TECH TALK: Updates on CES 2017, How to Install Google Play on Kindle Fire Tablets and More
John Vrooman | January 11, 2017
Consumer Electronic Show 2017 (a.k.a. CES 2017)
Now that CES 2017 is over, those of you who are interested in consumer electronics can now look forward to many new products making their way into the marketplace. Currently, and over the next few weeks or so, you can expect to see and hear about some of the new products that were introduced at the CES 2017 show via online and offline media stories, reviews, etc. However, instead of passively waiting for CES 2017 information to find you, I suggest that you take a more proactive approach to finding the latest products that might interest you. For example, if you’re in the market for a new computer, Internet of Things products, Wi-Fi mesh networking solutions, etc., simply visit your favorite Internet search engine and do searches using search terms such as “CES 2017 laptop”, “CES 2017 Smart Home IoT” (IoT = Internet of Things), “CES 2017 Wi-Fi mesh network” or “CES 2017 winners”. Basically, just do web searches that include “CES 2017” and the category or type of product that interests you.
How to Install Google Play On Kindle Fire Tablets
Do you have (or will soon have) an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet? If so, you know or will soon discover that Amazon Kindle Fire tablets do not natively have or connect to Google Play (Google’s app store) and instead use/connect to Amazon’s Appstore. While Amazon’s Appstore does provide Kindle Fire users with access to many apps, Google Play does offer many more apps. A recent Lifehacker.com article titled “How to Get Google Play on a Kindle Fire and Install Any Android App You Want” will show you how you should be able to install Google Play on a Kindle Fire Tablet. Once you accomplish that goal, you should be able to search for, install, and use apps that are in Google Play on your Kindle Fire device. Woo-hoo! If this topic is something that you want to learn more about, please visit the following web page…
www.lifehacker.com/how-to-get-google-play-on-a-kindle-fire-and-install-any-1790706649
Heads up: If you’re in the market for a relatively inexpensive tablet computer, I think you should look at the latest Amazon Kindle devices. I’ve had an opportunity use the latest 8″ model and overall was impressed. However, I did miss not having access to all the apps that Google Play offers, and that’s why I addressed this topic above.
New York State Realtor Magazine’s Online Archive
Whether you are new to the real estate business, or a seasoned veteran, it’s good to have access to industry resources. One industry resource that we have is the New York State Realtor Magazine. If you didn’t know, an online archive of the past few years of the New York State Realtor Magazine is maintained and available at the following web address. You may want to bookmark it for future reference…
Is a New Digital Marketing Fashion Trend Beginning to Emerge?
Transforming yourself into a spectacle in a crowded environment is one way of gaining attention. Once you’ve captured the attention of others, that’s when the opportunity to converse, educate and market, etc. can begin. Advances in digital display technologies are now at a point where some creative people are starting to work on ways to add digital displays to clothing and accessories. Imagine being able to display digital marketing messages to those around you while you are shopping, attending public events or parties, etc. If you visit the following website, you’ll see how one company (POP-I, Inc.) is in the process of trying to bring to market a backpack that has an “e-ink” digital display embedded in it…www.pop-i.co
I wanted to see if I could find another example of a display being added to clothing and I found another site that apparently has some products available…www.t-shirttv.com
Hmmm. I wonder what possibilities might arise if the embedded digital displays on these types of products become touch enabled and/or acquire the ability to support live video streams? (It’s fun thinking about the possibilities).
If You Have a Thunderbolt-Capable Laptop
Unfortunately, notebook computers (particularly ultraportable/Ultrabook computers) don’t include all or enough of the various types of ports/connections that you may want or need. Fortunately, many electronics manufacturers make docking stations that connect to computers and typically provide an expanded quantity and/or array of connections. Examples of some typical docking station port types include USB 2.x, USB 3.x, USB C, Ethernet, Firewire, audio and video. When you connect a computer to a docking station, you typically want the connection between the two devices to be as fast as possible. Currently, “Thunderbolt” ports are the preferred type of connection between computers and docking stations as Thunderbolt ports allow for fast and high bandwidth data flows between devices. If you have a computer that has a Thunderbolt port, the following “thewirecutter.com” article identifies, discusses and recommends some Thunderbolt docking stations that you may want to consider…www.thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-thunderbolt-dock
If you have comments, suggestions, tips, questions or just want to say “Hi,” you are invited to contact me at john@johnvrooman.com. I always enjoy hearing from you!
John Vrooman keeps an eye out for cool new hardware, software, apps, gadgets; SaaS solutions; social media developments, trends as well as personal/SMB productivity and related solutions. He gathers information for his column from a diverse range of resources and he enjoys sharing his discoveries with others. He has been authoring this column since August 2000 and welcomes feedback from his readers.