Thursday, 5 June 2014

Apple's next big move: Capture three new ecosystems

Apple's next big move: Capture three new ecosystems

 At Apple's WWDC 2014 event this week, most of the attention will be focused on new product updates. The real moves you should keep an eye on are three big ecosystem plays.

apple-wwdc-2014
While the world continues to wait for Apple to enter the "exciting new product categories" that CEO Tim Cook has been promising for over a year, the world's largest tech company is quietly staring down three new opportunities.
As you follow the updates coming from WWDC 2014 this week, keep an eye out for developments in the following three ecosystems where Apple is poised to make a huge impact.

1. Digital health
For the past couple years I've been saying that if Apple decided to make a smartwatch the coolest thing it could do would be to build a platform and an ecosystem around it that would allow it to connect to various health devices, from heart and oxygen monitors at the doctor's office to exercise equipment at the gym to a digital scale at home.

Think of the way a whole ecosystem of accessories for music emerged around the iPod. The sheer scale of the iPhone, especially in the U.S. market, makes it ripe for an ecosystem play in health care. There are already heart monitors and blood pressure monitors and wireless scales that connect to the iPhone. Apple just needs to go a step farther and create some standards for using wireless protocols to connect and create a common software platform to integrate the data.

For connecting, Apple could use Bluetooth Low Energy, in similar ways to what it's doing with iBeacons (which we'll talk about in a moment). In terms of the software, Apple may already have that in the works. Reports have been surfacing since the beginning of 2014 that Apple will release a new app called Healthbook as part of iOS 8. Key watch for potential Healthbook announcements at WWDC this week. And, of course, if Apple does release an iWatch then this ecosystem play will have already laid the groundwork.

2. Smart home
Similar to digital health, another area that has been long overdue to transform for the 21st century is the smart home (a.k.a. home automation). A report surfaced last week that Apple is going launch a smart home software platform at WWDC 2014. The software would allow third party hardware and software providers to connect their smart home systems to the iPhone and iPad.

Presumably, Apple would build a smart home app into iOS 8. According to the report, this would allow an iOS device to control everything from a home security system to home lighting to smart appliances. This could be related to the patent that Apple was awarded in November 2013 that shows a system of home devices and actions working together, with special functions based on location. For example, the lights could detect when you enter the room and automatically turn on or the garage door could detect when you pull up and automatically open.

SEE: Apple, Cook, and the power of evil empires doing good (TechRepublic)
3. Retail experience
The retail store experience remains much as it has for decades in terms of the ways people wander through stores, choose products, see promotions, and check out when they are ready to buy something. With over a decade of experience running its own highly profitable retail stores, Apple has now been preparing to digitize the retail experience more broadly with iBeacons.

Using Bluetooth LE, iBeacons are small, inexpensive tokens that can be placed in various locations and then communicate with nearby phones. They can be used to help shoppers navigate stores, get product information, get alerts about special deals, save shopping preferences, and do lots of other store-specific activities. Plenty of big retailers are experimenting with this. But right now, one of the biggest hang-ups is that you have to use lots of different store apps to get the full experience. If Apple could streamline this in iOS 8 and create a more coherent platform and user experience then this looks like it's ready to take off.

Just last week, General Electric announced that it was integrating iBeacons into its new LED light fixtures for businesses, including Wal-Mart. So again, this is another area where Apple already has ecosystem momentum building.

Follow WWDC 2014
To follow all of the news and analysis of Apple WWDC 2014, you can watch our live blog and live show over on CNET at 1:00pm Eastern on Monday (June 2) and then come back to ZDNet for all of the analysis of what it means for businesses and the enterprise.

ZDNet's Monday Morning Opener is our opening salvo for the week in tech. As a global site, this editorial publishes on Monday at 8am AEST in Sydney, Australia, which is 6pm Eastern Time on Sunday in the US. It is written by a member of ZDNet's global editorial board, which is comprised of our lead editors across Asia, Australia, Europe, and the US.I'm not talking about a smartwatch, a phablet, or an HDTV set. I'm talking about three ecosystems that Apple appears ready to enter in a much larger way. In all three cases, Apple could become a catalyst for bringing the digital revolution to more people in more places -- exactly the kind of the stuff they love to chase (and then make two-minute video essays about it to play during events like WWDC).

Sleek, savvy, simple: The future of the "Connected Car"

Sleek, savvy, simple: The future of the "Connected Car"

Someday our vehicles may do the thinking for us, connecting us on and off the road.
Imagine a world in which your car does the thinking for you, simplifying your role as driver and saving you time on the road. Imagine a world in which your car could navigate you to an open parking spot or notify you of a nearby sale on items you love.

Your car would recognize your interests and could easily direct you to destinations tailored to your wants and needs.

Endless possibilitiesBMW
Yesterday morning on my way to work, I was running incredibly late and knew that by the time I arrived at the office, parking would be impossible.

But wouldn't it be cool if my car could point me in the direction of an open parking garage and inform me of any associated fees as I approached my destination? This would cut at least 30 minutes from my morning commute, letting me to stroll into the office with time to spare before my 8AM. Instead, I ran, to find the meeting room just in the nick of time.

After my morning of back-to-back meetings ended, I decided to use my lunch break to run a few errands. Digging through my purse, I realized I left my coupons at home on the kitchen table and didn't have time to look online for printable vouchers. Wouldn't it be convenient if my car were able to display deals based on my current location and then navigate to those stores?

In today’s world, who would mind saving some extra time and money?

As the end of the day approached, I was exhausted and ready to hit the road. About half way through my commute home, my gas light blinked and, to my surprise, the tank was on "empty."

Life would be much easier if my car could send automatic alerts when the gas tank was low and guide me to a close-by and cost-efficient gas station. Such forewarning would again save money and the misfortune of potentially getting lost searching for a gas station at an unfamiliar exit on the highway.

The future is upon us
Soon, my dreams of an enriched driving experience may become reality.
Microsoft Research Special Projects group tipped to take on Google X
SAP has teamed with BMW Group Research and Technology to create an innovative research prototype based on the SAP HANA Cloud Platform. With the extended ConnectedDrive system, we may be able to enjoy the convenience of a connected and social world right from the dashboard of our vehicles.

How would it work? You could create a mobile profile based on customized preferences like where you like to shop, your frequent destinations, foods you enjoy, your favorite restaurants, and so on. Based on your profile, your car could alert you to personalized offerings and direct you to the nearest store so that you'd never forget to buy an anniversary card or birthday gift again.

If a donut shop near your current driving location was giving away free coffee and your profile showed that you run on caffeine, your car could alert you of the deal and navigate you there. What better way to brighten your Monday morning blues than with a cup of fresh steaming hot coffee — for free?

Enhancing your experience
When discussing the innovation that SAP and BMW Group Research and Technology are teaming to create, the term "Connected Car" is an understatement. The SAP HANA Cloud Platform has the advanced technology to create infinite possibilities for the future of the automotive industry that keep the driver at the center of the experience. Maybe now, not only could your car deliver you from point A to point B, but your vehicle could enhance the art and science of living.

And for me, well, you’d better believe that I’d program my car to take me straight to the best "happy hour" deal every Friday around 5PM.

Google Glass recruits von Furstenberg: Will fashion mavens wear them?

Google Glass recruits von Furstenberg: Will fashion mavens wear them?

The glasses could be fashionable, but the big question is whether that bar on the side of the frame will always make you a Glasshole 

whether at work or play.


Google Glass is getting some fashion help from designer Diane von Furstenberg, but it's unclear whether the wearables can expand beyond its roots---developers---and attract women.

In a post, Google noted that it will have "chic eyewear" from von Furstenberg and the collection will be on sale June 23.
Google Glass will have new frames and shades.

Wearables: Fit For Business?
The glasses could be fashionable, but the big question is whether that bar on the side of the frame will always make you a Glasshole---a term that must make Google cringe.

For Google Glass to be a real technology contender at work and play it'll have to broaden its reach and customer base. Big names like von Furstenberg are a start, but time will tell if Glass gets momentum beyond that.

As for the workplace, Google Glass has to reach more than developers. According to research from our wearables for business special report, enterprises are a bit fuzzy about what they would do with wearables and only 11 percent of them have implemented wearables at work.
tpr-deployment-wearables-620x333

Asian cities have among the highest social media adoption worldwide, and yet few marketers in the region have the knowledge or tools to tap digital tools and capitalize on the potential market opportunity. Asia houses the largest number of Facebook users, but only one third of marketers here are familiar with the use of digital marketing tools, noted Kiran Raghavan, Facebook's head of Asia-Pacific market development and PMD program, citing findings from the Digital Knowledge Survey 2014.

Facebook aims to plug Asia's digital marketing gap

Region may be home to the largest number of Facebook users, but few marketers have the tools or knowledge to capitalize on the opportunity.
Asian cities have among the highest social media adoption worldwide, and yet few marketers in the region have the knowledge or tools to tap digital tools and capitalize on the potential market opportunity.

Asia houses the largest number of Facebook users, but only one third of marketers here are familiar with the use of digital marketing tools, noted Kiran Raghavan, Facebook's head of Asia-Pacific market development and PMD program, citing findings from the Digital Knowledge Survey 2014.
Facebook taps mobile for Asia growthTo address this gap, the social media giant embarked on its Preferred Marketing Developer (PMD) initiative to grow the local ecosystem in this region and encourage more digital marketing tools to be built.

Part of its efforts included enticing international PMDs to expand their operations to this part of the world. In the past three months, 12 global PMDs have set up shop in Singapore while 20 more have done likewise across the Asia-Pacific region including India, Australia, and Hong Kong.

These include Socialbakers and AdParlor, which have begun operating in Singapore, Raghavan said in a phone interview Wednesday with ZDNet. About 10 of the PMDs are focused on digital advertising, he added. Facebook offers marketing tools across three key areas: Ads, Insights, and Pages.  

There is, however, also concerted effort to nurture local PMDs in the region since these developers would better understand local nuances and able to scale projects faster, Raghavan said. Three local marketing developers have been signed in Tokyo, Seoul, and Sydney, with another nine in various stages of onboarding, he said.

Facebook is focusing its PMD efforts in Southeast Asia, Greater China, and Australia over the next 12 to 24 months, he added.

PMDs are mostly technology providers that work in tandem with advertising and media agencies to create campaigns for customers, he explained. A number of PMDs, for instance, have specialized in online search, statistical analysis, as well as data analytics, and expanded these capabilities to become PMDs.

He declined to reveal customer names, saying Facebook is currently building its case study portfolio, but said most PMD projects are focused on analytics and improving efficiencies, so agencies can save on manpower to manage campaigns.

One agency, for instance, used to spend 100 to 200 hours on setting up, monitoring, tweaking, and optimizing campaigns for their clients. Through the use of PMD tools, which automate and take action on campaigns based on preset rules, the agency reduced the time to 15 percent of what it used to take, he said. He added that agencies can also view a single dashboard detailing all necessary metrics and campaign costs.

Raghavan cited another example where a PMD was able to tap real-time weather information to decide what items should be promoted to customers of an e-commerce site. "This allowed the client to take real-time information the PMD tool was generating from weather, to more accurately target customers. [Sales] conversion rate was 40 percent higher than a normal day as a result of the tool," he said.

He added that at a hackathon hosted by Facebook last October, which shortlisted six candidates shortlisted from India, Taiwan, Korea, and Singapore, one Indian candidate featured a momentum-based advertising tool. It collated data from various online sources including RSS feeds and Twitter to capture issues that were trending in real-time and that advertisers could tap. For example, the tool identified that large-loop earrings were trending and people online were talking about earrings in the context of celebrities. Based on this, the Indian candidate worked with advertisers that carried large-loop earrings their inventory and promoted these products in markets across the region where there were trending more than others.

Raghavan pointed to e-commerce, travel, online retail, and online games as potential segments that PMD tools have the most potential, because advertisers in these markets typically have to target large numbers of potential customers and have more need for optimization and targeted marketing.

Visionary award winner Tim O'Reilly calls on techies to help local government

Visionary award winner Tim O'Reilly calls on techies to help local government

 The founder of computer book publisher and events organizer O'Reilly Media received Silicon Valley Forum's 2014 Visionary award.
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Tim O'Reilly, one of the recipients of SVForum's 2014 Visionary Awards, called for the tech community to give back and help government with its use of IT. He also urged more recognition for "people who make a difference" instead of people who make money.

He is the founder of O'Reilly Media, a very successful computer book publisher and conference organizer. He was speaking at SVForum's 2014 Visionary Awards in Los Altos Hills, an upscale suburb of Silicon Valley. Fellow recipients were Jessica Jackley, founder of Kiva; Tina Selig, the head of the entrepreneurship center at Stanford University; and Tim Draper, partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, one of Silicon Valley's oldest VC firms.
O'Reilly said that government represents about one-third of the US economy and it needs help in applying technology in community services and to solve important civic issues. He mentioned the recent problem with the government's national healthcare site, which were fixed only after several top tech experts volunteered their services. 

He urged the tech community to become involved in Code for America, founded by Jennifer Pahlka. He is a board member of the non-profit organization, which connects software engineers with local government projects around the US.

He spoke about the tech industry's attention on money and IPOs and reminded his audience that the software industry greatly benefited from individuals who were driven to do things that mattered, than do things for money. He said that such individuals should be celebrated for making a difference. 

Foremski's Take:  Tim O'Reilly's speech was excellent because it hits squarely at the tech elite's disdain for government, and a Libertarian/Singularitan stance that would rather do away with government entirely.

He pointed out that government is the only organization that is working in problem areas that are important and that the private sector won't touch, and it needs a lot of help.

It's a breath of fresh air to hear one of the leaders of the tech elite advocate for a civic focus. Silicon Valley, especially, is in dire need of help. Its public schools have 50% drop-out rates; and its cities share the same problems as any other in the US. It even has an urban ghetto, in every violent sense of the term, in the very center of Silicon Valley: East Palo Alto. How can a ghetto continue to exist just a couple of miles from Stanford University, Google, Facebook, Intel...?

Hot air of hypocrisy...
Silicon Valley cannot keep saying it is inventing a better future for all when its schools and communities are struggling with poverty and social problems. The entire area should be a showcase of tech's promises instead of a collection of troubled communities and broken institutions.

When I pointed this out at last year's Visionary Awards, one of the winners, Steve Blank, grew annoyed and tersely asked, "What are you doing about it?!" 

I replied, "I'm doing this."  I'm bringing it to the attention of the people that have the money, influence, and the abilities to do something about it. After nearly three decades as a reporter in Silicon Valley, I've lost patience waiting for the tech companies to take real actions, and to start improving the world that's right there on their doorstep. 

I'm happy to continue to be a thorn, to annoy, and to embarrass the tech elite into taking on and solving real problems, real local, right here in Silicon Valley. I'm fed up with all the noble talk and no results, no progress. The rest of the world sees it for what it is: it's all hot air, babbling about doing good has become a halitosis of hypocrisy — it stinks.

And it's laughable, as can be seen in the new "Silicon Valley" HBO comedy.

There's no problem too hard...
Visionary winner Peter Diamandis received a standing ovation last year, when he said he believed that there was no problem too hard that technology couldn't fix.

His X PRIZE Foundation launched a massive space exploration industry with the promise of a $10 million prize. In his speech he revealed that he didn't have the prize money!

But he figured that by the time it came to the finals, sponsors would come forward with the money — and they did.

Why not announce a $20 million public school education or government XPRIZE? And see what startups can come up with? (It won't require $20m upfront.)  It's bound to result in innovative and worthy ventures and services that would improve the lives of millions. 

There is no problem in public schools or government, that Silicon Valley's technologists cannot solve. Where there is a will there's a way, as Diamandis has shown.

And Tim O'Reilly is right, let's celebrate the people who make a difference rather than those who make money for themselves. 

Barnes & Noble's Nook plan: Get smaller, ride shotgun with Samsung

Barnes & Noble's Nook plan: Get smaller, ride shotgun with Samsung

 Barnes & Noble is exiting big infrastructure, real estate and hardware commitments as it tries to make its Nook unit viable, but the turn to customer engagement and software may be just as tricky.
Barnes & Noble on Thursday said it would relocate its Nook unit into smaller facilities to save money and outlined a co-brand with Samsung to deliver a "digital reading experience" on the Galaxy Tab 4, a 7-inch device.
 highlight how Barnes & Noble has had to cut its Nook expectations dramatically. The Nook unit started with high hopes, but posted losses repeatedly and simply couldn't keep up with the likes of Amazon's Kindle or a bevy of tablet makers.

A deal with Samsung would position the Nook more as an ingredient brand. It's worth noting that Amazon gets a lot of play on Samsung devices too. The joint Nook-Galaxy Tab will be displayed along with Barnes & Noble's e-readers and sold at the company's 700 bookstores and Web site.

Barnes & Noble CEO Michael Huseby said that the company's distribution power and partnership with Samsung shows commitment to the Nook and its digital content business. Nook will still offer the Glowlight and support existing customers, but is looking to minimize its exposure---and cash outlay---on the hardware business.

Galaxy_Tab_4_NOOK
Indeed, Barnes & Noble is also downsizing its real estate footprint. The company said its Nook employees will be moved from a 208,000 square foot facility to a new location with 88,000 square feet. The move---from Palo Alto to Santa Clara and Mountain View will cut lease commitments in the future by about $102 million. Barnes & Noble said the relocation will be complete at the end of its first fiscal quarter and cost about $30 million.

It's about engagement and software
For Barnes & Noble, the move to cut hardware expenses and partner makes sense. The catch is that it's unclear whether Barnes & Noble's Nook division can transition to completely focus on software and customer engagement.

Barnes & Noble, primarily a retailer, will use Nook to be an ingredient brand and partner going forward. That reality means that the Nook presence will have to be all about engagement and software on multiple devices.

The Nook experience is solid, but it'll face the following challenges

DevOps changes corporate culture for the better, study suggests

DevOps changes corporate culture for the better, study suggests

IBM Watson Group-photo from IBM Media Relations
Survey of 9,200 IT professionals finds direct correlation between DevOps adoption and business success.
DevOps means greater performance in IT organizations. And higher performance within IT organizations translates to greater success for the rest of the enterprise.
That's the main takeaway of a recent survey conducted by Puppet Labs, a provider of IT automation software. The survey, based on the responses of 9,200 IT and software development professionals, finds that DevOps practices are being adopted at accelerated rates, and high-performing IT organizations deploy code 30 times more frequently with 50 percent fewer failures.

DevOps brings together two, often very different worlds within the IT sector: developers and operations people, who often work at odds with one another. Developers are famous for working in more free-form fashion, and burning a lot of midnight oil, while operations people are more focused on schedules and processes. Within today's fast-moving and unforgiving economy, new software needs to built, tested, and released pronto -- within a matter of days and weeks. That's why developers and operators need to work in sync.
So, the corporate culture of getting things done in a hurry is recasting IT. But can IT also change corporate culture as well?  Yes, say the survey's authors, Gene Kim (author of The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win), Jez Humble (principal at ThoughtWorks), Dr. Nicole Forsgren Velasquez (professor at Utah State University) and Nigel Kersten (Puppet Labs). The survey shows there's a direct correlation between DevOps adoption and business success, they state.

Well-known DevOps practices such as use of version control and continuous delivery lead to a corporate culture of continuous learning and improvement. That's because open information flow, cross-functional collaboration, shared responsibilities, learning from failures and new ideas are at the heart of DevOps, and correlate strongly with high organizational performance.

IT job satisfaction is another variable in business success. The Puppet Labs survey shows that that the number one predictor of organizational performance is job satisfaction, and that DevOps practices increase employee satisfaction across the board. Software gets delivered quickly, and there's more involvement in designing solutions.

The bottom line is that firms with high-performing IT organizations were twice as likely to exceed their profitability, market share and productivity goals, the survey confirms.

Another interesting finding from the survey: 16 percent of respondents were actually even part of a formal "DevOps" department, a relatively new phenomenon. Of these respondents, 55 percent identified as DevOps engineers or systems engineers.

10 top smartphones: 5 for dads and 5 for grads

10 top smartphones: 5 for dads and 5 for grads

Smartphones make great gifts for tech-minded dads and students achieving their goals. Here are five handsets to consider for each group -- including one device that makes an ideal choice for either dad or grad.
Top smartphones for dads and grads
It's that time of year: Students are graduating and we also spend a day honoring dear old dad. A smartphone is a very nice gift for both grads and dads, and I offer up my top five picks for each group in this image gallery.

Many dads are fans of mobile technology and for this group I picked the best high end smartphones that are available today. One phone is not yet available from a carrier in the US, but is readily available from online vendors,  including Amazon. Three phones are available on all major US carriers.

Students are more concerned about pricing, like to use their phone for social networking, and also are more likely to drop a phone given they are carrying them around campus, in backpacks, at parties, and on the bus.

As you can see in my image gallery, I have one phone that I picked across both lists and that is the iPhone 5s. I know it is very expensive, but it is also still my top smartphone of the year and offers superb functionality with little compromise across the board.

The year's top 10 smartphones available now

All the smartphones announced in the first quarter of 2014 are now available and this list ranks the top 10 for you to consider.
We can expect a new iPhone, the Xperia Z2, possibly a new Moto X, and more coming in the next few months. For now, there are at least 10 good quality devices — this list is based on my experiences and opinions. I am sure many will have different opinions about the ranking and am curious to see what your top devices are at this time.
Number 1: Apple iPhone 5s
All indications are that we will see a new iPhone, possibly with a larger display, announced in June at WWDC. However, after looking at the iterative updates from HTC and Samsung, it is difficult for me not to give my top pick to the Apple iPhone 5s.

With the iPhone 5s in hand, you get all of the latest apps and services first, a solid performing all-around camera, an extremely pocketable form factor, and a smartphone that is simply tough to beat.
Number 2: HTC One (M8)
1iPhone5HTCOneM8The HTC One (M7) was my top smartphone of 2013 and I would have placed this new HTC One (M8) at the top of this list if HTC had done a bit more with the rear camera. It is honestly still the smartphone I would personally purchase myself at this time, but I understand not everyone wants a new device just because it has the best build quality over everything else available.
HTC improved its Sense 6 UI so that it honestly enhances, rather than detracts from, the Android experience. There is just the right amount of customizations, settings, and features without being overbearing like Samsung tends to do. You won’t find a better designed smartphone and HTC did a fantastic job improving on an already great device.
Number 3: Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung’s latest smartphone is available from US carriers this week and — as clearly stated in CNET’s full review — the S5 is one of the top two Android smartphones to purchase right now. It has some new features over the S4, such as a fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, upgraded 16 megapixel camera, and water resistant design.

GalaxyS5The Samsung Galaxy S5 is one of the only smartphones today that offers both a removable battery and microSD expansion card slot, which makes it handy for road warriors. There are plenty of options in the S5, but thankfully TouchWiz has been slimmed down a bit to offer a better overall experience.

Number 4: Moto X
While the Moto X was launched last fall, it remains one of my favorite smartphones of all time. The Moto X is great because of the things Motorola has done to make the overall experience fantastic, including active notifications, touchless controls, Motorola Connect, and Motorola Assist.
motorola-moto-x-pressLumiaIconThe Moto X is also one of the lowest priced smartphones you can purchase and is available on all US carriers via the Moto Maker customization site. Even though I continue to test out the HTC One (M8), my SIM keeps finding its way back into my custom Moto X because of the Motorola enhancements

Number 5: Nokia Lumia Icon


Windows Phone is gaining market share and the best overall Windows Phone available today is clearly the Nokia Lumia Icon from Verizon Wireless. It offers up the perfect mix of screen size, 5 inches, with great internal specs and a fantastic camera. You can’t beat a high end Nokia Lumia camera on a phone and the Icon doesn’t disappoint.

Nokia just announced the Lumia 930, which is the GSM version of the Lumia Icon for customers outside the US. Windows Phone has come a long way and will be getting even better very soon with the Windows Phone 8.1 update that was announced and shown off last week.

Number 6: Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Samsung throws everything but the kitchen sink into the Galaxy Note 3 and I found the experience both rewarding and frustrating. It is an incredible device for the road warrior with a large replaceable battery, expandable storage, and a display that functions like a small tablet.

2GalaxyNote3The Note 3 was launched last fall, but remains the top phablet available today. If you use the S Pen or need a device with a very large display, then you really cannot beat the Galaxy Note 3. I am surprised by how many family and friends I see using the Note 3 on a daily basis.
Number 7: LG G2
LG did great with the Nexus 5 and LG G2 in 2013. It is likely we will see a new model, maybe the G3, this year, but the G2 is still an excellent option to consider.

The minimal side bezel, long battery life, and solid camera experience are compelling on the LG G2. The button design makes sense, but I couldn't get used to it while I was testing it out. I have considered buying one a couple of times though because of the great camera and gorgeous display, along with the now lower price.

lgg2tmo-200x371Like Samsung, LG overwhelms consumers a bit with their software options. Then again, people who like to tweak and customize their device may enjoy the LG experience.
Number 8: Google Nexus 5
Many Android purists stick with the Google Nexus line and LG's Nexus 5 is a smart choice to consider with a reasonable price point.

The Nexus 5 has the excellent internal specifications, including a Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 8 megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, Qi wireless charging, and more.

Google has released a couple of software updates for the camera to improve its performance and it likely will continue to get updated and improved over time.

Number 9: Nokia Lumia 1020
Lumia1020Yellow
I am still a fan of Windows Phone and it seems almost daily apps that I find essential, such as USAA bank, appear in the Windows Phone Store. You will not find a better camera on a phone than the one on the Lumia 1020 so that fact alone makes this device one to add to my top 10 list.

I disagree with Nokia’s exclusive US carrier strategy and it is a real shame that the Lumia 1020 is still only available on AT&T in the same way it is sad that the Lumia Icon is a Verizon exclusive. I would love to see Nokia release phones like Apple, Samsung, HTC, and LG tend to do with multiple carrier availability.
Number 10: Sony Xperia Z1s
XperiaZ1s
Sony’s flagship smartphones are not commonly sold via US carriers, but the Z1 came to T-Mobile in the form of the Xperia Z1s. I almost bought one because I find the waterproof design to be a nice bonus for the rainy Pacific Northwest. However, the  washed out display killed that plan even though the camera, minimal Sony UI, and overall design are attractive.
Sony announced the Xperia Z2 that looks to improve in every area and I am excited to see it launch in the US. However, we don’t yet know when it is coming; so for now the Z1s variant sits at number 10 in my current list.

Google launches Project Tango developer tablet for $1,024

Google launches Project Tango developer tablet for $1,024

 Project Tango's official remit is to entice developers to create "more than a touch screen app" and explore new mobile experiences via computer vision
tango tablet
Google on Thursday rolled out its Project Tango Tablet Developers kit, which aims to enable 3D applications, computer vision and advanced sensing tools.

The device, which is meant for developers, will be sold by Google in late June---think Google I/O---for $1,024.

Project Tango's official remit is to entice developers to create "more than a touch screen app" and explore new mobile experiences via computer vision. The Project Tango tablet is powered by Nvidia's Tegra K1 chip in a move that highlights how graphics processing could go more mainstream.

Google started Project Tango with a smartphone device, but is now going upstream. In addition to the Nvidia processor, the 7-inch tablet has 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a motion tracking camera, depth sensing and connectivity. Those tools will go along with software updates, application programming interfaces and algorithms from Google.

Like Google Glass, the search giant noted that the Project Tango tablet development kit is "not a consumer device and will be available in limited quantities.