Are self-destructing emails coming to Gmail?

It’s been rumoured that Google is set to revamp Gmail soon. On top of this, the email client might also soon let users send out self-destructing emails. These emails will “expire” after a set amount of time. The feature is reportedly being called “confidential mode.” If an email has been set to expire, the recipient won’t be able to download, forward, or print said copies of the email after the expiration date. It can last for a few days to even years after. There might also be an option to add a passcode for certain emails, which will be sent to the recipient via text message. There is no indication though if this possible new feature could work with emails sent to non-Gmail users or if there will be end-to-end encryption. We have to wait and see if this feature will come to users.

Source: Android Authority

Google’s new search tool draws answers from book passages

Looking for inspiration on how to approach a certain topic? Or perhaps looking for something interesting to read? Google has a new search tool called Talk to Books to help you out. Futurist Ray Kurzweil sat down with TED curator Chris Anderson recently to talk about this new feature. It’s an artificial intelligence-powered tool where you can type in a question and it’ll scan over 100,000 volumes of books in Google Books and draw a list of likely responses with the relevant passage highlighted for you.

Kurzweil said this tool isn’t meant to replace keyword searches but makes use of “semantic search,” which uses the AI’s ability to understand natural human language. It theoretically handles queries better if you ask it things in sentence form because it tries to look for responses that look like something a person might say in a conversation. “Semantic search is based on searching meaning, rather than on keywords or phrases” elaborates Kurzweil on his blog. “Developed with machine learning, it uses ‘natural language understanding’ of words and phrases.” He was actually part of the team who launched “Smart Reply” for Gmail, which parses through an open email to give you a number of pre-written, and hopefully relevant, responses you can send back.

Source: Quartz

Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 4/8-4/14

Review: Apple iPad (2018)

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You can now get CAA Roadside Assistance with Waze

You can now get CAA Roadside Assistance with Waze

Waze just partnered with the Canadian Automobile Association to help ease any roadside issues you might encounter. The real-time, crowdsourced navigation app now has a Roadside Help feature that will help anyone who needs it when they’re out on the road. It gives 24/7 access to roadside services, whether you’re a CAA member or not. These include everything from towing, tire changes, lockout, battery boosts, fuel delivery, and more. CAA members will receive services as per their regular membership, while non-members can pay as they go.