Class 3 – Tech Gadgets
Get a comprehensive overview of tech gadgets to help find the right one for you.
Entertainment
Minimize cost, increase choice, and control what to watch TV and when
Enable access to web content, viewable on the TV screen
Roku ($50-100), Apple TV ($75-100), ChromeCast ($35), Amazon Fire Stick ($39), Amazon Echo ($200)
plus subscriptions NetFlix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus
Mobility
Minimize cost, be connected/productive anytime/anywhere, portability
Apple – iOS tablets and smartphones (New – iPad Air 2, iPhone 6/6 Plus)
Google – Android tablets and smartphones (New – Motorola Moto E)
Google – ChromeBooks (New – ASUS 13.3” C300MA)
Syllabus from Tablets and SmartPhones class
A word about Voice Control for mobile devices (demo)
Apple’s Siri
Google Now
Microsoft Cortana
Amazon Alexa
Convergence
Where mobility and entertainment intersect
Apple iOS devices -> Apple TV
Android devices -> Roku + ChromeCast
Windows devices -> ChromeCast
ChromeBooks -> ChromeCast
Open Question: How well will the Amazon Fire Stick perform?
Business
Reduce credit card transaction fees, solution works everywhere (wifi, cellular, offline)
Square Register*/**, Amazon Local Register, Intuit GoPayment, PayPal Here
*A word about ‘off-line’ transaction processing with Square. (demo)
**A word about EMV (Europay, MasterCard, and Visa) – aka SmartCard.
Health
iPod Touch 5 + KNFB Reader software (demo)
What I Use
Traveling – Moto E (w/ data plan), ChromeBook (wifi), nano ($20), 32gb flash drive ($20), network and HDMI cables, chargers, usb ethernet adapter ($18)
Home – Windows PC (7 or 8) or Mac, plus ChromeBook, Roku, Apple TV, DVD drive
Other interesting gadgets (my bag of tricks):
BlueTooth Speaker –demo ($50)
BlueTooth Headphone ($52)
BlueTooth Keyboard – folding ($30)
Nano Wireless Router ($20)
HDMI Switcher ($15)
Ethernet over power line ($28)
Android Mini PC & Raspberry Pi
FitBit One
USB Backup Devices
Flash Drives
Mini Hub, USB Wireless Antenna, Adapters…
Roku ($50-100)
Apple TV ($75-100)
ChromeCast ($35) – plus subscriptions
Amazon Fire Stick ($39)
NetFlix subscription
Amazon Prime subscription
Hulu Plus subscription
iPad 1 & 2 plus keyboard/cellular (iOS – $200+)
Nexus 7 (Android – $150+)
ChromeBook (Chrome OS – $229)
Moto X or E w/ Republic Wireless plans ($300 for X, $99 for the E, no contract)
Square Register (free, plus transaction fee)
Square Register (EMV – pre-order $29))
Intuit GoPayment (free, plus transaction fee)
PayPal Here (free, plus transaction fee)
Amazon Local Register ($10 + plus transaction fee*)
Amazon Echo ($199*)
Android Mini PC ($66)
Raspberry Pi ($50)
What is Roku
A digital media player that allows customers to access internet streamed video or audio services through televisions, including subscription-based services as well as services that are available through the receiver free of charge.
What is Apple TV
A digital media player (network appliance) developed and sold by Apple Inc., designed to play digital content. (con – no Amazon Prime or Pandora, designed to up-sell content)
What is ChromeCast
Digital media player developed by Google that plays audio/video content on a high-definition television by streaming via Wi-Fi. Users select media to play from Chromecast-enabled mobile apps and Web apps, or through a beta feature called “tab casting” that can mirror content from the Chrome browser. (con – poor performance on slow networks, light on apps)
What is Amazon Fire Stick
Fire TV Stick connects your HDTV to a world of online entertainment. With a huge selection of movies and TV episodes, voice search that actually works, and exclusive features like ASAP and Prime Music, Fire TV Stick is an easy way to enjoy Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, low-cost movie rentals, live and on-demand sports, music, photos, games, and more.
What is Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo is designed around your voice. It’s always on—just ask for information, music, news, weather, and more. Echo begins working as soon as it hears you say the wake word, “Alexa.” It’s also an expertly tuned speaker that can fill any room with immersive sound.
What is Streaming Media
Media that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a provider. To ‘stream’, refers to the process of delivering media in this manner. A client media player can begin playing the data (such as a movie) before the entire file has been transmitted.
What is iPad
A line of tablet computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., which run Apple’s iOS. The first iPad was released on April 3, 2010; the most recent iPad models, the iPad Air and second generation iPad Mini, were revealed on October 22, 2013. The user interface is built around the device’s multi-touch screen, including a virtual keyboard. Content is available via the App Store.
What is Nexus 7
A 7-inch tablet computer developed for Google by Asus. The tablet, released in July 2012 is the first device to run Android 4.1, and makes content available through Google Play—including e-books, apps, music, and video.
What is Android
An operating system based on the Linux kernel,[12] and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. The first publicly available smartphone running Android was released on October 22, 2008. The Android user interface is based on direct manipulation, using touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen objects. Android is open source and Google releases the source code under the Apache License.
What is ChromeBook
A ‘personal computer’ running Chrome OS as its operating system, designed to be used while connected to the Internet and support applications that reside on the Web, rather than traditional applications that reside on the machine itself. All data is stored in the “cloud” and is accessed by an internet connection. The first Chromebooks for sale, by Acer Inc. and Samsung, began shipping on June 15, 2011.
What is Moto X
An Android smartphone developed and manufactured by Motorola Mobility (a Google company) and released in August 2013. The Moto X is distinguished by features taking advantage of voice recognition and contextual awareness, and is assembled in the US.
What is Moto E
Republic Wireless’ new ‘low-cost’ smartphone. At $99 with no contract this is a really good value. You can read all about it here.
What is Republic Wireless
A wireless communications services provider based in Raleigh, NC. Created in January 2010 as a subsidiary of Bandwidth, the company announced it would provide a monthly subscription of $19 per month for wireless service with unlimited calling, texting, and data on a “Hybrid Calling” system. Republic Wireless began beta service on November 8, 2011, then on November 14, 2013, officially came out of its Beta testing period and began offering the Moto X for $299 with four new service plans starting at $5 per month. Republic Wireless is “inverting the network” in that “Wi-Fi is primary and cellular is a fallover.” The model relies on a proprietary VoIP application for the Android operating system that has the ability to seamlessly switch between Sprint‘s CDMA mobile networks, free roaming, and WiFi – depending on whether WiFi access is available.
What is Square Register
A merchant services aggregator and mobile payments company based in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, they launched their first app and service in 2010. Square Register allows individuals and merchants in the United States, Canada, and Japan to accept debit and credit cards on their iOS or Android devices. The app supports manually entering the card details or swiping the card through the Square Reader, a small plastic device which plugs into the audio jack of a supported smartphone or tablet and reads the magnetic stripe.
What is Amazon Local Register
Amazon’s variant of the credit card transaction processing device that can be used with ‘most’ mobile devices to process transactions from customers’ credit and debit cards. Amazon charges $10 for the device (Square provided their device for free), but the purchase price is absorbed into initial transaction fees, then standard transaction fees run about .25 percent less than the competition. Square has also been getting a lot of press regarding their ability in the near-term to process EMV (smart) cards. Amazon has not yet announced a similar EMV-readiness plan.
