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Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

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Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#331

Post by BoorishBears »

jonas21 wrote: post #285
BoorishBears wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You realize I work on Android devices all day long right? I have 5 of them sitting in this room! You might not notice, but I assure you, they clear the screen then fade back in. The exceptions are apps that have to handle configuration changes anyways like games or full screen video. It's not always a janky thing, phones have gotten fast enough that the screen redraw is easily hidden behind a half rotate followed by…

I haven't written Android code in a few years, but IIRC, there's an attribute you can add to your manifest that lets you handle the rotation without getting your UI getting destroyed and recreated. This is relatively easy to do and seems to be commonly done, at least for bigger apps. Having worked in both Android and iOS development, I can assure you that they both have some ridiculous quirks and confusing APIs, but…

I already covered that:

> To do that tiny little thing I described above you'd have to design your app to disable all built in configuration handling (so now it's on you to handle swapping out every resource when a language change happens, or dark mode is turned on) then hand animate every element to its new position on every screen.

That's not done in "bigger apps", it's done in apps that have large areas not rendered with normal UI elements, like games, or camera apps

I've done some iOS work too, and while iOS has its issues it "defaults" to making better apps, hands down.

It's not unlike the user side of these platforms, iOS has a more opinionated "default" than Android

Jetpack is trying to fix that but it's "not that much, extremely late"

-

But again, this is all missing the forest for the tree here, configuration changes are just a tiny part of the general "backend" choices that add up to a more powerful platform in developing for Android... but a less useable platform as a user

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#332

Post by kelnos »

ryanSrich wrote: post #131
tootie wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure Nuance also does the Comcast Xfinity voice remotes. They are actually really well done. And it's a humongous customer to have your claws in.

It’s literally better than Siri. I don’t know how, but it is. I’d say it’s even better than Alexa in terms of its ability to recognize things I say.

The TV remote only has to understand TV-related things, like inputs, channels, volume, and program names. Siri and Alexa have to understand everything.

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#333

Post by saemei »

everdrive wrote: post #233
dntrkv wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ignoring the fact that the research isn't only used one for one purpose, a proper assistant is hugely valuable to me. Simple things like: "Remind me to X tomorrow at 9am" "Add Y to the shopping list" "Remind me to do Z when I get home" This is the only way I do reminders now and it's great. It's especially useful while driving, or when I'm in bed nearly asleep and remember something, I can just tell Siri without havi…

I'm still not very impressed by this, as it can be totally accomplished by a pad of paper and a pen. I'm believe the most valid use of AI/ML is to perform tasks that people either cannot currently do, or cannot easily do. For example, ai-based up-scaling of old video game pre-renders. It's not really feasible for a person to do this well, unless you simply rebuild everything with a team of artists. And you could argu…

> tasks that people either cannot currently do, or cannot easily do.

A todo entry or flipping lights via assistants also qualify as such tasks, if we broaden the definition of "easy". The flow from having the thought of an idea or a song to making a note or playing the song by just speaking out loud is just so convenient, without having to context switch from whatever one is doing. Controlling a set of IoT devices with custom commands is another good usecase.

Of course, not everyone has a workflow where a digital assistant fits well today. However, I expect that their usefulness will increase exponentially with time. We're surely heading to the sci-fi future where each house will have a personalized digital guardian responding to the wishes of the family, Jarvis style, no?

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#334

Post by ocdtrekkie »

jesseryoung wrote: post #288
16bytes wrote: post #63

For those confused, this acquisition is due in large part by Nuance's dominance in healthcare related products. From Nuance's last earnings release[1]: “We are very pleased with the strong start to the fiscal year, as we delivered revenue and EPS above our guidance range expectations,” said Mark Benjamin, Chief Executive Officer at Nuance. “We continued to advance our strategic initiatives, accelerating our cloud tra…

I work in healthcare software and recently did a spike building a voice assistant for the EMR. We compared Google, AWS, Azure and Nuance's voice and intent recognition and Nuance blew all the others out of the water. When it comes to understanding medical terminology Nuance is way ahead of anything other providers have. Dragon has been around for 23 years and has been THE product for VR in the medical field for at le…

I think in a lot of cases that is because they tried. You can tell 90% of Google's focus is ad consumers when they develop new services, whereas Nuance has sold medical-focused dictation tools for over a decade.

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#335

Post by everdrive »

what_ever wrote: post #295
everdrive wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm still not very impressed by this, as it can be totally accomplished by a pad of paper and a pen. I'm believe the most valid use of AI/ML is to perform tasks that people either cannot currently do, or cannot easily do. For example, ai-based up-scaling of old video game pre-renders. It's not really feasible for a person to do this well, unless you simply rebuild everything with a team of artists. And you could argu…

Let's see the situations when you are setting those reminders - 1. In bed, all ready to fall asleep, you get up to get your notebook from your desk to add the reminder to your notebook. 2. Cooking with hands all messy, you wash your hands, dry them, go to your desk to add the reminder to your notebook. 3. Driving at 40mph, so you pull over in a parking lot, take out your notebook from your bag and add the reminder. Y…

1. There's nothing wrong with keeping that same notebook by your bed. Also, you might wake your spouse up by talking to Google.

2. Don't get so messy when cooking, also it hardly matters if your temporary notebook gets a bit dirty.

3. Don't multitask when driving. Taking your eyes off the road is the main concern, but testing has shown driver's voice control systems to be distracting to a significant degree. And, voice assistants are at least somewhat similar.

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#336

Post by perardi »

tambourine_man wrote: post #273
perardi wrote: post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple has had some decent ones. P.A. Semi, notably. And for $278 million dollars, the ROI on that was ludicrous. But overall, yes. I can think of so many large-scale acquisitions that didn't go so swimmingly. - AOL/Time-Warner - Ford/its stable of luxury brands like Jaguar and Land Rover - Compaq/HP - Daimler/Chrysler It seems like these “big” mergers tend to now show the synergies people promise. Maybe it’s just too…

>Apple has had some decent ones. P.A. Semi, notably And, let's not forget, NeXT. Probably one of the best U$400 something million ever spent.

I thought about NeXT, but that was a bit of a weird one, because NeXT executives and technology replaced a lot of Apple’s executives and technology. That ended up being a stealth takeover by NeXT.

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#337

Post by kelnos »

FourthProtocol wrote: post #205
fakedang wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of Europeans in the lower taxpaying tiers who love to shit on Americans (especially when the American healthcare system has been getting so much coverage the past decade).

Some examples would be useful. Yes, many that don't pay tax benefit from the government, and yes, you can view that as a working class paying for the unemployed. Imagine, if you will, a 50-year-old woman on the dole (she's paid a monthly sum by the government). In Germany, for instance, this is only paid if she can prove that she applied, and continues to apply for work/seek employment. It's a bit of a mad circle - s…

> And yes, the 50-year-old gets "free" healthcare. Which I contribute to, from my hard work. And I think this system among the best on the planet.

I wish more people had that attitude.

Instead, in the US, we have people actively making their own lives worse because they don't want to give others things they don't believe they "deserve".

If taking more out of my paycheck would get all the homeless people off the streets, I would happily do that. I personally believe that everyone has a right to housing, but even if I didn't care about people, I'd be ok with it because getting homeless people off the streets makes my life better too.

Ensuring that people aren't insecure about housing and food translates to lower crime rates and safer neighborhoods.

It makes me genuinely angry that anti-welfare people don't get this, and actively lobby against their own interest. I'm sure there are some people who just believe that welfare programs don't work, and are against them on those grounds, but most of the rhetoric I hear seems to be around not giving people things they haven't worked for and don't deserve.

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#338

Post by kelnos »

fakedang wrote: post #168
FireBeyond wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who was born under the NHS in Scotland, grew up in Australia under its Medicare system (and the introduction of partial privatiz(s)ation), and has lived in the US since 2006, no-one is laboring under that misapprehension. Medicare tax is indeed a line item on Australian taxation paperwork.

I don't know where you get the impression that I'm criticizing the NHS or a nationalized Healthcare service. I'm all for a nationalized healthcare service. My issue is with people who pay nil significant taxes in Europe gloating ignorantly about how European Healthcare is free, and won't stop shitting on American Healthcare. Yeah, your healthcare is cheaper than the US but it isn't free. There is a whole bunch of mid…

Even if there is a large group of people who believe that, why do you care so much? How do their beliefs, as foolish as they may be, actually negatively impact you?

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#339

Post by kelnos »

AdrianB1 wrote: post #200
FireBeyond wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I left Australia, which is now 14 years ago, so grain of salt: you paid 1% income tax for Medicare, unless you were above a certain income level, in which it became 1.5%. If you opted out of the system, you could purchase private insurance, and would not be subject to this tax. There was a floor, where below or near "minimum income" levels, you were also not required to pay this tax. > For instance, you can use…

I opened my last paycheck, the tax is 10% (Eastern Europe). There is some undeniable truth in this discussion: people with higher income pay for the people with lower income. 10% of 100,000€ is a lot more than 10% of 20,000€.

And so what? That's how a functioning society should work. I would much rather have 90k€ after health care taxes than 18k€; the higher earner is still coming out far ahead.

It's not like the private insurance system is "equitable" either. I am very healthy and hardly ever need to see a doctor, but my insurance comes in at around $650/mo (mostly paid by my employer, but the money still has to come from somewhere). I definitely do not incur anywhere near $650/mo in health care costs of my own; I'm paying for care for people much sicker than I am, who incur health care costs higher than what they pay into insurance.

Re: Microsoft buys Nuance for nearly $20B

#340

Post by kelnos »

dalbasal wrote: post #213
bombcar wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Acquiring is a simple way to show the Board/Shareholders that you're "doing something" - but I suspect it's rarely very successful in the long run. Unless you acquire a business that ACTUALLY provides some synergies you're just on the path of transitioning from a successful company to a poor imitation of Berkshire Hathaway. It does have the advantage that you can "spin off" your acquisitions once they fail to do anyt…

I was actually thinking " Satya, you know that Berkshire is you end game here... right? " I agree, but I think MSFT (and friends) are in this predicament no matter what. What's the alternative? That said, I don't really think BRK is the end game. For one thing, Berkshire is kind of an exception. There are plenty of smaller conglomerates that are actually like Berkshire, but most pretend not to be conglomerates. They…

> I agree, but I think MSFT (and friends) are in this predicament no matter what. What's the alternative?

Well, they can just stop growing, and continue doing what works. If that thing stops working (or they have a good belief that it will stop working before too long), they have two options: 1) do nothing, and gradually wind the company down and return capital to shareholders so they can reinvest it elsewhere, or 2) pivot, and accept that the things they are pivoting to will be a rounding error in their finances for years while they grow.

Obviously this is disastrous in our current economic system; a company that tried this would watch its stock price fall into the toilet before too long. But absent that, why not?

Consolidation is what will bring us to a corporate-run dystopia. I would much rather the world be filled mostly with small and medium sized businesses, with every market open to a lot of competition and even cooperation (on standards, not on prices). But I know, that's just a pipe dream, and humans generally suck at cooperation when money is involved.

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