AT&T ups the ante in speech recognition
NEW YORK--If you've ever been frustrated using a voice activated customer agent or have scratched your head while reading an unintelligible voice-to-text message, AT&T says help is on the way.The company, which has invested more than one million research hours over the past 20 years in speech and language recognition technology, says that it's developed technologies that will not only make these traditional voice activated services more accurate but will extend voice activation to other modes of communication. Earlier this week, AT&T Labs researchers showed off some of the technologies they've been working on at their labs here. Most of the applications showcased are not yet ready for prime-time commercial use. Researchers said they have no idea when these services will find their way into products. But bits and pieces are already in products developed by AT&T and the company's partners. For decades, AT&T has been at the forefront of speech recognition and natural language technology research. It's developed a core technology platform, known as Watson, which is a cloud-based system of services that not only identifies words but interprets meaning and context to deliver more accurate results. The system itself is built on servers that model and compare speech to recorded voices.Watson is an evolving platform that with more data is able to adapt and learn so that it continues to improve accuracy and also cross reference data to use speech as input for getting to all kinds of communication and data. "We are really on the cusp of a technology revolution in speech and language technology," said Mazin Gilbert, executive director of speech and language technology at AT&T Labs."It's no longer about simply trying to get the words right. It's about adding intelligence to interpret what is being said and then using that to apply to other modes of communication, such as text or video."Of course, AT&T is not alone in its quest for developing more intelligent voice-activated technologies. IBM and Microsoft have each invested heavily in this area for years. Microsoft has already incorporated some speech recognition technology into the Xbox Kinect. And Google, a relative newcomer to the field, is also making headway with voice recognition built into its Google Voice product, which is now available on the iPhone. But AT&T's researchers say the intelligence built into the Watson engine sets their applications apart from these others.One of the demonstrations the company showed at its lab in New York was the iRemote, an application that turns an iPhone or some other smartphone into a voice-activated TV remote.The application allows users to speak normal sentences asking to search for specific shows, actors, or genres. Marguerite Reardon/CNETFor example, someone might ask the app to search for reality shows on Thursday evening. And the app will generate a list of all the reality shows starting at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Users will likely have to scroll through a short list of titles, but the search has been greatly refined from the hundreds of shows that would have to be searched otherwise. Voice activated remotes already exist. But AT&T's technology goes far beyond what's currently available today, said Michael Johnston, a principal researcher at AT&T Labs. Many of these other applications respond to prerecorded commands. AT&T's application not only identifies words, but it also uses other principles of language such as syntax and semantics to interpret and understand the meaning of the request. The system is designed to get more accurate over time as it learns the speech patterns of large numbers of users. "The hardest thing in developing a service like this is populating it with a base-level of understanding," he said. "Even humans make mistakes in hearing words correctly. But we're able to infer meaning from the way the question was phrased or even by understanding gestures or facial expressions."AT&T researchers turned an iPhone into a voice-activated TV remote.AT&T LabsEventually, Johnston said cameras could be used to read lips or gauge facial expressions, which can also be used to determine the intent of what's being said."The vision is that we have something like you'd see in 'Star Trek' or 'Minority Report,'" he said. "You shouldn't have to sit with a keyboard and type anything. Your environment should sense you and through voice commands or gestures the devices around you should know what you're searching for or be able to initiate some other action for you."Researchers have also been applying the Watson speech and language framework to mobile devices. Some of AT&T's technology partners, which license AT&T's core speech and language technologies, have already built commercial products.For example, Vlingo licenses AT&T's Watson core technology and also partners with AT&T on research. Today it offers applications forAndroid, BlackBerry, Nokia and iPhone smartphones. The Vlingo apps, which are often used to enable or enhance other applications,allow users to search the Web, find directions, update social networking status, and send emails and text messages to contacts simply by using voice commands. As touch screens and other mobile devices such as the iPad emerge, AT&T has begun introducing physical gestures into the platform. Earlier this year, it introduced a research application for the iPhone that is capable of understanding both the spoken word as well as physical gestures. The Speak4It app, which can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store, allows consumers to discover restaurants within a specific area, obtain directions to the nearest gas station, call their local pharmacy and access information on a variety of local businesses. By pressing the speak button people can say what they would like to find and have it pinpointed on a Google map. Users can also touch a point on a map and ask, "What's there?" Or they can circle a neighborhood on the map and search for something only in that specific area.This iPad app, which is still being developed, uses synthesized voice technology to read aloud children's stories.AT&T LabsIn addition to understanding and correctly interpreting language, AT&T is also developing voice technology that mimics natural voices.Its AT&T Natural Voices technology builds on text-to-speech technology to enable any communication to be spoken in a variety of languages including, English, German, Spanish, French or Italian when text is processed through the AT&T cloud based service.The technology works by accessing a database of high-quality recorded sounds that when melded together by algorithms create spoken phrases. AT&T demonstrated the technology with an application that reads aloud children's story books. The application was downloaded onto an iPad and it used synthesized voice technology to read the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears aloud. The application highlighted each word as it was read with each character speaking in a different voice. While the voices in the story still sound somewhat mechanical, the goal is that over time, the voices will match the intonations and speech patterns of natural voices. "The whole idea behind what we're doing with this voice and multimodal technology is to develop an intelligent virtual agent that is with you all the time, whether you're at home or out in the world," Gilbert said. "When you're out and about it helps you look for restaurants, it knows to send and SMS to your mother on her birthday, it knows you go to Dunkin Donuts everyday and sends you a virtual coupon on Monday morning, and it can speak to you when you need something read to you. "
Open apps faster via Windows' command line.
Open apps faster via Windows' command line.
I saved myself a few keystrokes by installing a donationware utility that I used to assign a keyboard shortcut to the Command Prompt. Start by downloading and installing Clavier+, a keyboard-shortcut utility from Guillaume Ryder. Open the program, click the blue plus sign on the left side of the main screen, and navigate to Accessories>Command Prompt. Click in the Shortcut field, and press your preferred keystroke combination, making sure not to enter one you already use for some other purpose. (One that is available and easy for me to remember is Ctrl+Alt+C.) After you make your selection, click OK, and you'll see your new shortcut in the list at the top of the main Clavier+ window. Click OK once more to close the program, and now you've got access to the Command Prompt via the keyboard.Assign the keystroke combination of your choice in Clavier+'s Shortcut dialog box.You may be wondering why you can't simply right-click cmd.exe in Windows Explorer (it's in the C:/Windows/System32 folder), choose Create Shortcut, and then assign a keystroke combination to that shortcut by right-clicking it, choosing Properties>Shortcut, and entering the keys in the Shortcut key field. Windows won't let you. I don't know why, and I can't even find an explanation for the restriction. No matter what key combination I entered, I couldn't get it to open the Command Prompt window. For some reason, Clavier+ had no problem opening the window via the keystroke combo I assigned. Go figure.Launch apps from the command lineWith the Command Prompt open, type start winword and press Enter to open Microsoft Word, start excel to launch Excel, and start mplayer2 to open the old version of Windows Media Player (start wmplayer launches the newer release). Here are some other application file names you might find handy:Internet Explorer: iexploreMicrosoft Outlook: outlookMicrosoft PowerPoint: powerpntWindows Explorer: explorer (or press the Windows key and E to open an Explorer window with My Computer highlighted)Calculator: calcMagnifier: magnifyNotepad: notepadPaint: mspaintRegistry Editor: regeditSystem Configuration Utility: msconfigTweak UI: tweakuiWindows Movie Maker: moviemkWordPad: writeMost other applications can be launched simply by typing start and their name, such as "firefox", "thunderbird", "photoshop", "acrobat", and "itunes". To close the Command Prompt window, type exit and press Enter.Of course, you can do much more from the command line than launch applications. The Microsoft TechNet site lists the commands available for system-management tasks, with descriptions of how to use them. But that's a subject for a future post. Tomorrow: Fun with Microsoft Excel's Lookup function.
I saved myself a few keystrokes by installing a donationware utility that I used to assign a keyboard shortcut to the Command Prompt. Start by downloading and installing Clavier+, a keyboard-shortcut utility from Guillaume Ryder. Open the program, click the blue plus sign on the left side of the main screen, and navigate to Accessories>Command Prompt. Click in the Shortcut field, and press your preferred keystroke combination, making sure not to enter one you already use for some other purpose. (One that is available and easy for me to remember is Ctrl+Alt+C.) After you make your selection, click OK, and you'll see your new shortcut in the list at the top of the main Clavier+ window. Click OK once more to close the program, and now you've got access to the Command Prompt via the keyboard.Assign the keystroke combination of your choice in Clavier+'s Shortcut dialog box.You may be wondering why you can't simply right-click cmd.exe in Windows Explorer (it's in the C:/Windows/System32 folder), choose Create Shortcut, and then assign a keystroke combination to that shortcut by right-clicking it, choosing Properties>Shortcut, and entering the keys in the Shortcut key field. Windows won't let you. I don't know why, and I can't even find an explanation for the restriction. No matter what key combination I entered, I couldn't get it to open the Command Prompt window. For some reason, Clavier+ had no problem opening the window via the keystroke combo I assigned. Go figure.Launch apps from the command lineWith the Command Prompt open, type start winword and press Enter to open Microsoft Word, start excel to launch Excel, and start mplayer2 to open the old version of Windows Media Player (start wmplayer launches the newer release). Here are some other application file names you might find handy:Internet Explorer: iexploreMicrosoft Outlook: outlookMicrosoft PowerPoint: powerpntWindows Explorer: explorer (or press the Windows key and E to open an Explorer window with My Computer highlighted)Calculator: calcMagnifier: magnifyNotepad: notepadPaint: mspaintRegistry Editor: regeditSystem Configuration Utility: msconfigTweak UI: tweakuiWindows Movie Maker: moviemkWordPad: writeMost other applications can be launched simply by typing start and their name, such as "firefox", "thunderbird", "photoshop", "acrobat", and "itunes". To close the Command Prompt window, type exit and press Enter.Of course, you can do much more from the command line than launch applications. The Microsoft TechNet site lists the commands available for system-management tasks, with descriptions of how to use them. But that's a subject for a future post. Tomorrow: Fun with Microsoft Excel's Lookup function.
Comcast CEO- We are not a dead duck
Comcast CEO: We are not a dead duck
Battelle, interviewing Roberts onstage, called it "video-on-demand on steroids."The Associated Press, referencing a briefing this week with executives at Comcast's Philadelphia headquarters, helped fill in some of the details about the service, noting that it would include such popular cable shows as HBO's "Entourage" and AMC's "Mad Men" and for now is being called "On Demand Online."The AP said Comcast subscribers can initially watch shows and movies only on their home computers after being verified by the cable system. Online viewing, at least in the beginning, will be restricted to those who get Internet service through Comcast, not through competitors like phone companies, the AP said.Back at Web 2.0 Summit, Roberts also said that Comcast investments in broadband technology are, in part, what has facilitated the explosion in Web innovation."We're going to keep investing, because we believe there are great ideas in this room and in this country and in the world," Roberts said. "In the same way, it's unthinkable that a Google or a Yahoo or a Facebook or a Twitter would be happening if we hadn't made those investments (in broadband infrastructure) 15 years ago."Battelle asked Roberts why he believes the U.S. lags behind in broadband technology advancements. Roberts replied, "I think that that's just not true."(The audience laughed uncomfortably.)"We have the same equipment (as other countries), the same wires, the same infrastructure, why is the adoption different is a different question. It's not the availability and I don't think it's the lack of speed," he continued. "You get to digital literacy, you get to what language it's in, do you have the right PC or a PC at all...I don't believe the infrastructure providers haven't done enough."As for Net neutrality, an issue where Comcast has been a frequent villain after imposing bandwidth caps and interfering with peer-to-peer file-sharing software, Roberts was vague."We welcome that discussion, that scrutiny, and we're going to be an active participant," he said. "The few limited examples, including our own, that have gotten notoriety usually get dealt with in ten seconds, and changes get made, because this is new technology."More recently, it's bubbled into the press that Comcast is in talks with General Electric to obtain a controlling stake in its NBC Universal property. Conveniently, GE chief Jeffrey Immelt was slated to speak later in the afternoon at Web 2.0 Summit."You and Jeff Immelt must have finished the NBC deal back in the green room," Battelle joked.Roberts replied facetiously, "It's all done."
Battelle, interviewing Roberts onstage, called it "video-on-demand on steroids."The Associated Press, referencing a briefing this week with executives at Comcast's Philadelphia headquarters, helped fill in some of the details about the service, noting that it would include such popular cable shows as HBO's "Entourage" and AMC's "Mad Men" and for now is being called "On Demand Online."The AP said Comcast subscribers can initially watch shows and movies only on their home computers after being verified by the cable system. Online viewing, at least in the beginning, will be restricted to those who get Internet service through Comcast, not through competitors like phone companies, the AP said.Back at Web 2.0 Summit, Roberts also said that Comcast investments in broadband technology are, in part, what has facilitated the explosion in Web innovation."We're going to keep investing, because we believe there are great ideas in this room and in this country and in the world," Roberts said. "In the same way, it's unthinkable that a Google or a Yahoo or a Facebook or a Twitter would be happening if we hadn't made those investments (in broadband infrastructure) 15 years ago."Battelle asked Roberts why he believes the U.S. lags behind in broadband technology advancements. Roberts replied, "I think that that's just not true."(The audience laughed uncomfortably.)"We have the same equipment (as other countries), the same wires, the same infrastructure, why is the adoption different is a different question. It's not the availability and I don't think it's the lack of speed," he continued. "You get to digital literacy, you get to what language it's in, do you have the right PC or a PC at all...I don't believe the infrastructure providers haven't done enough."As for Net neutrality, an issue where Comcast has been a frequent villain after imposing bandwidth caps and interfering with peer-to-peer file-sharing software, Roberts was vague."We welcome that discussion, that scrutiny, and we're going to be an active participant," he said. "The few limited examples, including our own, that have gotten notoriety usually get dealt with in ten seconds, and changes get made, because this is new technology."More recently, it's bubbled into the press that Comcast is in talks with General Electric to obtain a controlling stake in its NBC Universal property. Conveniently, GE chief Jeffrey Immelt was slated to speak later in the afternoon at Web 2.0 Summit."You and Jeff Immelt must have finished the NBC deal back in the green room," Battelle joked.Roberts replied facetiously, "It's all done."
The 404 454- Where this is not really an Asian podcast
The 404 454: Where this is not really an Asian podcast
On today's show, we recant what we said about Sony yesterday.The company managed to botch up a feature that would have leveled the playing field with the Xbox 360.For those of you who didn't listen, Sony and Netflix announced the arrival of streaming on the console. Sounds great?Not so fast.Apparently, you'll need to plug in a BD-Live disc every time you want to watch Netflix.We know it's only temporary, but come on! It's accessible from the dashboard on the Xbox 360, and you don't need no stinkin' disc.Audio Draft Pick: RancidWikipediaIt's Jeff's pick today for the Audio Draft, and while traditionally we usually pick smaller bands or unknown acts, Jeff has decided to go the other way and picked Rancid.They've been around for a while, and released a couple of albums.According to Mr. Bakalar, their latest is turning heads.We play "The Bravest Kids" and "L.A. River" from their latest album.Stay tuned for the last Audio Draft pick of the month on Friday from Wilson!It won't be country music this time.To round out the show, we talk talk a little bit about Droid from Verizon, the company's first Google Android phone.Wilson still thinks the phone is a pretty ugly design, but that it may change the market around considering it's the first non-BlackBerry-Storm smartphone on the network.Still, Apple seems to be the one still innovating in the smart phone market.In other news today, Kenley tells us that it's the 15th anniversary of the birth of Internet advertising.That's right on October 27th, 1994, Hot Wired ran the world's first banner ad, and surprisingly, it was pretty effective!Mark gets excited about the Tekken 6, while Wilson can't really tell the difference between Tekken 5 or Tekken 6.Jeff adds snidely, "Tekken 4."Think it's hot that Kenley likes to watch guys play videogames?Well send her a message as usual through voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638).EPISODE 454PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangKenley BradstreetAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
On today's show, we recant what we said about Sony yesterday.The company managed to botch up a feature that would have leveled the playing field with the Xbox 360.For those of you who didn't listen, Sony and Netflix announced the arrival of streaming on the console. Sounds great?Not so fast.Apparently, you'll need to plug in a BD-Live disc every time you want to watch Netflix.We know it's only temporary, but come on! It's accessible from the dashboard on the Xbox 360, and you don't need no stinkin' disc.Audio Draft Pick: RancidWikipediaIt's Jeff's pick today for the Audio Draft, and while traditionally we usually pick smaller bands or unknown acts, Jeff has decided to go the other way and picked Rancid.They've been around for a while, and released a couple of albums.According to Mr. Bakalar, their latest is turning heads.We play "The Bravest Kids" and "L.A. River" from their latest album.Stay tuned for the last Audio Draft pick of the month on Friday from Wilson!It won't be country music this time.To round out the show, we talk talk a little bit about Droid from Verizon, the company's first Google Android phone.Wilson still thinks the phone is a pretty ugly design, but that it may change the market around considering it's the first non-BlackBerry-Storm smartphone on the network.Still, Apple seems to be the one still innovating in the smart phone market.In other news today, Kenley tells us that it's the 15th anniversary of the birth of Internet advertising.That's right on October 27th, 1994, Hot Wired ran the world's first banner ad, and surprisingly, it was pretty effective!Mark gets excited about the Tekken 6, while Wilson can't really tell the difference between Tekken 5 or Tekken 6.Jeff adds snidely, "Tekken 4."Think it's hot that Kenley likes to watch guys play videogames?Well send her a message as usual through voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638).EPISODE 454PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangKenley BradstreetAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
MP3 Mailbox Monday
MP3 Mailbox Monday
A: Unfortunately, not many MP3 players are compatible with Linux, and perhaps even fewer use hard-drive-based memory nowadays--the iPod Classic is one of the few ultra-high-capacity players on the market today. Still, there are some worthwhile choices for those who use the Linux OS. The first brand to look to is Cowon. Based on your list of wants, I would go with the Cowon D2, which has a 2.5-inch touchscreen, a compact design, and a hugely impressive 50 hour battery life for audio. Its sound quality is noticeably superior to that of the iPod, and it has a nice, solid feel to it. There are two minor drawbacks to this player. First, it only goes up to 8GB, but it also has an SD card slot that allows for memory expansion. Also, the interface isn't as "friendly" as that of the iPod, but that's going to be a hard feature to match in a Linux-compatible device. Another option is the TrekStor Vibez, which offers up to 12GB internal memory and a 22.5-hour battery life. The 1.5-inch screen probably won't satisfy your eyes, though.Q: I use SanDisk flash-based MP3 players and like simple software for managing my CNET podcasts. Juice has been great for Windows XP, but I need a recommendation for Windows Vista. I don't want/need iTunes nor want to deal with the Zune software digital rights. So is there anything small and sleek for Vista you can suggest? -- Chris, via e-mailA: We don't use Vista yet here in the office, so I don't have a lot of personal experience with that operating system or the software that works on it, but I found a couple of potential programs by scouring forums. The first is Miro, which looks to have a nice, user-friendly interface and a lot of features, but it appears that it may be a bit more than what you are looking for. The other is Feedreader, which seems to be more simple and perhaps a lighter program. It states "Windows 2000 and newer" in the requirements, which may or may not include Vista.
A: Unfortunately, not many MP3 players are compatible with Linux, and perhaps even fewer use hard-drive-based memory nowadays--the iPod Classic is one of the few ultra-high-capacity players on the market today. Still, there are some worthwhile choices for those who use the Linux OS. The first brand to look to is Cowon. Based on your list of wants, I would go with the Cowon D2, which has a 2.5-inch touchscreen, a compact design, and a hugely impressive 50 hour battery life for audio. Its sound quality is noticeably superior to that of the iPod, and it has a nice, solid feel to it. There are two minor drawbacks to this player. First, it only goes up to 8GB, but it also has an SD card slot that allows for memory expansion. Also, the interface isn't as "friendly" as that of the iPod, but that's going to be a hard feature to match in a Linux-compatible device. Another option is the TrekStor Vibez, which offers up to 12GB internal memory and a 22.5-hour battery life. The 1.5-inch screen probably won't satisfy your eyes, though.Q: I use SanDisk flash-based MP3 players and like simple software for managing my CNET podcasts. Juice has been great for Windows XP, but I need a recommendation for Windows Vista. I don't want/need iTunes nor want to deal with the Zune software digital rights. So is there anything small and sleek for Vista you can suggest? -- Chris, via e-mailA: We don't use Vista yet here in the office, so I don't have a lot of personal experience with that operating system or the software that works on it, but I found a couple of potential programs by scouring forums. The first is Miro, which looks to have a nice, user-friendly interface and a lot of features, but it appears that it may be a bit more than what you are looking for. The other is Feedreader, which seems to be more simple and perhaps a lighter program. It states "Windows 2000 and newer" in the requirements, which may or may not include Vista.
Get Skip Tunes' play controls back in the menu bar
Get Skip Tunes' play controls back in the menu bar
I finally got around to updating Skip Tunes this week (unbeknownst to me, the update was released months ago) and discovered that the play/pause and fast forward buttons disappeared from the menu bar. Now, instead of one click to pause or skip to the next track, it took two: one to open the Skip Tunes window from the menu bar and a second to then pause or skip. (Granted, the controls could have been hidden by default in the previous version I have been using, but it's been so long since I installed the app, I can't remember. I just know that I was initially scared that, by updating the app, I had gotten rid of them in the process.)Thankfully, there is a way in settings to show these controls in the menu bar. To do so, click on the Skip Tunes icon in the menu bar to open the window. Mouse over the album art to show the play controls in this window. Next, click the settings button and choose Preferences.Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNETFrom the Preferences window, check the box at the top for Display controls in menu bar. Now, next to the music-note icon for Skip Tunes in the menu bar, you'll see a play/pause button and another to skip to the next track. If you are new to the app, then I should point out that you can choose the default music app from the settings drop-down menu: iTunes, Rdio, or Spotify. This means that if you have more than one of these apps open, Skip Tunes will let you control the app you selected as the default. Otherwise, it will let you control any of the three if it's the only one running. In related news, Skip Tunes now provides a shuffle button. Play/pause and skip forward buttons back in their rightful and useful place in the menu bar.Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNETLastly, the price has gone up from 99 cents from when I first found it to $2.99. The update for previous users, of course, is free. To get a sense of Skip Tunes in action before making a purchase decision, I submit to you a video from the developer:
I finally got around to updating Skip Tunes this week (unbeknownst to me, the update was released months ago) and discovered that the play/pause and fast forward buttons disappeared from the menu bar. Now, instead of one click to pause or skip to the next track, it took two: one to open the Skip Tunes window from the menu bar and a second to then pause or skip. (Granted, the controls could have been hidden by default in the previous version I have been using, but it's been so long since I installed the app, I can't remember. I just know that I was initially scared that, by updating the app, I had gotten rid of them in the process.)Thankfully, there is a way in settings to show these controls in the menu bar. To do so, click on the Skip Tunes icon in the menu bar to open the window. Mouse over the album art to show the play controls in this window. Next, click the settings button and choose Preferences.Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNETFrom the Preferences window, check the box at the top for Display controls in menu bar. Now, next to the music-note icon for Skip Tunes in the menu bar, you'll see a play/pause button and another to skip to the next track. If you are new to the app, then I should point out that you can choose the default music app from the settings drop-down menu: iTunes, Rdio, or Spotify. This means that if you have more than one of these apps open, Skip Tunes will let you control the app you selected as the default. Otherwise, it will let you control any of the three if it's the only one running. In related news, Skip Tunes now provides a shuffle button. Play/pause and skip forward buttons back in their rightful and useful place in the menu bar.Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNETLastly, the price has gone up from 99 cents from when I first found it to $2.99. The update for previous users, of course, is free. To get a sense of Skip Tunes in action before making a purchase decision, I submit to you a video from the developer:
Get over 100 free songs from Google Music
Get over 100 free songs from Google Music
Usually when I see the words "free music," I expect a smattering of indie tracks from artists I've never heard of. And that's exactly what I expected from Google Music's free songs promotion on Android Market.Boy, was I wrong.Google Music is giving away more than 100 tunes from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, Busta Rhymes, Modest Mouse, John Mayer, Elvis Presley, and Kenny Chesney.Don't have an Android smartphone or tablet? No problem. As long as you have a Google Music account, you can download all the tracks you want.The songs are divided into four categories: country, pop/hip-hop, rock, and a free songs sampler. There's about 150 tracks between them, but because there's some overlap, the total is closer to 100.Want to listen to a song before "buying" it? Just click the play button that appears when you mouse over the track number. If you decide to keep it, click the Free button, then follow the prompts.Alas, there's no way to grab all the songs in one fell swoop; you have to "buy" them individually, one at a time. Each time you do, the song gets added to your Google Music library, where you can listen to it in your browser or on your Android smartphone or tablet. You also have the option of downloading it to your PC (where you can add it to, say, iTunes).I'm not sure how long Google's planning to run this promotion, but the good news is that whatever songs you add to your Google Music library are yours to keep forever.So, what's worth getting? My top picks: "Let It Be" by Bill Withers, "Wonderwall" by Oasis, "Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five for Fighting, and "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. (Yeah, I have eclectic tastes.) Hit the comments and let me know which freebies you're grooving to.
Usually when I see the words "free music," I expect a smattering of indie tracks from artists I've never heard of. And that's exactly what I expected from Google Music's free songs promotion on Android Market.Boy, was I wrong.Google Music is giving away more than 100 tunes from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, Busta Rhymes, Modest Mouse, John Mayer, Elvis Presley, and Kenny Chesney.Don't have an Android smartphone or tablet? No problem. As long as you have a Google Music account, you can download all the tracks you want.The songs are divided into four categories: country, pop/hip-hop, rock, and a free songs sampler. There's about 150 tracks between them, but because there's some overlap, the total is closer to 100.Want to listen to a song before "buying" it? Just click the play button that appears when you mouse over the track number. If you decide to keep it, click the Free button, then follow the prompts.Alas, there's no way to grab all the songs in one fell swoop; you have to "buy" them individually, one at a time. Each time you do, the song gets added to your Google Music library, where you can listen to it in your browser or on your Android smartphone or tablet. You also have the option of downloading it to your PC (where you can add it to, say, iTunes).I'm not sure how long Google's planning to run this promotion, but the good news is that whatever songs you add to your Google Music library are yours to keep forever.So, what's worth getting? My top picks: "Let It Be" by Bill Withers, "Wonderwall" by Oasis, "Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five for Fighting, and "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. (Yeah, I have eclectic tastes.) Hit the comments and let me know which freebies you're grooving to.
iOS ups lead over Android in Web traffic, says analyst
iOS ups lead over Android in Web traffic, says analyst
Android may be the smartphone champ, but Apple's iOS is tops in mobile Web traffic, at least according to a report out today from analyst Gene Munster.For the second month in a row, iOS held the lead over its rival as a source of mobile traffic, meaning that more iOS devices were tracked on the Web sites examined in the report. For April, iOS captured 69 percent of all the traffic analyzed by Piper Jaffray, leaving Android in second place with 26.5 percent.Those numbers showed an increase from March when iOS accounted for 66.4 percent and Android for 28.7 percent.So if Android is the dominant smartphone platform, why does iOS surpass it in Web traffic? Munster offered three possible reasons.First, the report covered just the United States. With the iPhone winning 80 percent of all smartphone sales at AT&T and just under 60 percent at Verizon last quarter, the analyst considers iOS the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.Second, Munster believes that iOS users are more "engaged" with their phones than are Android users on a daily basis.Third, the report encompassed both smartphones and tablets. Munster thinks that tablets yield more Web traffic than do smartphones. As such, the iPad's chunk of mobile Web traffic is greater than that of all Android tablets.The data hardly offers a full picture of overall Web traffic. The report itself looked at just 10 of the top 100 mobile Web sites, which included Answers.com, Tumblr, ChaCha, Examiner, LinkedIn, Bleacher Report, Hubpages, White Pages, Squidoo, and Dictionary.com.Still, other reports have uncovered similar results. A December report from Web analytics firm Chitika pegged iOS's share of mobile traffic at 67 percent and Android's at 33 percent.
Android may be the smartphone champ, but Apple's iOS is tops in mobile Web traffic, at least according to a report out today from analyst Gene Munster.For the second month in a row, iOS held the lead over its rival as a source of mobile traffic, meaning that more iOS devices were tracked on the Web sites examined in the report. For April, iOS captured 69 percent of all the traffic analyzed by Piper Jaffray, leaving Android in second place with 26.5 percent.Those numbers showed an increase from March when iOS accounted for 66.4 percent and Android for 28.7 percent.So if Android is the dominant smartphone platform, why does iOS surpass it in Web traffic? Munster offered three possible reasons.First, the report covered just the United States. With the iPhone winning 80 percent of all smartphone sales at AT&T and just under 60 percent at Verizon last quarter, the analyst considers iOS the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.Second, Munster believes that iOS users are more "engaged" with their phones than are Android users on a daily basis.Third, the report encompassed both smartphones and tablets. Munster thinks that tablets yield more Web traffic than do smartphones. As such, the iPad's chunk of mobile Web traffic is greater than that of all Android tablets.The data hardly offers a full picture of overall Web traffic. The report itself looked at just 10 of the top 100 mobile Web sites, which included Answers.com, Tumblr, ChaCha, Examiner, LinkedIn, Bleacher Report, Hubpages, White Pages, Squidoo, and Dictionary.com.Still, other reports have uncovered similar results. A December report from Web analytics firm Chitika pegged iOS's share of mobile traffic at 67 percent and Android's at 33 percent.
iOS continues to top Android in mobile Web traffic
iOS continues to top Android in mobile Web traffic
Android holds the dominant market share in the U.S., but Apple's iOS is tops at generating mobile Web traffic, according to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster.Tracking data across 70 different mobile Web site, Munster's team found that iOS's slice of traffic rose 2.6 percent over the past four weeks, giving it a 63 percent share. Over the same time, Android's cut rose 0.2 percent to give it a 28 percent share.In an investors note released Monday, the analyst cited three reasons why he thinks Apple leads in mobile traffic.Pointing to iOS's 80 percent share of smartphone sales in the first quarter through AT&T and 50 percent in the second quarter via Verizon, Munster said he believes iOS is the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.The analyst also feels that iOS users are "more engaged" with their phones than are Android users. Finally, iOS's share is boosted by tablets, which are likely to snag more Web traffic than do smartphones, says Munster. And Apple's iPad still holds the market lead over Android tablets.So, is iOS now the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.? Not according to other research reports, at least the latest ones available.Android won 52 percent of all U.S. smartphone sales from March through April, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said on July 8. Over the same time, iOS earned 41.9 percent of those sales. For the three months ending May, ComScore pegged Android with a 52 percent market share and iOS with 39 percent.
Android holds the dominant market share in the U.S., but Apple's iOS is tops at generating mobile Web traffic, according to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster.Tracking data across 70 different mobile Web site, Munster's team found that iOS's slice of traffic rose 2.6 percent over the past four weeks, giving it a 63 percent share. Over the same time, Android's cut rose 0.2 percent to give it a 28 percent share.In an investors note released Monday, the analyst cited three reasons why he thinks Apple leads in mobile traffic.Pointing to iOS's 80 percent share of smartphone sales in the first quarter through AT&T and 50 percent in the second quarter via Verizon, Munster said he believes iOS is the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.The analyst also feels that iOS users are "more engaged" with their phones than are Android users. Finally, iOS's share is boosted by tablets, which are likely to snag more Web traffic than do smartphones, says Munster. And Apple's iPad still holds the market lead over Android tablets.So, is iOS now the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S.? Not according to other research reports, at least the latest ones available.Android won 52 percent of all U.S. smartphone sales from March through April, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said on July 8. Over the same time, iOS earned 41.9 percent of those sales. For the three months ending May, ComScore pegged Android with a 52 percent market share and iOS with 39 percent.
iOS 7.1.1 untethered jailbreak revealed in new video
iOS 7.1.1 untethered jailbreak revealed in new video
The latest version of Apple's iOS has successfully been jailbroken, as seen in a new video that surfaced on Wednesday.Popping up on YouTube, a new video posted by iPhone security expert Stefan Esser (aka i0n1c) takes us on a tour of an iPhone 5C running iOS 7.1.1 as he taps into various iOS apps and features. The tour includes a trip to the Cydia suite, which jailbreakers use to tweak their device and download apps not available through or approved by Apple.Esser then goes on to shut down and power up the phone, after which he's still able to access Cydia, evidence that the jailbreak is untethered and still in full force after restarting the device. Jailbreaking an iPhone 5C shows that the process works on one of Apple's latest phones.Video proof of an iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak actually surfaced a few days ago, as reported by Redmond Pie. Fellow iPhone security expert and hacker "winocm" posted a video demoing an untethered jailbreak of an iPhone 4 last Saturday.In just a few months, though, iOS hackers will likely turn their attention away from iOS 7 and toward iOS 8. Apple is expected to take the wraps off the upcoming new version of iOS at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 2. Assuming Apple follows the same pattern as last year, we should see iOS 8 roll out in September.Apple is hardly a fan of jailbreaking and has warned users that the practice violates the end-user license. But the company apparently is a fan of some of the talent behind jailbreaking. Hacker winocm has reportedly landed a job with Apple to start later this year, Cult of Mac and other sites said in February.(Via Redmond Pie)
The latest version of Apple's iOS has successfully been jailbroken, as seen in a new video that surfaced on Wednesday.Popping up on YouTube, a new video posted by iPhone security expert Stefan Esser (aka i0n1c) takes us on a tour of an iPhone 5C running iOS 7.1.1 as he taps into various iOS apps and features. The tour includes a trip to the Cydia suite, which jailbreakers use to tweak their device and download apps not available through or approved by Apple.Esser then goes on to shut down and power up the phone, after which he's still able to access Cydia, evidence that the jailbreak is untethered and still in full force after restarting the device. Jailbreaking an iPhone 5C shows that the process works on one of Apple's latest phones.Video proof of an iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak actually surfaced a few days ago, as reported by Redmond Pie. Fellow iPhone security expert and hacker "winocm" posted a video demoing an untethered jailbreak of an iPhone 4 last Saturday.In just a few months, though, iOS hackers will likely turn their attention away from iOS 7 and toward iOS 8. Apple is expected to take the wraps off the upcoming new version of iOS at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 2. Assuming Apple follows the same pattern as last year, we should see iOS 8 roll out in September.Apple is hardly a fan of jailbreaking and has warned users that the practice violates the end-user license. But the company apparently is a fan of some of the talent behind jailbreaking. Hacker winocm has reportedly landed a job with Apple to start later this year, Cult of Mac and other sites said in February.(Via Redmond Pie)
iOS 7, OS X banners spotted at WWDC preshow setup
iOS 7, OS X banners spotted at WWDC preshow setup
In case it wasn't clear that Apple planned to show off the next major version of iOS and OS X at next week's WWDC, there are now banners for both.Spotted by MacStories on Friday, a very simple and minimal banner with colored "7" on it set against what looks much like the dotted aluminum found on the Mac Pro tower. Apple later put up one for OS X, which simply says "X" with a wave on it. Apple typically keeps some banners hidden ahead of official announcements at WWDC, though had ones for major new versions of iOS and iCloud in recent years.9to5Mac has also posted a handful of better photos of the banners, which have gone up in the entry area to Moscone West:9to5Mac / Andrew Stern9to5MacApple began decorating the venue for next week's show on Wednesday, wrapping the outside of the three story building with enormous Apple logos, and color banners. The annual conference is the company's largest event, and sold out in less than two minutes this year. Monday's press conference, where the company has promised a first look at both pieces of software, kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. You can tune in to the live blog here:CNET's live coverage of Apple's WWDC 2013 keynoteUpdate, at 12:14 p.m. PT: Notes the OS X banner going up as well.Update at 1:30 p.m. PT: Here are some shots we snapped that show a closer view of the two (click to enlarge):Josh Lowensohn/CNETJosh Lowensohn/CNETApple sets the stage for WWDC (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 18NextPrev
In case it wasn't clear that Apple planned to show off the next major version of iOS and OS X at next week's WWDC, there are now banners for both.Spotted by MacStories on Friday, a very simple and minimal banner with colored "7" on it set against what looks much like the dotted aluminum found on the Mac Pro tower. Apple later put up one for OS X, which simply says "X" with a wave on it. Apple typically keeps some banners hidden ahead of official announcements at WWDC, though had ones for major new versions of iOS and iCloud in recent years.9to5Mac has also posted a handful of better photos of the banners, which have gone up in the entry area to Moscone West:9to5Mac / Andrew Stern9to5MacApple began decorating the venue for next week's show on Wednesday, wrapping the outside of the three story building with enormous Apple logos, and color banners. The annual conference is the company's largest event, and sold out in less than two minutes this year. Monday's press conference, where the company has promised a first look at both pieces of software, kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. You can tune in to the live blog here:CNET's live coverage of Apple's WWDC 2013 keynoteUpdate, at 12:14 p.m. PT: Notes the OS X banner going up as well.Update at 1:30 p.m. PT: Here are some shots we snapped that show a closer view of the two (click to enlarge):Josh Lowensohn/CNETJosh Lowensohn/CNETApple sets the stage for WWDC (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 18NextPrev
Apple aims at reimagining vehicle owner's manuals
Apple might be taking a stab at a new way to access vehicle owners manuals.The US Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday published a patent application from Apple called "Identifying and Presenting Information Based on Unique Vehicle Identifier." According to the patent application, the technology would would identify all parts and part numbers in a car and beam that to a person's iPhone or iPad. With GPS technology included, it would also inform the car owner of the nearest dealership or car parts retailer to get the needed part.To add a bit more flavor to the technology, Apple says that the invention could also provide video instructions to drivers on how to fix issues whenever something goes wrong. Siri might also be used as a tool to communicate manual information to the driver.Patently Apple earlier reported on the application.Apple has been making a mad dash for the car market as of late. Just recently, the company unveiled CarPlay, a service that will be integrated into cars and allow vehicle makers to provide Apple's iTunes, Messages, and Siri experiences in-car.The patent application published Thursday doesn't mention CarPlay, due in large part to it being invented before Apple unveiled its in-car service. It's feasible, however, that the technology would work with CarPlay if the technology ever finds its way into vehicles.
Apple agrees to pollution audit in China, report says
Apple will participate in a jointly monitored audit with the Institute of Public and Environment Affairs to look into the pollution controls at factories owned by an Apple supply partner in China.The Financial Times reported on Sunday that Apple appears to be taking more interest in addressing environmental concerns in its supply chain and has agreed to subject its partner--a maker of printed circuit boards--to an inspection of the latter's operations in the "next few weeks."Ma Jun, a director at the China-based institute, told the news agency that Apple's agreeing to the audit was representative of an attitude change within the organization. The change began last September after an institutereport showed pollution discharges were "expanding and spreading" in Apple's supply chain. "One Apple vice president said that transparency was needed, and I felt that was the moment they decided they wanted to change the way they were doing things," he said.Read more of "Report: Apple agrees to pollution audit" on ZDNet Asia.
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