Toyota Wants to Make Smart Homes

Toyota wants to make smart homes with Panasonic

Like many carmakers, Toyota is trying to find new sources of revenue beyond making vehicles.

The company been branching out into robotics and now wants to push further into the growing market for homes that can connect with cars, appliances, and services via the internet.

It is teaming up with Panasonic — an existing partner in batteries for electric vehicles — to build smart houses and cities.

The companies said Thursday they will form a joint venture early next year that will combine Toyota's construction subsidiary Misawa Homes and its development unit Toyota Housing with Panasonic Homes.

Panasonic (PCRFF) and Toyota (TM) said that working together will boost their competitiveness in the Japanese housing market, where the country's shrinking population is reducing demand for new homes.

While its parent company is best known as a carmaker, Toyota Housing has sold over 100,000 homes over nearly four decades.

Toyota and other global automakers have been investing heavily in new technologies that connect vehicles to road infrastructure and devices including household products via an internet connection.

The joint venture with Panasonic, which specializes in connected home appliances and batteries, could yield tech breakthroughs that would help Toyota compete against Tesla (TSLA), Google (GOOGL) and Uber.

Toyota has in recent years been on the hunt for tech opportunities: It's making robots that assist with household jobs and health care while venturing into the ride-sharing business.

Other car makers have been forming similar partnerships and strategic alliances. Volkswagen has struck a deal with Microsoft (MSFT) to develop an "Automotive Cloud" that will integrate apps into cars.

The Renault (RNLSY)-Nissan (NSANF) alliance and Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) have both partnered with Google, while Volvo (VOLAF) is working with Uber on autonomous vehicles.

Source: CNN

APPLE WORKING ON FOLDABLE IPHONE

Samsung and other major rivals are expected to release bendy phones in the coming weeks

Apple is working on a foldable phone of its own, new patents reveal, as just about every major handset company launches bendy products.

A future iPhone could be hinged in the middle, according to the patents, allowing it to be folded up small and then opened again to allow the screen to be larger.

The handset is just one of a range of bendy phones being worked on by companies. While Samsung's "Galaxy X" is the most famous – and has been shown off in the most detail – just about every major company is working on its own foldable handset.

Apple is not thought to be releasing a rival model any time soon, and the new iPhones it is set to release in September will keep the same form factor as the existing line-up. But the new patents show it has been considered for a future design.

It suggests the phone could use a set of hinges that will mount flexible displays together, allowing them to bend. It could be twisted around to allow the different parts of the phone so that the screen touches itself, for instance, or so that both parts of the screen are on the outside.

The patent filing includes a full 24 images, showing different ways the phones could bend. And they don't apply only to iPhones – with features that could work for iPads or even Macs shown as well.

For instance, one shows the screen bent so that it is sitting in a pyramid shape. That means two people sitting across from each other could be looking at the same display.

If Apple does not release its new bendy phone until 2020 or later, it is likely to be late. Samsung's foldable phone is due to be released in the coming weeks, and other companies are already preparing their own rivals.

Other companies have chosen to sit out of the growing trend, however. LG has said that it will not release a foldable phone just yet and that it was "too early" for the devices.

It might also be that Apple does not reveal a foldable phone at all. The company regularly files patents for products that never actually make it to market, or arrive in a completely different form.

Top 10 Most Useful Websites of 2019

These are the top 10 useful websites on the internet and they will help you to become smarter, increase productivity and also help you learn new skill sets.

1. netflixroulette.net–   find something random to watch on Netflix.
2. wtfsigte.com/–  find a place to eat  (warning: NSFW language)
3. earny.com–   shop as usual & let earny help you automatically get money back on purchases when prices drop.\
4. fpage.co–   daily links to enlighten and educate you. (warning: NSFW language)
5. ninite.com–   download all the free software you want, all at the same time.
6. joinhoney.com–   get the lowest price for any product on the internet.
7. pcloud.com–   20gb of free online storage.
8. appsumo.com–   get the top software and marketing tools for pennies on the dollar.
9. keybr.com–   learn how to type without looking at your keyboard.
10. oldversion.com–   get old versions of the software.  

Source:  Linkerscreative

New Apple Watch bands could come in March with watchOS 2.2

Plus, a new Apple Watch may debut later this year








Apple is reportedly launching a new lineup of bands this March for the Apple Watch in time for the release of watchOS 2.2.

Sources tell 9to5Mac that not only will new straps be available to accessorize the Apple Watch, but will also include styles made of entirely new materials from third-party partners.

The report also mentions that Apple will formally debut the latest watchOS update, which includes new features such as syncing multiple iPhones and added Nearby search functionality to the Maps app.

The report goes on to claim that Apple will announce a second-generation Apple Watch later this year, though 9to5Mac's sources believe a brand new wearable won't ship until the fall at the earliest.

As iOS 9.3 approaches, more details about the future of the Apple Watch and watchOS are likely to develop. In the meantime, rumors looming of an Applepress event this March have us thinking the wait won't be much longer.

SOURCE: TechRadar 

Smart robots could soon steal your job

Robots are taking over China's factory floors

Think you are too smart to be replaced by a robot in your job? Think again.

Experts are warning that skilled jobs will soon start disappearing because of the rise of artificial intelligence.So far, robots have mainly been replacing manual labor, performing routine and intensive tasks. But smarter machines are putting more skilled professions at risk.

Robots are likely to be performing 45% of manufacturing tasks by 2025, versus just 10% today, according to a study by Bank of America. And the rise of artificial intelligence will only accelerate that process as the number of devices connected to the Internet doubles to 50 billion by 2020.

By the same year, nearly half of all U.S. jobs will be at high risk of being lost to computers, according to experts at Oxford University, with an additional 20% facing medium risk. Jobs previously thought of as secure and now considered at risk include data analysts and bankers.

The prices of robots and computers are falling, making them even more attractive to employers. Costs have declined by 27% over the past decade and are expected to drop by another 22% in the next decade, the Bank of America report stated.

And as robots become easier to use, with features like machine learning, and voice and facial recognition, they're becoming a more viable alternative in jobs where people deal with customers.

Countries that can adopt new technology early will get a big boost from lower labor costs and higher productivity.

Japan is leading the way. There are already 1,520 robots per 10,000 employees in Japan's car plants, compared to only 66 per 10,000 worldwide.

China is eager too -- the country has been the biggest buyer of robots for the last two years, and now accounts for 25% of global demand.

The coming revolution could dramatically transform the global economy, and increase inequality. That's because most of the jobs set to disappear are lower paid, with medium skills, economists have warned.

Of course, this is not the first time that technology has radically transformed the workforce. During the Industrial Revolution, many manual laborers were forced to "skill up" and move into more sophisticated jobs. But the report warns this time could be different.

Workers in skilled positions may be forced to take jobs they are overqualified to do but which can't easily be performed by a machine.

Could you lose your job to robots?

Here are some examples of jobs most at risk: Administrative staff, manual workers, data processing jobs.

Bank of America estimated that there's a 90% risk or more of the following being replaced: Tour guides, bakers, butchers, pharmacy technicians, insurance sales agents, retail salespersons, tax collectors, telemarketers, accountants and clerks.

At the other end of the spectrum are professions such as physicians, psychologists and clergy. Jobs that require empathy, intuition and lots of social interaction are least likely to be threatened by technology. They include mental healthcare workers, social workers, police and detectives, teachers and artists.

SOURCE; CNN

Xbox One Vs. PS4 – Comparing Exclusives That Have Sold Over 1 Million Copies So Far

It’s been just over two years since the launch of the PS4, and a little under three since the launch of the Xbox One.

The two titan video-gaming platforms have been head-butting against each other for a while now, and while the PS4 leads by miles in-terms of overall sales, there’s more to it than just the number of units the world has bought (since the most popular isn’t always the best).

For this very reason, exclusives play a massive part in determining the reputation of a console. Sadly, neither consoles have had an overwhelming number of exclusives, and out of the few that have been released, not many have managed to sell more than 1 million copies.

We’re going to have a look at Xbox One vs. PS4 exclusives that have more than 1 million sales worldwide, and see which console comes out best so far since its release. Note that timed exclusives have also been considered in this article.

Xbox One

Dead Rising 3One of the launch titles on the Xbox One, Dead Rising 3 stayed as an X1 exclusive for a long time, until finally being ported to PC after one year. The game scored decent reviews – nothing absolutely exciting, but it’s 1.47 million sales put it in the ‘successful’ category as far as exclusives are concerned.

Forza SeriesArguably the best racing simulator out there at the moment (though some folks would argue Gran Turismo is just as good), Forza series alongside Halo and Gears of War has really given the Xbox consoles their own identity.

The Xbox One has seen three Forza titles released in the span of just over two and a half years, and all three have managed well over 1 million sales. The most successful was the first Forza on the Xbox One, Forza Motorsport 5, which managed 2.11 million sales.

Forza Horizon 2, released in 2014, recorded 1.21 million sales, while the latest Forza Motorsport 6 – released just last year – has managed 1.04 million sales.

That’s a combined total of 4.36 million sales in total of the Forza titles on the Xbox One, making it one of the best exclusive franchises out there, and the most popular racing franchise on the market.

What’s even more commendable is that Forza titles almost always command high praise, scoring high ratings and producing excellent reviews.

Xbox One Vs. PS4 – Comparing Exclusives That Have Sold Over 1 Million Copies So Far

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It’s been just over two years since the launch of the PS4, and a little under three since the launch of the Xbox One.

The two titan video-gaming platforms have been head-butting against each other for a while now, and while the PS4 leads by miles in-terms of overall sales, there’s more to it than just the number of units the world has bought (since the most popular isn’t always the best).

For this very reason, exclusives play a massive part in determining the reputation of a console. Sadly, neither consoles have had an overwhelming number of exclusives, and out of the few that have been released, not many have managed to sell more than 1 million copies.

We’re going to have a look at Xbox One vs. PS4 exclusives that have more than 1 million sales worldwide, and see which console comes out best so far since its release. Note that timed exclusives have also been considered in this article.

Xbox One

Dead Rising 3One of the launch titles on the Xbox One, Dead Rising 3 stayed as an X1 exclusive for a long time, until finally being ported to PC after one year. The game scored decent reviews – nothing absolutely exciting, but it’s 1.47 million sales put it in the ‘successful’ category as far as exclusives are concerned.

Forza SeriesArguably the best racing simulator out there at the moment (though some folks would argue Gran Turismo is just as good), Forza series alongside Halo and Gears of War has really given the Xbox consoles their own identity.

The Xbox One has seen three Forza titles released in the span of just over two and a half years, and all three have managed well over 1 million sales. The most successful was the first Forza on the Xbox One, Forza Motorsport 5, which managed 2.11 million sales.

Forza Horizon 2, released in 2014, recorded 1.21 million sales, while the latest Forza Motorsport 6 – released just last year – has managed 1.04 million sales.

That’s a combined total of 4.36 million sales in total of the Forza titles on the Xbox One, making it one of the best exclusive franchises out there, and the most popular racing franchise on the market.

What’s even more commendable is that Forza titles almost always command high praise, scoring high ratings and producing excellent reviews.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
Who doesn’t want to experience a remastered version of the infamous 3rd person shooter Gears of War franchise. It started off as one of the early titles on Xbox 360, turning into an iconic exclusive heavily loved by all fans who had experienced it.

Gears of War has come a long way, and the Ultimate Edition brought all Gears games released on Xbox 360 in a remastered edition on the Xbox One. The remaster collection has managed 1.68 million sales so far.

Halo 5: GuardiansHalo 5: Guardians released at a dangerous time – merely a month prior to the big video-gaming month of November 2015 that saw AAA titles like Fallout 4, Black Ops 3, and others.

Despite this, it has managed an impressive 3.14 million sales globally so far. That’s a good number considering how it was surrounded by some hot titles.

It’s no coincidence though – Halo is and will remain, the defining franchise of the Xbox console. It’s even bigger than Forza and Gears, as its legacy dates back to the original Xbox, and is certainly the game that gave the Microsoft console enough oomph to be considered as anything close to a competitor to the all-time greatest selling PlayStation 2 platform.

The sales numbers, by comparison with previous Halo games, are a little overwhelming, but nevertheless, Halo 5 is one of the brighter, more successful Xbox One exclusives.

Halo: The Master Chief CollectionWhat’s better than bringing all the games (except Halo 5) in the greatest Xbox franchise in a remastered, single pack? Not much, I tell you. The Master Chief Collection was released in November 2014, and since then has managed 2.91 million sales. That’s pretty impressive for remastered collections, and those don’t often produce such high numbers normally.

Ryse: Son of Rome rise: Son of Rome was supposed to be the benchmark of Xbox One’s hardware prowess, showing off the console’s power through the amazing CryEngine 3.

Sadly, the game could only do that much. It was a real obsession with fantastic visuals, but little else. The plot wasn’t great, and the gameplay, though initially intriguing, soon became lackluster.

Nevertheless, just for its impressive graphics and initial appeal, Ryse: Son of Rome sold 1.28 million copies worldwide. Not a bad feat for a title with such mixed reviews.

PlayStation 4

BloodborneArguably the best PlayStation 4 exclusive yet, Bloodborne didn’t need a history other than the reputation of Miyazaki to be an extremely successful game.

One of the best games to come out in 2015, the challenging action-RPG has been the dim, glowing light in what was a disappointing year for Sony’s flagship console as far as exclusives are concerned. Bloodborne has received extremely high ratings from every renowned critic out there, and it’s not hard to tell why.

The game has managed 1.87 million sales as of now and is still going strong due to its impressive The Old Hunter DLC that has added so much more depth and new weapons/items.

Infamous: Second SonThe open-world action adventure game Infamous: Second Son was released in March 2014, and managed to impress, receiving good ratings from reviewers. The title built on the success and reputation of the previous Infamous titles released on the PS3.

Infamous: Second Son managed an impressive 2.53 million sales, making it one of the more successful exclusives in the 2-year history of the console.

Killzone: Shadow FallThe first Killzone was a decent shooter released on PlayStation 2 – a console that had no shortage of quality games.

First-person shooter was primarily considered as a PC only genre, and Killzone definitely was one of the pioneers of changing that concept.

With the forth Killzone title acting as a launch title for the PS4, it was expected to be an amazing display of graphics, gameplay, and experience, just like Killzone 2 on PS3. It was certainly brilliant eye-candy, but sadly did not live up to the expectations of its predecessors, largely receiving mixed reviews.

Yet, because of the franchise’s reputation, the game managed an impressive 2.43 million sales, making it one of the better selling exclusives in this two-and-a-half-year period.

LittleBigPlanet 3LittleBigPlanet is one of the most entertaining, well-known modern platformers. The two games in the wonderful series managed to do quite well on the PlayStation 3, so it was only reasonable to launch the final peace.

In making sure the transition from PS3 to PS4 was smooth, Sony released LittieBigPlanet 3 for both the consoles. The PS4 version did quite well, and although it’s not a true exclusive, it can be considered one as the franchise is exclusive to PlayStation. The adorable platformer managed 1.53 copies sold across the globe.

The Last of Us (Remastered)The Last of Us was released in the final years of the PS3’s life cycle as Sony’s flagship console, and was regarded as the perfect going away gift from Naughty Dog.

Regarded as one of the best games on the PS3 ever, the post-apocalyptic stealth-action game told a touching story in a wonderful environment. It was so good – both aesthetically and gameplay-wise – that a remaster had to be released.

The remaster itself has been a huge success, selling a whopping 4.03 million copies since its release in 2014. You don’t get to witness such numbers on remasters often.

The Order: 1886The Order: 1886 was supposed to be Santa Monica’s answer to Naughty Dog’s amazing titles on the PS3 and PS4. What it turned out to be was a game with beautiful graphics and good setting, but an absolutely terrible experience.

A short, tired, and half-hearted campaign with nothing other than good visuals to offer, The Order: 1886 received poor ratings and heavy critique. Despite all this, it managed 1.48 million sales, leaving a fine example of how good marketing can paper over a bad product.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake CollectionIt’s no secret that Uncharted saved the PS3. At a time when the Xbox 360 was booming with successful exclusives and the PS3 greatly deprived, Naughty Dog conjured this Pitfall-ish title and turned things around for Sony.

Uncharted since then has gone on to release three main titles and several spin-offs. The Nathan Drake Collection takes Uncharted 1, 2, 3, adds a bit of glitter to them, and presents them in one remastered package. The result? 3.1 million sales of a collection of one of the best game franchises in the last decade.