The NextMind Brain-Sensing Wearable is a sensor that goes on the back of your head. It aims to let users control devices with their thoughts. It translates data from the brain’s electrical signals received from the visual cortex. Using machine learning, NextMind translates the electrical signals into an action. It is currently available to the public for development at about $500. It was invented by Sid Kouider, a cognitive neuroscientist. He is researching the neurophysiological signatures of conscious and unconscious mental states in the human brain, applying these signatures to examine mental states when humans cannot express their own thoughts, such as babies, coma patients, and those without the ability to speak, and founded NextMind. The problem it solves for users is that it removes the need for controllers, allowing a completely hands-free technological experience. Potential drawbacks or dangers are that the artificial intelligence could misread the signals coming from the brain and command the computer to do something that the user did not intend. It could also read signals that the user mistakenly thinks and execute them accidentally.  A way the adoption of this technology may impact society is that it could enable those with limited or complete lack of use of their hands to use the technology to make their lives easier, such as being able to turn lights on and off, write papers with their thoughts, surf the web with their thoughts, and use other smart devices without needing to engage any use of their hands. 

https://sidkouider.com/about/

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191121005757/en/NextMind-Unveils-Worlds-First-Brain-Sensing-Wearable-That-Delivers-Real-Time-Device-Control-With-Just-Your-Thoughts

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191121005757/en/NextMind-Unveils-Worlds-First-Brain-Sensing-Wearable-That-Delivers-Real-Time-Device-Control-With-Just-Your-Thoughts

https://www.next-mind.com/developer/

https://www.crn.com/slide-shows/components-peripherals/25-cutting-edge-technologies-and-products-from-ces-unveiled-2020/2?itc=refresh

One popular mobile app is Pinterest. The way Pinterest is used is as a visual discovery engine. Things that are found on Pinterest are recipes, crafts, home and style inspiration, and other things that contain links for directions, purchasing links, and more. The home feed provides Pins, people and brands that are custom depending on the user. If the user follows a person, topic, or board, then the home feed will also provide those. Pins can be searched by typing keywords into the search bar. Pins are made by users to save their liked ideas.  

 Pinterest’s target audience is extremely diverse in age, with everyone from Millennials, Boomers, and Gen. X using the app. Millennials, however, are the most common users. They make up 36 percent of Pinterest Users. Gen X makes up around 34 percent of the audience, while Boomers make up 18 percent. Millennials use Pinterest to curate their vision of their ideal self. 79 percent of them use it as a guide to life. 

Another popular mobile app is Whatsapp. Whatsapp is used for messaging, and is one of the first mobile apps offering free messaging that is done over wifi instead of a cellular network.  

Whatsapp currently does not have a revenue stream, but plans are to allow users to directly communicate to businesses and obtain money through them. Whatsapp’s target audience is primarily Indians. 24-35 is the most common age group on Whatsapp.  

All about Pinterest. help.pinterest.com/en/guide/all-about-pinterest.  

“All about Pinterest.” Pinterest Help, help.pinterest.com/en/guide/all-about-pinterest.  

Clement, J. “U.S. WhatsApp Demographics 2019.” Statista, 23 Sept. 2020, www.statista.com/statistics/814649/whatsapp-users-in-the-united-states-by-age/.  

Goodwin, Grace Eliza. “What Is WhatsApp? A Guide to Navigating the Free Internet-Based Communication Platform.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 3 Nov. 2020, www.businessinsider.com/what-is-whatsapp-guide.  

Page, Vanessa. “How WhatsApp Makes Money.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 28 Aug. 2020, www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/040915/how-whatsapp-makes-money.asp.  

“WhatsApp Revenue and Usage Statistics (2020).” Business of Apps, 30 Oct. 2020, www.businessofapps.com/data/whatsapp-statistics/. 

<!– Pinterest Tag –>
<script>
!function(e){if(!window.pintrk){window.pintrk = function () {
window.pintrk.queue.push(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments))};var
n=window.pintrk;n.queue=[],n.version=”3.0″;var
t=document.createElement(“script”);t.async=!0,t.src=e;var
r=document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
r.parentNode.insertBefore(t,r)}}(“https://s.pinimg.com/ct/core.js”);
pintrk(‘load’, ‘2613549257885’, {em: ‘<user_email_address>’});
pintrk(‘page’);
</script>
<noscript>
<img height=”1″ width=”1″ style=”display:none;” alt=””
src=”https://ct.pinterest.com/v3/?event=init&tid=2613549257885&pd[em]=<hashed_email_address>&noscript=1″ />
</noscript>
<!– end Pinterest Tag –>

Dropbox is a cloud service similar to things like Google Drive or Icloud. It uses cloud computing as storage space for documents, images, videos, and music files. This system would work without cloud computing, as flashdrives and hard storage are available, however, sharing files would be more difficult without meeting someone face to face. The advantages to having the system on a distributed network are that things are easily shareable between users, and that data is less likely to be lost by either loss or damage, which is typical of hardware storage such as flash drives or home computers. There are definitely privacy issues involved in cloud computing. Since cloud computing is done through a private company, the company can access any user’s information easily and give it to nefarious users, or the government.  

Word online is a cloud service that is much like Microsoft word, but instead of being a program on your PC it is an online version that automatically saves your papers to OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service. The system can work without cloud computing, as it is an update to the original, which used to be exclusively on home computers, but without the advantage of automatically being saved to a cloud network. The advantages to having word on a distributed network are: documents can be worked on together by multiple users, documents are automatically saved to a data-storage network, and can be shared online instead of having to be carried on hardware drives, which have the potential to be lost, stolen, corrupted, damaged, or destroyed.  Privacy issues with Word Online would be Microsoft stealing information typed out by users, hackers stealing documents, whether through intercepting sent documents, stealing passwords, and stealing other information to gain access to private users’ documents.  

Dropbox: Cloud Storage to Backup, Sync, File Share APKs. www.apkmirror.com/apk/dropbox-inc/dropbox/.  

Rivers, David. “What Is Word Online?” Lynda.com – from LinkedIn, 27 Aug. 2020, www.lynda.com/Word-tutorials/What-Word-Online/2822370/2281136-4.html.  

Whitney, Lance. How to Use Microsoft Office for Free on the Web. 29 Mar. 2020, www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-use-microsoft-office-for-free-on-the-web.