Testing the First Real Drone Delivery System

Posted: April 24, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No, it’s not Amazon! The first actual test of drone delivery is being launched by Swiss Post, the Swiss postal service. They’ll use the service of Matternet starting this summer. The Matternet One drone can deliver about 2.2 lbs 12 miles on a charge. Swiss Post thinks that’s enough to deliver light packages such as documents, medical supplies, and parts. Check out tech crunch.com for more.

The widely used Dropbox cloud synced storage system has already expanded into photo storage and mail. Now, they are beta testing Dropbox Notes, a collaborative note taking function. It sports a similar interface to Google Docs, and competes with that as well as Evernote. The verge.com reports that so far, it looks like a corporate focused beta, not yet available to individuals.

A Car Parks Itself…Without You In It!

Posted: April 23, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A number of cars have had self-parking for a while now. BMW just took it up a notch, with the 7 Series. The latest version of BMW’s tech-heavy Display Key lets you park the car by remote control, while you’re outside the car…valet parking without the valet!If you have the change to buy the car, now you can grab that parking space that’s a little too tight at the airport! Check geek.com for more details.

With the first Apple Watches on the way to excited buyers, the wearables market continues to heat up. LG’s all metal Watch Urbane will be available late this month at the Google Store in the US and 10 other countries. The price will be revealed when it goes on sale, but it’s expected to be a premium compared to other Android smart watches. Hit 9to5google.com for more info.

Microsoft OneNote & PowerPoint Apple Watch Update

Posted: April 22, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

With the Apple Watch launch a couple of days out, Microsoft has updated its OneNote app to take dictation from the wearable. 9to5mac.com says Redmond has also updated the PowerPoint app to support Apple Watch.

The venerable white board is moving into the 21st Century. It’s Wicue, a Kickstarter campaign for a large, marker-free smart liquid crystal writing board you write on with your finger. It can be controlled from your iPhone or Android smartphone, too. It should ship before Christmas.

Philips has just opened the door to LED light bulbs replacing standard bulbs more quickly. Geek.com reports they just came out with a 60 watt equivalent LED bulb for $4.97! Even cheaper…you can get a 2 for 1 pack starting in May at Home Depot.

Apple Watch Will Be Their Highest Profit Product Yet

Posted: April 21, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple has been known for making healthy markups on its products, but bgr.com says the new Apple Watch may be their most profitable one ever. Research from Think Big Analytics shows the average gross margins for Apple Watch will be over 60%! Obviously, even with the costs of gold, the Edition version will be much more profitable than that since it’s the same inside as the other two models!

Google is killing the YouTube app on older gear like the 2nd generation Apple TV, and Sony and Panasonic Blu-rays and TVs made before 2012. Thenextweb.com reports older iPhones and iPads will have to run iOS7 or later to still use the app.

Engineering students at Rice University have created a simple gadget to make shots hurt less. According to gizmodo.com, the salt shaker sized device uses a chemical reaction to make skin numb in 60 seconds, allowing the nearly painless shot.

Looking for a Place to Eat? Check Your Wrist

Posted: April 19, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Yelp has announced an Apple Watch app with local listings and reviews. 9to5mac.com says you will see the majority of the info you’re used to seeing about eateries right on the small screen, without having to fish in your pocket or purse for your phone. As with the Yelp smartphone app, the Watch app is integrated with Apple Maps, too.

Google has announced that it’s encrypting the vast majority of its search ads and YouTube ads….finally. TechCrunch.com notes that gmail was encrypted back in 2008. The new HTTPS encryption will apply to Google Display Network, AdMob, and DoubleClick, and will be in place by June 30th.

Amazon is dropping one of the coolest features of its Android app store. Engadget.com reports they are killing TestDrive, the try before you buy feature where you could run apps on a virtual machine, and compare them before downloading. Amazon points to the fact that the vast majority of apps are free now anyway as the reason for dropping the service.

Strong Galaxy S6 Sales Affect Apple’s Next iPhone Model

Posted: April 18, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The strong pre-sales of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge may indirectly hurt future iPhone 6s sales. Bgr.com says Apple had previously announced that the new A9 processors would be built entirely by Samsung, but now Samsung may not be able to keep up with the demand as Galaxy sales pick up. Now, Apple will look to Taiwanese maker TSMC to build 30% of their processor chips. TSMC already builds chips for the present iPhones.

Google now lets you install apps directly from search on Android. According to thenextweb.com, when you search for an app, there’s an install button right with the search results that takes you directly to the Google store and downloads the app.

Microsoft has enjoyed a lot of success with their Halo game franchise. Forbes.com reports that Redmond has released Halo spinoffs for iOS, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and the gamer favored Steam machines. The 3 Halo Spartan games can be bought in a bundle for $9.99 in the various app stores.

The Edge Is Pushing Samsung Galaxy S6 Sales Up Dramatically

Posted: April 16, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung is expected to raise guidance on the new Galaxy S6 by almost 50%…from 35-40 million smartphones to 50-55 million this year..due to the new Edge model. 9to5google.com picked up that figure from usually reliable KGI Securities.

In the wake of Microsoft renegotiating a search deal with Yahoo, geekwire.com reports that Bing’s desktop search share in the US has edged past 20% for the first time. Google still dominates search with 64.4% of the market, though.

Speaking of Microsoft, they’ve patented a way to use ultraviolet light to disinfect filthy touchscreens. According to thenextweb.com, UV light runs from a source on the side of the screen through a new transparent film on the screen’s surface.

Following LG’s Lead, Samsung Forms An Apple-Specific Display Team

Posted: April 15, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung is is the strange position of being a major supplier to Apple, one of its biggest rivals. Apple insider.com says they have now joined LG in forming a team dedicated to Apple products. 200 Samsung employees will focus exclusively on displays for Apple.

Huawei, the 4th largest smartphone maker, has just rolled out it’s new flagship, the P8. According to engadget.com, it has a 5.2 inch screen in a metal Apple-like body, and sports a 13 megapixel main camera that can take long exposure shots in low light.

Android devices are everywhere. With the European Union antitrust suit against Google and Google’s response memo, bgr.com reports we now know HOW widely Android is used. Google lists over 18,000 different devices running Android now!

Big Savings on Moto 360 Smart Watch

Posted: April 14, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Motorola’s next generation smartwatch has been spotted in the wild, and should be out shortly. Now, engadget.com says the Moto 360 has dropped to $165 at Google’s store. It’s a great looking and working Android smartwatch at 85 bucks off the regular price.

Techcrunch.com reports that Apple has patented a system that uses contextual information like current time zone, ringer silence status, battery life, location and cell network strength to let friends know you’re available for calls. Yes, it IS opt-in!

Google said last month that it was planning a small wireless service that would operate like existing carriers. According to business insider.com, you’d pay a flat rate for talk and text, and pay by the gigabyte, and could switch phones without a sim card.

Google Plans Apple Watch Access from Android

Posted: April 12, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Google seems poised to pull something clever regarding the Apple Watch. Businessinsider.com notes they may be building support for the iPhone into their Android Wear smartwatch software. The present Android wear smartwatches only work with Android phones, and of course Apple Watch only talks to iPhones.

According to forbes.com, Paypal will be allowed to work with Amazon and Alibaba after the split from eBay later this year. The parent company has been positioning Paypal as a ‘true neutral third party’ to commerce and retail clients. In the short term, eBay will remain Paypal’s biggest client, however.

Microsoft has launched without fanfare a new Android app that lets you control Powerpoint presentations on a PC from your Android smartphone. Thenextweb.com reports says the Office Remote app also works with Excel and Word. The remote app has previously only been available on Windows phones.

Amazon has quietly acquired Shoefitr, a startup that uses 3D tech to help match online shoppers with shoes that will fit them better. TechCrunch.com says it’s unclear so far if they will operate it as a freestanding site, roll it into their Zappos subsidiary, or both.

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