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Google to open AI research centre in Paris
 by Staff Writers
 Paris (AFP) Jan 22, 2018


SAP unveils big push into French tech start-ups
Paris (AFP) Jan 22, 2018 - Europe's biggest software company SAP on Monday said it will spend up to two billion euros investing in and nurturing French start-ups as part of its push into cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence.

The move by the German firm comes as France is increasingly emerging as a leading hub for tech innovation, boosted by President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to promote the nation as open for business.

"There is a real sense of economic momentum in France," said SAP chief executive Bill McDermott after Macron hosted talks with some 140 business leaders at the Versailles chateau near Paris.

In a statement, SAP said it will spend 150 million euros ($180 million) annually over the next five years on research and development in France.

It plans to focus its efforts on emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain -- the technology that underpins bitcoin.

SAP also said it would open an incubator in France, its second in Europe after Berlin, that would nurture over 50 start-ups and give them access to SAP's software and cloud computing operations.

It also promised to invest in early-stage ventures looking for their first seed money, and said it had already acquired the young French venture Recast.AI that builds so-called "chatbots".

Without giving a breakdown of its planned investments in France, SAP said overall it "estimates a more than two-billion-euro spend over five years".

Other firms attending Macron's business summit in Versailles also unveiled new spending plans.

Facebook said it will pour an additional 10 million euros into artificial intelligence in France by 2022.

It also pledged to train 65,000 people in digital skills in free schemes to help women set up businesses and the long-term unemployed get back to work.

Google on Monday announced it will open a research centre in Paris devoted to artificial intelligence, following a meeting between the tech giant's boss and French President Emmanuel Macron.

"The different achievements in this country, including in science, art and the academic field make it an ideal place for the creation of a centre of theoretical research in artificial intelligence," Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a statement.

The announcement came as Macron welcomed 140 multinational business leaders to Versailles in Paris on Monday night, ahead of the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.

Google said it will be extend it's headquarters in the capital to accomodate the centre -- the third to open worldwide, after California and Switzerland.

The number of staff in Paris is set to increase from 700 to 1,000.

Facebook earlier announced its intention to double the number of researchers at its own AI centre, opened in Paris in 2015, from 30 to 60.

The social media giant will also invest 10 million euros by 2022 to "accelerate artificial intelligence" in France.

The announcements "signal the competitiveness of France" in the growing sector, the Elysee Palace said in a statement.

Both companies intend to open programmes in France to help train tens of thousands of people in digital skills.

Apple says delayed HomePod speaker ready to go
San Francisco (AFP) Jan 23, 2018 - Apple said Tuesday its HomePod speaker, the digital assistant device challenging rivals from Amazon and Google, was now ready after a delay of several months.

HomePod, which missed the key holiday shopping season in the fast-growing market for connected speakers, will be available for pre-order Friday and in stores February 9 in the US, Britain and Australia.

A statement said it would hit markets in France and Germany "this spring."

Apple is arriving late to a market dominated by Amazon's Alexa-powered devices and to a lesser degree Google Home, which includes voice-activated devices that can answer questions and be a smart home hub.

The iPhone maker however is seeking to position HomePod, powered by its Siri digital assistant, as a high-end device designed for music as well as other services. It starts at $349, making it more expensive than most competing speakers.

"HomePod is a magical new music experience from Apple," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of marketing.

"It brings advanced audio technologies like beam-forming tweeters, a high-excursion woofer and automatic spatial awareness, together with the entire Apple Music catalog and the latest Siri intelligence, in a simple, beautiful design that is so much fun to use."

While Amazon and Google have released no specific sales figures, private surveys indicate Amazon has grabbed the lion's share of the market with Google a distant second.

The market is also seeing new devices powered by Microsoft's digital assistant Cortana and Samsung is set to launch devices with its Bixby assistant.

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Google, Tencent eye collaboration on new technologies
 Shanghai (AFP) Jan 19, 2018
 Internet titans Google and Tencent on Friday signalled possible future collaboration on developing new technologies as the US and Chinese firms announced a long-term patent-sharing agreement. The companies gave no details on the scope or nature of the potential cooperation but said in a joint statement that they "are open to deeper collaboration in the future on innovative new technologies". ... read more
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