Founder, Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek/DroneDJ sites.
Seth Weintraub is an award-winning journalist and blogger who won back to back Neal Awards during his three plus years covering Apple and Google at IDG’s Computerworld from 2007–2010. Weintraub next covered all things Google for Fortune Magazine from 2010-2011 amassing a thick rolodex of Google contacts and love for Silicon Valley tech culture.
It turns out that his hobby 9to5Mac.com blog was always his favorite and in 2011 he went full time adding his Fortune Google followers to 9to5Google.com and adding the style and commerce component 9to5Toys.com gear and deals site. In 2013, Weintraub bought one of the Tesla’s first Model S EVs off the assembly line and so began his love affair with the Electric Vehicle and green energy which in 2014 turned into electrek.co.
In 2018, DroneDJ was born to cover the burgeoning world of drones and UAV’s led by China’s DJI.
From 1997-2007, Weintraub was a Global IT director and Web Developer for a number of companies with stints at multimedia and branding agencies in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Madrid and London before becoming a publisher/blogger.
Seth received a bachelors degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California with a minor in Multimedia and Creative Technology in 1997. In 2004, he received a Masters from NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s ITP program.
Hobbies: Weintraub is a licensed single engine private pilot, certified open water scuba diver and spent over a year traveling to 60 cities in 23 countries. Whatever free time exists is now guaranteed to his lovely wife and two amazing sons.
More at About.me. BI 2014 profile.
Tips: seth@9to5mac.com, or llsethj on Wickr/Skype or link at top of page.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=newNF1UsOcw&feature=youtu.be]
Where to start with this video? The premise? Sure when you smash a smartphone with a hammer it is going to break. Not a lot of news there. Actually, this looked like a waste of a pretty good phone until the battery thing at the end happened.
Weird.
As part of their April First celebrations, Google added a David Hasselhoff photobomb feature to the Google Plus Auto-Awesome repertoire. It looks like there might have been an official collaboration because we see on Hoff’s Google Plus that the legend officially endorsed the feature via a visit to Mountain View including Google T-Shirt.
OK.
We know Moto is going to make an updated version of the Moto X. I mean they’ve even said so, setting expectations at ‘late summer’. But when and what will it be? Evleaks seems to think it is coming soon and has the branding to back that up. As for specs, you’ve got to imagine Moto will make the jump to a 1080P display at around 5 inches, obviously a faster processor and hopefully running a late summer version of Android 5?
Update:
2013:wood::2014:leather
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 6, 2014
Leather would be nice.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKkJdstQKsM]
Well, sort of ‘survives’. Not bad for a plastic phone.
Yesterday we got a look at a beta version of the upcoming Gmail app for Android which includes new Travel, Purchases, and Finance categories in addition to the Social, Promotions, Updates and Forums categories currently available. Also present is a pinning feature for making emails of your choosing remain at the top of your inbox as well as a “snoozing” feature that allows you to delay an email for a set amount of time much like hitting snooze on your alarm clock. Within a slightly tweaked UI you’ll also notice a new toggle at the top of your inbox that allows you to switch between showing pinned emails and having them return to chronological order.
Our sources had previously told us about this update but without confirmation. We sat on the story. Now that we have some confirmation that this is coming, we can discuss the whole of what we’ve heard.
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If you happen to stop by the Google Play store today looking at the ‘way past its prime’ Nexus 10 made by Samsung, you’ll note a new status message: “Coming Soon”.
Could we finally see a successor to the Nexus 10 in the coming days? We’ve had so many false hopes including supposed successors from Samsung, Asus and others that it is hard to believe that Google might actually replace it soon. Over the past months we’ve seen the Nexus 10 discounted heavily on 9to5toys.com.
Or, perhaps, another shipment of the same old Nexus 10s are on the way.
Update (4/2 4:40pm): Now available for $700 as an eBay Daily Deal.
You don’t need to wait for an official launch or anything. As many as five different third parties at Amazon currently offer the Samsung Galaxy S5 for prices starting around $825 shipped in 1-2 business days. Samsung was puzzled earlier this week when local S. Korean carriers started releasing the S5 early.
Acer just announced that it will be having big Touch event in NYC on April 29th. We’re expecting phones, tablets and hopefully another round of their excellent Chromebooks.
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If hardware quality was the only factor in buying a phone, you could stop reading right here and go out and buy the HTC One M8 – it is the best looking, best built (AFAICT after 3 days) phone out there, bar none.
The front will look familiar, if elongated, to current One owners. It still has separated stereo speakers which incidentally are again the best you’ll hear in a phone by a long shot, but the screen is bigger and unfortunately so is the bezel around the screens.
That extra length tallies to a centimeter taller than its predecessor making an already big phone now almost phablet-like in stature. Add to that HTC’s insistence of putting a power button on top of the phone which you must shimmy up and down to reach and you’ve got yourself some usability experience issues before you even turn on the phone.
The back of my gray “stainless steel” unit matches up nicely with my fridge in the kitchen. I mean that in the nicest possible way. It looks gorgeous, though I’m not sure I’d say the same for other color variations offered, particularly the gold model. The improved curves are super nice in the hand and also look the part. You’d almost forgive how long this thing is…almost.
The M8 may not be terribly repairable by iFixit standards, but HTC has your back with a pretty impressive repair plan called HTC Customer Advantage. In it, you get a free screen repair within 6 months, a somewhat vague promise to keep Android updated to the most recent version (the website says “We are committed to keeping you current” but at the show they said 2 years of upgrades), and 25-50GB of extra Google Drive space.
Besides the length coupled with the power button, I’m still a huge fan of the exterior. But then there is the interior with HTC’s insistence on Sense 6.0 and this new 3-camera system…
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-_hkhL2vlg]
We’re getting set for tomorrow’s big launch event by watching previews of what we’re going to see. A lengthy claimed video of the long-awaited successor to the HTC One has been posted, and while it’s unverified, it certainly looks convincing.
The M8 is simply the codename for the handset, just as the One was codenamed the M7. It’s not known whether HTC will brand the replacement as the new HTC One or give it a new name. Separate rumors have suggested the HTC One 2, and the HTC All New One, both of which sound pretty silly.
We’re expecting to see a Snapdragon 801 or 805 processor, 2GB RAM, a choice of 16 or 32GB storage, support for microSD cards of up to 128GB and a full-HD (1920×1080) display, running Android 4.4. The casing appears to be all-aluminum, with a brushed finish. Rumors have suggested that it will be available in a choice of silver, gold and grey colors …
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mArrNRWQEso&list=UUAuUUnT6oDeKwE6v1NGQxug]
Excellent talk if you want to know where Google is going next.
Mr. Rogers was a Navy SEAL. A tooth placed in soda will dissolve in 24 hours. Gators roam the sewers of big cities and Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen. These are just some of the most common and — let’s admit it — awesome urban myths out there. Myths can be fun, but they can also be confusing or unsettling. And if spoken enough, they can morph into something that resembles fact. (Side note: did you know that people used to think that travelling too quickly on a train would damage the human body?) In its relatively short existence, Glass has seen some myths develop around it. While we’re flattered by the attention, we thought it might make sense to tackle them, just to clear the air. And besides, everyone loves a good list:
Myth 1 – Glass is the ultimate distraction from the real world – Instead of looking down at your computer, phone or tablet while life happens around you, Glass allows you to look up and engage with the world. Big moments in life — concerts, your kid’s performances, an amazing view — shouldn’t be experienced through the screen you’re trying to capture them on. That’s why Glass is off by default and only on when you want it to be. It’s designed to get you a bit of what you need just when you need it and then get you back to the people and things in life you care about.
Myth 2: Glass is always on and recording everything – Just like your cell phone, the Glass screen is off by default. Video recording on Glass is set to last 10 seconds. People can record for longer, but Glass isn’t designed for or even capable of always-on recording (the battery won’t last longer than 45 minutes before it needs to be charged). So next time you’re tempted to ask an Explorer if he’s recording you, ask yourself if you’d be doing the same with your phone. Chances are your answers will be the same.
Myth 3 – Glass Explorers are technology-worshipping geeks – Our Explorers come from all walks of life. They include parents, firefighters, zookeepers, brewmasters, film students, reporters, and doctors. The one thing they have in common is that they see the potential for people to use technology in a way that helps them engage more with the world around them, rather than distract them from it. In fact, many Explorers say because of Glass they use technology less, because they’re using it much more efficiently. We know what you’re thinking: “I’m not distracted by technology”. But the next time you’re on the subway, or, sitting on a bench, or in a coffee shop, just look at the people around you. You might be surprised at what you see.
Myth 4 – Glass is ready for prime time – Glass is a prototype, and our Explorers and the broader public are playing a critical role in how it’s developed. In the last 11 months, we’ve had nine software updates and three hardware updates based, in part, on feedback from people like you. Ultimately, we hope even more feedback gets baked into a polished consumer product ahead of being released. And, in the future, today’s prototype may look as funny to us as that mobile phone from the mid 80s.
Myth 5: Glass does facial recognition (and other dodgy things) – Nope. That’s not true. As we’ve said before, regardless of technological feasibility, we made the decision based on feedback not to release or even distribute facial recognition Glassware unless we could properly address the many issues raised by that kind of feature. And just because a weird application is created, doesn’t mean it’ll get distributed in our MyGlass store. We manually approve all the apps that appear there and have several measures in place (from developer policies and screenlocks to warning interstitials) to help protect people’s security on the device.
Myth 6: Glass covers your eye(s) – “I can’t imagine having a screen over one eye…” one expert said in a recent article. Before jumping to conclusions about Glass, have you actually tried it? The Glass screen is deliberately above the right eye, not in front or over it. It was designed this way because we understand the importance of making eye contact and looking up and engaging with the world, rather than down at your phone.
Myth 7 – Glass is the perfect surveillance device – If a company sought to design a secret spy device, they could do a better job than Glass! Let’s be honest: if someone wants to secretly record you, there are much, much better cameras out there than one you wear conspicuously on your face and that lights up every time you give a voice command, or press a button.
Myth 8 – Glass is only for those privileged enough to afford it – The current prototype costs $1500 and we realize that is out of the range of many people. But that doesn’t mean the people who have it are wealthy and entitled. In some cases, their work has paid for it. Others have raised money on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. And for some, it’s been a gift.
Myth 9 – Glass is banned… EVERYWHERE – Since cell phones came onto the scene, folks have been pretty good at creating etiquette and the requisite (and often necessary) bans around where someone can record (locker rooms, casino floors, etc.). Since Glass functionality mirrors the cell phones (“down to the screen being off by default), the same rules apply. Just bear in mind, would-be banners: Glass can be attached to prescription lenses, so requiring Glass to be turned off is probably a lot safer than insisting people stumble about blindly in a locker room.
Myth 10 – Glass marks the end of privacy – When cameras first hit the consumer market in the late 19th century, people declared an end to privacy. Cameras were banned in parks, at national monuments and on beaches. People feared the same when the first cell phone cameras came out. Today, there are more cameras than ever before. In ten years there will be even more cameras, with or without Glass. 150+ years of cameras and eight years of YouTube are a good indicator of the kinds of photos and videos people capture–from our favorite cat videos to dramatic, perspective-changing looks at environmental destruction, government crackdowns, and everyday human miracles.
We’ve heard that Google Voice is getting dragged to the trash can and most of its functionality will be incorporated into the G+ Hangouts apps on both Android and iOS. This has already happened to an extent with the ability to phone friends on Hangouts, but we’re hearing the full shuttering and depreciation of the app is the next step.
What’s interesting here is that VoIP-to-phones is expected to be integrated into the Hangouts iOS and Android apps so that, just like with the Web version, you could be able to actually make (and receive) VoIP calls directly from your Google phone number. Whether the carriers and Apple are okay with this isn’t certain, and the thought is that it could be enabled by carrier like Apple’s FaceTime (or could be scrapped altogether) depending on the global market and the carrier.
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We’ve long known that Google has been working on a watch first OEMed internally through Motorola and now through partner LG.
@evleaks has purported specs, naming a 1.65 inch diagonal display and 280×280 square resolution. Internally, you’ll have 512MB of RAM and 4GB of onboard storage – enough for some apps, MP3s and maybe a few short videos.
[tweet https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/444146030360416257]
Evleaks usually starts leaking specs within a few weeks of launch so it could mean we’re getting ready to see Google’s hand (wrist?) which matches up with recent information. Late last week, Google’s Android and Chrome head Sundar Pinchai announced that Google would launch a wearable SDK within a few weeks so the stars are certainly starting to align. The plan appears to be as follows: have the SDK out in March and a product available at Google I/O in June.
Late month, Samsung announced its second iteration of Galaxy Gear smartwatches, running on Tizen — not Android. Rumours about Apple’s ‘iWatch’ product also continue to swirl, with a seeming focus on health and fitness.
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The HTC One 2014 leaks keep coming, this time with the “Duo Camera” being explained by a pamphlet from Australian carrier Telstra picked up by GSM Arena. According to the document, the ‘Duo Camera’ will allow you to “Create vivid images in low light and professionally edit them after you’ve taken the shot. Choose where to focus, highlight what you love, soften backgrounds and add 3D effects.”
EVO 3D part II or will this be a gamechanger? We’ll find out in two short weeks..
Samsung’s new Chromebooks leaked a little bit last week and again over the weekend, but now they are official. The biggest upgrades include the form factor featuring the faux leather stitching made famous by its Galaxy Note 3 and a new 1080P 13-inch display on the higher end $399 model. Both still use Exynos 5 Octocore processors that lack a little bit of the oomph of Haswell Intel processors, but they compete very well in battery life (8.5-9 hours claimed by Samsung). These machines also have wake times of less than one second and cold boots in less than ten.
Another prime area of improvement is the Hangouts video chat experience enhance by a 720P front side camera paired with improved mic and 2x 2W speakers.
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[tweet https://twitter.com/danbarker/statuses/439125570115223552]
We’re big fans of Matt Cutts and even bigger fans of ridding the web of scraper sites but this was obviously perfect comedic timing.
We’re expecting to see Samsung unveil an update to their Galaxy Gear Smartwatches in Barcelona next week and of course that means electronics leaker @evleaks has them for us this week. It seems that these won’t be branded Galaxy and will be called Gear 2 and Neo. Recent reports indicate that these won’t be running Android and speculation is that is that they will be running Tizen or some other Samsung Homebrew. Oh, and Gold.
[tweet https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/437344227777712128]
The Feb 24th date on the face seems to indicate that we’re 2 days away from launch.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y42eQJmGbxk]
A lot of clues in the above ad, but obviously nothing is guaranteed. The waterproof angle would be a major blow to Sony’s Z line which is the only major phone than can get dunked. Samsung’s S4 Active is water resistant, but not very rugged. I’ll be waiting for the Google Play edition, personally.
Google just announced a broad rollout plan for its Fiber ISP across the US with major rollouts in Raleigh Durham, NC, Atlanta, San Jose, CA, Phoenix, AZ and Portland, OR and surrounding areas.
Over the last few years, gigabit Internet has moved from idea to reality, withdozens of communities (PDF) working hard to build networks with speeds 100 times faster than what most of us live with today. People are hungrier than ever for faster Internet, and as a result, cities across America are making speed a priority. Hundreds of mayors from across the U.S. have stated (PDF) that abundant high-speed Internet access is essential for sparking innovation, driving economic growth and improving education. Portland, Nashville (PDF) and dozens of others have made high-speed broadband a pillar of their economic development plans. And Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, declared in June that every school should have access to gigabit speeds by 2020.
We’ve long believed that the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, so it’s fantastic to see this momentum. And now that we’ve learned a lot from our Google Fiber projects in Kansas City, Austin and Provo, we want to help build more ultra-fast networks. So we’ve invited cities in nine metro areas around the U.S.—34 cities altogether—to work with us to explore what it would take to bring them Google Fiber.
It isn’t a done deal as Google notes and they will need help from municipalities. Obviously any local government that impedes Google fiber does so at its own Peril.
In the meantime, I’m not on the list in my New York City suburb so it is time to pack up the kids and call the moving truck.
Between shoveling the driveway and bringing in firewood, I just noticed Google’s got a new Crisis Response Map for the (South) Eastern Storm.
For a Crisis Map & updates on the winter storm in the southeast U.S., tune in to our Crisis Response team @GoogleCR http://t.co/zdOMOhaNDz
— Google (@Google) February 13, 2014
Google usually reserves these for natural disasters like fires, typhoons, tidal waves and hurricanes. Stay safe out there.
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With a simple quote of the Olympic Charter and a rainbow array of Winter Olympians and their events, Google is subtly standing up for the rights of Gay and Lesbian olympians. Simple, beautiful.
“The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” –Olympic Charter
Google rarely adds wording to its homepage which is seen by hundreds of millions of people every day.
I have to admit, I’m less excited now that they aren’t part of Google but the newly acquired wing of Lenovo is inviting folks to its February 25th event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. What’s on order? A phab/tablet? A Moto X2? Maybe we’ll just hear what the big plan is now that they aren’t part of El Goog, though the image above seems to imply something is under the covers.
We’ll bring the news to you as it comes later this month.
Android phone makers are running out of ways to differentiate their devices from the crowd. It’s all coming down to a rectangular screen, as little chrome around the edges as possible and a curved round back. Pretty much every smartphone looks the same at this point with slight varying dimensions.
So that’s why LG’s curved Flex is an interesting newcomer. The LG Flex actually makes a somewhat flexible 6-inch display that defaults to a slight curve. What are the supposed benefits of that?
I’m a huge fan of the Nexus 5 and G2 and even AT&T’s 4G LTE network of late so I was genuinely looking forward to see what this could do…
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