Apple Abandons Car Plans ‘For Now,’ Sets Late 2017 Deadline to Decide Fate of Self-Driving System

Apple has given its automotive team a late 2017 deadline to “prove the feasibility” of its self-driving car system, and decide on a final direction for the platform, according to Bloomberg.

Apple’s ambitions no longer include building its own car “for now,” but it could return to developing its own vehicle in the future, or partner with existing carmakers, the report claims.

The project’s shift has allegedly resulted in hundreds of employees being reassigned, let go, or leaving on their own terms since August, including more than 120 software engineers.

The remaining members of Apple’s car team, which comprises about 1,000 people, are said to be working on “autonomous programs, vision sensors, and simulators for testing the platform in real-world environments.” Apple is said to have kept staff numbers in the team steady by hiring people to help with the new focus.

The report follows months of internal struggles as Apple’s so-called “Project Titan” team is believed to have faced delays and internal strife.

“Apple Car” lead Steve Zadesky reportedly stepped down from the project earlier this year, with his responsibilities shifting to Apple’s hardware engineering chief Dan Riccio until longtime Apple executive Bob Mansfield took over the team in April and shifted the project’s direction.

About a month later, Mansfield took the stage in a Silicon Valley auditorium packed with hundreds of Titan employees to announce the strategy shift, according to people who attended the meeting. Mansfield explained that he had examined the project and determined that Apple should move from building an outright competitor to Tesla Motors Inc. to an underlying self-driving platform.

While plans for an Apple-designed vehicle by the early 2020s are seemingly in flux, the company’s research and development plans could change over the coming months and years. Nevertheless, Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes Apple will not have its own vehicle ready by 2020, calling it a “missed opportunity.”

Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tag: bloomberg.com
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Xiaomi Mi Note 2 with curved display is launching on Oct. 25

Xiaomi has announced that it will unveil the successor to last year’s Mi Note in China on October 25. Dubbed the Mi Note 2, the phone will feature a dual curved display similar to that of the Galaxy S7 edge, along with high-end internals in the form of a Snapdragon 821 SoC.

The official invite is light on details, but recent rumors suggest the phone will come with a 5.7-inch Full HD display, 4GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB storage, 12MP dual rear cameras, and a 4000mAh battery. Xiaomi will also roll out a Pro version with a 5.7-inch QHD display, 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. Xiaomi introduced a rear camera setup in the Mi 5s, so it is likely we’ll see a similar implementation in the Mi Note 2.

With Samsung being the only vendor to successfully develop sustainable yields of curved AMOLED panels, it is possible Xiaomi is partnering with the South Korean company over the display. Other specs are on par for a high-end flagship in late 2016, and we should know more about the handset next Tuesday. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said earlier this month that the Mi Note 2 will come with a “surprise,” so it’ll be interesting to see what Xiaomi has in store for us on October 25.

How to transfer photos from iPhone to Android

How do I transfer my iPhone photos to my Android phone? With Google Photos, of course!

Like most of us, your phone is likely your primary camera and thanks to ease-of-use, you probably capture at least a few photos a day. Those add up over time, and it’d suck to lose them all just because you’re switching from iPhone to Android. Thanks to Google Photos, you don’t have to!

How to transfer iPhone photos to Android using Google Photos

Download Google Photos from the App Store.
Launch Google Photos from your Home screen.
Tap Get started.
Tap OK when asked to allow Google Photos to access your photos.
Tap the switch next to Use cellular data to back up if you want to back up your photos over cellular. If you don’t want to rack up a serious data bill, leave this off.

Tap Continue.

Tap the circle next to either High quality or Original. Tapping High quality will compress your photos to 16 megapixels reduce file size, but you get “unlimited storage” (2PB). Original will maintain the original file size and will count toward your Google Drive storage (15GB).
Tap Continue.
Tap Get notified if you want notifications when someone shares photos with you. Otherwise tap No thanks.

Tap Leave Off to leave notifications off if you selected No thanks.

That’s it! Google Photos will automatically sync your photo library and you’ll be able to access them on your Android phone or virtually any device with an internet connection.

Don’t expect to see your photos on a different device right away. The sync could take quite a while, especially if you have many photos.

Questions?

Questions about transferring photos with Google Photos? Let us know in the comments below!

No Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 until 2017, but there’s now a gold TabPro S

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 was initially slated for a September 1st launch and to show up once again at IFA 2016, but it’s clear that never happened. SamMobile has now learned that Samsung will unveil the new tablet in Q1 2017 and there’ll be two models.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 review: A genuine iPad rival?

The two model numbers are SM-T820 and SM-T285, the former being a wi-fi only model while the SM-T285 will support 3G and 4G mobile connectivity. That’s the only information SamMobile has for now though, nothing is known about the screen size, processor, camera or other specs.

If you can’t wait until next year to get a new Galaxy tablet fix, then you’ll be pleased to know there’s now a Gold Edition of the TabPro S 2-in-1 hybrid. Not only will the tablet/laptop hybrid come in a new gold finish, but the specs have been upgraded to 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and 10.5 hour battery.

• Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review: Taking on the Microsoft Surface Pro

Elsewhere it’s business as usual: 12-inch Super AMOLED display and 2.2GHz Intel M3 processor. The new Gold Edition was meant to be available from Best Buy and Samsung.com for a higher price of $1000, but we haven’t been able to find it. It’s not yet clear if it will be making its way to the UK but we’ll be sure to keep you updated if it does.

Bose SoundTouch 300 soundbar leads trio of new audio systems into wireless era

Bose is banking on Wi-Fi for its three new home cinema options, with the SoundTouch 300 soundbar leading the way.

It has a small form factor, less than a metre long and just 57mm high, yet packs in a lot of speaker tech. There is the company’s proprietary PhaseGuide system to send left and right channels to sound like they are coming from dedicated sources rather than a central bar.

The SoundTouch 300 also has Bose’s QuietPort technology for deep, throaty bass, so if you don’t fancy pairing it with a separate subwoofer, you’ll still get decent bass response from a reasonably slim, small form factor.

The biggest new feature is wireless support however, with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity on board. You can therefore stream any compatible source straight to the bar. It can also connect wirelessly to other Bose devices, such as the Acoustimass 300 wireless bass module (subwoofer), or the Virtually Invisible 300 wireless surround speakers to serve as your rear channels.

Its HDMI features 4K-passthrough, so is compatible with with future and present TV technologies.

Bose also announced two new home cinema systems, the Lifestyle 650 and 600.

The Lifestyle 650 offers a 5.1 speaker setup with “the smallest satellite speakers in Bose history.” The Lifestyle 600 has a similar arrangement but with slightly larger satellites.

All systems are available now, including the soundbar, with the SoundTouch 300 priced at £599.95. The Lifestyle 650 retails for £3,399 and the 600 is £2,599.

Separate surround speakers to match the soundbar start at £249.95 and the optional bass module is £599.95.

Best Tablet / 2-in-1 2016: EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominees

The EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards are nearly upon us for the 13th year and as usual, we will be delivering a series of features over the next couple of weeks detailing the nominees within each of the 14 categories. Each feature will offer a little bit about each product and why they have been shortlisted.

This is the fourth of those features and it focuses on the nominations for the best tablet and 2-in-1 category. Over the last couple of years, we have seen tablets change from being a larger-screened smartphone without calling capabilities, to becoming workhorses that give laptops a run for their money.

We haven’t seen as many tablets launch as previous years but there are some great devices in the ones that have, from the smaller Apple iPad Pro 9.7 to the fourth generation of Microsoft’s Surface Pro. They are smarter, more powerful and they look better too.

Click here to see the Awards nominees for 2016’s Best Tablet / 2-in-1 in a little more detail to help you make your mind up about which one should get your vote.

Voting in the 13th annual EE Pocket-lint Awards is now open so you can let us know which one of these great devices you think should win the Best Tablet / 2-in-1 award for this year and give us your verdict on all the other tech across the 13 select categories.

Winners will be announced at the exclusive event in London on 23 November in association with EE. For now, keep an eye on the EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016 hub for all the latest on how the voting works, who the elite judges are and the EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards shortlist.

Tesla moves its ‘unexpected’ product unveiling to Wednesday

Tesla was set to reveal an “unexpected” product today, but you’ll have to wait a few more days to find out what it is. In a tweet early this morning, CEO Elon Musk said that the announcement has been postponed until Wednesday (October 17th), because it “needs a few more days of refinement.” It’s still not clear exactly what Tesla is announcing; speculation has ranged from the Model 3’s final design, to a new PowerWall model to an updated version of the Autopilot.

Moving the Tesla announcement to Wednesday. Needs a few more days of refinement.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2016

Tesla also has a SolarCity event on October 28th, and will show off integration between SolarCity and Tesla products. It just revealed that it’s partnering with Panasonic on solar panels that will be used in conjunction with its Powerwall, provided the SolarCity merger is approved. Given that, it seems likely that Tesla’s “unexpected” product will be home energy or battery related. One of the last times Tesla teased something, it went on to launch the PowerWall home charging product last year.

Via: The Verge

Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)

‘The Simpsons’ celebrates 600 episodes with a VR couch gag

Even if you think The Simpsons has lost its spark, there’s no denying that the show does a great job at keeping up with popular culture and technology. It’s already taken on Apple (and its leader Steve Mobs), parodied Google Glass and let us watch Marge become addicted to a game that bares an uncanny resemblance to World of Warcraft. To celebrate its 600th episode (and 27th installment of the annual Treehouse of Horror), the show’s creators produced another memorable couch gag, this time offering it in VR with help from Google Cardboard.

For the opening of Treehouse of Horror XXVII, which aired last night, viewers were treated to a Planet of the Apes parody called Planet of the Couches. Fans could (and still can) download the Google Spotlight Stories app (available on both iOS and Android) to engage with a 360-degree experience that responds to their movement. The couch gag normally runs for 45 seconds, but Planet of the Couches offers an extra two minutes of bonus content.

We won’t ruin it for you but there are six different scenes that include a Moe’s “Cavern” and a snarky quip from The Comic Book Guy. Just make sure to explore all 360 degrees to catch all of the clever references and in-jokes. The experience is best viewed with a viewer like Cardboard, but you can still enjoy the VR short by opening the Spotlight Stories app and physically moving your iPhone or Android device around (it just won’t be as immersive).

Get out your #GoogleCardboard, the 600th episode couch gag VR experience via @Google starts now! https://t.co/v80w61fzjy pic.twitter.com/ip3jLs0N8D

— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) October 17, 2016

Via: EW

Source: The Simpsons Cardboard

Apple Possibly Looking to Japanese Expertise to Improve Siri

Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted that Japan has a big part to play in the company’s ongoing development of AI, as he continued his travels around the country via bullet train on Monday.

Speaking to Nikkei Asian Review, Cook revealed that Apple’s new advanced R&D center in Yokohama, currently scheduled for completion in December, would focus on “deep engineering” and would be “very different” from the R&D base Apple is building in China, without giving away specifics.

Photo via Tim Cook
However, Cook intimated that one of its main focuses would be on developing Apple’s artificial intelligence services – which recently drew some criticism in the press – and emphasized that the company wanted to leverage specifically Japanese expertise in the field.

“AI is horizontal in nature, running across all products, and is used in ways that most people don’t even think about,” said Cook. “We want the AI to increase your battery life, to recommend music to Apple Music subscribers… [to] help you remember where you parked your car.”

Japan’s robotics heritage is legendary, coming on the back of years of successfully building industrial robots, however the state of its AI research remains ambiguous, given its relative lack of investment in deep learning from large amounts of analyzed data, which U.S. companies like Facebook and Google are already heavily researching.

To improve on this front, Japan has just opened a Center for Advanced Integrated Intelligence Research in Tokyo (RIKEN), which specifically aims to develop systems of AI that will be able to solve problems using “Big Data”. The institution will work with several large companies including Sony, NEC and Toyota, and is set to receive state funding of $99.7 million over the next financial year.

Elsewhere in his interview, Cook talked up the Japanese model of the iPhone with regard to its hardware integration with Sony’s contactless FeliCa standard, which is widely used across the country for making quick payments. “Japan is important to us. FeliCa was born in Japan. So by extension, FeliCa is important,” he said.

Cook also said he hoped the use of Apple Pay, the iPhone and the Apple Watch would promote a cashless society: “We would like to be a catalyst for taking cash out of the system,” he said. “We don’t think the consumer particularly likes cash.”

In addition, Apple is said to be working with IBM and Japan Post Holdings to offer health care services for the country’s elderly, with the iPad being at the center of the program. Given the rapid aging of the country’s population, Cook said “Japan is in the best position to lead” the way on such technology.

Previously during his Japan visit, Tim Cook met with Nintendo’s legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and played Super Mario Run, which is expected to arrive on iPhones by the end of the year. It’s unclear what else Cook is planning during the rest of his stay in the country.

Tag: Japan
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