Google on Wear 2.0: “We’re listening very closely to our developers” (and that’s the problem with Wear)
Why on earth does a smartwatch need a speaker? Or a ridiculous, microscopic keyboard? And this idea that a smartphone needs to be "standalone" and function just like a smartphone?!
I think I learned the answer: This morning I watched the Android Wear 2.0 deep dive at the Google I/O...
Wear 2.0: Google’s smartwatch OS gets much-needed reboot
"Our biggest platform update yet."
Well, how's that for amazing response time?!
Yesterday, I lamented the need for a reboot of Google's smartwatch operating system Wear. And Apple's WatchOS. And Samsung's Tizen. And... on and on. Save for Pebble's OS. That one's a keeper, even if the company's long-term viability is a...
Google I/O: Daydream takes Cardboard and VR to next level
"Mobile. Approachable. For everyone."
Google's evolution of its clever VR project Cardboard is here. Well almost. Clay Bavor's reveal of "Daydream" was easily the best highlight so far at Google I/O here at Shoreline in Mountain View.
Once again, Google is keeping it simple, and I think that's a smart idea.
Daydream...
Google Home oh no
As has been widely reported today, Google unveiled its answer to Amazon Echo.
Yep, oh no.
It's called Google Home. And like Echo (and it's smaller sibling Tap), it's a small plastic cylinder -- a smart speaker -- that sits in your home, and responds to voice commands. You can book...
Trendspotting: Will slow smartwatch sales lead to inventory dumping?
Some are saying smartwatch sales, and the overall wearable market, have grown at a decent clip over the past twelve months.
Fitbit reported 25% year-over-year growth. Xiaomi (a surprise to be sure) at 41%. Garmin 27%. Overall, shipments increased about 67% y/y.
I'm admittedly a smartwatch nerd (ask my wife). But at...
Stark Insider and RED Raven: BTS ‘All American Apple Pie’ shoot
Loni was back from London. And it was the weekend. Clearly, that could mean only one thing: time to test the new RED Raven camera.
I had already shot some slowmo (high frame rate) tests with Raven and was very pleased with the image produced by the well-regarded Dragon sensor...
What Instagram’s colorful new icon tells us about the current state of design
It's all about bold purples, and oranges. With a hint of some primaries too, like splashes of yellow and red in the name of vibrancy.
Not just Instagram's pretty new icon (see above), but also as I'm seeing the trend across culture in general. In 2016, it would seem one...
Yes, the machines will rise… to a point
"When machines become more intelligent, humans are freed to become more creative. That opens the doors to completely new possibilities."
In my latest article, over on The Next Web, I propose this theory and argue, perhaps not as dramatically as some, that machines of the future are far more likely to...
Latest Pebble smartwatch update adds Health tab to app
Pebble appears to be doing that most famous of Silicon Valley shifts: the pivot. Not in an entirely new direction, mind you. Pebble still makes low-cost smartwatches (starting from $99 vs. $349 for the Apple Watch). But it's now appearing the Palo Alto-based upstart is shifting its strategy and targeting the fitness tracking...
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Diet Coke + H2O: RED Raven slow motion test (Video)
UPDATE: I wasn't pleased with the noise on my first cut. I re-shot some tests with Raven using ISO 320. Also I used REDlogFilm instead of REDgamma4, and used Lumetri Color to grade (not exactly a strength of mine). You can see the results at the end of the...
