(Update: launching October 21) Samsung Galaxy C9 spotted on TENAA, C9 Pro photos leaked

Update, October 19: Samsung has confirmed the launch of the Galaxy C9 will happen on October 21, via Weibo. Samsung hasn't been clear on whether the C9 Pro will accompany it, but there's every reason to believe both devices will debut together.

Original post, October 15: A new Samsung smartphone bearing the model number SM-C9000, believed to be the rumored Galaxy C9, has been spotted on TENAA's website, where a few images of the handset are being shown along with its specifications.

See also: Samsung Galaxy C9 to be the latest in the Galaxy C series4

Judging by the phone's design, it would be safe to assume the handset is a scaled-up version of its predecessors, the Galaxy C5 and C7, though TENAA's listing shows the Galaxy C9 is a bit larger than the 5.7-inch Galaxy C7. To compare, the Galaxy C9 has dimensions of 162.9×80.7×6.9 mm based on TENAA's data, while the Galaxy C7 is 156.6 x 77.2 x 6.8 mm in size. The Galaxy C9 supposedly sports a 6.0-inch 1920 × 1080p AMOLED display.

Under the hood, the C9 is likely to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor and 6 GB of RAM, run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and bear a 4,000 mAh battery. It is also said to show off 16 MP rear and front cameras. The C9 will also feature 4G/LTE support and a fingerprint scanner on the home button.

But the part about TENAA's images that captured the most attention is the new antenna design. The new design includes three slim lines at the top and bottom with a color similar to the rest of the handset's back panel. While most other OEMs fail to neatly assimilate antenna bands in metal-clad devices, Samsung is trying to reconcile these two design components through the new system.

Another set of leaked photos reveals the Pro sibling of the Galaxy C9, which is also shown to be featuring the tri-antenna band design. At this moment, there is not much information about the Galaxy C9 Pro's specs, but you can sift through the leaked renders in the gallery below.

Rumor has it that the Galaxy C9 and C9 Pro will arrive in Gold, Silver and Rose Gold options during their anticipated launch in China later this month (and in the US in November). It appears, then, that what Samsung initially conceived as China-exclusive smartphones seem to be gradually expanding into other markets.

Will you pick up the Galaxy C9 or C9 Pro once they hit store shelves? Share your thoughts down in the comments!

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Microsoft reaches ‘human parity’ for conversational speech recognition

Most of us probably use some form of speech recognition software at few times a day, but these bits of software are not always quite spot on at understanding what we say. Fortunately, Microsoft has just announced a breakthrough in speech recognition technology that transcribes spoken words as well as you and me.

A team at Microsoft Artificial Intelligence and Research have unveiled a new speech recognition system that has reached 'human parity' for the first time. In other words, the software is as accurate at identifying words as we humans are. Microsoft boasts of just a 5.9 percent error rate, which is roughly the same as professional transcriptionists achieved against the industry standard Switchboard speech recognition task.

Geoffrey Zweig, who manages the Speech & Dialog research group, attributed the accomplishment to the use of the latest neural network technology and a neural language model that groups similar works together for faster generalizations.

Of course, recognition is not the same as understanding, and Microsoft says that it plans to make use of the new system to improve the functionality available with its Cortana digital assistant, speech-to-text transcription software, and Xbox voice search tools. Although we don't have any information on exactly how Microsoft's new system will benefit these pieces of software just yet.

See also: Google Assistant: The top features you should know25

All of that being said, Microsoft researchers still say that they have a lot of work still to do to ensure that speech recognition works well in less ideal real world scenarios. Blocking out street traffic, picking out a speaker in a room full of conversation, and supporting a wider range of languages and accents are still works in progress. After all that, longer term research wants to teach computers not only to transcribe acoustic signals, but to properly understand language in the way that humans do. But that is still a long way away.

Virtual assistants have hit their stride this year, what with the new Google Assistant and Amazon's Echo proving rather popular, so Microsoft's speech improvements have come at just the right time for the company. It's going to be interesting to see how Google Assistant, Alexa, Cortana, and Siri evolve differently over the coming years.

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Google shares hit new record thanks to all the great Pixel reviews

Google is getting serious about hardware and investors are actually thrilled about it.

Following years of small scale experiments, including some pretty disastrous ones (Nexus Q, anybody?), Google now seems to have a clear vision for selling physical products. Coming from a company that thrives on immaterial "internet technology," this new hardware focus could have spooked investors. But that's not the case, at least so far.

The markets have reacted positively to the Google Pixels, and the first batch of reviews of the two phones have sent the shares of Google's parent company Alphabet soaring to new heights.

Alphabet's voting shares (GOOGL) hit a new record yesterday, briefly reaching over $828, before closing the day at $821.49.

Analysts attributed the jump to the solid reviews that the Google Pixel garnered almost across the board. The Pixel and Pixel XL were praised by large swathes of the tech press for their build quality, smooth operation, great camera and, especially, for Google Assistant. The WSJ called the Pixel "the best Android smartphone," while The Verge said it's a "home run" and gave it the same score as the iPhone 7. Other publications noted that the Pixel offers a much more polished experience compared to Nexus phones before it.

In our initial Pixel XL review, Josh spoke highly of the phone's performance, its sound quality, and its excellent video stabilization – even in the absence of OIS. Above all, Assistant turned out to be one of the key attractions for Josh, who decried the lack of certain hardware features and the high cost of the device. Our full review will delve deeper into all of these aspects in the coming days.

Analysts cited by Bloomberg say that Google's stock was also helped by the good subscriber results announced by Netflix, which had a halo effect on the shares of other internet companies, including Google. Investors are notoriously fickle and their views of the Pixel are not a benchmark by any means, but early signs are positive for Google's smartphone challenger. Let us know your thoughts.

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Alto’s Adventure publisher releasing arcade shooter The Bug Butcher tomorrow

Noodlecake Studios has already published some classic Play Store games like Alto's Adventure and Punch Quest, but it's looking to add another hit to that list this week with The Bug Butcher.

Coming tomorrow (October 20), The Bug Butcher looks like a fast-paced arcade-y shooter with cel-shaded graphics and bags of character. Despite a modern sheen, the gameplay itself seems like something of a throwback to arcade shooters such as Space Invaders, with an 'always upwards' firing direction and waves of alien, I mean insect, enemies.

Check out the trailer which shows off its wicked art style below. You'll also notice the 'screen shake effect' on explosions that Vlambeer has been putting to good use in basically every game it's ever made.

The Bug Butcher is already available on Steam and has an impressive Metacritic score of  81/100. An Early Access version of it can be found in the Play Store for $0.99 but we don't know if this will change upon the full release (we've reached out to Noodlecake for clarification).

Are you going to pick this one up? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

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Google app beta tests ‘Upcoming’ tab for timely information

Google has been testing out a number of new features for Google Now, or the Feed as it is now known, over the past year, ranging from personalized cards to including new search results, in an effort to make the results more contextual. Over in the beta channel for the app, Google is testing out a new 'Upcoming' tab that shows cards related to nearby goings on.

The new tab is billed as a "snapshot of what's coming up", but it doesn't add in anything in the way of new cards. Instead, the service can read through updates in Gmail or to your calendar to pick out useful bits of information to display. The Upcoming tab features cards which contain information ranging from commutes, flights, reservations, events from your calendar, and other basic day-to-day tasks.

This isn't the first time that beta users will have spotted something similar to this feature. Google has been testing out a second tab for a while now under the Dashboard moniker. The familiar weather, sports, and news cards remain under the first tab with the little newspaper icon for now, creating a handy separator between your stuff and what's going on in the wider world.

This new feature is slowly rolling out with the latest version of the Google app beta, but not everyone is seeing it quite yet. When first updated, the app will draw your attention to the new tab with a little tutorial. It's not clear if or when the Upcoming tab will hit the main app channel, but hopefully it will been sometime soon.

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The Glassdoor app now tells you if you’re being paid enough

Glassdoor, the job search and review website, has released a new feature which can tell you if you're being paid fairly. The search function, entitled 'Know Your Worth', asks for key details about your current occupation and previous experience to determine if your wage is more or less than the average for your industry.

Once you've filled in your details, Glassdoor will display a graph of your pay versus your market value over time, which could help inform your future business decisions.

In a blog post, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder Robert Hohman said: "Most people think that salary changes every couple years, but the truth is that salary can change every single day, demand for jobs changes every single day all of which we are in a position to see with Know Your Worth."

See also: 10 best Android budget apps for money management41

Glassdoor is one of a number of websites which offer salary estimates but this is the first time it has rolled out such a specific and comprehensive tool for analyzing the job market.

The feature is currently still in beta and doesn't account for every possible role and location, or details like bonuses and incentives, though these may follow in a future update.

If you want to see how much you're worth, download GlassDoor from the Google Play Store at the link. Let us know how it works for you in the comments.

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You can now book an Ola or Uber ride directly from Google Search in India

In an attempt to make commuting more convinient, Google today announced that users in India can now find directions and choose from a menu of ride service options straight from the Google Search app or through the mobile search browser.

The feature was made available on the latest version of Google Maps earlier this year with a dedicated tab with information for cab services, in addition to the existing driving, public transport, or walking options. However, with this integration, commuters can ask for directions and book ride services directly from Google Search app or browser. A tab will present fare estimates and pickup times for ride services, Uber and Ola.

Choosing the best transit option can be a task at times, our aim is to help users simplify their everyday travel. With this, users will be able to order, explore and make quick comparisons about the best estimated taxi fare directly from Google Search results on their mobile.

– Sanket Gupta, Program Manager, Google

For specific requests like 'Taxi to Bangalore airport', the app/browser will direct the user to select a service and automatically open the app to book the ride in a single tap. If the ride-hailing app is not installed, Google Search will show a link to install the app.

As yet, have you used Google Maps to book a ride, or is the first impulse is to fire the Ola or Uber app, and book one? Do you think the Google Search integration will change the behavior? Let us know in the comments!

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