16 January 2018

10 Fascinating Internet of Things Devices You Should Try in 2018


iot-gadgets-2018

It’s predicted that by 2020, there will be 30 billion devices connected to the internet, with 250 new devices added per second. That works out to be almost four internet connected devices per person. While some people do have multiple phones, the enormous growth isn’t fueled by smartphones. Instead, it’s being driven by a range of gadgets known as the Internet of Things (IoT). It was once the case that only the (now-laughably) large home computers could connect to the internet via dial-up. These days, even miniature devices strapped to your wrist can access the world wide web. Thanks to...

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The Best Doctor Who Podcasts All Fans Need to Hear


doctor-who-podcasts

After more than half a century, Doctor Who remains a giant on the televisual landscape. However, as they say, opinions are like favorite Doctors — everyone’s got one (although some will swear they’re all equal). Fandom can be a very argumentative place to be, and that even extends to podcasts. Fortunately, most of these are populated by fans who argue with reasoning, kindness, and respect. And are sometimes backed up by an army of Dalek action figures. If you’re looking to get your regular fix of Whovian news and opinion, here are some excellent Doctor Who podcasts to help you...

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Where to Use Artificial Intelligence in Your Enterprise?


Artificial intelligence is a concept that is causing many ripples in the technology space. Growth in hardware technologies, analytical models and engines, & finally data are the chief reasons creating this hype. In recent times, we have seen many ground breaking news on AI, ranging from self-driving cars to technology major acquiring AI startup, to defense, to healthcare.
Among all these hype, the basic question for the business world is: How can AI help them bring their cost down and performance efficiencies up!
In my view, AI is still in its nascent stage for adoption by enterprises. Though enterprises have a large pool of data, they are skeptic in terms of how benefits can be availed given their scope and size.
I shall try to trace the use-cases corresponding to stages of application & then to maintenance of infrastructure.
Some examples are:
1. Fast-Coders in the Making AI via Machine Learning has shown its capability to understand human language (e.g. Siri). Siri, not only responds to your queries, but also understands the intent behind your query. Envision a scenario that you are using any SDK to write your code. Now the moment you put // or /* … */ (documentation comments) and write the intent/functionality/use-case of that code in plain English, the bot pulls out the relevant code from code repository (SVN/Team Foundation Server) and helps you complete the code. Alternatively, it can refer to those codes and help you to finish a piece of logic faster!
Therefore, in this case, we have a coding-helper bot, trained on the code repository of the enterprise (for more maturity, code available on GitHub can be used), and can suggest code modules/functions which can be used by the developers for faster coding.
2. Automated Testing Automated testing has become an integrated solution as part of many managed services offerings and is a highly competitive field. Almost all major service providers have presence. For more information, you can refer to any of the analyst reports, Everest etc.
3. Bots for Maintenance AI bots may soon replace physical human beings in doing mundane maintenance tasks like swapping server racks. There may be bots, which are monitoring each of your IT estate and predict network and storage failures, storage limits threshold crossing, temperature regulations etc. Maintenance activities are bread & butter of many IT companies and currently many such companies are working to utilize their expertise to build bots for predictive and preventive maintenance.
4. IoT is here to Stay The concept of tools, devices, objects (electronics used in daily life), and infrastructure being connected to each other and working in tandem to create an ecosystem of smarter & responsive devices brings with it unprecedented convolution. The challenge here is going to be on how to make sense out of all the unstructured data, which can help in deriving actionable intelligence. This is where enterprises will have to use the AI algorithms for classification etc. for actionable acumen.
5. Robust Cyber-security We all know about the two attacks (largest as well) on the security breaches in Yahoo network. Similar case came for Apple as well.
AI can be used to divulge in-progress attacks as it can learn the patterns across devices and network, and report any anomalies! Hence, mitigation action can be taken while the breach/intrusion is still in-progress!
Artificial Intelligence, though far from being accepted as an end-to-end solution, has been adopted in the form of various point solutions at application and infrastructure level. The time is not far when enterprises start taking definitive steps to integrate it within their overall strategic framework to achieve business goals.

Time spent in apps grew just 6% last year, down from 11% in 2017


 The app economy is continuing to grow, with the worldwide revenue from app stores expected to top $110 billion this year, according to recent estimates from App Annie. However, the time people spend using their apps is starting to stagnate, another report has found. In Flurry’s “State of Mobile 2017” annual wrap-up, the firm reported that overall app session activity only grew… Read More

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Lawmakers said to be behind Huawei’s continued U.S. carrier woes


 The latest entry in Huawei’s on-going struggles to come to the U.S. proved to be one of the more unexpected and engaging CES storylines last week. But there are still plenty of layers of this onion left to peel back. This morning, Reuters is confirming speculation that AT&T’s last minute decision to pull out of a deal with the Chinese phone maker comes as U.S. lawmakers… Read More

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Google and Coursera launch program to train more IT support specialists


 After a big fundraise and subsequent reorganization last year at Coursera — which saw a change of CEO, as well as the departure of its COO, CFO, CMO and CPO (along with some 40 others) — the online education startup is today launching a new IT course with Google to underscore its message that the ship is still sailing as it passes 30 million users and 2,500 courses. Today, the… Read More
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Is Your Yahoo Mail Account Safe? 10 Ways to Stay Secure


yahoo-mail-security

Worried that your Yahoo account could use some extra security? It’s a valid concern. Over the past few years, Yahoo has suffered from several breaches and security hacks. If you choose to stick with Yahoo Mail or just need a Yahoo account for Flickr, here are ten ways to increase your account security. 1. Set a Strong Password No guide to security would be complete without this basic tip. Your email is a critical account because you use it to log into so many other services. If someone broke into your Yahoo email, they could reset passwords on other sites,...

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The self-contained Fusion electric guitar lets you truly rock out


 As a hard-core rocker and roller I find that my gear has to be ready to rock and/or roll at a moment’s notice. There is no telling when I’ll have to lay out a face-melter during jury duty or blast out some Stairway while giving plasma at the local blood bank, and I often note to friends that I enjoy rocking and rolling all night and part of every day. Are you in the same rocking boat? Read More

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Google Cloud infrastructure expansion to continue with three new undersea cables


 Diane Greene, who heads up Google’s cloud unit, often marvels at how much her company invests in Google Cloud infrastructure. It’s with good reason. Over the past three years since Greene came on board, the company has spent a whopping $30 billion beefing up the infrastructure. Today it announced three new undersea cables scheduled to go online next year. In a blog post penned by… Read More
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Bloated Facebook Messenger promises to simplify in 2018


 “The app became too cluttered” Facebook’s head of Messenger David Marcus announced today in a post of plans for 2018 including “massively simplifying and streamlining Messenger this year.” Between Messenger Day/Stories, its Snapchatty augmented reality camera, a bot Discover section, games, and more, Facebook had to build artificial intelligence “M… Read More
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This Is the Best Chromebook to Buy Today


best-chromebook

There has never been a better time to buy a Chromebook than now. Not only has Chrome OS matured quite a bit since it debuted in 2011, but Chromebook manufacturers are taking themselves seriously and competing to build the best Chromebook at the most affordable price. Portability, ease of use, battery life, affordable prices, great performance, support for running Android apps — these are just some of the reasons why Chromebooks are perfect for students, office workers, travelers, working from home, or just browsing the web and checking email. Convinced but not sure which Chromebook to buy? First, we recommend...

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Serial SWATter arrested, charged with involuntary manslaughter


 Wichita police have arrested a 25-year-old online troll who calls himself SWAuTistic, charging him with involuntary manslaughter after sending police to a Kansas address. When police arrived at the address they opened fire on the resident, a father of two named Andrew Finch. SWAuTistic, real name Tyler Raj Barriss, could face 11 years in prison. SWATting is the process of calling in a fake… Read More
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This Is How You Gain Followers on Instagram


get-followers-instagram

Among all the social media networks available today Instagram is probably the most exciting one. People sharing and exchanging pictures of beautiful moments and things in their life. What could be more positive and inspiring? However, if you’re new to Instagram, posting pictures and receiving nothing but a few likes and comments from your (Facebook) friends can quickly become a depressing experience. But of course, it doesn’t have to be like that. Time to upgrade your strategy. These 10 amazing hacks will help you get more followers and become an Instagram star: Identify your niche and create your own unique style. Post...

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BMW acquires Parkmobile parking app to help tackle city traffic


 BMW has acquired Parkmobile, an app that provides guidance and services for those looking for parking in North America, including on-street and garage parking payments and spot reservation. BMW Group had already held a minority investment in the company, and owned its Parkmobile Group Europe affiliate, but today it increased its holdings to reach majority ownership of Parkmobile, LLC, which… Read More

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How to Manage Columns in Excel


manage-excel-columns

You’ve entered a bunch of data in your Excel spreadsheet, but now you need to add more columns in the middle, move and hide some columns, and change the width of some other columns. Don’t panic. We’ve got you covered. Today we’ll cover some basic Excel operations for columns that will help you enter and organize your data efficiently. How to Add Columns in Excel When entering data, you may need to add or insert columns if you want to add data in between existing columns. Select the column (click on the column header) to the right of where you...

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The Razer Phone – There’s a First Time For Everything (Review and Giveaway)


Our verdict of the Razer Phone:Razer's first iteration of a mobile device is bringing true innovation. If the cameras were improved, it would be near perfect.810Razer – a company synonymous with PC gaming – has stepped into the mobile device arena with their all-new Razer Phone. But do they have what it takes to stand out in a cutthroat, hyper-competitive market? Let’s find out, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this review to get your hands on a Razer Phone! Razer Phone Specifications Dimensions: 158.5 x 77.7 x 8 mm Weight: 158.5 g CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, Octa-core...

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WhatsApp reportedly testing anti-chain letter spam warning


 WhatsApp appears to be testing a new feature aimed at trying to limit the spread of chain letter style spam messages on its platform. Read More
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Search your Handwritten Notes with Gmail OCR


One of the most useful features of Evernote and OneNote is Image OCR.  When you clip an image – be it a screenshot, a scanned business card, or a picture of the whiteboard – these tools automatically detect the text inside the image and make the image searchable.

Gmail Gets OCR to Search for Text Within Images

Gmail text search has always been very capable but some might not know that Gmail, like Evernote, also performs OCR on images contained in email messages. When you perform searches inside Gmail or Google Inbox, the results always contain matching images that contain the search keywords.

I tried Gmail OCR search against different types of images and the results were fairly good. Text recognition in Gmail works for both image attachments as well as inline embedded images.

Gmail could successfully find matching text inside product manuals with small fonts, scanned book cover and a handwritten note but failed with logos and some street signs.

Scanned Picture (Pass)

book-cover

Handwritten Note (Pass)

handwritten-note

Product manual with small fonts (Pass)

scanned-product-manual

Street Sign (Fail)

street-signs

Extract Text from Images from Google Keep

Google Drive and Google Keep are other Google products that offer you the ability to search for text within stored images. In the case of Google Keep, you also have the option to extract the text detected inside in an image and store it within the note itself.

google-keep-ocr.png

Developers can use Google’s Cloud Vision API, or Microsoft’s Computer Vision API, to incorporate OCR technology into their own apps with few lines of code.

Also see: Reverse Image Search on Mobile


Use Google Calendar to Tell Everyone You’ll Be Late for a Meeting


google-calendar-notifications

Google Calendars can manage all your meeting schedules, but not your meeting etiquette. However, Google Calendar can help you out, at least in a little way, when you share a calendar with your team: let your team members know if you will be late for a meeting. Send them a message on your status. Google Calendar piggybacks on Gmail for the back-and-forth messages of your status. These simple steps will show you how to keep everyone who sees the Google Calendar in the loop. Note: The screens show the new Google Calendar which has been updated with material design. Using Google Calendar...

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Apple asked to respond to China consumer group about slowing older iPhones


 Apple is now facing questions about how it slows down older iPhones in China. The Xinhua state news agency reported yesterday that the Shanghai Consumer Council has written to Apple asking it to explain the performance hit and any remedies it is offering to consumers. Read More

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How to Add Multiple Photos to Instagram Posts


instagram-new-features

If you’re the kind of person who struggles to pick just one photo of a particular day or event to share on Instagram, you’ll love Instagram’s multiple photos feature. Introduced early last year, it allows users to add multiple photos or videos to just one post. How to Add Multiple Photos to Instagram Posts To add multiple photos or videos to a regular Instagram post, do the following: Tap the + button to create a new post. Tap the Select Multiple button. (This may appear as text or as an icon). Scroll through your camera roll and tap up to 10 photos or videos to add to...

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3 Awesome Windows Notepad Tricks You Must Try


notepad-tricks

You probably don’t think much of Notepad in Windows. Compared to tools like Microsoft Word and third-party text editors and IDEs, it doesn’t really shine for any particular purpose. But that doesn’t mean it’s useless! In fact, with a little bit of old-school code in VBScript or even DOS/shell commands, you can write some fun mini-programs. Let’s take a quick look at three of the more interesting ones. Notepad Trick: Enter the Matrix Want a budget re-creation of effects from The Matrix on your PC? You can do it with just a few lines. Open up a new Notepad document, then paste in...

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5 Practical Google Cheat Sheets to Use Google Apps Better


google-cheatsheet

If you’re a Google user, learning the ins and outs of its many apps can make you a power user on the internet. But who has the time? Psst, instead of a crash course, peruse these cheat sheets to level up. These aren’t necessarily printable cheat sheets, and they come in all forms. Some of them are extensions that teach you as you use apps. Others are condensed guides to shortcuts and features. Surprisingly, some of these shortcuts come from Google itself, perhaps from realizing how much its users need an easier way to learn its products. Others are made...

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TiVo Adds Support for Alexa, Assistant, and IFTTT


TiVo just reminded everybody it’s still a thing, and that it isn’t resting on its laurels. Instead, the company is jumping in with the smart home crowd, adding support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT. Which should make TiVo owners’ lives a little easier. TiVo helped change the way we watch television before streaming was even a thing. While many people have upgraded to newer technology, millions of households still have TiVo DVRs in their homes. The company is keen to remain relevant, so it’s adding support for smart home devices. Fitting Into the Smart Home Ecosystem In a...

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The Best Ways to Sync Your Bookmarks & Favorites Across Computers & Phones


organize-bookmarks

Gone are the days when we used a single browser on our one and only computer. Today, many of us constantly switch between desktop computers, laptops, cell phones, and tablets, all of which come with various browsers and obviously a connection to the internet. Keeping all of your bookmarks with you and automatically synced on that many devices can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are several great solutions to keep your bookmarks in sync. This article introduces you to some of the best tools to safely sync and access your bookmarks across browsers, devices, and platforms. Cross-Platform Bookmark Syncing Options...

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Why Firefox Quantum Should Be Your Default Linux Browser


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Operating systems, game consoles, and web browsers remain pretty polarizing. Users benefit from tons of choice with browsers, from Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Opera to Firefox. With the release of its 57th version, dubbed Firefox Quantum, comes a major overhaul. Although Linux features an array of browser options, Firefox Quantum is the best option to use. Find out why Firefox Quantum should be your default Linux browser. What Is Firefox Quantum? Firefox Quantum is the 57th release version of Mozilla Firefox’s hugely popular web browser. It’s a direct response to Google Chrome. Among Quantum’s enhancements, you’ll find decreased RAM...

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