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TECHNOLOGY A23
Friday 22 January 2016
In Tech: Minecraft for schools, Amazon Dash, data encryption
The Associated Press ence lesson. -VERIZON is the latest cell- websites, watch video clips watch a lot of video in a
-MICROSOFT is buying the Perks for educators include phone company to offer or download their apps way that doesn’t strain its
educational version of an online community with Web surfing for customers without using up their data network as much. To do
Minecraft and has plans to a mentorship program for that doesn’t count against allotment. Verizon says that, it degrades video
create a bigger and bet- connecting teachers expe- their data caps. brands that have signed quality across the board,
ter version of the popular rienced with Minecraft to Under such caps, you can up include Hearst Maga- even for video that isn’t ex-
world-building video game those new to it. get hit with extra fees or zines and AOL, which Veri- empted from caps. T-Mo-
that’s designed for class- bile says that lets custom-
rooms. The Verizon logo is seen at Verizon store in Mountain View, Calif. Verizon is the latest cellphone ers watch more.
The Redmond, Washing- company to offer Web surfing for customers that doesn’t count against their data caps. Government regulators
ton, software company will have asked AT&T and T-
partner with TeacherGam- (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) Mobile for more informa-
ing LLC, creator of Mine- tion about their strategies.
craftEdu, to transform that The new game will be avail- slower speeds if you go zon owns. While net neutrality rules
game into “Minecraft: Edu- able this summer, with free over your plan’s data limit. AT&T also launched a spon- enacted last year don’t
cation Edition.” Financial trials available for teachers That’s not particularly diffi- sored data program two ban the practice of picking
terms were not disclosed. and students. Microsoft will cult, especially if you’re of- years ago, but relatively and choosing services that
Microsoft says the new ver- announce pricing details ten watching video and lis- few companies are partici- won’t count against data
sion will add and expand before the end of the cur- tening to music on the go. pating. caps, technically known
features intended to make rent school year, but says Verizon has said that it’s By contrast, T-Mobile ex- as “zero rating,” some ad-
the game classroom friend- it currently plans to keep interested in “sponsored empts several dozen music vocates say it could hinder
ly, including better maps the price at $5 per user per data” as another source of and video providers from innovation or favor some
and coordinates that will year. revenue. A company can caps, but says it isn’t charg- companies over others.
help teachers and students — Bree Fowler, AP Technol- pay Verizon so that phone ing them. It says it wants to Net neutrality refers to the
find their way around a ogy Writer users can browse their appeal to customers who concept that websites and
Minecraft world together. apps should be treated
Developers will also beef equally by Internet service
up the game’s multi-player providers.
capabilities so that a class- — Tali Arbel, AP Technol-
room of up to 40 kids can ogy Writer
work together.
The game lets players ex- -AMAZON is expanding its
plore, fight monsters and smart-home ordering ser-
build surprisingly complex vice to a range of new ap-
structures — even electri- pliances. Its Dash “replen-
cal circuits — out of blocks. ishment” service lets users
You could easily use it to reorder common house-
teach math, said Deirdre hold items with a touch of
Quaranstrom, Microsoft’s a button. (Its first incarna-
director of Minecraft edu- tion involved plastic “Dash
cation. But kids could also buttons” dedicated to
explore ancient temples particular products; press-
in the game for a history ing one orders a set quan-
class or view the inside of tity of, say, diapers or dish-
an eyeball as part of a sci- washer detergent.)
The new Dash devices will
Heart-pounding action? Hollywood can now measure that work in a similar fashion,
although they won’t be
RYAN NAKASHIMA Caprio vehicle had 14 ence each other after the that tracks everything from dedicated buttons any-
heart-pounding moments movie. brainwaves to eye move- more. Instead, Brother con-
AP Business Writer where it measured sig- “This is a pure way to mea- ment. The spread of inex- nected printers will let you
nificant jumps in people’s sure individual audience pensive wearable sensors, order replacement toner
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ever heart rates. Fifteen scenes response,” he said. however, is bringing costs or ink automatically. A GE
evoked fight-or-flight re- Companies like the Inner- down to the point where washer will reorder deter-
been told a movie is a sponses, as determined by scope Research unit of even movie producers with gent when it runs low. And
a range of indicators taken measurement and ratings tight budgets can consid- a Gmate glucose meter,
heart-pounding thriller together. The audience giant Nielsen have been er them. Sensors that are which tests blood sugar for
was also almost completely doing such biometric- “wearable and smaller and diabetics, automatically
that’ll have you on the motionless for just over half based audience testing lighter and less expensive” reorders testing strips and
of the 2.6-hour movie — in for nearly a decade, said are starting to hit the mar- blood-drawing lancets
edge of your seat? Thanks other words, says the stu- Carl Marci, Nielsen’s chief ketplace, Marci said. “This is when needed. Users can
dio, on the edge of their neuroscientist. But Holly- one example of the wave.” sign up online to activate
to wearable technology, seats. wood, he said, has been Lightwave Inc., the tech- the service.
George Dewey, Fox’s se- shy about applying these nology company Fox hired Amazon first announced
Hollywood has the tools to nior vice president of digi- techniques to movies due to run the test, said it opted the expansion to the Dash
tal, said the data comple- to the time and expense for the sensor-laden wrist- line in October; now the
prove it. ments traditional written involved. band to avoid “white coat new products are hitting
surveys and focus groups. Taking such measurements syndrome” — the sort of the market. Others in the
20th Century Fox says that One of its advantages, he has previously involved elevated blood pressure works include Purell hand-
said, is that it cuts through bringing viewers into the and heart rate people ex- sanitizer dispensers, Sam-
it used a wearable wrist- some of the statistical lab one at a time, where perience when they know sung laser printers, “smart”
“noise” that results when they can be monitored by they’re being tested. (Or home locks from Austin
band on over 100 people audience members influ- medical-grade equipment just going to the doctor.)q and others.q
in test screenings for Oscar-
contender “The Revenant”
before it hit theaters in De-
cember. It’s unclear if it’s
the first studio to obtain
this sort of data from audi-
ences, but experts say it’s
unlikely to be the last.
By measuring heart rate,
skin moisture, movement,
and audible gasps, Fox
found the Leonardo Di-
