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Google's new Pixel XL handset will dump headphone socket

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Google's next iPhone killer, the Pixel XL has been revealed in a new series of renders. The images, created by @onleaks and MySmartPrice, show the handset's new look, and most notably, its lack of a headphone socket. Previous leaked have also claimed it may also have a hidden feature - squeezable edges. The images, created by @onleaks and MySmartPrice, show the handset's new look, and most notably, its lack of a headphone socket. 'The phones feature considerably less bezel compared to the Pixel and the Pixel XL, said mysmartprice.com


Facebook profit jumps as user ranks grow

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Facebook on Wednesday reported a surge in profits in the past quarter, fueled by strong growth in money-making ads to its more than two billion users. Net profit in the second quarter leapt 71 percent from a year ago to $3.9 billion while revenue climbed 45 percent to $9.3 billion. In after-hours trade, Facebook shares rose some two percent to $166.83 on the stronger-than-expected results. Recent reports suggest Facebook may be working on its own smart speaker to compete with Google Home and Amazon Echo in the budding market for home digital assistants. Facebook could also be working on a smartphone, according to paperwork recently spotted by cyber sleuths which the tech giant filed earlier this year.


How to transform your business with AI in the cloud

#artificialintelligence

Artificial intelligence has fascinated mankind for centuries. The concept dates back to Greek myths of golden automatons crafted to assist the gods, medieval pursuits to alchemically force life into unliving matter, and countless novels of the 19th century and beyond. It can be difficult for us to wrap our minds around the reality of AI. The historically fictional nature of AI coaxes us into a natural tendency to see it as an abstract topic--a dream of the future. You can use AI today. The process involves complex mathematics and programming. However, recent innovations in cloud computing by large companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM have shifted the bulk of the work away from smaller businesses. For companies like yours, accessing the cutting-edge power of AI is now as simple as calling an API. So how can you implement AI to help your business?


Yes, there is a dating site for verified Twitter users

USATODAY - Tech Top Stories

Twitter is still fighting a battle against online trolls on their platform. Ever want to date someone based on shared interests, goals, or Twitter block lists? There is such a dating site for you. The dating app Loveflutter recently rolled out a premium version of its service called Blue, aimed at Twitter users who carry the coveted blue checkmark next to their name. The checkmark means Twitter has verified the person owning the account.


Donate your voice so Siri doesn't just work for white men

New Scientist

Does Siri have trouble with your accent? A project is turning to crowdsourced voice donations to overcome this problem, and iron out some of the other inherent problems with voice recognition. Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa are trained on huge databases of recorded speech. But if those don't contain enough samples of a particular accent or dialect, the voice assistants will struggle to understand people who speak that way. So Mozilla โ€“ the foundation behind the Firefox web browser โ€“ is turning to crowdsourcing to create voice recognition systems that avoid these problems.


$50 off iRobot Roomba 690 Wi-Fi Alexa Compatible Robotic Vacuum - Deal Alert

PCWorld

Your message has been sent. There was an error emailing this page. It's lowest price to date on Amazon, the Roomba 690 is currently discounted $50. It's WiFi compatible and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. See this deal on Amazon. This story, "$50 off iRobot Roomba 690 Wi-Fi Alexa Compatible Robotic Vacuum - Deal Alert" was originally published by TechConnect.


Verified Twitter users have their very own dating app

Engadget

But a traditional Tinder account is just too basic for the rich and famous (especially if they want to hookup with mutually wealthy people). Enter Loveflutter "Blue," the latest premium app aimed at celebs -- only this new dating service comes with a twist. The app exclusively caters to verified Twitter users. Hence its name, which refers to the platform's blue tick community. Its creators claim it's all about authenticity.


Xiaomi's answer to Alexa is a $45 smart speaker

Engadget

Xiaomi's Mi division, which sells some accessories in the US but still no phones, is getting into smart speakers. It just unveiled the Mi AI Speaker, its equivalent to Amazon's Alexa, Google Home and other personal assistant-type models. However, it play music and take voice commands for a lot less, costing just 299 RMB or around $45 when it hits shelves in China starting next month. It features "high-quality" sound and a six microphone array to detect voice commands from any direction and distance like its rivals. More importantly, it has artificial intelligence built-in, so you can order it to play streaming music and act as a personal assistant, giving you weather, calendar reminders, news and so on.


5 Growing Artificial Intelligence Startups You Need to Know About

#artificialintelligence

We're in the Wild West of artificial intelligence development and it is indeed an exciting time. Whether you fear AI or are part of the revolution, the rapid pace of development is showing no signs of slowing down. With advanced AI solutions popping up from every corner of the United States, AI is an equal-opportunist: a national landscape for developers across the country to shine. Tech giants like IBM and Microsoft are constantly iterating artificial intelligence engines to perform tasks from object recognition to transcription, and Watson is a household name-the AI landscape leaders are set, right? The limitation of AI tech coming out of these mega-companies is usability-applying the tech to extract meaningful, actionable data. It works, but does it matter?


Facebook reportedly building smart speaker with touch screen

#artificialintelligence

Facebook may launch its own smart-home gadget to get you messaging more friends and looking at more photos. DigiTimes reports from Taiwan that Facebook is building a 15-inch touch-screen smart speaker. Citing sources from the "upstream supply chain," Chinese iPhone manufacturer Pegatron is building the device for a Q1 2018 launch, with a small pilot run having already been produced. It's said to have been designed by Facebook's secretive new hardware lab Building 8, using an LG in-cell touch screen with a magnesium-aluminum-alloy chassis. While no further details are known about the speaker's functionality, it could potentially extend Facebook's feed of photos and videos, plus its dominant messaging platform, into the bedroom, living room or kitchen.