Facebook (FB, $157.33) Is Releasing Smart...

Abhoy Sarkar

published in Blogs

Oct 08, 2018

Facebook (FB, $157.33) Is Releasing Smart Speaker and Video Chat Device

Facebook is launching a smart speaker-cum-video calling device. Called Portal (and the larger Portal+), the device comes with a touchscreen and has a user detection system that follows the user anywhere they move across a room, allowing one-to-one/group video chats and providing voice assistant features. To make video calls, the device must be logged into a Facebook Messenger account. While the camera itself doesn't move, it is equipped with a 140-degree purview including panning and zooming softwares.

Having faced major privacy issues in recent times – including the Cambridge Analytica scandal and this month’s hacking of 50 million accounts on its social networking site – Facebook is trying to assure that the Portal has privacy build into "every layer" (according to Facebook's VP of hardware Rafa Camargo’s comments to CNN Business).

For Portal, Facebook is also integrating third-party features such as Amazon's Alexa voice assistant for playing music and controlling connected devices. It will also allow users to listen to music from Pandora or Spotify together during a call.

Users can also play around with augmented reality tools on the Portal. When not doing video chats, the Portal can show selected photos and birthday reminders, although it will not have full access to Facebook.

The smaller version (10-inch screen) of the Portal comes at $199, while the larger one (15-inch rotating screen on a bulky mount with a camera on top) is priced at $349. Portal is available for pre-order from Facebook, Amazon and Best Buy, and will ship in November.

Facebook hopes to release more hardware products in the future.

Related Tickers: META

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Sergey Savastiouk

published in Blogs

Mar 07, 2021

4 Tricks Hedge Funds Use to Get Ahead

If the stock market were Major League Baseball, hedge funds and institutional investors would be the pros on championship teams while everyday self-directed investors (SDIs) are the benchwarmers in the minors.It’s how they get ahead, and it’s why 90% of SDIs lose money trying to play (invest and trade) in the major leagues. The 4 tricks we discuss below are rooted in one common theme: they all use Artificial Intelligence and algorithms to generate data and ideas.

John Jacques

published in Blogs

Mar 22, 2018

A.I. Stock Market Predictions: Head & Shoulders

Statistics for the Head-and-Shoulders Bottom Pattern The days where only hedge funds used algorithms to trade stocks are officially over. Now retail investors can use Artificial Intelligence (A.I. Here’s an example of the algorithm in action: Late last year, Tickeron’s A.I.

Sergey Savastiouk

published in Blogs

Jul 10, 2020

3 Stocks to Buy if Coronavirus Second Wave Hits

By analyzing market trends from the first wave, you can predict behavior for the second. Technology stocks have performed at historic levels this year, but the market is severely overbought.To compensate for that, look at performance during Q1 and Q2, the height of global Covid shutdowns.

Edward Flores

published in Blogs

Feb 06, 2021

How to Become the Millionaire Next Door

The Golden Gate Bridge is always a fixture of these walks too, one of man's most beautiful creations. As we were walking, at one point she turned to me and said, "Man, I'll never have a million dollars."" My girlfriend is 27 years old and works as a graphic designer, making about $75,000 a year.

Alla Petriaieva

published in Blogs

Feb 23, 2021

Is Ethereum’s Bomb about to Explode?

Ethereum’s software is set for an update in October.Until it is finished, participants in the Ethereum blockchain must determine how to delay the difficulty bomb – code that necessitates a steadily increasing amount of computer power to mine blocks and unlock rewards – that is already in place.

Sergey Savastiouk

published in Blogs

Aug 07, 2018

When Is the Next Recession Coming?

However, we also know that economists predicted 22 recessions out of 11 that took place since 1945. Are there real recession signs we should watch for?Indeed, the answer is yes, and here are a few very important ones: The first one is almost obvious and known to everyone – it is the Fed.

Abhoy Sarkar

published in Blogs

May 22, 2020

Central banks have been buying $2.4 billion in assets every hour for the past two months

Some $17.8 billion has been poured into bond markets over the past week, the biggest move in more than three months.Around $3.5 billion has been invested into gold, the second largest on record.

Rick Pendergraft

published in Blogs

Feb 07, 2021

Mid-January Short Interest Report Shows 8 Stocks with Good Fundamentals and High Short Interest

Sergey Savastiouk

published in Blogs

Mar 10, 2021

How to Start Trading Penny Stocks

Penny stocks have long been marginalized within the professional investment community, oftentimes being painted with a broad brush of simply being “too risky.” Leonardo DiCaprio’s depiction of the penny stock peddling conman, Jordan Belfort, in the Wolf of Wall Street certainly didn’t help.Here are four reasons to start trading them now. Reason #1: Let’s State the Obvious -- Penny Stocks are Cheap A single share of Apple Inc. costs over $350.

Abhoy Sarkar

published in Blogs

May 08, 2020

US unemployment rate jumps to 14.7%, the highest in series history

The U.S. economy’s employment fell by -20.5 million in April. The coronavirus crisis led to unemployment rate soaring to 14.7% in the U.S, the highest rate in the Bureau of Labor Statistics-tracked series history that goes back to 1948. However, the figures were better compared to several economists'/analysts' forecasts of 22 million job losses and 16% unemployment rate. Another unemployment measure that includes those who have stopped looking for work as well as those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons also touched an all-time high of 22.8%.