smart Archive

Audio News for October 11, 2016

Basics of the New Roku Express – It is cheap ($30), easy to use and loaded with streaming apps for your music, but it is slower, especially with Netflix, than alternatives like Comcast. But it may be worth spending a bit extra on a faster streamer for your music. Facebook is Gonna Make VR Social – Facebook is leading the charge of taking over VR by social networks. Onstage at the Oculus Connect 3 Conference, Mark Zuckerberg showed off live VR chat using emotion options which make avatars show facial expressions, to let you look surprised, happy or confused in VR. You can change the backgrounds to live locations such as your home. Zuckerberg said “Virtual reality is the perfect platform to put people first because of presence.” Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014 for one billion dollars. Two Competing Smart Plugs – You do need a smart phone to download the app that runs the smart plug. You can schedule them, track energy useage, control them and speak to them. c|net has a whole page comparing the two. Such a plug can make any pluggable device “smart”:  “If you prefer Apple HomeKit as a platform, then the iDevices Switch might […]