Google’s iMessage competitor isn’t Allo, it’s texting
Android may get its iMessage competitor, but it’s not going to be sexy or blue.
One of the main reasons the iPhone, and iOS, continues to be so compelling is iMessage, the thick blue bubble of exclusivity in the messaging space. Android users are left out, and will likely continue to be for the foreseeable future — despite the occasional rumor to the contrary.
But as Android users wait for that morsel of Apple, Google is taking things into its own proverbial hands by partnering with Sprint on what could end up being a viable competitor to iMessage on Android. Powered by Jibe, a company Google acquired in 2015, Google’s RCS — Rich Communication Services — uses what’s known as the Universal Profile, a set of features and protocols set by the GSMA aimed at standardizing the way carriers, manufacturers and developers implement native messaging. Essentially, Google is building WhatsApp and iMessage into its own native Messenger app.
Every U.S. carrier has agreed to transition their proprietary implementations of RCS to the Universal Standard by sometime in 2017.
The features are great: real-time typing indicators and read receipts; higher-resolution photos and video (goodbye MMS), seamless and bug-free group messages, and more. They’re so great that they should relieve some of the pressure from Android users who want a seamless iMessage-like experience in the native Android SMS app. Some of the pressure.
There’s only one problem: RCS in its current form is limited to Sprint, and only on through one SMS app, Google’s own Messenger. Not only that, but despite the openness of Universal Profile and its, well, universal availability, its cloud-based backend is still controlled by Google. One could argue that as long as Big G decides not to make any big changes to an open standard (remember when Google forked WebKit for its own purposes?) and continues to work with manufacturers and carriers, things will be fine, but standards have a way of morphing over time according to business priorities.
Still, every U.S. carrier, including AT&T, which isn’t actually on GSMA’s list of supports, has agreed to transition their proprietary implementations of RCS to the Universal Standard by sometime in 2017. This should coincide with Release 2 of RCS’s evolution, with the rollout of Messaging as a Platform, APIs, plug-in integration, improved authentication and app security. That means other app developers could build in RCS support.
But those compromises in authentication and app security — the lack of end-to-end encryption, for instance — have kept some providers and manufacturers at bay, and a comparison to iMessage less apt than it may one day be. RCS, for all of its inertia, is still a very nascent standard, while iMessage has been percolating for over half a decade, and has recently been updated to support apps, stickers and more. Then there’s the $10 billion question: will Apple, even with iMessage, one day support RCS for its own text messages? Will the green bubbles be scoffed at less by iPhone users if they, too, get to see read receipts, improved group messages and higher-resolution photos and videos? Could those plain green bubble text messages one day, too, be sent over carrier’s data networks using end-to-end encryption, making them impossible for the providers themselves to intercept and governments less able to subpoena?
Will Apple, even with iMessage, one day support RCS for its own text messages?
Al of these improvements will certainly help users, but is there a financial incentive? And what happens when Google decides to really make a go of Allo, its own closed, AI-powered mobile messenger with big plans for WhatsApp and iMessage? Allo has undoubtedly been a huge disappointment for Google, though based on the number of entrenched messaging platforms out there I wonder if the top brass really thought it would shake out differently. Even the average near-Luddite likely has at least two messaging apps installed on his or her device — WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and maybe Skype, Viber, or Kik — and increasingly Twitter and Snapchat, even Instagram, are being coopted at private communication tools. It’s increasingly difficult for a company like Google — GOOGLE, potentially the most powerful influencer of user habits in the world next to Apple — to effect real change in this saturated market.
That’s why RCS is so important, because its success, should it come, will be accidental. But that success hinges on cooperation between competitors, and the ability for Google to stand back and let a product take shape in the name of altruism and open standards.
A few more thoughts for the week:
- We’re rebooting our Instagram account, with an emphasis on your best photos and plenty of Stories. Between Florence and I, you can expect a lot more social content and a bunch of really fun ways to interact with AC directly. Should be fun!
- Speaking of fun, Modern Dad is really great, and Phil — who I promise will be back on the podcast soon! — is making all kinds of technology, from $50 tablets to $200 connected doorbells, accessible and super fun.
- It’s nearly CrackBerry’s 10th birthday. Kevin Michaluk was the catalyst for a lot of us old-timers to get into tech blogging, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.
- My Toronto FC lost to Andrew’s Seattle Sounders in penalty kicks in a frigid MLS cup match last night. I have a bunch of friends who
braved the cold ’til the end, and while I’m sore over the loss, I’m even more so over the ensuing chirping I am sure to receive in the days ahead. - Speaking of losses, the Galaxy Note 7 narrative has reached its sad, glacial end. Starting next week, all U.S. Note 7s will receive a mandatory update bricking them. No more charging, no more cellular functionality. The sad part is that there are over 130,000 units still unreturned, even after all this.
- No podcast this week. We don’t usually skip a week, but when we do it’s for a good reason.
Have a great Sunday, and we’ll talk again soon!
– Daniel
Facebook adds a ‘fake news’ reporting option (Updated)
Facebook has been getting dragged hard since November 8th — and rightfully so — given the unprecedented amount of shitposts and fake news that dominated the social site in the months leading up to the election. After his initial defense of “nuh-uh, wasn’t us” fell on deaf ears, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has decided to do something about it. The company has begun hitting fake news sites in the wallet, as well as scrubbing BS content through both curation and automation. And, on Sunday, Facebook appears to have quietly rolled out a third method: a new user-reporting feature that specifically calls out fake news for what it is.
Update: Turns out that the false news option has been active on the site since last year.
Now, when a user reports a post in their timeline (after selecting “I think it shouldn’t be on Facebook” option), they are able to select “It’s a false news story” from the subsequent screen. Notice that it is specifically differentiated from the “It goes against my views” option — namely because facts and your opinions are not interchangeable, regardless of how strongly you believe in either.
This move is actually well within the standard Facebook MO. The company has taken a similar stand with regards to the sale of illicit items, like guns, on its website wherein users are expected to self-police the virtual groups they subscribe to. Hopefully though, this reporting tool will be effective because it’s still terrifyingly easy to buy assault weapons from strangers on the social network.
Source: Matt Navarra (Twitter)
The Canadian AI that writes holiday chiptunes
Is there no industry safe from economic encroachment by automation and machine learning? A team from the University of Toronto have built a digital Irving Berlin that can generate Christmas carols from a single image.
Neural Story Singing Christmas from Hang Chu on Vimeo.
The Toronto researchers relied on a pair of neural networks to create the AI. The first network was trained in the art of carolling with a hundred hours of online music. This enabled it to generate a basic 120 BPM melody — complete with chords and drums — based on a musical scale and melodic profile. To write the lyrics, a second neural net was shown a picture of a Christmas tree, which served as the song’s subject. Put those elements together and you’ve got yourself a cheerful holiday ditty perfect for listening to while waiting out Robot Santa Claus’ annual reign of terror.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: NVidia
Review: Modern Strike Online blows the competition away
Modern Strike Online does mobile FPS gaming right.
Released in 1999, Counter-Strike is responsible for sparking the iconic counter-terrorist VS. terrorist first-person shooter format which has been imitated and reimagined countless times in the years since. Beloved by millions and still played competitively around the world, it essentially set the groundwork for the shooter franchises that followed.
The dev team behind Modern Strike Online set out to make a mobile version of Counter-Strike, and they make no bones about it. Consider the intro to Modern Strike Online’s app description in the Google Play Store:
Are you a fan of the good old counter terrorists? Here is some striking news for you. We are ready to change an idea of free online Android multiplayer shooters.
Modern Strike Online has been available in the Google Play Store for many months now, but kind of flew under the radar thanks in part to it’s horribly unoriginal name — not to be confused with Mobile Strike, Modern Combat or… Combat Duty Modern Strike FPS (that last one is 100% real, by the way). Featuring slick graphics, frantic gameplay, and deep customization, it’s definitely one of the best first-person shooters you’ll find on Android in 2016.
Modern Strike Online was reviewed on a Google Pixel, with the graphics set to their highest settings.
When you launch Modern Strike Online for the first time, first you’ll run through a quick tutorial that lays out the controls and walks you through the various menus you’ll need to know about. After a brief bit of offline prep, you’re ready to take your game online and start collecting XP.
More often than not, the quick battle option on the main menu will be your go-to option, whether you’re just starting out or only plan on playing for a few minutes and don’t have a game mode preference. New game modes become available as you level up. Once you’ve reached level 9 you’ll have unlocked all six modes, which include all the classics: free-for-all deathmatch, team deathmatch, team squad battle (no respawning), bomb mode (classic seek and destroy), hardcore mode, and custom matches for friendly battles against friends (no XP to be gained here).
The control layout is as good as it gets for a mobile shooter, with options to completely customize the placement and size of the buttons and control sticks in the settings menu. We’ll touch on customization more later.
The first things you’ll notice is the lack of a trigger button — by default, Modern Strike Online is set to auto-fire as soon as an enemy walks into your crosshairs. It’s a bit of a compromise and takes some time to get used to since it can give away your position when you’re trying to sneak around or line up a headshot, but it’s way more efficient than having another on-screen button alongside the ones for grenades and first aid kits. Not having to worry about pulling the trigger lets you focus on controlling your movement, throwing grenades, and trying for headshots by aiming down the gun sights. Sadly, there’s no support here for Bluetooth controllers so you’re stuck with touchscreen controls, but in a way that becomes a sort of equalizer within the game.
There are 11 maps in the game, and they include what you would consider FPS standards — warehouses, office buildings and the sort. They’re well designed but nothing spectacular, with each offering their own unique features to accommodate firefights of all sorts. You’ll want to quickly discover your favorite attack strategies, as each map has pinch points you’ll either want to avoid completely, or charge in with guns ablazing.
Modern Strike Online does include in-app purchases to expedite weapon upgrades, but it feels balanced enough that you never feel totally outgunned by someone who’s simply paying to win.
Looking at the different game modes available, Modern Strike Online really shines in team-based combat. While a lack of in-game communication hinders team strategizing, you’re always able to see where you’re teammates are, allowing you to rush in for support when they’re under fire, or sneak into an area you know is overrun by the enemy. The maps are perfectly sized for 4 vs. 4 team battles, whereas things often feel a bit too frantic in free-for-all battles with a full slate of opponents.
Modern Strike Online does include in-app purchases to expedite weapon upgrades, but it feels balanced enough that you never feel totally outgunned by someone who’s simply paying to win — though it’s worth noting that an innocuous upgrade like the flashlight actually ends up being one of the more frustrating distractions in the heat of battle, regardless of the gun it’s attached to. The in-game currencies are credits and gold. You earn credits based on your performance in each match, and can also unlock both credits and gold from crates and daily rewards for checking into the game each day. You’ll also occasionally unlock a premium weapon in a crate, which will be available to you for an hour or a day depending on how lucky you are. It’s a well designed system that’s streamlined and perfect for mobile gaming where you won’t necessarily be settling in for marathon gaming sessions. The cost for restocking grenades and health kits is also quite reasonable, and something you can do during a round while waiting to respawn.
Speaking of crates, they’re used perfectly in Modern Strike Online to keep you checking to the game to open the free crates you unlock every four hours. Occasionally, you’ll be rewarded with limited time usage of a rare or legendary weapon, which not only helps you dominate the opposition for a set period, but also gives you an opportunity to try out expensive guns before investing your hard-earned credits. Also, an hour with a M4A1 is just a really satisfying reward.
First-person shooters on Android always require a certain level of compromise to properly enjoy. If there’s still a debate raging between console and PC gamers over which is the superior platform, mobile gaming is still trying to muscle their way into that conversation. Compared to precise control and response you get from a keyboard and mouse combo, and the ergonomic design of modern console controllers, controlling the action via touch screen are almost always lacking.
But Modern Strike Online does the work to quell those frustrations starting in the settings menu. From tweaking control sensitivity, toggling aiming assistant, and customizing the on-screen button layout, it allows you to make the most out of the touch screen controls. I personally have no issue with touch screen controls for FPS, so it wasn’t a distraction in my enjoyment of the game (and yet, my kill-to-death ratio remains abysmal).
If playing with friends is your top priority, Modern Strike Online delivers with the previously mentioned custom matches, which friends can join by looking for the unique game number. There’s also the option of spending gold to create your own clan, complete with custom tag, so you and your friends can show solidarity while battling online.
Overall, Modern Strike Online looks and plays like a paid game, making it an absolute must play. Instead of spending effort on developing an offline campaign with a linear story and weak AI, Modern Strike Online goes all-in on creating a fast-paced and addictive multiplayer experience that really shines on Android.
Bottom Line: The developers behind Modern Strike Online set out to replicate Counter-Strike for smartphones, and in doing so created one of the best FPS you’ll find for Android. If you’ve been searching for a reliably awesome FPS multiplayer experience to play when you’re on the go, Modern Strike Online is the game you’ve been waiting for.
Download: Modern Strike Online (Free)
After Math: Game over
This was a week of tremendous loss. America said goodbye to John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, Twitter accidentally murdered @-replies for a day, Fitbit cannibalized its new acquisition of Pebble and new studies suggest that robots are probably going to decimate retail jobs right after they finish working over those manufacturing and shipping positions. Numbers, because how else will you know how many survivors remain?
Ben Heck’s Virtual Boy, part 2
Now that the Nintendo Virtual Boy has been torn down and we know how it operates, Ben and Karen get to work repurposing the console as a wearable virtual reality headset. To do so, Ben has to redesign the enclosure, which means it’s time to bust out some vector graphics software. It’s not all about 3D printing mounts and laser cutting, though. Karen steps in with her wearable know-how to help attach the Virtual Boy to the frame, allowing it to be mounted on your face. All designs encounter some flaws and problems, however, and this one is no different. What did you think of the build? And what else should the team turn into a wearable? Let us know over on the element14 Community.
Bose SoundLink Color II review – CNET
The Good Like its predecessor, the Bose SoundLink Color is a compact portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers impressive sound for its size (the sound is improved) and 8 hours of battery life. It’s now water-resistant and adds speakerphone capabilities.
The Bad Soft-to-the-touch finish attracts dusts and lint. No AC adapter included.
The Bottom Line Modestly redesigned, the next-generation SoundLink Color is an excellent compact Bluetooth speaker that’s water-resistant and has speakerphone capabilities, as well as improved sound.
I was a fan of Bose’s original SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker and praised it for being relatively affordable — by Bose standards anyway — and sounding good for its compact size. Its mostly improved sequel, the SoundLink Color II, also comes in a few different color options and is similar in shape, though it’s slightly shorter and squatter, and weighs a tad more (1.28 pounds. or 581g vs. 1.20 pounds or 544g) while costing the same price: $130, £120 in the UK, and AU$179 in Australia.
While the original’s finish was mostly smooth, hard plastic with some rubberized trim on top of the speaker and sides, this new model is entirely covered in soft-t0-the-touch rubber, which has a little give to it and seems better designed to withstand drops. The new speaker is officially water-resistant, too: Its IPX-4 certification makes it splashproof, though not waterproof. Or to put it another way, it should be able to spend some time out in the rain and survive.
The speaker has a soft-to-the-touch rubberized finish and is water-resistant.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Other bonus features include a microphone for speakerphone capabilities, as well as NFC tap-to-pair technology for devices that support it. The SoundLink Color II can remember up to eight devices paired to it, while its eight hours of battery life — at medium volume levels — is the same as the original’s. (That’s decent enough but not exceptionally good).
I personally don’t think the design is an aesthetic upgrade, but the speaker does look a tad more understated and mature. I like the soft-to-the-touch finish, but the one downside is that it’s a magnet for dust, lint and carpet fibers, so you may find yourself having to wipe it down from time to time (as I said, it is water-resistant, so taking a wet cloth to it isn’t a problem).
Note, too, the USB-powered speaker does not include an AC adapter. That may be an annoyance to some, but I was fine with it — any standard phone or gadget charger you have will do the trick.
Omega Juice Cube juicer review – CNET
The Good The Omega Juice Cube neatly packs away into a compact package that’s easy to store. It also slowly crushes produce to make juice without frothing or aerating. Equipped with a powerful motor, the appliance can tackle a wide variety of items including citrus, leafy greens to hard vegetables and nuts.
The Bad It makes less juice than ordinary horizontal slow juicers. It has more parts to keep track of and is heavy.
The Bottom Line While perfect for those seeking a kitchen juicer able to hide away in plain sight, serious juice drinkers should pass it up for a machine that performs better.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
Thanks to a compact design which packs away neatly for storage, the $350 Omega Juice Cube removes one huge hassle to juicing at home. That is how to squeeze a juicer into your kitchen where it won’t be an eyesore. The Juice Cube is powerful too and will easily crush just about any type of produce you throw at it.
Still, there are some tradeoffs to the Omega Juice Cube’s unique approach to juicing. To take advantage of the machine’s space-saving design, you must assemble and break down its numerous parts each juicing session. The Juice Cube also yields less juice and is a lot heavier than its standard horizontal juicer sibling, the $300 Omega J8006 Nutrition Center, despite its transformable shape.
Juice Cube morphs from mysterious box to…
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Design and features
With sides that are all roughly 10.3 inches long (10.24 x 10.43 x 10.24, inches; H,W, D), the Omega Juice Cube’s appearance definitely matches its name. Rounded corners help disguise the juicer’s true size which is slightly larger than your average 4-slice toaster.
The Juice Cube can hold all its parts inside its body when not in use.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Nothing can mask how heavy the Juice Cube is though. It tips the scale at a whopping 20 pounds. That a full 7 pounds heavier than the Omega J8006, a product I would never classify as lightweight.
Before you can start juicing you’ll need to unpack all the Juice Cube’s parts and assemble them. It’s a task that at first demands some practice and a bit of patience. Including the clear front cover and plastic containers for juice and waste pulp, there are nine components you’ll have to contend with. That’s a four more pieces to keep track of compared with the less complex Omega J8006.
When assembled the Juice Cube looks like a normal horizontal slow juicer.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Once properly built, the Omega Juice Cube has parts you should recognize if you’ve owned a horizontal juicer before. There’s a hopper and vertical chute to accept food. This feeds into a large auger that slowly spins to smash liquid juice from produce pulp. Juice then collects inside a container below while fibrous pulp is pushed to the side to land in another container.
Lexus’ insane LED-covered car, and more in the week that was
Transportation startup Lucid Motors is working on an electric car to rival the Tesla Model S, and it just announced plans to build a $700 million manufacturing facility to bring it to fruition. Meanwhile, Lexus unveiled a mind-blowing car covered with 41,999 LEDs that can change colors at a whim. Could the solution to congested streets lie in subterranean tunnels? That’s the idea behind these crazy CarTubes, which could move city traffic underground. Four major cities around the world pledged to ban diesel cars by the year 2025, and UPS just rolled out its very first e-bike delivery vehicle in Portland, Oregon.
Germany’s massive Wendelstein 7-X stellarator is attempting to harvest energy from the incredibly intense reaction that powers the stars, and according to recent reports it’s actually working. In other energy news, researchers at the University of Surrey are working on super batteries that could charge cell phones in seconds and electric cars in minutes. Google is driving a hard green line: It says it will run on 100-percent renewable energy by the end of next year. Myanmar launched a new program to provide all of its citizens with solar power by the year 2030, and Leonardo DiCaprio schooled Donald Trump on the benefits of renewable energy.
Architecture is incorporating technology in exciting new ways, and the buildings of the future are out of this world. Architect Saul Ajuria Fernandez has developed a solar-powered Droneport that could serve as a hub for flying delivery vehicles. Singapore’s latest skyscraper is a latticed tower that will one day be completely covered with living plants. China-based People’s Architecture Office developed a $10,000 tiny house that can be assembled in a day with a single hex key. And America’s first urban “agrihood” is feeding 2,000 households in Detroit for free.
What will we see from the iPhone 8?
Rumours have already started sweeping across the internet about what will be the key features of the Apple iPhone 8. With just months since the iPhone 7 wowed critics, there’s been plenty of speculation about how Apple can stay ahead of its rivals in the fiercely competitive smartphone market.
It’s expected that the next iPhone will be unveiled in September 2017. And seeing as the launch will mark the 10 year anniversary of the iPhone, it will skip the ’s’ stepping stone, and will be branded as an iPhone 8, rather than an iPhone 7s.
In terms of the aesthetics of the mobile device, it’s been reported that Apple could be making a return to the glass casing that featured on the iPhone 4s models. But what will make it all the more stylish are the rumours that the device will have a curved screen and no home button.
This sleek screen will be able to display more media content such as movies and online games, with a 5.8-inch OLED display meaner than the phone will be sleeker and lighter than ever.
The iPhone 7 won many plaudits due to the incredible power of the A10 Fusion chip, and many have already suggested that Apple’s growing relationship Qualcomm could see Intel being ditched in the bid for processor glory.
This should mean that the new device will be able to take advantage of a possible iOS 11 split screen capacity to use Lucky Nugget Casino’s intuitive touch controls for their table and slots games whilst celebrating a win with a well-timed selfie on Instagram.
Camera technology will once again be a central feature of the iPhone 8 with a 3D dual-lens camera being amongst some of the more imaginative rumours. Although with other reports saying that the smartphone will include wireless charging, it seems that anything goes in this fascinating tech area.
Other interesting innovations that are being lined-up for the iPhone 8 include the likes of facial recognition and iris-scanning being a key part of the increasingly important security issue.
And although the iPhone 8 is reported to be much sleeker than the previous model, it’s attempting to overcome criticisms of the battery of the iPhone 7 by having a longer battery life. This will be because of advances in processor efficiency meaning that we’ll be able to check notifications and play casino games without having to stay close to the plug socket!
AIVAnet 