Year: 2019

Apple has acquired Voice-Tech company behind ‘Hello Barbie’

CompuScoop Staff February 16, 2019 0

Apple is looking to make some noise in the rapidly growing voice-technology field.

According to a report in Axios, the company has purchased PullString, a San Francisco startup whose technology has been incorporated into such devices as Google Home and Amazon’s Echo.

Founded in 2011 by former Pixar executives, PullString was initially known as ToyTalk, and specialized in high-tech children’s entertainment. In 2015, ToyTalk was crucial to the development of Mattel’s innovative (and controversial) Hello Barbie. The doll, which allowed children to converse with the iconic Barbie character, was criticized over potential privacy and security concerns, as well as for such retrograde one-liners as, “Let’s chat about fashion!”

The company changed its name to PullString in 2016, and began to expand into other areas of voice-driven applications, working with such clients as HBO, Amazon, and Activision.

The acquisition comes during the midst of a boom in the smart-device market. Amazon has reportedly sold more than 100 million devices powered by Alexa, its voice-activated program, including including Echo and Echo Dot. The company has been competing in the smart-device field with Google, whose Home devices have also increased in popularity.

Apple, however, has largely been seen as an also-ran in the voice-technology race. Though the company’s Siri application was an early example of how consumer products and voice-powered technology could successfully merge together, the company’s HomePod device, introduced last year, failed to break through with consumers. The PullString deal, reportedly worth about $30 million, is a clear sign the company wants to turn up the volume.

Via: Fortune.com

Allstate expands into iPhone repair

CompuScoop Staff February 15, 2019 1

In a surprise move, Allstate Corporation has acquired iCracked – a provider of on-site, on-demand repair services for smartphones and tablets in North America.

A release said that iCracked, based in San Francisco, will join SquareTrade, an Allstate company providing consumer protection plans and tech support.

“Today’s consumers rely on connectivity to run their lives, and they can’t afford to wait for device repairs,” said iCracked president and co-founder Ahmed Khaishgi in a statement. “With our recent acquisition of PlumChoice, SquareTrade is uniquely positioned to protect the hardware and software that power our customers’ connected devices.”

“We are excited to join SquareTrade, a company that shares our commitment to delivering high-quality on-demand service to customers,” iCracked CEO A.J. Forsythe commented.

iCracked operates in more than 60 metropolitan areas in the US and Canada.

The acquisition means that Allstate has become one of the most influential and unlikely proponents of right to repair laws in the US.

“iCracked has been a major supporter of right to repair, and we really appreciate their valuable contribution to the fight for freedom,” iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens told Motherboard.

“SquareTrade continues to work with manufacturers as well as the independent repair community,” said SquareTrade VP and global director Jason Siciliano in an email statement. “As this issue evolves, we will maintain good relationships and continue to listen to the key players on all sides of the debate and will work towards sensible solutions whether they are led by the industry or regulators.”

Via: Insurance Business

Apple extends health records to CPSI Clients

CompuScoop Staff February 15, 2019 0

Patients at community hospitals and clinics using an Evident EHR can now access their medical data on the iPhone's Health app.

Evident is an EHR vendor under the CPSI parent company.

Through the Apple Health app, patients will be able to view an aggregated record of their medical data — including immunizations, lab results and procedure history — from participating providers.

"Giving our patients access to this type of technology has many benefits to our patients and staff," Julie Jones, CEO of Community Hospital in Fairfax, Mo., said in a CPSI news release. "We have found that our patients are much more informed of their current health and care status, which helps our clinical staff focus more time on proactive treatment and better care outcomes for their patients."

Apple launched its health records app in January 2018 with the goal to improve consumer and patient experience. Since then, more than 100 hospitals and clinics have added the feature.

"We've worked closely with the health community to create an experience everyone has wanted for years — to view medical records easily and securely right on your iPhone," Apple COO Jeff Williams said when announcing the project in January. "By empowering customers to see their overall health, we hope to help consumers better understand their health and help them lead healthier lives."

Via: Becker’s Health IT and CIO Report

Apple being sued for 2017 Apartment Fire relaying to a faulty iPad Battery

CompuScoop Staff February 15, 2019 0

A lawsuit has accused Apple of being responsible for the death of a man in New Jersey in 2017, following a fire caused by a faulty battery pack in an iPad, with the suit alleging the tablet was "unreasonably dangerous and unsafe" due to having "defects in its design."

Filed with the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, the civil lawsuit concerns the death of Bradley Ireland of Parsippany, New Jersey on February 22, 2017. On that date, an iPad located in the kitchen of the apartment he rented caught fire, which ultimately led to severe injuries and Ireland's subsequent death.

Close to two years later, daughter Julia Ireland Meo and Son Benjamin Ireland have launched the action against Apple over the death. According to the lawsuit, the fire was caused by "a defect" affecting the battery pack of the iPad, allowing for blame to be pinned on Apple directly.

"The subject tablet was unreasonably dangerous and unsafe for its intended purpose by reasons of defects in its design and/or its manufacture and/or a lack of adequate warnings which existed when Defendant Apple placed the subject tablet into the stream of commerce and/or when Defendant distributed and/or sold 'updates' to the subject tablet," the suit alleges.

The suit insists there are three counts against Apple, including one for "Strict Products Liability," another for wrongful death, and a third covering "Survival Action," the time where Ireland "experienced significant pain and suffering" between receiving the burns and his death on the same day.

No specific figure is requested in the suit, but it does ask for compensatory damages, interest, costs, and attorney fees from Apple.

Battery-related incidents in mobile devices are certainly not a new phenomena, but at the same time it is relatively rare that an Apple device ships with a faulty battery that causes a fire without some form of damage. Lawsuits blaming Apple for fires due to the use of iPhones or iPads do occasionally surface, but this is to be expected considering the vast number of products Apple ships with lithium ion batteries.

There have also been reports of fires occurring during attempted repairs, including one incident where a man at a third-party repair center bit a replacement battery, causing a small explosion. Even in these cases, it seems that there is a greater chance of a fire caused through something interfering with the battery's normal operation than through a design flaw.

In cases where a design flaw in a battery does exist, the number of incidents is expected to be far higher. A case in point is the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery saga which saw the entire product line being recalled over a faulty battery production process, one that even caused a fire at the factory that produced the batteries in the first place.

Via: AppleInsider.com