What to Expect at Apple's 'Let Us Loop You In' Media Event

Apple will hold its first event of 2016 next Monday, and while it won't be as exciting as last year's event that saw the launch of the Apple Watch, Apple is planning to introduce several new products. Headlining the event will be the 4-inch iPhone SE, Apple's first 4-inch iPhone since 2013. 
Joining the iPhone SE will be a new 9.7-inch iPad, a range of new Apple Watch bands, and software updates for iOS 9, watchOS 2, tvOS, and OS X El Capitan. 

iPhone SE

Apple's 4-inch iPhone, the "iPhone SE," is modeled after the iPhone 5s. It is said to be close in size and shape to the iPhone 5s, with the same general dimensions, but rumors say it also includes a display that curves very slightly at the edges, similar to but not as dramatic as the iPhone 6s. 

Renderings, cases, and design drawings have disagreed somewhat on the design of the device, with some depicting an aluminum body identical to the iPhone 5s and others depicting more rounded edges like the iPhone 6s to match the rumors of a curved display, leading to questions about the final design of the device. 
A rendering of what the iPhone SE could look like based on current rumors
Because of these mixed rumors and a lack of part leaks, we still don't know for sure exactly what the iPhone SE will look like, but the most recent information has leaned towards an iPhone 5s-style design. 
iPhone SE renderings created by case maker Spigen
While the iPhone SE may have an external design that matches the iPhone 5s, its internals are modern and up to date. It's said to include the same A9 processorfound in the iPhone 6s, along with either an 8 or 12-megapixel rear camera that supports Live Photos. With the A9, which includes an integrated M9 motion coprocessor, the iPhone SE will support always-on "Hey Siri" functionality. 

3D Touch will not be included, because it is a flagship feature of the iPhone 6s, but the iPhone SE will have a Touch ID-enabled Home button and an NFC chip for use with Apple Pay. 

It will also include the latest iPhone features like Bluetooth 4.2, fast 802.11ac WiFi and VoLTE. It may also include a 1,642 mAh battery, larger than the battery in the iPhone 5s. The iPhone SE will be available in the same colors as the iPhone 5s - Silver, Gold, Space Gray, and Rose Gold. As for pricing, it the entry-level device may be priced at $400 to $500. 

9.7-inch iPad

Apple didn't refresh the 9.7-inch iPad in September when it introduced the iPad Pro and iPad mini 4, so the tablet is due for an update. While the last two 9.7-inch iPads have been branded as the "iPad Air," rumors suggest Apple is retiring the iPad Air line. 

The new 9.7-inch iPad is said to be branded as an "iPad Pro," joining the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Apple's iPad line will resemble the MacBook Pro line, which is also sold in multiple sizes under the same name. 
A case designed for the new 9.7-inch iPad
As the name implies, the 9.7-inch iPad will adopt many features from the existing iPad Pro, but the general size and shape will continue to be similar to the iPad Air 2. It will include a four-speaker layout for louder, more immersive audio, with two speakers positioned at the top of the device and two speakers positioned at the bottom. 

The 9.7-inch iPad will essentially serve as a smaller iPad Pro. It will have a Smart Connector allowing it to support accessories like the Smart Keyboard, and it will feature the same display improvements to enable Apple Pencil functionality. A powerful A9X processor will be included, and it may have an upgraded 12-megapixel camera, the same found in the iPhone 6s. The new iPad may also be the first of Apple's iPads to have a rear-facing flash. 

Pricing on the iPad is said to start at $599 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model, with a 128GB model and cellular models also available for purchase at higher price points. 

Apple Watch Bands

Apple won't introduce a new Apple Watch at its spring event, but we are expecting to see new Apple Watch bands. Existing bands like the Sport Band, Modern Buckle, and Leather Loop may be available in new colors, and rumors suggest Apple has been working on a new Apple Watch band made from nylon. 

Also in the works is a Space Black Milanese Loop to match the Space Black Stainless Steel Apple Watch. 

Software Updates

Apple has been working on software updates for Mac, iOS, Apple Watch, and Apple TV 4 since January 11, and it's likely all four updates will be available shortly after the March event. 

iOS 9.3 
iOS 9.3 is the biggest update to iOS 9 yet, introducing a new Night Shift feature that cuts down on blue light exposure in the evening for better sleep. For iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users, several apps have new Quick Actions in iOS 9.3. 

Weather, Settings, Compass, Health, App Store, and iTunes Store all offer new or improved features when pressed on the Home screen. Settings, for example, offers quick access to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Battery settings, while the App Store offers an option to update all apps.

Several apps have been updated, and there are additional new features. Apple News has support for in-line video, better personalized recommendations, and a landscape view on the iPhone, while Health has an Apple Watch-style "Activity" view. Notes has an option to password protect individual entries with passcode, Verizon subscribers gain access to Wi-Fi calling, and there are new features for education users. 

watchOS 2.2 
Along with iOS 9.3, watchOS 2.2 introduces support for connecting multiple Apple Watches to a single iPhone. The update also includes an update for the built-in Maps app. Along with a revamped interface and buttons for accessing quick directions to home and work, Maps now supports the Nearby feature first introduced with iOS 9, allowing users to to quickly locate local points of interest. 

OS X 10.11.4 
OS X 10.11.4 is a minor update to OS X El Capitan, focusing mainly on under-the-hood performance improvements and updates. 

New features include support for password protected notes and importing notes from Evernote in the Notes app. OS X 10.11.4 also brings support for viewing Live Photos directly within the Messages app. 

tvOS 9.2 
tvOS 9.2 is a significant update for the tvOS operating system, bringing several features that have been sorely missing from the fourth-generation Apple TV. It includes support for Bluetooth keyboards and Dictation, introducing two new text entry methods for inputting usernames and passwords. 

Posted by Editorial Team on 11:16 PM in

Read the email the whole Xbox team at Microsoft just received about sexism

Microsoft held a party with overtly sexist themes at GDC 2016 this week — one that Xbox chief Phil Spencer today called "unequivocally wrong." It's a troubling incident in a long history of sexism at professional conferences and events in the gaming industry, especially considering Microsoft's enormous influence. The party, which showcased women in revealing costumes dancing on podiums, served to alienate several attendees who shared their discomfort and disappointment online.

Spencer quickly denounced and disavowed his company's actions today, stating that the event "represented Xbox and Microsoft in a way that was not consistent or aligned to our values." He said the behavior "will not be tolerated" and that Microsoft "will do better in the future." It's not clear yet how the company will take corrective action or to what extent — Microsoft declined to comment on next steps as it investigates the matter, and plans to handle the matter internally. But The Verge did obtain an email Spencer sent to his the entire Xbox staff today, which you can read below:

How we show up as an organization is incredibly important to me. We want to build and reflect the culture of team Xbox - internally and externally - a culture that each one of us can represent with pride. An inclusive culture has a direct impact on the products and services we deliver and the perception consumers have of the Xbox brand and our company, as a whole.

It has come to my attention that at Xbox-hosted events at GDC this past week, we represented Xbox and Microsoft in a way that was absolutely not consistent or aligned to our values. That was unequivocally wrong and will not be tolerated. This matter is being handled internally, but let me be very clear - how we represent ourselves as individuals, who we hire and partner with and how we engage with others is a direct reflection of our brand and what we stand for. When we do the opposite, and create an environment that alienates or offends any group, we justly deserve the criticism.

It's unfortunate that such events could take place in a week where we worked so hard to engage the many different gaming communities in the exact opposite way. I am personally committed to ensuring that diversity and inclusion is central to our everyday business and our core values as a team – inside and outside the company. We need to hold ourselves to higher standards and we will do better in the future.

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Posted by Editorial Team on 6:22 PM in

Apple Gets Greedy With Sneaky Design Change In Leaked iPhone SE

Although the launch of Apple’s latest four-inch screened iPhone is still to be confirmed, countless case manufacturers, leaks, rumors, and more are leaning in to tell us everything that is physically known about the upcoming iPhone SE. While some details, such as the software and certain capabilities will remain unknown until Monday, the geekerati have captured all the details about the handset.

That’s allowed the team at TechSmartt to once more fire up their design skills and 3D print the best representation of the iPhone SE we’ll have ahead of the launch event on the 21st. And it confirms something that I had suspected, but hoped would not happen.

Apple is forcing the fans of the four-inch form factor to buy many of their peripherals a second time.

Keaton Keller and Matthew Jones have worked with Sonny Dickson’s leaked sample cases to create a 3D model of the upcoming smartphone, and it reveals a number of physical traits. The volume and power keys have been repositioned slightly, the speaker holes at the base of the handset have been altered, and the 3.5 mm headphone jack remains in play – it looks like the big change to lightning/Bluetooth audio only isn’t going to happen until the presumptively titled iPhone 7 launch in September at the earliest.

What the 3D model clearly shows is that Apple has altered the internal volume of the iPhone SE when compared to the iPhone 5S range, and significantly altered the sides of the smartphone to remove the hard edge and go with a softer look. That is going to have two immediate repercussions that I can see.

TechSmartt’s 3D Printed iPhone SE (image: TechSmartt)

Posted by Editorial Team on 4:32 PM in

The Latest Rumors Surrounding Apple's March 21 Event

There are several. But will they pan out?

Apple’s “Let us loop you in” event is right around the corner, and the question on everyone’s mind is what the company will announce on March 21.

Apple has used its catchy event themes in the past to hint at what it’ll talk about at its events. Given the company’s mention of a “loop,” it seems quite likely that Apple will announce new Apple Watch bands at the event. Some earlier reports suggested Apple could update its popular wearable, but the latest rumors say the company will instead focus on new watch band accessories and leave the second-generation Apple Watch for sometime later this year.

One of the worst-kept secrets in Apple  AAPL -0.09% land is a new, smaller iPhone. Over the last several months, several Apple-tracking sites, including Macrumors and 9to5Mac, as well as a slew of analysts, have said Apple is currently manufacturing a 4-inch iPhone to complement the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus.

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Still, there are some question marks. For one, while several reports have suggested that Apple would launch a new design, a 9to5Mac report on Friday cited sources who said the company would keep a nearly identical design to the iPhone 5s, a smartphone it’s already selling and launched in 2013. Despite that, nearly all the rumors agree Apple will offer its A9 processor in the next iPhone, matching the chip in its iPhone 6s line. In addition, Apple is expected to offer a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and offer up to 64GB of internal storage.

Now let’s turn to the iPad. Apple’s tablet business has been slipping in recent quarters. In the company’s most-recent quarter ended Dec. 26, Apple’s iPad unit sales were down 25% and revenue slipped 21%. It was just the latest in a long line of declines in that division.

Still, Apple continues to try to make a mark. Since last year’s launch of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, rumors have surfaced saying the company will unveil a smaller, slimmed-down version of its enterprise-focused slate on March 21. According to several rumors, as well as design schematics published by Engadget, the new iPad Pro will come with a 9.7-inch display, making it notably smaller than Apple’s earlier launch. Apple is expected to offer the A9X processor, matching the chip found in its current iPad Pro. Details on storage size are unknown, but expect the tablet to be running iOS 9.

Which brings us to software. All accounts suggest that Apple’s March 21 event will be a somewhat minor showcase, offering cheaper, smaller versions of its currently available products. However, the company could also focus on some software updates.

For one, Apple has been testing iOS 9.3 with developers for quite some time. It’s expected that iOS 9.3 will come out of beta on March 21 and deliver new features, including improvements to the Notes app and a new Night Shift feature, which makes looking at your iOS device a bit easier on the eyes in dark environments.

Not to be outdone, Apple Watch might also get a software update. Like iOS 9.3, Apple has been sending betas of its watchOS to developers, suggesting a consumer launch is in the offing. That said, aside from improved Apple Maps support, it’s unlikely that the new watchOS will be a major upgrade, according to rumors.

As for Apple’s OS X and tvOS? It’s tough to say. There are hints that Apple could offer upgrades to the operating systems running on its Macs and latest Apple TV. However, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which is typically in June, is where Apple showcases its latest and greatest software improvements, so don’t expect too many major upgrades—if there are any.

Beyond that, it’s hard to believe Apple CEO Tim Cook won’t at least talk about privacy. After all, his company has been battling with the FBI over data privacy over the last several weeks, and he has been exceedingly outspoken about his stance against government intrusion. Look for Cook to talk about that FBI battle and perhaps even hint that better encryption is coming to the company’s cloud-based platform iCloud.

But then again, take all of this with the proverbial grain of salt. Apple is notoriously tight-lipped and tends to have some surprises up its sleeve for every press event. It’s possible all of the rumors are true and it will unveil a new iPhone and iPad, or the company could surprise us with something new. At this point, only Apple knows for sure what it’s announcing on March 21, and it’s not telling until 1 p.m. ET that day.

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:01 AM in

Sony PlayStation Virtual Reality Headset to Launch in Fall

SAN FRANCISCO — Sony Corp announced on Tuesday that its virtual reality headset for PlayStation will launch globally in October for $399, a move that undercuts its biggest competitor by hundreds of dollars. 

Andrew House, head of Sony's gaming division, made the announcement during a press event at the Video Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, where virtual reality gaming counterpart Oculus Rift announced its headset a day earlier. 

The headset, a visor-style frame with a 5.7 inch screen, includes 360 degree head tracking, a 100 degree field of vision and latency of 18 milliseconds between the time a user's head moves and the time they see the correct image. 

Andrew House, chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, announces the price and delivery date for PlayStation VR in San Francisco, California March 15, 2016. NOAH BERGER / Reuters

House said the company wanted the highly anticipated headset released at a price point that would encourage quick and widespread adoption. 

"We firmly believe getting the price right is crucial to driving consumer adoption of any new technology," House said. 

At $399,the package is notably less than the $599 price announced Monday by Facebook-owned virtual reality company Oculus Rift. Oculus will also sell bundles that include an Oculus Ready PC and a Rift for preorder in February starting at $1,499. 

Price is one factor but the amount of gaming content available will be "a strong factor in engaging fans," said Tony Key, Senior Vice President of sales and marketing at game developer Ubisoft. 

Ubisoft's "Eagle Flight" and "Werewolves Within" titles are both set to launch for PlayStation VR this fall. 

"Ultimately the customers will decide on what price point works for them as their entry point into VR," he said. 

The company said more than 230 developers are building content for the PlayStation VR device and 50 games are expected to be ready by the launch date. Users can download the Playroom VR at the PlayStation store and play six free games. 

The company has also teamed up with development company EA Sports and Lucasfilm for a Star Wars Battlefront game that will be released as a PlayStation VR exclusive.

Posted by Editorial Team on 11:17 PM in

Apple Encryption Engineers, if Ordered to Unlock iPhone, Might Resist

Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. Apple’s employees’ concerns provide insight into a company culture that still views the world through the anti-establishment prism of its co-founders Steven P. Jobs and Steve Wozniak. CreditTony Avelar/Bloomberg 

SAN FRANCISCO — If the F.B.I. wins its court fight to force Apple’s help in unlocking an iPhone, the agency may run into yet another roadblock: Apple’s engineers.

Apple employees are already discussing what they will do if ordered to help law enforcement authorities. Some say they may balk at the work, while others may even quit their high-paying jobs rather than undermine the security of the software they have already created, according to more than a half-dozen current and former Apple employees.

Among those interviewed were Apple engineers who are involved in the development of mobile products and security, as well as former security engineers and executives.

The potential resistance adds a wrinkle to a very public fight between Apple, the world’s most valuable company, and the authorities over access to an iPhone used by one of the attackers in the December mass killing in San Bernardino, Calif.

It also speaks directly to arguments Apple has made in legal documents that the government’s demand curbs free speech by asking the company to order people to do things that they consider offensive.

“Such conscription is fundamentally offensive to Apple’s core principles and would pose a severe threat to the autonomy of Apple and its engineers,” Apple’s lawyers wrote in the company’s final brief to the Federal District Court for the Central District of California.

The employees’ concerns also provide insight into a company culture that despite the trappings of Silicon Valley wealth still views the world through the decades-old, anti-establishment prism of its co-founders Steven P. Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

“It’s an independent culture and a rebellious one,” said Jean-Louis Gassée, a venture capitalist who was once an engineering manager at Apple. “If the government tries to compel testimony or action from these engineers, good luck with that.”

Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, last month telegraphed what his employees might do in an email to customers: “The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe,” Mr. Cook wrote.

Apple declined to comment.

The fear of losing a paycheck may not have much of an impact on security engineers whose skills are in high demand. Indeed, hiring them could be a badge of honor among other tech companies that share Apple’s skepticism of the government’s intentions.

“If someone attempts to force them to work on something that’s outside their personal values, they can expect to find a position that’s a better fit somewhere else,” said Window Snyder, the chief security officer at the start-up Fastly and a former senior product manager in Apple’s security and privacy division.

Apple said in court filings last month that it would take from six to 10 engineers up to a month to meet the government’s demands. However, because Apple is so compartmentalized, the challenge of building what the company described as “GovtOS” would be substantially complicated if key employees refused to do the work.

Inside Apple, there is little collaboration among teams — for example, hardware engineers usually work in different offices from software engineers.

But when the company comes closer to releasing a product, key members from different teams come together to apply finishing touches like bug fixes, security audits and polishing the way the software looks and behaves.

A similar process would have to be created to produce the iPhone software for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A handful of software engineers with technical expertise in writing highly secure software — the same people who have designed Apple’s security system over the last decade — would need to be among the employees the company described in its filing.

That team does not exist, and Apple is unlikely to make any moves toward creating it until the company exhausts its legal options. But Apple employees say they already have a good idea who those employees would be.

They include an engineer who developed software for the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. That engineer previously worked at an aerospace company. Another is a senior quality-assurance engineer who is described as an expert “bug catcher” with experience testing Apple products all the way back to the iPod. A third likely employee specializes in security architecture for the operating systems powering the iPhone, Mac and Apple TV.

“In the hierarchy of civil disobedience, a computer scientist asked to place users at risk has the strongest claim that professional obligations prevent compliance,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “This is like asking a doctor to administer a lethal drug.”

There are ways an employee could resist other than quitting, such as work absences. And it is a theoretical discussion. It could be a long time before employees confront such choices as the case moves through the legal system.

The security-minded corner of the technology industry is known to draw “healthfully paranoid” people who tend to be more doctrinaire about issues like encryption, said Arian Evans, vice president for product strategy at RiskIQ, an Internet security company. But that resolve can wither when money gets involved, he said.

An employee rebellion could throw the F.B.I’s legal fight with Apple into uncharted territory.

“If — and this is a big if — every engineer at Apple who could write the code quit and, also a big if, Apple could demonstrate that this happened to the court’s satisfaction, then Apple could not comply and would not have to,” said Joseph DeMarco, a former federal prosecutor. “It would be like asking my lawn guy to write the code.”

Mr. DeMarco, who filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of law enforcement groups that supported the Justice Department, also noted that if the engineers refused to write the code, rather than outright quit, “then I think that the court would be much more likely to find Apple in contempt,” he said.

Rather than contempt, Riana Pfefferkorn, a cryptography fellow at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, said Apple could incur daily penalties if a judge thought it was delaying compliance.

The government has cracked down on tech companies in the past. A judge imposed a $10,000-a-day penalty on the email service Lavabit when it did not give its digital encryption keys to investigators pursuing information on Edward J. Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who leaked documents about government surveillance.

The small company’s response could be indicative of how individual Apple employees reacted to a court order. When Lavabit was held in contempt, its owner shut down the company rather than comply.

Posted by Editorial Team on 11:12 PM in

Microsoft Edge browser extensions now available for Windows 10 testers

Microsoft is ready for Windows 10 testers to start using Edge browser extensions. After an extended wait for the beta feature, Microsoft is releasing Windows 10 build 14291 today with browser extensions support for Edge. Microsoft will offer three extensions to test, including Microsoft Translator, a Reddit extension, and Mouse Gestures. Each extension can be manually installed, and because of the way Microsoft has crafted its extensions support they can also be installed in Google Chrome.

Microsoft has chosen to make it easier for developers to port their Chrome extensions over to Edge. While the software maker is only releasing three basic extensions today, developers will be able to create their own extensions easily. "We’re participating in the W3C Browser Extension Community Group’s efforts to define standardized extension APIs based on familiar web technologies," says a Microsoft spokesperson. "Today, we’re previewing our first step towards that goal."

Extensions will be available in the Windows Store once the feature ships later this year to all Windows 10 users. Microsoft is promising that AdBlock, Adblock Plus, Amazon, LastPass, and Evernote extensions will be available later this year. Right now, this is just an early look at how extensions will function in Microsoft Edge, but the company plans to update the experience as it continues to test its latest Windows 10 updates.

Posted by Editorial Team on 10:46 PM in

Oculus Opens Social Doors for Gear VR

Oculus VR this week launched Oculus Social for Samsung's Gear VR viewer.

Gear VR users can create profiles on Oculus Social and search out friends via real names or handles.

The company, which has yet to ship its own virtual reality headset, also released two social games to encourage more friending on Oculus Social: Herobound: Gladiators and Social Trivia.

In Herobound: Gladiators, players team up to take arms in a clash between demons and goblins in the fighting pits of arena battlefields. Social Trivia sits friends down at a virtual table and pits their wits against each other in a classic game of know-it-all.

Oculus Social also has been upgraded to allow users to create rooms in which they can hang out with friends in the virtual space, watching content such as Twitch streams or Facebook videos.

The team deployed a Facebook Video tab in Oculus Social. Next week, the company will give users the ability to sync their Facebook and Oculus Social profiles so that they can personalize their feeds of 360 video content.

Weeks from now, Oculus Social will support the liking and sharing of Facebook 360 videos.

Social Society

Parent company Facebook has been planning to use Oculus Social to change the inherently exclusionary nature of VR, according to Charles King, principal analyst for Pund-IT.

"First, the company indicated that Oculus users will be able to share space in VR, interacting socially, chatting, watching films and competing in trivia games," he told TechNewsWorld. "Second, the company announced a multiplayer game service that appears to make use of some social features, though details on that appear sketchy."

Social experiences might be what VR needs to establish itself firmly in the mainstream. It can be difficult to sell VR experience via the flat screens and 2D images the world has known for decades.

VR is definitely a new era, said Stephanie Llamas, VR lead at SuperData.

The firm recently updated its forecast for VR and found that experiences like the ones Gear VR provides will bring in US$1.8 billion in revenue from hardware and software sales by the end of next year. The mobile VR market will swell to roughly $4.5 billion the year after that.

"Rather than consider it a hardware peripheral, we should be looking at it as a standalone hardware device just like TV or computers," Llamas told TechNewsWorld. "This is the beginning of a completely new way to consume media -- at least once adoption reaches critical mass."

Sewn Together

VR's progression appears to be more of a continuation of current trends than a fork in the road, Pund-IT's King said.

"Virtual reality technology has been around in one form or another for the better part of three decades, and much of what Facebook and Oculus are doing is derivative of those past efforts," he said. "But multiplayer online gaming and immersive social experiences also have a lengthy history."

Multiplayer games have long allowed players to communicate with one another to discuss strategy, King reasoned. In the case of immersive social experiences, the industry saw that take off with the launch of Second Life more than a decade ago.

"With Oculus Social, Facebook appears to be taking some pages from these past efforts and spinning them with a VR slant," he said. "It'll be interesting to see what the company comes up with that's actually new, and whether it can avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that tripped up others."

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:16 PM in

Artificial Intelligence Learns the Ways of Minecraft

Microsoft on Monday unveiled AIX, a platform that its researchers have been using to turn Minecraft into an artificial intelligence learning environment.

Although Microsoft's 2014 decision to buy Minecraft raised some eyebrows -- the main criticism being that the game had run its course by then -- the company has been putting it to some innovative uses.

The work with AIX, for example, can be likened to teaching an AI platform to survive on its instincts within an unfamiliar virtual world.

Critical Thinking

Microsoft has been working on AIX for about a year. It got its start in Microsoft's Cambridge, UK, lab, where lead developer Katja Hofmann and her colleagues breathed life into it.

A five-person team at Microsoft Research's NYC lab then began tinkering with the platform. Instead of using some of the linear or purely objective games other AI researchers have used, Microsoft turned to Minecraft.

The researchers weren't interested in programming AIX to accomplish tasks in the building-block sandbox that is Minecraft. Instead, the team has been teaching the AIX to think critically and to perform actions organically, "using the same types of resources a human has when she learns a new task," noted Microsoft Senior Writer Allison Linn.

The AIX research will help Microsoft advance a game that already has a well-established community, noted Mark Bunger, VP of research at Lux Research.

"Minecraft was very successful commercially before Microsoft took its stake in it," he told TechNewsWorld, "and I think that's another thing that's really smart about this move for Microsoft.

Microsoft will make AI available to academics at first, but it will offer the platform to the open source community as early as this summer.

Playground and Work Site

Its open-ended nature is what makes Minecraft such an intriguing game for the development of AI, according to Bunger.

Games like Chess and Go -- go-to formats for designing AI systems -- are much more structured than Minecraft, he pointed out.

"Those [games] have relatively few degrees of freedom -- ways you can play and win the game -- compared to Minecraft, which is closer to a construction kit than a game in the traditional sense of keeping score," Bunger said, "and winning or losing."

Minecraft became popular because, in addition to being "open-ended out of the box," it was accessible from the beginning," he observed. It was so accessible, that players could modify and change the rules and even the structure of the game.

"So it's always been an open game in a lot of ways, even though it always wasn't technically open source," Bunger said. "Basically, by making this available for more people to tinker with, and especially in the context of a game that people love to tinker with, it's a really smart move."

Fear Not

It's a game, with several modes and common video game conventions -- but it's more than that, maintained Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

Minecraft is a platform, he said.

At its core, it is about building blocks -- and that's consistent with a lot of the principles that have been driving AI forward.

"As we start making devices intelligent, what we're doing is the culmination of everything we've done in the last 40 years with this industry," McGregor told TechNewsWorld. "That's creating intelligence, creating devices that can gather data -- making intelligence of that data."

Regardless of the forces pushing for and against AI, the fact is that the technology is a reality, said McGregor, adding that he doesn't count himself among those who fear it's a threat to the lives and livelihoods of humans.

"I'm excited to see a lot of the things they're starting to get done, such as machine learning, deep learning and other ladders to AI," McGregor said. "Running up to the next five years, it's going to be a blast to watch all of the new innovations that come out."

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:14 PM in

Gadget Ogling: All-In-One Cooking, In-Car Movie Nights, and Rolling Robots

Welcome to Gadget Dreams and Nightmares, the column that's left wondering whether the latest gadget announcements suggest that now is our winter of discontent or if they're heralding a glorious summer.

On our slightly confused calendar this week are a countertop system said to replace every other cooking device, a gizmo that turns butter into a spray, a car that doubles as a movie theater, and a home robot.

As always, these are not reviews, and the ratings reflect only how much I'd like to try out each product.

The Joy of Not Cooking

Tovala is going to change everything, apparently. It's a countertop cooking system that acts as oven, microwave, toaster, broiler and steamer. It appears to have all the convenience of ready-made meals, while providing healthier eating options than a typical TV dinner.

While you can create your own dishes, Tovala offers its own meals created by professional chefs that are delivered fresh to your home in what could become an important revenue stream for the creators. When you scan a barcode on the meal container, Tovala will know exactly how to cook it. For instance, it might steam chicken for a few minutes before boiling at the end for better texture.

It's a neat idea, and as we're heading toward a future when people have less and less time to cook themselves, ensuring that quality and nutrition are not sacrificed in the name of convenience is a noble pursuit. I usually don't mind cooking and often have plenty of time to do so, but I wouldn't turn up my nose at Tovala.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 Fast Foods

Can't Believe It's Melted Butter

Biēm is another device aimed at food convenience. If, like me, you despise cooking sprays and wish there were a better way to grease a pan without lading it with too much oil or butter, this might be for you.

It liquefies a stick of butter so you can spray it on your pot or food. Biēm is seemingly very quick in melting the butter, and it only melts what you need, saving the rest for later and ensuring it's not sitting on your counter full of liquefied goop for days on end.

Cleaning appears to be a cinch too, as adding water and a touch of soap where the butter goes, and heating and spraying the mixture is apparently all it takes.

While I'm mostly averse to single-purpose kitchen gadgets, the Biēm looks like it would be incredibly useful in any kitchen -- and especially to anyone who uses perhaps a little too much butter, like me.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Calorie Counters

Driving Movie Theater

I'm not someone who cares much for cars. That might be down to the fact that I'm only now learning to drive, a good way into my adult life. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner we can switch to driverless cars, the better.

Here's an idea from Ford that grabbed my attention, though, as I'm an avid watcher of film. While the car is taking care of getting you to your destination, the windshield turns into a projector screen, so you can kick back and watch the latest Marvel spectacular, or that odd arthouse flick you've been meaning to catch when you could squeeze out the time.

Should you need or want to take manual control of the car, the screen will vanish and you'll see a secondary dash display.

It's only a patented concept for now, so there's a chance that before this comes to market we might entirely bypass the idea that self-driving cars need to have a manual operation option as a failsafe, rendering the secondary display entirely moot.

I hope for a few things here: that the side and rear windows have a blackout option -- as there's nothing worse than watching a movie in brightly lit space -- and there's an outlet for a Tovala so I can use a Biēm for perfect buttery popcorn.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Road Trip Movies

Aid-ing You at Home

The way I see it, if you're going to have a hub to manage all of your connected home needs, it may as well be an adorable robot.

Aido includes speakers and six microphones so it can hear you in the noisiest of rooms.

It has haptic sensors that help it respond to your touch (for which you can set custom commands) and even has an optional projector, so you can watch your favorite movie or TV show wherever you are in your home.

Aido can roam around your home on its omnidirectional ball, with its sensors stopping it from crashing into your furniture.

It supports third-party devices using infrared, WiFi, Bluetooth and several other protocols. The robot can recognize faces and personalize lighting, for instance, based on that person's preferences. Meanwhile, it can act as a roaming home security system you can monitor remotely.

Aido runs on an open source system and takes its design cues from sleek dolphins. It's far more amiable than, say, a router that controls all your connected devices. It's the most charming hub I've seen to date, and whatever my misgivings about connected homes may be, I'd welcome Aido with open arms.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Anthropomorphic Faces 

 

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:11 PM in