Android of wearables, Google Movies, Tencent vs Alibaba… Global Roundup

L.S.M Kabweza Avatar

Of the Android Wear Project (Official Google Blog)

android-wearWearables clearly don’t impress yet. At least not as much as Knight Rider made it look. There’s a race to make it as smooth and cool so the cash can roll in, and a Google announcement yesterday makes them look like the ones that will do it. Android Wear, a new project that extends the Android OS to watches and stuff is promises drastic improvements to the wearables. You will speak to your watch and it will act as your assistant. Like Google Now, or like Siri.

Developers are already in on this, so they can make their Android apps Wear aware. The wearables manufacturers too are already releasing Android Wear powered devices – like these guys that used to be Google.

 

Google rolls out Play Store update, prices movies in local country currencies (TechTrends)

google-play-updateGoogle has rolled out an update to its Play Store app to include more countries than they had before, and provide prices in local currencies.

This article by TechTrends for example says Zambians will now be able to buy movies using Zambian Kwachas.

Where previously only Zimbabwe and Botswana could buy Movies in the Play Store, now about 18 countries can.

 

Tencent versus Alibaba: a complete guide (techinasia.com)

tencent-alibabaEver since I watched Crocodile in the Yangtze, the Alibaba story has had more meaning to me than before, and if you too watched it too, this infographic breakdown of the Tencent versus Alibaba rivalry gives interesting insight.

Some perspective: Tencent is the world’s fourth largest web company, and Alibaba is on the verge of history’s largest tech IPO.

You can see the infographic here.

 

PC sales slump across Africa region (TechCentral)

pcsNew research shows that 2013 was a bad year for PCs in Africa too. It’s unsurprising ofcourse, but still interesting to know. The data comes from a research firm International Data Corp (IDC) which said the Middle East, Africa and Turkey experience a declined by 14,3% year on year during the fourth quarter of 2013, to 4.5m units. “Shipments of portable PCs declined at a rate of 18,2% to 2.7m units, while desktop shipments declined by 7,8% to 1.8m units.” says the article.

The disease killing the PC is also not a surprise: “the shift by consumers from traditional PCs to lighter and more portable form factors like tablets and smartphones”

,

2 comments

  1. KARR

    +1 for Knight Rider!

    1. L.S.M. Kabweza

      😉

2023 © Techzim All rights reserved. Hosted By Cloud Unboxed