Google Assistant to be ‘news host’ on devices

WASHINGTON — Google said Tuesday its digital assistant will serve as a “news host” on its connected devices to deliver stories from a variety of its media partners.

The feature called Your News Update will be activated by asking the Google Assistant to read the news.


The artificial intelligence program will deliver “a mix of short news stories chosen in that moment based on your interests, location, user history, and preferences, as well as the top news stories out there,” said product manager Liz Gannes in a blog post.

The assistant will offer stories from partners including CBS, Politico, Fox News and CNN based on user preferences and other factors.

It can offer news, for example, about the user’s favorite sports teams or specific local or business events.

“In between stories, the Google Assistant serves as your smart news host that introduces which publishers and updates are next,” Gannes said.


The feature is available in English in the United States and will expand internationally next year, for people with compatible smartphones and connected speakers.

It is activated by saying, “Hey Google, play me the news.”

Amazon offers a similar “flash briefing” feature for its Alexa-powered devices.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Amazon opens new ‘4-star’ retail store in New York

NEW YORK – Amazon has opened a new retail store in New York on Thursday selling a range of products from the online colossus that gets top ratings from customers.

The brick-and-mortar outlet in New York’s trendy Soho neighborhood will sell consumer electronics, kitchen, home, toys, books and games, and “chose only the products that customers have rated 4 stars and above, or are top sellers, or are new and trending,” Amazon said in a statement.


Amazon has previously opened physical stores that sell books, and has had pop-up outlets in some locations, but Amazon 4-Star is a new concept that offers a variety of goods in different categories.

“We created Amazon 4-Star to be a place where customers can discover products they will love,” a company statement said.

“Amazon 4-Star’s selection is a direct reflection of our customers – what they’re buying and what they are loving,” it added.

Amazon, one of the world’s most valuable companies whose growth has made founder Jeff Bezos the world’s richest person, has been in recent years moving increasingly to physical stores.

It has opened more than a dozen Amazon Books stores that sell top-selling titles and some additional merchandise. And it has acquired the grocery chain Whole Foods, which has several hundred stores.

Amazon has also introduced a handful of concept Amazon Go grocery stores that operate without cashiers, with purchases automatically scanned and billed to customer accounts. /kga

source: business.inquirer.net

P/$ Rate Stands At P42.205/$1

MANILA, Philippines — The peso exchange rate stands at R42.205 to the US dollar, the closing rate on Monday at the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx). The weighted average rate stands at R42.229.

B.P.I. Income Doubled In Q1

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) reported a net income of R5.8 billion in first quarter of 2012, significantly higher than the previous year’s R2.8 billion. The bank’s core income was on track with the bank’s projections, and its operating results were enhanced by opportunistic securities trading gains.

It said its core businesses remained strong. Deposits grew by 7% year on year. Lending also sustained its growth, increasing by 20% as lending to all segments continued to be vibrant.

P.W.C. Hosts Seminar On Water

As a side event of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila from May 2 to 5, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) will sponsor a forum on “Meeting the Water Challenge in Asian Cities –

Up-scaling Successful Practices” at noon on May 2. It will be held at Meeting Room 5, PICC Manila from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m.

Philhealth Acceptable As Official I.D.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the PhilHealth card issued by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. is now recognized as a photo-bearing ID document that can be used or presented when transacting banking activities. “(PhilHealth card) is comparable in quality with those issued by the GSIS, SSS and LTO and eligible to facilitate financial transactions of PhilHealth members,” said BSP Deputy Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. in a memo. (LCC)

P.L.D.T. Opens Subic Data Center

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) started operating its second VITRO data center located in Subic, benefitting Metro Manila and North Luzon-based businesses by providing continuity, data recovery and secure data and information management. VITRO Data Center Subic provides companies with full information management and telecommunication services for co-location, server hosting, disaster recovery and business continuity, data security, network management and other IT services. (EVA)

source: mb.com.ph

Microsoft launches ‘reimagined’ Windows

BARCELONA—IT giant Microsoft on Wednesday delivered its answer to Google and Apple, through a new-generation Windows operating system designed to run seamlessly on computers and portable tablet devices.


“Windows 8 is a generational change in the Windows operating system,” said Windows president Steven Sinofsky.

“It’s Windows reimagined,” he added, launching the consumer preview of the operating system at the world’s biggest mobile fair in Barcelona.

The operating system is Microsoft’s riposte to Google’s Android platform and Apple, which has dominated the tablet market it ignited with the release of the iPad.

Like its two competitors, Microsoft is adopting the “app” style in its reinvented operating system.

Unlike previous generations of Windows, which has a taskbar pulling up a list of software, the latest version has a selection of applications or “apps” tiled on the start page.

For devices with touchscreens, apps are selected or moved around in the same way as on a smartphone — by hand, swiping to switch between pages or screens, pinching to enlarge or shrink and tapping to select.

For those without touchscreens, the same could be done using the drag and drop functions, or clicks of a mouse.

“Apps bring to life the operating system. The more apps you have, the better your experience,” said Sinofsky.

For those who have several devices, they will be connected through a “cloud”, a resource that pools a user’s data online rather than on a user’s computer disc.

“This connection through cloud is very important in how we thought of Windows 8 in the beginning,” said Sinofsky.

It enabled what is seen on the screen of a tablet device to be replicated on a regular computer if the user signs in with a Windows ID.

Microsoft also announced on Wednesday the test opening of its Windows Store, where users can buy apps online.

Although it is a heavyweight in the computer market, Microsoft has lagged behind in getting a share of the smartphone and tablet pie.

Windows has teamed up with Finnish giant Nokia to make smartphones to try to win back a share.

On Monday, Nokia announced that Windows phones have now been made compatible with Chinese mobile operating networks, allowing it to bring its smartphones to that massive market.

It could also challenge the dominance of Blackberry in the corporate market, as companies may opt to go with Windows as their computers are already running on that operating system.

“We have a wild card on this subject because we are very active in enterprises’ IT systems” and companies “realise that it would provide better integration and a better experience,” Microsoft’s mobility division director Laurent Schloesser told AFP.

“The enterprise market will take up Windows Phone,” he added.

Gartner research analyst Roberta Cozza said that it remained unclear how Windows 8 would be integrated with the Windows phone.

“But it will definitely make the user interface (UI) that we have seen today more familiar with consumers.

“The tiled UI is new but if it gets adopted on PCs and tablets, it will resonate more and become more familiar to users, and this could in turn help the Windows phone,” she added.

The Windows 8 preview is available for download at preview.windows.com.

During the preview period, apps on the Windows Store will be available to users to test for free.


source: http://technology.inquirer.net/8787/microsoft-launches-reimagined-windows

Greenpeace tops Google's list of world's 'cleanest' IT companies

Greenpeace International has put search giant Google on its Cool IT Leaderboard, overtaking Cisco and Ericsson, for its strong support for cleaner energy solutions.

Technology leader Apple and Facebook, which just became public, were not included in the list of the “cleanest” information technology companies, Greenpeace said in a statement yesterday.

“Technology giants have a real opportunity to use their power and influence to change how we produce and use energy - Google tops the table because it’s putting its money where its mouth is by pumping investment into renewable energy”, said Greenpeace International IT analyst Gary Cook.

“The IT sector might like to consider itself forward-thinking, but it is keeping far too quiet while the dirty energy industry continues to exert undue influence on both the political process and financial markets”.

The latest Cool IT Leaderboard ranks 21 IT companies on their clean energy leadership potential, willingness to embrace clean energy solutions and potential to influence energy decisions. Google topped the table for its clear support of stronger US clean energy policy and the strengthening of the EU’s current 20% greenhouse gas target of 30% by 2020.

Energy demand in the IT sector is rapidly growing. The expansion of global telecom infrastructure and data centres that power the ‘Cloud’ (2) is driving the search for more energy. At present, much of the energy used by these companies come from dirty and finite sources such as coal and diesel.

Cook said IT companies must spearhead the use of cleaner and greener energy sources because of their demand, technological know-how, and influence.

“The IT industry must use its influence, innovative spirit and technological know-how to overcome the dirty energy companies who are holding on to the status quo, and holding us back from a transition to a renewable energy economy”, said Cook. “What we’re seeing is a lot of talk from companies about moving toward clean energy, but so far, not much of action”.

While Google ranks high on the Greenpeace Leaderboard because of its its political advocacy and sourcing of renewable energy, Japanese telecommunications company Softbank has received the Leaderboard’s highest political advocacy score ever.

Greenpeace said Softbank was lauded for its demand for a rapid shift towards renewable energy and away from nuclear power after the nuclear power disaster in Fukushima, Japan.

Google, Cisco, and Dell were also credited for for sourcing over 20% renewable energy globally for each company’s infrastructures. Oracle received the lowest ranking overall due to failing to disclose either renewable or dirty energy use.

Six telecommunications companies were added since the latest version, along with major IT software and equipment brands from India and Japan.

Overall, while the Greenpeace ranking found a steady increase in the quantity and strength of renewable energy solutions from many companies such as Cisco, IBM, Ericsson and Fujitsu, it also found a significant drop-off in policy advocacy leadership by IT companies.

Greenpeace expressed disappointment over the world's most influential IT brands, namely Apple and Facebook. The two firms were not included in the list because of their failure to meet criteria, the environment group said.

Apple, despite record profits, has not demonstrated leadership nor elected to pursue market opportunities to drive IT energy solutions that many of its competitors have, Greenpeace said.

Facebook was not included in the previous Leaderboard for similar reasons, but has recently changed its policies and committed to a renewably powered Facebook, and announced a partnership with Opower to use the Facebook platform to help its users compare their energy usage. Facebook will be included in next year’s Leaderboard. — TJD, GMA News

article source: gmanetwork.com