Let's Talk Tech
I’m really excited for modular phones. Replacing pieces when they get worn out, instead of having to buy a whole new phone.
Phonebloks took a tour around Google’s lab to see some of the new design work happening on Project Ara, recently acquired from Motorola. Discussing design and aesthetics, one of the highlights is the discussion on magnets for holding all the pieces together.
Here’s to hoping we see a full prototype in action soon!
If you’ve been rocking the BETA, then you’re already aware of this, but it’s finally rolling out for all consumers.
If you’ve got the separate Facebook Messenger app installed, you can now call your Facebook friends over WiFi for free! The update to FB Messenger 4.0 brings this to all users alongside better support for creating chat groups and the ability to create shortcuts to specific chats on your homescreen.
Hit the update and get calling!
Facebook Messenger (Google Play)
Google’s been planning on splitting this stock for a while now, and following several months of trading at over $1100, the split has finally arrived.
Today, in a straight up 2 for 1, if you’re lucky enough to own some Google Stock, you just doubled your shares. This split also creates a “Class C” stock where people can own a chunk of the company but forfeit voting rights. It’s a smart play for Google as it helps insure company control as stocks are often used for acquisitions and employee compensation.
It’s not without a little controversy however as some analysts are claiming this move is intended to dilute voting rights.
Shares split today and traded as high as 580, at the time of this writing they’ve settled down to the high 560’s. Do you own any Google stock? Will this split affect your investments?
Market disruption. Seriously. Think about it. Do people buy standalone GPS devices anymore? No. We “Google Map” things on our phones. Google has done a remarkable job of examining popular business models and then turning them on their collective ears.
Rumors are flying that in addition to offering up home data connections, Goog could be considering a move to also offer up wireless services in areas where they’re already flirting with fiber. It makes sense as they’ve already invested in the server infrastructure in those areas, but they’d need to work out deals on wireless spectrum if they’re going to operate their own towers.
They could also be considering some sort of MVNO like WalMart does with Straight Talk, but augmented with their own data services. We know Google has worked to try and light up cities with WiFi in the past, and combining WiFi with another carrier’s traditional cell network, and tying that to Google Hangouts/Voice could be a really compelling solution. Much like Vonage or Republic Wireless, you’d have a proper phone number which works over WiFi, and switches to traditional 3G/4G when you’re no longer connected to a hotspot.
Is a Google Phone service one you would consider? Drop us a comment below!
This is great news for Window’s Phone 8 users and developers who miss Google’s official apps. Back in January I wrote an article on Google VS. Microsoft.
Google has released over 50 API’s for developers. Here are a few that are on that list:
Although we may never see any “official” apps from Google heading to the Microsoft Store, this does open up the door for developers to create an awesome Google app using the official Google API.
Personally I would love to see Rudy Huyn develop a really killer G+ app! If you are unfamiliar with Rudy then check out his apps. Rudy is responsible for one of the most awesome Instagram apps called 6tag!
Continue reading “Microsoft developers receive Google’s official API”
It’s a simple update, but a helpful one.
If you manage your music collection online through Google Play Music, you now have a little more control over how you upload tracks to your cloud storage. You originally had to upload tracks through a program which lived on a desktop, but now Google has updated the service to allow for browser uploads.
It’s a handy little update for those moments you might want to manage your music collection while on the go. It’s also a great way to showcase Chrome apps, as the service ties into a new mini-player available through the Chrome browser.
Now I’m hoping they’ll build some of that functionality into the Play Music apps on phones and tablets.
A pair of exciting announcements dropped today for wearable computing fans. Google took the wraps off of Android Wear, the OS and UI that will be gracing many a wrist in the future. Motorola quickly followed (or maybe preempted) with the reveal of the Moto 360.
Now that Google has officially joined the smartwatch wars, let’s talk about the future!
I’m joined by a terrific panel of bloggers, so make sure to give them all a follow!
Enobong Etteh – @BooredAtWork –Â http://booredatwork.com
Andrew Kameka – @AndrewKam –Â http://MobileBurn.com
Tori Dorsey – @GlassesnGlitter –Â http://www.glassesandglitter.com/
In a pair of videos showing off their new wearable OS, Google finally took the wraps off their long rumored smartwatch UI.
Dubbed Android Wear, it’s a system designed to feed notifications, small pieces of contextual information, and voice controlled services to your wrist. Modular enough for a variety of square and circular form factors (like that sexy Moto 360), it features a Google Now card style interface to feed you small pieces of relevant info. Backed up by voice actions, users should be able to stay informed as to what’s happening in their digital world, while still being able to interact with messages. A handy little trick in providing us tools to actually use our phones less while still consuming data services.
LG and Moto are already announcing hardware to use the new Wear software, and traditional watch manufacturers like Fossil are expressing interest as well. This might be the mainstream push required to get “old world” makers on board.
Also announced is a preview SDK releasing this week, so developers can already start work on migrating apps and services to these smaller screens.
Hit the videos below for the full scoop, and a demo of the Android Wear UI in action!