The internet barely had time to be annoyed for that new 15 second Burger King ad before Google shut the whole thing down. A little over two hours after the fast food giant took the wraps off of a TV spot designed to trigger smart assistants across the country, the functionality no longer works. We’ve reached out to Google for confirmation of the action, which was likely just a quick fix on the server side designed to block a specific waveform, perhaps leveraging similar functionality to block out its own ads. Meantime, we’ve tried in out on a Home unit we have around the office and can confirm that the commercial no longer has the intended effect. Interestingly, it’s not the specific function, just the voice from the ad. Asking Home what a “Whopper sandwich” is in your own voice (like a Big Mac, but smaller) will bring up the Wikipedia entry as initially intended. For Google, the fix is likely akin to patching a security flaw (though here it’s more … [Read more...] about Google Home has stopped answering to that annoying Burger King ad
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How Google’s Jigsaw Is Trying to Detoxify the Internet
Features/ The Perspective API from Jigsaw, part of Google parent company Alphabet, gives online comment mods an evolving set of tools to combat abuse and harassment. But this machine learning technology also raises questions about the limits of AI. PCMag reviews products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use. The internet can feel like a toxic place. Trolls descend on comment sections and social media threads to hurl hate speech and harassment, turning potentially enlightening discussions into ad hominem attacks and group pile-ons. Expressing an opinion online often doesn't seem worth the resulting vitriol. Massive social platforms—including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube—admit they can't adequately police these issues. They're in an arms race with bots, trolls, and every other undesirable who slips through content filters. Humans are not physically capable of reading every single comment on the web; those who … [Read more...] about How Google’s Jigsaw Is Trying to Detoxify the Internet
Quickly & Easily Learn New Skills With These 8 Android Apps
Advertisement It doesn’t take long after you leave school or college for you to realize that there are some skills and topics you wish you had studied. Unfortunately, once you enter the working world, it becomes almost impossible to find the time for after-hours lessons and courses.Luckily there are a variety of apps available on Android that can teach you different skills — from more general learning apps to ones catered towards a specific skill.Here are some new skills that you can learn using only an app on your phone.1. Learn a New LanguageAndroid users have a host of language-learning apps The 8 Best Language Learning Apps That Really Work The 8 Best Language Learning Apps That Really Work Want to learn a language free? These are the best free language learning apps that will have you speaking a new language before you know it. Read More to choose from. Your decision should be based on the specific language you want to learn and the way you … [Read more...] about Quickly & Easily Learn New Skills With These 8 Android Apps
How to Connect Windows 10 and Android Using Microsoft’s ‘Your Phone’ App
How-To/ Microsoft is eager to tie your Windows PC to your smartphone. With the October 2018 Update and above, the 'Your Phone' app can text, transfer photos, and more. PCMag reviews products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use. At its fall event, Microsoft not only launched new Surface computers, but also announced the availability of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. What was the top new capability in that release? The Your Phone app, which allows for easy sharing between a smartphone and your PC. Drag and drop photos from a phone via a window on the PC. Or send web pages from a phone to the PC, where they can open immediately or reside in the Action Center for later use. You can also see your PC's Timeline on the phone, though that feature is still labeled as beta—as is the coolest feature of all, Screen Mirroring, which displays and lets you interact with your smartphone's screen on a PC. If you have an … [Read more...] about How to Connect Windows 10 and Android Using Microsoft’s ‘Your Phone’ App
WTF is a VPN?
You’re watching a movie. A criminal is trying to evade a crime scene in a sports car on the highway. A helicopter is following the car from above. The car enters a tunnel with multiple exits and the helicopter loses track of the car.A VPN works just like the tunnel in this movie scene — it connects different roads and turns them into one, and a helicopter can’t see what’s happening inside the tunnel. I’m sure many people around you have recommended you a VPN service. They usually tell you that a VPN is great, it lets you watch geo-blocked content, avoid the Great Firewall of China or browse the internet securely. VPNs are great, sometimes. But using a VPN can be as dangerous as not using one if you don’t know what you’re doing. What the hell is a VPN? If you have multiple computers, phones and tablets at home, you are using a local area network. These devices are all connected to the same Wi-Fi network and you can even transfer photos or movies … [Read more...] about WTF is a VPN?