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Submission + - Mandela Effect discovered from the 1980's when the term didn't even exist (alternatememories.com)

phonewebcam writes: The Stopped Clock of Bologna: This happened when the main clock at Bologna station in Italy stopped after a bomb exploded there in 1980. It was repaired immediately, but 16 years later broke again. This time, rather than repair it, as an act of remembrance it was decided to leave it set to the time the bomb exploded, which was 10.25am. It's still stuck at that time today. Photos of the clock showing this time were shown alongside reports of the bombing throughout the years, which may have contributed to the ME. In any case, many people still think the clock was stopped during the 16 years after the bombing. What's weird is that some of these were staff actually working at the station, and many were travelers who would have seen and relied on it daily too.
The phenomenon was documented in a research study at the time by a team of Italian psychologists, who of course had no term for the Mandela Effect back then.

Submission + - Have you read Orwells "1984" recently? (alternatememories.com)

phonewebcam writes: The Mandela Effect is the current internet flavor-of-the-month where it's exponents claim facts have been changed but their memories of them haven't. This sounds awfully like Orwells classic dystopian novel 1984, written in 1949, and a parallel has been drawn between them. However, things get even more uncomfortable when you get down and compare the ideas in the novel with life today. Only the names are different.

"Telescreens" = Smartphones, Smart TV's, Tablets, Laptops, PC's;
"Ministry of Truth" = Google, the internet, political spin, social media fake news;
Thought Crime = Political correctness at the expense of truth;
Newspeak = Simplified version of the English language — Twitter, lol, rofl, omg, btw & emoticons
and for crying out loud it even predicted Transgender/Extreme feminism with the Anti-Sex League.

Submission + - Is Android set to dominate the IoT? (medium.com)

phonewebcam writes: Google quietly just launched Android Things, their Nougat-based OS for the Raspberry Pi, the Intel Edison and the NXP Pico SBCs. With Android now on 9 out of every 10 smartphones globally, is IoT domination the next play for Google?

Carl Whalley, CEO OTAMate, speculates on what this could mean for the future of IoT software and hardware:

The IoT OS landscape today looks very fragmented. There is clearly no market leader and despite all the hype and buzz we hear, it's still incredibly early days. Can Google do to the IoT with Android Things what it did to mobile, where it's dominance is now very close to 90%? I believe so, and if that is to happen, this launch of Android Things is exactly how they would go about it.

Of course a java based OS which can kill processes at any time can never be used for mission critical systems, but for consumer IoT stuff — like anything in your house with a plug — the path to adding a touchscreen and an internet connection just became a heck of a lot clearer. How long before some equivalent to the $5 Raspberry Pi zero can run Android?

Submission + - Is Android set to dominate the IoT? (medium.com)

phonewebcam writes: Google quietly just launched Android Things, their Nougat-based OS for the Raspberry Pi, the Intel Edison and the NXP Pico SBCs. With Android now on 9 out of every 10 smartphones globally, is the IoT the next move for Google?

Carl Whalley, CEO OTAMate, speculates on what this could mean for the future of IoT software and hardware:

The IoT OS landscape today looks very fragmented. There is clearly no market leader and despite all the marketing buzz we hear, it's still incredibly early days. Can Google do to the IoT with Android Things what it did to mobile, where it's dominance is now very close to 90%? I believe so, and if that is to happen, this launch of Android Things is exactly how they would go about it.

Of course a java based OS which can kill processes at any time can never be used for mission critical systems, but for consumer IoT stuff — like anything in your house with a plug — the path to adding a touchscreen and an internet connection just became a heck of a lot clearer. How long before some equivalent to the $5 Raspberry Pi zero can run Android?

Submission + - "Selfie elbow" is now a real medical condition (phonemedical.com)

phonewebcam writes: Doctors are recognizing the symptoms as being similar to RSI or carpal tunnel syndrome, and guess what? More Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat users, i.e. teenagers, are suffering from this than any other age group. From the article:

'When NBC journalist Hoda Kotb visited an orthopaedist complaining of a sore arm, she was asked if she played tennis or ping pong. After telling him no, he dug a little further. Going through her daily routine, he identified the problem as being her habit of taking up to 40 selfies at a time. The repetitive movement, combined with the strain caused by the angle of the raised arm, had led to what is now being recognized as "selfie elbow".'

Submission + - Fansmitter: Malware can hack air-gapped PCs using a smartphone (smartphonevirus.com)

phonewebcam writes: An ingenious hack has surfaced in a paper which shows a way to steal data from a PC/laptop using listening software on a smartphone, and malware controlling the fans on the target system.

From the article: "This convoluted setup wouldn't be of much interest if it wasn't for one particular trick it can pull off which almost none of the other malware attacks can — it targets air-gapped systems. Air-gapped is the term given to PC/laptops which are not connected to a network at all. Without a network connection, users assume remote hacks can't happen for obvious reasons."

Submission + - Comcast Customer Service Rep Just Won't Take No For An Answer

RevWaldo writes: The Verge and other sources post how AOL's Ryan Block ultimately succeeded in cancelling his Comcast account over the phone, but not before the customer service representative pressed him for eight solid minutes (audio) to explain his reasoning for leaving "the number one provider of TV and internet service in the country" in a manner that would cause a character in Glengarry Glen Ross to blanch. Comcast has as of now issued an apology.

Submission + - Google's Project Zero Aims to Make the Internet A Safer Place for All (ibtimes.co.uk)

DavidGilbert99 writes: Google has announced Project Zero, a group of security experts who will hunt down security flaws in all software which touches the internet. Among the group is a 24-year-old called George Hotz who shot to fame in 2007 when he was the first to unlock the iPhone before reverse engineering the PlayStation 3.

Submission + - Microsoft Smartwatch Will Tell You When to Put on Sunscreen

rofkool writes: Microsoft is to launch a smartwatch featuring a wide-range of biometric features, including blood-glucose monitors and UV sensors.

Details of the device were revealed by IBTimes UK, citing sources close to the matter. Previous rumours about the smartwatch being cross-platform compatible were also confirmed.

The new sensors will mean that the Microsoft smartwatch, expected to launch later this year, will be able to warn users when ultraviolet levels are high and there is a risk of skin damage.

The blood-glucose monitor will be of particular benefit to sufferers of diabetes, who currently rely on intrusive and unwieldy equipment to keep a check on their sugar levels.

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