Three drawbacks of the new Pixel 2

September 30, 2017October 17, 2017 admin

Google took the wraps off its new Pixel 2 phone lineup last week. The phones have what the best Android camera and maybe the best smartphone camera on the market today. The problem lies in choosing between the Pixels and the competition. Here are some of the drawbacks of the new Pixel phones.

Camera

The first drawback is that the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL have the same camera. It is good to provide the same technology and capabilities across the two models. However, there should have been more differentiation between the Pixel 2 and the XL. As it stands, all you get for $200 extra is a bigger screen and battery.

Headphone Jack

Like Apple, LeEco, and Lenovo, Google removed the headphone jack from the Pixel 2. Google does provide an alternative to the AirPod but does not address what happens when you want to charge your phone and listen to music at the same time. It is a pain point for iPhone users and Google should have addressed that as part of the presentation.

Bezels

The screen on the Pixel 2 XL is not as impressive as some of its peers. The screen is not edge-to-edge as some of the others. Also, to make room for the dual speakers, there is a larger forehead and chin. The screen itself is amazing with vibrant colors and proper blacks. However, if you want an edge-to-edge screen or a bigger screen for the form factor, then you will want either the iPhone X or the Note 8.

The Primary Benefits of Having a Network Operations Center

July 27, 2017February 14, 2020 admin

Summary: NOCs can provide a wide array of functionalities and services that can improve your business overall.

When your business utilizes network management from a managed services provider, you’re likely to experience a high level of efficiency, profit, and production.

Normally, companies will tend to use the break/fix model to handle IT maintenance when any problems arise. However, the downside to this can increase overall downtime, decrease productivity, and increase overhead costs.

On the other hand, when you co-source your IT needs to a managed services provider, the NOC design center tends to identify and resolve the issue at any time of the day – whether it’s three or even five in the morning. Customers do not have to worry about any issues being unresolved, which in turn, increase the overall level of efficiency of your business – which can drastically improve profits.

The NOC

A NOC, or Network Operations Center, is a centralized location that houses IT engineers and technicians. These specialists will monitor and manage any client’s network and make the appropriate changes when needed. If there is a problem that occurs, they can instantly detect what’ going on and resolve it before the client is even aware that a problem came up in the first place. This is one of the primary benefits of having a 24/7 NOC – it’s not only a proactive model that overlooks every network, but it can also increase a company’s profit, efficiency, and productivity.

Everything Google announced at I/O

June 29, 2017July 1, 2017 admin

Here is a list of everything that Google announced at the I/O keynote:

2 billion – CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage to announce that there are two billion active Android users. Some other numbers he gave: 800 million users on Google Drive, 500 million users on Google Photos with 1.2 billion photos uploaded daily.

AI – Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are big parts of Google’s every day activities. This year the conference promoted the AI angle even more, with some of news products like Google Lens only possible with machine learning.

TPU – Google developed its own processors for machine learning. The new second generation TPU’s (tensor processing units) can deliver up to 18- teraflops of performance.

Google Assistant – The assistant is now on at least a 100 million devices and is now more conversational than ever before. There is also support for typed queries for instances where audio output is not appropriate.

iPhone – The Google Assistant is now available for iPhone users, with a widget to make invoking the assistant easier.

Google Home – The team outlined the new features coming to Google Home: Proactive assistant, hands-free calling, entertainment and responses on TV.

Google Photos – The popular photo storage and sharing service got two new headline features. The first suggests sharing based on facial recognition and the other is a print service for photo books.

YouTube – YouTube got a single feature at the keynote, adding 360 degree video support to the TV app.

Android – The rest of the announcements were all related to Android. The first was the announcement of the new O developer preview, and then the low-end Android Go announcement.

ASUS announces Tango-poweredZenFone AR

May 28, 2017June 30, 2017 admin

At a pre-Computex keynote, ASUS announced the launch of its Tango-powered phone the ZenFone AR. The news does not come as a surprise as Google mentioned the existence of the new Tango phone at its I/O developer conference.

Tango is a version of Android for Augmented Reality. There are special sensors in the phone that can detect the space around the phone and build a 3D map of the room. Using the cameras and sensors, the phone knows where it is inside a pre-mapped building. Augmented reality has the potential to be the next big thing, and with Tango Google is positioned to take the lead in the space.

The first demonstration of Tango was navigating from outside a building inside to a specific location in a restaurant. The directions overlaid navigation arrows all the way through a building to the specific seat that the user marked. There are many other applications of the tech, such as adding potential new furniture to your room or replacing your existing pantry with a new one.

There are over 100 apps for the Tango platform, from companies like BMW, Lowe’s, etc. As many as 50 of them work with the ZenFone AR, and more support will come as developers update apps to the latest version of Android.

The ZenFone AR comes with 8GB of RAM and an optimized Snapdragon 821 processor which allows the apps to run far more smoothly than they have before. Between Tango and Lens, Google is in a strong position should AR become mainstream.

Basic IT equipment you need at home

April 30, 2017May 9, 2017 admin

Article written by Techicated

The average home can no longer function with just a computer and a router. The typical family can have as many as 15 devices, and wireless internet access is a basic requirement. Here is a basic equipment set up that will serve a household well.

Storage

We produce a lot of data that we need to store. This data includes everything from pictures, videos, documents, to movies and music. Trusting a single location like a cloud service is risky. Imagine you store all your documents on Google Drive, and then you lose your account for some reason. Everything is gone. The best practice is to store everything locally on a device like a NAS and then backup that data to the cloud.

Access Points

The best way to get proper coverage across an entire home is to have access points in strategic areas. It will take some experimentation and testing to get it right, but it will require multiple access points. There are mesh systems available that make this setup easier, although they are a bit more expensive than standalone units.

Firewall

The typical home will not have or need a firewall. However, if you have lots of internet connected devices like IP cameras and home automation gear, you can control what sites the devices access with a firewall. Set up requires some technical knowledge.

UPS

All this equipment needs protection from power failures and spikes. A UPS will protect the devices and supply clean power throughout the day. Not everything will be in a position to get UPS power. Try and buy devices that have built-in battery backup

How Diesel Ground Power Units Are Revolutionizing the Aviation Industry

March 15, 2017February 14, 2020 admin

Summary: New advancements and modalities are being implemented in GPUs. This is proving to be beneficial for maintenance purposes and environmental awareness.

Ground power units tend to come in a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on the model it’s designed to supply power to. These portable power supply units can either run on diesel fuel, electric, or incorporate both into a hybrid system. With technology rapidly advancing, new models continue to be pumped out at high volumes – meeting the demands of the ever-changing aviation industry. This article will demonstrate the core mechanics of diesel GPUs and how effective they are at supplying steady currents to aircrafts of all types.

Ground Power Generation

During the flight preparation phase, these 28 volt power supplies rely on diesel fuel to power their generators up. In turn, this allows the unit to essentially rev itself up to the necessary specifications it requires to provide optimal power to the aircraft. Most ground power units nowadays are taking environmental friendliness into account, due to the overwhelming amounts of expelled chemicals and pollution. Innovative diesel ground power units are portable, powerful, and produce massive amounts of electricity with a switch of a button. Additionally, users will find that they are becoming much sturdier and more durable as new models come out.

Serviceability

The new-age ground power generation batch of power supply units are showcasing their beneficial economic and alternator efficiencies. There are decreased maintenance costs, convenient serviceability factors and optimal development strategies. Your typical 28 volt battery pack encompasses more than just a basic system that power up an aircraft. As a matter of fact, these new diesel models are built to last the rough and engaging environment that they are being dragged around in. This is largely in part due to changes in designs. More powerful core frames are being introduced into GPUs which are allowing these units to withstand more damage from contact and handle long-term operation. Optimal power and a durable mechanism is what most maintenance users are looking to find in today’s models. Toss in lower noise levels, reduced fuel consumption, and increased alternator efficiencies, and you have a model that can take on a boatload of work without wearing down after a year’s worth of maintenance. This is revolutionizing the aviation industry and will continue to as the years progress and new technologies are introduced. Maintenance is becoming more convenient and easier to accomplish thanks to the newer lines of GPUs being brought into production.