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The best software to manage your music collection on Windows

In the early 2000s, we witnessed the expansion of digital music. The MP3 file format has notably changed the way this culture is consumed,...

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Hola! a great VPN extension to bypass geographic filtering

Created by an Israeli company, Hola provides a straightforward solution to avoid the geographical filtering implemented by some Internet services or websites. A tool theoretically...

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China’s Huawei Makes Stunning Technological Leap with Homegrown 7nm Chip

Huawei has defied expectations by producing its own 7nm chip, the Kirin 9000s, for its new Mate 60 smartphone. This astonishing development could signal China’s arrival as a major player in advanced chipmaking.

Huawei’s Surprising Comeback

The beleaguered company seemed down for the count after the US blacklisted it in 2019. Deprived of cutting-edge chips from American and Taiwanese suppliers, Huawei was forced to recycle outdated components in its phones. Yet Huawei has risen from the ashes with the Mate 60 and its 7nm Kirin 9000s processor. This chip was produced by China’s own semiconductor company, SMIC. It even includes 5G compatibility. This is an extraordinary turn of events for Huawei, allowing it to once again compete with the world’s premier device makers. Just four years ago, experts doubted China could match leading chip technology for a decade. But Huawei’s surprise comeback was enabled by the pressure created by the US blacklist. Scrambling for survival, the company accelerated its self-reliance efforts.

China’s First 7nm Smartphone Chip

The Kirin 9000s is believed to be China’s first 7nm chip designed for a smartphone. When Huawei was blacklisted in 2019, the industry standard was 7nm. Huawei was forced to use recycled 45nm chips, hopelessly uncompetitive for premium devices. Some rumors claimed its SMIC was working on 14nm technology. But producing functional 7nm chips suitable for smartphones seemed an impossible dream four years ago. Yet Huawei has somehow leapt ahead to 7nm, despite reports that SMIC’s production abilities remain limited. It may have flouted US export bans on key equipment to achieve this progress.

Closing the Gap on Taiwan

Taiwan has dominated advanced chip fabrication thanks to its expertise and American technology. Huawei’s surprise 7nm chip suggests China’s SMIC could someday provide an alternative source. But experts caution that Huawei may have taken shortcuts to produce its chip. And even if genuine, SMIC’s 7nm capacity is likely small at this stage. Nonetheless, Huawei’s feat underscores China’s determination to catch up in semiconductors. With enough state support, SMIC may eventually rival TSMC. The Mate 60’s rapid sellout hints at strong domestic demand for China’s homegrown 7nm technology. Chinese firms like Huawei now have an incentive to nurture SMIC despite its limitations.

Trump’s Unintended Gift?

Ironically, Huawei’s blacklisting by Trump may have accelerated China’s progress. Without US pressure, Huawei might have continued relying on foreign suppliers. Instead, Trump’s sanctions forced China to pour resources into achieving self-reliance. Huawei’s 7nm chip could mark the beginning of a new era. Though still behind rivals, Huawei and SMIC now have a pathway to closing the gap. In time, Chinese chips could power devices worldwide, challenges notwithstanding. The Mate 60’s Kirin 9000s proves China’s chip capabilities should not be underestimated. Huawei has overcome steep odds to bring 7nm chips into reality. This improbable leap hints at greater ambitions for China’s semiconductor industry.

Boost Explorer File Loading Speeds in Windows 11 with this Strange Bug

Have you noticed Explorer file loading speeds slowing to a crawl in Windows 11? One user has discovered a bizarre bug that can give the file manager a much-needed speed boost. The Problem Since Microsoft began rolling out the revamped Explorer in Windows 11, complaints of sluggish performance have grown. What was once the snappy hub of the OS now struggles under the weight of new features like tabbed navigation. Folder load times slow to a slog, especially with large directories. And according to recent feedback from Insider members, Microsoft doesn’t seem to be addressing the regression. A Serendipitous Discovery But Windows 11 user @VivyVCCS may have stumbled upon an accidental solution. The Austrian user took to Twitter to share how toggling in and out of full screen mode can significantly improve Explorer responsiveness.
“Did you know you can speed up explorer using bugs?” she tweeted lightheartedly. “It turns out that turning full screen mode on and off (F11) drastically improves load times! I wish this was the performance we’d get out of the box. (Yes the navigation bar breaks…though a navigation bar shouldn’t cause such a massive regression anyway).”
The trick is simple:
  1. Open an Explorer window
  2. Press F11 to enable full screen mode
  3. Immediately press F11 again to exit full screen
Explorer should now load folders much faster. I tested it myself and can confirm the night-and-day difference on my system. The Million Dollar Question So what causes this magic speedup? No one knows yet. My best guess is that it has something to do with how Explorer handles window redraws. Toggling full screen likely forces a reset of some kind. But the why doesn’t really matter to me. What’s important is that we have an easy way to make Explorer usable again while Microsoft sorts out performance issues. I hope the company leaves this beneficial bug alone and focuses on proper optimizations instead. More Explorer Annoyances and How to Fix Them Tired of waiting on Microsoft to improve Explorer? These handy tweaks can restore lost functionality and increase usability in the meantime. I hope this look at a useful Windows 11 bug helps breathe new life into your Explorer. Let me know in the comments if toggling full screen mode provides a speedup for you too!

The Rise of Cloud Hosting Technology

Cloud hosting is a great way to get the flexibility you need without the cost of a local server. With cloud-based services, your bandwidth needs are met instantly without the need for expensive IT infrastructure upgrades. Cloud-based services are also a great way to shift your IT spending from capital to operational expenditures. The rise of cloud computing has led to a huge boom in technology. It has revolutionized the way businesses operate and created a multi-billion dollar industry. Businesses can now build anything they can imagine and scale it as needed. With cloud computing, you can simply spin up resources as needed to keep up with demand. The growth of cloud services has made the concept of cloud computing much more accessible to businesses. Using cloud services has become so easy that companies of all sizes can sign up and pay for them from their own budgets. However, it’s important to note that cloud services have a number of security risks that businesses must take into account. Cloud hosting technology is on the rise According to a recent report from Amalgam Insights, the enterprise cloud market is growing at an impressive rate. Amazon Web Services is the biggest player in the market, with revenue of more than $40 billion in the second quarter of 2015. However, it’s important to note that the two top players are not the only companies that are leveraging cloud technology. Other players like Microsoft Azure are well positionned on this market too! Various studies show that spending on application infrastructure will grow by a quarter by 2022. Spending on SaaS and PaaS is also expected to increase. Meanwhile, spending on cloud system infrastructure services is expected to reach $65.3 billion by 2022. Alibaba Cloud will surpass Google Cloud and take third place in the global public cloud infrastructure market by 2021, behind Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. The cloud market is rapidly growing in the United States and Asia. According to a recent report, the government of the United States is working hard to help the business community adopt cloud technology. In 2022, US federal agencies are expected to spend $11 billion on cloud services, a 34% increase from the previous year. In addition to the United States, the United Kingdom was the third largest cloud market in 2020. Next to the US, China ranked second with $14 billion in cloud spending. In the APAC region, spending is growing at a rate of 25 percent.

How Does Tim Cook Compare to Steve Jobs?

tim cook
If you are an Apple fan, you might be wondering how Tim Cook compares to Steve Jobs. While the former Apple CEO may have been known as an autocrat, Tim Cook is considered an efficient visionary and a trusted delegator. Here are some of the characteristics that distinguish each of these icons.

Tim Cook is an autocratic leader

In the Apple era, from 1997 to 2011, Steve Jobs was a micromanager who micromanaged a broad range of business operations. After Jobs’s death, Tim Cook has reformed Apple’s leadership style and been recognized as the World’s Greatest Leader by Fortune Magazine. He has received widespread praise from employees and has successfully avoided the autocracy and perfectionism that Jobs so famously practiced. Unlike Steve Jobs, Tim Cook is a visionary and transformational leader who has managed Apple to become one of the world’s most successful companies. While Jobs pushed for innovation as the core tenet of the company, Tim Cook has embraced a democratic style that has led to Apple’s continued success. Apple was founded as a software company in the late 1970s and has grown to be the world’s most profitable company. In 2020, the company will have total revenues of $274.5 billion. It will be the most valuable company in the world as of January 2021. Tim Cook was appointed CEO of Apple in 2011 and succeeded Steve Jobs, who had led the company for seven years, starting in 1997. His leadership style combines a visionary approach with a meticulous eye for detail.

He is a visionary

Apple CEO Tim Cook succeeded Steve Jobs in August 2011. When a confidant asked Cook if he is a visionary, he replied that he was more detail-oriented and didn’t want to think about Jobs. Jobs died in October 2011 from pancreatic cancer. In the days after his death, obituaries covered the front pages of newspapers and websites. On TV, newscasts aired lengthy segments that praised Jobs. Apple is a more inclusive company under Cook than under Steve Jobs. Cook’s background at IBM helped him develop deep understanding of marketing, product design, and manufacturing. He is also a great listener and is willing to listen to others’ ideas. He has worked to make Apple more diverse, open, and inclusive. Apple needed a visionary to guide the company through its evolution from a one-trick pony to a multibillion-dollar corporation. In this regard, Cook is a visionary. While he has not been as successful as Jobs, he has managed to grow as a CEO during the last six years. However, some critics argue that Cook did not make the same impact as Jobs. How does Tim Cook compares to Steve Jobs

He is a trusting delegator

Steve Jobs delegated many of his most important projects to his team, and Tim Cook has done the same. While Steve Jobs spent weeks with his iPhone design team, Cook has chosen to delegate many of these projects to others, which may surprise some. As a result, he has made Apple more diverse and inclusive. Like Jobs, Cook trusts others and delegates as much as possible. He is a team player and has taken on Warren Buffett’s management style. At Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett delegated many tasks and trusted others’ visions. Tim Cook has also built his leadership skills under Jobs’ tutelage. He has the necessary experience to make the important decisions for Apple’s future. The succession planning process that Jobs set in motion for the company’s top executives has proven to be a great asset. In addition to his proven leadership style, Cook has also maintained Apple’s overall vision. While Jobs was an outspoken, boisterous leader, Tim Cook’s quiet demeanor has allowed him to easily convince other executives of his ideas. He takes the time to explore ideas and discuss their benefits and disadvantages. He also encourages employees to voice their opinions without fear or intimidation. The democratization of Apple’s management style has enabled Apple to develop innovative products and a fear-free corporate culture.

He is efficient

In a few short years, Cook was able to cut Apple’s inventory from 30 days to six days. He didn’t do this by cutting costs, though. In fact, during his time at Apple, Cook spent $100 million on air transportation. He even bought freight space on a plane just months before the iMac G3’s debut. Tim Cook lacks the star power of Steve Jobs, but he is more approachable and has a more relaxed attitude. He welcomes input from developers and lower managers alike. He’s also more involved in the lower management levels and cares about Apple’s future. Steve Jobs was a special and inspiring leader, but Cook is more efficient and effective at leading the company. Tim Cook studied at IBM, a company known for pioneering the integrated supply chain and deeply integrating product design, marketing, and manufacturing. That knowledge has helped him create an incredibly efficient company. His company is also one of the most profitable in the world, and Apple’s products are among the most popular and profitable of all time.

New Technology Trends to Follow in 2022

new tech
There are some new technology trends that are set to dominate the next few years. These include Augmented reality, 5G, and Blockchain. In addition, we’ll also see the continued rise of home offices. These technologies will have a dramatic impact on the way we live our lives. As a result, we should prepare ourselves for these changes in the coming years.

Data fabric

Data fabric technology is expected to grow at a steady pace over the next few years. According to a recent study from Big Market Research, the global data fabric market will be worth $4,546 million by 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.8%. The market is expected to be driven by rising data volumes and an increased need to handle varying data use cases. Traditional data storage methods have proven unable to keep up with these demands. Data fabric technologies provide organizations with a more efficient and flexible data consumption strategy. By combining existing data collection, processing, and storage, data fabric technology helps organizations take advantage of accumulated data. It creates significant efficiencies and reduces the time and costs of managing a variety of data sources. Data fabric also eliminates the need to build and maintain multiple data management systems within one business and enables data to be reused across many systems. New technology trends to follow in 2022

5G

The emergence of the Internet of Things and the rise of 5G will revolutionise the way we communicate, work, play, and interact with the world. The technology will revolutionize cloud-based gaming experiences, improve factory and enterprise operations, and enable smart retail experiences. Many telecom providers are already working on 5G-ready services, and the technology is set to become ubiquitous in 2022. The introduction of mmWave 5G deployments was widely anticipated, but the technology has been slow to gain traction. In addition, performance has been uneven, especially in dense areas. This is why carriers are increasingly prioritizing investments in mid-band 5G networks. Although these networks won’t offer a drastic increase in speed, they will enable incremental improvements over 4G.

Augmented reality

Augmented reality has many applications in the healthcare industry. The technology can help doctors better explain patient’s conditions and diagnoses. It can also be used for remote patient assistance, especially in a hospital setting. Surgeons can use the technology to better communicate with their patients and make sure their records are readily available. In the near future, augmented reality will be widely used by both consumers and business users. In the future, consumers will be able to use AR technology to navigate in stores, and distribution center workers may use it to assist with their work. While augmented reality glasses may not be available for purchase yet, the technology’s use for business will grow in the coming years. One leading manufacturer, Zebra, already has an Android-powered smartphone with barcode scanners and AR capabilities.

Blockchain

One of the top tech trends in 2022 will be blockchain. Blockchain technology has the potential to improve vaccine delivery and manufacturing. Blockchain solutions can also help track and verify products. For instance, if a particular batch of vaccine has high levels of side effects, it may be easier to trace its source. With this ability, blockchain can help prevent shortages and stock-outs of vaccines. The blockchain technology is a popular alternative to traditional centralized corporations. It lacks government oversight and allows participants to invest freely without the interference of a centralized authority. It also provides a transparent and secure platform for participating organizations. In 2022, DAOs are expected to be a booming trend in blockchain technology.

Robots

With the advent of AI and machine learning, industrial robots have become much more intelligent. With real-time data from robots, businesses can streamline operations and increase productivity. This has already begun to happen in several industries, including manufacturing, distribution centres, and warehouses. Automated robots will not only make tasks easier, but they will also remove inconsistencies, such as human error and inefficiencies. New technologies continue to refine the abilities of robots. These machines can now work in distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, and warehouses with great precision. These robots can help reduce waste, improve productivity, and minimize energy use. As a result, there will be fewer rejects and defective products.

Wearable technology

Wearables have come a long way since the first smart watches or wireless headphones, and the pace of development is accelerating at a rapid rate. Wearables such as smart rings and glasses have not yet found widespread adoption, but they have the potential to perform a variety of functions. This includes fitness tracking, payments, and healthcare. One of the main uses of wearable technology in healthcare is to help medical professionals monitor their patients’ vitals, thereby preventing illness and ensuring better care. Wearable devices can monitor patients’ health over time and can help with remote physical therapy. They can also identify irregularities and provide earlier diagnosis.

5 ways to stay anonymous on the Internet

Some ways to hide on the Internet are quick and straightforward, while others are a little more complex. Here are 5 ways to stay anonymous online and protect your personal information.

Using a virtual mailbox

When working with sensitive information, consider using a virtual box. That is essentially a second virtual computer hosted in your operating system. To use it, you only need to install a virtual machine application to open your secure files while using the virtual machine. When you are finished, you delete the data and the virtual box, removing all traces of sensitive information from your computer.

Using a Proxy Server

you must hide your IP address if you wish to remain anonymous. A proxy server connects via a different web server, protecting your IP address with its own. There are many paid and free proxies available, and many popular web browsers also offer proxy server extensions that you can use.

Block third-party cookies

According to the Pew Research Center, 28% of Internet users want to hide from online advertisers. Many advertisers track your online experience using cookies to follow you and obtain information about you. To protect them, block all third-party cookies in your browser settings. Besides, if you want to delete unwanted cookies, use an application. Various paid and free apps make it difficult for websites to collect information about you.

Creating email aliases

If you want to stay hidden, then don’t provide any information that makes it easy to find you. Avoid shopping online, checking your finances, and signing up for contests, giveaways, or spam. If a service you use needs your email, use secure email service and an alias to encrypt your messages and requires a password to decrypt them.

Use a virtual private network or VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) also changes your IP address. A VPN allows you to connect to private networks using a public network. When you use a VPN, it replaces your IP address with that of the VPN provider. Using a VPN also hides your location; for example, you may be in New York City, but with a VPN you appear in London.

 

No matter how many walls you put between you and the internet, it is always challenging to hide entirely online. However, the smarter you are about the information you provide and the more you choose, the more difficult it becomes for others to collect your personal information and invade your privacy.

Google Pixel 4 , 4 XL: a new generation of Android smartphones!

When you read the characteristics of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, nothing seems to be blowing the competition away.

Google has selected components that are somewhat expected in the high-end market. The two terminals are powered by a Snapdragon 855 platform, coupled with 6 GB of RAM. This setup is enough to offer, with near certainty, excellent performance.

Depending on the version chosen, without the possibility of extending the memory in the absence of a microSD port. Google’s lack of storage capacity with 256 or 512 GB models is because it is pushing its online storage services, with Photos, Drive, or, to a lesser extent, Stadia and YouTube.

2019 is all about photo optimization

Unlike many smartphone manufacturers – especially the Chinese ones – Google prefers quality over quantity. A fact that is confirmed by the photography features of it’s new flagship model. Last year, the Pixel 3 proved that beautiful photos on smartphones are based on a clever mix of hardware quality and software expertise. On their new Pixel 4, Google uses the same foundations as the previous version while adding a second telephoto module.

The choice to add a second photo module to Pixel 4 is not very surprising. The market trend is to adopt 3 or even 4 photo modules on the back of smartphones. However, Google has opted for a “telephoto lens” module to accompany the primary camera. Indeed, Pixel 3 proved to us that digital zoom could be as good as optical devices when image processing is up to the task. Also, smartphones have recently adopted ultra-wide-angle modules quite widely, which is impossible to simulate in software terms.

A sober design overall

Nor will the design of the Pixel 4 and 4 XL make a lasting impression. Google is also not part of the current logic, which aims to remove screen borders at all costs. Here, the lower and upper edges remain clearly present. The Pixel 4 chooses to use the same format as the Pixel 3, by proposing an increase in the size of the screen (5.7 against 5.5 inches), and therefore in the occupancy rate of the latter on the front panel. Good news for fans of relatively compact smartphones, then. The XL version eliminates the notch and reduces the lower edge while maintaining the 6.3-inch diagonal of the Pixel 3 XL.

On the display side, the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are based on Oled technology. The first displays Full HD+ definition at 444 dpi resolution, while the second opts for QHD+ and sees its resolution increased to 537 dpi. Always-on mode and HDR compatibility are included. Google has also opted for 90 Hz screens, with a higher refresh rate, giving the perception of greater fluidity. The Pixel 4s follow in the iPhone’s footsteps with the appearance of an Ambient EQ mode. It adapts the screen’s color temperature to the surrounding lighting conditions, as True Tone does on iOS.

Hola! a great VPN extension to bypass geographic filtering

Created by an Israeli company, Hola provides a straightforward solution to avoid the geographical filtering implemented by some Internet services or websites. A tool theoretically prohibited for use, under penalty of a fine of 750 euros in certain countries European countries like France. 

A simple solution to bypass geographical filtering!

It is available as a Chrome or Firefox extension, or as an underlay software for Android, Windows and Mac OS.  Hola is a VPN that allows you to transparently modify the country of origin of the connection recognized by websites while browsing the web. It unlocks access to content that is in principle reserved for people in some areas of the world. It can also be used to circumvent censorship when sites are inaccessible in your own country. 

Using Hola App could not be any easier!

Just go to the official website, and create an account by simply entering an email address (no verification is done which is great for privacy). Once the installation is done, a browser window opens, which allows you to choose or add sites to unlock. For example, the excellent Hulu which is in principle inaccessible from Europe, and which offers many TV series in streaming:  Running in the background, and activated only on the desired sites (which limits the privacy problems caused by the use of a VPN whose use of any stored data is unknown), the Hola extension then bypasses the geographical filtering of the desired sites without having to do anything in particular  Better still, it even speeds up the viewing of content through a shared cache system between users of the extension (a kind of P2P network), except when the content provider has decided to block this caching using the HTTPS “Cache-Control: private,no-store” standard. 

Free Service and application

Free, the application is financed by ads on the pages visited; but it is also possible to buy a subscription to the Premium version for 10 dollars per month.  Note, however, that the use of such an application is not legally neutral, and that it may theoretically pose a problem for its users. For example, in France, Article R335-3 2° of the Intellectual Property Code punishes with a fourth class fine (750 euros) the fact of “using a service designed or specially adapted to infringe” the technical measures for the protection of works, to which geographical filters are assimilated.  Only acts “which do not prejudice rights holders and which are carried out for computer security purposes or scientific cryptographic research purposes” are exempt from criminal sanction. It is not the case when watching series or films in streaming. 

Cons of using the service

Hola experience is far from perfect and you should definitely look for an alternative if you want to browse the web safely and with full privacy. The company seems to be run out of Israel which is known for sharing data with major spying agencies and alliances sharing user data. There is not a full no-log policy when looking at their privacy page which means they could be sharing and reselling your usage data to governments and spying agencies. You have been warned! Find more about VPNs and geoblocking by following this YouTube channel!

The best software to manage your music collection on Windows

In the early 2000s, we witnessed the expansion of digital music. The MP3 file format has notably changed the way this culture is consumed, allowing the storage of a large amount of information on the same medium. At that time, Windows Media Player and Winamp software were often the most widely used. Today, users are turning more to streaming services. These services do not spend any storage space and offer intelligent playback modes that adapt to your preferences. What’s more, they automatically suggest new features that may appeal to you. Software for organizing your music library may be useful to you. You may have kept a personal collection of digital music for offline access. Or perhaps, you have a few nuggets not found on streaming services. Here is a selection of our favorite media players to manage your digital albums.

MusicBee – the most customizable music player

MusicBee is a free and independent audio player released in 2008 and updated regularly. When initializing, it is necessary to specify the music storage directory, which it scans. Its automatic tag function and pocket manager allow you to reorganize a disordered music library efficiently. MusicBee’s interface is clean, pleasant, and leaves plenty of room for customization. All displayed panels can be rearranged according to your preferences, and many skins can change the overall appearance of the player. It allows you to add new tabs to quickly access audiobooks, podcasts, radios and played file history. In the “In progress” page, MusicBee offers an interesting visualization consisting of a biography (in English), photos of the artist in the background, and a spectrogram. When it comes to original displays adapted to all situations, it also offers a compact player, a mini player and a cinema mode.

MediaMonkey 4 – the most feature-rich player

MediaMonkey organizes your music library according to your criteria, with precision. It provides an option to automatically fill in missing tags from the Web and file names. It can create smart playlists based on custom filters: the last added tracks not played, classical music rated 4 stars or more or the most recently played tracks. MediaMonkey has an audio CD extraction module, a multi-format converter and can even burn discs or synchronize mobile devices. It supports many formats. For music, we find MP3, AAC, OGG, WMA and FLAC files, and video, AVI, MP4, and WMV files.

Groove Music – Microsoft’s music player for Windows 10

Upon installation, the Windows 10 operating system comes with multimedia tools such as Movies and TV, Groove Music and the veteran Windows Media Player. Although the latter is ideally suited to managing an audio library, we have chosen to present Groove Musique, which is the software designed by Microsoft for Windows 10. By default, the system is configured to play music with this program. The player’s interface is modern; it offers to display all the songs or to sort the titles by artist or album. Media information (cover and metadata) can be retrieved and updated automatically if you enable the corresponding option in the software settings menu. Groove Music will present your album collection graphically and elegantly.

Clementine – a good open-source player

Clementine is a free open source music manager and player. Its interface is less clear than Groove Musique’s, but this software offers a lot of options. It operates on the principle of a playlist, which grows as the user selects tracks, artists and albums. Clementine is thinking of users who prefer to navigate through their folder tree to select files manually, by integrating an explorer directly into the software window. The pocket manager analyzes the files to identify missing illustrations and automatically downloads them. It is optimized to handle the “Diverse Artists” who sometimes disorganize music collections.

Do insomnia apps really help users?

More and more applications claim to be able to help insomniacs and other troubled sleep patients with their smartphone’s sensors. What is the real situation? While not all of them are legit, their scientific basis must be qualified.

One-third of adults are affected by a sleep disorder

App developers and connected objects manufacturers have understood this well. A simple search on the Apple Store or Google Play leads to a hundred apps promising natural awakenings and patented sleep analysis techniques. Some companies have even specialized in this theme. It is the case of the Slovakian Relaxio, which offers eight different applications, all of which have relaxing sound banks for all tastes and profiles. Many apps want to help smartphone owners to sleep better.

Relax to sleep better, it works

But do these applications work? There are two types of applications — those who only want to help with falling asleep and those who ensure sleep analysis. The former, through the diffusion of ambient sounds, can undeniably promote relaxation and facilitate falling asleep. After that, not everyone likes it. Some patients need complete silence. As for the second category of applications, let us say that it is how the data are taken that raises questions.

Imprecise or even far-fetched data

Just leave your smartphone next to you and let the magic of the algorithm work. The boom in the use of these types of applications is not surprising. It is in line with the trend towards quantified self, i. e. the self-measurement of one’s body and the data that can be derived from it. Many people with sleep disorders are reassured to see these numbers, these graphs, convinced that they could find the key to a restful sleep. The problem is that the data retrieved by smartphones is imprecise or even downright crazy. Several laboratories have compared the analysis of star applications and that of a real medical device. Like applications that count physical effort, this would be a definite fact. Despite what they claim, none of these applications have received any real scientific validation. Sleep with your partner in the same bed, have a mischievous cat, and all the data will be distorted. Nevertheless, for single people, snoring recording may be practical. When you’re alone, you don’t know how often you snore. Therefore, registering may be useful in a clinic.

Nothing beats a healthy lifestyle

More than sleep analysis applications, sleep experts recommend sleep coaches above all. “There is no mystery: a good night’s sleep requires a healthy lifestyle. Do not accumulate sleep debts; do not overeat before going to bed. Several apps give the time at which they think it is necessary to go to bed. It’s always good to take because they encourage you to go to bed early.

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