Blog Directory

Net neutrality is the reason we were introduced to #blacklivesmatter and #metoo campaigns that resonated across the nation and beyond borders. But net neutrality is about to take its last breath. After it gets repealed, various ISPs will be able to monitor and/or control what reaches the consumer.
This is not something new. Net neutrality has been subject to its fair share of criticism. FCC chairman Ajit Pai presents his argument: “Net neutrality wasn’t supposedly really about a “free and open Internet” because big companies use the regulations to control online business.”
However, this is not the first time that net neutrality is under attack. The prominent argument in this case is that there is insufficient net neutrality protection.
So what really happens
The content that reaches the audience will be controlled for starters. Some websites would slow down while others would run fast. Some could also be scratched off from the world wide web. The supporters of net neutrality speculate that this might spell the end of internet freedom without many people actually knowing about it.
Will the repeal to net neutrality end innovation?
It will totally change the way consumers interact with the internet. After the repeal goes into effect, ISP providers like Comcast and Verizon will be able to slow down or block legal content. This is like pulling the reverse gear on “Open Internet Order” introduced in 2015 during Obama era. ISPs will also start offering paid prioritization. This will open doors for large companies to compete for fast-lane access, killing equal opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs.

Fashion and technology are the two unique industries that reinvent themselves almost every season. This constant change is driven by customer preferences.

Fashion makes a statement worldwide and it remains to be the top category for online retail shopping. Quite a few top fashion brands have had a journey that started from the smartphone revolution. They were quick to notice and accommodate into the changing landscape of technology. More businesses in this industry are realizing the consumer shift.

We are almost at the brink of time when consumers would interact with digital assistants for mundane tasks and asking a chat bot to display the latest collection from a brand. The assistant would call out the name and price as it makes an appearance on the screen. That calls for the need to prepare for visual and voice search.

Evaluating the rise of voice activated digital assistants for e-commerce has revealed some of the bright prospects this technology presents.

“In 5 years time, at least 50% of all searches are going to be either through images or search”

Andrew NG, Baidu Chief Scientist

Is voice the future of search?

Will Hayllar, partner and global head of consumer goods at OC&C adds his 2 cents to the prospects of voice search.

“Voice technology taps into the move towards frictionless retailing and the need to make it easier and easier to purchase products, both in terms of the process and enabling customers to buy something exactly when they want it.”

Visual search complementarity

When visual search gained momentum, it changed the way people search and shop online. For mobile users, this was another opportunity for intuitive search. It minimizes the lengthy procedure of text-based search and creates a smoother customer journey by presenting what they are looking for. Besides a graphic eliminates the need for language and thus visual imagery serves as the universal language.

Programmers are the master of their own bubble. Often perceived as the nerdy herd, they have creative traits that could surprise some professionals with an artistic taste. Their surroundings are creative because they balance two worlds: a world of structure and a world of imagination. This is not an easy task. Programmers have a tendency to think outside the box because they are capable of creating the box.

For one, programmers have to create something from nothing. That in itself is the definition of creativity.

Secondly, they know multiple ways to create one thing. It is just like a person who is placed in the center of a maze and he can find multiple ways out of it.

Now try to wrap your head around those two ideas. Potentially, the two thought processes combined, enable them to build a framework for a website, something that was just an idea.

They bring ideas to life and we will be showcasing some of those ideas pictured on real objects. Some of these will determine their lifestyle choice while other items are just a part of their job.

My day begins with a coffee

Every day is a new adventure in the world of coding and coffee is the fuel for the programmer.

Code is in my blood

Programmers are passionate about coding. It’s hard to find someone in this career path who lacks the drive to excel.

My laptop is my pillow

Sleep is rare in a programmer’s life and they are often seen napping with their head on their laptop. An adorable site for an onlooker.

Those socks define me

It’s hard to be in the socks of a programmer, like literally.

My watch reminds me of logic

Not really a fashion statement. They would rather go for a logic statement.

The lifestyle of a programmer is a complicated mess but their coding days repeat themselves in a loop. What else do programmers like to personalize? Share your thoughts.

This time it’s a lawsuit that claims Apple’s voice technology is responsible for infringing on the patents belonging to another company. Apple has previously filed lawsuits against other brands and has been slapped with quite a few lawsuits itself. Sometime’s a consumer takes the giant to court or another tech company and we have grown used to that. What’s new this time is that the troubled voice assistant has landed Apple in a lawsuit filed by Advanced Voice Recognition Systems.
The infamous Siri violates Speech Recognition and Transcription Among Users Having Heterogenous Protocols. After this infringement, the products that are under risk are iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and everything that has Siri on it.
It is Alleged that Apple got to know about this violation in 2013 which is precisely 2 years after the launch of Siri in 2011. Since then, AVRS have offered Apple a license to the 730 patent which got denied. The Advanced Voice Recognition Systems own the patent from 2001 which was modified to the current state in 2009. AVRS currently holds six patents covering the same technology including 730 Patent and are expecting to get royalty damages for the giants unauthorized use of the patent.
It is worth noting that AVRS is a non-practicing entity that acquired the patent in 2013. Another aspect of the story that has unfolded is their unwillingness to sue google or Samsung for voice recognition in off-device processing for the user. Targeting Siri will impact Apple the most since it offers the virtual assistant in almost all products.
“We believe our patents are among the most valuable of our assets and we intend to vigorously enforce our rights,” said AVRS CEO Walter Geldenhuys.

Voice commands have enabled a hands-free shopping experience for online shoppers. Since it requires less intervention from the user, voice shopping and voice search is expected to grow.

For quite some time conversational commerce has enabled customers to interact with brands in real-time. The chat apps and voice assistants are now becoming an integral part of online businesses. However, they are about to take a leap forward with voice search that returns the right results to a spoken query. Essentially, this would boost the online sales as the millennials and post millennials are the first generations fully accustomed to the usage of voice search.

But that’s not all. Over half of iphone users now use siri, whereas, Google Ok is gaining traction among android users. As for the users between the age group of 18 – 24, at least 48% are already using voice recognition software. So, if the smartphone market currently stands at 2.5 billion users, it creates 1 to 1.5 billion potential customers who would readily use voice tech. Will you use voice search for shopping?

What is speech technology?

The term speech tech involves 2 different techs called speech recognition and speech production. In case of speech recognition, speech becomes the input to the system, whereas speech production offers a modality for conveying the output of the system verbally to the user though the auditory channel.

Why speech search matters?

It has become inevitable to incorporate voice recognition and voice search in ecommerce owing to the growing number of users who are accustomed to this technology.

It makes search convenient and faster for people on the go because speech was about 3.0 times faster than the keyboard for English.

Voice recognition and voice search also caters to the elderly and disabled user groups that cannot make use of the visuo-motor communication.

Speech search makes use of user’s purchasing history to suggest relevant products.

Voice search goes mobile

Businesses are already investing in optimizing mobile app experiences to fit voice search and voice recognition. It all started with Amazon introducing Alexa. That was the first mover that came up with custom voice experience. While some pioneers are leading the way for speech search, the user in general will benefit from all who enable them to find exactly what they are looking for at much faster pace.

Voice gets competitive advantage

It is expected that by 2020, 50% of all search will involve voice. Markets predict that a massive increase in Voice Shopping is to expected come following the wide acceptance of Smart Speakers by users, as more people are using Smart Speakers to make at least one purchase. However, these purchases are mostly low-value purchases, with a maximum of 20% going to Grocery, 19% to entertainment, 17% to electronics, and 8% to clothing.

In a nutshell speech-enabled ecommerce has a lot to offer to the elderly and the disabled, perhaps even more than its ordinary users. Speech enabled ecommerce has already become a reality despite the fact that there are certain limitations to robust speech recognition and speech production of high quality.

Voice commands have enabled a hands-free shopping experience for online shoppers. Since it requires less intervention from the user, voice shopping and voice search is expected to grow.

For quite some time conversational commerce has enabled customers to interact with brands in real-time. The chat apps and voice assistants are now becoming an integral part of online businesses. However, they are about to take a leap forward with voice search that returns the right results to a spoken query. Essentially, this would boost the online sales as the millennials and post millennials are the first generations fully accustomed to the usage of voice search.

But that’s not all. Over half of iphone users now use siri, whereas, Google Ok is gaining traction among android users. As for the users between the age group of 18 – 24, at least 48% are already using voice recognition software. So, if the smartphone market currently stands at 2.5 billion users, it creates 1 to 1.5 billion potential customers who would readily use voice tech. Will you use voice search for shopping?

What is speech technology?

The term speech tech involves 2 different techs called speech recognition and speech production. In case of speech recognition, speech becomes the input to the system, whereas speech production offers a modality for conveying the output of the system verbally to the user though the auditory channel.

Why speech search matters?

It has become inevitable to incorporate voice recognition and voice search in ecommerce owing to the growing number of users who are accustomed to this technology.

It makes search convenient and faster for people on the go because speech was about 3.0 times faster than the keyboard for English.

Voice recognition and voice search also caters to the elderly and disabled user groups that cannot make use of the visuo-motor communication.

Speech search makes use of user’s purchasing history to suggest relevant products.

Voice search goes mobile

Businesses are already investing in optimizing mobile app experiences to fit voice search and voice recognition. It all started with Amazon introducing Alexa. That was the first mover that came up with custom voice experience. While some pioneers are leading the way for speech search, the user in general will benefit from all who enable them to find exactly what they are looking for at much faster pace.

Voice gets competitive advantage

It is expected that by 2020, 50% of all search will involve voice. Markets predict that a massive increase in Voice Shopping is to expected come following the wide acceptance of Smart Speakers by users, as more people are using Smart Speakers to make at least one purchase. However, these purchases are mostly low-value purchases, with a maximum of 20% going to Grocery, 19% to entertainment, 17% to electronics, and 8% to clothing.

In a nutshell speech-enabled ecommerce has a lot to offer to the elderly and the disabled, perhaps even more than its ordinary users. Speech enabled ecommerce has already become a reality despite the fact that there are certain limitations to robust speech recognition and speech production of high quality.

Is Aliexpress really worth the hype? Is it platform worth considering for dropshipping? These are perhaps some of the most common questions an entrepreneur willing to build an e-store would have in mind. And then there are questions on profits and business expansion opportunities. You will notice the most suitable answer appears in the form of Aliexpress dropshipping

Dropshipping makes it possible to sell products online at a hefty profit margin without ever worrying about the inventory. This allows you to run an e-store and save a lot of time while doing so. However, the only limitation is to connect with an appropriate dropshipping platform. Indeed, Aliexpress offers the fastest link to building an ecommerce presence.

Why dropshipping is ideal?

It negates the need to maintain a brick and mortar store. Hence there is no need to purchase or rent a physical space.

Once the order is confirmed, the dropshipping supplier takes care of dispatching the order which reduces the hassle for the store owner.

It offers opportunity to set up store with diverse product offerings.

You can experiment with various segments and try your luck marketing for each to see which one works out for you. Since there is no physical inventory, this is possible.