Voice assistant 'Nina' lets any app obey your commands, makes speech your password

Voice recognition technology from Nuance is all over the place -- in everything from Smart TVs to Beemers. But today, in response to the growth of device-specific voice assistants like Siri and S-Voice, the company wants to take things down a different route: launching a mobile SDK for iOS and Android that any third-party app can employ. Baptized "Nina," the voice assistant won't only be able to understand instructions, but will also identify the speaker using vocal biometrics. That means Nina could potentially pay a bill, arrange a bank transfer, book a vacation or even interact with government services without ever requiring you to enter a password. The video after the break shows just how intimate things could get -- assuming you're able to find a spot where the two of you won't be overheard.

[Source: Engadget]

Next-gen Xiaomi Phone outed by certifications ahead of launch

Having seen the next-gen Xiaomi Phone's more colorful yet rejected designs, we're rather baffled by these dull-looking certification images of the real deal. According to a filing from the good old TENAA, this new device from Xiaomi goes by the codename "2012051" and packs WCDMA radio, but that's pretty much it in terms of specs. Eagle-eyed readers may have already spotted the striking resemblance to the original Xiaomi Phone (aka MI-One Plus), but it does get an extra front-facing camera and, for some reason, a smaller speaker grill on the back. But wait, there's more! We dug up two additional models in the China Compulsory Certificate database: there's the "2012052" also with WCDMA radio, plus the "2012053" with CDMA2000/WCDMA dual radio.

Bearing in mind that the current Xiaomi Phone has three variants, our guess is that its successor will follow a similar pattern: the WCDMA flavor may again have a 1.5GHz version followed by a slower and cheaper version (much like what the Youth Edition aka MI-One is to the MI-One Plus); and depending on Xiaomi's arrangements with China Unicom and China Telecom, the CDMA flavor for the latter may or may not be launched alongside its WCDMA cousin. Let's hope for the best when this alleged quad-core phone gets announced next Thursday.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung showcases Galaxy Note 10.1 features in introductory video

GALAXY Note 10.1 is outfitted with the functionality and precision of a pen and paper on a 10.1-inch-large-display, providing endless possibilities to elevate a user's creativity and productivity. 

Featuring an intuitive user experience and armed with superior hardware performance, GALAXY Note 10.1 is designed to simplify idea capturing, information access, and multi-tasking, making each easier and faster.

Could Birmingham Become ‘Britain’s Berlin’ For Tech?

Rolling into Birmingham on a train from London you’ll see what looks like a couple of derelict car parks and the odd flash of graffiti on the side of some disused building. Indeed, for this observer at least, Birmingham was almost reminiscent of Berlin, with its many concrete buildings and 60s architecture. On looks alone, it’s not hard to see how it gave birth to the bands Black Sabbath and Judas Priest.

But though the impression of a city that’s a little rough around the edges can work from some angles, the place has plenty to suggest it’s not quite ‘poor but sexy’ as Berlin has been described, especially when you realise the derelict building is earmarked with signage for development, and the carpark has the word “Temporary” on it.

[Source: To read the full article visit Tech Crunch]

HTC to launch 5-inch smartphone in September-October

HTC will step into the large-size smartphone segment by launching a flagship model with a 5-inch display featuring a resolution of 1794 by 1080 pixels in September-October, according to industry sources.  Samsung Electronics, which pioneered the development of the 5-inch segment, also plans to release a 5.5-inch model, the Galaxy Note II, at the end of August, the sources noted.  The brisk sales of Samsung's 5.3-inch Galaxy Note have attracted a number of vendors in Korea and China to venture into the large-size segment, noted the sources.  LG Electronics stepped into the segment by launching its 5-inch Optimus Vu in May 2012, and fellow company Pantech rolled out its second 5-inch model, the Vega S5, in July.  In China, Coolpad has launched two 5-inch models, the dual-SIM 9930 and 9900, while K-Touch has released the W710, which supports Alibaba cloud computing services.

[Source: DigiTimes]

Unannounced HP tablet glimpsed in official picture

HP's Make it Matter site features a shot of a medical-type person using a mysterious device that's the spitting image of one we saw in July. While the company's made no secret of its plans for a Windows 8 tablet, it's yet to confirm if this is the Slate 8 or some other unannounced flagship. Given the context, perhaps this is an enterprise offering designed for corporate customers, or it could just as easily be the fever-dream of a Madison Avenue art director. If it's real, we'd expect a release around October 26th along with the rest of the Windows 8 cohort.

[Source: Engadget]

Nokia rumored to announce Windows Phone 8 devices 'as early as' next month

Microsoft is expected to finalize its Windows Phone 8 software in September and recent reports suggest that Nokia may announce its first next-generation devices at the same time. Chinese site WPDang originally reported that Nokia will likely introduce two Lumia Windows Phone 8 handsets on September 5th, but Bloomberg is backing up the rumor somewhat. "A person with knowledge of the matter," has revealed to Bloomberg that Nokia may announce its Windows Phone 8 handsets "as early as" its Nokia World event next month.  

Although the release and finalization of any Windows Phone 8 handsets is largely down to Microsoft's own timelines, an early Nokia unveiling may help it gain some early mindshare amongst consumers waiting on Apple's latest smartphone. With a rumored next-generation iPhone unveiling on September 12th, Nokia and Microsoft might not have a long time to counter any expected moves by Apple to introduce new hardware features in its handset. Nokia is holding an invitation only event in Helsinki on September 5th and 6th for its operator and retail partners — where we might see the first details on new hardware.

[Source: The Verge]

Tweeting Truck Lands on Mars

Overcoming its “seven minutes of terror” — and winning the hearts of geeks worldwide — the 2,000 lb. NASA Curiosity Rover landed on Mars at 1:39am, early Monday morning EST.  “We’re on Mars again,” said the exhilirated NASA chief, Charles Bolden. “It’s just absolutely incredible. It doesn’t get any better than this.”  Much of the Twittersphere agreed with him — especially as the Curiosity Rover’s official account was live-tweeting the whole landing, writing in what you might well call the voice of the Internet. 

[Source: To read the full article visit Mashable]

New construction at Apple's North Carolina data center

Photos courtesy of Wired reveal that Apple's new "tactical" data center at its Maiden, North Carolina facility is well on its way to completion. Captured with the help of a decidedly low-tech airplane -- a 1949 Piper PA-11 Cub Special, if you must know -- the shots feature what appear to be the facade of the $1.9 million, 21,000 square-foot structure that was outed last month. The images also show glimpses of a second 20-megawatt photovoltaic array and what may be the foundations of the complex's planned 4.8-megawatt biofuel cell plant, which will convert biogas into electricity. With Apple's upcoming Reno project getting the rubber stamp of approval, it doesn't seem like the company will run out of construction projects any time soon. Click on through to the source link for the full set of pictures and analysis.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 available this month

 

The Galaxy Note 10.1 will finally arrive on store shelves internationally this month, Samsung has announced. The stylus-toting tablet has received hardware and software upgrades since we first saw it at Mobile World Congress in February, and now has a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor, 2GB of RAM and a jazzed up version of Samsung's TouchWiz UX. The tablet's chassis itself has also been upgraded since we first saw it in Barcelona, and now features a slot to hold that pressure-sensitive "S Pen."  In today's announcement the manufacturer also highlighted capabilities like the "S Note" note-taking app first seen on the original Galaxy Note, as well as the ability to run multiple apps on a single screen.

[Source: Android Central]

Detailed Photo Comparison of iPhone 4S and 'iPhone 5'

iPhone parts company ETrade Supply posts a detailed comparison [via iPhoneinCanada.ca] of the front panels of the iPhone 4S and what has been claimed to be the next-generation "iPhone 5". As with numerous other leaks, the new front panel shows a taller display and the FaceTime camera being moved to above the earpiece.   The blog post contains a number of images and a nearly 7-minute video comparing the two parts, showing that not only is the new part taller than the corresponding iPhone 4S part but it is also 0.1 mm thinner and offers more light transmittance and more scratch resistance than its counterpart. 

[Source: To read the full aricle visit Mac Rumors]

Galaxy Note 10.1 already shipping from Negri Electronics ahead of likely mid-August announcement

While Samsung hasn't exactly been forthcoming about the release date for the long-awaited Galaxy Note 10.1, high-end phone retailer Negri Electronics apparently has taken matters into its own hands. Despite the fact that Samsung has a "major Galaxy announcement" scheduled for mid-August, Customers can now drop $749.50 at the retailer to put in a pre-order for the device. According to the Negri Electronics Twitter account, orders will begin shipping today.

The white unlocked model up for sale includes both Wi-Fi and 3G connections, runs Android 4.0, has a resolution of 1280 x 800, and is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor — same as we heard way back in February when the Galaxy Note 10.1 was introduced at Mobile World Congress. It also looks identical to a model that leaked out just a few weeks ago. After a long five months and lots of new tablets on the market, our enthusiasm for this tablet may have diminished a bit — but it's still probably the most stylus-friendly option on the market. If you're interested, you can place an order now right here.

[Source: The Verge]