Last week, Agra’s Taj Mahal got its own Twitter account. The handle, @TajMahal, already has over 16,000+ followers, and is part of a unique project that aims to boost footfalls to the famous structure. 

But, it isn’t the first initiative to use technology to draw in the crowds. A number of online projects around the world, and in India, have or are in the process of being set up to create awareness about art and culture, help conservation efforts, and even boost tourism. Let’s do something Guyana!
It was trialled at the Manchester Art Gallery in the UK with the aim to explore how the Google Glass could be used in tourism. A prototype app was created that allowed visitors to find out more about a painting by taking a photo on the device’s camera.

With new technology coming in almost every year, usage of these tools gets increasingly innovative. Travel companies are already experimenting with live streaming.

HIGH-END GRAVITY GYM TAPS FITNESS TECH FOR TOP-LEVEL TRAINING
Gravity is no ordinary gym in Singapore! Gravity, which opened less than a month ago, offers a high-tech workout to high-level executives for a high-end price.

It’s eye-watering entry fee is US$2000 and monthly membership costs up to US$500. That’s around ten times what you’d normally pay for a regular gym here in Guyana.

But those who can afford to shell out are in for a sophisticated, modern fitness environment. Upon signing up, members get an onsite blood analysis and a 3D body scan that collects a model based on 400 data points-follow-up scans then allow members to track their progress. Other digital initiatives include an app that tracks workouts both in and out of the gym, as well as weekly social fitness competitions.

Besides the biometric aspects of the gym, Gravity comes with the latest equipment, including a treadmill that automatically customises your home screen, as well as access to your emails when you log in either manually or through your phone via near-field communication, or NFC. A high-tech water cooler sits in the middle of the main gym area, tracking the number of plastic bottles saved if members refill their bottle instead of grabbing a new one.
With membership capped at 999 people, Gravity is hoping to fill up half of its quota by the end of the year. To do so, the gym also has facilities set up to allow executives to work remotely, such as meeting rooms with conference-call capabilities and with height-adjustable meeting tables.

THE NEXT VERSION OF ANDROID WILL BE CALLED ‘MARSHMALLOW’
Google shared some sweet news on last Monday: The next version of its mobile operating system will be called Android Marshmallow.

As you may or may not know, nearly every version of Android has been named after a candy or dessert in alphabetical order, starting with the letter “c.” (The first two versions were just called Alpha and Beta.)

The Marshmallow announcement is a bit surprising to Android insiders, who widely believed the next version would be called “Macadamia Nut Cookie.” But Google has thrown Android-naming curveballs before.

Android Marshmallow focuses on subtle improvements to the user experience, including squashing a ton of bugs and overhauling basic features. The biggest addition is Android Pay, Google’s latest take on mobile payments. It’s pretty similar to Apple Pay, and a big improvement over Google Wallet, the companies earlier attempt at a mobile wallet.

Other Android M improvements include a new permissions tool that gives users more control over what data they share with apps. There are battery saving features, in Marshmallow, as well as a new tool that lets you open Chrome browser tabs directly inside apps instead of asking users to choose between Chrome and an app.

More than 75 million devices now running Windows 10
Within the first 24 hours of Windows 10’s release on July 29, Microsoft said its newest OS was installed on 14 million devices. On August 26, a little under a month after launch, Microsoft officials said Windows 10 is now on more than 75 million devices worldwide.
Microsoft began making Windows 10 available to Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users as a free upgrade for consumers and some business customers on July 29. Those who don’t qualify for the free upgrade and are not covered by a volume license with Software Assurance can opt to buy Windows 10 Home for US$119 and/or Windows 10 Pro for US$199.
Microsoft officials have said the company’s goal is to see Windows 10 installed on 1 billion devices by late summer 2018. That total includes not just the already released Windows 10 for PCs and tablets, but also Windows 10 Mobile for phones, Windows 10 on Internet of Things devices and Windows 10 on Xbox One.
Mutilated toucan gets 3D-printed beak prosthesis
In a ground-breaking project, a Brazilian toucan which lost the upper part of its beak while being trafficked has been fitted with prosthesis made with a 3D printer.
The prosthetic is made of plastic, covered with nail polish and sealed with a special polymer made from the castor oil plant. With the help of the prosthesis, the bird will also be able to feed any chicks she might have in the future.
It took researchers three months to design the beak but it took only two hours for the printer to print it – the beak weighs approximately 4g and it is 4cm (1.6in) long.