Microsoft trashes Chrome’s battery life
Your choice of web browser can have a tremendous effect on your laptop’s battery life, and Microsoft is determined to prove that its Edge browser the most efficient of them all… at Google’s expense, of course. The crew in Redmond has posted battery tests showing that Edge lasted longer in web video playback and standardized surfing tests than any other browser (including Opera in low-power mode), and over 3 hours longer than Chrome in the video test. And this is with the current version of Windows 10, Microsoft notes. Edge in Windows’ Anniversary Update should be downright miserly thanks to lower resource usage and tighter restrictions on Flash.
Of course, it’s a wise idea to take this (and any other company-run benchmark) with a grain of salt. Most people don’t spend all day watching Netflix on the web, and Microsoft doesn’t mention exactly how long the browsers lasted in the generic browsing test. Also, it conducted the tests on Surface Books. Your mileage is likely to vary with third-party hardware. The company does point to lower overall power consumption based on data from “millions” of Windows 10 PCs, but that will only tell you so much about your own experience.
Still, it’s no secret that Chrome is relatively power-hungry. Google’s attempts to improve Chrome’s battery efficiency have only gone so far, and it’s practically common wisdom that you use another browser if you need an extra hour or two of runtime. It’s just important to remember that Microsoft has a strong incentive to trash talk Chrome, and that battery life isn’t always the most important factor.
Via: The Verge
Source: Windows Experience Blog
Google now tells you why you’re feeling sick
Google made improvements to how you search for symptoms and illnesses in the past, and now it’s looking to be even more helpful. The company will now show you a list of medical conditions when you search for symptoms. In the above example, entering “headache on one side” will bring up a group of related conditions that include headache, migraine, common cold, sinusitis and common cold. When you search for something less specific — like just “headache” — Google will serve up information on the issue alongside some self-treatment options that might keep you from having to go to the doctor.
Google says it’s offering all of these details strictly for informational purposes and that you should always consult a real doctor for proper medical advice. In other words, don’t try to diagnose your severe cold just through search results. However, the company did consult with a team of doctors to review symptom info and experts at Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic evaluated the conditions to help improve the lists. That’s in addition to collected data from medical searches and doctors in Google’s own Knowledge Graph.
The company also wants to know if the information it gives you in response to those queries is helpful, and will ask for you to offer feedback on the feature. The new symptoms search is rolling out on mobile over the next few days in the US, but only in English. Google says that eventually it plans to expand the tool to other countries and languages while also including answers about more symptoms.
Source: Google
Google AI learns how to play soccer with a virtual ant
Google’s DeepMind has conquered some big artificial intelligence challenges in its day, such as defeating Go’s world champion and navigating mazes through virtual sight. However, one of its accomplishments is decidedly unusual: it learned how to play soccer (aka football) with a digital ant. It looks cute, but it’s really a profound test of DeepMind’s asynchronous, reinforcement-based learning process. The AI has to not only learn how to move the ant without any prior understanding of its mechanics, but to kick the ball into a goal. Imagine if you had to learn how to run while playing your first-ever match — that’s how complex this is.
Google doesn’t explain the significance in-depth, but it’s quick to mention that this could be very helpful for “robotic manipulation.” A legged robot could start walking (or adapt to unforgiving conditions) without receiving explicit instructions, and a robot arm could safely grab unfamiliar objects. Between this and Google’s other DeepMind research, the building blocks of AI-driven robotics are slowly coming into place.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Google DeepMind
Here’s the cable industry’s counter offer to fix TV boxes
Earlier this year the FCC voted on a plan to fix crappy cable boxes. Dubbed “Unlock the Box,” the plan would make cable companies open up their services for use on boxes made by other companies. Now, after a few months of complaining and poking holes in the FCC plan, the cable companies have a proposal of their own. Their offer consists of an “industry-wide commitment” to create HTML5-based apps for third party devices like phones, tablets and connected TV boxes. It was presented this week by representatives for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), AT&T/DirecTV, Comcast and others.
That way customers could watch TV without leasing equipment, while content providers would stay happy because things like DRM, advertising and channel lineups would remain consistent. The app will be provided free of charge to makers of these third party devices, and would work with universal search features, however viewing of the content would only be possible within the app itself. You can check out the framework of their offer in a letter here (PDF), and a spokesman for FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said he is waiting for more details to see if it meets all of the goals.
Of course, leaving the software in the cable industry’s hands means there’s no assurance the apps will be any good, which could put us right back in the same place. Also, it’s a five year commitment (with the potential for renewal), with two years to roll the apps out. A group called INCOMPAS (that counts Google, Level 3, Netflix and TiVo among its members) issued a statement (PDF) in response saying the cable-backed plan is an attempt to “delay negotiations.” The FCC’s plan already has support from the president, but a compromise offer could make for easier going — the only question now is if it will actually help consumers who haven’t chosen to cut the cord.
97-80 06-17-2016 NCTA, AT&T-DIRECTV, Comcast, and Charter
Via: Fierce Cable
Source: FCC
Google offers even more money for Android bugs
Since launching its Android Security Rewards program last year, Google has paid out more than $550,000 to 82 people for their discoveries of security flaws in the company’s mobile operating system. Now, the tech giant is offering between 33 percent and 50 percent more money for reports filed after June 1st, 2016.
The top bug hunter in the past year received $75,750 for 26 vulnerability reports and 15 individuals received $10,000 or more. The average was $2,200 per reward and $6,700 per researcher. “High-quality” reports — that is, those that show a proof of concept and come with a proposed patch — will earn 50 percent more than regular bug submissions.
Finding and squashing these bugs could greatly improve Android’s security, but participants are also encouraged to report problems outside the OS. Google said that more than a quarter of the issues were reported in code developed and used outside of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). “Fixing these kernel and device driver bugs helps improve security of the broader mobile industry,” the company said in a blog post.
Offering more money is a great way to get enterprising hackers and developers to report the vulnerabilities instead of exploiting them for malicious uses. Google also has similar programs for Chrome and other Google services, and has shelled out more than a million dollars in rewards. If you think you’ve found an Android vulnerability and want a cut of that sweet payout, you can read all the details on how to join here.
Source: Google
Android apps are now available on Chrome OS
The ASUS Chromebook Flip is the first Chrome OS device to get Android Apps after Google announced the feature at its I/O conference in May. If you own that device and are willing to download an early alpha version of Chrome OS 53, the Google Play store icon will appear on the desktop. According to Google’s François Beaufort, the build should also bring Android apps to the 2015 Chromebook Pixel and Acer Chromebook R11. However, some Reddit user say that the Play Store isn’t yet working on those devices.
Google first revealed that Chrome OS would get Android apps back in 2014, so the feature has obviously taken a long time to implement. The company recently showed a demo (above) to give you an idea as to how it would work. The takeaway is that it’s probably best to have a touchscreen and reasonably powerful machine. Android apps will benefit Chrome OS users enormously, letting them easily swap files and work offline.
For now, the laptop acts like Android 6.01 and only works with tablet apps. Reddit users say there are minor bugs with the accelerometer and racing games, but generally report that it’s working well considering it’s still a developer build. However, users who rely on their Chromebooks should wait until at least the beta software comes in about a month. Other devices will get Android apps “later in 2016,” according to Google — for a complete list, check here.
Source: François Beaufort (G+)
YouTube series Lonelygirl15 is back for its 10th anniversary
Lonelygirl15, the first web series on YouTube, turned ten on June 16th, 2016. To celebrate the event, its creators posted a new video eight years after its last one. Everybody knows the terms “web series” and “viral video” these days, but back in 2006, they still weren’t a thing. YouTube was just a fledgling video-sharing website, and Lonelygirl15 helped shape it into what it has become today.
The series started out as a vlog with a girl named Bree talking about her every day struggles as a teenager, but it became clear that it was something more when she started talking about her parents’ cult. Soon, it was revealed that the whole thing was scripted show and Bree was actually an actress named Jessica Rose. Not that it mattered — the channel’s popularity ballooned after the truth came out, and the people behind it showed the world you can make money off YouTube.
This new entry entitled “Whatever Happened To lonelygirl15?” is but a two-minute update that shows Bree talking about having been “chosen” for a mysterious ceremony. Based on what the team told Forbes, it could be the beginning of a new series of videos and content. Executive product Jenni Powell said she recognized the show’s tenth anniversary as an “opportunity to re-engage old fans and bring lonelygirl to a new generation.” It sounds like the team plans to use other, newer services available today, as well, including Snapchat and Periscope, not to mention Facebook videos.
It’s hard to say how the new series will fare in a world where there are billions of YouTube videos to choose from and video-streaming services like Netflix exists. But if you’re curious about how things will unfold, you can watch Bree’s latest entry below:
Source: Lonelygirl15 (YouTube), (Facebook)
Google lists Android Pay promotions in one page
Google has made it simpler to keep track of all available Android Pay discounts: The big G has launched a promotions page for the service, similar to the one for Chromecast. It details all the promos you can take advantage of for the current crop of Android Pay-compatible apps. For instance, the page lists Uber’s offer, which gives you $10 off for your next ride, and explains that you’ll have to type the code ANDROIDPAY in the ride-sharing app’s promo section to claim it. On the other hand, some applications automatically apply discounts if you choose the mobile wallet as your payment option upon checking out. If you regularly use an app that’s compatible with the service, you may want to check the portal every once in a while to make sure you’re not missing out on a great deal.
Via: Reddit
Source: Android Pay
Google’s GIF-searching Gboard app is now available in the UK
Although Google often includes the UK in launch plans for a new product, its new web-searching and GIF-finding Gboard extension wasn’t one of them. But now that the app has been out for roughly a month, Google has had more enough time to get it ready for the British public. That’s right, Google’s slick third-party keyboard is now available to download in the UK.
If you’re not familiar with Gboard, it works like this. Download the extension from the App Store like you would any other app and Google will walk you through the installation process. Once it’s the default option, Gboard will place a circular button at the top-left of the keyboard, allowing you to perform web searches without having to leave the app you’re in. It’ll also do the same for GIFs and let you type the name of your favourite emoji so you don’t have to spend valuable time scrolling through trying to find it.
During its WWDC 2016 keynote, Apple announced a number of new features that cross over with Google’s Gboard app, including an emojifier that can detect specific words and replace them with the relevant emoji. With web and GIF search, Google still maybe has an edge over its rival, but it’s good to see both companies implementing more keyboard-centric features on iOS devices.
#Gboard for iPhone is here. No more app switching; search and send, right from your keyboard https://t.co/qNpPdrghGp pic.twitter.com/x5nkMhaxW6
— Google UK (@GoogleUK) June 17, 2016
Via: Google UK
Source: Gboard (App Store)
Google accused of stealing the idea for Project Loon
Did Google engineers steal the idea of Project Loon from a company that was already testing weather balloons to distribute the internet? That’s what Space Data Corporation alleges, having filed a lawsuit against the search engine in California this Monday. According to the complaint, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Google X representatives met with SDC way back in 2007. At the time, it looked as if Google might invest in SDC, and as part of the negotiations, both parties signed an NDA. Space Data then shared its top-secret research on how to make the system work in reality — thinking that its ideas were protected by the agreement.
Except, given that Google didn’t invest in Space Data and Loon is an active Google project, we know that it didn’t work out. The document explains that Google pulled out of the deal because SDC had blabbed about it to the Wall Street Journal. But Space Data says that the terms of the NDA were never explicitly withdrawn, so Google’s been infringing its patents and working with stolen IP for the last eight years. SDC claims that its business has been “irreparably injured” thanks to Google’s “willful and malicious” misappropriation of trade secrets. We can’t wait to find out how this one goes.
Via: Forbes
Source: Justia
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