Wireless Wednesday for 9/24/14: Tech Topics are Discussed

Rick and Mitch will look at some of the current tech news topics

****  Apple Inc. pulled an update for the iPhone operating system after the new software caused some people to lose cellular service.

After rolling out the latest version of its iOS 8 mobile software on Wednesday, the Cupertino, California-based company withdrew the update when scores of customers experienced dropped cellular service so they couldn’t make calls. The fingerprint reading Touch ID feature also wasn’t working.

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1.  1.2 Billion Smartphones Will be Shipped in 2014

Leading mobile analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments will approach 1.2bn this year, an increase of 19% from 985m in 2013. The market is expected to be driven by growth in emerging markets, due to a continued surge in sales and adoption of low-cost Economy ($75-$150) and Ultra-Economy (sub-$75) smartphones.
See: www.juniperresearch.com
 



2.  The word "Google" is trademarked, but only as a noun

Even though "googling" and "Google it" are now common phrases, a federal court ruled that the "Google" trademark is still a valid trademark instead of a generic term (unlike former trademarks such as escalator, aspirin or yo-yo). The court distinguished between consumers using Google as a verb (such as "google it"), which didn't automatically make the term generic, and consumers using Google to describe one player in the market, which 90%+ of consumers still do.

3.   Men are much more likely than women to lose their smartphone

New data reveals something many women have suspected all along: men can be much more irresponsible than women when it comes to losing their electronic devices.

In fact, nearly half of employed men (46%) admit to being likely to lose the electronic device they use for work and all the important company files on it, compared to only 27% of employed women. Young employed men are the most likely to lose their electronic device, with a whopping 60% of men ages 18-34-years-old owning up to, compared to 30% of women in the same age group, according to a new study released by TeamViewer, which examined the behavior and attitudes of American office workers and how they affect on-the-job data loss.

Nearly half of employed men (46%) admit to being likely to lose the electronic device they use for work and all the important company files on it, compared to only 27% of employed women. Young employed men are the most likely to lose their electronic device, with a whopping 60% of men ages 18-34-years-old owning up to, compared to 30% of women in the same age group.

Executives in many organizations may frown upon the news that more than one-third (37%) of employed Americans in all say they are likely to lose the electronic device (smartphone, tablet or laptop) they use for work. The most common places to lose devices include:

⦁    A car (15%)
⦁    A restaurant (13%)
⦁    A hotel (13%)
⦁    On a train or bus (11%)
⦁    A plane (10%)

 

4. Microsoft Paid NFL $400 Million To Use Surface, But Announcers Call Them iPads

Those tablets NFL teams are using on the sidelines are the Microsoft Surface.  
Microsoft and the league ran into a problem during weeks one and two of the season when at least two television announcers mistakenly referred to the tablets as iPads, giving a huge rival some unexpected exposure. The announcers were John Lynch and Trent Dilfer.

App of the Week:

 Simplyhealth Back Care app

Free iOS app
Mitch's back prob may be more serious than this app can help with, but many people have ongoing and recurring back problems
The Simplyhealth Back Care app offers information and advice to help you manage and prevent back pain. There are graphics and videos of exercises for you to follow and you can input the area and strength of your pain to find those suitable for you. You can also search for practitioners near you from thousands of physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and acupuncturists.
All information and exercises are supplied by the UK charity BackCare.
With this app you'll be able to:

- Record where and how severe your own back pain is in the ‘Me and My Back’ diary
- Watch and follow exercise videos and animated illustrations of common back pain relief and prevention exercises
- Search for qualified practitioners near you

Find information on preventing back pain:

- At home
- In the office
- When driving
- When cycling