The Digital Life - November 2020 - Tech to improve Senior life, amazing AI, product announcements, and more!
We're moving into the final months in 2020. Whatever the holidays have in store for you, we hope you stay safe and healthy! Normally we'd be writing about all the November Black Friday deals. But this year, most of the Black Friday deals have been dispersed in order to prevent crowds. If you have any questions about your Black Friday or holiday tech shopping just drop us a line or give us a call!
Once again this month, we've got a little something for everyone. First, in the news department - Could seniors benefit from robot dogs? What was Donald Trump's Twitter password? How can I get cheaper home internet? Then, move on to some updates from Apple and Samsung. Finally, we've got some great tips on avoiding misinformation and some amazing examples of Artificial Intelligence for you to try.
Oh - and don't forget to say hi to Bongo Cat! 🙂
Have a wonderful November and Happy Thanksgiving!
In the news...
Robot Dogs Can Help Seniors Cope—Especially During Covid — www.wired.com
Digital personal companions are becoming cuter! They're not about to replace real-life therapy dogs, but research shows that motorized mutts can benefit people struggling with loneliness or dementia. Maybe we'll see some robot dogs around local nursing homes soon?! 🐶🐶
President Trump’s Twitter accessed by a security expert who guessed password ‘maga2020!’ — techcrunch.com
Whether or not this was true, the researcher is a credible one and the screen shots seem real. The lesson? Don't re-use passwords and use two factor authentication on any important accounts. That way, even if your password is easily guessable, re-used, or leaked, your account will still be safe under most circumstances.
Verizon expands LTE Home Internet to 48 states — ow.ly
Sick of your current Internet provider? In preparation for the continuing 5G push, more companies are starting to offer 4G LTE service via a hot spot at home. It's not as fast as wired, but most people don't use their full bandwidth anyway and it could save you some money.
Devices, gadgets, and more...
Amazon’s Echo and Fire TV gadgets are back down to Prime Day prices — ow.ly
In honor of Alexa's birthday, Amazon has lowered the price across most of the range of Echo products. If you're looking for more Alexa in your life, you you probably won't get a much better price than what they're offering right now!
Samsung's Galaxy Tab A7 is now available starting at just $230 — ow.ly
Speaking of deals, Samsung announced a slew of more affordable products last month, including a new fitness tracker, a 5G phone, and the Galaxy Tab A7 tablet. The A7 is a perfect little tablet for checking e-mails, watching movies, etc. - and it's the right price at only $230. Of course, the $600-$1000 are more powerful, but just how much power do you need for Candy Crush?
Apple’s iPhone 12 event: the 7 biggest announcements — ow.ly
ICYMI - Apple had a big event in October where they announced the iPhone 12 line-up and other new devices for this fall. Learn all of the biggest news from the show in this quick article.
iPhone 12 vs. Apple's major rivals: Galaxy S20, S20 FE, Pixel 5, OnePlus 8T — ow.ly
Apple's iPhone 12 has arrived. If you're in the market for a flagship phone this year and are on the fence, this guide is for you. Here's how the new Apple stacks up against Samsung's Galaxy S20 and S20 FE, Google's Pixel 5 and OnePlus' 8T. If you're going to drop upwards of $1000 on a phone, you better research it first! 🙂💲💲
Fighting misinformation
This game can stop people from falling for COVID-19 conspiracies — ow.ly
If you've ever wondered how some of the crazy news goes viral, now you can find out. This game is great fun - the goal is to make certain decisions on sharing information in order to "go viral". Go Viral helps the average internet dweller understand the basics of how misinformation is made—which can help prevent people from believing falsities on social media. Try it out today!
Cards of Logic — www.cardsoflogic.com
The 2020 debates may be over, but it's never too late to review basic logic principles. Don't let yourself be hoodwinked during your next topical debate!
Magical AI
How normal am I? — www.hownormalami.eu
Facial recognition takes place all around you, but have you ever seen it working in real time? Experience the world of face detection algorithms in this freaky test, and I guarantee you'll be surprised at how much this little app knows. They had me pegged pretty well!
Supersense - AI for Blind / Scan text, money and objects — www.supersense.app
Here's an update in the world of Assistive Technology for the Blind. With the power of AI, Supersense automatically figures out what you are trying to scan, guides you on how to point the camera, and reads the content in the right format. If you know someone with a visual disability, point them over to this app right away!
The final word
2020 has been hard. Too hard in a lot of ways for many of us. Sometimes you just need a little website to make you smile. So, relax, take a break, and hit the bongos like Bongo Cat!