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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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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LG unveils Premium TV lineup for 2018

LG Electronics Canada today unveils its 2018 TV lineup with an array of new and innovative OLED and SUPER UHD models, demonstrating its commitment to being a leader in the global premium TV market. LG’s new TV products feature the company’s exclusive ThinQ artificial intelligence (AI) platform and advanced α (Alpha) processor which will lead the way in solidifying LG’s position in the global market for premium TVs, with the market for OLED TVs forecast to see sales of 2.5 million units this year from 1.6 million in 2017. 2018 OLED and Super UHD models will be available at LG Electronics Canada’s retail partners starting in April, 2018.

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Intel unveils 9th gen Core processors for portables

Intel announced the releases of its first ever Intel Core i9 processor for laptops. The processor is the highest-performance laptop processor Intel has ever built, delivering the best gaming and content creation experience on the go.

Intel also announced a new Intel Core platform extension that brings together the benefits of 8th Gen Intel Core processors with Intel Optane memory, rounded out its family of high-performance desktop CPUs and chipsets that deliver modern standby and ambient computing capabilities.

We can expect Core i9 processors to show up on notebooks soon. Dell and Alienware announced six performance and gaming models that will offer the new processors and HP is expected to announce some new models as well.

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