Wednesday 10 May 2017

The Morning After: Amazon adds a screen to its latest Echo speaker

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Wednesday, May 10, 2017.

Hey, good morning!

Welcome to your midweek. How’s it gone so far? Microsoft’s big annual conference kicks off today, and we’ve sniffed out what you can expect. We also get the full reveal of Amazon’s Echo-with-a-screen. It’s not pretty, but it does sound pretty smart.

Windows 10 updates, more Cortana and new hardware?

What to expect at Microsoft's Build 2017 conference

While it’s a mobile computing world, Microsoft has no shortage of projects we need to be updated on. Alongside the very latest iteration of Windows 10 (a new design interface? Family sharing hubs?), we expect more on Microsoft’s voice assistant Cortana, which has popped in all kinds of hardware. Windows 10 S has also only just arrived, so more on that, and, if we’re lucky some Hololens and VR updates would be just lovely.

Yes, it looks a bit like a melted tube television.

Amazon's $230 Echo Show is Alexa with a touchscreen

The leaks were correct, and now Amazon’s touchscreen Echo is available for pre-orders. Besides the 7-inch display, it has a front camera to support video calls with a new Alexa Calling feature, and they’re even available in pairs for a $100 discount. The screen also enables you to “Drop In” instantly on family and friends, check shopping lists or watch YouTube videos. The Echo Show starts shipping June 28th.

About those emails...

President Trump fires FBI Director James Comey

The reason cited? Comey’s handling of last year’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server, and the way he announced he would not bring charges against her. Things not listed as factors in his firing were Comey's decision to refute Trump's claim of wiretapping by former President Barack Obama, or that he was heading an investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Reportedly, Comey learned of his firing while giving a speech to FBI employees as TV screens in the background started flashing the information.

The Zune UI is back

Review: Hulu Live TV

Hulu’s cable TV-alike offering enters a crowded marketplace of internet video services, facing off against Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now and YouTube TV. As Devindra Hardawar found, in its current beta state, it’s at its best while watching live TV. As-is, the UI requires a bit too much swiping for his taste, and a lack of AMC means that even with a $40 per month price, it doesn’t include access to The Walking Dead, which could be a deal-breaker. It does have Hulu’s streaming service built-in, but it will be up to viewers to decide if The Handmaid’s Tale and other exclusives are a worthy tradeoff.

Cheaper, higher-quality CGI animation.

This motion capture jumpsuit records Hollywood-quality animation at indie film prices

Conventional motion capture rigs -- the ones that use visual markers and arrays of infrared cameras -- cost tens of thousands of dollars, making them prohibitively expensive for everyone but major studios. But a new, cameraless system from Danish startup Rokoko, called the Smartsuit Pro, aims to make Hollywood-quality motion capture affordable for everybody. Andrew Tarantola zipped himself into one of those suits, and became a dancing mannequin. All for your entertainment.

One tweet for a year of nugs.

A hunger for chicken nuggets broke Twitter's retweet record

One man asked how many retweets it would take to earn himself a year of free Wendy’s chicken nuggets. The company said 18 million, but once he broke the retweet record, he got his nugs anyway. I hope this makes it into history lessons one day.

One runner has managed to rush through the game in under 20 minutes

In under a week, speedrunners have already torn 'Prey' apart

Bethesda's Prey reboot has been out for less than a week, and already players are posting some truly insane speedruns. DraQu’s sub twenty-minute run-through seen on YouTube uses the GLOO Cannon -- an early weapon that can slow down enemies and create small platforming blocks -- to access areas that would normally take hours to unlock. While he isn’t cheating, more subverting the rules of the game, the effect is pretty incredible.

No carrier, please.

You can pre-order an unlocked Galaxy S8 now

Both iterations of Samsung’s beautiful new Galaxy S8 are coming to the US, unlocked. Price-wise, they’ll set you back $724.99 and $824.99 for the 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch models, respectively. Pre-order from Best Buy or directly through Samsung today and you’ll get your device unshackled from the carrier gods when it becomes available this May 31st.

But wait, there's more...

1. Snapchat's latest tricks include 'infinite' snaps and AR emoji

2. Leak shows Microsoft's vision for Echo-like Windows PCs

3. The US military might let its IT warriors skip boot camp

4. Airports may use face recognition to screen US citizens

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Tuesday 9 May 2017

Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Tuesday -- May 9, 2017

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
http://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
Flaw in Intel Chips Could Open Door to Botnet Armies
Raspberry Pi Fans Can Build Their Own AI Voice Assistant
The Massive Unintended Consequences of Self-Driving Cars

Today's Story Highlights

Flaw in Intel Chips Could Open Door to Botnet Armies

A 7-year-old flaw in Intel chips could enable hijackers to gain total
control of business computers and use them for malicious purposes. The
Intel AMT vulnerability is the first of its kind, according to Embedi,
which released technical details about it last week. Attackers could
exploit the flaw to get full control over business computers, even those
turned off but plugged into an outlet.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84518.html

Raspberry Pi Fans Can Build Their Own AI Voice Assistant

Google and AIY Projects have launched an open source DIY artificial
intelligence Voice Kit for Raspberry Pi hobbyists. The AIY Voice Kit
includes hardware for audio capture and playback, connectors for the
dual mike daughterboard and speaker, GPIO pins to connect low-voltage
components such as micro servos and sensors, and an optional barrel
connector for a dedicated power supply.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84517.html

The Massive Unintended Consequences of Self-Driving Cars

Car residual prices are collapsing, based on an alert that crossed my
desk last week, and it struck me that we haven't considered much the
secondary impacts of having self-driving cars, and the changes that will
result from turning automobiles into four-wheeled elevators. Many
industry players are treating self-driving cars much like cruise
control: a nice-to-have option.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84503.html

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E-Commerce Minute

E-Commerce Minute: Tuesday -- May 9, 2017

The E-Commerce Times -- E-Business Means Business
http://www.ecommercetimes.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
John Oliver's Viewers Flood FCC Site With Net Neutrality Concerns
Nutshell CTO Andy Fowler: Good CRM Tools Stay Out of the Way
Surviving the Security 'Skills Desert'
Qualcomm May Seek iPhone Ban to Retaliate Against Apple

Today's Story Highlights

John Oliver's Viewers Flood FCC Site With Net Neutrality Concerns

Comedian John Oliver, incensed over proposed changes to unravel Net
neutrality protections for consumers, unleashed a torrent of criticism
against the FCC and urged viewers to register their protest online. The
response led to a digital meltdown on the agency's site Sunday night.
Oliver targeted a proposal that would loosen Net neutrality regulations.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84516.html

Nutshell CTO Andy Fowler: Good CRM Tools Stay Out of the Way

"CRM was originally created for the managers and bosses to report on the
pipeline, and it was sold as a value proposition to the manager," noted
Nutshell CTO Andy Fowler. "What's changing now is that CRM is becoming
much more about supporting the rep -- giving them the tools they need to
improve their performance. It's no longer just a tool for the boss to
check in on the salespeople."
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84514.html

Surviving the Security 'Skills Desert'

If you've ever spent time in a desert, it may seem inconceivable to you
that creatures actually can live there. The fact that animals not only
survive, but also thrive in those conditions seems counterintuitive. In
fact, a number of animals do so -- in many cases, they are aided by an
array of specialized adaptations that allow them to leverage the
environment to their advantage.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84513.html

Qualcomm May Seek iPhone Ban to Retaliate Against Apple

Qualcomm plans to ask the ITC to block imports of iPhones, according to
a report. The move apparently was spurred by Apple's recent decision to
stop making royalty payments owed under a licensing agreement between
the two companies, which is the subject of a billion-dollar legal battle
in federal court. "You can't pay something when there's a dispute about
the amount," Apple CEO Tim Cook said.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84511.html

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Editor's Pick: Nutshell CTO Andy Fowler: Good CRM Tools Stay Out of the Way

Nutshell CTO Andy Fowler: Good CRM Tools Stay Out of the Way

Vivian Wagner May 9, 2017 5:00 AM PT
	"CRM was originally created for the managers and bosses to report on the pipeline, and it was sold as a value proposition to the manager," noted Nutshell CTO Andy Fowler. "What's changing now is that CRM is becoming much more about supporting the rep -- giving them the tools they need to improve their performance. It's no longer just a tool for the boss to check in on the salespeople." [More...]

More Picks:

The Massive Unintended Consequences of Self-Driving Cars
Car residual prices are collapsing, based on an alert that crossed my desk last week, and it struck me that we haven't considered much the secondary impacts of having self-driving cars, and the changes that will result from turning automobiles into four-wheeled elevators. Many industry players are treating self-driving cars much like cruise control: a nice-to-have option. [More...]

Surviving the Security 'Skills Desert'
If you've ever spent time in a desert, it may seem inconceivable to you that creatures actually can live there. The fact that animals not only survive, but also thrive in those conditions seems counterintuitive. In fact, a number of animals do so -- in many cases, they are aided by an array of specialized adaptations that allow them to leverage the environment to their advantage. [More...]

Follow Us

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