Technology & Business
Stop what you're doing and clean your smartphone
There are hundreds of blogs, articles and podcasts about living an uncluttered life but very few of them actually talk about your digital world. It’s time for an intervention. Sit down, grab your smartphone and read the following. How many apps do you currently have on your smartphone? How many of those apps have you used today, in the last week or even in the last month? Research shows that most new apps get used for less than 30 days and then fall into the abyss of uselessness.
Livestream of Oct 29 Windows Phone 8 launch event
Microsoft will livestream its official Windows Phone 8 launch event on October 29th 2012. From the Microsoft blog: As many of you know, we are landing in San Francisco on Monday October 29th to showcase some new things from Windows Phone. For those that can’t join us in person, no need to worry! You can tune into a live webcast here, all from the comfort of your couch, cubicle or coffee table. We hope you can join us, see you on the 29th!
Most popular posts of the week 10-27-2012
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Buy cheaper Apple Lightning cables from China
Love Apple’s new products but hate the fact that the new Lighning cable costs $19? Fret not my friend for the Chinese have already reverse engineered the cable (authentication chip and all). iPhone5Mod will be shipping knockoff lightning cables for a mere $9.99 (plus $4 shipping). It is interesting to note that most “reputable” accessory makers haven’t even been briefed by Apple yet about these new cables. I’m not sure how safe these cables are but if you are interested, check out the video and their site.
I won't be buying the iPad 4th Generation
Even without the venerable Steeve Jobs, Tim Cook and company put on an excellent show for reporters during their iPad mini unveiling. They announced a slew of new and updated products. One refresh that seems to have caused a lot of controversy is the iPad 4th Generation. Typically Apple had a 12 month update cycle for the iPad and customers were happy in the knowledge that their investment would keep its "best device" value for at least the next year.
Microsoft surface review round-up
Various high profile reviewers were given early access to the Surface tablet but because of strong NDAs, weren’t able to write about it until yesterday. Now that the floodgates are open, I wanted to provide (in a short write up) the review summary of the various reviewers. Wired - Article - Thinks its a great device but will likely confused long time Microsoft customers. Laptop - Article - Great hardware but needs a stronger ecosystem to make the device truly worthwhile.
Square allows any Canadian to accept credit cards
Square is a little iPhone and Android dongle that allows anyone to process credit card transactions for a small flat fee of 2.75% (without a merchant account or monthly fees). Unfortunately Canadians were left out in the cold but Square just changed all of that with their new Canadian presence. In Canada, they will accept Mastercard and Visa cards (US users also get American Express and Discover). To get started, you visit their site, complete a 5 minute online questionnaire and they mail you a free credit card reader dongle.
Lark Life may be a fitbit and Nike FuelBand alternative
Walk into any Apple store and you will likely see Lark’s wristband alarm clock which tracks your sleep and gently wakes you up with its vibrating wristband. The company has decided to enter the growing lifestyle tracking world and compete head on with the likes of Nike’s Fuelband and Fitbit’s One and Zip activity trackers. Similar to its main competitor, the Fitbit, it will track activities and calorie intake through a custom smartphone application but they claim they will provide more value by providing immediate and customized user feedback.
Your Lifeproof iphone case float with its own Lifejacket
Read my review of the LifeProof protection case for iPhone 4/4s here. My original position still stands and I would rather waterproof my phone (using Liquipel) so I can use a battery case. If you own a LifeProof iPhone protective case, you should take a look at their LifeProof Lifejacket. The Lifejacket is a foam based case enhancer that increases the buoyancy of your phone so it doesn’t sink. The bright orange color means it will be very visible even from a fair distance.