all find a *fair* someone

No matter how a girl / boy looks like, their parents are always looking for a “Fair and lovely bride” / “Fair and handsome groom”. Too much to their dismay if they settle for something less fair than what they had in mind.

2. The great fascination with English, because speaking Hindi is too low standard

The obvious reaction is that English is indeed an edge, but looking down upon those who aren’t good at it is unfair. Talent, comprehensive understanding, qualities are far more a perk than just English.

[Double Standards: Get offended when your daughter doesn’t learn your mother tongue, but find a son in law who knows English]

3. Marriages: the most important thing between your birth and death

25-year-old damsel and 29-year-old unmarried man are a direct indication of their failed relationship or the fact that something is really wrong with them or their stars. Any other genuine reason for say career or no interest in marriages is utterly unacceptable.

4. Blind faith in political parties

One does not follow a political party because they have extrapolated from it, but because their family/ friends/ peers do. Also, you don’t cast your vote but vote your caste.

5. Superstition: it goes a long way

The best of people, even the smartest clique would fear from crossing the road because a cat just passed by. A lot of us are changing, but there are people who won’t buy new things on a particular day, wear black on Saturday, mourn if milk over boils and what not.

6. Blaming the system

All political parties are corrupt, every leader is corrupt, but we are not. Why the city is dirty? The municipality should do something about it, but you should not.  We never contribute to the corruption, the system does. Right?

7. Cricket Gods and everything else goes for a nought

I have no intention to ignite rage, but just hold your horses for a second and look around. Those who won medals at Olympic are selling food on streets and probably begging for some recognition while everyone who joins Cricket is a star for eternity. Why?

8. Making the wrong idols

Satyamev Jayate fetched innumerable criticism because people think that they should have done something substantial instead of airing the show. Well, they were doing something utterly significant. Bringing light to cases and atrocities. Roadies, well, had close to a million people auditioning every year.

9. Education = Herd mentality

Only below average people will opt for humanities / art / language etc since science is for really bright minds. Almost each one of us who has taken the road less travelled can relate to this until you stand out and prove yourself. Well, even then the credit for your success will be given to your luck because you’re not a doctor or engineer.

10. Shushing about your sexuality

Forget about coming clean about your sexuality if you’re gay or lesbian, even transgenders have no right. In India, it is more obligatory to be right than to be happy. It is almost impossible for an individual to be accepted about their sexuality, if it’s different than what society accepts from them.

11. Obsession with society

It is so hard to pen down things that we do and the things that we don’t because what society will think of us.

12. Religion, that’s all you need

Odds are that those who fight over Gita and Bible are the ones who haven’t read them. With or without religion one will have good people doing good things and bad people doing evil things. But there have been cases of good people doing bad things in the name of religion.

So which part of India do you choose?
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. – Barack Obama

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? It Might Not Be As Much as You Think. (Infographic)

Sleep is mysterious thing. It can be evasive and restless, or it can leave us feeling relaxed or energized. All we know for sure is that it’s important, and we get it where we can -- in hours at night or in naps during the day.
The big question is, how much do we need?
The National Sleep foundation recently revised its recommended sleep amounts for different age groups. While eight hours of sleep each day is within the range of the recommended time for teenagers, adults and seniors, it’s often true that people would benefit from more hours of sleep. For  adults ages 18 to 25, sleeping for anywhere between seven to nine hours is recommended, but 10 or even 11 hours may be appropriate for some people. Teenagers need even more.
And depending on how your body works, it might need as little as six hours of sleep per night. Go figure.
The experts at the National Sleep Foundation have put their new guidelines in the handy infographic below. If you’re not feeling rested each morning, you might consider changing up your sleep habits.

6 tech skills you need to stay relevant in 2015

We're not big on setting resolutions only in January at Pluralsight. We believe it's important to strive for excellence year-round, rather than just once a year. That said, there's value in using the year's starter months to reassess your current skill sets and identify areas for improvement, growth, and learning.
Technology is one area that no one in any industry can afford to grow complacent about — tech is changing so quickly that skills you mastered last year may already be outdated. In such a quickly evolving industry, information decays at a rate of 30 percent a year, according to Research in Labor Economics, rendering nearly a third of last year's tech-related knowledge irrelevant.
But don't panic — there's a solution. Staying up-to-date with emergent technologies and trends — as well as the skills needed to master them — will help you offset the lightning-fast pace of skills disruption and keep you ahead of the curve. Continuous learning is the key to maintaining an ongoing competitive advantage, both for individuals and organizations.
On that note, here are the top six tech skills that Pluralsight has identified as not just "nice to know," but "need to know," in 2015:

1. Coding.

As I've written recently, coding is the number-one skill in demand today worldwide. Although coding and computer science are still marginalized in the K-12 education system, it's clear that the ability to code has become as important as other basic forms of literacy like reading and math.
Fortunately, no matter what your age or current comfort level with technology, there are ways to pick up intro coding skills — and many of them are free. Start with Code School, which provides interactive learn-to-code challenges along with entertaining video instruction, or Hour of Code, which offers a free one-hour coding tutorial that's available in over 30 languages.

2. Big data.

According to Forbes, big data will continue to grow in 2015, due in part to the rise of the Internet of Things, which has the power to embed technology in practically anything. As ever-larger volumes of data are created, it's vital to know how to collect and analyze that data — particularly when it's related to customer preferences and business processes.
No matter what industry you're in, you'll miss out on key marketing and decision-making opportunities by ignoring big data. You can brush up on big data concepts, technologies, and vendors with these courses.

3. Cloud computing.

TechRadar reported this month that 2015 will be the year that the cloud becomes the "new normal." The reason, writes Mark Barrenechea, CEO of OpenText, is that costs can be slashed as much as 90 percent through digitization of information-intensive processes. Barrenechea predicts that by year-end, we'll see "a world of hybrid deployments in which some information and applications reside in the cloud and the remainder resides on-premise."
Learning to utilize the cloud's flexible power can improve everything from your data security to your collaboration ability. Learn cloud-computing basics with this hour-long online course, which you can view in full with afree trial from Pluralsight, or try this free intro course on the topic from ALISON.

4. Mobile.

As Six Dimensions states, "If you don't have a mobile strategy, you don't have a future strategy." This has never been truer than in 2015, the year in which The Guardianpredicts an increasing number of companies will learn how to mobilize their revenue-generating processes, like making purchases and depositing checks.
This is also the year that we'll hit critical mass with the fusion of mobile and cloud computing, according to Forbes. That means many more centrally coordinated apps will be usable on multiple devices. Here's a list of beginner-level courses related to mobile technology from Pluralsight, as well as options for mobile apps courses from Lynda.com.

5. Data visualization.

Data keeps multiplying, which means whatever message you hope to communicate online must find increasingly creative ways to break through the noise. That's where data visualization comes in, which involves using a visual representation of the data to discover new information and breakthroughs. Creative Bloq notes that this technique can reveal details that poring through dry data can't.
Fortunately, you don't have to be a web designer or developer to create compelling infographics. Here's a list of 10 free tools you can use to visually enhance your data.

6. UX design skills.

User experience (UX) designers consider the end user's ease of use, efficiency, and general experience of interfacing with a system (such as a website or application). Smashing Magazine notes that while user experience has long been important, it has become more so recently in relation to the diverse ways that users can now access websites, including mobile and apps.
"The more complex the system, the more involved will the planning and architecture have to be for it," writes Jacob Gube. But it's not just professional designers who can benefit from understanding UX design — anyone can. Check out this animated video from UXmastery on "How to Get Started in UX Design."
These six tech trends are reshaping the way businesses in every industry function internally and connect with their customers. Get smart in these areas, and you won't have to worry about being left behind — at least not this year.