Apple Inc said on Friday it would reopen one of the seven retail stores it has in Shanghai from Feb. 15 with reduced working hours, a day after the iPhone maker said a few retail stores in Beijing would start functioning from Feb. 14.
Via: NYT Business Day / Reuters
In today’s age of advance technology, a lot of devices, gadgets, and programs are built to make our lives easier and more convenient. While the more recent innovations were designed for entertainment, some companies are taking technology to the next level by incorporating a high level of help and hopefully, to make a difference to the lives of people who need it the most.
“Unfortunately I cannot name a single city as a perfectly disabled-friendly city that is why we are trying to provide this independence for visually impaired people” shared Ceylan on CNN.
The WeWALK smart cane was born from a visually impaired engineer named Kursat Ceylan. He is also the CEO and co-founder of a non-profit called the Young Guru Academy (YGA), the one responsible for making WeWALK come to life. As someone who faces the daily challenges of being blind, Kursat Ceylan knew the limitations of the current technology that people like him have to make do of. Knowing this, he created the WeWALK in hopes of changing the lives of the blind.
This innovative cane includes a built-in speakers, voice assistance, Google Maps, a Bluetooth system that makes syncing to other devices possible, and high-end sensors that alerts the user through vibrations when above chest level obstacles are within proximity—something a regular cane cannot provide.
“In these days we are talking about flying cars, but these people have been using just a plain stick,” he explained to CNN. “As a blind person, when I am at the Metro station I don’t know which is my exit… I don’t know which bus is approaching… which stores are around me. That kind of information can be provided with the WeWalk.”
One of Kursat Ceylan’s goal in making the WeWALK is to make the social participation of people like him full, and easier. To him, the WeWALK was made to “support the visually impaired in their full participation into social life.” This device is not completely new, but the fact that he was able to utlize and incorporate existing technologies such as voice assistance, Google Maps, and Bluetooth syncronization, makes it a completely new idea.
A lot of people have expressed their joy and excitement for having this kind of device available for the visually impaired.
“Well done Ceylan! This will enhance lives of of the visually impaired by so much!” Julia Teng Roo Seen shared.
“Just add a taser and it’s perfect for all situations!” Bill Ward joked.
Even Duygu Kayaman, a proud user of the WeWALK shared her sentiment regarding this innovative device.
“To me, WeWALK represents the end of an era and the start of a new one.”
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated number of about 36 million are blind. Just imagine the possible change and impact of the WeWALK in these people’s lives once they get their hands on this groundbreaking device!
Know more about the WeWALK by going to their official website.
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Apple TV+ forecast to have 26 million paying subscribers by 2025, according to a new report from Research and Markets.
Disney+ will be the biggest Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) winner over the next five years. Disney+ will add 105 million paying subscribers between end-2019 and 2025 to take its total to 126 million. Disney+ will reach 53% of Netflix’s subscriber total by 2025 – up from only 27% in 2020.
Five global platforms will have 553 million paying SVOD subscribers by 2025, adding 196 million subscribers between 2020 and 2025. Netflix will gain 51 million subscribers between 2020 and 2025; revealing that there is still growth left for the most established platform. Netflix will command 44% of the 2025 total for the five platforms; down from 53% in 2020.
HBO Max will have 30 million paying subscribers by 2025 – if non-payers are included then this figure could be tripled. The same is true for Apple TV+, which this author forecasts will have 26 million paying subscribers by 2025.
The SVOD sector received a boost in November 2019 with the roll-outs of Disney+ and Apple TV+. A further lift will come when HBO Max starts in May.
More info via Research And Markets’ “Global SVOD Platform Forecasts” report here.
Roku Inc. shares jumped higher in pre-market trading Friday after it posted stronger-than-expected fourth quarter revenues, and topped Street estimates for near-term sales…
Roku recorded a narrower-than-expected fourth quarter loss of 13 cents per share over the three months ending in December, as revenues surged nearly 50% to $411.2 million. Roku added 4.6 million new customers over the quarter, the company said, as new offerings from Walt Disney and Apple Inc. pushed the 2019 total to just under 37 million.
“As new services come on that’s good overall for Roku in terms of driving folks to the platform and increasing engagement,” CFO Steve Louden told investors on a conference call late Thursday… “And there was dollars in the quarter and dollars in the outlook related to new services like Disney Plus or Apple or others.”
