Samsung is the latest tech titan to open an AI lab in Canada

It’s no secret that Samsung wants (and arguably, needs) to bolster its AI work. The Bixby assistant is already a tentpole feature for Samsung’s smartphones, and it’s spreading to devices like smart speakers or even appliances. If it’s going to be a success, it needs to rapidly evolve past its current rough state and become something you’d actually prefer — especially since it does have

Amazon’s new Fire TV supports picture-in-picture and recording

Amazon is mainly selling the new Fire TV’s hardware-dependent features, such as 4K HDR video and Dolby Atmos sound, but there are some key software improvements, too. The online shopping giant has revealed that the device’s Fire OS 6 underpinnings run on Android Nougat, enabling app features specific to Google’s not-quite-latest platform. You can play picture-in-picture video within apps, so you

Bollywood actor of US descent Tom Alter is dead | India News

Tom Alter, an Indian actor of American descent who worked on more than 300 films, has died at age 67 after battling skin cancer. Alter died at his home in Mumbai, India’s financial hub and entertainment capital, late on Friday night. He was diagnosed with skin cancer last year and had received treatment, but had suffered a relapse earlier this month. Indian leaders as well as top film and

Catalans’ wish to vote unstoppable: Carles Puigdemont | Spain

The wish of Catalans to vote in a banned referendum on breaking away from Spain “is unstoppable”, Carles Puigdemont, the region’s president, has told Al Jazeera, even as Spanish authorities step up efforts to stop the poll from happening. The central government in Madrid has mobilised thousands of police to the northeastern region to stop the referendum, while the country’s  Constitutional Court

Who has committed war crimes in Yemen? | Yemen

After weeks of intense negotiations, the UN has agreed to set up an investigation into alleged human rights violations in Yemen. Some European countries and Canada had asked for a Commission of Inquiry (COI) in Yemen, the UN’s highest level of investigation. But a compromise with a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia was reached, which removed the call for the COI from the adopted

YouTube Live playthroughs are now a no-no for Nintendo Creators

A lot of fans are obviously unhappy about the change, especially since streamers have to be part of YouTube’s Partner Program to be eligible for Nintendo’s. That means they first have to rack up at least 10,000 public views and get approved for YouTube’s partnership before they can even apply for the developer’s. To be clear, program members can still post “Let’s Play” type videos with

Dozens arrested during neo-Nazi rally in Sweden | Sweden News

More than 60 people have been arrested during a neo-Nazi rally and counterdemonstration in Sweden’s second-largest city, according to police. The rally by the Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) in Gothenburg on Saturday featured an estimated 600 people, short of the 1,000 supporters the group said would attend, according to the Swedish anti-racist magazine, Expo. Those who attended marched in

Defakto’s Vektor strikes a great balance as a minimalist, slim automatic watch

Defakto is a small German watchmaker that has made a name for itself over the years thanks to the unique, but classic designs it boasts thanks to mark founder Raphael Ickler. The latest watch from Ickler and Defakto, the Vektor, continues this tradition of smart, minimalist looks, but adds a very slim case thanks to use of a Miyota 9015 automatic Japanese movement, and brings some extra retro

Can Spain’s economy survive a Catalan secession? | News

Catalonia, whose leaders are pushing for a split from Spain in a banned referendum on Sunday, is one of the powerhouses of the Spanish economy.  The region, in the northeast of Spain, is buoyed by industry, research and tourism – but burdened with a heavy debt. Catalonia accounted for 19 percent of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year, rivaling Madrid for the distinction of being the

A good watch, a so-so phone replacement

The connection between the Apple Watch and an iPhone is the core of Apple’s wearable experience, and for the first time, the company gave the Watch the tools to function independently. Seeing the Watch hop onto an LTE network and use your same phone number is undeniably neat, but honestly, it’s not something I’d want to do very often. First off, yes, you’re going to have to pay your carrier $10

Colombia’s ELN leader readies troops ahead of ceasefire | Colombia News

The head of Colombia’s last remaining rebel group has ordered fighters to stand down in advance of a bilateral ceasefire taking effect this weekend. The ceasefire is an important milestone in efforts to end a half century of political violence in the South American country. In a rare video posted online on Friday, Nicolas Rodriguez, known by his war alias Gabino, said he was confident fighters

Apple Shares New Ad Showcasing Portrait Lighting Mode on the iPhone 8 Plus

Apple has released a new ad showcasing the new Portrait Lighting mode on the iPhone 8 Plus that lets users create dramatic studio lighting effects when shooting in Portrait mode. Titled “Portraits of Her”, the ad features Shannon Wise of music group The Shacks walking along a sidewalk and singing the band’s 2016 single “This Strange Effect” as the camera transitions through the Portrait Lighting

Peter Szijjarto: Why we fight the EU on refugees | Hungary

Since the start of Europe’s migrant crisis, Hungary has regularly been criticised over its controversial and tough immigration policies. In September, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) rejected complaints filed by Slovakia and Hungary against a mandatory quota to accept asylum seekers, established as part of efforts to resettle arriving refugees more equally across the EU.  The court’s

Iran and Iraq to hold joint border drills | Iran News

The Iranian and Iraqi armies will hold joint drills at several crossings on Iran’s border with the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan, according to officials. The announcement on Saturday came amid rising tensions in the wake of a controversial secession referendum in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, where almost 93 percent of voters backed a split from Baghdad. Monday’s poll was strongly opposed by

Spanish police seal off polling stations in Catalonia | News

Spanish police have sealed off more than half of schools earmarked as polling stations for a banned referendum on Catalonia’s breakaway from Spain, according to officials. Separatists in the northeastern region on Friday evening and Saturday morning started occupying voting stations in a bid to ensure Sunday’s poll, which has been declared illegal by Spanish authorities, goes ahead. READ MORE:

How Puerto Rico’s power crisis ends

#PuertoRico being told to adjust to no electricity for next few months. This is what modern colonialism looks like. http://bit.ly/2fGkboL http://pic.twitter.com/CWhn6oMRxM —Alex Shams (@seyyedreza), September 21, 2017 Electricity is central to life on the island, just as it is in modern societies across the globe — and, no, it’s not just a matter of running televisions and toys. Puerto

Deaths reported in military cargo plane crash in DRC | DR Congo News

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say at least 10 people have died after a military cargo aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from the capital Kinshasa. Local news media reported that at least 10 people were on the plane bound for Bukavu in DRC’s east when it crashed in Nasilah, about 100 metres from the centre of Kinshasa, on Saturday morning. Lambert Mende, a

Waiting in the wings: Dubai’s autonomous flying taxis | News

With a whirling buzz from 18 rotors, the pilot-less helicopter gently lifted off the ground and soared up into the afternoon sky, the spire of the world’s tallest building visible behind it. The recent unmanned flight by the German-made electric Volocopter represents the latest step in Dubai’s pursuit of flying taxis. Dubai already has invested in another model of a flying, autonomous taxi, and

Laffer: Tax cuts will make everyone a millionaire | USA

In a speech on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump outlined the principles of a tax plan that would amount to the most sweeping changes to the US tax code in decades. The plan would cut taxes for the rich and businesses, although Trump insisted that his tax plan would primarily help the working class, who would reap the benefits from the resulting economic growth.  This idea – that tax cuts for

Catalans occupy polling stations ahead of referendum | News

Supporters of an independence referendum in Catalonia have begun occupying polling stations in a bid to ensure Sunday’s vote goes ahead, stoking fears of violent confrontation with Spanish police. Spain’s central government in Madrid, which opposes the referendum, has sent thousands of police reinforcements to the Catalonian capital of Barcelona to stop people from voting. A court on Wednesday

Syrian war monitor: 28 civilians killed in ‘safe zone’ | Syria News

At least 28 civilians were killed in air attacks in the opposition stronghold of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, a war-monitor group said on Saturday. Four children were among the dead in the overnight air strikes on the town of Amanaz, a few kilometres from the Turkish border, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It was not immediately clear whether the attack was

Do Russians care about Syria? | Russia

The first thought that crossed Mark Isaev’s mind when he heard of the start of the Russian military operation in Syria on September 30, 2015 was that it would be like Afghanistan. “And here goes Syria as well. They will be sending Russian troops to Syria, I thought,” says the 53-year-old Afghan war veteran. “Politicians take decisions, and we, the military men, follow orders.” In 1987, as the

Puerto Rican mayor begs for aid after Hurricane Maria | USA News

President Donald Trump pledged to spare no effort to help Puerto Ricans recover from Hurricane Maria’s ruinous aftermath even as San Juan’s mayor, her voice breaking with rage, accused his administration of “killing us with the inefficiency”. Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz implored Trump on Friday to “make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives”, while the president asserted

Apple acquires AI tech that seeks to understand your photos

Regaind’s computer vision API is said to have the ability to analyze the content of photos, so it’ll know to surface photos of dogs if you search for “dog”, for example. Apple’s Photos app has had this feature for a couple of years already, but the acquisition of Regaind could be key to boosting this capability even further and keeping up with Google’s machine learning-powered Photos app. As

Paying the Price: US health chief steps down | USA News

In another high-profile White House departure, US health secretary Tom Price has resigned amid an investigation into his costly travel on charter flights at taxpayer expense.   President Donald Trump on Friday called Price a “very fine person,” but added, “I certainly don’t like the optics” around his travels. Price’s repayment of $51,887 for his own travel costs did not placate the White House.

Sphero Launches Tiny $50 ‘Sphero Mini’ Robotic Ball

Sphero, known for its line of robotic balls and droids, today launched the $50 Sphero Mini, the company’s most affordable toy yet. Sphero Mini measures in at about 1.25 inches, making it similar in size to a ping pong ball. It’s essentially a tiny version of the original Sphero robotic ball, and it’s controlled the same way — through an app on your iPhone. The Sphero Mini connects to an

Walmart’s Jet.com has its own grocery brand just for millennials

Uniquely J’s perceived appeal to millennials stems from stocking products that play to their values, like items that are organic and fair trade. A company spokesperson also told TechCrunch that the design of its packaging, which includes a bag of coffee with a tattoo-like skull design and a box of food storage bags decorated with things like chat bubbles that say “Nom Nom,” will also draw in

Iraqi forces plan takeover of Kurdish region’s borders | Iraq News

Iraq plans to take control of the borders of its autonomous Kurdistan region “in coordination” with Iran and Turkey, the Iraqi defence ministry has said.  Iraq: 92% of Kurds vote in favour of secession, KRG rejects Baghdad demands Published on Friday, the ministry’s statement did not give more detail or indicate specifically whether Iraqi forces were planning to move towards the

Raul Romeva: Catalonia referendum ‘impossible to stop’ | News

Catalonia’s foreign affairs chief says a controversial referendum on the region’s split from Spain “is impossible to stop” despite the central government in Madrid insisting that the vote is illegal and it will not happen. Raul Romeva made the remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera on Friday, two days before the planned poll on October 1. READ MORE: Catalonia independence referendum – All you

Uber offers basic sign language tips so you can talk to deaf drivers

When you’re using the Uber app to hail a ride, you’ll now see a special card in your feed. Tapping it will show you some screens where you can select the phrases you want to learn. You can even learn how to spell out your name. Once you do so, you’ll get a gif with the words you typed in so you can spell them out in American Sign Language. It seems like a great way to foster positive

How to Use Third-Party Integrations in macOS High Sierra to Make Photo Projects

macOS High Sierra adds integrations with several third-party apps that let you do all kinds of fun things with your photos, from making photo books to putting them on t-shirts and coffee mugs. Third-party apps supplement the existing built-in tools that allow you to make prints or create books, slideshows, cards, and calendars You can use these tools directly in the Photos app without having to

Millions of Up-to-Date Apple Macs Remain Vulnerable to EFI Firmware Hacks

“Always keep your operating system and software up-to-date.” This is one of the most popular and critical advice that every security expert strongly suggests you to follow to prevent yourself from major cyber attacks. However, even if you attempt to install every damn software update that lands to your system, there is a good chance of your computer remaining outdated and vulnerable.

Will Iraq force Kurds to cancel referendum results? | Iraq

The government of Iraq is suspending all international flights to and from Erbil in its northern autonomous Kurdish region. It’s a punitive measure after people in the area took part in a secession vote on Monday that Baghdad and other governments, including Turkey, have strongly opposed. Almost 93 percent voted for the referendum. But Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s administration calls it

Syrian army captures key supply route in Deir Az Zor | ISIS News

The Syrian army and its allies have repelled a strong attack by ISIL fighters to capture a road linking Palmyra to Deir Az Zor city, a major supply route from government territory to the eastern city, according to a military media unit run by Lebanon’s Hezbollah.  Syria’s war: UN told of air strikes against civilians and hospitals The ISIL assault, which began on Thursday, marked

Reactant is a new native framework for iOS apps

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Xcode, a small Czech team called Brightify has created Reactant, a framework that makes it easy to program iOS apps. The system is a Swift-based framework that offers live-reload of code, allowing you to add elements on the fly as you program. “The Reactant architecture dictates how to structure an iOS project from start to finish. It allows

UN agrees to send war crimes investigators to Yemen | Yemen News

The UN Human Rights Council has agreed to send war crimes investigators to Yemen, in a last-minute compromise between Western powers and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia. UpFront – Is Saudi Arabia guilty of war crimes in Yemen? The council on Friday mandated UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein to send a group of “eminent experts” to Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has

US cuts Cuba diplomatic staff over mysterious ‘attacks’ | Cuba News

The United States is withdrawing 60 percent of its diplomatic staff and all family members from its embassy in Cuba after 21 diplomats suffered mysterious health attacks in recent months, US officials said. Washington is investigating the cause of the unexplained attacks and has not yet identified the responsible party, but officials on Friday stressed the Cuban government was responsible for

Apple quietly acquired computer vision startup Regaind

TechCrunch has learned that Apple has acquired a small French startup called Regaind, according to multiple sources. As always, Apple is very quiet when it comes to acquisitions, but it’s always interesting to learn more about Apple’s interests. We’ve reached out to Apple and the company sent us the following statement: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally

Where Ideas Sing: Apple Celebrates Upcoming Chicago Riverfront Store With Two Local Artists

Apple has shared a new page for its upcoming Michigan Avenue store along the Chicago River, set to open Friday, October 20. Apple Michigan Avenue via MacRumors reader Brad Fosler Apple starts out with a tribute to the city: Chicago’s creative roots run deep. It’s where house music and rock and roll first took the stage. Where world-famous architecture lives. And where contemporary art thrives.

Iraq imposes flight ban on Kurdish region after poll | Iraq News

A ban on international flights into Iraq‘s Kurdish region has gone into effect after the central government in Baghdad retaliated against a vote for secession that has also drawn opposition from neighbouring countries. Iraq’s Kurds overwhelmingly backed a split from Baghdad in a referendum on Monday, defying foreign powers which fear the vote could lead to regional instability. The ban came into

Suicide bomb blast near Kabul mosque kills five | Afghanistan News

At least five civilians were killed on Friday when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, according to officials. As many as 19 others were wounded in the attack close to Hussainia mosque that came two days before Ashura, the holiest celebration in the Shia religious calendar. Police official Sadiq Muradi said police confronted the suicide bomber as

What to expect at Google’s Pixel 2 event

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL From left to right: Leaked images of the Google Home Mini, Pixel XL 2 and DayDream View. Image credit: Droid Life Sure, the smartphone may be a commodity at this point, but it’s still exciting to see what Google has cooked up to take on increasingly strong competition in the Android space. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have been leaked pretty extensively at this point (

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny detained ahead of rally | Russia News

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, a staunch Kremlin critic, has been detained ahead of a rally in a major city. Navalny on Friday posted a video on his Instagram account of what he said were officers outside his home in the capital, Moscow, asking him to come to a police station. He tweeted from the station later, saying he had not been told why he had been detained. Russia: More

Right-wing Zionism, white supremacy and the BDS | Racism

When right-wing Jewish organisations in the United States and Israel embrace white nationalists and neo-Nazis – and support an American president who makes open appeals to them – they reveal the inherent flaws in their argument that the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinians is anti-Semitic. Even worse, these hardliners may have more in

With the Sphero Mini, you get a robotic ball for just $49.99

It’s been a busy year for Sphero, with the release of products like R2-D2, Spider-Man and Lightning McQueen. But the robotic toy startup is still making non-licensed, non-tie in products too — including the Sphero Mini, its most affordable toy yet. “We wanted to make Sphero products accessible to everyone,” said co-founder and Chief Software Architect Adam Wilson. The Mini is basically a shrunk

Uber App Offers Basic Sign Language Tips to Chat With Deaf or Hard of Hearing Drivers

Uber has rolled out an update to its iOS app that enables riders to learn basic sign language on the go so they can communicate better with deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers. Uber announced the new feature in a post on its website, where it said the ride-hailing service had “thousands” of deaf drivers in the United States alone, and that the update was in support of National Deaf Awareness Month.

More than half of Borno schools closed over Boko Haram | News

More than half of all schools in the northeast Nigerian state of Borno are closed with millions of children unable to start classes this year because of the ongoing threat of Boko Haram, according to the United Nations children’s agency. Almost 1,400 schools have been destroyed in Borno during the armed group’s eight-year insurgency, and more than 57 percent of schools are unable to open because

‘Flower’ brings its zen gameplay to iPhone and iPad

Flower involves players interacting with its environment in unique ways. Taking control of the wind, you’re tasked with guiding a flow of petals around various landscapes and lush backdrops. Like its PS4 and PS Vita versions, Flower for iOS uses motion controls, which in the case of the iPhone and iPad is as simple as tilting your device in the direction you want to go. Thatgamecompany claimed

Palestinians slam US Israel envoy’s ‘ignorance’ | News

The US ambassador in Tel Aviv has angered Palestinians with a comment downplaying Israel’s 50-year occupation of the West Bank, the second such spat in a month. In a video interview with Israeli news site Walla broadcast in full on Friday, ambassador David Friedman said the Jewish state is “only occupying two percent of the West Bank”. The statement brought an angry response from Palestine

Iraqi ban on flights to Kurdish cities begins Friday | Iraq News

An Iraqi government order that international airlines halt all flights in and out of the cities of Erbil and Sulaimaniyah in Kurdish territory is set to kick in on Friday. The decision to shut down the flights comes amid tensions over an overwhelming “yes” vote in an independence referendum held this week in Iraq’s Kurdish region and disputed territories. Iraq’s Transport Ministry ordered