"Wireless Wednesday" on SportsRadio 92.9 for 2/24/16 - Amazon Prime Benefits

** If you shop on Amazon.com, it's a given that you've been hit over the head with emails and messages to join Amazon Prime.

Is it worth it?  Usually yes!

Should you join Amazon Prime for $99 per year?

There is more to Amazon Prime than simply free two-day shipping. And while the chorus line points out a few of the additional benefits, there are even more perks than could be squeezed into that minute-long spot, some of them more heavily promoted than others.

Here's what you get.... with Amazon Prime... courtesy of Rick and Mitch

1.   Free Two-Day Shipping

Still Prime's main selling point, you get free two-day shipping with no minimum on most orders. Ordinarily, one needs to spend at least $35 to get free shipping. Even then, it is standard shipping which takes twice as long.

2.   Guaranteed Delivery (Which Can Result in Free Prime)

But what if you really, really do need your order in two days and it takes longer? Amazon will give you an extra month of Amazon Prime for free. The only catch is that you have to ask.

3. Same-Day Delivery (in some cities)

What if you really need your order right now? If you happen to live in one of the 21 cities where Prime Now is available, you can get most items delivered the same day, and many items as soon as within two hours. Place your order by noon!

Here are some of the cities where same-day might be available: Orlando, Chicago, New York, Northen New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, West Coast cities and also Atlanta.


4.   Streaming Music, Movies, and Television Shows

The most promoted of its secondary benefits, an Amazon Prime membership gives you unlimited access to millions of songs and thousands of movies and television shows — including Amazon original programming. Between the almost unending buffet of entertainment and having everything delivered for free, you'll never have to leave the house again.

5.  Free Kindle eBooks

Like a virtual public library, Prime gives you access to more than 500,000 eBooks. You can borrow one book per month and there's never any late fees. Note: This feature only works for Kindle owners, not Kindle app users.

* Other benefits include: early access to Amazon sales, "Prime Only" coupons and ability to share your Amazon Prime membership with everyone in your household.


App of the Week:

Mimicker Alarm

For Android

 Microsoft released Mimicker, a new alarm clock app (for Android) that helps users wake up – and stay awake – with a set of fun, interactive games. Mimicker showcases the capabilities of Project Oxford’s powerful machine learning APIs, including tools for emotion recognition, computer vision and speech recognition. The app is now available as a free download in the Google Play Store. See Mimicker in action: Wake up with games through the Mimicker Alarm app, powered by Microsoft Project Oxford machine learning

To dismiss your alarm in the morning, you must mimic the action given. We might ask you to snap a selfie, speak a phrase, or even get out of bed! The Mimic games require you to be awake, alert, smart, and use your self and your surroundings, so be ready to move when your alarm fires.
 
 If you don’t finish the game in time, we’ll assume you’ve fallen back to sleep and your alarm will start ringing again. Once you complete the Mimic and successfully dismissed your alarm, share your personalized results with your friends to show how you woke up and beat the clock.

See more here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.mimickeralarm&hl=en

Wireless Wednesday for 2/17/16 - Best New Sports Apps and Hyatt

**Quick talk about a recent article Rick brought to light:

Uninstalling Facebook app saves up to 15% of iPhone battery life

Facebook is one of the most downloaded apps on iOS but it has long been cited as a cause of fast-draining iPhone batteries. Last year it was accused of using background tricks to stay active even when it wasn’t being used. Facebook admitted bugs existed, and fixed them, but questions of the app’s impact on battery life remained.

Similar concerns about Facebook’s Android app led to the discovery that deleting the app saves up to 20% of a phone’s battery. It was also found that running Facebook in your browser also causes a drain. Facebook is a battery hog!
 
There are never a shortage of new sports apps.  Rick and Mitch take a look at some new sports apps this week. Have a listen:

1.  New Sports Illustrated App

Sports Illustrated App, a new place to connect with our audience while showcasing SI's unparalleled storytelling and reporting from our award-winning journalists. With all-new modes of personalization, a clean in-app navigation experience and distinct SI editorial curation—along with the scores, videos, notifications and up-to-the-minute news that sports fans want—we're excited to introduce this new product. Download the SI App for iOS and Android.

The app allows for personalization, so you can follow the sports and teams you want.

Pin live games as you browse the app: This first-of-its-kind feature allows users to pin the scoreboard of any game to the home screen to follow live action while simultaneously browsing the latest stories and headlines.

• The 10 Spot: A brand new editorially curated section that highlights the best of Sports Illustrated. Featuring original analysis, a unique editorial voice, plus iconic photography and videos handpicked by editors, the 10 Spot adds a distinct SI flavor to what's most important in sports right now.

The app will be continuously updated, featuring the addition of many more sports, expanded content and additional functionality.
 

2.   Tunity

Tunity: Ever been at a sports bar that’s so loud you can’t hear the game that’s playing on TV? Meet Tunity, the app that’s going to solve that problem. All you have to do is scan the TV and Tunity will provide the audio, so you can plug in your headphones or connect your phone to a bluetooth speaker.
Free on iOS and Android

 
3.  Grandstand

Free for your iOS device

 Grandstand: Grandstand gives you the real-life fan experience directly from the stands. Share and check out highlights with other fans, record videos for others if you’re physically at a game or check out what other people have uploaded for the ultimate sports experience.

 


4.  NASCAR Mobile

Follow the excitement of the 2016 NASCAR season with the Official App of NASCAR, and stay up to date on your favorite drivers with news, video and live race features.

Free Features:

- Live Race Leaderboards for all NASCAR Series
- Live Race Highlights for all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
- Exclusive News, Video and Social Media
- 2016 Schedule, Standings and Manufacturer Standings
- Customized Notifications including Series Specific Alerts and Live Event Reminders

Premium Live Features (Subscription Required; FREE with Sprint unlimited data plan):

- Live Customized Leaderboards
- Customized Leaderboards with exclusive data points to follow your Favorite Drivers
- Live Driver Audio
- Listen to the In-Race strategy between Drivers, Crew Chiefs and Spotters
- Exclusive to Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series races
- Live In-Car Cameras
- Follow the action from the driver seat with Live In-Car cameras
- Exclusive to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races only
- Live Broadcast Radio & Officials Radio
- Listen to the official NASCAR radio for every race of the season
- NASCAR Officials Radio is available for all Sprint Cup Series races
- Live Real-Time Track Position & Driver Telemetry
 

5.  Rio 2016

Rio 2016 launches new app with competition offering chance to win tickets to opening ceremony
Available for iOS and Android, new platform provides information about the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the chance to win prizes. Up to April 2016, there will be four one-month challenges offering prizes. The first is a photograph contest, already live, where participants are invited to share images that symbolise the Olympic and Paralympic spirit. Entrants who are over 18 can win pairs of tickets for the opening ceremony.

There is a special award for youngsters under 18: the best images will be evaluated by artist and photographer Vik Muniz – a well-known Brazilian name in the international art world and one of the creative directors for the Paralympic ceremonies – alongside writer Marcelo Rubens Paiva and designer Fred Gelli. The winning photographs will adorn the bedrooms of the athletes’ village.

 

App of the Week:

Hyatt Hotels App

 
Rick has been in Austin, TX the past 4 days staying at a couple Hyatts and trying out some of what Hyatt is offering it's guests, including an updated app.

See where Rick stayed:

Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa

The Driskill

Connect to your destination with the new Hyatt Hotels app. Our app allows you to book and personalize your travel with ease:

• Explore and book over 550 Hyatt hotels globally
• Find hotels using your current location, or search by city, address or airport
• View and cancel reservations at any time
• Make reservations using Hyatt Gold Passport® points
• Save your Reservations and your Hyatt Gold Passport® details to Passbook
• Check-in before you arrive, check-out on the go
• Access photos, weather, local time, maps, and turn-by-turn directions to your Hyatt destination
• Join Hyatt Gold Passport® and easily access your account details and track your points
• Add favorite Hyatt hotels for quick and easy access

Using the Hyatt app, you can take advantage of Hyatt’s Best Rate Guarantee. With no booking fees, you can book any Hyatt brand including Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara, and get the best published rate available anywhere online.

See more about the Hyatt app here:  http://hyatt.com/mobile

Wireless Wednesday for 2/10/16 - Home Health Goes High Tech

If you New Year's resolution was to improve your health, hopefully you haven't broken your resolution. If you are holding true to your resolution for 2016, there are a number of new gadgets that can help you monitor your health or keep healthy right in the comfort of your own home.

Rick is here this week with some new gadgets with the theme of "home health"

Have a listen:

1.  QardioArm -  Blood pressure sleeve that works with an app

Did you know?

High blood pressure is an epidemic. Nearly 70 million American adults have high blood pressure and only 52% of those with high blood pressure have it under control. Those stats are from the CDC and they also say that high blood pressure costs the nation $46 million per annum.

With the QardioArm, there are no buttons, displays or wires to worry about. It just works after you downloan an app, pair it with your smartphone or tablet and press the "start" button. What many call "home health" products were all over CES in January, but I think very few will catch on with consumers- QardioArm is sure to catch on and you can use it as much as you want, right in your own home.

www.getqardio.com for $99
 


2.   ReliefBand

ReliefBand has an answer for those feeling the effects of virtual motion sickness from roller coasters, cars and even VR heatsets. It’s an FDA cleared wearable device for the drug-free treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with morning and motion sickness and can provide a welcome relief for those loving the immersive VR content but not loving the sickness it may cause.

It works by sending pulses with highly specific waveform, frequency, and intensity that stimulate the median nerve on the underside of the wrist. This precise activity (technically referred to as “neuromodulation”) uses the body’s natural neural pathways to block the waves of nausea produced by the stomach.

“With 70% of women experiencing morning sickness during pregnancy and more than 60 million people suffering from motion sickness, ReliefBand is fulfilling a very large unmet need,” said Nick Spring, CEO, ReliefBand Technologies. “With wearable technology becoming widely accepted, the time is now right to bring this clinically proven technology that has been developed over decades to a device that people can buy without a prescription.”

For sale soon - over the counter for $89.99
 


3.  MocaHeart -  analyze your blood velocity

MOCAheart is a device that makes the tracking of cardiovascular health super simple by removing the need for bulky cuffs and complicated monitors.

By scanning thumbs, MOCAheart measures blood velocity to determine a number of important indicators of heart health including heartrate, blood oxygen levels as wells as a measurement on a simple 1-5 scale called the MOCA INDEX, which is correlated to blood pressure.  Generally, the faster blood travels through blood vessels, the more pressure the heart is under. Because systolic and diastolic blood pressure figures can be hard for everyday users to understand and remember, the MOCA INDEX is an easy way to understand the current state of your cardiovascular health.

Priced at $149.99, MOCAheart is available online at www.mocacare.com.
 

4.  KallDoc  -  an app that will bring a doctor right to your door.

Silicon Valley’s revolutionary new HealthTech startup, KallDoc, announces plans to launch a new on-demand service for health care practitioners, leveraging the on call economy to bring house calls back to medicine. The app has launched and will soon roll out to 25 more cities across the United States.
KallDoc, which runs across iOS, Android and the web and provides doctors to the home or office on demand, saves patients from hours in a germ-filled waiting room, minimizes time off work, and reduces lost employee hours as a result of seeking medical attention.
“Patients want the best quality doctors in the quickest time for the best results – that’s what we provide at KallDoc,” says Mark Baker, President of KallDoc. “We started KallDoc to ensure patients receive the best quality service in the quickest time frame using the latest cutting-edge technology.”
KallDoc aims to differentiate itself from other doctor services by providing three times more doctors per city and is also putting user experience and the consumers at the forefront.
KallDoc’s platform offers patients the ability to provide service feedback, a scoring system and overview of their doctors so patients know they are getting the most experienced physicians at their door.

The KallDoc pre-call system means that doctors will come equipped for the case in hand and deliver the prescription wherever possible.
www.kalldoc.com


5.  VitalSnap

VitalSnap. This first-of-its-kind mobile technology from Validic enables users to take a picture of the readings on their in-home medical device with their smartphone and have that data automatically sent to their doctor via the patient’s electronic health record. So, just like you can take a picture of a check to deposit in your back account, through VitalSnap, health data will be delivered to doctors in real-time, giving them quick access to meaningful health information and patients an easier way to track and manage their health.
 

App of the Week:

 Xvalues  - new app put out by Wine Spectator

A free, simple wine-finding app catering to Millennials (who are now officially the #1 wine-consuming generation in the US!).
 Upon its launch, the app—which includes in its library a regularly updated selection of Wine Spectator’s latest highly rated, widely available bottles—will feature five categories of wines: extreme values (all $12 and under); reds (all $20 and under); whites (all $20 and under); sparklers (all $40 and under); and Valentine’s Day picks (all $30 and under). The fifth category will update accordingly as holidays and seasons approach.
The app also includes:
·         Each bottle’s name, producer, price, region, year, tasting notes and score on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale.
·         Helpful tools—including photos of wine labels, keywords that sort and simplify the library, and a customizable favorites list—all of which make it easier for you to find your selected bottle while in the wine shop.
Xvalues joins the popular WineRatings+ in Wine Spectator’s family of mobile apps
 

Wireless Wednesday for 2/3/16 - Enhancing the Super Bowl Watching Experience

Super Bowl 50, airs on Sunday, February 7. More than 110 million people will watch on TV, and millions more sports fans will listen to it on the radio, stream it live, or watch online sports commentators and highlight videos.

Millions of people will also be attending Super Bowl parties. If you're having a Super Bowl party, or going to one, here are some tech ideas that you might want to check out.

Have a listen to Rick and Mitch:

Both parts:

Don't forget:

Live streaming of the Super Bowl is offered on numerous platforms

This Super Bowl Sunday, you can watch Super Bowl 50 on your local CBS channel. However, you can also stream it live on a range of gadgets using the CBS Sports platform.

If you're going to watch the game on your computer, go to CBSSports.com. You can also watch CBS Sports on streaming devices, including the game console Xbox One and streaming media players Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast.


Tech and gadgets for Super Bowl viewing

1.  HDTVs

One quarter of all TVs sold during the year are sold in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl
Amazon has been running deals on HDTVs leading up to the big game...  look for HDTV special as you search TVS

Example:

Sceptre E505BV-FMQK 50-Inch 1080p LED HDTV
by Sceptre
$369.99
 


2.   Football Sqaures app-   iOS app for running your Super Bowl Squares game
Cost is $2.99 on iTunes

Love playing "Squares" for sports games and other office/party pools? Now you can do all the Squares sheets you want on your iPad! Pick from pre-defined templates or create a custom sheet for everything from football, baseball, hockey, to baby birthday pools and more!

Sheet styles include 10 X 10 and 5 X 5 options and are easily set up with the template picker. You also have templates for 4 quarters, 2 halves, inning groups, and periods. With a custom sheet, you can setup "scoring rounds' to be whatever you like with whatever text you want in each scoring box.

Your friends and family can choose the squares they want by tapping on a square and entering their name/initials (this info is retained in case they want more than 1 square.) You can randomize the score boxes for each row and column, or enter them yourself in the desired order. Participants can quickly highlight all of their squares with the provided filter mechanism. Progress is saved automatically, allowing you to return to the app at any time to continue filling up the sheet.

You can also use the now-included "Picture Squares" Add-On to give each square a picture of the owner! Pictures can come from your photo library, contacts, or the built-in camera if using a camera-equipped iPad.

Need more participants? Create an email invitation from the app, which includes a link to the "Squares Buyer for Football Squares Plus" app, which lets users enter their info and email it back to you for importing into your sheet (these squares are randomly assigned). Users can even take and submit a picture if you are using Picture Squares!

The "Winners" screen lets you select which Score Boxes are winners. The app will highlight all winning squares and also present a "Winners Table" for a list of all winners.

You can lock sheets in 2 modes -- Allowing new entries only, or the entire sheet so no changes can be made. This is great for preventing accidental taps!
 

3.  Perfect Drink   -  app and smart scale

$49-$99 and app is free
www.MakeItPerfectly.com

Have you ever enjoyed a great cocktail in a bar and wondered why you can't make it at home? With Perfect Drink, you can make the perfect cocktail in your own home, every time, regardless of your experience.

The interactive recipe app connects via Bluetooth to the smart scale to guide you step-by-step through each recipe. Measuring ingredients by weight is the most precise way to consistently make a great cocktail so the app will tell you what to pour, and when to stop. Just watch the virtual shaker fill up in real time on your smartphone or tablet.
 
 


4.  Team Stream and the NFL Mobile App

Team Stream will post NFL.com's highlight videos within about five minutes of some plays. And the app will post social media stories that go viral, including ones about Super Bowl commercials.   NFL Mobile gives you up-to-date scores, analysis and in-game video highlights.


5. Daytoda Finger Caps - for those messy eaters at your Super Bowl party  -especially when it comes to wings.

Daytoda Finger Caps can be a pretentious but useful way to do the job. These are finger-shaped plastic covers that will let you grab food without the possibility of spreading germs and bacteria, while also keeping your fingers clean. They’re made of a soft food-grade plastic, and are safe for hot food, meaning they won’t shrink-wrap onto your fingertips.

While a box of 50 is only going to cost you $7.95, your friends are going to tear through these in no time flat. If we’re going to be honest, only certain people are going to use these unless you specifically ask all of your guests to use them, and it’s usually the people that don’t need them in the first place.
 


App of the Week:

Picpal  - take selfies with your friends at your Super Bowl party and make a collage

During the Super Bowl...  There’s no short of NFL team pride – the stakes are high and the Super Bowl is only a few weeks away. Trash talking fans are eager to show up their friends, and share photo fun before, during and after the games. Picpal, the group selfie app, makes real-time photos, chats and post-touchdown photo dance photos shareable and editable through an easy app interface.

How Picpal Works? Simply open Picpal, choose the friends you want in your collage and take a selfie. The app simultaneously sends a request to your friends to take a selfie too. Users can take as many selfies as they want until they find the perfect shot. To customize the selfies, users can add unique filters or text to reflect their current mood or experience. The app then combines all photos into a collage, which users can share. Once a Picpal is complete, users can share the collage, “heart” and comment on it, and now update their selfie whenever they want. Available on Google Play Store or within the Apple app store. Picpals are private messages between friends that are optional to post on social media channels.
 

Wireless Wednesday for 1/27/16 - 2016 PGA Show

Rick is down in Orlando at the 63rd PGA Merchandise Show, held Jan. 26-29. This is where the golf season kicks into high gear, with all the new product announcements and the debut of everything golf for 2016.

Tuesday is always Outdoor Demo Day, so Rick was at the massive driving range at Orange County National seeing all the new products.

Here is some of what Rick has taken in at the PGA Show:

1.  It's the 100th Anniversary of the PGA of America.

- Not the PGA Tour, but the PGA of America
Founded in 1916, The PGA of America is the largest working sports organization in the world, comprised of more than 28000 dedicated men and women who are ambassadors of the sport of golf. Certified golf instructors and promoters of the game of golf to everyone, everywhere.
 

2.  Datrek

Chiller Cart Bag

Bag Boy's new Chiller Cart Bag features a cooler pocket with a removable, insulated cooler bag which holds up to six 12-ounce cans. The Chiller is lightweight, weighing in at 5.85 pounds, with a 15-way organizer top with full-length individual dividers to enhance functionality and durability.

    Chiller pocket with removable insulated cooler bag holds six 12-ounce cans
    Nine total pockets provide ample storage including two large side accessory pockets, an over-sized ball pocket and a fleece lined valuables pocket
    Soft-grip over-sized putter well
    Ergonomic soft-grip lift assist handles
    Suggested Retail Price: $199.95
 


3. Ben Hogan Golf

Ben Hogan Golf started making golf clubs back in the 1950s, but what this company has done since 2014 is nothing short of amazing. They make quality clubs, but with the Hogan irons, no longer will you see the numbers 2,3,4 and so on on your clubs. Now golfers will see lofts ranging from 20-47 in degrees on their clubs.

FT. Worth irons and TK wedges, in addition to a new set of game improvement irons and a line of hybrids, both of which will present breakthrough technologies.
"By crafting irons in every loft from 20-47 degrees, and by re-aligning the length differentials between clubs, only the Ft. Worth irons allow you to carry one less longer iron and one more higher-lofted iron (in your bag)," adds Terry Koehler, President and CEO of Ben Hogan Golf Equipment.
 

4. GO PUCK

Wearable and attachable power.

External battery that clips right on to just about anything, including your golf bag.
Comes with a band and an optional mount.
Dual USB output: Standard and Rapid Charging at up to 2 Amps
Pocket Sized for Portable Power Anywhere
4 LED State of Charge Indicator
Super Lightweight
Rugged Design - Shock and vibration resistant
 
 

5.  GOLFZON Simulators come to the U.S.

GOLFZON, with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, made its debut at the 2015 PGA Show soon after finalizing a position as an Official Marketing Partner and the Official Golf Simulator of the LPGA and the installation of a simulator in the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla. GOLFZON is also the golf training system for the Korean National Team and has simulators situated globally, presenting golf in a way never seen before.

"We are excited to publicize the excellent technology and quality of GOLFZON at the world's largest golf exposition and look forward to the response from attendees and media at this important event," said Tommy Lim, the Vice President of the EU and American Business division at GOLFZON. "Participation in the show will serve as momentum in further aggressively targeting the North American and global golf markets."

Since its establishment in May 2000, GOLFZON has been trying to overcome the entry barrier to golf and expand the number of golfers under the corporate philosophy, "making golf enjoyable for everyone," believing that golf should be no longer exclusive for the upper class only.

Some numbers to consider about GOLFZON's impact:

• 43: Number of countries where GOLFZON has a presence.
• 2000: The year GOLFZON was founded in Seoul, South Korea.
• 5,500: Sites around the world for GOLFZON.
• 25,000: Number of simulators in operation around the world.
• 130,000: South Koreans playing on GOLFZON simulators daily.
• 200,000: People around the world playing on GOLFZON simulators daily.
• 1.7 million: Online GOLFZON members.
 


App of the Week:

BioMech Putting App and Sensor

- An app that can improve our putting stroke, it's worth a try.
BioMech Sports is using technology to improve your putting. First there was the AccuLock ACE putter, as it was a putter designed with biomechanics, physiology and physics in mind. The thought here is a  legal putter that allows better vision and takes the unpredictable muscles in the arms, wrists and hands out of play is something golfers of all levels can benefit from and trust.
BioMech continues its wave of innovation with the introduction of the BioMech Golf App and real-time Putting Analysis Sensor, the first such products to not only identify mistakes in the putting stroke but to actually help fix them.
Among the putting elements that the BioMech Golf App & Sensor identify throughout the stroke are:
    Position of the putter throughout the putting stroke
    Path direction back and through
    Putter face orientation and loft at address and impact
    Detailed analysis of timing, acceleration and force changes at any point throughout the stroke