Steve Jobs introduced the iPad in 2010 as a consumption device, a tablet to browse the web, watch a movie, read a book, you get the idea. Certain productivity tasks, like writing documents, painting or composing music, also adapted well to the touch-only interface and over time, the iPad became a versatile tech product.
For years, Apple has defended the idea that a single customer can benefit from owning both an iPad and a MacBook, using them in different scenarios but bound by the same ecosystem. On one hand, an iPad was more suitable for light-weight scenarios, for those who…
When Sony announced that the PS5 would launch in November, I decided that it was time to say goodbye to my old Xbox 360. I read a lot about preorder fiascos with previous launches, and even more about the risks of being an early adopter of a next-gen console, but I didn’t let any reading discourage me.
I discarded buying the new Xbox Series X mostly because of the game list I’m looking forward to playing, with titles like ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales’, ‘The Last of Us Part II’, or ‘Horizon: Forbidden West’.
PS5 preorders started in September with significant…
I bought my first gaming console in 2010, when Microsoft introduced a redesigned Xbox 360. Even though the original Xbox 360 launched 15 years ago, in November 2005, Microsoft decided 5 years later to produce a slimmer model. It also included big improvements like built-in N-wireless connectivity, a 45nm CPU and GPU, and a built-in port for Kinect — a motion-sensing system that was released ahead of its time.
Up until that day, I had always enjoyed all my gaming on PC. My favorite games were optimized for mouse and keyboard interactions, like Age of Empires, SimCity 3000, or Transport…
Another year, another iPhone with minimal changes. Virtually identical to the 2017 design except for the flat edges, the iPhone 12 that Apple recently announced doesn’t surprise. It pleases, but it doesn’ dazzle. 5G and a series of back magnets, named MagSafe, complete the highlights of a device that will sell well, but that won’t do anything to push the envelope.
Is there anything else Apple can do with the iPhone of the future? Of course: a high-frequency display, more and better cameras, eliminate “the notch”, resuscitate Touch ID… all iterative improvements. Fun for some, boring for most.
Apple reached…
When I started studying computer science in 2003, working for a Big Tech company was a dream almost impossible to reach for me. I was born and raised in Spain, and that’s also where I went to college. Studying over 5000 miles away from the tech scene of Silicon Valley had an interesting effect on me, I’d watch Apple’s tech events and Microsoft’s product announcements as if they were Hollywood movies. I could never imagine myself being part of them.
The main reason why Big Tech companies felt unreachable was because none of them had software development centers in Spain…
The coronavirus crisis, with all its ‘working from home’ and social distancing recommendations, has probably transformed your social life into a succession of video chats. Your boss, your doctor, your family, your friends, they all want to see your face, and tech is here to help. Or is it?
It’s easy to get lost with so many video chat apps available, but it’s important to know that not all video chat apps are created equal. As it turns out, just a few of them are engineered with your privacy in mind. …
Have you ever had to add your signature to a document and send it over email? No, you don’t need a printer or a scanner. Did you know that you can do this for free with just your iPhone? Read on to learn how.
The health crisis created by the coronavirus COVID-19 is forcing people around the world to stay home and practice physical distancing; stores and businesses are closing to prevent expanding the virus. This also means less access to places where you can print documents, and many of us don’t have a printer or scanner at home. What…
Capitol Hill, Seattle. That’s the location of the most futuristic supermarket on the planet, the Amazon Go Grocery store. Today it opened its doors to the general public for the first time, and this was my experience.
I got there around 6:30pm, ready to explore Amazon’s latest artificial intelligence (AI) and image recognition algorithms. All I had in my head was the visit I did to the original Amazon Go store, when it opened a little over two years ago.
One of the biggest challenges that the original store had was dealing with fruit and produce. Every item sold was…
In the first part of the series “Time travel through 2010s technology,” we looked at how operating systems, phones, tablets, smartwatches and smartglasses changed through the last decade. The 2010s changed how we interact with technology, but more importantly, how we think about the impact it has on our lives.
So what happened in the last ten years? How did we get here?
Transportation
Directions while driving in 2010 usually meant having a dashboard-mounted GPS unit like a TomTom or a Garmin. Updating their maps was cumbersome, and using smartphones for car navigation was a new trend still in its…
We are now close to the end of an important decade for technology, a decade that started without many of the innovations that today we consider part of the norm. Artificial intelligence at home, self-driving cars, wearable devices, supercomputers in our pockets… the 2010s not only changed the technology we use, but also how we communicate and think. Privacy has never been so critical as a selling point, and information bubbles have never been so polarizing. …
Geek on record
Commentary on technology.
