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Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro

Monday 5 November 2018 11:00 AM

It’s not often that a 4G-ready tablet comes equipped with high quality surround sound. So if you like to immerse yourself in your favourite apps on the go, this is the tablet for you.

Woes to the Woebot: Can artificial intelligence replace human therapists?

Phuket Life / Technology

Sunday 16 September 2018 01:00 PM

“We only use methods validated in our own research, or techniques that have been tested in the field. The more you can tell me, the more helpful I can be. For example, over time, I might be able to see patterns in your mood.”

One Giant Flop...The ‘game changer’ for mixed reality stumbles

Phuket Life / Technology

Saturday 25 August 2018 09:00 AM

Have you ever heard of Magic Leap? If not, you’ll be surprised to learn that this American start-up company, founded in 2010, has raised an enormous US$2.3 billion for a previously non-released technology platform development programme employing more than 1,500 employees. For those that do know about Magic Leap’s existence, you’ll also know that whilst there has been much hype about the potential of their technology, supported by the occasional ‘life changing’ CGI image or two, the actual method and product has been shrouded in total secrecy for the past seven years of development. Magic Leap is a ‘mixed reality’ platform. The company prefers to differentiate this as ‘spatial computing’. In essence it’s the ability to enhance your surrounding ‘real’ environment with the integration and interaction with menu systems, 3D objects and animations. The current technological limitation and delivery method is for the user to wear a headset tethered to a wearable device which projects content into your field of vision... ideally with as much spatial accuracy as possible to prevent breaking the illusion that it’s actually ‘there’. It’s fair to say that the intensity of ‘real-time’ information processing and tracking, paired with a wearable computer powerful enough to deliver this experience seamlessly has to this point been lacking. Microsoft’s offering, The HoloLens, has been in the market for several years, and whilst it has its primitive uses in commercial training with an increasing potential in education, it certainly has underwhelming consumer value. So, is Magic Leap the next case of Emperor’s New Clothes? And what have they been doing with all of this time and money? According to the company founder and CEO, Rony Abovitz, with a company statement that is unlikely to calm the investors’ nerves, “When we’re not here talking about mixed reality and the future of computing, we’re busy putting robots in your kitchen and making music you can touch.” Well that’s alrighty then. No further explanation needed. Please carry on. And so they did. Right up to August 8 when the Magic Leap One headset and developer’s kit was unleashed to a poised world… most notably without a convincing domestic android nor ‘touchy-feely’ semiquavers in augmented sight. So the first technical journalist reviews are out. Now brace yourselves. Guess what? After billions of dollars spent and promises of floating ginormous sea mammals in your school gymnasium – and why is this the visual pinnacle of our future? – they’re far from encouraging. The Verge’s Adi Robertson wrote a hands-on review of the launch product, describing the experience as a ‘flawed glimpse’ of the potential in this field of technology. "Based on an afternoon with Magic Leap, the Magic Leap One Creator Edition is a functional, thoughtfully designed headset with some very real advantages over competitors like the Microsoft HoloLens. But it doesn’t seem like a satisfying computing device or a radical step forward for mixed reality." "While not as restrictive as Microsoft’s HoloLens, the Lightwear (headset) has a limited field of view that constrains the experience. Some objects appeared cut off unless I turned my head or took a few steps back. I don’t suggest anyone run out to buy one – maybe not for years. I found many of Magic Leap’s technically impressive demos to be little more than a novelty.” And MIT Technology Review was also less than complimentary. “Yet while the experiences in the demo room are fun and visually impressive, none of it is truly mind-blowing.” “I want to feel like those robots are actually coming after me. I want the life-size whale coming out of the gym floor. And I want to forget that I’m weighed down by a headset and pocket-sized computer, peering at this visually enhanced world one rectangle at a time. For this to happen, the hardware will have to get still smaller and better.” “More to the point, cool as the gadget is, the question remains: can Magic Leap turn it into a money-making business?” So where is this going? I’m not sure even Magic Leap know. They’re certainly keen to promote a magical idea of a technically-enhanced future, but with little direction on what this will actually achieve. And will they be the ones to do it even if the roadmap to a digitally enhanced future is imagined? Whilst Magic Leap have constrained any serious questions or information from within the company with strict non-disclosure agreements with all employees, and some clearly PR-orchestrated positive statements… various leaks from within the company have confirmed what we’ve secretly been wondering all along. “Either management doesn’t appear to have a clue, or they are in on a very giant scam.” “Unless you’re drinking the Kool-Aid you’ll quickly see how much of a facade this company is.” Ouch. Perhaps they’ve been too busy working on a mixed-reality experience for their investors? One in which cryptocurrency literally falls off the swooning purple trees straight into their clean, glowing hands, neatly obscuring their regal butt-naked frames. The Garden of Eden this is not. Check out the unforgettable first experiences created by Magic Leap Studios at www.magicleap.com

Harbinger of doom. A paradigm shift in our relationship with technology.

Phuket Life / Technology

Saturday 4 August 2018 09:00 AM

Ahh technology. The dreamy 1950s paradise view of technology’s glorious future. Obedient humanoid robots rushing around on our behalf, doing the house work and chores, whilst the liberated owner whiled away the hours barking commands at these industrious tin cans and indulging in virtual entertainment.

Get healthy and happy with app technology.

Phuket Life / Technology

Tuesday 17 July 2018 10:00 AM

Are you living your best life? Making healthy lifestyle changes is never easy to do. It’s a no-brainer that those changes tend to start with diet and exercise. However, the quest for a better life does not end there. So much goes into truly living our best lives, but sometimes it can be hard to get motivated.

Gamers enthralled by violence

Phuket Life / Technology

Thursday 28 June 2018 10:30 AM

Bandits, soldiers, demons, zombies, aliens and other enemies were shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, incinerated, or even blown up on the show floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo that opened in Los Angeles on June 12.

App ABCs: Powerful personal assistant apps

Phuket Life / Technology

Saturday 9 June 2018 02:00 PM

We all know that there is only so much that can be done in 24 hours. Time is precious and we should not be wasting our time on tasks that can be done by someone else.

As EU privacy law looms debate swirls on cybersecurity, compliance concerns

Phuket Life / Technology

Thursday 24 May 2018 11:01 AM

Just ahead of the implementation of a sweeping European privacy law tomorrow (May 25), debate is swirling on whether the measure will have negative consequences for cybersecurity and whether companies will be ready to comply with the new law.

Your inner artist will be tickled pink with this fun colouring app

Phuket Life / Technology

Saturday 12 May 2018 02:00 PM

Unleash your inner artist with Lake: Colouring Books. Lake is a creative colouring app with a vibrant collection of colouring books from some of Instagram’s finest illustrators.

Apps to help you create charming vintage videos for your social media

Phuket Life / Technology

Sunday 8 April 2018 10:30 AM

If you are an avid user of social media, especially the Instagram platform, chances are that lately you have noticed vintage video apps seem to be all the rage.

Facebook to verify identities, require labels for political ads

Phuket Life / Technology

Saturday 7 April 2018 03:50 PM

Facebook announced Friday (Apr 6) it will require political ads on its platform to state who is paying for the message and would verify the identity of the payer, in a bid to curb outside election interference. The social network, which is under fire for enabling manipulation of its platform in the 2016 election, said the new policy would require any messages for candidates or public issues to include the label "political ad" with the name of the person or entity paying for it. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said the change will mean "we will hire thousands of more people" to get the new system in place ahead of US midterm elections in November. "We're starting this in the US and expanding to the rest of the world in the coming months," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page. "These steps by themselves won't stop all people trying to game the system. But they will make it a lot harder for anyone to do what the Russians did during the 2016 election and use fake accounts and pages to run ads." A separate Facebook statement said the changes would help improve transparency and accountability of the network around political campaigns. "We believe that when you visit a page or see an ad on Facebook, it should be clear who it's coming from," the statement said. To get authorized by Facebook, "advertisers will need to confirm their identity and location," the statement said. "Advertisers will be prohibited from running political ads – electoral or issue-based – until they are authorized." Facebook made the announcement as Zuckerberg prepared to appear before Congress next week to answer questions about the harvesting of personal data on 87 million users by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultancy working for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The move also comes amid concerns that Russian-sponsored entities delivered Facebook ads designed to create discord and confusion ahead of the election and that firms like Cambridge Analytica created messages based on psychographic profiles gleaned from the platform to influence voters.   Sandberg's apology Separately, Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg offered fresh apologies to users for failing to do enough on privacy and data protection. "We know that we did not do enough to protect people's data," Sandberg told National Public Radio. "I'm really sorry for that. Mark is really sorry for that, and what we're doing now is taking really firm action." Sandberg said Facebook first became aware in 2015 that Cambridge Analytica had obtained user data from a researcher who put up a poll on the social network. "When we received word that this researcher gave the data to Cambridge Analytica, they assured us it was deleted," she said. "We did not follow up and confirm, and that's on us -- and particularly once they were active in the election, we should have done that." Sandberg was asked by NBC television's "Today Show" if other cases of user data misuse could be expected. "We're doing an investigation, we're going to do audits and yes, we think it's possible, that's why we're doing the audit," she said. Sandberg said Facebook also should have been more proactive in dealing with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. "That was something we should have caught, we should have known about," she told NPR. "We didn't. Now we've learned." The firestorm over the improper data shared has sparked calls for investigations on both sides of the Atlantic. In Brussels, a European Union spokesman said Facebook confirmed that up to 2.7 million people in the EU may have been affected by the personal data scandal. "We will study the letter (from Facebook) in more detail, but it is already clear that this will need further follow-up discussions with Facebook," spokesman Christopher Wigand said.

Facebook crisis prompts Silicon Valley soul-searching

Phuket Life / Technology

Saturday 24 March 2018 10:05 AM

With Facebook mired in its worst-ever crisis, the rest of Silicon Valley is looking to come to terms with the dark side of its data-driven business model where tech titans have mined fortunes from what people reveal online.

Tech Tidbits: Track your daily water intake with these handy hydration apps

Phuket Life / Technology

Saturday 10 March 2018 01:00 PM

Water is an important element. The human body uses water in all its cells, organs and tissues to help regulate its temperature as well as maintain regular body functions.

Google begins blocking annoying ads on its browser

Phuket Life / Technology

Saturday 17 February 2018 04:31 PM

Google has begun a new effort to block annoying ads on its Chrome browser, as part of an initiative aimed at improving the online advertising ecosystem that provides the bulk of its revenues.

Snapchat redesign sparks backlash among some users

Phuket Life / Technology

Tuesday 13 February 2018 03:37 PM

Snapchat's latest app redesign, aimed at broadening the appeal of the youth-oriented social network, sparked a backlash from many users complaining about the abrupt overhaul of their preferred service.

The instant photo camera, popularised by Polaroid, just keeps keeping on

Phuket Life / Technology

Sunday 4 February 2018 10:15 AM

Film is not dead. In the case of instant photography, everything old is new again. Recently, there has been a resurgence in film. Most of the revival has come from the variety of instant cameras on the market.

Tech faithful gather to worship at industry exhibition in Las Vegas

Phuket Life / Technology

Monday 8 January 2018 05:46 PM

After a rollercoaster year for the tech world, many industry leaders are looking to the cutting edge for salvation.