Health monitoring the data-rich body is becoming big business. Apple is in the thick of it. That will change the face of the company.
CES - JBL's Flip 5 Adds USB-C Charging, Increased Sound Output, Larger Battery
JBL unveiled the Flip 5 Bluetooth speaker at CES this week, with some notable enhancements over the Flip 4. The most visually-obvious thing they’ve done is moved to a waterproof USB-C connector for charging, eschewing the rubber cover that protected its predecessor’s micro-USB port. This means the Flip 5 is fully submergible without having to first check to ensure the waterproof charge cover is in place. Additionally, JBL has remodeled the acoustic design, now using a racetrack-shaped driver that should increase the speaker’s bass response. Battery life is also increased to a full 12-hours of playtime. The JBL Flip 5 will be available this spring for US$99.95.
CES Wrapup – TMO Daily Observations 2019-01-11
Dave Hamilton and John F Braun join host Kelly Guimont to wrap up coverage of CES 2019 including the show floor and new uses for AR/VR.
AT&T Claims it will Stop Selling Your Location Data
The carriers had already promised to stop selling customer location data back in June 2018. But a recent investigation showed they kept going.
Tim Cook Is a Failure at Operations
Operations are supposed to be what Tim Cook does best. Under Steve Jobs he was the Chief Operating Officer at Apple. And while he may have done a great job there, he is a failure at it as CEO.
2019 iPhone Could Still Have Liquid Retina LCD Display
One of the 2019 iPhone models could stick with the Liquid Retina LCD display, although in 2020 a rumor suggests Apple may drop the LCD model.
The plan to stick with LCD comes as Apple grapples with sluggish sales of the iPhone XR, which has cut into its most recent revenue projection. That is partly because the planned LCD handset has been in the product pipeline for months and the plan can’t be altered easily, they said.
Charlotte Henry also wrote that one or more of the new phones may come with three cameras.
New Priorities led to Amazon and Apple's new Partnerships, but the Peace won't Last Forever
Apple and Amazon have taken a more collaborative approach recently, does not amount to a full-blown, long-term partnership.
This Maps Shows T-Mobile, Sprint Coverage After Merger
You can click and drag around the map, or type in your zip code for faster results.
TMO CES 2019 Coverage Sponsor: Other World Computing
Please join me in giving a huge round of thanks to Other World Computing for being on board with us again and helping to sponsor TMO’s CES 2019 coverage. Making the trek out to – and around! – Las Vegas each year to cover CES for you all is no small feat (and that’s not to mention how our feet feel after walking Vegas!). The costs associated with it all are large, and with sponsors like OWC helping to support that we’re able to take our time and mine CES for just the stuff you want to learn about.
Apple Rumored to be Planning iPhone with Triple-Rear-Camera System
Apple reportedly plans to launch three new iPhone models in fall 2019 one of which could have a device with a triple-rear-camera system.
CES - Scosche BaseLynx Modular Wireless Charging Station Organizes and Charges Your Devices
Scosche’s CES booth was again full of great new devices for managing your devices in both your home and car, and the highlight to us was their new BaseLynx modular wireless charging station. Available modules include a Qi fast-charge dock, an Apple Watch dock, powered end-cap, and a vertical power station which holds three wired devices. The end-cap has a 12V USB-A and 18W USB-C PD outlet, and the power station has that plus a second USB-A port. You can mix-and-match modules to serve your needs – including just using one if you like – and BaseLynx is engineered to prevent over- or under-voltage, surging, and overheating. Pricing has not yet been announced, and BaseLynx is due to be available this coming spring.
CES - Satechi's USB Docking Stand For All Models of Apple iMac
At their CES booth, Satetchi was showing off their latest: the Satechi Aluminum Stand for iMac. Priced at $89.99 and available in Space Grey or Silver, this combination stand and dock provides three USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, a USB-C data port, micro/SD card slots, and an audio jack, all conveniently-placed on the front of the stand. Capable of supporting up to 50lbs, the stand can easily support the weight of any iMac and most displays, and would also fit a Mac Mini quite well, too. The Satechi Stand for iMac is built with a USB-C connector on the cable to the computer, but also comes with a USB-A to USB-C adapter for use with any existing iMac. It’s a sharp way to free up some space on your desk while adding a few easy-access ports on the front.
Here's an Apple Infographic of Product Made So Far
The folks at TitleMax shared a cool Apple infographic that lists every (or most) Apple product made so far.
We’ve created this innovative look back at all Apple products to list off each incredible marvel by year, from super-successful, like the company-saving iPod, to the duds like the Apple Bandai Pippin. In our Apple timeline, you can see how much the company changed and how a few pivotal moments have revolutionized the entire technological world.
CES - TiVo Demos Upcoming Apple TV App
At CES this week TiVo announced and was demoing an in-progress build of their upcoming Apple TV app. Once launched, the app essentially makes your Apple TV a TiVo Mini, allowing you to stream content from your existing TiVo box throughout the house. In our demo things worked quite smoothly, and the app seemed to be pretty far along in its progress. Both live TV and pre-recorded shows are available, making for a seamless experience moving from room-to-room without having to add more TiVo Mini boxes. TiVo’s Apple TV app is due later this year, along with similar apps for Roku and Amazon Fire Stick. All three will be available free-of-charge.
Apple Pay Czech Could Come in February or March
The first group of banks to support it include Česká spořitelna, mBank, Komerční banka, Moneta and AirBank.
CES - VLC Adding AirPlay Support, Hits 3 Billion Downloads
Popular media player VLC will shortly add AirPlay support, it also surpassed 3 billion downloads during CES 2019.
CES - Ultrahaptics Uses Ultrasound for Touchless Gesture Control, Haptic Feedback, and 3D Viewing
One of the coolest things I found at CES this year was Ultrahaptics technology, allowing for gesture control and haptic feedback using only ultrasound. Touching nothing, I was able to control and manipulate an on-screen “object”, and even feel it all through the magic of ultrasound waves. They also had a demo using their tech that tracks your face and eyes to project and focus a 3D image without the need for any glasses. I talked a bit about it on the show floor:
Your Privacy Can't be Left up to Others
Doc Searls argues that if your privacy is in the hands of others alone, you don’t have any privacy.
If you think regulations are going to protect your privacy, you’re wrong. In fact they can make things worse, especially if they start with the assumption that your privacy is provided only by other parties, most of whom are incentivized to violate it.
I think Mr. Searls makes some good points. I’m in favor of privacy regulations, but I also agree that individuals need to manage their privacy better. Privacy should also be the default, and not a feature you have to pay for.
IMDB Launches Streaming Service Called Freedive
IMDb launched a free streaming service for movies and TV shows called Freedive. You can watch content via browser or with Amazon devices like the Fire TV.
Amount Ad-Buyers Spend on Instagram Digital Video to Double
The share of ad-buyers’ digital video budgets that is spent on Instagram will double from 2018 to 2020. Bloomberg News reported on a new survey by financial services firm Cowen. It found that 61% of the respondents, who collectively represented approximately $14 billion in ad spend, consider the photo-sharing app the go-to platform for launching a campaign targetting 13 to 34 year-olds.
“Stories” — a relatively new Instagram feature — are helping to grow the app into a campaign favorite. Instagram Stories appear “poised for greater adoption” as more ad buyers allocated some portion of their spend to the feature in 2018 than the year prior, said Cowen’s John Blackledge in a note. Instagram even beat out TV in this younger target group, a medium only 3 percent of respondents said was a primary platform.
