Wireless Wednesday for 9/30/15: The New iPhones and Hot Holiday Gifts

The new iPhones came out last Friday and report say there have been 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus units sold.

What's different about the "6s" models?

Like every other "S" year, the new 6S and 6S Plus look the same as 2014's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models -- until you start touching them. But the changes underneath are plentiful: new front and rear cameras, upgraded processors and RAM, always-on Siri, and -- most importantly -- a pressure-sensitive "3D Touch" screen similar to the Force Touch screen on Apple Watch, giving you contextual options depending how hard you press the display.

Things to consider:

1. There is a new color now, called rose gold (it basically looks like a blush pink, same as the new Apple Watch cole

2. 3D Touch, and a faster processor all combine to keep the next-generation phone looking competitive enough to counter other top-tier handsets as we approach the year-end holiday rush.

3.  Made stronger. They call it Series 7,000, and it's the same aluminum alloy Apple puts into its Apple Watch Sport.

4. Improved camera and thumbprint reader

---  Expected Hot Gadgets for the holiday season

Have a listen:

1.  Flat Screen HDTVs for $75?

Yes, doorbusters this year could have 32" HDTVs for as low as $75

2.  Apple Watch  - Many have put off buying the Apple Watch until the holiday season
 No other device is going to gather a crowd of people around when worn in public—and it’s not just due to the hype. The design of the Apple Watch is fantastic and immediately iconic, not unlike what Apple has done time and time again with its new product launches. The Apple Watch has a long way to go in terms of realizing the dream of a smartwatch that actually earns its spot on your wrist.

 
3. Virtual Reality Headsets

Occulus and Samsung are openly hoping it becomes one of the year’s hot gift items. Samsung opens the platform up to anyone who owns one of Samsung’s four new flagship phones: the Galaxy Note 5, the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Edge, and the Galaxy 6S Edge+. And at $99, it’s selling at half the price of the Innovator Edition.
 


App of the Week:

Jackpot app

Playing the lottery in New York just got even easier than “a dollar and a dream” for millions of iPhone users — and the timing couldn’t be better.

With the Powerball jackpot at $301 million and climbing, a new app for Apple’s iOS devices is eliminating the need to stop by the corner store to buy a ticket.

The Jackpocket app, whose release will be announced Monday, allows users to simply tap and swipe their smartphone screens to play Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto and three other games.

The Soho-based company behind the software expects its app to “significantly increase” this week’s sales of Powerball tickets and boost the pot even higher ahead of Wednesday’s drawing.

Jackpocket founder Pete Sullivan said his target market was people in their 20s and 30s, especially women “who are intimidated to walk into a bodega.”

A credit card is kept on file and winnings up to $600 get credited to your account
 

Wireless Wednesday for 8/4/15: Back to School Tech

Kids all over the Metro Area area either are back in school or will soon be heading "Back to School".   Also, don't forget about the teachers that will also be showing up in the classrooms.

(91 percent) of parents who plan to shop online for back to school, but it can be stressful.
What is some of the latest tech that is debuting..... Rick and Mitch take a look.

They also talk some tennis as the BB&T Atlanta Open wraps up

1.   Impecca Powerit.

Keep all your devices and I mean all your devices charged with the Impecca Powerit
PowerIt 12,000mAh 400 Peak Amp Car Jump Starter Kit  - powers all your devices and i mean all of them.
$99-149 at http://www.impeccausa.com/powerit

 

2. Zagg Pocket Keyboard

$69.99  at www.zagg.com

A keyboard for your smartphone.

An award-winning culmination of 10 years of creating the slimmest, most spacious mobile keyboards. Reimagine email on your smartphone, and discover how easy typing on your phone can be.
The Zagg Pocket Keyboard folds into an ultra-slim profile that’s made to travel. Its wireless Bluetooth® capability effortlessly syncs up with your Apple or Android device at a moment’s notice when words can’t wait.

A magnetic closure preserves the battery by turning the Pocket Keyboard off when closed.

 

3.  DIY Wireless Speaker from KidzSafe Audio  -  Just $39.99

http://www.kidzsafeaudio.com/products/kidzsafe-diy-wireless-speaker

Water resistant and durable, it includes a rechargeable lithium ion battery for five hours of uninterrupted power from a single charge. Perfect library companion for when kids are hitting the books!

* Key feature:  speaker is volume limited to ≤ 85dB to keep little ears safe. The speaker pairs easily to any device using Bluetooth technology with a range of up to 32ft.

 
4. Godors

You know that smell.

It resides inside of your locker, your shoes and even in your golf bag.
You can get rid of that smell and even prevent it with Godors. In spray form, Godors eliminates odors and also kills 99.9% bacteria in less than five minutes.  What makes this spray unique, however, is that most deodorizers just mask a smell, but Godors gets to the root of the problem: it kills 46% of the fungi within five minutes of use.  

Godors is perfect for the eco-conscious golfer; it’s all natural and non-toxic, containing 99% isopropyl alcohol, tea tree oil, olive leaf extract and cinnamon. All natural in ingredients get all natural results. A purse-size Godors tube starts at $3.95.

See more at www.godors.com

Prices for Godors start at $3.95.

5.  Griffin PowerDock5

Charge all your devices in one centralized spot

$99.99 at https://store.griffintechnology.com/powerdock-5-device-charger

A space-saving charging station for countertop or desktop, providing safe charging and storage for up to 5 devices.

It doesn't take up much room, about the same as a single iPad. But it gives you a place to store and charge 5 iOS devices at one time, from a single power source. We think it's the perfect charging solution for small offices or work groups, or a family full of iPhone users.

PowerDock 5 gives each tablet its own charging port and its own frosted backrest, and each charging bay is roomy enough to accommodate your iPhone, iPod or iPad in their cases.

PowerDock 5 is optimized for iOS devices (iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, iPod touch, iPod nano), although our testing indicates that PowerDock's 5V (2.1 amp) charging circuitry will also charge most Kindle and Android devices. Many smartphones and tablets have unique charging requirements, so PowerDock may not charge your device as fast as you're used to. Make sure you check your device's manual for any special requirements.
Features

    Store and charge 5 iPads, iPhones or iPod touches simultaneously
    Space-saving design for your countertop
    Cables not included
    Input: 100-240 V AC
    Output: 10 watts (5 volts DC @ 2.1 amps) for each charging bay
    Accommodates iPad tablets in their cases
 

*6.  Quick Mention for "Store Smart" - the best plastic folders and covers on the market.

www.storesmart.com

 



App of the Week:

CourseSmart

Free for iOS

View the full text of more than 7,000 textbooks on your iPhone — for free. CourseSmart makes its money through the licensing of e-textbooks, which expire after a certain access period, typically about 180 days. The books cost roughly half as much as their print equivalents, although there's no way to resell or keep the books past the subscription period. As for the virtues of reading textbooks on the iPhone? Well, you need sharp eyes. But with persistent rumors of an Apple tablet computer coming in the near future, CourseSmart is likely a harbinger of reader applications to come.
 

Wireless Wednesday for 1/14/15: Tech Trends for 2015

Tech Trends for 2015

Rick saw a lot of gadgets out in Las Vegas at CES, but a big part of the trip was looking at some of the tech trends that will hit in 2015.

Let's look at some of the tech trends

Have a listen to both parts:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 1/14/15 on 92.9 The Game Part 1’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 1/14/15 on 92.9 The Game Part 2’ on audioBoom

1.  The Self Driving Car

Not only will cars have sophisticated dashboards that point us to our destination and sync cleanly with our smartphones, but they're inching closer to taking over the steering wheel.

Audi and Mercedes were among the car manufacturers showcasing self-driving vehicles.

Meanwhile, BMW and chip maker Nvidia demonstrated technology where the car would serve as an auto-valet, finding its own parking space and returning to your location when ready.

An Audi A7 self-driving car drove from San Francisco to CES this year

 
2. The connected home - eventually everything in the home will be controlled by a smartphone, tablet and even your watch

3.  4K

This is not a drill. It seems consumers have been hearing for years about the display resolution that's

four times sharper than traditional HD.

Now comes the rush of affordable TV sets and compatible programming to satisfy your desire for only the highest of high-definition. But don't get too comfortable. There's already talk of 8K.

Because 8K is already here, 4K will be more affordable.
 

4. We are running out of data storage space...

The world could run out of computer space by 2020, a leading data storage ... Seagate said we are facing a data capacity deficit of more than six zettabytes. To put that into context, a single zettabyte is the equivalent of 34,359,738,368 smartphones, assuming a typical device has 32GB of storage.
Seagate was looking into heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) as one experimental technology to increase space.

This technology uses lasers to heat the storage device and magnetically record data onto it.

Techradar reported that this could lead to 50 terabits of storage per square inch, compared to the few hundred gigabits now.
 



5.  The End of Customer Service Desks

As users expect service in real time and crowdsourcing support is becoming more prevalent, the effectiveness of reactive processes of service desks is dwindling.  Companies will build transition strategies that enable a proactive business productivity team.

Answers to questions will come in real time, through internet and social media platforms.
 


App of the week:  Vida Health Coach for iOS  -  Free to download the app, but $15 for the coaching

Lose weight, feel better, and hit your health goals with a real-life, professional Vida health coach. We’ll instantly connect you with a live expert coach to create an ongoing, personalized health program that fits your style and schedule.

HOW VIDA COACHING WORKS:

• Vida coaches are experts in nutrition, fitness, health, and motivational psychology. It’s like having your own personal trainer, nutritionist, mentor, therapist, and accountability partner all in one, always by your side in the Vida app.

• Our coaches are available on your schedule, 24/7 and connect with you through daily text messages and weekly video check-ins. They fit your style so you get the motivation and encouragement you need.

• Get started with a FREE video consultation with your Vida Coach. They’ll go through our proven 32-point health assessment to learn more about you and put together your own 100% personalized health plan.

• Stay accountable with daily reminders, tips, & inspiration from your coach.

Wireless Wednesday for 4/4/12: Passwords and MLB At Bat App

This week on "Wireless Wednesday", Steve and I have a good time talking about bad passwords and how you should choose a password if you want to avoid being "hacked".  Also we look at the 2012 version of the MLB At Bat app.

Listen here:

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