New Apple iPhone Battery Case; Google Makes Mobile Chrome Safe by Default

Posted: December 8, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Several Apple news items: Today, Cupertino rolled out a Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 6S and 6, their first since 2007. According to appleinsider.com, Apple claims 25 hours of extended use. It’s soft silicone with a strange hump for the battery on the back, and runs $99. The silicone gives a sure grip, but does collect dirt.

Many people will be surprised to find that Apple Maps is now used 3 times as often as Google Maps on iPhone. Macrumors.com says this figure was given to the AP by Apple. Google does dominate over all smartphones, of course, with more Android phones in service than iPhones. I tried Apple Maps last spring traveling from Northern California to the Magic Kingdom, and it routed me off the 5 through city streets and back. I thought it was nuts, until I discovered it routed me around a terrible crash in LA with a monster backup.

Apple is dropping 13 million on their Sacramento area campus. Reportedly, this is to change a large warehouse into a logistics center, and they will add an additional 1450 parking spaces and jobs, of course. It’s possible more than logistics is going on…this facility was Apple’s last manufacturing center in the US until 2004.

In a nice move by Google, they have turned on Safe Browsing by default on Chrome for Android. Theverge.com reports that it has always been in the settings, but this will give an extra layer of protection to mobile browsing on Android for Chrome users. Google is releasing the feature as part of Play Services, which means it will appear in other in-house apps moving forward.

A Couple Things to Make Your Commute Less Painful

Posted: September 2, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You may use Google Maps or the vastly improved Apple Maps to get around…OR, you may be into Google’s Waze app, with it’s heavily crowd sourced information and whimsical emoji. Now, bgr.com reports they’ve added to Waze’s selection of celebrity guests. A NFL player and Neil Patrick Harris have been included, but the real ‘get’ is Stephen Colbert, who was quoted as saying “For years, I navigated the roadways using a compass, a sextant and the guidance offered by the stars, but now I can just listen to my own dulcet tones instructing me on Waze.” And you just heard that in your head in his voice, not mine!

The other help for drivers…particularly in parking deficient places like San Francisco…is from on-demand parking startup ZIRX. According to techcrunch.com, BWM i Ventures has signed on as a strategic investor. The car maker may be looking to integrate the service right into the dash of their cars, particularly electric ones…which may have a more limited range, and can’t circle around forever trying to find that parking spot. ZIRX customers can also get help finding car washes, oil changes, and gas stations. The plan to add finding smog checks, tire pressure checks, and tire changes soon. ZIRX is presently in San Francisco, San Diego, LA, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and New York.

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.