Fitness Tracking Hats & Googly-Eyed Smartphones
Posted: November 11, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Aka, Android, Cellular, Crowdsourcing, Fitness Trackers, Geofencing, iOS, LG, Lifeboat, Tamagotchi, Windows Leave a commentThere are lots of fitness trackers you wear like a watch or bracelet…how about one for your head? Lifeboat is making hats and visors that track heart rate, cadence, gait, steps and calorie consumption. Cnet.com says they’re $99 and work with Android, Windows, or iOS.
Appleinsider.com reports that Apple’s been granted a patent that uses geofencing and crowdsourcing to pinpoint dead spots in cellular networks. It’s good for users, but phone carriers will hate it!
LG has rolled out midrange smartphones with Tamagotchi like personalities. Gigaom.com says if you like a phone with big, googly eyes, check out the Aka line.
Firefox Scores a ‘Forget’ Button On Its Anniversary
Posted: November 10, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: factory, Firefox, Forget, Kidizen, Privacy, Samsung, ThreadUP, Vietnam Leave a commentFor their 10th anniversary, the open Firefox browser has added a ‘Forget’ button. Thenextweb.com says it will clear your history, cookies, etc. for the past 5 minutes, 2 hours or 24 hours. This is in addition to private mode.
Kidizen-a mobile startup to sell your used kids clothes, toys, and the like- is expanding 50% month to month. Unlike similar sites such as ThreadUP, tech crunch.com reports sellers keep 90% of the selling price. That might beat a yard sale or craigslist hands down.
Moving into mid priced smartphones more, Samsung is dropping a cool 3 billion to build a second factory in Vietnam. 9to5google.com says cheaper wages and tax breaks sealed the deal.
New Microsoft Smartphone Reveal in Days
Posted: November 7, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Galaxy S6, Lumia, Microsoft, Nokia, Project Zero, Samsung, Talkspace, therapy Leave a commentMicrosoft will show it’s first non-Nokia Lumia smartphone next week. Venturebeat.com says it will be unveiled on the 11th, have a 5 inch screen, and come in 7 different colors.
Meanwhile, Samsung is reportedly working on a mysterious new smartphone family. After taking drubbing from Apple, bgr.com has also heard that the Galaxy S6…or Project Zero…is not an improved S5, but being designed from scratch.
You can reach out to doctors and lawyers online, now Talkspace lets you text your issues to to a therapist for $25 a week. Thenextweb.com says if you pay monthly, you get unlimited texts for that price. The app is less pricey, and more discreet than in person therapy.
Applecare For Enterprise Debuts
Posted: November 6, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Applecare, Enterprise, Fuel Cells, iOS, Runtastic, Sleep Better Leave a commentApplecare for enterprise has gone live, with on-site support from IBM. Mac rumors.com reports they promise a dedicated account manager, and businesses on the plan can replace 10% of damaged iOS devices accidentally damaged by employees.
Running app maker Runtastic have released a Sleep Better app. 9to5mac.com says no additional hardware is needed, just put your phone with the app next to your pillow. It’s free, but has added features through in app purchase.
Better fuel cells may be coming that run on a type of jet fuel used in harsh climates. Engadget.com says enzymes turn fuel into electricity without requiring a lot of heat or perfectly clean mixture like hydrogen fuel cells.
That Nicer Apple Watch Will Be Pricey
Posted: November 5, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Ahrendts, Apple, Apple Watch, Dell, Google Wallet, Microsoft, Surface Pro, Venue Pro 11 Leave a commentIf you really want an Apple watch, start saving pennies now…macrumors.com says the stainless steel model may be $500, and the gold version over 4 grand. Senior VP of Retail and Online Stores Angela Ahrendts says expect them in the spring.
Google Wallet has gotten a nice boost from all the buzz about Apple Pay. 9to5google.com reports that users have now doubled, and payments have grown by 50% since Apple Pay was introduced.
Dell’s just showed it’s updated Venue Pro 11 tablet, and engadget.com says it’s thinner and lighter than Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablet! The Venue pro 11 has a 10.8 inch screen and starts at $699.
Amazon Prime Adds Free Photo Storage
Posted: November 4, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alienware, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Android, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, HP, iOS, Macs, NFC, PC, Softcard, Windows Phone Leave a commentYou can never have too many backups, and now if you have Amazon Prime, you get unlimited photo storage in the cloud, according to theverge.com. Note that this will work on PCs, Android, and iOS, but not yet on Macs. Amazon says that’s coming. Keep in mind that cloud storage is great for convieninece, but do keep a local backup or 3 of your pictures.
Apple Pay has grabbed a big chunk of the pay with your phone market, even though Google Wallet was already available. Now, gigaom.com reports that Windows phone users can make payments at NFC retail terminals with the Softcard app.
HP is taking orders for a new gaming laptop to compete with Alienware models. Engadget.com says the big plus for the $1500, 15.6 inch touch screen rig is that it’s noticeably thinner than Alienware machines. It will ship this month.
New Edge Phablet Coming From Samsung
Posted: November 3, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cars, Galaxy Note Edge, keyless entry, NFC, Samsung, Starwood Hotels Leave a commentSamsung continues to roll out phones and phablets with their edge second screen. Thenextweb.com says the Galaxy Note Edge will be available November 14th. It’s basically a Galaxy Note 4 with the edge screen, then a 5.6 inch primary screen.
It’s going to get easier to pair smartphones with more car models. Autonews.com reports that car makers are working with NXP Semiconductor, and you should see NFC chips in 2016 model cars. Just tap and your connected…and no keys needed, either.
Speaking of no key, Starwood hotels are introducing keyless entry to rooms, and the ability to bypass checkin. gigaom.com says you book with an app, and get a code on your phone when the room’s ready. The service will start later this week.
Outlook for Mac Gets an Update
Posted: October 31, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Fire phone, Galaxy S5, iPad, iPhone, Microsoft, Office, Outlook, Sprint Leave a commentMicrosoft has put a fresh face on Outlook for Mac. 9to5mac.com says an updated version of Office is coming in 2015. Microsoft claims the latest Outlook gives users a more consistent experience with the iPhone and iPad versions.
The next iteration of Amazon’s Fire phone will be less expensive. Amazon has admitted they considerably overpriced the present model. Gigaom.com reports that future Fire phones will have better software and a lower price, much like Amazon has done with Kindles.
Sprint is expanding its smartphone lease program. Cnet.com says in addition to Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, you can now rent Samsung Galaxy S5 and S5 sport models. The lease is $20 a month for 24 months, then you buy or pick a new phone.
Microsoft’s New Wearable
Posted: October 30, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android Wear, Google, iOS, Mac, Microsoft, Microsoft Band, Microsoft Health, Skype, Wearables Leave a commentMicrosoft Band is a new fitness focused wearable. Thenextweb.com says its $199, and tracks users’ heart rate, steps taken, sun exposure, stress levels, calories burned and sleep quality, relaying the data to Microsoft Health.
As for Android Wear devices…don’t look for them to be iOS or Mac compatable this year. 9to5mac.com reports a Google project manager, speaking at a media event, confirmed no Android wearables will talk to iOS or Macs by this Christmas.
Skype for iPhone has been updated. It now saves and deletes photos, and according to venturebeat.com has improved chat load times, and has easier to use filter options. It’s available at the App store now.
LG Smartphone Sales Are Up Dramatically
Posted: October 29, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3D printing, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, H-P, LG, Poynt, Samsung Leave a commentSales are flat for Samsung, but LG shipped 16.8 million smartphones in the third quarter. Techcrunch.com says that’s up 39% from a year ago. The flagship G3 did well, but was helped by sales of mid price models.
The former head of Google Wallet has launched Poynt, a so-called ‘future proof’ point of sale machine for stores. The verge.com reports it will read magnetic strip cards, chip & pin cards, NFC like Apple Pay, QR codes, and even Bluetooth Beacons.
HP has revealed more about its new 3D printing tech. Engadget.com says it uses a 4 step process to print 3D parts similarly to how an inkjet printer prints documents. HP claims products like gears could be made 10 times faster than with conventional methods.
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