Mobile money
Paying bills and managing our finances on our smartphones or tablets is a convenience – until it leads to credit card fraud or theft. Credit card theft was estimated to reach $16 billion worldwide in 2014 and may double in the next five years, according to Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune (“5 Steps to Keep Your Mobile Money Safe.”). In spite of guarantees against loss from fraudulent use of credit cards, having to replace compromised cards and changing card numbers on automatic payments is a time-consuming hassle, she notes. Savage cites Alex Matjanec, cofounder of MyBankTracker.com, who recommends five steps to protecting one’s financial information:
- Use the financial institution’s mobile app. Rather than using a browser, such as Safari, to access a credit card or bank website, download the financial institution’s app. It offers extra security for transactions.
- Secure your smartphone or tablet. Keep your device password-protected. Fingerprint technology is recommended over numerical passwords. Thieves can easily access the browser history on an unprotected device.
- Never use public Wi-Fi to access an account. Anyone in the vicinity can gain access to all information, including the password. Instead, in public areas, turn off the Wi-Fi and use the secure cellular data connection to access accounts.
- Create a two-factor authentication. The user should look for instructions in his/her settings section of the app, or call the bank and have it make a requirement that a one-time password is needed to complete each transaction from the device. In addition, the user can set up notifications in his/her app so that a text is sent out whenever a transaction exceeds a certain amount.
- Never pre-populate your user name or password in an app. Nor should you let the app “remember” your password for your bank or credit card accounts.
Source: Chicago Tribune, January 25, 2016.
Robots, drones and voice chats, oh my!
As technology expands, our work becomes easier – at least, that’s assuming robots don’t take over our jobs. According to Chicago Tribune reporter Adam Bluestein, companies like 3D Robotics (Berkeley, Calif.) are reaching out to customers for aerial surveillance drones designed to fly autonomous missions over everything from farms to building sites and factory floors. Intellibot Robotics (Portland, Ore.) is reportedly the only U.S. manufacturer of robotic commercial floor cleaners – Roombas – which store maps and sensors to vacuum, sweep and scrub office, hotel and factory floors. Lowe’s subsidiary Orchard Supply Hardware is testing multilingual bots that greet and assist customers. The OSHbot lets shoppers browse its menu for items, or the bot can do it and lead shoppers to the right aisles. Companies such as Nuance and Pandorabots enable their clients to build A.I.-driven virtual agents, designed to conduct live text or voice chats with customers and point them to services, answer questions or run tutorials. The Grid.io uses an A.I. bot to create customized websites (updated with real-time analytics) for businesses. Even the Associated Press has been using robot-written updates produced by Automated Insights, a language-driven platform that converts raw data into a short story. What’s next?
Source: Chicago Tribune, January 25, 2016
More on robots
Mobile robots – robotic systems capable of moving and performing various tasks in several applications, such as defense, marine, manufacturing, agriculture and forestry, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, homes and others – are said to help businesses increase their return on investment and reduce costs by saving the time and costs associated in employing humans. Despite the total cost of ownership and safety, the market has been increasing at a significant rate and is expected to continue to do so. The global market for mobile robots is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.31 percent between 2015 and 2020, and the North American region is expected to continue to lead the market. The increasing demand for mobile robot applications in inspection and maintenance, telepresence, field robots, logistics apart from educational institutions, healthcare facilities and defense sectors is expected to drive this growth.
We all grow old
It sometimes can be difficult to fully understand the needs of healthcare consumers, including aging patients. Applied Minds, LLC has introduced the R70i Age Suit for Genworth Financial. When strapped on, the suit simulates vision and hearing loss, as well as reduced mobility from muscle deterioration and arthritis. An Oculus virtual-reality visor is fitted with cameras and a screen, and augmented-reality software distorts the user’s view, to simulate the effects of vision problems, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, floaters and more. Headphones provide the ringing of tinnitus and raised background noise, giving the user an idea of conversation challenges the elderly face. Sensors monitor eight joints in the arms, legs and hips, and then apply mechanical resistance to slow down the user. As ordinary tasks, like walking and lifting one’s arms, become increasingly difficult, the user may find his/her heart rate rises. But, the suit doesn’t simulate additional pain some elderly people experience from arthritis. Genworth, which sells long-term-care insurance, plans to tour the country with the suit as part of its “Aging Experience.” The company says it hopes to help caregivers gain a better understanding of their patients.
What time is it?
Time to perfect your golf game, naturally! Thanks to new Apple-friendly Pebble and Android watches, Game Golf will instantly capture golfers’ activity, enabling them to track their performance in real time. The soon-to-be-available watches are compatible with the Game Golf Live wearable device with Bluetooth technology. Golfers can see a full display of their information on their iOS or Android phones, or glance at their watches for a real-time snapshot of their data while playing. Watches also can be used in tandem with the Game Golf App. Feature include a rangefinder, enabling users to turn their wrists to the course to get accurate distances, as well as the ability to see their shots, manually add penalty shots, change holes and end their round.