Yes, while we know so much about the tech world it changes as fast as we can get a grasp on what is going on.
So, every week we sit down with the team from NEXA and try to untangle the web of what we know and what we don't know about tech, along the way we review the latest gadgets and maybe talk about an app or 2.
The easy podcast link.
The Show Notes.
Galaxy View 549.99US
18.4 inch tablet
Interesting social media and parenting study!
Mothers of young children who spend more time on social media are more likely to report feelings of anxiety than peers who spend less time on social media on average, according to a new study from Deakin University in Australia. As always, it’s important to point out that correlation doesn’t prove causation, meaning that social media doesn’t necessarily cause anxiety.
The researchers polled 528 mothers of pre-school aged children, and found that their levels of self-reported anxiety rose with each additional hour they spent online, with women ages 25-44 twice as likely to report feelings of anxiety as men were in previous studies.
Researchers noted the results of other studies on social media usage, which have “shown that nearly 50 per cent of female Facebook users felt ‘addicted’ to Facebook, 77 per cent reported being online longer than they intend to be, and one quarter lost sleep because of Facebook.” Researchers also speculated that “spent using the computer or device may remove them from other responsibilities such as chores or engaging with their children, which may subsequently lead to feelings of stress and anxiety.”
May 24
(050) 790-14766
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[From: Xheni Xhori] I would spend the 9k on a Mac as Macs last forever amy PC I've had has died within 2 years. Jen
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5/17/2016 10:30:34 PM
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(056) 682-0011
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James, if u in the market for a tablet/laptop . Check the new lenovo thinkpad x1 tablet. Its will be on the shelvesin 4 weeks. This is a GI Joe compared to the porcelain dolls in the market. kumar
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5/17/2016 10:26:24 PM
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(050) 251-2517
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Why can't he go back once he upgrade?
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The Samsung Galaxy View is an immersive viewing experience in a portable design that lets you take in every moment – from any room in the house.1
-great built in sound
-big screen
This would be good for presentations
This is not a new device
Internals, design, screen, memory all say last gen
1.6 gig processor
2gb ram
32/64gig onboard
Built in handle
5lb
Galaxy TabPro s 3899 DHS
Dual core 2.2GHz chip
12 inch,wifi, NFC,
Intel Core M Processor
4 gig ram
128 GB
This is another contender for the 2 in 1 category and is seen as a good mobile office. Yes it is good for on the road, can it replace your laptop? Probably not.
XBoxOne game streaming capability!
Comes with a keyboard case, At first I thought it looked a bit flimsy but it wasn’t and actually worked really well the track pad was great, they keys were a bit hard, probably would upgrade the keyboard.
Love the fact it is also a touch screen.
I am not sure if I like the boarder around the screen, so the screen does not stretch to the end.
No USB ports, just the chargin port so I am not sure this could replace a computer as much as compliment one.
The fact that it is running windows 10 is a bonus.
Battery can work for up to 630 minutes 150 minutes for full fast charge.
I found the screen just a bit too small given the resolution, usable for a sometimes device but not as my default, but `i am use to a 17 inch MacBook Pro!
sAMOLED display is crisp and clear.
Cool App
Originally a powerhouse of a program on Windows, Poweramp is now available for Android too, bringing with it just about every feature you could want: support for a whole host of formats, equalizers, crossfading, gapless playback, lock screen widgets and more.
You will have to stump up some money for Poweramp but you can use the 15-day trial version to see if the app is really for you. The app comes with a good amount of built-in customization options too, so you can really make it your own. [$3.99, Android]
How many messenger apps does Google need?
One killer messenger app. That's all you need. Not the four that Google seems to think you do. At Google I/O, the Internet giant's annual conference for developers, Google unwrapped two new, very distinct messenger apps that will work on iOS and Androidphones "this summer." There's Allo, for messages and emojis, and Duo for videoconferencing. This is already on top of Google Messenger and Hangouts, each of which handles both texts and video calls.
What gives, Google? Do we really need all these messaging apps?
Google says we do. Allo and Duo are both apps that Google built from scratch, not based on any existing code for Hangouts or Messenger. And both new communication apps draw deeply on machine learning as part of the artificial intelligence future that
Allo's goal is to learn your rhythms and responses and offer suggestions in the form of quick replies. So if someone asks, "How're you doing?" the app might suggest you type in "Awesome!" alongside an emoji of dog doodoo. You choose the suggestion you want, or respond with something else, and behind the scenes Allo records and remembers your answer, maybe for next time.
Duo's flashiest video-calling trick is Knock-Knock, which essentially rings your buddy with a preview of what you look like and what you're doing this very minute. That means there can be no delays between broadcasting your goings-on and the moment the person on the other end receives the knock and picks up the call (or not).
MORE ON GOO
Allo and Duo work as they do, Google says, because the programs stand on their own; they're light and finely tuned, not burdened by too many features that do other things.
"We didn't want to weigh down the [engineering] team with decisions from previous products," Erik Kay, Google's engineering director for communication software, told CNET. Because coders were given the freedom to create from the ground up, Google said, they were able to concentrate on fresh, innovative ways to make next-gen talking tools.
Focused engineering may be Google's reason for keeping the two separate, but there are other considerations as well. These apps work on phones and tether to your phone number, whereas Hangouts is purposely cross-platform, so it works on desktops as nimbly as it does on mobile.
Google also says that different consumers use apps for different purposes, so you might turn to Hangouts for a certain group of friends and Facebook Messenger for another. Meanwhile, you might Skype your in-laws on the weekend but call up Duo's Knock-Knock video to chat with your sweetheart.
Spark Video from Adobe
Bluetooth Nespresso Machine
Nespresso's Bluetooth-enabled espresso machine whips up delicious coffee drinks and connects to your Smart device for easy scheduling, alerts, capsule reordering and more.
Google and Amazon trying to win the home!
Google on Wednesday unveiledGoogle Home, a voice-activated, Internet-connected speaker with a built-in virtual assistant powered by Google’s smarts. Home is Google’s answer to the Echo, a similar device from Amazon that has become a surprise hit with shoppers.
For consumers, Google Home and the Amazon Echo can answer questions about the weather, set alarms, and manage appointments, among other tasks. For the companies that make them, the devices offer a new source of valuable data about their customers — as well as a shiny new gizmo to keep consumers tied more closely to their respective ecosystems. (The Echo in particular makes it almost frighteningly easy to buy more products from Amazon.)
Which device might win? Amazon has a head start. The Echo went on sale in late 2014 and has sold 3 million units, according to estimates. But Google could quickly catch up, experts say. “Amazon may do a better job at anticipating what I want to buy and keeping my refrigerator stocked,” says Julie Ask, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, a research firm. “But Google has a better shot at making my life easier day to day.”
Indeed, Google’s expertise in delivering answers to complex questions may give the search giant an upper hand. “I think the way Google may be superior to its competition in the smart home space is that its technology is truly smarter,” says Mark Hung, research vice president for Gartner. The fact that Google software like Google Maps, Gmail and Google Calendar are already collecting troves of data about us could mean Home is more useful from the get-go, as it should be better equipped to anticipate our needs.
Uber’s Self driving car hits the street
Uber is advancing its driverless car efforts by deploying a test vehicle in Pittsburgh over the coming weeks, the company announced Thursday.
The company’s autonomous Ford Fusion, which has been outfitted with sensors from Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center, will have a human in the driver’s seat to monitor operations. The car will be used to collect mapping data in addition to testing self-driving capabilities, and will include laser scanners, radars, and high-resolution cameras.
Uber says the technology is in its early days and that the company has informed local officials and law enforcement of its plans.”Right now we’re focused on getting the technology right and ensuring it’s safe for everyone on the road,” Uber wrote in a blog post.
Last month, Uber joined with Google, Ford, Volvo, and Lyft in announcing that they would form a coalition to urge lawmakers to pave the road for self-driving vehicle technology. Investors value the San Francisco-based Uber at over $60 billion.
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has long envisioned a future where his company’s cars operate autonomously. What that means for Uber’s drivers, however, remains unclear.
Google is revamping its search to include voice!
Google became one of the most valuable technology companies by building a search engine that processes billions of questions and queries that people type into the Web. Now it will process billions of voice searches as people become comfortable speaking to a virtual assistant in a home networking hub, once again changing the way people find and use information.
Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, wants to create an ongoing dialogue between the company's technology and users, he said during the Google i/o, developers' conference Wednesday. That conversation occurs through Google Assistant, rebranded from Google Now. It becomes the voice with which users interact with Home as well as the experience that links across devices such as tablets, smartphones and PCs.
About 20% of queries in its mobile app and on Android devices are voice searches, per Pichai, who said Google has invested the last decade in building a natural-language processor, which allows Google Assistant to follow the context of several queries when one follows the other. The ability to recognize sequences in language will change advertising. It brings search into the next phase where artificial intelligence removes the barriers of data stuck in silos.
Creats/Selfies and cash!
https://www.ipglab.com/2016/05/20/how-crest-is-mining-selfies-for-consumer-insights/
What Happened
Crest is among several brands using a new app named Pay Your Selfie to gather insights on consumer behavior from selfies. The app works by paying users who complete specified “selfie tasks,” such as taking selfies when they are brushing their teeth, eating ice-cream, having a protein bar, or drinking their favorite soda. Users receive anywhere from 20 cents to $1 for each “task” completed. In Crest’s case, the P&G brand asked for selfies taken “while brushing your teeth with your favorite Crest product,” and discovered some interesting findings that will help inform its future marketing efforts.
What Brands Need To Do
As Crest’s testing shows, this Pay Your Selfie app functions as a decentralized, photo-based focus group that grants brands a peek into consumers’ daily lives so they can better understand their customers. Depending on how they phrase the tasks, brands can get insights on how their products are being used, which competitors’ products are getting popular, and other observational insights on consumer behavior.
However, given that the app has attracted only 100,000 users since launching in September, the sample size for most “tasks” is probably not large or diversified enough to replace traditional market research. Until it manages to acquire more active users, this app is best suited as a complementary tool for brands to obtain information that people typically don’t or can’t articulate in focus groups or other traditional research methods.
The FitBit there are questions!
new study shows that maybe they’re not as accurate as some would lead you to believe.
The results of a study conducted by researchers at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in which participants’ heart rates were simultaneously measured by a Fitbit on each wrist and an echocardiogram, found that the PurePulse heart rate monitors on two Fitbit models - the Surge and Charge HR - can be off by up to 20 beats per minute. Additionally, there were inconsistencies between the two devices and at times, the device didn’t record a heart beat at all. Between the two devices, the study found a greater discrepancy with the Surge than with the Charge HR.
Forty three adults were put through differing levels of activity throughout a 65-minute session, from jogging to jump-roping to full-out treadmill running. Results showed that the more intense the exercise, the greater the margin of error.
“The PurePulse Trackers do not accurately measure a user’s heart rate, particularly during moderate to high intensity exercise, and cannot be used to provide a meaningful estimate of a user’s heart rate,” the researchers wrote.
The study was used in an amended complaint in a class action lawsuit filed against the company by several Fitbit customers who claimed that some trackers didn’t accurately measure heart rates during exercise. This skews the results a bit due to bias, but it isn’t the first investigation to be done into Fitbit accuracy. WTHR, a news station in Indiana, manually recorded things such as steps taken and calories burned and found similar results when compared to the Fitbits participants were wearing. A 2014 article in the Berkeley Science Review also found that the more intense the exercise, the more the Fitbit was prone to error.
We’ve reached out to Fitbit for comment, and will update if we hear back.
Nokia big changes!
As a late Friday coda to this week’s news of Nokia’s old feature phone business getting sold once again, today Nokia quietly confirmed it is laying off 1,032 employees in its home market of Finland. The cuts will come across all business units.
On top of putting the news out in the evening on the very last day of the week, the announcement was further downplayed by being released only in Finnish.
The layoffs are the conclusion of a formal process that started in April, when Nokia said it would lay off up to 1,300 people in the country. At the time, some reported that the cuts were part of a wider cost-cutting process that would reportedly see up to 15,000 jobs cut globally in the wake of Nokia’s merger with Alcatel Lucent and a bid to cut some €900 million ($1 billion) by 2018. Nokia has never confirmed the larger number of layoffs, but it has said half of the 1,000 layoffs confirmed today will come out of its HQ in Espoo, with a quarter each in Oulu and Tampere. The majority of cuts will happen by this summer.
The layoffs are a difficult but inevitable progression of a bigger shift at the company as it has moved from being the world’s biggest mobile phone maker into one that focuses primarily on networking technologies as well as developing and licensing IP related to that and its historical business.
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