Smart Speaker & Mesh WiFi: Netgear Jumpstarts New Category

2020-02-02T14:28:37-07:00August 30th, 2018|

Netgear today unveiled Orbi Voice, a first-of-its-kind hybrid product that merges the best of two fast-growing smart home products: whole-home mesh Wi-Fi and high-quality smart speakers.

The speaker is co-developed and co-branded with premium audio maker Harman Kardon. But it’s more than just a great-sounding speaker. Orbi Voice also acts as a mesh-network satellite. So rather than slowing Wi-Fi with real-time bandwidth demands – as many intelligent speakers do – Orbi Voice actually improves performance by managing communications as well as extending the network into far corners of the home.

Orbi Voice is powered by Qualcomm chipsets, and makes use of the wireless pioneer’s latest self-organizing network, or SON, technology.

So, better together! I’m sure we’ll be seeing more combination mesh Wi-Fi/smart speaker combinations, at different price points. Speaking of which …

If you already have an Orbi mesh system, you can buy the Orbi Voice Satellite as a standalone item, for $299.99. Or you can pick up a kit for $429.99. Those are suggested retail prices, so you might be able to find them for less.

I’ll be adding the Orbi Voice Satellite to my Orbi Pro network soon. So stay tuned for my thoughts on this category-creating product!

Downsizing the Big Data Problem

2020-03-12T18:52:51-07:00August 1st, 2018|

Machine learning, the most common foundation for building artificial intelligence algorithms, absolutely requires big data to identify patterns. That turns out to be one of the biggest hurdles for AI today.

Researchers often don’t have enough data to give them a sample size large enough to draw conclusions. Combining multiple data stores to build a sufficiently large set can be a very expensive, time-consuming and labor-intensive process.

Montefiore Health Systems in New York seems to have overcome this tyranny of big data in the healthcare space. Their sophisticated PALM platform is able to blend multiple data stores and churn out life-saving AI algorithms with a speed and ease that few believed possible.

In cooperation with Intel, Montefiore embedded Mike Feibus, FeibusTech’s Principal Analyst, into the healthcare system to learn more about this game-changing new platform, and how Intel Xeon Scalable processors are helping to drive the PALM team’s success. Don’t miss Embedded Analyst: AI Without Borders, FeibusTech’s compelling new Research Brief.

Galaxy Tab S4: Now, Windows on an Android Tablet

2020-02-02T14:33:00-07:00August 1st, 2018|

Just to clarify, I mean to say that you can now have multiple windows open for all your Android apps – that’s windows with a lower-case “w.” We’re not talking Microsoft Windows. The Tab S4, announced today, features DeX, Samsung’s multitasking productivity platform for Android. That’s not unusual for a flagship device from the electronics giant. What is new, however, is that DeX will run right on the tablet, even without an external display attached.

That means you can edit a Word document in one window while watching a livestream in another. That’s actually what I’ll be doing from the beach next week, when Samsung holds its annual Unpacked reveal in New York City! And one nice DeX enhancement with this version: you can now resize any window, not just DeX-aware apps.

There’s no dock for the S4. An external display connects via the USB-C port. Of course, if you’re interested in the Tab S4 as a productivity device, then you’ll want the optional keyboard. It’s $149.99, though it’s 50 percent off if you buy it with your Tab S4 by midnight … on September 8th. (The Tab S4 itself starts at $649.99 for the 64GB version.)

The specs were well-leaked in recent weeks, for the most part. Just to call out a couple highlights: a larger, 10.5-inch display packed into the same form factor as the Tab S3, Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of system memory, 64GB or 256GB of storage, 13MP and 8MP cameras and a beefy 7,300mAh battery for all-day operation – and fast charging to boot. LTE is optional. Qualcomm’s 2×2 802.11ac is standard, which means a stronger Wi-Fi signal for faster connections and better range. The device also has Bluetooth 5.0, which is faster and lower power than previous versions. Here is Samsung’s Tab S4 press release.

Speaking of Bluetooth, the Tab S4 has one other nice touch: it supports Bluetooth mice, which means you can really be in full-on desktop mode with the POGO-attached keyboard, a Bluetooth mouse and a large display, bouncing between all the open applications just like you would on a Windows desktop.

This time, I do mean Windows with a capital “W.”

I’ll have one of these bad boys in hand soon, so stay tuned for a more detailed run-through. And also the Note9, which, you know, we’ll talk more about next week!

Go to Top