ChickAdvisor uses Push and Pull to help match consumers and brands

 

ChickAdvisor, A Canadian-created pioneer of consumer brand engagement in Canada, created a real-time engagement tool that allows brands to reach their target consumers better than ever before. Dubbed “Dispatch,” the real-time offering combines both in-browser push notifications and embedded chat capabilities. 

The PUSH feature has consumers to “opt-in” for notifications, which allows companies to develop highly-curated messages that will land directly on consumers’ screens, all without any personal information (ex. email address). In layman's terms, this allows brands to say exactly what they want (up to 90 characters), when they want, directly to those who care about their brand: no more competing for attention in a brand-and-email-saturated inbox. 

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WhatsApp is now available on Apple CarPlay

Apple CarPlay users who are also WhatsApp users can now consider using the popular messagin app in hands free mode while in a car.  WhatsApp users who have updated the app to the latest version on iOS will see the app's icon appear on their CarPlay console.

You can’t browse a list of conversations, but you can tap on the icon to start sending a new message using dictation. Notifications from WhatsApp also appear in the CarPlay UI and users can tap to listen and respond. This makes it safer for passengers sitting in front, or parked drivers, to engage in WhatsApp conversations. Using any sort of messaging app is still a cause of distracted driving and should be avaoided.

Source: 9to5mac

Microsoft to double size of Montreal research lab to bolster machine learning and deep learning tech

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussing Canadian expansion and AI at Davos

“Montreal is really one of the most exciting places in AI right now,” said Jennifer Chayes, a technical fellow and managing director of Microsoft Research New England, New York City and Montreal.

Microsoft announced plans to significantly expand its Montreal research lab, starting with the hire of renowned artificial intelligence expert, Geoff Gordon as the lab’s Research Director.

The expansion comes as Montreal is becoming a worldwide hub for groundbreaking work in the fields of machine learning and deep learning, which are core to AI advances. Upcoming plans include doubling the size of Microsoft Research Montreal within the next two years, to as many as 75 technical experts. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella today in Davos to discuss Microsoft’s plans for the Montreal Research lab and Montreal’s AI ecosystem.

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Samsung touts its wearable devices as options to fulfill healthy New Year's resolutions

Samsung wants to be at the forefront of the fitness tracking phenomenon, specially since studies show that one in three consumers is using some kind of fitness tracker or smartwatch to keep tabs on their health and progress.

The company is pushing some of its solutions as great adjuncts to Samsung smartphone users wanting to make a conscious effort of fulfilling their commitment to health.  Below are the products Samsung that aid fitness tracking.

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