Vallie offers to charge your EV before parking it in London
After a small test in the heart of London, Vallie has started to expand its on-demand valet parking service. At least a little bit, anyway. The app now covers a slightly larger patch of the city, stretching as far as King’s Cross St. Pancras station in the North, Whitechapel in the East and Marble Arch station in the West. It then drops down towards the Thames and snakes along the Northern edge of the river, never quite encroaching Southwark or its surrounding boroughs. Vallie now claims to cover “all of central London” — we’ll let you decide whether that statement is accurate.
As before, you can use the app to call a pre-checked driver who will arrive on a kick scooter and take your vehicle to one of Vallie’s partner car parks. Starting today, however, you can also pay for additional services while you’re occupied with other tasks in London. That includes getting an MOT check, electric charging, petrol refills and car washes. In other words, the service isn’t just about parking anymore, but taking care of almost any little chore related to car ownership. Which could be useful, if you’re a busybody that doesn’t mind paying a premium for the convenience.
Source: Vallie (Blog Post)
OnePlus 2 is permanently discounted to $349/£249
If you’ve thought of buying a OnePlus 2, but the $389 price tag was a little too rich for you, today could be the day you have been waiting for. OnePlus announced a little earlier today that the OnePlus 2 will be permanently reduced in price to $349/£249/€345, giving a saving of $40/£40/€54. And, if you purchased the handset at the higher price in the last 15 days, don’t fret, OnePlus has promised to refund the difference.
Besides discounting the OnePlus 2, OnePlus will include a free StyleSwap ($27) or OnePlus X case with any OnePlus 2 or X purchase as part of its Valentine’s Day promotion. OnePlus X buyers can choose from either a Karbon or Rosewood case for their handset. On top of that, free shipping is included.
OnePlus recently dropped the 16GB variant of the OnePlus 2 handset from US and EU inventories, which means that the 64GB model is now just $20 more than what the 16GB variant was originally priced at.
If you were on the fence, is the price cut tempting enough for you to splash the cash? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: OnePlus
Come comment on this article: OnePlus 2 is permanently discounted to $349/£249
New AI chip could bring artificial intelligence to your smartphone
Researchers at MIT have unveiled a major breakthrough in artificial intelligence: a low-power neural-network chip that consumes ten times less power than a mobile GPU. This means that smartphone-based AI tasks are much closer than you might think. Skynet has a new name, kids, and it’s Eyeriss.
The research around Eyeriss was presented at the recent International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, where the researchers noted: “In recent years, some of the most exciting advances in artificial intelligence have come courtesy of convolutional neural networks, large virtual networks of simple information-processing units, which are loosely modeled on the anatomy of the human brain.”
Convolutional neural networks are loosely modeled on the anatomy of the human brain.”
The researchers demonstrated the low-power chip performing a complex image recognition task – the first time a state-of-the-art neural network has been run on a custom chip. Eyeriss’ secret sauce is its energy-friendly nature. Consuming one-tenth of the power a standard mobile GPU requires, Eyeriss is a natural choice for mobile AI.
The secret to low-power AI
Eyeriss utilizes several tricks to keep power consumption to an absolute minimum. Unlike most GPUs, each of the 168 cores in Eyeriss has its own memory, so there is less need for time-consuming and power-hungry communication with a large central memory bank.
Data is compressed before being sent to a core for processing and a special delegation circuit gives each core the maximum amount of work it can handle without needing to access more data. Furthermore, each core in Eyeriss is able to communicate directly with its neighboring cores, so data can be shared locally rather than constantly routing through central memory.
What Eyeriss means for mobile AI
Partially funded by DARPA, the research picks up on neural network research that was studied aggressively in the early days of AI research in the 70s and then largely dropped. Neural nets were typically seen as being too power-hungry for use in mobile applications, but as the researchers claim, Eyeriss “is useful for many applications, such as object recognition, speech, face detection” and could be used to usher in the Internet of Things.
When an Eyeriss chip is installed in a smartphone, it will negate the need to send data to the cloud for high-power processing of AI algorithms, improving speed, security and the need for a Wi-Fi or data connection. Complex AI tasks will be able to be processed locally, brining machine learning to your handheld device.
RELATED VIDEOS
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
What’s more, individual Eyeriss chips won’t need to learn everything from scratch either, because “a trained neural network could simply be exported to a mobile device,” adding that “onboard neural networks would be useful for battery-powered autonomous robots”.
The applications are immense, although there was no timeline given for when an Eyeriss chip might make its way into a commercial mobile device. However, when one of the principal investigators of the work is a research scientist at Nvidia, it might be sooner than you think.
What kinds of AI tasks can you see being run on mobile devices? When do you think it will happen?
Watch 540 dancing robots celebrate Chinese New Year
Ten robot cheerleaders isn’t enough when it comes to celebrating Chinese New Year. To kick off the year of the monkey, Chinese broadcaster CCTV’s TV special included 540 dancing robots, with a fleet of drones to top it all off with a layer of glitter. The robots thrust, do handstands, and dance in that ever-so-robotic way (in unison), but it’s the sheer scale that makes it must-see. Watch the spectacle below.
Source: Shanghaist (Facebook)
The UK wants Google to test its self-driving cars in London
Google’s self-driving cars have already racked up more than a million miles, however all of them have taken place in the US. What about other parts of the world, such as those where people drive on the left? According to Sky News, some London officials have been trying to persuade the company to test in Britain for precisely these purposes. The last meeting took place “a few weeks ago,” according to Isabel Dedring, London’s deputy mayor for transport, following “at least half a dozen” talks over the last three years. Clearly, they haven’t been able to work something out.
“It’s still very early days but we would be keen for trials to happen in London whenever Google are ready to move them into other countries.”
The UK government is desperate for Britain to be a research haven for autonomous transportation. In Decemeber 2014, it part-funded a small number of research projects that included electric shuttle buses and two-person pods, virtual simulators and LIDAR-equipped jeeps. Soon, these will be joined by eight new programmes that are designed to test, among others, the public’s reaction to self-driving vehicles and a 41-mile “connected corridor.” While useful, none of these have quite the same panache as Google’s project. It does, therefore, make sense for politicians to try to court the company, as this would expose and legitimise its other efforts, while attracting new companies to bring their R&D to the UK.
Source: Sky News
OnePlus 2 gets a permanent price reduction
Admittedly, OnePlus has made a few mistakes on the steep learning curve it finds itself on, but the young company has recently had a string of wins: free shipping on orders over $100, an invite-free OnePlus X faster than any other OnePlus device, and now a permanent price reduction on the OnePlus 2. That’s right, OnePlus has announced that it has found that “Goldilocks” point in production where producing a OnePlus has never been cheaper. So, in true OnePlus style, they are passing that saving on to you.
The OnePlus 2 now starts at $349 (down from $389), €345 (down from €399) and £249 (down from £289). These prices are all for the 64 GB OnePlus 2 in the U.S., Europe and United Kingdom, as the 16 GB OnePlus 2 is no longer available in those regions. You can hit the OnePlus forum for more information or head straight to oneplus.net to pick up the flagship killer at a reduced rate.
The OnePlus 2 features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, octa-core Snapdragon 810, 4 GB of RAM, OxygenOS running on Android 5.1 Lollipop, a 13 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and laser auto-focus, plus a 5 MP front-facing camera and 3,300 mAh battery.
Experiment will find out why astronauts feel weak back on Earth
Astronauts don’t have it easy when they come home, and it’s not just because of the change in gravity: their red blood cell production drops while they’re in space, leaving them weakened on Earth. But why? That’s what a Canadian experiment aboard the International Space Station hopes to find out. The research is testing red and white blood cell functions, as well as bone marrow fat levels, to see how they change before, during and after spaceflight. It should not only show how microgravity (and the resulting lack of activity) affects blood cells, but how reversible the effects are. How soon could you go back to normal?
The science should help astronauts stay healthy on future missions, whether it involves stepping up their exercise or giving them medicine. They wouldn’t have to worry about being in rough shape when they return to Earth or land on another planet. However, it could also do a lot for people back on terra firma — the effects are frequently the same for Earthbound people who are bedridden or otherwise can’t move much. Even if you never head into orbit, the findings could improve your health during tough times.
Source: NASA
Talk Android Apps of the Week: February 7, 2016
It’s Sunday, the time of the week when Talk Android brings you a report on some of the very best applications we’ve been using over the course of the past seven days. Today we’re focusing our attention on a fantastic third-party keyboard, a gorgeous live wallpaper, a great aftermarket Twitter client and last, but not least, a must-have game for all soccer addicts.
Chrooma Keyboard
If you’re a fan of Google Keyboard, you’re going to love the first application we’re looking at this week. Chrooma is a lightweight third-party keyboard that sports an almost-identical interface to Android’s default input offering. However, it packs a handful of smart functionality that makes it much more pleasant to use.
One of my favoured features in Chrooma is its facility to automatically adapt the background of the keyboard to match the color pallets of the application you’re using — so, for example, if you open Facebook, you’ll notice the keys change to a dark blue hue. The same applies to all other apps, too.
I’m especially fond of the integrated Night Mode, which adjusts color tonality according to the ambient light sensor. This is perfect for low-light conditions when your phone is running on the lowest brightness mode as it will apply a dark color scheme to your keyboard, so you don’t have to strain your eyes to locate the keys you’re looking for.
Chrooma is also fully resizable, which means that you can adjust the sizes of the keys and remove the dedicated number row by heading into the standalone Settings application. This function is great for devices with smaller displays as, quite often, keyboards tend to take up a substantial amount of room, but with this app users have the option to scale it down, in order to free up more screen space.
Muzei Live Wallpaper
I’ve openly admitted that I’m a wallpaper addict. In fact, I’m a wallpaper hoarder. I just can’t seem to get enough of them. Earlier this week, I installed Muzei Live Wallpaper on my Galaxy S6 Edge, and I can honestly say it’s revolutionized my background experience. The application automatically refreshes your home screen each day with a gorgeous, well-known piece of art that has been subtly blurred to create a frosted effect that looks fantastic.
If you’re not a fan of contemporary art, Muzei has your back, too. You can ditch the historic artwork in favor of your own snaps. All you have to do is import a handful of images from the gallery on your device, and the app will do the rest.
Muzei is developer-friendly, which means that developers can access the API in order to create their own third-party image sources. This is fantastic for both you and I as it means that we don’t have to sift through hundreds of images to create our own collection. Instead, we can add someone else’s.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Fenix for Twitter
Last Sunday, I installed Fenix for Twitter. Usually, I’m fairly impartial to third-party Twitter clients and often find myself switching back to the official Android offering. However, seeing as I’d forked out $5.49 for this application, I was determined to give it a fair trial, and boy am I glad I did. After seven-days of constant use, I am happy to report that it is now my favorite Twitter companion.
As you’d expect, Fenix is jam-packed with all of the latest and greatest functionality, including the ability to view conversations in an easy to read layout, preview images on your timeline and open links using a built-in browser. It’s extremely customizable, which means that you can alter the entire navigation aspect of the application by hiding the features you’re not interested in using.
If I’m completely honest, there’s only really one characteristic that keeps me using Fenix, and that’s its conversations layout. It can often be hard to keep up with a string of tweets using the standard Twitter mobile client, but Fenix makes it incredibly easy. All conversations are displayed in a color-coded list, which enables you to follow the dialogue in a natural way without having to stop and wonder who sent the message.
Soccer Hero
Up last this week, we’re looking at an engaging soccer Game. The aim of Soccer Hero is simple: Take control of some of the best clubs in the world and lead them to victory whilst assuming the identity of an up and coming player. You’ll also have the facility to spend your character’s money on houses, supercars and other assets, but you need to be careful not to get into too much debt as it could take a toll on his career, sending you right back to the drawing board. Intuitive touch controls allow you to navigate the ball with great precision — so you don’t have to worry about shots going off target as a result of an inaccurate display.
Previous Apps of the Week editions:
Come comment on this article: Talk Android Apps of the Week: February 7, 2016
Kickstarter project of the week: TYLT VÜ Pulse for Pebble Time
Welcome to your Kickstarter Project of the Week series, where we show you the coolest crowdfunding projects we can find. We know there’s plenty of cool stuff out on Kickstarter, but there’s also a lot of products that leave us scratching our heads. Is today’s featured product worth your precious time and money? Let’s find out!
Today we are taking a look at a product from a company that is already very well positioned in this industry – TYLT. You likely know them for their wireless chargers and cables, but this time around they are doing something a little more special – the TYLT VÜ Pulse for Pebble Time.
Other Kickstarter projects:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/800343142/tylt-vu-pulse-for-pebble-timetm/widget/video.html
TYLT enters the wearable space with a cool accessory made for the Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel smartwatches. It has two main functions, but these are features that many of you will be very glad to see coming to your Pebble Time.
The Pebble Time is a bit simplistic. It has no bells and whistles, which is probably part of the reason why the company decided to leave wireless charging and a heart-rate sensor out of the watch.
The TYLT VÜ Pulse works pretty much like a case, which connects to the pins on the back of the Pebble Time. Once installed, you can simply place your watch on any Qi wireless charger to juice up. In addition, the case has an integrated heart-rate monitor that can sync your biometrics to your phone and activity tracking apps.
Interested? You can back the project over at the TYLT VÜ Pulse Kickstarter page. The lowest early bird special was set at $39, but right now you can get the accessory for as low as $44.
TYLT has already reached its funding goal, so it’s just a matter of waiting until August for shipments to begin. Who is signing up?
Facebook Messenger has a hidden chess game
It’s no secret that you can use Facebook Messenger for a whole lot more than just chatting with pals, but there’s still a surprise or two in store. Social networkers have discovered that Messenger has a hidden chess game (quietly available for a least a month before now) that you invoke by typing “@fbchess play” when you’re in a conversation. Just don’t expect an intuitive interface — you have to use text commands for everything, so you’d better brush up on your standard chess notation. If you can live with that, though, it’s a free and easy way to improve your strategic thinking when you’re not busy sending stickers.
Via: Lifehacker, Mashable
Source: Reddit
AIVAnet 