Friday 11 May 2018

The Morning After: Robots frolicking in fields

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Friday, May 11, 2018.

Hey, good morning!

Welcome to Friday morning! We’re wrapping up our Google I/O coverage today, but we’ve also taken a behind-the-scenes look at how the Guardians of the Galaxy got a redesigned ship, a possible due date on the end of Net Neutrality and a robot frolicking in a field.

I didn’t sign up to take a Turing Test today.

Google: Duplex phone calling AI will identify itself

While the Duplex AI demo Google showed during I/O was impressive, it creeped many of us out by pretending to be human. On a phone call with apparently unaware restaurant and salon workers, the system peppered its conversation with “umms” and “ahhs” while setting up appointments. That tech might make it more comfortable to talk to, but now Google has confirmed that when it starts testing the feature in Google Assistant this summer, it will let people know they’re talking to an automated system.

How long does the battery last at full sprint? Asking for a human friend.

Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot shows off its agility for the scouts

The humanoid robot took an untethered jog and showed off its vertical ability by leaping over a log. Atlas isn’t ready for a free agent NFL contract just yet, but comparing the robot’s smooth moves now to demos from 2009 shows just how far the technology has come.

Marvel’s most unorthodox heroes have a new home in ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’

Designing a spaceship for the Guardians of the Galaxy

Avengers: Infinity War is a jam-packed movie, flipping between superheroes young and old as they try to defend against Thanos. Almost every scene required a tremendous amount of computer-generated visual effects, meaning Marvel had to tap a small army of external partners to complete the project, including a company based in London and San Francisco called Territory Studio. The independent team worked on over a hundred 130 animated "screens" of make-believe software, with a lot of this work focused on the Guardians of the Galaxy’s spaceship. These exotic control panels are the tip of Territory's contributions, which spanned tables, door air locks and a spherical escape pod. The company's mission was to reinvent the UI -- and by extension, the larger look and feel -- of the Guardians' moving home. It was a small piece of the movie but an important one to quickly convey how the group had been living since the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

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There's a slim chance the House and Senate could repeal, though.

Net Neutrality dies June 11th

Net Neutrality officially dies June 11th, almost three years to the day after it was put into law. In a press release from Ajit Pai's office, he repeated his rhetoric that the internet was never broken and bemoaned Title II rules (more rigorous regulation which touches on throttling, blocking and paid prioritization of data) as being "heavy handed" and "outdated."

The US Senate has forced a vote, scheduled for next week, to overturn Pai's decision. If the Senate is successful, the House of Representatives will have to take similar measures before Pai's framework is overruled. For now, a handful of states have passed their own bills upholding Title II provisions.

Ditch the dock.

Nintendo is making a $20 charging stand for the Switch

You can game on the Switch in various ways, but if you want to charge while playing in Tabletop mode, you'd have to be creative in finding ways to prop it up. Even if you do find a way, you're at risk of ruining its cord, considering its charging port is at the bottom. Nintendo's thankfully fixing that problem by releasing a $20 accessory, which serves as a charger and an adjustable stand. It’ll arrive next month, ready for that summer vacation / staycation.

But wait, there's more...

1. NYPD says 'Skim Reaper' device could curb ATM fraud

2. Uber's 'Skyport' plans are straight out of science fiction

3. Apple's aluminum devices will be a bit more environmentally friendly

4. House Democrats release over 3,500 Russian Facebook ads

5. Create your own Avengers-esque visual effects with help from FXHome

6. 'Star Trek: Bridge Crew' gets Picard's ship

7. Amazon won't distribute Terry Gilliam's ill-fated movie

8. Nine Inch Nails skips online ticket sales to fight scalper bots

9. Lenovo's latest Ideapads are for students on a budget

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Thursday 10 May 2018

The Morning After: Android P everything and Steam Link mobile apps

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Google I/O is in full swing, and accordingly we have everything you need to know about upgrades coming to Android, Maps and Google Lens. Plus, you should check out the new UPS trucks and the latest effort to save net neutrality.

It all starts with a new beer emoji.

Google is weaving itself into the fabric of our lives

At I/O 2018, Google took the time to share incremental, fun and weird updates to its ecosystem -- including some seemingly innocuous changes that were still met with applause. Here are just 10 of those.

Lose the cable.

Android P brings wireless Android Auto to more phones

Kenwood announced that wireless Android Auto is active, but only compatible with select smartphones for right now. Once phones are upgraded to Android P, they’ll also support the feature (with compatible headunits), but Google said it’s working on making it available across Android Oreo as well.

Plus an Explore feature to tell you what locations are trending.

Hands-on with the new Google Maps

Now Google Maps is ready to personalize itself based on your tastes, Foursquare-style, and handle social outings with a new Group Planning feature. We didn’t get to try out the AR map experience demonstrated earlier (that doesn’t have a release date yet), but the things we tried out will come to your phones this summer.

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PC gaming on your Apple TV.

Steam Link will soon beam PC games to iOS, Android

Valve has already released devices that shift PC gaming to the living room, but now it has announced Steam Link apps are on the way. Once they’re released later this month, you’ll be able to play games on iOS or Android devices while they’re rendered by a PC connected to the same network. After that, it will also release a Steam Video app that brings movies and TV shows purchased on the platform to users on their other devices.

Are these from ‘Cars’ or real life?

Electric UPS trucks look like they’re straight out of a Pixar movie

The company revealed it's working with vehicle manufacturer Arrival on a pilot fleet of 35 lightweight electric trucks that look far more futuristic than the standard boxy vehicles. The trucks, which UPS will test in Paris and London, have a "highly advanced vehicle display," along with additional safety features and driver assists.

Wear OS has been waiting for a hardware upgrade.

Qualcomm is finally releasing a new smartwatch chip

Come holiday season, you can expect several manufacturers will have Wear OS smartwatches wielding the power of a new chip available for sale. Qualcomm exec Pankaj Kedia tells Wareable that the new hardware will be built from the ground up for use in a watch, unlike previous iterations based on old, stripped-down phone technology. That should make for smaller, better-looking devices that are more battery efficient and ready to make good use of their onboard sensors.

Finally.

Nintendo is making a $20 charging stand for the Switch

Until now, playing the Switch in tabletop mode while charging meant getting creative with props and taking a risk of busting your USB-C port. Thankfully, Nintendo is fixing that issue with a $20 add-on that serves as stand and charger. The only bad news? It doesn't go on sale until June 13th.

But wait, there's more...

1. A look at Deviant Designs' other homemade adult toys

2. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi discusses self-driving cars and food delivery by drone

3. Apple add Amazon Channels-like video subscriptions to its TV app

4. Here's what you won't find in the Android P beta

5. Google Lens hands-on: copy-and-paste the real world to your phone

6. Senators force vote in an effort to restore net neutrality

7. Five ways Android P changes how you will (or won't) use your phone

8. Penn doctors perform the first robot-assisted spinal surgery

9. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay might lose the in-car infotainment war

10. Tidal reportedly inflated streaming stats for Beyoncé and Kanye West

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Wednesday 9 May 2018

Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Wednesday -- May 9, 2018

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
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Headline Scan
Circadian VP Keenan Skelly: Changing the Cybersecurity Paradigm
Echo for Kids, Retro Voice Assistants, and a Second Snap
Solving Tech's Diversity Problem

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Today's Story Highlights

Circadian VP Keenan Skelly: Changing the Cybersecurity Paradigm

"It's only a few times in the history of the U.S. and in specific
domains do you have the opportunity to make decisions and have a lasting
effect on that domain," said Circadence VP Keenan Skelly. "In terms of
information cybersecurity, we're right in the middle of it right now.
We're just figuring out what global norms should be."
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85327.html

Echo for Kids, Retro Voice Assistants, and a Second Snap

Amazon is trying to rope in younger members of the family to use its
Alexa voice assistant with the release of a smart speaker for kids. The
Echo Dot Kids Edition has a rubber case protecting a standard Echo Dot
and a two-year, no-questions-asked replacement policy. It includes a
one-year membership for Amazon's subscription service for kids' books,
videos, games, education apps and Alexa skills.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85325.html

Solving Tech's Diversity Problem

I recently attended Dell Technology World, which shone a light on one of
Michael Dell's passions: addressing the lack of gender diversity in the
tech industry. Some time back he asked the most powerful woman at Dell,
CCO Karen Quintos, to spearhead an effort to fix the problem. One of the
leading experts on the problem, Howard Ross of Cook Ross, indicated it
was getting worse -- not better.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85319.html

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