Week in Review: iPhone X, Pet Robots, & Net Neutrality

(Vista’s Week in Review is a weekly column highlighting interesting reads and media across the web.  This week we focus on techology in the news.)

This article was written by Stephen Nielsen. Read his bio.

Photo from Apple

1. Beginning with the biggest item in today’s Week in Review, the iPhone X makes its debut today. While the most recent iPhone 8 designs are safe, and three generations old, the iPhone X will be a love-it or hate-it for Apple fanboys. The screen is something never-before seen on iPhones as Apple moves into the “bezel-less” phone arena. The front of the iPhone X is one large screen with a small indent in the top. The fingerprint sensor and Apple’s famous TouchID are now being replaced with FaceID, another love-it or hate-it concept from Apple which uses your face to unlock your phone. The iPhone also implements some new tricks to access recent apps, as the home button is no longer present. Learn all about the iPhone X’s new features and improvements by reading this WIRED article.

2. Net Neutrality is again coming up as a hot topic this week as various reports have released saying that the FCC will not vote on a bill this November. What is net neutrality and why is it such a big deal? Here is an article by W. Kamau Bell in the New York Times briefly explaining what Net Neutrality is and why you should care. Essentially, Net Neutrality ensures that all content loads at the same speed and with the same priority. If the bill against Net Neutrality passes, it will allow ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to control what content loads faster than others. This opens the door for companies to pay for their content to load faster. Bell uses some good analogies and explains further why you need to care about this topic.

3. Google is facing class action lawsuits for selling “defective phones” to consumers. These phones are the newest Google devices the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL. Both of these phones were well recieved by reviewers, but recent reports have indicated screen burn-in issues on many devices. Is this another Note 7 scandal for the Android community? Get more details by reading AndoridAuthority’s article.

Photo from WSJ

4. This week I listened to a Wall Street Journal Tech podcast from The Future of Everything, which originally aired in June of 2017: “Everyone Needs a (Robot) Companion.” The podcast reviews a new concept intended for use in nursing homes: a robotic cat. The concept behind it is to return some control to the elderly, in order to give them something that is dependent on them. These cats also serve as companions to those who can’t take care of a living animal. This podcast is an easy 12-minute listen and can be found on Spotify or iTunes. The podcast is hosted by Jennifer Strong.

5. This week, November 1, marked my favorite month of tech because of deals. Because of America’s consumerism, Amazon is already featuring “Black Friday Deals,” something I encourage you to check out. There has also never been a better time to buy a new laptop, because Intel (a company that makes the majority of laptop computer processors) recently announced a new processor set to boost laptop battery life times and increase your productivity time.