Would You Want an HTC One Tab?

The reviews are pretty much in and fairly unanimous. The HTC One smartphone is a sexy, gorgeous, device. Some reviewers can't stop staring at or holding it. It's like the Android holy grail of beautiful design. The question is, now that HTC seems to have really fine-tuned its design mojo, should it consider releasing a companion device? An HTC One Tab?

HTC has been out of the tablet game now for some time. Admittedly it is a tough market, dominated by sleek, ubiquitous iPads. Apple crushed the category before most people could figure out what they wanted to do with a tablet. However, the market has now matured. More people are seeing "the point" of a tablet.

Tablets are designed, and are primarily used for consumption. With its latest hero smartphone device, the One, HTC seems to get how its users are using its device more and more. Between BlinkFeed, a news aggregator built into the Sense user interface, and BoomSound, stereo front speakers powered by Beats, HTC is definitely looking to really facilitate, and enhance the consumption experience. Why not bring those killer features to a 7 or even 10 inch mobile device, with some hardcore specs and killer design?

While I wouldn't want to see a phablet version of the One, I think an HTC One tablet, would complement HTC's lineup, re-establish them as a mobile force, and keep the media buzz going. Unifying its branding under One could lead to much better results for HTC this time around in the tablet market, especially if its highly anticipated smartphone is truly a success. I'd love to see cool things like BlinkFeed syncing across devices, or being able to share a Zoe via NFC to my One tab. The tablet market is much stronger now, but still has opportunities. If HTC is calling this a comeback, might as well go all in.

So what do you think? Is this HTC's moment? Can it steal some thunder from the iPad, Nexus, or even Galaxy Note tablets out there? More importantly, would you throw your money at HTC for One?

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Google has infiltrated iOS

Google is killing Apple with apps not Android. I know that’s a very strong, and over-simplified first statement, but I’m starting to think it’s true. The nature of the battle over being the pinnacle of what a great smartphone should be is often narrowed between these two corporations. Apple set a new standard with the first iPhone, and Google has countered with Android evolving into a formidable force of its own.

I would ultimately argue that Google has sneakily won the battle with a great suite of mobile apps rather than Android adoption. The turning point of every war is when an invading force is able to overtake and occupy the opposing nation’s territory. This is exactly what Google has done on iOS.

Gmail is consistently one of the top applications installed in the Apple Store. People were not happy with the default Apple email app, and Google responded by porting their great Gmail app over to iOS. Within the first few weeks, the Gmail app gave users the experience they expect from Google inside the walls of Apple’s mobile OS.

Next came the debacle that is iOS Maps. Apple made the decision with the iPhone 5 that it would cut their partnership with having Google Maps as the default offering in iOS. The result was a very premature maps solution from Cupertino. Users were disappointed, and literally lost, using iOS Maps. Google again responded by submitting their Maps app to the App Store. iOS users flocked to Google Maps and left iOS Maps in their rearview mirror.

Two of Google’s top two applications on Android are now top-tier iOS apps as well, and I don’t think Google plans to end there. The recent leak of Google Now for iOS shows that Google understands real mobile dominance is in becoming vital inside your rival’s OS, not ignoring their existence. Google Now could challenge another default Apple tool in Siri. The personal assistance of Google Now is similar to Siri in many ways and exceeds it in some areas.

Gmail and Maps are not the only current apps available by Google, Inc. either. They offer a handful of popular apps for iOS. Chrome, Currents, and Google+ are just a few, and let’s not forget about YouTube. Google's presence is very real on iOS.

Google is knocking it out of the park with monster sales numbers around Android. They have overtaken Apple in overall sales of smartphones in the last few years, but their real market strategy may indeed be applications. They have recognized the popularity of iOS as a business opportunity rather than a threat. Now, don’t get me wrong, these two giants are still bitter rivals, but Google is taking a very open-minded approach to how they counteract their biggest competitor.

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Goodbye Google Reader...Hello BlinkFeed?

As word spreads like wildfire across the tech web that one of Google's most popular, yet underrated applications, Google Reader, is getting the ax come July 1st 2013, competing RSS readers/news aggregators like Flipboard, Pulse, Feedly, and Press are popping bottles. Ironically, you may be reading this through Google Reader, and I just punched you in the stomach. Sorry.

However, it occurred to me that a certain flagship device on the horizon may have an opportunity here like none other. One of the primetime features of HTC's newly announced hero device, the One, is BlinkFeed, which is essentially a news aggregator like Flipboard built into the platform right on your home screen. Granted, it's no Google Reader by any means. It might not be as robust as Flipboard either, but HTC has hinted that more functionality will be coming down the road, including the ability to customize your feed with your own sources. HTC already has major partners lined up to provide content you can access without launching an additional application.

If HTC is smart, they will capitalize on the loss of Reader. Who knows? Maybe they saw this coming. Some people may hate the idea of BlinkFeed, and its departure from the "pure Android" experience, but HTC might have just been given an assist by Google to justify this new feature. If it can get its ducks in a row, this will just help HTC's marketing efforts.

What do you think? Can HTC use the pending death of Google Reader to its advantage, and push BlinkFeed as a selling point for its new hotness, the HTC One? What will be your new aggregator of choice?

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Google Plus...your time is now.

We have all seen the headlines of the unrest over recent API changes for Twitter. TFX has had a couple ourselves in that regard. The one thing that has surprised me is that Google has not seized this opportunity to grow their homegrown social network. Google Plus is ripe for the challenge. Google just needs to open the gate.

The thing that Twitter has seemed to forgotten, is that 3rd party developers flocked to their API when it was first released and built some very solid clients for the network. Twitter was a small company in the beginning and needed these engineers to solve the problem of getting on every platform, as well as challenging Twitter on what a good client for their service was capable of looking like.

I don’t understand why Google has not released a fully public API for Google Plus to date. They could capitalize on the missteps of Twitter and truly challenge Facebook for the top social network. I know Google has done a decent job of selling Plus as an Android experience, but Google is a data company at heart. To offer this on multiple mobile operating systems would help their bottom line.

I can see Google not wanting to be challenged on Android, but the need for good clients on Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry are ever present. Just because users haven’t chosen Android should be no reason to not offer the service. Google could open up the API and allow 3rd parties to fill this void for them. It’s still using their backend services with a little help on the front end.

New ventures like AppDotNet have shown that people are growing concerned with Twitter and searching for an alternative. While I like where ADN is coming from, and they have already spawned some pretty great clients, they don’t have the brand recognition of Google. People are more apt to gravitate towards a name like that.

All you have to do is open the gate Google. Allow the devs in these great communities to make Google Plus what you want it to be.

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Jelly Bean 4.1 Rolls out to Moto Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx

Owners of the Verizon-branded Motorola Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX can now enjoy Android 4.1 as the carrier rolls out its Jelly Bean update over the next few days. There's no confirmation just yet on whether or not the usual bloatware is on board, but users can now enjoy the following Google goodies:

• Google Now – We could all use a good planner to keep track of our busy lives. With Google Now you get notifications generated automatically and in real-time even before you ask. Now your DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX can deliver sports scores, stock updates, weather reports and traffic updates so you have all the information you want even before you’ve had your morning coffee.


• Expanded Notifications – You should be able to call or text someone back right from your missed call notification. With Android™ 4.1 Jelly Bean you have the ability to do that and more. When you get a reminder about a meeting you can either tap once to snooze or even email participants to say you’re running late.


• Voice Search – Ask a question and get back the answer you’re looking for, ranging from “When is the next bus?” to “Where can I find a great Mexican restaurant?” You’ll either get a spoken response back or search results that answer your query.

Jelly Bean will make a great fit on this pair of Motorola's more powerful phones with great battery stamina on board to boot.

Source: Engadget, Motorola

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A Legit First World Problem: Americans are Being Ripped Off for Internet Access

Every day you're being taken advantage of by a flawed system that allows the big internet service providers to price gouge you in the United States. Some will argue that internet access isn't exactly a life or death issue, but there are a number of issues that affect the average American.

Here are 3:

The Wallet Issue:

Compared to other parts of the world, such as Hong Kong or Korea, Americans are paying astronomical prices for much slower speeds. In Hong Kong you can get a 500Mbps symmetric connection for $25 per month. Now, go compare your internet plan. Feels like you got kicked in the stomach, huh? Even if you don't care about how fast your internet access is, you should care about how much you are getting swindled for the access you are getting. There aren't too many people I know who wouldn't mind having an extra $25-$75 bucks or more per month to put towards groceries, gas, bills, or savings.

The Social Issue:

By putting high prices on the cost to access information, it puts those who are economically constrained at a serious disadvantage. It's not just about getting access to Facebook. In many cases, you can't even apply for a job without internet access. About 1/3, roughly 100 million Americans, are facing this digital divide, because it's not in the best interests of corporate profit.

The Global Issue:

Countries with cheaper access, and much faster speeds are leap frogging the United States in areas of technology and education. You can't lead the world in innovation if you're hamstringing your own people. While other countries are aiming for 1 gigabit symmetric connections to everyone's home, the U.S. is shooting for a paltry 4 megabits. The divide isn't just here at home, it's with the rest of the world as well.

The big ISPs have no incentive to address any of these issues. With no competition or regulation, they are free to charge as much as they wish for subpar service. Google has stepped up to tackle this with its Google Fiber project, but faces many challenges from the heavily entrenched ISP incumbents. No one is saying internet access should be free, but the growing inequality the exorbitant costs, slow speeds, and lack of access, are causing calls for serious changes to be made across the board. Our standards need to be higher.

Susan Crawford is on a crusade to right this wrong. However, she can't do it alone. Watch her interview. Then exercise your voice.


Susan Crawford on Why U.S. Internet Access is Slow, Costly, and Unfair from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.


Source: Bloomberg
Source: The Verge

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