Thu. Jan 21st, 2021

Day: November 26, 2020

Raspberry Pi alternative seeed Odyssey: Assembly is challenging, but it’s worth it

By Grace 2 months ago

The seeed company offers a single board computer and case combination that could make for a nice rollout for a number of solutions. Jack Wallen offers his take after a hands-on review.

Image: iStockphoto/Wiyada Arunwaikit

I was recently sent a combination of the seeed Odyssey single board computer and the seeed re_computer case for review. I’ve always found these types of computers to be an incredibly valuable part of the IT landscape because they are so versatile. Use them as a desktop or a kiosk. IoT? Sure, why not? Cluster them together for a small container deployment? Of course. Anywhere you need a tiny form factor computer, you’ve got a solution.

The Raspberry Pi is the gold standard of single board computers. When seeed reached out to me, my first inclination was, “You’re not Raspberry Pi.” Then again, I’ve always been a champion of the underdog, so why not

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TikTok’s epic rise and stumble – TechCrunch

By Grace 2 months ago

TikTok’s rise in the West is unprecedented for any Chinese tech company, and so is the amount of attention it has attracted from politicians worldwide. Below is a timeline of how TikTok grew from what some considered another “copycat” short video app to global dominance and eventually became a target of the U.S. government.

These years were a period of fast growth for ByteDance, the Beijing-based parent company behind TikTok. Originally launched in China as Douyin, the video-sharing app quickly was wildly successful in its domestic market before setting its sights on the rest of the world. 

Zhang Yiming, a 29-year-old serial engineer, establishes ByteDance in Beijing.

Chinese product designer Alex Zhu launches Musical.ly.

ByteDance launches Douyin, which is regarded by many as a Musical.ly clone. It launches Douyin’s overseas version TikTok later that year.

TikTok merges with Musical.ly and and launches in the U.S., where it quickly becomes popular

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PS5 restock for Black Friday 2020: Where to look for the best deals

By Grace 2 months ago

Black Friday is bringing more PS5 stock to stores online and in person, from GameStop and Walmart to Best Buy and Sam’s Club.

The hunt is on for a PS5 unit, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday are bringing new possibilities for shoppers anxious to score a PlayStation 5. Ever since the first PS5 units went on sale Nov. 12, the devices have sold out within seconds of online stores announcing availability. Major retailers such as Walmart have literally had their website crash from the onslaught of customers.

There won’t be any discounts on the PS5 this holiday season. But everyone seems to be okay with that. Just buying one, at nearly any price, is the goal. Retailers such as GameStop were offering bundles of a PS5 with a couple of games and controllers and a one-year PlayStation membership for upward of $800 last week and they were sold out

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Top fitness, health and sleep gifts for the holidays

By Grace 2 months ago

Looking for a smartwatch or a cool sleep or health item with a tech edge to gift this holiday season? Here’s a roundup of some options to feel more fit or sleep better.

Finding the ideal 
gift

for that fitness lover, health-focused family member, or sleep-deprived friend can be time-consuming. There are plenty of tech options available, however. TechRepublic has dug up some of the best and most useful choices for everyone from your favorite teen to your aging parent. 





Image: Fossil

The Fossil Gen 5E smartwatch is a sleek new device available in two sizes, 42mm or 44mm. It has an optimized activity tracker, sleep tracking, cardio fitness tracking and phone app updates. It runs on Wear OS by Google. 


$249 at Fossil



ua-mask-in-action.jpg

Image: UA

Under Armour has developed a face mask for athletes to use while training and working out. It has a moldable nose bridge to secure

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So many streaming services, so little time: How to get what you want

By Grace 2 months ago

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to choose subscriptions, but go ahead, cut the cable cord, you’ll find a lot to watch.

Image: iStock/simpson33

You’ve gotten rid of cable TV and its exorbitant bills, but streaming services are not what they used to be, and guileless customers may end up with a comparable or even higher bill, even if they’re getting more of the kind of programming they want.

For many, being beholden to the only cable company in your area meant you were forced to choose from a few heavily curated “bundles,” none of which can be customized. This means, if you want HBO, you’ll also get Showtime, but if you want the NFL Network or Starz, you have to order each separately—for additional fees, of course. If only there was an intuitive way to satisfy viewing habits…and now you can get closer than ever to meeting your viewing expectations.

Many

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