Jan 5, 2017 | Computer technology, Entertainment
Virtual reality, or VR, was a major technology trend in 2016. In fact, I and several colleagues in our customer service shop attended a VR fair. And that was early this past summer. Thousands attended. Consequently, Samsung VR leads the pack, but competitors are catching up.
At the CES conference in Las Vegas, Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, made an announcement. Mr. Baxter said Samsung sold five million Samsung VR Galaxy headsets. Also, these headsets are for mobile devices. So if you have a mobile device, which many Americans do, you can use Samsung VR. But wait…there’s more. Baxter said Samsung VR customers viewed over 10 million hours of VR. Furthermore, they upload even more hours of video through Gear 360 camera. So the VR craze isn’t going anywhere. That’s good news for software makers, good news for Samsung, and good news for Samsung VR customers.
But Samsung isn’t the only one capitalizing off the VR craze. Ever hear of Pico Technology? Their headquarters are in China. They’re coming out with the Pico Neo CV. They’re lightweight and customers can use them out of the box. They use Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors and Qualcomm Snapdragon VR software. They also have built in HI-FI speakers. A Pico executive demonstrated them at the CES conference. They should be out this year, so we don’t know what the price is.
But I want to focus on Samsung. They had a hard 2016. In fact, I’ll say Samsung VR will be the saving grace of Samsung this year. It had better be. Samsung needs to hit the year 2017 out of the park. And the virtual reality craze could do just that. But you know competitors are watching. Do you think it was a coincidence Pico announced their VR sets at the CES conference? It’s only one of the most popular conferences for those in IT service. I also hear others are building VR headsets. So yes, Samsung desperately needs to invest in VR technology. But will other tech companies prevail?
Jan 4, 2017 | Computer technology
Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce retailer. If there is anything you want, you can get it there. But how do they accomplish this? Only through teams of workers. But not all of Amazon’s employees are human. Amazon’s Robot Army: Should this worry human workers?
So Amazon claims to have 45,000 robots on their roster. That’s 15,000 more robots than what they had in December 2015. There is little way to calculate robot-to-human worker rates. And I am no math major. But numbers say Amazon increased their overall work staff 46% in the last 12 months. Keep in mind Q4 2016 numbers aren’t up yet. However, I can’t help but wonder how much of this increase includes Amazon’s robot army.
Amazon invests heavily in robotics. That’s nothing new. For example, back in 2012, they bought out Kiva Systems. Now, Kiva System’s robots do much of Amazon’s work. Then there are concerning statements from Amazon CFO Brian?Olsavsky. Back in April, he said he the robots changed many times, and Amazon will continue to learn and grow through this process. Okay, that’s not that alarming. But then he said some centers are ‘fully outfitted’ in robots. Furthermore, he added, “…maybe the volume’s not perfect for robot volume.” Should this concern me? Or am I reading too much into Amazon’s robot army?
Let’s give Amazon the credit they deserve. They employ many ?thousands of human beings every year. In fact, from May-August 2016 alone, they added over 11,000 jobs in the Seattle area alone! This doesn’t include the centers they opened up nationally and globally. This is awesome for local and national economies. But this is why Amazon’s robot army worries me a bit. The robot trend worries other Americans too, especially those in IT support. I don’t want to compete with a robot for my job. Neither does a computer technician, nor does anybody in computer repair. And certainly no Amazon workers wants to lose his/her job to a robot. So should Amazon’s robot army worry human workers?
Jan 3, 2017 | Computer technology
Computer maker Lenovo starts 2017 by launching new machines. But these machines are geared toward the gaming community. I’m sure that’s good news for many of you in the IT support community. So Let’s look at Lenovo gaming notebooks: a good buy?
They call these Lenovo gaming notebooks Legion Y520 and Legion Y720. Both cater to gaming community, but Legion Y720 is for the hardcore game players. It has a 15-inch FHS IDS display. You can also choose the higher resolution 4K IPS. In addition to that, it had Dolby Atmos sound. That means your sound effects are going to be a blast! It comes with Nvidia’s GeForceGTX 1060 GPU to accommodate VR systems. This Lenovo gaming notebook can handle four controllers and players at once. Furthermore, it has 16 GB of Ram, three USB 3.0 ports, and an audio jack. It’s battery can go five hours of battery life without a charger.
Then there’s the other Lenovo gaming notebook, the Legion Y520. They made this one for casual gamers. The Y520 has fewer features and is very to Dell Inspiron 15 7000. The Y520 glows only in red. Furthermore, it has only one USB Type C port. You can’t have VR features like you can the Y720. But this Lenovo gaming notebook is cheaper. Then again, it has less. These Lenovo gaming notebooks aren’t the only new toys they have to offer. Lenovo is getting into the smart home business.
They call this device the Lenovo Smart Assistance. It will run you $129.? But what about the Lenovo gaming notebooks? The Legion Y720 will be available in April 2017 and will cost you around $1,400. The Legion 520 will be available in February 2017 and will cost you around $900. But we know so little about the Y520. In fact, we know so little that it might be better to save up and get the Y720. Obviously, it gives you more. I know it’s for experience gamers. But I think the Y720 could be a great learning tool for others. Oh, if you ever need a screen replacement for those notebooks, we can do that. We also a wonderful record in laptops fixed. Don’t mean to toot our own horn, but there you go. Will you be one of these Lenovo gaming notebooks?
Dec 29, 2016 | Computer technology, Testimonial
The task of purchasing a computer. Everyone needs one today. As a result, everyone musts go through this process. So buying a computer isn’t just for those in IT service and IT support. Many technicians and costumers brag on the Apple Mac. But let’s look at Apple Macs: Are they that great? You decide.
First of all, Apple Macs lovers boast about how the software and hardware go together. In fact, recently, they make their own hardware, especially with machines like the Surface Pro. This tested hardware is made specifically for Apple Macs. That’s a smart move on Apple’s part. Furthermore, people brag of the software and quality. For instance, they praise software apps like GarageBand and Photos. They come free with Apple Macs and are easy to use. Other popular Mac apps include Tweetbot and iA Writer. And guess what? They’re exclusively for Apple.
Yesterday,? I talked about Apple products, and the technicians fixing them, are facing growing security threats. But overall, Apple Macs lead the league in computer security. Statistically, they get far fewer viruses than PC’s. But keep in mind no system is 100% safe. Apple users love how their iPhones and other Apple devices easily connect with their Macs. Beleive it or not, Apple has a lot of satisfied customers. You’ve got to respect that.
But let’s look at what’s not so good about the Apple Mac. They’re bulky. Have you tried lifting an Apple desktop lately? I have. I almost broke my back. Also, they’re expensive. Go to any store or any shop. The Apple Mac costs way more than any PC brand. I’m like most people; I’m not ready to drop that kind of money on a machine. That’s especially true when the PC’s serve me just as well, thank you very much. Plus, from my observation, they’re harder to fix. In my computer service shop, Apple mac parts take longer to get here than PC’s. Also, Apple macs are a bigger headache to fix than PC’s. They take longer to fix, too. So while there’s a lot to admire about a Mac, there’s a lot to be weary of as well. So are Apple Macs that great? You decide.
Dec 17, 2016 | Computer technology, internet
Did you know around three million Americans use a wheelchair? So sometimes, the IT support and IT service industry does well tending to their needs. Then, in other times, they fall way short. Google Maps is trying to change this.
Google Maps introduce a ‘wheelchair accessible entrance’ option. Also, it will be in the ‘Amenities’ section. So let’s say someone in a wheelchair goes to a restaurant. There’s wheelchair accessibility the user knows nothing about. Then, Google Maps will let them know.? Sounds great, right? Well, it’s a huge step in the right direction. But this feat is far from complete.
Consequently, this new feature isn’t available everywhere. In fact, it doesn’t even cover some major US cities. So you know it’s not available worldwide…yet. But pack the patience. Google Maps is getting there. As I write this, Google Maps is reaching out to locals everywhere to help them with locations. Let’s remember how Google Maps got started in the first place. We can thank Google employee Rio Asaka for this feat. You see, they insist their employees spend time on side projects. This was Asaka’s side project. But there is another complication.
Not all buildings are wheelchair friendly. I know that’s in contrast with the American Disabilities Act. But there are two things to note here. Many of these buildings existed way before this act came out. And another thing: since 1993, the rules are loose when it comes to wheelchair accessibility. And you can’t blame Google Maps for that. But I applaud them for taking a step in the right direction. I know the timing and waiting will be tedious. But let’s pack the patience. This project will take lots of work, time and research. Just about everybody in computer repair knows what’s that’s like. So yes, this is a tremendous feat. I hope Asaka gets a raise and a promotion for this. But my question is: What took so long?
Dec 5, 2016 | Computer technology, Software
Ever hear of Google DeepMind? So, it’s Google Alphabet’s artificial intelligence, or AI, sector. But they don’t want to keep AI training to themselves. They want you and me to train also. Here are some interesting facts about DeepMind, AI training.
DeepMind had an AI training environment called Labyrinth, just like the 1980s movie. But keep in mind ‘had’. It’s now the DeepMind Lab. It’s on the IT hosting service GitHub. And effective today, anyone can access and train AI systems on DeepMind Lab. Furthermore, anybody can can first create games for DeepMind Lab. Then, they can upload them on GitHub. So if this is your thing, then go ahead and get creative.
It seems like the good people of Google embrace AI training being open to the public. DeepMind co-founder Shane Legg hopes researchers and scientist can come up through breakthroughs. Aleready, DeepMind defeated a human in the strategy game Go. This is a great start for research. But there is another reason Google lets AI training go public. That reason is competition. Consequently, there’s OpenAI. That’s an AI research center, the creation of tech ?billionaire ?Elon Musk. Also, OpenAI created an AI robot that allegedly uses a computer like humans. This robot is Universe. In addition to that, Universe wants gamers’ open permission to include them in game development.
Shane Legg insists competition isn’t the reason DeepMind Lab is now public. But come on. It’s so obvious a 3rd grader can see it. Competition has a lot to do with it. It’s probably not the only reason. But everybody know it’s part of it. But I think DeepMind makes a great move on Google’s part. Artificial intelligence technology is more popular than ever. More people want to learn about AI technology, and should. This is a great way to teach kids about AI. I do believe that part. But how much of this is built on competition?
