Microsoft Siri Clone & Fingerprint Sensor Alternative

Microsoft is working on a personal assistant like Siri in the Windows Phone 8.1 update. It’s called Cortana after a Halo character. The update will also include a notification center like Android and iOS.

Samsung is saying their next generation smartphones will be 64 bit like the new Apple iPhones. If they follow previous releases, it will be the Galaxy S5. A key question…as yet, not answered…will Android go 64 bit like the new iOS 7 to support it?

Blackberry is lobbying the Canadian government over their foreign takeover rule. A couple funds looked into Blackberry, but no Canadian company has stepped forward to buy the ailing smartphone maker. Lenovo and Microsoft are allegedly interested if the Canadian government will allow a foreign buyer.

For those who aren’t getting iPhone 5, are creeped put by the fingerprint sensor, or prefer other smartphones, some scientists at Illinois Institute of Technology are working on a program that calculates your taps and swipes, and identifies that it’s you. So far, it’s 99% accurate after any combination of 10 taps and swipes. No release date is set.

Speaking of your (in)security… an unnerving report for Android users…Google has the wifi password for every wifi you’ve ever logged into. It’s handy if you have to replace your phone, but if you don’t like the privacy intrusion, you can opt out in settings, and probably should.

Moto X Phone Grows & Inside Mapping App

It’s not remotely in iPhone or Samsung Galaxy territory, but Motorola’s new Moto X phone is now shipping 100,000 units a month from their US factory. It’s nice to see ANYTHING built here in the good ol’ US of A…and actually selling, too!

An app is out out at Disrupt SF2013 here in the City…it’s a 3D mapping app from Inside Maps that lets you map your home, then place virtual furniture to see where things fit. Very handy when you’re furniture shopping. I wish I had this a couple of weeks ago!

We didn’t see it yesterday with the iPhone extravaganza as rumored several weeks ago, but Apple will roll out an updated Apple TV on the 18th…the same day they will release iOS 7.

Apple Tops in Mobile Ads…& What’s Average for Downloading Apps

A report from Millennial Media for 2nd quarter has changed format from Top 20 phones to Top 20 devices. With the new method, Apple takes 3 of the top 4 slots ranked by ad impressions.

In addition to the new Galaxy Gear smart watch, Samsung will release the new Galaxy Note 3 on October 1st & 2nd. The giant smartphone will be $299 with contract.

A chart from mashable.com shows that the average smartphone user downloads 25 apps. How do you fit in? I’m over 100…and that’s after deleting a few! Now, excuse me…there’s another app I apparently can’t live without waiting to be downloaded! Where’s Appaholics Anon?

GoogleGlass Store & Apple Set Top Boxes

Google is getting set for a GoogleGlass App  store. A Google spokesperson confirmed an early 2014 launch, but not if it will be separate or combined with the Play Store.

Apple has gotten a number of shipments the last few weeks marked ‘set top boxes with communication function.’ Could a new Apple TV product be ‘one more thing’ at their event next week?

The update just out of Google Authenticator (the two-factor authentication companion app that makes your Google account and services where you use it to login more secure) for iOS will wipe out your existing accounts like Dropbox & Evernote. You may want to hold off until they sort things out!

‘Overclocking’ Solid State Drives & 3D Faxing

Intel is working on solid state drives you can, in effect, overclock. They will be user configurable as far as the amount of the drive used for data compression. This will appeal more to so-called ‘power users’ and gamers, but if you’ve ever been running short of space and needed more for something…and that’s a lot of us…you’ll appreciate this.

In a push to attract more people to its cloud service and cloud Office Suite, Microsoft is increasing the storage. Everyone using Exchange Online and Office 365 will now get double the storage at 50 gigs. MS has already expanded it’s storage allotments for others using their services.

With all the buzz about 3D printing, it was inevitable…a company called AIO Robotics is getting set to make a 3D printer AND fax machine. Yes, an all-in-one 3D machine…no office or home will want to be without one? Let’s just hope this doesn’t revive the faxing your anatomy craze! If you leave for a better job, I can about guarantee your old boss really isn’t going to want to receive a 3D impression of your rear end!

Amazon’s Plan to Get More Apps, & Apple Patents Smart Home Control

Amazon is really working to get developers to build apps for them. They are letting them build purchases into apps. A sports app might let users buy sports equipment with One Click right in the app…the developer gets a cut.

Apple has patented a ‘smart home’ remote control that runs on iPhones. It can connect to multiple A/V components, as well as “smart home” devices like lights and window shades, via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

We all get nagged constantly to make strong passwords, and change them, but here’s another reason: a version of Hashcat is out that can crack 55 character passwords. In some cases, it can break up to a 65 character string. When does that fingerprint reader come out?

Ads on Tablets Memorable & Google Will Sell Glass at Retail

To the delight of advertisers..but maybe not quite so thrilling to users…people recall ads better when they view them on tablets than other screens, including TVs. This from a study from IPG Media Lab.

Your next smartphone may be full of wax. Researchers at University of Michigan have found chips covered with a mesh of wax can run faster and longer. The wax absorbs heat from the chips, keeping them cooler. Your phone will be waxing, not waning!

Google may start selling GoogleGlass next year through normal retail channels, and not just on the web. One analyst says Google is leasing 6,000 square feet inside every Best Buy store. Apple has their Genius Bars, will Google have Maven Corners?

GM Wireless Phone Charging in Cars & Google Location Security

If you’ve hunted for that charging cord in your car, General Motors may be bringing out just what you need. GM is going to start offering wireless charging for smartphones in some cars next year. The real question is why didn’t someone do this a couple of years ago?

Apple has filed a patent for a system for you to check another user’s iPhone status….whether they’re available to talk or not before you try to call…it’s much like the “away” feature of IM clients. At least you’ll know that people aren’t going to answer before you go to the trouble of trying to call! Of course, there are those people we all know that NEVER answer a call or text anyway!

Google is working on location dependent security for your phone…it would relax security if you’re at home, and lock things down tighter in public…it works using the location services already in smartphones. You could also relax security for a second area…like work. It’s a simpler, and perhaps more elegant way to protect the security of your phone…Apple’s sapphire fingerprint reader button notwithstanding!

Google Glass Will sell What You Look At, and TiVo Launches New Boxes

You have to give Google credit for creativity…there’s an unique patent from Google…which has promised no ads with GoogleGlass. The WILL sell your pay per gaze…Google will sell how many times, and how long you look at branded content! Sneaky!

TiVo has a new set of boxes with the moniker Roamio that will record 6 shows at once and will have wifi (finally.) Amazingly, previous TiVo boxes didn’t have wifi…you had to drop an additional 90 bucks for an adapter for that. The two top models, the Plus and the Pro, will also send shows to your mobile devices that are on the same network. The prices range from $200-$600 depending on memory and features. The $600 Pro will hold 450 hours of HD content.

Apple has patented a way to control your devices with 3D gestures…by just moving your hand or fingers above the screen. This could be great for working with a CAD program where you need to design and tweak 3D objects. You will probably need to wear those horrible 3D glasses to use that feature, however.

With all the tablets and phablets going mini, Samsung is trying to expand the other way, too. They are planning to drop a massive 12 inch screen tablet in October as part of the Galaxy Note family. It will reportedly have an LCD display with better than HD resolution.

Samsung Watch Phone, & Google Encrypting Your Cloud Data

Samsung is reportedly going to introduce a smart watch called Galaxy Gear next month. It will make calls, handle email, and surf the web. It’s due to be unveiled September 4th, stealing some thunder from Apple’s iPhone 5S introduction on the 10th.

KGI securities…usually well connected and reliable on matters Apple…is saying the new iPhone 5S will not only offer a gold tone color in addition to black and white (really more of a silver), it will be available with a generous 128 gigs of memory and a better camera aperture.

If you use Google’s Cloud Storage, you should know that Google will encrypt its Cloud Storage by default. The user can choose to hold the keys or let Google do it. It’s free, uses the same level of security as Google itself uses, and old data will be encrypted in the next few months. For those feeling particularly insecure about having sensitive data stored online, this will offer a level of reassurance.