Important announcements
Microsoft is shutting down Windows App Studio
Microsoft has announced that Windows App Studio will be closed down on 1 December 2017. The development platform will be replaced by new Windows Template Studio. Windows App Studio was a free, online app-creation tool. It was used for creating Windows Universal Apps that could be extended and compiled with Visual Studio and submitted to the Windows Dev Center.
You can read more here.
Baidu is expanding its AI efforts with the acquisition of Kitt.ai
Kitt.ai is a startup based in Seattle that has developed a framework to build and power chatbots and voice-based applications across multiple platforms and devices. In a blog post, Kitt.ai co-founder Xuchen Yao said joining Baidu will allow the company to bring its technology to more developers using machine learning and natural language processing technologies in their products.
More info are available here.
Apple may invest in LG Display’s OLED plant
Even though Samsung remains the world’s biggest supplier of OLED panels and will supply Apple with aproximately to 92 million OLED screens over the next two years, a new report unveiled that Apple is looking to invest $1.75-2.62 billion into LG Display’s OLED manufacturing. Specifically, Apple and LG Display are said to be considering a deal that would funnel Apple’s investment into LG Display’s new “E6” OLED plant, which would be “exclusively dedicated to Apple orders”.
You can read more here.
Top new products
Galaxy S8 Active
Galaxy S8 Active will have the Snapdragon 835 processor and a 12MP primary camera. It will come with 5.4 inch display, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage space.
More info here.
HTC Ocean Life
The phone will have a 5.2-inch full HD display and 16-megapixel cameras on both the front and back. It comes with a 2,600mAh battery, Bluetooth 5 and Android Nougat 7.1.1.
More info here.
Hydrogen One
Hydrogen One will have a 5.7-inch “hydrogen holographic display” and will run the Android operating system. It will come with a modular camera unit that users can switch out with various camera modules for “higher-quality motion and still images”.
More info here.
Top interesting info
The english version of Bixby is not ready for English speakers because Samsung needs more data
A spokesperson from Samsung told the Korea Herald that the company just doesn’t have enough “big data” to make its AI-powered voice assistant available in languages besides Korean. Apart from lack of accumulated big data, Samsung is also facing other challenges in developing the English version of Bixby like geographical and language barriers between Samsung’s Korean headquarters and researchers in California.
You can read more here.
Kaspersky offers its source code to the United States authorities
Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky Lab, is willing to turn over computer code to United States authorities to prove that his company’s security products have not been compromised by the Russian government. Kaspersky used to work with the FBI on matters of cyber security, but that relationship seems to have ended.
More info can be found here.
John McAfee has settled a lawsuit against Intel over the right to use his name
John McAfee, the creator of eponymous antivirus computer software, has settled a lawsuit against Intel over his right to use his name on other projects after Intel bought his former company. Under the settlement, McAfee agreed not to use his name, trademark his name or the phrase “John McAfee Privacy Phone,” or use “John McAfee Global Technologies” in connection with cybersecurity and security-related products and services.
You can read more here.
