There are few things that are more frustrating than sitting at a movie while someone in the theater continues to use their phone. There are lots of places, like movie theaters, that society tells us phones are off-limits: churches, classrooms, important meetings. But this doesn’t help fight off the urge to check your phone under your desk. What if a special type of phone case could solve this problem? The Yondr phone case challenges phone-addicts by preventing the use of cell phones.
What you Need to Know about the Instagram Post Algorithm
If you haven’t already noticed, your Instagram timeline doesn’t work the way it used to. Up until the introduction of the new Instagram post algorithm, you saw posts in order of when they were uploaded, with the most recent at the top. Now they are in a seemingly random order where a post from eight hours ago may show at the top and one posted 20 minutes ago might show a few scrolls down. This algorithm concerns social media marketers, bloggers, and those who rely on Instagram for business alike. Continue reading
Twitter Launched Promoted Tweets with Promote Mode
Many businesses profit from advertisements on social media platforms. Almost all social media ads are specially tailored to each user. Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram frequently post and publish paid ads in order to generate revenue. A new name officially deserves to be added to that list.Twitter launched promoted tweets today for public beta in the US and the UK. The monthly subscription fee is the only caveat. Continue reading
Apple Declines to Comment on iPhone Autocorrect Glitch
A bizarre glitch is affecting Apple users worldwide. Last week users reported various problems with their devices. The most notable was the iPhone autocorrect glitch that automatically changes the letter “i” into a strange symbol. Continue reading
Twitter rolls out a New Character Limit
Twitter releases a new character limit that allows users to type up to 240 characters per tweet. Twitter is an online news and social networking channel where users “tweet.” Users “tweet” through a message with 140-characters or less. Since the message is limited, many refer to Twitter as microblogging. Users share anything on their mind with followers. Users can tag other users on Twitter to ask a question or share a thought. Continue reading
The NFL Will Be Dishing Out Six Second Ads for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Thanksgiving Day is for family, food, and football. Every year millions of fans tune into Fox Sports to watch football during Thanksgiving festivities. This year, however, fans will see a new type of commercial: six-second ads. Six-second ads will take over the TV screen while the game moves to a small screen on the side. This way viewers will still be able to watch the game as they also view advertisements. Continue reading
The Five Ways Fashion Bloggers Profit off of their Blog
Many people look at fashion bloggers and wonder how posting pictures of outfits can become a career. Fashion blogging is a very profitable business, but few people understand how the industry works and how the money is made. Here are the five ways fashion bloggers profit off of their blogs.
Social Media’s Influence on Elections with Russian-linked Ads
Last week, social media sites were questioned in regards to the use of Russian-linked ads and groups and their influence on the 2016 US elections. Most of the attention was focused on Twitter. It was discovered that they offered Russian TV Networks 15% of their share of voice (SOV) for $3 million.
Zuckerberg Handling Controversy With Confidence
Zuckerberg handling controversy with confidence as consumer confidence in Facebook soars. Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said in a recent article that business was doing well. Their market price is at an all-time high. He did stress the importance of security moving forward, “We’re serious about preventing abuse on our platforms. We’re investing so much in security that it will impact our profitability. Protecting our community is more important than maximizing our profits.” Mark Zuckerberg is handling the controversy surrounding Russian election interference with confidence. This confidence resonates throughout his company. The vetted CEO has driven Facebook to the top of the tech industry alongside Apple and Amazon. Even amidst the controversy confidence and trust in his company have never been higher. Continue reading
Snapchat’s Context Cards Puts Information About Location at Your Fingertips
Snapchat’s context cards are the newest addition to the apps suite of in-app tools. The new feature integrates Foursquare, TripAdvisor, Uber, and Lyft, among others. This collaboration gives users more information about Snapchat’s based on their location. Snapchat’s context cards act as packets of information on the location of where a user takes a snap. The cards pull data from various partner companies to give users as much information as possible based on their location. Therefore, when a user takes a snap at a particular location, they can open a card by swiping up. Continue reading
How Social Media Honors the Houston Astros in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
This baseball season continues to be full of surprises as the Houston Astros find themselves in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Four years ago they were the worst team in the majors. Two months ago their city was devastated by the effects of the costliest hurricane on record. But tonight, they find themselves in game seven of the World Series. The curve balls keep coming for Houston-no pun intended. What has been one dominant force throughout all of theses events, you ask? Social media. Especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Continue reading
Political Involvement Creates Digital Distrust
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
The GroupMe for Professionals
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
Sony Brings Back Aibo the Robot Dog
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.
Amazon In-Home Delivery Service Fighting Back Against Package Thieves
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
Measuring Ad Exposure Through Snapchat
For companies that like to see the numbers, Snapchat introduced a tool for tracking and measuring ad exposure. In the last year, we have seen more ads coming up on Snapchat from companies like Fabletics and JustFab. Now, Snapchat’s tool called Snap Pixel will allow companies to track user’s interactions after seeing an ad on the app. Continue reading
Snapchat Spectacles did not live up to the hype
Thousands of pairs of Snapchat Spectacles sit unsold in a warehouse. Snapchat Spectacles did not live up to the hype.
Artificial Intelligence and Programmatic TV Advertising Could Save TV Ads.
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
Walmart Brings Robots In-Store to Help Stock Shelves
It’s common for companies to use robots to maintain warehouse stock. But what about using robots to maintain in-store stock? Walmart is experimenting with this concept by bringing scanning robots to over 50 US locations to help stock shelves. Continue reading
HiQ’s Lawsuit Against LinkedIn Becomes a Landmark Case
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.