Paul Stenhouse: Samsung's mobile product launch and Texas tracks the power outage with the Whataburger app

Samsung had their big mobile product launch event 

The sixth generation of the Fold has a much less noticeable crease in the middle of the screen. Samsung is using a new display coating. 

Galaxy Buds 3 - looks like the Apple EarPods got a Tesla Cybertruck styled makeover. There are some quite prominent angles! 
 
But it's the Galaxy Ring which got the headlines, the first major brand to launch what is effectively a health tracker on your finger. It comes with an accelerometer, heart rate sensor, and skin temperature sensor to allow you to track sleep, heart rate data, and activity. It comes in gold, silver, and black on a titanium frame. It is a ring though so it can't be adjusted, which is why they have a sizing kit. It'll be an Android-only product, but when connected to your phone will allow you to do a double pinch gesture to control your phone’s camera or dismiss an alarm hands-free. 

 
Texans got help tracking the power outages from an unlikely hero 

The "Whataburger" burger chain app turned into a lifeline for people in Houston to know where in the city had power. The app has a map feature to show all the store locations which conveniently has a feature to show which stores are open and closed. And because there are so many locations in Houston, seeing the clusters of stores closed gave a very clear visual of the power situation in the city. 

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from News Talks ATB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Twenty two to eleven on News talks 'B. Samsung has
had their big mobile product launch event this week. Our
texpert Paul Stenhouse has been keeping a close eye on
things various products getting their launch this week. Paul, But
all eyes are on the Galaxy Ring.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
I actually just really like that. It feels like Samsung
actually does some innovation, Yeah, because Apple's just kind of
you know exactly what's going to be there. Yeah, where
they kind of put They do some interesting things right,
Like even their folding phone is super cool. Their range
of lifestyle TVs, the ones for outdoors and the ones
that look like picture frames, Like they're actually doing some
cool stuff.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
The Galaxy Ring is another one that they're doing, and
it's getting the headlines. They've become the first major brand
to launch what is effectively a health tracker on your finger.
So think of your Fitbit back in the day or
your Apple Watch. This has been shrunk down now to
a ring and you put it on your finger. It
comes with an accelerometer, it comes with a heart rate sensor,

(01:13):
It looks at the temperature, of your skin. It can
track your sleep, your activity, It does all those kinds
of things, and it comes in a very stylish gold,
silver or black jack on a titanium frame. Interesting though
for this product because it's not like you can just
go down to the store or maybe you can, I guess,
and just buy it or buy it as a gift
because it can't be adjusted. It's a ring. Yeah, so

(01:35):
there's also a sizing kit, which it's kind of funny
for this product, and it's going to be an Android
only product, so the Apple folks they can't get on board.
And when it's connected to your phone. I really like
this actually, and this is some of that innovation I
was talking about that I think is kind of cool
on your finger that the rings on right and you're
taking a selfie or you've got someone you know, like

(01:57):
holding the phone or it's on a stand or something
and you want to take a picture. You just double
pinch and it will take the take.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
It again, double pinch.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
So let's imagine that you've got your shot. It's not
a tripod. You're like, oh, yeah, I think we're gonna
look great. Yeah, you can be there with everybody and
then just two with your ah, double pinch.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
That's quite cool.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, it's quite cool.

Speaker 3 (02:19):
You comparently can also dismiss an alarm like that too.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
It's probably too too easy. I think part of the
key of having an alarm is that you've got to
make it tricky to turn off. Don't you.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Seen there's videos where they have the alarm that has wheels.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Or yeah, that runs off around the bedroom. You've got
to chase it. Yeah. I feel like my wife could
do with one of those from time to time. Maybe
that I am that version, I am that alarm for
her running off around the room. Yeah, okay, that sounds
that sounds quite intriguing. Here's the thing though, when it
comes to personal health trackers, I'm not sure that I
warn one. Do you do you use one?

Speaker 3 (02:52):
I don't. I think it's a really I don't know
if this is where you're going or not. But I
think there's a really fascinating conversation, especially here in the
US where private insurance companies, you know, yah, in the
healthcare system, and I think we've got this like wealth
of information at our fingertips about like, how is that
going to start to play into our insurance? Yeah, premium
coverage right, Oh, you don't. It doesn't look like you're

(03:15):
getting out that much. We're gonna we're gonna charge you more.
Or I feel the same way about those the you know,
you swab your mouth and you do your genealogy.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Oh yeah, totally.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
I don't do that either.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, it's kind of yeah, I think it is a
little bit messy. But but just like in the basic stuff,
I don't don't feel like I need my ring to
tell me that I had a bad sleep last night,
or that my that I haven't been accelerating enough, or
that you know, I maybe haven't got enough step. I
just you know, Apple watch.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
I do an Apple Watch. And the thing that annoy
me was it's always every time to stand. I'm like,
I know, but I have another meeting.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah exactly, and I can't. And you just kind of
feel guilty in this, like anxiety over it or something. Yeah,
I'm not totally sure.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
Hey, very quickly find it a very good motivator.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
No, that's true, that's true. Maybe it's just an each
to their own kind of thing. Very quickly. Our Texans
are getting help on tracking power outages from a bit
of an unlikely hero.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
I love this. There's a burger chain in Texas that
seems to be on like every corner of Houston open.
And so when the people of Houston found themselves without
power this week, the power company didn't really have a
very good map to show that and who came to
the rescue. But what a Burger Yeah, because their app
could show you what stores were open and closed, and

(04:28):
their folage stores had power and didn't, and there were
so many stores that it gave a very clear visual
of where the power is and where the power is
not in the city.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
So isn't it amazing? Yeah? Quite simple. Yeah, that's quite clever.
Very good. Hey, thank you, Paul. We will catch up
with you again very soon. That is our texpert, Paul Stenhouse.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
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