Nokia investing $100M in smart-car technology

Fresh off selling its mobile-phone business to Microsoft, Nokia is turning its attention to another area potentially ripe for rapid technological change: smarter cars.

Nokia Growth Partners, the company's venture capital group, plans to invest $100 million into companies that bring more computing and communications technology to cars, the company said in conjunction with this week's Global Mobile Internet Conference.

"The car is really becoming a platform like when the mobile handset became a smartphone and all the apps and services developed around that," Nokia Growth partner Paul Asel told Bloomberg.

Nokia has a significant presence in auto electronics through its Navteq division, which supplies mapping and navigation data for vehicle sat-nav systems. Through its Here brand, Nokia's technology extends to smartphones and tablets, too; the company has 6,000 employees working on mapping technology. But much bigger changes are afoot that go beyond navigation and likely mean driving will become a profoundly different experience.

The auto industry, prodded by Google, is moving toward a more radical transformation involving self-driving cars, car-to-car communications, platooning that links cars into efficient highway trains, andcoordinated city transportation infrastructure.

"We're seeing innovation that's happening across the auto ecosystem through the combination of mobility and the Internet," Asel said.

Nokia has struggled financially in recent years as its mobile-phone business struggled competitively, but Nokia Growth Partners has been a bright spot, Rajeev Suri, Nokia's new chief executive, said in a statement Monday.

"NGP has been consistently performing well bringing in both new innovation and financial return to Nokia," Suri said. "Our new $100 million venture fund launched today further underlines our belief that the connected car is a significant growth opportunity where NGP is poised to make great investments."

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Nokia investing $100M in smart-car technology

Fresh off selling its mobile-phone business to Microsoft, Nokia is turning its attention to another area potentially ripe for rapid technological change: smarter cars.

Nokia Growth Partners, the company's venture capital group, plans to invest $100 million into companies that bring more computing and communications technology to cars, the company said in conjunction with this week's Global Mobile Internet Conference.

"The car is really becoming a platform like when the mobile handset became a smartphone and all the apps and services developed around that," Nokia Growth partner Paul Asel told Bloomberg.

Nokia has a significant presence in auto electronics through its Navteq division, which supplies mapping and navigation data for vehicle sat-nav systems. Through its Here brand, Nokia's technology extends to smartphones and tablets, too; the company has 6,000 employees working on mapping technology. But much bigger changes are afoot that go beyond navigation and likely mean driving will become a profoundly different experience.

The auto industry, prodded by Google, is moving toward a more radical transformation involving self-driving cars, car-to-car communications, platooning that links cars into efficient highway trains, andcoordinated city transportation infrastructure.

"We're seeing innovation that's happening across the auto ecosystem through the combination of mobility and the Internet," Asel said.

Nokia has struggled financially in recent years as its mobile-phone business struggled competitively, but Nokia Growth Partners has been a bright spot, Rajeev Suri, Nokia's new chief executive, said in a statement Monday.

"NGP has been consistently performing well bringing in both new innovation and financial return to Nokia," Suri said. "Our new $100 million venture fund launched today further underlines our belief that the connected car is a significant growth opportunity where NGP is poised to make great investments."

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Windows 8-Intel tablets with 4G/LTE still scarce in 2014

The Surface 2 is one of the precious few exceptions of a Windows tablet with 4G. Problem is, it runs Windows RT not the full version of Windows 8.Microsoft

Apple started making cellular-capable tablets in April 2010, but four years later most Windows-Intel tablets are still Wi-Fi only. One would charitably call that being late to the tablet party.

The tablet isn't a novel device anymore. You might even call it a mature market. IDC said Thursday that worldwide tablet shipments (including 2-in-1 hybrid devices) showed only 3.9 percent growth over the same period a year ago.

And 2014 will be a "challenging year ahead for the category" with the "the rise of large-screen phones," IDC added.

So, what's the state of the Windows 8.1 tablet in 2014 ? While there are some decent new designs from the likes of Dell ($249 Venue Pro 8) and Lenovo ($399 ThinkPad 8), there are precious few with 4G/LTE.

For instance, the relatively-comprehensive Microsoft Store tablet page shows no Windows 8.1/Intel tablets with 4G. And Best Buy lists one among dozens. Verizon lists none. Ditto AT&T.

There are exceptions. Lenovo says its new ThinkPad 8, which has received good reviews, will come with a 4G option. Problem is, that feature is not listed on the current ThinkPad 8's spec sheet and, moreover, a 4G model is not being sold by Microsoft.

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Get a SlideStand stick-on smartphone stand for $5.59 This clever little accessory adheres to the rear of your phone (or case) for portrait and landscape viewing.

The SlideStand can prop up your phone at a variety of angles.SlideStand

In my ideal universe, pizza is a health food, "The Matrix" sequels were never created, and all smartphones come with built-in stands.

It's getting there. I order my pizza with light cheese and extra sauce (it's less unhealthy, anyway), and I pretend those two "Matrix" abominations don't exist.

The SlideStand adds very little thickness to your phone.SlideStand

As for the third thing, it's unlikely to ever happen. Fortunately, there's an easy, inexpensive new solution: SlideStand, a low-profile add-on that works with nearly any phone.

It normally sells for $7.99 -- already a perfectly good deal -- but here's a Cheapskate exclusive for you: A SlideStand for just $5.59 when you apply discount code SS30M at checkout. Shipping to the U.S. adds $3.25, bringing your out-the-door total to $8.84. (Note that you'll need either Bitcoin or PayPal to make your purchase.)

This adhesive piece of plastic measures roughly 2.6 inches long by 1.6 inches wide. Better still, it's all of 3mm thick, so you hardly notice it's there. Until, that is, you fold out its multi-position arm, which can hold your phone upright (for portrait viewing) or on its side. The vast majority of kickstand cases I see offer only landscape positioning, which I find less than ideal for reading.

The SlideStand comes in an assortment of colors, several of which I must admit to finding kind of tacky. Red and purple? Pink and green? All-black or all-white for me, please. (Fortunately, those are among the options.) Of course, to each their own.

I stuck a SlideStand to the back of my iPhone's case and found that it worked splendidly for a variety of viewing angles. I'm concerned about the arm losing its stiffness over time, but for now it's just what this doctor ordered.

If there's a downside, it's that the adhesive is semi-permanent, meaning you can't remove the stand from your phone and then reapply it. You can, however, remove it without fear of leaving behind any residue, at least according to the the SlideStand folks.

Often you see little gizmo-accessories like this selling for $15-20, but I think $7.99 is a great price. And with the 30-percent-off code, it's even better. Buy some for early stocking-stuffers, dad/grad gifts, or whatever. Of course, if even $5.59 is too rich for your blood, there are plenty of DIY smartphone stands that don't cost a penny.

Bonus deal: If you're a desktop user who's into video editing, game playing, or media centering, you can't have too much storage. So here's a seriously unbeatable upgrade: TigerDirect has the Seagate Barracuda 4TB SATA III internal hard drive for $139.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon codeHLL125101 at checkout. That's a four-terabyte drive, people. Warranty: two years. User reviews: stellar. Deal: smokin'.

Bonus deal No. 2: If you're anything like me, you're looking extra stout about the tum after a winter of stress eating. (Hey, it was cold!) The best tools for weight loss are, of course, tech-powered tools, which is why I've started a new DietBet that kicks off this Thursday. Join me! The buy-in is $50, but you stand to make at least that much at the end of four weeks if you hit your goal. And remember: eating less saves you money!

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Apple hiring efforts point to medical tech integration

Apple has secretly been bolstering its employee base with several medical professionals, according to a new report.

The technology pacesetter has been quietly hiring a medical team made up of senior medical technology executives who previously worked in the biotech field, Reuters is reporting, citing LinkedIn pages and sources who claim to have knowledge of the company's efforts. Most of the hires have some expertise in medical sensor technology, which could allow for Apple products to analyze everything from blood-sugar levels to heart rate.

Health, fitness, and medical care have caught the eye of major technology companies. Samsung, for example, has built several health-related features into its Galaxy S5, and many wearable technology devices today have similar elements. Samsung is even planning an event later this month to talk about health.Apple is believed to be working on some sort of wearable device, to be unveiled this year, that would use sensors and other technology to track health. Although it was initially believed that Apple's long-awaited iWatch would launch this year, it seems a bit more likely now that Apple will instead launch a "smartband" in partnership with Nike that will deliver those features.

According to Reuters, Apple might go further than that. The news service spoke with a "mobile health executive," who said that Apple could be planning to build out a full health services platform, delivering all kinds of health-related apps to track and monitor a person's health.

Apple plans to achieve these goals, according to Reuters, by enlisting some of the top experts in the bio medical field. The company has already brought on Chief Medical Officer Michael O'Reilly from Masimo Corp, a firm that specializes in non-invasive oxygen-saturation detection, called pulse oximetry. Apple has also hired Ravi Narasimhan, who previously worked as vice president for Vital Connect, which provides full tracking information on standard human vitals, such as heart rate.

Rumors have been swirling for months, suggesting that Apple is getting serious about making a splash in the health field, and this latest report appears to make that point all the more. So far, however, Apple hasn't confirmed any plans, so it's tough to say whether the company will launch any health-related features or devices this year.

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Amazon, Twitter link up for easy shopping through #AmazonCart

Amazon unveiled a partnership with Twitter on Monday that may signal that the future of shopping lies in your social media feed.

Starting today, Twitter users can link their accounts to an Amazon account, and automatically add items to the shopping cart by responding to any tweet with an Amazon product link with the hashtag #AmazonCart. Customers never leave the Twitter feed, and the product is waiting for them when they head over to Amazon.

It's potentially a new business model for Twitter, which so far has relied on sponsored tweets for revenue, but has struggled both with growth and figuring out a way to make money off its 255 million monthly active users. For Amazon, adding another convenient way for its consumers to buy its products just fuels its primary business.

An Amazon spokeswoman said Twitter doesn't get revenue from the items added to the shopping carts through #AmazonCart, but declined to further discuss its relationship with Twitter.

"We are certainly open to working with other social networks," said the Amazon spokeswoman. "Twitter in particular offers a great environment for our customers to discover product recommendations from artists, experts, brands and friends."

A Twitter spokesman wasn't immediately available to comment.

Customers who have already linked their Twitter and Amazon accounts will be notified with a reply tweet from @MyAmazon and get an email from Amazon when an item is added to the cart. Customers who haven't yet linked their accounts will get receive a tweet reply asking them to do so to enable the feature.

It's not clear, however, whether consumers will embrace #AmazonCart. As all tweets are public, people risk publicizing their purchasing decisions by responding to a Tweet with that hashtag. The program could also lead to advertisers sending out more tweets with Amazon product links.

Amazon made it clear on its site that the tweet only adds the item to your cart, and isn't a confirmation for purchase. You would still have to go to Amazon later to check out and pay for the product.

Amazon customers in the UK can use #AmazonBasket to add items to their shopping carts starting today.

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Creationists get their 'Cosmos' (It's quite short)

It's all explainable. In a way. Funny OR die

I imagine them in a duel.
On one side, a scientist with the latest laser-blasting bazooka. On the other, a believer with nothing more than a Bible and certainty.
At heart, though, they don't need to fight. Plenty of scientists are deeply religious. Plenty of deeply religious people still leave a place for science in their hearts (if not their souls).
Can't we all just get along? Oh, of course we can't.
Bill Nye debates creationist Ken Ham and neither seems to get anywhere with the other.
Moreover, those labeled creationists complain that Neil DeGrasse Tyson hasn't left room for their version of life as we don't know it in his fine series "Cosmos."
It is left, therefore, to comedians to bridge the gap between the two entrenched armies of truth.

Creationist Cosmos from Funny Or Die

The sometimes satanically amusing people at Funny Or Die thought they'd take it upon themselves as a penance of peace to create a creationist version of "Cosmos" and satisfy the cries of those who claim they're not heard. Except, perhaps, on a Sunday. Why not present a more fundamentalist explanation of our world's existence and history? Why not depict Earth as less an example of evolution and more the result of divine intervention?
Some might feel that Timothy Simons (the not-so-Biblical Jonah in "Veep") is less immediately persuasive than Tyson. He's a little too much like a Ph.D student, rather than a seasoned professor.
He does, though, present an uplifting and sincere air, as he explains the world's existence with short words, short sentences and, indeed, a very short series.
After all, if there's only one explanation for everything, there are few mysteries left to be unraveled.
My own experience suggests the world is an absurd place, full of nonsense and non-sequiturs.
My sense of humor would, therefore, be entirely appeased if scientists worked for another few hundred years to unlock life's mysteries -- only to discover, at the very, very end, a ten-legged being wearing a t-shirt that said "God," laughing his/her/its head off at the sheer insignificance of man.

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