Samsung Acquires Viv, the AI Assistant From the Creators of Siri
Samsung has acquired Viv, the AI assistant co-founded by Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer and Chris Brigham, who created Siri, which was acquired by Apple in 2010, reports TechCrunch. The trio left Apple in 2012 and founded Viv. Viv will continue to operate as an independent company.
Viv has enhanced contextual understanding thanks to “dynamic program generation,” which means that Viv can understand the intent of a user’s queries and self-code responses on the fly. Viv can understand context and stack multiple queries on top of each other. For instance, at TechCrunch’s Disrupt NY event last year, Kittlaus was able to ask Viv whether it was raining in Seattle a couple days prior, following up with whether it’ll be warmer than 70-degrees near Golden Gate Bridge after 5pm the day after tomorrow.
Kittlaus tells TechCrunch that the reason it sold to Samsung was ubiquity. The company ships 500 million devices a year, he explained, which gives Viv a large distribution network. On the other hand, the acquisition gives Samsung its own AI assistant that can go toe-to-toe with Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa.
Samsung says that while the acquisition was done by its mobile team, the company sees the benefits to multiple product categories. “From our perspective and from the client’s perspective, the interest and the power of this really comes from taking advantage of the Samsung scale overall, as well as the richness of the touch points we have with consumers.” Viv’s technology may eventually work its way into Samsung’s non-mobile devices, like washing machines, refrigerators and TVs.
Advanced AI assistants have become a focus amongst Apple and its rivals recently. In May, it was reported that Apple was planning on introducing a next-gen natural language API in its rumored Amazon Echo competitor. The technology behind the API is the work of VocalIQ, a natural language outfit purchased by Apple in October 2015. The API has the ability to do “session-based” contextual responses similar to Viv.
Tags: Siri, Viv
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Pebble 2 review – CNET
The Good Affordably priced. Five-day battery life. Swim and shower-proof to 30 meters. Always-on display. Improved software makes glancing at quick notifications easier. Built-in microphone for quick text message responses. Works with Android or iOS.
The Bad Baked-in fitness tracking is uneven, especially heart rate and workout tracking. Plastic design. Small black and white screen is sometimes hard to read. Pebble’s apps and watch face options are often ugly.
The Bottom Line The Pebble 2 doesn’t win on fitness tracking, but it’s still a solid pick for simple notifications and messages on a long-battery budget smartwatch.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
I like the Pebble 2 as a watch, but I don’t like it as a fitness tracker.
Smartwatches are about compromise. Fitting everything on a tiny little wrist-gadget isn’t easy. And one thing most smartwatches cut short is battery life. That’s why Pebble’s watches have always earned a soft spot in my geek heart: they compromise on other things, but deliver on longer battery.
Pebble watches have features that no other smartwatches have really been able to crack: longer battery life, truly always-on screens, and all Pebbles (except the Round) have been water resistant, even for swimming.
Now, the Pebble 2 is going after full-on fitness tracking. Fitness trackers dominate sales on the list of top watches and wearables. The Apple Watch shifted into a fitness-forward mode. And so it’s no surprise that Pebble has jumped into fitness feet-first now, too.
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Optical heart rate onboard.
Sarah Tew/CNET
New to this year’s Pebbles is an optical heart rate tracker: both the Pebble 2 and upcoming Pebble Time 2 (a color-screened sequel to last year’s Pebble Time Steel, coming later this year) have them.
The Pebble 2 is, otherwise, like a true sequel to the original, utilitarian black-and-white Pebble model from 2013, keeping that plastic design and tiny Game Boy-like screen. The Pebble 2 adds some improvements, like a Gorilla Glass-covered display and a built-in microphone to create voice notes or voice-respond to texts and Gmail (even on iPhones). It’s more compact, too. But it’s that fitness tracking, specifically heart rate, that’s new.
The Pebble 2’s going for fitness, not style. Can heart rate, combined with automatic step and sleep tracking, turn this smartwatch into a full fitness tracker…for $130 or £100 (equivalent to AU$170)?
Well, that’s where I ran into problems. I wish I could say everything worked as well as promised. I’ve been wearing the Pebble 2 for a week, and it’s far from what I’d call a great fitness tracker. But it’s trying really hard.
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Step tracking has been available since earlier this year on Pebble Time watches.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Pebble as fitness tracker: Leaving a lot to be desired
Thanks to updates, last year’s Pebble Time and Time Steel have already been able to track steps and sleep automatically, with decent success. The Pebble 2 + HR model reviewed here (there’s another heart-rate-free Pebble 2 that costs only $100; this heart-rate-enabled version costs a bit more) takes things another step forward, with an optical heart rate tracker that sits on the back of the watch and spits out flashing green LED lights.
There are compelling reasons for the idea of Pebble-as-fitness-tracker: its battery lasts longer than any Android Wear, Samsung or Apple Watch (five days, even with heart rate enabled). And yes, the tracking for heart rate, steps and sleep is all automatic. It’s swim-friendly. And the only thing you need to manually do is start and stop workouts via a new included Fitbit Workout app.
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Automatic sleep tracking works, basically.
Sarah Tew/CNET
But…Pebble’s fitness tracking feels like a bonus feature more than the main event, and that’s where many people will get turned off from the start. Pebble doesn’t have any of its own fitness watch faces, meaning you’ll have to find a third-party one that works for you if you want at-a-glance data without clicking down into Pebble’s app menus.
There are tons of watch faces on Pebble’s app store, many of them fitness-related, and some tap into the Pebble’s onboard heart-rate data, but they mostly look terrible, and aren’t easy to look at or use. A few are keepers. They tend to have a home-made, throwback, slightly ugly aesthetic. Pebble’s watchfaces aren’t easy to swap out, either, and can’t be easily be customized with complications — bits of at-a-glance data. Some watch faces support customizations, but you’ll have to hunt for a solution. I’d kill for a handful of good baked-in Pebble fitness watch faces.
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What a workout readout looks like. Not a great use of screen space.
Sarah Tew/CNET
To see steps, sleep and heart rate data, you press up on the Pebble 2’s side buttons. Steps and activity are tracked automatically, which is handy. The Pebble phone app also syncs this data and presents graphs of daily steps and sleep, and all-day heart rate charts.
But workouts are a problem. A new Workout app has been added to the watch, which tracks walks, runs or generic “workouts.” Starting a workout means heart rate data, distance, pace and steps are shown at a glance. I found, however, that tracking walks or runs sometimes ended up with the app folding in data from before my stated workout time…as if the app sensed I had been walking already, and wanted to count those steps. But what if I don’t?
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
Looking at the workout app, and even starting and stopping exercises, isn’t easy either: the Pebble 2’s side buttons are super small, and hard to recognize by feel (there are three buttons on the right, one on the left).
Even worse, the Pebble 2 doesn’t currently sync workout data to the phone app at all. An update to allow this is expected by November, but right now it means there’s no meaningful accumulation of workout info. So, right now, the Pebble 2 doesn’t keep track of workouts.
Pebble stores fitness data on the Pebble phone app, but doesn’t cloud-store the data like Fitbit. That means if you install the Pebble app on another device, you’ll lose the data. Pebble can sync its data (minus heart rate) via Apple’s HealthKit or Google Fit, but I’d be worried about suddenly losing a lot of accumulated charts down the road. The Pebble 2 works with a handful of other fitness apps, including Runkeeper, but support for these apps is a mixed bag, and not everything works with the Pebble 2’s heart rate monitor.
You can now shop entirely in Facebook Messenger
You’ve had the option of chatting with stores in Facebook Messenger for a while. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could complete the entire sale without leaving chat? Shopify thinks it can help on that front: it’s trotting out a feature that lets you browse and buy from just about any store using its platform while remaining strictly in Messenger. You don’t have to visit a website just to pick an item or check out. You’ll likely have to start the conversation from a company’s Facebook page, but it’s entirely possible that you could stick to chat from then onward.
The move helps stores, of course, since it may simply be more convenient to shop from an outlet where you already have a chat thread going. However, it could be particularly convenient to you if you regularly purchase through your phone. You don’t have to navigate a cut-down website or download a store-specific app — you’re using the same interface you use to talk to your friends. While there are certainly things a website or app can do that Messenger can’t (you won’t get elaborate product tours), it’s good to have options.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Shopify
How to give Siri access to third-party apps in iOS 10 – CNET
Siri’s new tricks in iOS 10
In iOS 10, Siri can control third party apps so you can order a Lyft, send a WhatsApp or pull up animal Pins on Pinterest without touching your phone.
by Vanessa Hand Orellana
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When you install a new or updated app that promises to work with Apple’s Siri voice assistant, the natural thing to do is fire up Siri and try it out.
Only, you’ll quickly find either Siri has no clue what you’re talking about, or it prompts you to give access to the app’s information.
To save time, here’s how to give Siri permission to use apps beforehand:
Enlarge Image
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
- Launch the Settings app on your iOS device.
- Tap on Siri.
- Tap on App Support.
There you’ll find a list of apps installed on your iOS device that will work with Siri. Enable the app or apps you want to use by sliding the switch to the On position, and then exit Settings.
The next time you use Siri, it should know exactly what you’re asking for and interact with the given app.
For example, I can say, “Call an Uber” to Siri and then it walks me through the process of getting a car without ever launching the Uber app itself.
You can read more in Taylor Martin’s guide to Siri’s new superpowers in iOS 10.
Here are the coolest new features of iOS…
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First comparison: Google Daydream View vs. Samsung Gear VR
Using your phone for VR is getting better all the time.
Using Google Cardboard is awesome for brief glimpses into the virtual world, but Samsung and Oculus showed us just how capable a smartphone can be as a computer for a VR system with the [Gear VR]http://www.vrheads.com/samsung-gear-vr). Google’s answer is Daydream, a higher-end platform taking all the lessons learned from building Cardboard to create a more complete virtual experience. Their first headset, Daydream View, takes the recently announced Google Pixel and puts it to work creating this new experience. Here’s how that new setup compares to the existing smartphone-based VR system, made by Oculus and Samsung.
Read more at VR Heads
Replacement Galaxy Note 7 catches fire on plane during boarding
Another Note 7 battery failure has grounded a Southwest flight, and this time, it was a confirmed replaced device.
Brian Greene’s replacement Galaxy Note 7 caught fire on a Southwest Airlines plane as it prepared for a flight from Louisville to Baltimore Wednesday. The Note 7 in question was verified to be a replacement device according to The Verge, and the owner had turned the phone off as directed by the flight crew prior to the fire. The phone burned long enough and hot enough to burn through the carpet and into the subflooring on the Boeing 737. The flight was canceled and passengers, including Greene, were placed on other flights.
This is worrisome.
Not because we think the replacement Note 7 phones still suffer from the same defects the original units did, but because of the scrutiny Samsung is placed under because of it. Lithium batteries are dangerous. The Note 7 issues have put that in the spotlight, and people who had no idea how dangerous they could be are a bit surprised. When you factor in an acceptable failure rate for anything that has the potential to cause some pretty serious damage, things can look scary.
It’s possible that this is what’s happening here. Batteries are failing at a normal rate, but because some are inside Samsung products, we want to talk about them. This can’t be good for Samsung, and every time it happens in a Note 7 the buzz goes into overdrive once again. How Samsung handles the bad press is going to be very important, and we’re all paying close attention.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
- Here are all four Note 7 colors
- Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Android Central 309: Google Pixel Special
We’re live from the Google Pixel launch event in San Francisco! Andrew, Russell and Flo are on hand to talk about their first impressions of Google’s new Pixel phones, along with Daydream View, the Google’s first VR headset, and Google Home, Wifi and the new Chromecast Ultra!
Lots to talk about this week, so dig in, it’s a good one.
Thanks to this week’s sponsor:
- Harrys: Use promo code AC to save $5 off your first purchase — start shaving smarter.
Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral309.mp3
Best Android Camera
If you’re looking for the best all-around Android camera that is simple to use but also extremely powerful, look no further than the Galaxy Note 7.
Best overall
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon
Samsung introduced this camera setup in the Galaxy S7, and it’s just as fantastic today in the newer Galaxy Note 7. The 12MP resolution gives you plenty of pixels to work with, and the optical image stabilization (OIS) keeps everything clear whether you’re taking low-light shots or shooting video on the move.
Just as important as the photo output is how quickly the camera operates. Two presses of the home button launch the camera in less than a second, and photos are taken instantaneously even when shooting in HDR or a tough lighting situation. The camera interface is simple but also powerful if you choose to move to the full Manual mode, which can enable great shots if you want to tweak and use a tripod.
Bottom line: For a nearly compromise-free experience, the Note 7 has the best camera in any phone, Android or otherwise, available today.
One more thing: The Galaxy Note 7 is obviously an expensive phone. For the same camera in a cheaper (and smaller) body, consider the Galaxy S7 instead.
Why the Galaxy Note 7 is the best
The Galaxy Note 7 is a great phone, and one of its main features is its camera experience.
When it comes to taking photos with phones, most of us have a pretty basic set of needs that we want addressed. We want a camera that can take photos quickly, and have those photos be bright and without blur no matter the situation — that’s particularly true for low-light scenes.
The Galaxy Note 7 accomplishes this, and it doesn’t matter necessarily how it does it; though the 12MP resolution, f/1.7 lens, OIS and phase-detect auto focus definitely tick the spec sheet boxes as well. But the real important part is that Samsung uses all of that hardware to make your otherwise-poor photos average and your average photos excellent. You can pull out the Note 7, double press the home button and be taking dozens of photos in just a few seconds, then share them out without editing — that’s extremely powerful.
The Galaxy S7, which has the same camera as the Note 7, recently won our blind test as the best smartphone camera available today. That’s high praise, and it deserves it.
As we said in our Galaxy Note 7 review:
Since the launch of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the competition hasn’t produced a better camera. And clearly Samsung was happy enough with its own progress to keep the exact same hardware in the Note 7.
The Note 7 still relies a bit on HDR to make its photos pop and can sometimes lean toward being too warm and over saturated, but that’s what the average phone buyer wants to see and Samsung delivers. No matter the situation or time of day, you can take a great photo with the Note 7 — and that’s why it’s our top pick.
Best for tweaking
LG V20
See at T-Mobile
The new LG V20 borrows the same dual-camera setup from the LG G5, but that’s not a bad thing. The main 16MP rear camera is capable of taking crisp, well-balanced shots with the support of a bright f/1.8 lens and OIS. Where the V20 looks to stand out is its second rear camera, which is an 8MP sensor with a super wide-angle lens. The wide-angle shooter can be toggled to quickly for awesome and unique shots you don’t get on other phones, though the sensor itself is unfortunately just not as good as the main 16MP offering.
Its camera interface isn’t quite as simple or fast as Samsung’s, but it’s not far off. And what you give up in simplicity you gain in manual controls and tweaks. The Manual mode is comprehensive and powerful, and if you’re into recording video there’s even a Manual video mode that incorporates high-quality microphones for audio and new electronic image stabilization to keep things steady.
Bottom line: For a great camera that has a few extra options to play with, the V20 is worth considering over the Note 7.
One more thing: The V20 is only on sale in some regions right now, with U.S. availability coming soon. If you want one in the States, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.
Best on a budget
OnePlus 3
See at OnePlus
Everyone wants a great camera in their smartphone, but not everyone can spend the kind of money it takes to get a Note 7 or LG V20. For a much more reasonable $399, the OnePlus 3 has a really solid shooter that’s better than the price would suggest. When we compared the OnePlus 3’s camera to the Galaxy S7 edge’s (which is the same as the Note 7), we found the OnePlus 3 to match it in quality in many situations.
You get plenty of resolution here at 16MP, but smaller 1.12-micron pixels that aren’t as great in low-light scenes — though the inclusion of a relatively quick f/2.0 lens and OIS help, as does the camera app’s HDR processing. The camera app isn’t great and can still be a little slow, and you don’t get full manual controls, but for a camera that can get the job done and won’t break the bank, this is a great choice.
Bottom line: For a really solid camera in a phone that won’t break the bank, the OnePlus 3 is a great choice.
One more thing: Remember that the OnePlus 3 is only designed to work on GSM networks, like T-Mobile, AT&T and their MVNO partners.
Conclusion
You have three great options here when it comes to choosing a phone based on its camera quality. Though the LG V20 has some interesting features, the Galaxy Note 7 is still a better choice. If you need to save some money and don’t want to compromise on experience, consider the OnePlus 3.
Best overall
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon
Samsung introduced this camera setup in the Galaxy S7, and it’s just as fantastic today in the newer Galaxy Note 7. The 12MP resolution gives you plenty of pixels to work with, and the optical image stabilization (OIS) keeps everything clear whether you’re taking low-light shots or shooting video on the move.
Just as important as the photo output is how quickly the camera operates. Two presses of the home button launch the camera in less than a second, and photos are taken instantaneously even when shooting in HDR or a tough lighting situation. The camera interface is simple but also powerful if you choose to move to the full Manual mode, which can enable great shots if you want to tweak and use a tripod.
Bottom line: For a nearly compromise-free experience, the Note 7 has the best camera in any phone, Android or otherwise, available today.
One more thing: The Galaxy Note 7 is obviously an expensive phone. For the same camera in a cheaper (and smaller) body, consider the Galaxy S7 instead.
Introducing the Android Central Smartphone Buyer’s Guide
Welcome to Android Central’s guide to helping you find the perfect phone — for you and the people in your life!
It’s increasingly likely that you’re reading this on your smartphone. In fact, it’s likely you’re doing more on your phone than ever before, which is why it’s so important to buy the right one — for you and the people in your life.
Here at Android Central, we don’t just play with phones — we live and breathe them. We’re constantly comparing them to the competition, seeking out the ideal device for each particular use case. We believe in the Android mantra of, “Be together, not the same,” which is why we are launching the Smartphone Buyer’s Guide to help you pick the right phone for your unique situation.
To do this, we spent hundreds of hours using, evaluating and often abusing all the phones that you see on retail shelves, glimpse on billboards, and see us write about every day. We then determined the most important categories, based on carrier, price, feature, size, user profile, manufacturer, and camera, and wrote guides that are easy to understand and quick to reference. And where applicable, we’ll highlight individual phones that have earned our coveted Choice Award. In each guide, we’ll highlight a Best Overall — that’s the phone we think would suit most people the best most of the time in that particular category — and at least one alternative, because choice is good.
These guides are living things, and we will constantly be reviewing the choices to make sure they are up-to-date.
But this isn’t the end. These guides are living things, and we will constantly be reviewing the choices to make sure they are up-to-date. For example, we understand that Google’s new Pixel phones are highly anticipated and coming soon, and we’re looking forward to using them for hundreds of hours so we can refresh our guides accordingly. Of course, you may not agree with our choices, and that’s fine — we have a dedicated forum to discuss just that. While we can’t promise your suggestions will impact our decisions, we promise to read everything, and to take them into account!
This guide couldn’t have happened without the help of a few very hard-working people, including Florence Ion, Alex Dobie, Andrew Martonik, Jerry Hildenbrand, Derek Kessler, Harish Jonnalagadda, Marc Lagace, and many others behind the scenes. And this is just Phase One: we promise to expand the Smartphone Buyer’s Guide to include more categories, price points, features, and more, and we eventually plan to expand to other regions, so we can recommend devices from carriers in Canada, India, UK, and Australia.
Get started with the Smartphone Buyer’s Guide!
Personally, I’m really excited about this launch, which I feel is a natural next step for the site, and our community.
-Daniel
Best Android Video Camera
If video recording is your thing, then look no further than the LG V20 — it offers unique shooting options, manual controls and the best audio capture available.
Best overall
LG V20
See at T-Mobile
The LG V20 builds on its predecessor’s vision of offering a fantastic imaging experience — and that goes for both still shots and video. Right from the start the V20 stands out because it offers you both a standard and wide-angle lens, giving you unique shooting options — you can even switch between the two in the same video if you want.
Beyond that, you’re getting the highest quality available — 4K shooting and HDR video are included here. And if you keep it locked to 1080p, you get the V20’s advanced electronic image stabilization to smooth out otherwise-shaky video when you’re on the move. No matter how you record, you’re getting the best possible audio here as well, with mics that can record the loudest noise of any phone out there.
The biggest feature for video junkies is the Manual video mode, which lets you tweak any setting you can imagine for some pro-level stuff if you want to go all-out and mount the V20 on a tripod rig.
Bottom line: For the most video options and the best possible quality, the LG V20 is the phone you want.
One more thing: The V20 is only on sale in some regions right now, with U.S. availability coming soon. If you want one in the States, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.
Why the LG V20 is the best
When it comes to recording video, the LG V20 really has it all. Not only does it work well for the basics like just tapping record and watching whatever’s in front of you unfold, but it can also go far beyond that with manual controls and advanced features.
It’s an excellent all-around video camera without any compromises.
For the basics, the V20 offers 4K video recording as well as HDR, and when you shoot in the standard 1080p resolution you get LG’s most advanced electronic image stabilization (in combination with the hardware OIS) to smooth out video when you’re moving around. It’s quick to start capturing and video looks great. You also get your choice of a standard or wide-angle lens, which can offer interesting shooting styles that you don’t get from any other phone.
And what really makes the LG V20 stand out is its Manual video mode. This mode has everything you want, and a bunch of stuff that even the pros won’t need to touch. You can change your shutter speed, ISO, focal distance, bitrate and more. You also get hi-fi audio recording from the built-in mics, which can handle even the loudest concerts or sporting events that you want to capture.
The LG V20 is an excellent all-around video camera without any compromises, and it’s also paired with some great photo capabilities to boot. If you need a phone that does great video, the V20 is your choice.
Best for simplicity
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon
We selected the Galaxy Note 7 as our best Android camera, and for many of the same reasons it’s a runner-up here as a video camera pick. The Note 7 has a great sensor and lens that can handle 4K and HDR video, as well as electronically stabilized 1080p video. It’s amazingly quick to start up and get to your recording, and has lots of built-in shooting modes for features like slow-mo and timelapse.
The Note 7 falls to number two on this list because it doesn’t offer the manual shooting offerings of the LG V20, nor does it have the same level of electronic stabilization or the audio recording capabilities that the top pick here does. That doesn’t mean the Note 7 isn’t a great video camera — it just means it isn’t the absolute best. If you’re looking for the best combination of both pictures and video, the Note 7 is still worth considering.
Bottom line: The Note 7 offers all of the best video features you want, but doesn’t have the more advanced shooting modes and audio recording of the V20.
One more thing: The Galaxy Note 7 is obviously an expensive phone. For the same video camera capabilities in a cheaper (and smaller) body, consider the Galaxy S7 instead.
Conclusion
For the best possible video recording, from quick shots to long planned-out movies, the LG V20 has everything you need. It’s a great phone for photos, too, making it a complete package.
Best overall
LG V20
See at T-Mobile
The LG V20 builds on its predecessor’s vision of offering a fantastic imaging experience — and that goes for both still shots and video. Right from the start the V20 stands out because it offers you both a standard and wide-angle lens, giving you unique shooting options — you can even switch between the two in the same video if you want.
Beyond that, you’re getting the highest quality available — 4K shooting and HDR video are included here. And if you keep it locked to 1080p, you get the V20’s advanced electronic image stabilization to smooth out otherwise-shaky video when you’re on the move. No matter how you record, you’re getting the best possible audio here as well, with mics that can record the loudest noise of any phone out there.
The biggest feature for video junkies is the Manual video mode, which lets you tweak any setting you can imagine for some pro-level stuff if you want to go all-out and mount the V20 on a tripod rig.
Bottom line: For the most video options and the best possible quality, the LG V20 is the phone you want.
One more thing: The V20 is only on sale in some regions right now, with U.S. availability coming soon. If you want one in the States, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.
AIVAnet 