No More Keys and Wallets?

Anthony BeyerI read a really interesting article on TechCrunch today called “When Will Your Phone Replace Your Keys and Wallet?” by one of their columnists named Jon Evans. What the article discussed in fairly self explanatory from the title. It brings up several really pertinent questions as we progress into a world in which everything you would need keys and wallets for can be done with a smartphone.

Yes, it’s quite possible that in a few years credit cards and cash will seem equally cumbersome. Many stores, especially if you live in a major metropolitan area, accept payment from programs and apps on your phone. And if these are the major reasons people still carry wallets, there will be no need to anymore if these apps become even more common place. The other reason people need wallets, Evans points out, is ID, but many states are creating and instituting government apps which in the very near future, as soon as the imminently approaching 2015, will be able to serve as acceptable forms of identification.

The next item in your pocket that you never leave the house without, if you hope to get back in that is, is your keys, but for these too there will soon be a digital replacement. Several companies (see the article from the link above for names) are creating the software that would make your entire house accessible from your phone. There are many safety and security issues still very much in need of being worked out, but the technology is and will soon be more widely available. This smart-phone-as-key technology makes even James Bond style finger print recognition seem archaic.

Anthony Beyer walletThe article is very interesting and I suggest reading it, both for the discussion of how these commonly carried articles can and will be replaced, and the security issues that are brought up as well.

Fall Photos by Anthony Beyer

In addition to his various business ventures, Anthony Beyer is an avid photographer. He takes photos of many subjects, including his family, locations to which he travels, and any other interesting things that catch his eye.  Below, you can see a series of fall photos he recently took. The changing colors of the foliage, and the colors of the evening sky during fall provide excellent subjects for photography.

Microsoft Flagship Store to Open in NYC

Anthony-BeyerMicrosoft will be opening up a flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. There’s currently no date on the grand opening but this announcement comes two years after Microsoft opened a full sized retail location in Times Square. This location unfortunately was closed a few months after opening.

The Daily News reported in August that Microsoft was working out a deal to seize control of the Fendi Store on 53rd street and Fifth Avenue. The new Microsoft store will be located 5 blocks away from Apple’s Fifth Avenue Store on 58th street.

In Columbus Circle, Microsoft operates a specialty store and they also have a few retail locations in the greater New York area. Microsoft has over 100 stores located in the U.S, Puerto, Rico and Canada according to the company’s store location page.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has expressed to the press that he thinks that retail locations are not a core business for the company describing it as a supporting business. To date, most of the company’s retail presence has been in Best Buy and Staples where you can find areas inside dedicated to Microsoft products. In the future, you can expect to see more Microsoft flagship locations opening as close to Apple stores as possible.

How To: Conserve Mobile Battery Life

Anthony Beyer TechDisplay brightness.

With technology evolving daily, our screens are getting bigger and brighter each year. The only negative to this presently is the battery life on our phones are not being able to keep up with the additional power needed to run these features.  Reducing the brightness of your phone screen will help to improve battery life. You should also try and refrain from using automatic brightness settings on your phone because it uses the phones sensors which actually drains your battery faster than adjusting it on your own.  

No service.

Nowadays your phone is useless with out a connection to the internet. You probably noticed that your battery drains faster when your signal is going in and out. This is happening because the device is continuously looking for a signal while trying to communicate with a cell tower.Turning your phone on airplane mode or connecting to a Wi-Fi network will help save your battery in the event you are lost and need navigation home.

Streaming video and games.

Do you love playing mobile games? Do you enjoy watching video on your phone? Well these activities drain more than 50 percent of phone battery life.  If you know you are an going to spend a lot of time watching video on your phone consider getting a portable juice pack or charger to take with you while you are on the go.

GPS and location services.

You ever wondered why your phone always seems to be close to death when you are lost and stranded?  The GPS and navigation app you are using to get home are to blame. Location services, which allow location-based apps and websites like Foursquare, Google Maps, and the camera to access your location, can quickly drain your battery.

If you can keep the geotagging to a minium it will help keep your device from dying.   You can also  try disabling the location features for certain apps and services in the settings menu of your device.

Background data.

If you are the type of person who needs alerts and reminders throughout the day, this may be can  leading to battery drain and even data overages. I recommend setting certain apps to only update and refresh over Wi-Fi, or not at all.