Ben Zigterman

@bzigterman ben@bgr.com +Ben Zigterman

In addition to writing for BGR, Ben also helps out at two student publications at the University of Chicago. He writes for The Daily Sophist and copy edits for The Chicago Maroon.

Services
July 7, 2014
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Google Maps game: Smarty Pins tests geography and trivia

This awesome game breathes new life into Google Maps

By on July 7, 2014 at 8:30 AM.

This awesome game breathes new life into Google Maps

Google launched a mapping game called Smarty Pins this week that has no apparent function except to be a fun way to educate yourself about geography. Basically, the app will ask you a geography-related trivia question and you have to place a pin on the location that you think represents the answer. For example, if you’re asked to find the region of Mexico whose name is synonymous with a famous hot sauce, then you might place the pin on Tabasco, Mexico and see if you are correct.

If you are correct, you don’t lose any of the 1,000 points you start out with. If you are wrong, you lose points based on the number of miles you are from the correct location. More →

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Mobile
July 3, 2014
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Apple iPhone patent: settings and profiles change based on location

How Apple plans to make sure your iPhone never goes off in a movie theater again

By on July 3, 2014 at 6:15 PM.

How Apple plans to make sure your iPhone never goes off in a movie theater again

A couple years ago during a performance at the New York Philharmonic, an iPhone alarm interrupted a performance of Mahler’s 9th Symphony, prompting the conductor to stop the performance. The culprit said his iPhone had been set to mute, but the iPhone overrode this switch for a preset alarm that its own said he didn’t even know about.  More →

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Business
July 2, 2014
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Apple Q3 2014 Predictions

The iPhone is more important to Apple than ever before

By on July 2, 2014 at 10:30 PM.

The iPhone is more important to Apple than ever before

Apple is announcing its third-quarter earnings on July 22nd, but in the meantime we’ll have to be satisfied with hearing the projections of various financial analysts. Today’s latest predictions come from Maynard Um at Wells Fargo Securities, and in a report picked up by AppleInsider, he projects that Apple will beat Wall Street predictions and have another record quarter based almost solely on the strength of iPhone sales.

More →

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Business
July 2, 2014
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Apple stock price target 2014

Apple is no longer doomed

By on July 2, 2014 at 5:16 PM.

Apple is no longer doomed

For a while, analysts spent most of their time describing the many ways Apple was doomed. But now their tune may be changing, at least when it comes to Apple’s stock price. According to a recent survey of analysts by Fortune, now over 60% of analysts predict Apple’s stock price will rise above $100. This is a significant increase from a year ago, when only 4 out of 45 analysts predicted that Apple’s stock price would rise above $700, the $100-equivalent of Apple’s stock price since its 7-for-1 stock split last month.

More →

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Mobile
June 20, 2014
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Microsoft Nokia Android Phone Release Date

Nokia’s next Android phone looks set to arrive on June 24th

By on June 20, 2014 at 7:45 PM.

Nokia’s next Android phone looks set to arrive on June 24th

Microsoft is set to launch the next generation of its Nokia X line of phones, at least according to two teaser images posted by Nokia. A new post on the Nokia Conversations blog suggests a new Nokia X phone could come as soon as next Tuesday. An image with an X and the date June 24th is on the site and can be seen below. The site also features a countdown clock that is counting down to June 24th. The same teaser image and countdown clock can be seen on a Chinese version of the Nokia site as well. More →

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Internet
June 20, 2014
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Google Loon balloon project: mistaken for plane crash in New Zealand

Google’s Internet balloons cause panic in yet another country

By on June 20, 2014 at 5:11 PM.

Google’s Internet balloons cause panic in yet another country

Google’s Project Loon has been around for a while now, but that hasn’t stopped people from freaking out whenever they see one. Today in New Zealand, residents thought a plane was crashing when in fact a Loon balloon was landing, according to The Wall Street Journal. More →

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Wearables
June 19, 2014
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Fun-iki smart glasses

What we’ve all been waiting for: Seizure-inducing smartglasses that can send Morse code

By on June 19, 2014 at 7:45 PM.

What we’ve all been waiting for: Seizure-inducing smartglasses that can send Morse code

If you were looking for glasses that are more obnoxious looking than Google Glass, we may have found just what you’re looking for. Spotted by Engadget at CNET Japan’s Live 2014 event, Matilde’s Fun’iki glasses light up the lenses in different colors to send you alerts about new notifications. The glasses can also emit a beep. But that’s not all. If you want to send a message in Morse code (who doesn’t?), you can type in the text into an app and the glasses will then flash accordingly. The glasses also feature different modes which light up for different environments, ranging from “disco” and “party” to “relax.” More →

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Wearables
June 19, 2014
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Apple iWatch patent filing

Three possible iWatch features revealed in new patents

By on June 19, 2014 at 6:05 PM.

Three possible iWatch features revealed in new patents

In case it wasn’t obvious that Apple is working on some sort of wearable device, now we have three newly revealed Apple patents that detail features for a wearable computer like the iWatch. The three patents, first noticed by Apple Insider, were all filed on December 14, 2012, and published on Thursday. More →

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Legal
June 18, 2014
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Apple Samsung settlement: talks continue as both seek common ground

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Apple and Samsung reportedly near a patent truce

By on June 18, 2014 at 9:00 PM.

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Apple and Samsung reportedly near a patent truce

Apple and Samsung may be closer to a ceasefire when it comes to their never-ending patent wars, according to a report from The Korea Times. The Times source—an industry official “familiar with the negotiations”—said the two companies no longer want to spend their time fighting each other over patents. More →

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Science
June 18, 2014
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Elon Musk on artificial intelligence: afraid of Terminator

Elon Musk: Yes, we should fear Terminator-style artificial intelligence

By on June 18, 2014 at 4:45 PM.

Elon Musk: Yes, we should fear Terminator-style artificial intelligence

Elon Musk doesn’t invest in many companies, but when he does, you should probably pay attention, especially when that company is an artificial intelligence company. In a wide-ranging interview with CNBC, Musk said that pretty much the only companies he invests in are SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity, and an artificial intelligence company called Vicarious. Why invest in artificial intelligence? More →

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Business
June 17, 2014
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Amazon warehouse: Pictures from Phoenix fulfillment center

Check out these rare pictures from inside Amazon’s enormous warehouses

By on June 17, 2014 at 4:25 PM.

Check out these rare pictures from inside Amazon’s enormous warehouses

It’s not every day that reporters get a peek inside one of Amazon’s warehouses, but thanks to a great article from Wired, we can get a sense of just how big these warehouses are. Wired was shown around one of Amazon’s massive “fulfillment centers” in Phoenix, Arizona, to show how Amazon has become a platform for third-party sellers, much as its Amazon Web Services (AWS) has become a platform for any company that uses the cloud, from small startups to Netflix.  More →

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Social
June 16, 2014
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Facebook Privacy Update: what it knows about you

5 things you probably don’t realize Facebook knows about you

By on June 16, 2014 at 5:45 PM.

5 things you probably don’t realize Facebook knows about you

When it comes to privacy, Facebook is hardly a shining beacon. Despite efforts in the past few months to clear up its image, it continues to upset privacy advocates, most recently with its decision to use your browsing history to show you more targeted ads. Of course, Facebook wants all this information to serve better ads, which in turn allows it to keep the social network we’re all addicted to free. After decisions like this, though, it’s worth being reminded about just how much Facebook knows about you, which is exactly what The Wall Street Journal did with its list of the most important things that you’re sharing with Facebook. Here’s just a taste: More →

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Services
June 12, 2014
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Free email unsubscribe service: Unroll and Unsubscriber

Email overload got you down? Here are two simple tools to help you out

By on June 12, 2014 at 5:45 PM.

Email overload got you down? Here are two simple tools to help you out

Most people have an email problem and we all struggle with overflowing inboxes. Various solutions have sprung up, from inbox zero to apps like Mailbox and Triage that help you quickly sift through your email. But the problem will persist as long as we keep receiving so many emails each day. So what can you do? Get to the source of the problem and unsubscribe from all those unwanted newsletters you receive using one of two services that were recently recommended by Wired.

More →

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