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Facebook, Google and others come together to set benchmarks for AI
A consortium of 40 tech companies, including the likes of Facebook and Google, have come together to release a set of evaluation benchmarks for AI. By measuring AI products against these benchmarks, companies in the field will be able to identify optimal product solutions and, according to the consortium, MLPerf, "take confidence" that they're deploying the right solutions.
Samsung projects record high profit for Q3 2018
Samsung had a less-than-stellar second quarter after the Galaxy S9 failed to keep its profit growth on pace, but the third quarter marks a return to form for the Korean tech giant. In fact, it expects to post record profits for Q3 2018. In its guidance report, the company said it estimates its consolidated operating profit to reach 17.5 trillion Korean won (US$15.5 billion) and its consolidated sales to reach 65 trillion won (US$57.5 billion). That's around 20 percent more than the 14.53 trillion Korean won profit it posted for the second quarter and could be a record high for the corporation.
ACLU urges devs to safeguard users with anti-snooping measures
Apple recently announced that it was closing the loophole that allows authorities into iPhones via the charging and data port. The company said it wasn't trying to defy police, but rather deter criminals and spies who aren't bound by privacy laws. However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) believes that government requests for personal data still represents a significant security risk to users, and is launching a guide for software developers to help them make more informed decisions about protecting the integrity of software update channels.
Bloomberg: Samsung's chip biz was still its top earner in Q1 2018
Samsung took over Intel's throne as the biggest chipmaker by revenue in the last quarter of 2017, and it isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The Korean conglomerate has released its earnings guidance for Q1 2018, and while the figures include Galaxy S9 sales, Bloomberg says it's mostly thanks to its chip business that its profit is expected to be higher than projected. Samsung's chip division is reportedly responsible for the largest portion of its profit from January to March. It estimates its profit to be around 15.6 trillion Korean won (US$14.7 billion), up a few hundred million from Q4 2017.
EU tells tech companies to curb hate speech or face consequences
The European Union (EU) has proposed a raft of new measures to tackle online hate speech, telling social media companies that they can expect legal consequences if they don't get rid of illegal content on their platforms. Despite companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google pledging to do more to fight racist and violent posts, the European Commission says they're not acting fast enough, and that it's prepared to initiate a rigorous framework to hold them to account.
HTC won't talk about its own future any more
A few months ago, we suggested that HTC could be the first really big Android manufacturer to go to the wall. In the wake of the firm's most recent update on its financial health, we're not really able to say anything different. The firm has posted a $138.6 million loss for the last three months, which is better than the $265 million it ate in the previous quarter, but still a loss. That may not, however, be the most troubling issue for the firm since, during its investors call, it announced that it would no longer publish guidance on its future performance.
Samsung makes $7.4 billion in Q3 profits, surpasses expectations
Samsung set the bar a little lower than the final mark when it told investors its expectations earlier this month, posting $7.4 billion in operating profits for Q3 and $5.97 billion in net income. This handily bests the $7.28 billion profit it told investors to expect, nearly doubling what it made over the same period last year. Why the jump? You can blame the Galaxy S III, which increased shipments "significantly due to global expansion," the company says. Indeed, smartphone sales are credited to Sammy's quarter over quarter leap in revenue. Consumer electronics sales also boosted profits a fair deal, achieving "industry leading profitability" in the TV market, according to Samsung, who cited growth both in the consumer space, and in the sales of OLED panels for televisions, tablets and high-end smartphones. The company's semiconductor sales, on the other hand, dropped by eight-percent in the face of weak PC demands. Samsung expects demand for PC DRAM and other high value-added chip products to remain weak, but optimistically notes that the sector is still profitable, and may pick up as new devices come to market. Got the basics? Great -- dive into the details and charts at the source link below, or read on for Sammy's official Q3 press release.
Samsung expects around $7.28 billion in operating profits for Q3, setting another record
Samsung has provided investors guidance ahead of its full Q3 earnings report that's due before October 26th, and as has been the custom, the numbers are huge. It's expecting a fourth straight record quarter with overall operating profit of 8.1 trillion won ($7.28 billion), an amount that would more than double last year's results for the same period and clear Q2s $5.86 billion, all on sales of 52 trillion won ($46 billion). We'll have to wait for the full report to see numbers broken down by department, but it's safe to say that there's a lot of Galaxy S IIIs (it ticked past 20 million last month) adding up to reach that pinnacle. Reuters and Bloomberg have predictions from various analysts on how many handsets, RAM chips and flat-panel HDTVs were sold, but if its legal battle with Apple ends in the worst-case scenario, at least we figure Samsung will have enough left over to keep the lights on.
Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin
I've sung praises about it for years, but it seems like only now the industry is getting on the same train of thought. It could be my unnatural adoration of travel, or just an entirely healthy fear of getting lost, but offline navigation has long since been a top priority for me when choosing a mobile device. Or, more importantly, a mobile operating system. For the longest while, iOS forced my hand to Android due to Google Maps Navigation being available only on the latter, and while even that wasn't offline, it still far surpassed any other routing app in terms of system integration, map updates and general silkiness. Even dating back to our 2010 mobile GPS shootout, Nokia has been a player. At that time, it was the outfit's Ovi Maps leading the pack, offering the only legitimate offline solution amongst a legion of ho-hum alternatives that required bits of data to keep you on track. But frankly, there wasn't a Symbian device in Nokia's stable that could show up my Nexus One in terms of overall utility, so begrudgingly, I pushed it aside. Eventually, Google came around and added caching to routes, which effectively downloaded all routing guidance along your path as soon as you plugged in a destination. The killer, however, was that it wouldn't take too kindly to veering far from that path should you ever drop signal. Close, but no cigar. Fast forward to today, and we've got Google Maps already working in offline mode for Android 2.2+ devices. Furthermore, the company's Brian McClendon confessed to us at its June 2012 'Maps' event that it's "committed" to bringing all of the app's features to iOS (and potentially other platforms). But in my haste to find something in the here and now, I recently turned to the Lumia 900 for guidance. Literally. Back in late March, the Lumia-exclusive Nokia Drive application gained full offline access, and I sought to use the handset exclusively to navigate a 1,900-mile trek through some of America's most remote locales. How'd it go? Join us after the break to find out. %Gallery-159721%
The Daily Grind: Should games offer a midpoint between pre-made builds and completely free builds?
There are a lot of different ways you can put together a character in certain games. The Secret World offers players a huge number of different options by virtue of its skill wheel, RIFT gives players several souls to choose between, and Champions Online lets you cherry-pick from a huge pool of powers. Most of these games also offer you some pre-made builds to give you a sense of how the game is supposed to work, something to start you down the path of making your own build. Unfortunately, as soon as you decide to step off the pre-made train, these games throw up their hands and declare that you're entirely on your own. There are no suggestions based on what you've picked thus far, it's either fully pre-made or fully freeform. Should these games offer something in the middle so that you can have some extra guidance if you want it? Or should they let you live or die by your decisions if you decide you want to go off the rails anyway? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
MapQuest picks TomTom Maps to power iPhone and Android turn-by-turn navigation apps
Still trying to figure out which way to turn when it comes to on-phone navigation? How's about a free option to ponder? MapQuest's gratis iPhone and Android programs are set to get a heck of a lot better, and soon. The company just announced that TomTom would become its maps provider, enabling it to provide coverage for more than 7.5 million miles of roads across North America. Interestingly, it seems that TomTom is finding new life after the death of the PND (personal navigation device) in software; just last month, Apple knighted TomTom to power its own internal Maps app, which is set to debut with iOS 6.
Google brings five California-based US National Parks into Street View
Taking a virtual tour of the Amazon or Antarctica? Totally doable with Street View. But some of America's finest National Parks? Yeah, those have been a long time coming. Today, Google announced the inclusion of five California-based US National Parks in Street View, and for those who haven't had the opportunity (of a lifetime) to visit, they're absolutely worth a look. Starting at the top, Redwoods National Park provides a street level look at some of the world's most mysterious trees, while those looking for even more Treebeard-type characters can point their browser to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Naturally, Yosemite and Joshua Tree (shown above) are included as well, and the 360-degree views Google's cadre of motorcars managed to capture really do a fairly astounding job at capturing the splendor. The toughest part? Knowing which one to traverse first.
Google's Brian McClendon: 'committed' to bringing all of Maps' features to iOS, other platforms
There was a Google event today, but you'd hardly know it based on the Q&A session. Question and question was hurled at Brian McClendon -- Vice President of Engineering for Google Maps -- surrounding Apple. With discussion around Apple's desire to introduce a mapping system of its own in iOS 6 to unseat Google from its preloaded app selection, Brian fielded lots of inquiries on the matter. He did an admirable job of dodging the obviously asinine bits, but continued to impress upon the crowd that Google itself was "committed" to bringing all of the features in Maps -- 3D, offline, turn-by-turn, etc. -- to iOS and other platforms. That was largely in response to a question as to why Google Maps Navigation for Android was so superior to Maps on iOS, but honestly, it's hard to know where the truth sits. We've heard that politics have kept the two sides from coming to terms, but it's pretty clear that Google's more than happy to bring its world-class mapping platform to other mobile operating systems... so long as terms are agreeable, naturally. The good news is that 3D maps will be coming to Android and iOS "in the coming weeks," which makes one wonder if iOS 6 will be available for some time. As for offline on iOS? Your guess is as good as ours, but it sure sounds as if the ball's in Apple's court. Can't we just all play nice, guys? Relive the memories in our liveblog... right here!
Samsung expects to double Q1 profit versus last year, sends itself a love note
Sammy has issued guidance for its financial performance between January and March 2012, ahead of a fuller earnings report due later this month. In contrast to HTC's latest news, the Korean giant looks rosy enough -- it's predicting an operating profit of 5.8 trillion won ($5 billion), which is almost double the quarterly profit from last year. Overall revenues continued to grow steadily too, rising nearly 22 percent to 45 trillion won ($40 billion). We'll need to wait for more detail to see where the growth is coming from, but it'd be cheesily nice to think our affection for the Galaxy Note had something to do with it.
The Daily Grind: Who was your MMO mentor -- and whom did you mentor?
No matter how many years we have played MMOs, we shouldn't forget that we all had to start somewhere. Yes, we were all noobies once, floundering through our first days in an online game and aggroing everything in sight without understanding what "aggro" meant. We all needed help and guidance, and some of us got it in the form of a friendly mentor. This mentor showed us the ropes, taught us the slang, gave us resources so we weren't as vulnerable, and helped us get our game footing. Maybe it was a guild leader, a real-life friend or family member, or even a now-forgotten Gnome who took time out of her day to take pity on a greenhorn such as yourself. Later on as you gained more experience in the ways of the MMO, you had opportunities to mentor others in return. You heard the pleas from the advice channel, roped in a buddy to play the game, or taught a significant other about your hobby. The student became the teacher, and you found yourself explaining that mass-aggroing 20 mobs at once was not beneficial. So tell us: Who was your MMO mentor -- and whom did you mentor? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Netflix admits it will end up with fewer subscribers than predicted, shrinks DVD-only count
Back in July, after announcing it would decouple unlimited movie streaming from unlimited DVD rentals and charge more to keep both, Netflix predicted it would end up with 25 million subscribers at the end of Q3. This morning it advised investors that prediction has been slashed by 1 million, however most of that shortfall is predicted to come from fewer DVD-only customers than expected, which is expected to come up 800,000 short. While we'll still have to wait for the actual Q3 results to see how things pan out, the company still claims its projection of 12 million subscribers to both services is right on. While it backtracked on the total numbers, it also outlined its reasoning for raising prices by improving the DVD business, raising more cash to spend on streaming licensing and ultimately "remain price aggressive" and keep its individual offerings at $7.99 each. Much of the kicking and screaming online indicted Netflix's streaming library for failing to live up to the new price, anyone surprised many cutters seem to be coming from the DVD-only side?
Nokia lowers devices and services outlook for Q2, increasingly confident about first Windows Phone in Q4
You know what happens when you tell the world that you're abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone? Right, Symbian sales dry up. No matter how many times you boast about plans to sell an additional 150 million new Symbian devices, and no matter how long you commit to supporting Symbian devices, the OS is essentially dead to developers and consumers alike. So, we're not surprised to hear that Nokia just lowered its devices and services outlook for Q2 of 2011. The updated guidance calls for devices and services net sales to be substantially below the EUR 6.1 billion to EUR 6.6 billion expected in Q2 due to lower than expected average selling prices on lower volumes. It also sees margins drifting below the expected range of 6 percent to 9 percent due to lower than expected net sales -- Nokia expects its non-IFRS operating margin to be "around breakeven." As a result, Nokia is also pulling back its annual targets for 2011 and will provide further updates as its situation becomes more clear. On the positive side, Nokia does say that it has "increased confidence" that it will ship its first Windows Phone product in Q4 2011. Let's hope so. Update: Stephen Elop highlighted the influx of new Android devices in China and Europe as a primary factor for Nokia's revised outlook. During a conference can today, the Nokia CEO said, "It is the case that certain competitive forces, in particular Android, are really gaining momentum in certain regions."
Apple looking to 'radically improve' iOS Maps experience, may look to you for help
It's tough to read too much into this, but when Apple publishes a couple of job applications hoping to bring on folks who can "radically improve how people interact with maps and location-based services," we can't help but take note. The outfit's currently seeking a pair of full-timers to be labeled as iOS Maps Application Developers, and it's honing in on applicants with "excellent skills in object-oriented software design and programming." We've felt for awhile that Apple's built-in Maps application wasn't even comparable to Google Maps Navigation, but it could be time for that to change. Even now, iOS users need to fork out cash on a legitimate turn-by-turn app if they're hoping to navigate with the iPod touch or iPhone, but we can only hope that these applications are hinting at a more full-fledged internal program for the software's next major iteration.'Course, we're sure TomTom would beg to disagree...
TeleNav bringing hybrid navigation to GPS apps, eases reliance on data connection
If there's two things the world needs, it's a complete lack of international roaming charges, and GPS signals that never fade. Oh, and for Slash to not play the last Super Bowl with the Black Eyed Peas -- we suppose that makes three. At any rate, at least we're moving somewhat closer to a reality that solves the middle issue, with TeleNav announcing this week that it'll be implementing "hybrid navigation technology" into its apps (including the new iOS version) in the very near future. Post-implementation, TeleNav software will automatically cache maps and directions for routes you look up, and if you drop your mobile connection or GPS signal en route, you'll still be able to have a look at the original plan. 'Course, any deviations from the prescribed route will lead to endless frustration, but if you (or your 63 year old father) are familiar with following a paper map, you ought to be just fine. The company asserts that the new addition will be rolling out to "select applications" that it develops for carrier partners "in the near future," and you won't be ask to pay a dime more for the added convenience. Sometimes life's just too kind, eh? Update: TeleNav pinged us to say that its version will actually download full maps to the device (so you'll need a good chunk of free space), so you really won't suffer too much from not having a live connection. Also, the iPhone build is better known as AT&T Navigator v1.8i.
France fines Google €100,000 for Street View privacy violations, then mulls striking for no apparent reason
Ah, France. Land of beautiful beaches, a respectable railway system, and more unexplained delays and work stoppages than anywhere else in the developed world. Oh, and a primary airport that forces you to use "tickets" to buy food from certain vendors and refuses to complete a CDG -> JFK flight on schedule. Gripes aside, it seems that at least one thing is getting done today over in The country of the Human Rights, with France's data protection regulator confirming a record €100,000 fine sent over to Google in relation to improper data collection during its Street View sweeps. Granted, El Le Goog has run into privacy issues before on this very matter, but none quite as ginormous as these. The National Commission for Computing and Civil Liberties claims that the company's infractions include "collecting passwords and email transferred wirelessly," and its highest ever fined has been levied due to the "economic advantages Google gained from these violations." We're told that the company has two months to appeal the penalty, but as of now, it seems as if Google's frightened to make any comment at all in English. Thank heavens for Translate, right?
