Category: Articles

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Let’s Speculate: What does Facebook Want with WhatsApp?

Facebook iconBy now you’ve probably heard the news. Facebook has gobbled up WhatsApp for $19 Billion dollars. It would seem in the aftermath of failing to buy SnapChat, FB is betting even bigger on messaging. Gotta respect that chutzpah, I love seeing a player at the table double down.

But why?

The pundits and analysts are having a field day with predictions and “inside scoops”. I think it’s funny that many are simply looking at numbers and technology.

“If SnapChat continues to add users at the rate it currently is, this could advantageous for Facebook paradigm shifting synergy shareholders proactive engagement with target demographics and influencers blah blah blah…”

On a quick tangent, why do analysts always try and predict the market as if it were to stay exactly the way it is today with no evolution or change? I digress.

whatsapp-iconNow here’s the fun part. I can’t claim to understand why FB valued this start up so highly. It can’t be the technology. The FB messenger and Skype integration work well. WhatsApp really doesn’t bring much to the table here.

There’s a psychology behind this purchase which makes some sense. I think people are starting to guard and filter more of what they’ll say publicly on FB. Chat is more intimate, and FB will have access to the juicer communications users engage in. WhatsApp is a terrific replacement for text messaging, and often the service is used for that kind of personal messaging. As FB is a service which exists to profit off of user data, the more access it gets, the more effective it can be in that mission.

Also, the age of an audience for WhatsApp makes it desirable. Facebook is getting older. It only makes sense that at some point Zuckerberg would want to diversify. Beginning with Instagram, and moving into future services I’m sure, building a mini empire of apps NOT called Facebook helps take some of the pressure off of the flagship product, keep it from getting bogged down trying to compete with every fad that hits the ecosystem.

But is that worth $19 Billion?

And here’s where I get stumped again. That’s a LOT of green to make up a return on your investment. So I’ll ask you all, where do you think FB makes money on this deal? Where do you see this investment paying off? I’m not impressed with the analysts on this one, I think you’ll be more fun.

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Qualcomm Toq update points to 3rd party App support. SDK Available!

Qualcomm Toq More Applets Screenshot SomeGadgetGuySo this might be the most boring screenshot I’ve ever posted on SGG, but if you’re playing with a Toq, there’s a lot of potential for excitement.

The Toq is my personal favorite smartwatch, but it’s been difficult to recommend people pick one up, as the selection of applets is fairly limited. That changed yesterday!

A new update was pushed to the Toq adding a menu option called “More Applets”, and within that menu you’ll be able to see which apps on your phone are compatible with your Toq. Right now that number is zero, but Qualcomm has also finally released their SDK. Now app developers will have the tools to properly develop services for this wearable.

It’s been an exciting ride. Only a week ago, we got an unlocked accelerometer that most of us didn’t know was even built into the watch. Hopefully we’ll see new services pop up quickly!

Qualcomm Toq SDK Press Release

Related:
Toq unboxing, setup, and first impressions!
Toq Update – six day battery life!
qualcomm toq box smartwatch wireless charge cradle review somegadgetguy

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Google and IBM want to make the internet a LOT faster, but will consumers ever get the upgrades?

server rack rear cablingWithin a day of each other, complimentary stories about Google and IBM hit the net.

Google is working on plans to improve their fiber offerings from 1Gbps to 10Gbps, meaning their uploads and downloads would be 200 and 2000 times faster than what I currently have access to in Los Angeles. We can also easily estimate that the service would be cheaper than the top tier broadband in So-Cal. Originally their plan was to roll out 10Gbps connections over the next decade, but in light of 4K video services popping up to supply people native resolution content for their new TV’s, they’ve shortened that window to three years. The internet is going to need bigger pipes to handle future services.

And if you think Google’s data sounds audacious, IBM has even bigger goals in their sites.  Continue reading “Google and IBM want to make the internet a LOT faster, but will consumers ever get the upgrades?”

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Valentine’s Day Freebie: DE LA SOUL giving away their ENTIRE album catalog!

de la soul free valentines day albumsNot a lot to this post. If you dig DE LA SOUL (and you don’t already own their entire catalog), they’re hooking you up today only!

Head over to www.WeAreDELASOUL.com and sign up for the mailing list. About an hour later you’ll have a link in your email to download the albums you want. It’s a fun way to spike some conversation in anticipation of their upcoming album You’re Welcome, which we’re still waiting on a release date.

Enjoy!

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Galaxy Gear Valentine’s Day Sale – $150 at BestBuy Today Only

29 gearSamsung and Best Buy are sharing the love.

If you’re biggest gripe with the Galaxy Gear was its price tag, you can now snatch one for a little more than the price of a Pebble! Today only, most of the color options for the Gear are ready to drop  for $149.99.  I would image at this price, they’ll move quickly…

Is this enough of a price cut for you to jump on the SmartWatch bandwagon?

Galaxy Gear Sale (Best Buy)

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Nokia Shows Off Lumia Icon Smartphone, coming to Verizon February 20th

nokia lumia icon verizonIt’s official! The next Lumia headed to VZW will be branded “Icon” instead of some string of numbers.

Icon looks to bridge some of the new high power internals found on Nokia’s 1520 phablet with a slightly more phone-like form factor. The 5″ OLED screen is 1080p, and it’s packing the Qualcomm 800 quad-core we’ve all come to know and love in our high end phones. 32GB of storage will be on board with 2GB of RAM to keep all your apps fed. Best of all, Icon retains internal wireless charging based on the Qi standard, so no futzing with sleds or cases.

nokia lumia icon verizon rearFor you A/V freaks, the 20MP shooter from the 1520 will make another appearance, as will the high fidelity quad microphone array which allows for incredible sound and solid noise reduction on your videos.

Bridging the boxy design of the Lumia 928 with a slimmer  Aluminum build and curved glass, it’s an attractive piece. Not as curvy as the phones we’ve used on AT&T, but distinctive and modern.

The phone will drop on February 20th for $199.99 with a two year agreement. Purchasing before March 16 will also get you a free wireless charging dock.

More info on Nokia’s site, or see their teaser vid below!

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Windows Phone 8.1: Better file management, Universal Apps, and New Notifcations

Windows Phone is growing up fast.

Details on the new SDK for Windows Phone 8.1 have leaked on Reddit, and Twitter user @AngelWZR has posted screen shots from the developer emulator showing all kinds of fun new features for Microsoft’s phone update.

angelWZR windows phone8.1 screenshots (1)Highlights include fixes for my top two gripes! Windows Phone will now have separate volume controls for media and alerts. It’s can be a painful experience listening to music and then having an email alert go off on your headphones.

We’ll also see radically improved file management in WP8.1. As it stands now, WP8 handles files much like the iPhone does. You don’t really have access to one central app where you can see file location. Now, like on Windows 8 and RT, WP8.1 will allow the new OneDrive app to manage cloud storage and local storage. We’ll also see improved support for memory cards, support app installation on removable media.

We’ll also see significant improvements to other services like NFC, screen sharing on TV’s, and WP8.1 will allow for 3rd party messaging apps. Alongside improvements to the actual phone OS, Microsoft is pushing forward with universal app support, so new apps being developed can work on both Windows Phone and the Metro interface for Windows 8. We knew this synergy was coming with the future Threshold update, but it’s exciting seeing pieces falling into place now. Right now apps don’t travel between phone, tablet, and computer, and I don’t want to have to buy Halo multiple times to play it on all of my various screens.

angelWZR windows phone8.1 screenshots (7)Best of all, Microsoft has stated that all WP8 phones will be eligible for the 8.1 update. This is a great step forward for the platform, as even the most entry-level phones like the Lumia 520 should be able to benefit from some of these updates.

The actual 8.1 update is rumored to arrive in April, which means we could see much stronger competition from this third place platform later in the year.  See some more screenshots of WP8.1 in action below!

 

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Asus VivoTab Note 8 – now available on Microsoft’s store for $329

ASUS VivoTab Note 8 M80T Touchscreen Tablet microsoft storeBuilding a little momentum with their Windows 8.1 offerings, Microsoft now sells Asus’ mini tablet, and the price is pretty reasonable.

$329 gets you an 8″ screen powered by an Intel Atom quad-core and 2GB of RAM running a full version of Windows 8.1, giving consumers yet another reason to ignore Windows RT. 32GB of storage on board, but with the full OS and recovery partition, a good chunk of that wont be available to consumers. You’ll probably want to opt for a memory card as VivoTab accepts MicroSD upgrading. A 5MP rear camera is on board. You’ll also get Microsoft Office Home & Student, which usually retails for $140.

Plus, this budget friendly tab comes with a Wacom stylus for precision selection and pressure sensitive drawing. It makes the VivoTab a handy all-rounder, and an interesting alternative to the Android and iOS solutions available.

Asus VivoTab (Microsoft Store)

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