5 Reasons We’re in the Midst of a Technological Golden Age

There’s no question we’re in the middle of a technological revolution. In the span of two decades, we’ve gone from the internet being a rarity for residential homes to being able to access the web from handheld devices practically everywhere. Thousands of new apps are created every day, and Moore’s Law continues to drive our computing power forward in bursts. But why are we seeing such advanced development in this age?

Factors for Our Success

These are just five of the biggest reasons why we’ve come so far:

1. Emphasis on entrepreneurship. Though a number of individuals with passionate pursuits have driven technology forward, most advancements have come from major research departments, businesses, and organizations. As Jay Suites illustrates, entrepreneurship is something patriotic that feeds into the idea of the American dream. As a country, we still idolize this notion and the ideals behind it, and thanks to that entrepreneurial favoritism, more people are driven to innovate, create businesses, and compete to bring newer, better solutions to the market.
2. Exponential potential. Technology has the potential to develop exponentially, rather than linearly. That is, rather than marching forward one step at a time, technology takes two steps, then four steps, then eight steps forward. The most popular description of this advancement pattern is Moore’s Law, which stipulates that the number of transistors capable of being placed per square inch of surface area doubles every year. However, this rate has slowed to approximately every 18 months, and may taper off completely within the next few years.
3. Technology for technology. There’s also the idea that technology can be used to create other technology. Because we can design machines that build other machines, and now—as with Google’s RankBrain—algorithms that modify other algorithms automatically, our potential increases even further. With every leap forward in technological advancement, we’re actually increasing our own abilities to create even more technological advancements.
4. Mass-market potential. Though somewhat cynical to say, it’s fairly obvious that one of the biggest motivators in the world is profit. We’ve experienced a massive surge in technological potential, in part, because of high consumer demand. Developers realize that there’s money to be made in finding a new, ingenious technological solution, and are thus driven to create it better and faster.
5. Genuine human curiosity. Don’t discount the genuine human quality of curiosity that’s gotten us this far as a species. There’s something innate in human nature that drives us to try new things, explore new areas, and indulge our creativity; it’s suspected that this could be an evolutionarily advantageous quality that leads us to discover more about our environments and gives us greater chances for survival. In any case, many of us find ourselves hungry for new gadgets, more advanced tech, and revolutionary new breakthroughs precisely because of this quality.

How Far Can We Go?

These are the factors responsible for getting us to this point, but what about the next point, or the point after that? We’ve come an impressive way in the past 30 years or so, but what does the future hold for the next 30 years? Will our momentum begin to decline?

Examining these factors specifically, we can venture to make a guess. Our curious nature, the fact that technology can lead to the better development of future technology, and our hunger for entrepreneurship and profit are unlikely to wane anytime soon. However, as pointed out earlier, Moore’s Law is already declining and could decline further in the coming years. Some financial authorities have also pointed out that another “tech bubble” has formed; essentially, we’ve placed more value on tech companies and developments than they’re actually worth, and the repercussions of this dissonance could lead to a collapse of the sector.

Still, Moore’s Law only applies to one feature of computing technology and the collapse of the financial sector would only hold us back for so long. The primary drivers of technological ingenuity—entrepreneurship, exponential growth patterns, and curiosity—will likely allow us to preserve our momentum uninterrupted, and for the indefinite future.

This Blog was first published on : http://smarterware.org/2016/09/5-reasons-midst-technological-golden-age/

Three Technologies That Unexpectedly Changed How We Live

Most people think that technology is a linear process. It starts off along one avenue, and then it takes one step at a time, gradually improving. As a result, we expect that in the future, we’ll have better phones and plusher cars. But is this how technological progress actually works? When one looks back over the last few decades, one begins to realize that technology doesn’t go in a straight line at all. It progresses in leaps and bounds. And most of what ends up happening is entirely unexpected. Here’ are three technologies that unexpectedly changed our lives.

The Digital Camera

Back in 1975, Steven Sasson showed off Kodak’s and the world’s first digital camera. It was a big uglygadget, about the size of a coffee machine. And when Sasson showed it to executives at the company, they laughed. How on Earth could something so unwieldy ever take off and make money?

True, at the time, the potential of digital cameras wasn’t obvious. But over the years, circuits got smaller and processes more refined. Forty years later Sasson’s first prototype had evolved into modern DSLRs, like the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 IV.

Digital cameras went on to change the world. Citizens became journalists. Everybody turned into an archivist, with a massive trail of photographic information. And we all started sharing photos that would once have been destined for an unloved family photo album.

Digital Media

Built on top of the digital camera is the entire edifice of digital media. Before digital media, we had no idea what celebs looked like without their makeup, or who hated who on social media. But thanks to the ubiquity of information, it’s impossible for the elite to keep their shortcomings under wraps.

At the same time, digital media allowed our perception of reality to be dramatically altered. Photoshop was once just another Adobe product. Not it’s a bona fide verb in the English language. To “photoshop” something means to change its appearance.

Finally, digital media has changed how we consume music and movies. No longer do we go to the store and buy a CD or hire a movie. We just download them with a click of a button. And the industries themselves aren’t too happy about it.

Artificial Intelligence

At the moment, we’re in a Golden Age of artificial intelligence. AI is used from everything from face recognition to telling us the quickest route to work. In the future, we’ll no doubt laugh at how limited AI is today. But there’s no deny that it’s already making its presence felt.

Take the airline industry, for instance. Most people think that pilots are in control of aircraft. But the truth is that modern aircraft are now primarily piloted by software. Sure, pilots are there to take over should something go wrong. But 8 million flights a year are now guided and flown by AI systems.

In the future, we’ll have chatbots on our phones. They’ll be like Siri, except they’ll act more like people than computers. Perhaps that will be the biggest change of all.

This blog was forst published on:- http://www.techspooks.com/technologies-that-changed-how-we-live.html

7 Siri Hacks That Make Life Better

If you have an iPhone, you've no doubt met Siri. Although you're probably aware of some of her basic capabilities, you may not be taking advantage of all her potential.

Knowing these seven Siri hacks can make your life better and help make some of your chores and errands easier and more convenient.

1. Measurement Conversions

Siri is a master at just about any measurement conversion. If you are in Europe and want to convert Euros to Dollars, she can handle that without a problem. If you're in a country where you don't even know the currency, she can tell you, and then convert it for you.

You can also ask Siri to convert the temperature from Celsius to Farenheit or vice versa. She can also convert cups to gallons or ounces to cups.

As long as you ask her about measurements that are in similar units, then Siri will have no problem converting them for you.

2. Make Reservations

If you're a business person taking clients out, or just planning a date night, leave it to Siri to make a reservation for you. All you need to do is tell her the time and place, and she will use Yelp to show you restaurants with their ratings and locations, then you can click on the "make reservation" button to go to OpenTable to finish the process.

3. Reminders

You're probably aware that Siri can remind you of something at a certain time, but you may not realize she can also alert you based on your location as well. If you need to pick up wine for dinner, Siri can alert you when you are near a store that's in your contacts list. If you need to pick up something from the office, she can remind you while you're there. (Also read: 3 Superb IPhone Apps To Turn Your Photos Into Art Work)

Just make sure the spot is in your contacts, and Siri will remind you when you get close. With the help of the GPS in your iPhone 6 Plus, Siri won't let you drive by somewhere and completely forget you were supposed to stop as long as you always have your smartphone in hand.

4. Return a Phone

If you're a good Samaritan, and come across someone's iPhone that is password protected, Siri can help you find the owner.

All you need to do is press the home button and ask Siri who owns the phone. Siri will give you the contact information of the phone, which may include the email address. That way you can get the phone to its owner, and get some good karma in return.

5. Read Your Messages Aloud

If you're in a situation where you shouldn't be reading your phone, you can always have Siri read your messages to you. The best example is probably when you are driving, although you should limit all distractions in that situation.

Otherwise, whether your eyes are tired, you have your hands full, or you're just feeling lazy, ask Siri to read messages to you and she will be happy to oblige. (Also read: ​ This Is How You Can Quickly Grow Traffic On Pinterest)

6. Name That Tune

If you hear a song, and you want to know the title and artist, Siri can help. Just push down the home button and let Siri listen to the music. She can name the song, and then give you the option to buy it through iTunes.

You'll never again have to wonder what that song was that you heard on the radio, in a bar, or in a store.

7. Delete All Your Alarms

There are two types of people in the world: those who have one or two alarms on their list, and those who have alarms for every single event of the day. If you're the second type, and the thought of deleting every alarm is exhausting, Siri can help. All you need to do is tell her to delete all of your alarms, and you can start with a clean slate.

Siri's capabilities are almost like having your own personal assistant. Although she can't do everything for you, she will probably often surprise you with everything she is capable of doing, and all you have to do is ask.
This blog was forst published on: http://www.lifehacker.co.in/jugaad/7-Siri-Hacks-That-Make-Life-Better/articleshow/54309615.cms

Archos Drone launches

Archos has unveiled the ARCHOS Drone. Demonstrated later this week at IFA 2016, available in October 2016, this ready-to-fly little machine has an altitude of up to 50 meters at a speed that can reach 7.7 m/s during at least 7 minutes, for pure fun or exciting HD footage that isn’t possible any other way.

Thanks to its dedicated Controller or the Remote App, available on the Google Play Store and Apple iTunes Store, the ARCHOS Drone will satisfy beginners willing to gawk at the world’s beauty, for £79.99 (UK).

The ARCHOS Drone is light (135 g) and robust, with its eight propellers (four spares), two landing gears, and four protection guards. It offers great maneuverability and its propellers are even replaceable in case of damages, which is particularly suitable to newbies.

With its 6 axis gyroscope and its accelerometer, it features all functions for a nice flight, inside or outside: take off, landing, altitude hold, 360° flip, speed selection and headless mode.

It has a number of automated flying procedures as well as an emergency button in case something goes wrong, making the device less intimidating. In addition, its bunch of LED lightsallows night sessions.

The ARCHOS Drone achieves burst speeds of 7.7 m/s horizontally and 1.6 m/s vertically. It reaches its maximum speed in a few seconds and raises an altitude of up to 50 meters very fast.

Its 1 MP built-in camera is a real attraction. It takes all kinds of aerial videos, coming in an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels that can be stored in its 4 GB’s Micro SD card (included) and, even better, broadcasts in real time on a smartphone.

It flies during a session from 7 to 9 minutes, making it the ideal companion for beginners. Spare batteries will also be available for purchase for the ones who wish to become drones enthusiasts.

The ARCHOS Drone comes with its own Controller, enabling a dedicated WiFi liaison and ensuring a perfectly stable connection.

The ARCHOS Drone will be exhibited on ARCHOS’s booth at IFA 2016 (Hall 25, Booth 206). It will be available for purchase in October 2016 on www.archos.com and through its distribution’s channel worldwide for £79.99 (UK).

This Blog was First published on: http://thinkdebug.com/blog/archos-drone-launches/

Live coverage of Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus event

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the event you’ve been waiting for is finally here. Apple is about to unveil its brand new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which will instantly become the most popular smartphones on the planet when they’re released. There have been so many leaks and rumors at this point that we feel like we already know just about everything there is to know about these hot new handsets. Of course nothing is official until Apple executives announce it on stage, and they’re about to get the show underway.

We already told you how to watch the live stream of Apple’s big iPhone 7 event, and in this post you’ll find a continuously-updated live blog from the whole team here at BGR.

MUST SEE: This could be your first look at the iPhone 7 in Apple’s new black color

Apple’s next-generation iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to be huge updates compared to last year’s models. Sure, they might look similar, but just about everything under the hood will be new.

If leaks and rumors pan out — and we think they will — Apple’s new iPhones will feature a 16nm Apple A10 processor, larger batteries, new True Tone displays, a redesigned 3D Touch home button, a new single lens camera on the iPhone 7 and a dual-lens “iSight Duo” camera on the iPhone 7 Plus, twice as much storage for each new iPhone model, dramatically improved water-resistance, 2GB of RAM for the 7 and 3GB of RAM for the 7 Plus, larger batteries and two new color options including a glossy black.

Apple has more planned for the event as well, of course. We’ll see the finished versions of iOS 10 and macOS in addition to watchOS 3, and Apple also reportedly plans to unveil a brand new version of the Apple Watch. Does that cover everything? Will Apple have a few surprises in store for us? It’s finally time to find out. Our live updates will appear below (no need to refresh the page) and you can see the rest of our Apple event coverage by following this link.

This blog was first published on: http://bgr.com/2016/09/07/iphone-7-plus-announcement-event-live-pricing/

How to Use Your Favorite Mobile Apps on Your Computer

Mobile apps are great when you're away from your desk, but there are times when you might just want a full keyboard, gigantic screen, and comfortable chair while you fiddle with your apps. If that's the case, you might be surprised to learn that many of your favorite apps can run on a laptop or desktop with very little fuss. Here's how you can get started.

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Facebook Messenger

Facebook launched Messenger for the web more than a year ago, but there are still plenty of people that are totally oblivious to its existence. If you're the type of person that is constantly typing out responses to messages from your friends all day, we strongly recommend you start doing it using a full-sized keyboard.

There are plenty of other reasons to prefer the web app, too. For example, you don't have the News Feed distracting you, and you get access to a shared photos stream for each conversation, as well as extra customization options not available on the main website.

For those of you on Windows 10, there's an official Messenger universal app you can use as well. Obviously, it integrates neatly into the Windows notification system, and you get pretty much all the features you'll find on your phone (including support for inline GIFs).

Away from the official, Facebook-approved options there are also a ton of third-party alternatives you can use, too. Most of them just provide app wrappers around the web interface. For example, you can try Messenger for Mac or Messenger for Desktop for typing responses on your laptop.

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Instagram

For a long time, Instagram was strictly a mobile-only app. Then in 2012, it launched some very basic web profiles. While the official Instagram online app is still relatively sparse and limited in functionality, it's added some polish and new features since it first appeared.

You can get at your photo stream, add comments and likes, and view your profile. At the moment there's no option to upload photos from the desktop, but you can search through other people's pictures, see your notifications, and access a version of the Explore page.

As for genuine desktop apps, Ramme is a relatively new option that gives you more or less the same features as Instagram on the web. You can't post pictures to your feed, but you can do just about everything else, including searching for pictures and adding comments.

There are a bunch of apps out there that let you post to your Instagram feed from a computer (or at least claim to), but Flume for Mac is just about the only one we've tried that seems reliable and intuitive (and it looks gorgeous as well, which always helps).

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WhatsApp

WhatsApp has official support for desktops and laptops through its web app, though your phone needs to have WhatsApp up and running for it to work successfully. You can edit your profile and status, get desktop notifications, send files and emojis and more.

To get started , launch WhatsApp on your phone. On Android, tap the menu button (three dots), then WhatsApp Web; on iOS, the same option is available on the settings page inside WhatsApp. In both cases you need to scan a QR code on the web to get connected.

As with Facebook Messenger, it's a lot easier to power through your messaging duties with a full-sized keyboard in front of you. You obviously don't have to keep fishing your phone out of your pocket, either. Conversations can be easily archived or muted if needed.

Earlier this year WhatsApp added a true desktop app to the mix, available for Mac or Windows, giving you another option. It's pretty much identical to the web version, and is set up in the same way, but integrates more neatly with the rest of your desktop OS.

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Other apps and other options

We don't have space to cover every mobile app out there, and some of them just don't have desktop or web tools available. Snapchat , for example, is still very much a mobile exclusive, which means your only option is to run some kind of emulator tool for it.

The Bluestacks Android emulator is one of the most popular ways of getting apps up and running on a Windows or Mac PC, and it has instructions for Snapchat. A variety of other apps can be quickly set up too, including Instagram and Line, with just a few clicks.

Bluestacks sets up a new virtual Android phone and one potential problem is that Snapchat accounts can only be used on one device at a time. You might not mind having to switch from PC to phone, but it's something to bear in mind if you're going to try it.

Meanwhile, some third-party desktop programs handle several mobile apps at once. Take Franz (for Windows, Mac and Linux), which can tie into Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram. It's another option for getting at your mobile apps through the desktop.

This Blog was first published on:- http://www.gizmodo.in/software/How-to-Use-Your-Favorite-Mobile-Apps-on-Your-Computer/articleshow/54034038.cms

Moto E3 Is Rumored To Launch In India On September 19

The third generation Moto E is reaching the Indian shores this September 19, according to Android Headlines. Lenovo had quietly announced the Moto E3 in July and India is going to be the first country for the phone to launch. It is likely to priced at Rs 7,000.

The E series is Moto's lowest end smartphone which along with the Moto G have become one of the highest selling smartphones for Lenovo in India, mainly because of the sub Rs 20,000 pricing of the phones.

Despite their low prices, Moto E phones have always had respectable hardware specs. The Moto E3 too is no different. The phone will ship in two variants, one with 1GB RAM with 8GB storage and another with 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage.

It sports a 5-inch 720p display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It is powered by a MediaTek quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz. The storage is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. There is an 8-megapixel camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel shooter on the front.

All this is powered by a 2,800mAh battery for the 1GB RAM variant and 3500mAh battery for the 2GB variant. It runs pretty much stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with a few additional features from Moto.

The main attraction about the Moto E phones have always been the staggeringly low price. In India, budget and mid-range phones sell the most and Lenovo will look to continue domination of that market with the Moto E3.

Motorola will also start selling the Moto G4 Play on Amazon India before the September 19 launch of the Moto E3, according to Moto's website.

The Moto G4 Play comes powered by a Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, sporting an 8-megapixel camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel shooter on the front.

This Blog was forst published on:- http://www.gizmodo.in/indiamodo/Moto-E3-Is-Rumored-To-Launch-In-India-On-September-19/articleshow/54014852.cms