Tag: software

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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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Qualcomm Toq Update: Activity and Fitness Tracking Applet!

Qualcomm is teaching their Toq smartwatch a new trick!

I was really happy to see this, as I wasn’t completely sure if the Toq even had an accelerometer built into, but apparently it does, and this newest software update has unlocked activity tracking. It’s SUPER beta, but let’s take a look!

Continue reading “Qualcomm Toq Update: Activity and Fitness Tracking Applet!”

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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Glance Lock Screen Now in Public Beta: Smart Alerts, Better Battery

Qualcomm snapdragon glance dynamic lock screen screen shotThe next stage of our mobile devices will be contextual notifications and smart alerts. Google Now feeds us info before we search for it, and now Qualcomm wants to improve your at-a-glance experience on you lock screen.

Snapdragon Glance analyzes your behavior, and will attempt to prioritize notifications based on your past actions. It will also rank apps and contacts for quick access to the services you use most and the people you most often communicate with.

Snapdragon Glance also works in tandem with Qualcomm’s Battery Guru to help improve run time.

While this all sounds great, there is a small hitch. To run this new lock screen, you must have a phone using a Qualcomm processor, and it must be running Android 4.3 or higher, so a pretty significant chunk of the Android ecosystem wont be allowed to play. If you do meet those criteria, it’s free on Google Play.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Glance on Google Play

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The Ultimate Technique for Playing Flappy Bird (Video Tutorial)

flappy bird iconThe insane difficulty of this awkwardly controlled bird navigation makes it crazy addictive. It taunts you. You can’t let it beat you.

Thankfully Youtuber DSV has provided this handy tip, which after watching it, is truly the only way to play Flappy Bird. Enjoy!

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More Apps Coming to Chromecast Soon! SDK is Available for Developers!

google chromecast tv hdmi dongle somegadgetguyChromecast is one of the most cost effective ways to start streaming to your TV, and its ingenious use of apps and services on your phone or tablet makes for a terrifically easy learning curve. If there’s been a complaint, it’s been in the selection of services compatible with Chromecast. Picks have been slim.

That should change very soon! Google has finally seen fit to release a proper SDK, so now app developers will be able to build Chromecast functionality into their offerings. The possibilities are endless. Video and audio players are a given, but what about cloud storage? Gaming? Chromecast might enable a whole new relationship between your phone and TV! And it’s cheap!

Hit the Chrome blog for more info, or grab the SDK now if you feel like tinkering.

Related:
Chromecast Supports 10 New Apps!
Chromecast Unboxing, Setup, Review, and Viewer Questions!
Buy Chromecast!

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Pebble App Review: Blockslide 2.0 (with Battery display)

We’re only a couple days into playing with the Pebble, and we have a full video hands on coming soon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a look at a few apps for this little wunder-watch.

With all the customization options available, the first thing you notice, a lot of the watch faces aren’t anything special. Mostly just static images with a clock pasted on top. Examining the wares at MyPebbleFaces can be a bit daunting when you first search through the site.

One of the first watch faces I stumbled upon, using the 2.0 BETA firmware on my Pebble, was Blockslide. It has a fun, almost Atari-retro look to the clock, with a date below the time. Instead of the time just updating, smooth animations slide blocks around to usher in new minutes and hours. It’s not only pleasant, but it’s smoother than I thought the Pebble capable of.

One of my pet peeves with Pebble s the lack of a stock battery indicator. Blockslide includes one via wrist flip. Twist your wrist over, and the time will morph into a battery readout for a couple seconds before sliding back to the clock. It looks cool. It looks really cool.

If you’re sporting a Pebble, this is a fun free watchface which has garnered a reaction from everyone I’ve shown it to.
Blockslide 2.0 (for SDK2) on MyPebbleFaces

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Google Chrome for Android and iOS now includes data compression

chrome bandwith management reduce data usage

It’s funny how tech moves in cycles.

When data networks were slow, and our mobile smartphones were far less powerful, we usually could count on unlimited data here in the States, even through the 3G revolution. Companies like Opera would release 3rd party browsers to help reduce data use and to speed up web browsing. Especially during the Windows Mobile days, this was tremendously helpful as web browsing could be somewhat painful on smaller screens and under-powered hardware.

Now we have devices which do a remarkable job of replicating the desktop web browsing experience, on screaming fast hardware, with broadband bandwidth over the air. Unfortunately, all of these improvements came with caps and throttling for most consumers. We don’t necessarily need the speed benefits of compression anymore, but saving a few MB’s while browsing would certainly come in handy.

Rolling out today, Chrome will now offer up data compression for Android and iOS. Once you’ve received the update, go into settings, hit Bandwidth Management, and enable “Reduce Data Usage”. Easy peasy. This wont help reduce data on any of your other apps or services, but if you use the browser, it will be able to reduce your data footprint by up to 50%, while improving your “Safe Browsing” security.

Android users will also receive an update to add website shortcuts to their homescreen directly from the browser menu. Not too shabby.

Check the Google Chrome Blog for the full scoop.

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