Ask and you shall receive: Robots taught to ask for clarification when confused

Why it matters to you

By asking for clarification when they’re confused, robots are being programmed to solve our problems more efficiently.

Robots already work the front desk in some hotels, run cash registers at a few fast food restaurants, and clean up around the house for us. Though they’ve been programmed to receive to commands, they rarely engage in meaningful, dynamic communications with us like other people do. But if social robots are ever going to truly catch on, they’ll need to learn to communicate and pick up on social cues.

A team of researchers from Brown University are working to instill this social competence into robots, recently developing an algorithm that allows them to perform tasks better by collaborating with people.

In the study, conducted by Brown’s Humans to Robots Laboratory, the robots were programmed to ask for clarification. When a person told the robot to grab a certain object, the robot could ask “Which one?” if the command was ambiguous. This communication allowed the robot to perform tasks 25 percent faster and 2.1 percent more accurate than a state-of-the-art baseline, according to the research, which will be presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Singapore this spring.

The goal for the Brown lab at this point is less about creating flawless machines than it is about creating machines that can catch and correct their mistakes.

“It is very hard to go from 90 percent accuracy to 99.9 percent accuracy,” Stefanie Tellex, computer science professor and lead researcher, told Digital Trends. “Yet 90 percent accuracy means the robot will fail on one in ten interactions. If it is interacting with you every day, that means it will fail every single day. With our technology though, the robot will automatically detect the failure and ask questions.

“Using this feedback loop, a failure isn’t the end of the story,” she added. “It can ask a question, and recover.”

More: Scientists figure out a way to correct a robot’s mistakes via brain waves

The question-asking algorithm is a step forward for Tellex and her team, which previously created an algorithm that could respond to verbal and gesture commands from people. However, the new system does becomes confused when asked to retrieve an object among many other similar objects on the table. The algorithm still worked surprisingly well for untrained participants though, who even assumed it could understand and respond to complex phrases that it wasn’t programmed to comprehend.

“We envision robots assisting astronauts in space,” Tellex said, pointing out that the research was funded in part by NASA. She also thinks these machines could help workers here on Earth from the assisting patients at hospitals to people at home.

Android may soon overtake Windows as the most popular operating system

Why it matters to you

While Windows has long been the most popular operating system, this could soon change with the growing influence of Android.

The Android army just keeps on growing. As per a new report from web analytics company StatCounter, Android is encroaching upon Windows when it comes to operating system popularity. Last month, the company found that Google’s OS very nearly matched Window’s market share, with 37.4 percent of people who connected to the internet using Android and 38.6 percent using Windows. In a distant third was Apple’s iOS — only 12.99 percent used that operating system.

In a blog post, StatCounter called the current situation “unthinkable five years ago.” After all, for years, Microsoft has been the undisputed leader when it comes to total internet usage across desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile combined (we should note that StatCounter does not measure OS market share in terms of device shipments).

More: Android 6.0 Marshmallow chugs along to reach 15.2 percent of all Android devices

As Aodhan Cullen, CEO of StatCounter noted, “In January 2012 Windows held a 82 percent global internet usage share compared to just 2.2 percent for Android.” The shift in popularity may be attributed to the rise of the smartphone as a major medium through which to access the internet, as well as the decline in sales of traditional PCs. Of course, Windows is still the most popular worldwide operating system desktop market (PC and laptop), claiming 84.1 percent of internet usage share in February.

“Windows has won the desktop war but the battlefield has moved on,” commented Cullen. Indeed, StatCounter found that last October, internet usage from mobile and tablet devices exceeded desktop and laptop sales worldwide for the first time. And this trend seems to be one that will only continue favoring smaller devices, where Android certainly reigns supreme.

“Windows 10 will need to maintain momentum in order to combat the steady march of Android across all markets,” Cullen concluded. So watch out, Windows. Don’t get too comfortable on that throne anytime soon.

Android may soon overtake Windows as the most popular operating system

Why it matters to you

While Windows has long been the most popular operating system, this could soon change with the growing influence of Android.

The Android army just keeps on growing. As per a new report from web analytics company StatCounter, Android is encroaching upon Windows when it comes to operating system popularity. Last month, the company found that Google’s OS very nearly matched Window’s market share, with 37.4 percent of people who connected to the internet using Android and 38.6 percent using Windows. In a distant third was Apple’s iOS — only 12.99 percent used that operating system.

In a blog post, StatCounter called the current situation “unthinkable five years ago.” After all, for years, Microsoft has been the undisputed leader when it comes to total internet usage across desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile combined (we should note that StatCounter does not measure OS market share in terms of device shipments).

More: Android 6.0 Marshmallow chugs along to reach 15.2 percent of all Android devices

As Aodhan Cullen, CEO of StatCounter noted, “In January 2012 Windows held a 82 percent global internet usage share compared to just 2.2 percent for Android.” The shift in popularity may be attributed to the rise of the smartphone as a major medium through which to access the internet, as well as the decline in sales of traditional PCs. Of course, Windows is still the most popular worldwide operating system desktop market (PC and laptop), claiming 84.1 percent of internet usage share in February.

“Windows has won the desktop war but the battlefield has moved on,” commented Cullen. Indeed, StatCounter found that last October, internet usage from mobile and tablet devices exceeded desktop and laptop sales worldwide for the first time. And this trend seems to be one that will only continue favoring smaller devices, where Android certainly reigns supreme.

“Windows 10 will need to maintain momentum in order to combat the steady march of Android across all markets,” Cullen concluded. So watch out, Windows. Don’t get too comfortable on that throne anytime soon.

Green light makes rats more tolerant of discomfort, study finds

Why it matters to you

If this technique proves to be clinically effective on humans, pain relief could be a green light away.

Green has long been the color of nature and envy, even if more recently it’s been associated with money and traffic lights. Now, however, some researchers think there may be another use for it — as a potential pain reliever.

University of Arizona professor Mohab Ibrahim was first inspired to undertake the study by his brother’s seemingly unusual treatment for his headaches.

“I used to recommend some NSAIDs for him, but on many occasions he declines,” Ibrahim told Digital Trends. “He told me several times that he prefers to sit among his trees … and that reduces his headache.”

Ibrahim didn’t pay much attention to his brother’s technique until one day when he himself had a headache, but was all out of ibuprofen. On his way the pharmacy, Ibrahim passed a park and remembered what his brother had told him. “I took a little detour and I went to the park instead,” he said. “After about fifteen minutes or so in the park, my headache started to get better.”

After sharing his idea with some colleagues, Ibrahim decided to test the effect of green light on rats. The researchers placed one group of rats into a container bathed in green LED lights and equipped another group of rats with contact lenses that only allowed green light to pass through. A third group wore lenses that blocked green light.

The study demonstrated that rats with neuropathic pain benefited from the green LEDs by showing more tolerance to heat and touch. The researchers published a paper detailing the study last week in the aptly named journal Pain.

More: Rice University just democratized optogenetics with an open-source platform

“We are currently running a small-scale clinical trial for fibromyalgia people as a proof of concept,” Ibrahim said. “The preliminary data is encouraging. However, this is still preliminary data.”

Although the researchers are confident in the benefit of green light, they’re not sure exactly why the light seems to help.

Siegfried Schmidt, a professor in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida who was not involved in the study, said the results seem promising: “The exciting part is this could be a non-medicinal, simple procedure that people could do easily.

“Light has been used for a long time in treatment,” he added. “There’s various different lights — from blue to red to infrared light — and they all have different purposes. What’s new here is that there are some improvement in pain with green light.”

However, Schmidt cautioned that the treatment isn’t a cure all for fibromyalgia, a complicated condition with many stages that haven’t been clearly defined, let alone completely understood. He also advised that the UA researchers conduct more safety studies before the treatment is tested at a larger scale.

Microsoft starts rolling out a new Movies & TV app to Windows Insiders

Why it matters to you

Microsoft is attempting to turn its Movies & TV app into a better video library in an effort to tempt users into purchasing content from the Windows Store.

Microsoft has started rolling out an update to its Movies & TV app for Windows 10, which is also known as Films & TV in some regions. Members of the Windows Insider program that have opted into the Fast Ring should see these changes take effect imminently.

The app’s user interface is subject to the biggest changes made as part of this overhaul. Its familiar vertical menu has been abandoned in favor of a horizontal, tabbed interface that is more in line with Microsoft’s Photos and People apps, according to a report from MS Power User.

The new version of Movies & TV also introduces an Explore section, where users can browse movies and television series that are available for purchase and watch trailers for upcoming releases. This is a way for Microsoft to sell more digital content but it will be useful for anyone who uses the Microsoft Store to keep their video library well stocked.

More: Windows Update just not updating? Here’s how to give it a swift kick

The update also gives users a more convenient way of looking at all the video content that they currently have access to. The new combined library view brings together all purchased movies and television shows, rather than separating them off into two distinct categories.

This new version of the Movies & TV app is still being rolled out to Insiders, so a full changelog isn’t currently available. There is currently no indication of how long it will take for all Windows 10 users to receive the update.

However, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the new Movies & TV app make its official debut as part of the Windows 10 Creators Update. That is set to drop in April and Microsoft will no doubt be looking to include as many new and updated features as possible to encourage users to upgrade.

Could Pioneer’s UltraHD Blu-ray drive be the last optical drive you ever buy?

Why it matters to you

If you still find yourself using the odd optical disc, Pioneer’s new, UHD-supporting one may give you enough future proofing that you never need buy one again.

Pioneer has announced a new internal Blu-ray/DVD/CD writer with full support for ultra HD Blu-ray playback using the bundled CyberLink PowerDVD 14 software. Called the BDR-211UBK, the drive fits into the optical disk drive (ODD) bay on your PC and could end up being the last ODD you ever buy.

Although the world is gradually moving away from physical media and switching to streaming from the cloud, for reasons of bandwidth and immediacy, sometimes optical drives have their uses. With that in mind, Pioneer is helping PC users who want to watch 4K content without the need for hefty downloads by offering its new internal UHD Blu-ray writer.

The drive has a number of impressive features. As well as being fully supportive of Ultra HD Blu-ray playback up to 4K resolution, it can write BD-R single layer discs up to 25GB at 16x speed, 14x on dual layer BD-R discs, and 8x on BD-R triple layer discs.

More: Everything you need to know about Ultra HD Blu-ray

As with most optical drives, you can switch the region encoding, and thereby its support for that region’s content, up to five times. It also supports traditional Blu-ray playback, as well as DVDs and CDs, and quick-play means all types of compatible optical media are ready much more quickly after insertion.

PowerRead and PureRead3 technology also goes some way to avoiding problems associated with scratches and fingerprints, and in the event that a certain amount of data cannot be read due to disc damage, the player will not get stuck and will simply move on to the next readable content.

You don’t need to worry about excessive spin noise either, as the Pioneer drive’s Auto Quiet Mode ensures that it spins at the slowest — and therefore quietest — rate possible when playing media.

Pioneer also bundles software with the drive, including PowerDVD 14 with support for UHD-BD; Power2Go 8, for easy disc burning; PowerDirector14 LE, which offers basic video editing and authoring tools; InstantBurn 5 which uses optical discs as an alternative storage drive; Label Print 2.5 for disc label printing, and PhotoDirector 5 LE for editing and adjusting photos.

The Pioneer BDR-211UBK will become available in late March at a retail price of $130.

Report: Apple placating China with ad policies affecting Chinese-language media

Why it matters to you

Apple may be pressuring retailers not to place ads in targeted publications at the behest of Chinese officials.

When it comes to appeasing the local governments of profitable markets, Apple exercises a strong editorial arm. That’s according to The Australian, which reports that the Cupertino, California-based company has deliberately interfered with the Chinese-language print ad campaigns of carriers in Australia in order to curry favor with Chinese officials.

The Vision China Times, a Chinese print newspaper, was informed in August 2016 that Apple didn’t want its products to feature in any of the publication’s carrier ad placements. But a few short weeks later, ads featuring the iPhone appeared in other publications seen as “Beijing-aligned” or “[People’s Republic of China] government-influenced” Australian-Chinese media.

More: WeChat’s censorship system extends beyond China’s borders, finds new study

Maree Ma, the paper’s general manager, told The Australian that the last time an iPhone ad appeared in the paper was in October 2015, for the iPhone 6s. “Since then, when [Australian carrier] Telstra runs their iPhone ads, they do not place any with our paper. There was a campaign last year in 2016 we missed out on.” Ma believes The Vision China Times has been effectively “blacklisted” by Apple “for political reasons as they are trying to protect their business in China.”

The Epoch Times, another local media property, has been similarly targeted. Carrier advertising in newer issues of the magazine don’t feature Apple products, and in October 2015, the publication failed to secure a cross-promotional deal for the iPhone 6s on Telstra.

“We have never had issues with Telstra, but at the last minute they had to pull out,” a spokesperson for the Epoch Times said. “Then we asked why. (Our advertising agent) said it’s actually from Apple.”

More: Report: Facebook planning censorship tool that could pave the way for China entry

John Fitzgerald, a Swinburne University professor specializing in the study of Chinese soft power, told Apple Insider that the heavy-handed policy could be an attempt by the Chinese government to exercise media controls outside its borders. “I would not be surprised if advertisers doing business in China were considering where their products appeared, considering Beijing’s strict media controls,” the professor told Apple Insider.

It wouldn’t be the first time the government has applied pressure on advertisers to cut business ties with publications seen as critical of the regime. In 2014, a Honk Kong newspaper claimed that two London-based banks stopped advertising as a result of government interference.

And it wouldn’t be the first time Apple has bent its policies at the behest of Chinese officials. In December, Apple pulled The New York Times app from the region’s iOS App Store — allegedly for violating local regulations. Conspicuously, the decision followed the Times’ series on “hidden perks and subsidies” provided by the Chinese government to local producers.

More: Is Facebook willing to trade censorship for access to China?

Apple seems eager to do whatever it takes to gain a foothold in the veritable gold mine of the Chinese market. Last financial quarter, China generated $16.23 billion in revenue for the company and is posed to overtake the revenue generated by Europe.

Apple is taking its clean energy promise to Japan and the open sea

Why it matters to you

Apple has been pushing for clean energy for years and the latest manifestation of that comes in the form of a floating solar island.

Apple’s highly anticipated new campus isn’t going to be the only ambitiously green infrastructure — it’s got a floating island in Japan in the works, too. On Wednesday, Apple announced that its component supplier Ibiden (a company that “helps bring together the integrated circuitry and chip packages in Apple devices”) has become the first company in Japan to pledge that it will “power all of its Apple manufacturing with 100 percent renewable energy.” Calling it a “significant step forward in Apple’s efforts to help its manufacturing partners transition to clean power,” Apple is now on track to be generating more than 2.5 billion kilowatt hours per year of clean energy for manufacturing products by the end of 2018.

To make good on their promise, Ibiden is planning to invest in more than 20 new renewable energy facilities, one of which is among the largest floating solar photovoltaic systems in Japan. The impressive structure is built on a converted lumberyard to ensure that the island nation doesn’t lose too much real estate in the name of environmental friendliness.

More: Apple iPad 2017: News and rumors

“We’re proud to partner with suppliers like Ibiden who recognize that renewable energy investments are good for the environment and good for business,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “As we continue our push to power our global operations with 100 percent renewable energy, it is more important than ever that we help our manufacturing partners make the same transition to cleaner sources, and set an example for other companies to follow.”

Ibiden echoed these sentiments, with Kyoichi Yamanaka, Managing Director of Ibiden’s Environment Group noting, “These innovative new clean energy investments demonstrate our commitment to doing business responsibly and economically. Our products help Apple devices run smarter, and now we’re powering our operations with smarter energy too. We’re pleased to partner with Apple and lead the way in helping Japan meet its clean energy goals.”

Apple is taking its clean energy promise to Japan and the open sea

Why it matters to you

Apple has been pushing for clean energy for years and the latest manifestation of that comes in the form of a floating solar island.

Apple’s highly anticipated new campus isn’t going to be the only ambitiously green infrastructure — it’s got a floating island in Japan in the works, too. On Wednesday, Apple announced that its component supplier Ibiden (a company that “helps bring together the integrated circuitry and chip packages in Apple devices”) has become the first company in Japan to pledge that it will “power all of its Apple manufacturing with 100 percent renewable energy.” Calling it a “significant step forward in Apple’s efforts to help its manufacturing partners transition to clean power,” Apple is now on track to be generating more than 2.5 billion kilowatt hours per year of clean energy for manufacturing products by the end of 2018.

To make good on their promise, Ibiden is planning to invest in more than 20 new renewable energy facilities, one of which is among the largest floating solar photovoltaic systems in Japan. The impressive structure is built on a converted lumberyard to ensure that the island nation doesn’t lose too much real estate in the name of environmental friendliness.

More: Apple iPad 2017: News and rumors

“We’re proud to partner with suppliers like Ibiden who recognize that renewable energy investments are good for the environment and good for business,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “As we continue our push to power our global operations with 100 percent renewable energy, it is more important than ever that we help our manufacturing partners make the same transition to cleaner sources, and set an example for other companies to follow.”

Ibiden echoed these sentiments, with Kyoichi Yamanaka, Managing Director of Ibiden’s Environment Group noting, “These innovative new clean energy investments demonstrate our commitment to doing business responsibly and economically. Our products help Apple devices run smarter, and now we’re powering our operations with smarter energy too. We’re pleased to partner with Apple and lead the way in helping Japan meet its clean energy goals.”

Apple is taking its clean energy promise to Japan and the open sea

Why it matters to you

Apple has been pushing for clean energy for years and the latest manifestation of that comes in the form of a floating solar island.

Apple’s highly anticipated new campus isn’t going to be the only ambitiously green infrastructure — it’s got a floating island in Japan in the works, too. On Wednesday, Apple announced that its component supplier Ibiden (a company that “helps bring together the integrated circuitry and chip packages in Apple devices”) has become the first company in Japan to pledge that it will “power all of its Apple manufacturing with 100 percent renewable energy.” Calling it a “significant step forward in Apple’s efforts to help its manufacturing partners transition to clean power,” Apple is now on track to be generating more than 2.5 billion kilowatt hours per year of clean energy for manufacturing products by the end of 2018.

To make good on their promise, Ibiden is planning to invest in more than 20 new renewable energy facilities, one of which is among the largest floating solar photovoltaic systems in Japan. The impressive structure is built on a converted lumberyard to ensure that the island nation doesn’t lose too much real estate in the name of environmental friendliness.

More: Apple iPad 2017: News and rumors

“We’re proud to partner with suppliers like Ibiden who recognize that renewable energy investments are good for the environment and good for business,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “As we continue our push to power our global operations with 100 percent renewable energy, it is more important than ever that we help our manufacturing partners make the same transition to cleaner sources, and set an example for other companies to follow.”

Ibiden echoed these sentiments, with Kyoichi Yamanaka, Managing Director of Ibiden’s Environment Group noting, “These innovative new clean energy investments demonstrate our commitment to doing business responsibly and economically. Our products help Apple devices run smarter, and now we’re powering our operations with smarter energy too. We’re pleased to partner with Apple and lead the way in helping Japan meet its clean energy goals.”