New Force Touch Macbook Pro and iMac Out This Week
Posted: May 18, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android Auto, Apple, Car Play, DEC, Force Touch, Google, IBM, iMac, Mac, Macbook Pro, Self Driving Cars, Windows Leave a commentWednesday 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 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AOL, Apple, Dial up, Engadget, Huffington Post, iPhone, iPhone 6S, Techcrunch, Verizon Leave a commentUpdated 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!
Apple Watch Will Be Their Highest Profit Product Yet
Posted: April 21, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Google, Injections, iOS7, Painless, Panasonic, Shots, Sony, YouTube Leave a commentApple 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.
Looking for a Place to Eat? Check Your Wrist
Posted: April 19, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AdMob, ads, Amazon, Android, Apple, Apple Maps, Apple Watch, DoubleClick, Encryption, Google, Google Display Network, TestDrive, Yelp, YouTube Leave a commentYelp 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.
Strong Galaxy S6 Sales Affect Apple’s Next iPhone Model
Posted: April 18, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Galaxy S6, Google, Halo, Halo Spartan, iPhone, Microsoft, Samsung, TSMC Leave a commentThe strong pre-sales of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge may indirectly hurt future iPhone 6s sales. Bgr.com says Apple had previously announced that the new A9 processors would be built entirely by Samsung, but now Samsung may not be able to keep up with the demand as Galaxy sales pick up. Now, Apple will look to Taiwanese maker TSMC to build 30% of their processor chips. TSMC already builds chips for the present iPhones.
Google now lets you install apps directly from search on Android. According to thenextweb.com, when you search for an app, there’s an install button right with the search results that takes you directly to the Google store and downloads the app.
Microsoft has enjoyed a lot of success with their Halo game franchise. Forbes.com reports that Redmond has released Halo spinoffs for iOS, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and the gamer favored Steam machines. The 3 Halo Spartan games can be bought in a bundle for $9.99 in the various app stores.
Following LG’s Lead, Samsung Forms An Apple-Specific Display Team
Posted: April 15, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, displays, Huewai, LG, P8, Samsung Leave a commentSamsung is is the strange position of being a major supplier to Apple, one of its biggest rivals. Apple insider.com says they have now joined LG in forming a team dedicated to Apple products. 200 Samsung employees will focus exclusively on displays for Apple.
Huawei, the 4th largest smartphone maker, has just rolled out it’s new flagship, the P8. According to engadget.com, it has a 5.2 inch screen in a metal Apple-like body, and sports a 13 megapixel main camera that can take long exposure shots in low light.
Android devices are everywhere. With the European Union antitrust suit against Google and Google’s response memo, bgr.com reports we now know HOW widely Android is used. Google lists over 18,000 different devices running Android now!
Big Savings on Moto 360 Smart Watch
Posted: April 14, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Call availability, Flat rate, Google, Moto 360, Motorola, Wireless Leave a commentMotorola’s next generation smartwatch has been spotted in the wild, and should be out shortly. Now, engadget.com says the Moto 360 has dropped to $165 at Google’s store. It’s a great looking and working Android smartwatch at 85 bucks off the regular price.
Techcrunch.com reports that Apple has patented a system that uses contextual information like current time zone, ringer silence status, battery life, location and cell network strength to let friends know you’re available for calls. Yes, it IS opt-in!
Google said last month that it was planning a small wireless service that would operate like existing carriers. According to business insider.com, you’d pay a flat rate for talk and text, and pay by the gigabyte, and could switch phones without a sim card.
Next iPhone Will Run on Samsung Processors…Again
Posted: April 4, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: A9, airplanes, Apple, Apple Watch, Auto-capture, Boeing, eco-friendly, Evernote, iPhone, iPhone 7, NASA, Samsung Leave a commentSamsung will be making the A9 chips for the next generation iPhone, according to macrumors.com. There have been conflicting rumors over whether it would be Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor, or a combination. The phone may also be the iPhone 7…Apple may add Force Touch from the Apple Watch to the screen and skip the 6S designation.
The Ubiquitous Evernote has a couple new features for iOS. Thenextweb.com reports that the note-taking app gets new camera functionality and support for the soon-to-be released Apple Watch. You will be able to auto-capture images when you point your camera at documents and business cards in the app.
NASA is teaming up with Boeing to make planes more eco-friendly. Engadget.com says they are experimenting with 31 tiny jets on the tail fin. This adds stability, and allows for a 17% smaller tail, making planes lighter and more fuel efficient.
Coming With Apple TV Update
Posted: March 21, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple TV, Battery life, F8, Facebook, Homekit, Messenger, Siri, Smartwatch, streaming, VEctor Leave a commentThe next version of Apple TV should make its debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Thenextweb.com says it will sport a new faster processor, more storage, Siri and HomeKit integration. They are likely to reveal more about their streaming TV service at WWDC, and preview an App Store just for Apple TV.
If you are really considering a smart watch, but worry about the poor battery life most have, bgr.com reports that Vector has a couple models available for preordering now. They claim 30 days of battery life for both the rectangular and round dial versions. A ‘sensor activated notification system’ pulls up notifications with the flick of a wrist. They sell for between $244 and $425.
According to tech crunch.com, next week at their F8 developer conference, Facebook will announce new ways for third parties to offer experiences through its messenger app. Facebook is wanting to turn Messenger into a freestanding platform.
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