David Lidsky's Blog, page 2816
January 6, 2016
A Class-Action Suit Claims Fitbit Devices Inaccurately Measure Heart Rate
Fitbit's wristbands don't give accurate heart rate readings during intense exercise, dissatisfied customers allege.
A group of Fitbit customers filed a class-action suit against the company Tuesday, alleging the Fitbit Charge HR and Surge fitness-tracking wristbands don't accurately measure heart rates during exercise.
Could This One-Passenger Autonomous Drone Change Transportation Forever?
No one's seen it fly yet, but EHang's 184 drone is said to be able to carry a single passenger up to 10 miles. No piloting is required.
Who needs an Uber when you could have a drone fly you to your next meeting?
Call It The Theranos Effect: Health-Tech Startups Now Face A "Burden Of Proof"
In the wake of the headlines about the accuracy of the blood-testing startup's technology, other companies will likely face new scrutiny.
The success of Theranos, the blood-testing startup recently valued at $10 billion, has inspired many other health-care startups in recent years. Now, in the wake of reports that question the accuracy and effectiveness of its technology, the company is serving as a cautionary tale of what happens when Silicon Valley's disruptive ethos clashes with regulated sectors of the economy. And it is likely to make investors more cautious and increase the scrutiny of regulators into other startups in the consumer health-technology industry, say experts who told Fast Company that it will now be more challenging than ever for other health-technology companies to challenge the status quo.
The Oculus Rift Is Here, And You Can Preorder It For $599
Starting March 28, the Oculus Rift will ship to virtual reality fanatics who are willing to spend a pretty penny on the headset.
The Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset that has finally come to fruition more than three years after debuting on Kickstarter, will cost prospective consumers $599 and begins shipping March 28. As announced earlier this week, the Facebook-owned virtual reality company started accepting pre-orders for the Rift this morning.
21st Century Fox to Take Stake in Augmented Reality Startup Osterhout
21st Century Fox said it will take a minority stake and form a strategic partnership with the startup.
Media giant 21st Century Fox will take a minority stake in San Francisco augmented reality startup Osterhout Design Group, the companies announced Wednesday.
Report: Cabbies Are Getting Nicer--And We Have Uber To Thank
A study indicates that Uber's dominance has spurred taxi drivers to be more accommodating, evidenced by a decline in customer complaints.
If you think New York cabbies have gotten friendlier over the past few years, you're not imagining it: Research from the Technology Policy Institute, presented this week at the American Economic Association's annual meeting, supports the theory that taxi drivers are becoming nicer—and attributes it to the rise of the ride-hailing startup Uber.
January 5, 2016
Samsung's New Refrigerator Wants To Do Away With Your Trips To The Grocery Store
Samsung's Family Hub Refrigerator has a 21.5-inch touch screen and reminds its owners to order groceries.
At the consumer tech industry's yearly shindig in Las Vegas, the Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung rolled out a bunch of new gear, but the most interesting new device announced was a smart refrigerator that lets users shop for groceries from the kitchen.
President Obama Wants To Create A "Find My iPhone" For Stolen Guns
A great idea in theory, but challenging in practice.
We routinely use apps to retrieve a lost iPad. Why not apply that same technology to help law enforcement locate stolen guns?
Some Health Providers Can Now Report People "Mentally Unfit" To Buy A Gun
Previously, there was some confusion on the issue.
The Obama administration made it abundantly clear on Tuesday that those with serious mental illness should be reported to the FBI's database for background checks and prohibited from buying a gun.
10,000 Characters?!? How Twitter Users Reacted To The Latest Rumor
Twitter is reportedly considering an enormous expansion of its character limit. Users expressed their dismay, 140 characters at a time.
Twitter is tinkering with its most iconic feature. The 140-character limit that's practically synonymous with the service is getting retooled, according to a report in Re/Code. But rather than boosting the per-tweet limit to 200 or even 500 characters, Twitter is reportedly going all out and extending the limit to 10,000.
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