Tools Toys and Technology

About the Tools You Use and the Toys That Make Life Interesting

Tools Toys and Technology - About the Tools You Use and the Toys That Make Life Interesting

ABC Opens Its Eyes: Streaming is the Future

ABC News is the latest channel addition the the Roku lineup of channels. This is more evidence that the major networks are recognizing that the future of TV is in streaming.

On-demand content available on this new channel includes top stories of the day, this week in history, technology, lifestyle, weather, and segments from popular shows like Good Morning America and Nightline. Some local news affiliates have also signed on, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Fresno, and Raleigh.

Sling TV Update: New Channels

Last month, I reported on the new live streaming TV service from Dish called Sling TV. Since that report, a number of major channels have been added, including the History Channel, A&E, H2, and Lifetime. This brings the total number of channels in their basic programming lineup to 20. Yes, this is still small, but Sling TV is clearly on its way to becoming a serious challenger to live TV as we have known it. And, at $20 per month with no contract, it’s an attractive addition to the online lineup for cord-cutters, those who have already or are considering cancelling the traditional and expensive cable or satellite TV service.

Witness, they acquired 100,000 subscribers in their first month of operation. That’s still a small number of TV overall watchers, but if they keep adding channels at the rate they have, they will also be acquiring a lot more subscribers. I may become one of them. I’m watching this development closely.

Want to give it a try. They’ll give you 7 days for free. Go to Sling.com for more information.

Too Much of Anything…

We all anticipated that technology would make our lives easier. Computers are modern marvels that have increased the pace and productivity of work, but the human body is not designed to be sedentary. Prolonged hours of sitting and working in front of a computer screen can increase eye strain, stiffness in joints and muscles, indigestion and weight gain. Older computer users are even more susceptible to computer associated difficulties.

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Does Sling TV Spell Doom for Traditional Satellite and Cable Services?

Last month, Dish Network pre-announced a service it calls “Sling TV.” Sling TV is essentially a live streaming alternative to traditional, expensive satellite and cable servies, but … it’s in its infancy and programming is severely limited. But as the service expands, this could fill the gap between live TV as we’ve known it and streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and others.

Sling TV is a $20 per month subscription with no contract. That’s right … NO CONTRACT. You can cancel at any time. Compare that to your current cable or satellite bill that may be upwards of $100 per month and locks you into their service for a year or two.

Sling TV currently offers only about 15 channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2, Disney Channel, TBS, TNT, and Food Network, with AMC coming soon. There are also some add-on packages for kids, sports and news channels for $5 per month. This is still a long shot from becoming a head-to-head equivalent to traditional satellite and cable programming. But it’s a start, and it may be pointing the way to the future.

While it may not be a full live TV substitute yet, Sling TV puts one more nail in the coffin of TV as we have known it. When Sling TV or someone else offers a full complement of live streaming programming,  the paid TV service landscape will be forever changed.

Want to know more? See the review of Sling TV.

 

Windows 10 – Free to Windows 7 and 8 Users

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade to current users of Windows 7 and 8.1. This offer will be extended for one year after Windows 10 launches. Once you’ve taken advantage of this free upgrade, you will continue to get free upgrades for the lifetime of the device on which Windows 10 is installed.

So, if you are one of those XP holdouts, this may be the greatest incentive yet to upgrade to Windows 8.1, guaranteeing you’ll get Windows 10 when it comes out. There is no free upgrade for Windows XP users.

What’s Hot?

Christmas shoppers have seemingly endless choices in personal electronics gadgets this year.

Smartphones are the hottest products of all, outselling all other computer forms combined by a substantial margin. Credit Suisse estimates that annual global smartphones sales will surpass 1 billion units in 2014. While the iPhone is a consistent media darling, Android phone sales command 84% of the market – and still continue to rise. Samsung alone outsells Apple by a better than 2:1 rate. Android smartphones generally offer lower prices and fewer features, but the soon to be introduced Samsung Galaxy Alpha is expected to provide serious competition with the iPhone 6 at the high end of the market.

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IoT: The Internet of Things

A tech oriented vision of the future is rapidly becoming reality. Alarm clocks can turn on your coffee pot and adjust the thermostat. Your doorbell can notify you at work via your cellphone and send you an image of the plumber ready to work on your plugged drains so that you can remotely open the door for him. Production line factory machines can order more materials or request maintenance automatically. Tiny devices monitor medical conditions and remotely report to medical practitioners. The notion of a network of smart devices has been discussed since at least 1991. Kevin Ashton, working in a MIT research consortium, proposed the term “Internet of Things” in 1999 to describe a system “where the Internet is connected to the physical world via ubiquitous sensors.”

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