Swiveling, giggling, slightly creepy disembodied robot butler Jibo now on sale

Why it matters to you

There are plenty of smart home speakers around, but few will dance for you like Jibo will.

Poised to invade your home and creep out help out your family, Jibo is a mechanical assistant that was originally marketed as “the world’s first family robot.” That was back in 2014, and while there are now quite a few family robots around, Jibo still has a rather unique aesthetic that might help it succeed now that it’s finally available to preorder. Looking like an odd mixture between HAL9000 and Marvin the Paranoid Android, this bulbous little bot is designed to help you out with a variety of different tasks around the house.

He (she? it?) doesn’t have any hands or feet to move around and manipulate objects with, so he won’t be able to handle the tedious chores like vacuuming, taking out the trash, or cleaning up dog crap in the yard, but even without hands or arms, Jibo still has some nifty tricks up his non-existent sleeves.

Inside of his rotund little head, Jibo boasts a range of different sensors, cameras, and special software that enables him to recognize faces and natural-language voice commands. Think of him like a physical manifestation of Siri. Just like the digital assistant you carry around in your pocket, he can politely remind you of important tasks, and even read you messages that your friends and family have sent. At parties and other social gatherings, Jibo can act as the photographer — using his advanced facial-recognition software in tandem with his two cameras and swiveling head, he can snap photos for you automatically. The bot uses natural cues like movement, speech, and smile detection to know when someone’s posing for a picture.

Furthermore, thanks to the big circular screen he wears on his face, Jibo is also a very capable telepresence robot. With this bot, Skype calls and Google Hangouts aren’t confined to a laptop screen anymore. Jibo’s body features three swiveling joints, so the person you’re talking to on the other end can look around the room and interact more freely with other people who might be present.

To be fair, there are quite a few things Jibo can’t do, like play music, set a reminder, or place calls. That said, the team wants to add these functionalities (so that it catches up to other smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home) via software updates in the near future. Jibo’s creators are also set to launch a special SDK for the bot, so third-party developers will be able to build new apps for him and expand his functionality in the future.

Jibos have apparently been delivered to Indiegogo backers already, but the rest of us will have to wait until November 7 for these units to start shipping. If you’re interested in pre-ordering one now, you can do so via the Jibo website for $900.

Update: Added pre-order and shipping information.

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Instagram Superzoom makes smartphone clips look like suspense movies

Why it matters to you

With the right music and camera effects, Instagram Superzoom can make almost anything look dramatic.

Cue the cinematic music — Instagram is adding a new video effect right next to the popular Boomerangs that mixes zoom and music for a “suspenseful” but also rather humorous short clip. Instagram launched the Superzoom effect on Thursday, October 26, along with Halloween-themed masks and stickers.

Like Boomerang, Instagram Superzoom is a video effect designed to make the clips you share on Instagram or inside of a Story a bit more fun. Inside the Instagram camera, the scroll-through options at the bottom of the screen now include Superzoom along with Boomerang, Rewind, and options for a “normal” video or going live.

While recording a video in Superzoom, the camera zooms in three times, paired with music that gets more suspenseful with each zoom. By default, the effect zooms toward whatever is in the center of the frame, but users can also tap an object before recording to zoom into that area. The result is something that is half horror movie, half comedy. With both the front and rear-facing cameras available for the effect, the tool can be used to record selfies as well as pretty much anything else, maybe to really portray that sense of horror over how tall the stack of dirty dishes is, or, as Instagram suggests, the horror of a half-eaten sandwich.

Mixed with Instagram’s new Halloween-themed video masks and stickers, users can use the latest additions to create a Story that looks straight out of a horror movie. Instagram’s available masks will include a vampire that morphs into a bat and a zombie. Additional effects create that flashlight-under-the-chin-while-telling-a-scary-story look, fog and the green effect of a night camera.

The final holiday-themed additions include new stickers, including the less scary options like candy corn emojis.

The face masks and stickers will only be available until November 1, while the Superzoom appears to join the Boomerang effect long-term. The Instagram update comes after parent company Facebook shared new augmented reality Halloween masks inside of Facebook Camera earlier this week, as well as a haunted house game that puts your face on the main character. Facebook Halloween masks also work while broadcasting live.

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Logitech Circle 2 security camera picks up Google Assistant support

Available for the Wire-Free/Wired Circle 2 and first-gen Logi Circle.

For those of us that try to live in Google’s ecosystem as much as possible, buying smart-home gadgets that work with the Google Assistant can make life a lot easier. Logitech’s Circle 2 security camera came out earlier this summer, and today it’s finally getting the Assistant integration it deserves.

Using Google Assistant on something like Google Home or another smart-speaker, you’ll now be able to say a command such as “Ok, Google, show me the front door camera” to have a live feed of the Circle 2 sent to your TV that features Chromecast-built-in technology (either through the television itself or via a Chromecast or Android TV box).

You can use the Assistant to control Wired and Wire-Free versions of the Circle 2, as well as the first-gen Logi Circle. Logitech says that the integration with Assistant will “continue to evolve”, so keep an eye out for even more features in the near future.

If Google Assistant really isn’t your jam and you’ve found yourself living more in Amazon’s camp with Alexa, you might be more interested in the Amazon Cloud Cam that was recently announced.

Amazon announces Cloud Cam security camera and Key in-home delivery

Google Assistant makes its way to HBO NOW, CBS All Access, and The CW

U.S. users can now use their voice to control even more of their favorite shows.

Since its debut last year, Google Assistant has grown into something truly special. Between using the AI to control your home security cameras, check the weather, send text messages, and way more than we have time to talk about, the list of supported actions goes on and on.

One of Google Assistant’s neatest features is the ability to start playing videos on your TV by simply using your voice, and even though the Assistant can already do this for a number of different apps, it’s now expanding to HBO NOW, CBS All Access, and The CW.

As long as you’ve got a Google Home and a TV with Chromecast built-in, you’ll be able to watch Game Of Thrones, Star Trek: Discovery, and all of your other favorite shows by using just your voice. You’ll have to link your HBO NOW and CBS All Access account to start using them with Assistant, but you can start using The CW without any account linking required.

Google Assistant is rolling out to these apps now in the United States.

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Join ModMy on the Halloween fun with the #ModMyPumpkin contest!

Ready for a really fun Halloween-themed contest? We sure are.

It’s that time of year again. The surroundings are orange from the fallen leaves of autumn and everything is cold and dark. Very dark.

It’s the month of Halloween, the most fun holiday of them all! We’ve all been waiting for this and it’s finally here, so we thought we might do something fun.

We’re hosting a contest for the best pumpkin people can come up with, however, not just any ordinary pumpkin. We want to see the craziest, ridiculous and absurd pumpkins you can come up with!

Read more at ModMy

Alphabet earnings report shows 24% increase in revenue for Q3 2017

Here’s what Alphabet’s third quarter looks like.

Alphabet recently shared its official earnings report for its third quarter of 2017 that ended on September 30, and looking through it, most everything seems to be on the up and up for the company.

You can check out the full document here if you’d like, but one of the biggest things to note here is that Alphabet saw a year-over-year increase in revenue at 24% higher than this time in 2016. Additionally, the company’s operating income has also increased by 35%.

Alphabet notes “Other Bets” revenue in the report, and while there’s still money being lost here, earnings are up 50% compared to last year.

The other big thing is that Alphabet’s number of employees has risen from 69,953 up to 78,101 – an increase of 8,147.

Per Ruth Porat, Alphabet’s CFO:

We had a terrific quarter, with revenues up 24% year on year, reflecting strengths across Google and Other Bets. Our momentum is a result of investments over many years in fantastic people, products, and partnerships.”

Alphabet was initially founded on October 2, 2015, and at the time of publishing this article, has a stock price of $991.42 per share.

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Microsoft reportedly tests a Courier-like folding digital notebook

With the success of its Surface lineup, it was only a matter of time until Microsoft revisited its Courier “digital journal” concept. The company is reportedly working on another foldable tablet, code-named Andromeda, which focuses heavily on pen input, Windows Central reports. And, surprisingly, it could make its way to consumers as early as next year. Given that Microsoft has practically given up on the smartphone market, Andromeda sounds like it’s trying to forge a new type of mobile device. It could take advantage of the company’s progress with Windows Ink to create what’s essentially a digital Moleskin notebook.

Details about the prototype device are scarce — we don’t know if it’s using two separate screens with a hinge, or a single foldable screen — but we have some hints on how it’s meant to be used. Since it’s primarily focused on pen input, it relies on a new notebook app that’s connected to OneNote. You’ll reportedly be able to move between pages just like a real notebook. The Start screen also makes an appearance, and you’ll be able to run apps like Edge and Photos.

There’s a good chance Andromeda will be powered by an ARM chip, as well. Those processors are typically found in phones and tablets, and we’re also expecting to see the first laptops running ARM later this year. Microsoft also revealed months ago that Windows ARM would run legacy apps through an emulator, which could be very useful in a digital notebook. The device is also apparently relying on two upcoming Microsoft projects: CShell, a revamped version of the Windows Shell, and Core OS, which makes the operating system more modular.

Microsoft reportedly isn’t trying to target Andromeda at average consumers. Instead, it seems to serve as a bridge between a laptop and a phone for a niche audience. Windows Central’s sources claim that the notebook can also replace your phone with built-in cellular support.

It’s also not entirely surprising, as we’ve seen Microsoft get patents over the past year focused on foldable mobile devices. At first, we thought they could refer to the rumored Surface Phone. But, at this point, it doesn’t make sense for Microsoft to get back into the flagship phone territory. It has to do something new. Much like how the Surface helped prove that Windows could power hybrid tablets, Andromeda could end up serving as an example of what Windows on ARM devices could be.

Source: Windows Central

Georgia election server reportedly wiped in wake of lawsuit

There’s something going on in Georgia. First, the state rejected help from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to inspect its voting equipment for potential hacker inroads. Strangely, the man responsible for this and a massive private data leak, Georgia’s Secretary of State Brian Kemp, was placed on a DHS election cybersecurity panel. Now the Associated Press reports that a computer server important to a lawsuit against Georgia election officials has been wiped clean right after the suit was filed.

According to the report, the data wipe was revealed in an email sent from an assistant state attorney to the case’s plaintiffs. The AP made a public records request for more emails and confirmed the wipe. The original lawsuit, by election reform advocates, was filed in order to have Georgia retire the outdated technology the state uses for elections. The server wiped is the same one that was shown to have a massive security issue by a security expert.

The AP says that it’s not clear who ordered the data wipe, but the election center it’s housed at in Kennesaw, Georgia, answers directly to Kemp. He’s running for governor next year and is the main defendant in the suit mentioned above. His office has denied responsibility for the server erasure to the AP.

Source: AP

Google partners with fact-checking network to fight fake news

Google is taking its battle against misleading information to the real world. The company has partnered with the International Fact-Checking Network, a nonpartisan organization run by The Poynter Institute that advocates across the globe for accuracy in online articles. The IFCN holds an annual fact-checking conference, funds fellowships and provides training for would-be fake-news detectives, plus it’s the author behind a widely accepted code of principles for media organizations.

Google plans to work with the IFCN in three main ways: increasing the number of verified fact checkers in the world, expanding the code of principles into new regions, and offering free fact-checking tools. For that first goal, Google plans to hold workshops, and provide coaching and financial assistance to new fact-checking organizations.

“Ultimately, these partners can help make sure that the content on Google Search and Google News has been accurately fact checked,” Google writes.

The company also plans on translating the IFCN’s code of principles into 10 languages. On top of the free tools it’ll give to IFCN members, Google will host training sessions and provide access to an engineering time bank. Volunteer engineers will have a chance to attend the IFCN’s annual Global Fact-Checking Summit, on a mission to help organizations develop new lie-spotting software.

Google has previously partnered with sites like Snopes and Politifact to debunk false claims directly in search results. Though the war against fake news is on, Google, Facebook and other major sites are still struggling to contain misleading information. For example, after the deadly shooting in Las Vegas early this month, one of Google News’ Top Stories was a troll thread from 4chan.

“Unfortunately, early this morning we were briefly surfacing an inaccurate 4chan website in our Search results for a small number of queries,” Google said at the time. “Within hours, the 4chan story was algorithmically replaced by relevant results. This should not have appeared for any queries, and we’ll continue to make algorithmic improvements to prevent this from happening in the future.”

Source: Google

Honda’s 2018 Gold Wing is the first motorcycle with CarPlay

Most of the automakers announcing their adoption of Apple’s CarPlay have mentioned them in reference to cars, and for good reason: It only works with screens, which are starting to become widespread on new 4-wheeled vehicles. But on Tuesday, Honda revealed that the new edition of its Gold Wing touring motorcycle would become the first bike to use Apple’s iPhone-porting service.

The new Gold Wing displays CarPlay functionality that through a dash-mounted 7-inch LCD — but it’s not touch-sensitive. Riders will have to plug their iPhone in via USB in either the trunk or a compartment in the gas tank, according to Road Show, and then link up a Bluetooth headset to activate CarPlay (an Apple requirement). Then they can navigate through features via directional buttons on the left handlebar or, more awkwardly, via a keypad on top of the gas tank. Whew.

Still, awkward UX is often the fate of first adopters. If you want to be the cool kid on the moto block who can talk to their iPhone their bike while riding, the 2018 Gold Wing starts at $23,500.

Source: Honda