Apple has poached Google's head of artificial intelligence, John Giannandrea, in its effort to keep up with the deluge of AI products being launched by competitors like Google and Amazon. Giannandrea, a 53-year-old Scot, will lead all of AI for the company and report directly to CEO Tim Cook. Unusually, Apple is playing catch-up against other tech companies that have invested far more in AI research and implementation. The race to implement AI is giving the Cupertino, California, computer maker its toughest fight since battling Microsoft and IBM in the 1980s. Giannandrea's background is in search, cataloging information for machines, and the early internet.

John Giannandrea, Google's former head of search and artificial intelligence, is joining Apple. The hire, first reported by The New York Times, comes one day after the executive announced he was stepping down from his role at Google, itself a surprise move amid a broader executive reshuffle that now makes much more sense in hindsight. Giannandrea, a machine learning expert who joined Google back in 2010, is a huge get for Apple, which has struggled for years to make progress in fast-moving and increasingly important AI fields like computer vision and natural language processing. Giannandrea will report directly to CEO Tim Cook as the leader of "machine learning and AI strategy," according to the Times. Both Facebook and Google, and to a lesser extent Amazon and Microsoft, are powerhouses in AI, employing hundreds of researchers working across a number of different domains that routinely publish substantive papers that help inform internal products and the collective AI research community at large.

Tinder has introduced new looping profile videos that repeat and reverse a two-second clip like an Instagram Boomerang. The feature, known as Loops, allows users to replace their static profile photo with a video that'shows more personality', according to Tinder. The popular dating app is currently trialling Loops in Canada and Sweden, and will roll the feature out worldwide if initial tests are successful. Tinder has introduced new looping profile videos that repeat and reverse a two-second clip (right) like an Instagram Boomerang. The feature, known as Loops, allows users to replace their static profile photo with a video that'shows more personality', according to Tinder The company said videos can show more of users' personalities and boost people's chances of getting right-swiped.

Despite its status as the world's most valuable firm, Apple has for some time been thought to lag its biggest rivals in developing one of today's most valued technologies. In the artificial intelligence (AI) battle, it still looks a relative weakling next to the likes of Amazon and Google. No wonder that when Light Reading polled readers in February, asking them what Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) should spend its billions on, the most popular response was artificial intelligence and machine learning. But Apple this week may have found a far less costly way of closing the AI gap. Rather than splurging billions on touted AI startups, it has poached one of the smartest AI experts from one of its main competitors. According to a report from the New York Times (NYT), the executive in question is none other than John Giannandrea, the head of search and artificial intelligence for Google.

If you're considering a video doorbell, the Nest Hello should be on your short list. It has great video quality, a solid app, and it operated flawlessly during my test. There's slick integration with Google Home and Google Assistant, and a recently launched 5-day subscription plan for storing video in the cloud reduces one of the biggest hurdles to a Nest system: the ongoing running cost. It's a worthy competitor to the Ring Video Doorbell 2, but the Nest Hello requires wiring so we still recommend the Ring if you need a battery-powered device. Nest Hello is a smart, good-looking doorbell that feels solid and well made.

Dating app Tinder has gone down, leaving legions of internet singles in despair at being unable to swipe or access their messages. Changes to Facebook's Application Programming Interface (API) locked Tinder users out of their accounts around the globe before the glitch was fixed. Furious Tinder devotees took to Twitter to vent their anger, reserving their harshest criticism for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Changes to Facebook's Application Programming Interface (API) locked Tinder users out of their accounts around the globe before the glitch was fixed (pictured is the error message) This generation may never forgive Mark,' wrote one Twitter user. 'I lost all of my messages,' said another.

Apple has just poached one of Google's top AI executives in a move likely to have far-reaching consequences. Apple has hired John Giannandrea, previously Google's head of AI and Search, The New York Times reports. Giannandrea will lead Apple's "machine learning and A.I. strategy," the Cupertino company said in a statement to the Times; he will be one of only 16 executives that report directly to CEO Tim Cook. Just yesterday, The Information (paywalled) had reported that Giannandrea would be stepping down from his role at Google and would be replaced by 19-year Google veteran Jeff Dean. Giannandrea first joined Google in 2010 after it acquired MetaWeb, where he served as CTO.

Voice-enabled personal assistants seem to be headed for ubiquity in the consumer world. Market research firm Gartner predicts consumer demand for voice devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home will generate $3.5 billion by 2021. But they are not confined to living rooms, telling you the day's weather or reading out news briefings. Intelligent voice assistants are slowly but steadily being adopted in healthcare. Several hospitals, such as Boston Children's Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, are experimenting with voice assistants and conversational artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to provide relevant information and answer queries of patients and medical staff.

Apple has hired Google's chief of search and artificial intelligence, John Giannandrea, a major coup in its bid to catch up to the artificial intelligence technology of its rivals. Apple said Tuesday that Giannandrea will run Apple's "machine learning and AI strategy," and become one of 16 executives who report directly to Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook. The hire is a victory for Apple, which many Silicon Valley executives and analysts view as lagging its peers in artificial intelligence, an increasingly crucial technology for companies that enable computers to handle more complex tasks, like understanding voice commands or identifying people in images. "Our technology must be infused with the values we all hold dear," Cook said Tuesday morning in an email to staff members obtained by The New York Times. "John shares our commitment to privacy and our thoughtful approach as we make computers even smarter and more personal."

Most AI assistants can't really hold a conversation. They're fine with I-go-you-go dialogue, but most humans aren't quite so timid -- they know when to interrupt, and when to restart chat when there's an awkward pause. Microsoft wants to fix that. It just upgraded its Xiaolce chatbot AI with "full duplex" conversation that lets it start speaking when it's listening to what you're saying. As it can predict what you're likely to say next, it knows when to interrupt you with important info or say something more when both sides suddenly go quiet.