Month: September 2013

Mark Zuckerberg On Making Internet Access Available For Everyone & Unlocking Your Car Without A Key (Smartphone Required!)

Linda Reimer

Mark Zuckerberg On Making Internet Access Available For Everyone: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has created a new organization called “Internet.org” in conjunction with tech companies Nokia, Qualcomm and Samsung. The goal of this new organization is to make Internet access available to everyone in the world.  According to Internet.org two thirds of the people in the world cannot currently access the Internet; and Zuckerberg and the other members of Internet.org are determined to change that fact.

Internet.org has released a three minute video featuring Mark Zuckerberg;  in which Zuckerberg notes that Internet access is a necessity for people today to be able to be innovative and creative and that the creativity and innovation of individuals can benefit humanity if those individuals have Internet access. Additionally, Zuckerberg offers some information on just how Internet.org intends to reach its goal of making sure all the people on Earth have Internet access.

I applaud the goal of Internet.org to make Internet access available for everyone across the globe!

Of course, access to information is a prime public library goal too. Public libraries exist to serve their patrons and one of the ways we do this is to offer patrons access to information contained in books and other printed material and information and resources they can access online. And with that information in hand our patrons can do all sorts of things including create a resumes to land a new job, learn how to create a new product and get a patent for it, write a book and self-publish it online, read public domain books, learn how to do algebra, learn more about history and much, much more. So here’s hoping that Internet.org is successful with their global Internet access project.  

Here’s a link to a Next Web article titled Mark Zuckerberg: How to make the Internet 100x more affordable by lowering costs and reducing data which offers more information on Internet.org and links to both the Mark Zuckerberg video and the Internet.org site:

http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2013/09/30/mark-zuckerberg-how-to-make-the-internet-100x-more-affordable-by-lowering-costs-and-reducing-data/

Unlocking Your Car Without A Key (Smartphone Required!): The Wall Street Journal offers a press release by the Voxx company. Voxx has announced that it has created a new keyless system for the Ford Motor Company. Customers who purchase select Ford Lincoln cars will be able to unlock their cars without a key. Instead of using a key the system allows car owners to unlock their cars with their smartphones via Bluetooth technology and an app called Lincoln Remote Access.

Being one of those people that locks myself out of my car on a regular basis; I find this new technology super exciting! Of course, I suppose I could leave my phone in my car with my keys but then I could simply pull out my iPad and use the Lincoln Remote App on it to unlock my car – if I owned a Lincoln Ford! I guess I have to still key track of my keys for the moment though…

Here’s a link to the Wall Street Journal webpage:

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130930-905573.html

And here’s a link to the iTunes webpage which tells you more about the Lincoln Remote App:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lincoln-remote-access/id587055049?mt=8

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Young, Ken. (2013, September 30). Mark Zuckerberg: How to make the Internet 100x more affordable by lowering costs and reducing data. TNW. Online. Accessed September 30, 2013, http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2013/09/30/mark-zuckerberg-how-to-make-the-internet-100x-more-affordable-by-lowering-costs-and-reducing-data/

VOXX International Corporation Announces New Accessory Product Collaboration With Ford Motor Company. (2013, September 30). Wall Street Journal. Online. Accessed September 30, 2013, http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130930-905573.html

New iPhones Go On Sale & Apple TV Has An Update

Linda Reimer

It has been another super, super busy day in library land so this will be brief tech blog posting to simply note that the new iPhones, the iPhone 5 S and the iPhone 5 C, have gone on sale today; and that if you own an Apple TV video streaming player there is a software update for it today that no doubt complements the new Apple iOS 7.

Here’s a link to a Verge article on the just-went-on-sale-today iPhones:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/20/4749888/iphone-5c-5s-begin-sale-in-stores-gold-numbers-limited

And a link to a Wired article regarding the new Apple TV update:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/09/apple-tv-updated/

Have a great weekend everyone!

Linda R.

References

Baldwin, Robert. (2013, September 20). Apple TV 6.0 Update Brings iTunes Radio and AirPlay From iCloud to the Streaming Box. Online. Accessed September 20, 2013, http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/09/apple-tv-updated/

Kastrenakes, Jacob. (2013, September 20). iPhone 5C and 5S go on sale with gold in short supply (update). The Verge. Online. Accessed Septemger 20, 2013, http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/20/4749888/iphone-5c-5s-begin-sale-in-stores-gold-numbers-limited

iOS 7 Is Here, iTunes Radio Makes Its Debut & Legacy Apps For Apple Devices

Linda Reimer

iOS 7 Is Here: Apple released iOS 7 just after 1 p.m. EST today. I’ve downloaded iOS 7 to my iPod and iPad and it does look very different from iOS 6. I like the new look! Some of the functionality has changed too including the fact that you now access the Spotlight Search by swiping down from the middle of your home screen instead of either double tapping the home button or swiping from left to right across the home screen. And if you do double tap the home button, instead of bringing up the Spotlight Search, you’ll now be able to quickly jump between apps you have open – to close those apps simply swipe upward over an open app or window. And you can access the new Control Panel by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and thus you’ll be able to quickly access the contrast and sound controls among other options. And you can now select a voice for Siri – you know Apple’s virtual assistant? You can pick a male of female voice if you have an Apple device that supports Siri.

Did I mention iOS 7 is different? It is! Feel free to drop into the library and ask members of the library’s tech team questions about iOS 7;  because honestly, once you install it on your Apple device you feel  like you just bought a new iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad!

Here’s a link to a ZDNET article on the subject, titled Apple Releases iOS 7 for Existing iPhone, iPad Upgrades, which offers a bit of basic information about the iOS 7 release:

http://www.zdnet.com/apple-releases-ios-7-for-existing-iphone-ipad-upgrades-7000020806/

iTunes Radio Makes Its Debut: And iTunes Radio is also making its debut today. Once you’ve updated your Apple device to iOS 7 simply go into the music app, which is now is red with white musical quarter eighth notes on it, and once you open that app there is an option for Radio at the bottom of the page – and a huge display will pop up saying “Welcome to iTunes Radio” and offering you the options to “Learn More” or “Start Listening.”

Here’s a link to a Mashable article on iTunes Radio titled Apple Updates iTunes to Includes iTunes Radio:

http://mashable.com/2013/09/18/apple-update-itunes-radio/

Legacy Apps For Apple Devices: Now this is cool because it too is new and very useful if you own and older Apple device! It used to be if Apple updated its iOS and your iPhone or iPad was just old enough that it couldn’t be updated to the new OS then there were apps that you couldn’t install on your iPad or iPhone because they had been upgraded to work with the new OS. So basically you were out of luck minus a work around. Now Apple has introduced a new feature that will allow you to automatically download a version of an app that will work with your device. For example, say you’ve got an iPhone 3 and you couldn’t previously have installed an iOS 7 app on your iPhone. Now if you use that same iPhone 3 and go to the app store you’ll be prompted to download a lower version of the app you’re interested in which will be compatible with your device. Now that too is cool! It is one of those cool Apple days…

Here’s a link to the Mashable article on just this subject titled Apple App Store Introduced Legacy App Download Option: 

http://mashable.com/2013/09/17/ios-legacy-apps/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Price, Emily. (2013, September 18). Apple Updates iTunes to Include iTunes Radio. Mashable. Online. Accessed September 18, 2013, http://mashable.com/2013/09/18/apple-update-itunes-radio/

Ulanoff, Lance. (2013, September 18). Apple App Store Introduces Legacy App Download Option. Mashable. Online. Accessed September 18, 2013, http://mashable.com/2013/09/17/ios-legacy-apps/

Whittaker, Zach. (2013, September 18). Apple releases iOS 7 for existing iPhone, iPad upgrades. ZDNET. Online. Accessed September 18, 2013, http://www.zdnet.com/apple-releases-ios-7-for-existing-iphone-ipad-upgrades-7000020806/

Getting Ready For iOS 7, Gadgets That Track How Well You Sleep & Netflix Secures Exclusive Streaming Rights To Season 2 Of Under the Dome

Linda Reimer

Getting Ready For iOS 7: Apple’s new mobile software upgrade will be unrolled next Wednesday, September 18th. And I’ve come across a number of interesting articles on the subject including one from OS X Daily that offers some helpful hints as to what Apple smartphone, tablet and iPod touch 5 owners can do to prepare their devices for the upgrade. Most of the suggestions are common sense items like checking to see if your device can receive the upgrade, deleting apps you don’t use anymore and backing up your photos and videos to a computer.

Here’s a link to the article, titled Prepare for iOS 7 Before Upgrading, which offers more tips:

http://osxdaily.com/2013/09/13/prepare-for-ios-7-before-upgrading/

And here’s a link to a second article on iOS 7 that offers you a glimpse of how iOS 7 differs from iOS 6; and although the different look of iOS 7 isn’t quite as big a shock as the change between Windows 7 and Windows 8 – it does have different look! The OS will also prompt users to do some common things a bit differently. The article is titled What We Already Know About iOS 7:

http://www.macworld.com/article/2048407/what-we-already-know-about-ios-7.html

Gadgets That Help You See How Well You Sleep: There are a number of new tech gadgets and apps that can assist you in tracking how well you sleep and even how you’re feeling at various times of the day. These gadgets include wearable gadgets like the Fitbit One that you attach to your clothes and which tracks how many steps you take during the day, how many calories you burn and how well you sleep,  the Jawbone Up which you wear on your wrist and which like the Fitbit One keeps track of how much physical activity you get each day and how well you sleep and the Nike FuelBand which doesn’t track how well you sleep but does track how many steps you take and how many calories you burn (and it may be the most popular health gadget on this list!) . Another tech sleep/wellness category is, believe it or not, apps. There are apps that will, in conjunction with your smartphone or tablet, track how well you sleep like the Sleepbot app which tracks your sleep cycle and doubles as an alarm clock and there are also tech devices that will work with your smartphone or tablet to track how well you sleep like the RenewSleep Clock which is compatible with Apple smartphones, tablets and iPods that have the old larger dock connector.  

Here’s a link to a Neon Punch article that offers a bit more info on tech sleep gadgets:

http://www.neonpunch.com/top-five-products-to-track-your-sleep/

And a second link to an interesting blog article also on sleep gadgets titled “Nike FuelBand, Jawbone Up, Fitbit Flex, Misfit Shine, Bowflex Boost: Which sports band to choose?”

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/123074-nike-fuelband-jawbone-up-fitbit-flex-misfit-shine-bowflex-boost-which-sports-band-to-choose

Netflix Secures Exclusive Streaming Rights To Season 2 Of Under the Dome: As another sign of the fact that streaming television shows is gaining in popularity consider the fact that Netflix has secured the exclusive rights to stream the episodes in the 2014 season 2 of the popular sci-fi series Under The Dome. The series is based upon the Stephen King book of the same name and this new deal will offer Amazon Prime subscribers access to each episode for free less than a week after it airs on CBS. And just as an FYI Amazon Prime is a subscription service Netflix offers that costs $79 a year and allows subscribers unlimited access to Amazon’s Prime Video Library and its e-book lending library where readers can access one free e-book a month. Additionally, Prime Members get free second day shipping on any items they buy directly from Amazon.

Here’s the link to a paidContent article that offers a bit more information on the new CBS/Amazon Under The Dome Deal:

http://paidcontent.org/2013/09/12/cbs-amazon-renew-deal-to-stream-under-the-dome-exclusively-on-prime-instant-video/

Have a great weekend!

Linda R.

References

7 top changes in Apple’s new iOS 7 operating system: From location-based app store selection to a male Siri. (2013, September 10). CBC. Online. Accessed September 14, 2013,

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/7-top-changes-in-apple-s-new-ios-7-operating-system-1.1700967

Buying Guide: Top Five Products to Track Your Sleep, (2013, September 13). Accessed September 14, 2013, http://www.neonpunch.com/top-five-products-to-track-your-sleep/

Caldwell, Serenity. (2013, September 9). What we already know about iOS 7. PC World. Accessed September 9, 2013

http://www.macworld.com/article/2048407/what-we-already-know-about-ios-7.html

Chappell, Bill. (2012, February 13). Apps For Apnea? New Gadgets Promise To Improve Sleep. All Tech Considered. Online. Accessed September 14, 2013, http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/02/13/146711356/apps-for-apnea-new-gadgets-promise-to-improve-sleep

O’Boyle, Britta. (2013, August 22). Nike FuelBand, Jawbone Up, Fitbit Flex, Misfit Shine, Bowflex Boost: Which sports band to choose?. Pocket-Lint. Online. Accessed September 14, 2013,  http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/123074-nike-fuelband-jawbone-up-fitbit-flex-misfit-shine-bowflex-boost-which-sports-band-to-choose

Owen, Laura Hazard. (2013, September 12). CBS, Amazon renew deal to stream Under the Dome exclusively on Prime Instant Video. paidContent. Online. Accessed September 14, 2013,

http://paidcontent.org/2013/09/12/cbs-amazon-renew-deal-to-stream-under-the-dome-exclusively-on-prime-instant-video/

Prepare for iOS 7 the Right Way: What To Do Before Upgrading an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to iOS 7. osXDaily. Online. Accessed September 14, 2013, http://osxdaily.com/2013/09/13/prepare-for-ios-7-before-upgrading/

 

New iPhones, iOS 7 & iWorks Apps Available For Free To New Apple Device Owners

Linda Reimer

New iPhones: Apple introduced two new iPhones yesterday. The iPhone 5 S which is the updated successor to the now discontinued iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5 C.

The iPhone 5 S has a few new features including a cool finger print scanning feature that will allow you to lock and unlock your phone and even buy apps simply by pressing your finger to home button on the front of the iPhone – this new feature is called Touch ID. The iPhone 5 S will be available in three colors gold, silver and space gray.  The iPhone 5 S will costs $199 with a 2 year cellular contract.

The iPhone 5 S goes on sale on September 20th.

The iPhone 5 C is essentially the iPhone 5 in a new case. And the new cases are made out of polycarbonate which is a tough, durable plastic. And the iPhone 5 C is available in five pastel colors, blue, pink, green, red and white. The iPhone 5 C is available for $99 with a 2 year cellular contract.

The iPhone 5 has now been discontinued and is no longer being sold. However, you can still buy the iPhone 4 S which is now free with a 2 year cellular contract.

The iPhone 5 C goes on sale on September 13th.

Here’s a link to a Wall Street Journal article on the new iPhones titled “Apple Unveils iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S: Company Continues to Fight Rivals in Smartphone Market; the 5C, in Five Colors, Is Priced at $99” which also features a link to a short video review of the new iPhones from the WSJ’s master tech guru Walt Mossberg:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324549004579067053406352672.html

iOS 7: iOS 7 is Apple’s soon to be introduced new mobile operating system software and it will be free for Apple device owners to install on their iPhones, iPads and 5th generation iPod Touches. The new mobile operating software will install on the iPhone 4, iPhone 4 S and all iPhone 5 models. Additionally, iPad 2, 3 & 4 owners will be able to install and use the software and 5th generation iPod Touch owners.

iOS 7 will bring many new features to mobile Apple devices and these include a new look for the software, new voices and features for Siri the voice activated personal assistant, iTunes Radio (similar to Pandora or Spotify), the ability to multitask and automatic updating of apps.

iOS 7 will be released on September 18th.

Here’s a link to a CNET article that offers more information on all the iOS 7 features:

http://reviews.cnet.com/apple-ios-7/

And a link to the Apple site which offers some information on iOS 7 features too!

http://www.apple.com/ios/

iWorks Apps Available For Free To New Apple Device Owners: iWorks is Apple’s answer to the Microsoft Office Suite. The basic Microsoft Office Suite features Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Apple’s versions of these same styles of software are called “Pages” (Word), “Keynote” (PowerPoint) and “Numbers” (Excel). And right now these three software apps can be purchased individual from the Apple app store for $9.95 each. However, if you buy a new iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch in the future Apple is including these apps for free! And that is great because Microsoft still charges about $100 for the basic standalone Microsoft Office package.

Here’s a link to an L. A. Times article on the new iWork apps that will come with each new iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch sold:

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-apple-iwork-apps-free-20130910,0,182789.story

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Apple Unveils iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S: Company Continues to Fight Rivals in Smartphone Market; the 5C, in Five Colors, Is Priced at $99. Wall Street Journal. Online. Accessed September 11, 2013, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324549004579067053406352672.html

iOS. Apple. Online. Accessed September 11, 2013, http://www.apple.com/ios/

iPhone. Apple. Online. Accessed September 11, 2013, http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/

iPhone 5C. Apple. Online. Accessed September 11, 2013, http://www.apple.com/iphone-5c/

 Rodriguez, Salvador. (2013, September 10). Apple to make iWork apps free with purchase of new devices. L. A. Times. Accessed September 11, 2013, http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-apple-iwork-apps-free-20130910,0,182789.story

Speculation In Advance of Apple’s September 10th Press Event, New People Magazine Subscribers Must Pay for Digital Access & Oyster’s E-Book Answer to Netflix

Linda Reimer

Speculation In Advance of Apple’s September 10th Press Event: Unless you’ve been out of communications range, you probably already known that Apple is hosting a press event tomorrow to unveil a new iPhone or two and possibly another product or two. Apple being Apple, no official information has been released about what products will be unveiled in advance of the event. However, it is a sure thing that Apple will unveil a new iPhone tomorrow and to complement that the next Apple mobile operating software iOS 7; whatever else Apple might unveil is open to speculation until tomorrow! Will they unveil a new iPad or iPad Mini, a newer Apple TV player, an iWatch? We’ll just have to wait and see to find out!

Here’s a link to an NBC News article on the subject of Apple’s September 10th press event, titled On eve of iPhone event, Apple rumors reach fever pitch, that offers a nice overview of the tech rumor mill speculation on just what devices and software upgrade features Apple will unveil tomorrow:

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/apples-new-iphones-what-we-think-we-know-8C11095778

New People Magazine Subscribers Must Pay for Digital Access: People magazine has changed its offerings for new subscribers. In the past anyone who paid for a print version of People automatically received access to the digital version of the magazine which they could then read on their smartphones or tablets. But new print subscribers will no longer automatically receive access to the digital version of the magazine. Instead, and you just knew this was coming, they’ll have to pay more. The new print and digital subscription package is called “People Digital Plus” and it costs $112 per year; and on top of that if you want print copies of the magazine that will cost you $20 more. In contrast, the print only People subscription simply costs $112 per year sans digital access for new People subscribers.

Here’s a link to a paidContent article on the subject titled No more free digital access for People print subs: New options are $112 to $200 per year:

http://paidcontent.org/2013/09/09/no-more-free-digital-access-for-people-print-subs-new-options-are-112-to-200-per-year/

Oyster’s E-Book Answer to Netflix: Oyster is a young start-up company based in New York that is launching an unlimited access style subscription service for e-books. Think of it as a Netflix service for e-books. More than 100,000 e-books will be available on launch day and the books will be offered by several hundred publishers including: Houghton Mifflin, Melville House and Harper Collins. And subscribers will be able to read as many of those books as they can all for only $9.95 per month.

The subscription service will be available on Thursday for iPhone users via a first-come-first-served invitation basis.

You can request an invitation at the Oyster site found at:

https://www.oysterbooks.com/

And here’s a link to a Mashable article regarding the new Oyster E-Book Subscription Service titled Oyster Releases the First True Netflix-for-E-books App:

http://mashable.com/2013/09/05/oyster-launch/

And as a librarian I have to say the idea of a subscription service for e-books, added to the fact that right now if you “buy” an e-book most of the time you aren’t “buying” the e-book itself you’re buying a license to access the e-book; gives me pause.

I am somewhat ill at ease regarding the fact that unlike print books, which you can own and access forever, licensed e-books can be rather unceremoniously deleted from your Internet connected device by the publisher or the e-book store you bought the e-book from on behalf of the publisher whenever said publishers or e-book stores deem it right to do so – as when a contract between a publisher and e-book seller expires. I also dislike the idea that unlike a print book that goes out of print; if an e-book goes out of print or out of license – you may not in the future be able to read that book because unlike printed books there may not be any digital copies available to read. Granted as long as print books are mass produced this may not be an issue but the day is coming when most books, sans special editions, will only be made as e-books and then this will be a real issue.

Ah well, I guess we’ll see if subscription model e-books are the wave of the future or if we’ll still be buying or licensing e-books in years come.

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Choney, Suzanne. (2013, September 9). On eve of iPhone event, Apple rumors reach fever pitch. NBC News. Online. Accessed September 9, 2013, http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/apples-new-iphones-what-we-think-we-know-8C11095778

Fiegerman, Seth. (2013, September 5). Oyster Releases the First True Netflix-for-E-books App. Mashable. Online. Accessed September 9, 2013, http://mashable.com/2013/09/05/oyster-launch/

Hazard, Laura Owen. (2013, September 9). No more free digital access for People print subs: New options are $112 to $200 per year. Online. Accessed September 9, 2013, http://paidcontent.org/2013/09/09/no-more-free-digital-access-for-people-print-subs-new-options-are-112-to-200-per-year/

 

 

Why We Live Longer Today Then People Did 100 Years Or More Ago, Campbell Soup K-Cups For Keurig & Apple’s Upcoming iOS7 Upgrade For Mobile Devices

Linda Reimer

Why We Live Longer Today Then People Did 100 Years Or More Ago: Slate offers an interesting article on why people live longer today than they did in the past. We forget that life expectancy 100 years or more ago was about 40 and now it is just about twice that – and the article which is amusingly titled “Why Are You Not Dead Yet?” casts a light on just the reasons why people are surviving things that used to kill people in ages past – things like being cursed of a condition or disease by modern medicine or surviving an accident that would have killed someone a century ago. The article is a bit morbid in the subject it focuses on but is fascinating none-the-less!

Here’s the link:

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science_of_longevity/2013/09/life_expectancy_history_public_health_and_medical_advances_that_lead_to.html

Campbell Soup K-Cups For Keurig: For those persons who own a Keurig Coffeemaker this next item will come as no surprise! Campbell’s Soup has just announced it is launching a new series of soup K-Cups for Keurig Coffee Makers! We have a Keurig Coffee Maker at the library and I own one myself and it is a top notch machine for brewing coffee but it also allows you to quickly access hot water for tea or instant soup sans any coffee after taste – I use the Keurig I have at home more for brewing green tea with tea bags than for brewing coffee. And now the Campbell Soup company has announced it will shortly beign selling soup K-Cups for Keurig Coffee Makers! Ahh, just what we’ll need on those chilly fall and winter lunch breaks – a steaming cup of easy to make soup to go along with our sandwiches and cups of coffee!

Here’s the link to the abc News article on the new soup K-Cups:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/campbell-offer-cup-soups-coffee-brewers-20156566

Apple’s Upcoming iOS7 Upgrade For Mobile Devices: This fall Apple will be coming out with a software upgrade for its mobile devices (think iPhones, iPads & iPods). And this new software, which is rumored to be quite different that previous iOS versions will probably be unveiled at Apple’s press event on September 10th. So it is timely that the USA Today has offered an article and video showing off some of the new looks and aspects of the new software – iOS 7:

Here’s the link the combo video/article:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/talkingtech/2013/09/04/ios7-released-later-this-month/2761477/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Choi, Candice. (2013, September 4). Campbell K-Cups to Make Keurig Into Soup Machine. abc NEWS. Online. Accessed September 5, 2013, http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/campbell-offer-cup-soups-coffee-brewers-20156566

Graham, Jefferson. (2013, September 5). Own an Apple device? Get ready for iOS 7. USA Today. Online. Accessed September 5, 2013, http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/talkingtech/2013/09/04/ios7-released-later-this-month/2761477/

Helmuth, Laura. (2013, September 5). Why Are you Not Dead Yet? Life expectancy doubled in the past 150 years. Here’s why. Slate. Online. Accessed September 5, 2013, http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science_of_longevity/2013/09/life_expectancy_history_public_health_and_medical_advances_that_lead_to.html

Samsung Introduces Galaxy Gear Smart Watch

Linda Reimer

The biggest tech news story I’ve come across today is that Samsung has finally introduced its smart watch called the “Galaxy Gear” watch. USA Today offers a video showing the new watch – and the era of wearable technology just came several large steps closer to fruition!

We’ll have to wait and see if Apple unveils a smart watch at their September 10 press event or not!

Here’s a link to a USA Today article/video on the Galaxy Gear smart watch by Samsung:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2013/09/04/galaxy-gear-first-impression/2763917/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

Baig, Edward. (2013, September 4). First Impression: Galaxy Gear – welcome to wearable computing. USA Today. Online. Accessed September 4, 2013, http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2013/09/04/galaxy-gear-first-impression/2763917/

Kindle Matchbook, The Growing Internet of Things & Hugo Award Winners Announced

Linda Reimer

Kindle Matchbook: Amazon issued a press release this morning to announce a new service they’ll be launching in October called the Kindle Matchbook. This new service will allow Amazon customers who purchase or have previously purchased a new print book from Amazon to purchase the e-book edition for a cheap price of under $3. And in some cases those same print book buyers will even be able to obtain an e-book version of the same title they’ve already purchased in print for free!

Additionally of note, this new service works with more than 10,000 books printed by a variety of publishers and is retroactive to 1995. Translation – if you have purchased a print book from Amazon by one of the publishers whose titles are available in the Amazon Matchbook library anytime between 1995 and the present you can purchase the Kindle price for less than $3 and in some cases the e-book will be free for you to download! Amazon hasn’t offered a list of all the 10,000 books that will fall under the umbrella of this program but still it cool! And some of the qualifying titles include books written by Jodi Picoult, James Rollins, Ray Bradbury, Michael Crichton, Neil Gaiman, Jo Nesbo & J. A. Jance.

Here’s a link to an Engadget article on the new Kindle Matchbook service:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/03/kindle-matchbook/

And a link to Amazon’s rather dry press release on the same subject:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1851331&highlight=

The Growing Internet of Things: The term “The Internet of Things” refers to the ways that we can use the Internet 23/7/365 in our increasingly Internet connected high tech world to access and share data, to remotely control devices (like turning the lights in your house via a an app on your smartphone while you are at work) and ordering items online for delivery in the physical world. This is a concept that is growing in relevance as computers, smartphones and tablets are joined in the space of everyday items always being connected to the Internet by household appliances, cars and other devices.

National Geographic offers a short article today on the “Internet of Things” which offers additional information.

Here’s the link:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130830-internet-of-things-technology-rfid-chips-smart/

And the Washington Post offers a related article on the subject which sheds a brighter light on how homes are becoming smart and their owners are thus better able to keep track of what is going on in their homes when they’re not there.

The article is titled “The Internet of Things” and here’s the link:

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-08-29/business/41594783_1_smartphone-users-devices-kickstarter

Hugo Award Winners Announced: The 2013 Hugo Award Winners for the best Science Fiction and fantasy works of 2013 have been announced. The best novel of the year is  “Redshirts” by John Scalzi, the best novella “The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson, the best novelette “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi” by Pat Cardigan and the best short story “Mono no Aware” by Ken Liu.

And you can read more about all of the Hugo Award winners for this year and even access free samples of their award winning works at the Media Bistro site – here’s the link:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/2013-hugo-award-winners-revealed_b77103

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Amazon Press Room: Latest News. Amazon. Online. Accessed September 3, 2013, http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1851331&highlight=

Boog, Jason. (2013, September 3). Sample the Best Science Fiction of 2013. Media Bistro. Online. Accessed September 3, 2013, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/2013-hugo-award-winners-revealed_b77103

Cooper, Daniel. (2013, September 3). Amazon launches Kindle Matchbook: discounted e-books for those who own the hard copy. Engadet. Online. Accessed September 3, 2013,http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/03/kindle-matchbook/

Howard, Brian Clark. (2013, August 30). How the “Internet of Things” May Change the World. National Geographic. Online. Accessed September 3, 2013. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130830-internet-of-things-technology-rfid-chips-smart/

Ravindranath,  Mohana. (2013, August 29). Building the ‘Internet of things.’ The Washington Post. Online. Accessed September 3, 2013, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-08-29/business/41594783_1_smartphone-users-devices-kickstarter