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Communication and Technology news
Google has two cool, new Android apps to help people with hearing loss
2019-02-05

Live Transcribe and Sound Amplifier could make it easier for people with hearing loss to navigate the world. Google has heard the needs of people with hearing impairment and has two new apps that may make it easier to help them navigate the world more easily.Read Full Story

Facebook bans four armed groups in Myanmar in attempt to thwart violence
2019-02-05

But many Facebook critics say the company is just employing “whack-a-mole” tactics–tackling problems only after they’ve become problems instead of being proactive. The social media giant has announced that it has banned four Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) that exist in Myanmar,...

Why doesn’t Google make Gmail more like Inbox?
2019-02-05

Often in cheesy rom-coms they say “All good things must come to an end.” Except it doesn’t in movies. But, if it’s a Google product, there’s a high chance that it might come to an end (RIP Google Reader).   Next month, the company’s much-loved email app, Inbox – which was introduced in 2014 as a more...

Coda, which wants to turn docs into apps, is now generally available
2019-02-05

After almost five years, a company with ambitious plans to change how companies automate their processes is finally launching version 1.0. Last October, I wrote about Coda, a startup dedicated to a goal that few companies have ever achieved: establishing a new category of productivity software. Its service looks a bit...

India gears up for crewed space missions with its new Human Space Flight Center
2019-02-05

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said last Thursday that it has launched a Human Space Flight Centre in the south Indian city of Bangalore, in line with plans for its first crewed mission in 2021. 🇮🇳 #ISROMissions 🇮🇳 Human Space Flight Centre is operational now after its inauguration by Dr K...

Facebook turned 15 on Monday. Here’s its story thus far
2019-02-05

Fast Company coverage highlights: the early days, the years of unbridled success, and the current drama. When Mark Zuckerberg launched a site he called TheFacebook.com from his Harvard dorm on the afternoon of February 4, 2004, it was clear more or less immediately that he had devised something that was compelling and...

Google has quietly dropped ban on personally identifiable web tracking
2019-02-05

When Google bought the advertising network DoubleClick in 2007, Google founder Sergey Brin said that privacy would be the company’s “number one priority when we contemplate new kinds of advertising products.” And, for nearly a decade, Google did in fact keep DoubleClick’s massive database of web-browsing...

A look at Facebook.com’s homepage over the last 15 years
2019-02-04

Facebook — the equivalent of cigarettes for your mental health — turned 15 today. We were going to sing “Happy Birthday,” but couldn’t afford the rights to the song because we’re paying off our kids’ debts. Instead, let’s take another trip in the Wayback Machine to see how things have changed at...

Hollywood power publicists start a new firm for the post-MeToo, Twitter trial era
2019-02-04

The new Foresight Solutions Group marries public-relations savvy with cyberintelligence. Hollywood has faced a lot of upheaval in the last 18 months, as revelations of sexual abuse and workplace harassment continue to ripple through the industry, and media and entertainment companies face difficult decisions about...

Nickel & Dimed author wrote and deleted a racist tweet, then posted a weird followup
2019-02-04

Barbara Ehrenreich has unfortunately been milkshake ducked. Repeat after me: All your faves are problematic. Now, repeat after me again: Never tweet. Those are the two sentiments I’m feeling today after I saw a screenshotted (screenshat?) errant thought that author and journalist Barbara Ehrenreich deemed good...

Twitter roasts Don Jr.’s spelling of SNL—er, sorry, S&L
2019-01-31

Further proof that the First Family has no clue about anything, including how to abbreviate a 44-year-old iconic television show. The president may not like SNL, but at least he’s probably seen it. The same cannot be said for his son.Read Full Story

Hear from the inventor of the hashtag and many more at TNW2019
2019-01-31

With less than 100 days to go, TNW2019 is really ramping up. We already have over 50 confirmed speakers from companies like Bynder, Google, and eToro, all coming to discuss the future of technology on May 9 and 10 in Amsterdam. We also recently announced the 11 tracks we’ll be exploring – whether it’s marketing...

Review: Cambridge Audio’s Yoyo (L) is a hi-fi Sonos alternative with Google Cast
2019-01-31

The most popular wireless speakers tend to be part of a walled garden. Sonos, Google, and Apple’s speakers force you into their own wireless protocols, with few or no inputs for wired sources. Though they all sound great in their own way, they might not be the best choice for audio enthusiasts looking for...

How Jada Pinkett Smith’s “Red Table Talk” went from hobby to full-on movement
2019-01-31

Red Table Talk on Facebook Watch has created a safe forum for women to discuss deep and personal issues–and it’s about to go global. When Jada Pinkett Smith launched her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk last May, she considered it more of a hobby than anything else. She was already having...

Apple should borrow these 4 privacy features from the competition
2019-01-31

Overall, Apple leads in privacy and security offerings. But here are four smart ideas it should copy from other companies. Apple is a leader in the tech industry when it comes to protecting user privacy and security. Compared to Google and Facebook, and even Microsoft and Amazon, Apple collects way less data about its...

Weiden+Kennedy just keeps doing it
2019-01-31

The largest remaining independent agency strives to make advertising that transcends branding and drives the pop-culture conversation. On September 3, 2018, at 2:20 p.m., an image appeared on Instagram: a tightly cropped black-and-white close-up of a face, eyebrows, and chin bordering a resolute gaze, and the message...

What Solange taught Roy Wood Jr. about performing standup comedy
2019-01-30

The Daily Show correspondent is a comedy veteran, but he readily admits he’s still perfecting his craft–with a little help from Solange. Listen to the latest episode of Fast Company’s podcast Creative Conversation featuring comedian Roy Wood Jr. on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic,...

It’s not just WhatsApp – India’s fake news problem plagues several popular social networks
2019-01-29

You can’t discuss the ‘fake news’ phenomenon in India without bringing up WhatsApp. The Facebook-owned messaging service has been constantly under fire after several people were lynched across the country over a misleading video that did the rounds for a year. The platform had to set up a team for India and run...

Apple temporarily disables group FaceTime to fix a bug that lets you eavesdrop on your contacts
2019-01-29

There was chaos on the internet late last night after 9to5Mac discovered a bug in Apple’s FaceTime video calling app that let you hear other person’s voice even before they answered your call. According to the report, a user running iOS 12.1 could potentially exploit the vulnerability to eavesdrop on others...

See a chair co-designed by AI
2019-01-28

What does the design process look like when AI is actively involved? Designers collaborate with artificial intelligence every day. But generally they do through programs like Adobe Photoshop, which has nifty tools that automate some of the tedious aspects of design.Read Full Story

Now’s the perfect time for Apple to bring Messages to Android
2019-01-28

Last week’s bombshell about Facebook’s messaging merger has users looking for other options–and Apple should take full advantage of it. On Friday the New York Times reported a bombshell of a story: By the end of this year or early 2020, Facebook will unify the messaging platform between its three...

Open standards can disrupt Facebook’s messaging monopoly
2019-01-28

Facebook made the news last week when The New York Times’ Mike Isaac reported that CEO Mark Zuckerberg intended to integrate the company’s three messaging platforms: WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. We don’t have all the details of exactly how this will work. The plan is still in its early stages, and there...

Automate and grow your Instagram account with Postable for just $39
2019-01-28

Growing an Instagram following can take as much time and effort as keeping a business rolling. Thankfully, services like Postable ($39, 88 percent off from TNW Deals) can help you automate and grow your Instagram account without becoming a massive time-killer.

Google algorithms and human psychology: How Jigsaw rescues teens from ISIS recruiters
2019-01-28

The Redirect Method is a program from Alphabet’s Jigsaw that aims to stop kids from becoming radicalized terrorists.  Yasmin Green is talking about the considerable social media following of a 14-year-old Kurdish girl. Green, the director of research and development for Jigsaw, which, along with Google, is...

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