标签: ipod

前言：本文来自  Errett Kroeter 的博客，非全文翻译，是我对内容的理解，原文请参考： http://blog.bluetooth.com/the-bright-side-of-the-iphone-5-lightening-connector-blues/ 如果有错误，请指正，我虚心接受。 正文：   iPhone5面世了，由于连接器修改了，从之前的30脚修改成19脚，让很多人非常烦恼，尤其是那些有很多i产品的人。    这个担忧不是太必要了，因为iPhone5中已经植入了蓝牙技术，而且是蓝牙4.0双模技术（传统蓝牙技术和低功耗蓝牙技术都有），该技术给了iPhone5方便地去连接其他设备创造了机会。    这项技术将给健康领域的设备带来非常大的变化，个人健康/护理设备供应商将更加专注于开发新的具备蓝牙低功耗无线技术的产品，让其有机会和iPhones/iPads/iPods协同工作。      

这段时间来，iphone docking市场中的大大小小的客户跑了也有好几十家，我的这些客户中，主要都是给国外的品牌做OEM或ODM的代工厂（顺便说一句，国内很多厂家都不想或不愿意去做品牌，导致很多都只是美日欧品牌厂家的加工厂，公司利润少，抗风险能力差），通过了解这些客户的销售市场、渠道、产品等方面的情况，以及整个市场其他音响公司的情况，对这个iphone docking音响市场大致有如下的看法：   1、从客户对象来看，目前有在做iphone docking音响的厂家分成三部分：   一部分是专门从事苹果docking音响生产的公司。早在06年的时候，那时就有公司开始专门生产ipod docking音响。这部分公司很早就获得了苹果的授权，给国外一些品牌做代工服务，这部分公司就是所说的传统的做docking音响的客户，有一定的技术基础，生产的产品比较专业，定位比较准确，有比较稳定的客户资源和出货量，这一部分客户的出货量估计应该占到了整个市场的2/5强。 还有一部分厂家原来是从事传统音响行业的，比如做电脑多媒体音响、家用音响等，在看到iphone docking音响市场的情况后，也开始进入这一行业。在这一部分厂家中，有很大一部分是有自己品牌的，比如深圳老牌的音响厂家麦博、漫步者、DOSS等等。也有一部分也是给国外厂家做代工服务的，在原有的基础上增加了iphone docking音响的代工服务，比如像国光等。这些公司都是在音响行业发展了很多年了，规模大，资金充裕，技术研发能力强，品牌知名度高，客户基础好，所以这些公司的出货量比较大，估计应该占了整个市场的3/5强。 再有一部分厂家，是从事电脑周边产品生产的厂家。在PC时代，围绕着PC机的周边开发了很多应用产品，也成就了很多公司。现在PC市场已经基本饱和，难以有新的革命性的突破了。而现在以智能手机为代表的手持终端设备的崛起，人们已经开始进入了后PC时代。在后PC时代，围绕着智能终端设备的周边产品开发以后也是一个十分巨大的市场，所以之前在PC时代开发生产PC周边产品的公司向这个方向转型，也是大势所趋。但目前这部分厂家，因为之前的业务量还是很庞大，对新出现的东西还是持谨慎的态度，采取观望跟随的策略。 2、从销售市场和渠道来看，目前iphone docking音响市场主要是在北美、西欧和日本，国内市场还很小。   一个原因可能是价格，一台好点的iphone docking音响售价在上千块了，国内买iphone手机的人，很少会花一千多块买台音响放在家里，别人又看不到。另一个很重要的原因是使用习惯。举个例子，iphone docking上一般会带收音机功能，欧美那边听AM/FM收音机的人很多，国内现在除了司机和部分学生外，还有谁喜欢听收音机。据统计，全球有90%的音响产品是在中国生产的，而这90%的音响产品里面，有90%是在珠三角生产的。但是，在珠三角这么多的音响厂家中，在iphone docking音响这一块，打自己品牌在国外销售的并不多，而且销量也不大。在国外市场，像ihome、ilive、飞利浦等等这些品牌厂商在这个市场占了很大一部分，国内的厂家大部分都是给他们做代工服务。因为没有自己的品牌，做代工服务的厂家，如果一遇到欧美经济不景气，就会受到很大的影响，有的甚至关门倒闭。像08年金融危机，珠三角就有好几家很大的音响生产厂家倒闭了。   3、从产品开发设计、生产制造来看，国内的厂家的开发设计能力还有待提高。   很多厂家的产品ID设计是请专门的设计公司来做，控制部件由方案公司来做，只是生产制造自己来完成。其实，从一个产业完整的生态链来看，这本来也无可厚非。但国内厂家的重价格忽视质量、技术和产品前瞻性，所带来的直接后果就是一直在低端低价的空间内相互竞争，产品同质化严重。产品无新意，无亮点，一直在国外厂家后面跟随。这个一个方面与欧美厂家总是能先得到上游厂家的最新技术信息支持有关，还有一个方面的原因是国内很多从事产品规划和设计的人员信息闭塞，英语水平不够，不能及时的了解国外上游厂家的动向。在这一点上，台湾和香港的设计者们比我们要做得好，国内很多产品的构思借鉴了台湾和香港的同行。   4、从iphone docking音响的发展前景来看，目前整个珠三角的出货量估计应该在2KK/月，这个数量是指有苹果授权的产品。   从苹果的ipod开始，ipod、itouch、iphone、ipad等苹果的系列产品这几年的累积销量估计在4亿台，以后随着苹果的后续产品陆续上市，整个市场的持有总量还会每年递增。按这个量来估计，在未来的3-5年之内，iphone docking音响的销量会一直上升，5年之后可能会达到一个平衡。   最近公司根据最新市场情况，推出了模拟iphone docking方案跟数字 iphone docking方案（如下参数详解）客户对以下的方案，反应都还满意，跟得上现在的技术需求领域，价格也较实际。 一.模拟iphone docking方案框图 功能说明： 1.采用最新认证芯片支持最新的iPhone充电播放，并支持视频输出 2.采用高品质的ST芯片作为主控，性能更稳定 3.自动检测iPhone设备插入自行进行认证播放 支持外部音源AUX IN的控制播放 高灵敏收音芯片支持FM 87.5～108MHZ接收播放 大屏幕LCD段码屏显示，所有信息一目了然 带贪睡功能的双闹钟，支持BB声、iPhone、收音作为闹钟音源 支持红外遥控接收，按键采用10bit ADC检测，更准确灵敏 差分式电子音量芯片，多达5路音源输入，更强抗干扰能力 专用时钟芯片，计时更精确 相关技术指标： 电源输入：5V ±5% ,2A 输出功率：2.3W × 2 @THD=10% 音响信噪比（S/N）：≥65dB 频率响应（100HZ ～20KHZ）：≤±2dB AUX IN输入不失真幅度：1VRMS FM频率范围：87.5 ～108MHZ FM实用灵敏度：≤15dB FM停台灵敏度：≤22dB FM信噪比：≥50dB 时钟计时精度：≤2S@DAY ESD等级：接触≥4KV，空气：≥8KV 二、digital iPhone docking方案 功能说明： 通过 USB 接口取iPhone 的数字音频信号 通过USB接口与iPhone进行通信与控制 采用DC-DC给iphone 供电 直接输出标准IIS数字音频信号 可选纯数字功放，杜绝TDMA干扰 32bit核兼做主控MCU，运行速度快，内置RTC 支持USB OTG 支持SD卡 单电源3.3V需求，周边元件少，BOM成本低 支持常用的钟机所有功能：双闹钟，FM功能，AUX IN功能 可选配多种显示屏，点阵屏、段码屏等 内置双高精度ADC模块，可高速检测模拟信号 相关技术指标： 电源输入：12V 充电输出：5V/1A FM频率范围：87.5～108MHZ 功率：10W×2（根据要求可变） 信噪比：≥65dB FM实用灵敏度：＜18dB FM停台灵敏度： ＜22dB 时钟精度：＜2S/D   窥一斑而知全豹，通过这段时间拜访客户，了解到国内厂家在整个产品的生态链中大概处于一个什么样的位置。当然，我是从事方案销售的，首先最主要的任务是将方案付诸于实际的设计与生产，实现产品化，这个才是我自己的目的。至于整个国内的产品设计环境和设计能力，是真的需要改善、提高了，不要一直处于生态链的末端来争取生存的空间了。      

I read Steve Jobs'  biography written by Walter Isaacson as soon as it was released (I really need to write reviews on this book, along with reviews on the biographies and memoirs of Steve "Woz" Wozniak, Bill Gates, and Paul Allen ... it's just finding the time that's the problem). During his discussions about the creation and deployment of the iPad, Isaacson notes that it became common for people to question each other along the lines of "What's on your play list?" Another aspect to this phenomenon was that people would talk about what songs were on famous peoples' iPods. Strange to relate, I really never got into downloading music to my iPod or – more recently – my iPad. Well, this was true until this past weekend... I was sitting on our back deck enjoying the sunshine when – for reasons unknown – I started to reminisce about a Supertramp concert I'd attended in the late 1970s. It wasn't long before I was overtaken by the urge to listen to the little rascals, but the last media I had them on was LPs, which have long ago been swallowed by the mists of time. Isn't it great to be around today, with the Internet and iPads and iTunes and "stuff"? I immediately bounced over to the iTunes store and downloaded Crime of the Century , Crisis? What Crisis? , Even in the Quietest Moments , and Breakfast in America ... after which I spent a happy afternoon listening on my headphones and humming along out of tune, causing our two dogs and two cats to look at me in consternation and to raise their eyebrows at each other to indicate what they thought about my musical abilities. Now, listening on the headphones is great if you are by yourself, but what if you want to "share the joy" with your family and friends (the ones who haven't got the sense to find something urgent to do before you have them trapped and cornered). So I started pondering the idea of wireless loudspeakers. Then I did a search on Amazon.com, where I ran across the Logitech Wireless Boombox for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch .   Hmmm... I just don't know... On the one hand this is nice and compact ... but on the other hand, would I be better off with two separate speakers to enhance the stereo? Perhaps I should go for a three-speaker setup to boost the base? Or would all of this be overkill, and should follow the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Life would be a lot easier if I had a clue what I was doing (this is becoming my mantra these days). What do you use and/or suggest? Any recommendations would be very gratefully accepted...

As commentators, editors, journalists, and observers have all shared something about the untimely passing of Steve Jobs, I thought I'd let the first wave pass before I gave my views. Although I am not an Apple acolyte, nor an Apple product user, I have great admiration for what Jobs and Apple have done in terms of products, markets, and forging ahead despite tough circumstances. I do have three observations from years of seeing what Apple has done. First , Jobs' repeated exhortation to his engineers and marketers to create something "insanely great" is so different and so refreshing compared to just doing "faster, better, and cheaper"—although those attributes are important, too, of course, in many ways. But you need some pushing beyond that, to create the "pull" from far ahead. Second , Jobs had the ability to create a Reality Distortion Field (RDF) that kept Apple going during some very hard times. Wait a moment..."what hard times?", you wonder. There was a time when Mac computers were hovering at about 3% market share, software developers were not supporting it, the "i" products (iPod, iTunes, iPhone) were not yet released, and Apple's future was very much in doubt. The RDF that Jobs created was enough to keep the faithful users and media flame alive, even as the products were not there yet. That alone is an impressive accomplishment. Finally , there was his ability to guide a company to rise above and learn from major failures. Consider this: if a broad-line IC company has a presumed winning product which doesn't meet expectations, that's bad but not usually fatal; they can go on to other products and probably have a strong backlog of existing products to sell. But it can be disastrous for a PC vendor who only has one, maybe two major releases per year, especially when these new ones are supposed to be the seeds of major new lines and market initiatives. Apple stumbled badly with their Lisa PC (1980), and Newton (1987, perhaps a little too much ahead of its time). End of company? Could have been—except they were able to learn, adapt, retry, and move forward. That's an impressive feat. Those are the three aspects of Steve Jobs and Apple I'll try to keep in my mind. They are broader and go beyond the specifics of the products themselves.  

Commentators, editors, journalists, and observers. They have all had something to say about the untimely passing of Steve Jobs. I figured I'd let the first wave pass before I added my views. Although I am not an Apple acolyte, nor an Apple product user, I have great admiration for what Jobs and Apple have done in terms of products, markets, and forging ahead despite tough circumstances. I do have three observations from years of seeing what Apple has done. First , Jobs' repeated exhortation to his engineers and marketers to create something "insanely great" is so different and so refreshing compared to just doing "faster, better, and cheaper"—although those attributes are important, too, of course, in many ways. But you need some pushing beyond that, to create the "pull" from far ahead. Second , Jobs had the ability to create a Reality Distortion Field (RDF) that kept Apple going during some very hard times. Wait a moment..."what hard times?", you wonder. There was a time when Mac computers were hovering at about 3% market share, software developers were not supporting it, the "i" products (iPod, iTunes, iPhone) were not yet released, and Apple's future was very much in doubt. The RDF that Jobs created was enough to keep the faithful users and media flame alive, even as the products were not there yet. That alone is an impressive accomplishment. Finally , there was his ability to guide a company to rise above and learn from major failures. Consider this: if a broad-line IC company has a presumed winning product which doesn't meet expectations, that's bad but not usually fatal; they can go on to other products and probably have a strong backlog of existing products to sell. But it can be disastrous for a PC vendor who only has one, maybe two major releases per year, especially when these new ones are supposed to be the seeds of major new lines and market initiatives. Apple stumbled badly with their Lisa PC (1980), and Newton (1987, perhaps a little too much ahead of its time). End of company? Could have been—except they were able to learn, adapt, retry, and move forward. That's an impressive feat. Those are the three aspects of Steve Jobs and Apple I'll try to keep in my mind. They are broader and go beyond the specifics of the products themselves.