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December 21, 2016

“Methbot” Hack Stole Millions Per Day from Video Advertisers

A White Ops “Operation Methbot” report reveals hackers stole between $3 million by using bot farms.

Last week President Obama promised retaliation against reported Russian election hacks. President Obama asserted America needs and will take action against Russia for the hacks. But, it looks as though Russian cybercriminals are affecting more than just the election.

A White Ops research report released on Tuesday reveals that hackers from Russia were able to defraud U.S. online advertisers of more than $3 million a day.

White Ops, an advertising fraud detection firm, published a report called “The MethBot Operation”. In the White Ops report researchers revealed how Russian hackers were able to hack advertising companies out of millions of dollars. The report argues that the hack against U.S. advertisers is the biggest fraud operation against digital advertising in history.

The Operation was reportedly called “Methbot” after several references to “meth” were found in the code of the Russian hacking program.

According to White Ops, the operation produces large numbers of fake video advertising views by using botfarms and targeting premium advertisements.

White Ops explains that by using several automated web browsers from stolen IP addresses, the Methbot operation works by “watching” as many as 300 million video ads per day on fake websites designed to look like a premium websites.

In addition, more than 6,000 premium domains were targeted and later imitated in order to attract premium advertisers to spend money on their website.

The Methbot operation was able to earn between $3 to $5 million in revenue per day by using over 6,000 spoofed websites. However, White Ops continues on by saying that, the total economic impact may be far greater than the original estimates.

In order to avoid getting caught, the Methbot used faked clicks, fraudulent mouse movements and social network login information to create an illusion of engaged human consumers. Not to mention, hackers manipulated the geolocation information by commandeering IP addresses.

This news comes after several major advertising companies have been contacted by the US Department of Justice antitrust unit. WPP, Ominicon, Publicis and Intercom disclosed that their companies were contacted by government authorities for allegedly “bid rigging”. As the Federal Trade Commission explains, bid-rigging comes in several different shapes. But, it essentially works when competitors work together to share profits of the industry. For example, after working out a deal one company could agree to being a low bidder, to help out their competitor.

Hackers Take Over Netflix’s Twitter

Business

Jonathan Antonio

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December 21, 2016

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Hacking organization OurMine is making headlines again after hacking Netflix’s official Twitter account. OurMine has a long history of hacking influential social media accounts including Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

After getting hacked by the hacking group, Netflix’s social media account began tweeting messages out to Netflix’s 2.48M followers on Wednesday morning.

One of the tweets read: “World security is ****. We are here to prove this :)”

However, Netflix’s social media account team, were on the case and deleted majority if not all of the tweets in a matter of a few minutes.

Who is OurMine?

In 2016, OurMine has hacked the social media accounts and websites some of the biggest Silicon Valley movers and shakers in the tech industry. Some of the reported victims of OurMine hacks include the co-Founder of Wikipedia, the creator of Pokémon Go, the co-founder of Twitter, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, not to mention the website TechCrunch was also hacked.

According to a 2016 BuzzFeed report, OurMine is linked to a group of hackers led by a teen named Ahmad Makki on social media. However, the report was later denied by the hacking group. In retaliation for the report, OurMine hacked BuzzFeed’s website and changed several of the posts to say “Hacked By OurMine”.

Hacking is becoming more and more common in American businesses. Several weeks ago, adult website Adult Friend Friender announced that they were hacked. Then last week, Yahoo revealed that they suffered the worst hack in history with a billion accounts compromised in a 2014 hack.

What about Twitter?

Netflix’s social media account was not the only piece of bad news for Twitter. Two of Twitter’s top executives left social media company. Twitter’s Chief Technology Officer and VP of Product department both exited the company. Adam Messinger Twitter’s former CTO and Josh McFarland Twitter’s former VP of Product, announced they will be departing the company. McFarland revealed that he will be leaving Twitter to join the venture capital firm Greylock Partners as an investor.

Depression Linked to Using Multiple Social Media Platforms

Business

Brent Edward

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December 20, 2016

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Depression Linked to Using Multiple Social Media Platforms

Researchers have found a correlation between both anxiety and depression and the number of social networks a person has.

A 2016 UCLA study found that a teenager’s brain reward system becomes excited when teenagers see high numbers of “likes” on their photos. Now, researchers are suggesting that if a young adult is on several social media platforms, then they are more likely have symptoms of both depression and anxiety.

The study, published in the journal of “Computers in Human Behavior”, studied the use of several social networking platforms and symptoms associated with depression and anxiety.

Facebook - social media — Stock Photo: Man using Facebook application on his smartphone, background is a image from the projector – photography from social media meeting in city of Lodz, Poland 07.11. 2014 (Michal Ludwiczak / Shutterstock.com)

In a nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults, researchers found a positive correlation between the number of social media platforms used and depression.

Scientists also discovered a linear association between the number of platforms used and anxiety. In addition, regardless of how much time a person spends on a social network website, researchers said the associated symptoms of depression and anxiety continued to remain strong.

This study illustrates that U.S. young adults who use several social media platforms are more likely to become depressed or experience anxiety. In fact, subjects in the study who used 7 to 11 social media platforms were more likely to have increased levels of both depression and anxiety.

Lead researcher Brian A. Primack from the University of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh School of Medicine argued in his study that clinicians should ask individuals with depression and anxiety how many social media platforms they have.

So what social media platforms are young adults using? Studies report Snapchat is the most popular apps among teens, followed by Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and finally Tumblr.

Social media has become an integral part of life for many young adults. Studies have shown that teens are spending approximately six hours per day on their cell phone. Some reports suggest that millions of teens across America are spending every waking minute of their life in front of a screen.

Facebook Under Review for Its Acquisition of Whatsapp

Business

Reginald Edward

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December 20, 2016

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Facebook Under Review for Its Acquisition of Whatsapp

Talk about a delayed reaction. On Tuesday, the European Commission announced that it was investigating Facebook for providing ‘incorrect or misleading information’ to regulators during the social media company’s acquisition of the Whatsapp chat app in 2014. The announcement of the investigation came as something of a surprise to the company who was not available for comment.

At issue is a question regarding Facebook’s ability to match user accounts between the two platforms. In 2014, the company claimed it could not do this; however, investigators have reason to believe that Facebook had this ability as far back as 2012.

WhatsApp Facebook — Stock Photo:
MONTREAL, CANADA – FEBRUARY, 2016 – Whatsapp on the web under magnifying glass. Whatsapp is one of the most popular messengers. (dennizn / Shutterstock.com)

Part of the surprise is the fact that the European Commission (EC) originally approved the $22 billion Whatsapp acquisition without any conditions. While this did not raise any eyebrows at the time, many mergers and acquisitions go through without comment from regulators. The EC’s decision to review the transaction has raised the specter that the regulator may consider looking into other transactions as market conditions change.

Besides the potential omission of key information to regulators another issue which has popped up in Europe are changing privacy regulations and a recent European Court decision which voided safe harbor provisions – which govern data transfer between two parties.

A report in The Wall Street Journal pointed out that is it rare for a company to be ‘charged with making misleading statements during a merger-approval process in Europe.’ In fact, the EC has not charged a company with this offense since it changed the rules governing disclosure in 2004.

European Union (EU) — Stock Photo: FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – AUGUST 7, 2015: Euro Sign. European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the euro and administers the monetary policy of the Eurozone. (Angelina Dimitrova / Shutterstock.com)

Sources with knowledge of the case speculated the applicable fine could be as high as 1% of Facebook’s global revenue for 2015. If this is the case, then the company would be facing a $179 million dollar fine – though that amount could go down as the Euro continues weaken against the dollar.

As the company currently has close to $6 billion dollars in Free Cash, the fine is not expected to be a massive financial setback for Facebook. Instead the importance of the proceeding is more about the precedent it sets for future, and in this case past, transactions which require regulatory approval.

This charge is not the end of Facebook’s legal issues in Europe. The company is currently being investigated by data regulators in several European countries for an announcement that it would begin to merge Facebook and WhatsApp user data. While this issues is separate from Tuesday’s news, the two could be tied together as proof of an attempt to circumvent various rules and regulations.

Despite the news, shares of Facebook were trading up 0.29% just before the lunch bell on Tuesday.

Scientists Reveal “Pregnancy Brain” May Actually Exist

Business

Brent Edward

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December 20, 2016

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Scientists Reveal “Pregnancy Brain” May Actually Exist

You may have heard of “Pregnancy Brain”, which some say cause pregnant women to have a heightened emotional response and abnormal food cravings.

While the details of “pregnancy brain” are still being studied, a new study published in “Nature” suggests that pregnancy has a long-term impact on the structure of the human brain.

Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain discovered that the volume of gray matter (GM) changes after a woman’s pregnancy. Scientists argued that the changes in GM consistently predicted the amount of postpartum maternal attachment.

Scientists suggest that these long term structural changes serves as a biological adaptation to transition a woman into motherhood.

What’s interesting to note is that the GM volume changes lasted for at least two years after pregnancy.

Pregnant Mother — Stock Photo: LEXINGTON, KY, U.S.A., OCTOBER 2016, Pregnant mother and toddler daughter and son, Caucasian, shopping at Meijer Grocery Store. OCTOBER 2016, in LEXINGTON, KY. (Susan M Hall / Shutterstock.com)

In this prospective cohort study, scientists analyzed the MRI results of first-time mothers before and after their pregnancy. The data was collected over the course of five years. Subjects recruited from a fertility center in the Barcelona, Spain.

The new study suggests the hormonal changes may affect the amount of GM in the brain. Studies have previously shown that reduction in GM volume results in synaptic pruning – the biological process that refines and improves the brain’s circuitry.

Synaptic Pruning consequently provides an environment in the brain that allows for healthy cognitive and social development, which changes behavior.

Synapses — The anatomy of the human synapse. (Tefi/Shutterstock.com)

Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona found the volume GM reductions of the pregnant specifically impacted with the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is known to play a major part in human senses such as touch, taste, and smell.

Ultimately, researchers argue that pregnancy causes an increase in hormonal changes, similar to the hormonal changes found in adolescents. Scientists also assert that the changes in GM volume effects social cognition during pregnancy, which could explain why pregnant women experienced enhanced emotions and enhanced facial recognition.

Patients of Female Physicians Live Longer, Study Finds

Business

Brent Edward

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December 19, 2016

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Patients of Female Physicians Live Longer, Study Finds

A new study may show that men and women practice medicine differently. In fact, researchers argue hospital patients are less likely to die if their doctor is a woman.

The chances whether you will love longer may depend on the gender of your physician. A new study examined the correlation between morbidity and the physician’s gender.

Researchers asked a simple question: “Do patient outcomes differ between those treated by male and female physicians?”

Researchers found that hospital patients who are treated by a female physician are less likely to die within a month of going to the hospital in comparison to hospital patients who are treated by male physicians. In addition, patients treated by a male physician were actually 5% more likely to go back to the hospital.

After completing a cross-sectional study, researchers analyzed the data of thousands of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries and found that patients treated by female physicians had a lower mortality rate and a lower readmission rate.

Scientists looked at a random sample of Medicare patents ages 65 or older hospitalized with a medical condition and treated by a general physician from 2011 to 2014.

After analyzing a nationally representative sample, scientists argue that the differences in the way male and female physicians treat their patients has a serious clinical impact.

The two recent studies surrounding female physicians have painted a picture of burnt out women getting paid less than their peers.

A 2016 study by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found female physicians who become pregnant and take maternity leave experienced more financial pressure and career dissatisfaction. In addition, researchers reported female physicians were more likely to burnout after having a baby due to the increased financial pressure.

In addition, a 2016 study by Harvard Medical School researcher Anupam B. Jena, MD, PHD found that female physicians paid were nearly 10 percent less than male physicians. In fact, at 24 US public medical schools female physicians were paid significantly less than male physicians regardless of the experience, rank and clinical revenue.

However, this new study illustrates that despite financial pressure and lower compensation female physicians in comparison to their peers, are just as talented, if not better, than male physicians.

Facebook Messenger and Kik Release Group Video Chat Features

Business

Jonathan Antonio

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December 19, 2016

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Facebook Messenger and Kik Release Group Video Chat Features

Both, Kik and Facebook have announced group video chat features for their messenger apps.

As the holidays draw closer, tech companies announce the release of new video group chat features.

Facebook releases group video chat features on their Messenger app

Facebook Messenger Video — Stock Photo: BANGKOK, THAILAND -JULY 2, 2016:Facebook Messenger Icon on IPhone screen on July 2,2016 (charnsitr / Shutterstock.com)

On their website, Facebook revealed the release of Group Video Chat in Messenger, allowing Facebook users to video chat with up to fifty people at a time.

“Chatting face-to-face live as a group is perfect for those spontaneous moments when text just isn’t enough… or when you have a major case of FOMO,” Stephane Taine, Product Manager behind Facebook Messenger said. “Group Video Chat in Messenger makes it simple and seamless to stay connected face-to-face.”

Facebook, who reportedly 245 million people making video calls via the Facebook messenger app every month, explained how the new feature works.

How does Facebook messenger group video chat work?

Once a conversation of starts, Facebook messenger users can communicate with up to 50 friends. Friends can join in on the conversation, listen in, talk, or be on camera. Once, more than 6 people are on the Facebook messenger call, only the dominant speaker will be shown to everyone.

What do you have to do?

Facebook Messenger Group Chat — Facebook has announced group video chat features for the Facebook messenger app. (Image Courtesy of Facebook.com)

As long as you have the latest version of Facebook Messenger, then the process simply requires starting a new conversation, clicking the video icon on the upper right corner and then everyone in the group will be notified.

Just last month, Facebook’s other messaging application WhatsApp released video calls to their billion users.

Kik also announces a new group video chat feature

Stock Photo: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – FEBRUARY 25TH, 2016. Kik Messenger App is an instant messenger application from Kik Interactive, and is available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone operating systems.

However, it is worth pointing out that Facebook messenger’s competitor KiK announced the release of group video chat conferencing on their mobile app on the same day.

Kik’s new feature will allow for users to make video calls with up to six people.

Kik reportedly says the video chat app was their most requested feature. Engineers provide a different kind of messaging experience in comparison to Facebook.

Kik Messenger Video Chat — Monday, December 19, 2016 – Kik messenger announces video chat features. (Image courtesy of Kik Messenger)

All users have to do is tap the video chat button in the upper right-hand corner to turn on video. In addition, users can share photos, stickers in gifs while video chatting.

The release of Facebook messenger and Kik’s group video chat conference is probably not a coincidence. As Christmas is less than a week away, the holidays is the time were many family and friends connect with one another. However, with winter storms and flight advisories currently across the country, the Facebook messenger and Kik’s new feature allows for people talk face-to-face even though being miles away.

Meet Waymo’s Self-Driving Chrysler Pacifica Minivans

Business

Jonathan Antonio

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December 19, 2016

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Meet Waymo’s Self-Driving Chrysler Pacifica Minivans

John Krafcik, the CEO behind the newly launched Google company Waymo, revealed a look inside the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan.

In a Medium blog post, Krafcik gave an inside look into the Waymo’s self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan. Krafcik explained his decision to use a minivan instead of a sports car or SUV arguing that Hybrid minivans allow for people of all ages to experience self-driving technology.

What’s next for the Waymo Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan?

Chrysler Pacifica Waymo — John Krafcik, the CEO behind the newly launched Google company Waymo, announced a first look into the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. (Image Courtesy of Waymo.com)

Krafcik shared information behind the designing and engineering process. Waymo and Chrysler have been working to design and create a fully self-driving Chrysler Pacifica for the past six months. In addition, Waymo ran tests including a reported 200 hours of extreme-weather testing to measure the safety and capabilities of the newly innovated Chrysler Pacifica.

Krafcik also explained that the new Chrysler minivan will feature “self-driving technology, including our suite of updated sensors, all-new computer and other major system updates.”

Waymo’s CEO also shared that Waymo plans on releasing the new Chrysler Pacifica on public roads in 2017.

The new Silicon Valley push for artificial intelligent technology

Just last week, Google announced the spin off self driving car company, Waymo. The move is seen as a signal that Google has developed the technology to take self driving cars to market. Also, there same day Google announced Waymo, Uber also announced the company the launch of self-driving car transportation in San Francisco, California.

Google’s move to self-driving cars further illustrates how Silicon Valley’s tech titans are pushing for more artificial intelligence.

Waymo’s self-driving car technology could change the trucking industry

Waymo’s announcement of 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans equipped with self-driving car technology is just the start for the newly founded Google company. Last week, Krafcik explained that the company plans to expand with additional self-driving cars including trucks, ridesharing services and personal automobiles.

But, the rise of the self-driving cars could cause a paradigm shift in the trucking industry by filling a rising demand for more professional truck drivers.

In 2015, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) conducted a study and found a shortage of professional truck drivers in the trucking industry. In order to increase the supply of qualified truck drivers, companies have offered to pay truck more. In fact, a November 2016 Glassdoor report found truck drivers have received the largest pay raise of about 7.8% per year.

However, with Google’s Waymo already in the process of delivering self driving cars to market, self-driving technology could lead to the biggest technological disruption since the invention of the car. And Waymo’s Chrysler Pacifica is just the start.

Waymo Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Minivan

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Tech Giants Throw their Weight Behind Artificial Intelligence

Business

Jonathan Antonio

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December 19, 2016

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Tech Giants Throw their Weight Behind Artificial Intelligence

While it is unlikely that robots will take over the world anytime soon, advances in artificial intelligence are already altering how we live and work. Now, ‘robots’ covers a broad area of study, but one technology of note is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Basically, it is teaching computers how to learn and companies such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are frantically researching advances in the field.

AI is not a new science and while it has existed in theoretical form since the dawn of computers, advances in the last 10-years has brought the field out of science fiction and into real life. In fact, IBM is already using their Watson supercomputer to assist Oncologists in making cancer diagnoses and outlining potential treatment options.

Stock Photo:
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – JANUARY 18: IBM Watson Solutions General Manager Manoj Saxena delivers an address to IBM Lotusphere 2012 conference on January 18, 2012 in Orlando, FL. (drserg / Shutterstock.com)

Whilst doctors are the final arbiters of treatment options, Watson’s ability to scan and interpret vast amounts of data is helping doctors to remain abreast of advances in cancer treatment.

For its part, Google has opened the code for its DeepMind supercomputer to developers and Microsoft has been working to open the underlying technology for its personal assistant – Cortana. Both developments point to increasing level of automation in the home and office.

Microsoft Cortana Artificial Intelligence — Stock Photo:
Chiangmai, Thailand – Nov 11, 2016: Using Microsoft Cortana on laptop. It is an intelligent personal assistant created by Microsoft in Windows 10 anniversary update. (yougoigo / Shutterstock.com)

According to a report issued by the Council of Economic Advisors, nearly all jobs with an hourly wage of $40 or less will be disrupted in some way by automation. While some jobs will disappear completely –- such as long-haul trucking and certain warehouse functions –- other roles are likely to become available. However, the ability for workers to take advantage of these new opportunities will likely depend on their ability to the relevant skills for a digital workforce.

While the trend might be unsettling for some, tech leaders have embraced the advances to drive growth. Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, is a purported fan of AI and he has publicly called for a world where everyone has their own personal assistant.

The race to develop AI-enabled technologies has heated up so much that tech companies are pillaging colleges and universities around the world to bring in the brightest minds in the space. While part of the push is to commercialize AI, another area of focus is to develop faster and smarter computers. This includes investing in the development of quantum computing. Though still in its infancy, quantum computing is positioned for major breakthroughs in the coming years.

As support from tech giants helps to push the development of AI and related technologies it is likely that the big winners will be the firms who can bring these technologies to market. Given this fact, the early winners include Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM.

Virtual Assistants Are the Hot Sellers This Holiday Season

Business

Reginald Edward

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December 18, 2016

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Virtual Assistants Are the Hot Sellers This Holiday Season

Based on early reports, virtual assistants from Amazon and Google are set to be the big winners in this season’s holiday sweepstakes.

While some analysts thought VR headsets from Facebook or VR-enabled cell phones from HTC or Google could take the top spot, consumers have been enthralled by the promise of virtual assistants.

Stock Photo: ORLANDO, FL – April 30, 2015: Amazon Echo, the voice recognition streaming device from Amazon, announced last year is currently shipping. (George W. Bailey / Shutterstock.com)

The trend is a big win for the consumer adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) related technologies as it opens the door for a slew of connected appliances, virtual assistants and other home management devices in the near future. Andrew Uerkwitz, an analyst for Oppenheimer, told Reuters that his group had upped its estimate of Amazon and Google home assistants to nearly 12 million during the holiday season.

While the sale numbers sound low, these devices were not readily available last year and some industry observers believe this will lead a rush of other devices manufacturers bring their own personal assistants to the market.

Cortana Virtual Assistants — Stock Photo: Melbourne, Australia – Jun 13, 2016: Using Cortana on Surface Pro 4. It is an intelligent personal assistant created by Microsoft for Windows 10. (ymgerman / Shutterstock.com)

Earlier this month Microsoft announced that it was opening up the code for its Cortana personal assistant to appliance manufacturers. Just last week IBM announced that it was working with BMW to install its Watson Artificial Intelligence (AI) in i Series electric vehicles. Such moves would help to fuel the predicted explosion in IoT-enabled devices, which Gartner has predicted will easily eclipse 20 billion worldwide by 2020.

However, the growth has also brought up issues regarding security and privacy. One example of potential security concerns was the DDoS attack which happened on October 21^st. Hackers relied on security weaknesses in IoT-enabled devices to bring down the servers of internet infrastructure company Dyn. By doing so, they were able to disable the websites of such companies as Twitter, Spotify, PayPal, Verizon, and Comcast among others.

Virtual Reality — Stock Photo: Los Angeles, CA – USA – August 29, 2015: Guy tries virtual glasses headset during VRLA Expo, virtual reality exposition, event at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles. (betto rodrigues / Shutterstock.com)

Even with the concerns, consumers have been flocking to the home assistants. So much so that Piper Jaffray has cut its 2016 estimate Virtual Reality (VR) headsets by more than 60 percent. The revised estimate has raised some eyebrows as the investment bank had previously pronounced that VR would be the ‘next mega tech’ trend.

While it would appear the consumer market for VR has flatlined, industrial applications have gained steam. One example of this is Ford’s use of VR in its design process. Another example is a study which is using VR to help veterans to lessen the impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Stock Photo: SEATTLE, USA – May 9, 2015: Man Using App on Apple Watch While Outside. Multiple Apps View. (Anna Hoychuk / Shutterstock.com)

Wearables have also continued to lag. While several high-profile companies have entered the space — Apple, Garmin, Fitbit — consumer reception has been tepid. The market is already going through a bit of a shake-up as the owners of the Pebble smartwatch has recently announced they would be ceasing operations and selling their intellectual property to Fitbit.

According to Forrester’s Julie Ask, single-use devices have been losing ground to multipurpose devices, such as Apple’s iWatch – which is on pace to sell more than 5.5. million units during the holiday period. However, this is a far cry from the 20 million devices original expected when smartwatches burst onto the scene in 2014.

Despite the lackluster growth for wearables opportunities remain, especially as device manufacturers use the watches as a platform to integrate with other devices such as personal assistants.

Who is OurMine?

What about Twitter?

Facebook releases group video chat features on their Messenger app

How does Facebook messenger group video chat work?

What do you have to do?

Kik also announces a new group video chat feature

What’s next for the Waymo Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan?

The new Silicon Valley push for artificial intelligent technology

Waymo’s self-driving car technology could change the trucking industry

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