Just Google it. No one really questions Google’s answers. Today, 62% of US adults get their news from social media. Why shouldn’t they when Facebook and Twitter promote the freedom of expression and the spread of information? There was no real reason to question the validity and ethics of Google, Facebook or Twitter until now. The 2016 presidential election proves that political involvement creates digital distrust. The recent allegations against these large tech companies will only generate more skepticism as the investigations continue. Continue reading →

GroupMe is an app for smartphones and a website, but slack is the new GroupMe for professionals. Slack is a tool used by professionals to communicate digitally within an organization. There are five components of Slack: teams and workspaces, channels, messages, search, and notifications. A team is the group of people using Slack to communicate. A workspace is a digital space the team shares to communicate and work. Channels are the space where a team communicates. There are public and private channels. Public channels are open to the whole team. Whereas, team members must invite others to the private channel. Direct message is where two teammates can communicate one on one. Sending messages occurs through public and private channels or direct messages. Search allows a user to narrow down information needed to get work done. Lastly, notifications enable team members to know when the team is talking. Continue reading →

Technology is taking over the modern home in many ways. We have apps to control the thermostat, camera security systems, automatic vacuum cleaners and now Sony is bringing tech to our furry friends too. Aibo the robot dog could be our new companions!

Sony’s Aibo the robot dog is back and better than ever

Sony is releasing its latest version of the robot dog Aibo after ten years. This robot dog does everything man’s best friend can do and more! Aibo the robot dog can walk, sit and bark like a real dog. Sony uses new technology that allows it to move along 22 axes for lots of mobility. It can even make facial expressions using OLED technology to move its eyes. 

Sony says that Aibo provides love and affection to its owners and can even “form an emotional bond with members of the household”. It uses special technology to adapt to the owners behaviors and can learn how to make its owners happy. Basically, it’s like having a dog without the hassle of taking it outside and worrying about leaving it alone when you’re at work. Aibo also takes photos from its perspectives which you can later access from the Aibo app. 

My Aibo App

Abide the robot dog also has an app, called My Aibo. The app lets you access photos that the robot dog takes, as well as access settings. You can even use the app to download new tricks from the store. With a subscription, you can also have WiFi and LTE connectivity. 

While it’s not exactly the same as going to the pet store and picking out a new puppy, you can pre-order Aibo the robot dog in Japan. Aibo will be released on January 11, 2018, and will cost about $1,700. Aibo will not be sold outside of Japan for the time being so we’ll have to wait to pick up our not-so-furry friends. 

Since many people around the world have had issues with package thieves, Amazon has attempted to come up with a solution. The new and improved Amazon In-Home Delivery is an effort to allow the Amazon delivery drivers access inside homes to ensure that the packages are safe. The new service is known as “Amazon Key” and is only available to Amazon Prime members in select areas. Continue reading →

Thousands of pairs of Snapchat Spectacles sit unsold in a warehouse. Snapchat Spectacles did not live up to the hype.

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Artifical intelligence has changed the world. AI is a part of smartphones, computers, and now, television. AI has also been a big part of the advertising world. Web pages and social media sites are full of personalized advertisements tailored to users through the use of AI. Television seems to be falling behind the curve, but programmatic TV advertising may change that. Continue reading →

HiQ’s lawsuit against LinkedIn concerns access to the publicly available internet. HiQ labs is a startup data analytics company who is taking legal action against LinkedIn. HiQ is claiming LinkdIn denied them access to information on their member’s public profiles. This case will be the first time the courts interpret the issue of access on the internet. Moreover, the landmark lawsuit’s traction in the media adds to anticipation for the resulting precedent. Furthermore, this precedent will become common law and used as a guide for future cases surrounding this topic. Not only will this lawsuit go down in history as a landmark case, but it will also affect the landscape of the tech industry forever.

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Social Media Influencers and Brand Ambassadors

Social media influencers and brand ambassadors are great marketing strategies for companies.  Influencers and brand ambassadors can be used as an effective tool to reach the right consumers, increase brand awareness and brand loyalty.  These marketing strategies create relationships with the brand through social media.    As the influence of social media personalities grows, companies are choosing to use influencers and or brand ambassadors. For those companies are not sure who to contract as their social media influencers and brand ambassadors,  there are agencies who are the bridge for the company and influencer who can find the right match for their target audience. Although influencers and ambassadors often appear to be similar positions, they both have two distinct roles and positions in social media advertising.

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Bumbles new feature, Bumble Bizz is the new tool for professional networking. The tool sticks to the original style of online dating format. Instead of featuring potential love matches the app connects you to professional contacts. Swipe right for those who you want in your network, and if they swipe right on you too, you match.

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Barstool and ESPN part ways after one full week of partnership. The two came together over the last few weeks to structure a deal that featured a new show, Barstool Van Talk. The partnership yielded a fairly divided response from ESPN’s constituents. Barstool is known for its in-your-face online content. Additionally, Barstool is led by many strong on-air personalities including their president, Dave Portnoy. Portnoy, has been heavily scrutinized for his posts (both past and present). Because of Barstool’s unrated past, many assumed that the partnership would be a failure. Others thought that the revitalizing spirit Barstool generates with its younger audience would pair nicely with ESPN’s pristine production team. The latter could not be more wrong. Continue reading →

October proves to be a busy month for Instagram and its updates, including their new Shopify integration. This feature allows Shopify businesses to sell directly on their Instagram accounts without users ever needing to leave the app. Instagram continues to enable the thoughtless spending epidemic. Continue reading →

It is no secret that people like creating cartoon versions of themselves. Previous examples of this trend are the Sims videogame, the Mii feature on the Wii console, caricature drawings at a carnival and so on. Currently, the most popular trend in custom cartoons is Bitmoji. Bitmoji became so popular, in fact, that in 2016 it teamed up with Snapchat to further personalize users’ snaps. However, the newest update on the avatar craze comes from Facebook. New technology has been created that can generate custom Facebook avatars for you simply by taking a picture.  Continue reading →

Instagram is a social media channel used by professionals and individuals. The app and online website are made to share pictures and videos. Instagram first came out with Instagram Stories that is like Snapchat Stories. This allows users to share photos for 24 hours. Recently, Instagram came out with a feature called Instagram Live. This feature enables Instagram users to broadcast to their followers in real-time. As a result of the popularity, Instagram launched a new feature for followers to join in on a live video they are watching. Continue reading →

No one wants strangers entering their home when they’re not there, right? What if its the delivery man bringing your last-minute Halloween costume that you need right when you get home? Amazon thinks yes. The company is introducing the Amazon Key system, which will help you with problems just like that. 

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Snapchat is rolling out a new feature called ‘Context Cards.’ Snapchat Context Cards are a new way to find more information about any snap that users share. The Context Cards will include information like restaurant reviews, reservations, and business contact information. The new feature will also assist with hailing Ubers and Lyfts as part of the update. Continue reading →

If you don’t know, Venmo is the person-to-person mobile payment app that has become wildly popular among millennials. Last year alone, Venmo processed over $9 billion in transactions. From splitting the cost of pizza, to splitting monthly rent, Venmo quickly achieved widespread use. However, the free app is not popular among investors. Venmo’s parent company, PayPal, hopes to change this by adding a Pay with Venmo option to over 2 million online retail sites.  Continue reading →