Samsung Acquires Viv, the AI Assistant From the Creators of Siri

Samsung has acquired Viv, the AI assistant co-founded by Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer and Chris Brigham, who created Siri, which was acquired by Apple in 2010, reports TechCrunch. The trio left Apple in 2012 and founded Viv. Viv will continue to operate as an independent company.

Viv has enhanced contextual understanding thanks to “dynamic program generation,” which means that Viv can understand the intent of a user’s queries and self-code responses on the fly. Viv can understand context and stack multiple queries on top of each other. For instance, at TechCrunch’s Disrupt NY event last year, Kittlaus was able to ask Viv whether it was raining in Seattle a couple days prior, following up with whether it’ll be warmer than 70-degrees near Golden Gate Bridge after 5pm the day after tomorrow.

Kittlaus tells TechCrunch that the reason it sold to Samsung was ubiquity. The company ships 500 million devices a year, he explained, which gives Viv a large distribution network. On the other hand, the acquisition gives Samsung its own AI assistant that can go toe-to-toe with Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa.

Samsung says that while the acquisition was done by its mobile team, the company sees the benefits to multiple product categories. “From our perspective and from the client’s perspective, the interest and the power of this really comes from taking advantage of the Samsung scale overall, as well as the richness of the touch points we have with consumers.” Viv’s technology may eventually work its way into Samsung’s non-mobile devices, like washing machines, refrigerators and TVs.

Advanced AI assistants have become a focus amongst Apple and its rivals recently. In May, it was reported that Apple was planning on introducing a next-gen natural language API in its rumored Amazon Echo competitor. The technology behind the API is the work of VocalIQ, a natural language outfit purchased by Apple in October 2015. The API has the ability to do “session-based” contextual responses similar to Viv.

Tags: Siri, Viv
Discuss this article in our forums

First comparison: Google Daydream View vs. Samsung Gear VR

Using your phone for VR is getting better all the time.

Using Google Cardboard is awesome for brief glimpses into the virtual world, but Samsung and Oculus showed us just how capable a smartphone can be as a computer for a VR system with the [Gear VR]http://www.vrheads.com/samsung-gear-vr). Google’s answer is Daydream, a higher-end platform taking all the lessons learned from building Cardboard to create a more complete virtual experience. Their first headset, Daydream View, takes the recently announced Google Pixel and puts it to work creating this new experience. Here’s how that new setup compares to the existing smartphone-based VR system, made by Oculus and Samsung.

Read more at VR Heads

Replacement Galaxy Note 7 catches fire on plane during boarding

Another Note 7 battery failure has grounded a Southwest flight, and this time, it was a confirmed replaced device.

Brian Greene’s replacement Galaxy Note 7 caught fire on a Southwest Airlines plane as it prepared for a flight from Louisville to Baltimore Wednesday. The Note 7 in question was verified to be a replacement device according to The Verge, and the owner had turned the phone off as directed by the flight crew prior to the fire. The phone burned long enough and hot enough to burn through the carpet and into the subflooring on the Boeing 737. The flight was canceled and passengers, including Greene, were placed on other flights.

This is worrisome.

Not because we think the replacement Note 7 phones still suffer from the same defects the original units did, but because of the scrutiny Samsung is placed under because of it. Lithium batteries are dangerous. The Note 7 issues have put that in the spotlight, and people who had no idea how dangerous they could be are a bit surprised. When you factor in an acceptable failure rate for anything that has the potential to cause some pretty serious damage, things can look scary.

It’s possible that this is what’s happening here. Batteries are failing at a normal rate, but because some are inside Samsung products, we want to talk about them. This can’t be good for Samsung, and every time it happens in a Note 7 the buzz goes into overdrive once again. How Samsung handles the bad press is going to be very important, and we’re all paying close attention.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

• Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
• The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
• Here are all four Note 7 colors
• Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
• Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint

Android Central 309: Google Pixel Special

We’re live from the Google Pixel launch event in San Francisco! Andrew, Russell and Flo are on hand to talk about their first impressions of Google’s new Pixel phones, along with Daydream View, the Google’s first VR headset, and Google Home, Wifi and the new Chromecast Ultra!

Lots to talk about this week, so dig in, it’s a good one.

Thanks to this week’s sponsor:

• Harrys: Use promo code AC to save $5 off your first purchase — start shaving smarter.

Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral309.mp3

Best Android Camera

If you’re looking for the best all-around Android camera that is simple to use but also extremely powerful, look no further than the Galaxy Note 7.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon

Samsung introduced this camera setup in the Galaxy S7, and it’s just as fantastic today in the newer Galaxy Note 7. The 12MP resolution gives you plenty of pixels to work with, and the optical image stabilization (OIS) keeps everything clear whether you’re taking low-light shots or shooting video on the move.

Just as important as the photo output is how quickly the camera operates. Two presses of the home button launch the camera in less than a second, and photos are taken instantaneously even when shooting in HDR or a tough lighting situation. The camera interface is simple but also powerful if you choose to move to the full Manual mode, which can enable great shots if you want to tweak and use a tripod.

Bottom line: For a nearly compromise-free experience, the Note 7 has the best camera in any phone, Android or otherwise, available today.

One more thing: The Galaxy Note 7 is obviously an expensive phone. For the same camera in a cheaper (and smaller) body, consider the Galaxy S7 instead.

Why the Galaxy Note 7 is the best

The Galaxy Note 7 is a great phone, and one of its main features is its camera experience.

When it comes to taking photos with phones, most of us have a pretty basic set of needs that we want addressed. We want a camera that can take photos quickly, and have those photos be bright and without blur no matter the situation — that’s particularly true for low-light scenes.

The Galaxy Note 7 accomplishes this, and it doesn’t matter necessarily how it does it; though the 12MP resolution, f/1.7 lens, OIS and phase-detect auto focus definitely tick the spec sheet boxes as well. But the real important part is that Samsung uses all of that hardware to make your otherwise-poor photos average and your average photos excellent. You can pull out the Note 7, double press the home button and be taking dozens of photos in just a few seconds, then share them out without editing — that’s extremely powerful.

The Galaxy S7, which has the same camera as the Note 7, recently won our blind test as the best smartphone camera available today. That’s high praise, and it deserves it.

As we said in our Galaxy Note 7 review:

Since the launch of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the competition hasn’t produced a better camera. And clearly Samsung was happy enough with its own progress to keep the exact same hardware in the Note 7.

The Note 7 still relies a bit on HDR to make its photos pop and can sometimes lean toward being too warm and over saturated, but that’s what the average phone buyer wants to see and Samsung delivers. No matter the situation or time of day, you can take a great photo with the Note 7 — and that’s why it’s our top pick.

Best for tweaking

LG V20

See at T-Mobile

The new LG V20 borrows the same dual-camera setup from the LG G5, but that’s not a bad thing. The main 16MP rear camera is capable of taking crisp, well-balanced shots with the support of a bright f/1.8 lens and OIS. Where the V20 looks to stand out is its second rear camera, which is an 8MP sensor with a super wide-angle lens. The wide-angle shooter can be toggled to quickly for awesome and unique shots you don’t get on other phones, though the sensor itself is unfortunately just not as good as the main 16MP offering.

Its camera interface isn’t quite as simple or fast as Samsung’s, but it’s not far off. And what you give up in simplicity you gain in manual controls and tweaks. The Manual mode is comprehensive and powerful, and if you’re into recording video there’s even a Manual video mode that incorporates high-quality microphones for audio and new electronic image stabilization to keep things steady.

Bottom line: For a great camera that has a few extra options to play with, the V20 is worth considering over the Note 7.

One more thing: The V20 is only on sale in some regions right now, with U.S. availability coming soon. If you want one in the States, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.

Best on a budget

OnePlus 3

See at OnePlus

Everyone wants a great camera in their smartphone, but not everyone can spend the kind of money it takes to get a Note 7 or LG V20. For a much more reasonable $399, the OnePlus 3 has a really solid shooter that’s better than the price would suggest. When we compared the OnePlus 3’s camera to the Galaxy S7 edge’s (which is the same as the Note 7), we found the OnePlus 3 to match it in quality in many situations.

You get plenty of resolution here at 16MP, but smaller 1.12-micron pixels that aren’t as great in low-light scenes — though the inclusion of a relatively quick f/2.0 lens and OIS help, as does the camera app’s HDR processing. The camera app isn’t great and can still be a little slow, and you don’t get full manual controls, but for a camera that can get the job done and won’t break the bank, this is a great choice.

Bottom line: For a really solid camera in a phone that won’t break the bank, the OnePlus 3 is a great choice.

One more thing: Remember that the OnePlus 3 is only designed to work on GSM networks, like T-Mobile, AT&T and their MVNO partners.

Conclusion

You have three great options here when it comes to choosing a phone based on its camera quality. Though the LG V20 has some interesting features, the Galaxy Note 7 is still a better choice. If you need to save some money and don’t want to compromise on experience, consider the OnePlus 3.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon

Samsung introduced this camera setup in the Galaxy S7, and it’s just as fantastic today in the newer Galaxy Note 7. The 12MP resolution gives you plenty of pixels to work with, and the optical image stabilization (OIS) keeps everything clear whether you’re taking low-light shots or shooting video on the move.

Just as important as the photo output is how quickly the camera operates. Two presses of the home button launch the camera in less than a second, and photos are taken instantaneously even when shooting in HDR or a tough lighting situation. The camera interface is simple but also powerful if you choose to move to the full Manual mode, which can enable great shots if you want to tweak and use a tripod.

Bottom line: For a nearly compromise-free experience, the Note 7 has the best camera in any phone, Android or otherwise, available today.

One more thing: The Galaxy Note 7 is obviously an expensive phone. For the same camera in a cheaper (and smaller) body, consider the Galaxy S7 instead.

Introducing the Android Central Smartphone Buyer’s Guide

Welcome to Android Central’s guide to helping you find the perfect phone — for you and the people in your life!

It’s increasingly likely that you’re reading this on your smartphone. In fact, it’s likely you’re doing more on your phone than ever before, which is why it’s so important to buy the right one — for you and the people in your life.

Here at Android Central, we don’t just play with phones — we live and breathe them. We’re constantly comparing them to the competition, seeking out the ideal device for each particular use case. We believe in the Android mantra of, “Be together, not the same,” which is why we are launching the Smartphone Buyer’s Guide to help you pick the right phone for your unique situation.

To do this, we spent hundreds of hours using, evaluating and often abusing all the phones that you see on retail shelves, glimpse on billboards, and see us write about every day. We then determined the most important categories, based on carrier, price, feature, size, user profile, manufacturer, and camera, and wrote guides that are easy to understand and quick to reference. And where applicable, we’ll highlight individual phones that have earned our coveted Choice Award. In each guide, we’ll highlight a Best Overall — that’s the phone we think would suit most people the best most of the time in that particular category — and at least one alternative, because choice is good.

These guides are living things, and we will constantly be reviewing the choices to make sure they are up-to-date.

But this isn’t the end. These guides are living things, and we will constantly be reviewing the choices to make sure they are up-to-date. For example, we understand that Google’s new Pixel phones are highly anticipated and coming soon, and we’re looking forward to using them for hundreds of hours so we can refresh our guides accordingly. Of course, you may not agree with our choices, and that’s fine — we have a dedicated forum to discuss just that. While we can’t promise your suggestions will impact our decisions, we promise to read everything, and to take them into account!

This guide couldn’t have happened without the help of a few very hard-working people, including Florence Ion, Alex Dobie, Andrew Martonik, Jerry Hildenbrand, Derek Kessler, Harish Jonnalagadda, Marc Lagace, and many others behind the scenes. And this is just Phase One: we promise to expand the Smartphone Buyer’s Guide to include more categories, price points, features, and more, and we eventually plan to expand to other regions, so we can recommend devices from carriers in Canada, India, UK, and Australia.

Get started with the Smartphone Buyer’s Guide!

Personally, I’m really excited about this launch, which I feel is a natural next step for the site, and our community.

       -Daniel

Best Android Video Camera

If video recording is your thing, then look no further than the LG V20 — it offers unique shooting options, manual controls and the best audio capture available.

Best overall

LG V20

See at T-Mobile

The LG V20 builds on its predecessor’s vision of offering a fantastic imaging experience — and that goes for both still shots and video. Right from the start the V20 stands out because it offers you both a standard and wide-angle lens, giving you unique shooting options — you can even switch between the two in the same video if you want.

Beyond that, you’re getting the highest quality available — 4K shooting and HDR video are included here. And if you keep it locked to 1080p, you get the V20’s advanced electronic image stabilization to smooth out otherwise-shaky video when you’re on the move. No matter how you record, you’re getting the best possible audio here as well, with mics that can record the loudest noise of any phone out there.

The biggest feature for video junkies is the Manual video mode, which lets you tweak any setting you can imagine for some pro-level stuff if you want to go all-out and mount the V20 on a tripod rig.

Bottom line: For the most video options and the best possible quality, the LG V20 is the phone you want.

One more thing: The V20 is only on sale in some regions right now, with U.S. availability coming soon. If you want one in the States, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.

Why the LG V20 is the best

When it comes to recording video, the LG V20 really has it all. Not only does it work well for the basics like just tapping record and watching whatever’s in front of you unfold, but it can also go far beyond that with manual controls and advanced features.

It’s an excellent all-around video camera without any compromises.

For the basics, the V20 offers 4K video recording as well as HDR, and when you shoot in the standard 1080p resolution you get LG’s most advanced electronic image stabilization (in combination with the hardware OIS) to smooth out video when you’re moving around. It’s quick to start capturing and video looks great. You also get your choice of a standard or wide-angle lens, which can offer interesting shooting styles that you don’t get from any other phone.

And what really makes the LG V20 stand out is its Manual video mode. This mode has everything you want, and a bunch of stuff that even the pros won’t need to touch. You can change your shutter speed, ISO, focal distance, bitrate and more. You also get hi-fi audio recording from the built-in mics, which can handle even the loudest concerts or sporting events that you want to capture.

The LG V20 is an excellent all-around video camera without any compromises, and it’s also paired with some great photo capabilities to boot. If you need a phone that does great video, the V20 is your choice.

Best for simplicity

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon

We selected the Galaxy Note 7 as our best Android camera, and for many of the same reasons it’s a runner-up here as a video camera pick. The Note 7 has a great sensor and lens that can handle 4K and HDR video, as well as electronically stabilized 1080p video. It’s amazingly quick to start up and get to your recording, and has lots of built-in shooting modes for features like slow-mo and timelapse.

The Note 7 falls to number two on this list because it doesn’t offer the manual shooting offerings of the LG V20, nor does it have the same level of electronic stabilization or the audio recording capabilities that the top pick here does. That doesn’t mean the Note 7 isn’t a great video camera — it just means it isn’t the absolute best. If you’re looking for the best combination of both pictures and video, the Note 7 is still worth considering.

Bottom line: The Note 7 offers all of the best video features you want, but doesn’t have the more advanced shooting modes and audio recording of the V20.

One more thing: The Galaxy Note 7 is obviously an expensive phone. For the same video camera capabilities in a cheaper (and smaller) body, consider the Galaxy S7 instead.

Conclusion

For the best possible video recording, from quick shots to long planned-out movies, the LG V20 has everything you need. It’s a great phone for photos, too, making it a complete package.

Best overall

LG V20

See at T-Mobile

The LG V20 builds on its predecessor’s vision of offering a fantastic imaging experience — and that goes for both still shots and video. Right from the start the V20 stands out because it offers you both a standard and wide-angle lens, giving you unique shooting options — you can even switch between the two in the same video if you want.

Beyond that, you’re getting the highest quality available — 4K shooting and HDR video are included here. And if you keep it locked to 1080p, you get the V20’s advanced electronic image stabilization to smooth out otherwise-shaky video when you’re on the move. No matter how you record, you’re getting the best possible audio here as well, with mics that can record the loudest noise of any phone out there.

The biggest feature for video junkies is the Manual video mode, which lets you tweak any setting you can imagine for some pro-level stuff if you want to go all-out and mount the V20 on a tripod rig.

Bottom line: For the most video options and the best possible quality, the LG V20 is the phone you want.

One more thing: The V20 is only on sale in some regions right now, with U.S. availability coming soon. If you want one in the States, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.

Uh-oh! A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire on a plane

Samsung is facing another huge scandal with its Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note 7 last month after 92 incidents of the device overheating were reported in the US. The company took a couple weeks to deliver replacement units to customers, carriers, and stores – and it made sure to brand all those replacements with various markings, which you can read about here, so that consumers would know the new units are safe. But it now seems like the replacements aren’t safe after all.

Southwest Airlines flight 944 from Louisville to Baltimore was evacuated on 5 October. Arson investigators have confirmed that the evacuation occurred due to a Galaxy Note 7 that overheated during boarding, leading to smoke in the cabin, according to WHAS-TV. The incident happened around 9:15 am. Brian Green, the phone’s owner, has already told media outlets the phone was a replacement.

Sarah Green, his wife, also told The Courier-Journal of Louisville how her husband described the incident: he said his replacement phone “made a popping noise and started smoking” and powered down. At that point, Brian threw it on the floor of the plane. According to The Verge, when Brian dropped it, he said a “thick grey-green angry smoke” poured out. The device burned through the carpet and seared the plane’s subfloor.

Following the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s formal recall of one million faulty Galaxy Note 7 units in mid-September, the US Federal Aviation Administration banned use of the Galaxy Note 7 during flights. Although it’s not yet clear if the FAA allows replacement Galaxy Note 7 units on flights, the incident that occurred early on Wednesday happened before the Southwest plane was airborne and nobody was hurt.

Brian confirmed his Galaxy Note 7 was a replacement unit by releasing a photograph of the phone’s box, which showed the black square symbol that indicates a replacement Galaxy Note 7. Green said the phone had a green battery icon too, which also indicates a replacement device. Green said he picked up the new phone at an AT&T store on 21 September. The Louisville Fire Department’s arson unit now has it for investigation.

And Brian said he’s already replaced it with an iPhone 7.

Surgeons complete first uterus transplants from live donors in US

A team of surgeons at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas have achieved something that hadn’t previously been done in the US. With the help of a Swedish surgical team, doctors performed the first uterus transplants from living donors. The experimental procedures took place between September 14th and 22nd with four total transplants. While the first three were unsuccessful, the fourth patient is showing positive results based on follow-up tests. The transplanted uteri were removed from those first three patients and they’re expected to resume normal activity soon.

For the fourth patient, tests indicate good blood flow to the uterus with no signs of rejection or infection. “We are cautiously optimistic that she could ultimately become the first uterine transplant recipient in the US to make it to the milestone of uterine functionality,” a statement from Baylor University Medical Center explained.

16 uterine transplants have been performed around the world thus far. In fact, the Swedish team that assisted doctors at Baylor are considered experts on the procedure. There have been five births following procedures they’ve completed. Following these most recent transplants, both surgical teams say they’ve gained valuable knowledge from the three unsuccessful cases that will prove beneficial to future operations. Changes will include updates to protocols and post-op management with special attention to the thickness of the uterine veins.

Back in February, the Cleveland Clinic performed the first uterus transplant in the US. In that case, the 26-year-old recipient would have needed to have the organ removed after one or two pregnancies due to medications that kept her body from rejecting it. Due to compromised blood flow caused by an infection in the weeks that followed, the transplanted uterus was removed in March.

Via: CNN

Source: Baylor University Medical Center (1), (2)