Category: I’m a Tech Junky

HEY GOOGLE, MAKE ALLO YOUR MAIN MESSENGER!

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I really love Google. My Pixel phone has been great for a good year and a half and I’m really looking forward to the Pixel 3. Google has a badass hardware line and it’s only getting better as we progress forward.

One thing that has been bothering me for quite some time is Google’s messaging apps. They have Hangouts, Android Messages, and Google Allo. Out of the 3 Google Allo seems very promising but after reading about how Allo fell from the top 500 apps list in their very own Play Store, it made me question what in the hell Google is doing.

Google Allo in my opinion is the better of the apps with its smart AI features and elegant design. Just like Apples messenger you can message people from your computer (even though is browser based) and has all the fun filled emojis, stickers, gifs, and smart reply features. What’s really confusing is that Google has implemented these same features in their Android Messages app which makes no sense at all. Why not just take Android Messages out of the picture and make Allo the main texting app on the Pixel phone?

If Google wants to be a fierce competitor to Apple, they need to make Allo the main app of which users communicate through instead of bombarding us with several different messaging apps. Facebook messenger and Whatsapp pretty much have that area on lock. I just really want to have that cool as experience that I had with iPhone but on my Pixel but Google can’t make their minds up.

~ keep it all smiles

IoT pt 2

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Everyday I learn of a common device or product becoming connected to the internet.

Literally, everything.

Scrolling through my WordPress reader I saw what looked like a pregnancy test but was really a body heat tracker that connects to your phone. This shit is just as bad as the Bluetooth water bottle that tracks your water consumption and notifies you when to drink again.

With all this technology becoming integrated into common goods, doesn’t it seem just a tad bit scary?

What if someone hacked the database to wherever they hold your water consumption algortithms and then turns around and fucks with the water provider in your town and…. Look I don’t know.

All I’m saying is that the IoT is real and we need to put serious thought into what products we should or should not install motherboards and wifi chips.

It’s bad enough Google tracks where I walk to.

~ keep it all smiles

Here’s What I Think!

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While often made out to be fierce competitors, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently shared dinner and a conversation together in Sillicon Valley. Images of the meal were shared on Facebook and discovered on MacGeneration. more…Filed under: Google Corporate

via Caption contest: What are Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai discussing in this image? — 9to5Google

Now for a fanboy like me, this is a site to see. Two CEO’s from rival companies chopping it up over dinner is a spot that looks verrry expensive. The question posed by 9to5Google is “What are Tim and Sundar talking about?” Well Here’s my guess…

Collaboration.

It’s something that I thought about all the time, an iPhone running Android, or vice versa. I wouldn’t be the first person to mention something like this, Steve Wozniak even thinks that Apple and Google should work together. I honestly think that if Tim and Sundar were to create a smartphone together and dropping all past altercations aside, they could topple the smartphone market with just one phone. The device would be the most powerful, elegantly designed piece of technology that this world will ever see. Not to mention that Tim and Sundar can also knock Samsung off their radar. I’m not saying that because I don’t like Samsung, it’s because both Apple and Google had conflicts with Samsung infringing their copyrighted technology.

So what do I think these two CEO’s are talking about? Building an iPhone/Pixel that runs on iOS-Android.

~ Keep it all smiles

Hey Google, just do what Apple did!

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For anyone who owns an Android device, you may or may not have heard about Google Allo. Google Allo is a smart messaging app that is practically like iMessage, WhatsApp, and Kik. The only difference with Allo is the taste of Android. Whether you have used it or not, there really isn’t much dazzle to it. I mean hell, the only awesome feature I found was the Google AI integration. Other than that, it’s just a knock off of what other tech companies have to offer.

In all honestly, the App is clean shaven and runs flawless. I recently purchased a Google Pixel and ever since going back I don’t think I want to return to iPhone. (lol I’m just kidding) Seriously though, Google Allo has been gaining slow momentum. The app recently reached 10 million installs after its first 3 months out but why should we really be concerned with that? Why doesn’t Google just take the route that Apple did and have the app pre-installed and set as the preferred texting app instead of that messenger crap. I get that shit confused with facebook messenger a lot which screws me up everytime I share something and I get the display of apps to choose from.

The fact of the matter is, if Google really wanted to take Allo to new heights, they should make it the prefered texting app on all android devices. Going back to Apple; they created iMessage and made a universal messenger that developed a secret community among iPhone users while categorizing everyone else as SMS. I strongly suggest that Google should take this approach. I mean hell, if you’re gonna copy the “familiarity of an iPhone” with the Google Pixel, at least try some of Apple’s other ideas.

~ Keep it all smiles

Google Maps Adds ‘Explore around you’ in 5 New Countries

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When it comes to getting around a new city or trying to find your buddy’s house in a neighborhood you have never been to before, Google Maps will perfectly direct you to the destination. Adding on to giving you step-by-step directions, Google Maps offers a feature called “Explore around you,” which gives users a list of suggested places to visit for a quick meal or drink. For some time the feature was only available to the U.S. and the UK but now Google has expanded this feature to five more countries, giving more of the world a way to discover new places. These countries include France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Japan. Looking for the perfect spot to eat and drink has never been easier.

Let’s say you are on a business trip out in Spain and the have finally let you off for a lunch break. With you being a tourist wandering around a foreign country in dire need a food, the ‘Explore around you’ feature will come in really handy. The feature can easily be access at the bottom of maps where you would simply tap the icon. From there you will be shown a quick look of what is nearby you all organized by category. As soon as you see something appealing or get tired of your stomach making weird noises in public, you can tap on it and swipe through photos and read through the rating. Maps will provide you will all the information you need to make the right choice whether is for quick bite or if you want to take the kids to a nice Italian restaurant.

The ‘Explore around you’ feature has been available to users since last year but only for US and UK residents. Now with 5 more countries added to the list, more people can enjoy this feature along with all of its latest updates that substantially improve the service. Photos and reviews were some of the updates added but a more recent one that was sent out during the holidays that allows users see when a store is really busy was added. If you plan on taking a trip to any of the 5 countries listed that have ‘Explore around you’ enabled, try it out for yourself and see what you come across on your travels.

Google Contributor Gets a Refreshed Structure

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Many of us probably have a love and hate relationship with Ads on the internet. Every so often you might come across an Ad that actually displays stuff that you’re interested in. Other times you’re forced into a choke hold on a YouTube video watching a 30 second Ad. That’s when companies like Ad-Block Plus (ABP) came into the picture to help eliminate Ads. The only problem with ABP is that since they are completely blocking Ads from your viewing, the websites that use those ads to generate revenue are now losing money. To help fund this sites and make the system look a little more supportive, Google Contributor came into the picture offering users a way to pay a monthly fee to help fund the sites they enjoy.

Google Contributor Launched back in 2014 with a set of prices users can choose from. You had the option to pay either $2, $5, or even $10 depending on how many Ads that you don’t want to see. The $2 range was the lowest tier level and it was gauged by Google that users would see 5-15% less ads. If you prefer to see less to no ads then the $10 plan was the way to go. The prices and statistics may not seem like much, which is why Google revamped Contributor. Instead of the weird price ranges, Google has set a starting price of $6.99 per month. This price range works way better than the others prior to the change simply because users will actually see the reduction in ads. Google also has done away with the percentages of ads you will not see. Instead they actually gave us numbers this time around estimating that users will see 400-2000 fewer ads clogging their webpages.

Contributor works with all web browsers and on most mobile devices. In order for that to work though you will need to be signed into your Google account. In this revamped model, ads are entirely removed or replaced with a pixelated image carrying a Thank You message. With their new set price range, users will more than likely have a more enjoyable experience with less ads and the comfy thought of support they give every month.

Alphabet is the most valuable company in the world

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For all of you Apple fanboys out there, get ready to buckle your seatbelts because the rocky slide for Apple’s decline may be starting. During Google’s earning call, the company has surpassed Apple as the most valuable company in the world. Alphabet, as the company has renamed itself, brought in 21.3 Billion in revenue. Analyst were expecting Alphabet to bring in $8.09 per share but the search giant eradicated those speculations making them the most valuable company in the world.

Apple’s decline in stock didn’t happen overnight, their numbers have been falling for quite a while. Alphabet on the other hand has slowly climbed to its peak. Many of us probably would have never guessed this day would happen but it was coming either way. Apple has a few tricks up its sleeve for the coming years, hopefully we’ll see hardware from the company that will keep its heart pumping. In the meantime Google (Alphabet) who is a software company with a little bit of hardware thrown in is still vulnerable to the foreign rate exchange and the global economy.

Via / TechCrunch

This Acton Blink-Board Sucks Man

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blink-board-back

Click the link below to watch the video of the Acton Blink-Board.

http://on.mash.to/1SDcae1

Okay so I’m totally going to be that guy, I don’t like this. I don’t want to entirely diss this but I’m an advocate for traditional skateboarding, pushing is better. I see this little toy getting bought by a bunch of hipsters who vap from those high powered metal burners!

Anyways, going down the spec sheet. It takes two hours to charge this thing and it will only take you down the road for 6 miles. Do you know how much farther I can go with my athletically strong legs? Maybe I’m thinking like an old person who doesn’t want a cellphone or my dad who thinks that reading any type of book or magazine on a smartphone or tablet is an abomination.

I can’t say too much, if the damn thing lasted for 5 hours, I would probably go for a Sunday morning stroll around the city or better yet… grab my wooden skateboard and go to the skatepark.

Via / Mashable

I Wouldn’t Feel To Bad Stealing Netflix

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Personally I’m not a Netflix user. I had a free trial of it but I eventually gave up on it once I noticed I rarely got on my PlayStation to watch a show. I’ve been offered numerous times by people who have a Netflix account that they’ll give me there credentials but I kindly decline. Either way, if I did Netflix wouldn’t care. At The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said that they love people sharing Netflix.

According to Hastings, people who use another persona account eventually become Netflix users themselves. An example he gave was of a parent sharing their Netflix with a child. That child will eventually grow and more than likely subscribe the to the video streaming service. Hastings says, “That’s a positive thing, not a negative thing.”

I guess we can all agree that Netflix is a company that is more concerned about happy the customers are. So if you are using your buddy’s Netflix login then keep on going, Netflix wants you too.

Via / BGR

Apple is Probably Going to Sue This Switzerland Watchmaker

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swissalpwatch

I don’t know too much about Switzerland other than the Ricola cough drops that they make. Might I mind you that these cough drops are amazing by the way. Any who, H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alps, a Switzerland watch company is probably going to get sued by Apple. Why? Well if you have already taken a look at the picture above than you know why. The company created a luxurious watch that replicates the Apple Watch.

How innovative is that?

With the rise of smartwatches, Switzerland has been losing marketshare. In what we can guess are efforts of revitalization to the classic time piece, Swiss Alps decided to construct a watch for older gentleman to where yet look hip among the younger crowds. The move sounds smart but in the end when you focus your attention to the design, it isn’t what its all cracked up to be.

Via / TechCrunch