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Google Docs' AI grammar checker rolls out to G Suite users https://ift.tt/2GM15cA Google Docs' AI grammar suggestions are no longer limited to early adopters. The company is rolling out the machine learning tool for G Suite users, giving them an easier way to polish their reports. As Google outlined last year, this isn't a spelling checker with some grammar rules thrown in. The machine translation tech at the heart of the suggestions can detect nuances in grammar, whether it's a simple matter of word choice (like "their" versus "there") or the proper use of a subordinate clause. There's no mention of when this will be widely available to everyday Google Docs users. Regardless of the timing, the expansion is a clear shot across Grammarly's bow. You won't need an extension or app to burnish your writing -- there will be a tool available to virtually anyone with a modern browser. Source: Google Cloud Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com February 26, 2019 at 01:27PM
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This rugged SanDisk 250GB Extreme Portable SSD has reached a new low price https://ift.tt/2SZAoHY This pocket-sized SSD features quick transfer speeds up to 550MB/s. Amazon has the SanDisk 250GB Extreme Portable External SSD discounted to just $72.97 currently. Today's deal brings the product down to a new low price; it normally sells for just under $85 on average and has been priced at up to $100 in the past. This pocket-sized portable SSD is ruggedized to withstand your travels and features water-resistance, shock-resistance, and is dust-proof, too. It's equipped with a USB-C port and is capable of high-speed data transfers with its 550MB/s read and 500MB/s write speeds. It's suitable for use with both PC and Mac computers and comes with a 3-year limited warranty as well. If you need more space, the 500GB model of this SSD is currently priced at only $99.99, which is nearly its best price ever as well. At Amazon, over 500 customers left a review for this SSD resulting in a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Gadget News via iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog https://www.imore.com/ February 26, 2019 at 01:23PM
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Apple Swift Lead Discusses Swift 5 in New Podcast https://ift.tt/2BUV6Oz Apple is currently working on Swift 5.0, the next major version of its the coding language the company first introduced in 2014. As Apple prepares to release Swift 5.0, Ted Kremenek, who is leading the project, recently sat down for an interview with John Sundell on his Swift by Sundell podcast. The new episode, titled "Pragmatic Priorities," is available to listen to starting today on iTunes and through the Podcasts app on iOS devices. Kremenek is Apple's senior manager of languages and runtimes, and he is overseeing the release of Swift 5 and is Apple's voice on the project. In the podcast, Kremenek covers topics that include how Apple plans new features for Swift, the process by which pitched ideas turn into release features, and of course, Swift 5. Swift 5's major focus is long-awaited ABI stability (Application Binary Interfaces), and Kremenek goes into detail on how ABI stability was ultimately implemented and what changes needed to be made for Swift to become ABI stable. With Swift 5, apps created with one version of the Swift compiler will be able to interface with a library built with another version, something that is not the case now. The Swift by Sundell podcast with Ted Kremenek will be of interest to developers and those who use the Swift language and want to learn more about the changes and features coming in Swift 5.
Tag: Swift
This article, "Apple Swift Lead Discusses Swift 5 in New Podcast" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums Gadget News via MacRumors https://ift.tt/1ZNziIk February 26, 2019 at 01:15PM
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Bridge Your Relationship's Money Gap With a Data Dump https://ift.tt/2tDOOhR One of the keys to getting on the same page with your partner about money is to have open and honest communication. As Lifehacker has covered, scheduling periodic money check-ins—whether that’s weekly, monthly, etc.—is important in any relationship. Where you might run into a problem, though, is if you (or your partner) are in charge of most of the financial tasks or decisions for your household. You can’t have an open and honest conversation if your partner doesn’t know what your accounts are or how they work. On Rad Reads, Khe Hy suggests that one way to bridge this financial knowledge gap is with a data dump. Noting that his wife Lisa, an artist, isn’t as financially minded as he is, he took time to walk her through all of their accounts so that she had peace of mind.
I’d add a few other items to Hy’s great list:
If you’re the partner who doesn’t have a handle on the financials, well, this is even more important for you. Write a letter of intentIf this is one of the first times you and your partner are discussing your finances, or the first time you’re honestly and thoroughly discussing them, the Balance suggests writing a letter to each other outlining what’s important to you. “Talk in the letter about your financial past, including how your family handled money, and if you think they got it right or wrong,” the Balance writes. “Discuss how wealthy you hope to be and what you would sacrifice to get there. List your retirement dreams.” That will give you entry to pursuing your dreams together, and making a comprehensive plan. It works because each of you becomes invested—you’re each aware of the emotional stakes and the hard numbers. But even if you skip the letters, making a list of accounts and logins that each of you has access to will ensure that you’re on a level playing field and accountable to each other. Gadget News via Lifehacker https://lifehacker.com February 26, 2019 at 01:09PM
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US Cyber Command attacked Russian troll farm on Election Day 2018 https://ift.tt/2Xs8faT The United States Cyber Command launched an offensive campaign to silence one of Russia’s most notorious troll operations on the day of the 2018 midterm elections, according to a new report by The Washington Post. The operation targeted the Internet Research Agency, a private company linked to the Kremlin and often used for disinformation campaigns. The US operation seems to have taken the IRA entirely offline during Election Day, to the point that many employees complained to systems administrators that they were unable to access the internet, according to the Post’s sources. “Part of our objective is to throw a little curve ball, inject a little friction, sow confusion,” one unnamed official told the Post. It’s one of the most aggressive publicly reported campaigns the cyber command has yet taken, and the legal status of such actions remains in flux. In theory, infrastructural attacks against agents of a foreign government could have significant diplomatic repercussions, and run the risk of being taken as an act of war. But in practice, these actions are rarely officially attributed and political blowback is typically minimal. In June, the Pentagon expanded the cyber command’s authority to include more offensive campaigns, in contrast to what was previously a largely defensive mission. Those changes were made just months before the reported Election Day campaign. The IRA has been at the center of much of the US response to Russian election interference in 2016. In February 2018, special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russians linked to the IRA for crimes related to election interference, citing fake Facebook posts used to “organize and coordinate US political rallies in support of president-elect Trump.” Today’s story is the first explicit indication of an Election Day operation against the IRA, but general countermeasures were widely discussed during the 2018 campaign season. On the day of the election, US intelligence agencies issued a public warning that foreign intelligence agencies were still attempting to manipulate pubic sentiment. “Americans should be aware that foreign actors – and Russia in particular – continue to try to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions through actions intended to sow discord,” the announcement read. “Such actions are a threat to our democracy, and identifying and preventing this interference is one of our highest priorities.” Gadget News via The Verge https://ift.tt/1jLudMg February 26, 2019 at 01:08PM
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Overwatch’s 30th hero Baptiste is here to shake things up https://ift.tt/2Ezr3Oc Blizzard’s team shooter Overwatch is hitting a major milestone today with the official unveiling of Baptiste, the game’s 30th hero. Baptiste is a support character described as a “combat medic” who uses an array of gadgets to aid his team in battle. That includes a device called an immortality field that prevents nearby allies from dying, healing grenades, and Baptiste’s ultimate ability, described as “a matrix that doubles the damage and healing effects of friendly projectiles that pass through it.” The reveal follows a few days of teasing, including a short trailer yesterday. Baptiste joins an ever-growing cast of characters for the colorful shooter; last year saw the addition of the well-armored engineer Brigitte, a Wild West gunslinger called Ashe, and everyone’s favorite hamster Wrecking Ball. According to lead hero designer Geoff Goodman, the concept for Baptiste started around the idea of a “gadget healer” character. “We were playing with various gameplay concepts around deploying gadgets / devices as a way to support and heal your team,” Goodman tells The Verge. “From a pure gameplay standpoint, this hero was built to both give support players new options and gameplay to support their team, and also to appeal to players who might not play support often.” Baptiste joins a crowded field of Overwatch characters, and Goodman admits that it’s “an increasing challenge” to come up with new heroes that feel distinct. “We’re always wary about making heroes that overlap too much and don’t feel unique enough to stand on their own,” he says. That said, the designer believes that Baptiste’s unique healing abilities, combined with his combat skills — which include “an accurate hit-scan 3-round burst rifle” as a primary weapon — should provide plenty of new strategic options for players. Right now, high-level Overwatch play is dominated by a particular composition that combines three damage-absorbing tank characters with a trio of healing supports. It’s known as “goats,” and it’s particularly prevalent in the Overwatch League at the moment. Interestingly, Goodman doesn’t see Baptiste fitting particularly well in this composition; instead, the new support hero might shake things up a bit. “I think we’ll see Baptiste played with Ana for some longer range damage dealing and damage boost ultimate comboing,” says Goodman. “Ana can also fire through his ‘amplification matrix’ and get both boost healing and boosted damage, depending on who she hits. I also think its possible we’ll see Baptiste paired with Bastion, which can be really scary when you can buy him precious time with ‘immortality field’ and boost his already scary damage with ‘amplification matrix.’” (Goodman says that the design team has “an open line of communication with [professional] players, which can be helpful to gain their perspective of the game. Ultimately though, we’re designing heroes for everyone and hope players of all levels enjoy playing them.”) As for how Baptiste fits into the ever-evolving Overwatch lore, Blizzard describes him as a former soldier with a tragic childhood, who was forced to join the infamous Talon mercenary group. But when he realized the group was up to no good, he had trouble leaving. Per Blizzard:
Or you can just watch yesterday’s teaser. Luckily you won’t have to wait long to try out the intriguing hero; Baptiste is available in beta today through Overwatch’s public test region, with a full release to follow after. Gadget News via The Verge https://ift.tt/1jLudMg February 26, 2019 at 01:08PM
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Google’s DeepMind can predict wind patterns a day in advance https://ift.tt/2Vmu2iI Wind power has become increasingly popular, but its success is limited by the fact that wind comes and goes as it pleases, making it hard for power grids to count on the renewable energy and less likely to fully embrace it. While we can't control the wind, Google has an idea for the next best thing: using machine learning to predict it. Google and DeepMind have started testing machine learning on Google's own wind turbines, which are part of the company's renewable energy projects. Beginning last year, they fed weather forecasts and existing turbine data into DeepMind's machine learning platform, which churned out wind power predictions 36 hours ahead of actual power generation. Google could then make supply commitments to power grids a full day before delivery. That predictability makes it easier and more appealing for energy grids to depend on wind power, and as a result, it boosted the value of Google's wind energy by roughly 20 percent. Not only does this tease to how machine learning could boost the adoption of wind energy, it's also an example of machine learning being put to good use -- solving critical problems and not just jumping into your text thread to recommend a restaurant when you start talking about tapas. For DeepMind, it's a high-profile use of its technology and proof that it's not only useful for beating up professional StarCraft II players. Source: Google Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com February 26, 2019 at 01:03PM
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Best business card scanner apps for iPhone and iPad in 2019 https://ift.tt/2VmtysU Need a way to scan and save business card contacts to your iPhone or iPad? Give these apps a try! Even though digital media reigns supreme for most things, business cards aren't one of them. Whether you're at a conference for networking and getting professional contacts, or looking to stay in contact a local store, business cards are still a thing, and they still make it easy for others to keep in touch with you. But what about keeping track of all of those cards you receive? The easiest way to organize your business cards is to scan them digitally and extract the contact info so you don't need to search for and type everything in manually. Here are some apps that help you scan and organize the business cards that you'll accrue, especially if you tend to go to conferences often.
ABBYY Business Card ScannerABBYY Business Card Scanner is one of the leading apps in the industry because of its Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. With ABBYY, users are able to scan and store contact information directly from business cards, and there's support for up to 25 languages. With the OCR tech, it'll accurately find and recognize names, organizations, phone numbers, and email addresses. As you scan cards in with ABBYY, the app intelligently detects the edges of cards and crops out unwanted backgrounds, so all you have is a clean copy of the business card itself. ABBYY also fills in missing bits of data, such as country codes, extensions, and typos. All data that you scan and save into ABBYY may also be backed up automatically or manually, and data can be shared via email as VCard or JPEG files. For the most part, you can try out ABBYY's powerful features for free. There is a limit of 10 cards though, and you'll have occasional ads. To get the most out of ABBYY, you'll need to pony up for a Premium account, which starts at $8 a month. You can also buy features a la carte, with prices starting at $3 and up. CamCardCamCard gives users access to an expansive feature set for free, though there are some extra bonuses if you opt for a premium subscription, starting at $5 a month or $47 a year. With CamCard, users are able to scan in business cards either one-at-a-time or in batches. All of the contact information is stored and saved on your smartphone, and you can even add notes and reminders to these contacts to help jog your memory. And if you have your own secretary, you can even invite them to scan and save contact details on your behalf, which is a truly nice feature. If you have your own business card, you can store that inside CamCard as well. When you run out of paper cards to hand out, just send them an e-card version through CamCard. The app also intelligently keeps track of stored contacts, so that when a contact gets promoted or changes jobs, you'll get a notification about it. CamCard also keeps all of your data securely stored in the cloud, so you can access everything from multiple devices when necessary (no limitations with a Premium account). ScanBizCardsIf you work in a company that uses SalesForce or SugarCRM, ScanBizCards is the app you'll want to use. While you can use ScanBizCards for individual use, it is mostly geared for enterprises. With ScanBizCards, you get unlimited scans for business cards, and the contact information pulled from these can be either added to existing contacts in the system or new ones. The information it pulls is transcribed via the app's OCR tech, and if there is any detail that's incorrect, you can manually fix it. Again, the biggest pull for ScanBizCards is the enterprise use case. It integrates seamlessly with services like SalesForce, SugarCRM, and more. Two-sided business cards may also be scanned without issue into ScanBizCards, and forwarding pulled information to other users is an easy task. Wantedly PeopleWhen you have to deal with hundreds of business cards, you definitely do not want to be scanning those in one-by-one. You'll definitely need to check out Wantedly People, which allows you to scan in up to 10 business cards at a time. The best part about how Wantedly handles batch scanning is that you don't even need to lay out the cards in a certain way for it to pick them up. Just have them all scattered on a flat surface, tap the button, and Wantedly handles the rest. The app utilizes OCR tech and artificial intelligence to analyze and detect text and contact information on every card to generate new contacts for you. Over time, the AI improves accuracy so it just gets better the more you use it. As you accumulate saved contacts in Wantedly People, you can search for a specific contact via the search field, which lets you look through any field. Call and message contacts in just a few taps, or even communicate with them through Wantedly's own business chatting platform. You can also make your own profile and share your information with others right in the app. CardHQCardHQ is a superb option to consider if you want something that's packed with a ton of features while being super lightweight on your storage capacity (only 12MB), and is completely free. That's right, you don't have to ever pay a dime, and it has everything you'd need, including multiple language support. With CardHQ, you'll get an unlimited number of scans, even batch scanning, and each card gets scanned in as little as three seconds. It also has fairy accurate OCR recognition, so text gets detected pretty well and contacts are stored accurately. Any saved contact in CardHQ can easily be shared with others through a myriad of ways, such as traditional email, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook. ScanbotScanbot is probably best known as an app that scans documents you want digital copies of, but it's fairly versatile and also works great for business cards. I've personally used Scanbot for years, and it's fast with getting the camera up and ready for scanning what you need. Just hold it over the document or business card, and Scanbot automatically detects what you're trying to scan, giving you hints like "Move closer" or "Don't move" when it is capturing the document. For business cards, Scanbot uses OCR to extract text for you, and then you can copy it to your device's clipboard to import the data or use it to search. Scanbot integrates with a large selection of third-party cloud services, so all of your scans can be automatically uploaded to the service of your choosing. The only issue is that since Scanbot is not a dedicated business card app, contacts from business cards aren't automatically saved--you'll need to do a bit of legwork yourself. But it's a great overall scanner app that should be on every device for plenty of other reasons. Microsoft Office LensMicrosoft Office Lens is another one of those multipurpose scanner apps, but it has a dedicated mode just for business cards, so it sets itself apart from other apps like Scanbot. With Office Lens, the app can automatically detect business cards, whiteboards, documents, and more in the viewfinder, and then it will trim, enhance, and turn those images into easy-to-read scans. For the business card mode, the app extracts contact information from the card and saves it automatically in your device's Address Book as well as OneNote. Keep in mind that the business card functionality of Microsoft Office Lens works best with the following languages: English, German, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese. Microsoft claims that support for more languages is coming in the future. All scans with Office Lens are saved as images, but you can convert them into Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), or PDF, and everything is automatically saved into OneDrive as well. If you are invested in the Microsoft Office suite of products, then Office Lens is a great option to consider. Get those business cards scanned!There are quite a few apps out there that are specifically designed for scanning business cards, but these are some of the best we've seen, and then some. What are you currently using for scanning business cards? Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments! Gadget News via iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog https://www.imore.com/ February 26, 2019 at 01:02PM
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Looking for a new controller for your Switch? Look no further! https://ift.tt/2K3we9U The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons are fantastic controllers, but not everyone likes them. The buttons are small, and people with larger hands may find that annoying or difficult to handle. Of course, Nintendo did design the Pro Controller as a more traditional gamepad for people who wanted something bigger, heavier, and a little more conventional; however, it's $60. If you want a more conventional gaming controller for your Switch, and you want to spend less money, you do have other options. Here are our favorite third-party controllers for Nintendo Switch. Solid wireless controllerPowerA Enchanced Wireless ControllerStaff Favorite This is likely the closest you're going to get to the Nintendo Pro controller. It's wireless and has motion controls, 30 hours of battery life, and the same layout as the Pro controller for the switch. Like PowerA's other controls it also takes two AA batteries. Affordable wired optionPowerA Wired Plus ControllerAs its name suggests, the controller is indeed wired, meaning you'll have to plug it into the USB port on the back of your dock; however, the included cable is eight feet long, giving you ample length to work with. Plus, the thumbsticks come in three different lengths, so you have some customization to how the physical sensitivity feels. Unfortunately, the PowerA Wired Controller doesn't support NFC (so no amiibo) and doesn't have motion controls. Classic GameCube feelPowerA Wireless GameCube Style ControllerFor some Nintendo fans, the GameCube controller will always reign supreme, and the PowerA Wireless GameCube Style Controller brings that classic style and feel to the Nintendo Switch. With motion controls on board, it feels much more like a Nintendo Switch controller than other gamepads; however, there's no rumble or NFC capabilities. Plus, instead of being rechargeable, it needs two AA batteries. No frills gamepadHORIPAD Wired Nintendo Switch ControllerIf you are okay with sacrificing rumble, motion-control, and NFC capabilities, the HORIPAD Wired Nintendo Switch Controller is a very budget-friendly option. Although the HORIPAD is not wireless, it comes with a 10-foot cable, making it long enough to sit a comfortable distance from your TV. The weirdest part of the HORIPAD Wired Nintendo Switch Controller is the detachable directional pad. When you take it off, it leaves a big indent and reveals four individual buttons, which allow you a little more precision, but isn't the most practical. Perfect for retro games8Bitdo SN30 ProThe Nintendo Switch has a ton of retro and retro-styled games available in the Nintendo eShop, so why not use a controller that embodies that nostalgia in a perfect way? The 8Bitdo SN30 Pro takes the retro Super Nintendo controller and brings it into the 21st century. It has all the buttons you need to control the Switch, including a home and screenshot button cleverly tucked away at the bottom of the controller. The select and start buttons function as the - and + buttons respectively, and the 8Bitdo SN30 even adds two joysticks so you can play all your games just like a Pro Controller. Use your own controllerMayflash Magic-NSPerhaps you are one of those folks that are totally in love with the Xbox controller or even the PS4 DualShock. Or maybe you just don't want to buy one more controller. Fortunately for you, there is a solution which will allow you to use those controllers on your Nintendo Switch. The Magic-NS will allow you to wirelessly connect a PS4, PS3, Wii U Pro, or Xbox One S controller to your Nintendo Switch. This is a nifty little third-party dongle which will kick open the doors of possibility for controlling your Switch. As you can see, there are plenty of great options for third-party controllers for the Nintendo Switch that there's no reason to dish out $60 on the Pro controller if you don't want. PowerA's wireless Nintendo Switch controller is one of the best you can buy with its traditional button layout and design. It's ergonomic and light in weight, making it a solid option for most average-sized hands. Gadget News via iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog https://www.imore.com/ February 26, 2019 at 01:02PM
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Keep your driving distraction-free with this $6 phone holder https://ift.tt/2Vmtrxu Ten and two. Amazon has the Penoo Phone Holder available for $11.98, but using code SGJOAKT4 during checkout will drop your total to just $5.99. That's the lowest price in history for this product. This phone holder is compatible with most modern devices. It installs simply and quickly in your vehicle's air vents. The quick-release button makes it easy to pop your phone on and take it off. The rubberized base keeps your gadget steady, while the full rotation feature provides the optimal viewing angle in either GPS or portrait orientation, making it easy to see your GPS or music. Because obviously you aren't texting and driving, right? Right. Gadget News via iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog https://www.imore.com/ February 26, 2019 at 01:02PM |
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