Australian Times » Tech

A Look at Smart Speakers: The Amazon Echo Dot

Richard Cox — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 19:42:53 +0000

A Look at Smart Speakers: The Amazon Echo Dot

In 2015, Amazon released a product known as the Amazon Echo, which is one of the best ways of achieving a modern home and lifestyle. The Amazon Echo is a Smart Speaker made to be a digital assistant that you could reach practically anywhere throughout your home. Many people saw the project a huge success that can be used with this year’s best smartphones, and a great concept to begin with.

Echo was inhabited by Alexa, your assistant that acted similar to Apple’s Siri or Microsoft’s Cortana but connected to your WiFi and lived in your home instead of your pocket and all of this can be used in your smarthome. One thing many enjoyed about the Echo device was Alexa’s seemingly “more human” interaction, her voice more appealing than her competitors.

Compact Devices

Echo was a mid-height speaker that connected to your WiFi, and it was able to hear your requests from an incredible distance, but there laid a problem that can be found in any modern smarthome. “She” could hear you, but what if you were too far away to hear her? This year Amazon released the Amazon Echo Dot, one of two of Echo’s successors, and this time around Amazon kept that issue in mind even when you are smart gardening.

Echo Dot is more compact, at least half of the size of its original form, but will all the brains still intact. This would be a problem for the device if it still relied on itself for audio quality, but fortunately, it does not. Now, all of the smart home reviews suggest that the device takes up less space, and has an AUX out that enables the user to define the sound quality, based on whatever hardware they would please to hook up to the device.

This is sure to be a huge hit among users that are looking for fitness tips and are fond of Alexa’s ability to navigate playlists and play songs for you, perhaps even from the shower you could call for Alexa to play whatever it is your heart desired, all hands free, and all without hassle; not to mention the occasional pop-thought question that you just need to know the answer to immediately.

Article submitted by MarketBulls.net.

Microsoft unbundles Kinect from Xbox One

Ska — Wed, 14 May 2014 02:19:27 +0000

IN a move to goad offers of the Xbox One and make up for lost time with opponent Sony’s Playstation 4, Microsoft Corp says it will begin offering the support without the Kinect sensor, which cuts $US100 ($AUD 108.20) from the cost.

The new cost of $US 399 starts June 9.

Microsoft says it is likewise permitting diversion applications like Netflix to be utilized on both the Xbox One and the more seasoned Xbox 360 comfort without needing to pay for a Xbox Live Gold enrollment, which requires $60 a year.

The participation will keep on being needed for multiplayer amusement mode, yet it will additionally give rebates on recreations and free diversions.

Phil Spencer, who was named head of Xbox in March, said unbundling Kinect was vital to arriving at more fans.

“Worth is critical,” he said in a meeting. “Verifying you have an opening value point that can arrive at however many individuals as could be expected under the circumstances is discriminating.”

Microsoft said a month ago that offers of Xbox One had regulated to 1.2 million in the quarter through March, contrasted with the 3.9 million it sold in the occasion quarter. The aggregate of 5.1 million was behind Sony’s 7 million in offers of the Ps4. Both propelled in November.

Spencer included that it generally won’t boded well for store applications, for example, Netflix and Youtube to paying supporters since such applications are broadly accessible on DVD players and other web associated gadgets.

Drive Fined US$48,000 For Using Signal ‘Jammer’

Ska — Fri, 02 May 2014 01:04:32 +0000

Jason R Humphreys has admitted using a device to prevent drivers around him from speaking on their phones. He is facing a US $48,000 (AU $52,000) fine for using signal ‘jammer’ in his car, to prevent drivers around him from making calls.

Mr. Humphreys is accused by the US Federal Communications Commission for using a mobile network obstruction in his car during his daily trip on the Interstate 4 for about 2 years before he got caught.

In Florida, talking on your mobile phone while driving is legal, though texting is prohibited. Telecommunications provider Metro PCS noticed the drawback their mobile phone tower sites experiencing during morning and evening rush hour and alerted authorities in April 2013.

Mr. Humphreys said he used the obstruction to prevent people from talking on their mobile devices while driving.

The Federal Communications Commission discovered the strong broadband emanations coming from Mr. Humphrey’s Toyota Highlander SUV. The ‘jammers’ such as the one discovered in the vehicle are restricted for use in the United States under federal law since it threatens the communication infrastructure, including emergency calls.

Hi-Tech Sensor To Minimize Child Deaths

Ska — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 02:01:45 +0000

Hi-tech sensors are now being developed to prevent from getting the children killed in driveways. The sensor will automatically trigger car brakes, if an object is detected while the driver is reversing at low speed. The sensor will be used to create a zone around the car that alerts when there is a moving object while reversing.

It has been already indicated by a local car manufacturer that the hi-tech sensors are expected to roll out across Australia late this year.

There have been nearly 14 children that had been run over and died in Victorian driveways between January 2000 and September 2012 and approximately 73 children were admitted with injuries between January 2000 and December 2010.

Mark Jackman, a Regional President, chassis control, said that the incidents were “horrific” and the hi-tech sensor would help reduce the statistics of deaths and serious injuries.

A Victorian coroner transmitted summary findings into three toddler driveway deaths between February and June 2011, describing them as “alarming”.

Boys aged 19 months and 14 months were killed by their fathers unintentionally when they backed into their homes to park while a 17 month old boy died after being run over by a neighbor who was under he influence of illegal drugs in a shared Chirnside Park driveway.

“The deaths prompted the development of a cross-agency safety committee and public awareness campaign”, Coroner John Olle said.

RACV vehicle engineering manager Michael Case urged all car makers to add the reverse braking technology in all their manufactured vehicles. He said that it is something that has good potential to save lives and preventing from the erupting number of children being run over.

Invoice Software Making it Easy for Tradies

Ben Collins — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 03:33:39 +0000

In an industry that has typically been tech averse, there’s a new breed of tradies using the latest technology to run their businesses.

In the Apple app store and Google Play store, Invoice2go invoice software has become the first to market with a fully synchronized application that allows mobile tradespeople to raise invoices from their mobile phones and have it automatically back up to the cloud.

They can then login to their invoice program from their home computer where they can mark off invoices as paid or chase up debtors.

The technological advancement of business practices in areas traditionally slow to adapt has been fueled by the immense growth of Apple and Android devices among the 20 – 30 year old group who are starting their own businesses and are looking for ways to save time on invoicing.

Noticeable at all the major trade shows this year was the stalls manned by tech companies looking to get a slice of the action. It is expected to grow significantly in the lead up to Christmas with more Android and Apple devices expected to be sold in the next two months than in any corresponding two month period before.

Yahoo, Facebook Settle Scores

rochelle — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 12:25:08 +0000

Tech giants Yahoo and Facebook have reached a settlement on a patent litigation lawsuit that started in March. And now, it appears the two companies are banding together for an advertising and distribution partnership.

The two companies have agreed to work together to provide advertisers more avenues to promote their brands in both Yahoo and Facebook sites. Facebook users can also now have access to Yahoo’s events coverage.

Last March, Yahoo filed a lawsuit against Facebook for patent infringement, which covers advertising and information sharing, and Internet privacy. Facebook fired back a month after, filing a similar infringement suit.

Yahoo’s lawsuit hinged on 10 patent infringements and was seeking triple damages. Similarly, Facebook’s case against Yahoo was also on 10 patents plus its Flickr-photo sharing service.

Yahoo filed the case when Scott Thompson was still chief executive officer of the company. He resigned in May after controversies surrounding his misinformation on his academic records.

Industry observers said interim chief executive Ross Levinsohn has worked an agreement with Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement. Sandberg said both parties are happy with the developments and the Facebook is looking forward to the partnership.

The Facebook COO also commended Yahoo’s new leadership, saying they are giving importance on innovation and providing great products to their users.

Although the two parties have agreed on a settlement, neither Facebook nor Yahoo has filed to have the case dismissed. Industry analysts, however, are expecting that this will be done soon.

New International Top Domains for More Choice

Triinu Maran — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:40:32 +0000

To increase competition and expend user selection .canon and .apple are likely to appear as new domain names, a result of a program by ICANN.

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) put together a program for new top-level domain names. Everyone with 185000 US dollars could apply, but it wouldn’t guarantee them anything as 230 out of 751 names received more than one applications.

Application fee was not too much Google, for instance, who has applied for .google, .docs, .youtube, and .lol. Amongst Australian applicants were New South Wales, Australian Football League and Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

Applications came from 5 regions, mostly in Northern America, Europe, Asia-Pacific region, from 1930 applications made 66 were of geographic origin like .brussels. New South Wales was obviously interested in .nsw, state of Victoria applied for .melbourne.

Top-level domain .basketball sparked interest for basketball association FIBA and other 2 candidates, 9 organizations are competing for .book.

ICANN will start evaluating all applications in July, results should be finalized by the end of this year or the beginning of next one.

More about top-level domains: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en.

Google Wants to .Google as Web Suffix

rochelle — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:04:04 +0000

Tech giant Google wants to deviate from conventional wisdom by fighting for the right for just ‘.Google’ instead of ‘Google.com.’

The move is just one of the 2,000 proposals for Internet suffixes as the Internet world is expanding its address system. Google is also pushing for the use of .YouTube and .lol, the latter being the shorthand version for ‘laugh out loud’ or ‘laughing out loud.’

Other bids for Internet suffixes include .secure, .music, .doctor, and .bank.

If Google’s proposals are approved, its Internet suffixes will join the existing suffixes of about 300 others. The new suffixes would also compete with the popular ones like .com, and .net.

Allowing new suffixes would mean companies can now have a branded suffix for their websites like news.AustralianTimes or business.AustralianTimes.

The expansion of Internet suffixes will be able to represent a lot of things, including groups, brand names, corporations, hobbies, etc.

According to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), it will announce which proposals have been approved on Wednesday. ICANN is the international body governing Internet domains and suffixes.

Although these proposals have been made public, most of the bids remain confidential.

The normal process is that ICANN usually takes about one to two years to approve new suffixes. Then, these new suffixes would take a few more months before they appear online.

In cases when there are multiple bids on the same suffixes, ICANN will mediate the parties to arrive at a mutual agreement. Some of the suffixes that experience multiple applications include .web.

Want More Exposure on Twitter? Pay Up!

rochelle — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:14:58 +0000

Twitter is ready to monetize on its site and advertisers better brace themselves.

The site has launched its TV ads in an effort to show and address the advertisers’ growing need to get more exposure on Twitter.

The series of TV ads marks the first time that Twitter is using traditional media to promote the company. The ads show a NASCAR campaign and what Twitter can do to promote the event. Using a single keyword—commonly called hashtag in the Twitter universe—users are pointed to a dedicated Twitter page.

The hashtag page, synonymous to Facebook’s fan page, targets high-profile advertising campaigns.

The move, however, is not the first step to monetizing the site. For a couple of years now, Twitter has made refinements in its site to support more features like embedding of videos and graphics. The idea is that users can consume data without having to leave the site.

Last year, Twitter also began implementing its brand pages, which is primarily intended for advertisers. Marketers can upload videos and banners ads.

Currently, Twitter earns from its Promoted Tweets. These are ordinary tweets that advertisers purchase to reach a wider range of users. Promoted Tweets are clearly labeled with ‘Promoted’ but their form and appearance are just like regular tweets.

Promoted Tweets are also prominently displayed in the trending box.

iPhone, iPad Technology Merges with Special Opps Apps

rochelle — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:16:38 +0000

Debuting in this week’s Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) are special military-grade optics that are supposed to work for the Apple iPhone and iPad gadgets to seamlessly record and deliver data crucial for analysis and operations.

The application, called the [SOA] 2, can do geo-tagging and present high definition videos from a 7-meter radius. This new iphone development would be easy to carry all the time, as the device can be attached to any weapon or equipment.

Additionally, the [SOA] 2 can be configured for night vision devices, infra-red and laser-range systems, as well as long-range day optics.

The Military has also upgraded its platforms and devices for many of their phones operating in Windows, Android and other formats, in order to accommodate the new applications.

The [SOA] 2 was developed by the group headed by K. Dominic Cincotti, with the help of MW Research and Development, Inc.

According to Cincotti, this would allow them to customize the future. The US Army also intends to issue smart devices to the soldiers and he is glad the technology is now available.

Aside from standard and special military training, the soldiers are also taught to handle these devices, which went to test early last month in North Carolina.

The [SOA] 2 hopes to address and anticipate any concerns with regards special operations and the people behind it are keen on receiving more inputs from the soldiers who will use these.