Is It true? Google Conversational Search turned on in Chrome update

Google’s new “conversational search” feature for Chrome has quietly been enabled, with the new feature appearing in the latest version of Google’s browser. Announced at I/O, the new Voice Search feature builds on the existing ability for Chrome to accept spoken search terms, now listing out your query on screen as you say it, and then able to show the results in Google Now-style cards as well as reading out the answer.

That’s not the only improvement, however. The system also supports semantics across repeated searches; so, for instance, if you ask a follow-up question, Google will automatically understand that the two queries are related. If you ask “When was Ford founded?” for instance, Google will now read out the answer. You can then ask a follow-up like “Where is its headquarters?” and, even though you did not specify you were still asking about Ford, Google will still understand that it’s the topic of inquiry. At the heart of this contextual awareness is Google’s Knowledge Graph technology, revealed last year, and integrated with natural language processing. That way, search knows that some queries will be about people – perhaps referred to as “he” or “she” in follow-up questions – while others will be about objects or companies. More impressive are the compound assumptions that search can now make. Ask Chrome if it will rain tomorrow, and it will tell you the forecast (as well as display it on-screen): automatically figuring out where you are, and that you may want a full forecast. Still absent is so-called “hotword search” as on Google Glass, which allows you to wake the system with a spoken command – “OK Glass” in the case of the wearable – and then begin asking queries. That seems likely to arrive sometime soon, though, especially given Microsoft has built something similar into Xbox One. Overall, the technology is further evidence of Google’s greater confidence in its own results, and in showing users what it believes they’re looking for rather than just a list of possibilities. That’s something Matias Duarte, director of Android user experience, described to us as a key part of Google Now back at MWC, an endeavor which has applications across Google’s range: desktop, Chromebook, Android, and Glass. You’ll need to be running the latest version of Chrome in order to get access to the new voice search functionality, and you may have to be patient, too. Google appears to be suffering some teething problems scaling out the system, and we’re getting a lot of “No internet connection” error messages right now. VIA Engadget; Search Engine Land

Is It true? Xbox One Kinect includes “no listening” modes for living room privacy

Microsoft has attempted to reassure privacy-perplexed gamers that the new Xbox One will not be a permanent spy camera in their living room, promising that the updated Kinect sensor will support “completely secure” shut-down modes. Kinect will be a standard part of the new Xbox One package, with the new motion-tracking bar even more accurate and perceptive than before, capable even of tracking a gamer’s heart rate with no physical contact.

There’s a new 1080p camera for video calls, and a new IR camera which can see in the dark; they can be used together to track skeletal and muscular movements, as well as whether the gamer is off-balance. Skin color and transparency can be used to measure heart rate, a feature which Microsoft says it expects to see integrated into exercise and fitness games. Meanwhile, a new multi-microphone array is apparently even better at locking onto the user’s voice and ignoring background noise. That’s essential for the new speech control systems the Xbox One offers, as well as for use in Skype video calls. However, the new attentiveness has also worried privacy advocates, who are concerned that Microsoft’s freshly-alert Kinect could be too intrusive in the living room. The camera won’t be removable altogether, Xbox group program manager Jeff Henshaw reiterate CNET, but there will be other ways to ensure the One isn’t listening in. “The system is designed to have Kinect be an integral part of the experience. It’s not the case where you’ll be able to remove the camera altogether” Henshaw clarified. “But you’ll be able to put the system in modes where you can be completely secure about the fact that the camera is off and can’t see you.” Henshaw pointed to Microsoft’s existing privacy policy around Kinect, though that’s likely to be updated closer to the One’s launch to take into account the new features of the updated sensor. As it stands, though, the exact nature of the “completely secure” modes is unclear. Still, what is clear is that Microsoft would prefer for Xbox One owners to keep their consoles active, given the Kinect is vital for waking it from standby with spoken commands, and then using voice to switch between gameplay and TV, as well as search for channels and shows. We’ve more on the Kinect – and Xbox One as a whole – in our full wrap-up of yesterday’s launch event.

Is It true? Amazon reveals striking biosphere-bubble building plans for Seattle

Amazon has revealed ambitious and architecturally striking plans for its new downtown Seattle buildings, a cluster of “biosphere” bubbles filled not only with space for eager workers but plants and even full-sized trees. A rethink of Amazon’s original plans for the block, the triple-bubble design presented at a Seattle design review this week is intended to allow the company’s employees to “work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting” that creates a “microclimate” suited to plants and people alike.

Positioned between 6th and 7th Avenues, and in the shadow of the high-rise buildings also intended by Amazon, the proposed structure would have a ground level for retail approached from 7th Ave, while the opposite entrance would open into the floor above, where some degree of retail would also be accommodated. Three further levels above would be filled with fully-grown trees and “living walls” of plant-life. The new biosphere design is a significant departure from Amazon’s previous approach to the “Rufus 2.0″ block, which was approved before. Then, the retailer had intended a large, block-like structure, hardly unimpressive but certainly more mainstream than the updated vision. In total, Amazon’s architects, NBBJ, have designed 65,000sf of high-ceilinged space within the structure, with a variety of “botanical zones” being modeled. In all, the project – along with the trio of 37-floor towers – is expected to take a minimum of six years to complete. Amazon isn’t the only company with ambitious building plans of late. Apple’s spaceship-style “Campus 2″ is a huge undertaking in Cupertino, though the company has recently pared back plans after the project was revealed to be both behind schedule and a whopping $2bn over budget. VIA: PhysOrg; GeekWire #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; }

Is It true? MATAERIAL 3D printer draws anti-gravity objects in midair

3D printing is beginning to take off – scary DIY guns and all – but MATAERIAL wants to take it one step further, “defying gravity” with its mesmerizing object modeling. Described as a new “extrusion technology”, the combination of squirted-printing and a specially setting goo means 3D artists could create objects on irregular or non-horizontal surfaces.

Rather than building up layers, as per traditional 3D printers, the MATAERIAL system can produce 3D curves. That allows the designer to take into account stress lines, developers Petr Novikov and Saša Jokić from Barcelona’s Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia say, among other things, without any temporary structural support or other load-bearing bracketing required. Although MATAERIAL’s video shows the 3D printer – mounted, dramatically, on a big industrial robotic arm – producing only a single color, in actual fact there’s support for full color, even changing mid-flow. MATAERIAL can inject CMYK dyes into the path of the building material to adjust the eventual hue without the need for post-printing painting. Details on the exact material used are scant, but according to Dezeen the rods are made up of thermosetting polymers, a chemical reaction between which causes them to quickly solidify. Regular 3D printers more commonly use thermoplastics. “The desired shape is created by user in CAD software and then transformed into 3d curves describing the shape which are then converted into movement paths for the robotic arm. The thickness of the printed curve can be scaled down to less than a millimeter and can be adjusted during the printing process, by changing the speed of the movement. Colors can be injected in the nozzle in CMYK mode that allows changing of the curve color throughout the printing process” MATAERIAL It’s not quite the speedy process as shown in the video in real life; apparently, the footage was sped up by as much as 3x in post-processing. However, roughly one meter of printing takes three minutes, it’s said. The whole thing is reminiscent of Kickstarter success 3Doodler, which raised over $2.3m for its “3D printer pen” that can be used to sketch out drawings in plastic “ink”. MATAERIAL envisages its system being used for furniture and architectural printing, among other things, though there’s no telling how close to commercialization it all is. VIA: Core77

Is It true? Logitech Wired Keyboard for iPad eschews Bluetooth for old-school connection

Logitech isn’t short on keyboards for the iPad, but for those sick of changing batteries its new wired version may be the answer. Billed as ideal for the classroom – where, as Logitech points out, more and more schools are deploying Apple’s tablet as a learning aid – the new ‘board would also work in a home desktop setup, with versions for both the new Lightning port on the iPad mini and fourth-gen iPad Retina, and a Dock Connector model for older slates.

Both get their power from the iPad, so there are no batteries to switch out or recharge, and since you’re not relying on Bluetooth there shouldn’t be any lost-connection issues either. Logitech has given the Wired Keyboard for iPad full-sized keys, and while they’re low-profile, that should be at least familiar to those coming over from a laptop ‘board. It’s also spill resistant, capable of shrugging off at most 60ml of liquids (though not of withstanding full immersion). Heavy-handed typists can expect it to handle more than 5m keystrokes. The layout itself is basically the Mac-usual, with shortcut buttons for brightness, search, media playback, and volume. There’s also a dedicated lock button. The Logitech Wired Keyboard for iPad will go on sale in the US from August, in Lightning Connector form, while the 30-pin connector version will follow on in October. Both versions will be priced at $59.99, and it’s up for preorder now.

Is It true? HTC sees more top execs disappear as Facebook fouls First launch

HTC continues to lose high-level staff as its North American team gradually peels away the struggling smartphone company, with industry talk suggesting Facebook’s Home launch strategy actually ended up undermining rather than supporting the firm. Chief Product Officer Kouki Kodera, in charge of HTC’s product strategy, left the firm last week according to The Verge‘s sources, along with VP of global communications Jason Gordon. Meanwhile, phones that HTC has pegged its recovery on, such as the One, struggle to compete – in mindshare at least – in the face of Samsung and Apple’s marketing budget.

Kodera and Gordon are the latest in a number of staff leaving HTC. Global retail marketing manager Rebecca Rowland left the company in April after more than four and a half years, joining Microsoft as the company’s new visual merchandizing manager; similarly, Eric Lin, who had been product manager at HTC, jumped ship to Microsoft and the Skype team. Worldwide director of digital marketing John Starkweather is another recent departure, now responsible for social and digital marketing at AT&T. A reshuffle in how HTC makes its strategy decisions could be part of the reason behind the shake-up, it’s suggested, with the company shifting product planning to the Taipei HQ and potentially leaving the Seattle office out of the loop. CEO Peter Chou – who has bet his job on the success of the One – is also said to be a source of frustration, deeply immersed in strategy and product design, and making over-arching decisions with little consultation with the executive team. However, for whatever internal issues HTC might have, problems with partners also shoulder some share of the blame. According to The Verge’s sources, Facebook had previously intended to release its Home Android launcher at a later date, giving the the HTC-made First smartphone exclusivity in the market. That has led – in part – to reportedly underwhelming sales, with AT&T increasing its subsidy in an apparent attempt to stimulate some demand. Nonetheless, HTC’s future is about more than just a few high-profile staff looking elsewhere for their next challenge. The company has apparently pushed through its HTC One production issues, with output said to double this month alone, and the unaudited sales figures from April indicated that demand for the flagship was certainly there. HTC has been pushing ahead with cost-cutting, too, axing little-used services like HTC Watch in less popular locations. The overarching problem remains how HTC can compete with its key Android rival, Samsung, which has a vast marketing budget and a range of phones that appears to grow with new variants every week. Samsung’s tightly integrated supply chain and brand recognition – not to mention its hardware, software, and services ecosystem, which it can afford to highlight with schemes like the media-sharing App Challenge with its $800,000 bounty – make it the company to beat in Android, and HTC’s current strategy of pinpointing key areas with targeted One promotion is yet to demonstrate convincing results.

Is It true? Apple and Google rated 2013 top two most valuable global brands

Millward Brown Optimor has released its annual BrandZ list of the most valuable global brands for the year, and Apple and Google are in the top slots, with the former coming in at #1 and the latter at #2. On top of that, comparing the numbers, we see that both companies saw an increase in brand value over 2012, while IBM – which came in third on the list – saw a decrease in value.

Apple’s 2013 brand value was pegged at $185,071, a 1-percent increase over 2012′s $182,951. Google came in a fair bit lower at $113,669 for 2013 and $107,857 in 2012, a 5-percent increase. Though lower, Google saw the bigger increase in global brand value over the year. IBM, which came in at third, has a 2013 brand value of $112,536, a 3-percent decrease over 2012′s $115,985. Apple held its position as number 1 on the list, having been in the same slot last year. Google, however, jumped a ranking, bumping the value-suffering IBM from second place to third, and taking Google from third to second. Fourth on the list is McDonald’s, which was in the same slot last year. The next big change is seen with Microsoft, which was #5 last year, and is #7 this year. Said BrandZ’s Director Peter Walshe, “[Apple's] brand value only increased by 1 per cent this year but it still holds the record for the most valuable brand. And it leads by a long way. The next brand in the ranking, Google, is worth $113.7bn [reversing a 3 per cent decline last year to a 5 per cent gain] so Apple is $71.4bn ahead – nearly the value of Coca-Cola, which just shows how strong, powerful and meaningful that brand is.” Technology companies of various sorts represent a total of 40-percent of all companies on the Top 100 list, with 5 of the Top 10 being businesses in the tech sector. You can check out this year’s complete Top 100 listing for yourself, which shows the numbers and how they relate to last year’s numbers. You can also check out 2012′s Top 100 listing for some extra information with which to contrast the current numbers. SOURCE: Marketing Week