New Technology : Amazon Echo Review and Giveaway

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Amazon’s Echo offers a unique integration between voice recognition, personal assistant, home automation controls, and audio playback features for $179.99. Think of it as a competitor to Apple’s Siri and Google Now targeting the smart home (what’s a smart home?), rather than mobile devices. While Siri offers smart home integration, its simplicity and user-friendliness is less than desirable; and Google Now just isn’t effective as a smart home hub. So does the Echo break into new ground or can you do better elsewhere? Aesthetics and Design The physical appearance of the Echo won’t turn heads, thanks to its Spartan design and clean lines. Within a modern household, the...

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New Technology : Windows Administrator Account: Everything You Need to Know

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Starting with Windows Vista, the built-in Windows Administrator account is disabled by default. This account is separate from administrator-level user accounts, although both have the same privileges. If that’s the case, is it best to ignore the Windows Administrator account? Yes and no. Windows operates fine without it and most users will never really need to use it, but it does offer a bit more power and flexibility than a user account–at the risk of reduced security. The Windows Administrator Account In Windows Vista and beyond, user accounts have to deal with User Account Control (UAC), which is the annoying...

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New Technology : Microsoft’s New Mission Statement, Apple Rewrites History, & More… [Tech News Digest]

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Satya Nadella rallies the troops, Apple dictates to developers, Microsoft Office lands on Android, Tumblr TV shows nothing but GIFs, Amazon keeps on trucking, and four hours of reactions to Final Fantasy VII Remake. Microsoft Wants To Empower Everybody A brief history of Microsoft. http://pic.twitter.com/mMcez5FC5q — Horace Dediu (@asymco) June 25, 2015 Microsoft has a new mission statement, and it’s a rather ambitious one. The new official mission statement was revealed in company-wide email sent out to all employees. Written by CEO Satya Nadella, it sets out the company’s goals for the next year. This “State of the Union” wasn’t...

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New Technology : Are Driverless Cars the Future? They Need to Overcome Some Problems First

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If you commute to work, or have to drive a lot for any reason, it’s hard not to be excited about the idea of a self driving car. People who take public transit have known how productive their commute can be for ages, but anyone who has to drive themselves has never been able to enjoy the luxury of getting things done while driving. Driverless cars could also make the roads safer, and they introduce a slew of other positive changes. But it’s not a perfect world, and there are some pretty serious issues that driverless cars need to overcome before...

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New Technology : How to Use OneNote Templates to Be More Organized

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If you’ve already integrated OneNote into your workflow, making full use of templates can help you super-charge your usage. For those of you not yet using it, there are plenty of reasons to try OneNote. The key to good note-taking is a foundation that lets you quickly and efficiently take down the information that’s most important. Sometimes, a blank page does that job just fine, but there are situations where a well-made template can grease the wheels. Spending time creating a template can reap great rewards in the long term, but even using the pre-made templates included can improve your notes. Here...

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New Technology : Make Learning Spanish Fun With These Educational Games

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The ability to speak Spanish can give you a big boost when it comes to applying for a job, and there’s evidence that people who speak more than one language actually improve their brain function in certain ways. Taking the time to learn another language, though, can be problematic. These games make it fun, and will keep you coming back! Duolingo One of the best language-learning apps out there, Duolingo is a highly polished, fun learning game that has earned a number of awards (including App of the Year for the mobile version). The gamification keeps you motivated, and the activities are...

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New Technology : Here’s Why Your Employer Is Allowed to Track You

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One Nation Under CCTV

A US sales executive is suing her former employer after they allegedly fired her for deleting an app used to track her, a case that has raised some interesting questions about the divide between accountability and privacy. Facebook spies on you – even if you don’t have a profile. Google spies on you. The Government’s surveillance tools are advancing all the time. It’s pretty obvious that your employer spies on you too. But are they actually allowed to…? An Ankle Bracelet For Employees Myrna Arias particularly objected to being monitored when off-duty using Xora, so uninstalled it in late April. She...

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New Technology : Supercharge Your Google Forms and Get More out of Them

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One of Google’s most under-appreciated features is perhaps Google Forms, tucked away in the corner of Google Drive where nobody can see it. But you shouldn’t ignore it because the humble Google Forms has loads of uses. From email newsletters to surveys to event registrations, Google Forms gives you a quick way to whip up the necessary paperwork for what you’re planning. Except you don’t have to use any paper. Participants can respond to forms in their Gmail inbox, and all forms are responsive, meaning they resize and rescale perfectly on a mobile or tablet screen. Add images, YouTube videos…the possibilities are...

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New Technology : Keeping Grammy Safe: Wireless Health Care at Home Saves Lives

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Healthcare’s recent technological innovations could be the answer to helping seniors lead healthy and independent lives at home without causing their family members or healthcare providers to worry about their well-being. The popular image of an older person being unable to work a computer is the punch line to many jokes, but it might not be relevant for much longer. According to a study by Pew Research, today’s seniors are great at using technology! In fact, nearly sixty percent of all older adults (65+) have an internet connection, and 71% of those who do have their own Internet connection go online every day....

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New Technology : How the watchOS 2.0 Update Will Make Your Apple Watch Even Better

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Though the Apple Watch went on sale just a little over two months ago, Apple is set to release the next major update to the watchOS software that powers the device in the Fall. I have had my Apple Watch for a few weeks now, and I’ve learned to use it for its most distinctive purposes, like providing access to data beyond the iPhone. I’ve never expected the watch to replace my phone, but I do want it to put data and other features literally at arm’s reach. This is why Apple’s watchOS 2.0 will be an incredible update for watch users. Watch Faces and Complications During the work week, I mainly use the...

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