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Sunday, 11 August 2013

Smartphone technology predicts information you need before you ask... -

Smartphone technology predicts information you need before you ask... - 



Technology developed for smartphones which predicts the information you need to know before you even ask it to 
Personal assistant apps take information about you by monitoring your internet use 
They then piece it all together to second guess what you need to know
Privacy campaigners say companies are taking choice away from individuals

For anyone who is constantly on the go, it could provide the perfect solution to never missing a meeting and always being on time. 
For others, it could be seen as a complete intrusion into your private life. 
Companies including Google and Apple have developed technology which will predict the information you need to know before you even ask it to.

Like something out of a Sci-fi film, personal assistant apps are taking bits of information about people and piecing them all together so they can second guess what you need to know.
Predictive technology searches your emails, will know your regular mode of transport, work out alternatives if there are delays and even tell you if you have to leave earlier.  

Rao Machiraju, who developed the reQuall personal assistant app (RPA), told The Sunday Times that this development will change the way people use their phones. 
Experts believe this technology will change the way people use their smartphones 

He said: 'Instead of having to search for what they need, the device will quietly provide the right information at the right time.' 
Google's latest offering is Google Now which syncs with your emails, calender and maps as well as your social media trends. 
It constantly learns things about you so it can predict the information you need to know. 
By simply asking it to remind you that you need milk, the next time you step into a supermarket it will let you know. 
The Dark Sky app tells people when it is going to rain by using GPS to find you location and analysing a range of weather forecasts. 
Ben Hammersley, of the centre for creative and social technologies at Goldsmiths, University of London, said he warned people 20 minutes before it as going to rain at a barbecue recently. 
According to Mr Hammersley, the more information you provide, the better it will be at pre-empting exactly what you need to know. 
But campaigners believe companies are learning too much about individuals through their internet use. 
Nick Pickles, of Big Brother Watch, said: 'Google isn't doing this for our own good but for commercial reasons. 
'It's about taking away choice from users and pushing what they and their advertisers want.'


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