She drove 900 extra miles because the GPS told her to
The internet is littered with horror stories about people doing wacky things because of a GPS. Why not add another story to the mix?
A 90 mile journey turned into a multi-day 900 mile excursion. How can this happen you ask? Because the GPS told her to do it. A 67 year old woman wanted to pick up a friend from a train station 90 miles away (both starting and ending point are in Belgium).
Instead of taking her to Brussels, the GPS directed her to Zagreb (Croatia). She admits seeing the language on roads signs change from French, German and Croatian but she was “distracted”.
To cap off her happy journey, her son was worried and sent the cops on a wild goose chase for a “missing person”. I don’t think the GPS is to blame here, maybe she needs to talk to “someone” and figure out why she never realized something may be wrong after the first full day of driving.
Source Article: here
Backberry 10 specs and features revealed
I have received emails from readers mentioning that carriers (US and Canada) have started training employees in preparation for the Blackberry 10 launch later this month.
A training presentation has surfaced showing the browser, powerful multi tasking, etc. One slide claims there will be 70,000 apps at launch, which blows my mind.
Spec wise, expect a 336ppi screen, a Qualcomm S4 processor, an 1800 mAh battery and BBM video.
Silent Circle enables secure VOIP calling from Android
I wrote about Silent Circle in October and was excited to learn that they recently released an Android app and enabled Out of Circle calling. Silent Circle will enable secure voice, text, email and video chatting from any Silent Circle client to another (Android -> Android or Android -> iPhone).
The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Using their service is simple and straightforward. You download the app, create an account and then pay the $20 monthly service fee. As soon as this is done, you will be able to call Silent Circle to Silent Circle securely regardless of where in the world you are (over WIFI, 3G or 4G).
They also added an "Out-Circle Access" which will enable Silent Circle users to call regular phone lines. You link is encrypted from the device until the Silent Circle boundary (which is a nice feature for people working in some questionable countries). This feature costs an additional $29 a month but includes unlimited calling to Canada, US and Puerto Rico.
Here is the full Press Release
Silent Circle Releases Silent Phone For Android And Out-Circle Access (via PR Newswire)
Private encryption service developed by PGP inventor Phil Zimmermann protects voice and video calls on both Android and iOS devices across cellular and Wi-Fi networks Download image WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Silent Circle, a global private encrypted communications firm revolutionizing…
Nexus 4 production alive and well says LG
Anytime a gadget is popular, tech sites buzz about rumors from unnamed sources claiming the most incredible things. Last week, many sites reported that LG was having production issues with Google’s Nexus 4 and that this model would be phased out for a newer one to be released during February’s Mobile world Conference.
Android Central is reporting that there is no plan to phase out the device and that everything is humming along splendidly at the factory. It looks like Google and LG will now start offering the Nexus 4 through select global carriers (in the UK, US and Europe). This new channel is increasing the production pressure and is causing a reduction in the number of phones available in the Google Play Store. We know that the Nexus 4 is being sold at cost by Google and this new channel may finally make the device more profitable for Google.
Don’t expect the market to immediately flood with Nexus 4 devices waiting for you to pick them up from your local carrier store but know that it will likely become easier to buy soon. As for Canadians, no official word if any of them will carry it but I do expect a couple of them to offer it.
China adds 51 million internet users in 2012
Basis watch killer health monitoring features
The wearable technology market is exploding and we have seen a handful of very interesting health monitoring gadgets over the last year (Nike Fuelband, Lark Life, Fitbit, Withings Smart Activity Monitor, Shine).
Basis says the battery will last up to 4 days between charges which seems low. A longer life battery would be very desirable (ideally close to a week).
Basis was originally supposed to hit store shelved “early 2012” but obviously missed that target. In November 2012, Basis shared a blog post announcing that they were moving the device from the lab into field test mode, which is promising.
What is the Basis watch/band?
The Basis watch/band is a small watch like device that measures your level of physical activity. So far nothing too earth shattering. Bin order to differentiate itself in a very crowded market, it is adding additional capabilities to the Basis watch/band that are unique: will monitor perspiration, body temperature, blood flow and heart rate. It will then send all of this data to its website where it can be viewed and analyzed anyway you want. In addition to absolute numbers (total steps taken, total calories burned, etc) the web interface will attempt to discover patterns and share those with you. Things like when do you typically become more inactive?
From the information provided, the company has said they will release smartphone apps for the Basis watch/band however we haven't seen any product demoes yet so we have to wait and see.
Obviously the device is very clean and all of the monitoring functions are automatic. Although the company hasn’t provided the details of how it will track your sleep patterns, with all these sensors, it should (hopefully) be able to detect it automatically without the user having to press a button (like on the fitbit or Withings).
The Cons
Based on the information made available, here are the negative aspects of the product I see. Some of these may be addressed before the product is shipped.
Data will sync back to the cloud (and likely your smartphone) via bluetooth 2.1. Yes… you read it right, Bluetooth 2.1. What a disappointment here. I can’t understand why a device being released in 2013 doesn’t support the newer (backward compatible) Bluetooth 4 which is twice as energy efficient as its older brother.
Most of the competitors offer some kind of calorie counter to balance calorie inflows with expenditure however this isn’t something Basis has talked about at all. A Basis spokesman said their research shows users typically don’t use these food logging mechanisms so that is likely why it isn’t in the current iteration of the product.
Although they aren’t even taking pre-orders now, the original suggested price for the Basis was around $199 (real price may change when it is finally available). If they keep the $199 price range, it may be a tough sell in a market where most competitors are priced at $99. Are all of the added features worth an extra $100?
Wish List
- When the product is finally released, I hope they bring the product’s price closer to it’s main competitors ($99-$130 range).
- It would be great if they replaced Bluetooth 2.1 with the newer version 4.0 but I won’t be holding my breath.
- We haven’t seen the smartphone apps yet and I really hope these are properly designed to be clean, easy to use, useful and cross-platform (android and ios).
- Even if half of their customers don’t use food logging, I think it is an important feature and hope they add it.
- My last wish is that they adopt an open approach with the collected data and allow a customer to download it, share it or integrate it into their preferred health management platform (Runkeeper is one example).
- No news on availability yet but here is hoping it doesn’t take the basis team another year to bring this little device to market.
Pictures
The back sensor
Is Samsung cooler than Apple?
There is no one characteristic that is responsible for Apple’s phenomenal rise over the last 5 year. It is a combination of good design, great marketing and an excellent ability to predict market trends. Buzz Marketing Group told Forbes that their research shows that Apple has lost it’s coolness badge with teens. It may be a case of Apple being too cool to be cool.
Because Apple products are so popular with the general population at large, they are no seen as mainstream and therefore less desirable by today’s youth. Buzz says teens would rather have a Microsoft Surface or Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
Only time will tell whether Buzz is right and if this is a strong enough trend to stop the Apple train but it is something to keep in mind. Add this to the fact that most people believe Apple hasn’t really innovated in the last couple of years and it could become problematic for the beloved Apple.
One Pound Fish - The newest internet music sensation
We all know Gangdman Style but have you heard about the newest sensation, the One Pound Fish song? The singer is a 31 year old Pakistani fishmonger from London's Upton Park area.
Before this became a famous music video and itunes downloadable song, it was a catch song Nazir use to sing to attract customers for his fish. The 1 pound refers to British money not the weight.
Nazir left Pakistan about a year ago (for the UK) and became an unusual music sensation. Interestingly Nazir's boss wanted him to yell (At the fish market) to attract customers but Nazir wasn't comfortable with that. So instead he invented "Come on Ladies, Come on Ladies, one pound fish." Someone video tapped his chant and posted it to youtube. Another person saw it, recognized the hit, and the rest is history.
As irony would have it, the video is a Youtube exclusive but Youtube is blocked in his native Pakistan.
It shows the incredible power of social media.
Windows RT is not selling that well
In October, I wrote an article entitled "Don’t Buy Microsoft’s Surface RT Yet!"and I still think that is good advice.
Now Samsung has told CNET that it will not bring the ATIV TAb (Windows RT tablet) to the US based on the feedback it received from its retail partners.
Samsung is also worried that most customers still don't understand the difference between a "real" Windows 8 device and a Windows RT tablet. Samsung doesn't want to fork over the money to educate the market about the differences.
Nothing here is surprising. Windows RT has an almost non existing hardware ecosystem, a very small number of apps, very few partner products and the Microsoft Surface RT tablet is too expensive. This may end up being another "Windows Vista experience" for Microsoft.
Merge, Split or Encrypt your PDFs online for free using Sejda
There may be times when you need to perform merges, splits, or encryption on a PDF file but don't have access to software on your PC that can perform those tasks. This is where the free Sejda web service comes in.
the process is simple:
- Select the task you want to perform
- Upload the file
- Define the tasks parameters
- Voila
The web interface is clean and the service is super easy to use.
I tested it out with PDFs up to the service maximum and the service worked quickly and flawlessly.
As a security guy, my one caveat would be :
Don't use any web service for hyper confidential information
As of November 2012, the service supports up to 10 file uploads per task totalling up to 50mb in size.
The service also has a rotate feature. It can rotate pages 90, 180 or 270 degress. The rotate function can be performed on all pages, odd pages or even pages. Of course you can also rotate a single page.
Overall this is a nice service to keep in mind. It may just get you out of a bind one of these days.
Find GMAIL messages by size
There are lots of reasons why you may want to search GMAIL by file size. I do this very often to find emails containing large attachments, so I can delete them and free up storage space.
Open the GMAIL web interface and type size: followed by the size of the attachment. In this case I am searching for emails 5MB or larger.
or you can use
This will show all emails containing an attachment larger than 10MB.
Both of the above queries can be used interchangeably.
You can even chain multiple filters to really hone in on what you are looking for
If you are interested in all of the GMAIL search operators, check out this massive Google page.
Microsoft Messenger is dead... long live Skype
I received my Microsoft notification email yesterday evening.
How many of your Twitter followers are fake?
With all the talk about fake Facebook/Twitter/Youtube followers, you may be wondering how many of your Twitter followers are real people and how many are bots.
Enter Twitter Audit. The company describes itself as
Each audit takes a random sample of 5000 Twitter followers for a user and calculates a score for each follower. This score is based on number of tweets, date of the last tweet, and ratio of followers to friends. We use these scores to determine whether any given user is real or fake. Of course, this scoring method is not perfect but it is a good way to tell if someone with lots of followers is likely to have increased their follower count by inorganic, fraudulent, or dishonest means.
You go to the frontpage
And log in with your twitter credentials.
It then analyzes your followers for a couple of minutes and generated a nice graphical representation
It provides a couple of graphs but the most important info is at the top. The service believes 120 out of my 3757 followers are fake(which is pretty good).
Why not take a second and check your follower count?
I recommend you then go to the Twitter permission page and revoke the apps rights (just in case).
Otterbox iON is a protective case and large battery in one
IOS 6 is a disappointment and Android Jelly Bean shines
I have been an IOS user since 2007 and have loved every new device and every new IOS release. Each new version (hardware or software) brought incredible innovation and was a pleasure to explore. Then we saw IOS 6 and it was boring. IOS 6 was very boring and was the first time I felt Apple was falling behind its main competitor, Google’s Android.
Integration with Google Services
Although I knew Android was gaining ground, I hadn’t realized how much it had advanced until I bought my Google Nexus 7. As an avid user of Google services (Maps, GMAIL, Calendar, Youtube, etc.) a Google device integrates very cleanly and easily with my beloved Google Services.
Application Integration with the OS
Apple’s walled garden means it decides what you should use and how you should use it. On an iPhone, the default maps app is the Apple Maps app and there is no way (without jailbreaking) to make Google Maps the default app. On Android, I can choose any app as the default as defined by file type.
In IOS, sharing from within an app is depending on the developer of each app. Some developers take the time to create links to the most popular services while others only link to the top 3-4 services. In Android, every app can register itself as a sharing provider and therefore any Android app can share with any service for which you have an app installed.
Customizing the look and feel
In Apple’s world, it is the best person to determine how your device should look and you have no visual or functional customization options. Android takes a completely different approach. Everything can be customized, changed or optimized. Check out the MyColorScreen gallery showing the homescreens of thousands of Android devices. These are actual homescreens and not designer renderings.
Widgets
I love the Android Widgets. Widgets are small live apps you add to your homescreen which is a great way to get important information quickly without having to open an app. I have widgets for weather, my top stocks and Any.DO (my main to do app).
What IOS Still does better
As much as I like Android, there are still some characteristics I prefer on IOS.
- IOS has more and better tablet apps. Android is coming along nicely but too many apps are still not tablet optimized.
- iMessage is a great instant messaging service. Many of my friends and family have IOS devices which make iMessage the ideal way to communicate via quick short text messages. Sure Whatsapp is great but it doesn’t have an Android tablet version and not everyone has Whatsapp.
- PhotoStream is fantastic for sharing photos. Many of my friends and family have IOS devices which make phtostream a great way to share photos with family and friends. Photostream isn’t perfect and there are lots of issues but it is easy and built into IOS devices.
- I miss some apps. As much as I love the apps on Android, there are some IOS apps that I really love for which I haven’t found perfect Android replacements. This isn’t an OS problem but it is an important considering when evaluating Android. The Android market is growing but…
IOS 7 is an opportunity and Android 5 is coming
Apple is now under new leadership and I am hoping IOS 7 takes into account customer feedback. If Apple wants to continue dominating the mobile device market, IOS 7 will need to be clearly superior to Android. It will need to bring original thought and innovative concepts.
Google’s isn’t sitting still waiting for Apple to innovate. Tech pundits expect Google to release Android 5 (Key lime Pie) to be release during Google I/O May 15-17 2013.
Google is keeping the details of Key Lime Pie secret but here is my wish list:
- Performance profile – Google has to find a way to create and switch between performance profiles. A profile is a series of configurations related to a particular task. As an example, they can have a gaming profile mode that would ensure all of the devices capabilities are maxed to provide the most detailed and smoothest gaming experience possible. You can have a battery saver profile that minimizes device speed, increases push intervals, darkens the screen, etc.
- Sharing device and app state – I want Google to use its giant internet connected infrastructure to ensure my device’s all share their state with each other. As an example, if I am watching a podcast on my phone and stop halfway, I should be able to continue watching the podcast from the same location on my tablet. I want Google to create a mechanism to auto share this type of valuable info between devices (and apps on the devices).
- Video chatting - I know Google is pushing people towards Google + and wants customers using Hangouts but I think it would be fantastic if the hangout app was spun off into its own stand-alone product. I would love to see this hangout app on other platforms so I could video conference with iPhones or iPads.
- Internet Accessible Device Functions – I want Google to leverage its Internet infrastructure and make all device content and functions available via the internet. There should be a web interface I can use to check and send my device SMS’ . Same thing for installed apps and other device functions.
- Find my phone and antivirus – Google should build a device find feature into the OS and make the interface web accessible (like Find my iPhone). I should be able to locate my device on a map, make the ringer sound, remote lock my device and remote wipe my device. This should be a standard feature set and not a third party app service. At the same time, they should take a page from Microsoft’s playbook and build the security app into the OS (why should I have to pay AVG or Norton for this)?
- Google should ensure every device from any manufacturer can immediately install new OS releases and not have to wait until the manufacturer releases a custom version (even if some manufacturer apps get excluded). It doesn’t make sense that a manufacturer decides arbitrarily to stop updating a device or that a customer has to wait 6-12 month to get a manufacturer update. This is the one reason I stick to Google’s Nexus brand devices only. I hope the next version fixes this annoyance.
Amazon Prime finally coming to Canada
Canadians have been waiting a long time but Amazon will finally give us Amazon Prime membership for $79 a year. In exchange for our Canadian money, Amazon will give members free 2 day shipping on most Amazon item. If you were hoping to get Amazon Instant Video, you’ll be disappointed. The US Amazon Prime membership includes a Netflix like streaming video service (included in the price). Unfortunately there is no indication this service will ever be offered north of the border.
Amazon Prime Benefits:
- FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of eligible items to most cities in Canada
- Discounted One-Day Shipping for as low as CDN$ 3.99/item
- FREE Standard Shipping where One-Day and Two-Day Shipping are unavailable. No Minimum Purchase - don't worry about meeting a threshold to get free shipping
- FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of eligible items to most cities in CanadaDiscounted One-Day Shipping for as low as CDN$ 3.99/itemFREE Standard Shipping where One-Day and Two-Day Shipping are unavailable. No Minimum Purchase - don't worry about meeting a threshold to get free shipping
WolframAlpha can generate strong passwords
With all the hacking reports we saw in 2012, I hope all of you understand how important it is to generate a strong and unique password for each of the online services you use. You can create a strong password yourself or you can use one of my favorite websites, WolframAplha, to create one for you.
Go to Wolfram Alpha
In the query box, enter Generate Password
Click on the first option and press enter
It then generates an 8 character strong password
If you want a longer password, click on this box and change the number from 8 to whatever you want
And then press the little orange execute box on the right hand side
It will now generate a new password with the requested length
This is another way I could use my favorite computational engine.
Run your favorite devices for 2 weeks without plugging it into the wall
We love our smartphones, tablets and media players but the one limiting factor to all of these is the battery. If you are a frequent business traveler, you know the frustration of running out of juice right when you need it the most. The current solution has us running around with backup batteries but these are heavy and only offer 2-4 device charges before needing to be plugged in.
Now Lilliputian is making a bold promise. It is offering its pattented electicity generation technology to the general public via a small and easy to carry device called Nectar.
It is a tiny "powerplant" that will retail for $299.99 at Brookstone. The Pods which power the device will sell for $9.99 each and will provide about 2 weeks of power for your devices. Unlike a battery, energy is generated through a pattented process using the pods. It can be used to charge most USB chargeable consumer electronics like iPhones, iPods, iPad, Nexus phones and tablets, eBook readers like the Kindle Fire, etc.
The company says the pods are safe, easy to use and recyclable. They also claim to be 6 times more efficient than a tradition wall plug outlet which means you will reduce your carbon footprint by 83% when charging your devices through Nectar. Each pod provides 55,000 mW-hour of power which should provide more than 10 recharges of a typical smartphone per pod.
To top of an already sweet sunday, the device has been approved for carry-on and use aboard airplanes by ICAO and the US Department of Transportation.
You can pre-order the unit from Brookstone now. The unit is expected to ship summer 2013 so get ready.
Never lose your luggage again
Globatrac has just announced its newest tracking product called the Trackdot. It is a small device equipped with a quad-band GSM system that will track itself and then provide periodic updates via its website, SMS or its smartphone app.
The device will be powered by 2 AA batteries and should last up to 2 weeks. A business traveller would slide one of these devices in each of his checked bags. The device will then provide the requested location updated and the company has said it will even be able to notify you when your bag hits the luggage carousel.
The device is expected to cost $US49.99, have a one-time $US8.99 activation fee and an annual $US12.99 service fee. Expected availability is March 2013.
It sounds promising and I'm eager to try this out during one of my upcoming trips.
Here is the full press release:
TrakdotTM Luggage Delivers Peace of Mind to Travelers with Affordable Real-Time Airport Baggage Tracking
Los Angeles – January 7, 2013 – According to the SITA, nearly 26 million bags go missing each year from airports around the world. Air travelers concerned about their valuables now have a simple, affordable luggage tracking solution from TrakdotTM. The Trakdot LuggageTM tracker fits into a checked bag and reports city location in real time to any mobile, Apple, Android, or SMS capable devices. For the first time, Trakdot Luggage gives airline passengers unprecedented control at a wallet-friendly price, allowing them to keep track of checked-in luggage anywhere mobile phones work.
Trakdot Luggage is built for travel convenience, with a palm-sized tracker that is ultra-light and fits easily into any size bag. The luggage locator system delivers city-specific information on the whereabouts of checked baggage in real time. Even if the Trakdot protected bag does not reach the desired destination, passengers will still have the reassurance of knowing which city their luggage is in.
Once the device is registered on the Trakdot website and placed inside a checked bag, it will deliver location information directly to the user's mobile phone or SMS device via text or email. Alternatively, travelers can track their luggage on Trakdot.com or use the free Trakdot Luggage app. An additional app alerts passengers as their baggage approaches on the carousel, making it easier than ever for them to find their bag.
"A recent passenger survey from the International Air Transport Association showed that 81% of travelers are interested in tracking their bags in real time," explains CEO Harry Steck. "Trakdot Luggage empowers travelers to do just that, with a revolutionary product that is inexpensive as well as simple and convenient to use."
The retail package includes the Trakdot Luggage device, luggage tag, and batteries. It works globally with any cell phone or SMS enabled device for a low annual price. Each device can be linked to multiple phones, and each phone can track multiple devices (as with family applications). For added convenience, Trakdot Luggage owners can track or locate bags on the web at www.Trakdot.com using a secure log-in.
The product will be available March 2013 for $49.95 MSRP with an activation fee of $8.99 and an annual service fee of $12.99. Media, sales, and distribution inquiries can be made by appointment during CES at LVH Meeting Room MP25639.
About the TrakdotTM Brand
TrakdotTM delivers breakthrough products that empower consumers to keep track of the people and things they hold dear. Providing cutting-edge patent-protected technology at a remarkable value, Trakdot offers innovative solutions that meet global demand. In a world where our assets seem so vulnerable, Trakdot delivers a level of peace of mind previously unattainable. For more information about Trakdot products, please visit www.Trakdot.com.
Trakdot has been created by GlobaTrac LLC , a pioneering innovator in low cost tracking solutions.