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…
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;…
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…
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.
Back in 2007, Livescribe introduced a product that bridged the analog and digital worlds-you use a physical pen and real paper, but everything you do is digitized and stored to be searchable and categorized. It was awesome, and just got better-in 2014 Dan reviewed the Livescribe 3, which I continue to love.
Yesterday Verizon and Motorola announced two new Droid smartphones; the Droid Turbo 2 with an “indestructible” screen, and the Droid Maxx 2. On paper, the Turbo 2 is the real story; the screen, 48 hours of battery life, and tons of customizations. The Maxx 2 has a lot of that, minus the indestructible screen. Oh, and it costs only $384.
Doesn’t it feel like I was just writing about the Garmin Forerunner 225 announcement? While it has actually been 5 months since the FR 225 reveal, since then they also added the FR 25 entry level GPS watch and each slowly trickled into availability. This year has been all about big new launches and slow product roll-outs that have left…
I’ve been an Android user ever since I received a G1 as a gift. I’ve only ever had Android phones and tablets, so I haven’t had a lot of exposure to iOS. When my workplace offered us a phone for work use, I had a choice between a Galaxy Note 4, a Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6.
I used Google Wallet for one reason: it held my loyalty cards. Unfortunately, with the new Android Pay I can’t access my loyalty cards unless I have a compatible bank card added! Wallet functioned fine without a card added, and even if I add a bank card, if it’s not a supported card I can’t access anything in Android Pay.