Rosie or Jarvis

The future of the smart home is still in the air....

LAS VEGAS -- The tech industry once again can't decide: When it comes to the home of the future, will it have a centralized computer telling you when to mop floors, clean windows and cook breakfast, or will there be an all-in-one robot doing those tasks for you?

Will our lives be filled with a smart hub like Jarvis, the fictional computer personality from the "Iron Man" comic books that helped inventor Tony Stark remotely control his gadgets? Or will there be a robot like Rosie, the ever-present metallic maid who cleaned, cooked and cared for "The Jetsons" cartoon family?

Those competing beliefs were on display at the Consumer Electronics Show here last week, where more than 3,600 technology vendors from around the world came to make their case for their version of the future.

On one side were firms like Nest, which makes a smart thermostat and smoke detector and is now trying to bring Internet-connected things together onto one platform so they can perform tasks together. On another were companies like iRobot, maker of the automated robo-vacuum Roomba.

The simple answer to why the market isn't moving decidedly in one direction has to do with us: Consumers haven't yet picked whether we prefer Rosie or Jarvis. "I'm not sure customers know what they want," said Lauren Orvidas, vice president of Amazon Consumer Electronics. Orvidas oversees the e-commerce giant's online retail stores, which offer everything from cameras to mobile and wearable devices.

Modern Tech versus The Past

We assume modern life is the peak of human achievement, but is it really?
We compare today's tech to its closest equivalent for pre-digital mankind

We have: The Internet

They had: The telegram

We have: Twitter

They had: Gossip

We have:    Facebook

They had: Dinner parties

We have: World of Warcraft

They had: Actual war craft

We have: Swine flu mass-panic

They had: The plague

We have: iPhones

They had: Fires on hills

We have: Viruses

They had: A real Trojan horse

We have: MP3s

They had: Tribal chants

We have: OLED TVs

They had: Jousting

We have: Post-Enlightenment scientific rigour

They had: Superstition and quack doctors

Windows 10 for Mobiles

Microsoft had hinted that the mobile build of its new Windows 10 operating system would be available for preview in February. After releasing the desktop preview a few weeks ago, it's delivering on its promise to (some) mobile users.

The Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones is now available for select Windows Insiders to test on Windows Phones and provide feedback. Those who are willing to handle a few bugs can download the first preview build, but only a few phones are eligible. They include:

Lumia 630
Lumia 635
Lumia 636
Lumia 638
Lumia 730

Lumia 830
In a blog post detailing the announcement, Microsoft admits that this is the earliest public preview it has launched for Windows on smartphones and that this version is still rough around the edges. It will feel less complete than the desktop build of Windows 10, and users can expect to see bugs. Right now, it's not available on higher-end phones due to a partitioning issue in the upgrade process.

For those who cannot download the build or fear damaging their phones, here are a few of the features that are available in the preview released today:

Interactive notifications:
Take direct action while addressing notifications such as alarms or text messages, which users can reply to, in-line, with text or voice.
Full-size background image for Start:
Customize the start screen with a full-size background image.
Better speech-to-text capability:
In talking to virtually any data field, words show up as they are spoken and punctuation automatically appears. The feature can even differentiate between "two" and "too."
More Quick Actions in Action Center:
Windows Phone 8.1 has four programmable Quick Actions, but Windows 10 features an expanded view that can accommodate up to three rows.

Improved Photos app:
Upon first launch, Photos will display an aggregated collection of local and OneDrive photos.
For those planning to download the preview, there are a few larger problems to watch for. In this build, Cortana is limited to US-only and English-only. Existing alarms will not migrate to the new OS, and WiFi settings will not roam. Apps are not displayed in battery saver, and it may take a few attempts to attach photos to email, OneNote, and Facebook via the Photos app. The build will not sync to Microsoft Band, and trying to set a lock screen picture will fail periodically.

Testers feeling apprehensive should note that Microsoft wanted to ensure that anyone who tried this early build could get back to their old OS if something goes wrong. This is why the preview is only available on phones that have a recovery image available. If necessary, the new Windows Phone Recovery Tool will restore that image.

Microsoft also adds that future builds of the OS will include new features in the universal apps for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint running across phones, tablets, and PCs on Windows 10. Upcoming versions will also have new Mail and Calendar apps for Outlook and IP-based messaging from Skype and other services. Going forward, support for additional phones will be available for each new build.

IDC’s Top 10 technology predictions for 2015

The “3rd Platform” IDC is referring to, which it coined back in 2007, is the concept of the next generation of software founded on cloud computing, Big Data, mobile devices and social media. (Gartner’s “Nexus of Forces” is a similar concept.) The growth of the “3rd Platform” in all phases of the information and communications technology (ICT) market is a major theme of the forecast, but 10 of IDC’s predictions in particular stand out, spanning growth in mobile, cloud, Big Data, the Internet of Things and more.

1. New technology will take over the market: According to IDC’s predictions, worldwide ICT spending will grow 3.8% in 2015 to more than US$3.8 trillion. Nearly all of this spending growth will be focused on 3rd Platform technologies, while 2nd Platform technologies (PCs) will continue to see declining spending.

2. Wireless data growth: IDC projected that wireless data will balloon to 13% of telecommunications spending, accounting for $536 billion. The company predicted this will lead carriers to develop platform- and API-based services to attract developers.

3. Phablets will rise, wearables will underwhelm: Mobile device and app sales will reach $484 billion in 2015, according to IDC, accounting for 40% of IT spending growth. This is a slower, steadier rate of mobile growth than in past years, and IDC projected it will be driven largely by phablets and enterprise mobile app development. The firm added that wearables will see an explosion in innovation that will not translate to market value quite yet. At the same time, IDC believed Chinese vendors (such as Xiaomi and OnePlus) will capture 15% or more of worldwide market share.

4. Cloud services: IDC predicted PaaS, SaaS and IaaS services will remain a hotbed of activity in 2015, with $118 billion in spending. IaaS adoption is projected for the highest growth (36%) as new competitors take on AWS. According to IDC senior vice president and chief analyst Frank Gens, IDC foresaw “new partnerships forming among ‘strange bedfellows,’ such as Facebook with Microsoft and/or IBM or Amazon partnering with HP, to expand market opportunities.”

5. Big Data and analytics: IDC predicted Big Data spending will grow to $125 billion in 2015, with video, audio and image analytics taking on more importance. The firm also projects that Data-as-a-Service will drive the forging of new Big Data supply chains focused on commercial and open data sets.

6. The Internet of Things: The predictions identified IoT as one of the most important factors for growth of the 3rd Platform in 2015. IDC predicted the invention of more intelligent and connected “things,” with a third of IoT spending focused on intelligent embedded devices and predictive maintenance emerging as an important IoT category.

7. Cloud services will become the new data center: IDC said that data centers are undergoing a fundamental transformation in the 3rd Platform era, with compute and storage capacity moving to cloud, mobile and Big Data-optimized hyperscaled data centers operated by cloud service providers. The report forecasted that this shift will spark a burst of “cloud-first” hardware innovations that consolidate server, storage, software and networking, leading to two or three major mergers or acquisitions.

8. The 3rd Platform will become industry-specialized: IDC predicted that 3rd platform technologies will specialize into industry-specific enterprise platforms, doubling their number in 2015. The company mentioned examples such as alternative payment networks in financial services; expansion of IoT technologies into city safety, public works and transportation systems; and the expansion of location-based services in the retail industry.

9. Security and 3D printing: IDC sees “3rd Platform-optimized” security solutions for the cloud, mobile and Big Data as a growth sector to secure these technologies, with mechanisms including biometrics on mobile devices and encryption in the cloud, as well as threat intelligence emerging as an essential Data-as-a-Service category of enterprise-specific threat information. IDC also projected that 3D printing will gain traction in conventional document printing companies, which will come to fruition market-wise in 2016.

10. Massive growth in China: China will experience skyrocketing influence on the global ICT market in 2015, according to IDC, with spending accounting for 43% of all industry growth, a third of all smartphone purchases on the worldwide smartphone market, and about one third of all online shoppers. IDC predicted China’s cloud and e-commerce leaders such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu will become global market powers.

The full “IDC Worldwide Predictions 2015: Accelerating Innovation on the 3rd Platform” report can be found here, and more information is available in IDC chief analyst Gens’ webcast.

SAFE, COMFORTABLE HEADPHONES FOR BEDTIME

Sometimes, it feels as though the universe is conspiring against us when it comes to getting quality shut-eye. Know what we mean? You finally get snuggled up in your bed, ready to crash, when the baby next door decides to get colicky. You move to the living room to crash on the sofa, but it sounds as though your other neighbor's girlfriend is home from college. How about the basement? Surely it will be quiet there, right? Not with that constant dripping sound - where is that coming from anyway? You go back to your bed and pop in your earbuds, but no matter how you position your head, pain is shooting through your skull. Before you go for the prescription drugs and the vodka, let us help.

Harrison on the job Sleep Phones are the comfortable headphones you can wear while you sleep. They are nestled inside a soft and cozy headband that you can wear around your head or over your eyes like a sleep mask. Choose from Wired, which plugs into an audio jack just like your headphones, or Bluetooth, which pairs with any Bluetooth-enabled device that has your music on it. Soon you'll be drifting away in blissful slumber. Or jamming to your tunes. Both of which are better than staying awake listening to your neighbors or your snoring significant other.

Product Specifications :

Soft fleece headband hugs speakers to your ears
Fits most humans - 21 1/2" - 23 3/8" around (around head, just above the ears)
Speaker position adjustable
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Frequency: 20 - 20 kHz
Power: 300/500 mW
1/8" (3.5mm) stereo plug
Materials: Polartec 88% recycled plastic polyester, 12% spandex
Removable speakers and machine-washable headband
Battery life: 5-7 hours Charging time: 2 hours
Wired: 48" cord
Bluetooth wireless range: 15-30 ft.
Bluetooth features built-in volume control, play/pause
Function as a private alarm clock if you can set your device to play music at a specific time
Sewn and assembled in the USA

Super star to adopt BURRIPALEM village

 

 
Superstar Mahesh Babu has expressed interest in adopting his father's birth place Burripalem in Guntur district. He wants to give it a smart makeover.

"Mahesh and his brother-in-law Jayadev Galla are set to take up this initiative. As a child, Mahesh spent many years in Burripalem with his grandmother and the place also happens to very close to his father. Hence, he's planning to adopt it," a source close to Mahesh said.

Tollywood Superstar Mahesh Babu is all set to join the celebrities who adopted remote villages across Andhra Pradesh to make them smart cities in support of Government. Cojoining starts like Sachin Tendulkar, Hema Malini, Dasari Narayana Rao and others, Mahesh Babu chose to adopt his native village 'Burripalem', Guntur district. His Brother-in-law and TDP Guntur MP Galla Jayadev has confirmed the news during a recent event, where he has layed the foundation stone for additional class rooms in Burripalem ZPHS. Konwn for his generosity, Mahesh has recently donated 30% of his earnings to several charities initiated by his wife Namrata Shirodhkar. On his professional front, Mahesh is shooting for untitled Koratala Siva film with Shruti Haasan and will soon join his Khaleja director Trivikram Srinivas for their new movie.

Source: way2movies.com

Smart watches will become ‘smarter’

The concept of smart watches still appears to be one on which people are highly divided. According to research by News Republic, consumers worldwide appear to be split evenly when it comes to the desire to wear one (although respondents from Spain came in highest with 7 out of every 10 being pro-smart watch).















Earlier this year, Google got in on the smart watch game by announcing its foray into wearable technology, which they’ve named ‘Android Wear’. The software, a completely mobile version of Android’s operating system, will be incorporated into smart watches which will be offered by various big brands.




The watches (which are currently only available to the public by pre-order) will allow users access via voice control (“OK Google”), along with all the features you’d expect, like email and text. Health and fitness features are also incorporated; these will be particularly useful for watches with built-in pedometers and heart rate monitors.
Apple is also rumored to be on the brink of announcing its “iWatch,” a smart watch which will run iOS and facilitate phone calls, email, Internet browsing, and texting. Rumors are that it will also be voice-controlled, and may be announced in early September 2014.