Tech Retrospect: Apple Watch ships and Project Fi lights up the airwaves
New baubles will be appearing on wrists today, so prepare yourself. Also, Google's getting in on the MVNO game and Comcast is getting out of the acquisition game. For now. All that and more in your look back at the week in tech.
If you're reading this whilst glancing adoringly at a shiny new piece of technology on your wrist, then congratulations to you. You've managed to secure one of 2015's most desirable new products. Or, at least, one of the most anticipated.
In our review of the Apple Watch we found it an interesting but far from perfect device, and indeed while demand has certainly been high, from our end the reaction from readers hasn't been as overwhelming as some had expected.
Regardless, it's out there, so expect a flood of real-world reports on battery life, app performance, durability and submersability to come. I, for one, am really looking forward to reading what all of you think about the thing.
Another thing I looked forward to was the inevitable teardown, and iFixit has obliged, revealing a 205mAh battery in a 38mm model. That's about a third smaller than the battery found in the Moto 360. I was actually surprised at how much empty space there is inside the Watch, particularly around the innards of the crown. You know what that means: thinner and lighter for next year. Or, at least, more battery.
Google announces Project Fi
We've been eagerly awaiting Google's entrance to the wireless provider market, expecting huge, sweeping savings over current plans and a groundbreaking approach that would make the AT&Ts and Verizons of the world shake in their boots. That's not exactly what we got this week, but Google's Project Fi does sound promising.
Project Fi is an MVNO, which is basically a wireless carrier that piggy-backs on another wireless carrier. In the case of Google's MVNO, it's actually two carriers: T-Mobile and Sprint. As such, only the Nexus 6 can handle the requisite switching of wireless channels, which means subscribers will find their handset choices to be extremely limited.
Pricing starts at $20 monthly with $10 per gigabyte of data on top of that. Use a fraction of a gigabyte? You'll get a credit back. That's great news, as is the free international data in 120 countries (thanks to the T-Mobile alliance). If you do a dollar-for-dollar comparison to other MVNO's like Republic Wireless you'll find Project Fi isn't necessarily any cheaper, but it is far more flexible -- particularly if you get your passport stamped on a regular basis.
Comcast and Time Warner merger is off, for good
As far as romantic courtships go, Comcast's wooing of Time Warner certainly ranks up there among the most expensive. Alas, it was all for naught, as the acquisition is now officially off. The proposed deal was announced back in February of 2014, valued at $45.2 billion. Many were immediately skeptical and, despite millions spent lobbying, it was increasingly clear that the FCC and the Justice Department were not going to let this go through. And so, we're all left wondering what might have been -- and perhaps feeling like we've dodged a bullet.
Google nearly acquired Tesla in 2013
Here's another corporate courting that didn't come to pass, but this one we're only just learning about years later. According to Bloomberg, way back in 2013 Tesla was terribly close to toppling into bankruptcy. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made some very bold moves at the time, which included calling up Google CEO Larry Page. The two made a handshake deal that would see Google acquiring the company. But, thanks to some hard work on the inside, Tesla turned its own fortunes around. With the future looking bright, the deal was off.
YouTube turns 10, shuts off older devices
I leave you with this, the oldest video on YouTube, a fascinating exploration of captive elephants uploaded some 10 years ago this week. Okay, perhaps it isn't so fascinating. In fact, compared to the stuff that companies like GoPro and DJI are posting on a daily basis it looks downright primitive. However, it was the humble beginnings of something huge.
Something huge that is, sadly, a little harder to get to this week than it was last. If you have a first or second generation Apple TV, or an iPhone running iOS 7 or older, the native YouTube apps will no longer work. The same goes for many older televisions that were once labeled smart but are getting more remedial by the minute. Shame, as some of these sets are just a few years old.