Law and Innovation

Fresh and interesting article from The Verge . After Siri (Apple) and Google Now (Google), a new Microsoft digital personal assistant enters the market "Cortana".  "Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update will include Cortana, a personal digital assistant designed to rival Siri and Google Now. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans have revealed to The Verge how Cortana looks and operates , replacing the built-in Bing search functionality on Windows Phone 8.1. While the feature is named after the Halo game series, Cortana will take the form of a circular animated icon instead of a female character. Cortana will animate when it’s speaking or thinking, forming a personality not dissimilar to Apple’s Siri. Nicknames just like Siri . Just like Siri, Cortana will also allow Windows Phone users to set how they want to be addressed by the voice-activated assistant. Cortana can call users by their name or nicknames like "Master Chief...

Fresh and interesting article from Forbes , the American business magazine, and TechCrunch , about Google's location history Browser "mapping" your movements:  "A recent story on TechCrunch highlighted a little-known feature of Google's mapping services; the ability to record and display a daily history of your whereabouts  [emphasis added]. The service is called  Location History and is available via a web browser when you’re logged into your Google account. What you get is a Google Maps display that includes a calendar to specify the date for which you want to review your travels. An hourly graph is displayed below the map so that you can mouse over a specific time to see your location at that hour. Google even provides a play button that will automatically scroll through the timeline for you.  This location data is coming from your smartphone or tablet, of course. Google’s apps have the ability to periodically track your location, rega...