Seriously though, how cool is that?
The report goes on to state that the satellites would provide coverage ranging from 56 degrees north to 56 degrees south latitude, and that “about 95 percent of the world’s population lives within that wide swath of the planet.” Sorry, other five percent.
[GeekWire]
Apple News: Another AI Expert Moves from Google to Apple
Things have been quiet for Apple over the last day, with the biggest news being a move that aims to make the company’s AI tech better.
Apple hired Ian Goodfellow, a former top Google AI expert. Goodfellow was named the Director of Machine Learning last month. Interesting stuff. [Engadget] MacWorld reviewed the 2019 iPad Mini, which is probably worth a read if you’re considering picking up this new pint-sized powerhouse. [MacWorld]
While people frequently move from one company to another and it’s generally not a big enough deal to talk about, Goodfellow moving from Google to Apple is notable for a few reasons.
First off, this is the man who invented GAN, or Generative Adversarial Network; a specific type of machine learning that uses dueling neural networks to create realistic photos and videos. This is the type of technology that is used to create deepfakes.
While it’s still unknown exactly what Goodfellow’s role will be at Apple, it is known that he’ll be part of Apple’s Special Projects Group. This is the team within Apple responsible for designing the tech that powers future products and services.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time Apple has taken a top AI expert from Google—former AI and Search Chief John Giannandrea joined Apple in December of last year and was quickly appointed to Senior VP of Machine Learning. It’s unclear if Goodfellow and Giannandrea will work together, but either way, it’s pretty clear that Apple is looking to take its AI tech to the next level.
Google News: More Android Q Details Emerge
Plus, Smart Compose is coming to subject lines, the dates for the Android Dev Summit were revealed, and Google Arts & Culture explores Kansas City.
If you’ve ever had a hard time writing the subject line of an email (which, let’s be real here, is often the hardest part), Google has your back. Smart Compose is coming to subject lines. This was announced specifically for G Suite, but like with other Gmail features, we’ll likely see it in the consumer version of Gmail soon as well. [G Suite Update] The official Android Developers account sent out a tweet yesterday with a “Big Announcement” to “Save the date. ” The thing is, it didn’t have a date. It was a fun little scavenger hunt that ultimately revealed the dates for the 2019 Android Dev Summit. It’s happening on October 23-24. [9to5Google] On to Android Q. In the latest beta, the “Install Unknown Apps” permission is disabled after every use. It’s unclear if this is a bug or intentional. Either would make sense. [9to5Google] There’s a “Notification Assistant” option buried in Android Q Beta 2’s settings, which is pretty interesting. We’ll talk more about it below. [Android Police] A few days ago, users started seeing ads on the home screen of their Android TV. There are more details available now, and apparently, it’s intentional. [Ars Technica] Go exploring the finer things in Kansas City in the Google Arts & Culture app. [Google Blog]
So this Notification Assistant thing. This is a new feature that does exactly what the name suggests: it allows an app to manage your notifications. Right now there’s only one option (the stock Notification Assistant), but the existence of the setting in its current form suggests that third-party apps will also be able to function as the Notification Assistant.
But as Android Police’s Rita El Khoury points out, when you disable and re-enable the Notification Assistant, you get a clear picture of how powerful this feature really is by way of all the permissions and access it requires:
That really is a lot of control for one app to have, and I’m honestly not sure if I’d trust anything outside of the stock Notification Assistant with that much access. We’ll have to wait and see how the details for this interesting new feature unfold, but for now, it’s at least intriguing if not a bit unsettling to consider how it could be easily abused.
Microsoft News: More Integrations in the Game Bar
Plus Xbox Live Gold is getting a price bump, at least in the UK.
The Game Bar in Windows 10 is getting a pretty decent update that brings Spotify and chat integration. [Thurrott] Xbox Live Gold is getting a price increase in the UK, bringing it up to the same amount as the rest of Europe. [TechRadar] It looks like Microsoft may be working on something called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, according to Windows leaker WalkingCat on Twitter. This will reportedly combine Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass for $14. 99 a month. Interesting indeed. [WalkingCat]
The Game Bar update is a pretty sizable one—it doesn’t just bring Spotify and chat integration with Xbox Social, but also the ability to customize the overlay to hide specific widgets. Beyond that, the capture feature is getting the option to overlay text on capture images, which can only mean one thing: prepare for an onslaught of homebrewed memes (which, I guess all memes are homebrewed at some point) coming from game screenshots. I’m not sure how to feel about that.
But perhaps the bigger news here is the pairing of Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass. For $14.99 a month, it makes a lot of sense, especially for users who already subscribe to both services. It’s unclear when this will officially be available for everyone, but apparently, Insiders will be able to get access for $1 a month until that day comes. That’s really cool.
Plus Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild in VR, Jim Henson shows hit Prime Video (sort of), Twitter is making conversations easy to parse, and more.
Truly wireless earbuds are the new thing, and every company on the planet—both those that are known for making headphones and those that aren’t—are looking to get in on the action. Apple truly innovated the earbuds scene with the AirPods, so it’s understandable that everyone wants to get in on that. That’s how innovation works!
That will surely prove to be a problem at some point, as these types of integrations often are. With third-party apps try to replicate or replace native functions—especially over a Bluetooth connection—things can get weird. Or just, like, not work at all.
Meta News: We’re Looking for an Android Writer
In a bit of site-related news, we’re looking for an Android writer. We want someone who knows Android inside and out, can explain things in a clear and concise manner, and generally just loves to talk tech. If that sounds like you, you can find all the details here.
