Amazon Terminator Drones, otherwise known as an “ATD”

Amazon Terminator Drones, otherwise known as an “ATD”

@Amazon @toysntec #Drones

 More at: www.toysntec.com

Most of us know that Amazon’s been working on delivery drones for sometime now and is even gotten certain regulations commercially past just to do so.  Amazons 55 pound monster drones can carry a payload up to 5 pounds. At a speed of 50 miles an hour and then the range of 10 miles from the nearest Amazon warehouse. So as long as you’re not within a 10 mile radius of a Amazon warehouses then you’re pretty much safe;  everybody else, good luck!

Ok, actually it’s more like “Terminating Drones”.  Amazon wants to create drones that have a feature to self-destruct if it were to malfunction while in flight.  It will first discard and release its payload, then attempt to fly an alternate route to self-destruct to a point of disintegration in order to prevent injury to persons or property below.  

Tis The Season

Tis The Season

 Many people are turning to home security systems to prevent poachers from stealing holiday packages.   Insides state, many thieves will follow around postal delivery trucks in order to get the jump on package is being delivered to residential homes. 

 To offset that many people are tracking their packages in their arrival to their destination accompanied by motion sensing cameras and doorbell ringing cameras to help fend off potential thieves.   I camera alone will not secure your package but with this information you can equip you with  information and a means to  securing your valuables before a potential predator comes upon it. 

 With this information you can have a family member come home and secure the package or have a neighbor secure it for you until you arrive back at your residence.   

 Stay tuned to learn more about how you can DIY and secure your residence without expensive monthly cost: #DIY #Homeautomation #SmartHome @toysntec 

or visit: www.toysntec.com

Apple Alert: Foldable Screen Patent filed

I can only imagine where this patent will take us next, Half the form factor twice the viewing size (This is not your daddy's flip phone, I can promise you that)! @toysntec @apple

More on this front, stay up to date: toysntec.com

Smart Home systems are taking a bite out of crime

Better than a curious dog.........., Smart home devices are starting to take notice of events going on in and around your home. You might be surprised to learn that you can set one up without breaking the bank.  Who can forget the chilling moment in June 2017, when a man  broke into a St. Petersburg home, waited for the woman who lives there to return, then terrorized her.

The video went viral, and helped law enforcement catch Clyde Mathis, a career criminal with a long rap sheet. The victim told police, her cat was missing, and remembered an important detail. “I have a canary. I have a canary, and they’re like OK dear. You have a canary and you have a cat, good job.  And I’m like, ‘No, no, it records things! It’s a video. It will show, hold on, let me get it,'” said the victim.

“Canary” is the system that she uses in her house right now. There are several other video security systems on the market like it starting at $100 and upwards of $300 plus. Nestcam and Ring Are more popular but basic and more costly. But if you're looking for a cost Effective system or camera that can get the same job done, then here's a useful link: ToysNTech.net

In another incident in St. Petersburg, police said a perpetrator stole stuff as the owners evacuated for hurricane Irma.  Home security video is changing the way detectives do their job. Sometimes they stop a crime before they happen. “When they see the cameras, the majority of the people, when they get ready to commit a crime, they look up, they look around, when they see it, they move on,” stated by local law enforcement. And if they do keep going, cops have great evidence to present in court.

Video systems are easy to install. “It’s really becoming affordable.  And if you don't care to do it yourself, we know professionals that can do the basics for under $100.  These cameras detect motion, have two way communication and can alert you on your smart phone. You can start small, and add more cameras later.  Most of these are all high definition.  And you’d also be very surprised at the night vision that these particular cameras have.

The industry predicts home security cameras are going to be a hot item this holiday season.  For police, video can be the evidence they need to lock up a criminal.

@ToysNtec #ToysNtech #SmartHome

Drone finds a missing person in the Carolinas

When it comes to search-and-rescue, drones are one of the most invaluable tools we currently have. drones can reach vantage points previously only available via helicopter—which costs time as well as money—and can be modified with thermal imaging cameras, live-streaming cameras, and more. Simply put, if you were lost in the mountains or other difficult terrain, you’d want the emergency service in charge of finding you to use a drone as a part of their arsenal to help locate you. 

Recently, A North Carolina resident got lost in a cornfield in Asheboro. Once a UAV (drone) was implemented into the search, it took less than 30 minutes to locate the missing individual.

Apple Pay Cash guide: What it is, how it works, and what it costs

iOS 11.2 adds Apple Pay Cash, which lets you send money to other iOS users right in an iMessage.

Apple Pay Cash Requirements

For starters, both the money sender and receiver need to be running iOS 11.2 or later. Apple Pay Cash was added in iOS 11.2 beta 2, and should be in the final release as well. According to Apple’s support page, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

• A compatible device with iOS 11.2 or later. 
• Two-factor authentication for your Apple ID. 
• An eligible credit or debit card in Wallet, so you can send money.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Live in the United States.

Setting up Apple Pay Cash

Before you can send or receive money, you’ll need to set up the Apple Pay Cash card. It’s essentially a special prepaid card with some financial services provided top Apple by Green Dot Bank. All you have to do is head into the Wallet app, tap on the Apple Pay Cash card, then tap on Set Up Apple Pay Cash. You’ll have to agree to some terms and conditions, but that’s it.

How to send money with your iPhone or iPad

Sending money with Apple Pay Cash is incredibly simple. It’s just an iMessage app.

1. Launch Messages and then start a new message, or open an existing one.

2. Tap the Apps button and then the Apple Pay button.

3. Press the + or - buttons to adjust the amount, or tap Show Keypad to enter an exact amount.
4. Tap Pay. If you want to add a message here, you can.
5. Tap the send button. You’ll get a summary screen that you’ll need to approve with either Touch ID or Face ID.
That’s all there is to it. The money will be sent immediately, and will be available on the recipient’s Apple Pay Cash card.

How to send money with your Apple Watch

This is just as easy as it is on your iPhone.
1. Open Messages on your Apple Watch and either start a new message or open an existing one.
2. Scroll down past the message and tap on the Apple Pay button.
3. Turn the digital grown to adjust the dollar amount. If you need to be more exact, tap the dollar amount to show the decimal places, then tap the value after the decimal and rotate the digital crown to adjust.
4. Tap Pay. You’ll be prompted to double-click the side button to confirm.

How to ask for money

You can ask your friend to send you money, too. When they get the request, they can tap it, and the payment amount will be filled out automatically (they can adjust it if they want).
Just open Messages, go to a conversation, and tap the Apple Pay iMessage app like you would when sending money. Enter the amount, and instead of tapping Pay tap the Request button.
There’s no Request button on Apple Watch, but you can use Siri with a phrase like, “Ask Jason for $15 for tacos.”

How to cancel payment

If you sent money to someone and they haven’t yet accepted it, you can cancel payment.
1. Go to Messages and tap on the payment, or find the payment in the Transaction History of your Apple Pay Cash card in the Wallet app or Settings.
2. Tap the transaction and look for the status field. Tap Cancel Payment. If you don’t see that option, they’ve already accepted the payment.
It may take up to a day for the payment to show up back on your account.
After the first transaction, most users will have Apple Pay Cash set to automatically accept payments (that’s the default), so you probably won’t have much opportunity to cancel. You could always try asking them to pay you back...

Using Siri

You can use Siri to both send and request money. Try saying “Send Jane $14 for tacos” or “Apple Pay Greg $12 for tacos.” Or to request money, maybe, “Ask Glenda for $18 for tacos.”
Maybe you should cut back on the tacos.

About that Apple Pay Cash card...

When you receive money, it goes onto your Apple Pay Cash card. That money is then used by default whenever you send anyone else money with Apple Pay Cash. If you don’t have enough in there, you can pay the balance with a debit or credit card.
You can also use money on your Apple Pay Cash card to pay for things using Apple Pay. Apps and in-app purchases, retail, online...it’s just another source of money to use within Apple Pay. Just tap on your payment card whenever an Apple Pay summary pops up on screen for you to confirm, or if you're buying something at retail, switch to the Apple Pay Cash card before tapping to the terminal.
The maximum balance you can have on the card is $20,000. You can only send or receive up to $3,000 per message, and $10,000 within a 7-day period.

Adding money to your Apple Pay Cash card or transferring it to your bank account

You can add money to your Apple Pay Cash card, although you will automatically add any missing balance from a debit or credit card when paying someone. Just open the Apple Pay Cash card in the Wallet app or the Wallet & Apple Pay settings menu. Then tap on the Info tab. Then tap Add Money. Enter the amount you’d like to add, tap Add, and confirm.
Taking money off your Apple Pay Cash card is just a little more complicated. You’ll need to add a bank account.
1. In the Apple Pay Cash card info (in Settings or the Wallet app), go to the Info tab.
2. Tap Transfer to Bank. 

3. The first time you do this, you’ll have to tap Add Bank Account and enter your bank’s routing number and your account number. 

4. Enter an amount, tap Transfer, then confirm with Touch ID or Face ID.

Is Apple Pay Cash free?

If you use a debit card, Apple Pay Cash is free. But if you use a credit card, there’s a 3% credit card transaction fee every time you use your card to add to your Apple Pay Cash balance. 

@ToysNTec #ToysNTech #applepay

https://support.apple.com/kb/KM207105

Amazon Echo 2017 Updated Device

The new $100 Echo highlights the original’s great features and improves its flaws.

The original Amazon Echo was  a interesting device to say the least. Did anyone really want a speaker with an always-on assistant waiting for your next command (I guess)? As it turns out, people did—so much so that now there are more speakers, lamps, baby monitors, refrigerators, and (soon) cars that have Amazon's Alexa built in.

But even though Amazon opened up Alexa to other companies to integrate into their products, Amazon hasn't stopped improving the original Echo. The second-generation Echo just came out, and while the most obvious differences lie in the device's design and its reduced price tag, Alexa has gone through a number of changes and improvements as well.

The new Echo comes in various fabric and wood veneer options, upping the device's style game. The Google Home was the first major device in this category to come out with a partially fabric exterior, which gives the device a friendlier, softer aesthetic while making it look less like a piece of smart home technology. Amazon also offers decorative fabric and wood shells for the new Echo starting at $19 each, so you're not married to the material on the Echo that you buy.

Amazon improved the internals of the new Echo as well. It has a new speaker with a 0.6-inch upward-firing tweeter, a 2.5-inch downward-firing subwoofer, Dolby audio processing, and a new group of seven far-field microphones. The new Echo sounds better than the original, getting loud enough to fill most one-bedroom apartment with clear sound.

When the original Echo debuted with Alexa, skills seemed like gimmicky pseudo-features, and only a few of them were useful. Now, the Alexa skills library has grown to more than 25,000-strong, and many developers have made skills that range from egg timers to immersive, voice-first games. Before you can use a skill, you must enable it from the Skills section in the Alexa app. This section is almost like an app store, but made exclusively for Alexa skills, and you don't have to pay to enable any skill you want to use.

Want to know more?

The Skills page is ripe with weird and off-beat categories, and I was strangely intrigued by a number of ambient sound skills made by Invoked Apps LLC. There are more than 30 sound skills to choose from that include nearly every kind of background noise you'd want to hear: thunderstorm, rain, white noise, fan, ocean, fireplace, clothes dryer, and more. Many of these popped up in various carousels on the Skills page in the Alexa app, be it a "recommended for me" or "popular" carousel. I downloaded a few, and, while they aren't the most complicated skills, they work as promised. Ambient Fireplace Sounds turns the Echo into the crackling fire I wish I had on chilly days, while Ambient Wind Chimes transported my living room outdoors and mimicked the ambiance of a front porch.

Every Ambient Sound app made by Invoked Apps LLC lets you loop the sound if you want the skill to run for more than one hour. With looping turned on, you can ask Alexa to "stop in three hours" or whenever you wish the sounds to stop. I've never needed sound in the background to fall asleep or relax, but I enjoyed using these skills so much that I like having that ambient noise in the background whenever I'm working and don't want to listen to music.

Invoked Apps LLC isn't the only developer making ambient sound skills, and there's currently no way to search for skills by developer in the Alexa app. Hopefully, this feature comes to the Alexa app in the future, because there will undoubtedly be companies that excel making thoughtful Alexa skills, and users may want to see what other skills the company has to offer after using just one.

Alexa app

The updated Alexa app puts a menu bar at the bottom of the screen with quick-access icons to your home screen, conversations, and audio playback. The home screen shows your history of interaction with Alexa, including apps and skills you've used and questions you've asked. Depending on the type of request, more information might be shown here as well. If you ask Alexa to read you sports scores for your favorite baseball team, the home screen shows series wins and when and where the last game was played. Asking about your favorite player on that sports team will prompt Alexa to read you the first few lines on the team's Wikipedia page, but the home screen links to that Wikipedia page so you can learn more on your own.

• Alexa home and conversation pages.
• Music page and main menu.
• Content setup page, where you can link music, book, and TV accounts.
• Shopping lists and reminders.
• Alarm management.
• Smart home page with Hue light controls.
• Alexa can dim the lights as well as turn them on or off, and it controls a bunch of devices as a group.
• Lights have "scene" options, which change the ambience in the room.
• Skills homepage.
• Enabling skills just takes one tap.
• Skills range from smart home to productivity to new to music and audio.
• New category-based skills search.
• Account settings.
• Echo device settings.
• Flash Briefing and Calendar settings.

Drop In

Amazon Echo devices also have a new feature called Drop In, which is similar to calling with Alexa but only for those with Echo devices. By giving Drop In permission to yourself, your household, or a contact with an Echo device, those users can "drop in" on your Echo device for a voice or video chat. Essentially, you're making a voice or video call to another approved user that has a connected Echo device.

@toysNtec #alexa #Toysntech #echo # Homeautomation ToysNTech.net