Samsung steps up Personal Assistant game with acquisition of VIV

“Viv was built with both consumers and developers in mind. This dual focus is also what attracted us to Viv as an ideal candidate to integrate with Samsung home appliances, wearables and more, as the paradigm of how we interact with technology shifts to intelligent interfaces and voice control.”

Artificial Intelligence and personal assistants are going to play a big part of our mobile future. Google's CEO Sundar Pichai said as much during his keynote early this week by stating that A.I.-first will be the future and this interface goes beyond displays and moves into the realm of voice assistants.

Apple was an innovator in this space with Siri and has slowly placed Siri beyond the iPhone and iPad and into the Apple TV, CarPlay and now on macOS Sierra. The company that created Siri spun off from Apple some time ago and created a new assistant called VIV who is more extensible than Siri and can work with more services and apps. Viv was just purchased by Samsung for an undisclosed amount.

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FAA warns passengers not to use Samsung's Galaxy Note7 in planes

Bad Burn: Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 is quickly getting noticed for all the wrong reasons. Owners of this device should return it or get a replacement from Samsung before more fires are reported.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning users of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones not to charge or even use them in-flight. This is an escalation from recent reports that Australian airlines have banned the device after a series of fires and explosion incidents related to the Galaxy Note 7's battery.

On Thursday, the FAA said in a memo that it "strongly advises" passengers not to turn on or charge their Note 7s on board an aircraft and not to stow the phones in checked baggage. 

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Best Buy highlights consumer life & wearable tech in Toronto

 

By Sonya Davidson

The exciting world of lifestyle related and wearable tech products is growing quickly and judging by the thousands who visited Best Buy's Life & Wearable Tech Expo last week in Toronto, consumers are definitely intrigued and ready to embrace it all. Yonge & Dundas Square was the location of the second annual showcase that offered the public an up close and interactive look at the latest lifestyle technology. 

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Dixie Outlet Mall enters world of VR

The world of virtual reality is about hit the back to school shopping crowd with an adventure experience at Toronto's Dixie Outlet Mall. From August 12 to September 4, visitors to the mall are invited to check out the new VR Experience Lounge as they take a break from their busy shopping time.

A new theme will be offered at the lounge for a difference experience each week and will engage shoppers in the latest virtual reality technology using Samsung Gear VR. Explore oceans, safaris, other travel and more, while uncovering back-to-school offers.  Complimentary wi-fi and snacks. Visitors to the lounge will also be entered for a chance to win a $500 back-to-school shopping spree. Needless to say, this is where we will find the patiently waiting parents.

Dixie Outlet Mall is home to over 120 retailers and is one of Canada's largest enclosed outlet shopping centres.