Right from the outset it’s obvious that this is a Black Mirror Christmas special filled with roast turkey, tinsel and snow aplenty. Also obvious from the very first scene is that the opening frames are building to a very different kind of Christmas special. Taking a delve into the not too distant, but very real technology influenced, dark and decrepit modern society.
Smile, it’s Christmas! The time for drinks, family time and peace on Earth to all men.
To be social – “needing companionship and therefore best suited to living in communities or an informal social gathering, especially one organized by the members of a particular club or group”. In the modern age this no longer needs to be done in person, it can all be done without leaving your house. Facebook messenger, Google Hangouts and Skype mean you can interact with people much easier all over the world.
Round is cool. That’s just a fact – wheels, money, Oreos… they’re all brilliant. We’ve only seen two attempts at round Android Wear watches, and just one if you count the flat tyre of the Moto 360. Why there isn’t more, only manufacturers know. Most have adopted the safe haven of a square. So here we are, left with the LG G Watch R.
You can stop thinking that this is a round version of the original LG G watch right now.
It feels much longer, but it’s been less than 6 months since Android Wear hit the market. They have stealthily crept into use without much fuss, despite revolutionising the wearables market. Reducing the time spent interacting with your phone, but still mining all of that lovely data for Google. The launch devices were pretty average, the Moto 360 wasn’t for everyone despite its anticipation. So now its time to see, perhaps one of the more experienced smart watch maker, Sony take on Android wear.
It almost comes as no surprise when new levels of spying are uncovered in the ‘post Snowden era.’ Government agencies are one thing, but surprise is the least valid emotion when information gives light to the involvement of big business. The information we have now may only be showing the tip of the iceberg, however Cable and Wireless involvements seems to be the level of sinking the Titanic on its own.
The Verge have been accused of many things, read some comments on posts and they switch between users yelling ‘iVerge’ to saying they are ‘Android biased’. Vlad Savov even wrote a whole article on why his reviews are better because of bias. He raises some good points, but it also raises a much larger issue with the world of technology reviews: is objective reviewing even possible anymore?
This became all the more obvious whilst using a Lumia recently to see how Windows Phone had grown from 8 to 8.
You’ve read the few stories floating around, you’ve seen our round up of ‘#Bendgate’, and you’ve even watched some fools bend iPhones on YouTube only to dismiss the issue just like I did. It wasn’t until I discovered my own iPhone was bent that I started to believe those YouTube bending fools. It’s not as bent as some iPhone 6 Pluses I have seen mind you, but when placed face down it certainly doesn’t sit flat.
It wasn’t even a concern for Apple when designing the initial iPhone, but mobile applications can make or break a handset – or even an entire OS. If current research is to be believed, the demand for downloading applications is decreasing – even as the smartphone market continues to explode.
New research carried out by Deloitte has shown that the average number of apps downloaded per user is declining. Not only that, but it’s down by a huge amount.
Technology is advancing at such a rate that cutting edge equipment is surpassed in a few short months. Many things that were a luxury a few years ago are considered essential now. Ofcom have conducted varied research into communication technology understanding and communication needs with some unsurprising results.
The study found that telephony services, on both mobile and landline, as well as internet access are now essential to our daily lives.
It was Sony that first started the the conspiracy around killing your device when they wanted you to upgrade. The fabled ‘Sony timer’ stopped the tech from working days after the warranty expired, making you upgrade to newer hardware. Now the theorist have moved onto Apple.
The anecdotal evidence has been that Apple intentionally slows down the old version of the handset when launching a new version to force you to think about upgrading.
Since moving across to use Android I have spent the whole time trying to find the perfect device. Many have come and satisfied me for a short while, but there is always a compromise somewhere. Whether it be poor battery life, poor camera, or poor software, the reasons are many. The next in this line is the marmite device, the OnePlus One.
Love it or hate it, you can’t avoid talk of the OPO.
We are now a mere day away from Google I/O, where Google is rumoured to be launching a new version of Android. What isn’t known is whether it will be Android 4.5 or 5.0. Not content with that Google have launched both 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 to AOSP and Nexus devices. However, a new threat has been discovered whilst digging around inside the fresh source code. Cyanogen team members have uncovered a new notification feature called ‘Heads Up’.
With each leak the excitement builds towards Google I/O. We are in for a jam packed keynote full of exciting information and new products. You only have to look at the I/O event schedule to know that Android Wear is coming. Forbes has now revealed information about Google Fit, the fitness service Google will be launching Google Fit to rival Apple’s Health book.
In an attempt to avoid producing another dead resource like Google Health, Google has chosen not to build jet another app or service to compete with already established brands.
Technology is getting to a stage where it will be a true aid for the disabled. Google have yet to realise the true potential of project Tango in aiding the disabled. However Microsoft are the latest company to try and improve quality of life as much as possible. Trailing a head band that will help the visually impaired navigate the world.
Microsoft’s break through ‘Alice Band’ will help the blind and visually impaired become much more independent.
After leaks by Edward Snowden the level of data harvesting by GCHQ has been at the forefront of the news. Privacy and protection of personal data has become a major concern for individuals and large corporations alike. The UK government is moving quickly to quash the effects a European ruling will have on accessing and storing our data.
A European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling earlier this year looked to change the ability to hold and store that data.
In the latest move in the saga that is the right to be forgotten law, the UK government has asked for it to be removed from the new European Union data protection laws. Opposing having another law dictated by the European Union, and bringing more controversy and debate into the almost farcical ‘Law’.
Under the new law individuals have the right to request Google search results be removed that are “inadequate or no longer relevant”.
In the 16 years Google has been active the world, along with its business model, has dramatically changed. The small start up aimed to streamline internet users experience, is now one of the worlds largest corporations. At its heart it still wants to be a start up. Google is still a search company, but its reach has grown so far there is barely an industry without its involvement.
But where can Google possibly go to now.