No Mega iPad Until Fall
Posted: March 5, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android Wear, Apple, Blue Link, Galaxy S6, Hyundai, iPad, Samsung, T-Mobile, USB Leave a commentApple is delaying production of the reported 12.9 inch iPad until September according to bloomberg.com. In addition to business tools from IBM, it’s rumored to have a USB port, a first for an iPad.
T-Mobile has spilled the beans about the pricing of the new Samsung Galaxy S6…and bgr.com reports that it’s more expensive than an iPhone! The base 32Gb model will start at $699, 50 bucks more than the cheapest iPhone 6. It’s still expected to be $199 with a contract.
The Blue Link app is out for Hyundai owners. Engadget.com says the app, previewed at CES, will let owners of Hyundais as old as 2012 use Android Wear smart watches to lock and unlock their cars, start and stop the engine, honk the horn, and flash the lights.
New Blazingly Fast Set Top Box/Game System Coming
Posted: March 4, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 4K, Android, Android Wear, Apple, Google, iOS, LG G Wach, Moto 360, No dropped calls, Nvidia, Set Top Box, The Shield, Wireless signal data, Xbox 360 Leave a commentNvidia, known for their video cards, is bringing out a set top box called The Shield. TechCrunch.com says the $199 box runs Android, and will be out in May. It’s also a gaming console, and supports 4K video. They claim double the performance of an Xbox 360.
According to appleinsider.com, Google is planning to develop an Android Wear app for iOS. This would allow owners of Moto 360 and LG G Watches and other Android Wear devices to use them with iPhones and iPads. Look for it at the I/O Conference in May.
Apple has patented using wireless signal data for vehicle navigation. Gigaom.com reports this would let you plan a route with strong cell signals and no dead spots…it might take longer, but with no dropped calls.
Apple Watch Average Price Ranges Predicted
Posted: March 3, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Sport, Apple Watch, Blackberry, Blackphone, Blackphone 2, Silent Circle Leave a commentAccording to appleinsider.com, the average selling price of the low end Apple watch called Apple Sport, will be close to $450, despite Apple’s quoted starting price of $349. The midrange Apple watch will set you back around $650, and the high end Apple Edition that starts at just under 5 grand will end up soaking up about $7500!
The ultra secure Blackphone is getting a refresh. Bgr.com says Silent Circle will release the Blackphone 2 it just previewed at Mobile World Congress in the second half of the year, and also showed a prototype of the Blackphone+ tablet.
Theverge.com reports that BlackBerry will roll out a curved display phone later this year. It and another model designed by Porsche will be touchscreen only. BlackBerry will also release a new keyboard-based phone.
Mobile Moving Up In Google Searches
Posted: March 1, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple VR, Electric cars, FedEx, Fuel Savings, Gear VR, Google, Mobile, Samsung, Search, Tesla, Trucks, Virtual Reality Leave a commentGoogle has an upcoming change to search…engadget.com says on April 21st, they will roll out an updated algorithm that puts mobile versions of websites higher in the search results. The search giant also has a mobile-friendly test tool available for website operators to check that Google recognizes their mobile version.
Samsung has frequently been dinged for copying Apple. According to bgr.com, the tables are about to be turned, as Apple may be working on a virtual reality headset like the Gear VR. Cupertino already has some VR patents, but new job listings indicate things are heating up on developing an Apple VR headset.
Electric cars get all the glory, but a co-founder of Tesla says its electric trucks that will matter more. The verge.com reports that Ian Wright claims companies should retrofit gas guzzling trucks with his Wrightspeed range-extended power trains. Wright is already converting 25 FedEx trucks to his system, and says they’ll save 35 grand a year each in fuel and $20,000 in maintenance.
Tim Cook on the Apple Car….Keys
Posted: February 28, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Apple Car, Apple Watch, Car Keys, Ford, Lower Emissions, Parking, Self Driving, YouTube Leave a commentAlthough he was characteristically mum about an Apple car, CEO Tim Cook did tease about cars in London. Geekwire.com reports he said in an interview that the Apple Watch is designed to be able to replace car keys and what he called ‘the clumsy, large fobs’ which are now used by many vehicles. Apple already has a patent on smartphone tech to unlock cars.
Ford is working on cutting car emissions by speeding parking. Arstechnica.com says the automaker is looking towards self driving cars, and using off the shelf parts and a crowdsourced, real time database, your car would head right to a parking space. Ford claims 20-30% of vehicle emissions now come from hunting for parking.
YouTube for Android is getting a useful…and some say overdue…feature. According to thenextweb.com, you can finally trim videos. It’s reportedly precise enough to nearly edit down to the frame. A preview allows you to check your work before finalizing the upload.
LG’s Urbane Smartwatch Gains Independent Phoning
Posted: February 26, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3D printing, Amazon, Dick Tracy, Find My iPhone, iPhone, LG, LTE, NFC, On Demand, Urbane Leave a commentLG has upgraded it’s new Watch Urbane already. Engadget.com says it can call on LTE without a phone, make NFC payments, and use mobile data…but it has a third the battery life of a phone. It also has a two way radio feature-calling Dick Tracy! LG will show more of it at Mobile World Congress in March.
Future iPhones will be harder than ever for thieves to unload. BGR.com reports that Apple has patented a feature that requires the passcode to shutdown. Otherwise, the phone LOOKS shut down, but still transmits its location to Find My iPhone.
Amazon has filed patents for actual on demand delivery. According to Geekwire.com, they would print at a warehouse or even show up with a truck, and 3D print the item for you on the spot.
Freshened Moto E Budget Phone Gets LTE & a Bigger Screen
Posted: February 25, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: LTE, Moto E, Motorola, Starwood Hotels, Twitter, Uber Leave a commentMotorola has rolled out a freshened Moto E. According to the verge.com, it has LTE, a 4.5 inch screen, more storage, and a faster processor. The budget Moto smartphone gets a small price bump from last year’s model, now $149. You can pick up the old model without 4G LTE for $119.
It’s been out for iOS for a month, but Twitter has dropped it’s ‘while you were out’ feature for Android. Geekwire.com reports it posts a recap of top tweets you may have missed from accounts you follow. If you aren’t interested, it hides with just a click.
There’s a new perk for Uber riders. Engadget.com says you can now earn points at upscale Starwood hotels and resorts. It’s a point or more for every buck spent on Uber. You have to be enrolled in the Starwood Preferred Guest program to qualify.
The Nexus 6 To Get WiFi Calling on T-Mobile
Posted: February 22, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bluetooth toothbrush, Google, iPhone, Nexus 6, Oral-B, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, WiFi calling Leave a commentWiFi calling may be coming to the Google Nexus 6…at least on the T-Mobile system. According to gigaom.com, they hope to have the exclusive feature ready to go by the end of March. They will also add voice over LTE and another band of frequencies by mid year with software updates.
Virgin Mobile has dropped the iPhone. 9to5mac.com says they have no plans to carry the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and the iPhone pages now redirect people to their full smartphone inventory page at the web store. It may have just been too much of a challenge to sell the expensive Apple handsets to prepaid phone users.
For the person that’s truly addicted to their smartphone and apps, there’s the new Oral-B Bluetooth toothbrush. At a pricey $220…more than a number of actual smartphones…geek.com reports the brush and its app will track how long you brush, how much pressure you use, and nag you to floss. But wait…there’s more…the app will also bring you the morning news and weather! You wouldn’t want to be off the grid for those two minutes of brushing, now would you?
Google’s Bringing Back Google Wallet
Posted: February 21, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple Pay, Bing, CarPlay, Eat24, emoji, Google, Google Wallet, iOS Beta, LoopPay, Order online, Samsung, Take out food Leave a commentGoogle is apparently getting set to revive Google Wallet to compete with Apple Pay. 9to5google.com says they are in talks with banks, carriers, and handset makers, and plan to re-launch Wallet at Google I/O in late May. A fly in the ointment may be Samsung…which just this week acquired LoopPay to roll their own mobile payment service.
According to theverge.com, Apple will open iOS to public testing, like the beta program they reinstated on Macs with Yosemite. iOS 8.3, with support for CarPlay, new emoji, and simpler Google logins will be out in beta form the middle of next month. Apple will reportedly accept 100,000 beta testers.
Bing, the Avis of search, has added a couple features to lure more users. Thenextweb.com reports that you can now check out hotel info and reviews right from the search results. Even better, there’s a new ‘order online’ button with the restaurant listings, so you can place orders for take out through services like eat24 right from your browser.
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