Facebook's answer to Snapchat, the Slingshot App now available globally

Facebook announced that its new Creative Labs app, Slingshot, is available internationally.  Slingshot lets users quickly share moments—little and big—with lots of people at once. It’s a new kind of feed where everyone is a creator. You start by shooting a photo or video of what you're up to and then sling it to a bunch of friends. Friends won’t be able to see your shot in their feed until they sling something to you. Will this new functionality catch on? Only time will tell, Facebook seems to think that this is how many users prefer to communicate.

Check out http://www.sling.me/ and the Slingshot team’s blog for more information.  Slingshot in available in English on iPhone (iOS7) and Android (Jelly Bean and KitKat).  

Breaking: Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles globally due to 'various faults'

Toyota is recalling a staggering 6.39 million cars globally due to what it says are 'various faults.' The no. 1 automaker issued the second largest vehicle recall in history which affects  27 models in five different regions of the world. Faults mentioned include defects like a sliding driver's seat and issues with the steering mechanism. 1.3 million vehicles are to be recalled in North America.

Various glitches were found in 27 different Toyota models. This list includes the RAV4, Corolla, Yaris, Matrix and Highlander. This comes after a massive recall Toyota issued for 7.4 million cars in 2012 and an earlier recall of 2.1 million vehicles earlier this year.

Other recalls include:

• Approximately 2.32 million vehicles over problems with the seat rails
• Some 760,000 vehicles because of a potential defect with the steering column bracket
• Nearly 160,000 vehicles to replace the windshield wiper motors

This latest recall casts a pall over Toyota's once sterling reputation for safety and reliability. The company said it “is not aware of any injuries or fatalities caused by this condition,”  in a statement.

Source: Time

Sony PS4 global sales surpass more than 5.3 million units

After putting up its PC business for sale and laying off 5,000 employees, Sony needs all the good news it can get. Thankfully, the PS4 sales figures are exceptional. Sony just announced that the PlayStation4  has cumulatively sold through more than 5.3 million units around the world as of February 8, 2014 (JST), and is continuing to demonstrate strong growth and momentum. 

“I am thrilled that so many customers around the globe have continued to select PS4 as the best place to play throughout and beyond the holiday season,” said Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “We are delighted that according to  the NPD Group’s latest data, PS4 was January’s top-selling console in the United States.  The PS4 system’s momentum just keeps growing stronger, and we are extremely grateful for the continued passion and support of PlayStation® fans.  February 22 sees the launch of PS4 in Japan, and I’m looking forward to Japanese fans sharing the excitement of the deep social capabilities and entertainment experiences only possible on PS4.”

Rival console from Microsoft, the XBox One costs $100 more and has sold 3.6 million units. I also recently checked various stores and PS4s are in very short supply while you can find an XBox One quite easily. It is early in the game for these consoles but it looks like Sony's managed to grab momentum early on. Good for them.

Source: Sony Canada

Talking tech highlights of 2013 on Global TV's "The Morning Show"

This morning I had the opportunity to go on Global's "The Morning Show" to candidly discuss some of the big tech stories of 2013, and give some predictions going into 2014. Among the topics discussed were Apple's new iPhone 5s and 5c, Google's Nexus 5, Tesla's Model S launching in Canada, all things wearable technology, and of course video sharing. 

Watch the video below

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