With Assistant, Google is becoming a lot more like Apple
Google may have finally taken control of its hardware with the new Pixel phones, but the company’s still focusing on software. In particular: artificial intelligence. The AI-powered Assistant is an integral part of its new phones, Allo messaging app and smart speaker, making for a more uniform and useful experience across all of Google’s (and other brands’) devices. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Apple brought Siri to multiple platforms first.
Assistant brings voice control to the new Google Home smart speaker, in addition to the new Pixels, and lets you control your Chromecast playback with your voice. The goal, said the company’s CEO Sundar Pichai, is to make Assistant “universally available.” This means we can look forward to more integrations across other Google products, possibly including Chromebooks and Android wearables.
Imagine a not-unlikely future where you can use Assistant on your wrist to tell your Chromecast to pause Netflix when you go to the bathroom. You could even get rid of those Netflix socks altogether. Since Android Wear already offers built-in OK Google capability, it’s not a stretch to imagine that being supplanted by Assistant. Again, that’s similar to what Apple already allows for with Siri on Apple Watches and MacBooks. And just as Google is bringing its Android OS to televisions and (possibly) laptops, Apple has software that is the same (or very similar) across its TV, phone and tablet operating systems. It’s one platform for all devices.
The iPhone maker has long been criticized for its closed ecosystem, as Google has been hailed as a crusader for open platforms. But while Android remains an open OS, Assistant’s rollout is reminiscent of other Apple tools such as HealthKit and HomeKit, where developers get access to APIs a period of time after launch. Of course, Google doesn’t appear to have the intention of blocking access to Assistant’s code, and unlike with HealthKit and HomeKit you can build Assistant into your own hardware. But it’s worth noting that it’s implementing features in a way that’s more like its rival.
I’d be remiss if I overlooked the couple other players in the digital assistant space. Microsoft is making Cortana accessible and uniform across its phones and desktops, but it doesn’t have the breadth across product categories to take on Google and Apple. And although Amazon’s Alexa currently doesn’t exist in phones or laptops, it’s in a variety of speakers (Echo and Tap), the Fire TV and third party devices like this quirky smartwatch, and is catching up to Siri in what it can do and control.
Google’s method has one glowing difference that sets it apart: its approach to and expertise in artificial intelligence. The Assistant showcase comes after a slew of announcements about machine learning, including those around translations and image recognition, that evidence the tech giant’s commitment to AI. And while Microsoft and Amazon themselves have pretty advanced artificial intelligence, and are farther along there than Apple, Google’s history of being the world’s favorite search engine (and basically being in everyone’s business) provides a wealth of knowledge of user behavior and gives it quite the edge. It has more historical data to refer to and more information to train its machine-learning systems on, which should make it smarter, faster.
Pichai said the company intends to create a “personal Google” for everyone — a search engine-powered helper that knows exactly where all your pictures, receipts and emails are, as well as all of your upcoming events and their locations and how to get there. Although it may be later to the party than Apple was, the popularity and proliferation of Google’s services, as well as its AI prowess, could very well make Assistant the digital helper of choice.
Candle From Twelve South Promises ‘New Mac’ Scent
Popular accessory maker Twelve South has come out with a line of merchandise to promote the brand, ranging from T-shirts and cups to a candle that’s been causing quite a stir on the Internet over the last couple of days.
Made from soy wax, Twelve South’s candle promises to deliver a “New Mac” smell, as in the smell you get when you take a whiff of a freshly opened and unboxed MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or other Mac product.
According to Twelve South, the “New Mac” candle features notes of mint, peach, basil, lavender, mandarin, and sage, which somehow magically combine to mimic the smell of a new Mac.
If you think you’ve seen everything, here’s a new one… Ever open up a new Mac box and smell it? (or is that just us?) We took that scent – and literally bottled it. Meet the New Mac Soy Candle. No kidding. It’s kind of awesome.
Twelve South is pricing its New Mac candle at $24, and it’s been so popular with Apple enthusiasts that it’s temporarily sold out. The company expects to have more available for purchase later this month.
Twelve South’s merchandise page also features a water bottle, coffee mug, t-shirt, drink cooler set, and hat, all ranging in price from $14 to $29.
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Engadget giveaway: Win a Schlage Sense smart deadbolt!
Your front door may be feeling left out of the smart home scenario, and there’s little reason it should. Schlage offers a trio of intelligent door locks, with its Sense smart deadbolt as the top-of-the-line option. These can help you monitor comings and goings, as well as providing friends (or Airbnb guests) access without a key by storing up to 30 access codes. You can also keep potential Kramers at bay during off hours by adjusting code schedules, too. The Sense deadbolt works with Bluetooth and Apple’s HomeKit, so Siri can let you in just by asking, plus, you can program it using your Apple TV. Classic key access is still on board for any luddite relatives, too. The company has provided us with three of its top tier Schlage Sense smart deadbolts for a trio of lucky readers this week. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this door lock upgrade to round out your smart home.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Apple Pay bolstered by Co-op Bank and Metro Bank in the UK
Since it launched in July 2015, UK banks have steadily begun adopting Apple Pay. All of the big name institutions are on board — including Barclays, Santander, HSBC and Natwest — but there have been some notable exceptions. Today, The Co-operative Bank and Metro Bank confirmed they’re jumping aboard the NFC payment bandwagon, becoming the twenty-first and twenty-second UK banks to enable the technology.
In a bid to stand out from its rivals, Metro Bank is highlighting the fact that it’s the only UK Apple Pay bank that will let customers use the payment service as soon as the account has been opened. Co-op, on the other hand, says that customers can still rack up Everyday Rewards if they’ve already registered for the scheme.
Speaking of rewards, Apple will soon let UK users add their “favourite store credit cards and rewards cards” to their digital wallet. In the US, companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Panera and Whole Foods already let customers load loyalty cards onto their iPhone or iPad. Hopefully it won’t be too long until Brits can do the same.
Source: Metro Bank, Co-operative Bank
Apple Moves Q4 2016 Earnings Call to October 25 Due to Scheduling Conflict
Apple today updated its investor relations page to note that the company’s earnings report for the fourth fiscal quarter (third calendar quarter) of 2016 has been moved to Tuesday, October 25 due to a scheduling conflict.
As announced last week, Apple originally had scheduled the call for Thursday, October 27. It is not clear what conflict has arisen that is causing the meeting to be moved to a new date.
Apple’s 4Q 2016 earnings report will provide a look at initial iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus sales, giving us our first hint at how well the two devices have sold compared to the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus.
Apple’s guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 includes expected revenue of $45.5 to $47.5 billion and gross margin between 37.5 and 38 percent, well below the revenue of $51.5 billion it saw in 4Q 2015.
Apple will release its quarterly earnings statement at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time), with a conference call to follow at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 pm. Eastern Time). MacRumors will provide live coverage of the results and the call.
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Apple Maps displays nationwide Amtrak train routes
Prefer to travel cross-country by rail? If you’re an iPhone owner, you no longer need to fire up a third-party app to plan your trip. Apple Maps has introduced support for Amtrak train routes across North America — if you want to navigate all the way from Los Angeles to Toronto while seeing the sights, you can make it happen. You’ll need to live in an area where Apple’s mass transit directions are available, of course, but this remains a big deal if you’re more interested in how you travel than the time it takes.
Source: MacRumors
The bottom line: Our quick verdict on the Apple Watch Series 2
The Apple Watch Series 2 is what the company should have put out last year: It’s faster than the original, with longer battery life, a more intuitive OS, brighter screen, built-in GPS and waterproof design. If this were Apple’s only new smartwatch, we would have given it an even stronger recommendation than we actually did. The problem is, the company does indeed have another wearable on offer. The Series 1, as it’s called, costs a hundred dollars less and is basically last year’s model, upgraded with the same dual-core processor used in the Series 2. It, too, runs watchOS 3 out of the box. As an all-purpose smartwatch, then, the experience should be similar to what you’d get on the souped-up version.
Meanwhile, though the GPS inside the Series 2 mostly matches readouts on other devices, the difference is often big enough to have big implications for estimated pace. That shouldn’t be a big deal for walkers, but more serious athletes who train for events where speed matters won’t want to give up their dedicated sports watches just yet. Given that, the Series 2 mostly makes sense for either swimmers or people who want distance tracking but don’t care about accurate pace tracking (like we said: walkers, hikers and joggers). Everyone else, save yourself a hundred bucks and get the Series 1 instead.
Apple loses FaceTime patent retrial, ordered to pay $302.4 million
In the continuing saga of Apple vs. VirnetX, Reuters reports that a federal jury in the Eastern District of Texas has ruled in favor of VirnetX, ordering Apple to pay $302.4 million in damages. This particular case has been going on since 2010, and in the last verdict, a jury ruled Apple owed more than $600 million to the “non-practicing entity (read: patent troll) over technology used in FaceTime. However, in August the appeals court threw that ruling out, saying jurors may have been confused by references to the first iteration of this case.
According to Bloomberg, it’s still not over. Now the US Court of Appeals will have to make its own ruling, and VirnetX needs to win there in order to actually get paid for its patents. Even that probably won’t be the end, since Reuters says VirnetX is also suing Apple over newer security features and its iMessage system.
Source: Reuters, Bloomberg
Cybersecurity firm offers $1.5 million for iPhone exploits
A previously undisclosed (aka zero-day) exploit can fetch enough money to buy its finder a house. Zerodium, a firm that buys security exploits, has announced that it’s paying $1.5 million for one that can be used to take over iPhones and iPads. That’s thrice what the company used to offer, though it did up the bounty to $1 million last year for a limited time. While that very much smelled like PR stunt, Zerodium did end up having to pay one group the full amount. Unlike that time, this price bump is permanent. Anyone who’s OK with the fact that Zerodium will sell their find to the government and to various corporations can cash in anytime.
Apple launched its own bounty program back in August, promising to reward researchers with up to $200,000 in cash. That’s far from the $1.5 million Zerodium offers, but as Ars Technica notes, the firm has more demands than a corporation-run program. It will only pay that much for an exploit that’s guaranteed to give attackers complete control over the device they’re targeting. The programs are also after different types of vulnerabilities.
As for why Zerodium decided to triple its bounty, company founder Chaouki Bekrar told Ars that it’s merely a response to how secure the latest versions of mobile platforms like iOS and Android are. And the reward for iOS exploits is a whole lot more than the $200,000 it’s offering for Android hacks either because it’s harder to crack iOS 10 than Android 7 or because the demand is higher. “The reality is a mix of both,” he said.
As you can imagine, companies like Zerodium are highly controversial. When it announced its million-dollar reward last year, Lance Cottrell, chief scientist of security firm Ntrepid, told us that whatever it snaps up is “almost certainly going to be used against people’s best interests.” The government could use it to monitor people other than terrorists and criminals. Companies could use it to keep an eye on their competitors. Bekrar argued, however, that the government and law enforcement agencies such as the FBI need these exploits for the sake of national security.
For the record, @Zerodium iOS bounty does NOT compete with @Apple as we focus on browsers+kernel while they focus on secure boot and enclave
— Chaouki Bekrar (@cBekrar) September 29, 2016
Source: Ars Technica, Wired
California approves unmanned self-driving car trials
Given the number of tech companies that call California home, it’s no surprise the state has been quick with forward-thinking legislation to support the development of self-driving vehicles. And almost four years to the day since driverless trials on public streets were first approved, a new bill has been signed off by Governor Jerry Brown that permits autonomous car tests without a human passenger overseeing proceedings.
Rather than applying throughout the Golden State, the bill is specific to a pilot project headed by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. At San Ramon’s Bishop Ranch business park, EasyMile’s 12-seater shuttles will ferry workers around the site, which will include travelling on some public roads. The approval also covers GoMentum Station: A ghost town within the Concord Naval Weapons Station where Honda has been testing its driverless car technologies. Recently, Uber-owned Otto also signed up to test self-driving trucks on the site.
Google and Apple have also expressed interest in the naval base testbed, according to the transport authority. Apple’s autonomous plans are still the subject of much speculation, but in the immediate future, Google seems like a natural partner. Manual controls including a steering wheel and pedals are not required in test vehicles under the new bill (since there won’t be anyone on hand to use them), but for safety’s sake cars must not exceed 35MPH during trials.
Google has been testing versions of its cute little driverless pods without any form of manual controls for some time now, as it’s of the opinion that humans are simply not a “reliable backup” to its self-driving smarts.
Via: The Mercury News
Source: California Legislative Information
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