TL;DR
Google confirmed that it will begin testing Google Duplex in the coming weeks. Duplex now introduces itself and asks businesses if it is okay to record the call. Businesses can opt out during the conversation and humans can take over the call if Duplex makes mistakes. When Google Duplex debuted in May, you could hear jaws drop. This was the first time anyone had heard artificial intelligence sound so human and so responsive.
Update: 01/19/2015 Following reports from Taiwan that HTC is preparing to spin off its virtual reality business into a standalone company, HTC has issued a statement dismissing the claims. The reports had suggested that HTC's Cher Wang would head up and at least part own a new company that would take over HTC's work on virtual reality, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
Recent media reports in Taiwan, such as by United Evening News, stating that Cher Wang is planning to spin off HTC’s VR operations into an independent entity that will be wholly owned by Wang is incorrect.
The honor 5X is a great phone, and you know what they say about a rose by any other name. The honor 5X, which was announced back at CES 2016 and launched in the U.S. in January, has changed its name as it finally crosses the border into Canada. In the U.S. it is known as the honor 5X, but in the Great White North it shall henceforth be known as the Huawei GR5.
The secret to Samsung's success: marketing exec speaks out
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The ad is all about the various ways in which there’s never enough of it: from dinosaurs to toilet lines to action movies, running out of time is our worst fear. So, Samsung asks, if time is the most valuable thing we have, why would we spend any more of it than we have to charging our phone?
It’s a good point and one that hopefully doesn’t get lost amongst the funny clips in the ad.
Although the BlackBerry DTEK60 is yet to be officially announced by the Canadian company, it is already up for pre-order in Canada and now the US.
Just to refresh your memory, the BlackBerry DTEK60 will come with a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, a 21-megapixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel selfie-shooter. The phone is powered by none other than the Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. The 3,000 mAh battery sounds pretty standard for a phone with that kind of screen size and resolution.
Those lucky enough to snag a Chromecast have something exciting to look forward to when their new device arrives: the ability to fling music, video, and web content from most any computer with Google’s Chrome browser installed to an attached TV. That functionality, shown at a press conference earlier today, is made possible in part by a Chrome extension, available for download now from the Chrome Web Store.
According to Google, the Chromecast extension adds UI elements to help facilitate the sending of content to TV.
For the time being, the Samsung Galaxy S4 comes in two colors, although four more colors are said to be coming soon, one of which is exclusive to AT&T. If you’re looking to get your hands on a few more options and don’t mind paying a bit more for your Galaxy S4, ColorWare may just be able to help you out.
Buying a GSM unlocked Galaxy S4 from ColorWare will run you $1,000.
Here’s how it works. Normally costing $4.99, Dash buttons can be ordered today for 99 cents each. In addition, Amazon will give you back $4.99 in Amazon credit the first time you press the button. That means you effectively get $4 for each Dash button that you order and use.
Amazon Dash buttons are simple devices that you can place around your home that let you order one product only. Just tap the button and an order for that specific product will be placed on Amazon.
Dell is destined to become a private company. The massive PC maker has revealed that its founder and CEO Michael Dell along with financing from a Microsoft backed company called Silver Lake Partners will buy up all the stock and turn Dell back into a privately held company. The reasoning is that the Dell, which is facing stiff competition from Lenovo and has seen its profits falling dramatically during 2012, wants to continue its turnaround plans without the scrutiny and limitations of being a publicly traded company.
Nokia may be jumping in on the digital assistant bandwagon that’s already seen involvement from several of the top tech companies. Nokia filed for a trademark today in Europe for something code named “Viki”, which the application says will be used for mobile and web-based “assistants working with digital knowledge and combining all data sources into a single chat and voice-based interface.”
10 best personal assistant apps for Android
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