Samsung Goes Big on Phablets

With rumors flying that Apple may release iPhones in 3 different sizes, including one with a bigger than 4 inch screen, Samsung has announced a preemptive strike with the Galaxy Mega. The Mega..which is more of a phablet with a 6.3 inch HD screen…starting in Europe first in May, and hitting the US later. It will complement the Note in the phablet market…the niche between phones and tablets. The Mega will come in two models and be ‘ultra thin,’ fitting in a pocket…according to Samsung. Both have duel core processors, compared with the Note’s quad core, so they look to be more affordable. With a screen a full inch bigger than the Galaxy S-4, we may all need bigger pockets or purses before long!

Enter the Bike Spike

There are all kinds of chains, bars and the like to secure your bicycle, but nothing like what’s available for cars. That’s about to change. There’s a great Kickstarter project called the Bike Spike. It’s a small GPS you attach to your bike that works over cellular. When you electronically lock your bike, if it’s moved, the Bike Spike alerts you over an app on your Android or iPhone. You can track it, alert police with the touch of a button, and share the location with friends on Twitter, Facebook, or by text. It can help you track rides, if you are competitive. It also has an accelerometer, so if you crash, it will notify a list of contacts you choose automatically. You can preorder the Bike Spike for $155…it takes a cheap cellular data plan, but Kickstarter backers get a free trial on that.

Phone Features You Can Actually Use

A couple of innovations may be coming to smartphones that you can actually use…what a concept! First, several makers are looking at replacing Gorilla Glass screens with sapphire, which is three times harder and three times more scratch resistant…almost as hard as diamond. Apple already uses it in their camera lenses. If they can get the economics of scale to work, this will be a boon…no more tears from cracked screens due to dropped phones! The other is being pushed by T-Mobile, which rolled out better voice quality for calls. Now, AT&T is going to bring out what they call HD Voice. The phones have had the capability for some time…it’s the carriers that have dragged their feet on this.

Facebook OS, Phone, and YOU

A Facebook operating system, and maybe a phone may be looming. The social networking giant sent out invitations late yesterday for an event next Thursday saying ‘Come see our new home on Android.’ Most sources expect the much rumored Facebook operating system, built on Android, but customized for Facebook…with features like news feed updates on the home screen and deep integration of Facebook related apps. They may also roll out a Facebook phone, made for them by HTC. Here’s some food for thought about a Facebook phone. If the so-called ‘deep integration’ is extensive enough, Facebook might be able to read your phone calls and texts to your real, real friends. THAT would give them some very personal and extremely valuable information about you to sell…and don’t forget that for Facebook, like a lot of entities on the web…YOU are the product!

Power Smartphone Ratings

A couple times a year, JD Power and Associates ranks smartphones. The devices are among a number of consumer products they rank. For the 9th consecutive time, Apple leads the pack…the iPhone scored 855 out of 1000, up 6 from last time. Nokia edged out Samsung by 2 points for 2nd place with 795. HTC and Motorola were in hot pursuit at 792 and 790. The average smartphone score was 796. The new Blackberry 10 may help Blackberry raise their score, and they need it…they were in the cellar at 732. Consumers rated performance as most important, followed by design, then features.

Tablets in the Living Room

They haven’t replaced the venerable living room TV, but more and more, we’re turning to our tablets in addition to the big screen. For years, companies like Apple and Microsoft have been angling to take over….that hasn’t happened, but tablets are grabbing a lot of our attention as we do watch the tube. Ranging from using them as a better remote, digging up more information about a show we’re watching, playing a game, or hunting for something better to watch, the tablets are at least taking over our laps. According to a study just out, 85% of tablet owners in the US use the smaller screen now while watching TV. Maybe the big screen should still be looking over its metaphorical shoulder.

The X Phone

How did we ever get along before companies cooked up cool names for the gadgets they want to sell us? Google is working on a new flagship smartphone through it’s Motorola subsidiary…we heard about this a while back, but now some details are out. The X Phone, as it’s being called, will have a 4.7 inch full HD screen and a 16 megapixel camera, and it will be a bit thinner than the Droid Razr Maxx. No confirmation of the previously rumored flexible display. It will be loaded with the latest Android system, and feature the eye scrolling technology that Samsung is introducing on its Galaxy S-4 this week. Look for Google to roll out the X Phone in May.

Smartphones Passing Up ‘Feature’ Phones

This year, smart has finally beaten dumb decisively…at least as far as mobile phones are concerned. This year, smartphones will pass up dumb phones…or feature phones, as the industry euphimistically calls them, according to research company IDC. The combination of falling prices for smartphones, coupled with wider availability of 4G networks are the main drivers. Smartphones will account for a little over half of all mobile phone sales this year, and look to take around two thirds of phone sales by 2017. A great deal of the growth is in China, Brazil, and India. If you connect the dots, this is probably the major reason Apple is expected to introduce a cheaper iPhone this August…although price sensitive US consumers will benefit too.

Shop at Google?

Amazon is the 800 pound gorilla of online retailing, who could possibly take them on? That would take a company like Google. Google Shopping already partners with retailers who usie the giant’s search to increase their own business. Those brick and mortar retailers and Amazon should keep an eye peeled…it won’t take much more than adding a ‘buy’ button for Google to become a direct competitor with both retailers and Amazon…and apparently they’re moving in that direction.

If they can cut some deals for cheap goods, it could suddenly be: do a google search…choose…click…and your new stuff is on its way to you.  Amazon may find itself in a real online retail jungle very soon. As for brick and mortar- Google has denied…as recently as today that they plan to open a chain of retail stores to compete with Apple’s. The company says they believe it’s not necessary for customers to touch smartphones, tablets, etc…with online reviews and recommendations from friends and acquaintances to go on.

There’s No Need To Fear…Underwear Is Here

It’s a nerd’s dream come true. No shopping for socks and undies to replace the ratty ones they’re wearing. Revamped startup meundies.com will mail what they term reasonably priced ones to the house once a month. Besides boxers, briefs, thongs and the like…they also do t-shirts and socks…and even have a line of ultrasoft ones for those with a tender tushy from sitting in front of the computer for hours. Right now they have men’s and women’s Tees, and will introduce a whole new line of women’s underwear soon. Get your geek on…and those scroungy shorts off…and replace them with some new ones!