image Google Search for Android: Ok Google, Take a Photo or Take a Video Google today updated its Google Search app for Android with two new “Ok Google” commands: “take a photo” and “take a video.” You can download the new version now directly from Google Play (if you don’t see it yet, be patient as these rollouts are usually staggered). As you might expect, each phrase will launch your camera app in the preferred mode. If you don’t want to say “Ok Google” first, you can still use the voice commands by tapping the microphone icon first. Image Credit – Sean Gallup/Getty Images image Twitter CEO to "learn more about Chinese culture" on first visit to nation Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is about to take his first trip to China, sparking speculation that the social media giant may be looking at how it might be able to relaunch the service in the country, where it’s been banned by the authorities since 2009. With around 600 million people online in China, and with Twitter shareholders eager for new revenue opportunities, we can expect that the social media giant is constantly exploring ways to bring its micro-blogging service to one of the world’s biggest markets. However, the company insists that Costolo’s trip, his first to the Asian nation, is merely to “learn more about Chinese culture and the country’s thriving technology sector.” China ‘vacation’: Dick Costolo According to Reuters, Costolo will stay in Shanghai and is not intending to visit Beijing. During his three-day trip, he’s scheduled to meet a number of Shanghai government officials, though “is not expected to ask Chinese authorities to lift the Twitter ban.”
image image image Michael Cerdeiros - Cerious Productions | 25 Websites that will make you a Genius. Websites Educational 1. Khan Academy Have you ever wanted to pick up a subject you’re not well-versed in, but you didn’t have the money to invest in a college course? Khan Academy aims to provide education at the collegiate level for anyone who wants it. They provide resources for learning pretty much every subject out there, including math, science, history and more. As you learn, the platform will even assess your progress and help you gauge what you’ve learned. 2. This isn’t the first time I’ve recommended this language-teaching website (and app), and it certainly won’t be the last. 3. Guitar is one of the few instruments out there that’s actually pretty easy to learn if you’re a little older, making it one of the most accessible instruments. 4. Founded by Michael Chu, Cooking for Engineers goes further than just providing recipes. 5. Or Nick the Dating Specialist is a website that wants to help guys be better dates. 6. 7. As much as I would love an education at MIT, that isn’t really in the cards. 8. 9.
Elon Musk says self-driving car technology still has another 5 to 6 years to go | The Verge About a year ago, Tesla announced its plans to develop self-driving car technologies, and now founder and CEO Elon Musk says there's still quite a bit of work to be done before that's a reality. Another 5 to 6 years, to be precise. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Musk says that the various technologies needed to make that happen still needs years of work to perfect, and that it could take a few more after that for laws and regulations to catch up. The reason, Musk told The Journal, is that Tesla — and others — are still trying to crack the code of helping computers recognize objects. Cars are still learning how to recognize things Many other companies are currently trying to perfect just that process, including Google which is running virtual simulations of California roads to train the cars used in its self-driving car project. The two major promises of self-driving cars are safety and convenience.
Manager and machine: The new leadership equation In a 1967 McKinsey Quarterly article, “The manager and the moron,” Peter Drucker noted that “the computer makes no decisions; it only carries out orders. It’s a total moron, and therein lies its strength. It forces us to think, to set the criteria. The stupider the tool, the brighter the master has to be—and this is the dumbest tool we have ever had.” How things have changed. What would it take for algorithms to take over the C-suite? Our argument is simple: the advances of brilliant machines will astound us, but they will transform the lives of senior executives only if managerial advances enable them to. If these two things happen—and they’re likely to, for the simple reason that leading-edge organizations will seize competitive advantage and be imitated—the role of the senior leader will evolve. Missing links Consider also the challenge posed by today’s real-time sales data, which can be sliced by location, product, team, and channel. The human edge Asking questions Attacking exceptions
Seizing China’s new digital opportunity Over the past year, I’ve met one-on-one with more than 300 CEOs, including 60 in Asia. For most of them, digital technology is now a top-two agenda item for the year ahead. As one executive noted, “Technology is changing five times faster than management.” That’s exactly right, and it underscores the mix of excitement and anxiety I hear in these conversations. Business leaders have no doubt that the opportunities are enormous. Every day we see how digital technologies are both creating value and driving industry disruption. Digital continues to lower barriers to entry. In China, of course, the consumer economy has already gone digital in a big way. Where China lags is on the corporate side. I believe real change in China needs to come faster—and be accompanied not just by more investment but by real business-process and business-model transformation. What will it take? 1. Every enterprise needs to start with a clear stance on its core digital strategy. 2. 3. 4. 5. About the author