With most smartwatches, you need a smartphone to coincide. Without the smartphone, the smartwatch has no life. You can’t even activate the watch without it. Samsung ?changes that. How would you like a smartwatch without a smartphone?
That’s where Samsung Gear S3 comes in. The Gear S3 Classic is meant for the office worker, indoor lover, and urban professional. The Gear S3 ?Frontier is meant for outdoor lovers, laborers, and for those in rural settings. Both Gear S3 watches are larger than the S2. Because some customers are turned off by large watches, Samsung continues to support and promote Gear S2. Here is where you can give your smartphone a rest: The Gear S3 Frontier has 4G LTD connectivity. This allows you to conduct a smartwatch without a smartphone. This means you can take phone calls, and send/receive text messages. You can stream music, particularly from Spotify. That’s just with Frontier. Gear S3 will only work with WiFi and Bluetooth.
Both have great waterproof and weather proof features. Both will go underwater for 30 minutes (as long as it’s shallow water). It can endure extreme cold and heat. What’s a smartwatch without apps? Gear S3 has you covered. They claim to have ESPN, Yelp, Uber, and CNN on this watch. Battery life is supposed to go three days per charge. That’s going to be a huge selling point. Speaking of selling, we don’t know the cost yet. They’d better find out the cost because it’s expected to be released in Q4 2016.
Other than the mysterious cost, Samsung Gear S3 sounds like a good buy. We’re just going to assume it’s not too expensive. But this smartwatch can blow Apple’s iWatch out of the water. You get long battery life. You don’t need your smartphone. They’re two kinds of S3 to appeal to all people. They’re releasing it just in time for the Christmas shopping season. It can go in all types of weather. Those of us in New England, we know how important that is. This sounds like the dream smartwatch. Did I mention you don’t need a smartwtach for it? How much would you pay for a smartwatch without a smartphone?
Can you believe the Google Android Wear smartwatch is two years old (man, technology is changing too fast). But Google/Android has little to celebrate in the watch department. Apple’s iWatch has been kicking them around since the very beginning.
Out of necessity, Google has upped their game. They will introduce Android Wear 2.0. This one promises to be better. For example, Android Wear 2.0 says they will have standalone apps that won’t require a matching smartphone. One such app is Spotify. That’s right: if all goes right, you can download and enjoy your favorite tunes from your watch and watch only. Of course, you’ll still need some kind of Internet connection. They’ve made interface operations, like easier notifications and an easier QWERTY keyboard. With the new Android watch, you can type replies to messages, instead of just replying through voice. You can also obtain information from third-party apps, though it’s a limited amounts. For health advocates and active persons, they can keep track of steps taken or calories consumed throughout the day. Of course, competitor Samsung Gear 2 also has a slick keyboard where you can type responses. The iWatch, the current smartwatch race leader, has emoji responses.
I bring up Android Wear 2.0 competitors for a reason. They’ve got a long ways to go. Yes, these are great improvements for Google’s smartwatch. But the fact that these basics are actually called an improvement is telling right there. I guess the one thing they can do to compete is keep the prices low and competitive. But one smart thing the new Google smartwatch has is better access to apps like Spotify. Everyone likes music. The easier it is to get access to music, the better it will be for the customer. So easier access to this app is a great start. But that’s all it is: a start. How much would you pay for Android Wear 2.0?
They have an app for just about everything these days, from guarding your house to spying on an alleged cheating spouse/significant other. Are your feet cold? Yep, there’s an app for that, too.
Yes, there is a smart boot that can keep your feet warm. With this boot, your feet don’t get warm by wool or leather, but a smartphone app that controls a heating system built into the pair of boots. These are the Lundi boots. These boots are supposed to work with Apple and Android systems connected over Bluetooth. Lundi wearers can adjust the temperatures by using the slider on the Lundi mobile app. Lundi says it literally only takes a minute for the boots to warm up. It may take a little longer in extremely cold weather. The heat comes through the shoe cushion. Even the battery in the boot can be charged through wireless means. All it takes is a boot shaper, and Lundi believes it only takes 90 minutes for them to be fully charged. The boots and heating system are waterproof. Lundi is seeking funding to get this potentially revolutionary product off the ground. Those who want to contribute can?check out this link. These boots have deep discounts, but get them quick! When Lundi goes into regular mode, they’re expected to start at $775.
As far as technology is concerned, nothing shocks me anymore. Ten years ago, we didn’t even know what an app was. Now, the ‘app’ is just as much a part of our lives as food. Being in New England, I’m glad they got the waterproof part right. I remember those infamous blizzards last year and the melting. Let’s just say, I could have used some Lundi boots. I hope they got enough sense to advertise in cold climates. I doubt Lundi will be a hit in South Florida or the Caribbean. Will you be wearing these boots anytime soon?
Do you want to go to Mexico anytime soon? Let ride sharing app Uber take you. Of course, you have to get to San Diego, CA on your own.
Uber is launching Passport. With a push of Uber’s button, they will take you from San Diego, through the San Ysidro border, and to any destination in Mexico’s Baja California. This includes Tijuana, Mexicali, and Ensenada. ?This service will compete with people driving, busing, taking taxis, or even walking across the border. This trip is only one-way and available through Uber’s black option. The Passport service will require a $20 convenience fee. Fares will vary depending on places and mileage lengths. ?A one-way fare from downtown?San Diego to Tijuana’s airport will cost an Uber rider $100. A trip from Pacific Beach to Rosarito will cost $160. You must have your passport to cross the border, Uber or no Uber. Both sides believe Uber Passport will boost tourism for greater San Diego and Baja California, Mexico. Over 70,000 people cross the San Ysidro border daily. Around 50,000 have taken Uber services between San Diego and Mexico, but the trip was far more complicated. The passenger would end one trip at San Ysidro, walk across the border, get their passport stamp, and then hail another Uber after they make it to the Mexican side.
Uber Passport should make it easier than that to cross the border. But it won’t make traffic at the border easier. We can only hope it would make it more comfortable. If this is luxury service, then it better be. I’ve never crossed this border before, but I can see how San Diego citizens cross the border for a weekend out, a day off, or even for work/business purposes. But will this attract people for the price? Should they come up with an Uber Passport service elsewhere, like say, from greater Seattle to greater Vancouver? Will people even prefer Uber,?over a taxi service or their own car across the border?
Since 2002, Sonos has led the way in wireless electronics. They’ve given us wireless cameras, speaker systems and other goodies. One thing they won’t be giving away anytime soon is jobs.
Sonos is just the latest tech based company to announce layoffs. According to a blog, Sonos is letting go of some people and restructuring the company. Their CEO John Macfarlane doesn’t yet know how many jobs will be sacrificed. Changes in way people access music, like streaming services, are to blame. Macfarlane says the change is bound to happen. From here on out, Sonos wants to focus on streaming customers more than those who use ‘old school’ methods of getting their music. Nobody is saying how, but Sonos guarantees this experience will be so incredible and it will be something the company never dreamed of back in the early 2000s. Here’s a hint of what they might have up their sleeves: They just added Apple Music to their services. Sonos also wants to invest resources in voice recognition. He mentioned?Amazon’s Echo. It is not known when these layoffs are going to take place.
If Sonos want to restructure the company, they need to do a better job of restructuring their plans. They don’t know how many jobs are going to be lost. They don’t know when the layoffs will start. Yes, they have a vision of streaming and voice recognition, but I don’t see how they’re going to do so, except depending and modeling on other companies. I understand these things take time. I understand company reconstruction doesn’t come quick or easy. But we should understand that it takes organization, and I don’t see too much of that yet. I agree, music consumption is changing. But ‘old school’ methods of music consumption are making a slow but sure comeback. I suggest Sonos invest in both streaming and the ‘old school’ way. What do you suggest?
When you think of Nintendo, what do you think of? You probably think of video games, Super Mario Brothers, Wii, Zelda, Game Boy, etc. Do you think of a sleep tracking device?
In 2014, Nintendo planned to get into the very competitive fitness/sleep tracker movement. The plan was to give you this device only the way Nintendo can. This mystery device was going to be released sometime in March 2016. Note the key word in that last sentence…WAS. Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima said this Quality of Life device is not only delayed, but delayed indefinitely. But Nintendo’s plan was to go beyond the traditional smartwatch, health tracker, or other wearable technology versions. With Quality of Life, it would know when you’re sleeping. It would process your data, and give you suggestions when you seek them. For example, if you weren’t getting enough sleep, Quality of Life would tell you to eat better, lower your stress level, quit smoking, or give other health advice. The late Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s last president, showed great confidence in Quality of Life in 2014, when it was in it’s newborn stages. Iwata showed great excitement about visualizing sleep plans. And to Nintendo’s defense, they had reasons to be optimistic. Their first health based product, Wii Fit, sold over 40 million copies by January 2016.
But this isn’t Wii Fit. This is Quality of Life. This is, or should I say this was, Nintendo’s version of wearable technology. Wearable technology is one of the most competitive tech gadgets around today. In the last couple weeks, I’ve talked about wearable technology. So why did Nintendo suspend Quality of Life? Did they not think it was good enough for the extremely competitive market? If they’re going to continue on with this device, they need to be different and stand out. I would suggest find a way to incorporate some of the beloved Nintendo characters in this device. Or is it a good idea for Nintendo to be competing in the sleep tracking game at all?
