Google on Verge of Releasing 1st New Nest Product Since They Bought It

Posted: June 4, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Media invitations have been sent for an event June 17th for a Nest news conference in San Francisco. No other details were offered, but a lot of buzz is on it being Nest Audio. Google watchers say it could be something like the Amazon Echo. Businessinsider.com notes that whatever it is, we should know between 9:30 and 10 am on June 17th.

Reports out of Asia picked up by bgr.com indicate that besides an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Apple will again offer a 4 inch screen model that may be called the 7c in 2016. Sources say it will be a completely redesigned phone. The 7 and 7 Plus are expected to be the same 4.7 and 5.5 inch sizes as the 6 series and their successors due out this fall.

Apple TV Confirmed As the Hub for HomeKit

Posted: June 3, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

As Moscone Center in San Francisco is being readied for Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference next week, more keeps leaking out. This week, several early HomeKit devices from 3rd parties rolled out, and now thenextweb.com reports that…as expected…you’ll need Apple TV to remotely control HomeKit gadgets. Apple has posted a setup page to help people configure the system. If you already have Apple TV, it needs to be 3rd generation or later with software version 7 or newer.

Amazon has rolled out free shipping on small and light products…that is, ones that weigh less than 8 ounces. According to geekwire.com, ‘Fulfillment by Amazon Small and Light’ will also focus on items that cost less than 10 bucks. No more $35 minimum purchase requirement or Prime membership for free shipping of these small and light items. It won’t be free TWO Day shipping though…expect your items in 4 to 8 days.

Intel Joins the USB C Bandwagon

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

As has been widely reported, the latest 12 inch Apple Macbook has one port…the new USB C mini reversible cable. The Google Chromebook Pixel and Nokia N1 tablet also spot the versatile mini plug. The USB C can power the laptop, carry a display signal, and has fast data speeds all in one plug. Now, theverge.com says Intel is jumping in, announcing that the Thunderbolt 3 will use the USB C connector instead of the mini display port. Every time a standard like this changes, expect to drop more bucks on adapters, like Apple’s crazy-expensive $79.99 Macbook adapter…but it will allow for lighter thinner laptops and tablets…and you can never be too thin or light—or well heeled, right?

If you’re a little geeky, you’ve heard of thinkgeek.com. If you’re as geeky as some of us, you’ve ordered stuff from them. The website known for fan gear for Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and both Marvel and DC comic gear is being bought by GameStop, according to engadget.com. It looked like Hot Topic was a foregone conclusion, but at the last minute, GameStop jumped in with $20 a share, eclipsing Hot Topic’s $17.50 bid. The collectables category is growing fast, and games from stores have been taking it in the shorts from online sources, so GameStop helps itself considerably with this purchase. Don’t forget to check your geek points!

Did Google Just Win the Cloud Wars?

Posted: May 29, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

According to bgr.com, Google may have won the cloud wars, with the announcement at I/O yesterday that their Photos app will allow for unlimited photos and videos in the cloud for FREE! By comparison, Apple gives you 5 Gigs of free storage on iCloud, then hits users with a buck a month for 20 gigs or $20 a month for a terabyte. If you have a large collection, and switched from Apple to Google, you’d save $240 a year. Google photos runs on Android, iOS, or the web, and syncs across all your devices.

Although that was just one of the things rolled out at Google I/O that caused gnashing of teeth at Apple, they should be smiling about this: Appleinsider.com says Consumer Reports ranked Apple highest for computer tech support in their annual survey. According to Consumer Reports, 4 out of 5 Mac owners using AppleCare said the service was able to solve their problem, compared to 61% for Dell and Lenovo. They were ranked pretty much even with indy stores for retail support, although Best Buy’s Geek Squad and Staples EasyTech both charge, and Apple’s geniuses will diagnose problems for free.

Force Touch in iOS9 & Jony Ive’s Elevation at Apple

Posted: May 27, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple looks like they’re integrating ‘Force Touch’ across the upcoming iOS 9. Another big feature is supposed to be split screen for iPads…so you can switch quickly between a couple of open apps (I hope this will work on older models!) Future MacBooks with Force Touch could lose trackpads, making for even more insanely slim and small footprints…you could swipe your fingers across the keyboard and different amounts of force on the keys could allow for multiple functions. Force Touch might also help the new super slim Macbook, which has gotten rapped for its keyboard. apple is expected to show it off iOS9 at World Wide Developers’ Conference. WWDC is June 8-12…also at Moscone Center in S.F.

At Apple on Monday, Jony Ive was elevated to Chief Design Officer, and two of his trusted lieutenants were made VPs and will handle the day to day management of design teams. There has been a bit of hand wringing this week as analysts and Apple watchers are worrying that Ive may partially retire, move back to England, and Apple will go down the tubes. Apple didn’t implode when Steve Jobs left the planet, and it probably won’t if Ive leaves entirely, but it does provide lots of fodder for the tech chattering class.

New iPhones May Roll Out Earlier Than Expected

Posted: May 21, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We could get a look at the next generation iPhones in August, and they will launch in September, according to usually reliable KGI Securities. According to macrumors.com, the bulk of the next generation Apple phones will be built by Foxconn…around 60-70% of them. In addition, the report from KGI says Foxconn will build the widely rumored 12.9 inch ‘iPad Pro.’ As previously reported, the next-gen iPhones are likely to have Force Touch, a faster A9 processor, 2 gigs of RAM, a 12 megapixel camera, and offer a Rose Gold color choice.

A number of intelligence agencies planned to hack Android phones by compromising app stores. 9to5google.com says in new Ed Snowden documents released to CBC news, spies from the US, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand planned to hack the Google and Samsung app stores back in 2012. The scheme was to plant spyware that would let them extract data from targeted phones, or even take control of them. They succeeded in exploiting UC Browser, a popular Android browser used in China, India, and other emerging markets. This may be one of the big reasons Google was among tech companies that asked President Obama to reject calls for government access to encrypted data.

New Force Touch Macbook Pro and iMac Out This Week

Posted: May 18, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wednesday looks to be the day that Apple drops new 15 inch Macbook Pros and 27 inch iMacs with Force Touch baked in to the track pads. 9to5mac.com says that otherwise, the update will be a minor one, with upgrades to the CPU and graphics processors.

In a story from tech crunch.com penned by the CEO of Zuora, the present car industry is compared to the early PC industry of the mid 80’s. The auto makers are cast as being as clueless as giant IBM was at that time, and Digital Equipment…remember them…even more out of touch. IBM went on to be clobbered as the platform…like Windows or Mac…became much more important to consumers than the brand itself. With Gartner predicting that there will be 250 million connected cars on the road by 2020, the platform makers, like Google with Android Auto and Apple with Car Play, may become far more important that the actual brand of cars…causing a gigantic shakeup in the auto industry.

What to Expect in the Next iPhone

Posted: May 12, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Updated 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch iPhones will start production in August, according to macrumors.com, citing generally reliable KGI Securities. Expect the A9 processor powered phone to sport a 12 megapixel camera, 2 gigs of RAM, Force Touch like the Apple Watch, and an additional Rose Gold color choice. KGI says not to expect a smaller 4 inch iPhone this year.

Verizon has bought AOL for 4.4 billion in cold, hard cash. Thenextweb.com reports that the present CEO will run AOL as a wholly owned subsidiary of the carrier. Only time will tell what changes might come to sites like The Huffington Post, Engadget, and Techcrunch. AOL still has over 2 million paying, DIAL UP customers, too…bet you never guessed there could still be that many people not using broadband!

The Larger ‘iPad Pro’ Will Have A New Screen

Posted: May 11, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s rumored to be out in 2016, and appleinsider.com reports that the so-called iPad Pro will feature a silver nanowire touch panel for its 12.9 inch screen. Apple has reportedly requested material samples from at least 3 different display makers. Silver nanowire panels are more flexible, and could better sense fingertip pressure, bringing Apple Watch style Force Touch tech to the iPad. The Pro model will also have NFC, making it useful as a receiving terminal for Apple Pay.

The C.H.I.P computer project intends to make a super cheap pocket sized computer reality. Next Thing Co. is talking ACTUAL cheap….like $9 cheap! Bgr.com says they planned to raise 50 grand on Kickstarter, but raked in over $664,000. The Raspberry Pi is a computer on a small, hand-sized board, and was a game changer at $35. Imagine something half the size at 9 bucks! C.H.I.P has a 1 gig CPU, 512K of RAM, 4 gigs of storage, and runs Linux.

Apple Watch Will Be Their Highest Profit Product Yet

Posted: April 21, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple has been known for making healthy markups on its products, but bgr.com says the new Apple Watch may be their most profitable one ever. Research from Think Big Analytics shows the average gross margins for Apple Watch will be over 60%! Obviously, even with the costs of gold, the Edition version will be much more profitable than that since it’s the same inside as the other two models!

Google is killing the YouTube app on older gear like the 2nd generation Apple TV, and Sony and Panasonic Blu-rays and TVs made before 2012. Thenextweb.com reports older iPhones and iPads will have to run iOS7 or later to still use the app.

Engineering students at Rice University have created a simple gadget to make shots hurt less. According to gizmodo.com, the salt shaker sized device uses a chemical reaction to make skin numb in 60 seconds, allowing the nearly painless shot.

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