Cross-platform and cross-device applications may become a hot topic

The popularity of mobile smart devices also brings some problems, that is, different scenarios and devices have different coexistence and sharing capabilities, which has become a potential demand. Perhaps some applications can bring about such sharing or connection, but what about between multiple devices? For example, mobile phones, TVs, tablets, wearable devices, smart homes, etc., the pressure of sharing may be considerable.

Now MediaTek has launched CrossMount cross-device sharing technology to meet this user demand. At the same time, it is also a very fun "near field" sharing or entertainment tool. Why do you say that?

In fact, it is very simple. For example, I want to take a photo of a beautiful woman with a smart phone, but the lighting at the scene is not good and I need fill light. What should I do? Where can I find the light source? Are there so many desk lamps to choose from? If there is a technology that can enable a mobile phone to build a scene with the help of other people's mobile phones, for example, the main shooting mobile phone can use the flash of several other mobile phones to fill light at the same time, then the shooting effect will naturally be good.

This is actually the problem that MediaTek CrossMount wants to solve, that is, a mobile phone can mount other smart devices to serve itself. This is also a solution for cross-device applications provided by MediaTek. For example, a video on a mobile phone can be directly mounted on a smart TV or tablet at home for simple sharing. Or a game on a mobile phone can also be mounted on a TV and played directly on the TV. The purpose of MediaTek's introduction of this technology is to enable the sharing of software and hardware resources between different devices.

Simply put, CrossMount technology allows software and hardware resources to be freely shared between different smart devices. Through CrossMount, device A can control/use the software and hardware resources of device B, that is, sharing hardware resources across devices. The advantage of doing so is that it can save resources to a certain extent, spend less money and do more work, and can continuously extend and expand the application scenarios.

The advantages of CrossMount are also diverse: First, CrossMount is currently an open technology that is compatible with platforms such as Android, IOS, Windows Phone and even Linux. It can be used not only by products using MTK chips, but also by terminal products such as Qualcomm, which can also use this technology for free.

Second, there is no need to add new hardware. CrossMount is more like a standard. As long as it supports the standard, you can get the cross-device hardware and software sharing function. After the smart terminals that support CrossMount technology are successfully paired between different devices through Wireless LAN or Wi-Fi Direct, they can quickly share resources (data or hardware).

Third, MediaTek has made the connection between devices no longer limited to soft resources. Instead, it has built such applications at the hardware level, making the application scenarios richer.

Fourth, third-party developers can use this technology to develop rich applications, allowing data to be shared between various devices such as smartphones, tablets and TVs.

In order to obtain more application opportunities, MediaTek will also establish the CrossMount Alliance. Currently, Lenovo, TCL, Hisense, Changhong and other manufacturers have begun to adopt CrossMount technology. Some conceivable application scenarios include: users can automatically pair a TV with CrossMount function with a smartphone, and then use the smartphone's speakers to transmit music; or use the smartphone's microphone as a voice controller for the TV to search for content on the smart TV, etc.

Currently, MediaTek also hopes to form a potential "new industry standard" by freeing the license fee for CrossMount and opening it to all industry manufacturers. Of course, this promotion process also depends on the acceptance of the final application manufacturers. MediaTek will release a license-free software development kit (SDK) to promote the adoption of this technology and establish a broader ecosystem.

As smart hardware and smart homes continue to gain popularity, the extension and application opportunities of this technology will become more popular, and there is a lot of room for expansion. In fact, when many chip manufacturers began to abandon the TV chip business, MediaTek took the opposite approach, hoping to break through the barriers between the smartphone, tablet and TV chip markets, and even more smart hardware markets. This courage is worthy of recognition.

It is reported that MediaTek will provide CrossMount technology to customers and partners in the Android platform smartphone, tablet and TV markets in the third quarter, and devices using this technology are expected to be available by the end of this year.

About the author: Xiao Dao Ma, QQ: 15567321. WeChat public account: daomawuyu (刀马物语), if you want to know more stories about the author, you can try to add it. He has been writing for many years, persisting and sticking to it, interpreting the changes of industries and sectors from a plain perspective.

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