Apple hires former Google AI head to bolster machine learning strategy

The technology sector is changing dramatically before our eyes. Fresh from last week's massive Microsoft reorg which saw the Windows group subsumed into various other departments as Microsoft focuses on artifical intelligence, we now have Apple making an addition to its team.

John Giannandrea was previously Google's head of AI. He oversaw the Search team and developed applied AI at Google.  He is considered a heavy hitter in Silicon Valley for his expertise, his background stems back to such noted companies as Netscape and General Magic. Giannandrea will report directly to Tim Cook, and is largely expected to revamp Apple's existing AI products like Siri.

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Instagram lets go of its Apple Watch app

As silly as it may sound, before you were be able to scroll through your Instagram feed on the tiny display of the Apple Watch. But that’s about to change. Version 39.0 of the app only states in the changelog the words “general bug fixes and performance improvements” and when you update, the app is taken away from your smartwatch when it’s paired. An Instagram spokesperson also confirmed with The Verge that there will no longer be a “standalone experience” of the app starting with this version. Instead, you’ll only get notifications, if you have that turned on within the app.

9to5Mac believes this has to do with the new restrictions from Apple where Apple Watch apps need to use watchOS 2 SDK or later but Instagram’s app came out during WatchKit 1.0 when third-party apps weren’t able to run natively on the watch. It didn’t even get features like video support and the ability to work over LTE connection. It seems Instagram figured this particular Apple platform doesn’t appeal to them as much.

Alexa now available on Amazon Prime Music app

Amazon Canada announced that Prime Music listeners in Canada are able to request songs by voice with Alexa in the Amazon Music mobile app for iOS and Android. Listeners can now use voice features to hear the music they love wherever they go on Alexa-enabled devices. Prime Music, like Prime Video, is included in Amazon Prime subscriptions.

Prime Music listeners can easily ask Alexa to play music in a variety of ways, including by mood, genre or era. Alexa can also search by album name, artist name and more. This new feature combines the power of natural voice commands with a visual app experience.

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Facebook adds support for 360-degree photos and HD videos for Messenger

Facebook is in hot water right now but it’s trying to make sure the wheels keep turning. A new update for its messaging app Facebook Messenger brings a couple of nifty features. One is the ability to send 360-degree/panorama photos through the app. You send it the same way you would regular photos but this time your recipient will see a compass icon next to it to let them know it’s a 360-degree or panoramic photo. The photos can be viewed both on mobile and on Messenger.com

Another is being able to send 720p HD videos on the service. You would think this should’ve been available before but it hasn’t been made available until now. And while 360-degree photo sharing is rolling out across the globe, we’re one of the few countries that get access to HD video sharing.

Source: Android Central