Windows 10 - surprisingly good...

First a caveat: Windows 10 is not even a product yet and won't be until sometime "later this year." If you're a Mac or Linux user, you might want to skip this altogether... But if you're interested in what looks to be the first usable version of Windows since 7, read on.

I loaded Windows 10 Preview on one of the laptops at work this week and made it available for people to play with. I can't vouch for its stability - though some bits may be a little flaky, most of it seems to work. This is just a technical preview, so don't be surprised if these comments are quickly rendered out of date as the updates are released and later when the Consumer Preview comes out.

Here are a few of the features I thought were cool:

• The Desktop is back and the kludgy "modern" UI relegated to the start menu.
• The start menu has all your software including tiles for your modern apps (or not, if you prefer)
• Modern apps can be dragged and re-sized at will
• Task View shows you all the apps and windows you have open
• Virtual desktop - this is a cool feature I haven't had a chance to play with yet
• "Tablet mode" makes it a little more like the current Windows 8.1 environment
• The Siri-like Cortana assistant is now available, but I think it may be a while before it's really useful.

I've only spent a few minutes with Windows 10 but, so far, it looks good - much better than 8/8.1. 

Handy (but expensive) charger

CES was just packed with mobile device peripherals, cases, chargers, etc. - lots of fashion/lifestyle centric add-ons. Honestly, I think 1/4 of one of the halls was just smartphone cases.

Hidden among these were also some other gems, like the Zolt MacBook/smartphone/tablet charger.

One of the problems with the MacBook charger is that it's huge. Another is that it uses a proprietary connector and can't be used for anything else. It's also rather heavy.

The Zolt, shown at this year's CES, is a tiny (3" X 1.3" X 1.3") charger that has 3 USB slots. For $130 ($100 for the charger, $30 more for the MacBook cable) it will power your MacBook Air (not the 15", 17" or Retina MacBooks) up to 70 watts. It will also charge your phone and tablet.

They're available this spring, but they're offering them now at $79 for pre-order. https://www.gozolt.com/

The Zolt is similar to the new Dart charger - which is really designed more for the typical laptop rather than a Mac (the Mac version is $80 more!) - but it doesn't have USB slots for charging other devices.

Wireless power

Wireless power has been a dream since the days of Nicola Tesla and it looks like it’s finally making some interesting progress.

I’m sure you’ve seen the devices that allow you to put a smartphone on a “charging surface” to charge it "wirelessly". This is handy, but it’s really not what we mean when we say wireless power.

A company called Energous demoed a new system called WattUp at CES this year that purports to be able to deliver power to devices anywhere in a room (up to 15 feet away.) It uses Bluetooth and focused radio frequency beams (using the same frequencies as WiFi) that the powered devices convert to power using an embedded chip. The “transmitter” triangulates the locations of devices using Bluetooth and uses beam-forming antenna technology to send the energy to them.

The transmitters could be built into a number of different devices (appliances, routers, etc.) They’re currently about 70% efficient at charging (typical wireless charging pads are about 90% efficient.)

Devices can be charged on the fly while users are using them walking around the room – using technology similar to how WiFi routers hand off signals when you move between access points in the office.

Currently the smartphones that are being charged need special power-receiver cases, but the technology can be embedded in the phones as well – if the smartphone manufacturers get on board.

If the distance could be increased, this might be useful for powering devices in out of the way or difficult to reach locations in a plant. It could also be used for wireless toys, tablets, speakers and other devices besides phones.

http://www.energous.com/overview/ 

Windows 10 news

If Microsoft had a booth at CES I didn’t see it – though I think their OEM group was there, there may have been some private demo suites and there were obviously lots of laptops running Microsoft software. They used to be a big player at CES, but a couple of years ago they pretty much dropped out.

I think this year they were more focused on Windows 10 and this week’s Consumer Preview Event.

It looks like Windows 10 will continue the every-other-operating-system-is-good tradition at Microsoft. And Windows 10 looks like what Windows 8 should have been.

Here’s a recap of what they announced this week:

• Universal apps for PCs, phones and tablets
• “Spartan” web browser – faster competition for Chrome, Firefox
• New Windows Phone operating system is Windows 10
• Cortana coming to the desktop (Microsoft’s version of Siri or Google Now)
• W-10 is a free upgrade for Win 7 and 8.1 owners
• Xbox integration
• Surface Hub (Microsoft video conferencing) will run Windows 10
• HoloLens holographic augmented reality headset supported by Windows 10

I’ve seen a couple of quick demos, but really don’t know much about it, first-hand. Next week the Microsoft Insider Program will allow people to download the preview. I’m planning to do this and I’ll report here on the results.

Acer at CES

Chromebooks sold well in the 2014 holiday season (apparently Amazon's top three laptops sold were Chromebooks). Acer has been a popular choice and they've just broadened the field with their huge 15.6" model, announced at CES.

Available with an Intel Core i3 or Intel Celeron 5th Gen processor. They also offer two choices of displays an HD 1920x1080 and a 1366x768 at lower cost. 

Other features:

• 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.0
• USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports
• HDMI
• Reinforced case (this large laptop weighs almost 5 pounds…)
• 16GB or 32GB drive
• 2GB or 4GB RAM

Prices start at $250.

Nest update from CES

For some time Nest has been integrated with external operation/coordination tool IFTTT – handy for detecting and responding to events and allowing it to control the Nest, but new partnerships mean that integration with these suppliers is direct (not requiring IFTTT.)

At CES this year a number of companies were touting their "Works with Nest" capabilities:

• Whirlpool washers and dryers can use Nest to tell when you're home so they can switch to quiet mode (and notify you when it's done.)
• Ooma phone service can tell you're not at home and can forward calls when you leave.
• Philips Hue can listen to your Nest and when the CO or smoke detector go off it can flash the lights.
• Qwikset and August Smart locks can set your Nest to "home" when you unlock them and "away" when you lock them.
• Dropcam can record when your smoke alarm is activated.
• Chargepoint car chargers can learn from your Nest when energy is in high demand and wait to charge your car.
• Your car can tell your Nest you're on your way home so it can adjust the heating/cooling.

As more and more devices are connected, there are limitless possibilities.

What kind of smart home integration would you like to see? Are there opportunities for smarthome technology in your business? What are the challenges?

D-Link at CES: “Home is where the smart is.”

As I've mentioned before, I think one of the central problems of the "smart home" is the fact that you need as many different applications as there are devices to manage them. And all of them represent potential security holes in your home network, if they're not properly managed.

I have used a lot of D-link gear over the years and, while they're not always on the leading edge, they make good gear. This year at CES I got to see what D-Link has been up to. Their networking products look great. Unfortunately, their new home automation solutions are proprietary / closed. If they would open up their eco-system, I think they would be much more successful in this space.

We'll see.

Here's what they brought to CES:

Smart Home technology:

• They offer two security kits including a motion sensor, a switch, an HD camera (with 802.11ac – i.e. high bandwidth - connectivity) with local or cloud storage. These are not cheap ($120-$230)
• Connected Home Hub – a WiFi and Z-Wave bridge (with Z-Wave sensors for door open/close, motion, water sensor and a siren)
• These use the mydlink app for control.

New high-performance wireless routers (pictured below):

• AC3200 (two 5GHz radios plus 2.4GHz. 1.3Gbps on each of the 5GHz radios and 600 Mbps on the 2.4GHz) $310
• AC3100 (4X4 MU-MIMO technology. 2Gbps on the 5GHz band and 1 GHz on the 2.4GHz) – no pricing or availability yet
• AC5300 (MU-MIMO + XStream. 2 X 2.1 Gbps plus 1 Gbps on the 2.4 GHz side) – no pricing or availability yet
• (MU-MIMO is a technology that uses different transmitters and antennae to connect to multiple users, for higher bandwidth.)

Powerline networking:

• AV2 2000 Gigabit powerline networking (uses your home electrical distribution system for networking.) $130 available 1Q

Again, the only problem I have with them is closed architecture of their home automation systems. This continues to be a stumbling block for many home automation suppliers...