Report: Apple to open up Siri to developers, release an Amazon Echo competitor
Remember when we said that Siri was becoming boring and stale in the face of impressive AI advancements from the likes of Google, Viv and Amazon? Well, perhaps we spoke too soon. According to a new report from The Information, Apple is finally ready to let Siri grow up.
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A prototype iPhone 6 is selling for $50,000 on eBay
These days, an iPhone 6 in half-decent condition sells for about $400. So why exactly are people willing to pay upwards of $50,000 for an older, weirder iPhone 6?
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Yes, you can buy the Chewbacca mom’s Chewbacca mask on Amazon right now
Candance Payne’s “Chewbacca mom” video is easily our favorite viral sensation of the year so far. First, it’s hilarious. Second, Payne seems like she’s perhaps one of the most likable people on the planet. And third, her laugh is without question the most amazing and infectious laugh that has ever swept the web. Her video on Facebook now had nearly 142 million views at the time of this writing and if you somehow haven’t seen it yet, here’s a link to watch it and welcome back to Earth.
Of course if you’re like us, you were left with one important question: Where can I get that awesome Chewbacca mask for myself?
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A look at Google’s wild plan to kill the password
Every time there’s a large scale data breach, we’re reminded how little thought and creativity people use when coming up with their passwords. In in the wake of LinkedIn’s 2012 data breach, for example, we learned that hundreds of thousands of people were using “password” as their password. A good number of users were also found to be using the password LinkedIn.
In an effort to combat people’s predilection for choosing horribly insecure passwords, Google has come with an interesting new solution called a “Trust Score” designed to replace passwords altogether. Trust Score, in a broad sense, is effectively a continuation of Project Abacus which Google first introduced last year.
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The CEO of Google is an unashamed iPhone user
It normally shouldn’t matter what smartphone a person chooses to use, but when the executive chairperson of one of the biggest tech conglomerates in the world says they use a product from the competition, well, it kind of does. In this case, we’re looking at former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, currently the executive chairman of Alphabet, the little company that’s the owner of Google. He apparently uses an iPhone 6s, Apple’s latest and greatest. He admitted his iPhone-using-ways during an interview, but still professed a little love for Samsung.
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The modular iPhone is here, and it’s ugly as hell
Modular phones are in vogue this year: Google’s pushing ahead with plans for its own handset with interchangeable cameras and speakers, while LG has already made a stab at things with its G5. You’d be right in thinking that Apple isn’t going to make its own modular iPhone any time soon. But luckily, case maker Otterbox is on hand with the Universe case, which offers attachments for everything from tripods to lenses to flash storage.
Unfortunately, it’s also unspeakably ugly.
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Welcome to the future: Video shows Tesla driver sleeping at the wheel while Autopilot drives
Tesla’s Autopilot feature is awesome, and it’ll surely be a great way to “drive” your car once self-driving cars are regulated, and once Tesla deploys a more advanced version of its software. However, people driving Tesla cars should remember that Autopilot is in beta right now. That means drivers should still keep their eyes on the road and be ready to take control on a whim. It almost definitely does not mean that you can fall asleep behind the wheel and let Autopilot do its thing — we’re definitely not there yet.
But that’s exactly one driver did, and someone recorded it on video.
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The true story behind one of the Internet’s most famous memes
While some Internet memes have a tendency to burst onto the scene like an exploding star before fizzling out just as quickly, the meme of Michael Jordan crying has taken the opposite route. What initially started out as a niche and rather obscure meme known only to hardcore sports fans has slowly but surely grown in popularity over the past few years, and especially over the last few months.
And because it’s often hard to pinpoint why or how certain memes sweep over the Internet like a tidal wave while others quickly fade into memory, 2 Point Lead over the weekend ventured to set the record straight. With assistance from ESPN’s Jay Williams, DJ Gallo of SportsPickle, and AP photographer Stephan Savoia — the man who took the now-ubiquitous photo, 2 Point Lead gives us a behind the scenes tour of how the original photo was taken and how it eventually grew into an Internet phenomenon.
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High-resolution renders show us what the iPhone 7 Plus will probably look like
Many iPhone 7 buyers are already disappointed that Apple’s 2016 smartphone line will apparently look almost exactly the same as last year’s iPhones, thanks to the plethora of leaks we’ve seen so far. In case you missed it, this leak is probably our first look at a real iPhone 7. Numerous schematics have also firmed up the idea that the iPhone 7 will be a more refined version of the iPhone 6s, but not a radical design overhaul – and that’s really not a bad thing, no matter how bored you might be with smart rectangles with touchscreens.
But schematics and leaked components don’t tell the whole story. Thankfully, high-resolution renders and a video created using the information in these iPhone 7 leaks have come to the rescue, offering us a sneak peek of what the iPhone 7 will almost certainly end up looking like.
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Today’s big Amazon sale knocks 30% off a crazy levitating speaker
By now you’ve probably seen images and videos of the ICE Portable Wireless Floating Bluetooth Speaker around the internet, and you’ve probably thought to yourself that it looks pretty cool. For $150 though, it can be a tall order. Well believe it or not, that crazy floating orb actually pumps out some pretty decent sound, and the glowing blue lights add another nifty feature that sets this speaker apart. But if $150 is still too much for you, we’ve got some good news: On Tuesday only, Amazon is selling this cool levitating speaker for just $105 with free express shipping.
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