Last April, Samsung, king of the Android castle, released its two latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and the flashy, curvaceous Galaxy S6 edge. I spent nearly two months with each device, and then I wrote an enterprise-oriented review. To sum up that evaluation in a single sentence, I really like the GS6 phones, but they are, or were at the time, plagued by a "glaring Achilles heel."
Last month, a week after I got my Apple Watch, I took a trip from Boston to San Francisco to cover a wearable technology conference. I purposely loaded up on travel-related Watch apps -- or iPhone apps that have Apple Watch extensions -- with the idea that I'd write a post about my experiences.
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) this week announced the latest version of its Qi (pronounced "chee") wireless charging specification, which provides three times the amount of power as the majority of in-market Qi charging products. In fact, the new 15w WPC wireless spec offers the same amount of power as many wired charging options available today for mobile phones.
"Holy s#!t."
Today, U.K.-based automotive manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover released details about its ongoing research and experimentation with autonomous vehicles, including an app that controls a Range Rover from outside the vehicle and a system that automatically performs precise multi-point turns in tight situations.
For the first couple of weeks after I got my Apple Watch, its various sensors didn't get along. My Activity app was a mess; on Monday it tracked steps but not distance; Wednesday my distance traveled was more accurate, but the Exercise ring stayed stolidly at a sad two minutes; on Friday distance was OK, but my steps were way off.
Today's world of wearable technology is packed with gimmicky gizmos designed to grab eyeballs and then quietly fade into cyberspace. Companies such as Thalmic Labs are working to cut through the noise and develop useful, innovative gadgets that demonstrate the promise of wearables to consumers and enterprises.
Last week, at the Wearable World Congress in San Francisco, executives from Capital One, MasterCard and PayPal participated in an animated discussion about the future of mobile payments and explained why wearable technology is an important part of their companies' game plans.
"Is that the iWatch?"
Last week, I finally received my Apple Watch. I plan to write a number of related Watch tips and tricks stories, and I like to be able to provide visual aids in my posts whenever possible, so one of the first questions I asked myself was, How do I take a screen shot on the Apple Watch?
Samsung, one of the largest and most popular Android partners, has slowly been making inroads in enterprise. Last month, the company released its two new flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, which are identical except for the GS6 edge's curved display and slightly larger battery.
Something tells me Florida-based, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Seth Wahle is a bit of a character. Wahle, who is also an engineer at APA Wireless, tells Forbes.com that he paid an "unlicensed amateur" $40 to insert a small NFC chip housed in a glass capsule into his hand, between his thumb and forefinger, in an attempt to "biohack" -- when electronics designed for hacking are embedded in the body -- and control Android phones.
BMW this week showed off prototype augmented reality (AR) glasses designed to improve and enhance the driving experience in its fleet of MINI vehicles at the Auto Shanghai 2015 show in China. BMW's MINI subsidiary announced the concept smartglasses earlier this month, but it hadn't publicly demonstrated the device until this week.
Cords. Who needs 'em?
Samsung and Apple are the undisputed kings of the smartphone world, and both own right approximately 20 percent of the global market, according to recent research from IDC. Apple and the iPhone beat out Samsung and its seemingly endless array of handhelds in total sales to end users for the first time during the final quarter of last year, thanks in no small part to the white-hot market reception of both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.