Friday Grab Bag: A look back at ABA, Sculley returning to High Tech?

If you fondly remember red, white and blue basketballs then this is probably great news for you — ESPN Films is going to explore the history of the American Basketball Association in its latest 30 for 30 documentaries.

One of the few leagues that, at least semi-successfully, challenged an incumbent one, the ABA ran from 1967 until it merged with the NBA in 1976. It helped bring a new degree of flash into the NBA with freewheeling players such as Julius Irving.

Android KitKat and Nexus 5 here
The next generation of the Android operating system, code named KitKat and the Nexus 5 smartphone that is the first device to run the new OS are here this week.

CNN Tech has a nice roundup, and points out that LG will be making the phone that is expected to have a 4.95-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and have the latest generation of Gorilla Glass 3 for the front cover. Expect to see a new generation of tablets and phones with the OS in the coming months.

Few tablets have paid cellular
When you look at the price for a tablet you often see two figures: one that lists the Wi-Fi only cost and one for having 3G or 4 LTE cellular as well, which is often at least $100 more. A recent study from theConsumer Electronics Association shows that few use cellular.

The survey found that only 29% of tablet owners buy cellular enabled tablets and of these only 49% buy a data plan. Of those who buy it is almost split evenly between those that buy a separate plan for the tablet and for those who bundle.

CEA to debut WristRevolution at 2014 International CES
With Samsung, Sony, Google and a host of others now chasing the ‘wearable tech’ space the International Consumer Electronics Show will have a section that is devoted to products and technologies coming out for this market segment.

In the past products that perform some of these functions such as health monitors/wrist watches would be found across the huge show floors but now they will be gathered into a single area so that both hardware and software developments can be easily tracked.

First ticket for wearing Google Glass?
Speaking of wearable technology it is being reported that a California driver was ticketed for wearing Google Glass while driving. The officer cited a law that starts with “person shall not drive a motor vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying…” They were also speeding.

John Sculley to buy BlackBerry?
Former Apple and Pepsi CEO John Sculley is now being rumored to be in the running to buy the beleaguered smart deceive manufacturer BlackBerry, according to a report carried in the IT Wire, originally from the Globe and Mail.

Sculley is probably best known for pushing out Steve Jobs, one of Apple’s founders and the man that recruited him for the job while at Apple. He has been active in high tech since leaving Apple and is said to be working to bring a group of investors together to buy BlackBerry.

TigerLogic seeks to drive fan engagement via social media

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TigerLogic is charging into the collegiate sport scene with its social media platform Postano (meaning, ‘to post’ in Italian) a set of tools that will enable the school’s athletic departments to use fans’ social media posts to help promote the sports and school.

The company has already landed its platform at a number of schools, and at least one pro basketball team as well. Its customers see Postano as a way to engage fans not only at the events but in-between games as well. Among the early adopters are the University of Oregon and Arizona State University.

Postano is a flexible tool that can be adjusted to meet a school’s needs, according to the company. The goal is to enable schools to be able to present their teams in exactly the way they want them presented, down to the correct colors if somebody wants to paint their face school colors, said Tom O’Keefe, TigerLogic’s senior vice president of Social and Mobile.

The idea is pretty simple on the face of it: The company can provide a package of technology that allows the school to collect, curate and rebroadcast social media including posts from Instagram, Facebook, Vive and Twitter. They can be text, photos or video or combinations of these types of content.

Under Postano, the schools can create a media command center and then after the collection of the data they can display it in a variety of ways including on stadium scoreboards, or on displays set up for the purpose. Fans can see their own social conversations being broadcast while at the events. At the same time the schools can get a feel for the mood of the fan base by reviewing what is going on in the social media world.

Postano has created set packages specifically for college sports that include access to the following options: The Postano Social Hub, Postano Command Center, Postano Mobile and Postano Events and Social wall. It also will create customized features for its customers. The mobile platform supports both Apple’s iOS and the Android operating system.

One of the challenges that its technology faces is the inability of some stadiums to support large volumes of social media. Users can flood the grid bringing it to a halt. It does no good to try and engage fans if they cannot get a connection to post data.

While most major athletic conferences have signed away broadcasting and some digital media rights, the use of social media was not covered in these deals, and TigerLogic believes that this will be a major growth market for the company as schools use the media to further engage fans, O’Keefe said.

Lenovo’s Yoga provides flexibility with tablet options

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Lenovo has expanded its Yoga family of tablets and has added some interesting features that seek to differentiate them from others in this rapidly growing market with a trio of modes that they can be used in ways that the company believes fit customer usage needs.

The latest editions are 8-inch and 10-inch models and one of the key features is the three modes: hold, tilt and stand. The hold mode is for use when being held and includes a cylindrical handle that allows a user to use just one hand to hold the tablet, rather than the two that most 10-inch and large tablets require.

To engage the stand mode simply turn the handle 90 degrees and the stand will deploy, and can be adjusted from 110 degrees to 135 degrees. The tilt mode is for when the tablet is lying flat or in a user’s lap. The tablet has software that brings up the most commonly used apps in each mode.

There are other additions that make the tablets interesting. They have an 18-hour battery life, far exceeding most others that are in the 10-hour range. The new Lenovo tablets get the longer life by using laptop batteries cleverly stored in the handle. They also have the ability to charge other smartphones and USB devices via a USB on-the-go feature.

The two Android tablets feature displays that have 1280 x 800 resolution, a 5MP autofocus rear camera and a 1.6MP front facing camera. They are powered by a 1.2GHz MT8125 quad core processor and have 16GB of storage that can be expanded to 64GB via an optional microSD card. Other features include a pair of front-facing speakers with Dolby Digital Plus DS1. The tablets are expected to be available by week’s end and the 8-inch model will have a $249 MSRP and the 10-inch will have a $299 MSRP.

While none of the additions to the tablets on their own are earth-shattering the combination makes a very nice offering that helps the company create separation between its products and many of its rivals, who often seem to just deliver me-too products.

Nokia delivers tablet as market continues to diversify

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Nokia has introduced its Lumia 2520 tablet, a $499 offering that will run Microsoft’s Windows RT 8.1 operating system and is destined for the consumer marketplace, a space that is already saturated by the likes of Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung.

The Lumia 2520 futures a 10-inch 192 x 1080 display and is powered by Qualcomm’s 2.2GHz Snapdragon 80 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage with an expansion slot that enables the addition of 32GB more.

The tablet has a 6.7 megapixel rear-facing camera ad a 2 MP front-facing camera and an app that it has included called Storyteller that enables users to plot their photos on a map. The tablet is expected to be available later this quarter.

The company has included other technology brought over from its handset division and with that and its use of a different processor is differentiating its offering from the Microsoft Surface 2 that was also introduced this week.

That is an interesting move by the company since Microsoft is in the process of buying Nokia’s handset business for $7.2B and will get the tablet business as well, if and when the deal closes next year. So now it will have two similar, yet slightly different offerings for the same market segment.

I can understand Nokia wanted a product that helps generate revenue in the time between now and the closing of its sale but it seems that both parties would have benefited if it had focused elsewhere, no matter how nice the Lumia 2520 is.

The move by Nokia comes as tablet prices continue to drop and the number of players continues to grow. One of the surprising moments in Apple’s rollout of its new iPads this week was that one of them was actually more expensive than the last generation.

According to market research firm ABI, as reported in Mobile Marketer, tablet prices have been dropping and will continue to do so. Apple had been falling from its premium priced spot and its recent move was an attempt to move back into that space.

The report went on and discussed how the high end is pretty well saturated by existing manufacturers and that most new products in that space simply enhance existing features rather than add bold new capabilities. However it pointed out that there are several market segments that are currently underserved by developers.

Those spaces include the educational and business markets. The business segment is one of the last strongholds of the PC but that dominance is slowly changing, mostly driven initially by the BYOD (bring your own device) movement.

So with these large and relatively unexploited markets available why did the company make a “me too” offering that will compete with Microsoft and others in the heavily competitive consumer space? It will also be competing with them in the business and education markets but since those spaces appear to have the most room for growth it seems that they present the best opportunity for Nokia to establish itself.

Microsoft beats Apple to market with latest generation tablets

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Microsoft has unveiled its newest lineup of Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets at the same time as Apple but unlike Apple, which will not ship for several weeks, Microsoft will have its tablets ready for market now.

The Surface 2 (the renamed Surface RT) and the Surface Pro 2 both underwent some major adjustments as second generation products, with many of the alterations shared by both platforms. They both have longer battery life, enhanced display resolution and more processing power.

The Surface 2 features an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor, which has helped it double its battery life to 10 hours. The tablet has an upgraded display that has a 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD display now renders 1080p video.

The USB 2.0 port has been upgraded to USB 3.0, its camera resolution has also increased, with a 3.5-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear camera. The Surface 2 is available in 32GB and 64GB configurations and starts at $449.

It should be noted that the Surface 2 is designed to run a version of Windows 8.1 RT so that older Windows apps will most likely not work on the platform and a user would need to purchase all new apps from the Microsoft Windows Store.

The Surface Pro 2, which runs the standard Windows 8.1 operating system and is generally backwardly compatible with older Windows apps is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, which along with other changes will provide a longer battery life than the first generation. It has a 10.6-inch 1920 x 1080- display.

The Surface Pro 2 comes in 64GB and 128GB versions with 2GB f RAM starting at $899 and with 4GB of RAM and in 256GB and 512GB configurations with 8GB of RAM for power users.

Microsoft has continued to aim the Surface family at the business professional with the Surface Pro 2 and at the home consumer with the Surface 2, positioning both as more than simply tablets but as full desktop replacements and has expanded the accessories that are available for the tablets so that the needs of both markets are met.

There are keyboard covers for both tablets, as in the past but the neat change is that they are now backlit so that a sure could type in the dark if they wanted. The Touch Cover starts at $120 and the Type Cover at $130. They are sold separately from the tablets. Next year a $200 Power Cover, that includes a built-in battery will also be added to the lineup.

The two tablets also come with some limited time offers as well. Customers who purchase either device will receive one year of free Skype calling to landlines, unlimited Skype Wi-Fi on their Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2 for one year, and 200 GB of free SkyDrive storage for two years.

In the last year Microsoft has made some headway in the tablet space and it seems as the market continues to fracture into additional segments its position as a desktop replacement, with its high capacity storage capabilities, will help create a distinct personality for its products. One question it will face is will its OEMs stay on board if they are competing with Microsoft?

Apple delivers a range of new tablets, OS and computers

Photo via Gizmode

Photo via Gizmodo

As expected Apple delivered new iPad tablets, a new version of its personal computer operating system and updated its desktop and portable computer line while taking a new road on software updates for its PC lineup.

The latest generation iPad now has a new name, iPad Air, and it comes in thinner, by 20% over older versions, and lighter, at 1 lb vs. the 1.4 the old version tipped the scales at. It is powered by the recently introduced A7 chip, that also powers its latest iPhone 5S as well as featuring the M7 chip for motion sensing. Among its new features are dual microphones for better audio capture and MIMO for better wireless connectivity.

They will be available in either Silver/White or Space Gray/Black with the starting price for a Wi-Fi only 16GB model at $499 and with cellular at $629 and they will be available Nov. 1. The iPad 2 will continue being sold for $399.

The iPad mini also come in for a rebuild, and will also now be powered by the A7 processor and have MIMO antennas for better connectivity. The big new feature for the mini is an upgrade to the higher definition retina display, giving its 7.9-inch display 2048 x 1536 resolution. The price of the original iPad mini will drop $30 to $299 while the new models will start at $399 and will be available sometime next month.

It has been three and a half years since Apple delivered the iPad to very mixed reviews, where people made fun of the name and questioned if tablets would have staying power considering their poor performance in the past.

It has become cliché to say the tablet market is heating up. It is now hot when local grocery stores and book stores now offer some form of tablet. The market has grown rapidly from one where eReaders were considered pioneering to one where people ponder if they need a third tablet for home. Apple said that it has sold over 170 million and there are 470,000 apps for the platform.

The market research firm Pew Internet has recently reported that 34% of U.S. adults own a tablet, and that number grows to 43% when you count in the ones that own an eReader. This represents a 10% jump in ownership in 1 year.

On the operating system side Apple showed Mavericks, the latest updated desktop and portable computer OS, replacing OSX. It comes with 20 improved or new apps including iBooks and Maps. One interesting app is iCloud Keychain that saves and synchs passwords with credit cards.

The OS supports more memory for graphics means better game support and performance and extended support for integrated graphics. Computers sold from 2007 and forward can support the operating system.

There are plenty of enhancements in the new OS but the one that might grab the most notice is its price: it’s free. This will be an interesting move. Microsoft traditionally made a good deal of money selling upgrades. Then Google came along and subsidized its Android OS via ads.

It also updated its MacBook Pro with faster graphics, longer battery life and faster flash storage and retina displays. They start at $1,299 while the 12-core professional level Mac Pro was also updated and it starts at $2,999.