Open Mic: New Android phones will always be listening

In a bit of a leak of information this weekend, Google’s next-generation software spilled on the heels of the upcoming Motorola smartphone Moto X. This device will be working with Google’s next iteration of their mobile software and will act as a bit of a centerpiece for said software, showing off abilities like voice commands with a system that’s able to listen all the time.

callup

While this sort of constant listening ability isn’t new, it’ll certainly stoke the flames with users fearful of the privacy-invading abilities of miniature monitors of all kinds. If you take Google Glass for example, you see so much fear of the unknown that it’s striking – just because the device allows a camera to be mounted to a person’s face, the public loses its collective mind over Big Brother-esque possibilities.

Here with Google’s next version of Android – at least as it rests in the Moto X, you’ll have sound being drawn upon at any given moment. Google Glass also has abilities similar to this with its own always-on voice recognition system.

Starting at 0:23 – “Your Moto X is ready to listen and respond. Talk to it, and it learns your voice. With the power of Google Now, it tells you what you need to know, even when you’re not touching the screen.”

But how different is that from the Wi-Fi detecting abilities of smartphones, tablets, and notebooks we’ve been using for years? The difference is that we humans cannot transmit the signals these devices have ben seeking with their wireless data radios – with the “always” button tapped in a device’s voice recognition engine, all will be heard.

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See more on the Social Implications of Google Glass – “Staring” and all.

Consider the idea that any smartphone right this minute could have its voice recorder activated. How different is this from Google’s next-generation software, save its intended purpose?

Head to 3:09 into this video to see what’ll happen if you use Open Mic incorrectly. Make sure you’re not calling Mom on accident.

NOTE: Back when Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was first introduced, there was a feature – and there continues to be a feature – tagged as “open microphone”. This is an experience that currently works with Android devices allowing voice dictation and streaming voice recognition – at the moment it does not work with voice commands.

“Android 4.0 introduces a powerful new voice input engine that offers a continuous “open microphone” experience and streaming voice recognition. The new voice input engine lets you dictate the text you want, for as long as you want, using the language you want. You can speak continuously for a prolonged time, even pausing for intervals if needed, and dictate punctuation to create correct sentences. ” – Google for Ice Cream Sandwich About

This system is translated, therefor, to the next version of Android with streaming voice commands, aka “Open Mic”. This update allows you to work with everything introduced with the newest version of Google’s online search engine and allows it to listen in at all times. That’s Conversational Search in Chrome if you’d like to try it right now.

You will still have to press or tap a button to make it all work, of course. In the future you’ll only have to press a button once and you’ll have your Android smartphone there listening to you whenever you like – easy and fun, right?

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Open Mic: New Android phones will always be listening is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nokia Lumia 1020 Unlocked Available Online For $735.50

It has only been a couple of days since Nokia announced its much rumored EOS smartphone, which is actually called Nokia Lumia 1020. There were a lot of rumors circulating online about this device well before its release, most of […]

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It Original content from Ubergizmo.

    

Presenting Pinza: The Stylish Solution For Cable Clutter

Tame tangled cords with the Pinza!Bright Light Ventures has developed an extremely classy solution to the age old problem of unruly desktop cords and cables with the Pinza device.

Explore a Turn-of-the-Century Parisian Landmark on the Back of a Drone

Explore a Turn-of-the-Century Parisian Landmark on the Back of a Drone

Drone photography: If you’re not against it because of the Constitution, you’re against it because of how over-hyped it is. But in the hands of enterprising architecture fans, unmanned airborne cameras are also letting us explore some of the most important structures ever built from entirely new angles. Today, it’s Paris’ 1897 glass-and-steel icon, the Grand Palais.

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A Major League Gaming Monitor Is Your Deal Of The Day

A Major League Gaming Monitor Is Your Deal Of The Day

BenQ is the go to brand for Major League Gaming, and we heartily recommend it for your unranked home games as well. This BenQ 24" 120Hz 1080p LED monitor is jam-packed with features ranging from expectedly high refresh rates to a switch that allows quick toggling between multiple display setting profiles. 3D, HDMI, 12M:1 contrast ratio, and a stand that isn’t miserable to adjust are all present and accounted for. Grab it today for $280- way under its MSRP and $50 off the next best price. [Amazon]

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Google and Microsoft agree to US guidelines for fighting ads on pirate sites

Google and Microsoft agree to US guidelines for fighting ads on pirate sites

The White House isn’t happy that many counterfeiters and pirates lean on internet advertising to support their sketchy ways. Accordingly, it just teamed up with Google, Microsoft and other ad providers to create a voluntary set of best practices for cutting off funding to digital bootleggers. An ad network operator following these guidelines agrees to either warn customers or kick them out of ad programs if they’re found to be dealing primarily in ill-gotten goods. Thankfully, the accused also have a say: they can issue counter-notices and otherwise make a case for their innocence. It’s doubtful that the US guidelines will stop copyright violation overnight, but they should streamline an ad removal process that hasn’t been consistent.

[Image credit: Christopher Clay, Flickr]

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Via: The Next Web

Source: 2013 IP Practices, Google, Microsoft

Of Course They Made an Instagram Trailer for Jobs

Of Course They Made an Instagram Trailer for Jobs

Here’s one of those things you’d always think was a joke but turned out to be real—the filmmakers behind Ashton Kutcher Steve Jobs movie have made an Instagram trailer.

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Femtocell Verizon hack allows exposure of phone conversations, text messages

Hacking into mobile phones isn’t anything new, but a recently-discovered hacking trick has gone undetected for years, and it has opened doors for hackers to expose phone conversations, text messages, and even web browser activity. Research has revealed that low-cost low-power cell base stations called femtocells have been able to hack into mobile phones for years.

lock

Femtocells are devices that bring wireless service to low-coverage zones and hard-to-reach spots that a regular cell tower couldn’t reach to. You may not have had a need for one if you’ve been living in the a city for most of your life, but analysts predict that 50 million of them may possibly be in use by the time next year rolls around.

Security consultant for iSEC Partners Tom Ritter was able to hack into NPR host Laura Sydell’s phone to find out her phone number and when she called someone, with the ability to record and playback the entire conversation with ease. Ritter says he was able to do it all with some free software and a $250 femtocell that you can buy at Best Buy.

Ritter points out that he’s able to “see everything that your phone would send to a cell phone tower,” and this includes phone calls, text messages, picture messages, and mobile web surfing. Ritter was using a Verizon femtocell at the time, and the wireless carrier says that they have patched all of their femtocells since then, but other carriers’ models could still be left open.

How easy is it to hack into someone’s phone using a femtocell? iSEC doesn’t provide details, but Ritter notes that “you do need some level of technical skills, but people are learning those skills in college.” However, “breaking into one of these devices, or a device like this, is within the realm of people working at home.” Ritter will be presenting his femtocell findings later in August at this year’s DefCon hacking conference.

VIA: CNN Money


Femtocell Verizon hack allows exposure of phone conversations, text messages is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The 404 1303: Where stupidity will be punished (podcast)

(Credit: necron.deviantart.com)

Leaked from today’s 404 episode:

– The U.S. government now recognizes eSports players as pro athletes.

– A Tennessee man is suing Apple because iPads can view the Internet.

– The RIAA is trying to get a convicted pirate to help get the word out.

Ep. 1303: Where stupidity will be punished

Episode 1303

Listen Now: Download Today’s Podcast

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These Scissors’ Grooved Handle Makes Them Safer To Use as a Knife

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At one point or another, who of us hasn’t risked losing a finger by opening a pair of scissors and using them as a quick, impromptu knife? It turns out they’re a pretty good way to open taped boxes without horribly slicing what’s inside, so Quirky took the idea and created a pair of scissors called the Sheath that’s actually safe to use as an improvised knife.

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