Facebook, Google and numerous startups are among those actively researching new possibilities with artificial intelligence technology. Japanese automaker Toyota is joining the crusade with a five-year, $1 billion R&D effort. The planned Silicon Valley facility will become one of the largest research labs in the area. Toyota Research Institute will initially open a lab next to Stanford and an additional facility near MIT in Cambridge. Toyota’s plans represent a shift in tech research — a return to a focus on science and engineering rather than a push for tech that would become a specific product or service. Continue reading Toyota Invests $1 Billion in Planned Return to Traditional R&D

The U.S. Attorney for Northern California has indicted James Craig, a 62-year-old Scottish trader, for using two fraudulent Twitter accounts to illegally manipulate the stock market. Craig reportedly created the accounts pretending to represent research firms, tweeted false information about publicly traded stocks, and then purchased shares when the prices dropped. While he may not have seen a big payoff (the SEC complaint notes that he waited too long to trade the stocks), “prosecutors allege that Craig’s false tweet-storms caused $1.6 million in losses to shareholders,” explains Ars Technica. Craig is not in custody, as his whereabouts are currently unknown.

Rufus Labs has developed an Android OS wearable tablet with a 3.2-inch touchscreen that wraps around the wrist like a smartwatch. The water-resistant Rufus Cuff, which connects to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and supports Android and iOS apps, launched on Indiegogo as a “revolutionary new take on wrist real estate.” It features a TI Cortex A9 processor and up to 64GB storage. According to Tech Times, “the Cuff is more of a wrist communicator than a smartwatch or smartband, and its highlighted voice and video call feature makes sure to differentiate its designation.” The Rufus Cuff is available for pre-order, $249 before December 1.

The easy-to-use Luma Wi-Fi router will be available in packages of three so that users can set up a “surround Wi-Fi” network to increase coverage around the house and eliminate connectivity dead spots. “Luma also has ‘enterprise-grade’ security and parental controls with device-level customization,” reports Engadget. “All of that is controlled by a smartphone app that helps you quickly block unwanted users, connect devices without a password or set website ratings for your children.” The product will ship in early 2016. The current price is $249 for a three-pack, expected to increase to $499 after the next 30 days.

Hardware startup Eero aims to combat unreliable Wi-Fi signals in the home by introducing devices to be used in packs that will blanket a house with a smooth signal. Consumers will have the option of purchasing a single Eero device or a three-pack. The company says the latter will cover the average home with its “mesh networking” approach. “But this purportedly flawless Wi-Fi won’t come cheap,” notes Business Insider. “The retail price (on Amazon) will be $199 for a single unit and $499 for three.” Eero is backed by $40 million in investment, and reportedly has more than $1 million in pre-orders. The mid-2015 release date has been delayed to February 2016.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social platform now generates 8 billion average daily video views from its 500 million users, an increase from 4 billion daily views in April. “Some might contend that this stat isn’t totally accurate since Facebook counts just 3 seconds of watching as a ‘view,’” notes TechCrunch. “But the 100 percent growth in seven months shows that even when controlling for this limitation of the metric, users are still voraciously consuming videos.” Facebook is looking to leverage the shift in television advertising dollars — and its new Suggested Video interface, which recommends clips based on personal data, could give it an edge in discovery over YouTube.

Sony’s Internet TV service, PlayStation Vue — which now offers more channels than Sling TV — has announced a new content deal that will bring ABC, ABC Family, the Disney Channel and all ESPN-related channels to the service. In addition, ABC affiliates will be able to opt-in to the service with live linear programming. “Suddenly, Vue is looking like a real cable replacement,” suggests The Verge. “A wide selection of on-demand content from Disney and ESPN networks will be added to Vue, and subscribers will be able to ‘catch up’ by watching shows they’ve missed within the past three days — without having to rely on Vue’s cloud-based DVR.”

Pandora Media and Sony/ATV announced a multiyear licensing deal yesterday that brings the companies together to provide better rates for artists while allowing Pandora to “benefit from greater rate certainty” that could also help “add new flexibility to the company’s product offering over time.” The direct licensing deal arrives as the music industry prepares for potential changes regarding federal regulation of songwriting rights. Sony/ATV is the world’s biggest music publisher with songwriting rights to thousands of artists, including the Beatles and Taylor Swift. Continue reading Pandora and Sony/ATV No Longer Opponents in Streaming Wars

Verizon has signed a deal with the NBA designed to generate more interest in its go90 mobile video service among younger consumers. As part of the content and marketing partnership, “go90 will feature NBA videos such as daily highlights, original content and access to live out-of-market games through NBA League Pass,” reports The Wall Street Journal. The NBA and Verizon are also planning to collaborate on original exclusive series for the millennial-focused go90. “The platform already features short-form content from partners including the National Football League, Comedy Central and Machinima and has signed a major advertiser commitment with Publicis Groupe.”

Cloud storage company Dropbox made announcements during yesterday’s Dropbox Open conference in San Francisco meant to attract more business customers. The company introduced Dropbox Enterprise, a new tier for its business offering intended for larger companies that require more advanced functionality. Dropbox also announced that it has reached a new milestone: 400 million users and 150,000 business customers. And to continue growing its business side, the company has formed new partnerships with Synnex, Ingram Micro and HP Enterprise. Continue reading Dropbox Unveils Advanced Tools, Seeks Enterprise Customers

Microsoft announced that “Halo 5: Guardians” has generated more than $400 million worldwide, making it the biggest launch in the franchise’s history and the fastest-selling exclusive Xbox One release. “The newly released sci-fi shooter pulled in more than $400 million worldwide between game and hardware-bundled sales,” reports Variety, noting that the new release “also brought the lifetime earning for the series, which spans all the way back to ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ for the original Xbox in Nov. 2001, to over $5 billion.” In its first week of availability, “Halo 5” was Xbox One’s most-played game, racking up more than 21 million hours of game play.

Amazon, considered by many to be responsible for the demise of some brick-and-mortar bookstores, has opened its first physical storefront. Amazon Books plans to use online customer reviews and digital data to help plan inventory decisions and provide titles that will match the prices of books available via Amazon.com. “To those bookstore owners and authors who blame Amazon for the demise of the neighborhood bookstore, though, the move is an ironic twist considering the company’s history as chief instigator of the digitization of reading and book selling,” suggests Re/code.

The Motion Picture Association of America announced yesterday that courts in Canada and New Zealand ordered Popcorntime.io and BitTorrent site YTS.to to be shut down in October. Film companies have contended that the two websites served as a clearinghouse for illegal online movie sharing. After days of tech media outlets reporting problems with the two offending sites, court documents were unsealed that disclosed the shutdown. According to the MPAA, “YTS has a library of about 4,500 film titles in violation of copyright laws,” notes The New York Times. ComScore figures showed Popcorntime.io had 1.5 million unique visitors in July and YTS had 3.4 million visitors in August.

Dish’s streaming service Sling TV is now available for Google Chromecast users. The live TV service’s entry-level package offers an array of cable channels, including ESPN, TBS, HGTV, TNT and more. “While Chromecast today supports dozen of apps, including Netflix, Hulu, Google Play Movies, HBO Now, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, and many more, Sling TV provides a way to watch live and on-demand television for the reduced price of $20 per month,” explains TechCrunch. Sling TV also offers add-on packages for an additional $5 per month and HBO for $15 a month. Google says support is also underway for Showtime, NBA and MLB apps.

King Digital is best known for its popular browser game “Candy Crush” and its mobile version “Candy Crush Saga.” The company, which went public in March 2014 at $22.50 a share, is being acquired by game giant Activision Blizzard, for $18 a share. While the game continues to generate profit for King, the developer has yet to launch another of the same magnitude. However, while “Candy Crush” generated $493 million during the last three months of 2013, it still earned $206 million in the last three months ending in June 2015. “The thing about creating a megahit game in the iPhone/Android era is that there’s no flywheel effect,” suggests Re/code. “A megahit gives you resources to market other games, which is nice. But no one has been able to prove that making one megahit lets you make other megahits.”