Google is to launch its voice-controlled smart speaker to rival Amazon's Echo in the UK on 6 April, the tech giant has announced.
Google Home is a small speaker controlled by using the phrase "OK Google", which will utilise Google Search as well as the maps and translation functions to answer questions and provide information.
Google Home's Suveer Kothari said: "A really useful assistant takes context into account, like using your location to give you accurate weather readings.
"But you are always firmly in control. We're sensitive to privacy and give users the choice of whether to make personal data accessible on Google Home.
"Our goal is to create a helpful assistant that is welcome in your home. We may not be perfect at the start, but we'll continue to add new features and get better over time."
The Google Home speaker can be used to play music and also uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to understand context and answer follow-up questions.
The device, which will cost £129 and be available in a range of colours, can also be used to control other smart home products such as light bulbs, thermostats and TVs.
The tech giant is also launching its Wifi router, Google Wifi, in the UK.
It will also cost £129 and uses technology called mesh Wifi, which the firm says uses multiple routers to evenly spread internet signal throughout the home.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Sky Data Brexit poll: Half of Britons happy about EU divorce process starting
Across the country, emotions ran high during the EU referendum campaign - but there is little sign of Bregret from voters as Theresa May prepares to pull the trigger on Brexit.
A Sky Data poll found one in two people were happy or very happy about the triggering of Article 50, while only 36% said they felt sad about leaving the EU.
That suggests that there has been little voter remorse for the referendum decision last June to quit the EU, when 52% of the population voted to leave while 48% voted to remain.
Sky News travelled to the East of England to take the Brexit temperature in one of the most eurosceptic parts of the UK.
Like many parts of the country, city dwellers were at odds with those living in neighbouring towns and villages.
University city Norwich was the only place in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex that voted remain, with 56% of local residents opting to stay in the EU.
Locals in Norwich told Sky News they were feeling ambivalent and sad about Theresa May pulling the trigger on Brexit.
As one market stall worker said: "I don't feel right about it. When unions break apart, it never ends well."
Leave the city centre and the surrounding towns and villages tell a very different story.
Just 20 miles away in Great Yarmouth, nearly three in four adults voted to quit the EU - making this seaside town the fifth strongest Vote Leave area in the UK.
Locals on the seaside promenade told Sky News they were happy with the result: they hope Brexit might bring some benefits for their seaside town ravaged by decades of neglect.
One local man, Carl, said he had voted to leave the EU and hoped Brexit might mean more attention; that Government funding might flow into the town where he was born and bred.
He said: "People have had enough. Hopefully it'll mean we can concentrate on the UK."
Great Yarmouth, like many other coastal towns, suffers from high rates of teenage pregnancy, social deprivation, low educational attainment and higher than average levels of unemployment.
Support for the UKIP has surged in Great Yarmouth, with the anti-EU party picking up four councils seats in last year's local council election - making it the second biggest party in local government behind the Tories, with 12 councillors.
A desire for change in a town with little to lose, Sky Data suggests voters up and down the country are braced for some sort of economic hit from Brexit - but are also undeterred.
In a Sky poll, 42% of respondents said they thought Brexit would be bad for the economy, while 36% thought leaving the EU will benefit the economy. The rest didn't know.
Chris Hanretty, lecturer in politics at the University of East Anglia, told Sky News there was little reason for people to feel Bregret at this stage of the process.
"There hasn't been much evidence at all of Bregret or remorse or people changing their minds, just because, well, they haven't seen much change - so far."
A Sky Data poll found one in two people were happy or very happy about the triggering of Article 50, while only 36% said they felt sad about leaving the EU.
That suggests that there has been little voter remorse for the referendum decision last June to quit the EU, when 52% of the population voted to leave while 48% voted to remain.
Sky News travelled to the East of England to take the Brexit temperature in one of the most eurosceptic parts of the UK.
Like many parts of the country, city dwellers were at odds with those living in neighbouring towns and villages.
University city Norwich was the only place in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex that voted remain, with 56% of local residents opting to stay in the EU.
Locals in Norwich told Sky News they were feeling ambivalent and sad about Theresa May pulling the trigger on Brexit.
As one market stall worker said: "I don't feel right about it. When unions break apart, it never ends well."
Leave the city centre and the surrounding towns and villages tell a very different story.
Just 20 miles away in Great Yarmouth, nearly three in four adults voted to quit the EU - making this seaside town the fifth strongest Vote Leave area in the UK.
Locals on the seaside promenade told Sky News they were happy with the result: they hope Brexit might bring some benefits for their seaside town ravaged by decades of neglect.
One local man, Carl, said he had voted to leave the EU and hoped Brexit might mean more attention; that Government funding might flow into the town where he was born and bred.
He said: "People have had enough. Hopefully it'll mean we can concentrate on the UK."
Great Yarmouth, like many other coastal towns, suffers from high rates of teenage pregnancy, social deprivation, low educational attainment and higher than average levels of unemployment.
Support for the UKIP has surged in Great Yarmouth, with the anti-EU party picking up four councils seats in last year's local council election - making it the second biggest party in local government behind the Tories, with 12 councillors.
A desire for change in a town with little to lose, Sky Data suggests voters up and down the country are braced for some sort of economic hit from Brexit - but are also undeterred.
In a Sky poll, 42% of respondents said they thought Brexit would be bad for the economy, while 36% thought leaving the EU will benefit the economy. The rest didn't know.
Chris Hanretty, lecturer in politics at the University of East Anglia, told Sky News there was little reason for people to feel Bregret at this stage of the process.
"There hasn't been much evidence at all of Bregret or remorse or people changing their minds, just because, well, they haven't seen much change - so far."
Police investigating after 'human waste' found in empty Coke cans
Police are investigating after cans delivered to a Coca Cola factory in Northern Ireland appeared to have been contaminated with suspected human waste.
The problem occurred at a Coke factory in Co Antrim where empty cans are filled with the drink before being sealed and sold across Northern Ireland.
Coke said the problem at their plant in Lisburn was "identified immediately through our robust quality procedures".
They also reassured the public that this was an "isolated incident" and had not affected any products currently on sale.
"All of the product from the affected batch was immediately impounded and will not be sold", a Coca Cola spokeswoman said.
"We are treating this matter extremely seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation in co-operation with the PSNI."
The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed they were investigating reports that a consignment of containers had been contaminated, but said there were no further details available at this time.
The Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland also said it was aware of a "physical contamination incident".
But an FSA spokeswoman said: "There is no evidence to suggest that any affected product has reached the market".
The problem occurred at a Coke factory in Co Antrim where empty cans are filled with the drink before being sealed and sold across Northern Ireland.
Coke said the problem at their plant in Lisburn was "identified immediately through our robust quality procedures".
They also reassured the public that this was an "isolated incident" and had not affected any products currently on sale.
"All of the product from the affected batch was immediately impounded and will not be sold", a Coca Cola spokeswoman said.
"We are treating this matter extremely seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation in co-operation with the PSNI."
The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed they were investigating reports that a consignment of containers had been contaminated, but said there were no further details available at this time.
The Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland also said it was aware of a "physical contamination incident".
But an FSA spokeswoman said: "There is no evidence to suggest that any affected product has reached the market".
Refurbished Samsung Note 7 phones to be sold after withdrawal due to fire hazard
Samsung is to sell refurbished versions of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones which it pulled from stores last year because they kept bursting into flames.
Note 7s were permanently scrapped in October following a global recall after the batteries were found to be causing them to self-combust.
Samsung launched an investigation that discovered manufacturing problems in batteries supplied by two different companies - Samsung SDI Co Ltd and Amperex Technology Ltd.
The company and independent researchers found no other problems in the Note 7 devices, raising speculation that Samsung will recoup some of its losses by selling refurbished models.
The time of Samsung's announcement that revamped Note 7s will go back on sale has surprised industry insiders as it comes just days before it launches its new S8 smartphone in the United States.
It will be its first premium phone since the Note 7 fire problems.
The company is under pressure to turn its image around and had previously not commented on its plans to sell refurbished devices.
But in a statement Samsung said: "Regarding the Galaxy Note 7 devices as refurbished phones or rental phones, applicability is dependent upon consultations with regulatory authorities and carriers as well as due consideration of local demand."
South Korea's Electronic Times newspaper reported that Samsung will start selling refurbished Note 7s in its home country in July or August and would aim to sell between 400,000 and 500,000 of them using safe batteries.
However, in response, Samsung said it has not set specifics on refurbished Note 7 sales plans, including what markets and when they would go on sale.
The company added that Note 7s will be equipped with new batteries that have gone through its new rigorous safety testing measures.
It said: "The objective of introducing refurbished devices is solely to reduce and minimise any environmental impact."
The company estimated it lost £4.40bn in profit over three quarters because of the Note 7's problems.
More than three million Note 7s were sold before the phones were withdrawn from the market.
The company also plans to recover and use or sell reusable components such as chips and camera modules and extract rare metals such as copper, gold, nickel and silver from Note 7 devices that are not sold as refurbished products.
Environment rights group Greenpeace and others have lobbied the company to come up with environmentally friendly ways to deal with the recovered Note 7s.
Note 7s were permanently scrapped in October following a global recall after the batteries were found to be causing them to self-combust.
Samsung launched an investigation that discovered manufacturing problems in batteries supplied by two different companies - Samsung SDI Co Ltd and Amperex Technology Ltd.
The company and independent researchers found no other problems in the Note 7 devices, raising speculation that Samsung will recoup some of its losses by selling refurbished models.
The time of Samsung's announcement that revamped Note 7s will go back on sale has surprised industry insiders as it comes just days before it launches its new S8 smartphone in the United States.
It will be its first premium phone since the Note 7 fire problems.
The company is under pressure to turn its image around and had previously not commented on its plans to sell refurbished devices.
But in a statement Samsung said: "Regarding the Galaxy Note 7 devices as refurbished phones or rental phones, applicability is dependent upon consultations with regulatory authorities and carriers as well as due consideration of local demand."
South Korea's Electronic Times newspaper reported that Samsung will start selling refurbished Note 7s in its home country in July or August and would aim to sell between 400,000 and 500,000 of them using safe batteries.
However, in response, Samsung said it has not set specifics on refurbished Note 7 sales plans, including what markets and when they would go on sale.
The company added that Note 7s will be equipped with new batteries that have gone through its new rigorous safety testing measures.
It said: "The objective of introducing refurbished devices is solely to reduce and minimise any environmental impact."
The company estimated it lost £4.40bn in profit over three quarters because of the Note 7's problems.
More than three million Note 7s were sold before the phones were withdrawn from the market.
The company also plans to recover and use or sell reusable components such as chips and camera modules and extract rare metals such as copper, gold, nickel and silver from Note 7 devices that are not sold as refurbished products.
Environment rights group Greenpeace and others have lobbied the company to come up with environmentally friendly ways to deal with the recovered Note 7s.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan urges EU not to punish UK for Brexit
The EU should not try to "instil fear" by threatening to "punish" the UK for Brexit with a bad deal, the London Mayor has warned Brussels.
Sadiq Khan says the EU should not try to "secure its future by fear" and said a bad deal for Britain's capital would hurt Europe too.
Mr Khan's intervention, in a speech in Brussels, comes the day before Theresa May is to trigger Article 50 - the official two-year divorce process.
He said: "Now is the time to be confident in the European Union, and to act with confidence. There is no need - as some have suggested - for the EU to send a message, or to instil fear, by punishing the UK.
"Because a proud, optimistic and confident institution does not secure its future by fear."
He added that a "bad Brexit deal that hurts London would hurt the European Union too".
:: PM hails 'unstoppable UK' as she meets Sturgeon
The mayor's address set the scene for a series of high-level meetings with key EU figures to send the message that London wants EU trade and investment after Brexit.
He will be holding talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, European Parliament president Antonio Tajani, and the European Parliament's Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt.
When asked if he wanted Britain to face an EU punishment deal, Mr Verhofstadt said: "Not at all."
However, the spectre of a $60bn (£52bn) Brexit bill indicates a potentially hostile start to negotiations.
:: Brexit deal must pass six tests, says Labour
EU negotiatior Michel Barnier wants to get the issue settled quickly so both sides can reach the outlines of a Brexit agreement within 18 months.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said the UK would not be paying the EU that amount of money.
He said: "We will, of course, meet our international obligations be we expect also our rights to be respected too.
"I don't think we are going to be seeing that sort of money change hands."
:: What happens when Article 50 is triggered?
Mr Khan also called on Mrs May to work to make an early deal on EU citizens living in the UK.
Speaking on Question Time on Monday, Mr Davis said that immigration levels might need to rise "from time to time" suggesting the Government could be looking to quotas in the wake of Brexit.
He said: "The first issue here is to bring this back under the control of the UK Government, the UK Parliament, to bring migration under control.
"I don't think most people oppose migration, I think most people are in favour of migration so long as it's managed. The point is, it will need to be managed."
Sadiq Khan says the EU should not try to "secure its future by fear" and said a bad deal for Britain's capital would hurt Europe too.
Mr Khan's intervention, in a speech in Brussels, comes the day before Theresa May is to trigger Article 50 - the official two-year divorce process.
He said: "Now is the time to be confident in the European Union, and to act with confidence. There is no need - as some have suggested - for the EU to send a message, or to instil fear, by punishing the UK.
"Because a proud, optimistic and confident institution does not secure its future by fear."
He added that a "bad Brexit deal that hurts London would hurt the European Union too".
:: PM hails 'unstoppable UK' as she meets Sturgeon
The mayor's address set the scene for a series of high-level meetings with key EU figures to send the message that London wants EU trade and investment after Brexit.
He will be holding talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, European Parliament president Antonio Tajani, and the European Parliament's Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt.
When asked if he wanted Britain to face an EU punishment deal, Mr Verhofstadt said: "Not at all."
However, the spectre of a $60bn (£52bn) Brexit bill indicates a potentially hostile start to negotiations.
:: Brexit deal must pass six tests, says Labour
EU negotiatior Michel Barnier wants to get the issue settled quickly so both sides can reach the outlines of a Brexit agreement within 18 months.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said the UK would not be paying the EU that amount of money.
He said: "We will, of course, meet our international obligations be we expect also our rights to be respected too.
"I don't think we are going to be seeing that sort of money change hands."
:: What happens when Article 50 is triggered?
Mr Khan also called on Mrs May to work to make an early deal on EU citizens living in the UK.
Speaking on Question Time on Monday, Mr Davis said that immigration levels might need to rise "from time to time" suggesting the Government could be looking to quotas in the wake of Brexit.
He said: "The first issue here is to bring this back under the control of the UK Government, the UK Parliament, to bring migration under control.
"I don't think most people oppose migration, I think most people are in favour of migration so long as it's managed. The point is, it will need to be managed."
Battle for Mosul: US 'probably had role in civilian casualties'
The top American commander in Iraq says the US probably had a role in civilian casualties in the battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State.
Scores of civilians have died in coalition airstrikes in the west of the city this month as US-backed government forces fight to defeat IS jihadists, according to Iraqi officials.
General Stephen Townsend, head of the anti-IS coalition in Baghdad, said coalition forces were "probably" involved in the deaths of civilians during recent bombings.
But he also cautioned that IS could have played a part.
He said: "My initial assessment is that we probably had a role in these casualties. What I don't know is were they (the civilians) gathered there by the enemy?"
Around 200 civilians are feared to have been killed in a single incident on 17 March in Mosul's al Jadida area.
Investigators are trying to work out whether a coalition airstrike or Islamic State-rigged explosives caused a deadly explosion there.
Some residents said an aerial strike hit an explosive-filled truck and the subsequent blast led to the collapse of buildings packed with families.
Gen Townsend said: "My initial impression is the enemy had a hand in this. And there's also a fair chance that our strike had some role in it. I think it's probably going to play out to be some sort of combination."
The United Nations expressed profound concern over the incident, saying it was "stunned by this terrible loss of life".
The US Central Command said on Saturday a review found a US-led coalition operation, requested by Iraq's government, struck IS fighters and equipment "at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties".
Scores of civilians have died in coalition airstrikes in the west of the city this month as US-backed government forces fight to defeat IS jihadists, according to Iraqi officials.
General Stephen Townsend, head of the anti-IS coalition in Baghdad, said coalition forces were "probably" involved in the deaths of civilians during recent bombings.
But he also cautioned that IS could have played a part.
He said: "My initial assessment is that we probably had a role in these casualties. What I don't know is were they (the civilians) gathered there by the enemy?"
Around 200 civilians are feared to have been killed in a single incident on 17 March in Mosul's al Jadida area.
Investigators are trying to work out whether a coalition airstrike or Islamic State-rigged explosives caused a deadly explosion there.
Some residents said an aerial strike hit an explosive-filled truck and the subsequent blast led to the collapse of buildings packed with families.
Gen Townsend said: "My initial impression is the enemy had a hand in this. And there's also a fair chance that our strike had some role in it. I think it's probably going to play out to be some sort of combination."
The United Nations expressed profound concern over the incident, saying it was "stunned by this terrible loss of life".
The US Central Command said on Saturday a review found a US-led coalition operation, requested by Iraq's government, struck IS fighters and equipment "at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties".
Gang planned to steal Enzo Ferrari's body from his tomb in Italy
Italian detectives say they have foiled a plot by a gang to steal the body of Formula One racing pioneer Enzo Ferrari and demand a ransom.
Ferrari, founder of the firm that produces some of the world's fastest and most expensive cars, died in 1988 at the age of 90.
He made the company's prancing horse logo an internationally recognised brand and is buried in a ground-level family tomb in the San Cataldo cemetery in Modena.
It is situated near the Ferrari plant at Maranello in central Italy.
The gang had reportedly carried out surveillance of the tomb - and had also arranged for someone to keep the body and get in touch with the Ferrari family.
The plot was uncovered during an investigation into arms and drug trafficking during which 34 arrest warrants were issued.
Raids took place involving 300 officers and resulted in a number of arrests.
Details of the plan were revealed during a news conference by police in Nuoro on the island of Sardinia.
The organised gang is said to have been based there, as well as being active in northern Italy.
Ferrari, founder of the firm that produces some of the world's fastest and most expensive cars, died in 1988 at the age of 90.
He made the company's prancing horse logo an internationally recognised brand and is buried in a ground-level family tomb in the San Cataldo cemetery in Modena.
It is situated near the Ferrari plant at Maranello in central Italy.
The gang had reportedly carried out surveillance of the tomb - and had also arranged for someone to keep the body and get in touch with the Ferrari family.
The plot was uncovered during an investigation into arms and drug trafficking during which 34 arrest warrants were issued.
Raids took place involving 300 officers and resulted in a number of arrests.
Details of the plan were revealed during a news conference by police in Nuoro on the island of Sardinia.
The organised gang is said to have been based there, as well as being active in northern Italy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)