Local TV News for Cord Cutters; Kickstarter Hits Major Milestone
Posted: November 5, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Cord cutting, iOS, Kickstarter, Local TV news, NewsON, Roku, Sherlybox Leave a commentOne downside for some of cutting the cord is you generally lose local TV news…something handy to have access to, since local events may affect you more than national or international ones. According to techrunch.com, that drought ends today. A company called NewsON, which unsurprisingly is backed by TV stations, gets you local news on your iOS and Android devices, as well as Roku. It makes available video content from 118 stations in 90 markets. You choose local news from where you live or where you are with an interactive map, and can even post real time Tweets about news coverage. The interface is a little kludgy, but the app is free now on iTunes, Google Play, and the Roku Channel Store.
Despite the occasional scam or big delays in getting products, Kickstarter’s 9.5 million users have now pledged over 2 billion dollars to projects. So far, there have been 260,000 campaigns since 2009. Engadget.com reports that the crowdfunder is simplifying its rules for submission, too. Gaming projects have raised the most money, $412 million, with tech related ones #2 at $360 million. I’ve backed several, and only been burned once…for less than 50 bucks. Just this week, two new products I backed..including the Sherlybox private cloud and VPN arrived–it worked as pitched. I’m jazzed about it!
Force Touch Keyboard for Apple MacBooks; Fresh 4 Inch iPhone Coming
Posted: November 4, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3d Touch, 4-inch, Apple, Force Touch keyboard, iPhone, iPhone 7, Macbook Leave a commentApple was granted a patent yesterday for a switch free Force Touch keyboard. Appleinsider.com says that, like the screens on the new iPhone 6+, sensors would measure finger pressure. This could lead to thinner MacBooks, and also allow different levels of pressure to give you different characters without using a function key or key combinations. A patent is no guarantee that we’ll see a Force Touch keyboard, but since Apple has already released the Force Touch Magic Trackpad, it’s a good bet.
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Speaking of Apple and good bets, KGI Securities has a pretty good record of touting upcoming Apple devices, and they forecast that there will be an A9-Based 4-Inch iPhone in Early 2016. It will have a metal case like the 6S and 6S plus. Don’t expect 3D Touch in this smaller, cheaper iPhone, though. Mac rumors.com reports that the iPhone 7 Plus due out next fall will Carry 3 Gigs of RAM! The iPhone 7 will roll with 2 Gigs, like the 6S and 6S Plus.
Twitter Replaces Stars with (Gasp) Hearts; Amazon Opens Physical Bookstore
Posted: November 3, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Hearts, Periscope, Physical bookstores, Stars, Twitter, Vine Leave a commentTwitter has killed the star indicating you’ve favorited something, and replaced it with a heart, denoting a ‘like.’ Thenextweb.com says Vine will also get the heart and lose stars. Twitter has tested hearts, and says the heart has similar meanings across varied cultures and languages, while the star did not. Twitter’s live streaming video Periscope was already using hearts. Look for this on twitter.com, TweetDeck….basically, everywhere but Twitter for Mac, where it will show up later in a refresh. For those who hate change…let the complaint Tweets begin!
After 20 years of systematically killing off physical bookstores, Amazon has now joined them and opened one of their own. It’s in Seattle’s University Village, and resembles a Barnes & Noble, in that it has some other items like Kindles, the Echo, Fire TV and tablets. Theverge.com reports that the books are racked face out, as opposed to spine out like at most stores. In-store prices will match online prices, and each book has its amazon.com rating and an actual customer review. Amazon says this is a permanent location, and others will follow…ironic coming from a company which caused the closure of so many physical bookstores for the last 2 decades.
Too Many iPhones at Facebook; Hillary’s Emoji Problems
Posted: November 2, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2G, Android, Blackberry, emoji, Facebook, Hillary Clinton, iPhone Leave a commentWe’ve already heard about Facebook instituting ‘2G Tuesdays’, where employees have to suffer along with a slow 2G network for an hour, to help them better tailor the app to run in developing countries where this is reality. Now, 9to5mac.com says the social network is making some staffers switch to Android smartphones for the same reason…making the app work better for Android users. Let the whining commence…
There have been some stories about Hillary Clinton and emoji…intimating that she was confused by them, and needed help. Now, with an email dump, thenextweb.com reports there’s more to the story. Actually, the presidential candidate used emojis all the time. She switched to an older model Blackberry, and found that the emoticon chart with the little faces she loved and used was gone. She had to type them out manually. Nothing like visiting 3rd world countries as Secretary of State, and having such a 1st world problem! No word on why ANYONE would switch to an older smart device, but we hope it was for security reasons!
Amazon Prime Music Now Available Off Line; Google Merging Chrome OS into Android
Posted: October 30, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Android, Android Wear, Chrome OS, Chromebook, Google, Google I/O, Offline, Prime Music, SD card Leave a commentAmazon has dropped a small but significant update to their Prime Music app. According to 9to5google.com, you will now be able to store offline music on a device’s SD card for playback when you’re not connected to the web. The update also adds support for Android Wear smartwatches. With SD cards becoming less ubiquitous in smartphones, no word on whether Amazon will extend the feature to the main memory of smartphones. At any rate, the updated app is available free at the Google Play Store.
Speaking of Google, it appears that they’re moving towards merging Chrome OS into Android. Theverge.com says to look for a demo of the combined system at Google I/O next year. It will take some serious changes under the hood to get Android to run everything on laptops, and when the final new system is rolled out in 2017, Chromebooks will obviously get a new name…Androidbooks, perhaps? Google has noted that they are not exactly ‘killing’ Chrome, so there may actually be 3 different systems moving forward.
Apple TV in Stores Friday; GE Rolls Out Hubless Smart Lightbulbs
Posted: October 29, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple TV, B&H, Best Buy, C Sleep, GE, Hubless, Natural light, Smartbulbs Leave a commentThey went on preorder earlier this week, and priority deliveries start tomorrow for Apple TV…or, you can swing by an Apple Store and try to buy one. 9to5mac.com reports that Best Buy, B&H, and other resellers will also have the set top boxes, but check ahead to make sure they’re selling them tomorrow. Best Buy has said they will be stocking them in store by November 4th. Apple TV is $149 for the 32 gig model, $199 for the 64 gig one.
Long time dumb light bulb maker GE is a bit late to the smart bulb party, but is rolling out a pair of smart bulbs today, with one aimed at emulating natural light to help you wake and sleep better. According to theverge.com, the C Sleep bulb has 3 settings: a bright blue tone to wake you in the morning, a standard orange one for midday, and a softer yellow color for evening. GE says they better match actual lighting outdoors, and you’ll wake easier and get to sleep better with these. They’re controllable via Bluetooth from your smartphone, but you have to be in range…unlike many bulbs you can control remotely from outside the home. The plus is, there’s no hub to buy…you control them directly. The C Sleep bulbs are intended for bedrooms, a C Life model doesn’t have the color range, and it for the rest of the house. Right now, you need to visit GE’s website to buy a starter pack…2-packs will be showing up in stores soon.
ESPN Pulls Out of YouTube Due To YouTube Red Issues; World Series Updates on Facebook Messenger
Posted: October 28, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Disney, ESPN, Facebook, Messenger, MLB, Red, Twitter, World Series, YouTube Leave a commentOn the heels of YouTube’s announcement of their ad-free subscription service called Red last week, ESPN has pulled all content from YouTube. The content is still available on ESPN’s own digital properties, according to 9to5google.com. The only reason given is ‘rights and legal issues.’ It appears that ESPN can’t sign on with YouTube Red due to deals it has with other distribution partners. Since ESPN is a Disney property, it’s a good bet that YouTube can get their content back by throwing money at them.
Meanwhile, if you’re where you can’t catch world series games on the tube or radio. Facebook has started letting some Messenger users subscribe to MLB World Series news, stories, and hi lights, embedded in a one on one chat. Thenextweb.com reports that it’s a slick way for Facebook to get into Twitter’s turf. So far, it seems to be just a test feature, but if you can’t catch the game, start a chat about it with a friend, and you may see the game updates invite from Facebook Messenger.
Citi Tests Iris Scanning ATM Tech; Startup Rolls Out Uber for Trucks
Posted: October 27, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ATMs, Citi, Citigroup, Convoy, Diebold, Iris Scanners, Lyft, On-demand trucking, Uber Leave a commentA lot of people first saw them back in the 60’s in James Bond’s “Thunderball,” and now Citigroup is testing iris scanners for their ATMs. Engadget.com reports that the financial giant will scan customers’ eyeballs with the bank patrons’ smartphones instead of using PIN numbers. They estimate that this could cut dragging out your cash down to a 10 second transaction. No timeline was given on when or if Citi will roll the iris scanning system to the public. The tech is from Diebold, which has something of a spotty record when it comes to voting machines, so Citi may be waiting to gauge if the public will be comfortable with an eye scan to draw out their hard earned cash.
We already have Uber and Lift for on demand rides and some small package delivery, so how about on-demand trucking? A startup called Convoy has raised $2.5 million from Jeff Bezos, Marc Benioff, and some other heavy hitters, according to geekwire.com. It will concentrate on local and regional trucks on demand. Like with Uber and Lyft, it will be smartphone based. If someone needs some freight moved, they can key it in and a truck and driver will show up. For the indy truckers, it will get rid of the broker middleman and his cut, plus get them a job in minutes, saving lots of time. For the customer, pricing information is calculated instantly based on distance, weight, and other variables — and available trucks, all of which are pre-approved by Convoy, licensed by the government, and carry cargo insurance. The company also provides customer service to ensure that shipments are completed.
‘Bendy’Battery & Twitter Partners on Next Dem Debate
Posted: October 26, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Band, CBS News, Democratic Debate, Flexible batteries, Samsung, Stripe, Twitter Leave a commentLike Phoebe Buffay from the old ‘Friends’ TV show, Samsung has developed a couple of batteries called Stripe and Band, that are almost ‘very bendy!’ The most flexible of the two is Stripe, which can be flexed many ways, like a fiber. Geek.com reports that Samsung suggests it can be used as a necklace, hairband, or other accessory, to provide on-demand power. It reportedly has a higher energy density than any remotely similar device. Band is specifically for smartwatches, and will increase battery life in smartwatches by at least 50%. No word on when they will hit the market yet, but look for Band on a future Samsung smartwatch soon.
In a move to capitalize on their rep at a real time source for news and commentary, Twitter is partnering with CBS news on the next Democratic presidential debate November 14th. The firehose social media site will provide CBS with real time data and insights, and bring in live reactions and questions. According to techcrunch.com, CBS will integrate this data and viewer commentary and questions into its live coverage. Look for the official hashtag #DemDebate.
Pilotless Chopper to Fight Fires?
Posted: October 16, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Autonomous helicopters, Fire Fighting, Galaxy S7, Kaman, Lockheed Martin, Samsung, Snapdragon 820, USB type C Leave a commentLockheed Martin and Kaman built the K-MAX helicopter to transport cargo in Afghanistan, but according to engadget.com, they showed off an autonomous version to the feds a few days ago in Idaho rigged to fight forest fires. Over the course of an hour and a half, the chopper scooped up buckets of water, and bombed targets, while the pilot on board held his hands up and away from the controls. California needs these now!
We’ve reported that Samsung’s next Galaxy smartphone, the S7, will have something resembling Apple’s 3D Touch and a new iteration Snapdragon processor. Now, 9to5google.com says you can expect a USB Type C port as well. The launch date will depend on when Qualcomm can get the Snapdragon 820 processors to them. SamMobile reports that just the US and China will get this processor, with other countries getting S7’s using the Exynos processor. Look for them in late Winter or early Spring of next year.
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