In the time of "fake news" and alternative facts, we should not be surprised by the dishonest media, and yet, I am still slightly surprised by deliberate misleading by the major news. While I find it pretty uneventful that media companies are politically biased (I mean we kind of expect that), I do think that trying to circumvent fact for click-bait is completely heinous. A journalist's first motive should always be the truth Is this just a one-sided problem? Absolutely not. In fact, there are two instances recently (on both sides of the aisle) that make me think that the time of journalistic integrity is fading away. Maybe I am wrong. If you don't keep up with the news (or spend anytime on Twitter), you may not be aware that there is clearly some divide between some NFL players (and fans) and some NFL owners (and the president). In the spirit of that divide, President Trump announced that he was not welcoming the Super Bowl champions to the White House. Now, t...
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Numerous social media companies fight for teens attention Not long ago, a study was conducted detailing the social media usage of teenagers, and surprisingly (or not), Facebook did not come in at the top of the list. In fact, Facebook came in at the center of the pack with only 51% of teenagers using the platform. Compared to the 85% for YouTube and 72% for Instagram, Facebook is fading quickly from the forefront of social gathering. (Note: Instagram is owned by Facebook) The real question is, "why are teens abandoning the platform?" To me, it is not a simple as a single reason, but more a combination of factors. Firstly, the platform has quickly diluted and lost the "coolness" it once had. Now, not to insult anyone, but no teenager or tween wants to share their life and spend their time on a platform that their parents or grandparents are on. Once upon a time, Myspace was the overrun platform and Facebook was young and fresh; if you look today, I am s...
Apps like Tynker and Grasshopper teach coding to kids and beginners Let's face it: technology is not going to go backwards. For instance, 20 years from now, we will not be suddenly sitting at home playing Minesweeper on Windows ME. In fact, most industries and products are moving more toward the digital world than the physical world. It is because of this that I often, simultaneously, laugh and cringe when I hear people complain about the amount of time that their children spend with "devices". Now, I get it. Parents do not want their children spend every second of every day with their face in front of a screen. Not only does that prevent them from having some positive experiences, but it also is not exactly going to keep them from getting fat; as you know, I am very much about preventing childhood obesity. However, that does not mean that time spent with technology is not a valuable, if not more valuable, than the time they spend "playing outside". V...
Digital well-being is this year's buzzword With the keynote of WWDC officially over, it is safe to say one thing: digital well-being is the trendy topic of the year. I/O last month and WWDC have demonstrated that the key players in mobile devices (seemingly) want you to put your phone down. However, which company has the right idea in how to do it? Both iOS 12 and Android P have showcased coming features to address "digital well-being". For all intents and purposes, these words just mean that Apple and Google "want" you to spend less time on your phone; at least, that is the image they are portraying. Both iOS and Android offer new dashboards Now, how are they both doing it? While they differ in the approach, they have very similar tools. For instance, both operating systems will allow you to set timers on apps so that you can spend as much or as little times in those apps as you choose. If you go over, you get shut out of the app. In additio...
As detailed by multiple sources yesterday, the Xbox may be getting much more friendly with Alexa and Google Assistant. Windows Central reports that upcoming dashboards are showing an option to enable digital assistants including Alexa and Google Assistant; this would mean Xbox users would no longer be locked in to Cortana. Xbox Dashboard shows digital assistants on the way Currently, Cortana is the only digital assistant that works within the Xbox, but the writing has been on the wall for her demise for a long time. With the discontinuation of the Kinect for consumers, her use was possible only through headsets and microphones which I would imagine few people used on the daily basis.As someone that routes their TV through the Xbox to take advantage of the entertainment system aspect of the device, I can assure you that I seldom have access to a microphone. The death of Kinect basically ended voice interaction However, with the introduction of other digital assistant capabi...
WiFi Smart Plugs I have considered trying to make my apartment a little smarter ever since I moved in. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to just start changing things considering I am renting. For instance, I cannot just start ripping outlets and switches out to swap them with smart switches, and I am definitely not going to swap out the refrigerator, stove, or microwave of a place I do not own. So, what did I do? Nothing for the first month. Unfortunately, that desire for a smart home that I have had since I first started renting years ago never went away. So, I did the easiest and cheapest upgrade I could do: I bought some smart plugs to work with my Home Mini. Only two days in, let me just say that I absolutely love it. First off, smart plugs are dirt cheap in terms of smart home tools, and if you spend a lot of time on eBay like I do, it is even cheaper. For less than $20, I got three smart plugs to try out. If you don't know, smart plugs just plug in to the outlet...
Just do us all a favor I may be alone in this, but I highly doubt it. My phone number is certainly not private as I have it listed in various public places; because of this, I get a fair amount of phone calls from numbers that I do not recognize. Now, everyone that knows me, knows that I do not answer phone calls from numbers I either do not recognize or I cannot find the source on Google. Rather than listen to telemarketers or possibly scammers, I choose to just ignore the call. The system works for me. With that in mind, I do often gets call from people that I do actually know and wouldn't mind speaking to, but there is a problem: I do not know it is them. If only there was some kind of system where if I do not answer the call, the individual calling could leave me a message to identify themselves and ask for me to call back. Oh wait, we have something like that; it is called voicemail. No number? No answer On any given day, I receive at least two to three ca...
In retrospect, we probably should have seen this coming. Since the iPhone X (and the Essential PH-1 before it), notches have taken over the world. In fact, I have even written before about the forthcoming "Era of Notches". However, as Google-centric Android person, I loved the fact that my Pixel 2 XL was notchless; I even find the beauty in the Galaxy lineup for its symmetrical bezels. Alas, it appears that Google is fully embracing the notch with the Pixel 3 XL. Possible Pixel 3 screen protectors After the "leak" of what appeared to be screen protectors for the upcoming Pixel 3 (due to be released in October), the Android world was sent in to a frenzy. As shown below, while the Pixel 3 appears to resemble the 2 XL, the Pixel 3 XL will featuring a very prominent notch as well as quite a large chin. The phone will undoubtedly feature the greatest features available as every new flagship does (Snapdragon 845, OLED, plenty of RAM) as well as the signatu...
IMAGE: Android Police I, Robot has finally come true...Robots are alive and now shooting guns; it is time to fear the rise of artificial intelligence. Or not. IMAGE: FanPop As detailed in an article on Engadget today , a video was posted to YouTube demonstrating Google Assistant shooting a gun. The point to be made: it is time to stop thinking about what artificial intelligence could do and start thinking about what it should do. On the surface, the thought of robots powered by artificial intelligence both handling and utilizing firearms is cause for alarm. However, there is much more to this story that makes the story much less fascinating, but it still keeps the mind questioning any practical and moral issues arising from artificial intelligence. The actual process that led to the phrase, "OK Google, activate gun," actually shooting a gun is quite impressive. As explained, the actual trigger was pulled by a string connected to a coin-dispensing machine l...
IMAGE: Getty Images (Composite from PageSix) A while back, I wrote a piece encouraging people to be mindful of their digital footprint and the things they say and do on social media. As someone who has seen some very questionable things posted online, I thought it was important to encourage others to take caution with what they share. As for those who are forced to see and hear another's ridiculous thoughts, I wrote a piece just days ago about the ability to unfollow and avoid others so that you are not forced to suffer through their farcical thoughts. Now, imagine my delight this morning, when I happen to stumble upon article after article detailing the nonsensical and inflammatory remarks on Twitter made by this country's most obnoxious T.V. mom. For those who may not have caught up on the news this morning, Roseanne Barr decided to enjoy her Memorial Day weekend by tweeting every ridiculous thought to come through her narrow mind ranging from accusations against Geo...
An avid fitness fan as well as tech enthusiast, I love fitness apps and trackers. They manage to combine my love of staying healthy and tech obsession perfectly. Throughout my day, my Huawei Watch linked with Google Fit pretty perfectly tracks my steps and movement, and then come exercise time, my Fitbit Charge 2 is a perfectly capable helper. I have noticed that as I talk to people, I find myself immediately checking their wrists for fitness trackers because I find myself genuinely curious how much people truly utilize them. While I make no judgements on a person's appearance or lifestyle, I have noticed people that where them daily seem to make little progress on their fitness goals. Again, everyone is different and weight is not the overall indicator of health, it does make me wonder whether fitness trackers have become, like other electronics, more about appearance than health. While I have not delved entirely in to all of the settings of either Google Fit or Fitbit, I...
IMAGE: Softpedia Admittedly, when I first thought about this post, I was operating under the assumption that the majority of people owned a windows PC so it would be just that operating system I would be referring to, but with Chromebooks now utilizing Android apps, this same question can be asked: Browser or App? IMAGE: ExtremeTech For starters, let me clarify. Many of our most commonly used programs started on the web; Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, and many others have fully-functioning and well-operating websites that are perfectly suited for personal computer web-browsing. Meanwhile, on our phones and tablets, we use native applications that are custom-built for the best possible experience on those devices; we would never think to use Netflix in the browser on a phone. With the introduction of Windows 10 and the Microsoft store, as well as the incorporation of Android apps on Chromebooks, the lines in the sand are washing away. Big names such as Facebook and T...
IMAGE: PCmag Let's start with the elephant in the room: regardless of what they do or how they do it, Facebook has a hold on its customer base. I know they have scandal after scandal and even a nationwide "delete Facebook" campaign, but they continue to have over a billion users. Like it or not, most people use it, and most people spend a good bit of time on it. Fact. Now, why do we spend so much time on Facebook? Well, it gives us information and updates on those we love and allows us to stay connected to those we do not see regularly. Do I get to see my sister and niece every day? No, but I can keep up with her accomplishments and stay connected. On the other hand, the bad thing about Facebook is it gives us information and allows us to stay connected with those we love. IMAGE: Gadgets.NDTV Wait what? Yes, as much as we love our family and friends, we often do not see eye-to-eye on things such as politics, religion, sports, child-raising, et cetera. Tha...
IMAGE: The Daily Beast What happens when something becomes much more than it is? More importantly, has it always been that everything we own means much more than just what is was meant to me? Have we reached the point where we buy things not by practicality, but more by image? Are phones just the next link in the chain? I am sure long before television commercials, social media, and worldwide recognition things were known just for usability. For instance, if you bought a hammer, shoes, or even something as advanced as a refrigerator, you bought it for its practicality. You wanted something that did the job it was asked to do for as long as it possibly could. If someone asked what brand of fridge you had, you may reply, "Not a clue, but it keeps shit cold". To an extent, even cars were purchased for the life expectancy, not the flash it seemed to have. Even when cell phones first came out, the idea of image based on cell phone was non-existent. The only idea of im...
IMAGE: IMDB Let's start with a little background for those that are not familiar. 13 Reasons Why is a Netflix show that follows the story of Hannah Baker, or rather, the story after Hannah Baker. After intense bullying, harassment, and ultimately sexual assault, Hannah takes her own life leaving behind a set of tapes detailing the reasons she committed suicide. In the newly released season two, 13 Reason follows the trial in the lawsuit between Hannah's parents and the school district. An incredibly graphic show, 13 Reasons leaves little to the imagination. Hannah's suicide is shown fully on screen as are the various depictions of sexual assault including the now controversial scene featuring character Tyler in the season two finale. Designed to instigate discussion about some of the darker sides of society, 13 Reasons Why remains polarizing for how it depicts certain topics; however, one topic that is rarely discussed or mentioned is the affect that technology has on...
IMAGE: TechAdviser.co When The Verge first released its exclusive analysis on the future of Google messaging including the seeming death of Allo, the branding of Chat, and the push toward RCS, I did not think too much of it. After all, I had been reading about Rich Communication Services as the successor to Short Message Service for years; the popularity of apps such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and iMessage showed that people loved the feeling of more personalized messages. Uncompressed pictures and stickers were just the beginning of what RCS was capable as in-thread boarding passes started to become a reality. Unfortunately, as is always the case, carriers and companies could not agree on a profile for universal RCS leading to no direction and no adoption; Apple sitting comfortably on the outside with the exclusivity of iMessage did not help the matter either. However, Google with Chat seems to have put RCS back on track. As noted in the article, many carriers and manufacturers h...
Sometimes, you just want to grow up or make a change right? Surely, I am not the only one has dreamt of this so what do you do? Easy right? You decide what or who you want to be, make the change, and do your best to make sure others are aware of the new you. It should be an easy process, but of course, Google has to make it difficult. Oh, you didn't know I was talking about email? When we are younger and make our first email address, it is often something we will regret later. I mean the vast majority of email addresses for younger kids (if it wasn't set up by a parent) includes "420", "69", or some phrasing like "ladiesman". As a kid, these seem hilarious, and we often use these email addresses for years until we realize that it makes us look like jackasses. My first email address used "kid" in the address which obviously was not a great idea when I was no longer a kid so I needed to change it. However, that was not so diffi...
IMAGE: The Australian It would be insane for me to try avoiding talking about the royal wedding considering it took over the world today; I will admit that I did indeed watch it. So in the spirit of the royal wedding, I think it is important to talk about how large of an impact technology and the media had on this day throughout the world. Let's take a look at how the marriage of the Queen and Prince Phillip would have been covered. Newspapers would have covered the event a little before, and there would have been a headline the day after. Of course there would have been some black and white grainy photos of the occasion throughout the day as well as during the ceremony, and it was broadcast live on BBC radio. But for the most part, people throughout the world would have to wait to read the papers or listen through word-of-mouth to hear about it; there was definitely not a feeling of inclusiveness. IMAGE: Hulton Deutsch Now, let's fast forward to the weddin...