News broke this week that Incipio is acquiring Griffin, hot on the heels of Incipio also acquiring Skullcandy, Otterbox acquiring Lifeproof, Mophie being acquired by Zagg, and going back a few years, Sena being acquired by Targus and Speck by Samsonite.
Remember when people were sling-shotting Angry Birds, and we thought it was the best game in the world? Well, it was, then. But Pokémon Go is literally the best thing that’s happened to my smartphone since Instagram changed their icon.
After a week in Israel, I met Raina and we set out on a road trip to Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and now Bryce and Zion National Parks. For cameras, Raina brought her iPhone 6 while I brought my iPhone 6S and the OnePlus 3 I am currently reviewing. Do we regret not bringing dedicated cameras? Not. At. All.
There are some parts of your childhood that you always remember. For me, it was Michael Jordan and Pokémon. So it was no surprise that I INSTANTLY installed Pokémon Go! on my iPhone as soon as it was available in the app store.
Raina and I closed on our new home last month. It is on a lovely street with gorgeous, architectural homes. Ours is not one of them. No, we bought a cute, and fairly non-descript split level. We love it and, along with a traditional renovation, we are updating the technology; here’s what is going into our house’s tech-makeover…
Jawbone is one of those companies that seems to sit just below the surface of mainstream success. They were well known for Bluetooth speakers and headsets, then they were an early pioneer in fitness wearables. All that seems to have crashed down quickly around them, and it looks like Jawbone is in an ominous position.
Everyone who knows me and my tech preferences know me as an Apple guy. Some say I have drank the proverbial Kool-Aid. Other than work, I have used Apple products exclusively for almost a decade. A recent review by Judie persuaded me to jump back into the world of Windows. The jump has been surprisingly good!
With the increased quality of your phone’s camera, is there less of a need for DSLRs and other common cameras? The camera on the iPhone 6S is a whopping 12 megapixels and 4K video, however, the sensor is not first rate. The new Nikon D500 is around $2000 and has the same 4K video, and it is just 20.9 megapixels (megapixels identify the size of the image; for more information, click here), and it has a great sensor (23.5 mm x 15.7 mm).
If you use the Flipboard app, then along with your other social feeds you’ve probably added your Instagram account to the service. I like seeing my Instagram posts in my daily Flipboard feed, but that access and access from other apps to Instagram ends on May 31st.
This is a public service announcement for anyone considering buying a Kindle: be sure to get the extended warranty. Why? Because Amazon doesn’t repair them (at all) when they break; the best option you will get (after a bit of haggling) is $20 off a new one. You’ve been warned.
Seaworld has been under a great deal of pressure since the release of the documentary “Blackfish“. The film focused on an orca at Seaworld, and why it’s a bad idea to raise and keep killer whales in captivity. It led to a groundswell of pressure on Seaworld, and they’ve finally announced an end to the orca breeding programs and shows.
Years back, I got caught up in the UMPC — UltraMobilePC- fad. (I blame James Kendrick and his JKontheRun blog.) None of those devices lived up to their promise of a full PC in a small, touchscreen device. Fast forward, and that promise has been realized in the Microsoft Surface line of computers. microsoft, via CDW sent one to Judie; I “borrowed” it. 🙂
In the last year or so, I’ve noticed smartphone/tablet adjacent accessories have become big giveaway items. Instead of a crappy free pen, you get a crappy free pen with a rubber capacitive stylus tip on one end. Yay? At least pens are useful…the sticky card holder I received today is just weird, ugly, and useless.
Is spam going through a rebirth, led primarily by information you submit to business directories? My inbox for the past year would answer yes based upon the number of email newsletters; semi-official looking emails received to my company’s “honeypot” email address.
Have you heard of Theranos? The name might seem vaguely familiar because they are a wildly successful start-up that’s raised over 9 billion dollars! They claim they have a faster, more efficient way to test blood using a drop instead of the traditional blood drawn from the vein. Unfortunately, it looks like the enthusiasm over their idea may be misplaced.
My wife recently challenged me to turn off my smartwatch. Instead of letting me discreetly stay connected, I was constantly reacting every time it buzzed, even if I didn’t check my phone. It was interrupting dinner, playtime with my son, and distracting me during meetings. Surprisingly, I’m not the only Gear Diary person who has disconnected from their smartwatch!
My favorite streaming music service, Spotify, is facing a class action lawsuit claiming they violated the copyrights of thousands of artists. If the suit sticks, Spotify could be responsible for millions in unpaid royalties. If this happens, could it be the first in a domino effect for the entire streaming industry? What does the future hold for streaming users?
Like millions of others I have seen and LOVED Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As a long time fan of films and games and books, I loved seeing things from or derived from the ‘Expanded Universe’ that were immediately familiar. In fact, everything about this great new entry was awesome … but since then I have realized what it meant to the REST of the Expanded Universe: death. It was 37 years ago that the book “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” became the first post Star Wars book, based on some early writings from George Lucas, but later declared ‘non-canon’…
When a small app company is gobbled up, there are only a few options: the app fits well and expands the breadth of the parent company, or there is technology added to a core product and the product is eventually killed off, or the app just languishes while the new employees are tasked with other projects. Guess where Mailbox falls?
I love my original generation Pebble, and have kept an eye on the company and their subsequent watches. I even toyed with backing the Pebble Time, but after seeing how fast prices plummeted, I’m glad I didn’t. Understandably, many who did back the Time and Time Steel are a bit surprised by how fast prices have dropped!
It’s hard out there for a fitness tracking company. Apple Watch dominates the conversation, and anyone looking for a fitness-first solution seems to gravitate towards Fitbit. I realized tonight the secret to their success: ubiquity.