8 Underrated Emerging Tech Companies.

Hello all,




Welcome back,

Today, we explore these underrated emerging technology companies. All of these companies are unique and I can't wait to see them expand. Be sure to click on the links to read more information on each company.

Uptake

 

 

 

 

Uptake uses analytics and predictive software to increase safety and enhance performance for companies in industries like construction, aviation and mining. Uptake was founded by Groupon.com co founder Brad Keywell and has the backing of construction-equipment giant Caterpillar.

Hudl

 

 

 

 

 

Hudl is a key component in helping more than 100,000 sports teams nationwide win games. The startup allows coaches to record or upload video to its platform, take notes, drawings, or recordings and share it with players on their mobile devices.

 

 

Heptio

 

 

 

 

 

In 2014, Google released the free software Kubernetes — a tool to manage and maintain huge piles of containers that's based on the tech it had developed for the same function. Kubernetes became very popular, with developers all over the world using it in their own computing infrastructures. Now two of its team members have launched a new startup, Heptio, to turn it into a business and make it accessible to other tech companies.

 

 

Pindrop

 

 

 

 

 

Pindrop is a fraud prevention and authentication tool that is now being used in some of the top banks. The company has spent the last five years building up a digital library of audio traits that can pinpoint where and what kind of call is coming through. If the service or the geography doesn't look right, or if it looks like the same kind of phone print that it's picked up over and over again, then Pindrop can flag the call as a possible risk.

 

 

Starry

 

 

Starry makes a receiver called the Starry Point that hangs out your window like an antenna. You can hook up your own wireless receiver or use its own Starry Station, a $250 device that can tell you right from its screen how fast your internet is performing.

Jamf

 

 

 

 

 

What started out as a bootstrapped company founded by two IT guys who loved Macs has become bigger than what they expected. Jamf makes software that lets companies manage hundreds or thousands of Macs and iOS devices. The company has more than 9,000 customers — including one of the world's biggest Mac users, IBM — and has over 38,000 members in its Jamf Nation, an online community for Apple IT professionals.

 

 

Nowait

 

 

 

Nowait allows users to virtually "get in line" at a restaurant and track their place without having to physically be there. In August, Yelp made an $8 million investment in Nowait and and integrated Nowait's technology into the Yelp app. Now, if Yelp users find a restaurant they like, they're now able to get in line using Nowait directly within the Yelp app.

 

Bellhops

 

 

 

 

Bellhops is an on-demand startup for moving. The Tennessee-based company operates in more than 50 cities nationwide and is staffed by local college students. What sets Bellhops apart from other movers is its convenience: you can instantly get a quote online, reserve a moving crew for $1, and choose from three different types of moves. 

 

 

Thanks for reading my blog!

A breakthrough for a paralyzed man.

Hey all,


Welcome back,

Breaking through with a thumbs up!



There hsve been many breakthroughs in technology that have occurred in the past 5 years ranging from cool gadgets to prosthetic arms. However, one breakthrough in particular happened early this year. In an article written by, The Guardian, titled "Paralyzed man moves arm using power of thought", Bill Kochevar, 53, was paralyzed from the neck down due to a tragic accident where he crashed his bike into a truck. Fortunately for Kochevar, he became the subject of a neuroscience based experimental technology where he could actually move his arm using electrical implants in the motor cortex of his brain and sensors in his arm. 



The technology was pioneered by the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The technology is the first of its kind and is developing at a slow progressive pace. A quote from the article reads:

So far it has helped a man with Tetraplegia to reach and grasp, meaning he could feed himself and drink. With further development, we believe the technology could give more accurate control, allowing a wider range of actions, which could begin to transform the lives of people living with paralysis.

We know this technology is very new, but once it is fully developed, it will provide many more people suffering from this condition with a chance at a better life. If you would like to read the full article please do not hesitate to click on the link above. 



Thanks for reading my blog!

Net Neutrality. Why you should care.

Hello all,

Welcome back, 

Today, I will discuss a little on net neutrality and its importance and the impact it has on the internet community.

So... What is net neutrality? 

The internet is a vast interconnected pool of seemingly endless data. Through the principle of net neutrality, packets of data are sent to everyone in the world equally. Basically, the internet stays open to everyone without discrimination. 

So... Why should you care ? 

Net neutrality is being threatened by those who seek to control it's traffic. These bigwigs are Internet Service Provider's or ISP's, who (with the downfall of net neutrality) can dictate usage terms for both websites and users alike. An ISP can charge more to those users consuming more of those precious data packets. If you liked streaming video before, you might end up having to cut the habit. ISP's can also charge those companies that provide the streaming video that you like watching, like Netflix and YouTube, to maintain a certain streaming speed on their end. 

The FCC is currently fighting the hard battle and standing up for net neutrality. We all use the internet, whether it be for knowledge, free speech or just to make an honest living and net neutrality keeps things afloat. These companies are becoming ruthless in their endeavors to control the internet but the internet can never truly be contained and the fight will keep going.

Thanks for reading my blog!

How To Do Computer Yoga.

Hello all,

Welcome back,

We are so dedicated to our work sometimes that we forget to take a break and stretch our problems away. Everyone needs a break, so if you're feeling wound up in work or at school, here is how to relax with computer yoga. Then you will be able get back to work feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day!


Follow these steps and you're guaranteed to feel better thoughout the day.

1. Move your head and chant the "om" mantra in your head. Turn your head left and right and then, forward and backward. 
2. Move your shoulders so that all tensions resolve. Find the way that works best for you. Move forward, and then move another way round. Move with your elbows and keep chanting the om mantra.
3. Move your spine to the right and the left side. Chant the om mantra when you're doing this.
4. Massage your body from head to feet. Hold your hands together over your head, rub the palms, visualize the sky above you.
5. Move your hand and send good vibes to your loved ones and to all people.
6. Rub your palms together. Feel the energy moving through your hands.
7. Put your hands on your legs or your belly. Make your mind calm and think the mantra "Om" in your head, your thorax, your belly, your legs, feet, in the earth and in the whole cosmos. 
8. Stop your thinking for a minute. Simply sit there. Don't think about anything.
9. Done!

 
I hope this works for you !

Thanks for reading my blog!

Facial Recognition.

Hello all,

Welcome back,

Facial recognition is becoming a major issue for our security. This technology was supposed to be only government centric but has trickled down into consumer markets. In a recent blog post from Photoshelter.com, Allen Murabayashi, CEO of photoshelter, writes on the dangers of this increasing trend. He states, Facial recognition is a particularly problematic form of biometric identification because it doesn’t require us to ink our fingers or speak into a microphone. The mere act of stepping out onto the street in most big cities guarantees that we will be captured by a camera, and in the future, we will be automatically identified (if it isn’t already happening)."  Click here or the image above to see the full post. Moore speaks on the societal impacts of this technology.



What are the impacts of facial recognition technology on our society?



With this fairly new technology, privacy will always be an issue, the main problem with facial recognition is that we can be easily tracked and our whereabouts can be kept and stored in databases without consent. For example, a person can be a identified at a store and the tracker can know exactly where they'll be going in public all through facial recognition. The worst part of it all is that it is completely invisible. This technology has the potential of being very dangerous and poses a great threat to our personal security.




What are my comments? 

I feel what we are looking at here is a "double edged sword". There are some definite pros and cons to this technology. One pro, I feel the most obvious, is would the capture and constant tracking of criminals. One con I think is relevant, would be for anyone that has access to these type's of facial recognition databases can use it to invade someone else's privacy. It is definitely something that needs to be handled in a court of law. 





Thanks for reading my blog!

Look over your shoulder....cold truth of Shoulder Surfing

Picture this....

It is 10 pm at night and you just got home to put down your keys, your coat and shoes after a long days work. No one is home, your kids are at your mother's house and your spouse has yet to come home from their job, so you pour yourself a glass of of wine and sit down in front your computer. You decide to look at your finances through the account on the bank website, but you realize something rather quickly about your account, YOU HAVE NO MONEY!

Then you freak out. You even call your spouse with accusations but to no avail because they know just as much as you do, absolutely nothing. So you think and you think, when you realize something. When you received your weekly check today at work you decided to deposit your check via the bank's smartphone app. The problem there, is while your typing up your phone security codes, usernames and passwords a mischievous co-worker was right behind you, right over shoulder, leaving you to be a victim shoulder surfing. One of the most easiest ways to invade someones privacy and obtain sensitive information but also the most easily preventable.

 Don't get me wrong. There are a a plethora of cyber attacks out there other than the one discussed that can be done without the simplicity of looking over someone's shoulder such as: 

• Ransomeware
• Internet of Things Botnet
• Phishing and Whaling attacks
• Business process compromise attacks 
• Machine Learning and enabled attacks  

These cyber attacks are the most dangerous of 2017 and a lot more subtle for the average user. The key to prevention from these attacks are the usual IT protection software's like McAFEE or Norton, amongst others.

 Compared to these other attacks shoulder surfing can be considered the most dangerous because it is the most underestimated. 

 To prevent shoulder surfing, it is important to shield paperwork or the keypad from view by using one's body or cupping one's hand. When working on a laptop, ensure that your back is to a wall with no open sides close to you or to enter your passwords in a secluded location. It is also advisable to purchase a tinted screen for privacy which can protect against peripheral viewing. Below is a tinted screen made for laptops to protect against on lookers. 

 
Please! do not underestimate shoulder surfing and protect your data.

Thanks for reading my blog !