Combined Touch Screen Router & Connected Home Hub Cuts Clutter
Posted: April 1, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Almond, Amazon, Apple Watch, Dash, Router, Smart Home Hub, Wireless charging, Zigbee Leave a commentWhile Amazon thinks you want an Amazon ‘Dash’ button everywhere to order things in your connected home, Almond is going the other way…combining a router and smart home hub into one. Engadget.com says two touchscreen models use the Zigbee smart home system, with the $199 Almond Plus having 2 bands and covering 5000 square feet.
Appleinsider.com reports that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster predicts a million Apple Watches will sell over the launch weekend. He also sees them selling 2.3 million by June.
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge support wireless charging. According to research firm IHS, total wireless power receiver shipments were 55 million last year, and will hit 120 million in 2015. They predict a whopping 2 BILLION by 2024!
Swiss Luxury Watch Maker Joins the Smartwatch World
Posted: March 19, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple Watch, Cabs, Carrera, CDs, Digital Downloads, Intel, OpenStreetCAb, Smartwatch, streaming, Tag Heuer, Uber Leave a commentThe Swiss are getting into the smart watch market in a big way. Ahead of the Apple Watch drop, Tag Heuer has unveiled a luxury smart watch. Reuters.com says it’s got Intel inside, and runs Android. It looks just like a real Carrera, and could be on wrists by fall.
Streaming music sales have gone from 5% of the market 5 years ago to 27 percent last year. Cnet.com reports that stream sales hit $1.87 billion in 2014, slipping by CDs, which took in $1.85 billion. Digital downloads like iTunes dropped again, but still accounted for a whopping $2.58 billion!
Right now, it’s just in New York, but there’s an app out called OpenStreetCab that both Uber and the cab companies hate. According to bgr.com, it compares, and tells you which is the cheapest. The data so far suggests it’s Uber for longer rides, cabs for a shorter one.
Apple Watch Clones and Knock Offs Already On Sale
Posted: March 15, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Airport lines, Apple, Apple Watch, Blip Systems, Clones, Counterfeit, Cut wait time, Microsoft, Playstation 4, Sony, Xbox One Leave a commentLast week, Apple rolled out the Apple Watch, and within a day, counterfeit versions were on the streets in China. Now, zdnet.com says there are knockoffs in stores and online. One shown on Alibaba is the Airwatch A8 smart wearable watch. It’s a dead ringer, but runs Android, shoots photos and video, and uses a SIM card for independent calling. It’s $76.
There’s not much more frustrating than lines at the airport. Theverge.com reports that Cincinnati International Airport is using a tracking system that picks up the MAC addresses of smartphones anonymously, and has allowed them to cut time in security lines by a third. 20 other airports around the world are using the tech from Blip Systems.
Microsoft cut prices on the Xbox One and beat out Sony during the Christmas season, but now Sony has come roaring back, with the Playstation 4 outselling the Xbox in both January and February. According to Geekwire.com, those two new generation game systems have outsold their predecessors by 60% so far.
iPhone Fitness App Won’t Activate Until You Pair With Apple Watch
Posted: March 14, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple Watch, Cortana, Einstein Project, Electricity through the air, Fitness app, iOS, Microsoft Leave a commentA developer has discovered that the Fitness app does exist on iPhones in iOS 8.2. Macrumors.com says it apparently doesn’t appear until you pair the phone with Apple Watch…then you get a comprehensive overview of your daily activity and workout history. Apple has been pushing health and fitness as a prime reason to spring for the watch, which is out April 24th.
Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant is apparently coming to Android and iOS. According to Reuters.com, it may be ready to drop along with the desktop version when Windows 10 is released this fall. The managing director of the Einstein project, which is building it, says it can read and understand email.
Electricity in the air? Yes, and not just a figure of speech. Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have just used microwaves to send 1.8 kilowatts of electricity 180 feet through the air to a device! Rt.com notes that’s enough to power a microwave oven! An eventual goal is to transmit solar energy collected and converted to electricity in space down to the surface where we can use it!
Google Wireless….IF You Have the Right Phone
Posted: March 8, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple Watch, Cellular, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Google, Powermat, Reserve Strap, Samsung, WiFi, Wireless, Wireless charging Leave a commentGoogle may kick off it’s rumored wireless service as soon as the end of the month. Bgr.com says the system will switch from Wi-Fi to cellular like any other, but there’s one HUGE drawback…it will only be available initially on the latest Nexus 6 smartphone. No price point has been revealed, but expect it to be very competitive…with the usual caveat that you’ll give up a bit more privacy to Google if you sign up!
We know Samsung is including wireless charging in the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. Now, the CEO of Powermat, says their wireless charging standard will come baked in to all future Samsung smartphones that feature wireless charging. CNET.com reports that Samsung is also including the wireless standard from the Wireless Power Consortium for now. Powermat is what you see at Starbucks.
One of the big concerns of smart watches is battery life, and that goes for the Apple Watch to be hitting wrists next month. According to 9to5mac.com, The Reserve Strap will come to the rescue…recharging the watch as you wear it. It will extend the battery life to 125% of normal, and preorders are open now on their website…but it’s $249…just a hundred less than the actual Apple Watch!
Analyst: Apple Watch SalesWill Be Strong
Posted: March 7, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Drones, Gmail, Google, iOS Leave a commentThe Apple Watch will be introduced Monday, and appleinsider.com says a forecast from BMO Capital Markets is for 19 million of the smart watches to sell this year. They predict that half of those will be during the holiday shopping season. BMO also expects that by the end of 2015, there will be more than 484 million iPhone users…nearly a half a billion!
Google has updated Gmail for iOS. 9to5google.com reports that Google has included sheet support, the ability to archive, and the ability to reply to email using notifications. You will also be able to email directly from other apps and attach photos and documents, like with Apple’s native Mail app. It’s in the App Store now.
If drones make you worry about privacy, you may as well start worrying more now. According to bgr.com, Unbox Therapy has a mini-drone that fits in the palm of your hand. The good news is, right now, it’s indoor only…it can’t fly in any amount of wind.
Apple Watch Average Price Ranges Predicted
Posted: March 3, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Sport, Apple Watch, Blackberry, Blackphone, Blackphone 2, Silent Circle Leave a commentAccording to appleinsider.com, the average selling price of the low end Apple watch called Apple Sport, will be close to $450, despite Apple’s quoted starting price of $349. The midrange Apple watch will set you back around $650, and the high end Apple Edition that starts at just under 5 grand will end up soaking up about $7500!
The ultra secure Blackphone is getting a refresh. Bgr.com says Silent Circle will release the Blackphone 2 it just previewed at Mobile World Congress in the second half of the year, and also showed a prototype of the Blackphone+ tablet.
Theverge.com reports that BlackBerry will roll out a curved display phone later this year. It and another model designed by Porsche will be touchscreen only. BlackBerry will also release a new keyboard-based phone.
Tim Cook on the Apple Car….Keys
Posted: February 28, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Apple Car, Apple Watch, Car Keys, Ford, Lower Emissions, Parking, Self Driving, YouTube Leave a commentAlthough he was characteristically mum about an Apple car, CEO Tim Cook did tease about cars in London. Geekwire.com reports he said in an interview that the Apple Watch is designed to be able to replace car keys and what he called ‘the clumsy, large fobs’ which are now used by many vehicles. Apple already has a patent on smartphone tech to unlock cars.
Ford is working on cutting car emissions by speeding parking. Arstechnica.com says the automaker is looking towards self driving cars, and using off the shelf parts and a crowdsourced, real time database, your car would head right to a parking space. Ford claims 20-30% of vehicle emissions now come from hunting for parking.
YouTube for Android is getting a useful…and some say overdue…feature. According to thenextweb.com, you can finally trim videos. It’s reportedly precise enough to nearly edit down to the frame. A preview allows you to check your work before finalizing the upload.
A Smart ‘Swatch’ is Coming
Posted: February 5, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple Watch, Chromecast, Google, HeartThis, iPhone, Shopping, Swatch Leave a commentOn the heels of the imminent Apple Watch, another smart watch is on the way…Swatch will release one in around 90 days that will communicate over the web without having to be charged. 9to5google.com says it will have mobile payment capability and play well with Windows and Android.
Shop ‘till you drop on your iPhone with one app. Techcrunch.com reports that HeartThis lets you shop over 330 stores on one app. After a soft introduction in November, it’s officially being demo’ed at StartX today. Did we mention 330 different stores?
Google’s Chromecast has hit the ten million mark, according to geekwire.com. Google says in 2014, Chromecast was the #1 streaming media device in the US.
The Smaller Phone Carriers Duke It Out
Posted: January 24, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Burberry, Nano-bots, Sprint, Switching, T-Mobile Leave a commentThe carrier wars have escalated. A day after T-Mobile rolled out a program letting loyal customers avoid credit checks, Sprint has unveiled one guaranteeing any T-Mobile customer $200 credit for a working and activated T-Mobile smartphone. 9to5google.com says it’s still not as sweet a deal as Sprint offers switchers from AT&T and Verizon.
According to BGR.com, the upcoming Apple Watch, currently seeing much hand wringing over lack of battery life, will actually be more powerful than the first iPad. Meanwhile, Apple has hired Burberry’s VP of Digital Retail Initiatives. Chester Chipperfield is expected to help reorganize part of Apple’s stores to feature the watch.
Scientists have developed self-destructing nano-bots and implanted them in mice. Engadget.com reports that they are first being used to treat peptic ulcers and other stomach disorders. They can survive the gastrointestinal tract long enough to release medication, then destroy themselves without leaving any trace of harmful chemicals behind. You won’t be turning into a Borg for a while, yet!
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