Scientists make a ‘true’ neural network using brain-like chips

Many people have built brain-like neural networks that can learn on their own, but they’re typically using plain old silicon to do it. Wouldn’t it be better if the chips themselves were brain-like? A mix of Italian and Russian researchers might help. They’ve created a neural network based on plastic memristors, or resistors that remember their previous electrical resistance. Since they effectively work like brain synapses, they’re ideal for creating “true” neural networks where signal transfers create long-lasting effects. And importantly, the choices of technology and materials allows them to be very small (as tiny as 10 nanometers, in theory) without resorting to exotic substances — you could design a neural network as compact as a regular chip without reinventing the wheel.

The technology is still a long way off. A prototype is relatively massive at 1mm wide, and it has only learned the most basic of tasks. However, the potential is huge. Besides creating neural networks that behave more organically, it’d enable machine learning systems and robots that need only a relatively tiny chip to do their digital thinking. If this technology pans out, it could form the basis of intelligent computers for years to come.

[Image credit: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology]

Source: ScienceDirect

The best coffee grinder

By Cale Guthrie Weissman

This post was done in partnership with The Sweethome, a buyer’s guide to the best things for your home. Read the full article here.

A grinder that grinds beans to a uniform size for optimal extraction is the single most important piece of equipment for making good coffee. Even the best coffee beans run through the best brewing process will taste overly bitter and sour with uneven grounds. After spending more than 40 hours researching and testing coffee grinders, we think the Baratza Virtuoso is by far the best grinder for making coffee at home. Of the nine models we tested, it produced the most uniform grind consistency, with an output comparable to that of the $2,500 Mahlknig EK43 commercial-grade grinder. Our science editor couldn’t even tell the samples apart after examining them under a microscope.

How we tested

Weighing the contents of each individual chamber after shaking vigorously for several minutes. Photo: Thais Wilson-Soler

We tested every machine using a Keck Sand Shaker, which separates a batch of grounds by individual particle size using a series of sieves of increasing fineness from top to bottom. We set it up so that the two sieves surrounding the middle chamber would capture the ideal grind size, dumped 25 grams of ground coffee into the top, and shook until grinds were no longer consistently falling into the bottom chamber. Calibrated to the output we got from a Mahlknig EK43 grinder, which is considered the crme de la crme of grinders, we tested for two grind settings: one on a “regular” grind for drip and one on a coarser French press grind. Each grinder was run on its corresponding setting according to its owner’s manual—if anything looked egregiously off, small adjustments were made in the grinder’s favor. The goal was to find the grinders that performed closest to the EK43 control.

Our pick

The Mahlkönig sample (left) looked indistinguishable from the Virtuoso (right) in real life. Photo: Leigh Boerner

The Baratza Virtuoso is the best coffee grinder for making great-tasting coffee at home. No other grinder in its price range grinds beans more consistently. In fact, its output was virtually indistinguishable from the commercial-grade grinder Counter Culture Coffee let us use as a control. It may appear homely compared to other grinders, but its simplicity is a virtue. Its only controls are grind size, an on/off button, and a timer dial so you don’t have to hold the button down for larger batches. There’s no built-in scale or automatic dosage adjustments like you’d find in some of the competition, but we didn’t find those features to be all that useful. Our only significant complaint is that its open-top grind receptacle has a tendency to leak coffee dust onto your counters.

Runner-up: Pretty good for pour-over

The Encore looks like the Virtuoso and punches above its sub-$150 price tag. Photo: Amadou Diallo

If the Virtuoso is sold out or you don’t want to spend that much on a coffee grinder, the Baratza Encore typically sells for around $100 less and delivered the second-best performance among electric grinders in our testing. It uses the same motor as the Virtuoso but has less-precise grinding burrs, no timer switch, and a plastic body instead of a cast zinc one. It works the same and also has the coffee-dust-on-counter issue, and it’s a bit louder during use due to its lighter housing.

Budget pick: Less precise, but half the price

The Capresso was the best under-$100 grinder we tested. Photo: Amadou Diallo

We tested a few cheaper models and found only one sub-$100 pick to be an actual solid machine: the Capresso Infinity. We think the Encore is worth the extra $30, but if that’s simply not in your budget, the Capresso Infinity retails for about $100 at time of writing and gives an even and solid grind. It was particularly good at coarser French press settings. It’s also a few inches shorter than the other grinders, so it can fit into tighter spaces.

Super budget pick for the solo coffee drinker

The Hario Coffee Mill Slim manual coffee grinder.

If you are just one person who only requires a single cup of coffee each day, a manual grinder is definitely a money-saver, and among these, we prefer the Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder. It actually performs as well as almost any electric burr grinder, but it can only handle one cup at a time.

Wrapping it up

After more than 40 hours of research and testing, we think the Baratza Virtuoso is the best grinder for making coffee at home. It ground beans more consistently than any other grinder in its price range, with an output comparable to that of a commercial-grade grinder. If you can’t get the Virtuoso, the Baratza Encore scored a close second in our tests and costs about $100 less. If the Virtuoso and Encore aren’t in your budget, we recommend the Capresso Infinity, and if you only drink a single cup of coffee each day, we suggest the Hario Coffee Mill Slim manual grinder.

This guide may have been updated by The Sweethome. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

[TA Deals] Save 94% on lifetime access to 2TB of cloud storage with Genius Rescue

Cloud storage is a huge asset, but it’s also pretty pricey. And you need cloud storage because your computer, phone, and tablet are all limited with a specific amount of space. Fill that up and your device will start slowing down, and all of a sudden you’re paying a large fee to use a big brand’s cloud storage solution. Google, Amazon, and Dropbox all charge a considerable amount of money to access their services and move files around between the cloud and your devices; however, you can pick up a lifetime subscription to Genius Rescue, which has a solid range of features, on Talk Android Deals for an insanely low price.

Genius Rescue allows you to access files anytime from any device.

• Sync your computers to view & work on your files anywhere
• Back up any file type: music, video, pictures, documents, executables, graphics & more
• Take advantage of 2TB of backup space
• Watch movies & listen to music from your web browser or mobile device
• Back up your data on multiple servers (unlike most backup companies) to ensure your data is safe
• Access up to 30 versions of any file so you can revert to old versions
• Restore deleted files
• Clear up space on your laptop or desktop
• Enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee (direct w/ Genius Rescue)

The value of a lifetime subscription to Genius Rescue with 2TB of cloud storage is $900, but you can get the same exact product from Talk Android Deals for $49. Want to pat yourself on the back for scoring a huge deal like this? Go right ahead.

[Talk Android Deals]

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Sprint’s quarterly losses came in lower than expected with great postpaid additions and low churn

Fourth quarter results are in, and it looks like Sprint’s aggressive marketing and price slashing has paid off. The carrier still posted a loss, but its postpaid subscriber additions and customer retention are both on the up and up.

Total revenue for Sprint was $8.1 billion, which was slightly lower than analyst expectations. However, Sprint only had an operating loss of $197 million, which is an enormous improvement over the $2.4 billion lost this time last year.

Much of this was floated by Sprint’s aggressive marketing moves to capture more postpaid customers, and it paid off. The carrier added 366,000 postpaid subscribers, compared to losing 205,000 last year. That’s a swing of over 500,000, so not bad at all. Churn was at 1.64 percent, which isn’t a record number for Sprint, but it’s very close.

It’s not all good news, though, as Sprint’s total net additions were actually lower this year than the previous year’s quarter. We saw Spring add nearly a million customers in 2014, while not even breaking the 500,000 mark this time around.

Sprint still has a long road ahead, especially if it plans on competing at the high-end with Verizon and AT&T, but this quarter is proof that they’re moving in the right direction.

source: Sprint

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Waze launches new Transport SDK for partner apps

Waze announced today the introduction of a new Transport SDK which partners can use to implement Waze features directly in their own apps. Waze says the ability to feed their information into another app will help address a big complaint they get, which is the need for constant switching between specific apps and Waze. The stronger integration means an app like Lyft will provide drivers with Waze’s ETA, turn-by-turn navigation and preferred routing information.

Clearly the ability to combine Waze data with the features of other apps will be a benefit to those partners. For example, one of the partners is Genesis PULSE which provides emergency dispatch services. Having an easier to access source for live route information could mean quicker response times and ultimately, saved lives.

Users of partner apps will also benefit. For example, a Lyft rider will get better information about how long they may have to wait and can enjoy a faster, likely less stressful, journey to their destination. For a Lyft driver, the app means they can provide better, quicker service and receive better feedback.

Waze also points out that the general Waze community will benefit if there are more users out on the roads feeding travel data back into their platform. Even with more than 50 million users, Waze expects this move will add a significant number of new drivers to the ranks.

The initial partners who will be using the new Waze Transport SDK include Lyft, Genesis PULSE, JustPark, Cornershop, Cabify and 99Taxis. Waze says they will provide the SDK to other partners in the future where they think they can contribute to a better solution. Some potential markets might include food delivery or valet parking services.

As part of the launch of the new SDK, Lyft is offering a $5 credit on each of a user’s next 10 rides. Lyft riders can find more information on taking advantage of this special promotion by visiting the source link. Customers in Chile and Mexico will find they can take advantage of a special offer from Cornershop. In Chile, the promo code WAZECHILE will yield 5000 CLP to be used while the code WAZEMX will yield 150 MXN in Mexico. JustPark is also offering a special deal with a 10 pound discount for users who use the code WAZE10.

source: Waze

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Boost Mobile bolsters family plan and unlocks roaming to Mexico

Boost Mobile, the prepaid carrier owned and operated by Sprint, today announced a slew of new options and benefits for customers old and new. The carrier is focusing on offering more high-speed data at an affordable price in addition to launching promotions that put money back in your back.

New customers joining a Boost Mobile family plan can take advantage of a promotion that gives them up to two free phones. The phones included in this promotion are the Motorola Moto E, LG Tribute, LG Tribute 2, ZTE Speed, and Alcatel OneTouch Elevate. But Boost Mobile is also modifying its family plan options in order to give customers a sizable amount of high-speed data, discounting the monthly cost with each additional line.

Here’s what Boost Mobile is doing for families:

• Best Value (1.5GB of high-speed data per line)
  • 2 Lines: $70 per month
  • 3 Lines: $90 per month
  • 4 Lines: $100 per month
• Need More Data? (5GB of high-speed data per line)
  • 2 Lines: $70 per month
  • 3 Lines: $95 per month
  • 4 Lines: $120 per month

In addition, customers can install the Boost Dealz app on their phones to get $5 taken off of their bill every month. The Boost Dealz app is a hub for offers, special deals, and advertisements.

The final item part of today’s announcements, one that won’t save money, is the option to communicate with people in Mexico and travel in the country without spending a fortune. Boost Mobile is allowing roaming and international calling with Mexico for $5 per month, with roaming data totaling up to 8GB.

Source: Sprint

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