As mentioned on Tuesday, both Amazon and Microsoft held major events yesterday. In fact, the Microsoft event is still going on. But the big announcements were all yesterday.
First Amazon: Their big announcement (and the only one) was the introduction of a new TV streaming device. Its called Fire TV and is about the same size as a Roku or Apple TV…and is now the newest competitor to both.
It features a new way to look for content…sorting by movies, TV, etc. rather than provider…i.e. Netflix or Hulu. But, where it really differs is in two areas: search by voice command and games. There is a microphone on the remote to search for movie. And it is a gaming device…not a major competitor for Xbox or PlayStation, but still a good gaming console for those people who are not hard core gamers (game controller sold separately).
It sells for $99 and is available now. Is it good enough to tempt Apple or Roku users? I doubt it. Although I think it is a terrific device, I am not going to replace my Roku box.
As for Microsoft, there is plenty to tell…but I will let the stories below tell most of it. They gave us a peek at the future of Windows 9, including the return of the Start Menu and a few other goodies (release date in about one year); they announced that Windows 8.1 Update 1 will be released next Tuesday and briefly showed some of its newest features. It is not a game changer but is another step towards satisfying the major complaints against Windows 8.
What I was most impressed with was the announcement and demonstration of Windows Phone 8.1. They showed off Cortana, the voice activated digital assistant that rivals both Apple’s Siri and Google Now. It was a very impressive demo and their phone operating system looks very useful…in fact it may be the best start screen of any phone on the market today.
I will be watching the further adventures of this phone when it does come out (exact date of release was vague, but it will be this year). I have another 9 months to go on my contract so I have no problem waiting to see what happens. But, the demo was very impressive, to say the least.
So from here on, you have to do the reading without any commentary from me. I hope you find things that will get you excited. -JRC
News and Opinions
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Amazon Fire TV: Meet Amazon's Plan To Take Over Your Television
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Oh, Internet: The Web's Best April Fools' Pranks
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Computer Tips and Tricks
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10 important URLs that every single Google user needs to know
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Mobile Computing
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How to speed up Chrome on Android
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Top Android tablets (April 2014 edition)
Want a tablet but don't want to buy a svelte iPad Air or the petite iPad mini because you want to stay away from the Apple walled garden? Not a problem! Here are my top Android tablets for April 2014 – and this month we have a couple of new entries.
Amazon Cloud Drive Photos App Updated From v1.9 To v3.0
It's easy to forget that Amazon has cloud storage products on Android now that Google has started pushing the envelope with Drive and Play Music. Amazon does offer its own photo backup app connected to a free 5GB Cloud Drive block. The app wasn't great, but now that's being addressed with a significant update.
The 100 Best Android Apps of 2014
Spring is springing, and it's bringing a bunch of new Android apps along with it!
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