Google I/O Expectations; Apple Beats the Street; Russian ‘Fancy Bear’ Hibernating in Lojack; Automakers Start Blockchain Research Group

Posted: May 2, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Google’s I/O is coming up May 8th at Shoreline in Mountain View. According to 9to5google.com, expect Android P to bow…as well as some gesture navigation. What’s been rumored sounds a lot like iPhone X navigation…it’s unknown though if this will be system wide or just Pixel exclusive. We may see an Android TV dongle…there have been pictures of a new dongle from a Chinese company with the Google logo on them spotted. No details have leaked out, but expect something pretty significant about Google Photos…Photos is getting a session on day two…a first for Photos.

Apple beat both revenue and profit projections yesterday, selling 52.2 million iPhones, just a tad below the Street’s targets. Revenue was $61.1 billion…Wall Street had expected $60.8. Reuters.com reports that Apple will bring about 100 billion back to the US in its capital return program. An interesting tidbit: Apple’s wearables…Apple Watch, Air Pods, and Beats headphones…if broken out as a separate entity, would be a Fortune 300 company, without any of the rest of Apple!

With all the personal data leaks and sales, just one more thing to be unnerved about…Fancy Bear…the Russian group that US intelligence thinks did the hacking of the Democratic National Committee in 2016…appears to be using Lojack laptop tracking software to propel new hacking campaigns. Axios.com says that the technique of using Lojack to hide malware was first discovered in 2014, but this is apparently a new exploit of it by the Russians.

A number of automakers have started MOBI, the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative, to use blockchain tech to make cars safer and more affordable. According to techcrunch.com, BMW, General Motors, Ford, and Renault are spearheading the initiative. Previously, Toyota had started doing blockchain research, and Daimler is involved in the Hyperledger project at the Linux foundation. the MOBI group is focusing solely on the automotive space. They claim it may be able to redefine how consumers purchase, insure, and use vehicles.

Advertisement

Google I/O Dates Announced; Apple Looks at Flex LCD Displays; Amazon’s STEM Initiative for Kids

Posted: January 25, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Google I/O will be May 17-19 this year, and will be at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. This will be the third time around for holding the event in that outdoor venue. So far, no other details have been posted about the developer event. Suppose there will be some cool drone streaming footage or the like from the event this year?

In what would be quite a change for Apple if they decide to do it, Cupertino is looking at a flexible LCD display from Japan Display for possible future iPhones. According to 9to5mac.com, it would mean a plastic screen for iPhones, but would allow Apple to make a phone that bends and flexes.

Amazon launched STEM Club yesterday, to help introduce kids to more science, technology, engineering, and math. Thenextweb.com reports that for $19.99 a month + tax, your child gets a new STEM related toy. It’s set up by age groups…3-4, 5-7, and 8-13. There’s no long term contract, you can cancel any time you want.

Amazon Prime Music Now Available Off Line; Google Merging Chrome OS into Android

Posted: October 30, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Amazon has dropped a small but significant update to their Prime Music app. According to 9to5google.com, you will now be able to store offline music on a device’s SD card for playback when you’re not connected to the web. The update also adds support for Android Wear smartwatches. With SD cards becoming less ubiquitous in smartphones, no word on whether Amazon will extend the feature to the main memory of smartphones. At any rate, the updated app is available free at the Google Play Store.

Speaking of Google, it appears that they’re moving towards merging Chrome OS into Android. Theverge.com says to look for a demo of the combined system at Google I/O next year. It will take some serious changes under the hood to get Android to run everything on laptops, and when the final new system is rolled out in 2017, Chromebooks will obviously get a new name…Androidbooks, perhaps? Google has noted that they are not exactly ‘killing’ Chrome, so there may actually be 3 different systems moving forward.