5/19/16

Google takes on Echo and Siri with 'Home' and an assistant

he company announced the new product Wednesday morning at its annual I/O developer conference. The event kicked off with a keynote by CEO Sundar Pichai, held outdoors at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, giving it a festive Coachella vibe.

The two hour presentation covered the latest Android N offerings, Google's new voice assistant (which will take on Siri), a virtual reality ecosystem and, of course, bots.

5/13/16

India says every phone must have a 'panic button' by 2017

India has announced new rules that require all mobile phones to have a "panic button," in order to protect women and prevent rape.

The regulations, which take force in 2017, were announced this week by India's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Manufacturers are also required to include GPS in all phones by 2018, in order to help improve security.

Many phone manufacturers already include a panic response feature, but India does not currently have a centralized emergency call system. Because different phone numbers are required to reach police, medical and fire services, the feature has limited utility.

tech article 5/6

Self-cleaning laundry may be on the way

Researchers in Australia say they have found a way to alter fabric so that stains disappear after a few minutes of sun exposure.

They dip the fabric into a special solution that coats it with microscopic copper and silver particles. When hit with light, these particles jump to life and act a bit like bleach.

"They get excited, then they degrade organic matter," one of the researchers, Rajesh Ramanathan, told CNNMoney on Wednesday. The tiny materials don't eat into the cotton "because cotton is cellulose -- is very tough."

Ramanathan is part of a team from the Ian Potter NanoBioSensing Facility at RMIT University in 

4/22/16

To Ong, now 26, the situation was deplorable. And although the hospital staff said that there was nothing to be done, he refused to believe them. Instead, he recruited a few of his fellow students to build a solution: GyroGlove.

Worn on the hand, the device stabilizes tremors with a gyroscope. This spinning disc—used in both aerospace technology and children’s toys—maintains an upright position, even when pushed. So when the hand shakes, tilting the gyroscope, the disc will resist the force attempting to knock it over. This creates a sensation wearers compared to moving their hands through syrup. Early GyroGlove tests reduced significant tremors by more than 80 percent.

Wiki Dissection

1. What is the purpose of this Wiki? It is to inform you about disruptive technology in the classroom.
2. When was the last post? October 11, 2007
3. How was this Wiki created/designed? Someone made an account and posted this topic. 
4. What would you add to this particular wiki? I would say that phones have changed a lot since this time.
5. What did you learn after reading this wiki? That you could put up a topic and make an argument about it.
6. If you had to create a Wiki with a team, what would be the specific topic (s)? Whats the best NFL football team and why.
7. How can Wikis be used in the classroom or in education? there could be a class related subject that everyone could talk about.

W-R Wiki Findings Page

1:There isn't boys tennis team anymore.
2:The principal should be Mr.Petrocelli.
3:The grades are 7-12 not 9-10.
4: It is Wood-Ridge Jr Sr High School not Wood-Ridge High School.
5: There is 55 faculty members not 37.
6: Ratio 23:1
7: No golf
8: There is no more Cross Country Team 
9: Outdated picture
10: There isn't a girl's tennis team anymore

Do Now 4/7/16

Snapchat is maturing by playing catch up.

The company unloaded half a dozen new features on Tuesday to make its app more useful, instead of just more entertaining.

For starters, Snapchat now allows people to make voice calls, send audio messages, and send video messages.

There's also a way to conduct a video call that works like a private livestream: You choose the people you want to chat with and start shooting your video. Your guests can join with their own video or audio, or watch and text back. But unlike other forms of video messaging on the app, whatever you film can't be saved to your phone.

In addition to the chat features, Snapchat also introduced a kind of auto-play function for Stories, letting people view multiple videos in succession. Snapchat also unveiled a new set of stickers that can be used when sending messages through the app.

tech article 3/24

Nintendo's first smartphone app is a social surprise

Now, the maker of Mario is asking fans to do something new: share their weekend plans with friends.

Nintendo's first smartphone app -- Miitomo -- launched Thursday in Japan, and will soon debut in other markets. It's distinctly social, and at first glance, may seem like a bizarre turn for a company known for games.

The app asks questions of users, such as their favorite TV show, or what they hope to be doing in 10 years. They're the sort of general queries that Nintendo says rarely come up in normal conversation.

The answers are then shared with friends in messages delivered by Miis -- the cartoonish avatars featured in Wii Sports, one of Nintendo's biggest hits of the last decade.

Some argue the app is true to Nintendo's 120-year history.

tech article 3/19/16

Amazon wants to replace 'awkward

passwords' with smiling selfies.

Customers would be able to take a picture or a short video of themselves to authenticate payments, instead of typing in a password.

The process would replace passwords in the same way a thumbprint replaces putting in a PIN code on an iPhone and other devices.

To double check that the image is a legitimate selfie of a living human being (instead of a scan of previously taken photo), the system would also require users to blink, smile or tilt their head when taking their picture.

Amazon said it is exploring the new technology to improve security and user experience.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/15/technology/amazon-selfie-payment/index.html 

Tech article 3/11/16

Apple could reveal mini iPhone 5SE on March 21.

The company sent invitations to the media for a special event on Thursday, with the words "Let us loop you in."

Apple is widely expected to take the covers off a mini iPhone a four-inch "iPhone 5SE."
The smaller phone will be about the same size as the existing iPhone 5S, according to leaked images. But it will also have some of the same features as the newer iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S models, including rounded edges, a Touch ID home button and an on/off button on the right-hand side of the device.
Some other products Apple could show off? There have been reports about a possible smaller iPad Pro, new Apple watch bands and software updates for its devices.
Releasing a smaller iPhone makes a good deal of sense for Apple.
The iPhone 7 is expected to be released in the fall, when Apple would typically be expected to retire the iPhone 5S. By that point, the 5S will be three years old.

Tech article 3/4/16

Antivirus tools are the aircraft flotation devices of PCs: They give you a false sense of security.

Despite efforts by security companies to thwart cyber attacks, hackers keep finding new ways into unsuspecting people's computers and systems.

That's why Microsoft is adding a new feature to its Windows Defender line of anti-hacking tools: When hackers do get in, Microsoft will help customers identify the attacks and stop them before they spread.

Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection isn't admitting defeat, per se. But it's taking an important step towards coping with reality: Your system is going to get hacked, and you'd better be prepared when it does.

Microsoft says the new tool analyzes information from more than 1 billion Windows devices, 2.5 trillion websites and 1 million suspicious files. When it senses an attack happening to one of its customers, Microsoft will send a notification.

Educational Technology and Copyright Law

 I found this article very helpful because it helps you learn more about copyright laws. This article states that you could use a photo that someone else took but you need to have got it from someone that has a licence and you would need to give the photographer credit for it. Copyright is a United States federal law that protects original works of authorship. This includes literary, written, dramatic, artistic, musical, and certain types of other work. I also learned that copyright laws are on the back of books to encourage the creation of content.

                             World History
It is my favorite subject because its really easy. When it comes to history I feel like I understand everything. I feel that history is really interesting and fun. Also Ms. Garvin is a really good teacher and knows how to teach. So far we went from the renissance to the opium war in China. I get really good grades in her class because it is so interesting. My favorite thing that we learned about was the industrial revolution. It was my favorite topic because there was a lot to learn about like all of the new great inventions like the and how Great Britain formed the first work union. This is why World History with Ms. Garvin is my favorite class. 

Tech article 2/25

Samsung showed off its newest Galaxy S smartphones on Sunday during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

With the S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung is doing what it should have done years ago with its flagship Galaxy brand: Sell solid, eye-catching phones with competitive hardware and software features.

The company went half-way with this strategy in 2015 with the S6 and S6 Edge. The models were sleek and nicely designed, thanks to an all-new aluminum and Gorilla Glass body. But their battery capacities were smaller. The phones were no longer water resistant. And in an effort to push people to use cloud storage, Samsung took away the ability to add memory.

Gamers may like the new Do Not Disturb feature that prevents calls from interrupting playtime, as well as a new battery conservation mode that changes frame rate and other qualities to use less power. Recording and uploading game play videos are now options too.

Do Now 2/22

I agree with what this letter is saying. I agree with Apple and what they are saying. I think that Apple is not agreeing because they would lose a lot of money. They would lose a lot of money because people would not want the government seeing everything they do and everything they send or download on to their device. Apple users would probably start thinking about switching over to another company.

2/18/16

On Tuesday easyJet announced plans to trial the use of hydrogen fuel cells on their planes.

The concept, which could convert their entire fleet of ordinary planes into hybrids without having to purchase new aircraft, could save a potential 50,000 tons of fuel and corresponding CO2 emissions each year.

The concept relies on hydrogen fuel cells which would be stored in the aircraft hold, and would allow a plane to taxi to and from the runway without using any fuel.

The cells would capture energy from the aircraft braking on landing, and would charge lightweight batteries when the plane is on the ground, negating the aircraft's need to use jet fuel when taxiing.

Read More

How realistic is a plane with a detachable cabin?

As 4% of the airline's fuel is consumed during taxiing, that comes out as a considerable saving.

Ian Davies, EasyJet's head of engineering, says the short-haul, budget carrier is particularly well-placed to trial this technology.

tech article 2/12/16

 

      How Space shuttles ride piggyback on a plane.

The museum is throwing a huge party for this 747, including astronauts, skydivers and fireworks -- all centered around Independence Plaza, where a replica space shuttle called Independence sits on top of the airplane.

Visitors will be able to go inside both the 747 and the Independence to explore exhibits and artifacts from the space shuttle era.

Museum exhibits manager Paul Spana worked with a Boeing historian who provided photos detailing 747 interiors to help maintain accuracy.

"Aviation enthusiasts will be excited at the opportunity to see a 747 closer than they would at any airport," Spana said.

But the flight deck will be off limits to visitors, at least during the first year, when crowds would have a hard time maneuvering the spiral staircase to the cockpit.

A few of the pilots and flight engineers from this airplane also are expected to be on hand for Saturday's ceremony.

From the early 1980s to the end of the shuttle program in 2011, the 747s were called upon to ferry shuttles that landed in California back to launch facilities in Florida, flying low and slow, at 13,000-15,000 feet high and about 285 mph.

NASA 905 flew internationally, too, carrying the shuttle Enterprise to England and the Paris Air Show in 1983.

So, how did the 905 lift all that weight? For one thing, NASA stripped the plane's main cabins clean.

It was pretty much the cockpit and a big empty shell. That was it. No seats, galleys, lavatories, bars. No passengers, luggage, food, water, cargo. Built for maximum power, maximum lift.

NASA changed the original 747 design by adding vertical stabilizers to the plane's tail to improve directional stability.

It also did a lot of testing on how to attach the spacecraft to the airplane to achieve the best aerodynamics.

RELATED STORY: How the 747 can lift all that weight

NASA's choice of the 747 to ferry the shuttle is just one more example of the importance of the aircraft.

Nicknamed the Jumbo Jet when it entered commercial service in 1970 with Pan Am, it was the world's first wide-body airliner, offering unprecedented seating capacity and long range.