Monthly Archives March 2015

Podcast 1512 March 28, 2015: Microsoft Special

March 28, 2015 | Comments Off

Congratulations Spartans!

Final Four Here We Come!

Show Notes:

Hour 1

It has been a long time since we had the opportunity to spend some time with the once indomitable digital brand that n0w finds itself in a rapidly changing digital world. Today our entire first hour is dedicated to catching up with the Redmond giant and finding out what is shaking.

We are delighted to bring back Dave Sawyer, Technical Director, Heartland Microsoft Technology Center to help us get a grip on the many faces of Microsoft under its new leadership. Dave comes equipped to answer our questions and show some of the newest gadgets that Microsoft is introducing. What’s the difference between Office Web Apps and Office 365? Is the Microsoft Band an avant garde music group? What in the world is the Internet of Things and when is Azure more than a color? Is Internet Explorer going away? Dave….you have a lot of explaining to do. Oh and don’t forget the gadgets! LOL

Microsoft Special Part 1

Click here to listen to Part 1

There has been a lot of confusion about Office Web Apps and Office 365. In this …

Smart Drones That Can Fly Themselves…Skynet Begins?

March 21, 2015 | Comments Off

The smart drones that can fly themselves without GPS: Photos

Researchers from Zurich university’s computer department have been demonstrating robot aircraft that can navigate to their destinations autonomously.

by Toby Wolpe | March 20, 2015 — 11:55 GMT (04:55 PDT)

Robust visual odometry

Because the aim of the research work is to make the Zurich robots active in their environment and capable of gaining knowledge from it, they are designed to cope with sudden movements in the landscape.

The system’s robust visual odometry – the use of data from motion sensors to calculate changes in position – and probabilistic dense reconstruction algorithms mean the drone is not disturbed by movements beneath it.

The drone still captures an accurate 3D scan of objects under its flightpath.

The visual odometry, planning, and control algorithms run entirely onboard the drone on its smartphone processor.

(Image: RPG-UZH, Alain Herzog)

See all the images

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Microsoft to add ‘enterprise grade’ biometric security to Windows 10

March 21, 2015 | Comments Off

Summary:At the WinHEC conference in China today, Microsoft showed off a new biometric authentication feature called Windows Hello. The ambitious technology, which uses fingerprint and iris recognition to replace passwords, will debut in Windows 10 devices later this year.

By Ed Bott for The Ed Bott Report | March 17, 2015 — 16:04 GMT (09:04 PDT)

For years, biometric authentication has been a sci-fi staple. Bits and pieces of biometric technology already exist in popular technology, most notably the TouchID fingerprint sensors used on late-model iPhones and iPads.

With Windows 10, coming later this fall, Microsoft plans to go big with biometric technology. The new OS will introduce system support for biometric authentication, the company says, “using your face, iris, or fingerprint to unlock your devices … with technology that is much safer than traditional passwords.”

At the WinHEC conference in China today, Microsoft executives showed off the new feature, called Windows Hello. At first glance, it sounds like Microsoft’s response to TouchID — biometric authentication that can use a fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor, or other biometric sensor to provide instant access to a Windows 10 device. Show your face or touch a finger, Microsoft says, and you’ll be

Apple May Launch Subscription TV Service in September

March 21, 2015 | Comments Off

The tech giant is in talks with TV programmers about a service that would include about 25 channels, according to the Wall Street Journal.

by Steven Musil @stevenmusil March 16, 2015 7:42 PM PDT

Apple’s much-hinted-at subscription TV service may become a reality before the end of the year.

The iPhone maker is in talks with TV programmers to offer a Web-based subscription TV service that would launch in September, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing unidentified sources. The service would offer programming from about 25 channels, including major networks ABC, CBS and Fox, that would be available on all devices running Apple’s iOS operating system, including the Apple TV, according to the report. (Disclosure: CBS is the parent company of CNET.)

The service, which is expected to be announced in June, would deliver programming across the Internet, like Dish’s Sling TV product and Sony’s upcoming service. The report did not reveal an expected subscription cost for the service but did note that some media executives pegged Apple’s service at about $30 to $40 a month. Dish’s Sling TV, meanwhile, is a $20 per month live TV package with 12 channels, including ESPN, TNT, CNN, HGTV and

Streaming Music Outsells CD’s For First Time

March 21, 2015 | Comments Off

Ian Paul | ian@ianpaul.net, TechHive Mar 20, 2015 8:12 AM

What, music streaming services are just beating CDs now?! In 2014, the money generated from streaming services finally outpaced compact disc shipments, according to a recent report from the Recording Industry Association of America. Revenue from streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, and music video services like Vevo and YouTube hit $1.87 billion in 2014. CD shipments, meanwhile, were valued at $1.85 billion.

Major superstars like Taylor Swift may have little love for streaming services, and businesses like Spotify aren’t yet making a killing from subscription revenue. Nevertheless, streaming is growing fast and is on its way toward becoming the most popular way to consume music.

Why does this matter? Read the Rest of the Story

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Podcast 1512 March 21, 2015: Fuel – Detroit with Josh Linkner & Battling The Tech Drought with Matt Roush of ESD

March 21, 2015 | Comments Off

Show Notes:

Hour 1

Fuel Detroit Leadership: The Music of Business

Josh Linkner, NY Times best selling author, entrepreneur and accomplished jazz musician will explain how he will use his jazz performances as a metaphor to drive innovation and promote creativity during the upcoming Fuel Detroit Leadership Conference. Josh is part of a star studded selection of leaders who will present at the Motor City Casino April 13. Other members of the panel include Magic Johnson, Jessica Alba and Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder. WJR’s own Paul W. Smith will emcee Fuel Detroit Leadership Conference April 13.

Click Here to Listen to Josh Linkner

Fighting The Tech Drought

Longtime tech commentator Matt Roush represents the Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) and will talk about their efforts to encourage the develop technical talent to fill the growing needs of companies in Michigan. How does Michigan find and develop the talent to fill the growing spaces in booming tech sector.

Click to Listen to Matt Roush

MiTechNews

Mike Brennan, Editor and Host of MiTechNews

Click Here to Listen to MiTechNews Special

to our co-branded MiTechNews Newsletter

Hour 2 Answering Listener Questions

Foster Braun, Bill …

Podcast 1511 3/14/15: Rick Broida Takes A Bite Out of Apple & Answering Listener Questions

March 15, 2015 | Comments Off

Happy Pi Day 3.14.15

Show Notes:

Hour 1

Is the New 12″ MacBook A Marvel of Design or the Result of the “Apple PR Zone”?

Join our hosts Gary Baker, Ed Rudel, Shane Hamelin and Foster Braun and they look at the Apple Spring forward event (3/9/15.) Was it really about Apple Watch or even about the 12 ” MacBook Retina? Maybe we all missed the main point of the dog and pony show in Cupertino!

Rick Broida, the Gadget Guy and Cheapskate blogger, joins us in studio to give his opinion on Apple technology, his current favorite watch and his recommendation for your next Windows laptop.

Click Here to Listen to Apple Part 1 (The Apple Watch Event?)

Click Here to Listen to Apple Part 2 (Technologies that will change mobile)

Click Here to Listen to Apple Part 3 (Rick’s favorite watch and laptop recommend)

The Real Story of the Apple Reveal: New Technologies that will change mobile computing

The New Force Touch TrackPad

The New “Butterfly Keyboard

USB-C: One Connector to Rule Them All

MiTechNews

Mike Brennan, Editor and Host of MiTechNews

Click Here to Listen to MiTechNews 3-14-15

to our co-branded MiTechNews Newsletter

HBO Announces Stand Alone Service Along With Discounted Apple TV

March 9, 2015 | Comments Off

HBO’s long-awaited standalone subscription service is coming next month, and Apple TV has been announced as the company’s “exclusive” launch device. Viewers will be able to watch HBO Now from web browsers, but Apple TV is the only streaming box getting it to start. An app for iPhone and iPad will be released, as well. “All you need to get HBO Now is a broadband connection and an Apple device,” said HBO CEO Richard Plepler. Priced at $14.99 per month, HBO Now will offer access to HBO’s entirely library of original shows and also its large catalog of feature films.

Read the Rest of the Story on The Verge

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Apple Watch starts at $349; battery lasts all day

March 9, 2015 | Comments Off

By Zack Whittaker | March 9, 2015 — 18:22 GMT (11:22 PDT)

watch-hero

The mysteries surrounding Apple’s new wearable are over.

At the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, Apple revealed what future watch-wearers had been wanting to know for months: when it was going to be available, how much it would cost, and what comes with it.

If you need a refresher, the Apple Watch is one of (if not the) most customizable product the company has made, with three different base models, two sizes, and half-a-dozen different watch colors and strap bands.

The models come with a range of apps, including many that mirror what’s on the iPhone (including Contacts, Maps, and Music), along with its voice-activated assistant Siri. It alsoworks with Apple Pay, the company’s own contactless payments service, and a health monitor with two dedicated apps.

Read Full Article …

Apple’s radical 12-inch MacBook

March 9, 2015 | Comments Off

Brad Chacos @BradChacos Mar 9, 2015 11:17 AM

There’s a reason Apple hasn’t changed the MacBook Air’s core design for years now: It’s basically perfect—the epitome of a thin-and-light laptop, from its luxurious, razor-thin exterior to its majestic glass trackpad. But even perfection can’t coax Apple into sitting on its heels.

On Monday, Apple revealed a new 12-inch MacBook, a radical revamp that shakes up the winning MBA design by dumping virtually every conventional port—Thunderbolt, the SD card slot, a power connector, everything—in favor of a pair a single USB Type-C connection and an audio jack. That, paired with numerous other advances, helped the 12-inch MacBook become the slimmest, lightest MacBook ever—and it’s silent, too.

The Rest of the Story

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Monthly Archives March 2015

Show Notes:

Hour 1

Microsoft Special Part 1

Robust visual odometry

Show Notes:

Hour 1

Fuel Detroit Leadership: The Music of Business

Fighting The Tech Drought

to our co-branded MiTechNews Newsletter

Hour 2 Answering Listener Questions

Happy Pi Day 3.14.15

Show Notes:

Hour 1

Is the New 12″ MacBook A Marvel of Design or the Result of the “Apple PR Zone”?

Click Here to Listen to Apple Part 1 (The Apple Watch Event?)

Click Here to Listen to Apple Part 2 (Technologies that will change mobile)

Click Here to Listen to Apple Part 3 (Rick’s favorite watch and laptop recommend)

The Real Story of the Apple Reveal: New Technologies that will change mobile computing

to our co-branded MiTechNews Newsletter

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