Toshiba Corp. has pulled the plug on a highly-touted smart glasses project – a product similar in concept to the recently cancelled consumer version of Google Glass. What’s most interesting about this decision by Toshiba is that they made it just days before the originally scheduled – and loudly promoted – launch date.
This is the End, My Friend; Google Glass Social Media Accounts Go Dark
An Augmented Reality Fail
Reuters reported that all Google Glass social media pages went dark last week…with no explanation given. It was an ignominious end to one of the most anticipated tech products with one of the greatest buzz building campaigns of all time. Alas, in the end all we got was a costly beta test…
Is this the end? See more below… [Read more…] about This is the End, My Friend; Google Glass Social Media Accounts Go Dark
Things Are Heating Up in Dallas
Dallas is hot right now – really hot – as in daily temperatures in the mid-90s. This is a shocking change from the cooling New England Fall now engulfing our home base. But it’s about to get even hotter as the nation’s custom integration community comes together for its annual pilgrimage, the pilgrimage known as Expo.
See more on the the pilgrimage known as Expo… [Read more…] about Things Are Heating Up in Dallas
Amazon’s Mysterious Lab126 – Poised to Take Over Home Automation?
Online retail behemoth Amazon.com, Inc. has always been pretty secretive about their internal projects and initiatives. Especially so about their Lab126 hardware design division, the group responsible for the popular Kindle e-book reader…and the not-so-popular Fire phone. But a report by Reuters at the end of last month blew the tent cover back enough to get a glimpse of just what this secret lab is working on now – and home automation appears to be in their sights.
See more on Amazon’s Lab126 and what it may mean for home automation… [Read more…] about Amazon’s Mysterious Lab126 – Poised to Take Over Home Automation?
Apple to Show Software for the Connected Home at Upcoming Software Expo
Not Just iOS…Apple Goes IoT
The Financial Times reported this morning that Apple, Inc. will announce a new software solution for the connected home market at the Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco next week. The move follows a lot of activity in the connected home channel recently including: Control4 going public, Google acquiring Nest, Philips launching Hue (app controlled lighting), Belkin launching WeMo, Harman acquiring AMX…and now Apple seeking to bring it all together in the home.
Is Apple on the right track? Or are they diving down a dark rabbit hole?… [Read more…] about Apple to Show Software for the Connected Home at Upcoming Software Expo
Alpine to be First to Market with Apple’s CarPlay Console System
Alpine Electronics will be the first of ultimately several companies to offer a in-car infotainment system based on Apple’s CarPlay system according to a report late last week by the Nikkei. Alpine’s system, which will likely be replicated by others, allows drivers to listen to music, view maps, as well as access other iPhone capabilities.
See more on this new Alpine/CarPlay system that is coming soon… [Read more…] about Alpine to be First to Market with Apple’s CarPlay Console System
Smart! Spotify Streamed to Your Smartphone is Now Free; Now Offers Led Zeppelin
Spotify, the popular music sharing app, announced today that it will offer streamed music to smartphones for free (ad-supported), starting today. Spotify has long offered this capability on desktop computers for free (again supported by advertising), but had required a paid subscription (ad free) for mobile devices. Now…everything changes.
The company also announced that it has exclusively licensed the rights to stream music from rock icons Led Zeppelin…also starting today.
See more on these dramatic changes, as Spotify moves to increase market share… [Read more…] about Smart! Spotify Streamed to Your Smartphone is Now Free; Now Offers Led Zeppelin
strat-GEE.com’s CES Survey Delivers One HUGE Shock
As most strata-GEE.com readers know, we conduct two short but insightful surveys every year. One survey is on readers’ intentions and plans for attending September’s CEDIA Expo. And the other covers the industry’s largest trade show – the International Consumer Electronics Show held every January in Las Vegas, NV – set to kick off next week on January 8th.
Conducted every year in December, our CES Survey has fallen into a fairly predictable response pattern. But this year something changed…something big…delivering us a huge SHOCK! [Read more…] about strat-GEE.com’s CES Survey Delivers One HUGE Shock
Sharp Spike in Sharp’s Prospects – Said to Working with Hon Hai on Apple iTV
The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that unnamed sources are telling it that Apple has built and is testing a large screen, high definition television that it has worked closely with Asian suppliers to create. Most notably, these sources say that Apple worked closely with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (Foxconn) – it’s leading iPhone/iPad supplier – and Sharp Corp. – the troubled Japanese television company.
Will Apple’s iTV save Sharp?… [Read more…] about Sharp Spike in Sharp’s Prospects – Said to Working with Hon Hai on Apple iTV
Onkyo Forges Global ‘Strategic Collaboration’ with Imagination Technologies Group
Out of Tokyo, Japan this past Monday came word of a new global strategic collaboration between Onkyo Corporation, U.K.-based Imagination Technologies Group, and Imagination’s consumer division known as Pure. A global technology creator, Imagination Technologies Group largely focuses on multimedia, cloud, mobile, and connected audio technologies – often licensed to major consumer brands as part of their product offerings.