Last Friday, April 11th 2014, The Samsung Galaxy S5 was made available to the public. While the newest smartphone in the Galaxy line carries a individual price tag of around 650.00, the components used to build the features of the Samsung Galaxy S5 have been calculated to about 256 bucks.
A tear down of the Samsung Galaxy S5 was conducted by the Teardown Mobile Handsets Intelligence Service at IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS). The tear down group took a look at the cost of the materials such as the WTR1625 radio frequency (RF) transceiver , the PMC8974 power management chip and the core processor, all from Qualcomm and generally improvements and updates to the previous Galaxy model. New features and faster speeds generally mean an increase in cost to build.
The numbers presented by IHS only indicate the projected cost to build a Samsung Galaxy S5 and the model used included a television receiver as this tear down unit came from South Korea. This estimate doesn’t include software, licensing and other royalties and cost.
The report from IHS also looked at comparative reports for previous tear downs including the Apple iPhone 5S which was estimated to cost 207.00.
TechtalkRadio received a sample Samsung Galaxy S5 for testing from AT&T and while it took me a few days to completely put down my iPhone 5, I am enjoying the experience. I’ll have more to report in a couple of days. Are you using the Samsung Galaxy S5? What are your thoughts!
Photo of the Power Radio Broadcast Crew in Palm Springs
Great Week at TechtalkRadio! Some cool things are happening soon and the new “Finished” or at least completed up to now website will be uploaded soon. First of all, Happy Birthday this week to “Broadway”
(Bottom Left in the Photo)
Not sure exactly how old the guy is but I have known John since the early days of my morning radio show Barry and Andy at KPSI FM. I remember one day Barry telling me he found the perfect guy to be an producer for the show. Did it have anything to do with his organization, contact list or his proven ability to make things happen? Absolutly Not! it had to do with his desire to do just about anything we threw at him.
And throw at him we did! John would approach anybody while on the phone with us and do whatever was asked if it was going to sound good on the air. I really think John had a lot to do, along with a number of other great people, with the success of the morning show in the early days. As the show moved forward and John moved on, we would keep in touch but it wasn’t until many years later that I discovered Johns passion for technology and had taken up an education in everything from Networking to administering. John has since joined the show on many occasions from his home in Texas and just like he was in his early days with the morning show will tell you what he thinks and give you an honest opinion of a subject or solution.
John has a way of bringing a lot of fun to the show, kind of like how he looks at life , and I am looking forward to his participation in the return. Happy Birthday Broadway!
A Flyer Promoting Techtalk with Mike and Andy
Gloria was doing some spring cleaning and found an old flyer that Mike and I used to promote the show when it made it debut on KPSI Newstalk 920 in Palm Spring back in the Mid 90’s. The radio show was originally called Techtalk With Mike and Andy and we were joined on occasion at the time by Bill Grace. Mike O’Brien and I became friends after meeting at Egghead Software and talking about Technology. I had always thought a radio show dealing with technology would be a lot of fun.
Leo was doing his show on KGO and I listened when I could driving into my nightime FM Radio Show called Saturday Night Hotmix. With the radio background the thought was I could do something to bring the passion of Tech to the airwaves for the Palm Springs listeners. It certainly wasn’t something I could do at the time alone and needed somebody who lived with the same love of gadgets, had a sense of humor and wasn’t afraid to be on the air.
A Photo of Mike and Andy of Techtalk with Mike and Andy
We got over the hurdle of the fear of the airwaves and quickly Mike was up and running and providing some great discussions on the level of the average user and having fun while at it. Mike had a succesful Computer Business in the Coachella Valley and the radio show helped promote it however with only one hour, it was a challange to fit it all in. The Radio Morning Show I was on was offered an opportunity to move across the street to a new radio group and one of the “deals” involved bringing Techtalk with Mike and Andy to the new stations AM outlet. A Stronger signal and we wouldn’t have to pay for the time slot which to our happiness was going to be on Saturdays!
Andy Taylor, Bill Grace. Mike O’Brien
We brought in Bill Grace and the show continued to gain momentum. Bill added to the show not only with his tremendous knowledge of Microsoft and Dos but also worked to get Techtalk with Mike and Andy on the web. We streamed our show live via shoutcast and we quickly had emails from all over the country that would tune in to the show to have questions answered. I looked forward every week to hanging out with not only Mike and Bill but also the listeners to the show.
Some years later, I moved to Tucson to do radio but every weekend I would drive back to Palm Springs and do the show. After about a year of this commute, we hung it up a KNWZ. We all went our seperate ways and the show rebranded as TechtalkRadio and have had many co-host since then, Justin, Slick, Randy, Scott, Bruce, Carol, Broadway and of course Wally. Mike and Bill as well as all the co-host always have a place on the show and while the show may not be nationally syndicated, the roots are what makes this ride so much fun. Thanks all of you!
Jim Barry, the Digital Answer Man from the Consumer Electronics Association visited with Andy Taylor and Mark Stine on KMSB Fox 11 Daybreak to share some of the latest gadgets and talk about the trends during the show.
We also get a chance to first hand see what some of the awesome new technology we may see this year or coming in the next few years!
We talked about the growth in Technology on our vehicles and some of the announcements focused on this technology inside vehicles!
From the Mobile In Car, we talked about Mobile Wearable Technology. Some of the Products we took a look at in this first segment were:
The Scosche Rhythm – This wearable technology allows you to wear this pulse monitor to check and manage your pulse rate, calories burned during a workout, the distance of your workout and of course others such as speed, rate or repetition and your pace. Many people listen to music while working out and The Rhythm allows you to not only monitor your workout pattern but at the same time control your music within the Rhythm interface. More Info at http://www.scosche.com/rhythm
The FitBit Flex – This Wearable technology not only helps to monitor your activity but can be used to monitor your sleep! The FitBit can monitor how often you wake up, how long you slept and can even gently wake you up with a slight vibration in the wrist unit! The FitBit Flex doesn’t just report, it gives you goals to hit. Pre set your activity levels and as you approach these goals, LED lights will illuminate to show you are working towards your goal! More Info at http://www.fitbit.com/flex
The Tinke from Zensorium – In the Wearable Health category we also took a look at the Zensorium Tinke which plugs directly into your iOS or Android Device and then monitors your Heart and Respiratory Rate as well as a few others checks for keeping you aware of your wellness and fitness. You can find more info at http://www.zensorium.com/tinke/
During the segment we also talked about Wireless Technology with Wireless Speakers, one that looked like a large coffee mug from iCreation called the Speecup. It’s design makes it not only handy to fit into a coffee cup holder in a car or as Mark Stine put it, In a golf cart – great for the ride on the greens but also resonates some great sound in this small form. The Speecup also can be used with gesture technology which means not having to fumble to push a button, a gesture of the hand across the top can perform functions such as answering a call with this Bluetooth connected device. For more info check out http://www.icreation.com
Jim is always a blast to have on the show! Part Two will be posted in a few days!
I just caught wind of a product that will tie your smartphone to your car! It’s from a company called Automatic and looks pretty promising. I took a look at the website and the device itself sells for about $99. It will tie to your phone and give you insights in your gas, driving habits, places visited and i am certain some other cool features.
Automatic Device with Smartphone
Similar in look to the devices that Car Insurance companies have been using to report your driving habits and sometimes save money on your premiums (Thanks Flo…), the Automatic plugs in to your cars OBD (On Board Diagnostic Port) which you will find equipped on most vehicles starting around 1996 and can relate information on Where you Parked? Driving practices that could save you money and even engine diagnostics.
You’ll need to have a smartphone with Bluetooth, a cool idea! Hopefully we will get our hands on one but in the meantime, the folks at Automatic would like you to see this video
Back in 2008 We featured some very cool products from a startup company that was created by women for the idea of creating products that appealed to the female sense of design and usability. Chic Buds is that company and since our interview with one of the founders Nikki Carlson, the company has gone through some changes which has increased the product line and continues to innovate with a focus on the user wanting a fashionable accessory for smart phone, tablet or PC/Mac.
A Photo of the ChicBuds PortaParty
We are taking a look at several products that could make really nice gifts for Valentine’s Day! ChicBuds refers to these products as Fun, Functional and Fashionable. One of the most requested products on the website at http://www.chicbuds.com is the Porta/Party Bluetooth Wireless Speaker. Easily pair up and play with your wireless device the Porta/Party is set for up to a 10 hours of play time and a design created by girls for girls, the floral or plaid design can fit just about anywhere and recharges with a USB cable, No buying of Batteries required! The Porta/Party sells for $49.99.
A Photo of the ChicBuds Gurl Power
One of the products I found on the ChicBuds site that I had to take a look at is the creative and functional Gurl Power device. No doubt this was developed by somebody with girls in the household that are always needing a place to plug in and charge their phones or tablets! Gurl Power is a small shape with floral design and features two USB charging ports! Two devices can be charged at the same time eliminating the headaches of tying up an outlet with bulky chargers. The product itself receives a charge which can be done from an outlet or a PC/Mac. The device can then be carried with you and if the need to charge your phone arises, plug into the portable GurlPower back and in some cases, a full charge to the phone in about 70min. This device sells for 39.99
As a dad to two girls, now grown up, I can see them still really enjoying the Chic Buds Luv/Buds In Line Mic and Earbuds. With the Chic Buds Luv/Buds you not only get the sound but you get the style with a flat cord design allowing for some actual pattern or design on the cord. Gel Tips on the Luv/Buds make it comfortable for listening longer and one button microphone allow for using your earbuds and still having the ability to accept incoming calls on the iPhone. This product sells inexpensively for 14.99 on the ChicBuds website.
A Photo of the ChicBuds Physique
If you like to use your iPhone while on the go, the folks at ChicBuds have a solution for you. The Chic Physique armband allows you to strap the soft housing, currently only for the iPhone 5 series, to your arm via a Velcro wrap which can be adjusted for just about any size arm. The material is reflective which can aid in safety on jogs and is machine washable! The pricing for the Chic Physique is 14.99 and comes in different designs.
Finally, we looked at a really nice little carry all called the Onsie. The ChicBuds Onsie features a space for your phone, a strap to carry the Onsie and cool looking designs available. Inside, a mirror to check the makeup, the ability to hold a couple of credit cards and have easy access to your phone screen. This Onsie sells for about 24.99
These are just some of the products we looked at, the entire line can be found at http://www.chicbuds.com. Many of these items could be shipped in time for Valentine’s Day and could even be thought of for Mothers Day. It’s nice to see another company focus on making Tech fashionable and friendly for a large market of the consumers. ChicBuds is certainly a strong brand with outreach to other areas such as its website http://www.chicblvd.com which features articles on not only tech gear but also tips and tricks for everyday life, marriage and family and dating. http://www.chicexec.com also branches to the area of innovation and business with a great site for learning of trends and practice in start ups. http://www.chicexec.com can provide public relations services as well as channel management for distribution of products when developed to investor relations to assist in funding the dream.
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