Spring is five days away. Or, ya know, it's already here. So let's remember to get outside and try to enjoy it a little bit, m'kay? (I'm writing this from the back porch, cup of coffee in hand, actually.)
And in that spirit, I'll keep things short today. A few quick hits to start the week:
- Pioneer's ACH-NEX4100 Android Auto/CarPlay unit is now shipping for $700. I think I've decided I'm going to go with this one. I just can't justify spending twice as much for a capacitive display and mapping features I won't use (and that are redundant anyway thanks to Google Maps).
- A few bytes of carrier-specific software is the trade-off for having a Nexus on a CDMA carrier. Period.
- If that sort of thing keeps you up at night you're horribly missing the forest for a single branch on a single tree.
- The level of Apple Punditry Circle Jerk has reached epic proportions. Is there even a traditional audience anymore? Feels like the usual suspects are writing for each other, and no one else.
- That said, I can't wait to see how the Apple Watch does. It's still a crazy new category, with high-ish price tags, relatively speaking, for what's very much viewed as a gadget, and not a tool. I have a feeling most folks just don't see smartwatches as watches, and I don't think I blame them, even though I wear one every day.
- I love the idea of the new MacBook, even though I couldn't use one because of the lack of ports. But you better believe it's the start of something more strategic.
- And it wouldn't surprise me to see a model with a second USB-C port in a year.
- And I also fully expect to be carrying two cables this time next year, or by the end of 2016 at the latest: USB-C, and mini-USB.
- No, not micro. My DSLR and travel podcast mic use mini-USB.
- Hate to see the loss of GigaOm. I didn't know everyone there, but the ones I do are aces. Safe to assume that of others as well.
- It's simply not enough to write. You've got to have a good business backing things up. And I'm still extremely pleased with how we're positioning ours.
- (And even more pleased that we've got people far more knowledgable in that stuff than I running that end of things.)
- It's been fun to watch Russell have so much fun with Android and 3D printing.
Time to go wrestle a wife and a dog and some kids. Y'all have a good one.
Reader comments
From the Editor's Desk: A few quick hits ...
Wrestle your wife ;);)
Posted on my OnePlus One
That new Macbook has the processing power as the original Droid Turbo I owned a long time ago. Why would anyone spend $1,200 on that POS?
"Spring is five days away"
Ha. Ha. Yeah no. Here in Southern California, two days ago was the first day of summer.
Yeah, where did spring go? 93 today... Yuck
Posted via the Android Central App
Happy to have no snow on the ground. So is our 14 year old dog, who can finally tour the yard for the first time in a couple months. And at that age, that's a very long time.
The gadget lover in me really wants a smartwatch. It doesn't have bank account access though and can't yet come up with a good enough argument to open the wallet.
If it could though, it'd get the Zenwatch.
Posted from my Nexus 7 2013 via Android Central App
Wrestling your wife is probably going to lead to more kids.
Posted via the Android Central App
I don't like products that have to constantly be justified and apologized for. The New Macbook is one of those products. The Apple Watch Edition is another. Eh.
"I'm da Blur boys!" - Me with 1200 ping. Fiber in Nashville? Save me based Google.
"The level of Apple Punditry Circle Jerk has reached epic proportions. Is there even a traditional audience anymore? Feels like the usual suspects are writing for each other, and no one else."
This put a smile on my face. For a long time I've found many so called tech writer's douchy, pompous Apple spewings absolutely nauseating. They seem to genuinely be in competition with each other to see who can better service the Apple corporate phallus and one up the other guy. They're not tech journalists so much as they are "distortion field" perpetuators.
I especially liked the actress Anna Kendrick's tweet regarding the gold douche watch.
https://mobile.twitter.com/AnnaKendrick47/status/575019466804719617
Great tweet.
Posted via the Android Central App
She's great.
Posted via Samsung Galaxy Alpha
"Spring is five days away. Or, ya know, it's already here. So let's remember to get outside and try to enjoy it a little bit, m'kay? (I'm writing this from the back porch, cup of coffee in hand, actually.)"
Or.....time to go inside. You know....the world has two hemispheres. Half of it is preparing for winter. ;-)
Good point, also much of the northern hemisphere is still quite cold. I live in Buffalo, NY and looked out the window to find it snowing a few hours ago. We're still a couple months away from being able to enjoy coffee, or in my case some beers, out on the porch.
A look at South American capital cities seems to show a rather nice, comfortable temperature range. I think many people there could sit on their back porch and enjoy the wonderful coffee that comes from some of those countries. :-)
http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/?continent=samerica&low=c
Finally seen my first smart watch in the wild, and the 60+yo man was more than happy to talk to me about it, he was actually impressed I didn't mistake it for an apple watch
Posted via my outdated and under spec'd galaxy tab 3 using the Android Central App
Samsung should of used USB-C for the S6
Posted via the Android Central App
And HTC should have used it on the M9. But neither did so lets move on.
Yeah I think the g4 might be the first with it because of the later release date. Certainly the note 5 will have it. Not sure about anything in between.
People do not understand development cycles.
Posted by my soon to be retired Note 3
Just thought about this...the USB-C will come out and people will scream because all their micro-USB will not work anymore. Chargers, data cables, alarm clocks...etc. I'm just thinking about the Apple Thunderbolt debacle. It will come, once someone is brave enough to potentially upset their customers.
I say, "Bring it on!" Progress happens.
Samsung did it already with USB 3, and it was not that big a deal. Mostly because USB 2 cables will still work. But besides that, Apple softened the blow already and if all android oems do it at the same times, the blowback will be minimal.
The smart oem is the one that does an exchange.
Posted by my soon to be retired Note 3
Oh and hopefully it will not be 30$ for an adapter
Posted by my soon to be retired Note 3
Looking forward to hearing about that android auto unit, particularly how easy (or not) it is to install.
Posted via the Android Central App
It's the same as any head unit. The only exception is that you may want a cord or 2 tucked neatly behind the dash. You know, one for Android and one for the iphone....
Posted via the Red G3 I'm trying out, while my note 3 gently weeps.
"A few bytes of carrier-specific software is the trade-off for having a Nexus on a CDMA carrier. Period."
"If that sort of thing keeps you up at night you're horribly missing the forest for a single branch on a single tree."
Watching the massive internet freakout over this has been enjoyable to say the least. It's amazing some of the things that keep people up at night.
"The level of Apple Punditry Circle Jerk has reached epic proportions. Is there even a traditional audience anymore? Feels like the usual suspects are writing for each other, and no one else."
My god it is annoying. I pick on the Verge a lot but it really does seem like they are basically an advertising arm for Apple at this point. Some of the things they write then try to justify (in the article itself and the comments below) are completely contradictory to each other and it is unreal. If you have to explain to us why one port is awesome and amazing maybe it isn't so awesome or amazing? I just don't understand what benefit there is to doing Apple's work for them, I used to think it was increased hits but at this point I think it is for increased hits through blatant trolling. It is disgusting.
Sometimes the vocalized butthurt is amusing, and I'll occasionally add fuel to the fire, just because I'm that clown
Posted via my outdated and under spec'd galaxy tab 3 using the Android Central App
"I pick on the Verge a lot but it really does seem like they are basically an advertising arm for Apple at this point."
The Verge is horrible but not really any worse than anyone else. If you watched the local or national news the week of MWC there was no mention at all of any of it but the following week there were days of reports on every broadcast about the Apple Watch. That's why so many people know about it already. Apple hasn't even really started marketing the thing yet everyone knows about it. They don't even know what it looks like yet, hence the people asking me if my G Watch R is the new Apple Watch, but they know they want it.
"I just don't understand what benefit there is to doing Apple's work for them"
Page views, it's that simple. They're preaching to the choir and people eat it up.
+1
Posted via the Android Central App
No thoughts on the new pixel?
I've been wearing my Zenwatch for a while but this weekend I had a record amount of strangers come up and ask if it's the "new Apple watch"... At first I corrected them but then yeah, why not.
Posted via the Android Central App
I've had people do that for a couple months now. When I try to explain it's ASUS, they have no idea what I'm talking about. Guess it doesn't help that my watch face looks identical to Apple's.
Posted via the Android Central App
You should correct them, I always did when I had my G Watch R, I tend to be a little evangelical when it comes to Android though. It's funny how as soon as you say it's Android they have no interest in it anymore. They don't want an Apple Watch because they need a new watch, they want it because it's an Apple product they don't already have.
" I have a feeling most folks just don't see smartwatches as watches"
You know, I think you nailed it for me and now I know why I've tried and returned two watches already. Maybe I need a new outlook out it being a watch first, then taking advantage of everything else it can do. Thanks Phil, that was a great insight.
Posted via the Android Central App
I'm intrigued by the Moto 360, but I stopped wearing a watch a few years ago when I realized I didn't need it anymore. Between my phone's clock, calendar popup reminders and Google Now telling when it's time to leave for an event, and being in arm's reach of a computer with a clock most of the day. I've been getting along just fine without a watch for so long I'm just not sold on the idea of strapping something on my wrist again.
Posted via the Android Central App
I hear ya, especially now that it's getting warmer. I only wear a watch now when I dress up for something, like church. And even then I don't look at it for the time, its mainly just an accessory.
I recently returned the 360 I was trying. Liked it, didn't love it enough to justify the $317 it cost me. Maybe next gen. I still wanted a toy though so picked up a used og Pebble for $40 and am pleased as punch with it. Sure it isn't as fancy, but it does %75 of what the 360 did and I don't feel like an idiot for wasting so much money on it lol.