When Apple snatched up Siri back in April, we wonder what exactly Cupertino was planning for the voice controlled virtual assistant. Well, the answer, according to a new leak, is unsurprisingly obvious: iOS integration.

A screenshot leaked to 9to5Mac flaunts an “Assistant” feature presumably built into a firmware update. To back up the screenshot, the aforesaid site dove into the iOS SDK and uncovered code describing Siri-like use of the iPhone’s location, contact list, and song metadata. The code also outlined a “speaker” feature, opening a door for further Nuance integration in Apple products.

Sounds awesome? Sure does, but take it with a pint of salt, as 9to5′s source says the assistant feature only just went into testing, and may not be ready in time for Apple’s next iPhone. Hit the source link to see the code and conjecture for yourself.

SOURCE via 9to5mac

Qualcomm has today announced its intentions to acquire “certain assets” from GestureTek, a long-standing developer of gesture recognition technology. GestureTek has lurked in the mobile platform before, but now it looks like it’ll be more aggressively touching devices with Qualcomm silicon.

It’s a strange move, indeed, but it could be one that signals a shift in the way chip makers are looking out for themselves. OEMs have long tried to skin their Android devices in a way that’ll breed loyalty to a brand (rather than an OS), but loyalty to a CPU? According to Qually, the buy will give it access to “key engineering resources,” and while GestureTek will maintain “other assets in continuation of its gesture-controlled public display and digital signage business,” we suspect the consumer-facing aspects will soon have a new master.

We’re told that the tech will be woven into current and next-gen Snapdragon processors, but only time will tell what sort of seamless wizardry will result.

SOURCE via Qualcomm

When you head to Apple’s online store to configure your MacBook Air, you’ll find options to increase processor speed or SSD capacity — depending on the model you select, of course. There’s no mention of flash drive speed, however, though it’s now clear that not all SSDs are created equal at Apple — not only when it comes to capacity, but also performance.

Jonathan over at TLD discovered a fairly significant discrepancy when benchmarking both MacBook Air models over the weekend. The 128GB Samsung SSD in his 11-inch Air was able to achieve 246 MB/s write and 264 MB/s read speeds. When he switched to the 13-inch model, however, speeds dropped to 156 MB/s and 208 MB/s, respectively, using that notebook’s 128GB Toshiba SSD.

Over at Engadget, they compared speeds on two generations of 13-inch models, and have also confirmed Jonathan’s findings. During their tests, the 256GB Samsung drive in our older model achieved 214 MB/s write and 251 MB/s read speeds, while the 128GB Toshiba drive in the new MacBook Air scored 184 MB/s and 203 MB/s during write and read tests, respectively.

This many not be a very noticeable issue for most MacBook Air owners, but still it’s an interesting find that their performances varies.

Read more…

Canon had some good news and some bad news in its second quarter earnings released today. It seemed that the March earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year is showing their impact on the economy of Japanese companies on paper.

On the upside, the company has raised its profit outlook for the rest of the year, and says that the recovery from the earthquake that forced it to halt camera production has been “quicker than expected.” That halt to production did take a considerable toll on the company, however, and contributed to a 20 percent drop in net profits to ¥53.86 billion, or $685.7 million, compared to a year ago — a figure that was compounded by a strong yen that further cut into its earnings overseas.

That revised profit outlook comes in part from an updated shipment forecast for interchangeable lens cameras — it now expects to ship 7.3 million instead of seven million, although its forecast for compact cameras remains unchanged at 20 million. Could that also include a few mirrorless models? Perhaps, although all indications are than an actual release will have to wait until sometime next year.

SOURCE via Canon

Less than ten days after iOS 4.3.4 parachuted in to fix that nasty PDF exploit, Apple’s gone and dropped another iOS update. So what’ll Cupertino’s latest fix today? Build 8L1 — or 8E600 on 4.2.10 if you’re using the CDMA version — apparently nixes a vulnerability with “certificate validation,” or you know, Apple’s just really fond of keeping all you hackers on your toes. Either way, it’s time to fire up iTunes. And oh by the way, this 4.3.5 can still be jailbroken using redSnow, tethered of course. How many more updates until iOS 5 officially lands?

SOURCE via Redmondpie

The latest G-Shock watch from Casio boasts the usual array of shock and water-resistant claims, and now it can add FCC acceptance to the list, having passed through that government agency’s approval process. So, why did this wristwatch hit the FCC in the first place? Well, the rugged little timekeeper is packing Bluetooth 4.0 in its bag of tricks, which lets the wearable gadget communicate with your smartphone. No word on a release date, but Casio did mention a fairly broad “sometime in 2011″ window when it was first announced back in March. Here’s hoping that its FCC debut will speed the shock-filled process along.

SOURCE via FCC

HTC is out a top executive with the departure of chief innovation officer Horace Luke. The exec has been gone for some time now, having exited at the end of April. The Taiwanese phone maker formally announced the news this week, citing “personal reasons” as the motivation behind the CIO’s exit. HTC had nothing but kind words for Luke, whom had been with the company since 2006, stating that he had “nurtured a culture of innovation.” The company’s vice president of design, Scott Croyle, has stepped into the Luke’s vacant position. Now Mr Luke can finally get an iPhone 4 and iPad 2!

SOURCE via BGR