Your hub for Blerd news, mobilized by AT&T.
There is a lack of cohesion between what is learned at schools and what is required at a job. Africa needs to take the harsh lessons of the East and West and create holistic ecosystems to administer resources for own populace.
Source: TEDx Talks
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk just announced that his company will be joining the great battery race that could eventually allow all homeowners to stop relying on public power lines.
On Thursday, Musk unveiled what he has deemed the “missing piece” in the revolution to create more battery-powered homes.
The new Tesla products are massive batteries that reportedly have enough power to support homes, businesses and even entire communities with the help of solar panels.
If the products are successful, it could truly mark an innovative leap forward in this particular realm of technology.
“Tesla batteries promise the ability to tap the sun’s energy, day or night,” the San Francisco Chronicle’s David R. Baker reports. “They could upend the way we produce and use electricity.”
It would ultimately mean fewer people would have to rely on utility companies, and the idea of widespread blackouts could finally become nothing more than a nightmare of the past.
“You don’t have to worry about being out of power if there’s an ice storm — you can actually go, if you want, completely off the grid,” Musk said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “People in a remote village or an island somewhere can take solar panels and the Powerwall and not have to worry about electricity lines.”
That’s the convenience of the new products, but Musk also pointed out the necessity of the batteries as well.
Widespread implementation of the products could drastically reduce the world’s carbon footprint and cut down on the use of fossil fuels.
“It’s the only path I know that can do this,” Musk told the crowd that gathered at his design studio in California. “It’s something we must do, and we can do, and we will do.”
At the gathering he focused on two different models of the battery — one that would be geared toward homes and another that would help bring power to companies.
The home battery, called the Powerwall, is currently priced at roughly $3,000 for the smallest model. Pricing for the business products wasn’t released.
It marks a huge milestone and an innovative move for the company that has been testing such products for years, but other giants have already taken up territory in the space.
Companies including Sungevity and SunEdison have similar product offerings, but it will be interesting to see how Tesla’s presence shakes up this relatively new market.
With electric cars and solar-powered homes on the rise, Enphase CEO Paul Nahi isn’t surprised to see the demand for such powerful batteries grow.
“There’s been tremendous pent-up demand for this,” Nahi said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “People understand the value.”
While the product has received a growth in demand, it isn’t an industry that’s easy to navigate with companies like A123 already being met with failure after taking its stab at the revolutionary batteries.
Only time will tell if Tesla is able to avoid making the same mistakes former high-profile failures in this market have made.
A London-based company has launched a prototype “robo-chef” for the home.
Moley Robotics demonstrated its concept at this year’s Hannover Messe – the big trade fair for industrial technology held annually in Germany.
The cooking machine learns by capturing the movements of a human in the action of preparing a meal.
These movements are then turned into commands that drive a sophisticated pair of robot hands, which were developed by Shadow Robotics.
Shadow’s Managing Director Rich Walker told Jonathan Amos how his company developed the hands.
Source by: BBC News
Robots Taking Our Jobs
We see it every day in the grocery store. The convenient self-checkout lanes might make our trips to the store easier, but these machines take away jobs that people may want and need. Since the creation of the modern assembly line by Ransom Olds in 1901 and later perfected by Henry Ford in 1913, manufacturing large machines has become easier. Today, there are manufacturing robots that have replaced human hands. In the 1950s and ’60s, many people relied on these jobs and many lived comfortably from them. Now those jobs are scarce, and cities like Detroit are feeling the effects.
There’s a new drone in town. It automatically controls your GoPro and has an amazing autopilot.
Source: The Verge
It’s the Apple Watch teardown! The real one this time. We’ve been waiting eight long months since it was announced to get our hands on one and now we’ve got it. Our teardown team once again traveled beyond the international dateline, to join our friends at MacFixit in Melbourne Australia, to be one of the first people on earth to get an Apple Watch. We’re not counting all those celebrities.
Source: iFixit Video
As Facebook continues to roll out new features and make slight adjustments to its social media behemoth, it’s clearly placing a higher priority on in-house services. While this is allowing Facebook to gain more independence, it’s also forcing it to sever ties with some of the tech giants that helped it become the unstoppable force it seems to be today.
Facebook users probably didn’t notice any major changes when they logged on to chat with their friends or scroll through cat photos, but the site had just ended its relationship with Microsoft’s Skype service.
It’s been roughly four years since Microsoft and Facebook announced that they would be partnering on bringing video calling to Facebook Messenger.
Throughout the time there never seemed to be any real signs that the relationship wasn’t going well and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg insisted that he and then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer were “really aligned on this.”
Things have changed since then, and it all centers around a key question in the world of business — why pay someone else to do what you can do yourself?
Facebook unveiled video calling in Facebook Messenger via its iPhone and Android apps, a sign that Facebook will stick with in-house development for its new technology rather than relying on third parties like Microsoft.
That was all but confirmed after Facebook discreetly stopped using Skype technology for their video call service on desktops, according to Business Insider.
“This change was made because Skype-powered video calls required users to install a browser plug-in, while the technology Facebook whipped up works without one — important for call performance, video quality and letting Facebook more quickly make changes and upgrades to video chat,” Business Insider reported.
While Microsoft and Facebook have typically always had a positive relationship, this actually isn’t the first time Facebook severed ties with Microsoft.
Back in December, Facebook decided to stop relying on Microsoft’s Bing for Web search results on the platform.
It essentially seems like a tale of the baby bird outgrowing the need to remain in the mother’s nest. Microsoft invested $240 million into Facebook back in 2007 before it was the giant it is today.
Now Facebook has no need to rely on Microsoft for funding or services.
While the change doesn’t mean much for Facebook users, it was far from unnoticed for Skype users.
A plethora of features on Skype that incorporated integration with Facebook will no longer be available such as being able to message Facebook friends within the Skype app.
When Jay Z announced the March launch of his new music-streaming service Tidal, there was only one thing more evident than just how far-reaching the hip-hop mogul’s network is — everyone was waiting for Tidal to fail.
Before Tidal officially hit the market, bloggers and reporters were busy detailing what they believed would be an epic failure.
Industry professionals insisted that Jay Z’s latest endeavor would do nothing more than expose the “limit of his celebrity,” and reviews scoffed at the idea of paying for a music-streaming service when so many free options are already out on the market.
So when Tidal quickly dropped out of the top 700 downloads on the iTunes App store, the reactions varied from “I told you so” to accusations that Jay Z and Beyonce’s every move for the next year or so would be desperate attempts to save a so-called sinking ship.
Jay Z, and the Blerds team, believe that critics have the situation all wrong.
“Tidal is doing just fine,” he tweeted in response to all the backlash. “We have over 770,000 subs. We have been in business less than one month. #TidalFacts.”
As we previously reported, it seemed unusually early for Tidal to be considered a failure simply because it wasn’t keeping up with streaming services like Spotify and Pandora that have years of experience under their belt.
“The iTunes Store wasn’t built in a day,” Jay Z continued on Twitter. “It took Spotify 9 years to be successful…We are here for the long haul. Please give us a chance to grow & get better. #TidalFacts.”
He even accused other companies of signing huge checks just to put out smear campaigns against the new service.
“There are many big companies that are spending millions on a smear campaign,” he added. “We are not anti-anyone, we are pro-artist & fan. #TidalFacts.”
In addition to asking people for more time before judging the new app, he also reminded everyone that when it comes to comparing the service, Spotify and Pandora still aren’t the best matches.
The service isn’t just about streaming music for a quick workout or a long road trip. It’s about giving fans access to exclusive content that builds on their relationship with the artists they love and adore.
“We made Tidal for fans,” he added. “We have more than just music. We have video, exclusive concerts, tickets for events early, live sports….Tidal is where artists can give their fans more without the middlemen. #TidalFacts.”
He continued to explain the difference between Tidal and other streaming services and emphasizing the principle at the very core of the app.
Tidal’s mission is to keep the integrity of the music and stop slashing the amount of revenue artists can make through streaming as it continues its steady incline to become the most popular method used for listening to music.
“Our actions will speak louder than words,” another tweet read. “We made Tidal to bring people the best experiences and to help artists give that to their fans over and over again. We are human (even Daft Punk ha). We aren’t perfect—but we are determined. #TidalFacts.”
Tidal is certainly going to have a tough road ahead as it is bringing a relatively new concept to the marketplace with a streaming service that actually does a lot more than just play music.
When it comes down to it, however, the service is not necessarily competing for numbers.
The number of people who just want to listen to certain music easily outnumbers the number of people who not only want to listen to an artist but also want to see their behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive interviews and more.
As Jay Z said, Tidal is a service specifically for the dedicated fans.
Tidal very well could turn out to be a tremendous failure for the hip-hop mogul, but it only seems right that the service is at least given a chance to grow and evolve before it’s bashed as a “flop” after only a few weeks of being in existence.
For so many graphic novels, their run in the world of print is great, but the true success takes off once the story is adapted for television. It’s because in today’s digitally oversaturated world, fewer people are talking about imagination when they say they want their novels to jump off the page.
They literally want someone to get the story’s content and convert it to a form that brings action-packed scenes to life.
Well, former IBM employee and graphic novel lover Erica Austin has launched a solution that could lay the blueprint for the future of graphic novel reading.
Many readers still enjoy the feeling of scanning from panel to panel to keep up with their favorite characters but also wouldn’t mind seeing the content of the pages take on a life of their own from time to time.
That’s where Austin’s new app comes in.
“Against the Grain” allows for a more interactive graphic novel experience that integrates e-book versions of Austin’s self-created novels with short videos that highlight some of the novel’s more action-packed scenes.
So after reading through a few pages of content, the reader may stumble upon a video that gives an animated portrayal of an encounter with a villain or a perilous adventure.
“Against the Grain,” which is also the name of the novel series, is certainly a very early approach to such a concept and one would be lying if he or she said the animations couldn’t use a little bit of work.
Overall, however, the videos along with the digital panels that take readers through a more traditional reading experience are executed very well.
“Boasting a clean, crisp interface, bursting with amazing artwork and incredible two-dimensional and three-dimensional animations, Austin’s comics transcend the standard read,” a press release explains. “The app also allows users to preview new issues before purchasing and watch animated trailers so they know exactly what they are going to get.”
The app currently boasts two issues of Austin’s novel, which brings the content to about 200 illustrated pages and about six different animations.
The new app is certainly worth checking out, but perhaps the real test of its excellence will be explored if other graphic novel creators try to mimic her more interactive approach.
Jay Z and his star-studded team of Tidal co-owners took over the Web as they announced the release of the premium music service back in March, but it seems like all the Internet hype isn’t converting to actual sales.
Now that Tidal has already dropped out of the top 700 for all iTunes downloads, there are two questions around the app that deserve some serious pondering: Is co-owner Kanye West backing away from the app now that he sees it won’t be an instant hit and what does Tidal’s early “flop” say about the very same people who constantly bash artists who are dedicating much of their time to corporate deals and sponsorships rather than more new music?
The headlines have swept the Web, and now everybody knows what many had guessed all along — getting consumers to hand over roughly $10 a month for a streaming service when free options are available is no easy task. It’s not an easy sale and it won’t be an instant success even if Rihanna, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, DeadMau5 and J.Cole are among the stars backing the project.
That fact, in all honesty, is not a surprise.
What is a little more surprising, however, is that Jay Z’s close pal West seems to be backing out of the project now that it turns out it won’t have such an easy rise to greatness (if it has one at all).
Prior to the launch, the “New Slaves” rapper was busy advocating for the app on social media.
He posted pictures of the press conference on his Twitter and encouraged his followers to turn their profile pictures blue in support of Tidal.
Shortly after the app dropped from the No. 4 spot on the iOS music app chart to a disappointing 51, West has now deleted his Tidal-promoting tweets.
He has yet to explain why he deleted the posts on social media but there’s also a good chance that he never will.
But perhaps the bigger issue at hand has nothing to do with West at all.
Is Tidal’s flop a sign of hypocrisy among the vast collection of music lovers who long protested how little artists got paid and slammed the deteriorating value being placed on music in today’s digital age?
Only a few weeks after fans and major publications sounded off about Kendrick Lamar starring in a Reebok commercial, insisting he was now a “sell-out,” they have revealed exactly why artists will never be able to turn a blind eye to corporate checks and superficial sponsorships.
Companies like Reebok are willing to pay the bill. Consumers are not.
Album sales are plummeting across all genres and while streaming is picking up steam, only the free services are the ones that are flourishing.
Tidal’s premium price comes with a promise that artists will no longer be given fractions of a dollar for all their music that is streamed by consumers who didn’t want to go out and buy a CD or download the album from a reputable online source that actually counts toward the artists’ profits.
It also boasts better sound quality, another feature that consumers just don’t seem to be too concerned about.
There seems to be a misconstrued idea that there can be a music industry where artists are not wrapped up in commercial and corporate ties while consumers are still able to binge on their music for absolutely no cost at all.
Because, like, music should totally be free for everybody, dude.
Consumers have every right to spend their money how they’d like. If paying $10 a month for a streaming service isn’t worth it, that’s perfectly understandable.
Where consumers should draw the line, however, is slamming an artist as disingenuous when he or she seeks other sources of revenue such as sponsorships and commercial endorsements after so-called music lovers made it clear that they don’t want their listening pleasures to come with a price tag.
Tidal’s flop represents the market’s desire, or lack thereof, for artists to get a fairer share for their music.
If that’s the case, Pepsi, Reebok, Beats, Mountain Dew and other major brands have every right to step in and write the check that nobody else was willing to pen for the artists they listen to on a daily basis.
Not to mention the fact that it may be too early to officially deem Tidal a flop anyway.
The app was never predicted to shine in the realm of snatching Spotify users who just want endless access to a great gym playlist.
Tidal’s star-studded team is what gave it promise. The potential for Tidal-exclusive content in the future may be what helps the app take on new life.
After all, rumors are already swirling that Jay Z and Beyonce are planning a joint album that will be available exclusively on Tidal and Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money” is already a Tidal exclusive that’s not available on Spotify or Beats.
A host of other content from the A-list co-owners, like Daft Punk’s Electroma film and behind-the-scenes video of Alicia Keys’ Set the World on Fire Tour at Madison Square Garden, are also only accessible on Tidal.
The app clearly has some serious obstacles to navigate, but it still seems a bit too early to determine if the app is truly going to crash and burn.