Wireless Wednesday for 2/11/15: Companies to Watch in 2015

Rick and Mitch look into the crystal ball and talk about some companies that utilize technology in what they do, and why you should be familair with them...

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 2/11/15 on 92.9 The Game’ on audioBoom

1.  SpaceX
www.spacex.com

Owned by entreprenuer, Elon Musk, SpaceX is about to launch a 14-story tall rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

If all goes according to plan, Falcon 9 will launch into space, jettison its Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite, and return to Earth to land on a 300-by-100-foot barge off the coast of Florida. DSCOVR will orbit the Earth for 110 days to monitor the planet's solar winds, which are capable of disrupting power grids, aviation, and GPS.
SpaceX wants to revolutionize space tachnology and travel, with a goal of going to other planets.
 


2.  Tesla Motors  - also owned by Musk
www.teslamotors.com

Tesla designs and manufactures premium electric vehicles. Tesla currently produces the Model S sedan and is taking reservations for the Model X SUV.
Tesla prices start at $35,000

 

3. Epson

Epson is branching out.  It's not just printers and projectors anymore.

Epson is getting into golf with their new swing analysis monitor-  coming out in over a month.

Epson Smart glasses are being used by Android developers to create augmented reality business apps

·        Epson Robots are being used by business from big pharma (e.g., airborne drug testing) to big agra (e.g., stuffing jalapenos into olives), and in hundreds of other industrial applications

·        Epson is working with fashion designers around the world to print never-before-seen designs on fabric – check out its plans for NYC’s Fashion Week

 
4.  GoPro

Yes, the action camera company.

GoPro is at the very early stages of becoming a media and publishing engine.
GoPro will be a media company.
GoPro wants to be a media company. That transformation—physical goods to digital media—is one that many companies are making these days, and it's an intuitive next step for GoPro.

The convergence of social and mobile publishing has created all kinds of well-defined channels for content distribution, and audiences already congregate around those channels. So why wouldn't a retailer or manufacturer want to put its product in front of them? For GoPro, becoming a media company means tapping into a distribution network with content that makes people want to buy GoPro cameras.

 

5. Apple

No big surprise here, but Apple Watch will sell at least 30 million devices and increase Apple’s market share of the app market where they will continue to see higher monetization than Android.

6.  WeChat and Line

As WeChat and Line have demonstrated, you can build an entire computing ecosystem around chat, allowing people to book taxis, bank, chat, exchange goods, and play games.  We will be chatting and using message and text features even more.
 


App of the week  

TVSofa 2 - Track your favorite shows and movies

.99 app

TVSofa is the best tool for tracking series and movies on your iPhone and iPad. With this universal app you will discover new shows and movies and save then in your favorites list to access then later.

WONDERFUL DESIGN
• TVSofa has been designed for iOS7, but it is also works great with iOS6.
• Easy to use. With just a tap you can find all popular, best rated and playing now movies and shows, access to your favorites, open the series calendar, etc…
• Customize the interface with one of the beautiful themes we provide you.

BEST SERVICES FOR BEST MEDIA INFO
• TVSofa uses great services like TheMovieDB, TheTVDb, Trakt.tv or Series.ly for finding the best media info.
• Use the filters to find the movie or show you are interested looking for.
• Access all the actors info, including their filmography.
• Access all the users comments and watch the trailer in your language.
• View and download all the movie and serie artwork.
• Get the media info localized in your language (just open the settings menu and change it).
• Full Series.ly data synchronization (a series.ly account is necessary).

TRACK YOUR FAVORITES SERIES
• Now you can track your favorites shows in a really easy way.
• Use the built-in daily calendar to know when is your favorite show aired.
• Receive notifications on your device two hours before a new episode starts.

WORKS GREAT WITH OTHER DEVICES
• TVSofa is an universal app, that means that works great with iPhone and iPad. Only one app for all devices.
• With the Series.ly synchronization, all your data will be up-to-date on all your devices.
• TVSofa is compatible with "Video Web Downloader" *(available on the App Store).
 

Wireless Wednesday on 92.9 The Game for 11/19/14: Black Friday Deals

Rick says, it's never to early to start planning for Black Friday if you are a holiday shopper.

There are deals, especially when it comes to gadgets and tech.

Here are some great Black Friday deals - listen to both parts 1 and 2.

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 11/19/14 on 92.9 The Game Part 1’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 11/19/14 on 92.9 The Game Part 2’ on audioBoom

1.  Staples with a $99 ASUS Laptop

It's the Asus X205-TA Laptop and it will be on sale for $99.99. It's a basic laptop in the era or gaming machines and expensive tablets.

Remember, it's under $100.

Here are the specs you need to know:

It has an Intel Atom processor, 2GB RAM, a 32GB Hard drive, and an 11.6" HD

The 32GB Hard Drive is Flash memory and it comes preloaded with Windows 8.1 and Bing.

As far as slots, you get two USB 2.0 and one Micro HDMI ports.
 


2. Target - Beats by Dr. Dre  Solo Headphones  $97

Regular price almost $200. Beats products almost never go on sale.

 

3.  hh gregg   - Seiki 40" 1080p Smart LED HDTV - $178.00

hhgregg will be offering Thanksgiving Doorbusters while supplies last from 4PM until midnight on November 27th. Black Friday doorbusters run while supplies last from 7AM to 10PM. The ad says that sale prices are valid from November 27th through November 29th.

Seiki 40" LED HDTV feature Seiki's own Muse Streaming Media service and 1920 x 1080 panel resolution.

This TV may be from a brand you don't recognize, but it's a quality TV.
 

4. HP 7 Stream Tablet -    $99 on HP.com

Tablet that looks just like your Windows 8 desktop.

Runs Windows 8.1, lots extras

Fast processor 32 GB of storage

A true Windows experience in a tablet

5.  Adidas is #OpenAllWinter

Adidas launched its global winter social media initiative #openallwinter Nov. 1, 2014, inviting participants to take snapshots of themselves enjoying outdoor activities and sharing them through social media accounts. Great hiking shoes and boots, vests, jackets and more...  use the hashtag #openallwinter
 

6.  Sprint tells me they are going to have some sort of Doorbuster on one of the most popular Android phones - The Samsung Galaxy S5

* App of the week:
 

Ebates app for iPhone and iPad

Free

Ebates.com pays you to shop online! Earn up to 26% Cash Back every time you shop with a FREE account! In fact, you will get a $5 bonus when you make your first purchase.
Ebates works with 1,700 stores including Sephora, JCPenney, Kohl's, Home Depot, Overstock.com, Groupon, and Walmart, so you are sure to find your favorites.
In addition to Cash Back, Ebates has thousands of great online coupons, free shipping, and special offers from its stores, so you always get the best deal.

FEATURES:
CASH BACK
Earn up to 26% Cash Back at over 1,600 stores including Sephora, JCPenney, Kohl's, Home Depot, Overstock.com, Groupon, and Walmart.
BUY NOW
Instantly buy items from product search and mobile browser. Store your payment and shipping information for quick checkout.

*No strings attached and it’s a great way to save extra money on everything holiday shoppers are planning on buying anyway—from travel tickets to gadgets to clothes and accessories.  

Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer great deals—sometimes double cash back—on everything you buy.
Supported Stores include: Ann Taylor, Bloomingdales, Carter's, GNC, JCPenney, Joe's New Balance, Kate Spade, Kohl's, Lancome, Macy's, Nautica, Office Depot, Overstock, ShoeBuy, Shoes.com, Under Armour, & Walgreens

 

Wireless Wednesday for 10/29/14: Gadgets and Tech for Safe Driving

Rick is back home this week - October is Teen Driver Safety Month, so thought we would take a look at some gadgets and tech that allow you to drive in a more safely fashion. This is also a great topic, as Mitch was in a "fender bender" last week.

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 10/29/14 on 92.9 The Game’ on audioBoom

1.   Breeze Is a Bluetooth Breathalyzer That Will Get You Home in Style

Breeze is a new Bluetooth breathalyzer that connects to your phone and aims to make you more aware of your drinking habits and state of drunkenness in real time. The inventor, Breeze founder and CEO Charles Michael Yim, says that the gadget could ultimately help you skip that “one more” drink that pushes you past the line of legal sobriety — or, at the very least, get you home safe by recognizing when you’re over the limit and automatically calling an Uber or a cab to pick you up.

“It’s not necessarily for the party outlet only,” Yim told Yahoo Tech in an (alcohol-free) demo last week. “This is really a great product for the casual drinker. A lot of our customers are moms that have dinner parties, dads who have poker nights, early professionals who have happy hour — it kind of extends beyond safety.”

$99.99 at http://store.breathometer.com/products/breeze

 

2. Straight Talk Wireless' Safe Driver Car Connection

Rick attended the #SafeTeen event at Six Flags two weeks ago.

And he got to drive the test track with Indy Car Racer Scott Harrington and see a cool new product - Safe Driver Car Connection, a new device from Straight Talk Wireless that keeps track of every move the car makes. There is also an app that disables incoming calls and texts when the car is in motion, and even allows parents to monitor the safety of teen drivers right from their smartphone.
The device connects to your vehicle’s OBD-II port.

Also they say, "parents are the key" to teens driving safely.
 

 


3. Progressive Snapshot

Progressive recently came out with a new car insurance gadget called “Snapshot”. The purpose behind Snapshot is to monitor your driving habits and lower your insurance accordingly. The Snapshot device monitors the time of day or night you drive, how frequently you make a hard stop, and the number of miles you drive. It doesn’t monitor the speed or location of your vehicle, so there’s no need to worry about Snapshot being too invasive. Once you plug the Snapshot device into the port under your steering wheel.

Progressive assesses your driving skills. If you’re a great driver, the gadget helps the company determine how to lower your insurance costs. Depending on your habits and abilities, your insurance can be lowered by 0 to 30%.

 

4. Windshield Wonder

Makes Cleaning Windshields Fast and Easy!
Includes: 16 in. Windshield Wonder Handle; Two Microfiber Bonnets; Spray Bottle

A dirty windshield can be irritating and downright dangerous!  Cleaning the inside of your windshield is a pain because you must strain and stretch.  Not anymore!

Introducing Windshield Wonder! It Combines a microfiber cloth with a long reach handle and a pivoting head to make windshield cleaning faster and easier then ever.  What's more, you don't even need window cleaning spray.  The scientific microfiber cleans spotlessly with just plain tap water!  It's amazing.

It's also a great way to defog your windshield when you don't have time to wait for your car defroster to take effect!  You won't know how you lived without it

$9.99 at retailers

 
5.  AAA 42-piece Road Emergency Kit

Available at Amazon for about $25
    Canvas
    Flashlight with batteries
    Keep in your car
    8 gauge heavy duty booster cable
    Compact storage bag with handles
    Most trusted name in travel
* Also , 1 safety vest, 1 roll of duct tape, 1 2-in-1 screw driver, 6 assorted sizes of fuses, and first aid kit

 

* App of the week:

The Voting App

Free
Become an educated voter.
The Voting AppTM is every voter’s new best friend! It is the first mobile app of its kind, aggregating all of the critical information needed for potential voters.  Whether you’re looking for general information on candidates, trying to understand what issues are on the ballot, or even trying to figure out which polling location corresponds to your address, the Voting AppTM is there for you each step of the way.

The Voting AppTM allows users to compare candidates and create a “fantasy ballot” of their own which can be saved as well as shared across social media. Customized notifications and reminders prompt users to the election polls on election days and the users are then guided to the polls via the devices’ native navigation feature.  Users are also prompted to share the app and encourage others to get out and vote! The Voting AppTM will help to make sure your voice is heard.
 
 

Wireless Wednesday for 10/8/14: Atlantic City and the Best Golf Course Apps

Rick and Mitch look at some of the best apps dedicated to Golf Courses and what they offer

Rick and his wife Lindsay have been out on the left coast for the last week on the Monterrey Peninsula and at the First Tee Open, Champions Tour event at Pebble Beach and Rick played the newly renovated Poppy Hills course in Carmel.

He's in Atlantic City this week.

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 10/8/14 on 92.9 The Game Part 1’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 10/8/14 on 92.9 The Game Part 2’ on audioBoom

1.  Poppy Hills iOS and Android app

Rick played the legendary Poppy Hills Course last week and used the app while playing.

The Poppy Hills App includes a GPS enabled yardage guide, 3D flyovers, live scoring and much more!
Soak in the symphony of nature playing all around you. There's the quiet roar of the ocean, the distant crash of waves, the occasional bark of a sea lion. There's the chirping of birds, the crunching of wildlife scurrying across the forest floor, the pattering of deer dashing across the fairway. Throw in a little percussion — the solid knock of a golf ball against a stately Monterey Pine. Welcome to Poppy Hills, the closest experience in golf to a round in a national park. The peaceful and serene backdrop sets the scene for a tranquil trip through the grand Del Monte Forest in Pebble Beach.
 


2. The Dunes (Myrtle Beach)

http://thedunesclub.net/Golf/Misc-Information-14.html

Available for both iOS and Android devices, The Dunes app gives you a tour of one of the best courses in Myrtle Beach and so much more.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club was formed in 1947 by Myrtle Beach area businessmen. Designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones, The Dunes is thought to be his finest work, incorporating many of his favorite design features into one course.

The Dunes app allows you to book tee times, includes a GPS yardage guide, and includes a course scorecard. If you are going to play The Dunes, why not have the official app downloaded and ready to go on your smartphone?


3.  Augusta Golf HD  -  Free for your iPad

A great overview of Augusta National along with Masters info

 
4. Bandon Golf  - for Bandon Dunes (The golf Mecca in Oregon)

Free for iOS

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bandon-golf/id726285282?mt=8
This Bandon Golf App features free, unlimited, reliable and accurate GPS, Scoring and Stats for the local courses, including all five at the renowned Bandon Dunes Resort.

Courses Mapped for GPS, Scoring & Stats:
Bandon Dunes
Pacific Dunes
Old MacDonald
Bandon Trails
Bandon Preserve
Bandon Crossings
Bandon Face Rock

5. Seaview Golf App

Rick was just in Atlantic City and tried out the free Seaview app

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seaview-golf-resort/id519822472?mt=8

The OFFICIAL Seaview Golf Resort app gives golfers a free, easy to use, interactive combination of comprehensive course information, GPS positioning, digital scorecard, augmented reality range finder, and various other useful club-specific features.

GPS CADDIE
- Instantly view distances to the tee, front, back, and middle of the green, as well as par for each hole
- Interactive shot positioning: simply touch the shot target to move it and get instantly updated distances from your current position
- Full aerial satellite zoom capability
- Pro Tips: take a tip from the pros on how to play the hole with our built-in Pro Tip feature

SCORECARD
- Easy to use scorecard for up to four players
- Add players manually or from your device's address book
- Auto-populates par for each hole and allows you to simply add or subtract from par
- Includes auto-calculating cards for both Skins and Gross
- Email your full scorecard at the end of a round to yourself or to a friend to show off your skills

RANGE FINDER
- View distances to the front, back, and middle of the green in state-of-the-art augmented reality

OTHER APP FEATURES INCLUDE
- Book tee times right from the app!
- Exclusive relevant Special Offers from local and national companies
- Real-time weather forecast

 
6. St. Andrews Links - The Home of Golf app

Free

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/st-andrews-links-home-golf/id623979848?mt=8

Welcome to the official iPhone app for St Andrews Links Trust.

Bringing you closer than ever to the beauty, history and heritage of the Home of Golf. The official iPhone app of St Andrews Links Trust provides the most comprehensive digital coverage available.

The official St Andrews Links Trust app features:

• The Links In-depth – Details of all 7 Links courses at your fingertips with hole guides, interactive scorecards and hints to help you shoot your best score.
• An interactive planner to organise every step of your trip from tee times to flights.
• “Prepare to Visit” by Allianz, providing a wealth of useful information to help you before and during your visit to the Links.
• The latest news from the Links, from course updates to the latest tournament information and competitions across the Links,
• Keep up to date with latest weather by viewing the current conditions powered by Allianz WeatherSafe.
• Stunning photography of the Links and the town.

 

App of the Week:

3-D Sun and Moon for iPad - A high tech compass app

$2.99 but often it is Free

3D Sun and Moon Virtualization app on iPad!
This is a virtual 3D compass sphere which shows the position of Sun and Moon in the sky with perfect application of virtual reality technology! Full utilization of the build-in digital compass and accelerometer drive the best user experience.
With the cutting edge signal processing technique and applying the raw data directly from the build-in digital compass chip instead of the existing degree provided by Core Location API, this app has fast reaction and high accruacy, which is as fast as the gyro app Jobs shows on the WWDC ;)

Features:
- The 3D compass in a fantastic crystal ball will always point to the True North, no matter you rotate or position the phone in which direction.
- You could see the current position of the Sun and Moon simultaneously on the 3D compass ball, and the 24-hour orbit of the Sun and Moon will be displayed as a circle surround the ball.
- Display the time of Sun rise/set and moon rise/set.
- Time and date can be adjusted smoothly, the position of Sun and Moon will move simultaneously with the changing of the date or time.
- User can choose current location from a world map by trigger the top left location button, this is mainly designed for iPad WIFI version which may not get the location from

Wireless Wednesday for 9/3/14: Mobile, Alabama and Tech Ripoffs

Rick is in Mobile, AL this week wrapping up 5 trips in about 3 1/2 weeks

Seeing some new high tech attractions in Mobile, AL.

The new GulfQuest opens in 2015 -  First maritime museum to focus on the Gulf of Mexico.

 
Mobile is the birthplace of more MLB Hall of Famers than any other city.

Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige, Ozzie Smith and Billy Williams all grew up playing baseball on the fields of Mobile. Willie Mays born in the area, so was Don Sutton.

www.mobilebay.org

Have a listen to both parts:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 9/3/14 on 92.9 The Game Part 1’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 9/3/14 on 92.9 The Game Part 2’ on Audioboo

**Topics**   - Tech Ripoffs

1. AOL still has 2.4 million paying subscribers

For most, AOL is is a distant memory: you might have an Instant Messenger account around somewhere, and your favorite aunt uses it for e-mail. Oh, and you think that they might own some sites you visit sometimes, like Joystiq and TechCrunch. However, even as it works hard at becoming a content company, AOL still earns a lot of money from selling Internet service to people, including dialup.

How much money? According to their most recent quarterly earnings statement, which was released this morning, about a third of the company’s revenue still comes from members who pay a monthly AOL subscription bill. The actual figure is $196.1 million. That number doesn’t include people who retain free accounts so they can keep their AOL e-mail addresses. The company takes in an average of $19.41 per paying customer per month, but they’re losing about 9% of their subscribers every year. Their subscriber total is down from 2.54 million after the second quarter last year.

 

2.  Internal Memory Upgrades on Phones/Tablets

If you install a lot of games on your mobile device or take lots of media files with you, you'll want 32GB or 64GB of storage, rather than the paltry 16GB that often comes preloaded on smartphones. Unfortunately, the cost of going from a 16GB to 32GB phone is $100, and that's if there's even a 32GB option available. It's a $200 to jump up to 64GB. By contrast, it costs manufacturers just 50 cents per GB to put that additional storage in your phone. Such companies as Apple, which charges $399 for its 64GB iPhone and $199 for the 16GB model, are hoping you'll pay $200 extra for Flash memory that's only worth $16.

Fortunately, there's an easy way to get the phone storage you need and avoid getting gouged. Buy a phone that comes with a microSD card slot, and purchase a 64GB card for $30 (a 32GB card goes for just $15). This is available on most Android phones.

3. Paying 4G Connection Fees for Tablets, Laptops

You pay enough for mobile broadband on your phone, so there's no reason to spend extra money getting your tablet, laptop or connected camera online. For example, AT&T and Verizon both charge $10 extra a month for each tablet to share the same bucket of data as your phone, while Sprint and T-Mobile would like you to buy dedicated tablet data plans that start at $10 per month, apiece.  Turn your phone into a hotspot.  Or just make use of free Wi-Fi, which is readily available now.

4. International Roaming

If you think the cost of mobile data plans in the United States is too high, try taking your phone on a trip outside the country. If you don't have an international data plan, on most carriers, you can expect to pay roaming fees as high as $20 for 1MB — the size of just one large Web page. Some carriers offer international data plans, but those aren't a great price either. Verizon, for example, charges $25 per month for 100MB if you're already signed up. T-Mobile provides free, unlimited international data, but at 2G speeds.

If you're traveling abroad, you can usually buy a local SIM card with plenty of data for $10 to $15. Just make sure your phone has a GSM-capable radio and is unlocked for international use. Most carriers will unlock your phone for use abroad, though many phones can take international SIMs right out of the box. You can also rent a Global hotspot with unlimited Internet from Xcom Global for $15 a day.
 

App of the Week:

PackPoint

Free for iOS

PackPoint really is for the lazy. By asking you a number of questions, it determines what you’ll need to take with you on a trip to ensure you don’t forget anything.
PackPoint will build a packing list for you that takes into account:
- Business or Leisure travel
- Activities you plan on doing
- What you need for an international trip
- Warm weather clothes
- Cold weather clothes
- An umbrella if the forecast calls for rain