technology
Google will host an Android event on October 29
A couple of days after the Apple event, Google will be holding a shindig of its own. The October 29th event will be held in New York and will be Android centric. Internet pundits believe The Sultan of Search will unveil its newest Nexus phone along with an updated version of the Android operating system.
Don’t buy Microsoft’s Surface RT yet!
With the Windows 8 release date fast approaching and Microsoft now accepting pre-orders for their new Surface tablet, you may be tempted to pluck down some money and reserve your place in line. I think Surface has the potential to be a worthy competitor to the iPad or Google Nexus 7 but the reality is, we just don’t know how well it is going to work. I usually recommend staying away from version 1.0 products, since early adopters usually get saddled with tones of bugs (some of which may be hardware in nature so you may be stuck with them).
What is Microsoft Surface Missing?
Now that we know the spec s of Microsoft’s Surface RT (arm based version) and Pro (Intel based version), we can start comparing it to the Ipad. Overall the pro version is thicker, heavier and more feature packed. There are some interesting omissions (from both versions) that may be problematic for some: No GPS – Based on the information provided, it looks like both versions will come without GPS. This is doubly surprising since the product will have a built-in maps application.
Apple to hold October 23 2012 event
The Internet is buzzing about rumors of an iPad Mini, new Retina display equipped Macbooks and even a refreshed iMac line. Glossing over the dozens of photos and leaked specs, the only remaining question is WHEN? The most believable date is currently October 23 2012 and it is expected to be held for a small group of hand selected reporters in Apple's auditorium. No one knows for sure but innovation is a good thing for consumers.
Telus removes activation and equipment exchange fees
As a Canadian, most stories about our mobile telecommunication giants usually ends with consumers having to pay more. Imagine my surprise when one of the big players (Telus) announced that it will be trashing its $35 activation fee and its $25 equipment exchange fee (as of today). Hopefully the other major carriers will follow Telus’ lead (Rogers, Bell). The new entrants (Wind, Mobilicity and Public Mobile) never charged these fees so they are already one step ahead of the game. Telus will be charging $10 for customers that need a new SIM card (since this was originally part of the activation fee).
Ikea will only sell LED lights by 2016
IKEA wants to be the first US furniture retailer to sell only LED lights (by 2016). It cites the environmental benefits as the main driver and has committed to delivering them at the lowest price in the market. Ikea says its LED lights will last around 20 years. Currently the main LED light providing comparable performance is the Philips product selling for between $20-60. Obviously the market may not be ready for a $20 light so let’s hope they find a way to bring the price down.
Camera+ update for iPad and iPhone 5
I have been using Camera+ on my iPhone for many years and absolutely love it. It is fast, has tones of useful features and is a huge improvement compared to the built in Camera.app. The latest update (v3.5) now brings iCloud Sync and iPhone 5 specific feautres: iPhone 5 & iOS 6 support - We’re calling this the biggest, fastest Camera+ ever. Take advantage of the taller screen of the iPhone 5 to see more photos in your lightbox and enjoy a larger editing preview area when you’re working with your photos.
BitCasa review update and new Chrome plugin
There are lots of cloud storage services to choose from and each one seems to have a specific specialty Carbonite – Offers unlimited backup for 5$ but only for your internal hard disks Dropbox – Offers online storage but primarily a good tool to sync files between devices GDrive – Online web storage with some basic sync functionality and many others Each has its strengths and weaknesses but the 2 major stumbling blocks for me are security and data limits.
Remotely access your PC from your iPhone and Android with Splashtop
There are lots of good reasons why you may want to remotely access your PC from your phone or tablet (iphone, Android, iPad, Nexus, etc). If you’re looking for a way to do this without a monthly service fee then your options are limited. You can always buy the LogMeIn Ignition app for $129.99 (not a typo) and this is an app I like a lot but it has one limitation, you can’t stream audio or video from the PC to the remote device.
The iPad is cannibalizing PC sales
Traditional PC OEMs quickly dismissed the iPad as a PC add-on, but now Forture is reporting information from a Needham & Company that clearly shows that the iPad is eating the OEMs lunch. It seems more and more customers are choosing the iPad instead of a traditional PC. As an example Mac shipments to schools in Q3 2012 fell by 0.1% while overall PC sales dropped by 13.9% (keep in mind Apple sold 1 million iPads to schools during the same period).
Order Windows 8 upgrade for new PCs now
If you bought a new windows 7 equipped PC after June 2 2012, you are entitled to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 PRO for only $14.99 and you can do it now here. Unlike the older Win 7 upgrade offer which moved you from Vista to a basic home version of windows 7, the new offer moves you to the best Win 8 version available. Windows Media Center If you use Windows Media Center, you may be disappointed to learn that it will be a purchasable upgrade in Windows 8 Pro.
Apple's next press even is scheduled for September 12
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone but Apple has finally confirmed that it will hold a press conference on September 12 at 1300EDT. Although they don’t mention what will be announced, analysts assume it will be the next iPhone and iPod. Pundits and Apple watchers believe the 7 inch mini-iPad will now be announced and released in October. Now we wait and see.
Spotify coming to Canada
In the latest management report published by the Luxembourg based Spotify, Canadians were given some good news, Spotify will expand into Canada. The world's biggest streaming music service currently operated in 15 countries and their Canadian expansion is part of a larger move solidify its leadership position (other possible expansions include Asia and South America). Although revenues are increasing rapidly, Spotify is still losing money hand over fist. The biggest US competitor Pandora still has no announced plans to re-enter the Canadian market (because of the high per song royalty fees demanded in Canada).
CHROME EXTENSION - Tab Packager
There are dozens of free web URL shortening services (like bit.ly, goo.gl, etc) but what about sharing a bunch of open tabs? Why would you want to share tabs? Students may do it while working on projects, workgroups conducting research, etc. Instead of having to copy all the URLs one by one, you simply install the tab.bz Chrome extension, click on one button, choose which tabs to share and voila.
CHROME EXTENSION - Clearly by Evernote
I love Evernote and the way it captures ideas. At the end of 2011, they released a browser plug-in called Clearly. It is an extension with sole job is to make reading the web easier and more pleasant. What does it do Anytime I see a worthwhile article, I click on the Clearly extension in my browser, and it automagically transforms the page by getting rid of navigation, advertising, links and other superfluous content not related to the article. For multipage articles, it automagically merges everything into a single page nicely flowing layout.
Chrome extension - Awesome Screenshot
For various reasons, Google's Chrome browser has won my heart and mind. Sure it has some annoying shortcomings but overall it's an excellent browsing experience. Over the last couple of months, I have discovered some interesting extensions that increase my productivity when working with Chrome. This blog entry is about one such extension called Awesome Screenshot. Once installed, it allows you to quickly take a snapshot of an entire webpage or her chosen subsection.once the content has been captured, you can then add various annotations (such as circles, lines,arrows and text).
Microsoft Windows 8 Pro will cost $199 after the $39 promo ends
The Verge is reporting that Microsoft Windows 8 will cost $199 once the initial promo price of $39.99 for the online downloadable (or $69 for the retail) ends January 31 2013.
US consumers not interested in 4G LTE
Christopher M. Larsen, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, recently shared some interesting information with AppleInsider that show some interesting believes about 4G LTE. Out of the 3000 US consumers that were survey, 46.8% do not feel the need for 4G LTE. 25.7% of those surveyed, believe that all 4G technologies are to same. Which of course is a false belief! With all the rumors swirling about a new iPhone sometime in September, the analyst also revealed that 55% of those surveyed, showed some interest in purchasing the new device when it is released this fall.
Google providing better voice search than SIRI on IOS
The sultan of Search (aka Google) announced that it will update its IOS [universal] search application to enclude an enhanced voice search function. Google claims IOS performance will be on par with that of Jelly Bean voice search. Google expects Apple to approve the new version in the next couple of days. In the meantime, pour yourself another hot chocolate, get close to the warmth of your screen and check out this video demonstration. Update on 2012-08-11 04:22 by Edward N Kiledjian The updated version is live on iTunes if you want to try it.