Posted in Commentary with tags Google on September 29, 2015 by itnerd
Google has announced its new Nexus 6P flagship smartphone, which is basically a new version of its Nexus 6 smartphone with a slightly smaller 5.7-inch display and a completely new design built by Huawei. Google is calling it the “most premium phone yet” due to its all-metal body, a USB Type-C port for fast charging, a powerful 64-bit processor and a 12.3 MP camera sensor. Expect to pay $699 CAD. Then there’s the new Nexus 5X which built by LG. It features a 5.2” screen, and the same 12.3 MP camera and Type-C port as the Nexus 6P. Both phones include a new fingerprint sensor which gives users quick and secure access to the phone, as well as use of Android Pay (in the U.S. and not in Canada…. At least for now). Expect to pay $379 and up for one. Canadian carrier Telus reached out to me to state that they would have these devices later this year.
Also announced today was the ‘Pixel C’ which is the first Android tablet built end-to-end by Google. The Pixel C brings together the benefits of a full-size keyboard with the portability of a tablet. The tablet and keyboard attach magnetically, so it’s easy to switch between typing and using the touch screen.
Google also announced two new Chromecast devices. The new Chromecast looks different and is easier to plug into TVs with crowded ports. It supports the latest Wi-Fi standards and adapts easily to changing Wi-Fi conditions at home. There’s also the Chromecast Audio which is a small device that plugs into your existing speakers so you can stream your favorite music, radio and podcasts over Wi-Fi.
iPhones have changed our lives in so many ways. We have become obsessed with the bright screens that open our world and connect us in more ways with our friends and family. You could say that the iPhone has become an extended piece of yourself, and while you can program your phone as you wish the exterior still lacks a way to self express. This was the inspiration for Illumicase:
Illumicase lets you bring your personality to your phone case by allowing you to choose the colours and designs you wish to express. There are 100’s of designs to choose from and they can be switched in and out as often as you change your mind! Initial orders are for iPhone 5 and 5S only!
The first case with a built-in light box which lets you change customized designs that match your self expression. The project is live on Kickstarter. Early birds will be able to pre-order a case for $30.
Volkswagen popped up today to tell the world that it is about to announce a massive recall to address #dieselgate related issues on 11 million cars:
New Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said the German car maker would tell customers in the coming days they would need to have diesel vehicles with illegal software refitted, a move which some analysts have said could cost more than $6.5-billion.
I have to assume that we’re talking about a software update of some sort. But it is possible that there might be hardware involved too. The reason why I think that the latter might be possible is that the software was designed to do whatever was required to meet emission regulations, and that meant cutting horsepower and torque. Thus one has to wonder if Volkswagen can hit emission regulations without giving up horsepower and torque simply by changing the software. But that’s pure speculation on my part. We’ll have to see details of the actual recall when it arrives to see what their plan is.
In the meantime, I will leave you with this witty Tweet via @GregCarrasco:
Edward Snowden, who is either famous or infamous for leaking documents on various mass surveillance programs has joined Twitter. Here’s the first (and so far only Tweet) that he’s made:
Posted in Commentary with tags SOTI on September 29, 2015 by itnerd
SOTI Inc who is Canada’s leader in Enterprise Mobility Management software, is hosting their annual end user conference. Dubbed SOTI Sync, the conference will allow attendees to learn and enhance their understanding of the future of enterprise mobility, the trends that will change the way organizations do business, and the new connected landscape that IT will need to prepare for and support. Mobility experts, industry peers, and market influencers will take you through deep dive sessions, hands-on training in technical labs, industry tracks, best practice sessions, and networking opportunities in birds of a feather sessions. Plus attendees will get a glimpse of future innovation in their industries and hear about what their organization will need to be thinking about for the future.
Key people who will be presenting at the conference include:
Carl Rodrigues: President & CEO, SOTI Inc.
Andrew Toy: Product Management Director at Google
Robin Bienfait : Chief Enterprise Innovation Officer & Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics America
Chris Hadfield: Astronaut, Commander, CSA and NASA Colonel, RCAF Fighter Pilot
SOTI Sync will be held on November 2-4 at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel and Conference Centre, located on the waterfront of Lake Ontario, just steps away from the Downtown Core of Toronto Canada. Before you say “you want me to travel to Canada in November”, take it from someone who lives here. It really nice at that time of the year and there’s no snow. Plus you’re in walking distance from the hotel to the Air Canada Center where the Toronto Maple Leafs play, plus with the way the Toronto Blue Jays are playing, you might get the chance to see them win the World Series at the Rogers Center which is also within walking distance from the hotel.
🙂
The company has a bunch of interesting inducements to get you to sign up today:
Attendees will get a free mobile device if they sign up ASAP.
Before the conference, SOTI is having a full day of hands-on training on their flagship Enterprise Mobility Management product MobiControl. Normally, this training is $1500 USD by itself, but you can get it for $649 CDN and that also gives you an all-access pass. If you don’t want to take part in the training, the all access pass alone is $499 CDN.
You can save $100 CDN on your registration fees by using the promo code Early Bird. But this is only valid for the rest of the week.
If you are interested in registering for SOTI Sync, click here and register today.
Posted in Tips with tags Apple on September 29, 2015 by itnerd
If you’ve recently upgraded your iOS device to iOS 9, you may want to turn off a new feature called WiFi assist. Now the big question is why? This feature was designed to help you in situations where your WiFi connection isn’t the best by automatically switching over to cellular data so that you can do whatever it is that you need to do. Plus you won’t need to manually disable WiFi in that situation. The catch is that if you have a capped mobile phone plan, you’re going to consume more data That may not be desirable for some.
If you want to avoid using this new feature, head over to Settings –> Cellular and scroll all the way to the bottom and look for the WiFi Assist setting:
Posted in Commentary with tags Sonos on September 29, 2015 by itnerd
Last week I got the chance to sample the new Sonos Play:5 speaker and Trueplay. Let’s start with the latter.
Trueplay stems from the insight that few homes are acoustically perfect. The placement of the speaker and the room it’s in impacts the way it sounds. Now Sonos speakers are great, but they can’t make up for that. Until today. With Trueplay, anyone can tune speakers with the press of a button. The result is that music sounds great in every room and in every home. Using the Sonos app, the microphone on an iPhone or iPad, and a special tone emitted by the Sonos speaker, the system analyzes how sound reflects off walls, furnishings, glass and other surfaces in any given room. Sonos then smartly tunes that speaker so the music sounds its very best. I listened to the difference and it was stunning. It took an already good speaker and made it outstanding with minimal work. Here’s the best part, if you have an iOS device and a Sonos speaker, you’ll get this neat feature this week free of charge. Android users will be coming soon. As for supported speakers, the SONOS PLAY:1, SONOS PLAY:3, SONOS PLAY:5 will be supported at launch with support for other Sonos speakers coming soon.
If you want to see Trueplay in action, here’s a video for your viewing pleasure:
Built with six synchronized, custom-designed drivers, the speaker’s three mid-woofers create smooth mids and deep, powerful lows, and three tweeters deliver crystal clear highs at any volume. The array produces a soundstage that is much wider than expected in a single speaker, creating room-filling sound with precise separation of vocals and instruments. It can be oriented in three different ways as well to allow it to fit in your environment. You can have two SONOS PLAY:5s paired together vertically deliver top-of-the-line stereo sound with a focused and intense sweet spot. Paired horizontally, they create a larger stereo image for an immersive, room-filling listening experience.
Now if you look closely….:
You can see tiny holes that let the sound through and there’s around 60,000 of them. Those holes are not visible at a distance which makes the Play:5 look less like a speaker and more like a piece of art. The new SONOS PLAY:5 incorporates an innovative design that allows for the most effective wireless performance, without compromises, to ensure the music remains in perfect sync without dropouts.
These new touch controls offer an intuitive, easy way to play, pause, adjust volume and change the track. Smart sensors make these touch controls responsive to all orientations, so the volume-up is always facing up.
Available in a custom matte black and matte white finish, the all-new SONOS PLAY:5 will retail for $549 CAD.
For more details on Trueplay and the new SONOS PLAY:5, please visit Sonos.com. Also you can expect a review of the new Play:5 shortly.
Google Announces Phones, Tablets, And Chromecast Devices.
Posted in Commentary with tags Google on September 29, 2015 by itnerdGoogle has announced its new Nexus 6P flagship smartphone, which is basically a new version of its Nexus 6 smartphone with a slightly smaller 5.7-inch display and a completely new design built by Huawei. Google is calling it the “most premium phone yet” due to its all-metal body, a USB Type-C port for fast charging, a powerful 64-bit processor and a 12.3 MP camera sensor. Expect to pay $699 CAD. Then there’s the new Nexus 5X which built by LG. It features a 5.2” screen, and the same 12.3 MP camera and Type-C port as the Nexus 6P. Both phones include a new fingerprint sensor which gives users quick and secure access to the phone, as well as use of Android Pay (in the U.S. and not in Canada…. At least for now). Expect to pay $379 and up for one. Canadian carrier Telus reached out to me to state that they would have these devices later this year.
Also announced today was the ‘Pixel C’ which is the first Android tablet built end-to-end by Google. The Pixel C brings together the benefits of a full-size keyboard with the portability of a tablet. The tablet and keyboard attach magnetically, so it’s easy to switch between typing and using the touch screen.
Google also announced two new Chromecast devices. The new Chromecast looks different and is easier to plug into TVs with crowded ports. It supports the latest Wi-Fi standards and adapts easily to changing Wi-Fi conditions at home. There’s also the Chromecast Audio which is a small device that plugs into your existing speakers so you can stream your favorite music, radio and podcasts over Wi-Fi.
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