Posts By: David Firth

Google Expedition brings 3D objects to classrooms

Posted by & filed under Augmented Reality.

Google Expedition brings 3D objects to classrooms with augmented reality. The technology was shown off at Google I/O, the company’s annual developers’ conference in Mountain View, California. Source: BBC Technology News Date: May 18th, 2017 Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-39958089/google-expedition-brings-3d-objects-to-classrooms Discussion 1) This is supposed to be “a classroom teaching tool.”  How might a business use this? 2) What sorts of… Read more »

All the Slick Stuff From Google I/O 2017

Posted by & filed under Artificial intelligence, Google.

From Google Lens to the the company’s new artificial intelligence chip here are the big announcements from Google I/O 2017’s first day.  Source: Wired Magazine Date: May 18th, 2017 Link to video: https://www.wired.com/video/2017/05/all-the-important-stuff-from-google-io-2017/ Discussion 1)  Why do companies like Google and Apple host these “show off shows”? 2) Google is “all in on AI”.  How might this impact… Read more »

Amazon leans into tipping point for online apparel

Posted by & filed under Amazon, Ecommerce.

The outlook for physical retailers is grim, the sector roiled by store closings, layoffs and bankruptcies. This year, Amazon will surpass Macy’s, which last year announced it would shut 100 stores, to become the largest seller of apparel in America, by several analysts’ estimates. It is looking at ways to keep expanding, too. Amazon is… Read more »

Wireless technology trades one cord for another

Posted by & filed under Consumer Technology, Emerging Technologies, internet protocols, IT Trends.

As I add more cordless, smart and rechargeable stuff to my life, I’ve run more into a mundane but real issue: I still have too many cords to deal with when it’s time to charge them.  And there’s no good solution. Source: Toronto Star / Washington Post Date: May 18th, 2017 Link: https://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2017/05/08/wireless-technology-trades-one-cord-for-another-analysis.html Discussion 1) This is similar… Read more »

Google’s parent eyes Toronto as location of new high-tech district

Posted by & filed under Emerging Technologies, Ethical Issues, Google.

Larry Page’s dream of using technology to fix cities may come to Canada first.   Sidewalk Labs LLC, the urban innovation unit of Page’s Alphabet Inc., has applied to develop a 12-acre strip in downtown Toronto, according to two people familiar with the plans. Details of the proposal are private, but these people said the bid… Read more »

Facebook kind of, somewhat continues to crack down on fake news

Posted by & filed under Ethical Issues, FaceBook, PaaS (Platform as a Service).

Facebook has taken action to try to curb the spread of misinformation across its platform, employing a team of fact-checkers to flag false news reports in order to reduce the visibility of fake news in the main news feed. In a report on the recent French election, for example, Facebook’s internal security researchers admitted to… Read more »

Facebook Servers

Posted by & filed under FaceBook, IT Infrastructure.

Although from 2013, this video does a really good job of taking you inside one of Facebook’s datacenters, and brings up all the issues that arise when you have to build and manage a datacenter Source: Facebook Date: May 11th, 2017 Link to YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d2JyaW9X34 Discussion 1) What are some of the physical security issues that Facebook… Read more »

Inside a Google datacenter

Posted by & filed under Google, IT Infrastructure.

Joe Kava, VP of Google’s Data Center Operations, gives a tour inside a Google data center, and shares details about the security, sustainability and the core architecture of Google’s infrastructure. It is very interesting to compare and contrast the Google setup of a datacenter to the Facebook setup of a datacenter here: http://wileyinformationsystemsupdates.com/2017/05/11/facebook-servers/ Source: Google Date: May 11th,… Read more »

Barbie Careers Game Developer Doll

Posted by & filed under Consumer Technology, STEM.

Open young techies to the world of game development with the Barbie game developer doll! She wears an industry-inspired outfit with graphic decal t-shirt, faded denim pants, a dark green jacket and white sneakers Bright red hair and eyeglasses are fashion-forward with techie style! Accessories — a laptop, a tablet with picture of a game… Read more »