Heartbeat Rings

Shannon Amole, Week 5, Post 2

As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, many people are looking for a gift to pass along to their significant other.  Chocolates, flowers, stuffed animals, cards, ect. seem to be the go to for many. However, I recently came across this product and think it may be a gift given by those in a long-distance relationship.  The product I want to introduce is an HB Ring. It is a ring that pulses with the real time heart beat of one’s significant other. The rings are connected via app and Bluetooth and they allow the other person wearing it to feel your heart beat. You can also save a heartbeat pattern for when the other’s heartbeat is not available.

The rings are $599 a pair or $2990 a pair for the 18k gold set. Currently all of the products are sold out. This surprised me considering the price is not reasonable for the average person.  This product fits into the “smart wearable” category that we discussed in class. It is part of the internet of things. This product stuck out to me and I think it’s a great idea. It’s a neat gift and seems great for those who are distant. I personally would not be able to afford it, but if more companies develop the technology, the product may be made more available.

 

 

 

What are your thoughts on this product? Would you be interested in buying one?

Resources:

https://thetouchx.com/

HB Ring – See and Feel the Real-Time Heartbeat of Your Loved One on Your Ring.” HB Ring – See and Feel the Real-Time Heartbeat of Your Loved One on Your Ring., thetouchx.com/.

Apple Bug

Shannon Amole, Week 4, Post 1

“This 14-year old found Apple’s FaceTime bug before it went viral”

By. Heather Kelly, CNN Business

Recently, 14 year old, Grant Thompson discovered a bug in Apple products. Thompson had been playing video games with friends when he tried to connect to them via Facetime. When his friend didn’t pick up the call, he tried to add another friend in the group chat. In doing so, it somehow enabled him to hear everything coming from the first (attempted Facetime call) friend’s microphone. Therefore, he discovered a way to hear other through their phones without them knowing.

After making this discovery, Thompson went straight to his mother. The mother then made several attempts to contact Apple, Apple support and even the CEO of Apple. The mother found it extremely difficult to get in touch with anyone. She feared that this bug would get into the wrong hands if no-one put an end to it. However, it was very difficult to get in touch with anyone as someone who is simply a consumer.

The bug has been address and fixed. However, Grant and his mother are still not satisfied. Since the bug has been reported, Apple has not given any acknowledgement to Grant for finding the bug. There have been no monetary gifts, products, or public statements given in gratitude for him finding, and reporting, this bug.

I questioned what I thought would be appropriate to give this teen and family as a thank you and I believe something should have been done or at the very least acknowledged. This family had no requirement to report their findings and went through great depths to bring it to Apple’s attention. I think it is wrong on the company’s part if they do not give credit where it is due. Do you believe Apple should be addressing this better?

According to the article, the main concern was the difficulty in being able to report this finding. The author believed there needs to be something in place that allows the average consumer to report a flaw in a product. Do you agree with that? I personally do because technology can be very dangerous when used in the wrong way. People should be able to report suspicions and flaws without much difficulty.  Apple needs to address this much better in many ways.

Kelly, Heather. “This 14-Year Old Found Apple’s FaceTime Bug before It Went Viral.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 Jan. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/01/29/tech/facetime-bug-teen-discovery/index.html.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/29/tech/facetime-bug-teen-discovery/index.html

The New Space Race?

 

Opinion: Herald the new space race — and another exponential advance of technology  By. Vivek Wadhwa

Shannon Amole, Week 2, Post 1

Space exploration may be thought of as a thing of the past, but recently China has made advances in space. Chang’e-4 is China’s new lunar lander who’s mission was to land at South Pole-Aitken. This is the side of the moon that is always facing away from planet Earth. Chang’e-4 has a lunar rover named Yutu-2. This rover sent pictures of soil, rocks, and craters back to Earth in an attempt to reveal more about the water that was found on the moon this past August. However, as China begins to explore, this is bringing concern to the United States and other countries.

Many people don’t realize how much of an impact space exploration has on everyday life. CAT scans, ear thermometers, memory foam, and miniature cameras are just a few of the technological breakthroughs that NASA has provided. The military also has a very big influence on space exploration because of all of the impacts space has on the military. GPS, satellites, tracking individuals, are all vital to the safety of the United States and the missions of the US Military. The same applies for other countries. However, the advancements that countries, such as China, make in space exploration allows them to compete with our military’s technology. This is the main reason the US strives to stay current and ahead of space advancements.

A major concern in space exploration is the high cost. For example, Vivek Wadhwa states, “the NASA Space-Shuttle program costs about $209 Billion over its lifetime.”  This is a large amount of money and one could argue that we should not be putting funds into space but should focus on issues within our own planet. There are many programs in the US that lack funding and could benefit greatly from more finances.

What do you think? Is the money the United States puts into space exploration worth it? Are the motives for the safety and well being if citizens or is it more of an example of status to other countries? Should we be concerned that other countries are taking a greater interest in space?

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/herald-the-new-space-race-and-another-exponential-advance-of-technology-2019-01-18

Wadhwa, Vivek. “Herald the New Space Race – and Another Exponential Advance of Technology.” MarketWatch, MarketWatch, 18 Jan. 2019, www.marketwatch.com/story/herald-the-new-space-race-and-another-exponential-advance-of-technology-2019-01-18.