Slack introduces voice calls to desktop apps and web browsers

Internal collaboration tool Slack is branching out from its text communication background to add voice calls into the mix. The app now allows for either one-on-one calls or conference calls of up to 15 people. The new feature is in beta and is available for less than half of its users (administrators can check for availability here). Those who do have access to it can start using the feature from the Mac and Windows apps as well as from Google Chrome browser. Like with other messaging apps that have call functions, you can tap on the handset icon within a messaging window to start audio calls. Those on the other end get a pop-up notification for the call and it’s up to them whether they’ll pick it up or not.

Meanwhile, those in a channel (a room full of people), the callers are first prompted to make sure they want to start a voice call and then they have to create a name for the call. A message will then appear in the channel that will allow up to 15 people to join, as previously mentioned. Once on a call, users who are part of the discussion can still post emojis to share how they feel about it. The feature is optional so teams who don’t want to have to deal with voice calls can turn the setting off. Slack plans to bring the feature to its mobile apps and its Linux apps in the future.

Source: PCWorld

Play matchmaker on Tinder with new feature

Tinder’s expanding its repertoire a bit. It has a new feature that will let you send profiles to your friends if you think the profile of the guy or girl on your page is a perfect match for them. If you want to share a specific profile, you’ll get a temporary link that will expire after five clicks or 72 hours. According to Mel Magazine, you can share profiles via text message, GroupMe, WhatsApp, Gmail, Slack, Evernote, and LinkedIn (yes, LinkedIn). There’s also, of course, an opt-out option if you just want to keep the potential dates (or hook ups, let’s be honest) to yourself. It’s going to take a bit of time before the feature rolls out for everyone as they’ve started testing it out with some users. So, just keep an eye out for it to head to your app.

Source: Tinder | Via: Cult of Mac

BMW plans major internal overhaul to further self-driving/smart car initiatives

BMW doesn’t want outsiders coming in, or rather, they don’t want to be the “Foxconn for a company like Apple, delivering only the metal bodies for them.” According to Klaus Froehlich, a BMW board member who oversees research and development, told Reuters at the Geneva auto show that the German automaker is planning major corporate changes to build its “most intelligent car.” The company doesn’t want to rely on the Internet players like Google and Apple out of fear that they might just become another supplier. Even though, it might be beneficial for them to tap the tech players who are more familiar with software.

BMW supposedly plans to have half of its R&D team become computer programmers within the next five years. At the moment, just about 20 percent of its 30,000 R&D team work in software. Not all of these would come in-house, though. Froehlich believes they would need to partner with others and outsource some of the work. BMW has supposedly held talks with Apple before but haven’t reportedly come close to an agreement.

Source: Apple Insider

Dx3 features interactive experience for the future of retailing

 

Text and photos by Sonya Davidson

At this year's Dx3 Conference and Trade Show in Toronto, a number of interactive companies featured in the Retail Collective Lab. Curated by Doug Stephens (aka The Retai Prophet) the space offered us a glimpse into the future of how we do business. Actually, not even in the far future...but for some of the companies featured, the future is now.

Eyeris is a deep learning based emotion recognition software that reads micro-expressions. In stores, this can help managers and sales people determine when people are most likely to make a purchase as well as understanding emotional response from customers in real time. Reading the response is quite straight foward with a variety of emotions measured inlcuding joy, surprise, disgust, anger, fear..yes, sounding a bit like the Inside Out Movie. 

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