IBM’s big bet on Watson is paying off with more apps and DNA analysis
IBM’s cognitive computer Watson is on a roll. After spinning it out as a $1 billion division last year, IBM went on to give Watson a flashy new home in Manhattan, made it a more tool for doctors with Watson Health Cloud, and it even proved its culinary chops with a new cookbook. Today IBM showed off several more examples of the supercomputer’s growing ecosystem, including new Watson-powered apps that can do things like find you the ideal therapist, or help hotel staff better help guests. It’s also partnered with more than a dozen cancer institutes who will use Watson to analyze DNA and offer personalized treatment profiles for patients. It may have started out somewhat gimmicky as a Jeopardy contestant, but IBM is also steadily showing how Watson could also be a truly useful tool for all of us.
What makes Watson special? IBM’s earlier supercomputers like Deep Blue and Blue Gene (which was actually a series of machines) were powerful for their time, but they were never focused on applications for normal consumers. Watson, with its natural language recognition and ability to sift through mounds of data, is significantly more user friendly. And while we certainly can’t call it conscious, it’s IBM’s most concerted effort in building artificially intelligent supercomputers.
IBM showed off several Watson-powered apps when it opened its new Watson headquarters last year, but today we got a glimpse at a bit more variety. Decibel, a music discovery startup, tapped into the supercomputer’s smarts to build MusicGeek, which could put an end to those baffling song recommendations you get from other music services. Go Moment is using Watson for its Rev1 app, which gives hotel staff a way to quickly respond to questions from guests. And Arria NLG has built an app that helps energy companies stay within regulatory guidelines, making it easier for managers to make sense of thousands of pages of legal and technical jargon.
As for those partnerships with cancer institutes, it’s yet another part of the company’s Watson Health initiative. Watson has been positioned for a while as a boon for doctors when it comes to diagnosis. Just plug in a few symptoms and Watson can bring up plenty of potentially relevant illnesses — many that even your doctor might not think of. Now Watson’s taking that a step further with DNA analysis.
“Determining the right drug combination for an advanced cancer patient is alarmingly difficult, requiring a complex analysis of different sources of Big Data that integrates rapidly emerging clinical trials information with personalized gene sequencing,” said Norman Sharpless, director of the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a statement. “We are partnering with IBM in an effort to solve this decision problem with the help of cognitive technology and to improve the decisions we make with our patients to maximize their chance for cure.”
[Photo credit: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’ returns this year and adds… projectiles?
Get ready to Ride again. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 is heading to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 later this year, with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions slated to launch shortly afterward, Game Informer‘s June cover story confirms. The game is published by Activision and it’s in development at Robomodo, the studio behind 2009’s Tony Hawk: Ride, 2010’s Tony Hawk: Shred and 2012’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 may bear the series’ classic numerical name, but it has a few fresh additions, including power-ups and “the ability to shoot projectiles for specific missions,” the site says. Players will be able to create and share skate parks, and the game features online co-op and competitive play. We learned in 2014 that Activision was back in the Tony Hawk game, though details remained vague until today. Considering those details included “projectiles,” the veil of mystery makes sense.
Source: Tony Hawk on Facebook, Game Informer
JXE Streams: Blasting robot dogs in ‘Wolfenstein: The Old Blood’
One year ago, Machine Games did an unbelievable thing: it made Wolfenstein relevant again. id Software’s 1992 original is still fondly remembered; it was, after all, the only game in town where you could eat a bowl of dog food before blowing up Robo Hitler. The series had grown stale over the decades, though, a relic rather than an enduring institution. Wolfenstein: The New Order was a monumentally impressive resurrection with solid action on PS4 and Xbox One alongside a surprisingly moving, if simple, story. Now Machine Games is back with Wolfenstein: The Old Blood and we’re playing it for your viewing pleasure on today’s stream.
Join us here in this post, at Engadget.com/gaming or over on Twitch.tv/Joystiq for a solid 90 minutes of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood starting at 3:30PM ET. What was old B.J. Blazkowicz getting up to before napping his way into the ’60s? We’ll find out together.
If you enjoy our streams, please follow us on Twitch.tv/Joystiq and bookmark Engadget.com/gaming.
[We’re playing Wolfenstein: The Old Blood on PlayStation 4, streamed through an Elgato Capture HD via OBS at 720p.]
Apple Still Working to Finalize Streaming Music Deals Ahead of Rumored WWDC Launch
Just weeks ahead of the rumored debut of its newly revamped streaming music service, Apple is still working to get key deals completed. According to a new report from Billboard that cites music industry sources, Apple does not yet have the necessary licensing agreements that it needs to launch the service, leading to disagreements over whether it will be ready to go in June.
A June launch is still attainable. One source notes Apple has been able to quickly secure licensing deals in the past. “If any company can pull it off, they can,” the source tells Billboard, adding that “labels are more likely to play ball with them” because of Apple’s track record of generating revenue for rights holders.
Another major label source believes the Beats Music re-launch isn’t coming soon. “June won’t be the release date. The deals aren’t done.”
Rumors about several licensing issues have arisen over the past several months as Apple has worked to ink deals with record labels. Originally, Apple was said to be seeking an agreement that would let it offer its new music service for $7.99 per month, but it was forced to back down on that price point after record companies resisted going below $9.99.
More recently, rumors have suggested Apple is pressuring music labels to cease offering licenses for the freemium tiers that Spotify and other services offer, as Apple does not plan to offer a freemium tier for its rebranded music service. These efforts have earned Apple government scrutiny, as the European Commission is now poking into Apple’s agreements with music companies. U.S. Department of Justice officials are also said to be looking into Apple’s music negotiations.
Apple is known for asking for highly favorable deals from media companies due to its influence and the sheer number of potential customers it commands, and it is unsurprising that the company has yet to finalize deals given some of the rumors about its demands. If deals are not completed in time, it’s possible Apple will unveil the music service at its Worldwide Developers Conference, but release it at a later date.
Apple’s upcoming music service is said to be positioned as a rebranding of its existing Beats Music service. To draw in customers and set its music service apart from the competition, Apple is aiming to offer a range of exclusive content. There are also plans to integrate the new music service deeply into iTunes, and it’s likely it will be built into the newly revamped Music app introduced with iOS 8.4.
LG G4 trial program coming to the US, lucky participants will receive a free LG G4
A few days ago we reported on the new LG G4 trial for the UK market, where LG would give 200 testers the chance get their hands on the device ahead of its formal launch. Now LG is bringing a similar promotion to the United States.
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Unlike the UK trial, LG isn’t specifying exactly how many folks will be given an LG G4, only stating that “ Spots are limited, so don’t wait”. Another difference is that the UK trial lasted for just six weeks, with users asked to buy or return the phone after that. However, with the US promotion it sounds like the unlocked GSM-compatible phones given out will be for keeps.
If you excited to try out the LG G4 ahead of its formal retail launch, you’ll want to head on over to the trial’s pre-registration page. There’s no word on exactly when LG will start handing out the devices, all we know is it will happen sometime before the phone hits retailers in June.
While everyone else moves towards 5.1.1, Nexus 9 finally gets an update to Android 5.0.2
Considering it’s the latest Nexus tablet on the market, one would expect the Nexus 9 to be treated as a high priority when it comes to rolling out new software updates. Unfortunately, that’s far from the case. The Nexus 9 is the only current member of the Nexus family that doesn’t have factory images for at least Android 5.1, and the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 even recently received updates to Android 5.1.1.
So when will the Nexus 9 finally move past Android 5.0.1? The answer is today, as a new OTA update is arriving that bumps the software up to… Android 5.0.2. That’s right, while everyone else is preparing for a move to Android 5.1.1, the Nexus 9 is getting a very minor bug fix (a meager 23.3MB file).
So what’s going on here? We can’t say for sure why Google is being so slow to upgrade the Nexus 9 to the latest version of Android, we can only speculate that something with the hardware maybe causing trouble and Google doesn’t want to push out an update until they get everything running smoothly. Here’s to hoping that Android 5.0.2 update was a necessary one in order to push out 5.1.x, and that it won’t be long before the Nexus 9 catches up with its Nexus brethren.
Nexus 9 owners, are you okay with being stuck on 5.0.x for now, or is this unacceptable? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Right on time, the LG Watch Urbane gets the teardown treatment
The iFixit team is back with their latest teardown in which they took some time to figure out how easy it may be to repair an LG Watch Urbane. The LG Watch Urbane has been described as the closest a smart watch has come to being similar to a traditional watch and in many respects, the iFixit teardown seems to bear this out. Unfortunately, replacing a cracked screen will be a bit of a challenge, although the device managed to score a very respectable 7 out of 10 on the iFixit team’s scale where 10 is the easiest to repair.
As the iFixit team started on their teardown, they immediately noted that the LG Watch Urbane uses typical watchbands and spring bars, so removal is quite easy. Unlike previous LG smartwatch devices, the Watch Urbane takes some heat to pop off the back cover as it is sealed with glue. Once inside though, users will find several of the screws are typical “normal” watch screws, which is to say typically Philips head and very tiny. The iFixit crew also noted that it seems adhesives are being used more frequently in smaller devices like smartwatches and they praise LG for finding a balance between something strong enough to keep things together yet not so strong as to prevent intentional separation for the purpose of repairs.
One area where the Watch Urbane suffers though is with the screen. LG used several layers like the display, the digitizer, a polarizing film and the glass, all of which are held together to each other with some optically clear adhesive. While the parts can be separated, this means the special glue will be needed to glue everything back together if a cracked lens has to be replaced.
source: iFixit
Come comment on this article: Right on time, the LG Watch Urbane gets the teardown treatment
Kingston 64GB UHS-1 Class 10 MicroSDXC cards 51% off right now
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While Samsung may have ditched the Micro SD card slot on the latest Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, that doesn’t mean all devices have lost the support. The new LG G4 still retains both a removable battery and SD card slot, giving end-users a solid back-up choice to the new Samsung line. It seems to me that the micro SD slot is almost a necessity with the G4, and the HTC One M9, since both can shoot RAW format photos. Then we have tablets, GoPro cameras, HTC Re Camera and a plethora of other devices that we can always use more storage for. In the micro SD card line, and with our devices capable of shooting ultra hi-res photos and taking 4K video, you need to ensure you are buying a card that can read and write that data quickly. Enthusiasts know that nothing less than a UHS-1 Class 10 card is worth the plastic. That is exactly what you will get with this deal today.
The Kingston 64GB UHS-1 Class 10 card spouts of some solid numbers with read speeds at 90MB/s and write speeds at 45MB/s. Depending on your hardware you could see faster numbers, or slower numbers. If you are looking to get a fast card with ample storage at an affordable price, this is your ticket. The Kingston 64GB UHS-1 usually retails at $79.99, but for a limited time they are offering it for $38.99 with Prime shipping. You can step down the size to a 32GB for $23.02 or a 16GB for $9.99. Seriously though, go big or go home. Hit the links below to get your order in now. Better hurry though, they only have 5 left, but more are on the way.
Buy: Kingston 64GB MicroSDXC UHS-1 Class 10 with Adapter
If you did get a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge and need another way to offload or access storage, you might want to consider the Kingston MobileLite wireless 5-1 mobile companion. Since jumping to the Galaxy S6 myself, the MobileLite has become a great accessory to have handy and it pairs up really nicely with the 64GB card above.
The post Kingston 64GB UHS-1 Class 10 MicroSDXC cards 51% off right now appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Android 5.1.1 update for Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to bring camera enhancements
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The LG G4 is certainly a tough device to ignore. While I am not a huge fan of the leather stitching look, the camera abilities of the device are extremely impressive. Regardless if you are a professional photographer or just a random shooter. The ability to pop that shutter open for 30 seconds and get those awesome shots of the stars twirling around your head or the traffic flying past on the freeway. Toss in RAW format for those Photoshop lovers out there and you have a very powerful piece of hardware in your pocket with you at all times. Samsung’s latest flagship devices are no slouch though. The camera is arguably one of the best on the market. It offers some great quick settings like selective focus, slow motion and virtual shot. While it offers a manual mode, you don’t get nearly as much control as you do with the LG G4. SamMobile has learned that the update to Android 5.1.1 that is being worked on now will bring along camera enhancements that should put it in better competition.
Before my fellow T-Mobile users get all defensive, yes some of you got the Android 5.1.1 update already. No, you didn’t get more camera options. Rather, the update you received wasn’t really supposed to go out at all. Silly interns. (Not sure if that is what happened, but it is always fun to blame the intern.) SamMobile’s source didn’t go into any specific details as to what the camera enhancements would bring, but if I had to wage a bet it would be on the inclusion of RAW format shooting options and shutter speed control. They were also told that the new enhancements would be found device updates for devices with the codename of Samsung Zen and Samsung Noble. The Noble is apparently the code name for the upcoming Galaxy Note 5.
I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more details as to what Samsung is planning to bring to the camera on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge as we get closer to the update release. I certainly hope they don’t wait until September-ish when the Note 5 should be announced to bring it to the smaller flagship.
Source: SamMobile
The post Android 5.1.1 update for Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to bring camera enhancements appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
LG G4 trial sign-ups live, you might just get to test drive the device before it officially launches
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I was sort of skeptical of the LG G4 when the leaks of the device started floating around the web. Mainly it was the image of the back of the device that had me a bit standoffish. Since the rear plate is replaceable and interchangeable my feelings slightly changed. Once LG made the device official and I saw they kept the removable battery and micro SD card slot my interests returned to the device. After finding out that the camera shoots in RAW format and you can control the shutter speed, I was sold on the device. Sadly, it isn’t out just yet. If you are like me, the waiting is killing you. That shouldn’t stop you from trying to get your hands on one early though. T-Mobile is already handing out one LG G4 a day through May 25th to would be users through a promotional give-a-way, now it would seem LG is in on it on a more widespread scale.
LG will be giving away a brand new LG G4 to a small group of VIP’s ahead of the devices launch. If you are magically selected you will shipped the device prior to launch, one for your network, and be given a unique social media challenge to help help you explore and show off the devices capabilities. To get in the mix you need to sign-up over at LG’s website. Signing up doesn’t guarantee anything of course, it will just put you on the list to be notified when enrollment starts. Spots will be limited though, so those of you that do sign-up now might have a better chance to get in on the action. Head over to the LG G4 trial page and fill in the blanks. I will keep my fingers crossed for all of you.
The post LG G4 trial sign-ups live, you might just get to test drive the device before it officially launches appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
AIVAnet 