Posts by Luke Dormehl

Image courtesy of Gizmodo

Image courtesy of Gizmodo

Apple’s Siri virtual assistant is getting better all the time, but Google Now still takes the biscuit, according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.

Munster ran both virtual assistants through a battery of tests, and shared the results in a new research note, published Tuesday. He concluded that Android’s voice search correctly answers questions asked 84 percent of the time, while Apple’s Siri follows up behind with a still impressive 82 percent correct rate.

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The European Commission has issued some words to Google and Apple about both companies’ steps to ensure children don’t rack up huge amounts of money on in-app purchases without their parents’ permission.

In a statement released by the Commission on Friday, Google is praised for a series of changes that will be put in effect by the end of September — while Apple finds itself on the receiving end of some harsh criticism.

SmartThings

While Google has Nest Labs and Apple has HomeKit, Samsung is reportedly looking to enter the home automation space by acquiring Internet of Things company SmartThings for $200 million, according to TechCrunch.

SmartThings is a home automation platform that allows users to connect devices such as lights or doorlocks to a system controlled by their smartphone. It has previously raised over $15 million from investors.

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Having been delayed from 2013 to 2014 in order to let its developers “fully achieve” their vision for the game, the eagerly awaited Modern Combat 5: Blackout finally has a release date — and it’s later this month. The Gameloft FPS will be arriving on Android and iOS devices on Thursday, July 24th, priced at $6.99 with (mercifully) no in-app purchases.

The game is set to take players on yet another adventure across the world, beginning in Venice, Italy, before protagonist Phoenix is set on a special operation to secure the transport of WMDs from a well-armed terrorist group. Unsurprisingly, not everything will go to plan, and from here you jump from set piece to spectacular set piece, including helicopter and speedboat-based moments.

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If you’re flying into or out of the United Kingdom, you’d better make sure your Android or iOS handset is fully charged. With the U.S. government recently announcing that all airline passengers with personal electronics devices will now be required to turn them on to prove that they work, the U.K.’s Department for Transport has announced that the same rules will now apply in the United Kingdom.

The new ruling follows reports that terrorists may be able to use phones and electronic devices as a conveyor of explosives that can get around current security checks.

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