Jeremy Kaplan joins us from #CEWeek to talk Nest API, Microsoft’s Android phone and the future of healthcare tech. Can wearables make the jump from fitness to serious medical use?
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Show Notes
Today’s guest: Jeremy Kaplan, editor-in-chief of Digital Trends.com
Headlines
Digital Trends reports Nest Labs released a new smart home API to let developers make their devices work well with Nest’s. So your car can tell the Nest thermostat to warm up the house as you head home, and your light bulbs can glow red of the smoke alarm detects something alarming. Mercedes-Benz, Jawbone, Whirlpool, LIFX, IFTTT, and Logite have already released new Nest-compatible features for some of their products. The API is open to iOS and Android developers.
Bloomberg BusinessWeek published an interview with Google’s head of Android, Sundar Pichai, in which he said the next version of Android will be previewed at Google I/O tomorrow. The decision to preview Android’s ‘L’ named version at I/O instead of waiting until fall, was made in an effort to be more transparent. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what desert will become the name. Lemon Merengue, Ladyfingers, Lorna Doone Biscuits?
Bloomberg’s been talking to ‘people familiar with the plans’ and they say Apple plans begin mass production of its largest iPhones ever next month. The people say the plans include one model with a 4.7-inch display for shipment in September. The new phone swill also be rounder and thinner. An alleged 5.5-inch model has alleged production complications and so allegedly might not make it out this year.
The Next Web has the fact that Microsoft has announced a new Android phone called the Nokia X2. This is the first phone launched by Microsoft since it acquired Nokia’s handset division. The phone has a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 1.2 GHz dual-core snapdragon processir, 5-mpxl rear-facing camera, dual-SIM and 15 GB of storage. It’s available immediately for €99 in select countries.
The Next Web reports WeChat has introduced an ‘unsend’ feature that lets you pull back a message within two minutes of pressing send. The update is live on iOS and coming soon to Android.
News From You
tm204 has the top story on the subreddit from ComputerWorld. It seems folks who shelled out $1450 for the Chromebook Pixel last year were promised two years of free Verizon LTE service up to 100 MB a month. One year after activation several Pixel owners are complaining the Verizon service has stopped working, unless you pay. Computerworld’s JR Raphael called Verizon support and Google Play and has received no definitive answer why.
gardnervh posted the TechCrunch story that an amendment to the constitution of the US State of Missouri. The state legislature has proposed adding electronic communications and data to the section prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure and requiring a warrant and probable cause for reasonable searches. Citizens of Missouri will vote on the amendment in August.
tekkyn00b posted the Gizmodo story that MIT engineers have created a nanomaterial that withstand force 160,000 times its weight. A repeating geometric lattice was designed to be stiff but light makes it about 400 times as strong as most material of the same density. Researchers suggest it could be used in space, for battery construction or anything that needs high strength and low weight.
metalfreak posted the Wired story describing Hacking Team modules discovered by researchers working independently of each other at Kaspersky Lab in Russia and the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs in Canada. The Hacking Team provides software to governments and law enforcement agencies. Among the modules uncovered are ones that can activate microphones, take pictures, intercept email and text messages and log keystrokes on Android and iOS phones.
Discussion Section Links:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/24/5835910/soundhawks-earpiece-lets-you-pick-exactly-what-you-want-to-hear
http://www.cnet.com/news/pebble-watch-partners-with-misfit-for-fitness-tracking-app/
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/06/23/healthcare-wearable-technology/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/06/19/wearable-tech-health-insurance/
http://www.mddionline.com/article/wearable-tech-regulated-medical-devices-can-revolutionize-healthcare-6-18-2014
Pick of the day: Cloak via Alan Steinberger
Hi Tom, I have a simple solution for auto-connecting to WiFi hotspots, and protecting one from spoofed AT&T sites. Not to sound like a shill for Cloak VPN (www.getcloak.com), but they rolled out an extremely effective Connect On Demand feature a few months ago. When I’m out and about, every time my iPad finds a Starbucks or a Time Warner or other recognized hot spot, it automatically comes on. When I’m home or in another trusted location, Cloak stays off. I only need the 5 GB/month plan, which is inexpensive, and I’ve found the Cloak team in general and Dave Peck in particular to be most helpful and responsive. Love the show! Alan
Calendar Item of the Day: CE Week New York
Today is the start of CE Week, the consumer electronics industry’s annual mid-year check-in in New York City.The Exhibits and Conference Program, better known as as ‘the place with all the shiny things you covet’, begins Wednesday June 25 — we’ll have a preview on tomorrow’s show. Want more? Check out ceweekny.com
Wednesday’s Guest: Andrea Smith, technology journalist talks CE Week
In 1967 – The very first Consumer Electronics Show opened in New York occupying the Americana and New York Hilton Hotels. It was devoted to home entertainment electronics and featured such advances as portable color TVs and video tape recorders.
