She’s one of the best in the business at spotting major tech trends before they happen.And since we’re all about spotting big trends early, too, venture capitalist Mary Meeker is well worth our time and attention.Particularly right now, too.Each year, Meeker releases a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation on the state of the internet.“From the funding climate …
In 2000, I founded SmarterChild, the world’s first commercial instant messaging bot. SmarterChild had 30 million people in his IM buddy list, making it the most popular artificially intelligent agent in history — at least until Apple released Siri in 2010. While Siri had more distribution, though, its popularity wasn’t necessarily because people liked Siri, but because Apple forced it …
The trouble with bots: A parent's musings on SmarterChild Read More »
At Apple’s annual developers conference, Craig Federighi, its senior vice president of software engineering, said financial services firms Number26, Square Cash and AliPay would allow customers to interact with Siri. IMAGE: Bloomberg News Siri, will banks be ready to use you on launch day? Come this fall, Apple will begin to allow third-party apps to …
Will Siri Force Industry's Hand on Banking-by-Voice? Read More »
We’ve long-lamented over the glacial pace of Apple’s HomeKit smart home platform when it comes to adopting new partners, but that might be changing soon. At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, the tech giant finally committed to offering a direct portal to HomeKit via a dedicated app in iOS 10. It also announced …
A new app and a more open approach to Siri could save Apple’s smart home Read More »
Pre-order the slim smartwatch in polished gold or silver. Just when you thought Pebble couldn’t possibly announce anything else, the smartwatch maker today revealed two 20mm, special-edition rewards: the last month, the second-gen watch is available now on Kickstarter, alongside the $169 Pebble Time 2 and $69 Pebble Core—the company’s first non-smartwatch device. With a …
What government functions have or will adopt Internet of Things (IoT) technology the fastest with the biggest impact? “Some of the lowest-hanging fruit at that level is found with public infrastructure. Smart street lighting is quickly becoming a very fast growing segment, with governments realizing instant results in terms of cost savings,” says Landon Garner, …
Vendors forecast a variety of Internet of Things applications in local government Read More »
[embedded content] After last month’s Google’s I/O conference, I wrote about how its announcements followed a theme of lowering barriers, such as not requiring a separate device for Android Auto, or a PC for advanced virtual reality, or even installation to experience an app. While Apple also announced efforts to make app development child’s play …
Why bother? With Siri on iOS, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, you already have a voice assistant any time you need one. When Amazon first introduced the Echo—its cylindrical, AI-enhanced digital assistant/speaker—reaction was mixed. Who would actually want that? A lot of people, it turns out. Amazon’s answer to Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Google …
Apple has stated the new iOS 10 will reach users by fall this year and will come as a free upgrade for the compatible iPad and iPhone devices. The Apple WWDC event concluded successfully, and we do have a good glimpse of what to expect in the coming days with Apple products and services. Also, …
Microsoft’s Julie Larson-GreenBrad Barket/Getty Images for WIRED Since the eighties, Microsoft has always thought of Office in a certain, very rigid way. One team works on Microsoft Word, another on PowerPoint, another on Excel, and so on. But on stage at the Bloomberg Technology Conference, Microsoft Office Chief Experience Officer Julie Larson-Green revealed that she recently …