Issue 6: December 2013

Contact us: socialimpact@ict.gov.qa

Twitter: @ictqatar

1. Xbox One: What’s new? Xbox One had a huge launch, the biggest ever in Xbox history as a matter of fact, and here’s the device’s new features:

First, the Xbox console itself is almost as massive as the launch, which is strange in a time when the general trend is to make devices smaller.

The device comes with new and, supposedly, improved controllers for added comfort and ease of use, as well as a cleaned-up more user-friendly interface. Microsoft also claims that it has significantly improved the multi-tasking abilities of its new device.

In addition, the Kinect cam is supposed to be drastically improved, as it now has two lenses to monitor players better, and voice command that allows players to access all of the device’s functions hands free.

http://goo.gl/3o6Xve

2. Google opens doorway to Glass

app developers announced opening

Mirror API through which app

developers can start creating apps

for Google Glass. Earlier this

month the company had invited

developers to a two-day

‘hackathon’ in San Francisco to

reveal its Glassware Development

Kit that is needed to develop apps

for Glass.

http://goo.gl/oLmEju http://goo.gl/XZf6jy

3. ‘Washio’ and the Laundry Ninjas

4. Sweet Dreams:

So, users can manipulate their imagination, and even subconscious, to decide what they do in a dream, whether it is to fly or meet a celebrity.

In a promotional video, developers ask, “what would you do in a dream?”, and here we ask the same.

http://goo.gl/yrwA6A

Remee is a sleep mask that allows you to control your dreams, Well, kind of.

What Remee actually does is it flashes a series of light patterns that notify its user that he or she is dreaming, thus allowing them to lucid dream.

5. Twitter: ‘Perfect Forward

Secrecy’ • Twitter aims to improve privacy with this update to its

data encryption.

• In its blog, the company said, “Forward secrecy is just the

latest way in which Twitter is trying to defend and protect the user’s voice.”

http://goo.gl/dP28Wg

More Protection

6. Heads up!

• This product projects phone features, such as texting, voice calls and email, onto the windshield of a car, and then allows users to control those with touch-free swiping and voice command.

• Do you think this will make driving in Qatar

better or worse? http://goo.gl/xbGqMy

7. Meet Nao, The Emotionally

Intelligent Robot

Most recently, Aldebaran, the Paris-

based company, claimed to have made Nao

smarter than ever by teaching him 19 languages, and

equipping him with access to a cloud of

information.

Nao should be able to pull up information from the cloud

as he goes along, which creates a learning process for

him to grow and develop personality.

The robot is also said to be emotionally intelligent now,

and will be able to detect moods and react accordingly.

http://www.aldebaran-robotics.com/en/

http://goo.gl/zibj0d

8. New Garmin GPS

Garmin says its new GPS has significant changes and new

features. The most advertised is the

“PhotoReal junction view,” which shows

drivers a real-view of junctions to make navigation easier.

Other changes include new predictive text to

make typing easier, record locations

searched previously and a multi-route

option, allowing users to select route based

on least traffic, shortest distance or

fastest time.

However, given the increasing growth of

free smart phone apps such as Google Maps, that contain

similar features, would such updates

be sufficient for traditional GPS

devices to survive?

http://goo.gl/HyQiZF

9. Fully Automated Ad Management

http://goo.gl/wdmKQ6

How

• does it work?

Users

• Users must setup a channel for their respective company on the software platform. They need to enter previous advertisement campaigns the company ran. The software does the rest. It automatically makes recommendation on new ad placements, places bids and asks permission to run new ads.

Software

• The software is also said to be guarded against “click fraud” which sometimes can lead to artificially inflated rates.

10. WD Showcases World’s First

SSD+HDD Hybrid Drive

claims that its new

storage device is a unique

innovation, as it fuses a 2.5-inch

120 GB solid-state drive, with a 1

TB hard disk drive to form a dual-

drive solution, all in a small

portable form. This is meant to be

the first device of such size to hold

such capacity and speed.

http://goo.gl/8pQZJc