Tech Tuesday - This Week in Tech

Here's some of the most interesting news in technology over the past week:

1. Instagram has finally given into the demands of its users.  The app now supports both portrait and landscape photos in addition to the traditional square proportions.  The app also features a layout tool, which automatically turns multiple selected photos into a single collage, eliminating the need for third-party collage making apps.

2. Facebook officially announced that its Messenger app will now offer a personal assistant for users, simply called "M".  What sets M apart from other electronic assistants, such as Siri and Cortana?  Well, M is actually run by a team of people who are constantly working to help the program learn how to answer questions and retrieve information.  Unlike most mobile assistants, M learns more and more as it is used more and more.  M can actually complete tasks for you, such as buying things online, make reservations, deliver gifts, and just about anything else!

3. Apple announced that it will hold an event on September 9 in San Francisco.  We can only assume that this event's sole purpose will be the unveiling of the new iPhone!  So, what should we expect from the 9th generation of the device?  If trends continue has they have been, here's what we can sum up:

• It will most probably be called the iPhone 6S and will come in a "plus" version.
• Since the device is already quite large, the new iPhone will have the same screen size as the current version, but it may be slightly thicker.
• Apple's blog says that the new phone will be available to purchase in a new color, rose gold, in addition to white, black, and slate gray.
• Typically, new iPhones go on sale about a week or so after they're unveiled.  Last year, the iPhone 6 went on sale 10 days after its announcement. So, the predicted date for the new iPhone is September 18th.
• In addition to a faster processor and better camera, a new feature that will be included in the new iPhone, called Force Touch, will be able to sense the pressure being applied to the screen; it can differentiate between a light tap and a deep press.  This allows for new types of commands on the device.  We'll see what this new feature will bring us.

4. OMG!  NASA has just launched a mission dedicated to studying the loss of ice around Greenland, the world's largest island.  The mission, titled Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG), was so named because a) it's literally an acronym for the mission title, and b) its principle investigator, Josh Willis, wanted a name that would both stand out and refer to the importance of Greenland's problem.  Did you know that there are actually very complex rules regarding the naming of NASA missions?  In fact, acronyms are actually supposed to be avoided unless they're descriptive and easy to pronounce.  In addition, NASA has gotten names from contests and essay entries from grade school students.  Examples of these are the names of The Space Shuttle Endeavor and the Mars Curiosity rover.

Thanks for reading This Week in Tech!  Have a great week (:

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News