Ride Hailing Firm Lyft Courted Apple in Attempted Sale
Ride hailing company Lyft recently approached several companies including Apple in an attempt to sell itself, according to a report by The New York Times.
The second-largest ride hailing firm in the U.S. held talks with or contacted Apple, Amazon, General Motors, Uber, Google, and Didi Chuxing over a potential sale, but was unable to find a buyer, said the newspaper’s sources.
G.M., one of the San Francisco-based company’s largest investors with a $500 million stake in Lyft, was reportedly the most interested suitor, but ultimately failed to make a written offer. The good news for Lyft is that it has a cash cushion of $1.4 billion and is not in danger of closing down, said the sources, despite the company not yet being profitable.
Earlier this month, Uber agreed to sell its Chinese arm to Didi Chuxing, which Apple recently invested $1 billion in.
The sale put a spanner in the works of Lyft’s partnership with Didi, which allowed Didi customers to use their app to hail Lyft drivers, and vice versa. Lyft’s so-called anti-Uber alliance with Didi is now in doubt and the U.S. based firm has said it is re-evaluating the agreement.
Tag: Lyft
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3D faces based on Facebook photos can fool security systems
Facial recognition systems aren’t quite perfect yet and can still make mistakes especially when they’re assessing the faces of people of color. Now, a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina showed that companies developing security systems based on the tech really do have a lot of work ahead of them. They proved that a number of existing systems can be fooled by the VR-like, computer-rendered faces they created. Further, they made their 3D models, which they showed the security systems on a phone, using only photos taken from social networks like Facebook.
The team collected photos of 20 volunteer subjects from online sources, like a real digital identity thief or stalker would do. They then created 3D models of the volunteers’ faces, added some facial animations and tweaked their eyes so they’d look like they were looking at the camera. In cases wherein they didn’t find any that showed the subject’s whole face, they recreated the missing parts, even those areas’ shadows and texture. What makes that even more impressive is that some of the volunteers are security researchers themselves, and the team were only able to dig up three or so low-quality photos of them online.
Since the researchers’ 3D models have shadows and even move a bit, they were able to fool four out of five security systems they tested 55 percent to 85 percent of the time. According to Wired, team member True Price said during the team’s presentation at Usenix security conference:
“Some vendors — most notably Microsoft with its Windows Hello software — already have commercial solutions that leverage alternative hardware. [In Hello’s case, that hardware is Tobii’s eye-tracking camera.] However, there is always a cost-benefit to adding hardware, and hardware vendors will need to decide whether there is enough demand from and benefit for consumers to add specialized components like IR cameras or structured light projectors.”
A real face would would give off infrared radiation, after all, which could be an added layer of protection. If you want to read more about the team’s method and results, you can check out the the full paper they published on Wired.
Source: Wired
Facebook’s Lifestage is a video-centric social app for teens
Facebook isn’t done launching products designed to capture the Snapchat generation. Its latest attempt after Instagram Stories and live filters? A new standalone, video-centric social app for high school students called Lifestage. To be able to complete your profile, you’d have to take videos and selfies of your likes, dislikes and facial expressions. It will ask you take videos of your BFFs, to bust out dances moves on cam, take photos of your desserts, so on and so forth. When we say that it’s for high school students, we mean you won’t even be able to see other people’s profiles if you’re older than 22. That’s assuming you won’t creepily pretend to be younger than you are.
See, it only shows you profiles of other kids going to your school and other ones nearby, similar to how Facebook was in the beginning. Further, the app will only unlock profiles from your school if over 20 students sign up. While we’ll have to wait and see if the new social network catches on, Lifestage was created by someone who truly knows its audience: 19-year-old Facebook employee Michael Sayman, who’s been with Facebook since he got out of high school. He’s been making apps since he was 13 years old, and Mark Zuckerberg personally invited him to join his team.
Sayman says his app “looks back at the days of Facebook from 2004 and explores what can be done if we went back and turned the crank all the way forward to 2016 with video-first.” That certainly aligns with Zuckerberg’s plan to transition his website into a more video-centric network. There’s no word yet on when it’ll come out for Android devices, but iPhone- and iPad-using high schoolers can now download it from iTunes.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Michael Sayman (Facebook)
Biggest US total solar eclipse in decades happens next year
Lunar eclipses are pretty amazing, but statistically speaking, they aren’t really all that rare. Catching a full solar eclipse, on the other hand? That’s hard. The moon blocks our planet’s view of the sun about ever year and a half — but these eclipses can typically only be seen from extremely remote locations. Next year, things will be different. On August 21st 2017, a total solar eclipse will be viewable from 14 US States in North America — marking the first time Americans have been able to see the phenomenon since 1979. If you’re reading this from the USA, that means you’re only one year and a short road trip from seeing an exclusive celestial ballet.
As the first eclipse to pass over the lower 48 US states since 1918, the event is being billed as the “Great American Total Solar Eclipse.” It won’t technically be be visible from every US state, but the eclipse will follow a diagonal path from northern Oregon, over Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee in the nation’s center and head back out to sea through South Carolina. According to Space.com, that puts over 220 million people within a one-day drive of the totality zone — directly passing over 12 states and catching the edge of an additional two.
Even if you do make the trek out, the phenomenon won’t last long — at best, the full eclipse will only last two minutes and forty seconds. Still, if you’re looking for an excuse to plan a road trip next year, a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse is a pretty good one.
Source: Space
Microsoft will fix Surface Pro 3 battery issues through software
Microsoft was right about its hunch that Surface Pro 3 battery degradation was a software problem. The company reports that it has ruled out hardware as a cause for the shrinking battery capacity, and that it’s working on a patch that should bring your Windows tablet back to normal. You’ll get the fix as soon as it passes testing, Microsoft says. In the meantime, it’s advising against asking for a hardware replacement.
The news isn’t pleasing everyone. Surface Pro 3 owners have complained of paying steep replacement fees ($450 or more) to get new models that they’re now learning aren’t necessary. Also, some are worried that their slate’s battery will be all but useless before the patch is ready, forcing them to pay for a replacement. Will these users get compensation for their troubles? We’ve asked Microsoft what it will do, and we’ll let you know what it has to say.
Via: Panos Panay (Twitter)
Source: Microsoft Community
Six futuristic data storage technologies
By Cat DiStasio
Digital technology is taking over the world, and scientists are hard at work finding better ways to store data — lots of it and for long periods of time. Scientists are exploring new materials for data storage as well as new methods for printing data on their chosen medium. While some companies are storing data on the ocean floor, other imagineers look upward, dreaming of giant storage skyscrapers. With so many different innovations happening in such a short period of time, the race is on to unlock the keys to near-limitless data storage potential.
5D Glass Data Disc
Data storage in five dimensions, embedded in nanostructures within glass discs, could inspire the next wave in record-keeping. A research team at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Center (ORC) created a prototype the size of a quarter that can hold 360 terabytes of data and withstand extreme heat up to 190°C (374°F). The team believes their invention could be used to store data for up to 13.8 billion years (the age of the universe, FTW) because, unlike CDs and DVDs which hold their data on the surface and are prone to scratches, the 5D glass discs protect that information within their structure, safe from bumps and scrapes.
Underwater data centers
It’s no surprise that Microsoft has tons of data to keep secure, and last year the tech giant started experimenting with putting the “cloud” deep under water. Project Natick enclosed data servers in a huge watertight capsule and sunk them beneath the waves in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington. After a two-month test period, the 38,000-pound steel container was brought back to the surface, where its contents — a data center with the computing power of 300 desktop PCs — were nice and dry. Learning that the concept works may lead Microsoft to someday install more underwater data centers, but for now it has no firm plans.
Iceland’s proposed data skyscraper
Still in the concept phase, this epic data-storing skyscraper was designed to be located in Iceland. The building would act as a giant cylindrical motherboard with a hollow center, allowing for plenty of natural air flow to keep the data servers cool — which shouldn’t be too big of a problem in a chilly place like Iceland. The country’s renewable energy infrastructure also means the tower could be powered by 100 percent clean energy. The design concept won third place in the 2016 eVolo Skyscraper competition, although there’s no telling if it will ever become a reality.
Hitachi’s Quartz Glass Disc
Electronics leader Hitachi produced another version of 5D glass data storage in 2012. Using binary code, researchers packed 40 megabytes of data into a one-square-inch piece of quartz glass (the type beakers are made from). At barely two millimeters thick, each square can hold the same amount of data as a CD and endure temps up to 1,832°F as well as run-ins with chemicals and water. The data can be retrieved with an optical microscope and, just like the glass panes we are all accustomed to, is perfectly transparent no matter how much data is etched into it.
Floating cantilever for low-energy devices
An international research team based in South Korea and Scotland developed a proof of concept for a new type of data storage that relies on a floating cantilever for small gadgets like cell phones and MP3 players. The self-propelled cantilever reacts to electrical currents within the device to convert this electrical information into binary code, and it’s both faster and more energy-efficient than existing technologies. Although the tech hasn’t made its way into consumer electronics yet, there’s still potential for the breakthrough to lead to more efficient data storage down the road.
Abandoned mines as data centers
While many researchers are hard at work developing new data storage devices, others are looking for better locations to put servers. Some say the answer is right beneath our feet, so to speak. Abandoned limestone mines across the country could be retrofitted into the perfect locations for underground data centers. An efficient data storage center will have a consistent cool temperature and humidity level — two requirements that lead to massive energy use above the ground. Deep inside a mine, however, the conditions are just right. At least one architectural firm, Callison, has already converted a former mine site to an underground data center somewhere in the Northeast United States, but the exact location is top secret. Talk about secure data storage.
Lyft reportedly tried to sell to Apple, Uber and others
Apparently General Motors wasn’t the only potential buyer for Lyft’s ride-sharing business. According to the New York Times, the San Francisco-based company has been trying to sell itself to everyone from Apple and Google to Amazon, Uber and Didi Chuxing — albeit without any luck. While the Times notes the company is currently sitting on $1.4 billion in cash and isn’t in any danger of shutting down, the fact that Lyft couldn’t find a buyer at it’s unicorn valuation of $5.5 billion speaks to some of the volatility left in the ride-sharing industry.
Specifically, Uber and Lyft both take anywhere from a 20 to 25 percent cut of each ride, but once you factor in marketing costs or the never-ending stream of free promotions and discounted fares, some of those rides actually net out to zero dollars in revenue for the company. Still, the Times’ sources reiterate that Lyft’s stockpile of cash is a good indicator that it’s not actually in danger of disappearing anytime soon. In May, Lyft also announced plans to test a self-driving fleet sometime in the next year, but Uber is already looking to beat it to the punch.
Source: New York Times
Oracle funds a group trying to tarnish Google’s image
It won’t shock you to hear that Oracle is nursing a grudge after it lost its big copyright case against Google. It’s pushing for a new trial, for one thing. However, the software giant is also trying to undermine its rival in roundabout ways. Oracle has confirmed to Fortune that it’s funding Campaign for Accountability, a non-profit advocacy group with a decidedly anti-Google bent. While it promotes some common causes, such as fighting “big oil” and promoting LGBT rights, it also has a Google Transparency Project that aims to “track the company’s influence” on government and personal lives. And not surprisingly, most of it is critical — the project is obsessed with the possible ethical implications of Google’s White House meetings.
Ironically, CfA isn’t very transparent about its own membership. Microsoft has explicitly denied funding the group, however, so it’s not necessarily a haven for tech giants with an axe to grind. The big concern is that Oracle will use CfA as an astroturfing (fake grassroots) weapon to undermine Google, particularly among politicians who might not either see the Oracle connection or are willing to turn a blind eye to it.
Source: Fortune, Campaign for Accountability
Motorola MBP36S Remote Wireless Video Baby Monitor review – CNET
The Good The Motorola baby monitor works fast out of the box. It is easy to use, and one of the most affordable camera/monitor combinations out there.
The Bad The third-party app is basically broken, and some of the features weren’t even testable as a result. Even on the monitor at short range, connection issues are intermittent.
The Bottom Line It’s a fine basic device if you’re just going to use it in the house, without the app. Even then, though, the connection issues would make me wary of relying on it.
When I first unpacked the Motorola Baby Monitor and powered it on, I was surprised to see the base station screen on which you watch your baby immediately sync with the camera’s view. Talk about a quick setup. The next week of testing it out, however, slowly chipped away at that first impression, and left me with an overall negative opinion of the product.
For $180, the Motorola Baby Monitor should feel like a solid mid-range video monitor. Sadly, half of the features listed for the device barely function thanks to a terrible app and a consistently low-performing connection.
Motorola’s greatest strength is its out-of-the-box usability. Like the comparable VTech Monitor, it’s perfect if you want to use the monitor mostly in-home. Leave the camera pointing at your child, run to the next room to do a little work, and you’ve got a screen right there with two-way audio and night vision. You can even pan and tilt the camera using the base station, albeit with noticeable latency.
You start running into problems when you download the third-party app that allows for monitoring via your mobile phone. In theory, this should add all sorts of features, like push notifications, motion and audio sensing, and video recording for later viewing. And Motorola would be one of the only companies offering both a base station and app. The problem is, the app’s connection is so intermittent, I could barely even try out those features, let alone use them with any sort of consistency.
Despite the features the company boasts on its box, the Motorola Baby Monitor boils down to a very basic product. Despite the problems with the app, I could’ve recommend the monitor if the connection between the camera and base station were perfect. But even that connection suffers often, which leaves the product with almost no viable audience.
Panasonic Wireless Home Baby Monitor Kit KX-HN6001W review – CNET
The Good Panasonic’s baby monitor has a great app and includes a hub for further build-outs… if users want to make that long-term investment.
The Bad The camera has no pan/tilt control, and the app can’t make up for the lack of a standalone monitor.
The Bottom Line Although the camera performs admirably, Panasonic’s device simply doesn’t have basic design features that make other monitors so convenient — whether that’s a standalone monitor or pan/tilt control.
What makes a smart baby monitor “smart?” Some devices are wearable, measuring heart rates and oxygen levels. Some are app connected. The Wireless Home Baby Monitoring Kit from Panasonic, shows off its smarts by integrating with a larger system — the Panasonic Home Network.
At $180, Panasonic’s video baby monitor is more affordable than much of the competition. Part of the way it cuts that cost is by excluding a standalone base station monitor. Instead, users can pull up the app on their phones to live stream their sleeping child. Like competitor iBaby, Panasonic maintains an impressive app and reliable connection.
The problem is, when you just use the monitor around the house, your phone gets tied up with the app, which can be frustrating if you’re hoping to multitask with it.
Panasonic’s Kit also includes a hub that can connect with devices like door/window sensors, motion sensors, and more — all for a more integrated and secure nursery environment. Without those additional purchases, the hub really only functions as an audio alarm when the camera senses motion. But for customers interested in setting up a DIY monitoring system for their child, the hub adds a lot of potential.
Panasonic’s device has a few major drawbacks. Most notably, the camera is one of the few in its price range without pan/tilt controls. In other words, once the camera is pointed in a direction, that’s where it stays until you physically move it. The second issue is the lack of sensitivity personalization when it comes to motion and sound alerts. Under the default settings, I was able to walk across the whole field of view for the camera. As long as I went slowly, the alarm never went off.
The final problem with Panasonic was actually my first impression. Setting up the hub and the camera, connecting them on my Wi-Fi, and installing the multiple firmware updates required — the whole process took over an hour (yes, you read that right). I’m glad to see Panasonic updating the firmware on these devices, as it shows at least some level of ongoing support. But setup for a baby monitor shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, let alone 60.
Panasonic’s baby monitor isn’t the best device for its price. But for parents with an interest in DIY setups and large monitoring systems, it could be a good foundation for future investments.
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