Year 2015 Tech News in a Quiz

Let’s recap the tech news for 2015 in the quiz below. The answers to most of the questions can be found in various articles that appeared in this column over the course of the year. The answers are also provided at the end of this article. The Questions 1)    In a desperate attempt to get […]

Let’s recap the tech news for 2015 in the quiz below. The answers to most of the questions can be found in various articles that appeared in this column over the course of the year. The answers are also provided at the end of this article.
The Questions
1)    In a desperate attempt to get back into the game after being kicked out for committing unforgiveable business management crimes, BlackBerry (BB) decided to do this in its latest phone, BlackBerry Priv. What did BB do? 
2)    Which of these technologies is not an alternative energy source? (a) Fuel Cell, (b) Battery Electric Vehicles, (c) Solar Energy, (d) Wind Turbine, (d) Wave Energy, (e) Geothermal Energy, (f) None of the above, (g) All of the above.
3)    True or False: iPad can now do most of the productivity tasks that were previously meant for laptops and desktops?
4)    Of all the operating systems (OS) for laptops and desktops in 2015, this OS dominated: (a) Mac, (b) Windows, (c) Linux, (d) Chromebook.
5)    The Special Assistant in Windows 10 is called: (a) Siri, (b) Cortana, (c) The Navigator
6)    In Windows 10, the Internet Explorer has the new name: (a) Windows Continuum, (b) Windows Hello, (c) Microsoft Edge.
7)    Today, more people use Windows 7 than Windows XP, Windows 8, or Windows 10 combined. True or False?
8)    This feature of Windows 10 allows you to switch between the desktop mode and tablet mode: (a) Windows Continuum, (b) Microsoft Edge, (c) Windows Magic.
9)    Why was Max Schrems, the 27-year Austrian student, in the news in October 2015?
10)    The company that was the primary target of Schrem’s case was: (a) Google, (b) Apple, (c) Facebook.
11)    The number one supercomputer in the world in June of 2015, according to Top 500, can be found in which country?
12)    The leader of this emerging country visited Silicon Valley in September of this year: (a) Nigeria, President Buhari, (b) India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, (c) Argentina President, Mauricio Macri.
13)    China’s very first commercial jetliner, the C919, which will seat 168 passengers and is being built by the Chinese government-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Limited (COMAC), and scheduled to be launched in 2018, will complete with which two existing airliners?
14)    In August of 2015, Samsung launched new versions of its two high-end smartphones. What are the names of the new phones?
15)    Of the two phones in Item 14 above, one is intended for productivity, while the other is a life-style product, more like iPhone. Which is which?
16)    The UK Financial Times thinks that this technology could be bigger than the Internet: (a) Internet of Things (IOT), (b) 3D Printing, (c) Predictive Manufacturing
17)    As of today, self-driving cars are a myth. True or False?
18)    According to this column, what is the most important lesson to be learned from Blackberry’s downfall?
19)    In the middle of 2015, this messaging app had the highest frequency of use (or the number of sessions): (a) Kakao Talk, (b) Viber, (c) WhatsApp
20)    The titanic old guard of the economy is: (a) ICT, (b) Manufacturing, (c) Cars/Trains/Aircraft
21)    What do you understand by Internet of Things (IOT) and how is it related to Predictive Manufacturing?
22)    The two iPhones launched on 14 September 2015 have the names iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. What two features are considered by some to be the most important relative to the previous respective versions of the devices?
23)    Apple Watch went on sale in April of 2015. The high-end model had a price tag of up to $17,000. True or False?
The Answers
1 Have Priv run Android; 2 (f) – All are alternative energy sources; 3 False; 4 (b); 5 (b); 6 (c); 7 True; 8 (a); 9 For challenging in EU court, the validity of the “Safe Harbor” agreement between the U.S. and Europe, that was drawn up to allow the transfer of citizens personal data between the two regions of the world. He won the case. 10 (c); 11 China; 12 (b); 13 Boeing 737 and Airbus 320; 14 Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus; 15 Galaxy Note 5 – Productivity, Galaxy S6 Edge – Life-Style; 16 (b); 17 False; 18 The need to be adaptable and open to new tech trends; 19 (a); 20 (b); 21 IOT is the technology of storing virtually any data about a product (thing) in the cloud to make it available to others. In Predictive Manufacturing, we use the data to remotely predict/determine the state of manufactured products and remotely control them or fix any problems with them; 22 3D Touch, whereby the amount of force you apply with your finger on your phone determines the app that pops up, and Live Photo, whereby the camera takes multiple photos before and after you shoot, and use the frames to create a movie; 23 True.