Jul 5, 2017 | Computer technology
Did you know that Amazon’s Echo control 70% of the smart voice market? Then give 24% to Google Home. But what about other tech giants, like Samsung? So this is where Bixby comes in. Samsung’s Bixby: The smart voice war is on!
Samsung’s Bixby will soon join the voice assistant wars in smart technology. Nobody knows when it will hit the stores. And nobody’s giving hints, either. Insiders say Samsung has been working on this for around a year. It will do exactly what it’s competitors do now. And this is answer questions, turn off lights, and serve as other tasks humans used to do.
But can it stand up to Echo, Siri and Google home? We’ll see. Then we have those who say voice assistance is about big money and big IT support. Because it seems to be both. The number of such voice assistant speaker sales doubled in just the past year alone. And there are no signs of slowing down. In fact, voice assisted technology is probably the next big thing. For example, Microsoft’s Invoke, Apple’s HomePod will release voice tech before 2017 is out. So will China’s Alibaba Group Holding. So can they compete with that?
Samsung’s Bixby better hope so. Samsung is still recovering from last year’s notorious fiasco. Bixby is already available in their native South Korea. But as far as geography and language is concerned, that’s a long way from the USA. So naturally, it takes them a long time for them to convert to English, and American English at that. However, according to insiders, so far, the transition is a good one. Nobody knows when Bixby will make their US debut. But I bet it will make ripple effects in the smart voice war. Somebody has to give Amazon some serious competition. Can Samsung be the one to step up to the plate and make it happen?
Jun 30, 2017 | Computer technology
It’s been a busy week in the tech world. We had Google’s fine. We also had the Petya virus. That reaked havoc from the US to Ukraine. So we could use a slow computer tech news day, right? Then let’s see what’s going on around in Dubai, where Dubai robots are policing the streets.
But I almost forgot…Dubai showed off a the first flying taxi in the world! Now, they’re debuting self-driving police cars. These cars seek out criminals and others running from the law. They can do this because of biometric software. Furthermore, the Dubai robots patrol the streets look for criminal activity. So Dubai citizens beware.
Yes, they include drones that can spy on you. The robots come from OTSAW Digital, whose headquarters are in Singapore. So how did they get to Dubai? They can thank a document they call the Smart Dubai initiative. Don’t worry, the leader of these Dubai robots will be human…for now at least. The leaders name is?Lieutenant Salim Saqr Al Merri. Both Dubai and OTSAW Digital praise these bots as a way to fight crime. Not only that, they believe this will keep Dubai safer and smarter. Also, this these are the first robots that have an antenna and ground surveillance. That means they can see everything.
As far as IT support and computer advancement, this is a victory. But will it be when it comes to fighting crime? Also, when you think of hot tech nations, what comes to mind? One would say the US, China, Korea, maybe India. Rarely does Dubai come in the conversation. Since it’s the first to have police robots, maybe it should. However, I doubt this have much to do with fighting crime. I think this is a way to intimidate and control citizens. Then again, I could be wrong. I hope I am. Do you think Dubai robots will fight crime or spy on citizens?
Jun 26, 2017 | Computer technology, General
The battle between Amazon and Walmart continues. Several years back, they had an online savings war. But now, there’s another war brewing. Amazon vs Walmart: The Cloud Wars.
So here is the deal. Walmart warns some tech companies not to run Amazon’s cloud service. Because if they do, Walmart will cut them off business wise. But Amazon leads the cloud computing market. In fact, they control nearly half of it. Furthermore, some of Walmart’s top suppliers and vendors use the Amazon cloud service. Furthermore, other companies follow suit. But Walmart is perhaps the most powerful corporation in the USA today.
One marketer says companies jump through hoops for Walmart. Then again, people jump through hoops for Amazon. However, this will open the door for more cloud services, like Microsoft. Believe it or not, Microsoft controls only 11% of cloud computing. One Microsoft spokesperson says companies are already leaving Amazon cloud for their services. But you know Amazon doesn’t like this one bit. An Amazon spokesperson calls Walmart’s move ‘bully tactics’. She also says this kind of business is bad for everyone: suppliers, retailers and customers. But the Amazon vs Walmart wars intensify.
So I wonder how much of this has to do with Amazon’s take over of Whole Foods. Let’s not forget. Walmart is big in the grocer business. Amazon wants a piece of it, if not the whole pie. I’m convinced that’s what drove Walmart’s move. I don’t like either Amazon or Walmart. I convict them both for bullying small businesses out of town and creating huge monopolies. But that Amazon spokesperson has a point. Is this move for the good of Walmart’s business? Or is this a political move to mess up Amazon? If it’s a political move, it’s a petty one that can mess a lot of businesses up. All because of the beefing between these two giants. The IT support industry should know better. All businesses should. Who will win the Amazon vs Walmart wars? Or will we all lose?
Jun 20, 2017 | Computer technology, News
Yesterday, President Trump met with top tech leaders again. This includes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Microsoft’s?Satya Nadella. Then there was the clear message. Trump to Silicon Valley execs: Fix government tech.
So President Trump wants to improve government technology. Trump also told them federal technology lags way behind the private sector. Furthermore, he wants federal agencies to have better tech facilites to better serve Americans. However, he wants to technology to be cheaper to buy, on their end. But there’s other concerns. One is fighting cyber attacks. Another is turning paper forms into websites any worker can use.
But Silicon Valley leaders had requests of their own. For example, Bezos wants the government to use commercial tech tools. Then there is Alex Karp. He’s the CEO of Palentir, a major software company. He urges the fed to use big data to fight fraud, especially on the federal level. You also have Apple CEO Tim Cook. One of Cook’s passions is to teach computer technology in schools. So he used this trip to promote that cause. Cook urged Washington to make coding not only accessible in schools, but a requirement as well. Even Peter Theil, the only Silicon Valley leader who supported Trump during his campaign, attended.
It seems that relations between Washington and Silicon Valley are getting better. I hope so. They need each other. Now here in our little Boston computer service shop, we try to avoid political talk like the plague. Look at how volatile our ?political climate is. But Silicon Valley leaders aren’t so lucky. It seems like there’s a lot of favors being exchanged. I don’t knock it. In fact, I admire it. We need to better fight cyber criminals, and we needs the feds to do better. Tim Cook is right, too. Our children need to be better educated in computer technology. Trump to Silicon Valley Execs: Fix government tech. But one question: Could this be about tightening government excitement?
Jun 6, 2017 | Computer technology, Software
I called it. The Apple World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) is happening this week. Now I say this because they display the highly anticipated new iPad Pro. Here is introducing the 10.5 inch iPad Pro and iOS 11.
The 10.5 inch iPad Pro will be available June 13. Also, this one gives you 64 GB of space. But it will cost you extra: $649. However, you get a various choice of colors, like silver, space grey, and rose gold. People brag about this screen, but it’s the keyboard that takes everyone’s breath away. That’s because the 10.5 inch comes with a full size keyboard. That’s right. It should be just as easy to type it this iPad pro as it is with a laptop!
Then there’s the iOS 11 software, which makes just as big as an impression. So the first thing that got me was the Siri, and the new things Siri can do. Siri now comes in a man and a woman’s voice. However, is English not your major tongue? Or are you trying to learn another language? Siri can help. Because Siri translates English to Spanish, Chinese, German, and a few others. Apple Maps stepped up their game as well. They now have maps to guide you through airports, shopping malls, and other indoor facilities. That’s just introducing the 10.5 inch iPad Pro and iOS 11.
So why cover this? Well, in my Boston computer service shop, we have quite a few Apple customers. And some of them are loyal Apple customers. In fact, one of them keeps up with the WWDC conference like we used to keep up with daytime soap operas. And so far, they seem to be on a great start. People inquired about the 10.5 inch iPad Pro. And they delivered. They’re really delivering with this keyboard. Some experts say this doesn’t replace the laptop, but I don’t know. It very well could. It’s about time they made Siri more human. Also, Siri provides a great way to learn language. I’m not sure about the indoor maps yet, but I’m sure someone will need them. What do you think of the conference so far?
May 14, 2017 | Computer technology
Tech companies and IT support companies obsess over AI (artificial intelligence) and robot technology. But Apple made a move putting them in the AI lead. Apple AI race: Apple acquires Lattice Data.
But what is Lattice Data? That is a company that takes AI engines. Then, those engines turn dark data into useful information. Sources say Apple is paying Lattice Data $200 million to merge with them. Hence, they agreed. This happened about two weeks ago. In fact, some of Lattice’s engineers already work for Apple. As usual, Apple says very little about this merger, or about the Apple AI race.
But what is ‘dark data’? That is data that is worthless. You can’t process it, study it, nothing. So what Lattice Data does is put such data into order and make it useful. Basically, it turns nothing into something. Therefore, this can help AI systems create more useful data feeds. But that’s not all. Law enforcement uses this tech tactic in fighting crimes, like murder and human trafficking. Also, they’re using it in medical research, and in research in general. So not only could this help Apple win the AI race, but in other areas as well.
But their theme startles me a bit. It says, “…with human caliber quality at machine caliber scale”. ?At least they’re giving humans some props. I know I rant about this often, but I worry about AI technology replacing humans altogether. But, I know AI is the wave of the future. And I admit, I attended some AI demonstrations. Some were really neat, especially using the VR Oculus. So of course, Apple wants to be in the AI race. Will Lattice Data help?
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