Monitor-IO is a $100 IoT gadget that tells you whether your Internet is working well, poorly, or not at all. The idea is you put this little black box next to (and plugged directly into) your router, and a quick glance at its color-coded screen will let you know if the Internet's working solidly, if it's having some problems, or if everything is just plain out. Monitor-IO even promises to tell users granular details like how long a connection has been up, or sketchy, or out. All of this begs the question: do you need a gadget for that? Tap, tap—is this thing on? At first glance, Monitor-IO reminded me of the butter-spreading robot from Rick and Morty, doomed to a trivialized existence fulfilling an insignificant task. Look, I already know if the Internet is down! My wife and I feed and clothe three small but highly motivated Internet downtime detectors who let us know in a hurry if videos and games stop streaming to their tablets, the Rokus, etc. Then … [Read more...] about A review of Monitor-IO, a little gadget that wants to talk about your Internet
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ROLI Songmaker Kit mini-review: Rediscover musical roots with fancy new tech
I've been a musician for the past 20 years, but I've been an electronic musician for a lot less than that. I use Apple's Logic Pro and a variety of software synthesizers to record songs these days, but coming from an electric guitar, I've missed the natural expressiveness that comes from playing a traditional instrument—particularly a stringed one. Yes, you can create amazing expressive sounds with software, but there's just something about having that direct connection from your fingers to the amp or speakers that can't be replicated. Or at least, it couldn't be replicated in the past. Now ROLI's Songmaker Kit promises a wider range of expression than you'd typically get with a MIDI controller, and it works marvelously with many of Logic Pro's built-in synthesizers, like the famed Alchemy. I've been tinkering with these new kits this summer, but this won't be a full Ars review per say (this isn't Guitar World for better or worse). We won't be benchmarking the … [Read more...] about ROLI Songmaker Kit mini-review: Rediscover musical roots with fancy new tech
How to Make Sure You’re Getting the Internet Speeds You Pay for
When you sign up for home internet, you often pay a certain price based on the speed of your connection. The faster it is, the more you pay. It's important to know how to check if you're getting what you pay for. You might be surprised to find that you're not, in which case a call to your internet company may be in order. I'm going to explain why internet speeds matter and show you how to check the speed of your internet connection at home. Here's what you need to know. Why do internet speeds matter, anyway?As streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have become more popular, and as resolutions have jumped from HD to 4K, so too has the importance of having a fast home internet connection. Samsung just unveiled its new top-of-the-line phone, the Galaxy Note 9 from CNBC. If you're streaming a show from Hulu and it's not coming down in high definition, or if it's constantly pausing, chances are you don't have a fast enough connection. And remember: your internet is shared across all of … [Read more...] about How to Make Sure You’re Getting the Internet Speeds You Pay for
265 households sign petition calling for better mobile phone reception in Norfolk town
Norman Lamb has written to BT Openreach about the poor mobile phone coverage in North Walsham. Pictures: Eddie Mayell Archant Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling on BT Openreach to end delays to improving mobile phone reception in North Walsham. A new telecommunications mast is still not operational in the town eight months after it was due to go live.North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb has written to and demanded a meeting with BT Openreach to discuss the issue.It follows a petition signed by 265 households from the Brick Kiln estate and surrounding areas with poor mobile phone coverage asking BT to urgently connect them to the network. Late last year Mr Lamb’s office was informed by the mobile phone operators Vodafone and O2 that a new communications mast that they had built at the town’s Marshgate sewage works would become operational early in 2018 following work by BT to connect it to the network. It was the result of a long campaign by residents from Marshgate … [Read more...] about 265 households sign petition calling for better mobile phone reception in Norfolk town
dtac’s AI Lab opens the door to improved services
Located at Thammasat University's Rangsit campus, north of Bangkok, the dtac SIIT AI Lab will connect data science students and leading professors with real-world business cases provided by dtac. The partnership supports both dtac's AI strategy and its ambition to train a new generation of digital talent for Thailand. Ukrit Salyapongs, head of channel strategy and performance management division at dtac, said that dtac's collaboration with SIIT is a strategic decision to collaborate with top-notch academics to apply new technology to tomorrow's business challenges. The collaboration is expected to aid dtac in automating its business operation process and support highly advanced customer personalisation. “Artificial intelligence will deeply transform business. It's important that students not only learn how machine learning works, but also how it interfaces with real-world business challenges. With dtac's support, the AI Lab will have access to some of the most … [Read more...] about dtac’s AI Lab opens the door to improved services