Archive for the ‘News and Events’ Category
Today, Google held a press event to discuss the Honeycomb version of their Android operating system which is geared toward tablets. The goal, according to Google, was to “equip developers with the best possible toolkit that we can build then just get out of the way.” There were several parts of that toolkit revealed and reviewed today. Here are some of the highlights:
The OS is optimized for larger screens and now includes tablet-friendly features such as a multitasking button which provides a scrollable visual preview of all recently used apps for quick multitasking access. Widgets can also present larger blocks of data and are now scrollable in several ways, such as standard in-widget scrolling used for e-mail, stacked widgets for pictures, and block widgets for a list of bookmarks, to give a few examples. Multitouch even allows for scrolling on two different widgets simultaneously.
Notifications are still unintrusive, but will now contain more information. For example, when receiving an IM, you will now see the picture and part of the message for a brief moment in the corner of your screen where you can choose to open the notification or ignore it. In the same corner, there is a headphone notification button when the music player is running. Tapping this brings up a small widget to play, pause, skip or adjust volume quickly and easily.
“Application fragments” work as frames within an application to allow more flexibility in how information is presented. Each fragment represents a part of the full app and the presentation can be customized more effectively with this method. This also allows new dragging features, such as dragging an e-mail message into a folder in the folder list.
A brand new graphics engine called “Renderscript” delivers a fully immersive three-dimensional experience demonstrated by the new tiltable Google Maps which features 3D buildings and by a port of the PS3 game Monster Madness. Another app highlighting these capabilities is the new Google Body, which was referred to as “the Google Maps of the human body” with 3D layers demonstrating muscle, skeleton, circulatory system and more, with all parts searchable by name.
Support for front and rear cameras means support for video chat, which was demonstrated quickly and effortlessly with a call from musician Cee-Lo Green. Image stabilization has been a major focus of the video chat functionality. The camera itself also has a new software interface which puts white balance, exposure, color effects, flash and more at your fingertips.
Also announced was a very interactive new way to find, purchase and install apps. By visiting http://market.android.com, you will be able to search and sort through apps much more efficiently. You can hotlink to individual apps using this web store and tweet that hotlink right from the site. Opening the hotlink from an Android device will take you right to the installation screen.
The app pages themselves are much more robust with the ability for developers to upload high resolution banners, larger icons, YouTube videos and more to each app’s page. A sidebar shows all other apps from the same developer. If you are browsing the market through your computer and decide you want an app, you can click “Install” and it will automatically download and install on your Android device. A “My Market Account” section shows all apps you have downloaded and makes it easy to download these to additional Android devices, helpful if you get a new phone or an additional device.
Several apps were featured to highlight added functionality including Tap Tap Revenge 4, which will be one of the first apps to allow in-app purchasing. This functionality means that you can buy bonus levels, virtual currency, premium versions of apps and more straight from the application itself for the first time. Also featured was the upcoming CNN application which, in addition to providing a rich multimedia news experience, also allows users to take photos and video of events as they happen and submit them, with text, to the network’s popular “iReport” section.
All things considered, it looks as if the tablet market is only getting hotter and hotter. Honeycomb is Google’s proverbial throwing down of the gauntlet in what should prove to be the next big technology battle. What would you like to see out of Honeycomb? Tell us in the comments!
That’s exactly what I found here on my first day at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where companies like Microsoft, Verizon, Samsung and hundreds of others reach out to both retail buyers and the tech press with some amazing new gadgets and gizmos.
The floor is filled with everything from robot floor cleaners, to motion-controlled PCs, but two categories are dominating the attention of CES visitors: Tablet PCs and Smart TVs.
Research in Motion, the company best known for their Blackberry smartphones, brought their upcoming tablet PC entry, the Playbook, to the CES floor, instantly making it a popular spot for tech journalists.
Of course, the Playbook will be entering a market already made popular by the Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. However, it also won’t be entering the market alone, as nearly 80 different makes and models of tablets are making appearances, or being announced, at this year’s show.
2010 showed that tablets definitely have an audience, but the real tablet war in 2011 won’t just be between makers, but between tablet sizes as well. Models being shown are available in many different sizes, but the predominant are the 10″ (like the iPad) or the 7″ (like the Samsung Galaxy Tab). Each have their supporters, but we’ll have to see over the next year which, if either, will be the more popular size.
The other major category here at CES, Smart TVs, have taken over the booths of any company selling HDTVS. What makes these TVs “smart” is the combination of Internet connectivity and apps, all accessible via a remote control interface. That means your HDTV can play streaming content, like Netflix or CinemaNow, connect to social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, as well as even talk to your PC to share music, video and photos on that big screen in your living room.
This first day at CES has been exhausting, with all the technology to discover, yet it’s pretty exciting to see all the electronics I’ll be helping clients setup as a Geek Squad Agent.
(See article here)
As you may know, the Geekmobile is the vehicle of choice for thousands of Geek Squad Agents around the world. While we have nothing but respect for the Prius, a car that integrates many of the most sought-after tech features available in modern autos (much to the satisfaction of geeks), it has never been used as a true Geekmobile.
Geekmobiles come in many varieties, but the most common is the Volkswagen New Beetle. Other variations include Smart Cars, golf carts, and even the original Geekmobile, a 1958 Simca Aronde Elysee. We even have an electric Geekmobile, the Mitsubishi i MiEV. You can see several pictures of our Geekmobiles taken by agents on our recently launched Facebook page at http://facebook.com/GeekSquad in our Photo Albums.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we would like to address a topic near and dear to us. The word “geek” changed drastically when Geek Squad launched in 1994, and we may have forgotten to CC this CEO on that particular memo. What used to often be thought of as a synonym for “nerd” has developed into a title of pride amongst those who are deeply interested and educated in a particular subject. Wine geeks, for example, could tell you what goes best with your favorite pasta. Music geeks, on the other hand, can often suggest an obscure title from your favorite band that even you have never heard.
Let us not forget car geeks, who can recite from memory the gear ratio, torque and horsepower of the latest sports car, but also the MPG performance of the latest hybrid. This type of geek follows the public statements of automakers to determine who is on the cutting edge and who may not be seeing that the future is now.
Alan P. is a Deputy of Covert Operations for Online Support and coordinates the official Geek Squad Facebook page.
Blogs like Consumerist and Crunchgear continue to question services they don’t think our clients need. Our recently launched $29.99 eReader set-up service, for example, is under attack because some believe that no one really needs help getting these devices up and running.
Here’s what I see: eReaders are one of the most popular gadgets of the year. Many people are perfectly content activating these devices themselves. That’s great. We love to see well designed devices that people are able to just pick up and use. We’re happy those people can walk out of Best Buy and start reading.
But we have a lot of other customers who want help so they can enjoy the content on their new devices as fast as possible, without having to update firmware. Still others come to us to make sure they’re getting all the functionality from their eReaders. That’s why our eReader set-up service includes things like helping clients connect their eReaders to their smartphones so they can get to the “who done it” faster by reading their favorite mystery novel across both devices.
Geek Squad operates with one mission and one mission only: to help people make the most of their technology by providing a broad array of services and support. Most of our offerings come straight out of consumer demand, such is the case with this eReader service, and we’re proud to deliver on their needs.
Paula Baldwin
Geek Squad Ministry of Propaganda
Below you’ll find a very handy excuse note. Use it to free up a day to take in the action on the pitch. Simply fill in the fields as directed and send to your boss. Enjoy.
Firmware, if you have not encountered the term before, generally refers to the programs and files used internally in many devices to control that device’s functions. Think of firmware as something similar to the operating system (such as Microsoft Windows) that a PC uses.
Some devices, such as game consoles, MP3 players and Blu-ray players were designed so that their firmware could be updated in order to resolve hardware issues or use new features added to content after the hardware’s manufacture.
There are a few different ways to update the firmware on most Blu-ray players. One method is to visit the manufacturer’s website for your particular model player and download the updated firmware via a home PC. From there, you will use that PC’s CD or DVD burner to write the firmware to a blank disc. Inserting that disc into the Blu-ray player allows the device to read in the new files and update itself appropriately.
If your Blu-ray player is setup to access the Internet, such as through your home’s wireless network, you can download the firmware update directly using the internal tools in the player’s setup menu. This method is the easier of the two, and in some cases, can be configured to automatically happen when new firmwares are released.
Making sure that your Blu-ray player has the latest firmware prior to Avatar’s release on April 22nd will help avoid any playback problems on the day of release. If you have a Blu-ray player that does not have the capability to connect to the Internet, you can bring the device into your local Best Buy. Geek Squad Agents can get your device up to date and ready to go with our in-store firmware update service.
If you have a network-capable player, but don’t have it hooked up to the Internet, we have on-site networking services to add that device to your existing home network, or setup a new one to allow your Blu-ray player and other devices to share access to all the Internet has to offer.
If you have questions, contact your local Geek Squad for answers.
The idea of living room convergence, where multiple technologies come together in the comfort of one room, used to be an often mentioned dream of technology innovators who wanted to accomplish the tasks performed by TVs, VCRs, computers, telephones and more via a single box that could live on a shelf in your house.
The use of the term died out at CES over the years, but recently we’ve begun to see the dream become reality. Last year saw the rise of Netflix streaming movies coming via the Internet to XBox 360s, PS3 and Internet-enabled Blu-ray players. This year, it arrives in the form of HDTVs with built-in app stores that can run games, get weather updates or stream movies directly from multiple network sources.
One of the apps that I saw that I think will make a huge change over time was the Skype app on a few Panasonic and LG HDTVs shown at CES. The technology that allows video conferencing using a webcam and Internet connection isn’t new, but the ease at which it can be performed with an app built into the TV will make adoption and use explode. Could Skype-enabled HDTVs kill home telephone lines more so than mobile phones have?
Another example of convergence is the ease at which Blue Label 2.0 laptops from Toshiba, Dell and Sony can connect wirelessly to an HDTV using Intel’s new Wireless Display technology. A Netgear HDMI wireless receiver connects to the HDMI port on your TV, and setup consists of a clicks on the laptop. Computing from the couch will be easier than ever.
So what’s the future of convergence? Well, check out the video predictions of the Geek Squad Chief Inspector for our guess. Hint: It may involve bionic eyes.
When Best Buy created the original Blue Label line of laptops with our partners in the computer industry, the goal was to create a family of laptops from a range of manufacturers that all had features our customers told us were the most important to them at the time.
Power
These laptops come ready to go for both work and play, with their new Intel i5 processors that were designed to provide plenty of performance in a small package, while still keeping in mind the energy needs of a portable PC. These machines are ready to multi-task, with their 4GB of system memory, and have plenty of space with their 500GB hard drive to keep all the music, movies, photos and programs you need for life on the go.
Protection
Best Buy won’t leave you hanging when you leave the door with your new Blue Label laptop, as each comes with a 2-year manufacturer’s limited warranty to help keep that hardware working. Your software is also protected from malicious software with twelve months of installed antivirus protection included. Even setup is a breeze, with thirty days of support from the professional Agents at Geek Squad also included.
Connectivity
Probably the most striking thing about the new Blue Label laptop family is the inclusion of Intel’s Wireless Display technology. What this does is allow you to cut the cables, and easily stream the display output from your laptop to an HDMI-capable TV using a wireless receiver supplied by Netgear.
With all the video content available through your computer in this broadband-enabled world, it’s a very compelling feature. Imagine easily sending that video out to your big screen TV across the room with just the press of a button, while your laptop is within arm’s reach from the couch.
Exclusively at Best Buy
The Blue Label family of laptops will be available exclusively through Best Buy starting January 17th, but if you’re in Las Vegas for the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, you can catch a sneak peek now.
With 2010, we see netbooks take a few different paths toward maintaining their dominance of the portable computing market.
More Portable
Battery life is always a concern for those users that are always on the go, and netbook manufacturers are looking to help out with devices built from the ground up to use as little power as possible and wring out as much as 11 to 14 hours of run time from a single charge. Less time connected to a wall outlet means less time stuck in one place.
The other portability development we’re seeing is even thinner netbooks, designed to be slim enough that keeping one with you at all times becomes a serious possibility.
More Performance
For some netbook users, it’s entirely acceptable to sacrifice some portability and battery life in exchange for more powerful, on-the-go, netbook performance. More powerful processors, with multiple cores, are being combined with improved video cards to make it possible to play hi-definition videos with fewer issues, or even take in some (still light) 3D gaming.
While not every netbook user needs a more powerful netbook, these beefed up devices will help make more processor-orientated tasks, such as quick edits of SD video, something of a possibility for when you absolutely need to get them done on the go.
More Choice
The wealth of different options becoming available will really help the product category become more mature, and help bring about more choices to fit the specific needs that potential buyers need for their highly portable digital life.
As a Geek Squad Agent who helps clients set up their new technology in-home, I’m struck by two equally important factors that seem to create those successes: “engineering” and “emotional response.”
Engineering
While a product doesn’t have to be perfect to be a success, it does need to work well enough to accomplish the task it was purchased to perform. Of course, even tasks that may seem simple at first glance can require amazing amounts of engineering and design work before the product is considered for shipping.
Consider some of the new digital photo frames that can display photos sent to them via an email address unique to that individual frame. They have to be able to connect to a wide variety of home networks and internet broadband services. They have to be able to accept a number of image file formats, along with other unknown combinations, such as image quality and hidden file data. And the frame has to do this with a user interface simple enough to be operated by owners with wildly varying technical skill levels.
If a product isn’t produced with enough engineering care, it’s not going to function well enough for that customer checking it out in their local Best Buy to purchase it. Of course, that product is only “half-bought” at that point, because there’s the other factor to consider.
Emotional Response
Once someone has answered the question, “How would I use this product?” their next question is often, “Why would I use this product?” To use the example of that networked digital photo frame, one emotional response could come from the potential happiness they could create by giving the frame to their parents so they can remotely upload new photos of the grandchildren easily.
It’s that picture in that client’s head of how they will feel if they own a product, how it will impact their lives on an emotional level, that can quickly turn a potential purchase into an actual purchase. We are often, after all, creatures of emotion.
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