8:25 PM
Amazon is reportedly releasing their Android-based smartphone next quarter (before June) and it will have a 4.7" screen--they had been planning on a 4.3" screen, but consumers are demanding larger screens:
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/03/27/amazon-smartphone-to-sport-4-7-display-launch-set-for-q2/
Microsoft's new update policy for Metro app (Windows 8, Windows RT) security patches is *very* different than how they have operated for years. They give NO advance warning a patch is coming--a patch can come at any time on any day instead of the regularly scheduled cycle they have now. They can give NO advance warning for the patch and give NO warning when you install the patch--you don't even know you are installing a patch! Microsoft makes it impossible to roll back patches...they have messed up patches before, but they always let you undo the patch until now. They don't have version numbers or revision history, so you don't know if your computers have the patch:
http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/microsofts-new-security-patching-routine-raises-concerns-215325
Google updated their Translate app today to give it the ability to translate *without* an internet connection. Languagges can be stored on the phone just like music is stored in Google Music:
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/03/27/google-translate-update-introduces-offline-support-for-50-languages/
Google will manufacture Google Glass in Santa Clara--it is nice that it can be made in California:
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/03/27/first-production-run-of-google-glass-to-be-built-right-here-in-the-u-s-of-a/
The city of Santa Clara will be providing free citywide outdoor WiFi, the first city that will use "smart meters" on homes to provide WiFi. Utilities are using the new meters to send electricity and water reports via wireless signals (instead of having to send a person to read the meter), but Santa is adding a extra channel that will provide the WiFi:
http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/03/santa-clara-california-installs-free.html
Study of the LTE data plans for all the major wireless carriers found that Verizon and T-Mobile had the cheapest data plans while Sprint and AT&T were more expensive. For most people there won't be much of a difference, but I'm surprised that Verizon is in the cheaper category:
http://akamai.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/4g-data-plans-less-choice-the-competition-might-indicate-215185
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/03/27/amazon-smartphone-to-sport-4-7-display-launch-set-for-q2/
Microsoft's new update policy for Metro app (Windows 8, Windows RT) security patches is *very* different than how they have operated for years. They give NO advance warning a patch is coming--a patch can come at any time on any day instead of the regularly scheduled cycle they have now. They can give NO advance warning for the patch and give NO warning when you install the patch--you don't even know you are installing a patch! Microsoft makes it impossible to roll back patches...they have messed up patches before, but they always let you undo the patch until now. They don't have version numbers or revision history, so you don't know if your computers have the patch:
http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/microsofts-new-security-patching-routine-raises-concerns-215325
Google updated their Translate app today to give it the ability to translate *without* an internet connection. Languagges can be stored on the phone just like music is stored in Google Music:
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/03/27/google-translate-update-introduces-offline-support-for-50-languages/
Google will manufacture Google Glass in Santa Clara--it is nice that it can be made in California:
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/03/27/first-production-run-of-google-glass-to-be-built-right-here-in-the-u-s-of-a/
The city of Santa Clara will be providing free citywide outdoor WiFi, the first city that will use "smart meters" on homes to provide WiFi. Utilities are using the new meters to send electricity and water reports via wireless signals (instead of having to send a person to read the meter), but Santa is adding a extra channel that will provide the WiFi:
http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/03/santa-clara-california-installs-free.html
Study of the LTE data plans for all the major wireless carriers found that Verizon and T-Mobile had the cheapest data plans while Sprint and AT&T were more expensive. For most people there won't be much of a difference, but I'm surprised that Verizon is in the cheaper category:
http://akamai.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/4g-data-plans-less-choice-the-competition-might-indicate-215185