IBM Watson powers Hilton’s robotic concierge ‘Connie’

IBM Watson is training for yet another job at the Hilton McLean in Virginia. The hotel has recently welcomed a new concierge named “Connie,” you see, and it’s actually a Nao robot powered by IBM’s AI. Connie, named after the chain’s founder Conrad Hilton, can greet guests when they arrive and answer questions about hotel amenities, schedule and services. It was designed to improve the more it interacts with people by storing every question guests ask for future reference. Besides answering inquiries about the hotel, Connie will also be able to recommend tourist spots, restaurants and other destinations, since it has access to WayBlazer’s travel platform.

The companies called Connie’s debut a “pilot,” so we might see more Connie-Nao robots in other Hilton hotels in the future. If you’re going to Japan, though, you can opt for a more futuristic experience. The Hen-na Hotel has a robotic staff, including humanoid machines that can take you straight to uncanny valley.

‘Nerds’ Musical About Steve Jobs and Bill Gates’ Rivalry Cancels Broadway Run

In January it was announced that Nerds, a musical about the rivalry between Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, would begin its Broadway run on March 31, 2016. Today, producer Carl Levin announced that the production would have to cancel its Broadway run, reports Variety.

“On behalf of my fellow producers and investors, it is with great disappointment that we will be postponing the Broadway opening of ‘Nerds’ due to the loss of a major investor,” said producer Carl Levin (“Rock of Ages”) in a statement. Levin led a team of producers that included Elizabeth Williams, Greenleaf Productions and Clear Channel Spectacolor.

The musical, which featured lyrics by Robot Chicken’s Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner and music by Hal Goldberg, was set to feature “an array of tech” that included holograms and a companion app that allowed the audience to choose the show’s ending. The musical comedy would chronicle the rise of Jobs and Gates and the competition between their companies.

An early version of Nerds debuted in 2005 at the New York Musical Theater Festival before going on two runs at the Philadelphia Theater Company. In 2013, it had a run at the North Carolina Theater. The latest iteration was in rehearsals with a cast that included The Book of Mormon’s Rory O’Malley as Steve Jobs and Memphis’ Bryan Fenkart as Bill Gates. While the show will not play Broadway in 2016, producers say a national touring version of the show is in the works.

Tags: Steve Jobs, Nerds, Bill Gates
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Google begins rolling out LG Nexus 5X performance update

The Nexus 5X was well-received, but improvements would be appreciated.

It has been criticised for poor performance in day-to-day use – especially when compared to its fancier flagship sibling, the Huawei Nexus 6P. Thankfully, the LG Nexus 5X is getting some bug fixes and performance improvements. On Reddit, a Google Nexus community manager confirmed that – alongside a March security update – Google will attempt to fix some issues.

“An OTA update will begin rolling out today for the Nexus 5X,” Google announced. “We have listened to your feedback, and this update includes a number of bug fixes that will improve overall stability, connectivity, and performance on the Nexus 5X.”

In a later comment, Google confirmed the over-the-air patch would help resolve not only sluggish performance but also DND next alarm disappearing issue. It’ll even come with improvements for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity improvements, as well as carrier-specific bug fixes.

The update is now rolling out.

UK wants to resolve traffic congestion by testing driverless lorries

If you thought driving alongside normal Big Rigs was nerve-wracking, just wait until you look over and see there is no driver at the wheel.

According to a few reports, British Chancellor George Osborne is about to announce trials of autonomous heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), also known as Big Rig trucks in the US or lorries in the UK. The purpose of these trials, which are scheduled to take place on the M6 in Cumbria in the second half of 2016, is to test an entire a platoon of driverless lorries and see whether they could help speed up deliveries and cut traffic congestion.

The platoon might end up being 10 trucks-long on the motorway but will be led by a driver-operated head truck. The driverless trucks will also be “monitored by laser sensors and infrared cameras.” We don’t know much yet about which brand of vehicles will be tested on British roads this year, but Daimler has an autonomous truck, according to the BBC, which was already tested on German roads and could find a spot in Britian’s trial.

British officials seem to think these upcoming trials will open up new possibilities, too. A spokesman for the Department for Transport told The Times, for instance, that the UK is in a “unique position to lead the way for the testing of connected and driverless vehicles” and that “new technology has the potential to bring major improvements to journeys.”

Still, the thought of a driverless 44 tonne 10-lorry platoon hurling toward us on the highway still seems intimidating to say the least.

Nexus 5X update should fix those lag and slowdown issues

Google’s Nexus phones (and tablets) usually run Android at its best. Because, well, Google also makes Android. However, the company’s recent heavy-middleweight Nexus 5X wasn’t quite working how you’d expect. Several users, and reviewers, noted slowdown, apps shutting down, and other things that might ruin your time with the latest version of Android. (Marshmallow, if you were still paying attention to the candy-themed naming pattern.) In our review, we didn’t see such extensive performance woes, deeming it “pretty smooth” — although that’s the diplomatic way of saying that the experience wasn’t completely smooth. The next update, rolling out over the next few days, will help solve that issue. And you’ll get some security updates too.

Via: Droid-Life

Source: Reddit

Plan your entire vacation with a single Google search

Google Search’s latest feature makes it possible to arrange your entire holiday (flights, accommodation, itinerary) from a single search. It’s the company’s first foray into travel on mobile, mimicking the move that most of us are making with our browsing habits — off PCs and onto our phones. You can start with a seriously broad outset (Google’s video demo suggests Europe), and then you can dig down into cities and places, pricing on hotel rooms and flights are simplified for broad dates which you can specify further if needed. That name’s a little familiar though…

Once you’ve chosen a Destination page, it weaves descriptions together with photos and media, as well as suggesting recommended routes to cover multiple sites in a day. Google’s highlights and itineraries are apparently a mix of both algorithm-based and editorially-plucked suggestions and initial searches can be drilled down into specific countries or cities. As the New York Times discovered, flight prices will be based on flying from wherever you’re searching from: at this point there’s no way to plan journeys that don’t include your current location.

One of the more useful parts is the “Explore” tab, which gives you an annual readout of the weather as well as when your destination is most popular, based on historic visits of other travelers. Does it offer the finely-honed recommendations of dedicated guides? No. But it does make the entire process possible on a smartphone — and that’s what it’s designed for. The search results give cursory prices for hotels and travel, making it easier to decide how far your budget can take you, without the need to tab hop on small mobile screens. Amazon’s similarly-named, but more desktop-centered, attempt to sell vacations ended after a six-month testing period. Execs at Kayak, Tripadvisor, Hotels.com et al. are likely crossing their fingers that Google’s new trip-maker is similarly short-stay.

Source: Google blog

How to revert to the previous version of Office 365 – CNET

I think one reason people get frustrated with their computers is that things seem to change without warning. For example, yesterday you could print; today the printer is “not found.”

Or this: Yesterday Microsoft Word’s “Save As” screen included shortcuts to previously used folders; today it doesn’t.

If that second example sounds awfully specific, it’s because it just happened. Last week, without warning or explanation, Microsoft pushed out an Office 365 update that, among other things, made Word 2016 harder to use and introduced a bug in Outlook 2016.

This is how Word looked before:

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Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

And here’s the unfortunate “after”:

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Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Now, far be it from me to complain about an unwanted, unwarranted interface change that has negatively impacted my productivity, or a bizarre glitch that makes my cursor lag when typing emails. I’m all about solutions, which in this case means rolling Office 365 back to the version that preceded the current one. Thankfully, it’s not hard to do, and it solves both problems. Here’s the step-by-step:

Step 1: First you need to turn off Automatic Updates so Office doesn’t try to update itself again once you’ve completed the other steps. Fire up Word (though you can use one of the other Office apps if you prefer), then click File > Account. Next, click the Update Options button and choose Disable Updates. Now you can close the program.

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Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step 2: Now we’re going to create a tiny program — a batch file — that will “update” Office 365 to the earlier version, specifically 16.0.6366.2062. To get started, right-click any open area on your desktop, then choose New > Text Document.

Step 3: Name this new document “Revert” (or “Rollback” or whatever — it doesn’t really matter), then open the file. Copy and paste in the following text:

cd %programfiles%Common FilesMicrosoft SharedClickToRunofficec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.6366.2062

Step 4: Click File > Save As (irony!), then be sure to add .bat to the end of the filename. Now click Save as Type and set it to All Files. That’s so Notepad doesn’t try to save it as a text file.

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Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step 5: Run your newly created Revert.bat program, then sit back and wait while Office 365 reverts.

I tested this on my system and it worked perfectly. Now Word works the way it used to, and Outlook no longer suffers from cursor-lag. Your mileage may vary, of course, and keep in mind that with Office updates disabled, you won’t get security updates that might be important.

The best way to keep food fresh is with a bottle cap – CNET

Taylor Martin/CNET

After you’ve ripped open a plastic bag full of tiny objects, whether it be chocolate morsels or nuts and bolts, resealing the bag and keeping it from spilling and can be tricky.

However, there is a trick I’ve been using for years to close bags that aren’t resealable. Best of all, it’s practically free and will only take a minute.

Here’s how to reseal bags with nothing more than a bottle cap.

What you will need

For staters, this trick will not work very well with paper bags, like what flour or sugar typically come in. Paper bags are usually too thick and won’t allow the bottle cap to screw back on.

Instead, the bag that you’re trying to reseal must be plastic.

Additionally, you will need a plastic soda or water bottle and a knife or a sharp pair of scissors. It may also be helpful to have a piece of sandpaper or a small file.

Turning a bottle cap into a bag sealer

First, remove all liquid from the bottle and use a knife or scissors to puncture a hole in the bottle, just below the cap. Cut around the bottle to remove the cap, then trim away as much excess as possible.

Use the sandpaper or file to remove any rough edges and burrs from the bottom of the cap.

Taylor Martin/CNET

Take the bag and bunch the opening together. Remove the lid from the bottle cap and feed the opening of the bag through the bottom of the cap. Fold the bag back over the threads and twist the cap onto the threads.

After you’ve added the bottle cap, to get to what’s in the bag, screw the cap off, then replace it when you’re done.

Not only is the bag now resealable, in most cases, pouring from the bag will be much easier. Also, as you use more of what’s in the bag, you can continue slide the cap further down onto the bag to keep as much air out as possible. It’s not perfectly air tight, but it will suffice in most scenarios.

How to rehydrate dehydrated foods for cooking – CNET

Let’s plump it up!

Alina Bradford/CNET

Dehydration is a great way to preserve foods. They need to be rehydrated before using them in recipes since they can be overly chewy or can turn to powder, though. While rehydration is an extra step to the cooking process and can take a little time, it’s simple and easy.

How much water to rehydrate?

Fill a bowl with cold water and add your dehydrated food. You will need twice as much water as the amount of food you are rehydrating. So, for example, if you are rehydrating 2 cups of dried peas, you would need 4 cups of cold water. Some foods need less water and some need more, but this is a good rule of thumb to remember. If the food soaks up all of the water and still seems hard or dry, add a little more water. Don’t worry about adding too much water. Too much won’t hurt anything.

Get the water temperature right

Some people recommend using warm water for rehydration, which is OK if you plan on cooking the food after the rehydration. If you are just adding the rehydrated food to a salad or other cold dish, then you will want to use cold water.

The reason for this is simple. Warm water breeds bacteria. The bacteria produced by warm water will be killed as long as you cook them at high enough temperatures, so aim for cooking temps over 140 Fahrenheit or 60 Celsius.

Soaking for success

Let the food soak for 20 minutes to 1.5 hours. The food should become plumper and swell to around four times its dehydrated size by the time it is done. Don’t worry if the food is still wrinkled and a little shriveled. It will never look exactly the way it did before you dehydrated it.

Pro tip: If you’re making soup, feel free to dump your dehydrated vegetables and meat directly into the soup stock. They will rehydrate while the soup cooks.

10 tips for using your new dehydrator

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2016 Nissan Leaf SL review – Roadshow

The Good The 2016 Nissan Leaf SV and SL models boast an enlarged 30-kWh battery pack and up to 107 miles of electric range from a charge. With its DC Quick Charger, the battery can be rapidly juiced to 80 percent in about 30 minutes. With a flat torque curve and responsive handling, the Leaf feels nimble and competent at city speeds.

The Bad The Leaf’s available driver aid tech remains stuck in 2010. An Around View camera is as good as it gets.

The Bottom Line The 2016 Nissan Leaf’s design and technology are getting long in the tooth, but a substantial boost in cruising range keeps the electric hatchback relevant amongst much younger competition.

Though far from the first production electric vehicle (EV) on the market, the Nissan Leaf was certainly one of the most successful and broadly adopted when it began production back in 2010. The Leaf was the people’s electric car, growing the electric vehicle from plaything of the rich (hello, Tesla Roadster) and martyr of the greenies (sorry, EV-1) to a wholly realized class of vehicle that anyone could walk into a dealership and buy.

It was in a class of its own when it launched, but these days, the Leaf is cross-shopped with affordable EVs from Fiat, Ford and others — all of which are largely overshadowed in the public eye by Tesla’s higher profile vehicles — but the little ‘lectric Nissan has evolved to keep up with the competition. Though, you wouldn’t know that just by looking at it.

Now with slightly extended range

Changes to the 2016 Nissan Leaf are subtle. Actually, the base S trim level is largely unchanged since the Leaf’s 2010 launch. It still flaunts the same insect-like design that’s had me raising an eyebrow at the hatchback for over half a decade now and the same 84-mile range from its 23-kWh lithium ion battery pack.

Further up the line, however, the midtier SV and top-tier SL models see improvements to their battery packs. The new laminated lithium ion pack is more thermally and space efficient, which allows Nissan to boost the battery’s capacity to 30 kWh. The increase in capacity translates directly to an increase in range; the Leaf can now cruise for a nominal 107 miles between charges.

It’s tricky to find a flattering angle on the insect-like Leaf, but the quirky form has an aerodynamic function.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

The new battery pack also boasts a longer warranty — 8 years or 100,000 miles versus 5 years or 60,000 miles — which should give buyers a bit more peace of mind about longer term ownership.

Electric driving performance

Regardless of trim level, the 2016 Leaf is motivated by an 80-kW electric motor, which works out to 107 horsepower, beneath its hood. A flat 187 pound-feet of torque flows through an electronically-controlled single-speed transmission to the front wheels. The transmission is operated with a weird sliding puck, rather than a conventional shift lever.

The Leaf is no hot hatch, but it’s performance is electrifying in its own way. The electric motor makes its torque immediately, from as low as 1rpm, so it’s got really good off-of-the-line responsiveness. The flat torque curve and fairly tight low-speed handling makes the Leaf feel confident and capable around town.

What’s most notable about the EV driving experience is the total lack of engine noise. Around town, the Leaf is whisper quiet save for an artificial whine emitted to notify pedestrians that the EV is approaching; even that can’t really be heard with the windows up. At highway speeds, road noise becomes more apparent, thanks to the Leaf’s minimal sound-damping material. Even then, it’s more whooshing that’s much less pronounced than the hum of a conventional combustion engine.

This odd, puck-shaped bauble is used to control the Leaf’s single-speed gearbox.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

Zero-to-60 sprints happen in about 10 seconds — getting almost no help from fairly narrow, low rolling resistance eco tires — but that’s the best way to put a sizable dent in the Leaf’s limited range. Performance driving isn’t really the point of this car and it really makes no pretensions otherwise.

Zero tailpipe emissions and efficiency, however, are exactly the point. The Leaf SL is estimated by the EPA at 124 city MPGe — thanks to the EV’s total lack of idling losses — and 101 hwy MPGe. You won’t get your best range on the highway, though. The faster you go, the faster Leaf’s range dips, which is the case with almost all electric vehicles.

Charging options

By now, you’ve probably spotted that stretch of photovoltaic solar cell on the Leaf’s spoiler. Don’t go getting excited; that’s only there to trickle charge the 12V accessory system and has no effect or connection to high voltage powertrain. (With about a 5W maximum output, it’s more a visual hat tip to the Leaf’s green ambitions than anything else.)

The 120V charging cable in the trunk is nearly as useless. It can take up to 33 hours to charge the Leaf SL from a standard wall outlet. Use this charging method only for emergencies or to add a few extra miles in a pinch, but don’t expect it to be a feasible primary charging method.

Connect the Leaf to a 240V Level II charger and things start looking much more realistic. A 3.4-kW Level II charger can juice the base S with its smaller battery pack in about 5 hours. A more powerful 6.6-kW Level II charger will completely charge the big battery in the SV and SL models in about 6 hours.