Mobile-based volunteer computing project to empower smartphone owners to help answer some of the world’s biggest questions
Barcelona, Spain, February 24, 2014 – HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today unveiled HTC Power To Give™, an initiative that aims to create a supercomputer by harnessing the collective processing power of Android smartphones.
Currently in beta, HTC Power To Give aims to galvanize smartphone owners to unlock their unused processing power in order to help answer some of society’s biggest questions. Currently, the fight against cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer’s; the drive to ensure every child has clean water to drink and even the search for extra-terrestrial life are all being tackled by volunteer computing platforms.
Empowering people to use their Android smartphones to offer tangible support for vital fields of research, including medicine, science and ecology, HTC Power To Give has been developed in partnership with Dr. David Anderson of the University of California, Berkeley. The project will support the world’s largest volunteer computing initiative and tap into the powerful processing capabilities of a global network of smartphones.
Strength in numbers
One million HTC One smartphones, working towards a project via HTC Power To Give, could provide similar processing power to that of one of the world’s 30 supercomputers (one PetaFLOP). This could drastically shorten the research cycles for organizations that would otherwise have to spend years analyzing the same volume of data, potentially bringing forward important discoveries in vital subjects by weeks, months, years or even decades. For example, one of the programs available at launch is IBM's World Community Grid, which gives anyone an opportunity to advance science by donating their computer, smartphone or tablet's unused computing power to humanitarian research. To date, the World Community Grid volunteers have contributed almost 900,000 years' worth of processing time to cutting-edge research.
Limitless future potential
Cher Wang, Chairwoman, HTC commented, “We’ve often used innovation to bring about change in the mobile industry, but this programme takes our vision one step further. With HTC Power To Give, we want to make it possible for anyone to dedicate their unused smartphone processing power to contribute to projects that have the potential to change the world.”
“HTC Power To Give will support the world’s largest volunteer computing initiative, and the impact that this project will have on the world over the years to come is huge. This changes everything,” noted Dr. David Anderson, Inventor of the Shared Computing Initiative BOINC, University of California, Berkeley.
Cher Wang added, “We’ve been discussing the impact that just one million HTC Power To Give-enabled smartphones could make, however analysts estimate that over 780 million Android phones were shipped in 2013i alone. Imagine the difference we could make to our children’s future if just a fraction of these Android users were able to divert some of their unused processing power to help find answers to the questions that concern us all.”
Opt-in with ease
After downloading the HTC Power To Give app from the Google Play™ store, smartphone owners can select the research programme to which they will divert a proportion of their phone’s processing power. HTC Power To Give will then run while the phone is chargingii and connected to a WiFi network, enabling people to change the world whilst sitting at their desk or relaxing at home.
The beta version of HTC Power To Give will be available to download from the Google Play store and will initially be compatible with the HTC One family, HTC Butterfly and HTC Butterfly s. HTC plans to make the app more widely available to other Android smartphone owners in the coming six months as the beta trial progresses.
HTC Power To Give was created in partnership with Dr. David Anderson, Inventor of the Shared Computing Initiative BOINC, University of California, Berkeley, and Fearlessly Frank, Global Brand Consultancy.
About HTC
Founded in 1997, HTC Corp. (HTC) is the creator of many award-winning mobile devices and industry firsts. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC pushes the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. HTC's portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by the HTC Sense® user experience. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498). For more information, please visit www.htc.com.
© 2014 HTC Corporation. All rights reserved. HTC Power To Give was built using BOINC, open source software copyright © 2003-2014 University of California and distributed under the Lesser General Public License (“LGPL”), whose terms apply to use of this app and the corresponding source code. The LGPL software is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the LGPL for more details. You may view the terms of the LGPL at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
HTC, the HTC logo, HTC Power to Give and other HTC product and service names referenced in the Application are the trademarks of HTC Corporation and its affiliates. Any other company names, product names, service names and logos referenced in connection with the Application may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Disclaimers:
Minimum system requirements and Wi-Fi connection required. Device must be charging and at 90% battery capacity for app to run (default setting). For full requirements, terms and conditions see http://www.htc.com/ptg/terms/
Projects are operated by third parties, are not affiliated with or endorsed by HTC, and may be subject to additional terms and conditions.