Google Cloud Search API gets enterprisey additions: Last year, Google launched its Cloud Speech API, which business could use to add voice commands to various applications, such as call center systems. Now the company has released a series of enterprise-friendly enhancements to the API upon requests from customers. Here are the key details from an official blog post:
Our number one most requested feature has been providing timestamp information for each word in the transcript. Word-level timestamps let users jump to the moment in the audio where the text was spoken, or display the relevant text while the audio is playing.
To help our users with long-form audio needs, we’re increasing the length of supported files from 80 minutes to up to 3 hours. Additionally, files longer than 3 hours could be supported on a case-by-case basis by applying for a quota extension through Cloud Support.
Cloud Speech API already supports 89 language varieties. Today, coinciding with the broader announcement this morning, we’re adding 30 additional language varieties, from Bengali to Latvian to Swahili, covering more than one billion additional speakers.
POV: The new time-stamping feature provides an obviously major convenience, but it's the additional language support that should prove most appealing to enterprises. With nearly 120 languages supported, Cloud Speech API will allow voice commands to have a "nearly global reach," as Google puts it.
AWS grabs Hulu for new OTT TV service: Add Hulu to the long list of streaming content services that have chosen Amazon Web Services as their platform. Hulu launched its over-the-top (OTT) live television service in May, and at this week's AWS Summit in New York, the companies revealed their business relationship.
Hulu says by using AWS, it can focus on delivering more personalized user experiences rather than spend resources managing infrastructure. The company's OTT network joins many other streaming companies on AWS, including Amazon's own video service, Netflix, AOL, Hearst Corporation, News International, News UK and Time Inc.
POV: Hulu also noted that it chose AWS because its infrastructure can support high spikes in traffic without a degradation in service. While that's an issue for VOD (video on demand) services such as Netflix, live television has even higher demands for low-latency and other factors. Hulu's OTT network competes with several others today, and more are likely to spring up in coming months and years as consumers look to "cut the cord" on more expensive cable TV services. As this shift occurs, AWS will find itself not only serving up more and more content, but playing an important role in the evolution of content delivery over the Internet.
It's not so surprising that Hulu would sign up with AWS, given it already powers the likes of Netflix in proven fashion, says Constellation VP and principal analyst Holger Mueller. "The remarkable part is more on the enterprise sales side of AWS—they're creating repeatable sales in the same vertical, addressing both value proposition and competitive concerns to repeat a similar sale."
Target buys Grand Junction for same-day delivery tech: Retail giant Target is buying a startup called Grand Junction in order to support its push into same-day delivery. Based in San Francisco, Grand Junction's software platform is used by retailers, distributors and logistics companies to fulfill local deliveries, according to a statement.
The company is already working on a same-day delivery pilot project at Target's store in Tribeca, New York:
“Grand Junction’s technology and algorithms will help Target deliver to guests faster and more efficiently,” said Arthur Valdez, executive vice president, chief supply chain and logistics officer, Target. “This acquisition is part of Target’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Target’s supply chain to provide greater speed, reliability and convenience for guests.”
POV: Same-day delivery is a top priority for brick-and-mortar retailers as they compete with Amazon, which offers both same-day and in some markets, two-hour delivery services. Grand Junction will help Target go beyond merely dropping off goods, however; the chain plans to also offer product assembly and installation, according to a company blog post.
Target hired Valdez last year away from Amazon, where he spent 16 years in top supply chain and logistics roles, as it embarked on a plan to shake up its store formats and product mix.
The Grand Junction deal clearly has Valdez's fingerprints all over it, and a big reason Target is making the investment has to be speed-to-market. Grand Junction already has 700 carriers signed up to its program, with 10,000 drivers. It claims to cover 96 percent of North America's population. The main onus on Target will be managing quality control with a same-day service staffed by third-party vendors.
Legacy watch: Mozilla prepares to mothball thousands of older Firefox add-ons: The upcoming version 57 of Mozilla's enduringly popular Firefox web browser will be of note as much for what it adds, as what it leaves behind.
That's because it will no longer support add-ons built with the older Add-Ons SDK (software development kit). Only ones created using WebExtensions will be compatible with Firefox 57. This is a fairly significant deal, given how much Firefox's staying power has been the ability to add so many useful extensions. As Bleeping Computer notes, only about 3,600 of the more than 18,000 add-ons available now through Mozilla's portal are compatible with WebExtensions.
POV: Mozilla first announced WebExtensions—and signaled the end of Add-Ons SDK—two years ago, so it's not as if developers haven't had time to port over their code. It may be that many more do before 57 is released, or will do so shortly thereafter. There are some advantages to WebExtensions, namely that add-on code written for other browsers may work with few or no changes in Firefox, but developers apparently haven't found them compelling enough.
There's no question that Mozilla could see some user backlash from the change; in the meantime, if your browser of choice is Firefox, the time is now to look for alternatives to those useful add-ons.