The future of tech is ambient computing according to Walt Mossberg… and he’s probably right. In the future, technology won’t be about gadgets and hardware because it’ll be always present, in the background, waiting to help when you need it. It’s a very cool picture of the future he leaves us with. The rest of the stories are below.
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Ambient Computing Show Notes
Microsoft’s Surface Pro looks awesome. Seriously, if I was buying a new Windows machine, this is what I would get. Microsoft has figured out how to make something cool and functional. Good job!
Microsoft’s new Surface Pro
Microsoft unveils collaborative inking Whiteboard app for Windows 10
Google’s AlphaGo is the Go champ with a beating last week of the former champion. Now they’ll set their sights on more humanitarian efforts like medicine and cars. Pretty cool.
AlphaGo Beat The World’s Strongest Player
Tic-Tac-Toe, Checkers, Chess and now Go. What’s next?
AlphaGo Beat 5 Players At Once They were playing team Go, where each of the 5 players took turns playing.
AlphaGo Retires
Walt Mossberg is retiring and this is his final column which looks at the future of computing. He lays out a compelling argument for Ambient computing: the idea that computers will fade into the background and just be “part of lives”. Think of it like the internet of things, but more comprehensive.
Mossberg: The Disappearing Computer
What comes up… must come down for LeEco. After such a high rocket start, they’ve continued falling. And I have a hunch it’s not over yet.
LeEco Fires 325 People In The US
Thunderbolt is a protocol for USB-C, but nobody except Apple seems to be adopting it. To help, Intel has decided to stop trying to make money and will instead give it away for free. I guess no piece of the pie is better than a pie you can’t sell.
Intel Will Stop Charging Royalties For USB-C Thunderbolt Tech
They’re Trying To Stop USB-C From Winning
DJI continues to expand their lead in the drone market. This year they have a handheld drone starting at $499. The promise of quality drones becoming mainstream comes closer. Though, the reasons why you should buy one, no matter what the price, still isn’t clear yet.
DJI Showed Off The Spark Drone
You Can Control It With Hand Gestures
Smart lights are going to become more affordable thanks to IKEA. They’re putting pressure on the premium pricing. This will also encourage developers to enable more skills.
Ikea’s cheap smart lighting will be Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa compatible
Sergey Brin Is Building The Largest Airship
Like huge. And it’s going to be used for humanity efforts… and as a air yacht for family & friends. Awesome.
A final quick update: Uber continues to spiral out of control in their case against Waymo. You can really sense the judge starting to get upset with Uber.
Judge orders Uber to hand over to Waymo unredacted term sheet with Otto