Vision loss is a condition that millions of people face every day when they deal with eye diseases like macular degeneration or retinopathy caused from diabetes that presents a lack of light sensitivity to the retina of the eye and affects vision. The function of the eye is to relay images to the optic nerve and then sends them on to the brain. The condition is treated with glasses, medication and surgery but once those options no longer work, an ophthalmologist’s only recourse is to help the patient get the most they can out of their sight suggesting visual aids.
It used to be that only lighted magnifiers that are often inconvenient, get in the way, or are just too bundlesome for the patient to use, was about the only way to offer extra lighting. That is no longer the case since digital tablets have come into existence and can be used as a great reading aid. Continue reading →
People that are connected and stay connected via the internet may want to rethink their online sharing habits. Google has announced that governments all over the world, including the United States are requesting more user information than they have ever done before. Google says the trend shows that the internet is under government surveillance now, more than ever.
Google started releasing what it calls a “transparency report” in 2010. As of Tuesday, it released its sixth report, showing where governments world-wide are requesting more user data then they have done in previous years. These governments, including the United States, are asking Google, among others, to hand the user data over.
In its latest report, Google showed that the number of requests for this data went from 12,539 in 2009, between July and December to 20,938 requests in 2012, between January and June. These figures show that in 2012, government has made almost 8400 more requests than it did three years prior. The question is why. Continue reading →
Google users recently read news that was leaked directly from Google, about a real Google Wallet card. For those that are still trying to verify if this information is correct, it would appear that Google has answered that question under its “Eligible Devices” section. This section can provide solid proof for the users of Google Wallet, as to whether or not they will be offered a card to go with their online services.
An anonymous person leaked information, perhaps in response to the curiosity this subject has solicited. Under the “Eligible Devices” section for the yet-to-be-released Google Wallet Android application, there is a list of devices that Google says have a Secure Element chip. The Secure Element chip is billed as a smart card chip that resists tampering. It is designed to run with various smart card applications, it was designed to beef up security for all the personal information that is shared and transferred on personal devices such as smart phones.
The list of compatible devices includes compatible carriers, so not every smartphone through any carrier will work. Also, the list includes a section that states Google Wallet does not work with phones that purchased internationally. Continue reading →
Do you ever wonder if you are having an influence on Twitter and Facebook? It is possible to measure the impact on Social Media influence. Tools that allow users to measure their influence on anything from teenage drinking to how possible it is to influence the election are available and beginning to pop up everywhere. There are some of the ways to keep up with what is happening in the Twitter influential media frenzy and to measure how effective it is.
Users between 20 and 40 are the most widely tracked users of social media in the US and it is possible for them to influence things like the presidential election. Just think, after the first debate there were some 7 million Tweets on specific comments and the final debate offered up more than 13 million.
Social media, just like traditional news media and programming can change views as its influence tends to cause and compel listeners and users to follow the lead of others. While some people like to think they have the intelligence and fortitude to listen, educate, and choose their own ideas out of the mess, there are many who will simply follow the lead of someone else, right or wrong. Continue reading →
Anyone with a teenager knows that texting is not just a form of communication, or a way to pass the time. Texting has developed into a sub-culture that comes with its own abbreviations and rules. Teens have started breaking up and asking one another out via text. People have reported they were fired by text, among other things, and texting is now more common than phone calls. Although adults around the world text, the practice is still most heavily used amongst teenagers.
The practice has been known to cause parents the world over more than a little frustration. As parents look around for their non-responsive teenagers, they can follow the sounds of a the keys on a qwerty board clicking away, and they will usually find their teenagers looking intently at a tiny screen in their hands, while their fingers move in a blur, completely oblivious to the outside world. Parents that want their teenagers’ attention usually have to send a text to get it.
It originally appeared that there may be some good news for parents that want to talk with their children face-to-face, again. A recent report shows that the trend of texting is at a decline. The bad news is this decline is due to IP messaging, the iMessage feature provided by Apple. The service exploded in popularity due to the fact that it sends free messages over any Wi-Fi or 3G connection. Since these messages are free, parents may have to wait a while longer to see their teenagers’ face again, instead of the top of their heads as they hunch over their phone screen. Continue reading →
Ever thought about switching to a Mac? Most people, unless needing exceptional graphic capabilities, stick to the PC laptops. Let’s take a look into the Apple MacBook Pro with Retinal Display.
While the unit is not considered economical, we are talking about quality features in a unique laptop, but a basic unit. At a price of about $2200 dollars, the MacBook Pro is definitely a case of “getting what you pay for.” The release of any new Apple product always causes a riff about the industry and the MacBook Pro is no different, especially with the new screen technology.
You are not going to believe your eyes when you see the unbelievable high resolution screen on the new Apple MacBook Pro. Images and text are clearer than ever before. Boasting a new light weight body design, the components are power-packed with high end features and users will enjoy the USB and HDMI ports and accessibility. Continue reading →
There may be times when you feel you need your smartphone. You may want to make a call, take a picture or video, surf the net or perform some other marvel of modern technology. However, for certain areas of the country, the smart phone is quickly becoming a way to protect oneself from abuses of authority. Had it not been for a smartphone, one young man in New York would have no proof that he was being harassed by the local police in a completely legal, yet controversial practice.
For Alvin, a 17 year old living in New York, his smart phone became his only witness as he was stopped and frisked twice in a two block distance. This was done in cooperation with the controversial “Stop and Frisk” program. When Alvin asked the police why he was being stopped, again, he was told it was because he was “a mutt”, apparently referring to his mixed ethnicity. During the second stop in two blocks, Alvin decided to record the encounter. To date, it is the only known recording from any civilian that has been exposed to the “Stop and Frisk” practices of the NYPD.
As 17 year old Alvin was walking home from his girlfriend’s house in June of 2011, he was stopped and frisked, then released. Two blocks later, as he was continuing his walk, he saw a police car pass him, and heard it turn around. He looked back and saw the car heading for him, so he turned on the record function for his phone. Continue reading →
Reports surfaced recently about some new Apple patent applications from the folks at Apple Insider. Interestingly, the first had to do with details about how to install internal fans into many mobile devices to control the over-heating of units which is always an issue with electronics. Ever talked for 30 minutes on your smartphone and feel how hot the unit gets pressed against your ear? The second patent app happened to be about creating headphones that would also act as external speakers so that users could share the sounds or conversations moving out of a private scenario even with the “in ear” models of the head phones.
As for the internal fan components, the thoughts that make up that scenario have to do with device monitoring feedback and cooling components designed to save space rather than having those items function as separate units. Another possibility suggests the intake of air through existing holes of maybe a headset or connector in order to rid excess heat through the same place, also saving space without using two different components.
While cooling mobile devices may not be the hottest idea on the horizon in Apple’s future, it is something that represents their line of thinking about a concern of mobile devices. It remains to be seen as to whether it is something they spend a lot of time on right now at a time when processor efficiency is of the utmost importance and Apple has their engineers committed to making that project their focus. Continue reading →
Google has the unique position of having both its own social network and a platform for mobile software. Because of that, Google holds a unique position among app suppliers, other social networks and mobile software makers. This unique position comes in handy for both Google and its users. The Next Web recently spotted a nice place that Google is coming in handy for users in very real and relevant time.
The Next Web discovered the newest Google feature, recently, and has opted to post about it. This information will help shorten the amount of time it takes for Android users to access their apps. Instead of having to go through the Google Play store, users can now check their Google + feeds to see if one of their friends has already posted the same app.
Users can paste the URLs for these apps as updates on their Google + feeds, like they would if they were updating their statuses. These updates can help them spread the app around to other potentially interested friends, or just show off their newest app. It is a feature of convenience because it negates the need to go looking for the app through the Google store. It also shows off the newest, hottest thing to make its rounds, all from a social site feed. Continue reading →
There is no way to measure the depth of interest that “The Walking Dead” fans have in the coming collision between the two strong leaders on the show. The Governor and Rick Grimes have not met yet, but the day may fast be approaching when the two will collide. The fireworks and ripples will probably be seen and felt across several networks as the 15 million plus viewers of TWD put aside other things and programs to watch it.
AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is one of the most popular shows to hit basic cable in quite some time. After it set records for a premier show in a debut season, it went on to break its own records and set more. It is, to date, the only show on basic cable with such an impressive list of makeup artists and executive producers. It is also the only show on basic cable, to date, that has won, or been nominated for, the amount of awards that “The Walking Dead” has earned.
With the amount of action and jaw-dropping moments that viewers and cast members, alike, have experienced, the rest of the season is anyone’s guess on what could happen next. The last episode saw Rick’s decent into mental instability and the loss of three key members of the close-knit group. The only thing that fans know of that will definitely happen sometime in the future is that the Governor and Rick Grimes will meet. Continue reading →
