Viber now lets users set photos and videos to disappear after they’re viewed

Viber

Viber, one of the most popular encrypted chat apps,rolled out what it calls “secret messages,” to give users even more control over their communications. The feature lets users designate which photos or videos stay in the archives of a chat before they hit “send.”Viber  already let users delete a conversation from both their own phone, and that of recipients’ phones. Tech Crunch reports that the new, secret messaging feature lets users set a timer for images they want to share, but that they don’t want to be included in the archives,…

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This is how robots will change the future of work

ManpowerGroup, one of the world’s largest jobs companies, released a report “The Skills Revolution,” detailing how the technological revolution is going to change the employment market forever. It surveyed more than 18,000 employers across 43 countries and six industry sectors. We Forum reports that while technological developments will cause greater automation, a decrease in headcount or slow growth in hiring in some areas, it will actually create a lot of jobs too, according to Manpower. “We are seeing the emergence of a Skills Revolution — where helping people upskill and…

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Samsung Unveils new ‘Galaxy A series’

samsung

Samsung has introduced its latest smartphone model, the Galaxy A series. The electronics giant on Monday introduced its updated Galaxy A series phones: the 5.7-inch A7, 5.2-inch A5 and 4.7-inch A3. The 2017 versions of these phones come with a handful of upgrades, like IP68 water and dust resistance and improved 16-megapixel front- and rear-facing cameras. The phone which comes with a sleek look coupled with beautiful design, powerful performance and ultimate convenience is set to hit the Ghanaian market after its recent global launch. Samsung’s Galaxy A range of…

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Dropbox boosts collaboration & management for business users with Smart Sync and Paper

Dropbox

Dropbox has announced “significant product updates”, introducing Smart Sync (Dropbox Infinite), and Paper. According to beta news, the company says the introduction of Smart Sync and Paper will boost team productivity and improve collaborative processes, end-to-end. First up is the Smart Sync. Dropbox calls it an “industry first”, cross-platform, on-demand cloud storage solution. It offers intuitive storage, allowing users to sync all the content from their computers to their Dropbox accounts. Paper is a Google Docs competitor that Dropbox originally launched in open beta to give users the ability to collaborate…

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Facebook Loses $500 Million Virtual Reality Headset Verdict

Facebook

Facebook Inc. and its co-defendants were ordered to pay $500 million to ZeniMax Media Inc. after a jury found the social network’s Oculus VR unit unfairly used ZeniMax code to build a virtual reality headset Bllomber Technology reports. The verdict in Dallas federal court is a rebuke to Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, who isn’t a defendant but who told jurors in his first-ever courtroom testimony that it was important for him to be there because the claims by ZeniMax were “false.” An Oculus spokeswoman said the company will…

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Apple Said to Work on Mac Chip That Would Lessen Intel Role

Apple

Apple Inc. is designing a new chip for future Mac laptops that would take on more of the functionality currently handled by Intel Corp. processors, according to people familiar with the matter. According to Bloomberg Technology, the chip is similar to one already used in the latest Mac Book Pro to power the keyboard’s Touch Bar feature, the people said Although Apple only accounted for 7.5 percent of worldwide computer shipments in the fourth quarter, according to data from IDC, the Mac line has long set the standard for design…

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Killing the immortal: Why scientists are debating the life span of robots

Robots

Artificial intelligence and smart robots are on a course to transform industries and replace human contact. However, what happens when they fail? Smart robots may malfunction, or a self-driving car could lock its passenger inside. Hollywood has already made predictions for robot relationships with Her — but what if we developed an emotional attachment to an AI and then it went rogue? Philosophers, engineers and computer scientists wrestle with similar questions. Since robots can, by design, live forever, what are the ethics involved in designing a kill switch? For this…

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Uber ordered to stop service in Argentina

Uber

A judge in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has ordered Uber to be blocked. The ride-hailing company however told CNNTech that the app continues to operate normally and an appeals court will consider a nationwide ban. The ride-hailing company was told to stop business in Buenos Aires in April. Local credit card and telecommunications companies were ordered to block Uber but the ride-sharing service continued to operate in the city. Taxi drivers in Argentina have been vocal opponents of the app-based car service, and a local taxi labor organization filed a lawsuit…

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BlackBerry, Microsoft and the Ever-Smarter Connected Car

Microsoft

BlackBerry announced that its turnaround was finished, and Microsoft finally provided some information on its new connected car deliverables. CEO John Chen excitedly pointed out that BlackBerry had displaced Microsoft in Ford and announced a strategic initiative to work more closely with Microsoft’s Azure platform on BlackBerry’s own market-leading QNX car operating system. That showcased not only the massive changes in both companies, but also the really strange way this market is evolving. With all the focus on the coming autonomous car and on BlackBerry’s old phone business, most don’t…

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Google Maps now tells you how hard it is to park in some cities

Google

Google Maps has been a staple of the internet for over a decade now. To better its use, the application now has a new feature that gives users a warning on how hard it is to park at their destination. According to The Verge, the new feature is currently available only on Android devices, and in 25 select cities, such as New York, San Francisco, Washington and Los Angeles. When users in those cities punch in an address Google Maps will pull up a parking difficulty icon on the directions…

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