A single autonomous car could greatly reduce man-made traffic

Traffic. We all hate it, but what can honestly be done to significantly reduce it? Well, according to an experiment conducted by the university of Illinois, simply introducing a few self-driving cars to roads could be the answer. Conducting experiments in Tucson, Arizona the team discovered that even adding a single autonomous vehicle to the roads can massively reduce traffic. They programmed a self-driving car to loop a track continuously and then added 20 other human-driven cars to the mix.

While humans somehow naturally create stop-and-go traffic even without lane changes or other disruptions, thanks to the robotic racer, both traffic and fuel consumption were reduced by 40 percent.

This isn’t the first example of modern tech helping to reduce congestion. With fixed traffic sensors widely swapped for navigation systems using GPS data, Professor Daniel B. Work believes that automated cars could be the next step — replacing the traffic-reducing variable speed limits. The next stage of the experiment is to test autonomous cars in situations where both human and AI drivers have to change lanes. From our experience with freeways, we already feel bad for the robot cars.

Still, this isn’t the only way that drivers can use automation to reduce traffic. With the margin of human error being so high, the same study suggests that even existing tech like adaptive cruise control has the power to greatly reduce the amount of traffic on our roads.

With many people understandably wary at the prospect of roads completely ruled by automated cars, the idea of mixing a few with regular vehicles seems like a good way to pilot the risky tech.

Via: Phys.org

Source: Cornell University Library

MIT teaches machines to learn from each other

There are two typical ways to train a robot today: you can have it watch repeated demonstrations of what you want it to do or you can program its movements directly using motion-planning techniques. But a team of researchers from MIT’s CSAIL lab have developed a hybridized third option that will enable robots to transfer skills and knowledge between themselves. It’s no Skynet, but it’s a start.

The system, dubbed C-LEARN, is designed to enable anybody, regardless of their programming know-how, to program robots for a wide range of tasks. But rather than having the robot ape your movements or hand-coding its desired movements, C-LEARN only requires that the user input a birt of information on how the objects the robot will interact with are typically handled then run through a single demonstration. The robot can then share this kinematic data with others of its kind.

First, the user inputs the environmental constraints — essentially how to reach out, grasp and hold the items it’s interacting with. That way the robot isn’t not crushing everything it touches or holding objects in a way that will cause them to break or fall. Then, using a CAD program, the user can create a single digital demonstration for the robot. It actually works a lot like traditional hand-drawn animations wherein the robot’s motions hit specific movements and positions as “keyframes” and fills in the rest.

Of course, the robot doesn’t have the final say in this, all motion plans have to be verified by the human operator first. Overall, the robots were able to choose the optimal motion plan 87.5 percent of the time without human intervention, though that number jumped to 100 percent when a human operator was able to tweak the plan as needed.

The first robot to benefit from this new system is the Optimus, a two-armed bomb disposal-bot. The CSAIL team taught it to open doors, carry items and even pull objects out of jars. The Optimus was then able to transfer these same skills to another robot in the CSAIL lab, the 6-foot, 400-pound Atlas.

Microsoft didn’t make Xbox One’s first easy-pairing headset

In an age where technology is becoming increasingly wireless, it’s baffling that Xbox One headsets still require either a transmitter or lengthy wires in order to work. Thankfully, LucidSound’s latest is about to change that. Connecting directly to Xbox One (just like a controller), the LS35X is the first truly wireless audio peripheral on Microsoft’s console. Interestingly, the headset is also confirmed to work with upcoming Xbox One successor– Scorpio, making it the first peripheral announced for the mysterious hardware so far.

The LS35X will also work with Windows 10 out of the box, instantly connecting to PCs that include built-in Xbox Wireless technology or to the aging Xbox Wireless Adapter. Although we have yet to try the LS35X, we’ve been consistently impressed with LucidSound’s other headsets. While we wouldn’t be caught dead wearing most gamer audio products on our commute to work, LucidSound’s headsets look refreshingly adult, making them a nice multi-use product. A price point for the officially-licensed headset has yet to be announced.

There’s no price yet, but the LS35X launches worldwide holiday 2017 — conveniently the same time gamers will be able to get their hands on Microsoft’s new console.

Watch Microsoft’s Build 2017 opening keynote right here!

Microsoft’s Build 2017 conference is kicking off today in Seattle, and the company’s CEO Satya Nadella will be taking the stage during the opening keynote. We expect there will be lots of talk of Windows 10, Cortana and, who knows, maybe we’ll get a few surprises. It all starts at 8AM PT/11AM ET, and you can watch it happen in the video below.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from Microsoft’s Build 2017.

Possible Leak Suggests Next iPhone SE or iPhone 7s Could Have Strengthened Ion-X Glass Display

A new photo depicting what could be the rear shell for the next-generation iPhone SE or “iPhone 7s” has surfaced on Chinese social network Sina Weibo. The photo was later submitted to leak aggregator Slashleaks.

There’s no way of telling whether this photo is real or not, but it appears to show a bump-less cutout for a single-lens camera with another cutout for what might be a vertically-aligned LED flash.

The document in the photo suggests the iPhone, codenamed N79, could have a strengthened Ion-X glass display like the Apple Watch. If real, the paperwork likely belongs to one of Apple’s contract manufacturing partners in Taiwan, such as Foxconn, Pegatron, or Wistron.

There’s not much else that can be gleaned from the photo, asides from what appears to be more of an iPhone 7-like design, which would be a shift away from an iPhone 5s design if this is indeed for the iPhone SE as Slashleaks suggests.

This would be the first next-generation iPhone SE design rumor we’ve seen so far this year, so treat it with a healthy dose of skepticism. Last year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple is unlikely to release a new iPhone SE in the first half of 2017, suggesting a refresh won’t occur before the end of June.

If that timeline is accurate, Apple could be planning to announce the next iPhone SE alongside the tentatively named iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and iPhone 8 in September. Or, it could wait until spring 2018, given the original iPhone SE launched in March 2016. At this point, it’s too early to say.

Apple doubled the iPhone SE’s storage capacities to 64GB and 128GB a few months ago.

Related Roundups: iPhone SE, iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: weibo.com, Slashleaks
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone SE (Caution)
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Opera’s new browser comes with WhatsApp and Messenger built in

Thanks to add-ons and extensions, modern browsers are capable of much more than just accessing websites. However, unless you know what you’re looking for, finding useful tools isn’t necessarily easy. Instead of relying solely on its extension marketplace, Opera hopes to claw back market share from Google Chrome by incorporating additional features into its eponymous software. We’ve already seen it roll out low-power mode and a fully-featured VPN, but now it’s making things a lot more social by integrating messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger and Telegram into its sidebar.

The features are included in a new version of Opera, codenamed “Reborn.” It takes a lot of inspiration from the company’s experimental Neon browser, which debuted in January. Instead of using the web or desktop versions of your favorite messaging apps, Reborn neatly arranges them on the side of your browser window, allowing you to chat while you browse.

The feature works in two ways. First, you can pin the icons to the sidebar and click them when you feel the need to chat. The other option is to pin the chat window so that it sits alongside your current tab. If you want to share a photo you’ve found online, simply drag it to the messenger’s icon and the browser will take care of the rest.

While messaging is the banner announcement, Reborn does come with a few additional features. The browser itself has been given a fresh look, with lighter tabs and improved icons. You can also switch between light and dark themes depending on your mood and control how the browser blocks ads. Opera says that while only three services are available at launch, it hopes to add more in the near future.

Source: Opera Blog

PBS Kids releases baby’s first HDMI dongle

With the recent arrival of YouTube TV and Hulu Live, it’s clear that cord-cutting is here to stay. Not only is content readily available without a cable subscription, you can watch it on your big screen TV thanks to the proliferation of streaming set-top boxes and HDMI sticks. Yet, these devices are meant for a general audience; there aren’t really any streaming sticks with specialized content. Until now. PBS has just released something called PBS Kids Plug & Play, which is apparently the first streaming stick for kids. Bonus: It even looks like a toy car.

Indeed, with its four wheels and the racing stripe down the middle, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was just a Hot Wheels ripoff at first. But if you look at the car’s rear, you’ll see the telltale dongle that fits neatly in any HDMI port. PBS wisely included an HDMI extension cord as well, just in case your TV’s ports are too shallow to accommodate the irregular-size Plug & Play. Just like other streaming sticks on the market, you’ll also need to hook it up to a USB power source, be it from the TV or an AC adapter. The stick has 1GB of memory, 16GB flash storage as well as a microSD card slot.

As for ease of use, well, the name describes it pretty accurately. Plug it in, and it’ll come alive, instantly pairing to the accompanying remote control via Bluetooth. The remote control is green, curved and sized perfectly for small hands. On the front are four direction keys, a center star button, plus a circular “PBS Kids” button that acts as a catch-all home or back key. Once connected, you’ll immediately see the bright green PBS Kids home interface on your TV. There’s no need to sign up for anything, and there are no ads. The Plug & Play has a super simple UI, with a circular navigation menu in the center and a settings shortcut at the top right.

As you might expect, you can use the Plug & Play to watch PBS Kids programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as long as the stick is connected to WiFi; simply navigate over to the Videos section. At this point, you’re probably wondering why you would need a specialized PBS Kids stick in order to do this. After all, you can already watch PBS Kids content on the Roku or online via your computer.

The key with the PBS Kids Plug & Play stick is that it offers way more than just streaming episodes of Clifford the Big Red Dog or Thomas & Friends. It also has games and exclusive content. What’s more, you can access it without an internet connection. An added benefit of the stick is that the content is in a closed environment, so you can rest assured that your child won’t encounter any inappropriate videos while you’re not looking.

That exclusive content includes 50 sing-a-long songs, on-demand episodes of your kids’ favorite shows, Words of the Week, an interactive sound box where you can play around with different instruments and a “Rail Riders” game — where you’re collecting different items on a railroad track. There’s also a “Road Trip Adventure” board game, in which you move across a predetermined route by spinning a wheel, performing silly tasks and actions along the way (examples include buzzing like a bee or waddling like a duck). Last but not least is a series of interactive “scenes,” where you can press the center star button to do things like launch fireworks or boost submarines.

“We know families are busy and on-the-go, and value spending time together whenever they can,” said Dawn Ciccone, vice president of brand licensing at PBS, in a statement. “We have also learned from research that when parents are engaged with their children in activities related to their favorite TV shows or games, children learn more.” She goes on to say that the Plug & Play turns any TV into an “interactive and fun learning resource.”

Yet the value of a streaming stick as niche as the PBS Kids Plug & Play is unclear. Sure, you get all of that extra content, but you could probably get much of the same from existing apps and websites. And, as we said earlier, if all you want to do is watch PBS Kids content, you can already do so without the stick at all. What’s more, the Plug & Play is only $50, which is about the same price as Roku’s streaming stick, even though it’s nowhere near as versatile.

But perhaps there’s something else at play here. PBS is certainly not the only outfit to wrap kids’ programming in a cord-cutter package. YouTube, for example, has recently rolled out a special Kids app for smart TVs. It’s even created four completely original shows just for its YouTube Kids service. Other streaming services have child-friendly programming too; Netflix offers a kids-only profile, as does Hulu. Another on-demand offering for kids is Sprout Online, which is essentially the online component of NBC’s children’s programming. Disney and Nickelodeon are still pretty tied to traditional TV — you can’t watch their live programming without a cable or satellite subscription, for example — but you can watch certain full on-demand episodes on their respective websites.

It’s clear that as cord-cutting increases, even specialty categories have to follow the footsteps of HBO and Showtime in offering a la carte programming. Media companies know all too well that young parents are now sitting their children in front of iPads and computers, thus raising a new generation of kids who aren’t beholden to the whims of traditional TV. Now, it appears that YouTube and PBS are savvy enough to not only cater to this audience but to provide exclusive content that’s not dependent on TV at all.

In this light, the PBS Plug & Play is a pretty shrewd move. It tells the child, hey, this is your own little version of Mommy and Daddy’s Roku. This is your TV, catered for you. It tells the kids that they can watch what they want, when they want, on their own terms. Whether we like it or not, it seems children’s eyeballs are the next untapped market for the media companies. As long as Mommy and Daddy pay for it, that is.

The ShapeScale 3D scanner can color-code your body changes

I am trying to get in shape. I work out regularly and have been eating better. But still, whenever I step on my Fitbit Aria scale, my weight or body fat percentage don’t seem to have budged much. It’s frustrating, even when it seems that certain parts have gotten smaller or more toned. Unless I whip out a caliper and pinch my bits of flab for precise measurements, I don’t really know what’s happening. The ShapeScale, available for pre-order starting today, might solve that conundrum for me. This $499 scale and 3D scanner creates a 360-degree image of a user’s body, forming a colorful visual aid that highlights which bits are getting bigger and smaller.

There’s already a number of 3D body scanners on the market for a variety of uses, including health and fitness tracking. The ShapeScale stands out by not just by being smaller and cheaper, but also in how it operates. While existing scanners have you stand on a platform that rotates in front of a stationary camera, the ShapeScale rotates the camera around you. The idea is that if the object is rotating, the light shifts as it moves, which results in an inconsistent scan. But if the person stays motionless the light doesn’t change, so everything looks the same from the beginning of the scan to the end. The ShapeScale’s camera is implanted on an arm that you extend out from the platform, making three passes around the user, angling the camera further upward on each go-around to capture a person from head to toe.

If the device sounds like it’s filled with fiddly bits that could be easily broken, you’re not entirely wrong. However, it’s designed in such a way to protect the most vulnerable components. The whole rig can be be folded up compactly, with the motorized parts all stored in the base for easy and secure transport. It’s not heavy at all; you can carry it with one hand and easily swing it onto a shelf or under a bed for storage. Maybe even an overhead bin, if it’s important that you measure your body fat on a trip.

The ShapeScale takes all the information it’s gathered to build out a 3D representation of you. It’s not a gray blob or blank mannequin, but it’s you, stupid expression and all. You should be wearing tight clothes (think: gym wear) when you do the scan, so it doesn’t accidentally read a baggy shirt as extra paunch. But even wearing a pair of tight jeans and a long-sleeved Heattech shirt the ShapeScale was able to make a pretty accurate model of me from the grayish-brown roots on my head to the bit of pudge around my waist. The ShapeScale also seems to think I’m a little cross-eyed. It’s not the most flattering picture of me.

The level of detail for a home device is certainly cool — but with only one scan, I don’t have a heatmap of where I’m gaining or losing weight yet. It’s something you have to do on a daily basis, especially if you want to correlate your fat gain/loss to certain behaviors. To that end the app can store other metrics, but the ShapeScale data is meant to be exportable to other fitness tracking programs you might already be using, like MyFitnessPal.

I’m not sure if I’m ready for the level of commitment the ShapeScale requires. It’s asking me to open it up, put on my tightest clothes (or be naked, I guess) and wait for it to do its thing every morning. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but I also forget to weigh myself on my Aria sometimes, and that’s literally sitting right next to my bed ready to go. Then again, serious weight loss requires serious commitment. It requires getting more exercise, watching what you eat and maybe even having a 3D scanner take pictures of your gut every day. The ability to immediately see how your hard work is paying off is definitely a great carrot on a stick, and eventually you won’t need the app to show you: You can check for yourself in the mirror.

Pre-orders for the ShapeScale start today at $499, with orders expected to ship out some time in 2018.

UK watchdog accidentally creates pager monopoly it was hoping to avoid

True story: Vodafone still runs a pager service, decades after the old-school equivalent of pop-up notifications fell out of fashion. And it’s not even the only the company supporting this ancient tech, which is still used by a few businesses, doctors, emergency services and bird watchers, apparently. Capita also maintains a pager service and agreed to buy Vodafone’s division and its roughly 1,000 customers in February. However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced today that it has decided to investigate the merger, leading Vodafone to immediately abandon the sale and close down this part of its business altogether.

The CMA’s concerns are pretty straightforward: The acquisition would leave the UK with one lone provider of pager services. This could lead to higher prices and a reduced quality of service. Standard CMA stuff, and the main reasons the merger of O2 and Three was blocked last year. But Vodafone isn’t interested in cooperating with the CMA on a more thorough probe.

“Due to the expense involved with a prolonged investigation, Vodafone will not pursue the transaction and has made the decision to close down this business,” the company told the Financial Times. The carrier also said it’s surprised at the decision, considering no other country in Europe has more than one paging network.

Ironically, with Vodafone deciding to close the division completely, the CMA’s fears of a monopoly player have actually come to fruition. Merger or not, Capita will soon be the UK’s only provider of pager services.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Competition and Markets Authority (1), (2)

Uber faces lawsuit for failing on disabled accessibility

Uber has yet another problem to deal with: it’s been slapped with a lawsuit for not making its services more available to people with disabilities. A couple of wheelchair users from Jackson, Mississippi have filed the lawsuit, accusing Uber of violating Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the California Disabled Persons Act and California’s unfair competition law. According to TechCrunch, the lawsuit states that “persons with disabilities in Jackson have no ability to call a wheelchair accessible vehicle or a specially trained driver through the Uber app” even if some of the company’s drivers are capable of accommodating them.

In 2014, the ride-hailing company launched a program called UberAssist that gives riders way to call for drivers trained in accessibility. Some of them even have vehicles that can accommodate folding wheelchairs if needed. Unfortunately, it’s still only available in a handful (New York, Houston, Chicago, London, Portland) of markets.

A disability rights group in Chicago filed a federal lawsuit against the company in 2016 for failing to provide vehicles that can fit wheelchairs. Even UberAccess was created as a response to several lawsuits over the lack of support for people with disabilities. We’re guessing the company will have to face even more until UberAccess becomes available everywhere. However, there are no guarantees that will ever happen, seeing as the program hasn’t expanded that much since it launched.

Source: TechCrunch