PC Magazine How to Tell You're a Tech Addict Tech Companies and their Responsibility How to Keep Your Kids' Tech Use in Check April 2018 pdf pdf

IN CHECK

  DIGITAL EDITION MAY 2018 TECH COMPANIES AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY HOW TO KEEP YOUR KIDS’ TECH USE

  HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE A TECH ADDICT (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT) A guide to defeating the endless scroll.

  The ethics of how their products affect consumers and society.

  FEATURES

COVER STORY

MAY 2018 CONTENTS

THE TECH INDUSTRY RECKONS WITH ITS RESPONSIBILITY

  REVIEWS CONSUMER ELECTRONICS Fitbit Versa Apple iPad (2018) Sony a7 III HARDWARE Lenovo IdeaPad 720s Sony a7 III Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ SOFTWARE & APPS Adobe Illustrator CC Malwarebytes Free

  Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Adobe Illustrator CC

  WHAT’S NEW NOW FAST FORWARD Why Intel’s Diane Bryant Isn’t Afraid of AI WHAT IS MAX-Q? An explainer HOW VIRTUAL AVATARS HELP STROKE PATIENTS

  IMPROVE MOTOR FUNCTION

  IT WATCH Want to Speed Up Your Users’ Internet? Look at Your DNS Server TOP GEAR What We Love Most This Month

  TIPS FOR KEEPING KIDS’ TECH USE IN CHECK They can help grownups, too. HERE’S HOW THE EXTREMETECH STAFF STAYS BACKED UP And they really know what they’re doing.

  TIPS & HOW TOS DAN COSTA First Word READER INPUT TIM BAJARIN Alexa, Teach Me How to Talk to You DOUG NEWCOMB Tesla’s Tussle With Feds Over Model X Accident Is a Fool’s Errand BEN DICKSON

  JOHN C. DVORAK Last Word COMMENTARY I’m asking what would happen to you—and your business—if the whole thing was taken offline .

4 Reasons Not to Fear Deep Learning (Yet)

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION

  I ^SUBSCRIBE

  I ^{MAY 2018}

FIRST WORD

  hen Rob Marvin pitched me a feature story on tech addiction, I was skeptical.

  W

  There’s been so much coverage of this topic already, and so much of it has been terrible. The headlines, the personal anecdotes, the fear- mongering about new, poorly understood technologies; it’s all just a little too perfect for sensation-seeking news media. Was there anything original that we could add to this story?

  Tech

  Rob assured me there was. His report in this

  Addiction

  month’s PC Magazine Digital Edition proves he

  Nation was right.

  Our human inability to master the technologies we have created is not new. Back in 1990, the New York Times reported:

  The proposition that television can be addictive is proving to be more than a glib PHWDSKRU 7KH PRVW LQWHQVLYH VFLHQWL¿F

  VWXGLHV RI SHRSOH¶V YLHZLQJ KDELWV DUH ¿QGLQJ that for the most frequent viewers, watching television has many of the marks of a dependency like alcoholism or other addictions.

  Although “Internet Addiction” was left out of the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of

  Mental Disorders (DSM-5), “Internet Gaming

  Disorder” was listed as a condition for further study. The symptoms of gaming addiction are well known to anyone who’s had a child in the last 20

  @dancosta years, and really, everyone who’s picked up a game

  controller. Even so, the American Psychiatric Association’s summary of the disorder is revealing:

  The “gamers” play compulsively, to the exclusion of other interests, and their persistent and recurrent online activity UHVXOWV LQ FOLQLFDOO\ VLJQL¿FDQW LPSDLUPHQW RU distress. People with this condition endanger their academic or job functioning because of the amount of time they spend playing. They

experience symptoms of withdrawal when

kept from gaming.

  That was written in 2013. Since then, technology KDV JDPL¿HG RXW HQWLUH OLYHV *DPH GHVLJQHUV XVHG to create addictive experiences to be enjoyed with special hardware at home after work. Now we carry the hardware with us every day and never disconnect from a vast network of addictive digital feedbacks loops. News, texts, alerts, apps, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook... wait, is that a new email? There is no quarter.

  :KDW XVHG WR EH D SUREOHP IRU PLV¿W JDPHUV KDV infected the whole culture. Apps, websites, and pretty much all digital interfaces are constantly being optimized to make the user feel good and increase usage. The online economy depends on selling your attention. (Well, and your data, but one problem at a time.) None of this is accidental. Trained professionals--designers, UX experts, psychologists, data scientists--constantly researching and optimizing for greater usage. They DUH E\ GH¿QLWLRQ SXVKHUV %XW DW OHDVW WKH\¶UH human. Perhaps the more pernicious technology threat is that the addiction process can be automated. It’s easy to wrap your head around the concept of A/B testing, EXW PRGHUQ WHFKQRORJ\ OHWV WKHVH V\VWHPV GR $ ’ 3URJUDPPHUV FDQ WHVW DQ LQ¿QLWH YDULHW\ RI RSWLRQV WR ¿QG WKH RQH WKDW LV PRVW HIIHFWLYH DQG DGGLFWLYH ,Q JDPH GHVLJQ WKLV NLQG RI $ ’ WHVWLQJ LV FDOOHG color coding. As NYU marketing professor and author Adam Alter explains in our story:

  Color coding is where you’re trying to work out which of two versions of a mission works best,” said Alter. “You tag the code associated with one version of the mission red and the code associated with a different version

yellow. Let’s say you’re wondering whether a quest is more engaging if

\RX¶UH WU\LQJ WR VDYH VRPHRQH YHUVXV WU\LQJ WR ¿QG DQ DUWLIDFW 6R \RX UXQ DQ $ % WHVW UHOHDVLQJ YHUVLRQ $ WR ¿YH PLOOLRQ SHRSOH DQG YHUVLRQ % WR ¿YH million people. You measure different metrics, like how many people

return to the mission more than once and how long they spend. If you

discover version A works better, you go with the red code and put aside the

yellow. And you keep doing that until you have the tenth, twentieth, or

thirtieth generation of a game.

  The entire world is being color-coded. Is technology addiction real? Are you an addict? Is it a treatable condition? Who LV SUR¿WLQJ IURP WKLV" :KDW H[DFWO\ FDQ \RX GR DERXW LW" Step 1 is reading our story.

  dan_costa@pcmag.com PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION ^{SUBSCRIBE MAY 2018}

READER INPUT

  Great article! Been feeling the same way about the data from my Fitbit Ionic I bought last year, especially the sleep data. The data is neat, but how does it really help me?

  —ChrisAN82

  Ms. Song: loved your article! Mainly, I admire your courage as you use yourself as the example RI VRPHRQH ¿QGLQJ VRPHWKLQJ XVHIXO LQ ¿WQHVV

  Fitness

  trackers. At the beginning, I wondered what thing

  Trackers

  all those trackers would reveal that you didn’t

  Changed

  know. Then you described polycystic ovary syndrome, and the light bulb went on. Of course!

  My Life

  Metrics from the tracker revealed that anomalous weight gain instead of loss couldn’t be the result of anything you did intentionally—it had to be

  :HDUDEOHV DQDO\VW something else. Victoria Song’s

  —Ted Thomas

  SHUVRQDO ¿WQHVV tracker story resonated with (most)

  These trackers are BS. I use a heart rate monitor readers. with a strap for my running, biking, and rowing. That’s all you need to know where your zone is. —OrangeDeek I enjoyed this article, hopefully not only because of the empathy I felt with another human trying to make the best of it in this life. I’ve never used one of these devices, as my willpower seems to

  VXI¿FH IRU QRZ :KR FDQ VD\ ZKDW LW ZLOO EH OLNH D year from now? I may have need in the future for something of this sort. If you can get to a point in your life where your normal URXWLQH NHHSV \RX VXI¿FLHQWO\ KHDOWK\ DQG ¿W DQG NHHS LW XS \RX VKRXOG UHDS WKH EHQH¿WV +RZHYHU PHDQV \RX PDQDJH WKLV LV XS WR HDFK RI XV RI FRXUVH EXW VLQFH OLIH has a nasty habit of throwing curve balls, motivation and adaptability are key. It’s amazing how easy it is to distill this life philosophy down to several sentences; trying to live it is the real challenge. Strength to you.

  —Dave Brumley Thanks for the insights. You’re not alone, as I know a few people wearing at least two different devices, me included. Sorry you had to go through that movie scare, bad HQRXJK WKH GRXJK \RX KDYH WR GURS DQG QRZ FUD]\ RQ WRS RI LW , OLNH WR WKLQN ¿WQHVV trackers help, because I can clearly see weeks that are great and not so great. If I FDWFK LW HDUO\ HQRXJK , FDQ XVXDOO\ WXUQ WKLQJV DURXQG E\ PDNLQJ VXUH , JHW D KDOI hour walk or hop on the bike. Looking forward to future tech of wearables. —TrailMixFan The last FitBit I bought would record anywhere from 400 to 1000 steps on my drive to work. Kind of skewed the amount calories I was burning per day. —The Founder

  Ask us a question! Have a question about a story in PC Magazine , one of the products we cover, or how to better use a tech product you own? Email us at letters@pcmag.com and we’ll respond to your question here. Questions may be edited slightly for content and clarity. _{PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION SUBSCRIBE MAY 2018} ?

  WHAT’S NEW NOW

FAST FORWARD

  

Fast Forward: Why Intel’s Diane

Bryant Isn’t Afraid of AI

  Fast Forward is a series of conversations with tech leaders hosted by Dan

  

Costa, PCMag’s Editor-in-Chief. Diane Bryant is EVP and General Manager of

,QWHO¶V 'DWD &HQWHU *URXS 6KH DQG 'DQ VSRNH DERXW DUWL¿FLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH Dan Costa: Most people think data centers are kind of boring, but you can do incredible things with them. It’s also the most profitable division inside of Intel. People think of Intel as a chip company, but the data center business has exploded in recent years, and part of that is driving this AI revolution.

  Diane Bryant:

  5LJKW $EVROXWHO\ 7KH DUWL¿FLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH« GLVFLSOLQH ZDV IRXQGHG LQ VR ZH¶UH WDONLQJ D ORQJ WLPH DJR $QG VR LW¶V FUD]\ WR QRZ WKLQN

  The data

  DERXW KRZ WKDW DUHD KDV VLPSO\ H[SORGHG DQG LV

  center

  WUDQVIRUPLQJ OLWHUDOO\ DOO EXVLQHVVHV $QG LW¶OO WUDQVIRUP

  business has

  WKH ZD\ \RX DQG , HQJDJH ZLWK WKH ZRUOG 7KLV KDV DOO MXVW KDSSHQHG UHDOO\ LQ WKH V LW¶V MXVW UHDOO\ WDNHQ exploded in RII

  recent years, and part of Artificial intelligence can be difficult to define. that is driving How do you define it? this AI revolution.

  $UWL¿FLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH LV D FRPSXWHU V\VWHP ZLWK KXPDQ OLNH FDSDELOLWLHV VR WKH DELOLW\ WR WKLQN DQG SUHGLFW WR OHDUQ DQG SUHGLFW 7KDW¶V WKH GH¿QLWLRQ RI LW <RX VD\ µ:HOO LW VRXQGV SUHWW\ VLPSOH VR ZK\ GLG LW WDNH IURP WR QRZ"¶ 7KH LVVXH LV LQ RUGHU IRU D FRPSXWHU V\VWHP WR EH DEOH WR OHDUQ DQG WR GHPRQVWUDWH VRPH RI WKRVH KXPDQ DWWULEXWHV RI OHDUQLQJ DQG SUHGLFWLQJ DQ HYHQW \RX KDYH WR IHHG LW PDVVLYH PDVVLYH DPRXQWV RI GDWD DQG FRPSXWH RQ WKHVH YHU\ YHU\ ODUJH PRGHOV ,W¶V JRLQJ WR WDNH D ORW RI LQIRUPDWLRQ IRU D FRPSXWHU V\VWHP WR GUDZ D FRQFOXVLRQ +LVWRULFDOO\ WKHUH MXVW KDV QRW EHHQ WKH DIIRUGDEOH FRPSXWH FDSDFLW\ DQG VWRUDJH FDSDFLW\ DQG QHWZRUN EDQGZLGWK FDSDFLW\ WR DFWXDOO\ SURFHVV WKDW PDJQLWXGH RI LQIRUPDWLRQ :H¶OO WDNH FUHGLW DW ,QWHO IRU 0RRUH¶V /DZ DQG WKLV HYHU LQFUHDVLQJ EHDW UDWH RI GHOLYHU\²PRUH DQG PRUH WHFKQRORJ\ PRUH FDSDELOLW\ DW ORZHU FRVW %HFDXVH RI

  0RRUH¶V /DZ \RX JHW WR WKH SRLQW ZKHUH \RX OLWHUDOO\ FDQ FRPSXWH RQ WKRVH PDVVLYH GDWD VHWV DQG DFWXDOO\ KDYH D FRPSXWHU V\VWHP SUHGLFW DQ HYHQW IRU \RX

  There’s a processing component to it, and it’s also that you need the data sets to work with.

  $EVROXWHO\ 7KHUH¶V WKH FRPSXWH DQG VWRUDJH WHFKQRORJ\ WKDW P\ RUJDQL]DWLRQ¶V UHVSRQVLEOH IRU GHOLYHULQJ WKH

  IXQGDPHQWDO WHFKQRORJ\ LQWR WKRVH V\VWHPV 7KHQ \RX QHHG WKH DOJRULWKPV WKRVH SUHGLFWLYH DOJRULWKPV ZKLFK

  Then you

  LV D UDSLGO\ HYROYLQJ VSDFH UHDOO\ D IXQ VSDFH²ORWV DQG

  need the

  ORWV RI GDWD VFLHQWLVWV QHHGHG LQ RUGHU WR NHHS WKDW EHDW

  algorithms,

  UDWH JRLQJ 7KHQ \RX¶UH ULJKW WKHUH¶V WKH VRIWZDUH DQG

  those

  VHUYLFH RQ WRS RI LW ,W¶V DQ HQWLUH VROXWLRQ VHW WKDW QHHGV

  predictive

  WR FRPH WRJHWKHU

  algorithms, which is a Intel plays in this solution set in multiple places. rapidly evolving space.

  :H GR $W RXU KHDUW ZH¶UH D WHFKQRORJ\ FRPSDQ\ $V \RX QRWHG LQ WKH ROG GD\V ZH ZHUH WKH 3& FRPSDQ\ WKDW¶V RXU URRWV RXU OHJDF\ In the old days, we were the PC Magazine.

  There you go.

  Now we’re much more.

  1RZ we’re PXFK PRUH :H¶YH DOO HYROYHG WR EH ELJJHU DQG EHWWHU :H ZHUH WKH 3& FRPSDQ\ DQG QRZ ZLWK WKH

  IDFW WKDW HYHU\ FRPSDQ\ LV LQFUHDVLQJO\ GHSHQGHQW XSRQ

  VHUYHU VWRUDJH DQG QHWZRUN LQIUDVWUXFWXUH QRW MXVW WR UXQ WKHLU EXVLQHVV OLNH WKH JRRG ROG IDVKLRQHG ,7 RUJDQL]DWLRQ ZDV WKHUH WR KHOS EXVLQHVVHV UXQ WKHLU EXVLQHVV 1RZ >LW¶V@ XVLQJ ,7 VHUYLFHV DV UHYHQXH RSSRUWXQLWLHV VR FORXG VHUYLFHV WR DXJPHQW \RXU H[LVWLQJ revenue stream.

  6HH \RX KHDU DERXW HYHU\ FRPSDQ\ RQ WKH SODQHW LV JRLQJ WKURXJK WKH GLJLWL]DWLRQ RI WKHLU FRPSDQ\ :KDW GRHV LW PHDQ WR EH OLYLQJ LQ WKH ZRUOG RI PRELOH FRPSXWLQJ DQG FORXG FRPSXWLQJ" ,W LV GH¿QLWHO\ HYROYHG :H¶YH PRYHG

  IURP WKH 3& FRPSDQ\ WR WKH GDWD FHQWHU FRPSDQ\ DQG DOO RI WKH ELOOLRQV RI WKLQJV WKDW FRQQHFW LQWR WKH GDWD FHQWHU

  Every business is becoming a technology business. You may be a retailer, but you need to not just use these tools, but use them to innovate.

  $W ,QWHO WKHQ RXU UHVSRQVLELOLW\ LV REYLRXVO\ WR FRQWLQXH WR VHUYH WKRVH HQWHUSULVHV WKHLU ,7 RUJDQL]DWLRQV WKDW KDYH WKH WUDGLWLRQDO ,7 RSHUDWLRQV EXW DOVR RXU UHVSRQVLELOLW\ LV WR KHOS WKRVH FRPSDQLHV HYROYH WKHPVHOYHV WR GLJLWL]H WR ORRN IRU QHZ UHYHQXH VWUHDPV DQG QHZ UHYHQXH RSSRUWXQLWLHV EDVHG RQ FORXG FRPSXWLQJ $Q REYLRXV HDV\ H[DPSOH RI DUWL¿FLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH DSSOLHG WR DQ H[LVWLQJ LQGXVWU\ LV DXWRQRPRXV GULYLQJ RU DVVLVWHG GULYLQJ PRYLQJ WR KLJKO\ DXWRQRPRXV GULYLQJ PRYLQJ WR IXOO\ DXWRQRPRXV GULYLQJ RXW LQ

  7KDW KDSSHQV EHFDXVH \RX KDYH D FDU PDQXIDFWXUHU DQG WKH\ KDYH QRZ HYROYHG WR ZKHUH WKH\¶UH JRLQJ WR GHSOR\ FORXG VHUYLFHV WR WKHLU FRQVXPHUV VR , VHOO \RX WKH FDU EXW WKHQ , FRQWLQXH WR HQJDJH ZLWK \RX DQG GHSOR\ VHUYLFHV WR WKDW FDU ZKHWKHU LW¶V QDYLJDWLRQ VHUYLFHV RU HQWHUWDLQPHQW VHUYLFHV RU PDLQWHQDQFH

  VHUYLFHV 7KRVH DUH DGGLWLRQDO VHUYLFHV WKDW , GHSOR\ ZLWK \RX DQG WKHQ RYHU WLPH \RX HQG XS EHLQJ DQ DXWRQRPRXV FDU PDQXIDFWXUHU DQG \RX¶UH QRZ UHDOO\ D WHFKQRORJ\ FRPSDQ\ ZLWK FDUV

  In terms of AI, it’s early days in a lot of ways, but there are AI systems available today. Can you just describe some of the best examples?

  <HDK WKHUH¶V D ORW RI WKHP $VVLVWHG GULYLQJ WRGD\²\RX KDYH FDUV WKDW ZLOO JLYH \RX D WKUHH SRLQW SDUNLQJ VROXWLRQ RU NHHS \RX LQ \RXU ODQH 7KH KHDOWKFDUH LQGXVWU\ LV UDSLGO\ GHSOR\LQJ $, VROXWLRQV :H ZRUNHG ZLWK VRPH RI WKH ELJJHVW KRVSLWDOV LQ &KLQD UHFHQWO\ RQ DQ $, VROXWLRQ WKDW DOORZV WKH $, V\VWHP WR DFWXDOO\ UHDG \RXU PHGLFDO LPDJHV WR GHWHUPLQH ZKHWKHU RU QRW \RX KDYH D PDOLJQDQW WXPRU 7KH\ KDYH D VLJQL¿FDQW VKRUWDJH RI UDGLRORJLVWV WR GR WKDW PDQXDOO\ ZKHQ \RX KDYH D SRSXODWLRQ RI ELOOLRQ SHRSOH 2XW RI GHPDQG RXW RI D WUXH QHHG WKH\¶YH GHSOR\HG DQ $, VROXWLRQ WR GR WKDW ¿UVW SDVV DQG WKH\¶YH SURYHQ QRZ WKDW WKH $, VROXWLRQ LV DFWXDOO\ PRUH DFFXUDWH WKDQ WKH KXPDQ EDVHG VROXWLRQ <RX KDYH DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ KHUH WKURXJK $, WR XQOHDVK D FRQVWUDLQW <RX¶UH GHOLYHULQJ DQ $, VROXWLRQ HLWKHU WR GHOLYHU \RX VRPHWKLQJ \RX QHYHU KDG EHIRUH OLNH DVVLVWHG GULYLQJ RU WR XQOHDVK D SK\VLFDO IXQGDPHQWDO FRQVWUDLQW LQ WKH V\VWHP OLNH D VKRUWDJH RI D FHUWDLQ VNLOO VHW RU RSSRUWXQLW\

  

It seems like a lot of the promise of AI is to break through a lot of those

constraints in all sorts of different industries.

  ,Q DOO VRUWV RI LQGXVWULHV :H WDONHG WKLV PRUQLQJ ZLWK D FRPSDQ\ FDOOHG )DUP/RJV DQG LW ZDV IRXQGHG E\ WZR NLGV WKDW JUHZ XS RQ IDUPV $QG WKH\ ORRNHG DW WKH ZRUOG RI WHFKQRORJ\ DQG VDLG µ+RZ FRPH WHFKQRORJ\ KDVQ¶W FRPH WR RXU ZRUOG OHW DORQH WKH IDUPLQJ FRPPXQLW\"¶ 7KHUH¶V D KXJH GHPDQG SHQW

XS GHPDQG 7KH ZRUOG EDQNV ZLOO VD\ WKDW E\ WKH ZRUOG QHHGV WR LQFUHDVH

  WLPH² ELOOLRQ SHRSOH SURMHFWHG²DQG WR GR VR ZKLOH WKH DPRXQW RI DJULFXOWXUDO

ODQG WRWDO LV GHFOLQLQJ HYHU\ VLQJOH \HDU

  ,W¶V D KXJH FKDOOHQJH <RX KDYH D KXJH FRQVWUDLQW D IXQGDPHQWDO FRQVWUDLQW DURXQG IRRG SURGXFWLRQ WKHUH¶V QRWKLQJ PRUH EDVLF <RX WDNH DUWL¿FLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH \RX DSSO\ LW WR WKH ¿HOG 1RZ \RX FDQ DJJUHJDWH GDWD DERXW

ZHDWKHU DQG VRLO FRQWHQW DQG IHUWLOL]DWLRQ DQG RXWSXW \LHOG RI WKDW DFUHDJH RI

  IDUPHUV JHW D ELJJHU UHWXUQ RXW RI WKHLU ¿[HG FDSDFLW\

  

It’s really something that’s happening globally, too. In the US, we have a

certain set of problems, certain sets of issues, but when you start to scale this technology out globally, that’s where it really starts to make a difference.

  :HOO LW LV <RX WKLQN DERXW &KLQD DV D VWLOO GHYHORSLQJ QDWLRQ DQG \HW WKH\ DUH WKH ¿UVW WR HPEUDFH QH[W JHQHUDWLRQ WHFKQRORJ\ 7KH\ GRQ¶W KDYH WKH OHJDF\ LQ PDQ\ LQVWDQFHV 7KH\¶UH QRW FDUU\LQJ DURXQG WKH ZD\ ZH XVHG WR GR WKLQJV DQG KDYLQJ WR JR WKURXJK WKDW FKDQJH IDFWRU 7KH\¶UH DFWXDOO\ EULQJLQJ XS VROXWLRQV

DV FRPSXWHU EDVHG $, VROXWLRQV

  

See a video of the full interview and many more at pcmag.com/podcasts/fast-

forward.

  PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION _{SUBSCRIBE MAY 2018}

  WHAT’S NEW NOW NEWS

  

What is Nvidia Max-Q?

BY MATTHEW BUZZI

  raditionally, gaming laptops have been hulking machines with big screens and short battery lives. They were meant to stay put on a desk. The cooling systems required to run the discrete graphics cards have typically makes standard gaming laptops large and heavy.

  T

  6LJQL¿FDQW VWULGHV KDYH EHHQ PDGH LQ WKH SDVW IHZ \HDUV WR VROYH WKLV SUREOHP²

  5D]HU IRU RQH GHVHUYHV D WLS RI WKH KDW IRU LWV VOHHN DQG VOLP %ODGH OLQH %XW LI \RX ZDQW D VOLP JDPLQJ ODSWRS \RX¶OO QHHG WR PDNH VRPH VDFUL¿FHV 7KH EHVW

JUDSKLFV \RX FDQ JHW LQ WKH LQFK 5D]HU %ODGH LV DQ 1YLGLD *7; FDUG

  ZKLFK LV D PRGHUDWH SHUIRUPHU ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR JDPLQJ

  %XW 1YLGLD LV DLPLQJ WR KHOS VROYH WKH SUREOHP ZLWK LWV 0D[ 4 LQLWLDWLYH 7KH WHUP 0D[ 4 LV ERUURZHG IURP WKH DHURQDXWLFV LQGXVWU\ ZKHUH LW UHIHUV WR WKH PD[LPXP DPRXQW RI DHURG\QDPLF VWUHVV DQ DLUFUDIW FDQ VXVWDLQ ,Q WKH ZRUOG RI JUDSKLFV FDUGV LW PHDQV WKH VZHHW VSRW EHWZHHQ JUDSKLFV SHUIRUPDQFH DQG KHDW SURGXFWLRQ 0D[ 4 YHUVLRQV RI WKH VWDQGDUG KLJK HQG JUDSKLFV FDUGV XWLOL]H D FRPELQDWLRQ RI KDUGZDUH DQG VRIWZDUH PRGL¿FDWLRQV WR SXW D FDS RQ SHUIRUPDQFH EXW WKH\ FDQ ¿W LQ PXFK VPDOOHU VSDFHV %\ OLPLWLQJ WKH SRZHU FHLOLQJ RI FDUGV OLNH WKH *7; DQG *7; OHVV KHDW LV SURGXFHG VR OHVV URRP LV UHTXLUHG IRU FRROLQJ DQG KHDW GLVVLSDWLRQ ,Q WXUQ WKLV DOORZV KLJKHU HQG JUDSKLFV FDUGV WR ¿W LQWR WKLQQHU FKDVVLV WKDQ WUDGLWLRQDOO\ SRVVLEOH UHVXOWLQJ LQ VOLP EXW SRZHUIXO JDPLQJ ODSWRSV

  MAX-Q IN ACTION

  7KHUH DUH WUDGHRIIV WR FRQVLGHU 0D[ 4 WXQHG JUDSKLFV FDUGV DUHQ¶W DV SRZHUIXO DV VWDQGDUG YHUVLRQV SXVKLQJ IHZHU IUDPHV SHU VHFRQG ZKLOH JDPLQJ ,Q RXU WHVWLQJ 0D[ 4 JUDSKLFV FDUG YHUVLRQV SHUIRUP VRPHZKHUH EHWZHHQ WKH FDUG EHORZ LQ WKH KLHUDUFK\ DQG WKH VWDQGDUG FDUGV WKH\¶UH EDVHG XSRQ )RU H[DPSOH WKH $VXV 52* =HSK\UXV WKH ¿UVW 0D[ 4 QRWHERRN ZH WHVWHG LQFOXGHV D 0D[ 4

• 7; WKDW SRVWHG ' DQG JDPLQJ QXPEHUV VLPLODU WR D VWDQGDUG *7; FDUG :H IRXQG WKDW WUHQG WR EH FRQVLVWHQW LQ RWKHU FRPSDULVRQV ZLWK D VOLJKW variance among laptops.

  ,Q RXU H[SHULHQFH ZLWK 0D[ 4 ODSWRSV ZH¶YH IRXQG WKDW WKH EHVW UHVXOWV FRPH

  IURP D FRPELQDWLRQ RI WKH JUDSKLFV SHUIRUPDQFH FDS DQG ZKROHVDOH IURP WKH JURXQG XS KDUGZDUH HQKDQFHPHQWV 7KH =HSK\UXV LV GHVLJQHG ZLWK FKDVVLV HQKDQFHPHQWV VXFK DV D SHUIRUDWHG NH\ERDUG GHFN DQG ERWWRP YHQWLODWLRQ ÀDSV WKDW RSHQ ZKHQ WKH VFUHHQ FODPVKHOO LV OLIWHG 7KRXJK WKH ÀDSV DUH D ELW ÀLPV\ the laptop runs coolly and quietly, which is impressive.

  2Q WKH RWKHU HQG RI WKH VSHFWUXP LV WKH 06, *6 95 5* 6WHDOWK 3UR ZKLFK KDV D 0D[ 4 *7; EXLOW LQWR DQ H[LVWLQJ FKDVVLV IURP DQRWKHU 06, ODSWRS Yes it’s thin, but without any special design considerations, so it runs noticeably hot.

  8QIRUWXQDWHO\ EDWWHU\ OLIH RQ WKH 0D[ 4 QRWHERRNV ZH¶YH WHVWHG KDV \HW WR IXOO\ PDWFK WKH WKLQ DQG OLJKW IRUP IDFWRU 7KH =HSK\UXV ODVWHG MXVW KRXUV DQG PLQXWHV RQ RXU UXQGRZQ WHVW 7KH 06, DQG 2ULJLQ 3& (92 6 DW

  2ULJLQ 3& IDUH EHWWHU UXQQLQJ IRU DQG UHVSHFWLYHO\ EXW QHLWKHU DUH especially long.

POWER VERSUS PORTABILITY

  :KHWKHU D 0D[ 4 ODSWRS LV ULJKW IRU \RX FRPHV GRZQ WR RQH WKLQJ $UH \RX ZLOOLQJ WR VDFUL¿FH SRZHU IRU WKLQQHVV DQG SRUWDELOLW\" ,I \RX¶UH PRUH FRQFHUQHG ZLWK SXVKLQJ DV PDQ\ SL[HOV DV SRVVLEOH DQG GRQ¶W SODQ WR PRYH \RXU ODSWRS RIWHQ 0D[ 4 SUREDEO\ LVQ¶W WKH VROXWLRQ IRU \RX ,I \RX WUDYHO IUHTXHQWO\ RU RIWHQ SOD\ JDPHV LQ PXOWLSOH ORFDWLRQV WKRXJK 0D[ 4 LV WKH EHVW PHWKRG ZH¶YH

  VHHQ IRU ¿WWLQJ WKH WRS WLHU JUDSKLFV FDUGV LQWR VOLP ODSWRS EXLOGV ,W ZRXOG EH LGHDO LI VOLP LQFK ODSWRSV FRXOG SDFN *7; FDUGV EXW WKH WHFKQRORJ\ VLPSO\ LVQ¶W WKHUH \HW ,I WKH LQLWLDO ZDYH RI 0D[ 4 ODSWRSV SURYH SRSXODU HQRXJK WR LWHUDWH XSRQ ZH¶OO OLNHO\ VHH VOLPPHU V\VWHPV ZLWK IHZHU FRQFHVVLRQV +RSHIXOO\ 1YLGLD FDQ FRQWLQXH WR WZHDN WKH 0D[ 4 IRUPXOD DQG

IXWXUH JDPLQJ ODSWRSV ZLOO EH DEOH WR GHOLYHU HYHQ PRUH SRZHU ZLWK ORQJHU

EDWWHU\ OLIH

  WHAT’S NEW NOW

NEWS STORY

  How Virtual Avatars Help Stroke Patients Improve Motor Function

BY S.C. STUART

  ‘m hooked up to a 16-channel brain machine interface with 12 channels of EEG on my head and ears and four channels of electromyography (EMG) on my arms. An Oculus Rift VR headset occludes my vision. Two inertial measurement units (IMU) are stuck to my wrists and forearms, tracking the

  I

  orientation of my arms, while the EMG monitors my electrical impulses and peripheral nerve activity.

  Dr. Sook-Lei Liew, Director of USC’s Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory, and Julia Anglin, Research Lab Supervisor and Technician, wait to record my baseline activity and observe a monitor with a representation of my real arm and a virtual limb. I see the same image from inside the Rift.

  “Ready?” asks Dr. Liew. “Don’t move—or think.”

  I stay still, close my eyes, and let my mind go blank. Anglin records my baseline activity, allowing the brain- machine interface to take signals from the EEG and

  I don’t move

  EMG, alongside the IMU, and use that data to inform

  a muscle, but an algorithm that drives the virtual avatar hand. I think about

  “Now just think about moving your arm to the avatar’s

  movement position,” says Dr. Liew. while I’m looking at

  I don’t move a muscle, but I think about movement

  the two arms while I’m looking at the two arms on the screen. on the

  Suddenly, my virtual arm moves toward the avatar screen. appendage inside the VR world.

  Something happened just because I thought about it! I’ve read tons of data on how this works, even seen other people do it, especially inside gaming environments, but it’s something else to experience it for yourself.

  “Very weird isn’t it?” says David Karchem, one of Dr. Liew’s trial patients. Karchem suffered a stroke while driving his car eight years ago, and he’s shown _{VR rehab at USC} remarkable recovery using her system.

VIRTUAL THERAPY

  The Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory’s missions is “to enhance neural plasticity in a wide population of individuals in order to improve their quality of life and engagement in meaningful activities.” (Photo: Nate Jensen) ne ni

  “My stroke came out of the blue, and it was terrifying, because I suddenly couldn’t function. I managed to get my car through an intersection and call the paramedics. I don’t know how,” Karchem says. He gets around with a walking stick today and has relatively normal function on the right side of his body. But his left side is clearly damaged from the stroke. While talking, he unwraps surgical bandages and a splint from his left hand, crooked into his chest, to show Dr. Liew the progress since his last VR session.

  As a former software engineer, Karchem isn’t fazed by using advanced technology to aid the clinical process. “I quickly learned, in fact, that the more intellectual and physical stimulation you get, the faster you can recover as the EUDLQ VWDUWV WR ¿UH ,¶P VRPHWKLQJ RI D ODE UDW QRZ DQG , ORYH LW ´ KH VD\V

REINVENT YOURSELF

  Karchem is participating in Dr. Liew’s REINVENT (Rehabilitation Environment using the Integration of Neuromuscular-based Virtual Enhancements for Neural Training) project, funded by the American Heart Association, under a National Innovative Research Grant. It’s designed to help patients who have suffered strokes reconnect their brains to their bodies.

  VR rehab at USC (Photo: Nate Jensen)”My PhD in Occupational Science, with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience, focused on how experience changes brain networks,” explains Dr. Liew. “I continued this work as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health, before joining USC, in my current role, in 2015.

  “Our main goal here is to enhance neural plasticity or neural recovery in individuals using noninvasive brain stimulation, brain-computer interfaces, and novel learning paradigms to improve patients’ quality of life

  As a former and engagement in meaningful activities,” she says. software engineer,

  Here’s the science bit: The human putative mirror

  Karchem isn’t

  neuron system (MNS) is a key motor network in the

  fazed by using

  brain that’s active both when you perform an action,

  advanced

  like moving your arm, and when you simply watch

  technology to

  someone else—like a virtual avatar—perform that same

  aid the clinical

  action. Dr. Liew hypothesizes that for stroke patients process. who can’t move their arm, simply watching a virtual avatar that moves in response to their brain commands will activate the MNS and retrain damaged or neighboring motor regions of the brain to take over the role of motor performance. This should lead to improved motor function.

  “In previous occupational therapy sessions, we found many people with severe strokes got frustrated because they didn’t know if they were activating the right neural networks when we asked them to ‘think about moving’ while we physically helped them to do so,” Dr. Liew says. “If they can’t move at all, even if the right neurological signals are happening, they have no biological feedback to reinforce the learning and help them continue the physical therapy to recover.” For many people, the knowledge that there’s “intent before movement”—in that the brain has to “think” about moving before the body will do so, is news. We also contain a “body map” inside our heads that predicts our spacetime presence in the world (so we don’t bash into things all the time and know when something is wrong). Both of these brain-body elements face massive disruption after a stroke. The brain literally doesn’t know how to help the body move.

FROM THE CONFERENCE HALL TO THE LAB

  What Dr. Liew’s VR platform has done is show patients how this causal link works and aid speedier and less

  We have seen

  frustrating recovery in real life. She got the idea while

  that people who geeking out in Northern California one day. have had a

  “I went to the Experiential Technology Conference in

  stroke are able

  San Francisco in 2015 and saw demos of intersections

  to ‘embody’ an

  of neuroscience and technology, including EEG-based

  avatar that does

  experiments, wearables, and so on. I could see the

  move, even

  potential to help our clinical population by building a

  though their

  sensory-visual motor contingency between your own own cannot. body and an avatar that you’re told is ‘you,’ which provides rewarding sensory feedback to reestablish brain-body signals.

  “Inside VR, you start to map the two together; it’s astonishing. It becomes an automatic process. We have seen that people who have had a stroke are able to ‘embody’ an avatar that does move, even though their own body, right now, cannot,” she says.

  Dr. Liew’s system is somewhat hacked together, in the best possible Maker Movement style; she built what GLGQ¶W H[LVW DQG PRGL¿HG ZKDW GLG WR KHU UHTXLUHPHQWV

  “We wanted to keep costs low and build a working device that patients could actually afford to buy. We use Oculus for the [head-mounted display]. Then, while most EEG systems are $10,000 or more, we use an OpenBCI system to build our own, with EMG, for under $1,000.

  “We needed an EEG cap, but most EEG manufacturers wanted to charge us $200 or more. So, we decided to hack the rest of the system together, ordering a swim cap from Amazon, taking a mallet, and bashing holes in it to match up where the 12 positions on the head electrodes needed to be placed (within the 10-10 international EEG system). We also 3D print the EEG clips and IMU holders here at the lab.

  “For the EMG, we use off-the-shelf disposable sensors. This allows us to track the electromyography, if they do have trace muscular activity. In terms of the software platform, we coded custom elements in C# from Microsoft and implemented them in the Unity3D game engine.” Dr. Liew is very keen to bridge the gap between academia and the tech industry; she just submitted a new academic paper with the latest successful trial results from her work for publication. Last year, she spoke at SXSW 2017 about how

  VR affects the brain and debuted REINVENT at the conference’s VR Film Festival. It received a “Special Jury Recognition for Innovative Use of Virtual Reality in the Field of Health.” Going forward, Dr. Liew would like to bring her research to a wider audience: “I feel the future of brain-computer interfaces splits into adaptive, as with implanted electrodes, and rehabilitative, which is what we work on. What we hope to do with REINVENT is allow patients to use our system to re-train their neural pathways, [so they] eventually won’t need it, as they’ll have recovered.

  “We’re talking now about a commercial spinoff potential. We’re able to license the technology right now, but, as researchers, our focus, for the moment, is in

  IXUWKHULQJ WKLV ¿HOG DQG GHOLYHULQJ PRUH WULDO UHVXOWV LQ SXEOLVKHG SHHU UHYLHZHG papers. Once we have enough data, we can use machine learning to tailor the system precisely for each patient and share our results around the world.”

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION SUBSCRIBE MAY 2018

  WHAT’S NEW NOW

IT WATCH

  Want to Speed Up Your Users’ Internet? Look at

BY WAYNE RASH

  Your DNS Server

  he Domain Name System (DNS) is crucial to how your users experience the internet. Each time users need to reach a website, their PCs need to translate whatever they type in the address bar into an IP address. Since most people can’t remember IP addresses, they type in the name of a website or

  T other internet location.

  After someone types in something like “PCMag.com,” the computer sends that name out to a DNS server; it looks up the IP address and sends it back to the PC. Once the computer has the IP address, the user can navigate to the website.

THE DNS SLOWDOWN

  As you can imagine, it takes time for a DNS server to look up an IP address. It also takes time for the request to reach the server and for the address to travel back to

  Enough

  the computer. This causes latency, and enough latency

  latency can

  can cause users to swamp your helpdesk inbox with

  cause users to

  trouble tickets complaining of “slow internet.”

  swamp your helpdesk inbox

  Fortunately, a few DNS server operators are working on

  with trouble

  this problem by speeding up their part of the process,

  tickets offering lookup services with as little latency as possible. complaining of

  In a move reminiscent of edge computing, these service

  ‘slow internet.’

  providers are not only spreading out the computing load but are also putting their servers as close as possible to users, which means “travel time” latency is minimized.

  2QH VXFK '16 VHUYLFH SURYLGHU LV &ORXGÀDUH '16 7KLV provider’s servers have the same IP address (1.1.1.1), ZKLFK \RXU URXWHU FDQ ¿QG RQ WKH LQWHUQHW E\ XVLQJ

  VHDUFK DOJRULWKPV WKDW FKRRVH WKH VKRUWHVW SDWK ¿UVW

BETTER SECURITY

  $QRWKHU EHQH¿W RI WKHVH QHZ VHUYLFHV LV D KLJKHU OHYHO RI VHFXULW\ EH\RQG W\SLFDO managed endpoint safeguards, because they encrypt DNS requests. This means that other services along the way, including a users’ internet service provider (ISP), can’t read what’s being requested.

  “Business or IT departments can update their routers and take advantage of ´ H[SODLQHG 0LFKHOOH =DWO\Q FRIRXQGHU DQG &KLHI 2SHUDWLQJ 2I¿FHU &22 RI &ORXGÀDUH ³:H¶UH ZRUNLQJ ZLWK GLIIHUHQW ,63V WR PDNH LW HYHQ HDVLHU to access.” =DWO\Q VDLG WKDW WKHUH¶V QR FKDUJH IRU DQ RUJDQL]DWLRQ WR XVH WKH &ORXGÀDUH '16

  VHUYLFH DQG VKH VWUHVVHG WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI HQFU\SWLQJ WKH '16 UHTXHVWV ³:H¶UH D SULYDF\ ¿UVW '16 UHVROYHU ´ VKH VDLG PHQWLRQLQJ WKDW &ORXGÀDUH LV ZRUNLQJ WR encourage widespread adoption, which is why there’s no charge. Still, while any EXVLQHVV FDQ XVH WKH &ORXGÀDUH '16 VHUYLFHV LW ZLOO ZRUN EHWWHU IRU VRPH WKDQ for others.

  “Some businesses have no idea who they’re getting DNS from,” Zatlyn said, ³ZKLOH VRPH ZDQW DOO VRUWV RI ¿OWHULQJ ´ 6KH VDLG WKDW DV LW FXUUHQWO\ VWDQGV WKH &ORXGÀDUH '16 LV SUREDEO\ QRW DSSURSULDWH IRU ODUJH EXVLQHVVHV WKDW GHPDQG D lot of control over which websites are resolved and which are not.

  ³:KDW ZH GR LQ RXU FRUH VHUYLFHV LV WKDW ZH SURYLGH D ODUJH VWUDWHJLF JOREDO network in 150 cities around the world—across the US, Canada, Europe, and PDLQODQG &KLQD ´ =DWO\Q VDLG ³:H¶UH YHU\ FORVH WR ZKHUH SHRSOH DUH FRQQHFWLQJ to the internet. Because we’re closer, we’re faster.”

  A GROWING NUMBER OF PLAYERS

  &ORXGÀDUH LVQ¶W WKH RQO\ FRPSDQ\ RIIHULQJ IDVW DQG VHFXUH '16 *RRJOH LV offering a public DNS service at IP addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. And Quad9 RIIHUV D VHUYLFH WKDW¶V VLPLODU WR &ORXGÀDUH¶V EXW WKDW DOVR EORFNV PDOLFLRXV websites. By doing so, Quad9 prevents malware from reaching its command and control servers, and it prevents coin-mining attacks into the bargain. Quad9 also has an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) DNS service that offers the same fast name resolution and security features. It also has an unsecure address

  IRU XVHUV ZKR ZDQW WKH IDVW QDPH UHVROXWLRQ EXW QRW WKH ¿OWHULQJ /LNH WKH &ORXGÀDUH VHUYLFH 4XDG ZKLFK ZDV GHYHORSHG ZLWK WKH KHOS RI ,%0 LV IUHH Cisco offers OpenDNS, which is available for businesses of all sizes as well as for individual users. It’s free for individuals and very small businesses but there is a charge for other services. OpenDNS is part of the Cisco Umbrella offering, which provides a wide range of capabilities designed to secure business users.

  )RU ODUJHU FRPSDQLHV WKDW QHHG WKH ¿OWHULQJ DQG RWKHU FDSDELOLWLHV WKDW =DWO\Q mentioned, this might be the answer.

  All three services are free to individual users, which means that you can try them out and see if they make sense for you. One potential difference is latency because, again, the farther you are from the service’s nearest DNS server, the greater the potential latency.

  Remember, latency is additive. Your total lost time to latency in your business is the sum of the latency for all users. And the lost time for each user is the sum of the delay for each website, each time a user visits it. Add this to the time it takes your other internet-connected devices to get name resolution each time they need it. Even a small change can make a big improvement.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION SUBSCRIBE MAY 2018

  WHAT’S NEW NOW

TOP GEAR

  What We Love Most This Month BY CAROL MANGIS

  IDOLCAM This innovative pocket-size camera combines a three-axis gimbal for stability,

interchangeable lenses with a magnetic attachment system, beauty lighting (like that used

by fashion photography), and a 180-degree flippable touchscreen into a compact and easy-

to-use device, created to take excellent video on the go. Starts at $350.00; www.kickstarter.com

  GOOGLE’S PROJECT SOLI Imagine your hands are the only interface you need. That’s the promise of Project Soli, a purpose-built interaction sensor in a compact chip that uses radar for motion-tracking hands. At the core of how it works is a concept called Virtual Tools, which are similar to real-word tools such as buttons, dials, and sliders. TBD; https://atap.google.com/soli AURA FITNESS BAND This fitness wearable plans to take the category to the next level by getting really specific with data. It tracks your body composition, hydration levels, heart rate, and activity using bioimpedance, which creates a low-voltage electrical signal that measures your body tissues’ resistance. The Aura also lets you send data directly to your insurance company, fitness center, or doctor. Starts at $99; www.kickstarter.com PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION _{SUBSCRIBE MAY 2018}

  COMMENTARY

Alexa, Teach Me How to

Talk to You jarin

  KHQ $SSOH LQWURGXFHG LWV ¿UVW personal digital assistant (PDA), the

  W

  Newton, in 1992, it was clear from the start that it was not long for this world. As a concept, the Newton was a head-turner, but its design and functions were weak, to say the least.

  Tim Bajarin is the

  The Newton’s biggest problem was the deeply

  president of Creative

  ÀDZHG KDQGZULWLQJ UHFRJQLWLRQ WHFKQRORJ\ 7KH

  Strategies and a consultant, analyst,

  mobile processors available at the time were

  and futurist covering

  incapable of handling this task with any level of

  personal computers

  accuracy or precision, while the software was

  and consumer technology.

  poorly executed.

  Tim Ba

  , UHPHPEHU À\LQJ WR &KLFDJR IRU WKH ODXQFK RI WKH

  1HZWRQ DW WKH UHTXHVW RI WKHQ $SSOH &(2 -RKQ Sculley, who had driven the project from the beginning. But during the onstage demo, the handwriting recognition failed repeatedly. We were told it was an early version of the software, but I had a strong sense that Apple was overpromising.

  During the early years of the Newton, Palm &RPSXWLQJ IRXQGHU -HII +DZNLQV EHJDQ ZRUNLQJ on his own version of a PDA. While that device

ZDV VWLOO LQ GHYHORSPHQW +DZNLQV LQYLWHG PH WR

  KLV RI¿FH WR VHH D PRFNXS ZKLFK ZDV D ZRRGHQ block sculpted to look like what would eventually became the PalmPilot.

  @Bajarin

  , DVNHG +DZNLQV ZK\ KH WKRXJKW WKH 1HZWRQ KDG

IDLOHG +H SRLQWHG WR KLV WLPH DW *ULG 6\VWHPV

  ZKLFK LQWURGXFHG WKH ¿UVW UHDO SHQ FRPSXWLQJ ODSWRS LQ WKH *ULG3DG ,W WRR KDG D ORZ OHYHO &38 DQG ZDV QRW DEOH WR KDQGOH WUXH FKDUDFWHU UHFRJQLWLRQ %XW LW WDXJKW +DZNLQV WKDW ZKHQ LW came to pen input and character recognition, one

  jarin

  needed to follow an exact formula and write the characters as stated in the manual.

  7KDW¶V ZK\ WKH 3DOP3LORW LQFOXGHG WKH *UDI¿WL writing system, which taught a user how to write D QXPEHU OHWWHU RI WKH DOSKDEHW DQG VSHFL¿F characters (such as # and $) in ways the

  3DOP3LORW FRXOG XQGHUVWDQG , ZDV RQH RI WKH ¿UVW WR WHVW D 3DOP3LORW DQG , IRXQG *UDI¿WL WR EH YHU\ LQWXLWLYH 2QH FRXOG FDOO WKLV D IRUP RI UHYHUVH programming, since the machine was teaching me how to use it in the language it understood.

  Tim Ba

  Fast forward to today, and I believe we have a

  VLPLODU WKLQJ JRLQJ RQ ZLWK GLJLWDO DVVLVWDQWV 2QH big difference this time around is that processing power along with AI and machine learning makes these digital assistants much smarter—but they’re not always accurate. ,Q ZKDW , WKLQN RI DV D *UDI¿WL OLNH PRYH $PD]RQ

  VHQGV PH ZHHNO\ HPDLOV WKDW LQFOXGH RYHU D GR]HQ new questions Alexa can answer. This is also reverse programming of a kind, as it teaches me to ask Alexa the proper questions.

  From a recent email, here are some of the new things Alexa can respond to: “Alexa, what’s on your mind?”

  “Alexa, what’s another word for ‘happy?’” “Alexa, what can I make with chicken and spinach?”

  These weekly

  “Alexa, call Mom.”

  prompts allow

  “Alexa, test my spelling skills.”

  me and other

  “Alexa, wake me up in the morning.”

  Echo owners to

  “Alexa, how long is the movie Black Panther?”

  jarin understand

  “Alexa, speak in iambic pentameter.”

  the proper way

  “Alexa, how many days until Memorial Day?”

  to ask Alexa a question.

  7KHVH ZHHNO\ SURPSWV DOORZ PH DQG RWKHU (FKR owners to understand the proper way to ask Alexa D TXHVWLRQ DQG WKH\ EXLOG XS RXU FRQ¿GHQFH LQ interacting with the platform.

  I have no doubt that as faster processors, machine learning, and AI are applied to digital assistants, they will get smarter. But I suspect that more and more companies that create digital DVVLVWDQWV ZLOO DOVR VWDUW XVLQJ $PD]RQ¶V PRGHO RI

  Tim Ba

  teaching people how to ask questions that are more in line with how their digital assistants want a query to be stated.

  tim_bajarin@pcmag.com

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION SUBSCRIBE MAY 2018

  I I

  COMMENTARY Tesla’s Tussle With Feds Over Model X Accident Is omb a Fool’s Errand c

  ilicon Valley trailblazers have reshaped our lives with their innovations. But the

  w S