#DeleteFacebook

By Hannah Beldotti

Facebook is a social media platform available to anyone and everyone; ranked first on “Most Famous Social Network Sites Worldwide for January 2018,” it is heavily popular with a wide range of ages. Most people use it to connect with old friends and share updates on their life, however, within the last three weeks, many users have deleted their accounts including celebrities such as, Cher, Will Ferrell, and Elon Musk. Explaining the reasoning behind their actions, Cher stated, “it was very hard, but there are some things more important than money,” along with Will Ferrell who said he was, “very disturbed to hear about Cambridge Analytica’s  misuse of millions of Facebook user’s information.” In the recent weeks, it has been revealed that Facebook exploited at least 87 millions user’s information to a firm known as Cambridge Analytica through a third-party source. Cambridge Analytica is a consulting firm which provides many different data-driven services.

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Electrodes fitted behind your ear can make you walk faster

       Could you ever imagine that in this day in age, there is technology that can improve your mood to help you sleep better. Now there is a new revelation that scientists across the globe are uncovering which relates to the advancement in performing. It is known as “a mild electrical stimulation” that is being developed at the University of Tokyo, Japan and is meant to “boost our balance and make us walk more quickly with longer strives.” Many of us might think how this invention will accomplish those tasks. According to Shinichi Iwasaki, “the upcoming invention will trigger the hairs in our inner ears and detect changes in speed and feed this information back to the brain, helping to stabilize vision and posture, improving our balance.”

       By 2020, this invention is set to become one of the most widely used performance gadgets across the world. While reading, I thought it was fascinating how electrodes will be able to monitor the movement in our legs and eventually improve our balance. Personally, unless I have difficulty walking, I don’t see myself using this new technology since it is estimated to cost a few hundred dollars.

        As technology is slowly progressing every day, there is much speculation that this new technology can be used specifically for people with disabilities. It is unknown what The University of Tokyo, Japan will unveil in the next coming years, but all we know is that it is unlike any “electrical stimulation” that humans have ever experienced before.

For more information, check out this article.

By: Mia Gradelski

Babel-Fish Earbuds

              Named under the 10 best breakthrough technologies of 2017, the classic pair of earbuds newly invented by Google last year are revolutionizing the tech industry due to its unique twist, hence its name Pixel Buds. To “geeks,” once you place these on, it feels like you are stuck inside the “cult sci-fi classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. These earbuds cost only $159 that work with its Pixel smartphones and Google Translate app to “produce practically real-time translation.” Some critics argue about the price, but Google argues “you cannot get near-real-time translation now that works for a large number of languages and is easy to use.” This is important because “in an increasingly global world, language is a still a barrier to communication.” I think this is an incredible and resourceful idea in helping the world receive fast translation access to all things audio.

              You might be asking how does “near-real-time translation” work and why don’t we have it yet? Simply, “one person wears the earbuds, while the other holds that phone that projects English as the default and the app translates the talking and plays it aloud on the phone.” This allows the response to be translated quickly and played through earbuds. As a consumer of Google products who knows two languages and is learning a third, I think it is beneficial to purchase these earbuds especially since many critics argue that “google translate can interfere with background noises and it is hard to figure out when one person has stopped speaking and it’s time to start translating.” I relate to this problem, as I’m someone who uses Google Translate dialy.

               There are certainly pros and cons to every upcoming tech that the world is being presented with. It is a plus that these “Pixel Buds” get around the issues of wearer taps and connection between your phone and earbuds. These earbuds work well with this issue that many consumers might deal with, with other earbuds brands. In addition, many are intrigued by the inticite design, known as “subpar design.” yet, some disagree, and believe they look silly and may not fit well in the ears. Overall, as the connection between people across the world becomes more prevalent, the “promise of mutually intelligible communication between languages in close to real time” is certainly achievable through these earbuds.

To read more check out this article.

By: Mia Gradelski

Amazon Plans to Deliver Packages Right To Your Car

Following last years news, where Amazon asked for permission to leave packages inside your home, they are now asking for access to your car. Amazon plans on using the “connected technologies embedded in many modern vehicles.” This means that instead of using smart locks or a cloud-connected camera to gain access, the Amazon Key app will be operated. The service will be connected to either General Motors or Volvo,  two automobile companies who have agreed to participate in Amazon’s plans. Once given your car’s GPS location, license plate, and image the information is encrypted, making sure Amazon never has access “to the customer’s connected car login details.” It is sent only if multiple factors line up—the deliveries time, person, car, and place. The option to block car deliveries was also made possible in case a home delivery became more suitable.

The six-month trial Amazon conducted with the new service has received positive results, one woman claiming she liked the deliveries “because it meant her toddlers could nap without being disturbed by the doorbell. Another woman used it to have a few birthday presents delivered to the trunk of her car so as not to tip off her daughter.” With the apparent success of the new service, one question remains: Will you take Amazon up on their offer?

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Apple’s “Do Not Disturb” While Driving Could be a Huge Success to Drivers around the World

A screenshot of “Settings” and the “Do Not Disturb” feature from Apple Support Site

92% of drivers use their phone behind the wheel according to a recent study. 88 seconds of an average 21 minute journey is spent on a cell phone. In 2017 Apple introduced this new feature as part of IOS 11 which allowed your phone to be in Do Not Disturb mode while you are driving. When your phone is connected to your cars entertainment system via bluetooth or usb then the phone can detect when you are in the car and enable this mode. This is obviously a large step in the right direction and could drastically change the amount of injuries and deaths in car accidents every year in a good way. Apple did a great job implementing this into their new update and hopefully more features like this can be added later on in the year.

For more information, check out this article.