China ridesharing giant opens a self-driving car lab in the US

Didi’s ever-expanding ridesharing empire might be centered in China, but it’s still willing to head overseas to advance its goals. The company is opening an AI lab in Mountain View, California for the sake of its self-driving car ambitions. This doesn’t mean that Didi’s about to launch in the US (outside of its Lyft partnership), of course — rather, it’s to attract talent in a hotbed of autonomous driving research. And in at least one case, it appears to have scored a coup.

The company has hired Uber’s Charlie Miller, best known for his remote control Jeep hack (and plenty of Apple device hacks before that), to head up its safety and security work on self-driving cars. He’ll make sure that intruders can’t compromise your ride, to put it succinctly. Didi has also scored some engineers from Alphabet’s Waymo, one of which (Jia Zhaoyin) will be a principal engineer.

It wasn’t a secret that Didi was interested in driverless cars, but the creation of the lab makes it official. And setting up shop in the US is as much a declaration of its commitment to self-driving tech as it is a practical move. Didi maybe relatively late to the party, but it’s determined to catch up quickly.

Excited to announce I’m joining Didi Research America to lead the safety and security of their autonomous transportation systems.

— Charlie Miller (@0xcharlie) March 8, 2017

Source: Recode, Charlie Miller (Twitter)

Facebook refreshing server hardware to handle more video, boost neural networks

Why it matters to you

This hardware update is crucial, as Facebook’s servers store its users’ high-density visual data and keep its suite of platforms running.

Facebook is completely overhauling its server hardware in tandem with an expected increase in visual content on its suite of platforms. The company’s director of technology strategy, Vijay Rao, announced the upgrades at the Open Compute Project Summit on Wednesday.

Facebook claims that the 1.86 billion users on its flagship social network currently watch 100 million hours of video per day. Not to be left behind, its photo-sharing app Instagram sees more than 95 million photos and videos uploaded daily. Messenger is also piling the load on Facebook’s data centers via its video and voice chat services, which are now used by 400 million people every month.

Facebook’s Bryce Canyon server will provide storage for users’ photos, videos

To help handle this influx of visual content and real-time interactions, Facebook is making the move to a powerful storage server known as Bryce Canyon. Internally, the hardware contains 72 hard drive disks in four open rack units, which are kept cool using a combination of large fans and with air pulled through from beneath its chassis. Compared to its predecessor, the new server has 20 percent higher hard drive disk density and four times more memory.

More: AMD says Naples CPU will outperform high-priced Xeon E5-2699A v4

Aside from video, another major focus point for the tech giant is artificial intelligence. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently claimed that relying on machine learning systems to moderate the massive social platform has become a necessity. But, even beyond its News Feed, the company is employing neural networks to carry out tasks such as image-recognition. The complex tech requires training, usually through the consumption of vast amounts of visual data. That’s where Facebook’s servers come in.

Facebook’s Big Basin server will help train its image-recognition AI

The company revealed it is now adopting hardware that can train machine learning models that are 30 percent larger than the type its predecessor dealt with. Known as Big Basin, the GPU server brings with it a memory increase of 12 to 16GB. Inside of it are housed eight high-performance NVIDIA Tesla P100 GPU accelerators.

Facebook is already touting the success rate of the new server in relation to training AI. “In tests with popular image classification models like Resnet-50, we were able to reach almost 100 percent improvement in throughput compared with Big Sur, allowing us to experiment faster and work with more complex models than before,” said Arlene Murillo, technical program manager, Facebook.

Along with Bryce Canyon and Big Basin, Facebook is also adopting two new compute servers. Yosemite v2 packs a notable power design that allows it to continue operating even when its sled is pulled out of the chassis in order for components to be serviced. Tioga Pass is a compute server with dual-socket motherboards that provides more bandwidth to flash storage.

Extensive technical details about each piece of new equipment mentioned here can be found on the Facebook Code website.

As is increasingly becoming the norm for the company, its new hardware designs are all open-sourced and will be contributed to the Open Compute Project — a coalition of tech giants that share computing infrastructure to accelerate innovation and bring the benefits to the wider ecosystem.

Get the most out of your Xbox One with these tips

The Xbox One is a remarkably different system than it was when it originally launched in 2013. Its user interface has been completely overhauled, allowing users to quickly navigate its menus, but the console still comes with a bit of a learning curve for anyone not used to Microsoft’s ecosystem. What are these “Pins” and how are they different from what’s on Xbox 360? Where is the Settings menu? Can you really use the system optimally without Kinect?

The Xbox One might not be sentient (yet), but there is most definitely a process of learning to communicate with it. Even if you strip Kinect voice commands out — which is become standard now that it is no longer offered with most bundles — there is still a lot to figure out as you ring the various bells and blow the various whistles. You can muddle through on your own easily enough … but why do that when you can just keep reading for a rundown of simple tips and tricks that will improve your day one experience immeasurably?

Zuckerberg to receive honorary Harvard degree 12 years after dropping out

Why it matters to you

You don’t necessarily have to go to college to achieve success — and people like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates prove that.

Who says you have to go to college to get a degree? After dropping out of Harvard University 12 years ago, Mark Zuckerberg has announced that he will be finally getting his college degree — an honorary degree that he will receive as part of his presentation of the commencement address to Harvard’s class of 2017.

The news was first announced through a post on Harvard’s website, however it was followed by a whimsical and completely cringe-worthy video on Zuckerberg’s Facebook page — which also starred none other than Bill Gates, who gave the commencement address at Harvard back in 2007. Incidentally, Zuckerberg attended that address — at the time, his wife Priscilla Chan was graduating.

More: Mark Zuckerberg quietly announces a massive increase in Instagram’s user numbers

“Mark Zuckerberg’s leadership has profoundly altered the nature of social engagement worldwide. Few inventions in modern times can rival Facebook in its far-reaching impact on how people around the globe interact with one another,” said Harvard in its post. “And few individuals can rival Mark Zuckerberg in his drive to change our world through the innovative use of technology, as well as his commitment to advance science, enhance education, and expand opportunity through the pursuit of philanthropy.”

Zuckerberg is one of a growing line of tech billionaires to drop out of college and build something huge. Bill Gates also dropped out of Harvard back in 1975, and Apple founder Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College in 1976.

Zuckerberg enrolled in Harvard in 2002 as a member of the class of 2006, however as mentioned he dropped out before graduation. Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004, after which the social media network became a cultural icon and household name. While Zuckerberg is best known as the founder of Facebook, he’s also known for his philanthropic work, which he conducts through an organization he created with his wife, called the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Armed with NFC, the Kerv smart ring works like a contactless credit card

Why it matters to you

With NFC payment technology on the rise, building payment functions into devices we wear every day is a novel way to add some practicality to fashion.

Kerv, a startup that launched a ring for NFC-powered transactions on Kickstarter in late 2015, announced Wednesday at the annual Wearable Technology Show in London that the device is now up for sale on the company’s website.

TechRadar reports that the launch is a U.K.-only affair for the moment, with the United States and Australia to follow if everything goes according to plan. The ring retails for 100 pounds — the equivalent of a little more than $120 U.S. — and is available in 14 different color combinations.

More: Everything you need to know about Android Pay

The brainchild of Philip Campbell, London-based Kerv touts itself as the “world’s first contactless payment ring.” Following recent M/Chip certification from Mastercard, the device is compatible with millions of terminals worldwide that support the credit card company’s proprietary technology, and is issued alongside a Mastercard prepaid account into which funds can be deposited and withdrawn.

Kerv works by way of its Near Field Communication (NFC) payment chip, which is embedded in the ring and activated “when brought close to a contactless reader — at retailers, in taxis, or on public transport.” It’s the same way you would pay with services like Apple Pay and Android Pay.

This means that in the same way that you can now tap your credit card in the U.K., you can just flash your ring, and the encrypted data stored in the NFC chip will authorize the transaction. Assuming you have adequate funds in your prepaid Kerv account, you can easily make a payment and track your balance. And best of all, the complete reliance on NFC means there’s no battery to recharge or need to sync with your smartphone.

Your Kerv account, which can be set up online, works very much like a debit account. The best part (or worst, depending on your spending habits) is that you’ll only be able to make payments via Kerv if you have enough money in your account. This prevents overdraft fees and burgeoning debts, and may also help in keeping you honest when it comes to your shopping sprees.

And as for other safety and security issues, Campbell assures users that Kerv can “only make a payment within a very small radius of a contactless reader, to avoid any unintended transfer of data or funds.” Calling the ring as secure as chip and PIN systems, the Kerv team also notes that “because Kerv never leaves your finger, the risk of cloning or theft is significantly reduced.”

More: Fitbit kills what’s left of Coin, ending support and app services

But it’s not just payments. To date, Kerv is also compatible with “NFC-controlled locks and security systems, information sharing with NFC-enabled smartphones, and one-touch access to London’s public transport system.” Back in 2015, Campbell told Bloomberg that his team was interested in expanding to a “digital wallet with a much smoother user experience and then connect that to multiple hardware devices.” This launch represents an important first step toward that goal.

Article originally published in October 2015. Updated on 03-08-2017 by Adam Ismail: Added announcement that device has gone on sale in the U.K., as well as Mastercard certification news.

Armed with NFC, the Kerv smart ring works like a contactless credit card

Why it matters to you

With NFC payment technology on the rise, building payment functions into devices we wear every day is a novel way to add some practicality to fashion.

Kerv, a startup that launched a ring for NFC-powered transactions on Kickstarter in late 2015, announced Wednesday at the annual Wearable Technology Show in London that the device is now up for sale on the company’s website.

TechRadar reports that the launch is a U.K.-only affair for the moment, with the United States and Australia to follow if everything goes according to plan. The ring retails for 100 pounds — the equivalent of a little more than $120 U.S. — and is available in 14 different color combinations.

More: Everything you need to know about Android Pay

The brainchild of Philip Campbell, London-based Kerv touts itself as the “world’s first contactless payment ring.” Following recent M/Chip certification from Mastercard, the device is compatible with millions of terminals worldwide that support the credit card company’s proprietary technology, and is issued alongside a Mastercard prepaid account into which funds can be deposited and withdrawn.

Kerv works by way of its Near Field Communication (NFC) payment chip, which is embedded in the ring and activated “when brought close to a contactless reader — at retailers, in taxis, or on public transport.” It’s the same way you would pay with services like Apple Pay and Android Pay.

This means that in the same way that you can now tap your credit card in the U.K., you can just flash your ring, and the encrypted data stored in the NFC chip will authorize the transaction. Assuming you have adequate funds in your prepaid Kerv account, you can easily make a payment and track your balance. And best of all, the complete reliance on NFC means there’s no battery to recharge or need to sync with your smartphone.

Your Kerv account, which can be set up online, works very much like a debit account. The best part (or worst, depending on your spending habits) is that you’ll only be able to make payments via Kerv if you have enough money in your account. This prevents overdraft fees and burgeoning debts, and may also help in keeping you honest when it comes to your shopping sprees.

And as for other safety and security issues, Campbell assures users that Kerv can “only make a payment within a very small radius of a contactless reader, to avoid any unintended transfer of data or funds.” Calling the ring as secure as chip and PIN systems, the Kerv team also notes that “because Kerv never leaves your finger, the risk of cloning or theft is significantly reduced.”

More: Fitbit kills what’s left of Coin, ending support and app services

But it’s not just payments. To date, Kerv is also compatible with “NFC-controlled locks and security systems, information sharing with NFC-enabled smartphones, and one-touch access to London’s public transport system.” Back in 2015, Campbell told Bloomberg that his team was interested in expanding to a “digital wallet with a much smoother user experience and then connect that to multiple hardware devices.” This launch represents an important first step toward that goal.

Article originally published in October 2015. Updated on 03-08-2017 by Adam Ismail: Added announcement that device has gone on sale in the U.K., as well as Mastercard certification news.

The best inkjet printer you can buy

Inkjet printers are incredibly versatile. Besides text documents, many can also print photos – some can even make museum-quality prints – as well as labels for optical discs or iron-on graphics for shirts. Multifunction (all-in-one or MFP) variants add scan, copy, and fax, making them ideal for small office/home office environments. Even if you don’t print often, these MFPs can be used for scanning documents to PDF or saving them to the cloud. And while inkjet printers aren’t known for speed, some newer models can rival laser printers in both speed and quality. Here are our current favorites.

Inkjet printers offer many advantages, but traditionally speed hasn’t been one of them. Not anymore: The newest printers designed for the small office/home office are capable of making fast, quality prints, and one terrific option is Canon’s Maxify MB5420

Our pick

Canon’s Maxify MB5420

Why should you buy this: Office machine that makes excellent prints.

Our Score

The best

Canon Maxify MB5420

The MB5420 is ideal for small offices, particularly those that print color documents.

$259.99 from Amazon

$329.99 from Jet

Who’s it for: Small offices that want to share a printer.

How much will it cost: $260

Why we picked the Canon’s Maxify MB5420:

Inkjet printers offer many advantages, but traditionally speed hasn’t been one of them. Not anymore: The newest printers designed for the small office/home office are capable of making fast, quality prints, and one terrific option is Canon’s Maxify MB5420.

The MB5420 is large, but it’s designed to support a multi-person office – up to nine employees, according to Canon. The company claims a page print speed of 24 per minute for black and white or 15.5 for color. In our tests, we achieved 22.2 and 10, respectively, which we find to be in-line with Canon’s rated speed. The printer also supports one-pass duplex printing, and ink cartridges have high yields.

More importantly, the prints are excellent, particularly with color. Although it isn’t a photo printer, the MB5420 could handle the task when we printed on photo paper.

Canon’s latest printers are well connected, whether it’s Ethernet or Wi-Fi. The MB5420 also supports wireless protocols like Apple AirPrint, and can print from cloud-based services like Dropbox or Google Cloud Print.

As a multifunction device, the MB5420 has an automatic document feeder for scanning documents, although its only weakness is slow copying. We also love the two built-in paper trays, and a touchscreen that’s easy to use.

Don’t look at the MB5420 solely as an office product. If you have a household that prints often, the MB5420 is suitable for that environment too. But if it’s overkill for your needs, check out the Maxify MB5120.

Our full review

Flo uses AI to track period-related symptoms and offer suggestions

Why it matters to you

Some period trackers aren’t reliable enoughand but Flo promises to help accurately manage a woman’s menstrual cycle.

For women, tracking the ups and downs of periods is a little easier with an app than with pen and paper, but not necessarily as seamless as some ads would have you believe. Period trackers tend to make the uncouth assumption that users want to get pregnant or avoid getting pregnant and most don’t take into account variables like short period cycles. But Flo (for iOS and Android), takes a different approach. Using artificial intelligence, it provides a holistic overview of a variety of period-related symptoms and health issues.

The San Francisco-based Flo, which launched in October 2015, is designed to help women predict their menstrual cycles, ovulation, and fertile days with greater precision. It’s a calendar-based system — users schedule cycle reminders in a monthly tracker. But Flo also considers in its analysis a wide range of factors that might influence period cycles, including health information like mood, contraceptive methods, PMS symptoms, and sexual activity.

More: These are the best period, fertility, and ovulation tracking apps out there

It boasts one-touch fast entry with icons that match common symptoms, plus Smart Tracking, a feature that automatically adjusts the app’s calendar to match cycles. Flo Rx suggests specific four-week programs if Flo detects recurring symptom patterns. And the app’s symptom tracker gives insight into cramps, headaches, acne, cravings, mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, among other symptoms.

It is also calibrated to help treat polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, fibroid, low sex drive, menopause, bloating, and even fatigue. It offers recommendations on ways to “optimize hormones” and fix symptoms,” including exercise tips (which workout type is best for each cycle), focus tips (which social and work activities are optimized for the week’s brain chemistry), and love tips (the best sex for each cycle phase).

More: Trying to get pregnant? Clue and Fitbit may be able to make that happen

“The Flo app provides our users with perfect tools for this,” CEO Maxim Scrobov said. “They can analyze how their appetite varies throughout their cycle, examine the mood swings and physical changes. The approach will help women better ‘understand’ their bodies, and based on provided smart recommendations, it will encourage them to change their patterns to more healthy lifestyles.”

Flo’s artifical intelligence-assisted tracking is especially pertinent in light of a new study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. Researchers found that of the top websites and smartphone apps that claimed to accurately predict a women’s fertile window, only four accurately predicted it.

And Flo’s dedication to privacy is music to the ears of women worried about their data. According to a recent investigation by Consumer Reports, Glow, one of the most popular fertility trackers on the market, had a major flaw that could let anyone who knows a user’s email address access that person’s data. Flo’s data is password protected. A data backup option lets users start tracking a period on one device and pick it up on another.

Qualcomm ARM-based servers to make way into Microsoft’s cloud data centers

Why it matters to you

The processor marketplace is becoming much more competitive as Qualcomm ARM-based servers will now help run Microsoft’s cloud services.

Intel has been facing some serious competitive pressures lately. First was Microsoft’s decision to run full Windows 10 on ARM processors, and then AMD released its new Ryzen CPUs with very competitive price-performance propositions against Intel’s desktop chips.

Now, Microsoft is putting some pressure on Intel at the highest end, specifically on machines made to run Windows Server in its largest data centers running its cloud services. Again, it is ARM support that could cut into Intel’s dominance in this space, according to a Qualcomm press release.

More: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors now fully support Windows 10

The news comes from the Open Compute Project (OCP) Summit 2017, where Qualcomm announced that its Qualcomm Datacenter Technologies (QDT) group is working with Microsoft to run cloud services on the ARM-based Qualcomm Centriq 2400 platform. The move follows years of collaboration between the companies on optimizing a version of Windows Server to run on ARM in Microsoft data centers. There’s no word yet on whether Microsoft will sell an ARM-based version of Windows Server to external customers.

The Qualcomm Centriq 2400 Open Computer Motherboard is at the center of the announcement, and it pairs QDT’s 10nm 48-core server CPU with advanced memory, network, and peripheral interfaces. The assembly fits into standard server racks, meaning it’s possible to swap out Intel-based systems for ARM servers to run cloud services like Microsoft Azure.

“QDT is accelerating innovation in data centers by delivering the world’s first 10nm server platform,” said Ram Peddibhotia, VP of product management for QDT. “Our collaboration with Microsoft and contribution to the OCP community enables innovations such as Qualcomm Centriq 2400 to be designed in and deployed into the data centers rapidly. In collaborating with Microsoft and other industry leading partners, we are democratizing system design and enabling a broad-based ARM server ecosystem.”

QDT is also signing up as a gold member of the Open Compute Project (OCP) Foundation. This follows Microsoft’s own decision to join OCP in 2014, and Microsoft itself announced that Qualcomm will be participating in its Project Olympus initiative to create a next-generation hardware design and model for open source hardware. That means that the ARM64 architecture will join Intel’s Xeon and AMD’s Naples architectures in building out high-performance data centers.

Microsoft

“Microsoft and QDT are collaborating with an eye to the future addressing server acceleration and memory technologies that have the potential to shape the data center of tomorrowm” said Microsoft’s Dr. Leendert van Doorn, distinguished engineer for Microsoft Azure. “Our joint work on Windows Server for Microsoft’s internal use, and the Qualcomm Centriq 2400 Open Compute Motherboard server specification, compatible with Microsoft’s Project Olympus, is an important step toward enabling our cloud services to run on QDT-based server platforms.”

QDT hasn’t announced exactly when ARM-based servers will make their way into Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure. Once it does, however, Intel’s hold on at least Microsoft’s server business will be dealt something of a blow, squeezing the company’s processor business from both the high and low ends as Windows 10 makes its way to ARM and AMD continues to compete against its Core line of CPUs.

Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 driver updates improve speed and stability

Why it matters to you

Your Surface Book or Surface Pro 4 should run faster and with better stability after you install this driver update.

If you own one of Microsoft’s Surface devices, then you’re likely accustomed to waiting patiently for new driver and firmware updates that might solve a problem or two. Certainly, while Microsoft’s Surface line is full of great options and has sold well, the company has struggled at times with getting the machines to perform in a stable fashion.

Many of the worst battery and sleep issues were resolved with firmware updates in 2016 but that is not stopping Microsoft from making additional adjustments and improvements. On Wednesday, Microsoft issued the March 2017 update for both the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 and provided the details in a TechNet blog post rather than the usual Surface update pages.

More: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Review

For the Surface Pro 4, a number of key components received new driver software versions. Of particular interest is the update to the solid-state drive controller that promises improved storage performance. Here are the details:

• Surface UEFI (V106.1427.768.0) improves system stability and performance.
• Surface Display (V1.0.6.1) updates the display panel driver.
• Surface NVM Express Controller (V11.0.0.1) improves storage performance.
• Intel Management Engine Interface (V11.6.0.1042) improves system stability on startup.

The Surface Book received some of the same and some different driver update, with an apparent focus across the board on improved performance and stability. Here is what has been updated:

• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (v21.21.13.7667) improves system stability.
• Surface UEFI (v90.1427.768.0) improves system stability and performance.
• Surface NVM Express Controller (v11.0.0.1) improves storage performance.
• Intel(R) Management Engine Interface (v11.6.0.1042) improves system stability on startup.
• Surface Integration (v1.1.328.0) improves battery life during sleep.
• Surface Integration Service Device (v1.0.241.0) improves device stability.
• Surface USB Hub Firmware Update (v1.0.519.0) improves stability and power utilization of the USB hub in the device base.

As usual, the update should roll along and update itself automatically and then ask to reboot the system. You can download the updates in MSI format from Microsoft’s Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 drivers and firmware page if you want to install them manually.