Google tipped to be developing an iOS third-party keyboard with search feature

The search giant Google is supposedly working on a third-party keyboard for iOS users. It will reportedly have things like gesture-based input and a built-in Web search feature. The gesture-based typing is said to follow in the vein of popular keyboard apps like Swype and SwiftKey. The keyboard will also sport a Google logo that when you tap executes a web search and dedicated search buttons for pictures and GIFs, which are believed to be routed through Google Image search. Whether that search happens within the keyboard interface or not is unknown. Apple is particularly strict with products it deems will affect the UI, which in turn could affect the iOS experience. The unnamed keyboard project has said to be in the work for months and is being tested by select Google employees. There isn’t a specific timeline for release though.

Source: Apple Insider

Sony and LG chosen as Netflix recommended TVs

LG and Sony models have been given the nod by Netflix and recommended TVs which offer faster performance, and improved playback experience for users. What makes specific models more beloved by Netflix? 

The first TV manufacturers to achieve the Netflix Recommended TV designation for 2016 models are:

• LG - for UHD TVs with webOS 3.0
• Sony - for Android 4K UHD TVs

Check here for the specific models that received the designation.

Among other benefits, these TVs both have Instant On so that the TV wakes quickly, and Internet TV services and smart menu features are ready to use right away. They also have TV Resume, which means when Netflix was the last used app, the TV comes right back to Netflix when turned back on again -- just like smartphones and tablets do today. Overall, these devices deliver faster performance and easier access to the most popular services. 

Watch Apple's hypnotic Liam robot take apart old iPhones

There were various nuggets in Apple's Spring product launch event yesterday that were easy to miss. The introduction of Liam, a robot used to take apart and properly dispose of discarded iPhones, was not one of them. Anyone who has had to repair or disassemble technology knows that it is not an easy task. Yet, Liam manages to strip away Apple's well put-together iPhones with little fuss and in quite an elegant way. Liam can reportedly take apart 1.2 million iPhones a year.

The video above does speak to Apple's Renew initiative and heavy focus on the environment. This is the first example I have seen where each component and how it is disposed or recycled is explained.

Former Intel CEO and Chairman Andy Grove has died

Some sad news coming from Silicon Valley, Intel's former CEO and Chairman Andy Grove has passed away at 79. Grove is credited for helping build Intel to great heights as a semiconductor giant as well as a key figure in the consumer technology landscape. He served as Intel's leader from 1979 to 2005.

According to Intel, "Grove played a critical role in the decision to move Intel’s focus from memory chips to microprocessors and led the firm’s transformation into a widely recognized consumer brand. Under his leadership, Intel produced the chips, including the 386 and Pentium, that helped usher in the PC era. The company also increased annual revenues from $1.9 billion to more than $26 billion."

Grove was also a bestelling author and business strategist, his book Only the Paranoid Survive: How To Exploit the Crisis Points that Challenge Every Company is a must-read for managers and one of the best references for managing change within companies and industries. Grove served as an elder statesman of the shifting technology industry even after his retirement in 2005.  Read more about his life and achievements here.