Tuesday, 24 April 2018

Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Tuesday -- April 24, 2018

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
http://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
A Home Robot Could Be Amazon's Next Gamble
Fighting Fake News and Forging Real Diplomacy
With Custom Skills, Alexa Inches Closer to Being One of the Family
Facebook Rolls Out European-Style Privacy Protections
Nix This Innovative OS for Its Uninviting Complexity

Message From Our Sponsor
If you have an online store there are many trends to pay attention to:
where people shop, reasons for cart abandonment, actions taken to
qualify for free shipping, return preferences, and more. Check out
this Infographic about where the industry is, where it's headed,
and how to navigate the e-commerce landscape.
http://www.ectnews.com/adsys/link/?crid=10118/ecommerce_infographic

Today's Story Highlights

A Home Robot Could Be Amazon's Next Gamble

Amazon could bring a home robot to market as early as 2019. Codenamed
"Vesta," after the Roman goddess of home and family, the project is
several years old, but hiring for it recently has ramped up with an eye
toward placing prototypes in employees' homes this year. The robot could
be a mobile smart speaker. Some versions of the product apparently have
cameras and computer vision software.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85299.html

Fighting Fake News and Forging Real Diplomacy

Two new initiatives -- a concerted effort by Apple and a massive
educational effort called the "Pro-Truth Pledge" -- could help eliminate
much of the fake news BS that is really messing up the U.S. at the
moment. On another front, President Donald Trump's plan to meet with Kim
Jong-un reminds me of a pivotal meeting between former HP CEO Carly
Fiorina and then Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85294.html

With Custom Skills, Alexa Inches Closer to Being One of the Family

Amazon has introduced Alexa Skill Blueprints, adding personalization
capabilities to its smart speaker devices. The new tool provides pre-
crafted templates for users to create customized experiences, such as
skills for particular users. With Alexa Skill Blueprints, users can
build into their devices experiences that are personalized for
themselves, their friends and their families.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85295.html

Facebook Rolls Out European-Style Privacy Protections

Facebook has unveiled a comprehensive series of privacy enhancements
designed to extend protections required by the European Union's GDPR to
all of the social media company's users around the world. The updates,
which include major changes to the company's terms and data policies,
fulfill promises CEO Mark Zuckerberg made to House and Senate members in
Washington D.C., Facebook officials said.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85291.html

Nix This Innovative OS for Its Uninviting Complexity

NixOS is a modern and flexible GNU/Linux-based distribution that is both
archaic to install and maddening to set up. That combination makes NixOS
a reach too far for new users. That result may be an unintended
consequence for a Linux operating system that is built around a very
novel design approach. It is far more complex than other innovating
options.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85289.html

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E-Commerce Minute

E-Commerce Minute: Tuesday -- April 24, 2018

The E-Commerce Times -- E-Business Means Business
http://www.ecommercetimes.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
5 Ways to Build Community Around Your Brand
Honesty Proves Best Policy for Closing B2B Deals: Study
Federal Programs to Spur Private Sector IT Engagement

Message From Our Sponsor
If you have an online store there are many trends to pay attention to:
where people shop, reasons for cart abandonment, actions taken to
qualify for free shipping, return preferences, and more. Check out
this Infographic about where the industry is, where it's headed,
and how to navigate the e-commerce landscape.
http://www.ectnews.com/adsys/link/?crid=10118/ecommerce_infographic

Today's Story Highlights

5 Ways to Build Community Around Your Brand

Building a community around a brand is an important part of being
successful in e-commerce. "Community solidifies the relationship between
your brand and your customer," said e-commerce consultant Ian Rhodes.
"It creates loyalty. Whilst the majority of retail brands are seeking
people to buy from them, the community-minded brand invites people to
buy into their brand."
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85298.html

Honesty Proves Best Policy for Closing B2B Deals: Study

Vendors have a better shot at closing deals for large-scale B2B software
purchases when they are upfront and honest about the quality of their
products, a new study suggests. There is a bit of a trust gap between
what is promised in negotiations for these deals and what actually is
provided, indicates the poll of more than 650 technology vendors and
buyers.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85297.html

Federal Programs to Spur Private Sector IT Engagement

The U.S. government has launched two new programs designed to modernize
and upgrade IT performance at federal agencies. Each program will
involve significant participation of private sector providers as both
advisors and contractors for IT equipment and services. The first
program involves the creation of a federal Information Technology
Modernization Fund to facilitate IT investments.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85293.html

News Alerts From ECT News Network
Get the day's top business and technology news delivered
to your inbox as stories break. Sign up today -- it's free!
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How to Advertise in This Newsletter
To advertise in this newsletter or elsewhere on ECT News Network,
please call our sales department toll-free at (877) 328-5500, or view
our online media kit at
http://www.ectnews.com/advertising/

Subscribing and Unsubscribing
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here: Newsletter Management Wizard

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The Morning After: Amazon's household robot and animated 'Fast & Furious'

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Tuesday, April 24, 2018.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to Tuesday! We review the best Android phone you’ll probably never get to buy, the wonderful game mash-up of Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time and Google’s podcast app -- which was apparently there all along. Amazon is also looking to build a domestic robot we’ve been dreaming of. It won’t be the first.

We're upgrading Engadget's daily newsletter and want to hear from you.

Tell us exactly what you think by emailing us atthemorningafter(at)engadget.com.

The best phone you’ll never buy.

Huawei P20 Pro review

Huawei is dealing with its fair share of trouble in the US, but that doesn't mean it forgot how to make a great phone. Its potent blend of style, solid software and a great camera experience makes the P20 Pro one of the year's great Android phones.

Hyrule Castle is owned by Peach and patrolled by pink Bob-ombs.

'Super Mario 64: Ocarina of Time’ is the perfect Nintendo mashup

An unofficial and legally dubious project allows players to traverse Hyrule, the mystical kingdom found in the Zelda series, as Nintendo's portly plumber. It's a bizarre but perfectly playable mashup that’s been in development for five years. The modder behind it is now working on a slew of follow-up hacks inspired by PUBG and Fortnite, the romance simulator Doki Doki Literature Club and others.

They’re hopeful it will restore near-normal urinary and sexual functions.

Johns Hopkins performs the first total penis and scrotum transplant

Doctors at Johns Hopkins University have successfully transplanted an entire penis and scrotum to a young serviceman who sustained injuries in Afghanistan resulting in the loss of his genitals. Nine plastic surgeons and two urological specialists at Johns Hopkins University took 14 hours to successfully transplant a deceased donor's entire penis and scrotum (minus testicles), along with a partial abdominal wall.

'I need your clothes, your boots and to offer you a discount on HDMI cables...'

Amazon wants to build a home robot

According to Bloomberg reports, Amazon’s looking to build a home robot. Its hardware division, Lab126, is apparently working on some sort of domestic droid, codenamed Vesta. The project, it seems, has been a long time coming, but the company has now begun aggressively hiring roboticists -- and things are speeding up. The first tests of Vesta, in select employees' homes, should kick off at the end of this year.

Google’s podcast app was hiding in plain sight.

Did you know that Google Search on Android is a podcast player?

A series of reports from Pacific Content this week are digging into Google’s podcast strategy, but the first big surprise is something that’s already available: a podcast app. If you use Android, you can just search for podcasts to subscribe to and listen to them in a web app that syncs across devices like your phone or home speaker with Google Assistant. Google told us the feature is “not new” but we hadn’t heard about it, and we’re guessing most of you hadn’t either

Check it out at Tribeca or Cannes, if you’re in the area.

Michael Muller's ‘Into the Now’ VR film brings terrifying sea creatures up close

Photographer Michael Muller confronted his own deep fear of sharks by "learning to dive without protection and cage-free with great white sharks," ultimately documenting that journey in his new VR film series Into the Now.

Do not adjust your screen.

Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury EV brings its own tea service

The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury (yes, that's the name) is a four-wheel drive EV with an emphasis on passenger comfort, which comes with its own tea service. The pot, cups and wooden tray are in a center console, which retracts with a push of the button.

But wait, there's more...

1. Atlanta spends more than $2 million to recover from ransomware attack

2. Google Assistant's routines are an easy way to automate your home

3. What's on TV: 'Handmaid's Tale,' '3%,' 'Archer' and 'Taskmaster'

4. YouTube removed 8.3 million videos in the last quarter of 2017

5. Netflix gives 'Fast and Furious' the cartoon treatment it deserves

6. Why is a celebrity personal-finance guru suing Facebook? Because of cryptocurrency scams

7. Samsung is making six TV series just for VR

8. The best lightweight gaming laptops

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Monday, 23 April 2018

Editor's Pick: Honesty Proves Best Policy for Closing B2B Deals: Study

Honesty Proves Best Policy for Closing B2B Deals: Study

David Jones Apr 23, 2018 11:25 AM PT
	Vendors have a better shot at closing deals for large-scale B2B software purchases when they are upfront and honest about the quality of their products, a new study suggests. There is a bit of a trust gap between what is promised in negotiations for these deals and what actually is provided, indicates the poll of more than 650 technology vendors and buyers. [More...]

More Picks:

Fighting Fake News and Forging Real Diplomacy
Two new initiatives -- a concerted effort by Apple and a massive educational effort called the "Pro-Truth Pledge" -- could help eliminate much of the fake news BS that is really messing up the U.S. at the moment. On another front, President Donald Trump's plan to meet with Kim Jong-un reminds me of a pivotal meeting between former HP CEO Carly Fiorina and then Apple CEO Steve Jobs. [More...]

Hybrid Messaging Key to Upselling Success: Report
Companies that aim to upsell their existing customers should develop a hybrid message that reinforces their existing relationships while providing an incentive to break the status quo, suggests a new study. Corporate Visions previously has commissioned studies on how to shake prospective customers' status quo bias to persuade them to consider your products or services. [More...]

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