Don't know which Home Assistant to Buy?

Here is a quick overview of the three major products that are in the market today, Apple (HomePod), Google (Google Home) or Amazon's (Amazon Echo). Which one of these out performs the other? What other considerations should you be thinking about? Take a look at this article and see if this helps you to decide.

Me, I have already made my commitment to the Echo line of products. Each of the different product lines have their different pro's that might make you lean towards that product. If all you are looking for is good sound for your music, I would probably stick with none of these and jump back to Sonos. It has the widest flexibility but will make the biggest dent in your pocketbook. If you are looking for the add-on apps to make the unit a true assistant, then the Echo is probably the product you should be looking at. If you are heavily into Google products and apps then it might be Google Home. Lot's of things to consider.

Is the USB-C connection really that great?

According to Intel the addition of USB-C connector in your mobile device gives you a single connection type for every use. With Apple’s disclosure that they are not going to include a headphone jack in the next iPhone release we are going to need some method of connecting a headphone to your device. While wireless Bluetooth headset/buds are an alternative, a lower power consumption method is much desired. We don’t want to do anything to diminish our battery life at all.

The most obvious advantage, at least to devices manufacturers, is slimmer phones. Without needing to route analog circuitry, a phone maker could switch to digital audio and shave off precious millimeters from the device's body. With digital audio, Saunders added, software and device makers could help cheaper earbuds take advantage of features reserved for more expensive headphones, like noise cancelling and bass boosting.

Another benefit is the ability of this connection to handle multiple functions simultaneowusly through the single connection. This means, you could be charging your phone, streaming music or video and transferring files all simultaneously. So, One connector to rule them all!

Apple Confirms that QuickTime for Windows is at End of Life

As with all End of Life products that means that there will be no more updates to the software. The main concern is that there will not be any more security updates and this piece of software can become a big hole in the security of your system. So you will need to consider alternatives to QuickTime if you haven't already. For most of us using a Windows System this is not a big deal since we don't really care about the Apple Centric World, we like the availability of choice and that is exactly what you have. Most everything that is being produced today will run on media player or groove, and if you want to get more sophisticated there are plenty of programs to choose from. So don't worry, no big deal!

However, even the government is getting in on suggesting that you uninstall QuickTime after two bugs were found in the current version that could be exploited. See article.

Should Smart Watches like the Apple Watch be considered a handheld device?

Yesterday I posted an article about Smart Watches being distracting to drivers and today I found an article at Appleinsider.com that reports that an Apple Watch owner was just fined in Quebec for operating his new Apple Watch while in the driver’s seat (report from CTV Montreal). The driver stated that he was using the watch’s built in music app to control his iPhone that was connected to his car’s stereo.

The ticket cited Section 439.1 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code, which reads, "No person may, while driving a road vehicle, use a hand-held device that includes a telephone function." Use of Bluetooth accessories, like headsets and hands-free equipment, is allowed. A literal interpretation could find Macesin not technically in violation of the statute, as the "handheld device" in this equation — Macesin's iPhone — was stowed in a bag and therefore unreachable.

My belief is that it is as much of a handheld device as a phone, being in this case an screen extension of the phone control. Just glancing at the watch to see what time it is, is one thing, but actually going through the menus and choosing options is another. What do you think?

Apple confirms that tattooed wrists will confuse Watch

Apple has stated:

Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can ... impact heart rate sensor performance. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings.

This technology, while difficult to pronounce, is based on a very simple fact: Blood is red because it reflects red light and absorbs green light. Apple Watch uses green LED lights paired with light‑sensitive photodiodes to detect the amount of blood flowing through your wrist at any given moment. When your heart beats, the blood flow in your wrist — and the green light absorption — is greater. Between beats, it's less. By flashing its LED lights hundreds of times per second, Apple Watch can calculate the number of times the heart beats each minute — your heart rate.

Dark inks, such as red, blue and black, are reportedly more likely to obscure heart rate readings, given how colors play into the device's sensor system.

There has also been some conjecture that the watch may not work as well with people who have darker skin. Hmmm, a bigoted watch.

The DOJ is poised to really slap Apple for its eBook price fixing case

The terms of the proposed settlement in the Apple e-book price fixing case were published on Friday by the Justice Department. An article by Neil Hughes posted at www.appleinsider.com stated that:

The DOJ said the change would allow consumers on the iPad and iPhone to "easily compare Apple's prices with those of its competitors." Currently, Apple takes a 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases made through App Store software, and does not allow developers to circumvent this rule by linking to a website for purchases.

According to the DOJ statement:

"Under the department’s proposed order, Apple's illegal conduct will cease and Apple and its senior executives will be prevented from conspiring to thwart competition in the future." - Bill Baer, assistant attorney general in charge of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division”

The result of this would be that Apple would be required to terminate its existing e-book agreements with the (5) major publishers that were originally cited for conspiring to fix prices. Those publishers were Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group,  Macmillan, Penguin Group, and HarperCollins Publishers. This settlement may also include other digital media products that Apple sells as well including music, movies, television, etc…

It will interesting if the proposal made public on Friday will be approved by the court but if it is, there could be some serious ramifications to Apple in the near future hitting them directly on the bottom line.

iLounge Article: Removing an iOS device from an iTunes account

By Jesse Hollington

Applications Editor, iLounge (Google+)
Published: Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Good show and tell how to remove an iOS device from your iTunes account. I like to earmark these for future use.

Remember that you can only have only a maximum of 10 devices per iTunes account and this is probably the main reason to get in and manage your device list.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Tab the Android Tablet Standard?

IDC stated that in Q2, 2012 the iPad was certainly the leader when it comes to the overall tablet market.. With 17 million iPads shipped during this period the next nearest competitive tablet was the Samsung Galaxy Tab that reached 2.4 million units during the same quarter. That means that iPads are outpacing its next nearest competitor by a ratio of greater than 7 to 1. Amazon shipped 1.2 million units in this same quarter. It will be interesting to see how the Nexus 7 fairs this quarter in the mix.

In the fourth quarter Microsoft is going to be jumping into the fray as well with their Windows Surface RT tablet and that is going to make it that much more interesting as well. The question is whether we are going to see that many more tablets being sold or whether one or another will start eating into each other’s sales.

What do you think?

Apple releases fix for Flashback malware

Apple has released a fix to remove the Flashback malware that is reportedly affecting 1 percent of all Macs. The fix is in the form of a Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets. Users may re-en-able automatic execution of Java applets using the Java Preferences application.

This Java security update removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware.

This update also configures the Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets. Users may re-enable automatic execution of Java applets using the Java Preferences application. If the Java web plug-in detects that no applets have been run for an extended period of time it will again disable Java applets.

This update is recommended for all Mac users with Java installed.

For details about this update see: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5242

Sharing iTunes & iCloud Accounts in a Family

One of the biggest pains when it comes to synching your ios products is having multiple accounts or sharing a single iTunes account. iLounge has a Q&A that is helpful in understanding how to use and what to think about when setting up your accounts.

The discussion includes both iCloud and iTunes considerations. Hope this helps.

Flashback trojan is believed to have infected more than 600,000 Macs worldwide…

Welcome to the party Mac owners. This trojan horse program “Flashback” surfaced last last year is reported by several sources to have created a botnet on more than 600,000 Macs around the world, with more than half of them in the US alone.

Apple released a Java Security update on Tuesday to resolve the vulnerabilities that the malware is exploiting, but not before a number of Mac users had been hit with the malicious software. Oracle first issued a fix for the vulnerability in February as reported by AppleInsider.

CNNTech has a Mashable article here that shows you how to find out if your Mac has the Flashback Trojan. After determining whether you are infected or not be sure you install the latest Apple security update to fix the vulnerability.

Intel’s Thunderbolt initiative coming soon on a PC near you

Acer, Asustek, Lenovo expected to begin adopting Thunderbolt this spring and are expected to initially have this connector on their proposed ultrabook devices. All three PC makers are expected to introduce new Ultrabooks incorporating Intel's Ivy Bridge platform with support for Thunderbolt.

Intel's next Ivy Bridge chip platform, the successor to Sandy Bridge, includes native support for USB 3.0, but does not support Thunderbolt across the board. Support for Thunderbolt increases the cost of PCs by more than $20.

As a result, Thunderbolt is only expected to be adopted among high-end notebooks or desktops in 2012. The new Intel-driven standard for PCI Express data paired with DisplayPort video is however expected to be fully standardized by 2013.

Apple aggressively rolled out support for Thunderbolt last year, adding it to all of its Mac product lines apart from the Mac Pro, which already has PCI Express slots. Thunderbolt hard drives and other devices have started to trickle into the market behind Apple's own Thunderbolt Display, with docks and external PCIe slot enclosures being shown at CES last month.

HP states that it doesn’t see the value proposition of the Thunderbolt Technology and intends to exclusively support USB 3.0.

DigiTimes reported Tuesday that Thunderbolt and its 10Gbps data connection speed could "greatly affect" adoption of the competing USB 3.0 port in the future. It said that in addition to Apple, which added Thunderbolt to its latest line of MacBook Pros, Sony is also said to be considering adopting the technology into its high-end notebooks.

Last Spring, Intel publicly said it planned to support USB 3.0 alongside Thunderbolt. But sources reportedly said that Intel is simply hedging its bets by adding USB 3.0 support to its next-generation chips, code-named "Ivy Bridge."
"Sources believe Intel's strategy of adopting both technologies into its next generation products is to minimize the risks of placing all the eggs into one basket," the report said.

People in the PC industry reportedly believe that USB 3.0 is a "transitional product" with legacy support for older USB devices. Thunderbolt, on the other hand, is viewed as the true next-generation successor.

Formerly code-named "Light Peak," Thunderbolt has data transfer speeds that are 20 times faster than the current market standard, USB 2.0. Thunderbolt's 10Gbps speeds are also twice as fast as the USB 3.0 specification.
For comparison, a FireWire 800 port is 800Mbps, while an Express Card slot has bandwidth of 2.5Gbps.

Thunderbolt's speeds are accomplished with copper wire, though previous versions of Light Peak were demonstrated with fiber optic strands allowing speeds of up to 100Gbps. Thunderbolt was co-developed by Intel and Apple.

How To: Setting up an iTunes Store Allowance Account

If you have an IOS device then you are probably as unhappy with your experience with it as most of us. iLounge author Jesse David Hollington has written a complete guide to using the iTunes store and here is a tutorial on setting up an allowance account for your kids…

From iLounge The Complete Guide to Using the iTunes Store:

Making Allowances

If you’re a parent who may not be particularly enthused about the idea of giving your son or daughter unlimited access to the iTunes Store, you’ll be happy to hear that Apple provides an allowance feature. Instead of setting up an account for your son or daughter with your actual credit card, you would set up your own iTunes Store account that only you access, and then set up an automatic monthly credit to your offspring’s iTunes Store account, ranging from $10 to $50 per month, in $10 increments. You can initiate this process from the Buy iTunes Gifts section by scrolling down to the “Allowances” heading and clicking Set up an allowance now.

You are prompted to enter your own name and the recipients name, choose an amount to send out on the first of each month, and whether to send the first installment now or wait until the beginning of the next month. You can also choose to either create a new Apple ID for the recipient, or use their existing Apple account if they have already set one up. You can also enter a personal message to go with the allowance. The recipient will receive an e-mail

If you opt to create a new Apple Account for the recipient, you’re taken briefly through the process of setting up the Apple ID and password for the recipient. The date of birth is used for password recovery, and the default question is set to “Who gave you your allowance?” with the allowance provider’s name as the answer.

After you’ve filled in the necessary information, you’re shown a purchase confirmation screen to confirm that everything is correct before hitting the “Buy” button.

The recipient will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access their iTunes Store account and information on the allowance itself. They will also receive a notification each month on the first of the month when their allowance installment is deposited to their account.

You can manage allowances that you have given out from your normal iTunes Store account management screen. Click on the “Manage Allowances” button will take you to a screen where you can view the allowances that you have set up, and choose to either modify the amounts, suspend the allowance until you re-enable it, or remove it entirely. You can also create additional new allowance from here.

Allowance funds will appear as a credit balance in the recipient’s iTunes Store account in the same way as a gift card or gift certificate, and work in the same manner—purchases come from the gift balance first, and any purchases which exceed the remaining balance must be funded with a separate payment method. Basically, an allowance is just the automated equivalent of buying a gift certificate at the beginning of each month. Keep in mind also that accounts receiving an allowance still function as normal independent iTunes Store accounts, and these users are not prevented from buying additional content using their own payment method. In fact, parents can supplement the allowance on special occasions by purchasing gift certificates or gift cards.

Adding PDF’s directing to your iBook Library

I use my iPad for many different purposes but having it as a portable reference device is a big benefit. Besides creating my own PDF documents and storing them in either DropBox or iBook I also collect PDF’s from other sources as well. If you are using your iPad to do research on the internet using Safari as your browser and you come upon a PDF download you can now not only display that PDF in Safari but also save it to your iBook library for future reading/reference. Once you have the PDF loaded in Safari notice in the upper top right of the screen that you have a Open in “iBooks” button choice. The PDF will be immediately transported to your iBook App and displayed on the screen for you. If you exit back to the Library you can then Edit and Move the new document into the “Collection” that you wish it to reside. While it is displayed on the screen you have the ability to print or email it or, of course, just sit back and read it.

Should You consider upgrading to the new iPhone 4S?

There have a lot of articles written in the past few weeks that would leave you to believe that the iPhone 4S is the best smartphone that has ever been made and for a person like myself that love new technology the twinge has started deep inside me to make the leap. I am still sitting on a iPhone 3GS and it still does the job it was designed for fairly well. In all honesty, I really only use the app side of the phone for very limited functions and routinely pull out one of my iPads to do most of the things that I use these types of devices for. The reason is quite simple, I like the bigger screen. In fact, if the iPad was available in a 12 or 13 inch screen I would probably jump on that before upgrading my phone.

So let’s get back to my question. If you are a heavy phone user and want the technology upgrades that the iPhone offers then you may be a candidate. My first question: What are you upgrading from? If you own an Android, haven’t you already made the commitment in that camp to continue with the apps you have purchased and the learning curve of using that particular interface? I would probably stay with Android because you probably are there for many reasons the IOS technology cannot give you. However, if you don’t have a smartphone yet, or have and earlier version of the iPhone, then you are probably a good candidate to make the upgrade except if you are an iPhone 4 owner.

I’m not sure the difference in technology between the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s is great enough to take the financial hit you will probably take jumping out of you current service agreement. And how will you feel when in 8-10 months from now the new iPhone 5 finally does come out with whatever wonder technology it will bring to the table. I would really be tempted to wait and see in that case.

If you are a proud owner of an iPhone 3GS or earlier then the differences between the devices is much greater. You will get a better camera (8 megapixel) with a better lens, and two cameras at that. MG Siegler noted in his October 11^th post for TechCrunch:

The camera is an even bigger deal to me. As I’ve been following for some time, and Apple noted last week, the iPhone has become the most popular camera in the world if you go by the images uploaded to Flickr. And it’s not even close. This new camera in the iPhone 4S goes above and beyond. And it’s going to push that lead even further.

If the point-and-shoot market wasn’t in trouble before, it will be now.

Much will be made about the upgrade from 5 megapixels to 8 megapixels with the iPhone 4S. But the bigger difference is the engineering behind the new camera. Apple notes with pride that their engineers were able to completely re-architect this tiny camera to produce images that are on par with the nicest point-and-shoots available. They credit five “precision elements” to record incoming light (versus four in the already excellent iPhone 4 camera) and the inclusion of a larger f/2.4 aperture to bring in more light.

Also great is that the iPhone 4S camera can shoot 1080p video for the first time. The iPhone 4 is limited to 720p. The 4S also features video stabilization, to ensure your home videos won’t make viewers want to vomit. Testing this out, it seems to work pretty well.

You will have a much faster processor so that those applications that you are running will run much more smoothly. There is even a big difference between the 4 and 4S which might make you iPhone 4 owners to make the leap anyway if speed is important to you.

You will get Siri, your own personal assistant, though it is in its beginning stages it is really kind of a neat application. In the coming months when Apple opens up the API to its army of third party programmers it will be interesting to see where they will take this part of the 4S. The limitations currently are that there only a few apps that it integrates with and they are all Apple applications. We need to see better integration with some business functions but it is really a fun and interesting start anyway. This one feature will probably be the tipping point for most new buyers and will be the ONE main competitive feature that other phones will need to compete against. The biggest downside with this technology is that it uses server side software to function and this means that you need to be connected to the internet for it to work.

So what do you think?

iPhone 4 owner – if you still have time on your contract this is a pricey upgrade. If the camera, speed and/or Siri are important to you then you may want to do this. If not you will need to wait out your contract and then take a look at what is out there at that time. You will get the IOS 5 upgrade anyway, just not with Siri.

iPhone 3GS or earlier or a new smartphone want-to-be’s – This will be a much easier decision. All of the features, including the IOS 5 will make a big difference in how you work with your phone. For me it’s an easy call. I have the 3GS, the camera will allow me to carry a much better point and shoot with me (I am a camera buff you know), I love faster and love Voice to Text Recognition functions (I use this a lot in my daily work when writing up long winded descriptions). So I will be one of those sitting in queue shortly to get my hands on this new device.

Thunderbolt Technology-Intel’s new high-speed PC Connection Technology

Press Release:

Intel Corporation today announced the availability of Thunderbolt technology, a new high-speed PC connection technology that brings together high-speed data transfer and high-definition (HD) display on to a single cable. Running at 10 Gbps, Thunderbolt technology can transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds. This Intel-developed technology is coming to market through a technical collaboration with Apple, and is available first on Apple's new line of MacBook Pro laptop computers.

Thunderbolt technology formally known as Light Peak, is envisioned as a technology to move media faster between devices and simplify device connections. It will combine high=-speed data and HD video connections onto a single cable. Thunderbolt will be used to connect PCI Express for data transfer and DisplayPort for display systems.

PCI Express has the flexibility to connect to almost any type of device, and DisplayPort can drive greater than 1080p resolution displays and up to eight channels of audio simultaneously. Thunderbolt technology is compatible with existing DisplayPort displays and adapters. All Thunderbolt technology devices share a common connector, and let individuals simply daisy-chain their devices one after another, connected by electrical or optical cables.

What is Thunderbolt technology and how does it work

Developed by Intel (under the code name Light Peak), and brought to market with technical collaboration from Apple. Thunderbolt technology is a new, high-speed, dual-protocol I/O technology designed for performance, simplicity, and flexibility. This high-speed data transfer technology features the following:

• Dual-channel 10 Gbps per port
• Bi-directional
• Dual-protocol (PCI Express* and DisplayPort*)
• Compatible with existing DisplayPort devices
• Daisy-chained devices
• Electrical or optical cables
• Low latency with highly accurate time synchronization
• Uses native protocol software drivers
• Power over cable for bus-powered devices

Intel's Thunderbolt controllers interconnect a PC and other devices, transmitting and receiving packetized traffic for both PCIe and DisplayPort protocols. Thunderbolt technology works on data streams in both directions, at the same time, so users get the benefit of full bandwidth in both directions, over a single cable. With the two independent channels, a full 10 Gbps of bandwidth can be provided for the first device, as well as additional downstream devices.

And all Thunderbolt devices share a common connector, allowing users to daisy chain devices one after another with interoperable cables.

What Thunderbolt means to users

Thunderbolt technology enables using the thinnest and lightest laptops and connecting to the extra power and performance of other devices when needed, using a single cable. Adding new performance devices is simple and easy—just plug and play—making Thunderbolt technology powerful and flexible.

Thunderbolt technology was specifically designed with professional audio and video applications in mind, where the inherently low latency and highly accurate time synchronization features play a crucial role.

Workstation performance expansion, now with a laptop

With Thunderbolt enabled products, video editing and sharing using Intel® Quick Sync Video technology is even faster and easier.

Data transfers for backup, sharing, and editing are tremendously accelerated using Thunderbolt products, significantly reducing times to complete these tasks.

And Thunderbolt enabled products are compatible with existing DisplayPort devices so you don’t have to go buy a new display to take advantage of a Thunderbolt technology enabled computer.

What does Thunderbolt technology mean for the PC industry

By tapping into the performance and protocols delivered over Thunderbolt technology, designers are free to innovate new PC products and configurations, no longer constrained to the boundaries of the chassis walls. Thunderbolt technology enables engineers to:

• Design standalone performance expansion technologies commonly used in desktops and workstations, using existing native device drivers and interconnected by a single cable.
• Introduce thinner and lighter laptops, expandable through Thunderbolt technology and its miniature connector designed for mobile applications, without sacrificing I/O performance.
• Extend to reach other I/O technologies by using adapters that use widely available PCI Express controllers. It's simple to create a Gigabit Ethernet, or FireWire, or eSATA adapters using existing device PCI Express drivers.

Thunderbolt products require a controller chip supplied by Intel and a small connector that would be included in platforms supporting this technology. The Thunderbolt controller chip provides protocol switching capabilities to support the two protocols over a single cable. Intel is making its controller chip available to the industry, and is working with other component manufacturers to deliver the Thunderbolt connectors and cables.

Apple's subscription plan: Time for an app work stoppage | ZDNet

Thought that this was an interesting article about how Apple’s “greed” may get in the way of their keeping their current high market position in the smartphone/tablet world. If they have companies like Amazon, Netflix and Hulu pull their apps from iTunes then they will begin to miss a large part of the entertainment market when it comes to streaming media. This might not be as big a problem for the iPhone but the iPad may see some serious fallout to the android tablets that will soon be plentiful. The sooner that these new tablets are out and provide and alternative the the Apple monopoly the sooner they may see this happen. I would hate for my sake, since I own an iPad to lose these streaming services because I do use them on my tablet but it isn’t my only use of it. If I have to go back to my PC or grab a new device I will probably do it.

Apple's subscription plan: Time for an app work stoppage | ZDNet

Now Google is drawing a line in the sand!

Apple was the first on the video playback fight by denying video playback of flash based graphics. Now our friends at Google Have decided to pull support of H.264 encoded videos from their Chrome browser.

H.264 is used on Blue-ray discs and in many consumer based video products but has some issues that must be considered. Many Web standards advocates oppose using it because it is based on a patented video compression format that licenser's have to pay a royalty fee in able to use it. This closes the open format discussion that Apple is using as one of its arguments against Adobe Flash content.

Google is trying to push its own WebM Format to replace H.264. The technology behind the WebM project originated with On2 a company that Google purchased in August 2009. The VP8 codec doesn't have the patent and royalty issues and still provides comparable video quality in respect with H.264.

As this battle continues to heat up to be the winner of the codec war, the loser in reality is us!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad