Google’s AI-powered translator works with three more languages

Google wants language translation to sound more natural. Last year, it began moving away from phrase-based machine translation and created an AI-powered system called Google Neural Machine Translation (GNMT). Now, the company says it’s expanding GNMT to Hindi, Russian and Vietnamese.

GNMT produces higher quality translations than its phrase-based counterparts because it considers the entire sentence instead of breaking it up. It takes each character and compares it to those that come before and after. This is important to deciphering languages like Mandarin Chinese, for example, where words can mean different things based on which characters they’re paired with.

Google began using neural machine translation with Mandarin Chinese last year, then expanded support to include English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Turkish. Around one-third of the world’s population speaks these languages, TechCrunch notes, and they make up more than 35 percent of all Google Translate queries. Eventually, Google plans to use neural machine translation for all 103 languages in the app.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google Blog

MIT finds an easy way to control robots with your brain

A team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) wanted robots to be a more natural extension of our bodies. See, you’d usually have to issue vocal or very specific mental commands to control machines. But the method the CSAIL team developed works simply by reading your brain and detecting if you’ve noticed an error as the robot performs its tasks.

You’d have to wear an EEG cap for the technique to work, since CSAIL’s system needs to be able to read and record your brain activity. The machine-learning algorithms it created then classifies brain waves within 10 to 30 milliseconds, focusing on detecting “error-related potentials” or ErrPs. These are signals your brain generates when you spot a mistake. If you disagree with a robot’s decision to, say, place a can of paint in a basket marked “wire,” the system picks up on the ErrPs in your thoughts to correct the machine’s course of action.

CSAIL Director Daniela Rus explains:

“As you watch the robot, all you have to do is mentally agree or disagree with what it is doing. You don’t have to train yourself to think in a certain way — the machine adapts to you, and not the other way around.”

The team can also continue enhancing the system until it’s able to handle more complex multiple-choice tasks, since ErrPs get stronger the bigger error is. Rus and her team believe the method would give us a greater ability to “supervise factory robots, driverless cars and other technologies we haven’t even invented yet.” To test their method, the scientists used a machine with two hands and a tablet face named “Baxter” from Rethink Robotics. You can watch them demo their system in the video below:

Source: MIT CSAIL (1), (2)

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 has the codename… wait for it… ‘Great’

Despite the fiasco surrounding its Galaxy Note 7, Samsung has no plans to scrap the Note line.

In fact, according to SamMobile, which has a great track record when it comes to leaking Samsung mobile news, Samsung wants to hit out of the park with the next Note. It’s thought to be called Galaxy Note 8 and is currently going by the codename “Great”. Yeah. Seriously. So make no mistake: the Galaxy Note 8 will be something extraordinary. It has to be to make up for last year’s explosive battery drama.

• RIP Samsung Galaxy Note 7: A eulogy for a great but flawed friend

Interestingly, SamMobile also said that Samsung is working on a refurbished Note 7 for the South Korean market. Just take this all with a bit of skepticism, though, because like most rumours, nothing is for sure until Samsung confirms it. Samsung has pretty much confirmed the release of a Note 8, however, after it announced an upgrade scheme in South Korea. The scheme allowed anyone who bought a Note 7 to get a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge for half price, after which they would be able to upgrade to the S8 or Note 8 when they were released in 2017.

Check out Pocket-lint’s rumour round-up for more details about the upcoming Galaxy Note 8. Oh, and for those of you interested in this sort of stuff, SamMobile also found out the Galaxy Note 8 will carry the model number SM-N950F. Cool.

Twitch goes full Facebook

Twitch is starting to look a lot like Facebook or Twitter. Following the addition of private messaging and live update tools, today Twitch unveiled Pulse, the next step in the site’s transformation into a full-on social networking service. Pulse allows Twitch streamers and users to post updates that show up on one newsfeed-style page, including stream clips, YouTube videos, links, photos and written messages.

Pulse builds off of the Channel Feed feature that Twitch rolled out in beta form in March, allowing streamers to post updates to their own pages. Pulse collects these messages in one spot, so fans don’t have to visit specific pages to see a curated feed of all the latest streaming news. Channel Feed will officially roll out to all streamers in mid-March.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/206671646?color=e5e3e8

Most folks signed into Twitch should see the new Pulse feed on the front page starting today, though the service will take a few weeks to show up on every user’s account. Streamers can post updates via the Broadcaster Dashboard or Channel Feed, while viewers can react and post messages themselves directly from the Pulse front page. Of course, editors and moderators are able to delete posts and comments made on their channels.

At first, all posts will appear on the front page in chronological order, though Twitch says it’s working to organize the Pulse feed according to relevance.

“Our goal is to connect viewers with the content that they’re most likely interested in,” Twitch says. “Going forward, we will be working to determine the best way of surfacing posts to do just that.”

Facebook isn’t the only service that Twitch is emulating recently — it’s also taking a few lessons from Steam. This spring, Twitch plans to launch its own video game marketplace, allowing viewers to buy certain games directly from their favorite streamer’s video. Twitch says “dozens” of games will participate in the store’s launch, including titles from Telltale Games, Ubisoft, Digital Extremes, Hi-Rez Studios, tinyBuild and Paradox Interactive.

Source: Twitch

What’s on TV: ‘Ghost Recon,’ ‘Love,’ ‘The Americans’

This week’s big game release is the latest entry in the Ghost Recon series. This time the adventuring is in an open world, but if you ask us, Wildlands loses some of the stealth and teamwork that made games like GRAW so great. We’re also welcoming back FX’s The Americans, and the second season of Love on Netflix. This week we also have the season finales of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Man Seeking Woman on FXX. Other options for gamers include NieR: Automata on PS4, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on Xbox One / PC. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• Pulse
• Jackie
• That 70s Show (Complete series)
• Super Bowl LI Champions
• 45 Years (Criterion)
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (Xbox One, PS4)
• Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Xbox One, PC)
• Lego Worlds (PC, Xbox One, PS4)
• NieR: Automata (PS4)
• Unearthing Mars (PSVR)
• Loot Rascals (PS4, PC)
• Darknet (PSVR)
• Disc Jam (PS4 – free w/ PlayStation Plus)
• Verdun (Xbox One)
• 2Dark (PS4, Xbox One)
• Table Top Racing: World Tour (Xbox One)
• Clicker Heroes (Xbox One, PS4)

Monday

• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• 24: Legacy, Fox, 8PM
• The Bachelor, ABC, 8PM
• Supergirl, CW, 8PM
• Shadowhunters (spring finale), Freeform, 8PM
• The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the silk Road Ensemble, HBO, 8PM
• The Breaks, VH1, 9PM
• Superior Donuts, CBS, 9PM
• The Bachelor, ABC, 9PM
• Cold Case Files, A&E, 9PM
• Jane the Virgin, CW, 9PM
• APB, Fox, 9PM
• Chris Webber’s Full Court Pranks, TruTV, 10PM
• Bates Motel, A&E, 10PM
• Taken, NBC, 10PM
• Humans, AMC, 10PM

Tuesday

• Amy Schumer: The Leather Special, Netflix, 3AM
• The Mindy Project, Hulu, 3AM
• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• The Flash, CW, 8PM
• Fresh Off the Boat, ABC, 8PM
• The Game of Dating, TV One, 8PM
• WWE Smackdown, USA, 8PM
• The American Housewife, ABC, 8:30PM
• The Challenge, MTV, 9PM
• Switched at Birth, Freeform, 9PM
• Face Off, Syfy, 9PM
• Outsiders, WGN, 9PM
• The Real O’Neals, ABC, 9:30PM
• The Americans (season premiere), FX, 10PM
• The Partner (series premiere), CNBC, 10PM
• People Icons (series premiere), ABC, 10PM
• The Detour, TBS, 10PM
• Stranded with a Million Dollars, MTV, 10PM
• Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Imposters, Bravo, 10PM
• Teachers, TV Land, 10PM
• Detroiters, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
• Throwing Shade, TV Land, 10:30PM

Wednesday

• The Path, Hulu, 3AM
• Catfish, MTV, 8PM
• The Goldbergs, ABC, 8PM
• Lethal Weapon, Fox, 8PM
• Survivor (season premiere), CBS, 8PM
• Speechless, ABC, 8:30PM
• Chicago PD, NBC, 9PM
• The 100, CW, 9PM
• Are You the One?, MTV, 9PM
• The Magicians, Syfy, 9PM
• Star, Fox, 9PM
• Major Crimes, TNT, 9PM
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (season finale), FXX, 10PM
• Designated Survivor (spring premiere), ABC, 10PM
• Chicago Justice, NBC, 10PM
• Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (season premiereO, CBS, 10PM
• The Expanse, Syfy, 10PM
• Legion, FX, 10PM
• The Quad, BET, 10PM
• Suits, USA, 10PM
• Time: The Kalief Browder Story, Spike TV, 10PM
• Workaholics, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Man Seeking Woman (season finale), FXX, 10:30PM
• Jeff & Some Aliens, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
• Ripper Street (season premiere), BBC America, 11PM

Thursday

• Supernatural, CW, 8PM
• Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 8PM
• The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8PM
• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• The Great Indoors, CBS, 8:30PM
• Powerless, NBC, 8:30PM
• Riverdale, CW, 9PM
• Chicago Med, NBC, 9PM
• Kicking & Screaming (series premiere), Fox, 9PM
• Mom, CBS, 9PM
• Scandal, ABC, 9PM
• Life in Pieces, CBS, 9:30PM
• The Catch (season premiere), ABC, 10PM
• The Blacklist: Redemption, NBC, 10PM
• Lip Sync Battle, Spike TV, 10PM
• Baskets, FX, 10PM
• Colony, USA, 10PM
• The Blacklist, NBC, 10PM
• Portlandia (season finale), IFC, 10PM
• Nirvanna the Band the Show, Viceland, 10PM
• Training Day, CBS, 10PM
• Nightwatch, A&E, 10PM

Friday

• Hand of God (S2), Amazon Prime, 3AM
• Burning Sands, Netflix, 3AM
• One More Time (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Buddy Thunderstruck (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Love (S2), Netflix, 3AM
• The Vampire Diaries (series finale), CW, 9PM
• Grimm, NBC, 8PM
• Macgyver, CBS, 8PM
• Shark Tank, ABC, 8PM
• Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 9PM
• Sleepy Hollow, Fox, 9PM
• Vice, HBO, 11PM

Saturday

• The Wrong Student, Lifetime, 8PM
• The 2017 Kids Choice Awards
• Ransom, CBS, 8PM
• Planet Earth II: Deserts, BBC America, 9PM
• Samurai Jack (season premiere), Cartoon Network, 11PM
• Saturday Night Live: Scarlett Johansson / Lorde, NBC, 11:30PM

Sunday

• The Good Fight, CBS All Access, 3AM
• Top Gear (season premiere), BBC America, 8PM
• Once Upon a Time, ABC, 8PM
• The Missing, Starz, 8PM
• Making History, Fox, 8:30PM
• Time After Time, ABC 9PM
• Big Little Lies, HBO, 9PM
• NCIS: LA, CBS, 9PM
• The Walking Dead, AMC, 9PM
• Black Sails, Starz, 9PM
• Homeland, Showtime, 9PM
• American Crime (season premiere), ABC, 10PM
• Feud: Bette and Joan , FX, 10PM
• Shades of Blue, NBC, 10PM
• Billions, Showtime, 10PM
• Trapped, Viceland, 10PM
• Girls, HBO, 10PM
• Talking Dead, AMC, 10PM
• Crashing, HBO, 10:30PM
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM

Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7

What comes after the number five? Seven, apparently, if you’re Samsung. The South Korean tech giant’s Galaxy Note 7 was a highly anticipated Galaxy Note 5 successor, but fast became the focus of a massive recall after it experienced issues with exploding batteries. Samsung officially declared an end to the Note 7 in early October — although new rumors suggest the phone could be making a reappearance.

“For the benefit of consumers’ safety, we stopped sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 and have consequently decided to stop production,” Samsung told Digital Trends in a statement.

More: Hot potato! How to ditch your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 before it explodes

If you have a Galaxy Note 7, please return it immediately to the place where you purchased it. You are entitled to a full refund or an exchange for a replacement device of equal value, as per the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall. Please see our full guide on how to return your Note 7 here. The guide also includes recommendations of which device to buy instead.

Samsung could introduce a refurbished Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 may not be totally dead just yet. According to recent reports from SamMobile, Samsung may introduce a refurbished Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea — a device that could carry the model number SM-N935.

The news is interesting, and the move will certainly put Samsung under a lot of scrutiny. At Samsung’s Mobile World Congress event, the keynote was interrupted by Greenpeace protesters who said Samsung should recycle components used in the Galaxy Note 7 — a wish that could now be met.

Samsung recalls the Galaxy Note 7 and stops production

The Galaxy Note 7 may have enjoyed some initial success thanks to rave reviews, but it’s as good as dead. One recall is bad enough, but after several reports of replacement units catching fire, Samsung had no choice but to temporarily halt production of the Note 7. Before the company halted production, all major U.S. carriers stopped selling the device. Samsung has officially ended sales of the Note 7.

“We are temporarily adjusting the Galaxy Note 7 production schedule in order to take further steps to ensure quality and safety matters,” a Samsung representative tells Digital Trends. “We recognize that carrier partners have stopped sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 in response to reports of heat damage issues, and we respect their decision.”

Because production was “temporarily” stopped, it’s possible we may see it manufacturing the Note 7 at a later date once all issues have been resolved. Whether anyone will buy one at that point is another question.

“We are working diligently with authorities and third party experts and will share findings when we have completed the investigation,” the representative said. “Even though there are a limited number of reports, we want to reassure customers that we are taking every report seriously. If we determine a product safety issue exists, Samsung will take immediate steps approved by the CPSC to resolve the situation.”

Specs and OS

It’s unlikely the Note 7 will bounce back, but here’s everything you need to know about the device itself.

The Note 7 runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow — and Samsung initially said that it will attempt to push out the upcoming Android 7.0 Nougat update within two to three months of its release. That’s not happening, thanks to the recall.

TouchWiz, Samsung’s Android-skin, is also present as an overlay on Android Marshmallow on the Note 7. This time, there are some changes that make the User Interface look more modern.

More: Checkmate, Apple: Why Google’s Pixel is a genius move for Android

While the 5.7-inch Note 7 isn’t much larger than the 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge, it still manages to add an additional 12 grams of weight bringing it up to 169g — that’s 3 grams lighter than the iPhone 6S Plus. The slightly larger Super AMOLED screen, however, maintains the same Quad HD resolution at 2,560 by 1,440 pixels as the S7 Edge. The Note 7’s screen has the same Edge panels as the S7 Edge, so you can add app shortcuts, contacts, and more.

The device is also powered by the same quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB RAM as the S7 Edge. It’s packed with 64GB of internal storage, but if you need more space the MicroSD card lets you add up to 256GB of additional storage.

That hardware isn’t consistent across regions, though. In August, a Samsung executive confirmed that a variant of the Galaxy Note 7 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage would launch in China later this year. “It is true that we are reviewing the rollout of a new tablet with 128 gigabyte built-in memory in China because Chinese companies are aggressively doing marketing with high-capacity memory,” Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung’s mobile division, told the Korea Herald. “We will accept diverse opinions from various regions and also consider whether that move will disappoint Korean consumers.” Samsung was mum on pricing, but rumor has it the device will could be priced significantly higher than the 64GB Note 7 — potentially $916.

Overall, the non-Chinese version’s specs match the S7 Edge, and that continues with the camera — the Note 7 has the same 12-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization, and the selfie camera is packed with 5-megapixels. You’ll also get the normal suit of additional sensors like NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy, and it naturally supports Samsung Pay.

More: Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Note 7

The Note 7 only has a 3,500mAh battery — 100mAh smaller than the S7 Edge, but it is 500mAh more than the previous Note device. Still, the reason why could lie in the charging port as the Note 7 is Samsung’s first, flagship smartphone that features a USB Type-C port. Type-C ports are reversible, and offer faster charging and data transfer. The slightly reduced battery-size is likely offset with faster charging, but we’ll have to wait until we can further test the device to see if the difference is minimal. You’ll also be able to wirelessly charge the Note 7.

Samsung’s phablet may be one of the first smartphones to utilize Gorilla Glass 5 — it’s the latest generation of glass from Corning that’s meant to survive drops from 1.6 meters, or 5.25 feet, about 80 percent of the time. That’s good news, especially on an all-glass phone.

A refined design

Samsung’s Galaxy Note devices have always shared a design theme with its flagship brothers — and this year is no different. The Note 7 plays off the design elements of the Galaxy S7 Edge, notably the popular curved edges of the screen. You’ll find the power, volume, and home buttons in the same place as the S7 Edge. However, the Note 7 is much more comfortable to hold, thanks to its two pieces of identical curved glass and a slimmer metal frame along the edges.

More: Hands on: Samsung Gear VR (2016)

The phablet’s 5.7-inch size mimics its predecessor, and you’ll also find the familiar S Pen which now comes in matching colors. The new blue color is unorthodox and cool in a world filled with gold, silver, and black phones.

If you live in Japan, however, the design will be a little different — it will be brandless. Unlike the rest of the world, where the phone has a very prominently displayed logo, the Japanese edition of the device is brand-free. And it looks stunning.

Samsung hasn’t said exactly why it has removed branding from the Japanese edition of the devices, however a report from CNET speculates that it could have something to do with the tense relations between Japan and South Korea, where Samsung is based.

S Pen, iris scanner, and accessories

The most unique feature that comes equipped with the Galaxy Note 7 is the S Pen. But the stylus only adds a few new features with Samsung’s latest offering– new Air Command functions, for example, lets users hover over text to magnify or translate it. The Korean company is also adding a “unified” app called Samsung Notes where you’ll be able to create handwritten notes, draw, and edit memos all in one place. When you select the brush tool in Notes, the colors will blend as if they were oil paint, making the digital painting experience more realistic on the Note 7.

The pen itself has a slightly smaller 0.7mm tip, which makes writing feel more natural, and Samsung says it also has improved pressure sensitivity. The stylus is also IP68-rated, so you can take it under up to a meter of water for 30 minutes alongside the Galaxy Note 7 in case you wanted to do some sketching at the pool.

More: Reuters to produce VR news content with Samsung Gear 360 cameras

Now here’s where the Note 7 gets a little more interesting. If you thought fingerprint scanners just started to catch on, you may be seeing a flourish in iris scanners soon. That’s right, the Note 7 is one of the first flagship smartphones to come packed with an iris scanner. It’s certainly not a first, but it’s not even the first from Samsung itself — no, that title is held by the Samsung Tab Iris.

So the Note 7 packs a fingerprint scanner and an iris scanner, and Samsung says both can be used interchangeably. You’ll be able to authenticate Samsung Pay purchases with the iris scanner, the company says, and developers will be able to optimize their apps to use the iris scanner, though that may take a while.

If you’re still concerned about your security, Samsung’s Knox security platform keeps all the data safe, but the Note 7 also comes with Secure Folder. It’s a folder on the device that “has an extra layer of authentication to keep private and personal information safe.”

We don’t recommend purchasing a Galaxy Note 7. One recall is bad enough, but with reports of replacement units catching fire, the smartphone is not safe to own. We’ll keep you updated if Samsung is looking to halt production indefinitely, and if a second recall is enacted.

This article was originally published in August 2016. Updated on 03-06-2017 by Christian de Looper: Added news that Samsung could reintroduce refurbished phone in South Korea.

Groundbreaking new oleophilic sponge soaks up oil spills at a blistering pace

Why it matters to you

Cleaning up oil spills is a messy job, but this new sponge-like material could make things infinitely easier.

Cleaning up oil spills is never a fun job, but a new material just might make it easier. Thanks to Seth Darling and his colleagues at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, we have a new tool at our disposal when it comes to our environmentally damaging messes. It’s a material capable of not only absorbing up to 90 times its own weight in oil, but also being wrung out much like a sponge and reused time and time again.

It’s the recyclability of the new material that makes it so special. While most commercial solutions can clean up a mess, they can’t be put back into action once they’ve been used. Today’s so-called sorbents, which absorb oil, are a one-and-done type of solution — once they’ve been employed in an oil spill, they and the oil they’ve collected are discarded and normally incinerated. Needless to say, this isn’t the most sustainable way of going about things.

More: Iceland is drilling a giant hole, not for oil, but for geothermal energy

But Darling’s sponge-like device could be a game-changer. The material, which Darling describes as a “foam,” is made of polyurethane or polyimide plastics and coated with “oil-loving” silane molecules, which means that they soak up oil particularly well. Not so well that the oil can’t ultimately be squeezed out of the sponge, of course, but well enough to attract the oil in the first place.

Already, the Argonne National Laboratory team has begun testing its technology. “We made a lot of the foam, and then these pieces of foam were placed inside mesh bags – basically laundry bags, with sewn channels to house the foam,” Darling told New Scientist. The researchers then hung these mesh bags from a bridge atop a large pool that has been designed for oil spill simulations. These sponges were then dragged behind a pipe leaking crude oil, and then judged for their ability to not only clean up the mess, but to be wrung out and reused over the course of many days.

“Our treated foams did way better than either the untreated foam that we brought or the commercial sorbent,” Darling said. But don’t get too excited yet — a test in a controlled environment is still quite different from a test in open, rough ocean water. But Darling has high hopes. “In an ideal world, you would have warehoused collections of this foam sitting near wherever there are offshore operations… or where there’s a lot of shipping traffic, or right on rigs… ready to go when the spill happens,” he said.

But we’ll just have to wait and see if this comes to fruition.

Retro fit: Cassette Tape Coffee Tables give your apartment an ’80s vibe

Why it matters to you

We all occasionally long for tech from yesteryear. Here’s one way to satisfy that desire without breaking the bank.

If you yearn for the ’80s — for the sounds of gated reverb blasting through the boombox — but you’re a sucker for digital conveniences, a new Kickstarter campaign may satisfy that nostalgia without compromising musical integrity. A startup called Taybles is offering its line of cassette tape-shaped coffee tables at a big discount.

It’s been about six years since the first Cassette Tape Coffee Table was created by Taylor Calmus in the manager’s closet of the apartment building he was working in at the time. The first product was simple, built from plywood, and found its home in Calmus’ own living room. But after showing the retro piece to his friend and business partner, Justin Nanfelt, they decided to up the quality, enlist Taylor’s brother Zach, and try to sell Cassette Tape Coffee Tables online.

Since then they say the’ve sold their tables to nostalgic customers in 10 countries. The high-quality tables came at a cost. The “A-Side” tables sell for between $1,700 and $2,300.

More: New MacGyver stars explain how reboot taps into ‘80s nostalgia

Frugal fans gave feedback, asking Taybles to offer a more affordable model. Taybles responded with a Kickstarter campaign, offering The B-Side for $250.

“The easiest way to describe the difference between the A-Side table and the B-Side table is with this analogy,” Nanfelt told Digital Trends. “Think of the A-Side as an original masterpiece painting and the B-Side as a more mass-produced print of that same painting.”

Both tables are scaled 10.5 to 1 of a cassette tape. While the A-Side is handcrafted in Los Angeles and completely customizable, with options like LED lights and bar-top epoxy, the B-Side is built overseas with fewer features, though it still includes a whiteboard top and hidden storage drawer. The Taybles team hopes it will connect with both young and old audiences.

“The campaign will allow past generations to reminisce about their favorite tapes, expose a new generation to what cassettes were all about, and allow both to be part of the journey in making the first run of tables a reality,” Nanfelt said.

Over 225 backers have pledged money for a B-Side, earning the campaign over $66,500 with two weeks still left to go.

VoxEra is a tiny device that helps you avoid roaming fees

Why it matters to you

International calling and texting can get expensive. Luckily, a tiny device called VoxEra lets you use your domestic plan while overseas.

As any smartphone-touting traveler who’s flown abroad can tell you, international roaming isn’t cheap. And when you add voice to the mix, the charges can really start to add up. But VoxEra, an Egypt-based startup, wants to solve that problem once and for all.

The VoxEra, with its four flashing indicator lights and connectivity ports, looks a little like a home router. The diminutive device connects to Wi-Fi or a spare Ethernet port. And once a SIM card is inserted into its designated rear slot, the VoxEra works its magic: All calls placed while you’re traveling are charged at domestic rates.

More: AT&T’s International Day Pass nets unlimited data, calls, and texts for $10 a day

That’s thanks to VoxEra’s clever system of relays. When you’re abroad and someone calls or texts your number, VoxEra receives the incoming data and converts it to an encrypted internet-based message. It sends that message to the startup’s remote servers, which transcribe it back into a cell network call or text. Your phone’s none the wiser.

It may sound complicated, but the legwork can save you big on roaming fees. AT&T’s cheapest international option, International Data Pass, starts at $10 a day. Theoretically, calling and texting with VoxEra is free.

VoxEra’s system provides the added benefit of being able to use your number and your domestic plan’s balance. For calls outside the country, the startup’s Reach service offers low-cost options. And when you’re in an area without an internet connection, VoxEra can forward incoming calls through voicemail.

The idea for VoxEra came from CEO Amr Elgalby, who checked in at work frequently while he traveled abroad. The calls to clients became prohibitively expensive.

More: Roaming charges to end in EU, but Brexit confusion may dampen celebrations

“I realized that a majority of the travel community faced the same issue: The price to stay connected to home, to loved ones, and to work was too much,” he said. “I used my love of technology to create VoxEra in hopes that I, and everyone else who decided to use this device, could stay connected.”

According to VoxEra, cell carriers make a killing on the more than 29 million people who use mobile roaming while abroad. A survey by Juniper Research found that roaming fees generated a collective $57 billion in 2013, and that 88 percent of travelers paid more than $100 a month in international charges.

The VoxEra is launching on Kickstarter, where it’s already surpassed its $20,000 goal. Units start at $80, and are expected to ship in June.

Uber is now helping get older people in the U.K. to and from hospitals

Why it matters to you

Uber hasn’t been in the news for much good lately, but this new partnership with the NHS in the U.K. could be a welcome change. The company will be helping London’s older population.

Your grandparents could soon be getting some help from Uber. That is, if your grandparents reside in the U.K. Thanks to a new partnership between London-based geriatrics startup Cera and the transportation giant, the elderly portion of the U.K.’s population will soon be able to make their way home from the hospital with greater ease thanks to rides from Uber and its drivers, who are to be specially trained to assist people with disabilities.

The collaboration, which has been heralded by U.K. officials as “interesting and innovative,” hopes to give British citizens more control over the healthcare of their older citizens. Cera, which helps people book emergency or extended care for aged patients via their smartphones, allows users to communicate directly with patient caretakers and receive regular alerts. Recently, Cera inked a deal with a number of London hospitals that are part of Britain’s National Health Service, its publicly funded healthcare organization, which means that the NHS could soon be paying for health-related Ubers.

More: Uber does a U-turn and applies for a California self-driving permit

“Older people and those with disabilities will now have access to the highest quality drivers, while carers will be able to efficiently travel to ensure they can provide services in the right place at the right time,” Dr. Ben Maruthappu, Cera’s co-founder, told the Telegraph. “These partnerships tackle major challenges in the NHS, cracking down on bed-blocking and delayed discharges, while providing high-quality and efficient care,” he added.

As part of this partnership, Uber will also be offering special vehicles which address the needs of the elderly or disabled. “Uber’s mission is for everybody to have access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation, and this partnership brings us a step closer to making that a reality,” Jo Bertram, regional general manager at Uber, said in a statement. “Simply by tapping a button on our app, carers will be able to get to people quickly and efficiently, while those with mobility needs will have the freedom to get out and about.”

It’s unclear as of yet whether this partnership will be found in cities outside of London, or for that matter, countries outside of the U.K. But if this model proves successful, it seems likely that Uber could begin playing a larger role in healthcare. “This pioneering partnership between Cera and Uber will radically integrate care and transport through technology,” Maruthappu concluded.