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Samsung Unveils new ‘Galaxy A series’

February 2, 2017February 2, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

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…

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

February 2, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

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…

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

February 2, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

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…

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

February 1, 2017March 3, 2017

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…

Uber ordered to stop service in Argentina

February 1, 2017March 3, 2017

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…

BlackBerry, Microsoft and the Ever-Smarter Connected Car

January 31, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

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…

Google Gets Rid of 1.7 Billion Bad Ads

January 31, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Google has reported that it removed 1.7 billion bad advertisements from its various sites in 2016, more than double the prior year’s totals. The firm took several steps to crack down on the deceptive advertising, including updating its policies to protect users from “misleading and predatory offers.” It also beefed up its technology to help identify misleading ads and remove them, according to Scott Spencer, Google’s director of product management, sustainable ads. The director noted that free and open Web is a vital resource for individuals and businesses around the…

SAP aims to pull Europe out of ‘digital recession

January 27, 2017January 27, 2017

SAP, which recently raised its 2020 revenue goal aims to attain that objective partially by pulling Europe out of a “digital recession” — a time period coined by the Harvard Business Review to describe how, since 2008, the continent’s charge of change in digital evolution has stalled and even receded. Bill McDermott, SAP CEO, provides that convincing European corporations to spend money on software program expertise may very well be a serious boon, each to SAP and to the continent. “There is $2.5tn in financial alternative throughout the EU between…

Google starts testing Instant Apps

January 26, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Android Instant Apps are now one step closer to reality after Google started their pilot testing. These new kinds of apps are meant to help bridge the gap between web apps and native apps. The idea is to break native apps into very small packets that, because they are so small, can run almost instantly — and without having to go to an app store — when you tap on a URL. According to Tech Crunch, Google says that it has been working with a small number of developers to test the…