Technology and recession are cutting into blue collar jobs
The National Bureau of Economic Research just published a paper that confirms what you might have been thinking for a long time now: recession and technology have been putting people out of work. Since we’ve yet to design a self-aware robot or AI that can do anything, machines have mostly been taking over routine jobs that entail repetitive tasks, like factory work and sales. Sure, humans are perfectly capable of doing those, but the recession has been forcing companies to downsize and delegate those tasks to computers and machineries instead. Those most affected by this shift are the young and less educated — high school graduates, for one, are the first in line for unemployment. Men are also more in danger of being replaced by machines than women, who tend to climb up from blue-collar jobs to higher-paying ones over time.
Surprisingly, changing demographics and outsourcing to other countries apparently aren’t huge factors in the loss of jobs in the US, according to the study. It’s really the combination of technology and recession that’s to blame. And, as we’re bound to develop more advanced computers and robots, the roster of “routine jobs” that can be handled by machines can only grow. As study author and University of British Columbia professor Henry E. Siu says:
Over the very long run, technological progress is good for everybody, but over shorter time horizons, it’s not that everybody’s a winner.
Filed under: Misc
Via: The New York Times
Google Now and Siri Battle for Voice Assistant Mortality
Voice recognition has been around in Android since almost the beginning, but it wasn’t until Jelly Bean came around where Google introduced us to Google Now that it was taken to the next level. Sure, iOS has Siri, a voice assistant that would actually have full-on conversations with you, but us Androidians didn’t want to talk to our devices. We just wanted them to find the information we were asking it to find. The battle between which voice assistant still wages on, and will wage on for the rest of eternity, or at least until the robot apocalypse happens. Apple fanboys will swear by Siri. Androidians will laugh at those fanboys. Each voice assistant has their own unique qualities, but Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wanted to put both programs to the test, in and epic battle of voice assistant mortality.
Munster carried out this test out in the public in environments with background noise, and anything you would expect when you are out and about. Noise levels never exceeded 80 decibels, so it wasn’t like he was out at a rock concert. As you can see: Google Now rocks. Siri did however win when it comes to command, which makes sense given the program is will have conversations with you.
The debate on which voice assistant will still go in favor of whatever the consumer has in their pocket, but it is nice to see Google Now come out on top in this test. Let us know what you think about the results of Munster’s test.
Source: Cult of Android
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Google Maps now gives you detailed ads for local stores
Google Maps already shows a wealth of info about nearby stores when you’re searching for them, but ads haven’t received that first-class treatment. Like it or not, that’s changing; Maps on mobile and the web now shows you a whole raft of details for relevant store ads, including links to call those shops. The move is likely to prove a mixed blessing. While it will help you learn more about interesting ads and might just lead to discovering a nice restaurant, it could also downplay the importance of the actual search results — not good if you’re just trying to reach an eatery before it shuts down for the night. The odds are that the richer promotions won’t hamper your day-to-day navigation in a significant way, but you’ll want to keep an eye out for that yellow “ad” icon the next time you’re tracking down some sushi.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Ads (G+)
Terraria, Worms 3, Zombies, Run!, Final Fantasy and Runtastic apps all on Sale
Still haven’t zeroed out your Google Opinion Rewards credits yet? Maybe you are just a gluten for punishment and can’t pass up a good deal. Well, if you are on the hunt to save a little and spend some hard-earned green backs, there are a number of apps on sale today that might tickle your fancy. Many are titles or apps that you might already know, those will be the ones we will link first. There are a few others that have graced the sales channel today as well and we think they at least deserve a mention.
First up we have Terraria from 505 Games Srl. You might know them from Battle Island. Terraria is an indie sandbox adventure game that you must dig, fight, explore and build your way through. There are 200+ crafting recipes, 25+ block types, 75+ monsters, 5 bosses, and over a dozen environments to explore. Terraria is on sale for the first time since its launch and is normally $4.99. For a limited time you can pick it up for $1.99. I don’t know about you, but a flying eyeball and a Unicorn have me interested. Hit Terraria on the Play Store.
Next up is Worms 3 from Team 17 Digital Limited. I have always loved the Worms games. The funny weapons, the odd levels and the awesome animations mixed with some great strategy style game play makes for a killer time waster. The game brings 27 single-player missions across 4 themed areas. Beyond the single-player aspect there is also a multiplayer aspect that will have you playing in Forts or in Deathmatches with your friends across multiple platforms. Worms 3 is usually listed at $4.99, but can be nabbed for $2.49 right now. Hit up Worms 3 on the Play Store.
Moving right along we have Zombies, Run! from Six to Start. The dev has placed both Zombies, Run! and Zombies, Run! 5K Training on special today. These are more so work out apps with gaming elements mixed in. They make you want to get out and beat feet to escape your brain from being eaten by blood thirsty zombies. If saving yourself isn’t enough, what about humanity? The apps pushes you to help save your base and re-fortify your position by running your heart out. It sounds like Ingress, but a little more scary. This isn’t one you will open and toss in your pocket while you are out for your morning run either. The fitness/game also has an immersive audio adventure tied in as well. You will want those earbuds in to hear those zombies coming and a bit more. Zombies, Run! is normally $3.99, but is on sale for $1.99 right now. The Zombies, Run! 5k Training edition is similar to the first title, but helps you train for a 5K run with an 8 week training course. This one is usually $1.99, but is on sale for $0.99.
Zombies, Run! on the Play Store
Zombies, Run! 5k Training on the Play Store
Next up we have a couple of Final Fantasy titles from Square Enix. The Final Fantasy series is one of the most epic RPG adventure series to be let loose on the world. Nearly every gamer that has ever played a game has played one, or more, of the Final Fantasy games. I was pretty excited when Square Enix was going to bring the titles to Android. I was let down by the price tag and so were many others. Today could be your lucky day though, while not a MEGA ULTRA $1 sales event, 50% off regular price tag doesn’t hurt and will let you get 2 games for the price of one. In the series Square has placed Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV on sale. Both are down from their usual $15.99 price tag to a more realistic $7.99 each.
Final Fantasy III on the Play Store
Final Fantasy IV on the Play Store
Next most notable set of apps on sale are a number of apps from Runtastic. Yes, that is both the name of the company and the name listed to all of their apps. All of their apps are geared towards exercising in one form or another. Runtastic has put together a summer sale on 5 of their Pro versions of their apps for your enjoyment. All 5 are 50% off their regular price tags. They include the original Runtastic Pro, Runtastic Mountain Bike Pro, Runtastic Push-up Pro, Runtastic Sit-Ups Pro and Runtastic Heart Rate Pro.
Those aren’t all the apps that are on sale right now though. You also have Blueprint 3D, Little Big Adventure, Guns’n’Glory WW2 Premium, Superfrog HD, Weather Pro, Weather Pro HD for Tablets, MeteoEarth, The Island: Castaway (Full), Clouds & Sheep Premium and Active Soccer.
There has to be something in there that gets you tapping the buy button. If not, then maybe an RPG from Kemco_Games. They have a number of games on sale for just $0.99.
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Download and install Google Play Store 4.9.13 aka Material Design update [APK]
It was just a matter of time when Google will release this update of the Google Play Store. We’ve seen it leak recently and the rollout started today. Google+ got the Material Design overhaul first and is now followed by the Play Store which reached version 4.9.13. Let’s see what’s new.
Please not that even though certain parts of the app did get the Material Design overhaul, this is definitely not the final update to that design element as most of it is still intact. Google will definitely tinker with the app’s design more in the near future. That been said… You’ll see the changes made if you visit the content pages, in other words visit a certain app, movie, book or music content. You’ll notice new animations and header along with the new badges. The design looks completely different compared to previous versions. They’ve also changed the content description which is not displayed in full screen, no additional clicking necessary. As we said, this part of the app looks completely different and we like it a lot.
If you’re not willing to wait for your turn and want to sideload the app right away, you can download it HERE.
Source: Kirill Grouchnikov (Google+)
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Final Fantasy III and IV now 50% off on Google Play
Two great classic JRPGs, Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV, are usually fairly expensive on the Google Play Store, but for a limited time you can get them for half off the normal price.
The games usually sell for $15.99 and are currently $7.99. This may still be slightly expensive for a game, but think about the quality you’re getting, especially since they’re remakes of the classic Nintendo games from Square Enix.
According to Google Play, Final Fantasy III was first released in 1990 and was the first title in the Final Fantasy series to become a million-seller. A full 3D remake was released in 2006. The story is about darkness falling over the land, robbing it of light, and four children being chosen by the crystals to set forth on a journey to save the world.
Final Fantasy IV, which was originally released in 1991, it was the fourth installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was the first game to introduce the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, “which has become synonymous with the series,” plus it introduced the Augment system, “which enabled the transfer of abilities from other characters and gave players an edge in battles.” The game follows dark knight Cecil who tries to prevent the sorcerer Golbez from seizing powerful crystals and destroying the world.
Either game is worth the price and a worthy addition to your Android game collection.
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iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite May Launch Separately Despite Integration Features
While iOS and Mac OS X have traditionally followed different release schedules, Apple’s recently announced Continuity features suggested it was possible for Apple’s two operating systems to debut at the same time. However, Apple is planning to stagger the releases of both iOS 8 and Mac OS X Yosemite, reports 9to5Mac, citing sources with knowledge of Apple’s plans.
iOS 8 is expected to launch in September alongside the iPhone 6 while OS X Yosemite will not launch until October. Apple used the same release schedule last year, launching iOS 7 alongside the iPhone 5s in September and OS X Mavericks one month later in October.
Continuity allows users to work seamlessly between iPhone, iPad and Mac, with the ability to start emails on one device and easily finish it on another, or using Macs and iPads to answer phone calls and “green bubble” text messages. Because iOS and OS X have never been designed to work better together than with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, many saw a dual release as a good opportunity for Apple to cross-promote both its iOS devices and Macs with a stand-out new feature like Continuity.
Apple is planning on using engineering and user interface design members from the iOS team to help complete OS X Yosemite in time for a fall release, with a public beta planned as early as later this month.
Apple Addresses iOS ‘Backdoor’ Concerns by Outlining Legitimate Uses for Targeted Services
Earlier this week, forensic expert Jonathan Zdziarski attracted attention for his disclosures of what appeared to be “backdoors” in iOS that could allow for covert data collection of users’ information from their devices. While Apple issued a statement denying that anything nefarious was involved, the company has now posted a new support document (via Cabel Sasser) offering a limited description of the three services highlighted in Zdziarski’s talk.
Each of these diagnostic capabilities requires the user to have unlocked their device and agreed to trust another computer. Any data transmitted between the iOS device and trusted computer is encrypted with keys not shared with Apple. For users who have enabled iTunes Wi-Fi Sync on a trusted computer, these services may also be accessed wirelessly by that computer.
The three processes include:
– com.apple.mobile.pcapd: Diagnostic packet capture to a trusted computer, used for diagnosing app issues and enterprise VPN connection problems.
– com.apple.mobile.file_relay: Used on internal devices and can be accessed (with user permission) by AppleCare for diagnostic purposes on the user’s device.
– com.apple.mobile.house_arrest: Used by iTunes for document transfer and by Xcode during app development and testing.
Security experts will undoubtedly have additional questions about just how these services work and whether there are better and more secure ways of accomplishing the tasks they handle. At the very least, however, today’s disclosure demonstrates a willingness by Apple to share information about the legitimate need for these services and should help quell unsupported speculation that Apple has worked with security agencies to implement these tools to allow for covert surveillance.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Google’s new, image-rich Play Store for Android is rolling out now
It looks like you won’t have to wait long at all to check out Google’s visually rich Play Store revamp — it’s rolling out now. The refresh doesn’t appear any different on the surface, but a quick dive shows very different product pages that are clearly inspired by the company’s multi-layered Material Design philosophy. Cover art plays a much larger role, and details like rating overviews and genres have been moved into easy-to-read icons. You might not like everything about the new storefront — there’s considerably more scrolling involved, for one thing. On the whole, though, it’s both prettier and easier to understand at a glance. The revamp should reach your device within days, but Android Police has an installer if you just can’t wait to see what’s new.
Our latest update is rolling out right now! We’re excited to share a sneak peek of what you’ll get in the coming days pic.twitter.com/k5BidxR4Vu
– Google Play (@GooglePlay) July 23, 2014
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Google
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Google Play (Twitter)
ASUS has the world’s fastest WiFi router… for now
Hey look, a new router from ASUS and, apparently, it is super, super fast. According to the Taiwanese company, its RT-AC87 is “the world’s first” with Wave 2 features, which bring better reliability, major speed boosts and overall performance improvements to the 802.11ac generation of WiFi routers — one that, by the way, has yet to break through to the mainstream. Thanks to this novel technology, ASUS’ RT-AC87 can beam out 5 GHz signals with up to 1.73 Gbps speeds, making it a great option for someone who has a lot of different 802.11ac-equipped devices under a single roof. People that, you know, love watching stuff on Netflix, like to livestream games to the internet or just have too many connected things happening all at once. The RT-AC87 will be available “shortly” for $270, though it’ll be limited to North America. For the time being, ASUS can enjoy having the speediest router in town, at least until D-Link, Netgear, Belkin and the rest of them show up to the party.
Filed under: Wireless, Networking, ASUS
Source: ASUS
AIVAnet 