The first ‘computer-generated’ musical isn’t very good

I spent a reasonable portion of last year digging into neural networks and machine learning, wondering if and when computers were going to take my job. So when news broke of the “computer-generated musical” Beyond the Fence hitting London’s West End, I was intrigued. After waiting for a couple of months, I headed to a performance of the show’s limited run, but I left the theater unmoved. Computers can help write a musical, it seems, but they can’t yet write a good one.

“What if there was a wounded soldier who had to learn how to understand a child in order to find true love?”

That’s the core, machine-derived premise for Beyond the Fence. But before you can understand why it doesn’t work and how the musical falls short, you need to understand how and why it was made. Luckily, the story of how it came to be is more interesting than the show itself. Local TV channel Sky Arts commissioned the production, and it has also produced a two-part “making-of” documentary, which is currently airing in the UK. The elevator pitch was to produce a musical “conceived by computer and substantially crafted by computer.” Technically, though, it used several computers and more than a few human beings.

Programs from multiple educational institutions were put to work. It started at Cambridge University, which analyzed thousands of musicals to ascertain what makes a hit or a flop. Its conclusions, if you’ve seen a few musicals, are unlikely to surprise you. The University’s analysis asked for a love story set in ’80s Europe with a female lead, a death, the overcoming of loss and a happy ending. For music, multiple styles are apparently key, as is the pacing of tunes: It’s best to end the first and second acts with vitality. Note to aspiring composers: Cambridge’s software says not to set your musical in present-day America and give it a male lead.

The next step was story. This is where Goldsmiths, the University of London’s “What-If Machine” (WHIM), stepped in. While Cambridge analyzed musicals based on raw data, WHIM is a much more random endeavor. Its purpose is to spark creativity by combining topics in surprising, subversive ways. WHIM fired out hundreds of concepts, which the people helming the project sifted through. After discarding many ideas based on Cambridge’s hit/flop research, they landed on the premise of a single, wounded soldier.

With the core idea in the bag, the creative process moved to the University of Madrid. There, software named PropperWryter, which works in a similar data-driven way as Cambridge’s hit/miss analysis, was tasked with refining the plot. The first step was to feed it thousands of musicals. From that, the software analyzed lyrics to chart the emotional course of each musical’s acts. It then averaged this out to show when a story should hit beats of love, danger, hate, happiness and so on. This provided a definitive structure for the plot and set the tone for the music.

And here’s where the computer-generated claim starts to unravel. There’s no software that can put all of these elements together and turn them into a musical. That requires a human. Or a pair of humans, in this case. Writer/composer duo Benjamin Till and Nathan Taylor — best known in the UK for broadcasting their wedding as a musical — took all the programs’ output and planned a musical around it.

They fell upon the location of Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, home for over a decade to hundreds of women protesting NATO’s nuclear missile program. This was, despite the duo’s claims (made in the accompanying documentary), an entirely human decision. Cambridge’s analysis may have helped narrow the search by restricting the time period to the ’80s, but the only word from a computer that led to Greenham Common was “soldier.” And even that was picked by human hand from a list of WHIM’s suggestions.

Music and lyrics are perhaps the best place for computers to truly get involved in the creative process. Computers have been composing interesting music for some time now, and machine learning has led to a number of viable writing projects. Till and Taylor tapped Durham University’s Dr. Nick Collins, a composer and musician who uses machine learning to create songs, and adapted some tunes for the musical.

For lyrics, Beyond the Fence looked to a “cloud lyricist,” which, upon closer inspection, turns out is just Andrej Karpathy’s Char-RNN (a character-based recurrent neural network) trained to write songs. I’m well versed in Char-RNN — I trained it to write like Engadget last year — and also intimately familiar with its weaknesses. There’s no rhyme or reason behind its words: It guesses what the next letter should be based on what came before. Because of this, Char-RNN was just used for inspiration. The musical has expressions and visuals from the network, but the bulk of lyrics were written and/or arranged by Taylor.

Everything about Beyond the Fence, it turns out, was meticulously managed by Till and Taylor. And that’s why it doesn’t work. By coming up with the perfect formula for a musical, you invariably create something that’s formulaic. When watching, every song felt calculated, each plot point carefully measured. Neither act shocked; there’s a chance meeting here, a romantic entanglement there, a death and redemption thrown in for good measure. Nothing moved the needle. Nothing felt fresh.

This is a game that advertisers and brands play every day, and there’s nothing creative about it.

The musical’s venue, Arts Theatre West End, has a history of showing experimental and “edgy” productions, and this should have followed in that rich tradition. But the Beyond the Fence approach has more in common with marketing than with experimenting. Averaging out trends, using numbers to decipher what does and doesn’t sell — this is a game that advertisers and brands play every day, and there’s nothing creative about it.

In the areas where computers can create things no human ever would — music with bizarre structure and cadences, nonsensical rhymes, and random themes — the computers were largely ignored. Rather than believing in their tools, Till and Taylor injected their own ideas into Beyond the Fence, only trusting computers to guide them toward a guaranteed hit. In the process, they removed any personality or vitality it could have had.

So maybe I was wrong. Computers might be able to write a good musical. It’s just that no one has trusted them to do it yet.

Apple leads the (tiny) mobile payment world

It’s no secret that the mobile payment space is becoming increasingly crowded, but who’s out in front? If you ask Crone Consulting, it’s Apple… although Cupertino might not have much to crow about. The analyst group estimates that Apple Pay is the market leader, with 12 million iPhone owners making tap-to-pay purchases at least once a month. Android Pay and Samsung Pay are distant seconds with 5 million active users apiece. However, Crone is quick to note that both of these rivals are roughly half a year old — they’re catching up quickly to an incumbent that’s been around for a year and a half.

Also, the overall market is comparatively tiny. The estimates suggest that just 6 percent of iPhone owners are using Apple Pay, and that ratio only gets smaller when you look at the larger device shares of its rivals. About 4 percent of Samsung users are trying Android Pay, and a single percent of Android users are trying Google’s offering. At the moment, leading this arena is like declaring yourself ruler of the local park — it’s just too small to matter to most people.

How does it get bigger, then? Expanding support to a wider range of devices is poised to help, since it’ll increase the odds that your next device is payment-friendly. More places to pay will be important, too. However, Crone notes that the biggest obstacle may simply be the lack of distinct advantages of paying with your phone. If your banking card is within quick reach, why turn to your phone? Tech giants may have to provide added incentives to bust out your handset if they want you to forget about plastic cards.

Via: Fast Company

Source: Bloomberg

Don’t even think about vaping on a plane

There are a number of public places where smoking is banned but the use of e-cigarettes is not. Well, you can take commercial flights off of that list. The US Department of Transportation banned the use of the smoking devices on planes that are leaving from or coming to the States. In other words, the no smoking rule that was already in place for tobacco products was expanded to include electronic cigarettes as well.

The DoT says that it made the change to protect passengers from the potentially harmful aerosol fumes, particularly young children, the elderly and folks with respiratory issues. While the agency admits that the full extent of the risks have yet to be determined, it decided “a precautionary approach” was the best course of action.

“This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used onboard airplanes,” said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “The Department took a practical approach to eliminate any confusion between tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes by applying the same restrictions to both.”

Back in October, the Department of Transportation’s hazardous materials arm prohibited battery-powered smoking devices in checked bags and charging those gadgets while on board. In addition to commercial travel, today’s ban also extends to any charter aircraft where a flight attendant is a member of the crew.

Via: STAT

Source: US Department of Transportation

Zero’s electric motorcycles replace range anxiety with fun

It’s quiet. In fact, it’s completely silent. The motorcycle is on and ready to whisk me away. But before I twist the throttle, I sit and listen to the birds, traffic and a neighbor yelling at a barking dog. Everything but the Zero DSR electric bike is filling my ears. I finally roll on the accelerator, and I’m off. The weird but distinct whine of an electric engine coupled with a surprising explosion of power is equal parts perplexing and invigorating. This is the future of bikes, and it’s spectacular.

The 2016 Zero Motorcycles DSR and FXS are the new bikes from the small Northern California-based company. While its competitors (Mission Motors and Brammo) have disappeared, it has flourished. It’s done so by focusing on consumer bikes (instead of super bikes like Mission Motors) and keeps churning out two-wheeled — and quiet — transportation that gets better every year.

Both bikes carry on the company’s desire to keep its designs simple. Instead of adding a transmission, the motorcycles are driven directly by a more efficient Z-Force 75. There’s no clutch; just twist and go. It took a few rides to stop reaching for the lever with my left hand as I left a stoplight. But once I realized that I had the power to zip out of any situation with a twist of the handlebar without having to downshift, that muscle memory became a thing of the past.

Powering the motor are the company’s lithium-ion “Z-Force Power Pack” batteries. Zero says it’s able to compress more energy into a smaller space than other battery makers. Also the packs are expected to last an incredible 200,000 miles. Even at 100,000, found on the lower-range FXS, that’s more road than most bikes ever see.

Zero has always had the technology, but some of its earlier bikes didn’t have the quality parts they have now. For example, a few years ago I rode the 2012 Zero DS, and it felt like the company had strapped some dope EV tech onto a crappy two-wheeled vehicle. It was disappointing. It felt like the company was making electric motorcycles with the emphasis on “electric” instead of on “motorcycle.” Fortunately, since its launch in 2006, the company has evolved.

Over the past few years it has started making proper bikes. It’s now making motorcycles that just happen to be electric. That’s what you want when you’re looking at a battery-powered vehicle. It needs to feel like a proper mode of transportation instead of a weird compromise wrapped in good feelings about the environment. With these two bikes, you can feel good about being greener while still enjoying getting from point A to point B.

Both bikes were fun to ride, but there’s definitely a Jekyll-and-Hyde dynamic here.

On one hand, you have the DSR, a solid dual-sport bike with a range of up to 147 miles that can handle both on-road and off-road adventures. It ships with knobby tires that help it navigate fire roads and wider trails. But at 463 pounds, it won’t be whipping it around corners or jumping off rocks. It’s also at home on city streets, and its extended range means you’ll be comfortable riding to and from work and running errands without fear of draining the battery mid-trip.

If you’re a commuter who also wants to venture out of the city on weekend jaunts, it’s a worthy competitor to the Kawasaki KLR and BMW 650 GS.

On the other hand, the FXS is OH MY GAWD all the fun! The motocross-inspired bike weighs less than 300 pounds but has 44 horsepower and 70 pounds of torque. It’s a wheelie machine whether you want it to be or not. Its light weight, nimbleness and almost unlimited supply of power made my commute to work far more exciting than it normally is. Best-case scenario: The FXS has a range of 90 miles in the city, but hit the highway and you’ll only get 37 miles. Because I abhor showboating on public streets, I feel like I only tapped about 40 percent of the bike’s capability for ripping around corners full speed and blasting off from a dead stop. I’m currently on the lookout for an abandoned parking lot or skate park.

But it’s not all weekend trips to the mountains and wheelies on the streets of San Francisco. While Zero has done an excellent job creating motorcycles that riders want, it still has to deal with the economics of EV batteries. The DSR with a 13kWh cell will set you back $14,395. The FXS with a 6.5kWh battery will cost you $9,890. Both of these prices include the federal tax credit for electric vehicles (additional credits are available in California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Utah).

There’s also the issue of charging. Both take just under nine hours to generate a full charge via the outlet in your garage. If you purchase the optional $600 quick charger, that time is cut approximately in half. For a quicker way to fill those lithium-ion cells, the DSR has an optional $2,000 charge tank that adds a level 2 port (the port found on the Tesla, Nissan Leaf and other EVs) that brings the full charge time down to less than three and a half hours. It also increases on-the-go charging capabilities, since it’s the protocol most stations use. While both charging additions are eligible for an additional federal tax credit, the entire package can be a huge investment.

But none of this should be a surprise. EVs are going to come at a premium price because batteries are still expensive. At least for a few more years. Zero notes that in addition to saving on gas, the bikes don’t need the usual maintenance of gas-powered motorcycles. No more spark plugs, oil changes, cooling-system upkeep, exhaust issues or transmission woes. All of that goes away.

If you’re the kind of rider who eats up hundreds of miles on a normal basis or you’re looking for your first bike, the DSR and FXS probably aren’t for you. But if you’re a daily commuter who likes to get out of town on the weekend or is looking for something new and fun, a Zero might well be your next bike. Either way, if you have a chance to test-drive one of these, do it. You might not buy now, but you’ll get a taste of what the future holds for two-wheeled transportation.

Incredibly complex machine plays music with marbles

There have been plenty of impressively elaborate musical machines in recent years, but this might top them all. Swedish band Wintergatan has crafted a Musical Marble Machine that, as the name suggests, churns out tunes using 2,000 marbles (technically, ball bearings). It’s a pretty involved effort with 3,000 parts that include a crank, levers, conveyor belts and legions of spinning gears — Rube Goldberg would be proud, especially if he knew that this beast took 14 months to make.

The results speak for themselves. One person can play bass guitar, xylophone and drums… and importantly, play them well. There’s even a “breakdown” lever for that all-important bridge section. You’re unlikely to see the Musical Marble Machine in concert (moving it anywhere is a supreme challenge), but it serves as testament to what engineering can do when it’s put to work by musicians.

Source: Wintergatan

Watch the Engadget staff on: FBI vs. Apple

Yesterday, both Apple and the FBI testified at a House Judiciary committee hearing on the San Bernardino iPhone debate. If you’re looking to get caught up quickly, a few of our editors sat down to explain the both sides of the case and where things stand. Arguments over encryption are nothing new, but this case could set some very important precedents for future law enforcement access. Here’s what our editors had to say on the matter.

Adobe Lightroom for iOS Gains Full Resolution Support, 3D Touch in Camera Roll Browser

Adobe today updated its Lightroom photography app for iOS devices to version 2.2, adding two small but notable features. Lightroom is now able to output full resolution files for any file, whether captured directly on an iOS device or taken on a standard camera and transferred to an iPhone iPad.

Files added to an iOS device from a direct connection with a camera are also able to be transferred in full resolution to other mobile devices that are signed into the same Adobe account. According to Adobe, files captured with iPhone are available for editing and exporting on an iPad in full resolution and vice versa.

Today’s update also brings improved 3D Touch support to the Lightroom app on the iPhone 6s. Peek and Pop 3D Touch gestures are available in the Camera Roll browser view, allowing users to quickly preview images in a larger size while browsing through their photo collections.

– New: Full resolution output. Now, export and share photos that were captured on your device or that you added to your device at full resolution.
– Updated: 3D Touch support in the Camera Roll browser view. Quickly preview your image with Peek & Pop when browsing Camera Roll photos in the app.
– Fixed: Issue that lead to a potential crash.
– Improved: Various bugs and issues.

For those unfamiliar with Lightroom, it is Adobe’s professional-level photo editing software. Lightroom for iOS devices is a free download, but because it is designed to work alongside the Lightroom app for the desktop, it requires a subscription to Adobe’s Creative Cloud Photography plan, priced at $9.99 per month. A 30-day free trial is available.

Adobe has separate Lightroom apps for the iPad [Direct Link] and the iPhone [Direct Link].

Tags: Adobe, Lightroom
Discuss this article in our forums

Reconciling the Rumors: What the iPhone SE Might Look Like

Apple’s rumored 4-inch iPhone is supposed to be debuting at an event set to be held on March 21, just under three weeks from today, but due to an unusual lack of part leaks, we still have no clear picture of exactly what the device will look like.

Rumors suggest the device, said to be called the “iPhone 5se or iPhone SE,” will resemble the iPhone 5s while also incorporating the curved cover glass of the iPhone 6 and 6s, a marriage difficult to imagine because those are two very different design aesthetics.

With that in mind, we’ve commissioned designer Tomas Moyano to create a mockup that combines the curved front panel of the iPhone 6s with the boxier, thicker shape of the iPhone 5s, ending up with an attractive design possibility that satisfies all of the current rumors.

Last week, two conceptual design drawings of the 4-inch iPhone were shared by 9to5Mac and OnLeaks, each created based on information sourced from parties with knowledge of the 4-inch iPhone’s design. Neither is a direct, ultra-detailed schematic like those we have seen in the past from case makers, and the design elements of the device in the two drawings do not match up.

The conceptual image created by 9to5Mac depicts a 4-inch iPhone that is identical to the iPhone 5s in size and shape, matching rumors that the 4-inch iPhone and the iPhone 5s will be able to be share cases. It does not align with rumors about a curved display, instead appearing to depict the same flat front panel that’s used on the iPhone 5s.

OnLeaks’ design drawing does include a clear curve on both the front display panel and the back panel, lining up with the display rumors, but the curved display results in a body design that would prevent the device from sharing cases with the iPhone 5s as rumored.

For our renderings, we have chosen to use the OnLeaks design drawings as a guideline because it incorporates the curved display glass, a feature that has been consistently mentioned in rumors and can’t be ignored. With the 4-inch iPhone adopting internal features of the iPhone 6s, it makes some sense that it would follow some of the same design logic, but it should be noted that we do not know for sure that this is the design the device will adopt. The renderings include a power button located on the top of the device like the iPhone 5s, round volume buttons, and a pill-shaped camera flash.

You’ll also notice a protruding rear camera, something that we originally thought was an oddity in the OnLeaks drawing. Recent rumors, though, suggest the 4-inch iPhone will use the same 12-megapixel camera found in the iPhone 6s, which may explain the protrusion. On the iPhone 6s, the camera protrudes approximately 0.7mm from the device’s 7.1mm body. The 4-inch iPhone is said to be the same thickness as the iPhone 5s, at 7.6mm, meaning the camera could still be too big to fit flush with the body.

Ahead of iPhone releases, we typically see part leaks months in advance, with images that cover everything from the display to the body to the internal parts like the logic board. With the 4-inch iPhone, we have seen exactly one part leak — a display component that does not divulge much information about the device.

There have been no part leaks that hint at the finalized design of the 4-inch iPhone, and it’s not exactly clear why that is. It’s possible we have seen no leaks because it does indeed use the exact same body as the iPhone 5s, but that does not explain why there have been few internal part leaks. There’s also the possibility the device has just recently entering mass production, something that could explain why the event date was pushed back from March 15 to March 21.

If the latter case is true, and production has just begun ramping up, we may see part leaks over the course of the next two weeks that will give us a clear picture of what the 4-inch iPhone will look like. As it stands now, the device’s launch is shaping up to be the biggest design surprise we’ve had in years.

Internally, rumors have suggested the 4-inch iPhone will include an A9 processor, the aforementioned 12-megapixel camera, and an NFC chip to enable Apple Pay. It is expected to come in the same colors as the iPhone 6s — Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, and Space Gray — and it may be priced between $400 and $500.

Apple is holding an event on Monday, March 21, where the 4-inch iPhone, the next-generation iPad, and new Apple Watch bands are expected to debut. More of our iPhone SE renderings can be seen below.

Related Roundups: iPhone 5se, iPhone SE
Discuss this article in our forums