7 ms·

Moto X Feature Video Leaks

38 points by thezach 13y ago

rayiner 13y ago
It's like Google doesn't even realize.
cromwellian 13y ago
I'm going to guess that it is a little fancier than that, because simply being "always on" would kill the battery, the CPU would have to be constantly running hotword detection. It needs to have some kind of extremely low-power hotword detection for this to work. Like with Glass, some of the conspiracy nuts in other forums are out with ideas that its recording everything and piping it to the NSA, but that's unlikely for a device where they've hinted battery life was a major thing they're concentrating on.
- leecbaker 13y ago
  In the leaked Rogers video, they say "OK Google now, what is the weather." Maybe that is the keyphrase? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bUmuIEp6dvs http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bUmuI...
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  - ryanhuff 13y ago
    If so. that would be incredibly annoying. To many syllables to simply for triggering the listen event. How about they ditch the product branding requirement and just go with "OK phone", or even 'OK Google"? Ideally it would be even shorter, but understand why they need something a bit unique. Even so, Star Trek and 2001 had it right.
    - mtgx 13y ago
      You can change it, but yeah you're right. Not sure what they're thinking. They should just leave it to OK Google.
- magicarp 13y ago
  In the case of the recent NSA spying revelations, those "conspiracy nuts" turned out to be correct.
  - s_q_b 13y ago
    Technical feasibility is not something the NSA can wish away. They're not magic. The fact is that keeping a microphone array active all the time would crush battery life, especially if it was constantly recording and transmitting. Right now, even the FBI can remotely activate the microphone on your phone. Doubt this will change anything in the short run.
    - joenathan 13y ago
      Who's to say the NSA wouldn't just add their own hotwords to the "extremely low-power hotword detection"?
      - s_q_b 13y ago
        Sure, but that's a little different than listening to everything. Not to mention trivial to detect. Just watch CPU consumption and start spouting off trigger words.
        joenathan 13y ago
        >Sure, but that's a little different than listening to everything. The NSA never cared about listening to everything, that would be completely unmanageable, flagging conversations with key phrases has always been the course of action. >Not to mention trivial to detect. Just watch CPU consumption and start spouting off trigger words. It'd also be trivial to detect that you were using a CPU usage monitor and turn off those keywords, viruses do these sorts of things all the time to avoid detection.
        drivebyacct2 13y ago
        >The NSA never cared about listening to everything, that would be completely unmanageable Someone sure hasn't been paying attention.
ihsw 13y ago
The article mentions Rogers as 'one of the most popular Canadian cellular companies' but the term 'popular' implies Rogers is liked, however in my limited experience they are either universally reviled or many feel indifference towards them. They are effectively Canada's Comcast (largest cable company) so take that as you will.
- RobAtticus 13y ago
  They are using 'most popular' as a synonym for 'biggest' here. Regardless it has nothing to do with the content of the article.
adamnemecek 13y ago
What do they mean by "New Google"?
- acchow 13y ago
  Probably some idea of a Google that's trying to make money off hardware sales?
- MichaelGG 13y ago
  Judging from the fact that the carrier's name is displayed prominently on the status bar, and that it's only available on one carrier, I think they meant "New Motorola".
macspoofing 13y ago
So we don't care about battery life anymore?
- NicoJuicy 13y ago
  Android 5.0 should have a lesser energy-consumption :-)
macspoofing 13y ago
Are these "Moto X Features" Android 4.2.2 features?
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
yakshemash 13y ago
Very reassuring, after recent news about spying and whatnot, and uploading of credentials to motorolla servers
Zigurd 13y ago
Well, that's totally worth doubling Google's headcount.
nivla 13y ago
Are we really moving to a space where always listening devices are going to be common? If so they might be taking their first step at the wrongest possible time (Ongoing NSA paranoia). Everyone is throwing the Xbox One under a bus for having a always listening device, I wonder how receptive those same people would be to this, especially if it gets added to the core functionality of Android.

38 points by thezach 13y ago

It's like Google doesn't even realize.

I'm going to guess that it is a little fancier than that, because simply being "always on" would kill the battery, the CPU would have to be constantly running hotword detection. It needs to have some kind of extremely low-power hotword detection for this to work. Like with Glass, some of the conspiracy nuts in other forums are out with ideas that its recording everything and piping it to the NSA, but that's unlikely for a device where they've hinted battery life was a major thing they're concentrating on.

leecbaker 13y ago
In the leaked Rogers video, they say "OK Google now, what is the weather." Maybe that is the keyphrase? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bUmuIEp6dvs http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bUmuI...
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- ryanhuff 13y ago
  If so. that would be incredibly annoying. To many syllables to simply for triggering the listen event. How about they ditch the product branding requirement and just go with "OK phone", or even 'OK Google"? Ideally it would be even shorter, but understand why they need something a bit unique. Even so, Star Trek and 2001 had it right.
  - mtgx 13y ago
    You can change it, but yeah you're right. Not sure what they're thinking. They should just leave it to OK Google.
magicarp 13y ago
In the case of the recent NSA spying revelations, those "conspiracy nuts" turned out to be correct.
- s_q_b 13y ago
  Technical feasibility is not something the NSA can wish away. They're not magic. The fact is that keeping a microphone array active all the time would crush battery life, especially if it was constantly recording and transmitting. Right now, even the FBI can remotely activate the microphone on your phone. Doubt this will change anything in the short run.
  - joenathan 13y ago
    Who's to say the NSA wouldn't just add their own hotwords to the "extremely low-power hotword detection"?
    - s_q_b 13y ago
      Sure, but that's a little different than listening to everything. Not to mention trivial to detect. Just watch CPU consumption and start spouting off trigger words.
      - joenathan 13y ago
        >Sure, but that's a little different than listening to everything. The NSA never cared about listening to everything, that would be completely unmanageable, flagging conversations with key phrases has always been the course of action. >Not to mention trivial to detect. Just watch CPU consumption and start spouting off trigger words. It'd also be trivial to detect that you were using a CPU usage monitor and turn off those keywords, viruses do these sorts of things all the time to avoid detection.
        drivebyacct2 13y ago
        >The NSA never cared about listening to everything, that would be completely unmanageable Someone sure hasn't been paying attention.

ihsw 13y ago

The article mentions Rogers as 'one of the most popular Canadian cellular companies' but the term 'popular' implies Rogers is liked, however in my limited experience they are either universally reviled or many feel indifference towards them. They are effectively Canada's Comcast (largest cable company) so take that as you will.

RobAtticus 13y ago
They are using 'most popular' as a synonym for 'biggest' here. Regardless it has nothing to do with the content of the article.

adamnemecek 13y ago

What do they mean by "New Google"?

acchow 13y ago
Probably some idea of a Google that's trying to make money off hardware sales?
MichaelGG 13y ago
Judging from the fact that the carrier's name is displayed prominently on the status bar, and that it's only available on one carrier, I think they meant "New Motorola".

macspoofing 13y ago

So we don't care about battery life anymore?

NicoJuicy 13y ago
Android 5.0 should have a lesser energy-consumption :-)

macspoofing 13y ago

Are these "Moto X Features" Android 4.2.2 features?

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

yakshemash 13y ago

Very reassuring, after recent news about spying and whatnot, and uploading of credentials to motorolla servers

Zigurd 13y ago

Well, that's totally worth doubling Google's headcount.

nivla 13y ago

Are we really moving to a space where always listening devices are going to be common? If so they might be taking their first step at the wrongest possible time (Ongoing NSA paranoia). Everyone is throwing the Xbox One under a bus for having a always listening device, I wonder how receptive those same people would be to this, especially if it gets added to the core functionality of Android.