AZCOMP Technologies IT - September 2020

CAPTURE THE PERFECT PHOTO With the Goodband Pocket Tripod

If you’re a modern shutterbug — meaning you like to snap snazzy pictures using the incredible photo technology that many smartphones are equipped with these days — then you likely know the frustration of finding a way to set up your phone just right for that perfect shot. Well, the Goodband Pocket Tripod has found a way and then some.

“Fake news” is a term we hear all too often. A 2018 study published by the journal Science analyzed millions of tweets sent between 2006 and 2017 to find that every single category of information is impacted by this phenomenon. No surprise, it particularly impacts political news. It’s easy for social media users to fall prey to fake stories, and for the average person, fake accounts are hard to detect. Twitter especially has a long history of problems with “bot accounts” controlled by large organizations, some with unsavory affiliations whose propaganda they attempt to push. They tweet malevolent or inflammatory statements that rile up real users who are none-the-wiser about who — or what — they’re communicating with. That’s why two young college dropouts have made it their mission to help Twitter users wade through misleading news and information. Ash Bhat and Rohan Phadte are the cofounders of RoBhat Labs, the tech startup behind Botcheck.me, a Google Chrome browser extension that uses algorithms to analyze the legitimacy of Twitter accounts. The extension is available to the general public and is free to download. Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, it evaluates exactly how information on an account is produced and disseminated because most bots share certain tendencies, like tweeting every few minutes, retweeting fake news, obtaining followers quickly, and retweeting similar accounts. If an account is found to be a bot, it’s clearly labeled as such for the Twitter user. Bhat and Phadte have shared their confusion about why Twitter hasn’t created such a useful tool on its own. It only took these former UC Berkeley computer science students six weeks to build the extension, which leads them to believe that with their vast resources, Twitter could have easily implemented something similar long ago. But without potentially propagating further fake news, the two can’t speculate on the reasons why. Instead, they’re happy to put the power of knowledge back in consumer hands themselves. BOTCHECK FIGHTS FAKE NEWS SO INTERNET USERS DON’T HAVE TO

...CONTINUED FROM COVER free to go. There was no explanation of costs or coverage or any mention of anything else needed from me. I even volunteered to pay my portion of the cost but they stated they would bill my insurance and request my portion later. This might seem typical, but what came next made it difficult for me to continue taking the practice seriously. I received a paper statement in the mail with no option but to pay my portion by either writing in my credit card information or mailing a paper check. There are so many options for improvement here: price transparency before services are rendered, an option to pay before leaving the practice, an emailed statement, online payment options, or even secure payment by phone. Instead, their lack of updated technology led to a poor patient experience for me. It’s clear the practice doesn’t invest in new technology, which leads me to question them in other ways. Even though the doctor provided great care, the experience surrounding that care is causing me to rethink who I’ll take my kids to in the future. Your practice’s technology affects your patient experience, and your patient experience determines what’s shared on the internet and how others view your practice. So, it’s time to start exploring the new technologies that can give your patients the best experience possible. Regular camera tripods can be cumbersome to haul around but are vastly useful when the time comes for a great photo. That’s why Goodband has created the Pocket Tripod, a durable and versatile miniature tripod that easily slips into your pocket or slides into a compartment of your wallet. It’s the first phone stand that can transform from credit card shape and size into a fully articulated tripod that adjusts to hold any smartphone securely. It’s designed for maximum functionality and portability, meaning the tripod can fully adjust the angle of your phone continuously and even move from portrait to landscape. With a handy tool that fits anywhere and can capture practically any angle, you’ll never miss that perfect photo opp again.

–Byron Adams Technology Director, AZCOMP Technologies

855-556-4677 AZCOMP Technologies www.azcomp.com/it • 3

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