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BlackBerry Assistant officially introduced as part of BlackBerry 10.3, Siri et al likely not worried

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Mobile, Product Updates

blackberry
Canadian handset maker BlackBerry has officially introduced its virtual assistant for the BlackBerry 10.3 OS, and it’s called simply ‘BlackBerry Assistant’. Much like assistants on rival platforms, BlackBerry Assistant can do things like help you carry out simple tasks on the device (launching apps, sending messages, making calls etc.) using voice commands, as well as slightly more advanced things like searching email or calendars, or finding out what’s trending on Twitter, the company explained in a blog post today. It also has features designed for driving too, like being able to ask BlackBerry Assistant to read back the most recent email but then additionally asking it to…

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You can now report ‘malicious or inappropriate’ apps on the web-based Play Store to Google

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider

You can now report apps deemed as inappropriate or malicious on the web browser version of the Play Store. As reported by Android Police, the ability has been available on the store’s mobile app for some time, but this was never extended to users accessing apps via the store using a web browser. If you click on an app now, you’ll find that you have the option to flag it as inappropriate. When pressed, you’re taken to a page on Google Support. Google’s aim here is to continue to diversify the products and services it offers up and across all…

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Sony’s Music Unlimited service updated on PS4 with new player and better content discovery

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 1:46 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider, Product Updates

Sony has updated its Music Unlimited app on the PlayStation 4 to bring better navigation and music discovery options, as well as a redesigned music player. Announced today in a blog post, the app will now launch straight into your Home screen, showing you music in various categories including New Releases, New Playlists and New Channels. In order to make it a bit easier and quicker to get around, there’s a vertical side menu on the left of the screen, giving quick access to things like Charts, Playlists, Channels, My Library and Settings. Once you have found something you want to…

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BRCK could bring a reliable internet connection to some of the most remote parts of Africa

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets

BRCK
Kenyan firm BRCK has closed a $1.2 million seed funding round in order to launch its modem-cum-router device aimed at solving last-mile connectivity issues in Africa. The company is a spinout from Kenyan crowdmapping firm Ushahidi, and claims its device will bring a seamless internet connection to remote areas, a “critical innovation for a variety of sectors across Africa”. East African Community (EAC) figures suggest 90 percent of schools and 30 percent of hospitals in the region are off-grid, while only 24 percent of the developing world is connected to the internet. The BRCK device seeks to tackle these problems…

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LinkedIn behind the scenes: Building a professional publishing platform for daily consumption

Jul16
by on July 16, 2014 at 1:15 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Design & Dev, Insider

linkedin
As we’ve peeked behind the curtain of LinkedIn’s engineering endeavors, we’ve looked at the company’s open source initiatives and its mobilization efforts. For the final installment of our three-part series, we’ll dig into the publishing side of LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s content arm is divided into four key parts: sharing, groups, the publishing platform, and Pulse. Sharing involves curating professional content on the service, while groups are a place for professionals to share knowledge. The publishing platform started out with just influencers, but has since opened up to ordinary members, with an eye to producing new content with unique insights to build an audience. Finally,…

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