Techmeme: Sources: Google's answer to Amazon Echo is code-named “Chirp” and expected to launch this year (Mark Bergen/Recode)

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May 12, 2016, 10:40 AM

Top News

Rajan Patel / Official Google Blog:

Google unveils GBoard in US, an iOS keyboard app that lets you search the web, find GIFs, emojis, places, and more from the keyboard — iPhone users—this one's for you. Meet Gboard, a new app for your iPhone that lets you search and send information, GIFs, emojis and more, right from your keyboard.

More: App Store, The Verge, TechCrunch, Android Authority, AppleInsider, Engadget, MacRumors, iMore, 9to5Google, Business Insider, BGR, 9to5Mac, The Next Web, Search Engine Land, Liliputing, Fone Arena, TechnoBuffalo, Lifehacker and POPSUGAR

Mark Bergen / Recode:

Sources: Google's answer to Amazon Echo is code-named “Chirp” and expected to launch this year — ‘Okay, Google,’ your turn. — A product team at Google is working on a hardware device that would integrate Google's search and voice assistant technology, akin to the Amazon Echo, Recode has learned.

Jeff John Roberts / Fortune:

What's at stake in Google and Oracle's $9.3B fair use fight over Java APIs — Gather round tech folks, it's time for an epic rematch between two industry giants. At stake is not just billions of dollars in copyright claims, but also a controversial legal concept that could roil the entire software industry.

Jack Nicas / Wall Street Journal:

Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Schwartz and Andy Rubin testify at outset of second Oracle v. Google trial — Oracle accuses Alphabet unit of improperly using software in Android mobile-operating system — SAN FRANCISCO—Google's past efforts to license Java software emerged as a key point …

More: Ars Technica, Business Insider, Phandroid, Courthouse News Service and Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check

Peter Kafka / Recode:

Apple denies report that it will end iTunes music downloads within the next few years — The future of music is streaming, not downloads. — But that doesn't mean Apple, the company that essentially invented the market for music download sales, is going to stop selling downloads anytime soon.

Neil Cybart / Above Avalon:

Apple's R&D spend is $10B+, 6.8% of revenue in 2016, up from 2.6% of revenue in 2013, hinting at major new products, pivot from iPhone-dependent business model — People are focusing on the wrong thing when analyzing Apple's path forward in the face of slowing iPhone sales.

More: iMore, MacRumors, ZDNet, Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Silicon Republic and BGR

Tweets: @ldignan and @ericjackson

Kurt Wagner / Re/code:

A look at Snapchat's secretive culture and the controlling leadership style of CEO Evan Spiegel — It's Evan Spiegel's world — we're all just snapping in it — Before Evan Spiegel was Evan Spiegel, there were times he wanted to fit in. — Like in June 2012, when Spiegel walked across …

Tweets: @edmundlee, @bbhlabs, @mylesudland and @hannahkuchler. Thanks:@waqasaday

Chris O'Brien / VentureBeat:

Kantar: Android marketshare in Q1 grew 7.3% YoY in US, 7.1% in top five European markets, and 6% in China; Galaxy S7 said to be selling well in the US — As if Apple wasn't facing enough headwind this year, now comes word that Android smartphones are making big market share gains around the world.

More: Kantar Worldpanel, ZDNet, Business Insider, Phandroid, Pocketnow, SlashGear, PYMNTS.com, ZDNet, CNET, ITWire.com, WinBeta, Windows Central, MSPoweruser, PhoneArena, Neowin and Softpedia News

Josh Constine / TechCrunch:

Facebook now lets you upload panoramas along with photos from 360 cameras for viewing as 360 Photos in News Feed and on Gear VR headsets; Gear VR hits 1M users — Those panoramas trapped on your phone will finally get a better viewing experience, both on News Feed and the Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR.

More: Digital Trends, Oculus, Engadget, Phandroid, The Tech Report, The Verge, Fone Arena, Mashable, Tech Times, BGR, SiliconANGLE, Android Authority, SlashGear, The Verge, ZDNet, SlashGear, VRFocus, Digital Trends, Wired, Ubergizmo, Android Central, SocialTimes, VentureBeat, VRFocus, Road to VR, The Next Web, BuzzFeed, CNET and Engadget

Tweets: @kentbye, @natgeo and @dshankar

Thanks:@lucas_matney

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Microsoft removes the Wi-Fi Sense feature that shared network passwords with friends from Windows 10, cites low usage and demand — Microsoft is removing part of its controversial Wi-Fi Sense feature from Windows 10. “We have removed the Wi-Fi Sense feature that allows you to share Wi-Fi networks …

More: Windows Blog, BGR, Windows Central, Engadget, ZDNet, TechEye, PCWorld, CNET, Inquirer, The Next Web, Tech Times, Daily Express, CNNMoney, MSPoweruser and Digital Journal

Josh Constine / TechCrunch:

uBeam's former VP of engineering argues in 20 blogs posts that the company's technology won't work, says original CTO and new CFO have left — uBeam could be vaporware, according to a blogger claiming to be uBeam's former VP of engineering. They accuse the startup of being unable to fulfill promises made about its technology.

More: Tech Insider, Lies, Damn Lies …, Vanity Fair and socalTECH.com

Tweets: @leegomes, @mims and @hadley

Sunrise:

Microsoft will shut down Sunrise, the calendar app it bought last year, on August 31; team will work full-time on Outlook — As some of you might already know, we were acquired by Microsoft last year and have now moved on to work on Outlook for iOS and Android.

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