Repairable Tech and More…
Posted: April 9, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Galaxy Ace Style, Netflix, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Gear Leave a commentHere’s something you almost never hear…there’s a gadget you can fix. Techcrunch.com says the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smart watch is surprisingly repairable…as easy as a watch to replace the battery or band.
Speaking of Samsung, with the chatter about Apple’s bigger screen iPhones due in September, Samsung has gone the other way, launching the Galaxy Ace Style with a 4 inch display. 9to5google.com says it’s a bid for the mid price market. No pricing yet, but it will be out this month.
JP Morgan thinks Apple should build a laptop-tablet hybrid for between $500 and $1000…knowing Apple, it would be $999! The investment bank says Apple would make an extra 63 billion selling such a hybrid device…this according to cnet.com. Intel says the A-8 chip makes it possible. It has the computing power, but is stingy enough with your battery.
The rush to 3D printing continues, with Micro…a sleek 3D printer, raising a million dollars on Kickstarter in just it’s first day. Bgr.com reports it’s small and sleek…just about 2 pounds, and will be $300.
If you have a 4K TV, and haven’t finished House of Cards season 2 yet, rejoice! Techcrunch.com reports that Netflix is now streaming it in 4K, which they’re calling Ultra HD. They also are rolling out some nature shows in the new format. Don’t expect too much…HDTVtest.com says in their tests, the 4k stream isn’t as clean as some Blu-ray disks.
A Billion Mobile Users on Facebook- NOT Counting Instagram
Posted: April 3, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Earbuds, Electric Lawnmower, Facebook Leave a commentFacebook has passed yet another milestone…theverge.com reports they now have a billion users on mobile devices, and 200 million on Instagram.
Techcrunch.com says Apple has a new patent application that describes earbuds with a built-in mic that could automatically detect your voice, and tune a series of built-in mics to optimally pick up their speech and cancel out any background noise. One can hope they put a little more into quality drivers so they sound as musical as other, third party earbuds…which, up to now, they haven’t done.
If you’re really wanting to go green, check the Ego (love the play on words….E—Go) Power+ electronic lawnmower. No cord, and a lithium ion battery that charges in a half hour. Cnet.com says it’s $499. Did you notice the part about NO cord?
More Bandwidth for Wi-Fi On The Way
Posted: April 1, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: iPhone 6, wi-fi, Yahoo Leave a commentIn a move that will help everybody, arstechnica.com reports that the FCC has freed up a good deal of space in the 5 Gigahertz band. In English, that means that, down the road, you will enjoy better wi-fi connections…and yes, some people say ‘jiga-hertz.’ It’s a geek thing.
Production on the iPhone 6 screens…at least the 4.7 inch version, may start next month, but macrumors.com says they’re having trouble with the new, thinner in-cell technology that may delay the 5.5 inch model past the early September release of the 4.7 inch model.
As Marissa Mayer continues her makeover of Yahoo, they may kill the Shine women’s site by second quarter. Recode.net says they’ll cut it all up into online ‘lifestyle’ magazines.
Twitter’s New Photo Features
Posted: March 27, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Instagram, Twitter Leave a commentTwitter has just introduced a couple of new features…gigaom.com says you can now tag up to 10 people in photos, and include up to 4 pictures in a single tweet. User names appear above the pictures, and don’t count towards the 140 characters.
This feature creep at Twitter may be a way of playing catch up…according to thenextweb.com, Instagram has passed up Twitter in US users. The Financial Times says Facebook owned Instagram has 35 million users and Twitter 30.8 million. Twitter still has 40 million more worldwide, though.
Techcrunch.com reports that Apple has patented a Surface like touch keyboard smart cover, but with a twist…multitouch gesture support turns the whole thing into a giant trackpad, instead of just a small dedicated portion.
Smartphone Messaging With No Internet
Posted: March 21, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Blackberry, Galaxy Gear 2, Messaging Leave a commentBgr.com reports that there’s a new iPhone app that will keep you messaging on a limited basis even with no internet via wifi or cellular. It’s called FireChat, and it uses the Multipeer Connectivity Framework in iOS 7. The range is limited, but it will be handy during earthquakes and other emergencies.
Samsung has announced prices and availability for the Gear 2 smartwatch and the Gear Fit. The Gear 2 will be $299, and the Gear fit 100 less at $199. You can preorder today at bestbuy.com according to mashable.com. They’ll be on sale next month.
Blackberry may be taking another hit…gigaom.com says the White House is reportedly testing LG and Samsung smartphones. Blackberry has been furnishing administrations phones for the last 10 years, but that may be about to end.
How Much Do Two Companies Dominate Smartphones?
Posted: March 19, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: NFC, Smartphones, Smartwatch Leave a commentIf you’ve wished for more variety in the smartphone market, good luck…it’s tough for manufacturers to compete. Bgr.com reports that for the last 6 years, Apple and Samsung have accounted for 88% of all mobile phone profits!
Best Buy and 7-Eleven are making waves in mobile payments. Gigaom.com says they are shutting down near field communications used by Isis and Google. Both are part of a group of big retailers called Merchant Customer Exchange, that uses bar code readers like Starbuck’s.
Samsung is rumored to be working on a Gear 2 smartwatch with a sim card, according to techcrunch.com. It would initially be exclusive in their native Korea. With this Gear 2 you could make calls without being tethered to a smartphone. It’s been a long time coming, but if Dick Tracy were around, he’d finally be getting something even better than his 2-way wrist radio or TV!
How Much Do Two Companies Dominate Smartphones?
Posted: March 19, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: NFC, Smartphones, Smartwatch Leave a commentIf you’ve wished for more variety in the smartphone market, good luck…it’s tough for manufacturers to compete. Bgr.com reports that for the last 6 years, Apple and Samsung have accounted for 88% of all mobile phone profits!
Best Buy and 7-Eleven are making waves in mobile payments. Gigaom.com says they are shutting down near field communications used by Isis and Google. Both are part of a group of big retailers called Merchant Customer Exchange, that uses bar code readers like Starbuck’s.
Samsung is rumored to be working on a Gear 2 smartwatch with a sim card, according to techcrunch.com. It would initially be exclusive in their native Korea. With this Gear 2 you could make calls without being tethered to a smartphone. It’s been a long time coming, but if Dick Tracy were around, he’d finally be getting something even better than his 2-way wrist radio or TV!
iOS 7.1 Is Out…So Are Leaks About iOS 8!
Posted: March 11, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Glass Preview, iOS 8, Unlimited data Leave a commentApple just released the upgrade to iOS, version 7.1 yesterday, but techcrunch.com reports details already leaking about iOS 8. One of the biggest changes is a huge improvement to the shaky Maps app…including better data, augmented reality, and transit information.
Sprint and T-Mobile have continued to offer unlimited data plans for mobile, to siphon off Verizon and AT&T customers, but it looks like even they will be discontinuing them. Bgr.com reports that even with the plans, the carriers are throttling data hogs, so they’re unlimited in name only.
If you’re standing outside a theatre in line wondering which movie to see…there’s an app for that. Gigaom.com reports Google Glass Preview will show you the trailers when you look at the movie posters.
Phone Case To Track Vitals
Posted: March 6, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentBefore Apple rolls out an iWatch, you may be able to check your vitals with an iPhone case. Wello claims it will track your blood pressure, ECG, heart rate, and more with ‘clinical accuracy.’ It’s $199 and will be out in the fall, pending FDA approval. Thenextweb.com says an Android version is also in the works.
Getty Images, the giant stock photo service, has just made images available for free. Theverge.com reports the watermarks are gone…they just request you credit them with a footer and link to the licensing page. Major blog host WordPress has already announced embed support.
Gigaom.com says Motorola has updated its Touchless Control Software. Now, you can ask your Moto X ‘What’s Up?’ or ‘Read my notifications,’ and the app will read them out to you.
Twitter- Password Reset Their Error, Not Hacking
Posted: March 4, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dish, Facebook, Paper, Twitter Leave a commentA substantial number of users have received an email from Twitter, saying their account has been compromised, and password reset. Thenextweb.com reports that Twitter has admitted that no hacking happened…it was a system error on Twitter’s part.
Dish has cut a deal with Disney, and will get to stream ABC and ESPN programming over the web. According to Gigaom.com, there’s something of a downside…you won’t be able to skip the commercials!
In a move to boost their underwhelming Paper app, cnet.com says Facebook has updated Paper to allow users to share an article by email, text message, or Facebook message…even with people that aren’t your Facebook friends.
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