Microsoft just announced several updates to its Copilot AI assistant, and some sound downright useful. For the uninitiated, this software originally launched for the Edge web browser and gave Copilot the ability to "see" and comment on the contents of websites. The company is upping its game for the mobile version, adding some multimodal functionality. It'll be able to integrate with your phone's camera to "enable an interactive experience with the real world." Microsoft gives an example of Copilot Vision analyzing a video of plants to determine if they are healthy or not and suggesting actions to take. We'll see if it can actually perform that kind of nuanced reasoning.

There are many options for mapping and route planning on a smartphone, but one thing they all have in common is their car-centric nature. Those apps that do support pedestrian navigation tend to make assumptions about a user that are at best inaccurate, and at worst dangerous. The app, which was developed by the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology housed at the Paul G. Allen Center of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington and is based off of the web-based tool of the same name, enables users of Android and iOS in the cities of Seattle, Bellingham and Mount Vernon to generate customized walking directions on the go based on their own mobility needs and preferences. The app's release coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, an annual observance initiated by the United Nations to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society, including political, social, economic and cultural life. "Many apps offer some semblance of pedestrian directions, but those directions assume a user profile that ignores the lived experience of a vast number of people," explained Anat Caspi, director of the Taskar Center.

India has banned 118 more Chinese apps in a stepped-up backlash over an increasingly bitter border showdown between the neighbours. India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Wednesday said the apps - including the mobile version of the popular video game PUBG and other services provided by China internet giant Tencent - promoted activities "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". India and China have been embroiled in a series of deadly clashes and showdowns on their Himalayan border in recent weeks. In June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand combat in the Ladakh region of the border. An Indian special forces member was killed in one of two incidents at the weekend.

Dictation software has come a long way in recent years. It used to be a bit of a gimmick, but today it is changing the way companies do business. Dictation software makes it easier to take notes in meetings, keep track of important conversations, or transcribe documents while on the go. It can also empower persons with disabilities who are unable to type using conventional methods. As the software continues to improve, the number of business applications of this technology is rapidly increasing.

"Fortnite" players who can't stand the thought of being away from their favorite video game got a treat Monday. Developer Epic Games officially launched signups to play the iPhone version of the popular last-man-standing shooter, meaning select players will be able to take the game on the go as soon as invites go out. In order to play the mobile version of "Fortnite," players just need to go the home page and hit the big sign-up button. At that point, they will receive a confirmation email telling them to wait until further notice. Epic is only letting small groups in at first, as the game is not finished yet.

Since the inception of the search engine, SEO has been an important, yet often misunderstood industry. For some, these three little letters bring massive pain and frustration. For others, SEO has saved their business. One thing is for sure: having a clear and strategic search strategy is what often separates those who succeed from those who don't. As we wrap up 2016, let's take a look at how the industry has grown and shifted over the past year, and then look ahead to 2017.

Hum a little R.E.M. with me as you read this, because it's the grandest thing to happen to Minecraft for Windows 10 and mobile devices in years -- the end, as it were, of Mojang's blocky, do-it-yourself imaginarium as we know it. The End is coming, as in the main version's olive, ebony and vermillion hued terminal alt-dimension. The place where compasses and clocks go haywire, and where upon beating the Ender Dragon, of all things, you're treated to a poem written by an Irish novelist. Not only is The End coming to the Windows 10 and mobile versions of Minecraft, but Microsoft says it'll bring us to near feature parity between these platforms and the original Java PC one. In the forthcoming still-free-for-owners shift, dubbed the "Ender Update," Microsoft will add both The End (including the outer islands and End Cities with Shulker mobs), the Ender Dragon, purple building blocks, chorus plants, the Elytra glider (flying!) and, critically, 256-block world height.

It doesn't scare my 4-year-old as much as Herobrine in Titan's clever "Lego Minecraft" YouTube flicks, but The Wither is coming to the Windows 10, Pocket Edition and Gear VR versions of Minecraft in something dubbed "The Boss Update." It'll be another freebie, and Microsoft says to look for it this fall, post-Minecon. Those versions will also get ocean monuments (underwater temples haunted by Mojang's aquatic homage to Dungeons & Dragons' beholder), nether stars (dropped by The Wither, letting you create beacons of light), new building blocks (prismarine and sponges) and "slash commands." Slash commands may be the biggest deal here, since they're basically shorthand for tinkerers who want to make god-level tweaks to the game on the fly. The Boss Update will include 20 of these, and Microsoft says to expect more down the road.

With five gaming apps planned for release before March 2017, it's clear that Nintendo has big plans for the mobile gaming market, plans which it now appears could possibly involve the company creating its very own mobile gaming controller. So far Nintendo's mobile offerings have been the social media communication app Miitomo and the yet to be released mobile versions of Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing. None of these titles have mechanics that really cry out for controller support, however, notes taken at the company's recent 76th annual general shareholders meeting revealed that Nintendo is considering developing hardware as well as software as part of its mobile gaming venture. Though not the first time Mario ever appeared (he was originally called Jumpman in a Donkey Kong game) but this 1985 platformer on the NES was praised for "resurrecting a crashed American video game market" - it was the best ever selling video game up until Wii Sports took the title in 2006. As the first outing for Samus Aran in 1986, the female protagonist bounty hunter was said to be hugely inspired by Ridley Scott's 1979 horror film Alien.

Creators of the popular game revealed this week that Minecraft has now been sold more than 100 million times – and a few copies have even made it to Antarctica. The figures combine sales from PC, console, and mobile versions of the game to create a user-base that'includes folks from every country and territory on the planet.' Creators of the popular game revealed this week that Minecraft has now been sold more than 100 million times – and a few copies have even made it to Antarctica. The figures combine sales from PC, console, and mobile versions of the game to create a user-base that'includes folks from every country and territory on the planet' Minecraft was created in 2009. At the start of the game, a player is put into a'virtually infinite game world.'