Google launches its AI-driven Apple News competitor ‘Google News’ for iPhone & iPad

Last week at its annual I/O developer conference, Google unveiled its new AI-powered “Google News” application. Replacing the neglected Newsstand service from Google, and seen as a direct competitor to the Apple News app, Google News is now available on the App Store…

Google News relies heavily on the data it already has about you, paired with artificial intelligence. This means that once you download the app and sign-in with your Google account, Google News will already be populated with stories and headlines it thinks you will care about.

In the app, the “For You” tab houses a rundown of stories that Google thinks you’ll be interested in. For me, this ranged from some political news to technology and sports.

Meanwhile, the “Headlines” feature serves as way to quickly skim through the biggest news of the day. You can sort by the latest stories, as well as topics such as business, technology, sports, science, entertainment, and health.

In the “Favorites” tab you can add specific topics, sources, and locations that you’re interested in. This, in turn, will show you the top content from the criteria you select.

Finally, the Newsstand tab lets you see a magazine-like interface for specific publications, such as CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, Reuters, and more.

Here’s how Google describes the new application:

With Google News, you’ll see:

Your briefing – It can be nearly impossible to keep up with every story you care about. With your briefing, easily stay in the know about what’s important and relevant to you. Your briefing updates throughout the day bringing you the top five stories you need to know, including local, national, and world content.

Full coverage – Understand the full context on any story with just a tap. Google News gives you everything online about a story and organizes it for you – highlighting different perspectives, a timeline of key events, FAQs, important people, and more.

Credible sources – Find quality content from a diverse set of credible publishers and discover sources you haven’t heard of before.

Stories, for you – Keep up with what’s happening on the topics you care about, whether that’s travel, politics, sports, tech, or fashion.

Google News for iOS comes at a time when Apple is putting an increasingly heavy focus on its own Apple News app. The company recently published its first “Apple News Exclusive” piece, while its hiring trends suggest that the focus on editorial is only just beginning.

The Google News app is available for both iPhone and iPad on the App Store.

Are Apple, Amazon and Facebook the future of banking?

n the not-too-distant-future, Amazon (AMZN) could let customers zap each other cash with Alexa, and then deposit the money in an Amazon-branded checking account.

Apple (AAPL) is reportedly on the verge of launching a joint credit card with Goldman Sachs (GS) that would carry the Apple Pay brand. And Facebook (FB) just formed a team to explore the power of blockchain that could include creating its own cryptocurrency for payments.

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Big Tech’s experiment with finance is aimed at deepening relationships with customers — especially younger ones — making it less likely they’ll go through the hassle of taking their business elsewhere.

“There has been a clear shift, with much more aggression into the banking space,” said Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer at research firm GBH Insights.

“Technology companies are trying to get further entrenched in the consumer lifestyle,” he said.

At the same time, delving into finance can give tech firms valuable insight into what Americans are spending money on. That information can then be used to shape future business strategies and defend against threats.

Apple Traders Bet Stock Will Rise 9% to New Record

Apple Inc. (AAPL
AAPL
Apple Inc
186.44
-0.91%

) shares have climbed by nearly 20% over the past year, easily topping the S&P 500’s return of 13.5%. Options traders see the stock continuing to rise through the summer months, by as much as 9% by the middle of September. That month also happens to be when Apple typically announces its new slate of iPhones; rumors are that this year may see as many as four new phones.

Apple’s stock has jumped by about 10% to an all-time high since it reported better-than-expected fiscal-third-quarter results on May 1. Earnings for the quarter came in at $2.73 per share, over 2% better than estimates. Meanwhile, revenue topped estimates by about 40 bps, coming in at $61.14 billion. The better-than-expected results calmed investors nerves over weak iPhone sales sending the stock on a relief rally.

AAPL Chart

AAPL data by YCharts

Options Bulls
The long straddle options strategy set to expire on Sept. 21 is pricing in a rise or fall of about 10% from the $185 strike price. It places the stock in a range of $166.50 and $203.50. The number of calls outweighs the puts by a ratio of about 4 to 1, with 10,300 open call contracts to only 3,300 open put contracts.

The $200 strike price calls have an open interest of about 42,000 contracts and a cost per contract of about $4. The stock would need to rise to $204 to break even. It is a large wager, with a value of nearly $17 million. Since May 2, the number of open contracts at that strike price has climbed by almost 68% from just 25,000.

Technical Breakout
Apple shares technically have also broken out since its earnings report, sending the stock to an all-time intraday high of about $190. The stock now has a substantial support level in place around $180, which serves as a base for the stock going forward. The uptrend in Apple’s stock is over a year old and has also served as solid support when tested. The relative strength index is indicating shares of Apple may be a little bit ahead of themselves, with a reading at an overbought level above 70 and maybe suggesting a short-term pullback.

Analysts Are More Hesitant
Analysts are not as optimistic as the traders, with an average price target of only $196, about 6% higher than the current stock price. Analysts have left their estimates for the full year relatively unchanged, upping earnings by less than 1% to $11.55 per share, giving the company 25.4% growth over last year. However, revenue estimates have been lowered by about 10 bps to $261.12 billion, providing the company growth of about 13.9% over last year.

For now, the options traders are optimistic the recent rally in the stock will continue through the heat of the summer months: That is, until the next wave of iPhone worries once again hits the market.

Michael Kramer is the founder of Mott Capital Management LLC, a registered investment adviser, and the manager of the company’s actively managed, long-only Thematic Growth Portfolio. Kramer typically buys and holds stocks for a duration of three to five years. Click here for Kramer’s bio and his portfolio’s holdings. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Upon request, the advisor will provide a list of all recommendations made during the past twelve months. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

New iPhone Leak ‘Confirms’ Apple’s Radical Design

Gordon Kelly , CONTRIBUTOR
I write about technology’s biggest companies
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
It might just happen. In a year where Apple AAPL -0.91% will reveal three all-new iPhone X models, by far the biggest excitement surrounds the budget-friendly one. And now new information suggests this really is the iPhone we should be spending/saving our money on…

Following its big scoop last week, accessories retailer Mobile Fun has been back in touch with me to expose new renders of Apple’s entry-level iPhone X spin-off as well as CAD drawings showing its remarkably compact design.

Olixar
Leaked render of Apple’s budget-friendly new iPhone

At this stage, it is worth pointing out Mobile Fun’s source is once again case maker Olixar. This is good news because Olixar is acclaimed for leaking accurate designs of the iPhone X (source), Galaxy S9 (source), Galaxy Note 8 (source), Galaxy Note 7 (source) and iPhone 7 (source) well ahead of launch.

So what do we learn? That this new affordable iPhone X might just be the model millions of users have been waiting for.

In short, Olixar’s new images show a hybrid of the original iPhone SE metal chassis but updated with a glass back (for wireless charging) and bezel-less iPhone X-style front with Face ID notch. As with the iPhone X, Touch ID has been removed to allow the screen to be substantially enlarged.

How big? This is perhaps the most exciting part.

With confusion reigning over whether this is a 5-inch ‘iPhone SE2’ or a larger circa 6-inch model sometimes referred to as the ‘iPhone X SE’ (neither name is likely to be the official one), Mobile Fun has obtained a pair of CAD drawings which show the new iPhone has the same size chassis as the iPhone SE.

Olixar
iPhone SE 2 CAD image shows almost identical size to iPhone SE

Given the iPhone X manages to fit a 5.8-inch display in a chassis about the same size as the 4.8-inch iPhone 8, this strongly suggests Apple is working on a 5-inch design. This is backed up by Mac Otakara’s latest sources while the ever credible OnLeaks, aka Steve Hemmerstoffer, states he is hearing the same thing though he has cannot as yet confirm the reports.

Personally, I still have my doubts that Apple would bring so much technology to the budget model of the range. But if Apple is indeed planning to launch iPhone X-inspired models at 5-inches, 5.8-inches and a widely expected 6.5-inch monster, then I expect fans will be very happy indeed