Udacity Says It Can Teach Tech Skills to Millions, and Fast – The New York Times:
“Students who complete these courses are awarded the nanodegree, a credential that Udacity has worked with Google, AT&T and other companies to turn into a new form of workplace certification.”
*Certification as credential?
“What I am advocating for is the value of having a clear and intelligent plan, communicating it often and often, and, most importantly, mapping that plan to each team and each person in your organization.”
*More organizations need to think about doing this.
Making the iPhone camera accessible for the blind | iMore:
“VoiceOver will then use face detection to tell you how many people are in the frame. It will also say if a face is small, and where in the frame a face or faces are located incase you want to try and better center them. When you move, it will tell you the new framing, so you can figure out if you’re getting closer to the shot you want.”
*Amazing what accessability can do.
Why Starbucks Prices Went Up as Coffee Beans Got Cheaper – The New York Times:
“‘mobile payments now represent 20 percent of all in-store transactions in our U.S. stores, more than double the figure from only two years ago.’ I use an iPhone app to pay these days: It’s easy to transfer money without noticing the cost.
*The cost disconnect for customers who don’t pay with cash. This leads to less price sensitivity.
Signs of a Growing Hush in China’s Economy – The New York Times:
‘Of course car sales have not returned to normal levels — people are still very wary,’ Cui Dongshu, the secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association, which represents manufacturers, said on Friday. ‘They feel this spike in the stock market today is probably not sustainable.
Even with the rebound, $3.1 trillion in market value, much of it financed with borrowed money, has been erased since mid-June. Many experts worry about the damage to the Chinese economy, particularly if stocks continue to fall. Consumer confidence could suffer, weighing on the country’s growth and on economies elsewhere that depend on exports to China.
*Is Apple seeing fewer sales of the Apple Watch Edition (U.S. Apple Store pricing) in China? If yes, what is the degree of change in sales?
Ford to Shift Work Abroad – WSJ:
“low gasoline prices have punctured U.S. demand for small cars and led many companies to run small-car factories well below full capacity. An underused assembly plant burns large amounts of cash.”
*An early signal of troubles ahead for the U.S. domestic economy.
Looking forward to this on Apple Watch.
Don’t have an Apple Watch yet, but soon. We use Telegram extensively for communications at work.
Pill reminders is interesting. You’ll almost always have your watch on. Also, what if certain drugs are found to be more effective after a workout? Could the watch and app calculate if you have crossed a threshold?
We are living in interesting times and new technologies meshing together will make for a better future.
Apple – Press Info – Apple Watch In-Store Preview & Online Pre-Order Begin Friday:
“Apple Watch also brings an entirely new way to receive information at a glance and interact with the world through third-party app experiences designed specifically for the wrist. “
*Third-party developers will be creating value for Apple and it’s customers.
Get started with Photos for OS X – Apple Support:
“Even if you use iCloud Photo Library, it’s recommended that you use Time Machine to back up your Mac, including your Photos library.”
*Don’t let a single point of failure lead to a catastrophe.
D.L. Damore 