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From Samsung Digital Health platform to KNOX Enterprise SDK, the keynote session for the Samsung Developers Conference was full of goodies as expected, especially for all the developers. As developers, it is always very exciting to hear about all the new tools to play with. If you missed the keynote, don’t worry. Here’s a recap and some highlights of the keynote.
The keynote begins with a trailer for all of Samsung’s innovations: curved TV displays, smartphones, 4k TVs, etc. It was Won-Pyo Hong, President and Head of Samsung Electronics Media Solution Center, who kicked off the keynote address. As he welcomed everybody to the SDC 2014, he announced that Digital Health, Smart Home, Wearable and Virtual Reality as the four key areas of today’s keynote.
With the new Samsung Digital Health platform, Samsung is providing SDKs, APIs, devices and services to all developers. Some of the platform partners include Nike, Aetna, Cigna, Humana and Merck.
In addition, Samsung also announced the second generation Simband, with a reference design based on the Gear S.
And to help developers facilitate all the information that is coming in from the Simband, Samsung has opened up its cloud-based software platform called the Samsung Architecture for Multimodal Interactions (SAMI). This helps with the collection of sensor data from the device for analysis.
Samsung also turned its attention to the connected home, specifically highlighting how its SmartThings acquisition is providing a cloud-based platform and a host of certified devices for developers to work with.
Alex Hawkinson, founder and CEO of SmartThings, revealed that every connected appliances from Samsung will eventually be integrated into the SmartThings platform. Samsung is expecting to begin bundling the SmartThings hub and platform with Samsung devices as well as third-party devices starting next year.
Samsung’s Vice President of Content and Product Solutions, Eric Anderson, announced that the company will be rolling out the Tizen OS across its product portfolio in 2015, which includes tablets, televisions, and such. With this, Samsung has made the Tizen SDK for wearables available for developers.
Samsung also gave a sneak preview of Project Beyond, a 360-degree camera, with 16+1 HD lenses that capture the entire surroundings in 3D video and stream it in real-time.
Project Beyond has moved past the concept stage and it has actual working prototypes. However, it will not be available to the masses soon.
Samsung, in collaboration with Oculus VR, also announced the Gear VR, a virtual reality device. With the Gear VR, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is used as the screen and processing unit, mounted inside the Gear VR device. Currently, the Gear VR runs only with the Galaxy Note 4 but Samsung has plans to expand it to the entire Galaxy line in the future. A developer edition of the Gear VR called Gear VR Innovation Edition will be available to developers starting early December.
Samsung also announced updates for its S Pen and New Look SDK for the Note Edge’s side screen.
The company also extended an invitation to developers to begin working with Flow, Samsung’s multiple device workflow system, similar to Apple’s recently released Continuity.
That is all. Stay tuned to our Samsung Developer Conference 2014 page for more news.
