Let's Talk Tech
Last week the FCC redefined broadband internet, moving it from 4Mbps download / 1Mbps upload, to a far more modern 25Mbps down / 3Mbps up. With the stroke of a pen, now almost 20% of the population here in the United States no longer had access to “broadband” internet access?
Were you one of those folks? Has your service provider been able to keep pace with infrastructure and data needs? Drop us a comment below!
One of the most popular posts we published last year was the announcement for Motorola’s boundary breaking watch the Moto 360.
Now that we’ve spent some time playing with it, has it lived up to the hype? No. It has not, and here’s why…
Shop the Moto 360 on Amazon.
Shop the Moto 360 on Google Play.
Google Earth was one of those services that really showed off what a company could do with mapping data, and I’m sure many man hours have been spent doing virtual flyovers of spots around the world.
While there was a free consumer version of Earth, for professionals needing high resolution imaging, a subscription for Earth Pro used to cost $399 a year. Now everyone can join in the fun by requesting a free license, which will also allow for high res printing and the ability to create animated videos.
Will you be signing up? Because it’s free… So why wouldn’t you?
Google’s full PR is below.
After we saw a demo of an iPad running Office apps, Android fans wondered, rather vocally, when we would also get to take part in the business grade festivities.
Oh sure we had an Office Phone app for basic viewing, editing, and formatting, but it lacked proper tablet support.
All that changed yesterday when Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and Powerpoint tablet apps were finally approved on Google Play. Each service is an individual app, and downloading the apps is totally free. When not linked with an Office 365 subscription, the apps function as viewers, and wont allow you to edit docs or spreadsheet. Though with unlimited cloud storage coming to OneDrive with an Office 365 subscription, it’s not a bad value when compared to other cloud storage solution.
Linking to Office 365 opens up a full world of document and presentation creation and editing, very similar to what we saw on the iPad version. The full toolsets of Office are included, with advanced formating and formula support, and are well optimized for touch screen use. Tied directly into Office Online, OneDrive, and can be linked to DropBox, it’s a fairly robust ecosystem for sharing and collaborating.
As they’re beefy services, the download sizes are pretty large. Expect all three apps together to clock in at around 370MB. There’s also an issue with compatibility. Most of the tablets I ave lying around are not yet approved to install the apps. No Asus Transformer, no NVIDIA Shield, even the newer Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 was a no go, so my first impressions were performed on a Nexus 7.
Still it’s a great collection for Android, and now Windows Tablet and Phone fans can start the waiting game as we should see touch optimized Office apps arrive with Windows 10.
Microsoft Word on Google Play
Microsoft Excel on Google Play
Microsoft Powerpoint on Google Play
We’re just starting to review the NX1, but that doesn’t mean we can’t share some video samples! Samsung’s newest APS-C mirrorless camera is a beast capable of shooting true Cinema 4K resolution. Here’s an afternoon in Los Angeles shot in Ultra High Definition. Be sure to hit full screen, and toggle your quality settings to see every picture from this monster video file. Enjoy!
An interesting story has been developing in the use of WiFi hotpots in hotels.
The FCC fined Marriott hotels for blocking their customers from using their own WiFi, powered by phones and MiFi’s using 3G/4G data connections. The fine amounted to $600,000, and Marriott petitioned the commission, asserting that blocking customers was a way for them to better protect the security of the networking solutions they were offering.
The FCC responded with a public advisory yesterday reaffirming their previous stance:
Personal Wi-Fi networks, or “hot spots,” are an important way that consumers connect to the Internet. Willful or malicious interference with Wi-Fi hot spots is illegal. Wi-Fi blocking violates Section 333 of the Communications Act, as amended.1 The Enforcement Bureau has seen a disturbing trend in which hotels and other commercial establishments block wireless consumers from using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots on the commercial establishment’s premises. As a result, the Bureau is protecting consumers by aggressively investigating and acting against such unlawful intentional interference.
Continue reading “FCC Public Advisory: Blocking Personal WiFi Hotspots is Prohibited”
I’ll admit it. I’m a prime snob.
In moving from Canon to Samsung, I was worried about lens selection. While it’s certainly not as robust as Canon’s first party offerings, Samsung has some really decent glass to play with. Let’s check out one of the wider lenses available for this APS-C shooter!
Shop the 16mm f/2.4 Prime Lens for NX Cameras
Shop the Samsung NX30 Mirrorless APS-C Camera
Shop the Samsung NX1 Mirrorless APS-c Camera
I’m really happy to see more tablets offering LTE connectivity at a wider range of prices. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 is targeting consumers shopping in the mid range, how does it stack up to the competition? Let’s take a look!