VW Unveils First Fully-Autonomous Vehicle; Netflix Passes The Venerable DVR
Posted: March 9, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cord-cutters, DVR, Level 5, Netflix, Sedric, Self Driving Cars, streaming, Volkswagen, VW 1 Comment
Volkswagen has shown their first fully autonomous car, a ‘Level 5’ vehicle, which means no driver required at all. Arstechnica.com says the concept vehicle has opposing sliding doors like a commuter train, couch like seating that faces the middle inside, and NO steering wheel or controls. VW says the vehicle, called Sedric, is designed as either a shared mobility system or could be privately owned like most present cars. It’s controlled by a remote control called the Button…the device summons the car, and identifies the user when the car arrives. It’s electric…with a flat battery back under the floor between the sets of wheels. VW hopes to have some version in service by 2025.
In a huge milestone for cord-cutting, Netflix subscribers have passed up the number of people that have a DVR. Arstechnica.com says 54% of US adults have Netflix now, with 53% having a DVR in home. If you throw in other video on demand subscribers, it’s 64% that have either Netflix, Amazon Prime, and/or Hulu. Of those 51% stream shows at least monthly. Your cable company needs some heartburn medicine.
New iPad Drop Date; iPhone 8 Will Get New Name; CNN Starts VR News Unit
Posted: March 8, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 360 degree video, Apple, CNN, Immersive content, iPad, iPhone 8, iPhone Edition, Steve Jobs Theater, VR Leave a commentApple will show it’s freshened iPads on April 4th, according to a report picked up by bgr.com. The 9.7 inch and 12.9 inch Pro models will be joined by a brand new 10.5 inch model that will supposedly have an edgeless display. The tablets may also be available the same day as the announcement. In a tantalizing rumor, the rollout may take place at the Steve Jobs Theatre on the new Apple ‘Spaceship’ campus!
A couple of rumors about the iPhone 8 are swirling. 9to5mac.com reports that the hero phone may be called the iPhone Edition instead of 8. While it’s still expected to be shown with the 7S and 7S plus in September, the Edition may come out later. Apparently, Apple is still prototyping models with and without home buttons, and mixes with and without OLED screens and glass or ceramic backs. Some important features are locked down, though. The Edition will have a 5 inch edgeless display, dual cameras, and wireless charging.
CNN has announced formation of a virtual reality news unit. Engadget.com says the new unit will produce videos and live streams of major events, and will put out 360 degree videos, and immersive VR content. Huffington Post and the New York Times already have VR units producing the futuristic rich mix of VR forms.
ALL 2019 iPhones Will Have OLED Displays; New Battery in Works-Lasts Longer Than Li-Ion and Won’t Explode; Twitch Rolls Out Pulse- a Twitter for Gamers
Posted: March 7, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2019, Amazon, Explosion proof, iPhone, lithium-ion battery, longer-lasting, OLED screen, Pulse, Sodium-glass batteries, Twitch, Twitter clone Leave a commentNumerous reports say the top line iPhone 8 will join Samsung and others in adapting an OLED screen this fall, but the 7S and 7S Plus will retain the current LCD screens. Macrumors.com says Apple plans to outfit ALL iPhones with the OLED displays, which have brighter colors and more vivid black, by 2019.
A team led by the co-creator of the lithium-ion battery is working on a replacement battery that lasts much longer and can’t explode! According to mashable.com, the so-called ‘solid state’ battery lasts up to 3 times longer and charges faster than lithium-ion. It also uses glass instead of liquid electrolytes, which don’t form dendrites that can grow, causing shorts and explosions. They also use sodium instead of lithium, which is cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Don’t hold your breath…there’s no timetable for these hitting the market yet.
Amazon owned Twitch has announced Pulse, which they call “a place where streamers can post and engage with all of their followers and the greater Twitch community right from the Twitch front page.” Theverge.com reports that the rollout will happen over the next few weeks, and that broadcasters will be able topmost to friends and followers a mix of text, links, videos, and pictures. The Twitter clone will hit the Twitch app later.
iPhone 8 Likely 3D Cam Points to Augmented Reality Future; More Galaxy S8 Reveals
Posted: March 6, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI assistant, Apple, AR, Augmented reality, Bixby, Facial recognition, Galaxy S8, Headphone jack, iPhone 8, IR Blaster, Samsung Leave a commentA number of sources are giving credence to the iPhone 8 having a 3D camera setup. Businessinsider.com reports that the system will probably be in the next iPhone, but that some uses of it are a ways away. It may be that facial recognition for security or placing one’s face in games will still take a year or two, and it could be 3 years before Apple releases an SDK for AR content creation. Most analysts think an all new AR Apple product that will be a game changer like the iPod or iPhone may be just 3-4 years off.
The leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S8 have become a firehose at this point. The new flagship phone, which rolls out the 29th, will revive the IR Blaster, and will have a separate button to launch Bixby, the AI assistant…this according to 9to5google.com. In addition, the on-screen home button will always be on, enabling one to turn the display on, but users will need to pick up the phone to activate the fingerprint sensor. It WILL have a USB-C connector AND a beloved headphone jack, as well as a SIM/Micro SD slot.
iPhone 8 Will Not Go to USB-C; Chevy to Offer Cheap, Unlimited In-Car Data; Lyric Thermostat Talks to Alexa and Siri
Posted: March 2, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alexa, Amazon, Apple, Chevrolet, Fast charging, Ford, Honeywell, iPhone 8, Lightening, LTE, Lyric T5, Nest, Siri, Unlimited in-car data, USB-C Leave a commentAfter reports that Apple would ditch the Lightening port on iPhone 8, now comes a new report from KGI Securities disputing that. 9to5mac.com says the new iPhone will have internal upgrades that will support fast charging over lightening. Apparently, Apple didn’t want to go to the larger form factor if the USB-C connector…at least not yet.
Chevrolet has announced that it will offer unlimited in-car data for just $20 per month. According to thenextweb.com, it will be available on any vehicle with OnStar, and will be LTE. The system will support up to 7 devices. It will apply to cars sold in the US starting tomorrow. Ford is working on something similar which will include Europe, as more people clamor for fast connectivity in vehicles.
The Nest Learning thermostat got the ball rolling for smart thermostats and in-home smart devices, but is still pricey at $200 to $250. Now, bgr.com reports that Honeywell has rolled out the Lyric T5, a smart thermostat that can talk to Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri via HomeKit for half the price of a Nest. It’s $114.95, and great if you’re too lazy to pick up your phone to adjust the thermostat upstairs…now, you can just ask your virtual assistant to do it!
Snap Working on Drone; Twitter Ups Troll Protections; Facebook Using AI for Suicide Prevention
Posted: March 1, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Cameras, Drones, Facebook, Harassment, Mute, Snap, Suicide, trolls, Twitter, Videos Leave a commentSnap has reportedly been working on a drone. The New York Times says it’s not clear that it’s a product that will make it to production, but the company has said they feel we are just at the beginning of what cameras can do, and that their products are moving towards making taking videos a fun and seamless part of everyday life.
Twitter has been a virtual haven for trolls over the years, and now the company is announcing some new features to help stem harassment. According to recode.net, you will be able to mute specific words including usernames from your timeline. You can mute for a day, month, or permanently. You can also mute ‘eggs’, those accounts that use the egg avatar and haven’t provided a photo. Further, you can block accounts without confirmed email addresses or phone numbers. While this won’t kill off trolling completely, it will at least thin them out and slow them down.
Facebook has started using artificial intelligence to spot people that may be at risk of killing themselves. BBC.com reports that the algorithms pick up on comments in posts or the comments friends leave, and then a human review team jumps in to contact the person and works to suggest ways the person might get help. Right now, the AI tool is just testing in the US.
Apple May Switch iPhone to USB-C; Mozilla Buys Pocket
Posted: February 28, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Firefox, iPhone, Lightening, Macbook Pro, Mozilla, Pocket, Read later service, USB-C Leave a commentIn something of an unusual move for them, Apple may ditch their proprietary Lightening port for USB-C on upcoming iPhones. Arstechnica.com says that since the switch to USB-C on the MacBook Pro, it makes sense, as then Apple devices could settle on an industry standard in all their devices that can do all the Lightening port can do and more. Apple has used Lightening for some 5 years. Get ready to buy yet more dongles and converters!
Theverge.com reports that Mozilla has bought Pocket, a sort of DVR for the internet. Pocket saves articles and videos for viewing and reading later. It’s something of a Back to the Future moment, since Pocket first bowed as a Firefox extension. It has already been Firefox’s default read later service for a couple years. This should help Mozilla grab more eyeballs on mobile, where they have lagged as desktop use has been declining.
Comcast Partners with YouTube; Twitch Readying ‘Buy Now’ Button for Games; iPhone Getting Cam with 3D For Both Biometrics and Putting Users in Games
Posted: February 27, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3D Camera, Apple, Biometrics, Buy now, Comcast, Developers, Facial recognition, Games, iPhone, Streams, Twitch, YouTube Leave a commentComcast is partnering with YouTube, and will offer an app to watch it over their Xfinity boxes later this year. According to variety.com, no details are out about the deal, but you will be able to browse and watch YouTube’s entire catalog of videos, and use the X1 remote to do it by voice command if you like.
Twitch is getting ready to roll out a buy now button to allow you to pay streamers and buy games right in a stream you’re watching. Partnered streamers will get 5% share of the purchase, an game developers 70% of the revenue. Cnet.com says for starters it will only be available in the US to players with Amazon accounts. Ubisoft, Telltale Games and 11Bit are making their games available through Twitch stream.
Apple appears to be working on a camera for iPhones with ‘3D sensing and modeling capabilities,’ that will reinvent the user experience. Businessinsider.com reports that KGI Securities thinks it may appear in the new iPhone 8, but may well be improved on even more in a later phone. One application might be facial recognition for new biometric security, but another could be to put the user’s face into games on a character.
Dates for Galaxy S8 Release; Apple- 5 Groups Working on Wireless Charging; Tesla Formulating All-in-One Pricing & More Gigafactories
Posted: February 23, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: All-in-one-pricing, Apple, G6, Galaxy S8, Gigafactories, Inductive Charging, Insurance, iPhone 8, LG, Long range charging, Maintenance, MWC, Qi, Samsung, Tesla, Wireless charging, Wireless Power Consortium Leave a commentSamsung had originally wanted to show the Galaxy S8 at Mobile World Congress, but the Note 7 mess threw a wrench into that plan. Now, bgr.com says they will show the latest handset on March 29th, and likely preorders in the US will begin on April 13th. Competitor LG WILL show their new G6 model at MWC, and it will go on sale March 10th.
Apple reportedly has 5 groups working on wireless charging. There has been speculation for months about the iPhone 8 getting that feature, but disagreement about whether it would be inductive charging…which other phones have…or a longer range system. According to macrumors.com, they have also been testing 10 different versions of the iPhone 8. It’s likely things are pretty well finalized, and Apple did join the Wireless Power Consortium, which pushes the Qi inductive system. They may be looking to the across the room charging systems for future iPhones.
Tesla is working on formulating all-in-one pricing for their cars, which would include lifetime insurance and maintenance. Thenextweb.com reports that the insurance would come from traditional insurers. Tesla feels that with their autopilot and future self-driving, the accident rate would be low enough to make this work financially. Their electric cars have far less mechanical systems to maintain already. Also, Elon Musk wrote to shareholders that they may be looking at adding 3 more Gigafactories. The first one is in Reno, and they call the solar plant in New York Gigafactory 2.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 May Dock; Apple Campus 2 Opens in April As Apple Park
Posted: February 22, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Park, Campus 2, Desktop mode, DeX, External monitor, Galaxy S8, Galaxy Tab 3, Samsung, Steve Jobs Theatre Leave a commentSamsung will show off its Tab 3 mini tablet at Mobile World Congress. Bgr.com says originally, the Galaxy S8 was supposed to be the big star there for them, but they had to push back the rollout of it after the Note 7 disaster. Of note with the Tab 3 is that it will dock and is rumored to be connectable to an external monitor…so you could use it as both a desktop and portable device! The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are also being rumored to have the desktop mode, but you’ll need a special accessory called the DeX station to connect to a bigger display.
Apple will officially open its Campus 2 in April, and begin moving employees in….more than 12,000 of them. According to macrumors.com the move will take 6 months. Officially, it will be known as Apple Park, and the thousand seat theatre there has been christened Steve Jobs Theatre. Maybe most of important of all, there’s a visitors’ center with an Apple Store and cafe which will be open to the public.
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