Geek News

Microsoft updated its Cortana app and it now features native iPad support. The interface makes use of the bigger iPad screen, but otherwise it's largely similar to the iPhone version. The update, spotted by MacRumors , also notes that the app now opens 20 percent faster. "Introducing a brand-new Cortana for iPad design. Enjoy an exclusive layout and interface for your iPad," says the update release . "Cortana now launches 20 percent faster! Enjoy a lightning-fast experience." This is the latest Microsoft update for iOS products. Last week, Microsoft introduced new features for its Office and OneDrive iOS apps that included the incorporation of Apple's new Files app and it announced that Edge for iPad is finally on the way . A preview version of the latter should drop this month. The Cortana app update is available today. Via: The Verge Source: App Store via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2nPO4CN"

Google acquired home automation company Nest back in 2014 for $3.2 billion. Now Google is integrating the smaller company even more by merging the Nest and Google Hardware teams into one working group. As noted by CNET , Google's AI, which powers its Home smart speakers , can now be more easily integrated with Nest hardware. CNET points to an interview with Google's Rick Osterloh that helps make more sense out of the announcement. "All of Google's investments in machine learning and AI, they can very clearly benefit Nest products. It just makes sense to be developing them together," Osterloh said in an interview. "It's the natural thing to evolve to." The end result will be a more focused smart home initiative that connects with Nest' s mission "to create a more thoughtful home, one that takes care for the people inside it and the world around it," as Google wrote in a blog post. The company will combine hardware, software and ...

Smart home appliance maker Nest, which for three years has operated as an Alphabet subsidiary, is rejoining Google to work alongside the search giant’s hardware group. The decision, which back in November was rumored to be in the works , means that Nest CEO Marwan Fawaz will now report directly to Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh, who oversees the company’s Pixel, Chromecast, and Google Home efforts. The announcement came today in the form of a blog post from Osterloh in conjunction with a series of interviews with CNET . In his conversation with CNET , Osterloh says the move is about aligning all of the artificial intelligence-powered hardware verticals into a single unit that can more closely collaborate. “All of Google’s investments... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EO8jJo"

Turing Robotic Industries has filed for bankruptcy in Finland and all of the company’s movable property has been seized, according to local media reports earlier this week. It allegedly owes its creditors nearly two million Euros. The smartphone company was founded by former Nokia employees in 2015 and received backing by Chinese investors, but has experienced a really rough three years trying to deliver on its promises. In a Facebook post , Turing CEO Steve Y.L. Chao wrote that the recent news “may have sent an uneasy feeling to some of you.” But he said that Turing filed for bankruptcy in order to temporarily suspend its “manufacturing intentions” in Salo, Finland, where the phones are produced. “It doesn’t mean that TRI is bankrupt,”... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2nP1HlM"

Instagram is currently testing a feature that would let users share others' posts in their Stories, TechCrunch reports. It's only being tested with a small number of Instagram users and there's no guarantee that it will see a full rollout, but since people tend to screenshot others' content and add it to their Stories anyway, this seems like a useful tool that Instagram users would take advantage of. Instagram told us, "We're always testing ways to make it easier to share any moment with friends on Instagram." New Instagram Feature - share feed posts to stories @MattNavarra @ingridlunden pic.twitter.com/keVl4lm9uB — Zachary Shakked (@zacharyshakked) February 7, 2018 The feature only works with accounts that are public. So if your friend posts a cool pic of you and their account is private, you won't be able to share that post directly in your Story. However, those with public accounts may not want to have their posts shared this way either, ...

That didn't take long. Hot on the heels of Twitter , Reddit has updated its rules to expressly ban AI-generated "deepfake" porn . Where it previously had a single rule forbidding porn and suggestive material involving minors, it now has two -- and it's clear that you're not allowed to post "depictions that have been faked." You also can't post regular imagery of others with the goal of producing fake nonconsensual porn. Accordingly, Reddit has cracked down on some of the offending communities. It has shut down the deepfakes subreddit that got the ball rolling, as well as YouTubefakes. It hasn't closed non-deepfake subreddits like CelebFakes, however, and it's also maintaining the communities with more innocuous intentions, such as FakeApp (the program itself) and SFWdeepfakes. At the moment, this is more about addressing the specific violations that triggered the uproar than to stamp out every potential violation of the policy. In a sta...

Microsoft is now ready to polish your job applications -- the company has released its LinkedIn-powered Resume Assistant for Office 365 subscribers. The AI-based helper sifts through LinkedIn profiles to find prominent examples of work experience and skill listings for your dream job, giving you some helpful tips for customizing your CV. You can also tap the ProFinder marketplace to talk to experts who can offer career advice, and search for relevant jobs without leaving Word. Resume Assistant's requirements are currently quite stiff: in addition to Office 365, you need to use Word in English and set Windows' region to one of several countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the US). Support for other platforms, countries and languages will have to wait until sometime in the "coming months." Still, it's a start -- and if you do live in the right place, this might be enough to help you stand out in a cr...

Days ago, South Korean authorities announced that they'd capture any drone that got too close to Olympics event facilities. If you have a DJI-made craft, you won't even be able to get close. The UAV maker is releasing a software patch that creates a no-fly zone around Olympic areas. For the duration of the games, DJI drones won't be able to fly through areas in the South Korean cities of Pyeongchang, Gangneung, Bongpyeong and Jeongseon. "Safety is DJI's top priority and we've always taken proactive steps to educate our customers to operate within the law and where appropriate, implement temporary no-fly zones during major events," the company said in a statement, according to TechCrunch . "We believe this feature will reduce the potential for drone operations that could inadvertently create safety or security concerns." DJI has taken 'proactive steps' shutting down its drones around big events before, like the Euro 2016 soccer tour...

Animals Bombardier beetles avoid certain death by making toads puke. Bombardier beetles release a potent chemical to persuade the frogs that have eaten them to barf them back up alive. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2C1N7N7"

Google is looking into developing a game streaming service that would allow it to stream software to a compatible Chromecast device or yet-to-be-released home console, according to a report today from The Information . The new service is codenamed “Yeti,” and it would be comparable to game streaming services like Sony’s PlayStation Now and Nvidia’s GeForce Now. That means users would not download software to a hard drive, but stream the game from a Google server instead. So this planned service is not to be confused with existing game subscription offerings like Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass that let users download unlimited games from a pre-selected pool of titles for a monthly fee. It’s unclear whether Google would focus solely on... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EoOlHd"

Monster Hunter: World is the latest entry in a decade-plus game franchise dedicated to killing huge monsters. But the series has another reputation : barely explained mechanics, labyrinthine menus and difficult co-op play. Capcom smoothed out a lot of those rough edges for Monster Hunter: World and released it simultaneously worldwide, which has made it the most accessible of the franchise. Now, finally, it can take the crown as the best co-op boss fight experience out there. Fighting giant enemies is a thrilling niche in gaming, from blowing up Kraid in Super Metroid to taking on one titanic monolith after another in Shadow of the Colossus . But those are insular single-player journeys, not communal experiences. When games have tried team boss fights before, most notably in MMOs, they're often at the end of a long raid after slogging through a multilevel dungeon. Monster Hunter: World is the large boss fight distilled, a stripped-down contest between small humans and colos...

Reddit has banned the r/deepfakes subreddit that’s devoted to making AI-powered porn using celebrities’ faces, classifying it as a form of “involuntary pornography.” In a post today , Reddit announced an update to its rules on posting sexual imagery of a person without their consent. The new rule extends a ban on posting photos or video of people who are nude or engaged in sexual acts without the subject’s permission, saying that this includes “depictions that have been faked” — a practice that’s become popular on Reddit over the past month. “Do not post images or video of another person for the specific purpose of faking explicit content or soliciting ‘lookalike’ pornography.” This doesn’t affect all AI-based face swapping enthusiasts on... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2nIxKEO"

It sounds like Google might be working on a game streaming service. According to a report from The Information , the tech juggernaut has been floating the idea for a streaming service (like PlayStation Now or NVIDIA's GeForce Now ) for around two years. The service is codenamed "Yeti" and Google is apparently even testing hardware for it as well. The Information 's sources say that the service might stream to a Chromecast, and that hiring Phil Harrison last month as VP of hardware -- formerly of Microsoft and Sony's gaming divisions -- could point toward a standalone gaming console. You probably shouldn't get your hopes up yet, though. Whatever the device or service is was supposed to debut last year, and, well, we still haven't heard an official peep about it. If you're thinking, "Man, Google is late to the whole Android micro-console fad," you're not alone. These gizmos were all the rage a few years ago, but have since died out al...

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