Apple iPhone 6 Plus not so rigid as some ...
This has become a major news item! I don't know why they keep saying this might happen in a trouser front pocket. I would have thought it was back pockets of tight jeans that were the more likely place for this to happen!
Bending All The Phones: iPhone 6 vs. HTC One M8 vs. Moto X | TechCrunch:
Microsoft might regain some good will ...
The suggestion that Windows 9 might be FREE for Windows 8 users and cheaper for Windows XP users could definitely regain some goodwill towards Microsoft. Even if it came true, we should not have had to go through the Windows 8 debacle!
Free Windows 9 For Some Isn’t Too Crazy | TechCrunch:
Just a little Google Maps tip worth knowing ...
It works very well and even gives you 500 m and 1 Km etc markers as you progress along your chosen route. Try moving the intermediate points where you change directions!
Google Maps can now tell you the exact distance between two points | The Verge:
Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin chat ...
Despite the poor sound quality of this video and, in my opinion, a wasted opportunity for a very rare chat with Larry Page and Sergey Brin, it is worth a look, if only to get some idea of the two key people behind Google.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin on what's next for Google | The Verge:
Google Now is made for Android Wear ...
As I predicted, 2014 is the year of smartwatches and wearable computing. There are so many makes and models out there, many around the $250 to $350 mark. Only Apple's contribution will miss 2014 - although announced, it will not be available until sometime in 2015. Google Now seems so right for smartwatches - appropriate notifications on your wrist to save you struggling to check your smartphone every time it pings!
Google Now Is The Killer App For Android Wear | TechCrunch:
Chromebooks gaining traction in enterprise ...
Windows XP end-of-life and the unpopularity of Windows 8 is a huge opportunity for Google's Chromebook and they seem to be taking advantage. Even Microsoft thinks that Chromebooks are "work-worthy"!
Google says Chrome OS catching eyes in the enterprise - Computerworld:
There's a few that would like to rename Windows ...
But I doubt that Microsoft would be too happy about the name chosen! So what is it to be? Windows, Windows 9, Windows One? This is the company that rename Outlook Express to Windows Mail to Live Mail and then changed the name of Hotmail to Outlook.com so I guess anything is possible!
Microsoft expected to unveil new Windows name next week | The Verge:
Will it be Google, Apple or Windows ...
In the new interconnected smart world this could be your key decision. This article is definitely worth a read! It is also interesting to look at the two videos - one from Google (Android) and one from Apple!
iPhone or Android: it's time to choose your religion | The Verge:
Some interesting Android statistics ...
Android is certainly pulling away from the competition. The statistics are staggering - over a 30 day period over 1 billion people actively use Android devices! Facebook has over a billion users for its free social networking app but this is 1 billion purchased hardware devices!
Google touts 1 billion active Android users per month | The Verge:
The home is the next target to get smart ...
You might have guessed that Google would be right in there - just as it is with smart phones and smart wear! The home is the next to get the treatment - and there is a race on to capture the high ground.
Google Makes Its Nest At The Center Of The Smart Home | TechCrunch:
Looks like Microsoft is going to show us Windows 9 very soon. Then it will be all about burying Windows 8!
Announced at this year's Google I/O Conference, the first four Android apps are now available to run on Chrome OS. Whilst this is just a start, it is envisaged that little or no work will be required in porting the apps, quote "There is no porting required. It seems that Google has built an entire Android stack into Chrome OS using Native Client. Both OSes are based on Linux...." This can effectively open up many of the 1.2 million apps in the Google Play Store to the Chrome OS running on Chromebooks.
Google Hangouts already allowed you to message or speak to another Google user for free but now you can call any ordinary telephone number in the would (equivalent to Skype and for about the same cost per minute). Definitely a cheaper way to call home from overseas if you have access to free Wi-Fi.
An interesting idea that Apple's smartwatch is designed to be"part of you" rather than just another tool or device strapped to your wrist. I wonder which I prefer it to be?
Well worth setting up for when you misplace or lose your Android smartphone. It also allows you to set a lock on your phone remotely even if you don't routinely lock your phone.
By setting a framework, all manufacturers can compete in the Google smartwatch space without re-inventing the wheel. However, it does mean that the functionality is limited to what Google permits within the framework.
Whilst Apple has launched it iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus around the $1,000 mark, Google and Microsoft are chasing the next billion users with smartphones under $200.
Compromised accounts are getting to be a weekly event but some are definitely worse than others. This one is not too bad! If you are nervous, do look into 2-step Authentication - I use it!
Catch up on the new iPhones and Apple Watch in this comprehensive Australian article.