July 2017

Net Neutrality:

Net Neutrality was last mentioned here all the way back in September 2014. While it seemed like the rules had been decided (CNET breaks down the rules passed in 2015 here), it is once again up for debate. Many companies, including Google, and Amazon, have come together today for a day of action (today!) in support of net neutrality. If this is still a new topic for you Corynne McSherry explains “why you should worry about losing net neutrality.”  

3D Printed Buildings:

3D printers have printed some cool things and now you can add buildings to that list. MIT has developed a robotic system that can print a building structure with expandable foam. Eventually they hope that this system will be autonomous and use additional types of materials so that it can be sent to build in places where traditional construction would be difficult (like Mars).

Facebook Live and VR:

Earlier this year Facebook released an app called Spaces which allows users with an Oculus Rift to hang out in Virtual Reality (VR).  Now they want everyone to join in on the fun and have released a feature on the app that allows users to live stream on Facebook.

Yik Yak is no more:

In case you missed it, Yik Yak, the app that allowed people to post anonymously based on their location, has shut down. You can read about it from TechCrunch.    

Snap Maps:

Snapchat, the app that allows users to take a photo that will remain on the screen for only a few seconds when sent to others, recently released a feature that allows users to share their location and view friends locations within the app. This feature is called Snap Maps also allows you to see snaps posted in different locations that people have added to "Our Story". If you'd rather not share you can also chose to hide your location by turning on ghost mode.  

April 2015

Microsoft Build 2015:

Microsoft held it’s Microsoft Build conference last month. During this event they showed the world their new operating system Microsoft 10 along with Microsoft Edge, which is set to replace Internet Explorer, and an improved Hololens (an augmented reality headset). It was also noted that it will soon be easier for iOS and Android app makers to bring their apps to the Windows phone as well. Read more about Microsoft’s announcements from The Verge.

3D Printed Airway Splint:

3D Printers are used for a ton of fun things, but here is yet another instance of 3D printed medical objects. Three babies have been saved with a 3D printed airway splint, and the coolest thing about this is that the splint will actually grow with them. You can read more about it from The Verge.

Periscope:

Periscope is a tool to provide live video of an event with their tagline being “explore the world in real time through someone else's eyes.”  While currently only available for iOS, there is work being done to also release the app on other platforms. It was used during the Therapy Dogs event during finals week and in the first ten days after the app’s launch over a million people signed in! You can read more about from Tech Crunch.

How Old do you look? - A Microsoft Product

In conjunction with its build event Microsoft released a product (how-old.net) that will guess your age and gender based on an uploaded photo. So far it has proven to be less than accurate, but some have done interesting things like have this tool determine the ages of Disney princes and Harry Potter characters. You can read more about it from Tech Crunch.