Building on a survey of previous theories of serendipity and creativity, we advance a sequential model of serendipitous occurrences. We distinguish between serendipity as a service and serendipity in the system itself, clarify the role of invention and discovery, and provide a measure for the serendipity potential of a system. While a system can arguably not be guaranteed to be serendipitous, it can have a high potential for serendipity. Practitioners can use these theoretical tools to evaluate a computational system's potential for unexpected behaviour that may have a beneficial outcome. In addition to a qualitative features of serendipity potential, the model also includes quantitative ratings that can guide development work. We show how the model is used in three case studies of existing and hypothetical systems, in the context of evolutionary computing, automated programming, and (next-generation) recommender systems. From this analysis, we extract recommendations for practitioners working with computational serendipity, and outline future directions for research.

Google is set to take on Siri in a battle of the smartphone smart assistants. The search giant is set to unveil an iOS app version of its popular Google assistant later this week at its I/O developer conference. The firm is expected to release the app as Apple is putting the finishing touches to a smart speaker based on its Siri technology. The search giant is set to unveil an iOS app version of its popular Google assistant later this week at its I/O developer conference. Android Police says'according to a trusted source, Google plans to announce that the Google Assistant will be launching on iOS soon as a standalone app.

If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. Our picks and opinions are independent from any business incentives. Smart-home technology can make your life easier and a lot more entertaining. Unfortunately, convenience doesn't always come cheap. It would be easy to blow your weekly grocery budget on smart home upgrades.

Apple is set to release a 10.5-inch iPad Pro at its highly anticipated World Developers Conference in June. The device is expected to resemble the 9.7-in model, but will boast a larger screen on the same chassis size with narrower bezels. The tech giant has also been said to unveil its weapon to take on Amazon at the event – a Siri-powered smart speaker. Apple is set to release a 10.5-inch iPad Pro (stock) at its highly anticipated World Developers Conference in June. The device is expected to resemble the 9.7-in model, but will boast a larger screen on the same chassis size with narrower bezels Sonny Dickson, who is known for sharing inside information in the tech world, revealed that Apple is'currently finalizing' its smart speaker that will be marketed as a'Siri/AirPlay device'.

The battle for AI supremacy is no longer about which device you want to buy. First Microsoft's Cortana made the leap from Windows to the Android lock screen, and Android followed up by integrating Alexa into its shopping app. But now things are starting to get really interesting as Google reportedly readies a major push onto iOS. According to Android Police, Google is planning to release a standalone Assistant app on iOS, with an announcement possibly coming at I/O this week. According to the report, "The app would likely feature a blend of the "chat" style functionality in the Google Allo version of Assistant and the voice-controlled version found on Android," but site cautions that "details are scant."

Whatever you think of the Bixby assistant in Samsung's Galaxy S8, you're about to see a lot more of it. According to Pulse, the company is outfitting its Family Hub 2.0 refrigerators with the AI helper, including both newly shipping fridges and existing units through an update. And while Bixby's voice control is still largely unavailable on the S8, it'll reportedly be a staple feature here -- you could ask about the weather, search for a recipe or play music while you're prepping your next meal. A spokesperson tells us that Samsung has "nothing to announce" about its Bixby plans right now, so you may have to stick with the Family Hub 2.0's original software for a while. You might not be thrilled at the prospect of this update if you see Bixby more as a redundant Google Assistant alternative than anything else.

The Google Assistant is set to be released on iOS devices in the near future, sources with knowledge of the matter reportedly said on Monday. The Mountain View-based tech giant has allegedly been developing an iOS version of its artificial intelligence (AI) companion for some time now and is planning to soft-launch it in the United States before eventually rolling out its voice-enabled companion to compatible iPhones, iPods, and iPads in other parts of the world, the report states. It remains to be seen when exactly is the Alphabet-owned company planning to officially announce an iOS version of the Google Assistant, but the expansion of its AI digital helper may be confirmed as early as this week seeing how the company's annual developer conference -- Google I/O 2017 -- is scheduled to start on Wednesday, May 17. The iOS version of the Google Assistant won't be as integrated into Apple's proprietary operating system as it is into Android for obvious reasons, the report states, adding that the company is instead planning to release a service that's a combination of the regular voice-enabled companion and its chat-oriented version that's available as part of the Google Allo app. If the rumor turns out to be accurate, it would indicate that the Internet giant is making another major push in the consumer-grade AI service market by apparently trying to create a larger phone ecosystem around the Google Assistant instead of tying its companion exclusively to Android.

Google Home can now recognize who's talking to it! Maria Mercedes Galuppo (@mariamgaluppo) has more. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Google Home can now recognize who's talking to it! Maria Mercedes Galuppo (@mariamgaluppo) has more.

A New Hampshire man critically injured in a house fire claims the iPhone app Siri saved his life. Christopher Beaucher said he was at his mother's vacant cottage May 1 when he decided to enter the house. When he flipped the light switch, the house exploded, according to Manchester's WMUR. "The whole place caught fire," Beaucher told the station. "Part of it collapsed while I was in it during the initial explosion, so I couldn't really tell where I was."

There is a perception that Thailand is kind of like this queer paradise. People have a sense that there is this longstanding culture around trans femininity. The reality is that, much like everywhere in the world, there's still a lot of transphobia there and there's still a lot of homophobia. Even though there are reasonably good laws for protecting trans women, they're still often pushed into very limited career opportunities, and they still may face extreme family rejection. I think it's hard to overestimate homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia all across the world.