Thursday
Mar312016

Toshiba recalls over 100,000 batteries that are melting its laptops

If you're an owner of a Toshiba laptop, you might want to check your machine. The Japanese electronics company is recalling over 100,000 computers sold in Canada and the United States because some of the lithium-ion Panasonic battery packs are said to be prone to overheating, which could result in spark fires and put you at risk. These batteries were sold with 39 models of the Toshiba Portege, Satellite, and Tecra laptops. If the battery pack number seen in the image above matches yours, click this link for a step-by-step instruction on how to remove the battery. Affected units start with G71C. You can get a free replacement battery from here. And yes, you can keep using it if the laptop stays plugged into the wall, but really, get it replaced first. 

Source: Gizmodo 

Thursday
Mar312016

BMW's new app aims to be your personal assistant in the car

BMW's new app, Connected, is set to become your ultimate personal assistant while on the road. Its features are centered around navigation but it also wants you to stay on top of other aspects in your life. This iOS app can show you things like estimated travel times based on current traffic conditions, send you directions to your destination and even send "last mile" guidance from your parking spot to your destination. It can also pull locations from your calendar and have that appear in the app.  

Connected is powered by Microsoft's cloud-based Azure platform and it is designed to get smarter the more you use it, with capabilities of predicting your next destination based on your habits and it can even reroute you based on current traffic conditions and warnings. Other features include the ability to remotely lock and unlock your car, turn the lights on and off, start your car's ventilation, and even sound the horn. 

Source: Mashable 

Thursday
Mar312016

Chevrolet's 2016 Malibu gets bigger, safer and more connected

Chevrolet's midsize Malibu has been beefed up in terms of size, space, technology smarts and safety while being made 100 pounds lighter than the model it replaces. Offering a range of models replete with the latest performance, safety and technology solutions, the 2016 Malibu aims to shakes up the midsize sedan market on Canada.

An all-new, Ecotec 1.5L turbo is the standard engine in the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, offering a fuel consumption rating of 6.3 L/100km  highway. It is part of a new global family of small-displacement gas engines designed with greater power density to deliver confident performance with excellent efficiency.

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Thursday
Mar312016

Samsung and Autism Speaks Canada launches #WhoEyeAm Campaign

By Sonya Davidson

A little over a year ago Samsung successfully launched the "Look At Me" app designed for families with children living on the Autism spectrum. This week the tech company, along side Autism Speaks Canada, announced further expansion of the project raising awareness and sharing real stories from families first-hand in the #WhoEyeAm campaign. 

We were introduced to 13 year old Niam Jain and his family this week to see just how this app has incorporated into their daily lives. "He has a lot of the same interests as other boys his age," said his mom. "But he also has minimal speech ability and this technology has helped him, and our family, tremendously." 

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