Mobile Minutes: Twitter and Ebola; WeChat duels with WhatsApp; Beer-brewing app; Smartphone-enabled frying pan
What Twitter can tell us about Ebola
The Ebola virus is spreading and mutating, and so is the chatter about it on
social media. Luminoso, an MIT Media Lab spinoff that helps companies monitor
consumer sentiment, has been tracking tweets about Ebola. Luminoso?s software
reveals trends ?- some worrisome ?- that show how online conversations may be
shaping public opinion.
Read more on Wall Street Journal
Tencent drafts Chinese expats for U.S. duel with
WhatsApp
WeChat, one of China?s most popular mobile-messaging applications, is turning
to thousands of students studying in the U.S. to spread its usage across the
country.
Read more on Bloomberg
Brewing your own beer, with help from an app
In the case of Brewbot, the machine has sensors that collect data, such as the
temperature of the water in the vessel. It sends that information to a
smartphone app that lets the brewer know when it?s time for the next step ?
adding hops, for instance.
Read more on New York Times
Why a smart frying pan isn't as dumb as it sounds
Dubbed Pantelligent, this souped up pan has built-in temperature sensors that
can transmit data to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The pan itself has no
switches or buttons, and its electronic components are hidden from sight inside
the handle. All of its genius is in its paired app.
Read more on USA Today