The Daily Populous

The Xbox One will reportedly soon support Alexa and Google Assistant

Microsoft’s Xbox One console will soon include support for both Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant and the Google Assistant.

Windows Central reports that future versions of the Xbox One dashboard include the ability to enable Alexa and Google Assistant support through a skill on both platforms.

Microsoft currently only supports its own Cortana digital assistant, through its Kinect accessory or a headset, but Cortana has a limited set of skills right now.

The expansion to Alexa and Google Assistant support could mean Xbox users will be able to control their console through both of the digital assistants.

It’s not yet clear exactly what features Microsoft will support, but it will likely mean Xbox One owners won’t have to use a Kinect or headset to issue voice commands.

Microsoft Xbox veteran Albert Penello recently joined Amazon to “help figure out how to grow Alexa / Echo presence in gaming,” and if this integration goes ahead then it will be yet another major addition to Alexa’s growing presence across devices.

Microsoft has also been working with Amazon to integrate Alexa and Cortana, meaning all Windows 10 PCs will soon have Alexa built into them. »

Ted Cruz still has almost a 10% lead for his re-election. It is imperative that we unseat him in 2018

Authored by realclearpolitics.com

The rise of the Republican Party in the Lone Star State is a fascinating tale of how one party consistently bit off its nose to spite its face.

Texas always had a small Republican Party in the panhandle, in the German counties north of San Antonio, and later in the growing suburbs of Dallas and Houston.

Sen. Ted Cruz faces a credible challenge against Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and the state swung heavily toward Hillary Clinton last fall. »

After 4 years, Indiana embraces text-to-911 in emergencies

Authored by wishtv.com

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Emergency response officials say residents in all 92 Indiana counties can now send text-to-911 messages during emergencies if they're unable to speak to dispatchers.

He says Indiana began adopting text-to-911 four years ago and the service is now exceeding expectations statewide.

He says Indiana is the only state where 911 operators can initiate texts after receiving a disconnected or dropped 911 call. »

Lauren Cohan to leave The Walking Dead

Authored by metro.co.uk

Lauren Cohan will film only six episode of season nine (Picture: Gene Page/AMC).

Longtime cast member Lauren Cohan will leave The Walking Dead after six episodes of the new season.

Cohan, who plays strong-willed farmer Maggie Greene, first appeared on the show in season two and has since gone on to feature in a whopping 108 episodes. »

Endangered mountain gorilla population recovers to over 1,000

Authored by reuters.com

GOMA, Congo (Reuters) - The population of mountain gorillas, one of the world’s most endangered species, which survives on the forest-cloaked volcanoes of central Africa, has increased by a quarter to over 1,000 individuals since 2010, wildlife authorities said.

The last survey, in 2010, found just 786 of this critically endangered eastern gorilla sub-species, of which 480 were in Virunga.

FILE PHOTO: Gihishamwotzi, 18, an endangered silverback high mountain gorilla from Sabyinyo family, rests atop trees inside the forest in the Volcanoes National Park near Kinigi, northwestern Rwanda, January 9, 2018. »