Google buys a startup to improve Spaces
It’s no secret that Google Spaces in its current incarnation is… undercooked. The group-oriented app missing features you might expect from an internet giant, and those features that are there don’t always behave like you’d expect. Google is in it for the long haul, though. It just bought Kifi, a startup that focuses on internet-based collaboration and sharing. The Kifi team isn’t shy about what it’ll be doing — it’s joining the Spaces team to improve its underlying features. While you’ll probably have to wait some time to see what that entails, it’s clear that Spaces isn’t going to wither from neglect.
It’s not the greatest news if you use Kifi’s existing knowledge management service, mind you. It’ll keep the lights on for the “next few weeks,” but no longer. You’ll have another few weeks after that to grab any data you couldn’t afford to lose. And there’s a chance you might miss it — Kifi is in use everywhere from AOL (our parent company) to Calvin Klein and HP, so it’s not a flash in the pan.
Via: Bradley Horowitz (Google+)
Source: Kifi (Medium)
Google’s Project Fi offers fast data when you travel
Starting today, Google Project Fi subscribers who use data abroad can expect between 10 and 20 times faster data connections thanks to a new deal with Hutchinson Whampoa, the parent company to Three in the UK.
While Fi has been hammering down mobile costs for domestic use in the US, it had been hampered by limited browsing while abroad. Previously, Google had limited roaming speeds to 256Kbps to ensure a reliable service for users travelling abroad before the deals were in place.
In addition to providing faster data in 135 countries for the same $10 per GB fee as in the US, Google recently boosted the wireless reception of the service for customers and removed the requirement for an invitation. You will still need a Fi-compatible phone though.
On Three’s side of things, it’s a move that makes a lot of sense — it already offers its UK customers roaming that’s included with your regular package in a host of countries, so adding another US carrier to the list can only improve its appeal to potential customers.
Source: Android Blog
First Renders of Upcoming Google Smartwatches Emerge Online
Last week, we reported that Google is said to be working on its own branded pair of smartwatches, in a break from its traditional reliance on third-party manufacturers to come up with the hardware for its Android Wear OS.
Given the continuing interest in rival smartwatches of the round-faced variety, some readers may be interested in the latest renders showing what Google’s upcoming pair of wearables could look like.
The image above published by Android Police, the site of the original leak, is described as an accurate “recreated image” of primary source material, used to preserve the anonymity of the source. The site also warns that the devices are still under development and therefore may ultimately differ from the design shown.
With those caveats in mind, the larger watch render on the left is based on the 43.5mm “Angelfish”, which is said to feature a heart-rate monitor, GPS, and LTE cellular connectivity for standalone use. The watch has three buttons, where third-party Android Wear devices typically have one, suggesting possible Google Assistant integration with contextual alerts. According to the report, the Angelfish will not be compatible with Android Wear Mode watch bands.
The smaller 42mm device, codenamed “Swordfish”, offers just the one crown button and is thought to lack the HRM, GPS and LTE smarts of the larger watch, but will be compatible with Android Wear Mode watch bands. The report states that Google avoided Motorola’s flat-tyre design issue by adding a thick bezel between the display and ring, making the screen much smaller. Both displays show the customizable watch face of Android Wear 2.0 demoed at Google I/O this year.
Unlike the Google-branded phones which are said to be coming this year, it’s not clear when the company plans to release the watches, although they could potentially appear alongside Google’s next range of Nexus smartphones slated for 2016, or with the launch of Android Wear 2.0 this fall. There is no word on pricing as yet.
In related news, Fitbit is also said to be testing two new wearable devices, slated to launch this September.
According to tech site Wareable’s source close to Fitbit’s beta testing team, the company is using atom-themed codenames as internal monikers for the two upcoming devices – the same method used to test both the Alta and Blaze late last year.
“Laryon” and “Fermion” are currently being used in the wild under similarly veiled “black wrist covers” to preserve secrecy. The devices are thought to be successors to the Fitbit Flex and Fitbit Charge after trademark applications for the Mark II devices were recently discovered.
Tags: Google, Android Wear, Fitbit
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Tesla and Google Face Regulator Scrutiny After Self-Driving Cars Crash
Google’s self-driving car project has appointed its first general counsel after a number of crashes involving the company’s vehicles caught the attention of regulators (via Reuters).
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was collecting information after a minor incident in March when a Google self-driving car struck a municipal bus in California. On that occasion, it did not open a formal probe.
Tesla however is feeling more intense pressure after one of its own cars was implicated in a fatal road accident recently. The NHTSA has opened a formal investigation into the May 7 death of a Tesla Motors Model S driver in Florida who was operating in “Autopilot” mode when his car crashed into a semi-trailer.
Tesla’s Autopilot system uses cameras and radar, but not lidar – a special sensor that uses laser to more accurately identify environmental obstacles. The company said its system would have had trouble distinguishing a white semi-trailer positioned across a road against a bright sky.
Reuters reports that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is also looking into whether Tesla breached securities laws by not telling investors about the fatal May 7 Autopilot crash.
The SEC investigation aims to determine whether the accident should have been labeled a “material event” by Tesla, or one that investors are likely to consider important, when the company sold $2 billion in stock on May 18.
In a blog post written in response to a Fortune article on the subject, Tesla explained that all it knew when it notified the NHTSA of the accident was that the driver had died, not that Autopilot was involved. The SEC investigation continues.
Industry executives and analysts told Reuters they expect the Tesla crash will spur investment in self-driving vehicle systems that combine multiple kinds of sensors, including lidar.
Goldman Sachs forecasts the market for advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles will grow from about $3 billion last year to $96 billion in 2025 and $290 billion in 2035. More than half of that revenue in 20 years will come from radar, cameras and lidar, Goldman estimates.
Meanwhile, U.S. regulators are currently lagging behind in issuing written regulations for autonomous vehicles. Regulations were meant to be unveiled by July 14, but U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced last month they might not be released until later this summer.
Apple has met with California DMV officials regarding self-driving car laws within the state and multiple reports from The Wall Street Journal indicate that the Cupertino company is exploring the functionality with the possibility of including it in a later iteration of the much-rumored Apple Car.
The bulk of Apple’s car research and development is thought to be taking place in secretive buildings in Sunnyvale, California, where late night “motor noises” have been heard in recent months.
Multiple sources have indicated that the Apple Car could be finalized by 2019 or 2020, but a more precise timeframe remains unclear due to possible internal setbacks and other unforeseen circumstances. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently called the Apple Car an “open secret,” as his company aims to fulfil more than 325,000 pre-orders for its lower-priced Model 3 by late 2017.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tags: Google, Tesla
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Warner Bros. paid YouTubers for positive game reviews
Warner Bros. has settled an FTC complaint accusing the company of paying YouTubers “hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars” to make positive review videos for Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. FTC filed the complaint back in 2014, after the studio ran an online marketing campaign for the game. According to the the commission, Warner Bros. required (PDF) the online influencers they hired to make a video that “promote[s] positive sentiment about” Shadow of Mordor. That video should “not show bugs or glitches that may exist” and should “not communicate negative sentiment” about Warner Bros. These influencers also had to promote their videos on Facebook and Twitter. The commission didn’t release a list of the YouTubers the studio paid, but it did name PewDiePie as one of them.
Since those influencers received payment for videos praising the game, their creations are classified as sponsored content. That wouldn’t have been a problem if they diclosed it, but the FTC says the company didn’t require them to do so within the video itself. Warner Bros. only instructed them to place disclosures in their videos’ description boxed, and most of the time, you can only see the entirety of what’s written in there by clicking “Show More.”
In PewDiePie’s case, you’ll see a line that says “This video was sponsored by Warner Brother” when you view the video’s whole description. Some of the reviewers didn’t even say that their videos were sponsored, only that they received a free copy of the game. In all, the paid reviews raked in 5.5 million views, 3.7 million of which came from PewDiePie, who has over 46 million subscribers. It’s worth noting that Shadow of Mordor was well-received and won eight out of the nine DICE awards it was nominated for. Warner Bros. probably didn’t even need to pay people to get good reviews.
If you’re wondering what kind of penalty the company got, well, let’s just say it got off real easy. The commission only wants the studio to make sure the influencers it hires clearly and conspicuously disclose that they received payment from Warner Bros in the future. It also has to review those videos for compliance and withhold payment if they don’t contain the proper disclosure stating their status as sponsored content.
Via: Mashable, Ars Technica
Source: FTC
Concerns Arise Over Pokémon Go Granting Full Access to Players’ Google Accounts
Pokémon Go is experiencing a momentous launch week, with an estimated 7.5 million downloads and nearly as many daily active Android users as Twitter in the United States. The rollout has not been entirely smooth, however, as the game has indirectly been at the center of crimes, robberies, and even car accidents.
Pokémon Go has full access to your Google account (Image: Ars Technica)
Now, an even bigger potential concern has arisen, as systems architect Adam Reeve has discovered that Pokémon Go grants full access to a user’s Google account linked during the iOS sign-up process. Players can alternatively link a Pokemon.com account, but the website is currently experiencing issues for many users.
When granted full account access, Pokémon Go developer Niantic is theoretically capable of viewing and modifying nearly all information stored in your Google account, including your Gmail messages, Google Drive documents, Google Maps navigation history, search history, and personal photos stored on Google Photos.
Now, I obviously don’t think Niantic are planning some global personal information heist. This is probably just the result of epic carelessness. But I don’t know anything about Niantic’s security policies. I don’t know how well they will guard this awesome new power they’ve granted themselves, and frankly I don’t trust them at all. I’ve revoked their access to my account, and deleted the app. I really wish I could play, it looks like great fun, but there’s no way it’s worth the risk.
It remains unclear what information, if any, Niantic is actually collecting from users, but the permissions are concerning given the company’s history.
Niantic was formed by Keyhole founder John Hanke in 2010 as an internal startup at Google, until it was spun out as an independent entity in October 2015. Google then partnered with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo to invest up to $30 million in Niantic, so it has a remaining interest in the company.
Google is known to collect and track data from its users, fueling the privacy and security concerns. Niantic told Ars Technica that it has “no comment to share at the moment” about the issue, prompting some players to uninstall the game until the potential privacy implications are addressed.
Pokémon Go is available as a free download on the App Store [Direct Link] in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, but anyone can install the app now with a U.S. iTunes account. The game is expected to expand to the U.K. and additional countries in the near future. Read more about Pokémon Go here.
Tags: Google, Pokémon GO
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Google buys startup that helps your phone identify objects
Google has purchased Moodstocks, a French startup that specializes in speedy object recognition from a smartphone, showing (again) the search giant’s intense interest in AI. Unlike other products (including Google’s own Goggles object recognition app) Moodstocks does most of the crunching on your smartphone, rather than on a server. While Google seemingly has some pretty good image-spotting tech already, like the canny visual categorization in Photos, it says it’s just getting started.
“There is still a long way to go [with machine learning], and that’s where Moodstocks comes in,” the company said in a blog post (translated). The deal seems to fall in to the “aqui-hire” category, as Moodstocks will cease its own recognition services, and its team of engineers will join Google at its R&D center in Paris. Google is rumored to be working on a feature that allows Android users to search directly from their photos (below), though the company didn’t say if the acquisition is related.
Google isn’t the only company pursuing deep learning and image recognition. Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Amazon and basically most of Silicon Valley are enamored of the tech. It’s already being used in voice recognition apps like Alexa, Cortana and Siri, and image recognition products like Google’s Photos and Microsoft’s Translator app. Other deep learning applications include driverless cars, robotic concierges, cooking, weather forecasting, writing criticism and infinitely more.
Most of those apps rely on powerful servers like IBM’s Watson, but the latest trend is to speed things up by processing data on your device. Apple’s iOS 10, for instance, will rely less on cloud computing and more on the iPhone’s built in horsepower for image recognition. Google’s purchase of Moodstocks appears to be along the same lines, as the startup has expertise in “thick client” computing, which uses a combination of cloud and “on-device” computing.
Via: The Daily Mail
Source: Google France, Moodstocks
‘Pokémon Go’ rolls out on Android and iOS
With all the news surrounding Pokémon Go’s beta test and wearable, you’d be forgiven for thinking the full game was already out. Until recently, it wasn’t, but that’s changing if you live in the United States and have an Android device, as spotted by 9to5 Google. Rocking a handset designed in Cupertino? Well, only iPhone owners in Australia have access at the moment so a measure of patience is in order.
The game that brings Pokémon collecting into the real world via developer Niantic Labs’ augmented reality and GPS tech has been gestating for quite a bit. The intent, Niantic CEP John Hanke told us back in June, is to make you feel like you’re venturing out into the world and capturing the pocket monsters for yourself. “You can live the story of being a Pokemon trainer,” he said. Now it’s time to discover how quickly can you catch ’em all.
Via: 9to5 Google
Source: iTunes (Australia), Google Play
Google headquarters faces string of attacks
However much you might be concerned about Google’s stance on privacy, it shouldn’t cross into violence… unfortunately, however, one person appears to have taken those worries one step too far. Prosecutors have charged Raul Murillo Diaz with arson after he reportedly tried to set fire to one of Google’s Street View cars at its Mountain View campus on May 19th. In a sworn statement, Diaz was upset that Google was supposedly watching him — he went so far as to write journal entries when he thought the company was tracking his moves.
It’s unlikely to be an isolated incident, either. Diaz’s SUV was spotted when someone shot windows at a Google building on June 4th, and a hooded man set fire to a Google car on June 10th. As it stands, the police say they arrested Diaz when he was transporting both a weapon case and the parts for a pipe bomb. If all the attacks are linked, it’s possible that things could have gotten much, much worse.
This kind of violence is new for Google, but it does reflect a small pattern of anti-Google sentiment boiling over and reaching the company’s front door. Protestors disrupted the Google I/O 2014 keynote more than once, and Kevin Rose faced protests at his home that year for supposedly “destroying San Francisco” through his partner role at Google Ventures. The claims have been shaky at least some of the time (one I/O protestor maintained that Google was making killer robots), but it’s clear that the internet giant’s reach has pushed some people over the edge.
Source: Mercury News
Google’s self-driving cars can read cyclists’ hand signals
Google is working to expand the capabilities of its self-driving vehicle fleet, and according to its latest progress report (PDF), it’s making strides in sharing the road with cyclists. One of the ways the folks in Mountain View are doing that is by using onboard sensors to gauge and interpret a cyclist’s intent. “Our sensors can detect a cyclist’s hand signals as an indication of an intention to make a turn or shift over,” the company’s June autonomous vehicle report reads. “Cyclists often make hand signals far in advance of a turn, and our software is designed to remember previous signals from a rider so it can better anticipate a rider’s turn down the road.”
Machine learning is helping there, making sure that unicycles and fatbikes are recognized for what they are, and keeping the autonomous vehicles out of the two-wheeled traffic’s way. The report goes on to say that the vehicle software is even getting advanced enough to take into account cyclists riding in the dark and avoiding accidents with them. With how prevalent bicycles are becoming on our roads it’s incredibly important that these situations be figured out now — much like autonomous honking.
Source: Google (PDF)
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