Month: May 2014

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Let’s Speculate: What Will Apple Do With Beats Electronics?

dr dre jimmy iovine billboard beats audioI’m leaving this one up to you folks! The pundits are weighing in on the announcement that Apple will be snatching up the love child of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine for $3.2 Billion. The general consensus? No one really knows why Apple is making this move now, or what they really stand to gain from it.

tim cook apple logoIt makes some sense following the announcement that the former head of the Nokia camera division was moving to Apple, that Cupertino is looking to make a bigger multimedia push for future devices, but if the Beats buyout is approved, it’ll mark Apple’s biggest acquisition in the company’s history.

Also, Beats recently bought out HTC’s stake in the company to fly solo. At the time they discussed diversifying the brand and moving into more professional audio solutions. An Apple buyout would seem to contradict those plans.

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine Buy Beats Back From HTC

Drop me some comments below. What does Apple really stand to gain here? Does the Beats brand help restore some of Apple’s “cool factor”? Will consumers be more likely to consider Apple products if they come with Beat Audio?

Honestly, my readers out there are probably better informed than the pundits commenting on this story, so let’s speculate! Go nuts!

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Netflix Hikes Price for New Subscribers, Current Users Stay at $7.99 for 2 Years

netflix price increaseWe’ve already heard rumblings of the Netflix price increase. New customers will see a $1 rate increase to $8.99 for unlimited streaming.

Confirmed via an email which was sent out today, current customers will have their $7.99 rate locked in for the next two years. It’s a nice gesture, and one which is appreciated considering the extra expenses Netflix might face fighting for Net Neutrality and negotiating bandwidth with carriers and ISPs.

To continue adding more movies and TV shows and delivering a great streaming experience, we previously announced that we planned to increase our price slightly for new members. That increase is happening today. We are increasing the price of our service by US$1 a month for new members. Existing Netflix members get to keep their current (US$7.99) price for two years, enjoying HD-quality movies and TV shows on any two screens at the same time.

Not bad at all as we’re also going to see a lot of new original content going into production soon as well.

More info on the Netflix Blog

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How I Plan to Continue Using Google Voice on Windows Phone After Support for MetroTalk Ends

google voice on windows phone

We posted a reminder yesterday that Google will soon be pulling support for 3rd party Google Voice clients. No big deal for people who use Android and iOS, as the Voice will likely get rolled up into the Hangouts app.

However Windows Phone users are getting caught in the cold war crossfire between Microsoft and Google, and it’s unlikely we’ll see a “Live Tiled” version of Hangouts any time soon. In the meantime, here’s how I’ll continue to use Google Voice on my Windows Phone…

Continue reading “How I Plan to Continue Using Google Voice on Windows Phone After Support for MetroTalk Ends”

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PSA: Windows Phone Users Only Have One Week Left to Use 3rd Party Google Voice Apps

unhappy windows phones google voiceJust a friendly reminder folks. This is the last week to use those terrific 3rd party Google Voice clients like MetroTalk on our Windows Phones.

Rumors are pointing towards merging Voice and Hangouts on Android handsets, but that’ll leave WP users out in the cold as there is no Hangouts app for people who happen to prefer Live Tiles.

Live it up. Send a few extra texts. Make a few more phone calls. In seven days the cord gets cut.

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Video Walk with the Nokia Lumia 1520: A Windy Day in LA

I talk a lot. I explain a lot. Sometimes you just need to shut up and let the camera do the “talking”.

The Lumia 1520 camera is almost identical to the one found in the Lumia Icon, so I never did my normal real world benchmark. I did get inspired to walk around my neighborhood though to show off what Nokia’s 20MP shooter can do with HD video.

Shop for the Lumia 1520 on Amazon.

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Review: Outdoor Tech Buckshot Speaker – Bluetooth, Rugged, Water Resistant

outdoor technology buckshot bluetooth speaker review

I’m a big fan of Outdoor Tech gear, recently reviewing their Turtle Shell Speaker. They’ve carved out a nice little niche in offering up unique designs and rugged builds.

The Buckshot follows this tradition, and is one of the more compact portable speaker systems I’ve ever used. Don’t let its small size fool you though, it gets decently loud. Let’s take a listen!

Continue reading “Review: Outdoor Tech Buckshot Speaker – Bluetooth, Rugged, Water Resistant”

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Nintendo Unveils NFC Action Figures For Future Wii U Games

Nintendo NFC Figure 2During Nintendo’s fiscal year briefing, after announcing four straight quarters of losses and acknowledging the luke warm reception the Wii U has received, Nintendo released info they hoped would generate some excitement within their fan base.

First we got confirmation on Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart 8, and it was announced that Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire from the Gameboy Advance will be getting remakes.

What was also announced was a new gaming platform built to leverage Nintendo’s insanely popular characters, using figurines with NFC chips built into them. Following the success of Activision’s Skylanders franchise, and Disney’s attempt at cracking that market, Nintendo has to know they’re sitting on a potential gold mine with the first party IP they own.

Nintendo NFC Figure

Dubbed “NFP”, for “Nintendo Figurine Program”, players will be able to collect figurines which are then scanned by the Wii U controller, and will be compatible with various software title. Small pieces of information can be stored on the action figures, so while the exact plans haven’t been announced for future games, it’s not difficult to image each figure retaining leveling stats like Skylanders toys can.

It’s another platform for parents to invest in, but with franchises like Super Mario, Kirby, Zelda, Metroid, and Pokemon available, this could be a smart tactic for Nintendo to explore. We’ll have more info on NFP during E3 this year in June!

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Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and More Stand Against FCC Proposed Rules

Nothing like waiting until the last minute right guys?

FCCWhile Netflix had been a common talking point for illustrating the concept of Net Neutrality, pretty much any company doing business online should be interested in how bandwidth is regulated.

Now the big boys are starting to make a little noise. In a letter sent to the FCC yesterday, 150 companies including those listed in the title of this post, signed on in opposition to the FCC’s proposed “fast lane” rules. The proposed rules will allow carriers and ISP’s to negotiate separate deals with individual companies for consistent bandwidth.

The FCC will vote on the proposal in one week. If you’re interested in voicing your concerns to the FCC and your elected officials, we’ve put together a contact list here.

You can read the letter below.

Continue reading “Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and More Stand Against FCC Proposed Rules”

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