Blog

Google Assistant takes on the sticky note with assignable reminders

[ad_1]

To do so, you can just ask Assistant to assign a reminder to someone. The command would go something like this: “Hey Google, remind George to pick up the dry cleaning at 4 p.m.” After that, you’ll get a confirmation that the task was sent, and George will get a notification that you’ve set him a reminder. Then, at 4 p.m., George will get another notification nudging him to pick up the dry cleaning. When George marks the task as completed on his phone, you’ll get a notification too.

Not only can you set reminders for a specific time like in the above example, but also for a specific location or address. So if your reminder is for George to buy the milk when he’s at the Safeway at 4th and Main Street, then the reminder will pop up when he’s there. Google also said that the feature can be used to send little notes or messages, like “Hey Google, remind Mary that she’ll do great in her presentation.” (Apparently, the latter is a use case that Google discovered in internal focus groups).

Google Assistant

Additionally, you can also ask for a complete set of reminders you’ve made (eg. “What are my reminders for George”) or the reminders you’ve received (eg. “What are my reminders from George”).

The reminder will work not just with phones (iPhone users will need to install the Assistant app) but smart speakers and smart displays too. In a demo of this feature at Google’s San Francisco office, I saw that the assigned reminders were sent to all the devices that the recipient is associated with. That said, the only way to mark a reminder as complete is by tapping a checkmark on the phone. As of right now, there is no way to do so via a smart speaker or a smart display, though Google is apparently working on this for the future.

According to Google, this feature was built with privacy in mind from the ground up, with the idea that you should only send and receive reminders with people you trust. That means that, at least for now, only a limited set of people can assign reminders to one another: Those who are in your Google family group (like the people you share your YouTube TV account with for example), or the people who are Voice Matched to the same smart display or speaker (With the upcoming Nest Hub Max, it’ll work with those who are Face Matched too). Additionally, the recipient must be in the sender’s Google’s Contacts.

If parents want to assign reminders to kids under 13, they can give them access to Assistant through a Family Link tool on Google’s site. You’re also able to block anyone from sending you reminders, which could be good for preventing your kids from reminding you to buy Fortnite skins.

In the future, Google is hoping to expand the reminders to be a little richer and more interactive. Glenn Wilson, the group product manager for Google Assistant, told Engadget that it’s possible that eventually, reminders will include photos and not just text. And instead of just accepting a reminder to pick up the milk, you could reply with “What kind of milk?” and have the response be included in the note.

“This is just a pure reminders functionality right now, but I can see this becoming far more multimedia in the future,” he said. “Then it becomes not so much a reminder, as we are continuing on a longer thread of planning a birthday party or a dinner.”

Assignable reminders will roll out to all Google users starting today, though as it’s a slow rollout, not everyone will get the feature at the same time.

[ad_2]

Source link

Audi’s E-Tron becomes the first EV to win top safety award

[ad_1]

The IIHS pointed to the E-Tron’s ratings in crash evaluations as well as its front crash prevention features as its reasons for recognizing the Audi. In front collision tests, the vehicle was able to avoid a crash at 25 mph and to reduce its speed by 11mph in a 12mph test. The E-Tron also has static LED headlights with high-beam assist, a feature which automatically switches between high and low beams to help keep other drivers safe.

The award for the E-Tron must gutting for Tesla, however. Tesla’s Model X was recognized for its exceptional safety, but the IIHS tests of the Model S didn’t go so well. The IIHS will begin safety testing the Model 3 this week, but just a short time after the company received a slap on the wrist from the United States National Highway Traffic Administration for exaggerating claims about the vehicle’s safety.



[ad_2]

Source link

Echo Fox loses its pro ‘League of Legends’ franchise spot

[ad_1]

Riot Games partnered with Echo Fox and 10 other esports organizations in 2017, granting them permanent franchise status, in exchange for a $10 million fee. A lot of big players, including professional sports teams like the New York Yankees and Cleveland Cavaliers, jumped at the chance to enter. Since then, the league has been pretty stable, apart from a merger between Team Dignitas and Clutch Gaming. However, this will be the first time that one of the LCS’s original franchises has completely left the league since franchising began.

The problems with Echo Fox started when owner and former NBA star Rick Fox announced he was departing the team over racial abuse from a team investor directed at former CEO Jace Hall, as originally reported by Dexerto. Riot Games then launched an investigation, with LCS Commissioner Chris Greeley promising to “respond accordingly, based on available actions within our team agreements and the LCS Rules.”

Following the investigation, LCS said in a statement that “hate speech threats, and bigotry have no place in the LCS.” It ordered Echo Fox to either sell the franchise slot or take action against the ownership group, but it did neither. Now, Riot will sell the team itself, and opened up a 30-day application for the slot. Organizations can apply for partnership in the same way the original teams did, and Riot will choose one in time for the 2020 season.



[ad_2]

Source link

Google Nest camera users can no longer disable the status light

[ad_1]

However, as the publication notes, Google previously promised a “clear visual indicator when… Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest” as part of its commitment to privacy. (Google published its privacy promise a month before a Wirecutter report revealed that a user was “still able to access images from [their] old camera” after selling it.) The update could help prevent unscrupulous individuals from using Nest products to secretly film guests, for instance, or for any other underhanded purpose.

The letter reads (courtesy of Android Central):

“Recently, we shared our commitment to privacy to outline how our products work in your home. As part of that commitment, we explained that you will always see a clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio to Nest.

So we’re changing how the status lights function on Nest cameras, Dropcam, and Nest Hello. You will be able to dim the light on your camera, but it will always be on when the camera is on. We’re doing this to make sure you, and those around your camera, are aware when the camera is on and recording.

Starting today, we’re rolling out the following changes: – In Settings for all Nest cameras and Nest Hello, the ability to turn off the status light will be removed. Instead, you’ll be able to dim the status light. When the camera is on, the status light will glow green. – For Dropcam, the setting to turn off the status light will be removed. When the camera is on, the status light will glow blue. – On Nest Cam, Dropcam, and Nest Hello, the status light will blink when the camera’s live video is streamed from the Nest app. The setting to turn this off will be removed.”

Owners using the devices for legitimate security purposes are understandably upset, especially since the changes will be applied retroactively. It sounds like they’ll at least be able to dim the status lights, but they’ll have to rely good ole tape if they want to block them out completely.

[ad_2]

Source link

Sony’s Xperia 1 is available with hands-free Alexa

[ad_1]

It’s otherwise the same distinctive (if polarizing) phone from before, including that extra-tall, 6.5-inch 4K OLED screen, triple rear cameras, Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. We found it great for watching ultra-wide videos and split-screen multitasking, but it might not be to your tastes if you’re more interested in apps and media with conventional aspect ratios.

You might like the price if you act quickly. It’ll normally sell for the same $950 as the standard unlocked model, but it’ll sell for $850 until August 26th. Prime members can pay it off in five months “at Amazon’s discretion,” too. With that discount, it’s more of a plausible purchase — it’s $50 less expensive than a Galaxy S10 while offering a screen that, in some ways, is more technically impressive.

[ad_2]

Source link

Disney and Charter have reached a multi-year distribution deal

[ad_1]

“This agreement will allow Spectrum to continue delivering to its customers popular Disney content, makes possible future distribution by Spectrum of Disney streaming services, and will begin an important collaborative effort to address the significant issue of piracy mitigation,” said Tom Montemagno, executive vice-president of programming acquisition for Charter, in a statement.

As the number of cable subscribers continues to decline with the advent of streaming, the deal offers an incentive for households who want both. Charter plans to integrate ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ into its set-top boxes, which Spectrum subscribers will be able to access if they subscribe to the individual services.

Disney’s upcoming streaming service, which bundles Hulu and ESPN+, will still be an attractive option for cord-cutters. But cable TV is still a vital contributor to Disney’s bottom line. By securing a carriage deal with Charter, Disney will be able to play a vital role in shaping the future of both streaming and cable TV.

[ad_2]

Source link

Marvel’s next Stitcher podcast premieres fall 2019

[ad_1]

The series will continue the pattern of attracting talent that you’ll recognize. Method Man is involved, for a start — yes, a Wu-Tang Clan member is involved in the Marvel universe. You can also expect Star Trek: Discovery‘s Ethan Peck, The Act‘s AnnaSophia Robb and Billions‘ Seth Barrish as the central character Phil Sheldon.

Naturally, Stitcher is wielding this as an incentive to become a subscriber. You’ll have to be a Stitcher Premium member if you want to listen before 2020. Whether or not you can hold out, this holds promise for both Marvel fans and anyone wondering how this podcast alliance would fare once it expanded beyond Wolverine.

[ad_2]

Source link

New Amazon donation program gives unsold products to the needy

[ad_1]

Following reports that Amazon often destroys unsold and unwanted products stored in its warehouses, the company is launching a donations program that will help distribute goods to people in need, according to a report from CNBC. The program, called Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Donations, will distribute products to non-profit organizations through Good360 in the United States and Newlife and Barnardo’s in the United Kingdom.

[ad_2]

Source link

Scientists have even found microplastics in the Arctic

[ad_1]

The study was lead by Dr. Melanie Bergmann of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. Bergmann and a group of scientists analyzed and compared snow samples from the Arctic, the Swiss Alps and certain areas of Germany. While the level of microplastics they found was was much lower in the Arctic than in more populated regions, it was still substantial. On average, the sample from the ice floes contained 1,760 microplastic particles per liter. Samples from the European regions revealed over 20 times that much.

Given that the Arctic is one of the most pristine, uninhabited regions on the planet, the findings of plastic waste are worrisome. The researchers believe the microplastics may have made the long journey to the Arctic from urban regions through winds and precipitation. Microplastics are airborne and can be transported through the atmosphere. Researchers have also found microplastics in regions of Dongguan, China, Tehran, Iran, Paris, France and the French Pyrenees, all arriving by atmospheric fallout.

Scientists are especially concerned about the impact of microplastics on human health. For years, we’ve seen signs that plastic waste is causing havoc on the environments and health of marine and land animals. But with microplastics being able to freely travel through air, water and snow, it’s no surprise that they have permeated the human food chain. The tiny particles have been detected in human lungs and feces.

There’s still very limited science on the long-term health impacts of ingesting such microplastics — for both humans and animals. But the scientific community believes that needs to change. “The high [microplastics] concentrations detected in snow samples from continental Europe to the Arctic indicate significant air pollution and stress the urgent need for research on human and animal health effects focusing on airborne [microplastics],” wrote the researchers in the paper.

[ad_2]

Source link

June promises to fix smart ovens that are preheating accidentally

[ad_1]

Van Horn told the June Owners Facebook community that the first fix, coming “soon,” would let you disable remote preheating. If you switch it off, you’ll be told if a recipe requires it before you can start. The long-term fix is decidedly more sophisticated. It’ll use the door and internal camera sensors to determine when there’s no food in the oven, and automatically turn off the heat after a certain amount of time. As this will demand “intelligence work,” June is currently planning to release this second fix in January 2020.

While it’s comforting that June can address the risks purely through software, those risks were quite serious in the first place. The ovens were preheating beyond 400F, sometimes with food inside. It would only take the wrong meal to start a fire. While this isn’t strictly a glitch, it’s also clear that June (and likely its competition) needs to account for potential incidents like these going forward.

[ad_2]

Source link