Calling for tech support? IBM's Watson might be on the other end

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/11/calling-for-tech-support-ibms-watson-might-be-on-the-other-end/

Watson may have Jeopardy! and the medical realm under lock, but retail / service industries? Not yet, but soon. Very soon. According to a new piece in Hemispheres Magazine, IBM's now looking to shop the supercomputer's world-class vocal recognition technologies to outfits in retail and customer service, with those enterprises in particular drooling at the thought of having a sophisticated machine recognizing human speech. In theory, at least, basic questions could potentially be answered entirely by Watson, but that's honestly not a future we're too fond of. There's also the possibility of using analytical data that Watson collects in order to better position deals, service and other tech support centers based on what kinds of requests come in the most. So, eager to speak with a kindhearted, potentially confused robot? Or will that flustered, potentially sympathetic Earthling still suffice?

Calling for tech support? IBM's Watson might be on the other end originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 07:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S II gets torn down, found to be just as beautiful on the inside

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/11/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-gets-torn-down-found-to-be-just-as-beautifu/

Here's a tidbit of interest: it took the moving of three million Galaxy S IIs before we saw a bona fide teardown. But hey -- maybe this thing's just too darn delightful to crack open for the sake of cracking it open. iFixit and ABI Research have both sliced into Sammy's best smartphone yet, discovering an Exynos dual-core apps processor, newfangled CMOS-based antenna switch, a low-power XMM6260 cellular chipset from Infineon and a single-packaged multi-band, multi-mode PA from RFMD. 'Course, knowing the surrounding technobabble is only half the fun; for the other half, dig into those source links below.

Samsung Galaxy S II gets torn down, found to be just as beautiful on the inside originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple files second ITC patent infringement complaint against HTC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/11/apple-files-second-itc-patent-infringement-complaint-against-htc/

Nothing like a little legalese to take the edge off on a Monday, eh? Just months after Apple smacked HTC with an ITC complaint, it looks as if the company's doing the same thing again. As if one ongoing ITC complaint against Samsung wasn't enough, the US International Trade Commission is reporting that HTC is being accused again. As predicted, the patent infringement complaint is asking for the entity to block the import of "personal electronic devices" by HTC, but until it becomes available for public viewing, it's hard to know exactly which device(s) ticked the lawyers in Cupertino off. As for the prior tiff? A judge is expected to rule on that August 5th, and those findings are then subject to review by the full commission. HTC's not commenting yet given that even it hasn't seen the details, so we'll be sure to keep you posted as the drama unfolds.

Apple files second ITC patent infringement complaint against HTC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British researchers design a million-chip neural network 1/100 as complex as your brain

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/11/british-researchers-design-a-million-chip-neural-network-1-100-a/

If you want some idea of the complexity of the human brain, consider this: a group of British universities plans to link as many as a million ARM processors in order to simulate just a small fraction of it. The resulting model, called SpiNNaker (Spiking Neural Network architecture), will represent less than one percent of a human's gray matter, which contains 100 billion neurons. (Take that, mice brains!) Yet even this small scale representation, researchers believe, will yield insight into how the brain functions, perhaps enabling new treatments for cognitive disorders, similar to previous models that increased our understanding of schizophrenia. As these neural networks increase in complexity, they come closer to mimicking human brains -- perhaps even developing the ability to make their own Skynet references.

British researchers design a million-chip neural network 1/100 as complex as your brain originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cisco boosts stadium WiFi, makes MLB slightly more tolerable for the internet-obsessed (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/11/cisco-boosts-stadium-wifi-makes-mlb-slightly-more-tolerable-for/

Anyone who's been in a packed stadium or concert venue knows better than to expect to be able to browse the web or even check email, unless of course your device happens to be compatible with a certain underutilized data-only network. A new initiative from Cisco, however, aims to bring connectivity to the over-saturated masses. The company's Connected Stadium WiFi bundles the Aironet 3500p access point, designed specifically for "high-density stadium and arena deployments," with strategically placed antennas that target fewer seats with the same amount of throughput -- likely similar to the 884-device network AT&T deployed at Cowboys Stadium for Super Bowl XLV. We hope the lighter load placed on carriers -- and already sky high ticket prices -- would help make Connected Stadium a free service, but key words like "purchasing" and "monetizeable" in the networking company's announcement make us think that some greenbacks are likely to change hands once the service launches in the real, connectivity-challenged world of overcrowded venues.

Continue reading Cisco boosts stadium WiFi, makes MLB slightly more tolerable for the internet-obsessed (video)

Cisco boosts stadium WiFi, makes MLB slightly more tolerable for the internet-obsessed (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Wi-Fi Planet  |  Cisco Blog  | Email this | Comments

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