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Technically Speaking - Helping you survive and thrive in the Digital Age

Dear Friend,
Tech announcements continue to flood the digital airways and Monday's Apple World Wide Developers keynote did not disappoint. While the event is aimed at software developers and not us ordinary users, the end results will be dramatic in coming months and years. Some examples:

HealthKit is a mobile health technology system developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic and Epic Health Systems. HomeKit will pave the way for integration of your home security systems, and other home controls under one umbrella. At least two dozen other pieces of the new Apple model with equal importance were announced and will be part of the upcoming Apple Mac and iOS operating systems.

We've seen literally hundreds of examples of the new Internet of Things (IoT) - Google bought a thermostat company; Samsung wants to put your refrigerator online and they've announced four smartwatches and fitness companies are making wristbands and other gadgets to track you fitness. Apple wants to become the centerpiece of this new environment by tying the pieces together and not just making new gadgets.

Dilbert and Wally demonstrate the "Internet of Things"

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Gary

PS: All this talk about healthcare and connectivity brings out the songwriter in me:

Your iPhone connected to -
Your heart monitor - your heart monitor connected to -
the WiFi Network - the WiFi network connected to -
the Internet - the Internet connected to your -
Gigantic national healthcare provider and over two thousand three hundred and fifty insurance companies . . .

(Maybe it's not time to quit my day job - GB)

More advertising from Google - I can hardly wait
Google's recent purchase of the Nest thermostat is just the beginning of the the firm's invasion of your home. In a December letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the search giant said that it could be serving ads and other content on “refrigerators, car dashboards, thermostats, glasses, and watches, to name just a few possibilities.” Read the Wall Street Journal report on this "exciting" prospect. Welcome to the connected home!

Read this if you're thinking about connecting your TV to the Internet
You can connect a TV to the Internet in two ways. Higher priced new TV sets come with connection circuitry installed and the TV becomes another WiFi device on your home network. The alternative - buying a separate set top box - has the advantage of more flexibility. As this field evolves, you can replace the box - typically less than $100 - and not the TV. Since Amazon announced their new set top box recently, a reporter studied the reviews Amazon members gave to the devices they owned including Apple TV, Roku 3, Google Chromecast, and the new Amazon Fire TV. Here's the report.

To make things even more confusing Google just announced their third approach to connecting your TV - 2010 Google TV that was too much like a computer - keyboard required - 2013 Chromecast is an inexpensive "dongle" that attaches to the TV and has received good reviews and now - 2014 Android TV considered a more direct competitor of Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

Plastic is so yesterday
Last month I mentioned graphene - a miracle substance that could revolutionize entire industries. Here's a quote to get you or that budding scientist you know thinking -

"the thinnest substance known to science, yet it’s 300 times stronger than steel and harder than a diamond. High-quality graphene is also transparent and flexible, and it’s an excellent conductor of heat and electricity."

Here's one of many articles that will help you understand the future of graphene technology.

Is your iPhone spying on you?
Probably! There’s a little known feature in iPhones that monitors your location constantly and keeps a record of your most frequent locations. It’s very annoying for me because 1) it’s not publicized, 2) it’s buried deep in the Settings menu and 3) it is ON by default. To learn more about this intrusive feature and how to turn it off read this entry in Carolyn Nicandar Mohr’s always informative blog. This falls into the category of "just because they can, doesn't mean they should!"

Picture this - great photo/video app
If you want to make a video slide show for an association or corporate event or just for a family celebration, Slide X is just the tool you need. Simply select a few or a lot of photos from your library and a sound track and your slide show is created. You can show it directly from your iPad to a TV or projector or export it as a video. I have not been able to find it for Android yet. Click here or on the image at the right to see a YouTube demonstration using some of my photos - some doctored, some not.

June 2014
Issue 56

Who I am and what I do

My lifetime passion has been explaining technology to non-technical audiences. I've been a programmer, project manager, system designer and independent consultant. I've taught at the high school and university level,5published numerous articles and given hundreds of lectures across the US and abroad. In my spare time I volunteer for several social service organizations and enjoy my photography hobby.

How I can help you

I will work with you to develop an educational program suited to your association, business or other group - long or short, basic or advanced. Popular topics include:

• Small group roundtables

• Mobile Tech 101

• Mobile devices in business
• iPad tips and tricks
• Apps, apps and more apps

• Technologies and companies to watch

• Why good cameras take bad pictures

• How things work - from your PC to the Internet

Click here for more information on these topics.

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