How to Test Your PC for Failing Hardware: Tips and Tools to Know

If you’ve ever opened up your computer, you know there is a lot of hardware in there. It’s all a potential point of failure. There are certain pieces of hardware which are more prone to failure than others.

Equipment that either generates heat or has moving parts tends to fail most often. Thanks to computer hardware tests, you can scan your system and spot failing hardware before everything crashes.

What Can Go Wrong With PC Hardware?

The parts that most commonly break are fans, hard disk drives, CPUs, and GPUs.

RAM also tends to fail too. It is continually being written and re-written to (flashed). Solid-state memory can only handle so many flashes before it begins to fail. The problem also applies to solid-state hard drives.

The best way to avoid being caught out is to perform regular hardware diagnostic tests on your computer. Here’s how to do hardware tests on Windows 10.

Windows 10 Hardware Diagnostic Tools

Windows 10 has two built-in hardware diagnostic tools. The first analyzes system performance on your computer and the second runs memory tests on your Windows 10 PC.

1. Performance Monitor
2. Windows Memory Diagnostic

Performance Monitor

Performance Monitor is a native desktop app on Windows 10. It’s the operating system’s most holistic tool for locating and diagnosing hardware and system issues.

To open the app, search for its name in Cortana and click on the link. You may have to wait for a few seconds while the app collects data.

If you want a quick overview of your system’s hardware, use the left-hand panel to navigate to Reports > System > System Diagnostics > [Computer Name].

It provides you with multiple checks for your hardware, software, CPU, network, disk, and memory, along with a long list of detailed statistics.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find live performance graphs (in Monitoring Tools > Performance Monitor) and customizable data sets (in Data Collector Sets).

Windows Memory Diagnostic

A computer’s central processing unit (CPU) uses RAM to store short-term information. Anything contained in the RAM is lost when you turn off your machine.

There are lots of warning signs when your RAM is close to failing. They include worsening performance, frequent crashes, video cards failing to load on boot, corrupted data files, and incorrect RAM information in the Windows System app.

If you’re wondering how to run a memory test on the RAM, you need to use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.

It works by writing to, then reading, your computer’s RAM. Differing values signal faulty hardware.

To launch the tool, press Windows + R to open the Run window, then type mdsched.exe and hit Enter. Windows will prompt you to restart your computer.

The test will take a few minutes to complete. When it’s over, your machine will once again restart. You’ll see the results of the screen once you return to the Windows desktop.

(If Windows doesn’t automatically show you the results, open the Event Viewer by right-clicking on the Start button, then head to Windows Logs > System and find the most recent file called MemoryDiagnostic.

Third-Party Hardware Diagnostic Apps

If you’re looking for something specific or a little more powerful, you’ll need to turn to third-party software.

There is a lot to choose from, but here are four of the best computer diagnostic apps.

1. MemTest86

MemTest86 is well established as the best tool to test your RAM on Windows. It’s more powerful than Microsoft’s Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.

The app has 13 different RAM testing algorithms and supports DDR4, DDR2, and DDR3 RAM. You can boot it directly from a USB stick or a CD, and Microsoft has signed the app’s code for Secure Boot compatibility.

Unlike the Windows tool, MemTest86 also has a full-featured graphical interface.

Download: MemTest86 (Free)

2. CrystalDiskInfo

If you want to focus on testing your hard drives, you should install CrystalDiskInfo.

The app’s key feature is the “Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology” (SMART) test. It provides data about several aspects of your drives, including the read error rate, a count of reallocated sectors, the spin-up time, and a whole lot more.

CrystalDiskInfo also includes advanced power management and audio management tools.

And, if you leave the app running in the background, it can even provide you with live alerts if drives become too hot or are suffering from other failures.

Download: CrystalDiskInfo (Free)

3. HWiNFO

HWiNFO is way ahead of the pack when it comes to the amount of information provides. Indeed, if you’re new to the world of hardware testing, we recommend giving this one a wide-berth until you’re more familiar with the concepts and terminology.

From a hardware test standpoint, we are most interested in the app’s system health monitoring features. They provide detailed real-time reports and graphs about your machine’s CPUs, GPUs, mainboards, drives, and peripherals.

You can also download a bunch of add-ins that provide HWiNFO with extra functionality. They include screen tuners, widgets, and log viewers.

Download: HWiNFO (Free)

4. RWEverything

Finally, we’ll leave you with a tool for uber-geeks: RWEverything. It won’t win any design awards, but it’s extraordinarily powerful.

You can use it to check almost every aspect of every piece of hardware in your machine. More pertinently, you can also write to all the hardware. That means you can tweak any setting, no matter how small.

Warning: If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t start changing settings. You risk irrevocable damaging your hardware.

Download: RWEverything (Free)

Check Your Computer’s Battery Health

Another piece of laptop hardware that’s prone to failure is the battery.

We’ve written about five tools that’ll help your test the health of your laptop battery if you’d like to learn more.

Other Computer Hardware Tests

Keeping an eye on your hardware is only one part of maintaining a healthy computer that runs smoothly.

For more information, check out our guide to checking the health of a Windows PC.

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7 Things to Consider When Starting a YouTube Channel

If anyone tells you it’s too late to start a YouTube channel now, ignore them. The platform is booming, and while there have been some controversies over the years, it’s still possible for a new content creator to grow and do well from scratch.

But before you dive in, there are some things you need to think about if you want to maximize your chances for success. There are no guarantees when it comes to YouTube.

1. Motivation

Not motivation in the sense of “being eager to act and work,” but rather “the reason why you act and work.” What’s your motivation for starting a YouTube channel?

Maybe you want to teach others how to do something, like how to program web and mobile apps. Maybe you want to tell brilliant stories through short film. Or maybe you want to play and review video games. It can be anything, but it has to be something.

Your motivation is the basis for three key elements shared by every successful YouTube channel: topic coverage, target audience, and reason for existence.

• Topic coverage is WHAT your videos will be about.
• Target audience is WHO your videos are intended for.
• Reason for existence is WHY they should watch your videos.

For example, MakeUseOf’s YouTube channel includes gadget reviews and tech tutorials (what) intended for people who want to level up their tech-savviness (who) and we do it in a way that’s down-to-earth and approachable for even the newbiest of newbies (why).

You have to define these things BEFORE you launch your channel. Otherwise you’ll end up with a hodge-podge channel that fails to capture any kind of meaningful viewership, and no meaningful viewership means no long-term success.

2. Frequency

Once you know what kind of content you’ll make and who will be watching it, you need to decide on a production schedule. How often will you release new videos?

It mainly depends on content type:

• For vlogs and Let’s Plays, maybe every day (e.g. Northernlion).
• For research-heavy trivia, maybe every week (e.g. Wendover Productions).
• For high-quality skits, maybe every month. (e.g. Epic Rap Battles of History).

Be realistic and think long-term. You might have the energy to do one video per day right now, but can you keep that up for six months or a year? Do you want this to be a full-time endeavor or would you rather have some leeway for when wrenches are thrown into your schedule?

It may sound silly, but changing up your frequency later on down the road could really tick off your viewership—so much so that they unsubscribe. Even missing one day (or week or month) could trigger discontent with fans. When in doubt, go with a lesser frequency.

3. Style

Many people will tell you that success is all about “substance over style.” Well, they’re wrong. The true key to success is “substance AND style.” YouTube viewers eat with their eyes, and if you serve up a dish that’s healthy but bland, many will turn their noses up at it.

Of the many ingredients to a successful YouTube channel, three involve style:

• Smart titles
• Consistent format
• Video thumbnails

If your channel will involve audio, then you need to work on articulation, confident voice, and getting rid of annoying speech patterns (like upspeak). If you’re going to be on camera, you’ll want to work on standing steady, looking into the camera, smiling, not fidgeting, and so on.

A few ways you can do this: confront and slay your fear of public speaking, learn how an engaging speaker speaks by watching notable TED Talks, and check out these free sites and resources for improving communication skills.

But you also need to edit your videos well. I’m saying you need jump cuts every few seconds, but you should at least pick up a good video-editing app (see free Windows video editors, free Mac video editors, and free Linux video editors), making sure the quality and framerate are high enough, and cutting out all the unnecessary bits.

Learn more with these tips for editing video like a pro.

4. Equipment

To succeed, you’ll also need to acquire some essential equipment for creating high-quality videos. Fortunately, you won’t have to spend much to get started.

At a bare minimum, you’ll want to have:

• Camera: Before you drop hundreds of dollars on a DSLR or mirrorless camera, know that a high-quality webcam can be enough to start. Or you can just use your smartphone! Save the high-end cameras for when you’ve been doing this for over a year and know what exactly you need to improve.
• Tripod: If you have a camera or end up using a smartphone, then you’ll want a tripod to hold it up and keep it steady. See our smartphone tripod recommendations.
• Microphone: The built-in microphones that come with cameras are often terrible. Get an external microphone and record audio separately, then mix it with the video afterwards. Learn more about condenser versus dynamic microphones to pick the right one for your content type.
• Green Screen: A green screen is necessary if you want to change the background in your videos. While an actual green screen kit could cost upwards of $50, you can use a literal green sheet or DIY one with a white sheet dyed green.
• Screen Capture Software: Only necessary if your videos involve screen capturing, such as Excel video tutorials or PC gameplay. I highly recommend OBS Studio, which is free and can record your screen as an MP4 video file.

This is just an overview. If you want to learn more, see our full article on what equipment you need to start a YouTube channel. When you start getting serious with your channel, you may eventually want to consider building a YouTube studio at home.

5. Promotion

“If you build it, they will come.” Right? NO! Not for YouTube. You can go many years producing new videos every day and never crack 1,000 subscribers. It’s hard work, and you can’t be passive about it.

Want to succeed? You have to promote yourself. Here are a few ideas on how you can do that, without being overly spammy:

• Social Media: Building a social media following can be just as hard as building a YouTube channel, but if you have followers already, they might be your first fans. You can also consider doing social media giveaways for exposure.
• Forums: These are great, especially the big ones like Reddit. Find a community that’s relevant to your content, then share ONLY your best content. Don’t share too frequently, else you may be banned for spamming.
• Collaborate: Working with others isn’t just a good way to network and expand your contacts—when they share your collaborations with their audiences, it exposes their audiences to you. It’s a win-win for everybody.

Bear in mind that promotion is a long game. It may takes months, or even years, for your channel to gain popularity. Perseverance is the number one trait shared between YouTube creators!

6. Monetization

Making money through YouTube is harder than it used to be, but it’s still possible today even if you’re just starting out.

While most people think YouTubers earn boatloads of cash through advertisements, the truth is that ads rarely pay well for the effort. As of 2016, the average revenue per 1,000 views on YouTube was about $1.50 (after YouTube takes its cut). That comes out to $1,500 per 1 million views, and users have reported that rates dropped further in 2017.

In short, don’t expect to get rich off ads even if your channel goes viral. So how do the top YouTubers make their money? A combination of many monetization methods:

• Affiliate sales and product promotions
• Consultation services
• Direct advertisements that aren’t Adsense
• Public speaking events
• Support from fans who donate

Learn more about how difficult it is to make money on YouTube.

7. Goals

The quickest way to grow discouraged as a YouTube creator? Compare yourself to others.

Before you even start working on your first video, lay out a few actionable goals that you want to do. Not only will these keep you focused on your own path, and not only will they give you a sense of progress, but they show you what to do when you feel stuck.

An effective goal has three core elements:

• Measurable: The goal should have a quantified component that lets you know, at any given moment in time, whether you’ve reached it or not.
• Timed: The goal should have a realistic deadline—not so far out so that you still feel pressure, but not so close that it’s overwhelming.
• Controllable: The goal should be an action you can perform, rather than an outcome that you hope will come as a result of an action.

For example, you might aim to put out 10 videos (measurable) by the end of your first month (timed). Note that “put out a video” is an action you can perform, whereas “reach 1,000 viewers” is not an action but an outcome. “Earn $50 this month” isn’t a goal, whereas “find and negotiate a sponsorship deal” is.

Create a few goals, then keep creating more as you reach them. You’d be surprised how effective this can be at keeping you motivated and on track to success.

What Kind of YouTube Channel Are You Making?

I hope this post has been empowering and not discouraging. The main takeaway is this: creating and running a YouTube channel is easy, but building one that’s successful takes a lot of effort. There’s a lot to learn, a lot to practice, and a lot to keep in mind.

For extra inspiration, check out these awesome and unique YouTube channels.

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The Best VR Games You Can Play Without a Controller

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming ever more popular among gamers, whether it’s with an Oculus, PlayStation VR, or even your iPhone or Android paired with Google Cardboard.

However, what if you’re looking for some cool VR games that don’t require controllers? Don’t worry, they exist. We’ve rounded up the best VR games you can play without a controller.

The Best On-Rails Shooter: Smash Hit

Smash Hit started out as a mobile game, but it’s definitely a great option for VR too. For those unfamiliar with Smash Hit, it’s an on-rails shooter type experience, where you glide through an abstract dimension that’s full of soothing colors, glass structures and obstacles, physics, and relaxing music.

As you’re flying through the space, the shiny glass structures will get in the way. This is when you smash your way through by firing chrome marbles at the glass, shattering it to pieces in a realistic fashion. But you only have so many balls to shoot, so use them wisely and try not to miss. You can only take so many crashes before it’s game over too.

This game can be played in its entirety without any controllers besides your headset. All you need are quick eyes, reflexes, and a finger that’s ready to push the single button on your headset to fire a ball.

Download: Smash Hit on iOS (Free) | Android (Free) | Oculus ($2.99)

The Best Roller Coaster Simulator: VR Roller Coaster

Do you love roller coasters, but don’t live close enough to a theme park to experience them as often as you want? That’s why VR was invented! VR Roller Coaster lets you become a roller coaster conductor by designing your own coasters and then testing them out in a simulation that mimics real life rollercoasters.

VR Roller Coaster gives players over 60 tracks to work with, and you can choose a park that matches your tastes. There are over 10 unique rollercoaster trains that you can build with, linking them together as you please.

When you’re ready to test your dream coaster, just strap on your Google Cardboard headset and take it for a spin! Having the VR mode allows you to see from a first-person perspective what it’s like riding the coaster that you built, and it’s a great adrenaline rush. And the best part is that no controller is needed to get the full enjoyment out of this game.

Download: VR Roller Coaster on Android (Free)

The Best Space Shooter: Deep Space Battle VR

In the mood for some space ship shootouts? Then Deep Space Battle VR will satisfy that craving on your Android device. You’re a lone space pilot who must fend off the invading Shadow Fleet. As you’re the only hope for Earth, get ready for colorful galactic landscapes filled with bold lasers and mighty explosions.

Deep Space Battle VR is designed and optimized for Google Cardboard VR, and specifically without a controller. Once you get an enemy ship in your crosshairs, your ship automatically fires. That’s it. Just move your head around to get the aiming right, and pew pew! Your enemies are toast.

Download: Deep Space Battle VR on Android (Free)

The Best iOS Shooter: End Space VR for Cardboard

If you’re an iOS user who wants deep space VR battles, don’t worry. Even though Deep Space Battle VR isn’t available on iOS, there is End Space VR for Cardboard.

End Space VR fully immerses players into the game world with console-quality 3D graphics and sound. You’ll be facing off against increasingly more difficult waves of enemies. The game is designed to shoot with the trigger button on your VR headset. If there is no button, then you’ll want to disable that in the options and use the head gaze-based shooting.

Download: End Space VR for Cardboard on iOS ($0.99)

The Best VR Racing Game: VR X-Racer

Seeking some VR racing thrills? VR X-Racer is a nice option to consider. The game features a low-poly voxel aesthetic (think of Minecraft, which we have covered extensively in our beginner’s guide to Minecraft) that should please most people. There are different color themes and stunning, immersive 3D visuals that pull you into the world of intense, fast-paced racing.

With VR X-Racer, no controllers are needed for the VR mode. Just put it into your headset and tilt your head to steer the ship. You’ll want to have some fast reflexes though, because those obstacles aren’t going to move out of the way while you’re closing in at breakneck speeds.

Download: VR X-Racer on iOS (Free) | Android (Free)

The Best First-Person Shooter: Trooper 2

When you think of a first-person shooter in VR, you may think that it’s only possible with a controller. But that’s where Trooper 2 proves you wrong! Even if you’re usually not good at FPS games, Trooper 2 is designed to be accessible for everyone.

In Trooper 2, you’ll face off against an army of invading green block men in a vector-like block world. It’s simple and barebones, but it works. To control your character, you just stand up, walk around, and press the button on your VR headset to fire. It offers a full 360 degrees of view, so you have complete freedom over your movement.

Download: Trooper 2 on Android (Free)

The Best Tower Defense Game: Snow Strike VR

Whatever the time of year, there’s always room for a virtual snow fight, especially for those who live in warmer climates. Snow Strike VR is a tower-defense style game where you’ll defend your own snow fort from invaders with a 180 degree view of the environment.

To play this game without additional controllers and just your VR headset, just align yourself with your foe and then push the button on the headset. This lets you throw a single snowball at the enemy, and you can dodge incoming snowballs by weaving your head away.

Download: Snow Strike VR on Android (Free) | Oculus ($1.99)

The Best VR Puzzle Game: Darknet

Ever wish you could be a super cool cyber hacker? Darknet is a cyberpunk hacking puzzle game that makes you feel like one. You’ll enter cyberspace and infiltrate the web with viruses, worms, and exploits to steal data and money before your signal gets traced by the authorities. Do you have what it takes?

This is a fantastic strategy puzzle VR game that can be played without a controller. You just move your headset to look around with gaze controls, and interact with cyber nodes with a push of the button on a headset like Gear VR or Oculus.

Download: Darknet on Android ($9.99) | Oculus ($9.99) | PlayStation Store ($14.99) | Steam ($14.99)

The Best Crossy Road Clone: VR Street Jump

Remember Frogger and Crossy Road? VR Street Jump is just like that, except you’re seeing it from the first person perspective. Use your headset to look around, making sure there’s no traffic for the next second or two. Then, just push the button on the headset to move forward.

VR Street Jump has full 360 degrees for viewing, so you’ll be fully immersed. It starts off easy enough with pretty and lush green scenery, but you’ll soon find more vehicles and traffic are waiting for you.

Download: VR Street Jump on iOS (Free) | Android (Free)

The Best Street Racer: VR Racer – Highway Traffic 360

Seeking the thrills of street racing but don’t want to get in trouble with the law? VR Racer – Highway Traffic 360 is worth a look. This game features realistic locales from all over the world and you can take your pick from multiple cars and upgrades. The frame rates are smooth, and you’ll feel like you’re truly in an intense race.

This game was designed to be played without a controller. All you need to do to steer is tilt your head left and right. To select items on the menu, you just gaze at the option you want until the red bar fills up to confirm your choice.

Download: VR Racer – Highway Traffic 360 on Android (Free)

Enjoy VR With or Without a Controller

Virtual reality is an immersive and high-tech gaming experience, but you don’t always need a fancy setup to play and enjoy it. If you don’t feel like using your Bluetooth gamepad or motion control joysticks to get some VR gaming in, these are some of the better VR games that don’t require controllers.

So just strap your headset on and relax. These games allow you to get your gaming in without any fuss or bother. However, if you’re serious about virtual reality, we have some tips on creating the perfect VR room too.

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7 Tiny Time-Saving Mac Apps You’ll Fall in Love With

macOS comes with plenty of time-saving utilities and shortcuts. But you’ll find so many more on the web that will save you hours. Let’s explore seven of those gems.

What do they have in common? Each is lightweight, simple to use, and free.

1. Thor

Thor sits in the menu bar and allows you to create custom keyboard shortcuts for your apps. This is your chance to get creative and set up shortcuts that you’ll have no trouble remembering.

I have created shortcuts to my favorite apps as combination of a modifier key (Option) and the initial of the app names.

For example, my shortcut for the Ulysses app is Option + U and Safari is Option + S. For my password manager app, Secrets, I use Option + P—P for passwords—since Option + S is already taken.

Download: Thor

2. HiddenMe

HiddenMe is a quick way to hide desktop clutter when guests come over. One keyboard shortcut is all it takes to push the app into action. Then all you’re left with is the wallpaper you never get to see (or a solid color, if you prefer).

Download: HiddenMe

3. Owly

Everybody’s favorite utility for keeping a MacBook awake, Caffeine, no longer works. Amphetamine is a free and effective replacement, but with all its settings, you might find it overkill for such a basic function.

If you wish for an app with the simplicity of Caffeine, try Owly. It comes from the developers of the amazing Battery Health utility.

Owly gives you a few preset durations to prevent your Mac from going to sleep. Control-click Owly’s menu bar icon to toggle the app’s function. By default, Owly keeps your Mac awake indefinitely, but you can change the default to a different preset from the app’s settings.

KeepingYouAwake works pretty much the same as Owly, so you can try that instead.

Download: Owly

4. CornerCal

CornerCal is a simple clock app that puts the date and time in your Mac’s menu bar. It’s true that macOS already has this feature, but CornerCal is better because it comes with a simple, much-needed calendar.

Click on CornerCal’s clock in the menu bar to reveal the calendar, which looks a lot like a native macOS app.

If you want a calendar app that lets you add events and reminders to iCal, CornerCal is not it. Try Itsycal instead. It’s free and a perennial favorite of Mac users everywhere.

Download: CornerCal

5. Overkill

iTunes can be annoying even when you’re not using it. The app is set to pop up on various occasions, such as right after it updates or when you connect Bluetooth headphones. It’s also frustrating when you trigger iTunes via web links.

All that is in the past once you install and run Overkill. The app stops iTunes in its tracks when it tries to launch, so you can get on with your work without interruption. You’ll have to pause Overkill from the menu bar if you actually want to use iTunes. (But you can still charge your iPhone by connecting it to your Mac.)

A neat feature of Overkill is that you can use it to prevent any app, not just iTunes, from launching.

If all you want to do is stop iTunes from loading when you connect your iPhone, you don’t need Overkill or any other app for that. You can do it from iTunes itself. Visit iTunes > Preferences > Devices and select this checkbox: Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically.

You can also use your Mac’s Image Capture app to assign new default behavior for connected devices.

Download: Overkill

6. Easy Move+Resize

This utility is for heavy mouse users. It lets you scale and move windows faster by clicking on any area of an app window in combination with one or more modifier keys.

This means you don’t have to reach for a corner or edge of a window to resize it. Likewise, you can do without reaching for the title bar when you want to move a window.

The default modifiers are Cmd and Control. If you press them both in combination with a left click of the mouse, you can drag the window around. If you swap the left click with a right click, you can resize the window. (This behavior will seem familiar if you’re also a Linux user.)

You can select one or more modifiers of your choice as the defaults from the app’s settings.

Download: Easy Move+ Resize

7. Mos

The scroll direction of any external mouse you connect to your Mac reflects that of the in-built trackpad and vice-versa. So if you change one, the other changes too.

That’s not ideal if you prefer Apple’s default scroll direction while using the trackpad, but not while using the mouse. Of course, the opposite might be true for you instead.

(Apple calls its default scroll direction Natural. Here, if you swipe up on the trackpad, you scroll down the page.)

In any case, wouldn’t it be convenient if you could control the scroll direction of the mouse independently of the trackpad? Mos allows you to do just that, and also gives you the ability to scroll the mouse wheel smoothly.

After you install the app, you’ll see that the mouse scroll direction is the opposite of the trackpad scroll direction. Visit the app’s settings to further control the scroll behavior for the mouse.

Download: Mos

More Little Apps Your Mac Will Love

The utilities above won’t solve any big problems for you, but they will speed up your macOS workflow a good bit.

While you’re exploring them, you might also want to check out our ultimate list of menu bar apps for many other excellent utilities. And don’t forget minimalist Mac apps that can simplify your workflow a great deal.

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Automation & Artificial Intelligence: Job Encroachment or Job Enrichment (2/2)

In my previous article, I analyzed the level of jobs in an enterprises and proposed the depth of encroachment due to automation on those levels. (You can read it here)

Now, in this post, I shall try to look at what people working on those three levels should do in order to have a steady professional career.

Case 1: Nine to five computer jobs

It’s time for people falling under this category & doing mundane routine tasks to start upskilling themselves. These people can undergo training on new skills (data analytics, digital marketing, or higher formal education etc.). From an ITIL incident management role, an L1 or Service Desk agent may try upskill to a L2 skill level etc.

Case 2: Mid Management Level

Though the knowledge & decision making skills required at this level, keeps people working at this level safe. But since many service providers are toiling hard to make AI available at this level, hence, for the people at this level, the easiest way to stay relevant is to get their senior management buy-in on their skillset (though they too should try to upgrade). Cross-functional thinking, dependency building & taking end-to-end responsibility of execution may be the initial steps to show their skill-sets to buy management trust.

Case 3: Senior Management Level

Though automation & AI has little or no prevalence here, as of today, the people at this level are the ones who make decisions on adoption of automation in their enterprises. Hence, the challenge for the people at this level is to adopt automation responsibly in their enterprises, investing not only in automation, but also in training, educating & re-skilling their employees.

From job encroachment to job enrichment

For the people at the top level, they should inculcate the thought in the minds of their employees that automation is not going to cause job encroachment but job enrichment!

It’s about a thought process in solving problems in which the two approaches (human & machine) work together by complementing each other to use the advantages that each one has, resulting in Jobs Enrichment!

The leaders at the top management should not bogged down by claims of journalists and experts, but rather think logically upon the automation of process where the two approaches can work together, rather than machines substituting humans – This is what I call the enrichment strategy.

In my opinion, we should work to change the mindset, of employees & employers to ensure a different line of thought: automation is not job encroachment, but job augmentation.

This mindset has the power to change the upcoming time!

Automation, RPA & Artificial Intelligence: Job Encroachment or Job Enrichment (1/2)

In one of the sessions where I was explaining automation and the benefits it can bring to enterprises, I was asked an interesting question, “Considering all the hard & soft benefits which you mentioned, any CXO would be trying to get the bots into their environment, is my job SAFE? Or will I shown a pink slip in near future? What should I do?”

This question made me realize that though at the top level - automation, RPA & Artificial Intelligence - is gaining traction & creating buzz for innumerable reasons: cost optimization, improving process efficiencies & enhancing user experience; at the ground level, the level at which probably L0/L1 works, certain basics are missing resulting in fear in the minds of employees.

In this post, I shall share my two cents on effect of automation & job security at different levels in an enterprise & in the next post (the 2/2), what should a common person do.

As mentioned, for the job security part, I shall try to analyze the situation from three perspectives: from a person in a nine to five computer job, a person from a mid-management level & then from a person in a senior management level job. 

Case 1: Nine to five computer jobs

A typical automation (RPA) process works in bottom-to-top manner. It starts with analyzing what normal people do on the ground in a job, and then removes their intervention, step-by-step. It annuls any manual tasks which are either SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) driven or have a standard way of execution. Adding to this notion is that we have many players in the industry which have built bots that can automate standard routine tasks. So, if you feel that you fall under this category, then maybe you should start thinking on adding more knowledge flavors to your job to be safe.

Case 2: Mid Management Level

At mid management level, people perform certain knowledge work which required understanding language, serial decision making, tasks execution based upon that decisions etc.

Though not completely, AI is the disruption at this level. Here, the same players have tried to build data models and search algorithms to enable machines to perform less challenging cognitive work. But, as of today, many tasks which executives perform will get automated.

Case 3: Senior Management Level

The day-to-day tasks defined at this level are highly obscure, which requires analyzing a lot of conditions, contexts, situations, risks & many other unforeseeable parameters. Given the complexity of decision making and impact these decisions have, the amount of jobs encroachment by automation (RPA) & AI, at this level, as of today, is minimal or negligible.

So, for the people falling under case 1 & 2, the situation may seems dire. And that’s logical as well. But from an economy perspective, if we don’t create jobs at the same pace as encroached by automation, the number of jobless people will grow, and the social & psychological repercussions of unemployed population will be dire!

The 5 Best Feature Phones You Can Buy Today

10 iPhone Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Device Running Smoothly

Become a Certified IT Professional with this CompTIA Training

You don’t need years of experience to start working in IT. But to land your first gig, you will need to prove you have some key technical skills. The CompTIA A+ 220-901 Certification Training Master Class helps you learn the basics of professional IT and pass the widely-respected CompTIA A+ exam with flying colors. Right now, you can pick up all 10 hours of training for $9.99 at MakeUseOf Deals.

Professional Skills

There are many niches within the world of professional IT: technical supports, cybersecurity, network engineering, and so on. However, all of these specialisms are based on some fundamental skills.

This training helps you acquire those career building blocks. Through concise video lessons, you get a complete education in computing hardware. You don’t need any technical knowledge to take this course, and the curriculum is officially approved by CompTIA.

Along the way, you discover how to configure any PC, install the relevant operating system, and set up a network. You also get a tour of PC components, including motherboards, processors, memory, CPU, and more. This knowledge can help you troubleshoot problems and provide technical solutions.

Just as importantly, you get full prep for the CompTIA A+ 220-901 exam. This certification is essential if you want to work as an IT professional, and it will impress employers in other sectors.

10 Hours of Training for $9.99

The training is worth $299, but you can get lifetime access now for just $9.99.

Want your products featured by MakeUseOf Deals? Learn more about how to sell your products online!

Read the full article: Become a Certified IT Professional with this CompTIA Training

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5 New Ways to Search YouTube and Find Trending and Awesome Videos

Given the amount of great content on YouTube, you’d think it would be easier to find a video you want to watch. If you are frustrated with YouTube’s limited search functions or weird video suggestions, here’s how you can search for videos or find amazing things to watch.

In the recent past, YouTube has become better with some new features. But discovering new videos to watch is still difficult, especially since YouTube’s suggestions aren’t always great.

However, with the right third-party sites and apps, this is easy to fix.

Trinding (Web): Find New and Undiscovered Videos

There are so many videos on YouTube that some amazing footage is probably being ignored right now. Trinding is a community of YouTube enthusiasts looking to fix that by giving more exposure to such awesomeness.

Based on a subreddit about undiscovered videos, Trinding shares videos that have less than 50,000 views. The videos are sorted by mood or genre, and you can further check trending, new, and hall-of-fame videos.

The community has over 40,000 users, which leads to a whole bunch of great submissions of hitherto undiscovered gems. You might be the among the first few to watch something that goes viral later. How cool is that?

Popular 50 (Web): Real-Time Trending Videos by Country

For some reason, YouTube makes you have to jump through hoops to find trending videos. It’ll give you recommendations and suggestions based on what you’ve already seen. Even when you find something trending, the next auto-playing video will be what YouTube thinks you should see, not the next most popular clip.

Popular 50 breaks this relentless cycle with a simple list of the 50 most popular videos on YouTube at any moment. Hot Trends, Popular Trends, and Rising Trends divide the videos. The list is further classified by country, as well as categories (autos and vehicles, comedy, entertainment, film and animation, gaming, how to and style, music, pets and animals, science and technology, and sports).

Spend a few minutes on Popular 50 and you’ll end up thinking that this is how YouTube should look and behave.

Tele.Rocks (Web): Turn YouTube Into Safe-Viewing Channels

TV is ideal for kids or to put it on in the background. On TV, you never have to think about what to watch next. Channels are set up, and the program will be playing. And most of the content is safe for viewing by anyone. Tele.Rocks brings a similar experience to the internet with YouTube videos.

There are six “channels” on Tele.Rocks:

• Do It Yourself: For DIY videos and life hacks.
• Black and White: For funny old black-and-white movies like Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin.
• Music: For the latest pop songs from music charts.
• Nature: For beautiful scenery and nature documentaries.
• Chill Out: For calming and relaxing songs.
• Kids: For children-friendly cartoons.

Pick a channel and it starts playing. You don’t have to interact any further. Plus, the channel works like a TV channel, in that everyone in the world is watching the same thing at the same time.

Tele.Rocks is ideal for anyone who wants safe videos from YouTube playing endlessly, without worrying about what will start next.

Utters (Web): Find Videos of Any Person Saying a Word or a Phrase

How many videos do you think there are of President Trump saying “huge” on YouTube? Find out with Utters, a cool app that searches for words or phrases said by a certain person.

It’s quite easy to use. Type in the name of the person, followed by the word or the phrase. It’s not a fool-proof app, and you are likely to get some bad results if you have misspelled the name or the phrase.

The charm is in the search results, which skip directly to an endless stream of all the videos that match your query. The video will also automatically skip to the part that you searched for. You can go back and forward between the videos, or open a clip in a new tab to watch the full video.

It’s nice to see search results playing as videos of the relevant part, rather than a list of different videos that can be hit or miss. Utters won’t always be useful as a search tool, but it is great for discovering videos you would not have come across otherwise.

Old YouTube (Web): Search Videos From Oldest to Newest

Despite being owned by search giant Google, there are weird restrictions on how you can search on YouTube. One of those is that it won’t let you list search results from oldest to newest.

Old YouTube is a simple web app that gives you chronological control over YouTube search. When you perform a search, by default, it will show results from the oldest video matching your keywords.

You can add a starting year for the search results, or just go all the way back to the beginning of YouTube in 2005. It loads about five results at a time.

Or Just Watch YouTube’s Most Popular 15

One of these websites will definitely give you something awesome and new (or old) to watch. But these are better for people who have been on YouTube for a long time and seen the classics.

In case you are new to YouTube and haven’t seen the best of the best, here are the 15 most watched videos on YouTube, and why they are so popular.

Read the full article: 5 New Ways to Search YouTube and Find Trending and Awesome Videos

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How to Schedule your Google Forms and Limit Submissions

When you create a Google Form, it is public by default meaning anyone who has the link to the form can submit a response. Any quiz, poll or survey created inside Google Forms has no expiration date and it can collect unlimited number of responses until the form owner decides to manually close* the form.

For some Google Forms though, limits may be necessary.

• If you are using Google Forms to accept entries for an online contest or a giveaway on your website, you may only want to accept the first ‘n’ entries strictly on a first-come first-served basis and close the form once that limit has reached.
• If you are using Google Forms to collect sign-ups for an event, you may want specify a close date and automatically close the form once the event has ended.
• If you are teacher who is using Google Forms for creating quiz assignments for the class, you may want to set time limits so that your form is open only on specific days during school hours and closed at all other times.

How to Set Limits in Google Forms

Google Forms offers no option to either specify response limits or any expiration criteria but we can easily incorporate this functionality into our forms with the help of Google Forms add-ons.

To get started, install the Email Google Forms add-on from the Google store. This add-on, as the name suggests, is meant for sending forms response in an email message but it can also help you schedule Google Forms and limit responses.

After the add-on is installed, go to your Google Form and click the add-ons menu (it looks like a puzzle icon). Choose Email Notifications > Limit Google Form Responses and you’ll see the configuration screen as shown above (video).

Open Google Form Automatically

If your form is currently closed and not accepting responses, you can specify an open date and your closed Google Form will automatically open on the scheduled date. This is useful for event registration forms where the registrations should be opened for public only on a specific date.

Close Google Form Automatically

Next, you can specify the criteria when your Google Form should be closed for new responses. You can either specify the exact date when the form should be automatically closed or you can set the maximum number of responses that your form should allow before closing itself.

This is perfect option if you are planning to use Google Forms for registrations forms, surveys, contests or any other event that has a limited capacity or is valid only until a specific date and time.

Set the Closed Form Message

With the Google Form limiter, you can also specify the custom message that will be displayed when someone accesses your closed form. This message has to be in plain text and you cannot use rich formatting or HTML tags. You can however include line breaks, hyperlinks (URLs) and email addresses.

Open and Close Google Form on a Recurring Schedule

You can even setup recurring open and close schedule with the limiter. For instance, you can specify schedule such that your form will open every Monday and Tuesday between 8 AM and 11 AM. The form will not accept responses outside the specified time window.

The recurring schedule option should be useful for educators who only wish to provide access to the form to student on specific days during specific hours.

The Form limiter is written in Google Apps Script. You can find the source code on Github should you wish to roll out own customised limiter.

Also see: Create PDF documents from Google Forms

Important Things to Know

• If you’ve specified both Response Limits and a Closing Date, whichever comes first will close the Google Form. 
• The open and close date and time specified in the Google Form limiter are set as per the default timezone of your browser /computer.
• The actual open and close time may sometimes vary ± 20 minutes from the specified time due to certain technical limitations of Google add-ons.
• You can click the “Reset” button to completely remove the form schedule and closing limits.
• If you would like to manually close your Google Form for new responses, open the Form, go to the Response tab and uncheck the “Accepting Responses” option. You can re-open the form anytime later by checking the “Not Accepting Responses” button.

The post How to Schedule your Google Forms and Limit Submissions appeared first on Digital Inspiration.

My product launch wishlist for Instagram, Twitter, Uber and more

‘Twas the night before Xmas, and all through the house, not a feature was stirring from the designer’s mouse . . . Not Twitter! Not Uber, Not Apple or Pinterest! On Facebook! On Snapchat! On Lyft or on Insta! . . . From the sidelines I ask you to flex your code’s might. Happy Xmas to all if you make these apps right.

Instagram

See More Like This – A button on feed posts that when tapped inserts a burst of similar posts before the timeline continues. Want to see more fashion, sunsets, selfies, food porn, pets, or Boomerangs? Instagram’s machine vision technology and metadata would gather them from people you follow and give you a dose. You shouldn’t have to work through search, hashtags, or the Explore page, nor permanently change your feed by following new accounts. Pinterest briefly had this feature (and should bring it back) but it’d work better on Insta.

Web DMs – Instagram’s messaging feature has become the defacto place for sharing memes and trash talk about people’s photos, but it’s stuck on mobile. For all the college kids and entry-level office workers out there, this would make being stuck on laptops all day much more fun. Plus, youth culture truthsayer Taylor Lorenz wants Instagram web DMs too.

Upload Quality Indicator – Try to post a Story video or Boomerang from a crummy internet connection and they turn out a blurry mess. Instagram should warn us if our signal strength is low compared to what we usually have (since some places it’s always mediocre) and either recommend we wait for Wi-Fi, or post a low-res copy that’s replaced by the high-res version when possible.

Oh, and if new VP of product Vishal Shah is listening, I’d also like Bitmoji-style avatars and a better way to discover accounts that shows a selection of their recent posts plus their bio, instead of just one post and no context in Explore which is better for discovering content.

Every feed app should steal Pinterest’s ‘more like this’ button

Twitter

DM Search – Ummm, this is pretty straightforward. It’s absurd that you can’t even search DMs by person, let alone keyword. Twitter knows messaging is a big thing on mobile right? And DMs are one of the most powerful ways to get in contact with mid-level public figures and journalists. PS: My DMs are open if you’ve got a news tip — @JoshConstine.

Unfollow Suggestions – Social networks are obsessed with getting us to follow more people, but do a terrible job of helping us clean up our feeds. With Twitter bringing back the option to see a chronological feed, we need unfollow suggestions more than ever. It should analyze who I follow but never click, fave, reply to, retweet, or even slow down to read and ask if I want to nix them. I asked for this 5 years ago and the problem has only gotten worse. Since people feel like their feeds are already overflowing, they’re stingy with following new people. That’s partly why you see accounts get only a handful of new followers when their tweets go viral and are seen by millions. I recently had a tweet with 1.7 million impressions and 18,000 Likes that drove just 11 follows. Yes I know that’s a self-own.

Analytics Benchmarks – If Twitter wants to improve conversation quality, it should teach us what works. Twitter offers analytics about each of your tweets, but not in context of your other posts. Did this drive more or fewer link clicks or follows than my typical tweet? That kind of info could guide users to create more compelling content.

Twitter Quitters And The Unfiltered Feed Problem

Facebook

(Obviously we could get into Facebook’s myriad problems here. A less sensationalized feed that doesn’t reward exaggerated claims would top my list. Hopefully its plan to downrank “borderline content” that almost violates its policies will help when it rolls out.)

Batched Notifications – Facebook sends way too many notifications. Some are downright useless and should be eliminated. “14 friends responded to events happening tomorrow”? “Someone’s fundraiser is half way to its goal?” Get that shit out of here. But there are other notifications I want to see but that aren’t urgent nor crucial to know about individually. Facebook should let us decide to batch notifications so we’d only get one of a certain type every 12 or 24 hours, or only when a certain number of similar ones are triggered. I’d love a digest of posts to my Groups or Events from the past day rather than every time someone opens their mouth.

I so don’t care

Notifications In The “Time Well Spent” Feature – Facebook tells you how many minutes you spent on it each day over the past week and on average, but my total time on Facebook matters less to me than how often it interrupts my life with push notifications. The “Your Time On Facebook” feature should show how many notifications of each type I’ve received, which ones I actually opened, and let me turn off or batch the ones I want fewer of.

Facebook is finally rolling out its ‘how long do I spend on Facebook’ dashboard

Oh, and for Will Cathcart, Facebook’s VP of apps, can I also get proper syncing so I don’t rewatch the same Stories on Instagram and Facebook, the ability to invite people to Events on mobile based on past invite lists of those I’ve hosted or attended, and the See More Like This feature I recommended for Instagram?

Uber/Lyft/Ridesharing

“Quiet Ride” Button – Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for small talk. Had a rough day, need to get work done, or want to just zone out? Ridesharing apps should offer a request for a quiet ride that if the driver accepts, you pay them an extra dollar (or get it free as a loyalty perk), and you get ferried to your destination without unnecessary conversation. I get that it’s a bit dehumanizing for the driver, but I’d bet some would happily take a little extra cash for their compliance.

“I Need More Time” Button – Sometimes you overestimate the ETA and suddenly your car is arriving before you’re ready to leave. Instead of cancelling and rebooking a few minutes later, frantically rushing so you don’t miss your window and get smacked with a no-show fee, or making the driver wait while they and the company aren’t getting paid, Uber, Lyft, and the rest should offer the “I Need More Time” button that simply rebooks you a car that’s a little further away.

Spotify/Music Streaming Apps

Scan My Collection – I wish I could just take photos of the album covers, spines, or even discs of my CD or record collection and have them instantly added to a playlist or folder. It’s kind of sad that after lifetimes of collecting physical music, most of it now sits on a shelf and we forget to play what we used to love. Music apps want more data on what we like, and it’s just sitting there gathering dust. There’s obviously some fun viral potential here too. Let me share what’s my most embarrassing CD. For me, it’s my dual copies of Limp Bizkit’s “Significant Other” because I played the first one so much it got scratched.

Friends Weekly – Spotify ditched its in-app messaging, third-party app platform, and other ways to discover music so its playlists would decide what becomes a hit in order to exert leverage over the record labels to negotiate better deals. But music discovery is inherently social and the desktop little ticker of what friends are playing on doesn’t cut it. Spotify should let me choose to recommend my new favorite song or agree to let it share what I’ve recently played most, and put those into a Discover Weekly-style social playlist of what friends are listening to.

How Spotify is finally gaining leverage over record labels

Snapchat

Growth – I’m sorry, I had to.

Bulk Export Memories – But seriously, Snapchat is shrinking. That’s worrisome because some users’ photos and videos are trapped on its Memories cloud hosting feature that’s supposed to help free up space on your phone. But there’s no bulk export option, meaning it could take hours of saving shots one at a time to your camera roll if you needed to get off of Snapchat, if for example it was shutting down, or got acquired, or you’re just bored of it.

Add-On Cameras – Snapchat’s Spectacles are actually pretty neat for recording first-person or underwater shots in a circular format. But otherwise they don’t do much more, and in some ways do much less, than your phone’s camera and are a long way from being a Magic Leap competitor. That’s why if Snapchat really wants to become a “Camera Company”, it should build sleek add-on cameras that augment our phone’s hardware. Snap previously explored selling a 360-camera but never launched one. A little Giroptic iO-style 360 lens that attaches to your phone’s charging port could let you capture a new kind of content that really makes people feel like they’re there with you. An Aukey Aura-style zoom lens attachment that easily fits in your pocket unlike a DSLR could also be a hit

Snap explored selling a 360 camera

iOS

Switch Wi-Fi/Bluetooth From Control Center – I thought the whole point of Control Center was one touch access, but I can only turn on or off the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s silly having to dig into the Settings menu to switch to a different Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth device, especially as we interact with more and more of them. Control Center should unfurl a menu of networks or devices you can choose from.

Shoot GIFs – Live Photos are a clumsy proprietary format. Instagram’s Boomerang nailed what we want out of live action GIFs and we should be able to shoot them straight from the iOS camera and export them as actual GIFs that can be used across the web. Give us some extra GIF settings and iPhones could have a new reason for teens to choose them over Androids.

Gradual Alarms – Anyone else have a heart attack whenever they hear their phone’s Alarm Clock ringtone? I know I do because I leave my alarms on so loud that I’ll never miss them, but end up being rudely shocked awake. A setting that gradually increases the volume of the iOS Alarm Clock every 15 seconds or minute so I can be gently arisen unless I refuse to get up.

Maybe some of these apply to Android, but I wouldn’t know because I’m a filthy casual iPhoner. Send me your Android suggestions, as well as what else you want to see added to your favorite apps.

[Image Credit: Hanson Inc]

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My product launch wishlist for Instagram, Twitter, Uber and more

‘Twas the night before Xmas, and all through the house, not a feature was stirring from the designer’s mouse . . . Not Twitter! Not Uber, Not Apple or Pinterest! On Facebook! On Snapchat! On Lyft or on Insta! . . . From the sidelines I ask you to flex your code’s might. Happy Xmas to all if you make these apps right.

Instagram

See More Like This – A button on feed posts that when tapped inserts a burst of similar posts before the timeline continues. Want to see more fashion, sunsets, selfies, food porn, pets, or Boomerangs? Instagram’s machine vision technology and metadata would gather them from people you follow and give you a dose. You shouldn’t have to work through search, hashtags, or the Explore page, nor permanently change your feed by following new accounts. Pinterest briefly had this feature (and should bring it back) but it’d work better on Insta.

Web DMs – Instagram’s messaging feature has become the defacto place for sharing memes and trash talk about people’s photos, but it’s stuck on mobile. For all the college kids and entry-level office workers out there, this would make being stuck on laptops all day much more fun. Plus, youth culture truthsayer Taylor Lorenz wants Instagram web DMs too.

Upload Quality Indicator – Try to post a Story video or Boomerang from a crummy internet connection and they turn out a blurry mess. Instagram should warn us if our signal strength is low compared to what we usually have (since some places it’s always mediocre) and either recommend we wait for Wi-Fi, or post a low-res copy that’s replaced by the high-res version when possible.

Oh, and if new VP of product Vishal Shah is listening, I’d also like Bitmoji-style avatars and a better way to discover accounts that shows a selection of their recent posts plus their bio, instead of just one post and no context in Explore which is better for discovering content.

Every feed app should steal Pinterest’s ‘more like this’ button

Twitter

DM Search – Ummm, this is pretty straightforward. It’s absurd that you can’t even search DMs by person, let alone keyword. Twitter knows messaging is a big thing on mobile right? And DMs are one of the most powerful ways to get in contact with mid-level public figures and journalists. PS: My DMs are open if you’ve got a news tip — @JoshConstine.

Unfollow Suggestions – Social networks are obsessed with getting us to follow more people, but do a terrible job of helping us clean up our feeds. With Twitter bringing back the option to see a chronological feed, we need unfollow suggestions more than ever. It should analyze who I follow but never click, fave, reply to, retweet, or even slow down to read and ask if I want to nix them. I asked for this 5 years ago and the problem has only gotten worse. Since people feel like their feeds are already overflowing, they’re stingy with following new people. That’s partly why you see accounts get only a handful of new followers when their tweets go viral and are seen by millions. I recently had a tweet with 1.7 million impressions and 18,000 Likes that drove just 11 follows. Yes I know that’s a self-own.

Analytics Benchmarks – If Twitter wants to improve conversation quality, it should teach us what works. Twitter offers analytics about each of your tweets, but not in context of your other posts. Did this drive more or fewer link clicks or follows than my typical tweet? That kind of info could guide users to create more compelling content.

Twitter Quitters And The Unfiltered Feed Problem

Facebook

(Obviously we could get into Facebook’s myriad problems here. A less sensationalized feed that doesn’t reward exaggerated claims would top my list. Hopefully its plan to downrank “borderline content” that almost violates its policies will help when it rolls out.)

Batched Notifications – Facebook sends way too many notifications. Some are downright useless and should be eliminated. “14 friends responded to events happening tomorrow”? “Someone’s fundraiser is half way to its goal?” Get that shit out of here. But there are other notifications I want to see but that aren’t urgent nor crucial to know about individually. Facebook should let us decide to batch notifications so we’d only get one of a certain type every 12 or 24 hours, or only when a certain number of similar ones are triggered. I’d love a digest of posts to my Groups or Events from the past day rather than every time someone opens their mouth.

I so don’t care

Notifications In The “Time Well Spent” Feature – Facebook tells you how many minutes you spent on it each day over the past week and on average, but my total time on Facebook matters less to me than how often it interrupts my life with push notifications. The “Your Time On Facebook” feature should show how many notifications of each type I’ve received, which ones I actually opened, and let me turn off or batch the ones I want fewer of.

Facebook is finally rolling out its ‘how long do I spend on Facebook’ dashboard

Oh, and for Will Cathcart, Facebook’s VP of apps, can I also get proper syncing so I don’t rewatch the same Stories on Instagram and Facebook, the ability to invite people to Events on mobile based on past invite lists of those I’ve hosted or attended, and the See More Like This feature I recommended for Instagram?

Uber/Lyft/Ridesharing

“Quiet Ride” Button – Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for small talk. Had a rough day, need to get work done, or want to just zone out? Ridesharing apps should offer a request for a quiet ride that if the driver accepts, you pay them an extra dollar (or get it free as a loyalty perk), and you get ferried to your destination without unnecessary conversation. I get that it’s a bit dehumanizing for the driver, but I’d bet some would happily take a little extra cash for their compliance.

“I Need More Time” Button – Sometimes you overestimate the ETA and suddenly your car is arriving before you’re ready to leave. Instead of cancelling and rebooking a few minutes later, frantically rushing so you don’t miss your window and get smacked with a no-show fee, or making the driver wait while they and the company aren’t getting paid, Uber, Lyft, and the rest should offer the “I Need More Time” button that simply rebooks you a car that’s a little further away.

Spotify/Music Streaming Apps

Scan My Collection – I wish I could just take photos of the album covers, spines, or even discs of my CD or record collection and have them instantly added to a playlist or folder. It’s kind of sad that after lifetimes of collecting physical music, most of it now sits on a shelf and we forget to play what we used to love. Music apps want more data on what we like, and it’s just sitting there gathering dust. There’s obviously some fun viral potential here too. Let me share what’s my most embarrassing CD. For me, it’s my dual copies of Limp Bizkit’s “Significant Other” because I played the first one so much it got scratched.

Friends Weekly – Spotify ditched its in-app messaging, third-party app platform, and other ways to discover music so its playlists would decide what becomes a hit in order to exert leverage over the record labels to negotiate better deals. But music discovery is inherently social and the desktop little ticker of what friends are playing on doesn’t cut it. Spotify should let me choose to recommend my new favorite song or agree to let it share what I’ve recently played most, and put those into a Discover Weekly-style social playlist of what friends are listening to.

How Spotify is finally gaining leverage over record labels

Snapchat

Growth – I’m sorry, I had to.

Bulk Export Memories – But seriously, Snapchat is shrinking. That’s worrisome because some users’ photos and videos are trapped on its Memories cloud hosting feature that’s supposed to help free up space on your phone. But there’s no bulk export option, meaning it could take hours of saving shots one at a time to your camera roll if you needed to get off of Snapchat, if for example it was shutting down, or got acquired, or you’re just bored of it.

Add-On Cameras – Snapchat’s Spectacles are actually pretty neat for recording first-person or underwater shots in a circular format. But otherwise they don’t do much more, and in some ways do much less, than your phone’s camera and are a long way from being a Magic Leap competitor. That’s why if Snapchat really wants to become a “Camera Company”, it should build sleek add-on cameras that augment our phone’s hardware. Snap previously explored selling a 360-camera but never launched one. A little Giroptic iO-style 360 lens that attaches to your phone’s charging port could let you capture a new kind of content that really makes people feel like they’re there with you. An Aukey Aura-style zoom lens attachment that easily fits in your pocket unlike a DSLR could also be a hit

Snap explored selling a 360 camera

iOS

Switch Wi-Fi/Bluetooth From Control Center – I thought the whole point of Control Center was one touch access, but I can only turn on or off the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s silly having to dig into the Settings menu to switch to a different Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth device, especially as we interact with more and more of them. Control Center should unfurl a menu of networks or devices you can choose from.

Shoot GIFs – Live Photos are a clumsy proprietary format. Instagram’s Boomerang nailed what we want out of live action GIFs and we should be able to shoot them straight from the iOS camera and export them as actual GIFs that can be used across the web. Give us some extra GIF settings and iPhones could have a new reason for teens to choose them over Androids.

Gradual Alarms – Anyone else have a heart attack whenever they hear their phone’s Alarm Clock ringtone? I know I do because I leave my alarms on so loud that I’ll never miss them, but end up being rudely shocked awake. A setting that gradually increases the volume of the iOS Alarm Clock every 15 seconds or minute so I can be gently arisen unless I refuse to get up.

Maybe some of these apply to Android, but I wouldn’t know because I’m a filthy casual iPhoner. Send me your Android suggestions, as well as what else you want to see added to your favorite apps.

[Image Credit: Hanson Inc]

Read Full Article