“Alexa, turn on the TV, Alexa turn on Netflix, Alexa pause Game of Thrones, Alexa dim the lights.” The Alexa virtual assistant, developed by Amazon Lab126
Huge investments are being made in research and development by both big and small technology companies. Much of this comes from high consumer demand for new products. Consumers born into the digitally advanced word are more easily adapt to new technologies and expect technology advances to simplify their lives and make them more pleasurable. But there is also pressure from the financial markets, particularly those in the field of venture capital funds seeking high yield investments in the technology sector.
Here are six ways technology can simplify your life:
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Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
These systems are designed to capture, manage, analyze, and store geographic data. The most famous examples of GIS systems are Google Maps and Apple Maps. These applications are particularly suited to the mass consumer market and form the basis for many GPS solutions that provide navigation data. This makes your life simpler by allowing you to find the shortest, most economical and least congested routes to reach your destination.
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Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVA)
IVA is a form of software that can perform a range of tasks or services in response to verbal commands from a user. Examples of IVAs include Siri, Google Assist, and Amazon Alexa that all contain some elementary artificial intelligence. These products allow users to simply and easily request information, control home automation services, access various media services, and manage other basic tasks like emailing, compiling to-do-lists and appointments with verbal commands. A great way to make our lives much easier and efficient.
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Online Gaming
Gaming is another way the online world has made our lives that much simpler. No matter your game, you can now play it online. An avid chess player? you don’t have to wait until your chess partner is available to play, just go to one of the multiplayer chess sites and find a partner to play with. Love to play online slot machines? you don’t have to go all the way to Las Vegas, Atlantic City or Monaco to play your favorite slot. Go online and you can find hundreds of slot machine games to play for free or for real money. Are you into a more intense gaming experience? there are literally dozens of multiplayer video games like Fortnite, Counter Strike or Dota 2 that can give you the adrenaline rush that you are looking for, all from your sofa or gaming chair.
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Social Media
Social media has had a huge impact on people’s social interactions and the way they connect with each other. Social media services like Facebook and Twitter make it simple to share opinions, ideas, experiences and news via the internet. Linkedin has made job hunt more sociable than ever before and Instagram has brought image and video sharing to the next level. With a click of a share button you can now update your friends and followers about your actions, location and status. You can ask dozens of your peers to spread the word that you are looking for a job and you can locate old classmates or a lost love in a matter of seconds. Such is the impact of social media on our lives.
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Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
VOIP technology has been around since 1973 but only became trendy in 1995 with the launch of the internet phone which allowed “data packets” to incorporate voice signals that could be transferred between the IP addresses of devices connected to the internet. In recent times the popularity of these services has grown exponentially with the most well-known examples being Skype, Whatsapp, and Google Hangouts, which make it simple for users to make low-cost telephone calls, send instant messages, as well as connect via video linking, and send file transfers.
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Online Banking
Online banking provides a time-saving, safe and convenient way to conduct transactions using bank’s websites or app. It has simplified the way consumers pay bills, view transactions, and transfer funds from virtually anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
