Wireless Wednesday for 5/6/15: Windows 10

Microsoft's "Build Conference" wrapped up last week in San Francisco.
This is a conference where Windows deveolpers gather to get the latest news on Microsoft products.

Some of the news that impacts us from that conference and the Microsoft Ignite conference taking place in Chicago this week...

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/6/15 - A Look at Windows 10’ on audioBoom

1. Android Apps on Windows Phone

There has long been talk about Windows supporting Android and iOS apps. While Android apps will not directly translate for use on Windows-based devices, Microsoft has released a number of tools that will make it far easier for developers to port their Android and iOS apps over to Windows universal apps.

2.  Internet Explorer is on the way out...

The new browser will be "Edge"

Edge. Edge will be a much lighter-weight browser. It will make use of Cortana and support browser extensions, many of which are currently available on Chrome and Firefox.
 

New apps we have never seen before with new features will be integrated into Windows 10
Spotlight in Windows 10 will suggest apps and tools that users may not yet have used yet. Belfiore used the example of Cortana, Microsoft's voice-based virtual assistant. If a user had yet to use the feature on a fresh install of Windows 10, the system will soon recommend that he or she check it out and make that easy to with some custom buttons.

4.  Windows 10

With Windows 8 and today Windows 8.1, Microsoft tried – not entirely successfully – to deliver an operating system (OS) that could handle the needs of not only number-crunching workstations and high-end gaming rigs, but touch-controlled systems from all-in-one PCs for the family and thin-and-light notebooks down to slender tablets.

When Microsoft pulled the curtain back on Windows 10 back in September of 2014, it was clear that, with an operating system optimized for PCs, tablets and phones in unique ways, the Redmond, Wash.-based firm was onto something.

The Details:

    What is it? A complete update for Windows
    When is it out? Definitely summer, but likely late July 2015
    What will it cost? For Windows 7 and 8.1 users, it will be free for one year


** App of the Week**

Clear

https://itunes.apple.com/app/id973515749

Take control of your online reputation
Securely connect your social media accounts, and Clear will flag any potentially negative posts in seconds. Then you have the opportunity to delete those posts from the internet forever.

Protect your reputation and your job security with Clear!
 

Wireless Wednesday for 4/29/15: Sea Pines, Stan Smith and Mother's Day

Rick is at Hilton Head island this week... specifically Sea Pines Plantation and the Harbour Town Golf Links and The Inn at Harbour Town  seeing what is new at Sea Pines.  A new clubhouse at Harbour Town a new pool, etc.

www.seapines.com


Also was able to spend some time with the legendary tennis player, Stan Smith.

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 4/29/15 - Sea Pines and Mother's Day Gadget Gifts’ on audioBoom

With Mother's Day less than 2 weeks away, it's time to look at some Mother's Day tech...  that would make perfect gifts for the active Mom!

1.  Yoga Design Lab - Yoga Mat  -  $50-$68

http://www.yogadesignlab.com/shop/

Blending fashion-forward design elements with innovative functionality and bio-renewable consciousness is key to the Yoga Design Lab approach. From our insulated stainless steel water bottles (reduce your use of plastic water bottles please!), to our hot yoga mats comprised of biodegradable natural tree rubber, to the water based inks used in our printed designs, we can all make a difference with the products we buy.

2.  Wilson Burn 100S tennis racquet

Forgiving feel and control.

Combining Spin Effect Technology with Parallel Drilling provides a very reactive and responsive 18x16 string bed. With the new X2 Shaft, this new line of racquets has extra long handles by shorten the throat to allow players more room for their hands on two-handed backhands. If all of that wasn't enough, these racquets come ready to use with the Sony Smart Sensor.

3.   Keurig 2.0 in special Mother's Day color... Marsala

Retail: 169.99

A Perfect Pairing – Keurig + Marsala
From the satisfying click of the lowered handle to the simple press of the Brew button to the familiar flavor of your favorite beverage, a Keurig® brewer appeals to all of the senses. We partner with 60 quality brands and offer 400 beverages to make sure our Keurig® system gives consumers what they want in taste – and also in looks. It’s not just a coffee maker sitting on a counter; it’s a conversation piece that reflects personal style and design.
Now, for the second year, a Keurig® brewer will be available in the 2015 Pantone Color of the Year, Marsala. A naturally robust and earthy color, Marsala tells a rich color story pairs so well with the curves and edges of our

Keurig® 2.0 400 so well. This color is worthy of a consumer’s coveted counter space.

The Keurig® 2.0 400 will be available in Marsala in early 2015, ready to dazzle and inspire kitchens everywhere.

4.    Acer 13 Chromebook  laptop - 13.3 inches

Less than $250

Chromebook 13, which offers a HD screen, an outstanding keyboard and a slim and light design. It's also the first Chromebook to feature Nvidia's energy-efficient Tegra K1 quad-core processor, which provides much longer battery life than competing notebooks.

5.  ScoreBand

www.scoreband.net

    Now with a fresh look and even more features, ScoreBand PLAY takes entry level scorekeeping technology to the next level. Three scorekeeping modes (Golf/Tennis/AllScore) plus Time mode give ScoreBand PLAY all you need to keep your game on track.

App of the Week:

DUFL  - Keep your clothes in a "virtual closet"

For the serious traveler

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dufl/id958354676?ls=1&mt=8

Description

App is free to download, but...
It is $9.95 per month for a 24” closet or $99 for a standard round trip (expedited shipping charges will apply for overnight shipping

DUFL is a premium, luxury service- a personal travel valet that simplifies business travel by shipping, cleaning and storing your business attire.
DUFL stores your clothing in your personal DUFL closet, and allows you to virtually pack by selecting your clothing items from within the app. Once you’ve scheduled your trip, you’ll travel - bag free, and your freshly cleaned and neatly packed clothing will meet you at your specified destination. When you’re ready to head home, schedule a pick up from the hotel and we’ll clean your clothes and have them waiting in your virtual closet, ready for your next trip!
- Register for DUFL within the app to receive your Welcome kit that includes a DUFL suitcase. Pack your bag and schedule a pick up within the app.

- We’ll pick up your bag, take inventory, have your clothes cleaned and wait for you to schedule your first trip.

- When you are ready to travel, schedule your trip within the app, set your arrival date and destination and your bag will meet you there.
 

Wireless Wednesday for 4/15/15 - AT&T GigaPower and Adidas

Rick is back in town, but he was over at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, GA on Monday for the "Monday After the Masters Event" put on by adidas this year....  

But first, there also was a big announcement in Atlanta on Monday as AT&T and City of Atlanta officials announced that AT&T GigaPower launches in Atlanta and Sandy Springs...

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 4/15/15 - AT&T GigaPower and Adidas’ on audioBoom

1.  AT&T GigaPower launches in Atlanta on Monday

Atlantans are now able to use some of the fastest internet around as AT&T, today, launched U-verse GigaPower in Atlanta and other parts of the metro area.

Per AT&T:

Imagine downloading 25 songs in less than one second, or before you can even crank up the volume. Imagine loading your favorite HD movie in less than 36 seconds, a fraction of the time it takes to pick which movie to watch.

Now, qualifying residents and small businesses can have U-verse with AT&T GigaPower in parts of Atlanta, Decatur, Newnan, Sandy Springs and other communities located throughout the metro area.

2.  Adidas  -  Rick was at the Adidas "Monday After the Masters" golf event at Reynolds Plantation and World No. 5 golfer Jason Day was there with noted golf teacher and former Tiger Woods coach, Hank Haney.

Adidas- company history - 90 years in busines..  Adolf "Adi" Dassler started to produce his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria after his return from World War I. In July 1924.
Adidas has grown into a high tech sports company with athletes like Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic and in golf, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Jason Day wearing ther apparel.

 

3.  Cool usb drives  - like the one given away by adidas yesterday at Reynolds Plantation

Companies are getting creative with the ways they get information to the media and general public.  Cool and unique usb drives are one of the ways with information about the company pre-loaded on them.

 

4.  Purpose of Adidas event at Reynolds Plantation on Monday which Rick attended

- Introduce media to new Adidas asym energy boost golf shoes
-  Diff shoes for your right and left feet depending on if you are a right-handed or left-handed player.

The uniquely built left and right shoes guide weight transfer, stability and power through the swing. asym energy boost is the latest in footwear from adidas Golf that highlights the revolutionary BOOST™ cushioning and incorporates advanced technologies to best support the athlete and their performance.

 5.  Adidas athlete and No. 5 in the world golf rankings, Jason Day was on hand yesterday to talk to Rick about the shoes and he was wearing the new asym shoes...

Day says the technology works and he will soon be putting the shoes into play for tournaments...

 
** App of the Week

The Fly Delta App  -  with all sorts of improvement
Free for iPhone, iPad, Andorid and Windows phones

The app does so many things, but new for travelers is the ability to track your luggage and get flight and gate change info..

Description

Introducing Fly Delta 3.0, the biggest update yet to Delta’s award winning iPhone app. With redesigned navigation, quick access to important day-of-travel information and a history of all your notifications, Fly Delta makes travel easier than ever before.

• Find, compare and book Domestic and International flights
• Book SkyMiles® award tickets
• Share with friends on Facebook when you book a trip, check in and arrive to your destination
• Purchase Delta Comfort+™ and Trip Extras, including in-flight Wi-Fi, Priority Boarding and more
• Reserve Preferred Seats like bulkhead and aisle
• Rebook cancelled flights or missed connections
• Manage your trips, profile and transactions, and customize your travel preferences
• Check your SkyMiles® account balance and current Medallion® status
• Check in, download your eBoarding Pass (available at select airports worldwide) and add it to Passbook
• Pay for checked bags and track their location
• Check the latest flight status and receive flight and gate change notifications
• Save a photo to remember your parking spot
• Check your status on the upgrade or standby list
• View or change your seat
• Locate Delta Sky Club® lounges
• View expanded airport maps, public transportation details and weather information
• Get detailed info about our fleet and partners
• Map flights en route with an interactive flight tracker
• Stream movies, TV shows and more onboard with Delta Studio™
• “Today” gathers everything you need for your day of travel into one convenient place.
• “Feed” ensures you always have the latest flight updates, gate changes and more

The Fly Delta app for iPhone and delta.com are always free to use on Delta’s Wi-Fi-enabled flights. Visit delta.com/app for more information on other mobile device versions.

Wireless Wednesday for 4/8/15 - Hawaii Tech from Lana'i

It's Spring Break for Rick and his wife, but he is still "working" as he's hopping across our 50th state.  
He's on the island of Lana'i at the Four Seasons Resort Manele Bay and played golf at  Jack Nicklaus', Manele Golf Course.  Then we'll take a look at some technology that is uniquely Hawaiian.

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 4/8/15 - Rick is Live from Lana'i’ on audioBoom

Dole Pineapple used to have the island as their pineapple plantation, but no more, due to foreign competition, etc. Now, Lana'i is the ultimate destination for relaxation, golf and tennis.

Lana'i facts:

Lānaʻi  - smallest of the publically accessible Hawaiian Islands
Nickname: The Pineapple Isle     
Size; 140.5 sq mi (363.9 km2)     
Population 3,135     22.313/sq mi (8.615/km2)     
Highest pointL Lānaʻihale     3,366 ft (1,026 m)
No chain restaurants or chain stores
 
1.  98% of Lanai' is owned by Larry Ellison (Founder and Chairman of Oracle), with the remaining 2% owned by the state of Hawaii.

Ellison the owner of every hotel room on the island of Kauai.

He owns two golf courses, the community swimming pool, the water company, and a cemetery. He also owns nearly a third of all of the island's housing.

Welcome to Larry's Island - but it's really your island to explore!
 

2.  There is not a single traffic light on the Island of Lana'i and Rick loves that... not even a four-way stop.

 

3.  iPads provided in all the rooms at the Four Seasons Manele Bay

iPads in every room is fast becoming a Four Seasons brand standard (many of their new and soon-to-open hotels have them), we thought we'd give you a run down on how to use it.

The iPad can be found on the desk in the room and when you arrive, it has been charging in anticipation of your use. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, the WiFi is free so long as you are doing basic internet activities like browsing the web and checking your email.

You can also order room service, use the iPad in place of the in-room information book and looked up all the things to do at the hotel and nearby the hotel on the iPad. Again, navigation was easy and we were guided by big, colorful photos. There wasn't anything mind-blowingly creative or cool that was being offered through the iPad--a lot of the same services can be found on the TV as well, such as reviewing your bill--but simply being able to pick up the iPad and call up whatever we wanted at the swipe of a fingertip was just rather cool.
The iPad in the room is a great perk.

4.  The Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay app

Keeps you updated with everything going on around the resort and more...

Download the FS Lanai app to plan your visit, and to enhance your experience at Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay. Before you arrive, learn about hotel amenities and local attractions, arrange dining reservations, and more via the FS Lanai app. During your stay, utilize the app to schedule a wake-up call, request housekeeping service, arrange transportation plus a host of other services from your personal mobile device.
 

5.  Drone Aircraft Help Save Taxpayer Dollars in Hawaii

In Hawaii, agencies and researchers are integrating drones into their work to not only save taxpayers money but also limit accidents on the job.

Drones are giving federal government researchers the ability to model beach erosion along an entire stretch of shoreline in minutes, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. Before the use of drones, modeling just a small section of sand would take months.

University of Hawaii researchers monitoring groundwater runoff no longer pay $1,000 an hour for a manned aircraft on pre-approved Federal Aviation Administration flight paths. A drone costing roughly the same amount offers large-scale mapping in real time.

“Since it’s our tax dollars paying for this research, it’s great to see such interest in using technology to not only save money, but to speed the research and the application of the results, all while saving time and keeping everyone safe,” Jason Rushin, a Civil Beat contributor, wrote in a recent guest article.

But drones are being used off the beach as well.

Monotonous jobs like surveying farm irrigation systems can sometimes be dangerous for pilots. Those flights are now being replaced with drone technology.

Honolulu’s fire department, which covers the entire island of Oahu, uses such unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to safely spot brush fires.

With increased drone use has come the emergence of the Hawaii Drone Club, whose members to facilitate their everyday use, while one part-time resident’s manufacturing company plans to make the devices “smartphone simple”—guided with the swipe of a finger.

Hawaii’s drone users still have to contend with the FAA’s requirement that UASs be flown within the line of sight of the operator.

 


App of the Week:

Photojojo's new Disposable Camera app

- Free to download
The Good: Prints! Remember those? 27 glorious prints. Also, the way that having a dispo cam in your pocket keeps you on the look out for the next photo opportunity.

No more, forgetting to take your camera to the photomat and no more paying twice (cam + developing).

Pay just $12.99 for one camera and when you shoot your last frame, we’ll take it from there. We print your photos out and mail them right to your doorstep.

 

Wireless Wednesday for 4/1/15: Compression Gear Technology

Happy April 1, or April's Fool's Day, but Rick and Mitch aren't going to pull any pranks...  they talk about the high tech world of compression gear.

But first a quick look at some NCAA and Final Four tech

Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 4/1/15 - Compression Gear’ on audioBoom

- New tech for replay reviews and timing questions   -  Precision Timing Systems includes all rounds of both tournaments, while the agreement with DVSport also includes all rounds of the Division I men’s and women’s basketball championships, as well as all Football Championship Series (FCS) playoff games and the Division II and III football semifinal and championship games. The DVSport software is designed to provide a more efficient replay process intended to reduce the length of time officials spend at the scorer’s table reviewing a play.     The game officials stop the clock simply by blowing his or her whistle, and resumes play by flipping a switch on their belt pack. A radio transmitter connected to the scoreboard controller allows the clock to stop and start instantly, thus eliminating the delay of a scoreboard operator doing it once hearing a whistle or seeing the official signal the ball in play.

Rick was up at the 2XU compression wear event in New York back in February. He saw new compression wear and where that area of fitness and recovery wear is going....


1.  About 2XU

Founded and based in Melbourne, Australia; 2XU’s philosophy is to create products which will advance human performance. 2XU employs fabric and construction technology to take you beyond what you previously thought possible. 2XU is fast becoming the most technical performance sports brand on the planet. Worn by multiple world champions, endorsed by sports institutions the world over and praised by professional athletes from all disciplines, 2XU understands what is needed to be the best. Developed by athletes for athletes.
www.2XU.com

Please watch:

60 second 2XU “Heart Not Hype” video

https://www.youtube.com/user/2xuaustralia


2.  Should athletes be wearing compression gear?  

Yes, for performance and recovery
⦁    2XU Compression – sports performance and recovery.
⦁    2XU’s products are renowned for their technical quality and are used by numerous elite athletes around the world including athletes from 43 NBA and NFL teams and the US Marine Corps.

3.   Should everyday people wear compression wear?

Yes, especially while traveling. Soxxy Air compression socks can make a big difference on long flights. Blood circulation is key. And these socks look good too.
 


4. When a former Navy Seal like Jeff Nichols swears by compression wear, who are you to argue?

- He must be ready at a moments notice.  2XU compression gear is used by the Navy Seals as they have to possibly recover from a long flight and then perform on a moments notice....

5. New compression gear might help relieve edema

Problem:  I always have swelling in my legs and ankles. I had an ulcer on the side of my ankle, but my doctor finally got it healed. She told me it was because of the swelling, and I’m afraid it will come back. Any suggestions?

Answer: One of the causes of leg swelling and ulcer formation has to do with the veins in the leg. In technical terms they become incompetent and the blood pools around the ankles instead of being pushed up the leg.

This causes the swelling and can lead to ulcer formation.

The goal is to reduce the swelling and lessen the chance of a new ulcer forming. There are many ways to do this including surgery on the veins and compression from the outside.
 


*App of the week*

"Storm" by Weather Underground

Free
Severe weather season is around the corner and that means that people are going to be checking the weather on their phones more than ever. Some people check the weather to simply plan their outfit, while others require more in-depth weather information, either because their livelihood depends on it, they live in areas affected by severe weather or weather simply fascinates them.

To ensure iOS users have access to the most comprehensive weather information possible, the worldwide weather service, Weather Underground, has recently launched the ultimate storm tracking application. It’s called Storm and it’s free to download in the App Store on iPhone or iPad. With the Storm App, users will be equipped with the most advanced storm tracking tools and severe weather alerts.

Unlike other weather apps out there, Storm provides high-definition radar and the ability to toggle between past or future radar and near real-time single site sweeping radar. Within the full-screen interactive map, users can view jet stream winds, fronts, tropical storm data, severe weather alerts, current conditions and more. In addition to sophisticated storm tracking tools, users can access the latest information on severe weather within a 30-mile radius via push notifications or in-app alerts. It’s a very powerful and in depth storm tracking app that will benefit anyone interested in severe weather.

To learn more, visit http://www.weatherunderground.com/storm today.