Jan 8, 2016 | Computer technology, internet
Effective January Tuesday, January 12, 2016, Microsoft will no longer support Internet Explorer 8, 9, or 10. After the 12th, the only IE that will get any love and support is Internet Explorer 11.
In a statement, Microsoft said, “…the most current version will continue to follow the specific support?life cycle policy for the operating system on which it is installed. Internet Explorer 11 will be supported for the life of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.” Microsoft urged users to upgrade for a faster and better browsing experience. That’s because after the 12th, these browsers will be more vulnerable to malware, viruses, ID theft, and just about every computer tech ill imaginable. So yes, shutting down older browsers will force users to get on Internet Explorer 11. But it means web designers will no longer have to struggle to make sure older IE models can handle newer Windows versions, especially Windows 10. The transition shouldn’t be complicated. Many home PCs ‘Automated Updates’. That will upgrade you to Windows 11 by itself. Or you can get automatic updates by clicking Check for Updates on the Windows Update part of your control panel. Microsoft didn’t plan this decision just overnight. It was in the works as early as August 2014. And IE version 8-10 use has declined every since.
And competition has been on the increase. Let’s face it, Internet Explorer altogether has been on the decrease. More consumers are using browsers like Firefox and Google Chrome. Don’t think Microsoft is oblivious to that. I’m sure that plays a role. They hope IE explorer will do them better (between you and me, I doubt it). I strongly urge you to heed Microsoft’s warning. Remember when Windows XP was shut down? I remember how many people procrastinated. It wasn’t long before the viruses and malware made them wish they had taken proper action. Fortunately, many of you should get upgraded automatically. If not, do what you can get upgraded, that is if you’re even using IE for a web browser. If you are, then why?
Jan 6, 2016 | Computer technology
One of the biggest tech revolutions in recent years has been the self-driving car. Google leads the way in this?trend. But one major player in the US auto industry wants to lead this race.
This is where Ford’s self driving ambitions come in. At the annual CES conferences in Las Vegas, Ford leaders announced they should have autonomous cars on the road by 2020. According to Ford Advanced Engineering Director Jim?Buczkowski, the automaker is working on cars that can drive themselves, in certain areas, and in certain weather conditions. Ford will triple their autonomous vehicle testing fleet. They’re also using a system called LIDAR for detection and ranging. This LIDAR system will us 3D maps to determine the car’s surroundings. But who says Ford’s new self driving car is just for driving? If all goes right with Amazon, you’ll be able to control the Echo smart home device right there in your car. You can do so through Alexa the voice assistant. Ford even want drones to work with their cars. They’re partnering with drone maker DJI. They want the driver of the car carrying a drone to control that drone through their cabin. They believe this could be good for disasters and emergencies, for farmers to manage their crops, and construction crews surveying their building sites.
Once upon a time, this self driving business was either out of a cartoon, sci-fi plot or a child’s imagination. Within a few years, maybe even months, this could become reality. Google and Ford will see to it. In the Great Recession, Ford leaders begged Congress for bailouts. Now, they’re leading the charge for autonomous cars. What could this do for technology? Think about the city of Detroit, which isn’t in the best of shape. They’re striving for a comeback. Could Ford’s self driving ambitions be a part of the comeback? Could this put the US auto industry back on top?
Jan 4, 2016 | Computer technology
Microsoft’s latest software installment edition Windows 10 was released in July 2015. It’s taken off like wildfire ever since. Let’s look at Windows 10’s latest milestone.
Microsoft now claims Windows 10 is active on 200 million devices worldwide. This includes PCs, laptops, smartphones, Xbox One video consoles and other devices. Back in August, one month after the release, they reached 75 million devices. We can thank the free upgrades for this. Many claim the pay for upgrades were costly and they didn’t get very much. So free upgrades were a big plus. Also, Microsoft announced Windows 10 was the last upgrade; there will be no Windows 11. But they’re others reasons for this milestone. Consumers can get Windows 10 not only on the PC, but on the XBox and new Lumia as well. So expansion has a lot to do with this expansion. The praises of Windows 10 are ongoing. How else do you explain why Windows 10 gets on 31 milion new machines a month, compared to 20 million with Windows 7? More people are on Windows 10. In December 2015, people spent 11 billion hours on it. Individuals aren’t the only ones jumping on the Windows 10 bandwagon. Businesses and schools are too. In fact, over three-fourths of Microsoft enterprise customers who are on Windows 10.
It’s fortunate that Windows 10 is doing so well. Windows XP had to be cut off. Windows 7 and 8 didn’t do so hot. Microsoft needed a winner and they needed one yesterday. Now, it seems Windows 10 is the winner Microsoft needed. There is the matter of the Windows Store. Some said it would hinder Windows 10 process, but obviously that isn’t the case. In fact, the store may have helped. Since Black Friday, Windows 10 gained 40% new active users. Yes,?I?know nothing is forever and the Windows 10 party could crash at any moment. But how long could it be before Windows 10 hit 500 million devices? How long could it be before it hits one billion devices?
Jan 2, 2016 | Computer technology
Now that we’re in 2016, a lot of people have a lot of hopes and dreams. But for tech conglomerate Apple, few insiders predict a happy, uplifting year.
Some insiders come to this conclusion by looking at how 2015 ended. Some say Apple ended the year ‘just fine’, despite how they pushed new device after new device and service after new service on the consumer. Some tech insiders argue 2015’s Apple products deserve a C grade, at best. But wait…there’s more. For the first time in many years, Apple is poised to be on the downward side. According to a Business Insider article, 2016 is expected to be the first year iPhone sales end up in the red. And iPad sales are are falling with little sings of increase. The Apple Watch is highly anticipated, but so are their competitors’ smartwatches. The Apple Watch isn’t the only candy store in town when it comes to smartwatches. Apple’s software services, like iTunes, Apple Maps, and Apple Pay, have been deemed just okay. In the last several quarters, iPhone and iPad sales have plummeted. Sales in their other products and services are either stagnant or barely rising. Some experts warn Apple sales could fall 10% in Q1 2016 alone. That may not sound like much, but to Apple, that’s tens of billions of dollars in profit loss.
To Apple ‘just fine’ isn’t good enough. If the late Steve Jobs heard his company described as doing ‘just fine’, he’d probably roll over in his grave. For many years, Apple has been expected to lead and revolutionize all tech industries. Here lies part of the problem. Apple had been leading their competitors, now the competition is winning. Their competitors are many, their competitors are getting smarter and better, and they’re everywhere. In my neighborhood, there may be an Apple Store, but there’s also a Microsoft Windows store across the street from them. No longer can Apple be satisfied with just being the leader. It has to step it’s game up. Everybody else is. What do you think 2016 will hold for Apple?
Dec 15, 2015 | Computer technology
We’ve seen what Facebook and Twitter thought of 2015. But who is the tech person of the year? The answer may surprise you the same way it surprised me.
According to a Yahoo article, Elon Musk is the techie of the year. Musk is an inventor, innovator, and co-founder of PayPal and Tesla Motors. He may not get as much press as he other tech leaders do. But Elon Musk is busy this year. As CEO of Tesla Motors, Musk does his part to make the American auto industry competitive again. This company’s Model S cars sold over 90,000 this year (this is a very expensive car, which makes this number impressive). His Model X car came out this year, with it’s cool self-driving software and futuristic features. As Space X CEO, he raised over a billion dollars to send it’s first vehicle, Deep Space Climate Observatory, into orbit. He’s working to send 400 satellites to help make Internet access available to all. Then there’s Hyperlook. That’s his idea of a super-bullet train that will take you from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 35 minutes, at a speed that tops 760 miles per hour. Musk even said he wants to send people to Mars before ?potential World War 3 starts.
While Elon Musk did awesome things and made awesome proposes in 2015, does he deserve to be techie of the year? What about Mark Zuckerberg, who is also working to get everyone online, and who pledged to give away most of his wealth? What about Satya Nadella, the new Microsoft CEO, who proves nice guys can finish first in this industry? What about Jeff Bezos, who is leading Amazon to the best year of its life? What about Uber CEO Travis Kalanick? His company is starting a technology and transportation revolution. ?And they’re too many other tech leaders to name. Who do you think should be the tech person of the year?
Dec 9, 2015 | Computer technology
Can technology read emotions? There is a computer scientist named Rana el Kaliouby who is working on just that.
El Kaliouby is the leader of a Massachusetts based company called?Affectiva of Waltham, which started at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was inspired to integrate emotions and technology while she was in grad school in London, far away from her family in native Egypt. Though el Kaliouby had her laptop to keep in contact with family, she yearned to express the loneliness she felt. ?Then, she tried to develop a technology that read and communicated facial expressions. She wants to use this innovative technology to combat mental illness. El Kaliouby notices those with depression have slower facial expressions, and believes a device can flag emotions over the course of time. She hopes this data can pick up facial expressions when you’re down, or when something is off. She hopes that data can flag family, friend, and/or a doctor to help you. They’re already companies interested in what Affectiva of Waltham builds. A movie company wants to use this technology to study which parts of the movie are the funniest. El Kaliouby believes such technologies can even train doctors in empathy and studying side effects of medication. She even gives TED talks on this issue.
I truly believe Rana el Kaliouby’s intentions are honorable. From her personal experience, she sees a need that can help a lot of people. Her company is working to fulfill that need. Technology is already being used to help those with ALS and autism. So medical technology, when used with righteous and honorable intentions, can help and even save many. But my gut tells me somebody, or some institution or organization, could twist this into something sinister, like privacy invasion, spying, hacking, or even worse. Unfortunately, it’s happened before. Am I being too cynical here?
