Here are our summaries of noteworthy news events of the week. If you are a technology enthusiast, you might be curious about the new Google Glass App that can read your emotions and Apple’s newly launched CarPlay, a new feature that integrates the use of iPhones in automobiles. Read all about it and more here!
- Apple Launches CarPlay, Bringing iOS 7 to Your Car
Apple announced that select car manufacturers will soon begin offering CarPlay, the tech giant’s attempt to fully integrate the iPhone’s technology and its Siri voice-activation system into the dashboard of users’ automobiles. While many new cars and aftermarket stereos include Bluetooth capability that can connect to drivers’ smartphones and pipe calls, music or map directions through the car speakers, CarPlay is a more integrated experience that more closely resembles Apple’s iOS mobile operating systems and makes access to Siri automatic in a similar fashion to how users cue the female voice on their iPhones. (San Jose Mercury News)
- Disney Interactive Lays Off 700 Workers
Disney is laying off 700 people from the interactive unit that makes video games and operates websites, about a quarter of the workforce in the division. The move narrows the company’s focus on mobile and social games that use key Disney characters. Some games that Disney acquired when it bought social game maker Playdom in 2010 for $563 million, such as Sorority Life, will be discontinued. (Associated Press)
- WeChat Enables Digital Shopping
WeChat, the popular messaging app made by Tencent, is pushing even further into mobile commerce territory. This week, Tencent has added technology support for any brands to allow customers to purchase items or services inside the app. It works for both in-store payments (where retailers will likely scan a QR code generated by your order inside WeChat) or for purely online purchases that’ll be delivered to you later. WeChat users in China can now find this option inside some brands’ official accounts. (Tech in Asia)
- Boeing Develops Self-Destruct Phone
A new smartphone from Boeing has been designed to protect your data and comes with the ability to self-destruct if tampered with. Over the course of the last 36 months Boeing has been developing what it calls Black, a super secure smartphone. Running on an Android platform, the tamper-resistant phone has the ability to access multiple cell networks and will operate on the WCDMA, GSM and LTE frequency bands. The Black is slightly larger than the Apple’s iPhone and is nearly twice as thick. (Engineering.com)
- New Google Glass App Detects Your Emotions
A new app for Google’s wearable computing gadget, Glass, reportedly tells how others are feeling. Emotinent has developed the ‘Sentiment Analysis’ prototype app, which aims to tell Google Glass wearers what other people are feeling based on their facial expressions. The company’s CEO Ken Denman said it was a breakthrough technology that allows companies to aggregate customer sentiment by processing facial expressions anonymously, which would be particularly applicable in retail. The hi-tech wearable computing gadget is soon to have a public debut this year at a price estimated at $1500. (DNA India)
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