Snapchat Shows Cam Glasses; Galaxy Note 7 New Non-Exploding Battery Issue; Apple Watch Sleep and Heart Rate Apps Coming
Posted: September 26, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Batteries, Camera equipped glasses, Galaxy Note 7, HealthKit, Heart rate monitor, Samsung, Sleep Monitor, Snap, Snapchat, Specticles Leave a comment
Over the weekend, reports came out that Snapchat was re-branding as Snap, and rolling out connected, camera-equipped sunglasses. Theverge.com reports that they will sell for $130, have a 115 degree lens, which closely follows a person’s field of vision, record circular video, and record at the press of a button. Snap is doing a slow rollout, so don’t expect to see them in the next few days or weeks.
Samsung has already shipped 500,000 Galaxy Note 7’s to the US, and about half the phablets with explodable batteries have been replaced. Now, 9to5google.com reports that some users are having problems with batteries that drain very quickly and are having trouble recharging them. Samsung is looking into it, but says it’s unrelated to the batteries. They just can’t buy a break with the 7…and may end up rolling out the Note 8 a month or so early.
Apple is working on sleep tracking and more advanced heart rate apps for Apple Watch. According to 9to5mac.com, the new heart rate app will be more advanced—measuring a person’s fitness by observing the amount of time it takes for a heartbeat to fall from a peak to resting rate. Cupertino apparently is also looking at other ways to expand HealthKit, making it more of a ‘tool that improves diagnoses’ from doctors. None of that may come for a while, as added medical sensors would not only require new hardware, but probably also approval by the FDA.
Google May Be Designing Its Own Phones; iPhone 7 & Apple Watch Rumors
Posted: June 27, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Apple Watch, Force Touch, Google, GPS, Haptic feedback, HTC, Huawei, iPhone 7, LG, Motorola, Nexus, Space Black, Waterproofing Leave a commentIn a report from the Telegraph picked up by thenextweb.com and others, Google is rumored to be designing its own Android phones for release later this year. While they do now have a hardware division being run by a former president of Motorola, this would really be a curve ball to other Android makers…especially LG, Huawei, and HTC, which have built the Nexus phones for Google. It’s not clear how an in-house designed phone would be more perfectly optimized for pure Android than the ones they already specify for their partners making the Nexus…stay tuned.
A report from an unconfirmed source (but one physically near Apple HQ in Cupertino) says iPhone 7 will come in a ‘Space Black’ color similar to the Apple Watch…no deep blue color. 9to5mac.com also reports that the Home button will include haptic feedback to simulate a click, like Force Touch. As for the Apple Watch, the version 2.0 may have GPS for accurate workout logging, and along with cellular would drop the need to carry an iPhone, and would gain the ability to track swimming…indicating a high level of waterproofing.
Wild iPhone 7 Rumors; Apple’s Watch Not Such a Flop, Play Store & Android Apps on Chromebooks
Posted: April 25, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Apple Watch, Chrome OS, Chromebook, Dustproof, Google Play Store, Haptic feedback, iPhone 7, Waterproof Leave a commentWe’ve heard a lot about the ‘boring’ iPhone 7, which won’t change on the outside and won’t have a new, killer feature. Now comes a sketchy rumor out of China that it will have a flush, touch sensitive home button and waterproof, dustproof case. 9to5mac.com says Apple would use haptic feedback to make a flush, capacitive area act like the physical home button. A new, flat black case may join space gray and the golds for a new color choice that echoes of the old iPhones.
Speaking of old iPhones, another Apple product…the Apple Watch…has apparently sold twice as many units as the original iPhone did its first year. Bgr.com reports that a consensus of analysts is that Apple has pushed out between 12 and 13 million Apple Watches. That’s not only twice as many as the original iPhone sold in a year, it’s 61% of the global smartwatch market. Not bad for a flop.
Screen shots posted on Reddit Sunday indicate that the Google Play Store and millions of Android apps may be headed to the Chromebook and Chrome OS. According to cnet.com, arstechnica.com was able to replicate an option in settings on a second generation Chromebook Pixel that says ‘Enable Android apps to run on your Chromebook,’ which shows momentarily, then disappears. No response from Google, of course.
Apple’s iPhone SE & Smaller iPad Pro, etc; Chromecast Becomes Googlecast
Posted: March 22, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Chromecast, Google, Googlecast, iPad Pro, iPhone SE, Vizio Leave a commentIf there was a ‘one more thing’ at Apple’s event yesterday, it didn’t come from Apple. The FBI put on hold it’s demand for Cupertino to crack the San Bernardino terrorist iPhone, claiming it had outside help to do so. Since two former CIA directors have said the NSA could do it, that’s a pretty good guess. Meanwhile, back in Cupertino, Apple showed the 4 inch iPhone SE, the new 9.7 inch iPad Pro model, and new Apple Watch bands. the iPhone SE is pretty much an iPhone 6S squeezed into an iPhone 5S case. It starts at $399 for the nearly useless 16 gigs of memory, and is $499 for the more useable 64 gigs. Preorders start Thursday, and it’s available March 31st.
Apple has shoehorned its iPad Pro into a smaller 9.7 inch version. You get the same 4 speakers and Apple Pencil stylus support. It weighs less than a pound, and has it’s own version of the keyboard case. The smaller Pro…Pro-ette? comes in silver, gold, space grey, and rose gold, and starts at $599 for 32 gigs. A loaded up one with the Pencil will pretty well murder a grand. It is also available for preorders starting Thursday and out on the 31st.
As expected, Apple Watch gets a so-called ‘Spring lineup’ of bands, but the big news is the price cut from $349 to $299. It’s a good guess that an Apple Watch v. 2.0 will be out in the fall with this price reduction.
Over at Google, or if you insist…Alphabet…Chromecast has morphed into Googlecast. 9to5google.com says some Vizio TVs will come with Googlecast built in, and there are some new Googlecast enabled speakers. The app is also renamed Googlecast, and the updated version will be out on Android and iOS this week.
Future Apple Watch Might Call 911 Over Heart Attack; Nest Update Vastly Improves Auto Away
Posted: March 10, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Auto Away, Away mode, Call 911, Family account, Heart attack, iPhone, Medical Emergency, Nest, Nest Cam Leave a commentApple has applied for a patent that uses the Apple Watch and iPhone to detect and report a medical emergency like a heart attack, and call 911. 9to5mac.com reports that the patent describes sensors detecting one or more so-called ‘care events,’ and…depending on the severity of the problem…email a family member, or in the event of a heart attack, call 911. It would use the accelerometer to detect sudden movement and heart monitor to detect loss or a reading. As a safety, it might ask for a response before calling. To allow for false alarms of a fall, it would use data to ignore the fall if you were at a bungee jumping facility. No information on when they might implement this.
Being rolled out right now…and update to Nest software. Theverge.com reports that Nest will be able to use the app update to detect when you leave the house, and set the thermostat to ‘away’ mode, then turn the heat back on when you’re getting close to home. It can allow for multiple family members with a family account setting that handles up to 10 smartphones with the app. They are also updating so data can be used from NestCams and the Nest Smoke Alarm to determine auto away.
Mitsubishi: 56 Inch Projection Screen You Can Walk Through; Apple Watch Really Is Succeeding
Posted: February 19, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Midair display, Mitsubishi, Projection Video, Samsung, Smartwatch, Swiss Watch, Walk Through Leave a commentMitsubishi has developed a 56 inch projection screen a person can walk through. The midair display is clean enough that you can read text from it, according to geek.com. It might be overkill for home use, but this could well be a big thing in advertising. The tech to project it can be either off to a side, or a meter back from the image. Mitsubishi expects to have it on the market within 4 years.
The supposedly failed Apple Watch sold 5.1 million during the holiday quarter, grabbing 63% of the smartwatch market. Macrumors.com says that, combined with Samsung, the two makers held down 80% of the smartwatch market. The Swiss watch market, which has been slow to react to smartwatches, dropped off 4.8%, selling 7.9 million in the holiday quarter. If the next gen Apple Watch can actually be used to call, text, and so forth even if you leave your iPhone at home, it may really blow the smartwatch market wide open.
March 15th Rollout for iPhone 5se, iPad Air 3, & Apple Watch Update; 2nd Tesla Powerwall Coming This Year
Posted: February 2, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Elon Musk, Home battery, iPad Air 3, iPhone 5se, Powerwall, Tesla Leave a commentApple plans to unveil the new 4 inch iPhone 5se, as well as the iPad Air 3, and new band options for the Apple Watch at an event currently scheduled for March 15th. The small iPhone will be powered by the current 6S A9 chip, have better cameras, and run Live Photos and Apple Pay. The iPad Air 3 will feature better speakers and a Smart Connector, and likely a better than Retina screen. New bands will be showed off for the Apple Watch, including an entirely new one fashioned from a new material.
At a speech in Paris last week, Elon Musk said V 2.0 of the Tesla Powerwall home battery will likely be out in July. According to Gizmodo.com, it will get at least a bump in capabilities, but mainly that they will build enough that you might actually have a chance to buy one. No price point has been given yet for V 2.0, but the original ran $3500, and was about 7 grand installed with power inverter to hook it up to your home power system. A video of the Musk speech is up on YouTube.
Apple Owns Smartwatch Market; Skype Adds Mobile Group Video Calling
Posted: January 13, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android Wear, Apple, Apple Watch, Google Hangouts, Mobile group video calling, Skype, Smartwatch Leave a commentMost of 2015, we heard about Apple’s big fail with the Apple Watch, and it’s lackluster sales…all the while Apple claimed it was doing fine. A Juniper Research report picked up by mashable.com shows that Apple was right…fine doesn’t even describe it…Apple grabbed 51.5% of the world smartwatch market in 2015. The numbers aren’t large compared to the 10s of millions of iPhones…only 8.8 million shipped, but over half the market is nothing to sneeze at. Android Wear watches were just 10%. Note that the smartwatch category does NOT count Fitbits.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve had 10 years of free video calling over Skype. Now, the verge.com says Skype has added mobile group video calling to the mix over iOS, Android, and Windows 10 Mobile. Look for it in the coming weeks, but you can preregister now on the company’s dedicated 10th anniversary website to check out an early version. Google Hangouts has had the feature for a while that handles up to 10 friends, but Skype says their group calling can handle up to 25.
Samsung Says TVs Don’t Have a ‘Volkswagen Problem’
Posted: October 2, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Best Buy, ComplianTV, European Union, Motion lighting, Samsung, Target, TVs Leave a commentA testing group in Europe funded by the European Union accused Samsung of using software to make its TVs look better in regulatory lab tests yesterday. Now cnet.com reports that Samsung has strongly denied its gaming the system. The feature is called motion lighting, and it reduces screen brightness, and therefore energy consumption when the picture on screen is in motion. ComplianTV said they detected the behaviors, but were unable to prove that Samsung was gaming the system…but they got that impression. Samsung says motion lighting is a default setting that works in the lab and at home to reduce environmental impact. This reporter confirmed that on his own TV after digging through a deep stack of menus. Let’s just be glad we don’t have diesel TVs!
Apple will begin selling some models of Apple Watch at some Target stores this week. Expect to see the Watch at target.com by October 18th, and at all Target stores effective October 25th. According to thenextweb.com, there will be 20 models available, priced from $349 to $599, in both the 38mm and 42mm sizes. In other words, Target will have all but the expensive Edition models. By adding Target to Best Buy, Apple is giving a more mid-market aura to the watch heading into the holidays.
Apple ‘Recapple’
Posted: September 10, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3d Touch, Apple, Apple Pencil, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Hermes, iPad Pro, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, Siri, Watch OS Leave a commentApple rolled through their product updates and introductions in a couple of hours yesterday at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Here are a few hi lights:
Apple Watch- Mainly about fashion band accessories, particularly from high end Hermes, and new colors of gold and rose gold. It was announced that Watch OS will drop on September 16th, and include messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and also tight third party integration with AirStrip.
iPad Pro- It’s huge, has a great 12.9 inch screen, and…gasp…a stylus, which Steve Jobs famously mocked years ago. The Apple Pencil will be a separate $99 option. That screen…it has a higher pixel density than a Macbook Pro Retina. Apple claims 10 hours of battery life. It has a keyboard cover that screams ‘Microsoft Surface!’ iPad Pro starts at $799, and will be out in November.
Apple TV- Apple says this will be a game changer…you may have seen a clip of Tim Cook repeatedly on TV by now saying ‘we think the future of TV is apps.’ Apple TV has tight Siri integration, a new remote with the top part being touch screen, and buttons for volume, activating Siri and on-off. The remote is Bluetooth, so you don’t have to point it right at the box. A couple of cool features include asking Siri what did they say, and it will rewind about 15 seconds and playback…with captions. Also, you can ask Siri to search for something, and it will search across all platforms…Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. With the remote, it has gaming capabilities, but don’t look for it to displace gaming systems any time soon. Apple TV is $149 or $199 depending on memory, and out the end of the year.
iPhone- The iPhone 6S and 6S plus debuted, with the expected banner feature of Force Touch, which Apple has renamed 3D Touch for the phones. It recognizes 3 levels of finger pressure, and will call up different results…for example, menus, or when pressing an email, it will pop it open so you can read it, and return you to the previous screen when you lift your finger. The new camera is a big leap…up to 12 megapixels, and capable of 4K video and an new gimmicky feature that records a second and a half of video and sound before and after each picture. When you press the picture on the phone, it shows you that 3 seconds of motion. Hey Siri now allows you to just say that, and Siri will respond without having to press and hold the home button. There’s a new rose gold color (and it and the other gold will now be exclusive to the 6S and 6S Plus). iOS 9 will be available September 16th, and iPhones go on preorder this Saturday, with deliveries to start September 25th. Prices are the same as on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, while those models will be dropped as has been Apple’s past practice…so the 16 gig iPhone 6S will start at $199 with a two year contract. Apple has also added a contractless payment plan like a couple of the carriers have, that starts at $32 a month…PLUS carrier service costs, of course.
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