Latest news with #BenThompson
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Google has a massive mobile opportunity, and it's partly thanks to Apple
Google needs to seize this moment. Bank of America analysts this week even called Google's slew of new AI announcements a "Trojan horse" for its device business. For years, Apple's iOS and Google's Android have battled it out. Apple leads in the US in phone sales, though it still trails Android globally. The two have also gradually converged; iOS has become more customizable, while Android has become cleaner and easier to use. As hardware upgrades have slowed in recent years, the focus has shifted to the smarts inside the device. That could be a big problem for Apple. Its AI rollouts have proven lackluster with users, while more enticing promised features have been delayed. The company is reportedly trying to rebuild Siri entirely using large language models. Right now, it's still behind Google and OpenAI, and that gap continues to widen. During Google's I/O conference this week, the search giant bombarded us with new AI features. Perhaps the best example was a particularly grabby demo of Google's "Project Astra" assistant helping someone fix their bike by searching through the bike manual, pulling up a YouTube video, and calling a bike shop to see if certain supplies were in stock. It was, of course, a highly polished promotional video, but it made Siri look generations behind. "It has long been the case that the best way to bring products to the consumer market is via devices, and that seems truer than ever," wrote Ben Thompson, analyst and Stratechery author, in an I/O dispatch this week. "Android is probably going to be the most important canvas for shipping a lot of these capabilities," he added. Google's golden opportunity Apple has done a good job of locking users into its ecosystem with iMessage blue bubbles, features like FaceTime, and peripherals like the Apple Watch that require an iPhone to use. Google's Pixel phone line, meanwhile, remains a rounding error when compared to global smartphone shipments. That's less of a problem when Google has huge partners like Samsung that bring all of its AI features to billions of Android users globally. While iPhone users will get some of these new features through Google's iOS apps, it's clear that the "universal assistant" the company is building will only see its full potential on Android. Perhaps this could finally get iOS users to make the switch. "We're seeing diminishing returns on a hardware upgrade cycle, which means we're now really focused on the software upgrade cycle," Bernstein senior analyst Mark Shmulik told Business Insider. Without major changes by Apple, Shmulik said he sees the gap in capabilities between Android and iOS only widening. "If it widens to the point where someone with an iPhone says, 'Well my phone can't do that,' does it finally cause that switching event from what everyone has always considered this incredible lock-in from Apple?" Shmulik said. Beyond smartphones Internally, Google has been preparing for this moment. The company merged its Pixel, Chrome, and Android teams last year to capitalize on the AI opportunity. "We are going to be very fast-moving to not miss this opportunity," Google's Android chief Sameer Samat told BI at last year's I/O. "It's a once-in-a-generation moment to reinvent what phones can do. We are going to seize that moment." A year on, Google appears to be doing just that. Much of what the company demoed this week is either rolling out to devices imminently or in the coming weeks. Google still faces the challenge that its relationships with partners like Samsung have come with the express promise that Google won't give its home-grown devices preferential treatment. So, if Google decides to double down on its Pixel phones at the expense of its partners, it could step into a business land mine. Of course, Google needs to think about more than smartphones. Its renewed bet on XR glasses is a bet on what might be the next-generation computing platform. Meta is already selling its own augmented reality glasses, and Apple is now doubling down on its efforts to get its own smart glasses out by the end of 2026, Bloomberg reported. Google this week demoed glasses that have a visual overlay to instantly provide information to wearers, which Meta's glasses lack and Apple's first version will reportedly also not have. The success of Meta's glasses so far is no doubt encouraging news for Google, as a new era of AI devices is ushered in. Now it's poised to get ahead by leveraging its AI chops, and Apple might give it the exact opening it's waited more than a decade for. "I don't know about an open goal," said Shmulik of Apple, "but it does feel like they've earned themselves a penalty kick."
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
BBC Breakfast viewers appalled by 'distressing and inappropriate' footage - fuming 'are they even allowed to show this?!'
BBC Breakfast viewers were appalled by 'distressing and inappropriate' footage aired on the programme at just 7am - fuming 'are they even allowed to show this?!' Today's episode of the popular morning news broadcast saw hosts Sally Nugent and Ben Thompson take to the red sofa. Sally and Ben updated viewers on the latest developments in Liverpool, where a car ploughed through crowds of fans at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade on Monday. It left 65 casualties, including four children, with 50 people treated in hospital, where 11 remain, in a stable condition and recovering well, as of yesterday. A 53-year-old white British man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, driving while unfit through drugs and dangerous driving offences. But many viewers disapproved of footage of the horrifying crash being shown in full on the daytime programme - arguing on X it was highly distressing and inappropriate. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Sally began today's segment on the crash: 'Police are continuing to question a driver of a car that ploughed into football fans during Liverpool's Premier League victory parade.' The crash happened just after 6pm on Monday on the city centre's Water Street, near the end of the parade route organised after the Reds won the title last month. It is 'not currently being treated as terrorism', Merseyside Police said, and is believed to be an isolated incident, with the force 'not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it'. Presenter Ben confirmed Water Street has now been reopened - before handing over to news correspondent Graham Satchell for more. His pre-recorded report showed a video of the grey Ford Galaxy people carrier driving at speed through the crowds, seen frantically fleeing in fear. Fans then began punching and kicking the car, while bottles were thrown, before someone opened the driver's door, giving a glimpse of the perpetrator. Sally then went to reporter Yunus Mulla, who spoke to the programme live from Liverpool to provide the latest updates from the ground. But viewers took to X to say the coverage was excessive, with one saying: 'Why do BBC Breakfast keep showing the car in Liverpool? It is not needed and inappropriate.' Many viewers disapproved of footage of the horrifying crash being shown in full on the daytime programme - arguing on X it was highly distressing and inappropriate Another added: 'Are BBC Breakfast even allowed to show footage of that car attack in Liverpool? 'Very distressing to see and I can't imagine what the victims/families must feel.' Someone else said: 'If the police are continuing to ask people not to share images of the incident in Liverpool, why is the BBC doing precisely that?' Merseyside Police's Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said on late Monday night: 'Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision. 'We would ask people not to share distressing content online but to send the footage or information directly to us @MerPolCC or pass on information by calling 101, quoting log 784. 'Information can also be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.' It comes after a guest on Good Morning Britain yesterday gave a harrowing first person account of how she escaped the crash by mere inches. Chelsea Yuen appeared on the ITV show to talk to Ed Balls, 58, and Susanna Reid, 54, about the terrifying event. Chelsea Yuen (right) appeared on the ITV show to talk to Ed Balls, 58, and Susanna Reid, 54, about the terrifying event Witness Chelsea heard the driver slam on his horn, which prompted her to roll out the way. But though she is grateful to be alive, she is suffering with survivor's guilt. She said: 'When the car came plummeting down, it was inevitable it was going to hit people.' She added: 'Absolutely everybody was walking up the street. 'When we heard the beeping of the driver that was coming through the crowds, that's when we looked up and seen the car coming towards us. 'We just narrowly missed being hit and we were able to jump out the way into as much safety as we could be. 'Then unfortunately, it carried on and continued into the other people behind us.' Ed then pointed out neither Chelsea nor her family members were hurt - but it was a traumatic experience that will haunt her forever. Witness Chelsea heard the driver slam on his horn, which prompted her to roll out the way Chelsea said: 'We were grateful that we were safe, we weren't hurt, but then we almost feel guilty now that children were hurt. 'The tragedy is a lot worse than we thought it was at the time. 'We didn't know what it was, we didn't know whether it was a tower or somebody or drunk or even somebody who had a heart attack while drinking. 'We just didn't know what it was. 'So, we were angry at first, then scared when we started seeing the people lying on the floor as we walked up the street a bit further.' Susanna said: 'Obviously, shocking that four people got trapped underneath the car and firefighters had to lift the car and one of those people was a child. 'That makes it so much more upsetting, doesn't it? 'This is what is so shocking. 'It's a family event, families everywhere, prams, kids on their dads' shoulders. 'Although it's an obscene amount of people that have been hurt, seriously hurt, I'm surprised there wasn't more. 'But it hurts more that there were kids involved.' Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims has said Merseyside Police believes the car was able to enter the cordoned-off parade area by following an ambulance attending to someone suffering a heart attack, for which a roadblock was temporarily lifted. 'It is believed the driver of the Ford Galaxy car involved in this incident was able to follow an ambulance onto Water Street after the roadblock was temporarily lifted so that the ambulance crew could attend to a member of the public who was having a heart attack,' she said. 'As with many large events, with event organisers, we planned for all contingencies and this included the implementation of road closures to protect pedestrians and an armed policing presence was also in place throughout the day.' The white British man who has been arrested is from the West Derby area of Liverpool. An 'extensive investigation' remains ongoing, with Merseyside Police receiving help from neighbouring forces. Prince William and Catherine released a statement yesterday afternoon (pictured) at the same time as King Charles and Queen Camilla King Charles, who is in Ottawa with Queen Camilla to mark the opening session of Canada's parliament, said they were 'deeply shocked and saddened' by the events in Liverpool Home Secretary Yvette Cooper went to Liverpool last night to meet with first responders on the scene. Prince William and Catherine released a statement yesterday afternoon at the same time as King Charles and Queen Camilla, while Princess Anne paid a surprise visit to first responders at a major hospital in Liverpool. The Prince and Princess of Wales said: 'We are deeply saddened by the scenes in Liverpool yesterday. What should have been a joyful celebration ended with tragedy. 'Our thoughts are with those who were injured and to the first responders and emergency services on the ground.' King Charles, who is in Ottawa with Queen Camilla to mark the opening session of Canada's parliament, also said they were 'deeply shocked and saddened' by the events in Liverpool. Up to one million Liverpool fans had gathered to celebrate the club winning the Premier League title with ten-mile trophy parade through the city centre. Jack Trotter, one of the victims hospitalised after the crash, said he remains in 'agony' after being discharged, describing it as 'the most horrifying incident I've ever experienced in my life'. In what has been described as an 'unprecedented' move, Merseyside Police very quickly confirmed a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area was arrested, adding the crash was not being treated as terrorism. The force was criticised following the Southport murders last summer for not releasing information about the killer's ethnicity and religion after false rumours were started online that he was a Muslim asylum seeker.
Wales Online
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Morning Live star missing from show as Gethin Jones explains absence
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Morning Live star Gethin Jones addressed why he was presenting the show alone on Tuesday while speaking to BBC Breakfast star Ben Thompson. Ben handed over to Gethin for him to detail what viewers could expect to see on the programme, including segments from Dr Ranj Singh and Iona Bain. He said: "Gethin, thank you. I'm glad you've got some company in your studio. I'm all on my tod this morning!" However, Gethin was quick to highlight that although he had people with him throughout the show, he was fronting it solo. The BBC star replied: "You know, I thought the same! Unfortunately, Kym Marsh has got a bit of a sickness bug. So, Ranj is going to have two hats on today, expert and co-host as well, so I've got plenty of friends!" Morning Live didn't air on Monday, although on the last episode, which was broadcast on Friday, Gethin was seen co-hosting alongside Helen Skelton. Ben Thompson was hosting BBC Breakfast as regular anchor Sally Nugent was broadcasting live from Liverpool. The 53-year-old was showing the aftermath of the parade on Monday, which saw a car plough into a crowd of people. Opening up the show, she commented: "We are live from Liverpool city centre this morning after 47 people were injured yesterday. "They had been here celebrating with Liverpool Football Club for their Premiere League victory as the parade came through this very famous street at the front of Liverpool's waterfront. Hundreds of thousands of people were here, but the scene turned into carnage." Detailing that a child and an adult had been seriously injured, Sally shared a further 25 people had been taken to the hospital, with many more treated for their injuries at the scene. The BBC star shared that the police have released a statement stating a 53-year-old white British man, who they believe was the driver of the car, has been arrested. The statement read: "The incident is not currently being treated as terrorism." During the show, Sally spoke to the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, who said: "Our thoughts are with those people who are still injured, and the sentiments that you've heard from the former players and from Everton Football Club resonates with everybody. I think everybody here feels exactly the same way." BBC Breakfast and Morning Live are both available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Business Insider
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Google has a massive mobile opportunity, and it's partly thanks to Apple
Google's phones, tablets, and, yes, XR glasses are all about to be supercharged by AI. Google needs to seize this moment. Bank of America analysts this week even called Google's slew of new AI announcements a "Trojan horse" for its device business. For years, Apple's iOS and Google's Android have battled it out. Apple leads in the US in phone sales, though it still trails Android globally. The two have also gradually converged; iOS has become more customizable, while Android has become cleaner and easier to use. As hardware upgrades have slowed in recent years, the focus has shifted to the smarts inside the device. That could be a big problem for Apple. Its AI rollouts have proven lackluster with users, while more enticing promised features have been delayed. The company is reportedly trying to rebuild Siri entirely using large language models. Right now, it's still behind Google and OpenAI, and that gap continues to widen. During Google's I/O conference this week, the search giant bombarded us with new AI features. Perhaps the best example was a particularly grabby demo of Google's "Project Astra" assistant helping someone fix their bike by searching through the bike manual, pulling up a YouTube video, and calling a bike shop to see if certain supplies were in stock. It was, of course, a highly polished promotional video, but it made Siri look generations behind. "It has long been the case that the best way to bring products to the consumer market is via devices, and that seems truer than ever," wrote Ben Thompson, analyst and Stratechery author, in an I/O dispatch this week. "Android is probably going to be the most important canvas for shipping a lot of these capabilities," he added. Google's golden opportunity Apple has done a good job of locking users into its ecosystem with iMessage blue bubbles, features like FaceTime, and peripherals like the Apple Watch that require an iPhone to use. Google's Pixel phone line, meanwhile, remains a rounding error when compared to global smartphone shipments. That's less of a problem when Google has huge partners like Samsung that bring all of its AI features to billions of Android users globally. While iPhone users will get some of these new features through Google's iOS apps, it's clear that the "universal assistant" the company is building will only see its full potential on Android. Perhaps this could finally get iOS users to make the switch. "We're seeing diminishing returns on a hardware upgrade cycle, which means we're now really focused on the software upgrade cycle," Bernstein senior analyst Mark Shmulik told Business Insider. Without major changes by Apple, Shmulik said he sees the gap in capabilities between Android and iOS only widening. "If it widens to the point where someone with an iPhone says, 'Well my phone can't do that,' does it finally cause that switching event from what everyone has always considered this incredible lock-in from Apple?" Shmulik said. Beyond smartphones Internally, Google has been preparing for this moment. The company merged its Pixel, Chrome, and Android teams last year to capitalize on the AI opportunity. "We are going to be very fast-moving to not miss this opportunity," Google's Android chief Sameer Samat told BI at last year's I/O. "It's a once-in-a-generation moment to reinvent what phones can do. We are going to seize that moment." A year on, Google appears to be doing just that. Much of what the company demoed this week is either rolling out to devices imminently or in the coming weeks. Google still faces the challenge that its relationships with partners like Samsung have come with the express promise that Google won't give its home-grown devices preferential treatment. So, if Google decides to double down on its Pixel phones at the expense of its partners, it could step into a business land mine. Of course, Google needs to think about more than smartphones. Its renewed bet on XR glasses is a bet on what might be the next-generation computing platform. Meta is already selling its own augmented reality glasses, and Apple is now doubling down on its efforts to get its own smart glasses out by the end of 2026, Bloomberg reported. Google this week demoed glasses that have a visual overlay to instantly provide information to wearers, which Meta's glasses lack and Apple's first version will reportedly also not have. The success of Meta's glasses so far is no doubt encouraging news for Google, as a new era of AI devices is ushered in. Now it's poised to get ahead by leveraging its AI chops, and Apple might give it the exact opening it's waited more than a decade for. "I don't know about an open goal," said Shmulik of Apple, "but it does feel like they've earned themselves a penalty kick."
Times
22-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Times
Naga Munchetty: ‘We have skull wallpaper in our bedroom'
We moved to Hertfordshire in 2010 because my husband [James Haggar, an executive at Talk TV] and I were drawn to the location. I'd always lived in Victorian and Edwardian houses; our current home is much more modern. The area is quiet and private, with two pubs within staggering distance. I can also go out running in the Chilterns, and I'm a keen member of our local golf club. Golf is the great leveller — I've made friends from so many walks of life. It's neutral with accents of colour and pattern such as the bold wallpaper design on the feature wall in our bedroom. The BBC Breakfast presenter Ben Thompson was doing an outside broadcast from a wallpaper factory and a Graham & Brown
