EV charging technology is rapidly expanding and evolving in the United States and beyond. The global EV charging stations market is expected to grow by almost 50% over the next seven years. As 2019 comes to an end, we have decided to take a look at the industry and to summarize the most important trends that will shape the EV charging space next year.

1. DC fast charging

Although DC fast chargers make up only 15% of EV charging stations in the United States so far, market research reports predict them to become more and more common. Many EV charging networks already focus their efforts on DC (or level 3) chargers. Those chargers add about 60 to 80 miles of range in 20 minutes, making them 10 to 20 times faster than the more common AC (or level 2) chargers. As EV owners travel more and take longer trips, they will appreciate a larger offer of public fast charging solutions with more affordable pricing.

2. Accurate prediction of charge time

The technological progress of both, EV charging hardware and software will change the way EV owners use and benefit from EV charging apps. Thanks to technologies like the Smartcar API, charging networks are now able to determine a vehicle’s exact charge time even before the driver plugs their car into a station. The accurate prediction of a vehicle’s charge time is crucial whenever EV owners want to plan trips, building charging schedules, or make use of green EV charging features and V2G technology (see below).

3. Green EV charging

Green energy will play a big role in both, the residential and the public EV charging space. Vehicle owners are increasingly concerned about carbon emissions, while EV charging networks rapidly advance their charging technologies. Green EV charging programs allow EV owners to set a schedule for when and how far they need to drive their car each day. Using smart charging technology, the EV charging network then automatically charges the vehicle at times when electricity is 100% generated from renewable sources (e.g. solar or wind energy).

4. Vehicle-to-grid technology

Another EV charging trend that helps reduce carbon emissions is vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. While green EV charging focuses on picking the right energy sources, V2G technology aims to smoothen times of peak electricity demand. The average car is parked 95% of the time. V2G technology makes use of this fact. Whenever they aren’t currently driving or charging their vehicle, EV owners can leave their car plugged in at home or at work. At times of peak demand, EV owners can let the charging network draw power from the car and feed it electricity back into the grid. This way, V2G provides a huge relief for local and state electricity providers and allows EV owners to earn money for the electricity they sell.

5. Rewards programs

With a tighter net of public EV charging stations and a larger variety of affordable home chargers, charging networks need to spend more effort retaining customers and making them loyal to their brand. Rewards programs allow EV charging networks to do just that. Apart from rewarding customers for charging at stations within a certain network, rewards programs even go hand in hand with green EV charging and V2G technology. For example, EV owners receive points or credits for charging at times when electricity demand is low and the share of renewable energy sources is highest. Finally, EV charging networks can reward customers for ecologically friendly driving behavior. Based on how many miles they drive and how much they charge their EV battery, EV owners receive rewards for keeping their per-mile electricity consumption low.

Link: Originally published at Smartcar.com on December 31, 2019

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More than 65 vehicles debuted at AutoMobility LA this year. Roughly 35% of those were hybrid and electric vehicles. While many automakers introduced their new cars directly at the show, others held press conferences at their own offices. Here’s a breakdown of the most exciting announcements we heard about last week.

Ford launched its all-electric vehicle Mustang Mach-E at AutoMobility LA last week. The Mach-E is the first electric vehicle and the first SUV under the Mustang brand. The extended range version has a 300-mile range. The first of four models will be available for sale in 2020.

Toyota rolled out the 2021 RAV4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid version of its popular RAV4 SUV. The vehicle has a 39-mile all-electric range and will get 90 miles per gallon of gasoline. It will go on sale in mid-2020.

Lincoln announced the 2021 Corsair GT plug-in hybrid. It’s the first electric version of Lincoln’s Corsair compact luxury SUV. The GT’s all-electric range is expected to be over 25 miles. The car is expected to be available before the end of this year.

Audi introduced the all-electric 2020 e-tron Sportback, a coupé version of the 2019 e-tron with a 220-mile range. It will be available in the U.S. in fall 2020.

Volkswagen debuted its ID. Space Vizzion Concept, a fully electric concept car. It’s a low-slung station wagon with a 300-mile range. Volkswagen didn’t say when the vehicle will go on sale.

Karma Automotive introduced the electric concept car SC2 and the performance luxury gasoline-electric vehicle Revero GTS. The SC2 has 1,000 horsepower and a 350-mile range. The Revero GTS has a 360-mile range with a fully charged battery and a full gas tank.

Tesla introduced its new Cybertruck in Hawthorne, California last week. Although the announcement wasn’t made at the LA Auto Show, it might have been the most discussed EV launch of the week. The all-electric pick-up truck has a distinct retro-futuristic look. During the press conference, Tesla’s design chief smashed two of the supposedly shatterproof windows with a metal ball. The incident was widely discussed in national news outlets and on social media. The vehicle will be available with a 250, 300, and 500-mile range, and production will start in late 2021.

Overall, AutoMobility LA 2019 shows that the automotive industry is facing times of rapid change. Electric vehicles are driving the future of mobility, and more and more automakers are focusing on this emerging trend. We can’t wait for next year’s LA Auto Show and its 2020 EV debuts!

Links: Originally published at Smartcar.com on November 26, 2019

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I have been using Dropbox since 2010 and have nearly 290 GB of storage space in my account. However, I decided to give OneDrive another shot since it comes integrated deeply with my new Windows 8.1 device out-of-the-box. Unlike Dropbox which currently lacks document editing capabilities, OneDrive brings the added benefits of Microsoft Office online integration. This seemed like a good reason to switch, but I quickly noticed a few critical drawbacks after spending a week using OneDrive exclusively for all my documents. Here are some much-needed features:

1) Revision History

Dropbox maintains an unlimited number of snapshots for every change to a file in the cloud over the past 30 days. I was quite shocked to realize OneDrive lacks this feature entirely. If I were to accidentally tweak a image in Photoshop and re-save the file, there’s no way to restore a previous version. Fortunately, OneDrive does at least offer revision history for Microsoft Office documents.

2) Shared Folders

While I can share a link to a specific file, it’s 2014 and OneDrive still lacks shared folders. Dropbox had this feature even before I began using their service in 2010. OneDrive users still have to click on a link in an email to view a shared file while Dropbox users have already been enjoying seeing content magically appear on their computers automatically.

3) LAN Sync

I was recently migrating from my Vizio Notebook over to a Surface Pro 3. After installing Dropbox on my new device, all 15 GB of files transferred over in minutes since the software fetched the data from my old laptop on the same local network. Meanwhile, just OneDrive took nearly twice as long to fetch just 10 GB of data since it had to resort to the cloud despite the same data being available on my other computer just a few feet way.

4) Differential Sync

I was editing a large PSD (Photoshop Document) which was over 100 MB in size. If I save an edited file in Dropbox, it would complete syncing in a few seconds. On the other hand, OneDrive was taking much much longer. After a bit of investigating, I found that Dropbox saves bandwidth and time by taking advantage of differential sync which only transfers pieces of a file which have since changed. OneDrive unfortunately still ends up having to re-transfer an entire file for every edit.

Edit 8/27/14: Turns out there’s another limitation. The max file size limit is 2 GB for any file stored in OneDrive while Dropbox supports up to 10 GB files!

Edit 9/4/14: Microsoft has removed the 2 GB max file size limit.

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Although I do not blog too regularly over here anymore, I would like to share something which I began working on a few months ago. This morning I’m launching Smartcar which aspires to bring automation to the next-generation of connected vehicles.

Here’s what it does: We’re starting with two features. The Intelligent Climate technology learns a person’s driving habits and automatically pre-conditions their vehicle to the perfect temperature before they even get into it by anticipating their next commute. In addition, the Intelligent Charging feature helps significantly cut utility bills by analyzing local electric rates and automatically finding the best hours to charge a vehicle in areas offering dynamic pricing.

How it got started: I launched an app called GlassTesla last year which lets you control your Tesla via Google Glass. I was absolutely humbled and caught off-guard by the incredibly warm reception it received. It was picked up by many media outlets including CNBC, Forbes, WIRED Magazine, PC Mag, LA Times, TechCrunch, GigaOm, InformationWeek, Business Insider, NY Times, CNET, FastCompany, Engadget, DigitalTrends, International Business Times, and more!

What’s happening today: I’m kicking off a crowdfunding campaign to make Smartcar a reality. It will be compatible with the Tesla Model S when it becomes available in Summer 2014. Support for other vehicles will follow.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to drop me a note or leave a comment below!

Links: Smartcar

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Start-ups have come into vogue. Today’s Silicon Valley has brogrammers, swag galore, and even its own reality TV show. Geeks are the new party rockers and we’re starting to see the resurrection of crazy start-up launch parties. Lean mean start-up machines will tell you that launch parties are poor customer acquisition strategies. And 99% of the time, these bootstrappers are correct. However, at least 1% of the time a well executed party can really accelerate early growth for your company.

My start-up, UpOut, threw a low-cost launch party in the Mission District of San Francisco last year. We managed to signup our first 500 users, got several back-links from bloggers, and built local buzz at the event. Below I’ll share some tips we used (or wished we used) to assess, measure, and throw a rockin’ launch party.

Let’s NOT party like it’s 1999! Let’s get analytical.

Why on earth would you throw a party?

For start-ups  a launch event is a big ad for your business, potential employees, users, customers, press, and even investors. A well executed event, like an ad campaign, builds legitimacy with your audience and can be cheaper than other forms of branding. Unlike almost all other marketing, events bring you face to face with your customers helping you build a personal relationship with them.

The lead up to and post event provide other interesting opportunities. People who hear about the event may signup for your product regardless of whether they plan to attend. I highly recommend getting media outlets to cover the event or possibly join in as a media sponsor which is a great method of co-marketing. This helps build your relationship with them and helps send traffic to your website when mentioned. Pictures and other forms of social media help build buzz among friends of the attendees following the event.

Understanding the costs

Start-up launch events are often organized solely by the founders who have little event planning experience. Even if you can afford it, hiring an event planner is often a poor choice because they have a hard time throwing the creative event you need. The biggest cost for the event will be your time. You should expect to spend 40 to 150 of employee hours to pull off the event successfully. In dollar terms, at a modest $35/hour, you will spend $1,400 to $5,250 of your own time.

There are also hard costs to throwing a launch party. Costs will almost certainly include venues (min ~$800), entertainment (min ~$300), and swag (minimum $5/head). Your launch party is also likely have drinks, food, decorations, photographers, fliers, and staffing. You can certainly save money using trade or other techniques like “bar minimums”. However, at least in my experience, you will end up paying for it in quality, hours or favors. After all,  you don’t want to be doing coat check at your own party! The fact is, most event material is fairly commoditized so it is unlikely that you can swing a serious deal. I would expect that any memorable party would have at least $2000 in hard costs.

Ballpark costs: at least $3400.

Setting ROI

After estimating your costs, you’ll quickly realize that you need to extract a substantial value from the event. Most launch events are about customer acquisition growth but you may set your ROI differently. Branding and relationship building is harder to measure, so I generously assume that its worth 25% to 50% of the total cost of the event. From throwing an event, you acquire through some or more of various channels:

• Event listings [small unknowns; medium rewards]
• Media coverage of/from the event [big unknowns; big rewards]
• Post-event pictures [small unknowns; small rewards]
• Social media interactions [medium unknowns; big rewards]
• Event attendance [small unknowns; medium rewards]

Use the above and more to estimate expected returns on each channel and compare with other customer acquisition mediums. Understanding these ROIs also helps you figure out where you should spend your efforts.

Tip: entrepreneurs often fear charging at the door for an event to help cover costs. I always recommend charging for your event (even your launch event). Having an event fee helps weed out bad customers/users and throw a more memorable party. Besides, you can always discount prices!

So, should you do it?

For most people, I doubt that a launch party would help substantially. I encourage anyone thinking about throwing a launch party to get seriously analytical about the event’s return on investment. As part of a larger marketing strategy, events can make a lot of sense. That said, as with everything, planning and foresight make all the difference.

Links: UpOut.com

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I decided to purchase a Microsoft Surface Pro when it made a debut last month. It seemed like the perfect device which could function both as a laptop and a tablet. Since it features a full-blown Windows 8 Pro operating system, I could use for just about anything including Photoshop or running Ubuntu in Virtualbox when coding.

The 128 GB model goes for about $999. Throwing in a type keyboard brings the price tag up to about $1,100. The Intel i5 processor, a full HD display, and a USB 3.0 port makes the package even more attractive. A comparable 11-inch Macbook Air with a 128 GB SSD still lacks a touch screen display and a HD resolution.

After just a few days of use, I quickly realized the hybrid form-factor has one major flaw: the kickstand. While seated at a desk, the display faces the user at an appropriate angle. However, it becomes quite problematic in just about any other situation. Since the kickstand is non-adjustable, using it on a kitchen counter is quite difficult since the display faces my chest. Sitting on the floor? The display once again faces my chest. Using the Surface Pro on my lap while seated on a couch is also quite uncomfortable since it is quite easy to tip over compared to a laptop.

Believe it or not, the biggest nuance with the Surface Pro by far is the kickstand. I also own an Apple iPad, Asus Nexus 7, and Amazon Kindle Fire for compatibility testing and while they all entirely lack a kickstand, they are are primarily content consumption devices. I wouldn’t be using these devices for writing code, composing important emails, creating presentations, editing large spreadsheets, or organizing photos. The Surface Pro can actually handle all those tasks without a sweat, but the form-factor makes it difficult.

It is rather disappointing considering the whole product was designed around the notion of more flexibility. If Microsoft had simply designed a kickstand with 3-4 adjustable positions, the Surface Pro would be a lot more comfortable to use. While the device is perfectly usable as a tablet, it truly requires being seated at a table for use with the keyboard. That’s rather unacceptable when just about every laptop display is fairly adjustable for just about any viewing angle.

Microsoft actually got just about everything right with this device. Even the 5 hour battery life wasn’t a concern since it’s quite comparable to most Ultrabooks. I ended up returning the Surface Pro about a week after purchase. I’ll keep an eye out for other hybrid Windows 8 Pro devices, hopefully one which has a clam-shell laptop form-factor and a screen which snaps off. The Lenovo Helix seems to fall perfectly into that category, but has yet to hit store shelves.

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Guest Author: Pierre-Simon Ntiruhungwa (@pierresn) is a French student in ESCP Europe Business School, currently interning in Ifeelgoods in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the co-founder of the student organization Silicon Students and the summer program Startup Dream Team.

Ideas are cheap. They are often stolen and copied easily. Simply having a good startup idea doesn’t guarantee success for entrepreneurs. What matters is the ability to execute that idea and transform it into a real company.

This statement is common sense in the startup world and this is why Startup Dream Team, a 9-week summer program created by Silicon Students for young aspiring entrepreneurs, decided to focus on “the team” which many often consider as the most important aspect of a startup. Indeed, building dream teams will be our goal this summer from June 18th to August 12th.

So, what is a “dream team?” Some great entrepreneurs, teachers, VCs and startup experts gave their views on the topic. Even if the actual structure depends on the industry, Steve Blank states a good team generally needs “great technology skills (hacking/hardware/science), great hustling skills (to search for a business model, customers, and market), great user facing design (for web and mobile apps), and a long-term vision and product sense.” One person simply can’t have all these skills. Many laud the model even if the definition varies among many.

The “Hacker, Hustler, Designer” trio often gets recognition, Jeff Clavier calls it the 3D rule (Development, Distribution, Design) and David Weekly adds an “Operator” to that trio. Sean Parker, who comes up with the same structure as David Weekly, adds that at the end of the day, he assesses a team on its potential to create and execute a vision.

Even if we can argue for hours over the definition of a good team, as we have just seen, there are definitely some really efficient existing models. Furthermore, the hardest thing is not defining a good team but rather actually building one. You have to identify your needs and most importantly find the people.

Indeed, you have to surround yourself with great people who have complementary skills and can work efficiently with you. Last but not least, as any ambitious company should aim at being around for several years, the team should have people who get along very well and have possibly known one another for a long time.

Moreover, luck is often not enough. You also need spend time in the right places to find people. Schools and local tech communities are some of them as they generally gather people with many common interests, different set of skills, and who are about the same age. Once you are in one of those environments, you have to be aware enough of the fundamental importance of teams in startups to realize that you need to enjoy this situation to build real and meaningful relationships with people you can work well with and who share your visions. Startup Dream Team’s  goal will be to create a perfect environment for aspiring entrepreneurs to build great startup teams by:

• Gathering people with the same dreams and aspirations: 30 entrepreneurially-minded students willing to stay in the Silicon Valley to intern at a startup
• Having them live together in an entrepreneur-friendly environment during two months: the Startup House in the heart of San Francisco
• Inspiring them with talks of top entrepreneurs and startup experts: Robert Scoble, Hiten Shah, and Aaron Levie
• Fostering teamwork: every week, a team of five interns will actually organize the logistic of the talk and a hack day on Sunday

On a daily basis, the students will work at their internship job. Therefore, they will learn a lot about the startup life and Silicon Valley ecosystem.

As a way to assess the interns at the end of the program, we will have them create teams based on efficiency and affinity at the end of week 8. They will then work during the last week on ideas pitched by entrepreneurs and VCs and present them in front of a jury on August 12th. If it seems like a program for you, you can apply on Startup Dream Team website until May 26th 11:59 PST.

Startup Dream Team is an attempt to create a perfect environment for team creation while enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to have an amazing Silicon Valley experience.

This is Silicon Students answer to the question “How to build dream teams?” But this is a really difficult question with several possible answers. What’s your opinion?

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The days of window shopping are coming to an end for some customers. Instead of holding off on a purchase for a better price, shoppers can use Paidpiper to engage with businesses for immediate rewards. Paidpiper is a mobile CRM platform that lets brands directly communicate with consumers.

Businesses pour money into advertising to increase brand awareness, but they are often missing out on information about their customers that would increase sales and customer loyalty. With Paidpiper, businesses can learn more about their customers and incentivize customers to make a purchase on the spot.

If you find yourself debating a purchase, you can use Paidpiper to make your decision easier. You can engage with the brand through your phone, such as by filling out a survey. In return, the platform will reward you with money to spend toward the purchase. A credit card number will be issued to you with a monetary credit on your smart phone. Engaging with companies that participate in Paidpiper’s service could save you money and the stress of a hefty receipt.

Atif Hussein, CEO of Paidpiper, started the company in the summer of 2011 after he left Nokia where he was responsible for Products and Engineering. “After some research, I realized that no one had a simple payments and redemption system in place for consumers and brands over mobile at PoS,” says Hussein. Determined to simplify a subset of problems that come with mobile payments, Hussein brought on Prem Deb as a co-founder of Paidpiper. One of the most rewarding parts of development for Atif Hussein was watching his team transform the product “from a white board sketch to being a launch partner of MasterCard at CTIA in under 6 months.”

So what’s next for Paidpiper? The team is developing Ok’d, the first consumer facing app on the Paidpiper platform. According to Hussein, the app “showcases the deep CRM and Payments functionality in Paidpiper.” Parents could use Ok’d to give their children money and place restrictions on where that money can be spent. Ok’d will be available as a free app later this summer.

Links: Paidpiper

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The dorm room isn’t just a place of innovation for the all too familiar tale of creating mobile apps and social networks. Eric Migicovsky, the creator of the Pebble e-paper watch, started working on smart watches four years ago in his dorm room at TU Delft. In 2010, Migicovsky launched the inPulse beta, a Blackberry watch. He joined Y Combinator in 2011, generated revenue and raised an additional $375K from a few angel investors. But then Migicovsky found himself in need of more money and as his hands opened to investors, their wallets closed.

Migicovsky turned to Kickstarter to continue with his vision of creating a watch that worked with a smart phone. His team developed Pebble, which connects to your iPhone or Android smart phone. This lightweight watch can run apps which display important messages, show you who’s calling, monitor your workouts (pace and distance, and control your music apps (e.g. Pandora and Spotify). Thanks to an e-paper display, reading the Pebble screen even under direct sunlight is easy. The Pebble team recently announced that the watch will support the new Bluetooth 4.0 standard in addition to Bluetooth 2.1, which can potentially extend the current 7-day-long battery life when paired with a compatible device.

The Kickstarter project will end in less than a week and the Pebble team will have access to the funds. Last month, the Pebble team pledged a goal of $100,000, but to the surprise of the whole team, they received over $10 million in funding from 67,423 backers. The team also plans to publish an open SDK, to let developers improve the Pebble with their own apps.

Investors were not willing to bet on Migicovsky’s watches, but that didn’t stop him. Migicovsky’s perseverance led to Pebble becoming the most highly funded Kickstarter project. More impressive than their funding is the support and enthusiasm from their customers. In September, the company will deliver about 85,000 watches to backers who believed in the project.

The watch is now sold out but you can sign up here to get alerts when more watches become available.

Links: Kickstarter | GetPebble

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Last fall, I took a leave of absence from college and had the pleasure of being part of the third batch of 500 Startups. I’m excited for this new class to experience the strength of the 500 community, the best workspace view of Silicon Valley and the work hard, play hard mentality.

Many of our Monday batch meetings began with Dave McClure, founding partner at 500 Startups, asking the founders, who weren’t generating revenue, to raise their hands. As time progressed, the number of trembling hands dwindled. It comes as no surprise that a majority of the startups are revenue focused.

Yesterday’s newly announced class is slightly smaller, with 27 startups compared to the last batch of 34. Of these 27, there are five that stood out to me. McClure stresses the default being that you will die, but here are my favorites that I think can survive.

Let the Funding Games begin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLTriRxzShQ&hd=1

1. CardFlick

CardFlick lets you easily create custom business cards and share them with those around you. You can choose from one of their 30 aesthetic themes, and you can also integrate your Instagram or Facebook photos into your card. Hoping to eliminate physical business cards, CardFlick lets you exchange your card with other users via your iPhone (and soon Android, Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry, too). Their templates include some of the most beautiful business cards I’ve ever seen.

2. Chalkable

Chalkable provides schools with an educational platform and a curated app store to enhance the classroom. Many teachers are hesitant to adopt new technology because of the time commitment it takes to learn the new interfaces, but Chalkable’s easy to learn platform helps teachers take advantage of tools they might have otherwise shied away from. With Chalkable, teachers can manage their classroom, distribute grades and assignments, and foster a learning environment through the content in the app store.

3. Publik Demand

Publik Demand has got to be the most badass startup of this batch. They help consumers change bad company policy. The idea for the startup originated from a terrible customer experience by Publik Demand co-founder, Courtney Powell. She experienced the struggle of the small consumer against a huge corporation, and now she wants to amplify your message and help customers be treated like customers.

4. Groupiter

Groupiter adds real-time conversations to your DropBox files. Finally! Collaboration can be disjointed when you’re switching from a Dropbox file to a Skype or email conversation just to make a few tweaks in the file. Now that Dropbox has Google Drive as a competitor, it will be interesting to see if Groupiter aids in making Dropbox a more compelling product than Google Drive.

5. Monogram

Monogram is a shopping app for the iPad that learns your taste and recommends fashion items that fit your style. Instead of browsing fashion sites and clicking through pages just to find a piece of clothing you like, Monogram presents to you your own style. It also alerts you of new releases and sales. Now we can all find the most fashionable items that pertain to our individual taste.

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Just a few hours after publishing a story regarding my experience participating in the Windows Phone challenge at the Santa Clara Microsoft Store, my article hit the Reddit front-page. It was not long before dozens of publications picked up the story as well.

Microsoft Evangelist Ben Rudolph (@BenThePCGuy) was kind enough to offer a rematch as I had requested. However, he publicly tweeted the following message this morning before I had a chance to respond likely due to a storm of angry tweets.

@BenThePCGuy Thanks! Email Sent.

— Sahas Katta (@sahaskatta) March 26, 2012

I exchanged emails with Ben regarding the matter earlier today and learned that a laptop and phone were aside for me at the Santa Clara Microsoft Store. I dropped by this evening and after spending a few minutes chatting with two rather extremely friendly store managers, I walked out with a $1,049 Hunger Games Special Edition HP Folio 13 and a $899 Nokia Lumia 800 Bundle.

I recently just purchased a new HP Envy 15 and I am rather happy with my smart phone, so I decided to put both of these up for auction on eBay. I will ship the highest bidder of each listing the respective device and donate 100% of the proceeds to a charity of with the help of Reddit’s choosing.

eBay Auctions:

1. HP Folio 13-1051nr, Hunger Games Edition
2. Nokia Lumia 800 Bundle

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

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I headed down to the Santa Clara Microsoft Store this morning after hearing about the Windows Phone challenge last night. For those not familiar, anyone who completes a task faster than a Windows Phone on their own smart phone can win a $1000 Special Edition Laptop assuming they meet some standard terms and conditions. Those who “get smoked” by a Windows Phone, have the opportunity to trade in their existing device for Windows Phone.

After signing a waiver agreeing to let Microsoft use a photo of me in their advertising, I got in line for the challenge. I was using a Samsung Galaxy Nexus which runs the latest Android operating system on the Verizon Wireless network. As requested, I shut down my phone and powered it on in front of an employee when it was my turn. (I’m assuming they don’t want anyone pre-launching any apps in advance.)

The Microsoft Store employee I was up against then explained the selected challenge. Her exact words were the following: “bring up the weather of two different cities.” The one who could do that first would win. I felt like I struck gold since I knew I already had two weather widgets on my home screen: one for my current location (San Jose, CA) and another for Berkeley, CA.

After a three-second count down, I hit the power button on my phone and said “DONE!” out loud. I had disabled the lock screen entirely, which is a rather awesome out-of-the-box feature of Android that takes you straight to the home screen with a single push of the power button. I didn’t even need to touch the screen, since the two weather widgets were already there.

My opponent finished a split-second later. She had two live tiles on her home screen displaying the weather of two different cities as well. Why does it take longer on Windows Phone? She had to perform two actions. First, she hit the power button to turn on the screen. Second, she had to swipe away the lock screen. That’s pretty much as fast as it gets on that platform. Windows Phone takes two interactions. Android takes just one.

I excitedly thought I won out of pure luck. However, I was quickly told that I lost. I asked for a reason and was told Windows Phone won because “it displays the weather right there.” That was rather unclear. I showed her my device which also was showing off the same information with two side-by-side weather widgets on the center home screen. After pressing for a better reason, I was told that Windows Phone won “just because.”

After trying to push for a real answer since I clearly won the contest by their rules, another Microsoft Store employee (possibly a manager) came by after noticing me asking more questions. Thinking on his feet, he quickly gave a ridiculous out-of-thin-air reason that I need to display the weather of different cities in different states and that “my phone could not do that”.

I calmly and politely tried pointing out that I was absolutely never told about having to show off two different states, but at this point I realized there was no point in even attempting to argue since the Microsoft Store employees clearly had no intention of even potentially discussing the possibility of considering me the winner.

I was then asked to snap a photo in front of a sign that read along the lines of “My Android was smoked by Windows Phone” before leaving the store.

I was quite excited to take the challenge, but left the Microsoft Store in distaste. I sure hope the purpose of this marketing ploy is to attract new customers by demonstrating the highlights of Windows Phone, not frustrating them instead. If anyone from Microsoft would like to have a rematch, I would be happy to smoke a Windows Phone with Android, again.

Update: I Got My Laptop & A Windows Phone. Both Are Up For Auction. 100% Of Proceeds Go To Charity.

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After spending about a week with the third-generation iPad which went on sale last Friday after Apple’s grand unveiling in San Francisco earlier this month, here are several features I hope will go into next year’s model.

Stereo Speakers

This one seems trivial, but will go a long way. Every iPad to date only packs a single mono speaker. Considering movies and music are key features, the lack of stereo speakers is rather disappointing. Several Android tablets including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 offer stereo speakers. Even the BlackBerry PlayBook has a speaker on each side.

FaceTime Camera

Apple threw in a vastly improved rear-facing iSight camera, but the FaceTime camera on the front remains the same: it shoots at just 0.3 megapixels. For those wondering, Apple describes it as a VGA resolution which translates to just 640 x 480 pixels. Considering Skype just bumped video quality up to 1080p last month, including a 2 megapixel camera on front seems reasonable at the very least.

Thinner and Lighter

The original iPad weighed 1.5 pounds and the iPad 2 slimmed down to just 1.33 pounds. Unfortunately, the third-generation iPad weights 1.44 pounds. The much larger battery is the obvious culprit, but it was probably the only option to maintain the same 10 hour run-time with the power hungrier hardware. Tablets should continue shedding weight, not adding bulk.

The new iPad’s 0.37 inch thick body is thinner than the original 0.53 inch model, but bulkier than the 0.35 inch thick iPad 2. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 weighs just 1.25 pounds and is only 0.34 inches thick. The Asus Transformer Prime is even thinner at just 0.33 inches and weighs 1.29 pounds.

Micro USB and HDMI

Every iOS device to date uses the same Dock Connector. I do not see a change happening, but I hope Apple will eventually adopt microUSB. While it might be a pain for those who already own accessories with dock connectors, it would help keep things consistent with other products on the market. I would love to charge my iPad with the same cable that also charges my Bluetooth headset, smart phone, Kindle, and many other devices.

Jumping to Micro USB would also open the doors to supporting HDMI thanks to MHL. Apple offers a $40 AV Adapter for HDMI output, but generic cables are usually more affordable.

Siri Please

Some claim the new iPad lacks Siri to because WiFi-only models do not always have a constant data connection and it would be inconsistent to only offer the feature to the mobile broadband enabled ones. I also came across reasons including hardware limitations and Apple possibly holding it back until next year to entice users to upgrade again.

I am not really sure why Siri isn’t available, but the hardware is definitely capable and Apple already has the technology to make it possible. I really do hope an update will introduce the feature soon. It would be nice to check the weather, set an alarm, send a text message, or search the web quickly when my hands are tied up doing multiple things. Voice dictation already works great.

Quad Core Processor

The third-generation iPad has a quad-core graphics processing unit (GPU), but still runs on a dual-core processor. While the current configuration makes major strides for graphics intensive tasks, the new hardware does not necessarily speed up every day use. Several of the flagship Android smart phones and tablets are making a leap into quad-core territory this summer and Apple will hopefully do the same for the iPhone this year and for the next iPad in 2013.

WPS Support For iOS

Just about every router now offers WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) for one-click pairing with a wireless home network. Clicking a button to let guests connect to your network makes things a whole lot simpler than having to share a complex network key. Windows 7 has the feature built-in and many Android devices offer the feature too. Though a tiny addition, it is also a huge convenience.

Runs Cooler

Consumer Reports claims the iPad runs nearly 13 F warmer than the previous model. I probably would have never noticed if it were not for all the buzz that followed. Even if comfort is not an issue, pushing for cooler running temperatures in next year’s iteration does not hurt. Lithium-Ion batteries are prone to loosing capacity when exposed to high temperatures for extended periods of time.

Links: Apple iPad

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It is well-known that a bill called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) could ultimately lead to online censorship as dictated by government protocol. Erik Martin, general manager of Reddit, put it best, explaining that, “SOPA would kill Reddit” and other community-driven forums of its nature. Not everyone agrees with Martin and several companies chose to stand behind the anti-piracy act, only to face an immediate revolt among online communities. Following this reaction, the faces of some industries have pulled back from their alliance in the bill, while others may be a little more superficial in their retreat.

Just a week ago, GoDaddy was one of the first big-name corporations to declare their alliance for SOPA only to almost immediately retract it after enduring an intense Internet backlash against the decision. Skatter Tech reported on the following reaction of social forums’ CEOs, including Ben Huh and Paul Graham, among others—all willing and eager to transfer their business from GoDaddy to competitors. The disaster that ensued from their public alliance wasn’t the only reason GoDaddy recalled their support—much of the responsibility was assigned to the outcries, boycotting, and petitioning held by the Reddit community.

The online censorship act would also greatly affect the way the gaming industry utilizes the online community in the attempt to offer the ultimate gaming experience. And thus major players in the gaming industry have declared their support for the anti-piracy act and, much like GoDaddy, have had to face the wrath of the internet in return. Nintendo, Sony, and Electronic Arts have all declared their alliance with SOPA and have had to recall it after the boycotts and criticism followed. On the surface, it looks like the internet has successfully protected itself from censorship by influencing the industrial giants that could sway its future entirely. However, that may not be the case.

While it is confirmed that Nintendo, Sony, Electronic Arts, and others have all pulled out of their alliance with SOPA, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has not. This is notable because ESA is a significant driving force behind SOPA and members of the ESA include (you guessed it) Nintendo, Sony, and Electronic Arts. ESA’s influence doesn’t stop at SOPA, either; it also reaches sister acts like PROTECT IP. It is also capable of targeting specific websites and shutting them down as seen fit. This leads to the obvious question—has their heavily criticized support for SOPA truly been lifted?

Online communities have spoken and effectively made it clear to major players like Sony, Nintendo, GoDaddy, and others that SOPA will not be passed without a fight. These corporations have reacted appropriately by removing their association with the anti-piracy act on the surface, but whether or not that actually removes their influence on the bill is questionable. Regardless of opinion, it is our responsibility as contributors to online communities (of any caliber) to understand just how deep the influence and effects of SOPA go. And, as always, “hell hath no fury like the Internet’s wrath.”

Links: Reddit /r/SOPA | S.O.P.A. Supporters

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The Stop Online Piracy Act (aka. S.O.P.A) has been making headlines around the web in recent weeks. The bill introduced by the U.S. House of Representatives aims to cut down illegal file sharing. However its critics say the bill will do more harm than good. Big tech companies such as Google and Facebook have come out in strong opposition, pointing out that if passed, the government would have the power to shut down websites and order search engines to modify search results to combat piracy. Opponents say that this infringes on basic online freedoms and will not actually solve the issue at hand. Proponents of the bill include the usual suspects, big entertainment companies such as Disney and the NFL, who have suffered great losses due to piracy and are desperate for a solution.

Today, many were surprised to read that domain registrar and web hosting company, Go Daddy is in support of the bill. A link to the announcement posted on the popular social sharing site Reddit has sparked outrage around the web and has called for a boycott of the company. But it is not just a small minority transferring personal domains, I Can Has Cheezeburger CEO Ben Huh has threatened  to move over 1000 domains off Go Daddy unless they change their stance on S.O.P.A.

Many web host competitors are taking advantage of the situation and offering discounts to Go Daddy customers to switch their hosting provider. Regardless of whether S.O.P.A. is good or not, the announcement by Go Daddy has created a PR nightmare. A quick look at Go Daddy’s twitter feed reveals a stream of public replies reading “We encourage you to visit our blog to view the details of our position on SOPA”. The company does not seem to be backing down from their position or doing anything to retain the customers they are loosing today.

The boycott has even spread past Go Daddy, YCombinator founder Paul Graham announced that he will be banning any companies supporting S.O.P.A. from his Demo Day events.

“If these companies are so clueless about technology that they think SOPA is a good idea, how could they be good investors?” — Paul Graham.

If the trend continues it may not only be unpopular to support S.O.P.A. but also unprofitable. Let us know what you think about the boycott in the comments, did Go Daddy make the right move by taking such a strong stance?

Links: Go Daddy Announcement | Reddit Post

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Looking to get your hands on a mobile projector? You are in the right place. Though this technology is relatively new, 3M already has a few years of experience in the field. For those not keeping tabs, we published reviews of the MPro120 last year and the Shoot ‘n Share eearlier this year. The latest MP225a runs for 2 hours on a single charge, packs 32 lumens inside, has a built-in stand, plugs into laptops with VGA, and works with the iPad too. The suggested retail price is $299, but we have up to three to giveaway for free.

How To Enter

• Step 1: ‘Like’ Skatter Tech and ‘Like’ 3M Mobile Projectors on Facebook.
• Step 2: Enter your name and email into the contest entry form below.
• Step 3: Get friends to enter to increase your chances of winning.

That’s it, you are in! Just be sure to keep an eye on your inbox for an email from us.

The Deal

Skatter Tech will giveaway one (1) 3M MP225a Mobile Projector to a randomly selected eligible contestant by 11:59 PM Pacific Time on November 7th, 2011, however Skatter Tech can giveaway a total of three (3) 3M MP225a Mobile Projectors to three randomly selected eligible contestants if we reach at least 200 entries by 11:59 PM Pacific Time on November 7th, 2011. (Sweepstakes opens at 8:00 PM Pacific Time on October 24th, 2011). Be sure to share details about this sweepstakes with friends and family to ensure that we reach a minimum of 200 eligible entries before the deadline.

Some Rules Apply:

• No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. 18 years and older only.
• Must live in one of the 48 contiguous United States or the District of Columbia.
• Potential winner(s) will be randomly selected by a computer on November 8th, 2011.
• Another entry gets drawn if selection is ineligible or person fails to respond within 24 hours.
• Only one entry per person. Duplicates submissions will result in disqualification.
• We will announce the potential winner at the bottom of this post.
• You must agree to the entire Skatter Tech Contest Policy to participate.

Link: 3M Mobile Projectors

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About a week ago, our friends at Ford lent Skatter Tech a brand new 5-door Focus 2012 Hatchback Titanium for an opportunity to check out the latest in-car tech. For those not familiar, the Microsoft-powered SYNC platform first made a debut at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. Ford has since built on this platform introducing MyFord Touch at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show for a touch-screen experience with powerful voice commands, better smart phone integration, more entertainment options, internet connectivity, navigation with traffic alerts, and many other perks.

SYNC with MyFord Touch

The in-car infotainment system on the Focus 2012 revolves around an 8-inch touch screen. MyFord Touch splits the home screen into four quadrants for the phone, navigation, climate, and entertainment. Common functions for any of the respective zones are accessible on the main screen and users can click on one of the color-coded region to open the full zone for more options.

Unfortunately, there is one major problem. Consumers now have high expectations when it comes to easy-to-use uncluttered and responsive interfaces thanks to the advent of the latest generation smart phones and tablets. Ford still has a long way to go when it comes to improving on its touch screen experience. The software often takes a few seconds to respond to a touch or even bring up a new menu. Interface elements are not always consistent, some fonts are quite difficult to read, and the recessed display forces drivers to lean over to see information on the edges of the screen.

Multimedia

Setting aside my concerns regarding the experience of the underlying SYNC platform, the Focus 2012 actually excels when it comes to providing a robust in-car entertainment experience. Getting basics out-of-the-way, Ford includes AM/FM radio and a single-disc CD player. To take things up a notch, the Titanium model comes with a Sony 10-speaker sound system and a sub-woofer which makes HD Radio and Sirius XM a lot more enjoyable. Though I prefer the Mark Levinson sound system found in Lexus vehicles or Harman Kardon in Mercedes, those are not exactly a fair comparison.

Under the center armrest are two USB ports for smart phones and MP3 players. SYNC can even access music on a flash drive or a portable hard drive. Being able to charge USB devices without a third-party car adapter with these ports is also a plus. Thanks to Bluetooth A2DP support, I could stream music from the cloud-powered Google Music straight to the car wirelessly through a Samsung Galaxy S II. I briefly tried playing tracks from both the iPod app and Rdio on an Apple iPhone 4 over Bluetooth and it worked seamlessly. I was quite impressed to find the previous and next track controls on the wheel functioning perfectly when navigating through tracks on both Android and iOS devices.

SYNC with MyFord Touch can actually display album art along with music from devices such as iPod when plugged into a USB port too. Images unfortunately did not appear when streaming tracks over Bluetooth. Also under the center armrest are RCA jacks for playing video on-screen. Plugging in a portable DVD player or a gaming console should work just fine. I was a bit disappointed to notice the lack of a dedicated AUX port, but working around the issue with a AUX-to-RCA cable is quite easy. There is a SD card reader under the arm rest for multimedia  as well, though a card with navigation data occupies the slot for those who bought the respective technology package.

Navigation System

While portable navigation systems now retail for under $100, many drivers still prefer a factory out-of-the-box solution. Those who opt for the SYNC with Navigation package can enjoy the convenience of voice-guided turn-by-turn directions with traffic alerts powered by TeleNav. The touch screen interface lets drivers select a home location, configure favorites, browse previous destinations, search for points of interest, input a street address, find an intersection, or look for places on a map.

I tested the reliability of the navigator over a period of a week while driving across the San Francisco Bay Area. While the directions were spot-on the vast majority of the time, the navigator sent me driving in circles in at least two occasions even though I was just a few blocks away from the final destination. Re-calculating a route also took a little longer than a 2012 car should take. Bring up memories of the sluggishness of the Garmin StreetPilot I purchased nearly a decade ago is never a good sign. I still felt Google Maps Navigation works better on my Android smart phone.

Voice commands are another highly touted feature. SYNC with MyFord Touch, powered by Nuance, adds recognition support for over 10,000 words. After putting this to the test while on the road, I found plenty of good and some bad. Starting with the positive aspects, the voice recognition was actually quite accurate. The navigator quickly pulled up a list of possible matches within seconds when I tried dictating several addresses and names of restaurants.

With that being said, the system frustratingly requires speaking very specific phrases which may take sometime to learn. However, that was actually not the real problem. The entire reason for voice activated car technology is to keep drivers focused on the road. Unfortunately, SYNC with MyFord Touch fails to alleviate that issue. Well-designed voice integration should only require one or two interactions to input a destination. With the current system, I found myself having to interact nearly 4-5 times before the navigator begins guidance in almost every occasion.

I also felt the maps screen could use a better color palette for distinguishing labels from streets and highways. The display was also overly cluttered with way too much overlaid information. Keying in an address was incredibly slow since the system takes a second or two to catch up with itself after a pressing a digit or letter. While I do not expect the quality of the Google Earth implementation on an Audi which even has satellite imagery, snappier performance could go a long way.

Smart Phone Integration

One big chunk of SYNC on Ford vehicles is smart phone integration. It’s a great idea since it keeps eyes on the road and prevents drivers from fiddling around with a device. It is also perfect for those who would rather not wear a headset. Pairing Android, BlackBerry, iOS, and Windows Phone devices via Bluetooth was quite easy with a PIN which appears on-screen. The interface can remember multiple devices though only it can only connect to a single one at a time.

I was quite actually quite excited for the automatic phonebook download feature, but I found it struggling to import the nearly 2,000 entries in my device — though I am probably an exception. With this data readily available in the SYNC system, drivers can simply speak a name rather than having to remember a phone number. In my situation, the voice recognition failed to identify any of the names in my phone book even though I could browse through a full list on-screen — speaking a 10 digit number worked just fine.

I answered a several calls while on the road with a single press thanks to the talk button shortcut on the steering wheel. Unfortunately, the audio quality over Bluetooth was not too pleasant for either party. I often struggled to hear the person on the other end even with the volume turned up and I heard complains from others as well. With that being said, I managed to place a few good calls which leads me to believe that signal strength due to poor coverage was likely a major factor. Regardless, the seamless experience of automatic pairing as you enter the Focus 2012 and having the system transfer a call back to the handset as you exit the vehicle is great.

MyFord Touch also boasts support for transfers of contact images, though the feature did not work with any of the several phones I paired to the car even after manual import attempts. Ford also advertises support for reading out incoming text messages and responding from a selection of pre-defined replies, but this feature only works with a limited number of smart phones.

Instrument Panel Display

A 4.2 inch LCD display in the center of the instrument panel complements the larger main display centered on the dashboard. This miniature screen provides bits of information such as fuel efficiency, outside temperature, indicators for lighting, the odometer, trip details, distance until an empty tank, vehicle settings, cruise control status, and more.

With the navigator running, the interface dedicates a third of the screen to display directions. This is quite helpful especially when the passenger might be using the main display to mess around with climate controls or find a new radio station. Drivers can interact with the small display by using a five-way directional pad found on the left side of the steering wheel.

Active Park Assist

While automatic parallel parking was once a technology reserved for luxury vehicles, Ford makes it available to the masses on the Focus 2012. I have seen the feature advertised for a few years by several manufacturers, but I actually never tried it myself until I Ford handed me the keys to this car. I decided to give the assisted park a shot in a private residential area with nearly no traffic since I did not have high expectations. Ford proved me wrong as the Focus identified an available spot, took control of the wheel, and reversed into the spot on my first try — I only had to keep my foot on the brake to control the speed.

After some added confidence, I decided to try parking on a busy street in Los Gatos downtown. The Focus 2012 backed into an available spot rather quickly which is a major plus since drivers do not have to worry about holding up cars behind them. The self-parking system also does an amazing job of bringing the back and front tires of the Focus within just few inches of the curb every time. I soon put the technology to the test in Berkeley a few days later. While parking is quite easy in areas with plenty of room, I found myself in an extremely tight fit this time around with just a foot or two to spare on a slope. I soon realized that the Active Park Assist can actually perform a multiple-point turn by maneuvering the car back and forth until parked properly.

The backup camera not only provides a line of sight which is much-needed for a hatchback, but also adds visual indicators for distance proximity and draws a trajectory path for easy alignment. The Focus 2012 also has audible feedback with beeps which get louder and faster when getting too close to an object. If I had any suggestions for improvements, it would be to add visual indicators on-screen for the front of the vehicle as well to complement the existing audible alerts.

I also noticed that Active Park Assist only allowed parallel parking on the right side of the street, but I later found owners mention that turning on the left indicator switches modes on an online forum. Ford should consider providing some on-screen guidance to inform users of the option to parallel park on the left side of a street as well as it can come in handy in cities such as San Francisco which have many one-way streets with parking on both sides.

Other In-car Tech

The Focus 2012 comes with plenty of other bits of tech which deserve a mention. For instance, the driver or passengers can control multimedia playback from the steering wheel, the touch screen, or physical controls below the display. While most cars have automatic headlights which turn on when dark, Ford actually has rain-sensing wipers which automatically clear the windshield too.

Though the Focus 2012 has an automatic six-speed transmission, drivers can manually change gears with a touch of a button on models such as the Titanium. There is a built-in universal garage door opener which can replace up to three remote controls. Speaking voice commands such as “cooler” or “decrease temperature” can adjust the climate. My favorite one might just be the ability to say “defrost” when windows begin getting foggy.

New smart phones may now offer built-in mobile hotspots, but Ford also has its own solution. SYNC with MyFord touch lets owners plugin a USB 3G modem to create an in-car hotspot for up to five users. Aside from that, drivers can enter the Focus 2012 without having to reach for their keys thanks to touch sensitive door handles and start the engine with a click of a button.

A Few Bugs

While in-car tech advancements are always exciting, it also creates many opportunities for bugs. I had one particularly bad experience just a few minutes after I began driving the car. The whole SYNC with MyFord Touch system froze leaving me unable to interact with the car using the touch screen or even the controls on the steering wheel. Though the physical controls below the display were still functional, I could not use the touch screen to make calls, get directions, play music, or control the climate. I had to eventually turn off the engine and waited for the entire system to reboot.

I also noticed that the system takes several minutes to perform scheduled system maintenance when starting the car on multiple occasions. I had to wait nearly 5 minutes before I could input an address and another few minutes before the navigator initiated guidance. Considering this happened several times in just a week, I sure hope that Ford resolves this issue in the near future.

The Bottom Line

The Ford Focus 2012 definitely offers some of the best consumer-focused in-car tech when lined up against other vehicles of the same class. The company is also working hard to quickly to create an eco-system for third-party applications delivered through smart phones and even hopes to have developers taking on prototyping new concepts with open-source hardware.

While advancements are good news, I strongly feel Ford could improve on user experience. The sheer number of things going on when seated in a Focus 2012 is rather overwhelming even for a computer engineer. Finding simple bits of information such as the time or the temperature often takes more than a single glance due to a cluttered and disorganized interface. there is just too much information on just about any given screen at any time. The ridiculous number of buttons on the steering wheel alone is a bit concerning. Having three sets of controls for a single task is probably unnecessary.

Speeding up the interface which often takes several seconds to react to even simple tasks such as entering digits on a dial pad is a great place to start. Possibly even implementing a Metro-inspired interface for a clean minimalistic distraction-free experience would be a huge improvement. With that being said, Ford still beats many competitors when it comes to being compatible with the technology you already own without having to deal with expensive proprietary add-ons.

I was particularly impressed with the active park assist and I would not be surprised to see Ford eventually begin implementing technologies such as night vision, lane tracking, pre-collision braking, or dynamic cruise control. The 5-door Focus 2012 starts at $18,200 and the Focus 2012 Hatchback Titanium Ford provided Skatter Tech came in a $27,470 configuration. Those looking for a new car packed with technology should definitely consider taking this vehicle out for a test drive.

Links: Ford Focus 2012 | SYNC for MyFord Touch

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What does it mean to be an informed voter? To me it means to throughly research and understand all the different choices that I have as a voter. My research process involves reading articles from multiple news sources, listening to pundits on the radio, and watching talking heads on television. And each time my girlfriend asks what my view on a certain topic is I’m still lost, because I don’t keep track of everything I’ve researched and the argument quickly degrades to “where did you read that?” and “according to who?” Let those days be gone. Jono Lee, Eric Sue, and Ken Yu shared that same frustration and choose to start TwoSides to solve the problem.

They share their vision on the about page:

TWOSIDES is based on the fundamental idea that the world would be a better place if everyone looked at every side of an issue. A world where people are more informed, open-minded, and tolerant.

When I asked Jono how this idea came to him he replied:

TwoSides came to me in 2006, when I became 18 and eligible to vote. I was involved with politics in high school, so I believed voting to be a privilege and wanted to make sure I knew what I was voting for. However, I was appalled by how hard it was to find balanced information. Googling took way too long, television networks were always biased one way or the other, and articles often just told one side of the story. For example, 9 out of 10 voters in the recent midterm election thought they encountered information they believed to be misleading or false.

For four years this idea stayed in his head with the thought that someone else would make it.

I didn’t think much of it back then, as I truly believed this was a large enough problem that *someone* would come along and solve it within the next few years.

But in 2011 after he graduated from UCLA he realized no one had done it. At the time he was working with Eric Sue on another project, but they decided to work on this when they realized that it wasn’t really going anywhere. Six Four months, a lot of work, and an additional co-founder later, they have a working beta with a community of “informed, open-minded, and tolerant” individuals. His vision is now a reality.

Although they are initially focusing on Politics and highlighting the approaching 2012 Presidential Election with a special edition of the site, they have already seen debate taking place over many other topics.

TwoSides displays different opinions as a pie chart according to which view has the most supporters. Users can support each of these views by adding evidence which can be a link, a personal testimonial, a quote, or a combination of all three. Users can comment on each piece of supporting evidence to debate its credibility or usefulness.

The evidence view shows a breakdown of how many people voted on each view.

Viewing someone’s profile gives a general overview of their beliefs, contributions, and a comparison between your beliefs and theirs.

TwoSides is a welcome tool for the 21st century and is now one of my favorite places to hear and debate topics. It is not without its flaws though, like any tool on the internet. Some qualms I have with it are: the inability of users to discriminate between evidence and opinion, evidence without an explanation or summation of its relevance, and relatively small community. Still, I think TwoSides is a really well designed, powerful tool, that makes debating issues easier. I really look forward to its growth as a tool and community. I think that in the long run, this could be used to compare your own views with that of candidates seeking political office, as well as candidates understanding their constituency. This can also serve to help brands and companies cater more directly to their customers’ needs.

Links: TwoSides

Corrections 10/1/11 11:36pm : Ken Yu was a summer intern rather than a co-founder, and that they have actually only been working on this for four months instead of the previously stated six.

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When Spotify first made a debut in the United States, creating an account was easy as filling out a form. Though the service has included Facebook integration since launch, a Facebook account was never necessary to register for the service. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst earlier this week. While initial ties with Facebook were simply to populate a list of friends and share playlists, songs began appearing in the real-time news feed after the Facebook Timeline press event last week.

Prior to this week, users could simply disconnect Spotify from Facebook if they choose not to share the tracks they are playing with friends. When Spotify began requiring a Facebook account for registration, customers became enraged. This would mean having to let everyone know the tracks you play in real-time — even the really embarrassing ones. Those looking to sign up for Spotify would now have to either create a Facebook account if they did not already have one or make a spare Facebook account if they did not want the social features.

We’re rolling out a new client as we speak where you can temporarily hide your guilty pleasures. It works like a browsers private mode — Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO and Founder

Spotify fortunately took notice of complains and introduced a “Private Listening” mode in the latest update. Users can now enable the feature from the file menu to prevent sharing any tracks from appearing in the Facebook Timeline.

While I fortunately was not required to register for Spotify with a Facebook account, I can understand the frustration. I would rather prefer to see the option to link a Spotify account to social networks rather than having it remain a requirement.

Link: Spotify

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For those not keeping track, the Motorola Xoom made a debut in early January at the Consumer Electronics Show. Verizon Wireless picked up the tablet and assured customers a 4G LTE upgrade would be just a few weeks away. We got our hands on a unit in mid-March and the upgrade was still unavailable when we published a full review a week or two later.

Nearly seven months after launch, a press release issued by Motorola Mobility and Verizon Wireless popped up in my inbox yesterday. According to the document, the Motorola Xoom with 4G LTE built-in will reach retail stores on October 13th — another two weeks away. The tablet will retail for $499 with a new two-year contract.

As for those who already have a Xoom, Motorola and Verizon have a webpage to guide customers through the upgrade process. As expected, users will need to ship their tablet to a service center for outfitting with a 4G LTE module. The press release notes the entire process should only take six business days, though I doubt that will ease the rage of those who have been waiting for months. The upgrade page also mentions that those who upgrade immediately will receive a free Standard Dock ($49 MSRP) while supplies last.

While I definitely think those who have a 3G enabled Xoom should upgrade to 4G LTE for 5-12 MBps download speeds and 2-5 Mbps uploads, I would probably suggest against buying a new one. There are several new tablets hitting store shelves as we approach the holiday season. Even though I had some complains about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, I would still recommend it over the Motorola Xoom.

Verizon Wireless charges $30, $50, and $80 a month for 2 GB, 5 GB, and 10 GB of data, respectively.

Link: XOOM 4G LTE Upgrade

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As a 5-year-long user of Google Analytics, there is one feature I have eagerly awaited: real-time data. For those who do not remember, Google actually acquired a company named Urchin in 2005 before making this website tracking technology freely available to all. Competitors including Clicky, Chartbeat, Reinvigorate, Woopra, and a few others have long offered real-time tracking — Google is technically a bit late to the game.

Currently, Google Analytics does a great job analyzing past performance. Today we’re very excited to bring real time data to Google Analytics with the launch of Google Analytics Real-Time: a set of new reports that show what’s happening on your site as it happens. — John Jersin, Google Analytics Blog (September 29, 2011)

Real-Time

Users of Google Analytics generally have to wait a few minutes, hours, or a day to see new data appear in the dashboard, but the new real-time feature makes it possible to monitor activity as it happens. For instance, website owners can keep an eye on incoming traffic for a new campaign from the moment of launch and take steps to increase engagement rather than merely viewing results after a flood of traffic passes.

It also helps to ensure marketing campaigns are properly configured. With real-time information, it would be easy to identify a link pointing to the wrong landing page and quickly begin directing traffic in the right direction. The new dashboard will even take advantage of social media tracking and help identify incoming visitors from social networks such as Twitter.

Those looking to get their hands on the new real-time dashboard can sign-up with this early access form here. Some select users already have access and all Google Analytics users will gain access to the service in a few weeks according to the official announcement.

Premium

Though definitely not catered for the average user, Google Analytics Premium also made a debut earlier today. The enterprise-oriented service will offer extra processing power for high traffic websites, deeper data analysis, 24/7 support, and up-time guarantee. Google did not publicly disclose pricing and encourages interested companies to reach out to their sales team directly, but I hear pricing is over $100,000 per year.

Link: Google Analytics

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Just a couple of hours ago, Samsung’s PR team sent over an invite for an event entitled “Google Episode” that takes place in the San Diego Convention Center on October 11th during CTIA. While the email did not state any more details aside from the specific location and the 11:30 AM starting time, the event coincides with the expected debut of Google’s upcoming release of Android: Ice Cream Sandwich. Of course, the one-liner on the invite hints at that too: “Join us at Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2011 to get a look at what’s new from Android.”

Samsung Mobile appears to possibly have an exclusive when it comes to the first device to make a debut with the next generation Android OS. Those looking to tune into the keynote can enjoy a live stream on the YouTube Android channel. Samsung will definitely have a new “super phone” to announce with some impressive hardware even though they just rolled out the Galaxy S II in the United States following an international launch earlier this year.

This holiday season is starting to sound quite interesting considering Apple will have a new iPhone on store shelves as well. While Google has spent most of its annual I/O 2011 conference drawing attention to Honeycomb for tablets, I sure hope they have some major innovations when it comes to the next generation operating system for smart phones.

Link: Samsung

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Though Alphonso Labs only had Android and iOS apps available when we published a review of Pulse News Reader earlier this year, the company finally rolled out a Windows Phone app earlier this week. Though there are slight variations between each platform, the overall concept remains the same. When a user opens the app, Pulse presents news feeds in a grid-like layout with a tile for each story.

It appears as though the Pulse app may even take advantage of the new live tile APIs provided by the latest Windows Phone Mango release by offering bits of information on the home screen — an exclusive for this platform. Users can still view either the text from a feed or load the webpage containing a specific article from within the app. Pulse also allows sharing stories with friends by Email, Facebook, or Twitter.

Those looking to add Skatter Tech to Pulse can do so quite easily by searching for “skatter tech.” It is unclear whether there is integration with the Pulse.me service announced earlier this year. I am also curious to see whether Alphonso Labs intends to roll out a Windows 8 Metro app, which would be an appropriate complement. In the meantime, you can grab the Pulse from the Windows Phone Marketplace. For those wondering, the company raised $9 in Series A from NEA, Greycroft Partners and Lerer Ventures in June 2011.

Link: Pulse Blog

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Earlier today, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced four new Kindle devices at a press conference in Seattle. The new offerings start at an affordable $79 price-point for a basic e-book reader and a premium multimedia-rich Kindle Fire retails for $199. For those wondering, Amazon clearly isn’t limiting itself to eBooks. The latest tablet runs on Android and has some rather impressive hardware at an attractive price-point.

“We’ve now reached the magical two-digit price point for Kindle – twice: the new Kindle and Kindle Touch are only $79 and $99. Kindle Touch 3G is the new top of the line e-reader with free 3G – no monthly fees or annual contracts – and is only $149,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “Kindle Fire brings together all of the things we’ve been working on at Amazon […] – all for only $199.”

Kindle

For those who do not need the bells and whistles of a tablet, the $79 Kindle offers the bare essentials for an eBook reader. According to Amazing, this device is 30% lighter than the previous iteration at just 5.98 ounces. It is also apparently 18% smaller and flips pages 10% faster. The 6-inch e-Ink display makes reading easy even under direct sunlight. This Kindle also comes with WiFi connectivity, a web browser, a 1 month battery life, 2 GB of storage, and Amazon Cloud Storage.

Kindle Touch

For those looking to do a little more, Amazon offers two Kindle Touch models. A 3G enabled iteration that works in over 100 countries goes for $149 without any contracts or monthly fees. A WiFi-only model retails for $99. The 6-inch e-Ink screen supports browsing the web in addition to displaying books, newspapers, and magazines. Amazon notes a 2 month battery life but did not mention whether the 3G iteration has a higher capacity battery. The on-board storage for the Kindle Touch also gets a boost to 4 GB for twice as much content.

The main differentiating factor between this tablet and the basic $79 Kindle is a touch-enabled e-Ink display. Rather than having to use a 5-way directional pad for navigation, users can directly interact with the display for a more natural experience.

Kindle Fire

Those looking to go beyond reading should consider the $199 Kindle Fire. This tablet offers access to over 100k movies and TV shows through Amazon Instant Video. Amazon Prime members can even stream from a selection of over 11k of these for no additional cost. Amazon MP3 offers access to 17 million songs to complement the library of 1 million Kindle books, 100 graphic novels, magazines, and newspapers.

While all other Kindle models have a e-Ink screen, the Kindle Fire has a 7 inch color IPS display with a high 169 ppi density. A dual-core processor may offer fast performance, but battery life unfortunately takes a major hit coming in at just 8 hours for reading or 7.5 hours for video playback. The tablet also has 8 GB of internal storage and free cloud storage for Amazon content too. Thanks to the underlying Android operating system, the Kindle Fire supports games such as Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, or Cut the Rope through the Amazon App Store.

Other Services

A new cloud-accelerated browser going with the name Silk helps accelerate surfing the web with help  from Amazon’s EC2 servers — much like Opera Mini. Amazon Whispersync now supports synchronizing and remembering where you last left watching a movie or TV show in addition to a specific page of a book. The Kindle Fire also comes with a month-long Amazon Prime subscription.

Links: Amazon Kindle

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Yesterday, Apple sent out invites out to journalist for an October 4th event. While speculation is ablaze regarding the next iPhone, the announcement will most likely bring news of a fifth iPhone — not an iPhone 5. Taking a cue from previous release cycles, Apple will probably follow tradition releasing an iPhone 4S much like the iPhone 3GS after the iPhone 3G.

We published a piece entitled 5 Things To Expect With The iPhone 4S and still stand by those predictions. From what we can tell, the upcoming device will simply build on the existing iPhone 4 with enhancements such as a faster processor, more RAM, and additional storage space. Apple may tweak the current design slightly to avoid issues such as the infamous “death grip antennagate” or the somewhat-fragile glass back-side.

According ArsTechnica’s analysis of a leaked image snapped with the camera of the upcoming iPhone, the device will feature an 8 megapixel sensor. While some rumors claim a larger screen, the 3.5 inch Retina Display will probably remain the same.

If anything, the software is the big news when it comes to the upcoming iPhone 4S. While Apple will ship iOS 5 to the existing iPhone 4 too, the company may leave out some features which require more hardware capabilities. Other rumors indicate Apple will include robust voice integration powered by Siri, which they acquired in April 2010. Some blogs also mention deep Wolfram Alpha capabilities too.

The event begins less than a week from today at 10 AM on Apple’s Cupertino campus as indicated by the invite. There is no indication whether the company will provide a public live stream, but most tech publications will liveblog the event and Apple generally published a video of the keynote shortly after the event concludes.

Links: Apple

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