Google Glasses are almost here! Developers have been told to write guides, libraries and have?projects ready. It’s expected these glasses will be on the production line as early as May. But it will come with restrictions.
Developers are forbidden to distribute the software, advertise apps or charge fees. Other prohibitions exist as well. Developers are to?put on these glasses for?an entire day, live?with them for a while. They also don’t want?Google glasses to dominate the users life. They’re urged to keep it timely and be expected?for anything. ?These are glasses after all; how many have broken their reading glasses before? There is a series of You Tube videos that go over?guidelines?for developers. I must admit, that fedora hat looks nice!
I’ve seen some of these videos and read some of the articles. I think these regulations and guidelines are reasonable. I’m glad developers are encouraged to live with these glasses. You should never sale a product you wouldn’t use. As far as banning advertising and fees, I see where Google come from. Developers could easily pocket the profits, and they’re supposed to be working with Google. Plus, many are already addicted to other social media; do you want to add one more to that list? Timing is everything: Who wants to get info a week too late? Whose ready for Google Glass?
Why let Sony and Motorola have all the fun with smart watches? In addition to Microsoft designing a smartphone, the software giant collaborates with Asian suppliers to build the perfect smart watch.
Microsoft and Apple are in a race to produce this wearable smart electronic. Some investors are banking for this to be the next big thing in computer technology. And it’s closer than you think. They already have watches that measure your heart rate and temperature. Some can work with a smartphone to check weather and receive messages. There’s an increasing demand for these wrist robots, and within the next 5 years, according to economic analysts, the?wearable smart electronics,?from watches to glasses, could be a $10 billion a year industry.?It’s interesting that?in the 2000s,?Microsoft?built a?watch that followed your favorite sports team and tuned in your favorite FM radio station. But like many business ventures during the Great Recession, this one disbanded in 2008. I guess no company was immune to economic hard times.
Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to what this smart watch can do. I hope Microsoft doesn’t mess it up like they did Windows 8; don’t even get me started on that one.?But don’t go lining up to buy?the Microsoft wrist machine yet. They are hush-hush about when, or even if they’re going to continue with this project. Plus, they’re struggling to come up with a smartphone. Can you imagine?typing a?document or even?delivering a presentation with a?watch? Are you even optimistic the Microsoft can and/or will produce this super machine?
Apple acquires WifiSlam for $20 million dollars. What is WifiSlam? Glad you asked. They develop ways for mobile apps to detect where the user is, particularly in indoor locations.
I almost forgot…WifiSlam’s founders were former disgruntled Google interns.?Both sides are being hushed about this transaction. Apple execs say they do buy companies occasionally. But when it came to Wifislam, Apple had no comment, neither did the company they bought out. However, this deal is being done at a time Apple is desperate to improve it’s mapping skills, especially compared to Google. Last year, Apple attempted to launch it’s mapping app, and they fell so hard on their faces that CEO Tim Cook felt apologized to customers everywhere. Have you tried that joke of an app? According to Apple map, Berlin is in Anartica and the Statue of Liberty isn’t where we think ?it is. I’m sure Google had a field day with this one. Google already offers indoor mapping, and they know where Berlin and the Statue of Liberty are.
Do you think this purchase is a good idea? I understand the reason. When it comes to mapping, Google is king, and Apple wants a piece of that pie. They definitely have to do better than they did last time. They seemed to have gotten someone who knows what they’re doing. But should WifiSlam have held out for more money? I mean $20 million dollars to Apple is like $20 to you and me. Will this deal work? Should Apple just forget about mapping all together and just concentrate on what they do best?
When Microsoft released the Surface Tablet, they had high hopes. Despite over 1.5 million copies sold, Microsoft execs are still?hitting the panic button.
Don’t let the number 1,500,000 fool you. More than twice that amount were ordered. Plus, compare that to the nearly 23 million iPads that were sold in the last 2012 quarter, and the 128 million tablets shipped around the world. It’s clear Microsoft has some work to do. They first released their surface tablets in late October, in hopes to cash in holiday sales. Economists say holiday shopping was at the highest since before the 2008 recession. It seems the Microsoft tablet didn’t feel that boom. The iPad and other tablets sure did.
You may think Microsoft has so much going on, especially with Windows 8, that they can afford to take a hit. They can’t, not with this. PC sales dropped for the first time ever in 2012, and more of the same is expected in 2013. Meanwhile, the tablet market is expected to have another record breaking year. ?One expert said that by the 2020s, the PC will be about as obsolete as the VCR and the CD player are today. Look at your local coffee house. Everybody has a laptop, tablet, or iPad now.
So Microsoft needs to get on the ball. One thing their surface tablets need is more apps. How are you going to sale something with only a fraction of apps that Apple offers??Then again,?Microsoft just came out?with the surface tablet in October ’12. Can they turn sales around? Or?has the almighty Microsoft finally met it’s match?
Samsung has estimated that they will earn between 44 and 46 trillion Korean won in consolidated sales (around $39 billion US). The profits believe it or not are around 5.6 and 6.0 trillion which is around $5.2 billion. The numbers have to be due to the number of phones they have released. Such as the Samsung Galaxy Note and Samsung Galaxy S and S 2 on multiple different carriers. Around 5 million Galaxy Note devices have been sold so far. So it does look like the Samsung smartphone division is really putting them in a place to make some big profits. So anyone getting a Samsung Galaxy or already own one?
From some internal AppleCare documentation, Apple is currently investigating a multitude of WiFi-related issues that have been affecting the new iPad. The problems have been ranging from connection drops, slow download and upload speeds and even having issues picking up wireless networks at all. So now they are telling the store to just exchange the product if they having issues. iPads that are affected by WiFi issues are supposed to be ?Captured.? According to one source, ?Captured? is code for the device to be immediately packed up and shipped to Apple?s engineering centers for examination and investigation. Apple employees are instructed to Capture the iPad itself and included accessories (the charging adapter and USB cord). Apple will replace affected units.
