7 Technologies You Didn’t Know Were Part of Your Daily Life
New technologies are being introduced into the world every day. We are so involved in a world that is firmly built upon these innovations, that at times we hardly recognize how deeply these technologies are an integral part of our lives. With rapid advancement in recent decades, technology has become an essential and integral part of our daily lives. Though we use numerous devices in our daily life, seldom do we think of the technologies at work behind them.
In fact, there are a number of technologies that you use each and every day that you do not think about, or may not even know exist!
1. AI Face Recognition Capabilities of FaceApp
FaceApp is a trending app from Wireless Lab that rose to fame in 2017. Youngsters use it to see their pictures transformed into a projection of old age that shows what they’ll look like in the future. The app also has other options to modify your picture, like applying lipstick, a moustache, or a beard to your photo. These realistic picture manipulations are accomplished by using advanced image filters based on neural networks and Deep Learning.
Advanced face recognition algorithms are capable of capturing even the minutest nuance of facial features. Deep Learning technology is the most advanced type of Machine Learning, which is, in turn, an offshoot of AI (Artificial Intelligence.) FaceApp uses facial features of people around the world who use the app to perfect its algorithms. The more sample data that it receives, the more accurate and realistic the filters become.
2. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for Identification and Access Control
Another important technology that we use in our daily lives is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID.) Though we’re scarcely aware of this technology, it plays a significant role in our routines, from tracking aeroplanes, devices, animals, to assisting with surgery. This technology involves an RFID tag that stores identification information specific to a person or entity.
A transmitter/receiver unit uses radio signals to scan the information present in these tags and verify the user carrying it. This received information is accepted by a reader that integrates a system to store the data collected. RFID is commonly used in identification and access control systems, making payments in public transports and tolls, logistics, inventory management, and animal identification in large farms and parks, but RFID technology is growing rapidly in many other industries as well, including medicine.
3. Amazon Search Algorithm, the Secret Behind a Multi-Billion Dollar Business
Search relevancy is a complex science with the central objective of providing relevant results to customer’s search inputs. The most important part of a search is to precisely understand customer needs. However, with a vast range of customers from around the world, search engines need to be able to deal with misspellings, synonyms, and regionalisms. Natural Language Processing (NLP,) which has AI has its foundation, is very useful in this context.
Amazon uses this technology to provide its customers with enhanced shopping experiences. Amazon’s search technology is capable of suggesting products even when searches have incorrect spellings. Also, it gives access to products related to the customers’ searches. This way, Amazon ensures its search technology provides high-quality, highly-relevant results and commands a 12.9% conversion rate, compared to only 2% to 3% for its competitors.
4. Smart Tyres and IoT
With the Internet of Things (IoT) as the parent technology, smart tyres are another innovation that makes our lives a little better and smarter. These tyres are fuel-efficient, safe to drive, and low-risk. IoT is an emerging technology that relies on high-level data analysis and machine to machine communication, cutting out any human interaction. Smart tyres incorporate three elements: sensors that measure temperature and pressure, readers that do regular check-ups, and software to analyze the information on a web portal, thanks to IoT. Consequently, the tyres increase comfort while reducing the risk of accidents.
5. E-Ink in Kindle
Amazon’s Kindle e-reader allows users to read countless electronic versions of books, manuals, journals, and online publications, while also serving as a portable library for business. The Kindle Paperwhite models use an interesting technology called E-Ink to give the screen an appearance similar to a printed physical page, rather than a tablet device. This E-Ink display consumes less power and provides a high contrast with good readability under a wide range of lighting conditions. Since E-Ink display reflects the available ambient light, it stays fully readable even in the bright sun.
6. The Plasma ‘Gas’ in Plasma TV
Plasma TV is a television display technology that incorporates tiny, illuminated charged gas particles in plasma form in each pixel. Plasma screens have mixtures of gases stored between two layers of glass. The gases in plasma form are injected between the glass sheets and sealed in during the manufacturing process. The mixture gets charged with the passage of electricity which results in reactions that illuminate the pixels across the screen. It is more advanced than both LCD and LED TVs in terms of both contrast and colour accuracy.
7. The Healthcare Technology behind the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Efficiency, accuracy, and transparency are the key challenges of the hasty COVID vaccination effort. World-wide vaccinations are being assisted by several technologies to address these challenges. This includes a host of healthcare software, including Travacity, Pinnacle, Sonar, EMIS, TPP, Vision, Microtest, and BookWise to manage the vaccination drive through all its stages of production, distribution, and administration. These technologies ensure that the information is up to date, minimize risks, and ensure that operations run as efficiently as possible.