smartphone

2018 Google Pixel 3 Announcements

By Paul B. Kaiser on October 8, 2018

Thats a wrap on the Pixel 3 Event

Here’s the #MadeByGoogle lineup

Finally after months of rumors and leaks, the Pixel 3 event went down today in New York City. Google unveiled its newest flagship Android phone and a few new devices, including the Pixel Slate and Google Home Hub. The company announced its new lineup at the beginning of the presentation which was a surprise. Some products were immediately available for preorder before the event even concluded.

Getting pricey like the rest of them. A Pixel 3 XL with 128mb is $999

Now for the Pixel 3

The price NOT BAD

New keyboard

Looks very cool

Cut the cord – get 3 months free of YouTube TV

Here is the Slate

The Hub is $149 – not bad

11:28 AM

The Hub

Bring on the Smart Home

And here they all are – Thank you very much 🙂

Very interesting how they just announced everything up front.

Intersection of Software and hardware is their mantra

The Google show is almost ready to start

We have started

#MadebyGoogle

Come back on October 9th at 11am ET for Google announcement news.

The Google Home Hub – This I’m excited for

By Paul B. Kaiser on October 7, 2018

For all the hype, the Google hardware launch this Tuesday is on the light side as far as I’m concerned. Unless there are some surprises, we are talking about a phone that looks the same, a tablet/pixel book, a Google Home Hub, a charging stand, and maybe some earphones – maybe. I think it’s a big miss not having an Android Watch this year. Google wanted to be in the hardware business and they are missing the opportunities. They have great platforms set up and could be running their own streamlined hardware.

The event kicks off October 9 in New York City and the thing I’m most excited to see is the Google Hub. Connecting all the digital toys we are collecting is a smart move. And if done right will give them the ecosystem that rivals Apple and Amazon doesn’t have.

Google Home Hub

The Google Home Hub is the latest addition to the Google Home lineup, and the first Smart Display from Google. Google announced the Smart Displays platform at CES 2018, and now they’re entering the fray themselves with an affordable option that looks a lot like the Google Homes that are already on the market — but with a display. It’s expected to cost $149.

Google Home Hub — Colors

Available in “Chalk” and “Charcoal,” the Google Home Hub will fit right into the Home speaker lineup. Matching the Home Max exactly, these colors are applied to the fabric and the plastic backing of the screen portion.

Google Home Hub — Specs

The touchscreen, it is 7-inches with Google not citing the exact resolution. The top bezel houses an ambient light and color sensor, but no front-facing camera.

On the audio front, Google only notes “full-range speakers for crystal clear sound” for the Home Hub and the standard Far-field microphones. Connectivity, as confirmed by the FCC, includes 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi in both 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands for “high-performance streaming” and Bluetooth support.

The Home Hub is powered by a 15W power adapter that connects via a DC power jack. It weighs 16.9 oz (480g), while dimensions are 7.02-inch (178.5 mm) x 4.55-inch (118 mm) with a 2.65-inch (67.3 mm) depth.

OH – and Other stuff

Pixel Smartphones

The Pixel 3 will reportedly boast a 5.5-inch display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, a 12.2-megapixel camera on the rear, dual front-facing cameras (purportedly for better selfies), 4GB of memory, and will reportedly be available in 64GB and 128GB configurations. Naturally, the device will run Android 9 Pie and feature the same fingerprint sensor on the back.

The Pixel 3 XL will reportedly sport a 6.7-inch display with a 1440×2960 resolution, a glass back with a matte finish, and support for wireless charging. Of particular interest is that Pixel 3 XL leaks have shown a device with a notch design, a’la the iPhone X. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that Google has precise guidelines for how Android P should support notch design. Incidentally, the design will still have a “chin” and will not be as edgeless as the iPhone X. Camera wise, the Pixel 3 XL will reportedly be no different than the Pixel 3.

Google Pixel Slate

Word is that the Pixel Slate is a Chrome OS tablet hybrid–. The device will reportedly include a fingerprint sensor and a leaked marketing image (allegedly) can be seen below. Additionally, rumor has it that the device will boast the same resolution as the Google Pixelbook, will include one USB-C port, and will have memory configurations of 8GB and 16GB. Details regarding the Pixel Slate’s release date and pricing have yet to leak, so we’ll likely have to wait until the official Google event to learn more.

Did Apple sell you an iPhone X or iPhone 10?

By Paul B. Kaiser on November 11, 2017

If you’re unaware of the Apple iPhone X pronunciation debate, then tell me if you pronounce the new iPhone X with the alphabet “X” or as the number “10”? No worries because everyone has been confused since the announcement. Some people argue that you say the letter “X,” while others believe the “X” is meant as the roman numeral for 10. For diehard fans it doesn’t matter. They still waited in line for days to get the phone.

Apple has settled the debate once and for all. The company said iPhone X is meant to be pronounced “iPhone 10.” The X marks the company’s 10th anniversary since the first iPhone hit the shelves in 2007.

Here are some hands on shots of the iPhone X from the Apple store today.

“The iPhone X is loaded with high-end hardware and new features”

The iPhone X is loaded with high-end hardware and new features, including multiple cameras, wireless charging and a beautiful display. However, Apple got rid of the home button on the iPhone X and launched a new feature called “Face ID” that unlocks the phone when the user looks at it. But I think everyone is pretty happy.

4 really nice things about the iPhone X

The sharpest display ever on an iPhone

The iPhone X features a colorful OLED display with more than 2 million pixels. That means sharper text for reading, more impressive video playback and more. Better yet, it has a screen that runs from edge to edge so you get a bigger viewing area without having to carry a larger phone.

Facial recognition

You can register your face with the iPhone X so that it automatically unlocks when you look at it. We’ve seen this before in phones such as the Galaxy S8, but Apple says its face unlock uses 3-D imagery that’s even more secure. It says the new tech can’t be fooled by even a professionally made mask of your face, and is more secure than fingerprint locks.

Animoji

This ties in to facial recognition but is fun enough that it deserves its own spot on the list. Apple developed new “Animoji” that allow you to create short clips of your own emotions and send them off as emojis to friends and family. Maybe you’ll make a silly face with the pig emoji, for example: Apple’s facial recognition tech will help the emoji resemble the exact expressions you’re making.

Cameras galore

Wide-Angle Camera

An ƒ/1.8 six-element lens, optical image stabilization (OIS), and a larger, faster 12MP sensor make the most popular camera in the world even better.

Telephoto Camera

Using a state-of-the-art seven-magnet solution, iPhone X includes a second OIS system in the powerful ƒ/2.4 telephoto camera. Together the two cameras enable optical zoom to bring you closer to your subject. And deliver amazing shots with Portrait mode.

The iPhone X has a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a second telephoto lens for zooming. Apple says it offers huge improvements over the cameras we saw in the iPhone 7 Plus, which was the first to offer a telephoto lens. Also expect to see less shaky videos, improved pictures in low light, and more. Also, a new front-facing “TrueDepth” camera is capable of taking those fancy portrait shots that debuted on the iPhone 7 Plus, which create a blurred background bokeh effect that looks much more professional.

Has smartphone technology really peaked?

By Paul B. Kaiser on October 27, 2017

I have read several stories this year about the death of the smartphone, and how the technology is tapped out. I initially wrote them off as fake news or just looked the other way in denial. But after seeing the new releases of the Pixel 2, the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X, I’m really beginning to think they were right. It’s not that these phones aren’t the smartest devices in the world – they are. I mean they are computers in our pocket what the brainpower to fly a ship to the moon. The failure seems to be in the “lack luster” or the interest companies put into the phones. And maybe there isn’t much technology left to pack into these devices, but it’s hard to believe that Apple and Google aren’t introducing some new cool device that beams a holographic image or scans your body for diseases.

While there is plenty of hype and glitz when these phones have launched but they seem to be riddled with issues and glitches. The Pixel 2 has had screen problems and audio issues. The iPhone 8 is really the iPhone 7 for more money.The iPhone X face just looks like a awkward design. For the money that they cost, I think we all want more, or the same for less money. I mean generally speaking were getting new phones every 1-2 years.

And are these companies listening to customer feedback? Most people still want the headphone jacks in their phones. It feels like they are doing technology for the sake of technology – and to sell us new headphones.

New technology

So are Apple and Google working on anything cool besides VR? Not that VR isn’t cool but AI seems to have more use to a consumer. Here’s a rundown of some of their ventures.

Google is working on Google Lens, which is pretty cool. It’s the best of AI and technology combined. You can scan any thing, any person or data and it tells you what that object is – and files it under people or houses or whatever it is.

They are also working on getting the internet to the rest of the world called Project Loon. P roject Loon tries to solve this problem by taking it to the stratosphere. By using balloons, Google plans to provide Internet connection to the whole world. It works by acting as a node between the base Internet Service The balloons fly 20 kilometers (around 13 miles) above the ground. And Loons, powered by solar energy, can use the wind in the stratosphere to “sail” across the land.

Apple has these gems:

Project Titan – this is the Apple car that was rumored, then killed and now seems to be a reality. Apparently, Apple becomes “committed” to a project once the company begins spending huge amounts of money on tools, company acquisitions and other processes.

“We explore things with teams of people. And that’s a part of being curious,” Tim Cook said.

Apple is looking for the holy grail in healthcare. If it could monitor diseases like diabetes, hundreds of millions would buy what Apple is selling. CNBC reported that, Apple has hired a small team of biomedical engineers to work at a nondescript office in Palo Alto, California, miles from corporate headquarters. They are part of a super secret initiative, initially envisioned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, to develop sensors that can non invasively and continuously monitor blood sugar levels to better treat diabetes, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Google Pixel 2 and the Mushroom

By Paul B. Kaiser on October 21, 2017

Some photos of the Pixel 2 at Verizon. I was surprised by the curves. I didn’t realize it was so extreme. Very “Samsung like.”

Pixel 2 XL

Speakers on both ends should be nice.

Pixel 2

Mushroom from Google

At the Apple event, Will “X” mark the spot for the new iPhone

By Paul B. Kaiser on September 13, 2017

Update:: New iPhone 8 Gold has arrived. Some early pics.

Today, the highly anticipated announcements from Apple took place at the Steve Jobs theatre, as they do every year. But this year was inherently different because Apple was in the new magnificent location (see drone footage), and the iPhone, really the first smartphone, was introduced 10 years ago. I’m going to give a few facts and specs below, but Ill let the pictures tell the story. Bottom line is that Apple is great, the iPhone is better than last year’s, and technology is held together by companies like Apple. The iPhone X is here and it looks awesome. “All you need is love” was the message that Apple and Tim Cook opened the conference with, and I believe that is what all their employees put into their products.

If you want to watch the full Apple keynote go here.

On a side note, as it relates to love, Apple literally just donated 5 million dollars to the HandinHand2017 Hurricane relief as I was writing this.

So the quick summary from the event is that there were 3 major announcements.

A New Apple Watch – Series 3 (See more here)
An updated Apple TV 4K (see more info)
And of course the new iPhones – 3 models iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus specs:

Still has a physical Home button
4.7-inch display for iPhone 8; 5.5-inch display for iPhone 8 Plus
Glass surface on front and back
Wireless charging using Qi standard (can be charged using third party wireless chargers that also use Qi)
LTE Advance for faster network connections
Water and dust resistant
Powered by an A11 Bionic chip, two performance cores
12 mega-pixel camera with two new sensors and optical image stabilizers
“Portrait Lighting” feature uses the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus’ dual cameras to sense depth and rework the lighting while you compose the shot
Highest quality video ever in a smartphone
Shoots video in 4K
New gyroscopes and accelerometers for augmented reality
Both models available in 64 GB and 256 GB
iPhone 8 starts at $699, iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799
Comes in silver, space gray, gold finishes
Pre-order opens Sept. 15, available Sept. 22

iPhone X

Basically the same as the iPhone 8 with these features.

Edge-to-edge display
Glass on front and back (same as iPhone 8)
Water and dust resistant
Comes in space gray and silver finishes
Super retina display (5.8-inch screen, 458 pixels per inch)
OLED display

No more home button on the “X”

Raise the phone or tap on any part of the screen to “wake up” the device, swipe up from bottom to go to home screen
Rather than pressing the home button, the phone unlocks by recognizing your face using the TrueDepth Camera System (infrared camera, floor illuminator, dot projector and front camera).
It works night and day, and learns your face over time so it cannot be duped by a photo or mask. Every time you glance at iPhone X it detects your face, takes an image, and checks it against a photo you took earlier.
When you take the initial ID photo, you move your head around so Face ID recognizes you from different angles. All processing is done on iPhone X and not sent to server to protect face data.
Face ID works with apps that use Touch ID, and can be used to verify payments.

The camera

Dual optical image stabilization
Larger and faster sensor
Quad-LED true tone flash

Size and price

iPhone X available in 64 GB and 256 GB models
Starts at $999
Preorders available Oct. 27, ships Nov. 3