Mark Zuckerberg shows off his ‘Jarvis’ home AI in two cute videos
In case you haven’t heard, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is designing a J.A.R.V.I.S. for his home, and he’s just released adorable concept videos to demo how it would ideally work.
Okay, so it’s not the actual highly advanced computerized AI featured in the Iron Man films, but it’s similar. In fact, it’s even called Jarvis. After detailing his work on the project, Zuckerberg released one video to showcase some of the real-life tasks that Jarvis can theoretically do. It’s like a souped-up Google Assistant or Amazon Echo, but with actor Morgan Freeman’s voice.
Zuckerberg’s Jarvis system isn’t as useful or functional as the one depicted in the clip. The whole idea is for us to get a better look at Zuckerberg’s vision of a robot assistant. The video is full of awkward dad jokes from Zuckerberg, plus we get an inside look at his life with his wife and new daughter. We even get to see that T-shirt cannon he rigged up in his house.
Zuckerberg also posted a second video to show a fictionalised account of how his wife, Priscilla, interacts with Jarvis. But, this time, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the original voice of Jarvis. Check out Zuckerberg’s post detailing Jarvis if you want to know more about the AI. The CEO claimed AI is closer to being able to drive cars and even cure diseases than one might expect.
7-Eleven of all places was first to trial US commercial drone deliveries
The 7-Eleven convenience store chain has just shed some new details on its drone delivery project, and apparently, 77 customers in Nevada have now received drone-delivered items from 7-Eleven to their doorsteps.
The company has been testing drone flights from a store in Reno. Roughly a dozen select customers within a mile of the shop have had their goods dropped off via drones, which are from 7-Eleven’s partner, drone maker Flirtey. The delivery pilot marks the first regular commercial drone delivery service to operate in the US. Keep in mind the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s initial drone regulations essentially prohibited commercial drone deliveries, because they said drones must stay within a pilot’s line of sight and cannot fly directly over people.
- How does Amazon Prime Air work and where is drone delivery available?
But the FAA has been working with private companies to develop broader rules. In September, for instance, UPS announced it started testing the use of drones for urgent deliveries in hard-to-reach areas in the US. Still, 7-Eleven has beat Alphabet’s Project Wing and Amazon’s Prime Air to the punch when it comes to regular commercial drone deliveries, though Amazon recently demonstrated its first delivery to a customer in the UK. In July, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) provided Amazon with permission to test drone operations in rural and suburban areas.
While Amazon’s drone delivery was held in the UK countryside, the 7-Eleven drone delivery pilot was held in November in populated urban and suburban areas. Customers ordered food and beverages and over-the-counter medicines. The drones used a GPS system to locate the customer’s house and lowered the packages to the ground. Deliveries were completed within 10 minutes after the orders were placed, Recode said.
Per regulations, all the deliveries happened within the line of sight of the drone pilot, but the drones flew autonomously. In October, NASA and the FAA conducted tests in Reno to research a low-altitude air traffic control system that allowed pilots to watch their drones in the air the entire time. Air traffic control for drones will be a major component of drone delivery in the US before they roll out on a larger scale.
Project Wing once held an one-off trial in the US, where a single drone completed a delivery test. 7-Eleven’s is more significant because it included 77 drone deliveries over a month period.
FTC tells Verizon ‘supercookie’ partner to give you an exit
Verizon (aka our corporate overlords) may have settled with the FCC over its seemingly inescapable “supercookie” web tracking back in March, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The carrier was sending that information to a third party, Turn, which used it for ad purposes. What about its fate? Well, now we know: Turn has settled with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that it deceived web surfers by tracking them even when they took steps to avoid monitoring. The company not only has to properly disclose the nature of its tracking, but offer an “effective” opt-out. In the “supercookie” days, the opt-out only worked for mobile web browsers, not ads within apps — that shouldn’t be a problem following the FTC order.
It’s not as ideal as an opt-in solution, but that may not be as much of an issue when Verizon’s FCC settlement required that it make its tracking strictly voluntary. No, the settlement won’t make anyone forget that Verizon prioritized ad dollars over users’ privacy. It will, however, give you a way to reduce the number of targeted ads in your life.
Via: Consumerist
Source: FTC
AT&T Debuts ‘Call Protect’ Service to Protect Against Robocalls
AT&T today announced Call Protect, a complementary service aimed at protecting its users from automated phone calls, also referred to as robocalls. The service debuts five months after the U.S. Federal Communications asked wireless companies to offer free robocall blocking services.
The service offers two solutions to stop robocalls. It can automatically block numbers suspected of fraud at the network level, preventing them from reaching your phone entirely, or it can deliver the call from a suspected number with a fraud warning on the display. The latter feature requires the user to be in an area with HD Voice support.
AT&T customers can activate the feature via their MyAT&T account or by downloading the AT&T Call Protect app. The app allows users to look at call details, receive spam warnings, block specific numbers and turn on and off Automatic Fraud Blocking.
The service requires an iOS or Android smartphone eligible for HD Voice. AT&T also warns that automatic blocking may block wanted phone calls, which means users would potentially have to manually whitelist certain numbers to make sure they aren’t blocked.
In August, it was reported that Apple was one of over 30 companies that joined the “Robocall Strike Force,” a join effort aimed at stopping robocalls. At the time, the FCC said that most of the complaints it receives are regarding robocalls. The U.S. has other measures in place to prevent robocalls, including companies having to ask permission before calling and allowing people to add their number to the FTC’s Do Not Call list.
AT&T Call Protect is available on the App Store for free [Direct Link]
Tag: AT&T
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Crytek is closing studios and slow-paying employees again
Crytek, the developer behind the technically impressive CryEngine toolset, and most recently Robinson: The Journey, is laying off employees and closing studios. Workers’ paychecks have reportedly been extremely slow to arrive as well. No, you aren’t imagining things — the company faced similar circumstances a few years ago. But the bloodletting appears much worse this time out: All of the company’s studios will be shuttered but two.
Specifically, Crytek’s offices in Budapest; Istanbul; Seoul; Sofia, Bulgaria and Shanghai will be closed. Studios in Frankfurt and Kiev will remain open.
In a press release, co-founder Avni Yerli said “these changes are part of the essential steps we are taking to ensure Crytek is a healthy and sustainable business moving forward that can continue to attract and nurture our industry’s top talent.” Until it comes time to pay them, apparently.
Kotaku reports that employees at the company’s main studio in Frankfurt haven’t received paychecks in three months, and that offices in Budapest and Sofia have gone without pay as well. The publication’s sources said that payments have been late all year long and that management has been incommunicative about the reasons why, or when payment will happen.
Employees were paid wages for October as of last week, according to Eurogamer, while November pay will supposedly arrive this week. The money may have come from Russian internet company Mail.ru, which is rumored to buy Crytek’s free-to-play shooter Warface and its unannounced sequel come January, the publication said.
When facing a similar situation in 2014, Crytek old off its UK studio to Metro: Last Light publisher Deep Silver, along with the rights to Homefront: The Revolution. That game was shoved onto market this past May, following additional delays post-purchase. It has a rating of 48 (out of 100) on Metacritic, and a 3.8 user score.
Via: Eurogamer
Source: Crytek
Sling TV accidentally reveals its set-top box for cord cutters
The Sling TV team has inadvertently spilled the beans on its previously leaked media hub for cord cutters. Zatz Not Funny discovered a briefly available landing website for the AirTV Player, and it’s clearer than ever that Sling (read: Dish) is catering to those determined to leave cable and satellite behind. The set-top box will revolve around a home screen that merges over-the-air TV tuning with not only Sling TV, but Netflix — you won’t have to jump between apps or devices to watch both your local news and the latest season of Black Mirror. And since this is an Android device (notice the “G” button on the remote), there’s a good chance that other online services will be available as well.
It’s not certain how much the AirTV Player will cost or when you can get it in your hands. However, a launch at CES in January seems likely given that Dish tends to have a major presence at the trade show. It could be a big deal if there aren’t any rude surprises in the pricing or execution, though. Until now, you’ve typically needed a separate over-the-air TV tuner device (like Nuvyyo’s Tablo DVR) if you wanted local live programming wrapped in a slick interface. That won’t be necessary here, as you can just buy one gadget that covers both your local TV and streaming needs. No matter how well it works, it’s clear that Dish wants to give you as many reasons as possible to skip rivals like PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Zatz Not Funny
AT&T offers to help its customers avoid spam calls for free
Let AT&T do the spam fighting for you.
Spammers are still a thing, which is why AT&T has launched Call Protect to help existing customers manage unwanted phone calls.
The feature enables automatic blocking of fraudulent phone numbers and warns you of suspected spam calls, though it’s worth noting the latter only works if you’re in an HD Voice cover area. To enable the Call Protect, simply add it through the myAT&T account app or start here.
There are already a plethora of apps in the Play Store that offer a feature like this — Should I Answer? is one of my favorite. But this is a good feature to keep in mind when you’re back at home visiting the folks. Older phone users may not be aware that they can protect themselves from preying companies, so you might considering signing Mom and Dad up for something that works in the backend rather than an app that pops up various notifications and the like.
If you aren’t on AT&T and you wish you had the same feature, download the aforementioned Should I Answer? and get it revved and ready to go. And if you’re simply not into the idea of installing an app that does this, remember that some Android devices have spam notification abilities built-in, too.
If you or someone you know is an AT&T subscriber and you want to know how to enable this feature, start here.
You can make Facebook posts colourful now – here’s how
Facebook is about to look totally different going forward.
The company has quietly launched a new feature for its Android app users (and, apparently, it’s coming to iOS users, too): colourful Facebook posts. With this new feature, you can add background colours to text-only posts. From what we can tell, the feature doesn’t work for links, images, or video posts, though The Next Web said the colours are visible to all on Android, iOS, and the web.
Facebook has long limited how its users can customise the look and design of their profiles. It has added features over the years so that users could showcase their notes, app integrations, etc. It also let users fill out their profile timelines with momentous occasions throughout their lives, but it’s taken away many of these small changes as well, and it’s never actually let people get creative with colourful posts on their pages.
So, not only are Android users getting a new Facebook feature first for a change, they’re also getting to do something Facebook has never before allowed. It’ll be interesting to see if the feature sticks. We played with it for a bit and think it’s cool. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
- What is Facebook Marketplace and how can you use it to buy and sell?
How can you change the colour of Facebook posts?
To use Facebook’s new colour-change feature for posts, simply tap on the “What’s on your mind?” status bar, then start typing, and choose a colour or gradient from the choices that appear below your text. When done, post it.
Who can change the colour of Facebook posts?
Android users can post colourful statuses. It appears iOS and web users can’t yet. However, the feature is due to roll out to them in the “coming months”, meaning all users should be able to start jazzing up their posts – like they did with MySpace back in the day.
Who can see colourful Facebook posts?
Everyone can see colourful Facebook posts as of 20 December 2016. It doesn’t matter which device or platform they are using.
How many colour choices are available?
At launch, there are eight colour options you can choose from: standard white, yellow, yellow and orange gradient, red-orange, green and blue gradient, blue, pink and purple gradient, and grey.
Two high-level Twitter execs leave the company
Something must be brewing over at Twitter, because two of its high-level executives have decided to leave the company. Chief technology officer Adam Messinger and VP of product Josh McFarland today tweeted separately that they would be departing from the social network. Messinger explained that he would be taking some time off, while McFarland is joining venture capital firm Greylock Partners.
These two departures follow the footsteps of chief operating officer Adam Bain, who stepped down last month after hundreds of layoffs. The company has reportedly been locked in an internal battle over whether to sell to buyers, with potential suitors rumored to include Google, SalesForce, Microsoft, Verizon and Disney.
Twitter has had a troubled year. Recently, it shut down its popular looping video service Vine, and ended a direct messaging app before even publicly releasing it. The company also turned its focus this year to live video streaming and dealing with its troll problem. It recently acquired app-making company Yes Inc, instating the latter’s founder Keith Coleman as a vice president of product. It’s unclear if Coleman’s role will now expand in the wake of McFarland’s departure, as well as who will replace Messinger, but one thing seems certain: Twitter’s future is shaky. We’ll have to see if 2017 brings good news for the social network.
Via: The New York Times
Source: Josh McFarland (Twitter), Adam Messinger (Twitter)
Obama uses 1953 law to block Arctic drilling under Trump
President Obama has blocked any attempts at drilling for oil off the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. This would “indefinitely” stop oil and natural gas extraction in the areas, according to a report by CNBC. And unlike executive orders that’ve been signed into place over the past eight years, this apparently can’t be easily undone by President-elect Trump when he takes office.
This will protect some 31 underwater canyons in the Atlantic, and the Beaufort and Chukchi seas surrounding Alaska in the Arctic Ocean. Canada approved similar provisions to block oil and gas exploration.
“These actions, and Canada’s parallel actions, protect a sensitive and unique ecosystem that is unlike any other region on earth,” Obama said. “They reflect the scientific assessment that, even with the high safety standards that both our countries have put in place, the risks of an oil spill in this region are significant and our ability to clean up from a spill in the region’s harsh conditions is limited.”
Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton invoked the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act during their terms as well. The difference, according to CNBC, is that those were for short time periods. Obama’s is the “broadest use of the statute ever because it would be far-reaching in terms of the lands it would protect and come without an expiration date.”
The move could be challenged in court, and Congress, controlled by Republicans, could try altering the law. But, that would mean the case could be stuck in court for much of Trump’s term. However, energy companies have already left the region because of the high risk associated with drilling in the area, for relatively low reward.
Coupled with low oil prices, drilling becomes even more risky considering that energy companies can only extract for two months out of the year.
Rather than exploiting the area for short-term gain, Obama seems to be taking the longview here, protecting a fragile region from the effects of fossil fuel production and disasters that could arise from industry. It’s a direct shot at Trump’s plans to tear down regulations protecting the environment for the sake of business and the profits of his cronies — not to mention his multiple climate-change skeptic cabinet picks.
Source: CNBC
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