Tech Trends- Mar 19-20
Michael Kors smartwatches, future of pizza delivery, Facebook Messenger update and more in this week’s Weekend in Tech Trends.
Tech Trends 1) Michael Kors unveils first line of smartwatches
Michael Kors has unveiled what is an extremely beautiful set of smartwatches. The set consists of a gold-plated design for women and a sporty black design for men. While only two designs have been released, the company says that are hard at work on more designs.
The watches run Android Wear, Google’s smartwatch platform, allowing the watches to pair with both iPhones and Android phones. The Michael Kors smartwatches can display app notifications, fitness-tracking data, text alerts, email and social media updates, as well as other Google services, including voice-recognition software, available on the Android Wear platform.
“It was important to us that the display watch was customizable, so users can incorporate their own personal style into their smartwatch,” Kors chairman and CEO John Idol told Mashable. “For example, through the day, customers will be able to change out straps or the watch face to reflect their mood or personal style.”
The watches price will start at $395 and they will make their debut in department stores (and Michael Kors stores) in fall 2016.
Source: Mashable
Tech Trends 2) Dominos to begin testing future of pizza delivery
Robots have officially entered the pizza industry. Dominos is set to begin testing delivery by robot in Wellington, New Zealand in the near future.
Dominos is calling the robot DRU(Domino’s Robotic Unit). DRU is a four-wheel robot that is capable of making deliveries within a 20-mile radius on a single charge. Dru stands just under three feet tall and carries up to ten pizzas in a locked compartment, which customers unlock with a code when DRU arrives.
A start date for the Domino’s trial has not been announced, but New Zealand’s government is already very excited about it. “This is an exciting opportunity for New Zealand… over the last 12 months I’ve been actively and aggressively promoting New Zealand as a test bed for new transport technology trials,” Transport Minister Simon Bridges tells the AFP.
So be on the lookout next time you order pizza, DRU may show up on your doorstep rather than your typical delivery man.
Source: TheVerge
Tech Trends 3) Waze update will help you always be on time
Waze, an app that gives you live traffic updates, is releasing a new feature called planned drives. Just as it sounds, the new feature will help you plan your drive according to the current traffic conditions. Altering the time you should leave as well as what route you should take.
It gets better. If you link Waze to your calendar and Facebook events, the app will automatically sync your schedule and send you notifications when it’s time to leave. Making it so you’ll never be late again. If traffic tends to be a problem for you, this is an app your definitely going to want to download.
Source: Mashable
Tech Trends 4) Facebook Messenger update consists of overly addicting game
Facebook Messenger’s new update needs to be taken with caution, otherwise you may kill a lot of time playing basketball with your friends. To play, simply text the basketball emoji to your friends and click on the basketball. It will then bring you to a screen where you can shoot the basketball. To shoot, simply swipe up on the ball towards the rim. The goal is to see how many you can make in a row, and as you score more, the game changes. After 10, the target starts to move and after 20 it picks up speed(good luck getting past this). Give it a try if you have some time to kill, but if you don’t, consider yourself warned.
Source: TechCrunch
