What’s new
Microsoft will discontinue Skype WiFi service from March 31st
The Skype WiFi service was launched back in 2009 and provided a way to consolidate numerous public and private WiFi networks under one payment service. Microsoft said they want to “focus our efforts on bringing you the best possible experience through our core Skype features.” Microsoft already has a similar service named Microsoft WiFi built into Windows 10 PCs and it’s likely that this was planned to replace Skype WiFi.
You can read more here.
Facebook’s new video app has been launched on Samsung smart TVs
Samsung is the first platform to feature the social network’s latest application. The video app allows users to sign into their own Facebook accounts, then view the videos shared by friends or Pages they follow, as well as top videos and others recommended to them based on their interests. Facebook said that the app will also be launched on Amazon’s Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and other platforms.
More info are available here.
New products
OnePlus 5
The phone will have 16MP selfie shooter, 23MP rear-facing camera, 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It is rumored that OnePlus 5 will feature a ceramic body like the Xiaomi Mi Mix.
More info here.
Moto G5 Plus
Moto G5 Plus has a Snapdragon 625 processor and a 12 MP dual-pixel camera that records 4K video. It comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD display and a 3000mAh battery.
More info here.
You might want to know about this
SpaceX plans to send two people around the Moon in 2018
CEO Elon Musk said the private journey would take about a week, nearing the moon’s surface without landing on it. SpaceX said in a statement that the future passengers “have already paid a significant deposit to do a moon mission”, and Musk called the cost “comparable” to that of sending astronauts to the International Space Station.
You can read more here.
Amazon’s Alexa will distinguish between users by their voice
The new feature, currently being developed by the company, could lead to Amazon’s Echo smart speaker ignoring specific commands from certain people, such as a child trying to buy something online. It could also play music from a specific user’s music library without being told where to look. Amazon is working on a way to distinguish different voices by analysing each person’s “voice print”, a unique identifier based on how they speak.
More info can be found here.
Fun stuff
One billion hours of YouTube are being watched every day
Youtube reached the “one billion hours a day” milestone in part by powering its recommendations engine with machine learning algorithms. Other factor that have contributed to the increase in viewership is the shift to mobile. A growing number of people have internet access via their mobile devices, and more than 60 percent of YouTube watch time now happens on mobile and tablets.
You can read more here.
