Google’s Chromebook Has Taken Over Education; New 10 Terabyte Hard Drive
Posted: December 4, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 10 Terabyte, Apple, Chromebook, Classroom, Education, Google, Hard Drive, Helium, Microsoft, Schools, Storage, Western Digital Leave a commentEven as they seemed to be slipping away as a company back in the bad old days, Apple was a powerhouse in schools. Not anymore. According to 9to5google.com, Google’s Chromebooks have emerged as the clear leader in classrooms, leaving Apple in the dust. Chromebook’s now account for over half of all devices in US classrooms, up from 1 percent in 2012. Meanwhile, Apple has dropped from 52% to 24, and Microsoft from 43 to 24%.
If you really, really need an insane amount of storage, and want to trust it to a single drive, Western Digital has what you need. They just rolled out a helium-filled 10 terabyte hard drive that uses 44% less power than their 6TB model. Geek.com reports it will set you back around $460. That’s light years away from my original 10 MEGAbyte hard card back in the 80’s!
Virtual Reality Headset from Samsung & Oculus Here; Volvo & Microsoft Team for VR Car Shopping
Posted: November 20, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Hololens, Microsoft, Netflix, Oculus, Samsung, Virtual Reality, Volvo, VR Leave a commentWe’re about to get a real feel for how fast virtual reality will catch on. Samsung and Facebook’s Oculus VR division are dropping the Gear VR headset for $99.99. Cnet.com notes that it basically lets you strap a samsung smartphone to your head. It debuts with a Netflix app, and over 100 other apps and games, to offer what Oculus is calling ‘bottomless content.’ Apps on the special app store will go for $1.99 to $9.99.
In a more specialized…and maybe long term use of virtual realty…Volvo has partnered with Microsoft on a HoloLens based virtual car shopping experience. Geekwire.com reports they are testing out sitting in your living room, office, or wherever, strapping on the VR headset, and checking out and configuring car models. One touch in midair, and you change the color…another the interior, and so on. You can rotate the model on the table in front of you, then gesture and poof….it’s full size, and sitting on a rotating platform across the room. Volvo expects to have the HoloLens based system available to customers next year.
Wireless Charging from 30 Feet Away; Hello Again Nvidia Tablet and Goodbye Zune Services
Posted: November 17, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cota, Microsoft, Nvidia, Ossia, Shield Tablet, Si Ware Systems, wi-fi, Wireless charging, Zune Services Leave a commentThere is a new wireless tech that promises to be a lot more wireless than what is currently offered. Right now, you have to lay your device on a special pad to charge, and often you have to use a bulky case, as well…nice if you’re too lazy to plug it in, but not that helpful. Si Ware Systems has developed a new chip that allows wireless charging from 30 feet away. According to geekwire.com, the tech is based on the Cota technology from Ossia…which was founded by a former Microsoft engineer. It allows for wireless charging that works a lot like wi-fi…one chip in the charging station, and others in the devices you are charging. It can deliver 10 watts of power…your smartphone plug in charger generally puts out one or two watts. The tech is small enough to fit into a AA battery, so some older items like TV remotes wouldn’t even have to be replaced. Did I mention it charges from 30 feet away?
A couple of quick notes…theverge.com reports that Nvidia’s Shield Tablet is back on sale for $199 after the fire hazard recall of every single one. That’s $100 less than originally…this time with a hopefully less fire prone battery. The question, as posed by Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, is ‘do you feel lucky?’
RIP Zune services. Yes, you read correctly. The hapless Microsoft Zune mp3 player, which actually wasn’t a bad, was killed off in 2011, but the music streaming and download service continued on with the Zune brand until now. Mashable.com says people with Zune Music Pass subscriptions will be converted over to the Groove Music Pass, which is basically the same thing…or can apply for a prorated refund.
Preorders Back for Microsoft Surface Book…But Wait Time Slips
Posted: October 15, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: App Store, Best Buy, China, Fry's, Google Play, iPhone, Microsoft, Microsoft Surface Book Leave a commentMicrosoft temporarily shut down preorders for the new Surface Book combo laptop/tablet, but they’re back online. That’s the good news, if you want one of the powerful new devices. The down side? Cnet.com reports that ship times have slipped to between 6 and 8 weeks…two months! If you really want to get one sooner, some vendors…including frys.com have shorter ship times, or you can roll the dice and show up at a Microsoft store October 26th. Best Buy will carry the Surface Book, but their website only says ‘coming soon.’
Since the introduction of larger screened iPhones, China has rocketed to being Apple’s biggest market. TechCrunch.com says that App Annie’s analysis shows that China led all countries in absolute growth 3rd quarter of this year, both measured by app downloads and revenue. Google Play still has more downloads than Apple’s App store in China, but iOS App Store revenue is 80% higher than Google Play! Most of that action is in social video apps and games.
Microsoft’s Rollout Event
Posted: October 6, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Hololens, Lumia, Microsoft, Microsoft Surface Book, Surface 4, Xbox Leave a commentToday in New York, Microsoft showed their latest and greatest in Lumia phones, Surface Tablets, Microsoft Band 2, Xbox, and Hololens. First off, a new custom Halo 5 Xbox with a Terabyte of storage…that’s out October 20th for $499. The Hololens will have what Microsoft calls Console Class Graphics. It puts virtual game enemies right in your room, and is untethered…no wires, phones, or PC connection needed. According to theverge.com, Microsoft is taking applications for a Hololens development kit, and it should be out 1st quarter of next year for $3000.
Microsoft Band 2 is more circular, and has a curved Gorilla Glass 3 OLED screen. It has Built in GPS, UV monitoring, sleep and calorie tracking, a barometer to track elevation, and Cortana elevation. For golf, it knows if you’re putting, doing practice swings, or crushing the ball down the fairway! It works across iOS, Android, and Windows. It’s $249, and out October 30th. Trick or Treat!
The Lumia 5.2 inch 950 and 5.7 950 XL smartphones feature adaptive antenna tech, octacore and hexacore processors, and liquid cooling tech. There’s a 20 megapixel camera, better image stabilization, triple LED flash, and a dedicated camera button. 32 gigs of storage and USB C connector. They recharge to 50% in 30 minutes. The new Lumias run full Windows 10, and will be out in November starting at $549 for the 950 and $649 for the 950 XL.
The Surface Pro 4 tablet will have a fingerprint sensor on the keyboard and a larger GLASS trackpad. It has a 12.3 inch display, and thinner cover. It gets a hybrid cooling system and 6th generation Intel Core processor, with 16 gigs or RAM and 1 terabyte of storage. Microsoft claims Surface 4 is 30% faster than Surface 3, and 50% faster than a Macbook Air. The pen attaches magnetically to the side…it doesn’t need charging for a year! Double click one end and it launches One note…hold the ‘eraser’ button and it launches Cortana. Preorders open October 7th and it starts at $899.
New to the lineup is a 13.5 inch laptop they’ve dubbed Microsoft Surface Book. The display detaches into a tablet, which they claim is the thinnest and lightest Intel Core i7 tablet. The whole thing is 1.6 lbs, and 7.7 millimeters thick. It starts at $1499. Preorders start October 7th, and it’s available October 26th.
Skype Getting Real Time Language Translation on PCs
Posted: October 1, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Batteries, Canada, Elon Musk, France, Instant Charging, Lithium-Ion, Micro-supercapacitor, Microsoft, PCs, Skype, Translator, Wearables, Windows Leave a commentMicrosoft has announced that Skype Translator, which has been freestanding and Spanish to English only, will be coming to Windows PCs in the next few weeks. Geekwire.com reports that it will be a baked in feature to PC based Skype, and will also add French, German, Italian, and Mandarin for voice, plus 50 written languages. They won’t have it out for smartphones, at least for a while. Microsoft admits it’s not perfect, but early tests indicated people can carry on a conversation with it.
Battery life just sucks, and virtually every gadget we use runs by battery power. Something better may be on the way, at least for the smaller devices. According to engadget.com, scientists in Canada and France have come up with a micro-supercapacitor with the same energy density of most lithium ion batteries. Even Elon Musk has lusted for capacitors as a replacement for batteries, since you can recharge them infinitely without loss of capacity. The rub with the micro-supercapacitor is it’s built from exotic materials like gold and ruthenium oxide, so crazy expensive when you scale up in size. The scientists say for replacing micro batteries, though, the capacitors can store 1000 times the energy of those tiny batteries. They may be showing up in wearables before long, but we’ll have to wait a while for instant charging cell phones and electric cars.
Thoughts On The Coming Apple Electric Car
Posted: September 22, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Electric Car, EPA, Foxconn, Google, Mac, Microsoft, Office, Office 365, Self Driving, Windows 10 Leave a commentIt was all over the tech news yesterday, and first reported by the Wall St. Journal, that Apple had put it’s Project Titan…their car project…on the front burner, and want an Apple car on the road by 2019. Google has spoken out couple times, underscoring that they are NOT planning to actually build a Google self-driving car, but will partner with car makers. Apple’s electric car project, by the way, will apparently not be self-driving. Apple will not be building their own car. As bgr.com snarked, who is going to build it…it won’t be Foxconn! I predict that Apple will have to partner with one or more actual car maker. Right now, it takes a car maker a minimum of 4 years to get a model out, and they have the actual plants and equipment to build cars at scale. Apple doesn’t, and can’t possibly be ready to produce them by 2019. Even an electric with no EPA emission requirements will still have to meet federal standards in various countries for safety. Which manufacturer or manufacturers will they partner with, and will it be sold from present dealerships or out of Apple branded car stores, like Tesla is doing? Stay tuned.
From Microsoft’s Office blog, comes something that’s NOT vaporware…Office 2016 for Windows and Office 2016 for Mac are available now to everyone. The Windows version is more tightly integrated with both Windows 10 and Office 365, and subscribers can get more frequent updates with new features and improvements. Microsoft says the Mac version had been out since July for 365 subscribers, but now is a one-time purchase option open to all with several new and enhanced Office 365 services. As is typical for Office and Microsoft products, the features and even pricing are beyond the time constraints we have here.
Uber Partners With University of Arizona on Self-Driving Cars
Posted: August 26, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Mapping, Microsoft, Optics, Self Driving Cars, Uber, University of Arizona, Windows 10 Leave a commentTheverge.com says Uber is setting up a new self-driving car project at the University of Arizona. The new project will focus on self-driving car technology, particularly the mapping and optics challenges involved in developing a fully autonomous vehicle. Earlier this year, Uber went on a major hiring binge for their Pittsburgh center, which many complained had hired so many experts away from the local robotics lab that they had effectively gutted competing projects. The Arizona partnership will focus on the optics systems necessary for mapping and safety. It appears that Tucson will be a new hub for much of Uber’s ongoing research into autonomous vehicles.
It’s gotten some knocks, but in a testament to how hated Windows 8 was more than anything else, Windows 10 is now up and running on over 75 million devices in less than a month after it was rolled out. zdnet.com reports that Microsoft’s goal is to have the latest OS installed on a billion devices by this time in 2018. Some of the heat surrounding Windows 10 has come from their new privacy policy, and Redmond has now published a ‘Windows 10 and Privacy’ page which details their policies.
Big Microsoft Product Event In October
Posted: August 20, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Band 2, Ford, Lumia, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, self-driving car, Surface Mini, Surface Pro 4 Leave a commentMicrosoft is planning a monster product launch event in October. According to theverge.com, they’ll show two new Lumia handsets, the Surface Pro 4, and a Microsoft Band 2. There MAY be a slimmer Xbox One as well, but that’s an outside chance. More likely is additional Surface hardware in addition to the Surface Pro 4….Maybe a Surface Mini.
Ford has patented an autonomous car that allows for the driver pivoting around with their back to the wheel. This would enable 4 adults to sit facing each other. It will be interesting to see how this works out, as Mercedes-Benz already has a functioning self-driving car that does this, and has demonstrated it to the press. A fresh wrinkle in the Ford version is that the entire front seat can fold back, creating a bed or leg rest for back seat passengers. That in and of itself will present interesting scenarios for future parents when junior asks to borrow the car!
Dragon Anywhere Mobile Apps Coming
Posted: August 19, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Blackphone 2, Cortana, Dragon, iOS, Microsoft, Nuance, Silent Circle, Siri Leave a commentAs Apple does more and more with Siri, and Microsoft does the same with Cortana, a long time player in speech recognition will be dropping mobile apps this fall. Thenextweb.com reports that Dragon Anywhere…the app…will be released for iOS and Android, with the focus on professionals. At least the initial release will be designed for lawyers, social workers, insurance adjusters, and public safety officers, according to Nuance…which envisions such pros using the app to create and edit complete reports and documents, or take detailed notes on the go. It will play nice with Evernote and Dropbox, according to the maker. Updates to the PC desktop app will be out in August, and for the Mac in September.
We previously reported on Silent Circle’s 2.0 product, the Blackphone 2. Now, techcrunch.com says it should be launching in September….a little bit of a slide from a promised summer launch, and still no word on a price. It will sport an all-glass front and rear, plus a larger 5.5 inch full HD display, have a 64-bit processor, and more RAM.
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