QR (quick response) codes have certainly had their ups and downs, as far public consciousness goes. I find that, for myself, I only use them…
Author: Laura Solomon
OPLIN 4Cast #711: Is the time of TikTok over?
Posted in 4cast, and Social Networks
I’m no stranger to social media (I’ve written a few books about it). However, my teenaged son has been thoroughly uninterested in it, much to…
If you’ve thought that Amazon has been especially busy with the advent of the global pandemic, you wouldn’t be wrong. It’s on track to deliver…
OPLIN 4Cast #707: Reality is turning digital as the pandemic wears on
Posted in 4cast, and Virtual reality
Until recently, VR has widely been considered a niche purely for a specific type of gamer. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology is seeing more advancements and further adoption in other areas, outside of gaming. Oh, and AR (augmented reality, like Pokemon Go), has been getting a big boost, also.
My teenage son has been using the chat/voice app Discord for some time, in order to communicate with his gaming buddies and even some of…
OPLIN 4Cast #703: Big tech denies facial recognition to police, but is that enough?
Posted in 4cast, and facial recognition
Last week, IBM sent shockwaves through the tech world when it announced that it was leaving the facial recognition market entirely. The reasons cited centered…
With the protests and riots happening around the country this week, a controversial surveillance tool has again taken center stage. Known commonly as “stingrays,” these…
We’ve certainly covered drones before on the 4cast, but the COVID-19 pandemic has begun to highlight some of their capabilities; in some cases, those capabilities…
You don’t need me to tell you that technology has been mission critical as we all self-isolate during the pandemic. I’ve little doubt that most…
Thanks to the pandemic, and the fact that it is now free, video conferencing app Zoom is pretty much everywhere. Even my mother-in-law, who is in her 80s, has learned how to use it from her phone for church meetups (and this is someone who can’t even search Google). If you have somehow managed not to use this platform yet, it’s probably just a matter of time.