Here’s what’s on my mind.
Coming from a background as an academician, here’s where I provide insight into my career, my passions and my life.Ultimate Ears Announces UE Boom 2 and MegaBoom Speakers in Limited Edition Colors
Logitech’s Ultimate Ears has updated its popular UE Boom 2 and MegaBoom Bluetooth speakers line-up with a range of new limited edition colors and patterns.
Called Second Street, the new designs were created in conjunction with graffiti duo Bicicleta Sem Freio and will be available to order from the Ultimate Ears website beginning in June.

Ultimate Ears said the new-design Boom 2 will remain at the price of $199.99, with the MegaBoom refresh also remaining at its usual price of $299.99. Color and pattern availability may vary by country.
The Ultimate Ears iOS app includes a feature called Party Up that lets users connect more than 50 of the waterproof Bluetooth speakers at once. And thanks to Siri integration, pushing the Bluetooth button on the UE Boom 2 or the UE Megaboom activates Apple’s virtual assistant, allowing users to request specific songs through Apple Music, place phone calls, and more.
For a full review of the original UE Boom 2, check out the MacRumors verdict here.
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Cazorla out for another five months after fresh surgery
Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla is set to be sidelined until at least November after undergoing an eighth operation on his injured right ankle.
These subtle smart gloves turn sign language into words
A startup that spun out of Taiwan's University of Science is working on gloves that can translate sign language gestures into text. Such a concept isn't new by any means, but the elegance of Yingmi Tech's hardware deserves some special attention.
Here’s our first look at Harman Kardon’s Cortana speaker
We first heard about Harman Kardon's smart speaker earlier this month, but haven't gotten a chance to try it out or even see what it looks like in person. That is, until now. The Cortana-powered Echo rival made an oh-so-brief appearance here at Micro…
New Twitter Inbox Feature Flags Unsolicited Direct Messages As ‘Requests’
Yesterday, Twitter began rolling out a new feature in the Messages section of its official app that separates out DMs from people you don’t follow in order to make it easier to accept or delete them.
In the Twitter iOS app, regular messages from people you know will appear in the Inbox as normal, while all other DMs will be flagged as Requests. Messages of the latter kind can be previewed without the sender being notified, while options are provided to accept and notify the sender, or delete the message without notifying them.
By default, any media attached to an unsolicited message won’t be revealed until you accept the DM, to protect users from inappropriate content, although this setting can be disabled.
If you’ve opted-in to get Direct Messages from anyone, messages from people you don’t follow will go into requests. https://t.co/n1qasb7JZC pic.twitter.com/HQY20T5f6t
— Twitter (@Twitter) 30 May 2017
The feature is similar to the system Facebook uses in its own Messenger app, and appears to have been adopted by Twitter to minimize the potential for online abuse. The company is still in the process of rolling out the new inbox function, and it will only show up for users who have turned on the setting that allows messages to be received from people they don’t follow.
The Twitter app is a free download from the App Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]
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Nest Announces Cam IQ, a $299 4K Smart Home Camera With Facial Recognition
Nest unveiled a new smart security camera today called the Nest Cam IQ, an indoor 4K device capable of increasing footage resolution when it detects unusual or suspicious activity in the home.
Using built-in smart capabilities powered by Google’s AI for facial recognition, the Nest Cam IQ is able to identify a person in its visual range, which automatically triggers a notification alert that includes a zoomed-in photo of the figure.

A variation on the same feature called “Supersight” appears in the mobile app feed, as a zoomed picture-in-picture inset of any figures identified in the camera’s field of view. The Nest Cam IQ also tracks the subject as it moves and provides a close-up of the face to make it easier to spot identifying features.
Additional smart features are in store for Nest owners who sign up to a Nest Aware subscription, such as the ability to identify and remember family members and trusted familiar faces, as well as the ability to recognize specific audio cues like conversations and barking dogs.
Elsewhere, the Nest Cam IQ comes with a weighted base and tilting head, invisible infrared LED emitters, high-powered speakers, and a three-microphone array for improved background noise suppression and echo cancelation.
The Nest Cam IQ costs $299 in the U.S. and can be pre-ordered today on the company’s website, which also sells the Nest Cam and Nest Cam Outdoor. Shipping is expected to start at the end of June.
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Intel adopts e-SIM to support Microsoft’s connected PC vision
PCs are making a comeback, if the news out of Computex 2017 is any indication, and Microsoft wants to make sure they're all constantly connected. To support that vision, Intel is making its current and future modems compatible with e-SIMs, so future…
Windows on Snapdragon is key to making PCs more connected
Looks like Microsoft isn't done with its world tour. After a series of events in New York, Seattle and Shanghai, the company has yet another big announcement to make in Taiwan here at Computex 2017. And in keeping with the theme of bringing Windows e…
Business : Malaysia’s 2016 Labour Productivity Up By 3.5 Per Cent
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) — Malaysia’s labour productivity grew by 3.5 per cent to RM78,218 in 2016 from RM75,548 previously, said International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.