Apple buys Waterloo-based Inductiv to improve Siri

Embed from Getty Images

Apple's latest acquisition is seen as the company's attempt to improve its voice-activated assistant, Siri. The company bought Waterloo, Ontario-based Inductiv, but it won't elaborate on its plans, saying it "buys smaller technology companies from time to time." Inductiv specializes in using artificial intelligence to correct data and improve machine learning. According to Bloomberg, "clean data" is essential for machine learning because it allows the AI to enhance the software with "less human intervention." Apple also recently acquired Voysis, which reportedly will help develop Siri's natural language comprehension.

Inductiv was co-founded by machine-learning professors from the University of Waterloo, Stanford University, and the University of Wisconsin. But since the acquisition was recent, it might be a while to see what the effects will be on Siri.

Facebook acquires Giphy, reportedly for US$400 million

Facebook has acquired GIF-sharing service Giphy and plans to make it part of the Instagram team. Facebook didn't reveal how much it paid for to buy Giphy, but Axios reports that it's priced at around US$400 million. Giphy is expected to keep its branding, but it'll be primarily integrated into Instagram. GIFs are prevalent and used heavily in Instagram Stories, so having more access to a GIF-sharing service could work in Facebook's favour. We might expect to see it more integrated into other Facebook services as well.

Source: Engadget

Google acquires Montreal-based Typhoon Studio to develop exclusive Stadia games

Jade Raymond, vice president of Stadia Games and Entertainment, said Typhoon Studio's acquisition hopes to create "platform-defining exclusive content" for Stadia

Google just bought Montreal-based Typhoon Studio to help bolster exclusive content on its Stadia game streaming service. Game industry veterans, who have worked on titles like Batman and Assassin's Creed, head the small studio. They're now Google's first-ever first-party studio. We do not know how much the tech giant paid to acquire Typhoon Studio.

While the studio joins Google's Stadia Games and Entertainment Studio in Montreal, its first game, Journey to the Savage Planet, will still be released on different platforms, including the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the PC, on January 28, 2020. We would expect the game to make its way to Stadia in the future, too. Google still has a lot of improvements it needs to make to Stadia, but this acquisition might be a step in the right direction in offering exclusive content for its users.

Source: VentureBeat

Apple now owns Intel's smartphone modem business

Apple has completed its acquisition of Intel's mobile modem business. The deal was announced back in July with a value of US$1 billion (around CA$1.3 billion). Apple plans to leverage Intel's modems to develop its technology, particularly when it comes to its iPhones. The goal is for the company to lessen its reliance on third-party suppliers for its components.

In the meantime, you can still expect Apple to use Qualcomm's modems. The two feuding companies reached a US$4.5 billion (around CA$6 billion) settlement back in May, resuming their business with each other. As for Intel, the company can still develop its 5G networks and modems, but for non-smartphone applications like in vehicles and PCs.