Category: Percolate

Why More Hospitals Should Get Into eHealth

Posted on by Lab Team

Read the original story on: MobiHealthNews

New Jersey hospital Morristown Medical Center recently opened up an on-site eHealth store that focuses on health app and wearables. Dubbed HealtheConnect, the physical store aims to encourage patients, family members, and medical professionals learn about health apps and wearable devices. While the store is currently backed by the hospital’s foundation, the hospital claims that its longterm plan is to transition it into a standalone operation and revenue stream over next year.

By The Numbers: Google And Facebook Fighting Over Social Logins

Posted on by Lab Team

According to recent research by Statista, in the past year, Google has been narrowing its gap on Facebook in the fight over third-party social logins. Back in the last quater of 2013, Facebook had a 10% lead on Google in social logins, an advantage that shrank down to a mere 3% by the end of last year.

Social logins are incredibly valuable to companies like Google and Facebook because it extends their reach into other web domains other than their own, collecting more data about their users’ interests and habits cross websites and platforms and ultimately building a more comprehensive profile of their consumers.

Look Out Netflix! Amazon Is Coming For You

Posted on by Lab Team

Read the original story on: Ad Age 

Fresh off its major Golden Globe wins, Amazon has unleashed a dozen new TV pilots on its streaming platform Prime Instant Video. The company is looking for feedback on the pilots to decide which ones to order to series, a sign of its belief in the power of big data.

But Amazon’s ambition does not just stop at TV. The company also announced its plan to produce up to 12 full-length feature movies each year as part of the new initiative. Those original movies produced by Amazon will become available to US Prime subscribers just four to eight weeks after they premiere in theaters.

Toyota Showcases New Oculus-Powered App

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: The Guardian

We have seen virtual reality used for simulated test drives before, but Toyota is putting the VR technology to new use with its TeenDrive365 app. Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, the Oculus Rift app works as a “distracted driving simulator”, challenging people to drive safely amid various distractions, including babbling passengers, loud traffic noise, and even virtual text messages. Partly designed to showcase the safety features of the new Toyota models, the app also shows the potential for brands to incoporate innovative technologies like virtual reality.

Why Twitch Launched A Free Music Library For Gamers

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: The Verge

Today Twitch announced Twitch Music Library, a free-to-use soundtrack selection for its over 50 million monthly active users. The library currently consists of songs whose copyrights are cleared for use on live streams or in archived video, including some Twitch favorites from Skrillex and Steve Aoki’s record labels. As part of Twitch’s long-running expansion from video games to music, the new service also provides a direct solution to Twitch’s crackdown on unlicensed music streaming last year.

Why Reddit Is Diving Into Podcast

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: Fast Company

Thanks to the viral popularity of Serial, podcasting has been enjoying a revival as a digital medium as of late, and several brands have been reaching out to its newfound audience. The latest to get onboard is Reddit, the self-proclaimed front page of the Internet, with an official podcast named Upvoted that discusses popular Reddit posts. Whether they can successfully turn the random musings and personal anecdotes that dominate Reddit into captivating audio storytelling remains to be seen, or rather, heard.

 

Verizon Enters Auto Aftermarket

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: CNET

Verizon announced its first entry into the auto aftermarket with Verizon Vehicle, an aftermarket service that can work with virtually any car, connected or not. It will reportedly provide diagnostic services, roadside assistance and a hotline to mechanic support. As the auto industry continues to incorporate mobile technology, we expect to see more telecom companies to follow suit.

 

Five Things We Learned About Apple Watch Via A Leaked App

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: 9to5Mac

An iPhone companion app for the yet-to-be-launched Apple Watch purportedly offers more clues as to how Apple’s first wearable will work, including some novel new functions. Highlights includes:

  1. Mobile Payment: As previewed, Apple Watch will support Apple Pay. You will need to set up a 4-digit passcode (like on iPhone) for the Watch in order to use it.
  2. Haptic Navigation: Users will be able to enable or disable Taptic Engine’s tapping of the user’s wrist for turn-by-turn directions.
  3. Notification: A subtle red dot will appear atop the Apple Watch’s clock face whenever a new notification is received on linked iPhone.
  4. Messaging: Without a keyboard, the Watch will allow users to respond to messages via voice, with either transcribed dictation or actual audio messages.
  5. Storage: The About Screen within the watch companion app confirms that the Watch itself will have usable storage space, presumably for music and photos.

All these new details fall pretty much in line with what we learned from the WatchKit back in November. Apple Watch is reportedly set for a March release this year, and we will continue to keep an eye on its development.

Update 2015/01/22:  Apple targets Watch battery life of 2.5 hours heavy use and 3.5 hours standard use; pure standby battery life likely to be 2-3 days; CPU said to be A5-caliber

For Once, Uber Puts Its Data To Good Use

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: WSJ

Following heated controversy surrounding its questionable privacy practices, Uber is putting its vast transportation data to good use by lending anonymized trip logs to city officials in hope of easing traffic congestion and improve urban planning. Boston will be the first city to receive such data from Uber, with several U.S. cities to follow. This marks the first time Uber has opened up its database, and it will no doubt help Uber establish some legitimacy in cities where its legal status is still in debate.