Want to catch up with what happened in the digital world this week? Our weekly Cheat Sheet fills you in on everything you missed while you scrambled to meet deadlines and put out fires.
Read about Apple launching its latest phones, Instagram planning to integrate ads, Nissan introducing a new smartwatch, PayPal releasing a hands-free payment device and Microsoft creating its own personal assistant.
1. Apple reveals the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S
This week, at a press event in Cupertino, Calif. Apple announced the newest additions to its iPhone family — the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S. The best features of the iPhone 5C include a lower price cost, a lineup of bright-colored plastic cases and the internal consistency of the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5S, on the other hand, will include major improvements to its camera, a new A7 processor and — the most notable feature — a fingerprint scanner for security purposes. The new Apple iPhones have become two of the most sought after products of the year. But the question still remains — will they live up to the hype?
2. Instagram will have ads next year
The photo and video sharing service known as Instagram will soon provide brands with the opportunity to promote their own content using advertisements within the application. This investment seems like a very lucrative move for Instagram, as well as for brands. There are several companies that are already quite active on Instagram and have successfully engaged with their consumers through creative campaigns. Furthermore, will this platform create a better experience for Instagram users or will it completely ruin the ad-free service? We will know for sure when it starts to roll out in 2014.
3. Nissan’s smartwatch can connect to cars
This week, Nissan announced its first leap into the market of wearable technology with a smartwatch that can monitor both the car and the driver — Nismo. The Nismo watch can sync to the car, and access data such as fuel efficiency and can monitor the wearer’s biometric data, like heart rate and temperature. Currently, the watch is primarily for Nissan’s performance car drivers, but the public is able to track and rate the wearers’ performances on social networks. The Nissan Nismo watch is still in its concept stage, but it will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month.
4. Paypal Beacon makes in-store payments easier
Improving the payment experience for consumers, whether it is online or in a store, has been a trending topic lately. PayPal is one of many companies that was chosen to take on the challenge and has announced the unveiling of a new Bluetooth device known as Beacon. This device will provide consumers with a hands-free payment system by automatically syncing the shopper’s smartphone to the Beacon device as soon as the customer walks in the store. Beacon is expected to cost less than $100 and should be rolling out sometime next year.
5. Microsoft’s next update may include a new personal assistant
There has been a rumor going around that Microsoft is in the market to launch the next generation personal assistant, which may be integrated in the next Windows Phone 8.1 update. The name of the application — Cortana — is derived from a Halo series character, a fictional artificial intelligent companion who helps guide players throughout the game. Windows users will be able to interact with their smartphones through voice commands while the operating system learns and adapts in the process. The new feature is expected to roll out with the new Windows update in early 2014 and may be a competitor to Siri and Google Now.
