Walmart using AI to watch the store
Inside one of Walmart’s busiest Neighborhood Market grocery stores, in Levittown, N.Y., high-resolution cameras suspended from the ceiling point to a table of bananas. They can tell how ripe the bananas are from their color. When a banana starts to bruise, the cameras send an alert to a worker. Normally, that task would have relied on the subjective assessment of a human, who likely... READ MORE
Reason to get tech savvy: the grandkids
Retirees Kristi Appelhans, 68, and her husband, Tony, 69, live in Idaho Falls, Idaho — about 2,000 miles from their daughter Kira’s family in Staten Island, N.Y. Although they visit every few months, they have found that the best way to stay connected to their grandson, Oliver, 5, is through video chats using Skype and FaceTime. “Once Oliver got big enough to see us, around age... READ MORE
Don’t suffer computer problems alone
The only thing worse than having computer, Internet or other technology problems is suffering them alone. But take heart: local organizations called “user groups” let you meet friendly people to help you cope with — and even enjoy — technology. Though it’s easy to think that buying a computer is as simple as selecting a microwave oven, groups offer assistance for this tricky... READ MORE
Learning to cope with low vision together
After Baltimore resident Ruth Hoffman was diagnosed with macular degeneration, she heard from a friend about a free low-vision support group that meets twice a month at the Edward A. Myerberg Senior Center. “I found out the program was sponsored by Jewish Community Services (JCS), a good organization, and I decided to attend,” said Hoffman. “It’s a very informal group, mostly... READ MORE
Two startups want to check your memory
Have access to an iPad or the web? Take a brain “selfie.” This spring a San Francisco startup is looking for about 900 people to take an online test that will provide a snapshot of their current cognitive status. The one-hour game, taken via iPad, isn’t exactly a test, said study director Shenly Glenn, CEO of Miro Health. “It’s more of a series of interactive... READ MORE
Virtual credit card numbers cut fraud risk
Worried about your credit card number falling prey to online breaches or fraud? “EMV chips gave us protection against the cloning of credit cards, but a lot of credit card fraud has moved online,” said Beverly Harzog, credit card expert and author of The Debt Escape Plan. A few card issuers have a solution: virtual credit card numbers. These randomly generated numbers are linked to... READ MORE
Technology 2019
