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One of the biggest social media networks, Facebook, has recently been under heavy criticism after they exposed data for over 50 million Facebook users to a company called Cambridge Analytica, who happen to be the company that worked on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. This all began in 2014, when researcher at Cambridge University, Aleksandr Kogan, paid people to take a psychological quiz. However, this quiz collected data on your friends, and participants did not know how much data was collected. Through this, Kogan was able to collect data on about 50 million Facebook users, and he then gave this information to Cambridge Analytica. This was only recently figured out after a Cambridge Analytica whistleblower by the name of Christopher Wylie spoke out. Wylie also claimed that the data was used to sway people towards pro-Trump during the elections.  In addition to the data possibly being used to influence the 2016 presidential election, the data may have also been used to influence the Brexit vote. Facebook has been under heavy criticism, especially after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did not respond for a while. He has recently come out with an interview saying sorry, however, after this, Facebook has fallen in stock price. Many people want Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress on how Facebook will protect the privacy and data of its users. Additionally, many celebrities have condemned Facebook and have even planned to delete their Facebook accounts. For example, Elon Musk has deleted Tesla’s and SpaceX’s Facebook accounts, one of the reasons being it’s hard to access Facebook while going to Mars. Brian Acton, Whatsapp co-founder, has also deleted his Facebook account, despite Whatsapp being a subsidiary of Facebook. Many have joined the #DeleteFacebook movement as well. While you are able to see your Facebook data that may have been exposed, and Facebook may try to contact those whose data got exposed, we will have to see in the upcoming weeks what impact this event has on the future of Facebook.  What do you think? Are you ready to 🗑️Facebook? Leave your response in the comments ⬇️ Author:Ritik Sinha
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"It is an exciting evolution of the Nintendo Switch platform -- one designed to inspire curiosity, creativity and imagination in people of all ages,” as the Nintendo America CEO has stated. In just over a month, the popular and successful video game company, Nintendo, is releasing a new innovative and creative video game console accessory called the Nintendo Labo - a cardboard box. In all seriousness, despite being made out of cardboard, the Nintendo Labo is a cool way for a younger audience to be able to use their creativity to create different gadgets, called toy-cons. The Labo is planned to be released on April 20th of this year. Essentially, when you buy the labo, you get sheets of cardboard which are easily foldable and have markings that will allow you to easily form different toy-cons. Because it is designed to be paired with Nintendo’s gaming console called the Nintendo Switch, you will need the Switch to be able to have the full functionality of the Labo. The Switch will have instructions on how to build the different toy-cons. Some of these toy-cons that have been revealed so far include a mini-piano, and handles similar to that on a motorcycle, so you can use the handles in real life to steer in a racing game when playing on the Switch. After building a toy-con using the instructions on the switch, you put the Switch device into the slot of the toy-con, and the toy-con will be fully functional. The Labo starts at about $70, but there are other, separate expansion sets as well that may add to the cost.  So far, there have been very mixed reviews. Some laugh at the idea of paying 70 dollars for, physically, cardboard. Most notably, famous Youtuber “NigaHiga” has made a video mocking how the Labo seems to be behind its time, as this ‘video game accessory’ requires you to use cardboard to build things - and still costs $70. However, others do claim that the Labo is excellent because it encourages creativity and hands-on-experience for younger children. Despite having to build the toy-cons yourself, it is impressive and satisfying to see something, that was at first just a sheet of cardboard, ‘come to life’. Because of the mixed reviews, people are unsure what to expect, but we are sure that many are anxious to see how successful this accessory becomes.  Author:Ritik Sinha “Our goal is to improve global health and activity rates by creating better, more social fitness experiences”, as fitness company Gixo states. Gixo is a subscription-based fitness that app can be installed on IOS or Android devices. The beauty of Gixo is that rather than having to buy a gym membership or own gym equipment, you can participate in classes anywhere you want, of which there are over 150 live classes each week that do not require any gym equipment. While you are in the live class, there will be a coach that is also connected, and will be able to guide you through audio or video. Additionally, other participants will be tuned in, and music will be playing to provide entertainment while you are working out. Because coaches can see how you do during the live exercise, they can give you feedback after the workout as well. Each class takes either 15, 25, or 40 minutes, depending on the activity. As for pricing, Gixo is very inexpensive compared to what a gym membership costs. While a high-end gym membership can cost up to $250 a month, a monthly subscription costs either $19.99 or $14.99, depending on if you are signing up for just one month, or a year. This low price point also means that one month of Gixo is less expensive than the price of one premium studio class. Not only that, but you are able to sign up for a 7 day trial for free, and be able to see if Gixo is right for you! So, not only is Gixo more convenient than going to a gym or using your own gym equipment, it is a lot more inexpensive.  Source: Gixo (app) One of the key components to the success of Gixo is the company’s care for quality and true care for the fitness of others. The coaches who work for Gixo are all trained, group fitness experts who are fully capable of leading live classes. Rather than having a huge amount of coaches, Gixo has a handful of passionate and hardworking coaches. Also, Gixo hosts different virtual programs. For example, on May 5th, 2018, you can join a virtual 5k or 10k event in which other teammates will also be participating in at the same time. While you are doing the run, the professional coaches will be able to see your progress, encourage you, and give you tips all while your running. The best thing is that all of this can happen while you are running wherever you want! The fact that coaches are able to see your progress and give you tips shows proof of how motivated Gixo is to helping you with your fitness.  Source: Gixo (app) While the idea and concept is excellent, because Gixo is based on the community and the people, it is important that people are using the app or like the concept of it. The good thing is, the community and most people are looking to apps such as Gixo since they are beneficial and useful for their daily lives. As a matter of fact, research by Flurry Analytics has shown that wearables and workout fitness apps have grown massive popularity in recent years; the usage rate of them has grown by over 330%. Additionally, when people are focusing on important things such as their fitness and health, they want a personalized experience that can be tailored to them. While a gym membership rarely gives that feeling, an app like Gixo is able to give the user customization on what type of workout they get, and feedback from a coach. Not only that, but because Gixo is not expensive, friends will be inclined to join your classes, making your fitness activities more enjoyable. So, overall, the community and people do like the idea and are using Gixo, which is what makes Gixo so great.  Source: Gixo (app) Check out Gixo here: http://gixo.com/ Author:Ritik Sinha As the prestigious transportation company, Uber, has been growing rapidly, they have decided to expand their services into health. As reported by the Community Transportation Association, every year, there are approximately 3.6 million people living in America who miss doctor appointments because of a transportation issue. The company Uber has addressed this issue after deciding to launch Uber Health on March 1st, subsequent to being in beta since last July. Uber Health is a service designed to help take patients from and to hospitals. This is important as it prevents people from being late to their appointments, especially for older people, and it can even help take people back from hospitals after operations. Uber Health is already being used in over 100 different healthcare organizations, and healthcare professionals can get a ride for their patients. Although it is similar to the normal Uber services, Uber Health has additional features that are designed to make it more useful for health situations. For example, people are able to schedule a ride immediately, or schedule for one in up to thirty days. Additionally, many elderly people do not have access to a smartphone, so Uber Health allows you to have any phone - unlike the regular Uber services.  As of right now, the current healthcare organizations pay for the rides. Although it does help to get patients to hospitals, Uber Health is not a replacement for using ambulance rides, when in an emergency. This is because Uber Health does not employ medical professionals, but instead, regular drivers. The last thing we would want would be a nonprofessional being involved in a serious emergency incident! Essentially, Uber Health works by having someone at your hospital, which is partnered with Uber Health, to schedule a ride for you. You will then have text messages or calls that will remind you when and where you will be picked up. Your doctor will have the information of the ride and will give you a paper noting the driver’s license of the car so you will be able to know what car is supposed to pick you up. The concept is simple, yet the service is undeniably great, and as an anonymous patient from San Diego sums up his situation, “My health crisis was a lot to manage. Knowing I had reliable and comfortable transportation to and from my oncology appointments was one less burden on a very long list.”  Author:Ritik Sinha |
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