VR helped a terminally ill diver swim the Great Barrier Reef from a hospital bed

One day, technologies like 3D bioprinting and artificial intelligence could all but halt death. Today, we can’t necessarily do that — but cutting-edge tech can greatly improve people’s end of life experience.

That’s what a charity in the U.K. aimed to achieve this week, when it used virtual reality to grant a terminally ill cancer patient what could, quite literally, be the wish of a lifetime.

“He may not be able to get there physically, but he could experience it virtually from his bed.”

37-year-old Matthew Hill was admitted to St. Luke’s Hospice specialist unit in Plymouth with late-stage bowel cancer. Although he and his family had managed it for a while, his condition had worsened to the point where it was now impossible for him to be cared for at home.

As an avid diver, Hill had always wanted to swim in the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral system. Unfortunately, his advanced bowel cancer meant that there was no way that this would be feasible. Never mind getting on a plane and flying across the world; the spinal compression that was a result of Hill’s illness meant that he couldn’t even sit upright in bed.

“Our nurses wanted to try and fulfill Matthew’s dream in some way,” Gabby Prior, Communications Officer at St Luke’s Hospice, Plymouth, told Digital Trends. “He may not be able to get there physically, but he could experience it virtually from his bed. The head of our Crisis Team, Sharon Smerdon, had heard that virtual reality was an emerging technology, but didn’t know any specifics.”

Smerdon asked around, and was put in touch with Truvision, a local VR startup located at Plymouth University, which usually uses virtual reality to demonstrate architectural plans to investors. Given the timeline, they suggested using an existing VR experience called “The Blu,” developed by the VR software company WeVR. Just 24 hours after receiving the request, Truvision’s staff rocked up at St Luke’s Hospice, bringing the necessary equipment.

“This was a first for us, and it put a smile on all our faces to see we could make somebody’s dreams come true,” Truvision employee Ben Priddy told Digital Trends. “We put our HTC Vive VR headset on Matthew so he could be immersed in the visual experience. We also gave him a pair of over-ear headphones so that he could experience the [high quality] sound delivered by the program. These together made the experience as immersive as possible, letting him be able to hear all the fine details.”

Although he couldn’t sit up or leave the bed, Hill was reportedly blown away by the VR outing — which offered a trip to a coral reef filled with glowing jellyfish, a dive with a blue whale on a sunken pirate ship, and a journey to the depths of the ocean floor, alongside angler fish and a giant squid. And all without getting wet.

In his own words, he was “well chuffed” by the experience, and was left with an enormous smile on his face.

The staff were also left with smiles, as well as the thought that virtual reality may just become an invaluable part of what they do.

“[Afterwards the staff kept commenting] on the enormous possibilities virtual reality could offer patients in their last few days or weeks of life,” Price said. “The technology has really made something which some people would have thought impossible, actually possible.”

The idea of a VR bucket list is just one more thing the hospice can offer to aid with a positive end-of-life experience.

“If we can make a patient enjoy their time spent at St. Luke’s, then we know we’ve done our job”

“If we can make a patient enjoy their time spent at St. Luke’s, then we know we’ve done our job,” Price said. “Hospice care is so much more than just hands on care; we are about making every moment count. We offer so much at St. Luke’s, from bereavement care for families to connecting patients to their loved ones in distant countries at the end of their lives. With VR we can offer even more.”

Since his undersea adventure, Hill’s condition actually improved enough that he’s been able to return home. That’s something that not every patient is able to do, however, which has led to the team at St. Luke’s thinking of a new way VR could be used in hospice care.

“The fact that we strive to deliver care at home, as this is what patients usually prefer as they pass away, and that the VR is portable, opens up even more opportunities for its use,” Price said. “We could even go as far as recreating patient’s home life or childhood home while they’re in the hospice ward. Not every patient needs an underwater or outer space experience; some would just be happy feeling as though they’re back home.”

We struggle to think of any applications of VR that are more life-affirming than that.

Tesla is laying the groundwork to build cars in Shanghai

If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on one of Tesla’s electric vehicles, the upcoming Model 3 probably looks pretty appealing. The car promises 215 miles per charge, ample seating, the tech for autopilot and it starts at just $35,000. Well, unless you’re in China — where imported vehicles get slapped with a 25-percent tariff. That fee is potentially disastrous to both customers’ ability to buy Tesla vehicles in china and the company’s bottom line. That’s probably why Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company is now talking with the Shanghai municipal government about opening a local manufacturing facility.

It’s a move that the company has been planning for a long time. Musk mentioned building a factory in China as far back as October of 2015, outlining the plan as a way to significantly reduce costs for Chinese buyers. According to Bloomberg, the company has already signed a deal with the city to build facilities in the Lingang development area — but it would need to cut a deal with a local company before it could begin. As a foreign company, Telsa would only be allowed to own 50-percent of any joint venture built in China.

Tesla hasn’t hinted at who it might partner with, or when it could start producing vehicles in China — but it seems like a smart and inevitable move for the company. According to Musk, a local factory could cut costs to consumers by as much as a third. That would be a big deal for Chinese customers.

Source: Bloomberg, Reuters

IBM-powered DNA sequencing could find bacteria in raw milk

Babies love milk. Adults love milk-based products. You know what else loves milk? Good and bad bacteria. It’s the ideal medium for bacteria growth and could cause various food-borne illnesses, especially if consumed in raw, unpasteurized form. Researchers typically just test the milk supply in the US for specific pathogens or harmful bacteria and viruses, but IBM and Cornell University want to take things a step further. They plan to create new analytical tools that can monitor raw milk — that’s milk straight out of the udder — and instantly detect any anomaly that could turn out to be a food safety hazard.

To be able to build those tools, they first need to be intimately familiar with the substance and the microorganisms that tend to contaminate it. They’ll sequence and analyze the DNA and RNA of dairy samples from Cornell’s farm, as well as of all the microorganisms in environments milk tends to make contact with, including the cows themselves, from the moment it’s pumped. Their tests will characterize what’s “normal” for raw milk, so the tools they make can easily tell if something’s wrong even if it’s an unknown contaminant we’ve never seen before.

This project however, is just the beginning. They plan to apply what they learn to other types of produce and ingredients in the future in order to ensure that they’re safe for consumption, especially if they were imported from abroad. Martin Wiedmann, Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety, from Cornell University said in a statement:

“As nature’s most perfect food, milk is an excellent model for studying the genetics of food. As a leader in genomics research, the Department of Food Science expects this research collaboration with IBM will lead to exciting opportunities to apply findings to multiple food products in locations worldwide.”

Mophie Charge Force review

New smartphones still die after a single day of use, but battery cases are too bulky, and stand-alone battery packs require a tangle of cables to keep your phone juiced up. Mophie’s Charge Force series attempts to offer a solution  — eliminate the wires. It all starts with a magnetic smartphone case that’s capable of wireless charging. You then snap the case to various Charge Force accessories, such as a desk mount for the office, a vent mount for your car, a charging base station, or portable battery packs. Mophie describes Charge Force as a cable-free method where you can “just drop and charge.” For our Mophie Charge Force review, we snapped on the wündercase and discovered that it falls short of fixing a few glaring issues.

Thinner case, but still bulky

Mophie’s Charge Force wireless charging case is compatible with Qi wireless charging technology, so you can use it with a wide variety of wireless charging pads. Although, the Charge Force series eliminates the hassle of fussing with wires — and the feeling like your phone is chained down — it still doesn’t fix the main issues that exist with wireless charging. Namely, the case is still too bulky.

The Charge Force is much slimmer than most Mophie cases, but it adds weight to the phone and is still far bulkier than we’d like. It also adds a lip to the bottom of the smartphone with a cut out for audio to be directed to the user, turning the bottom-firing speakers into front-facing ones. While this does make the audio sound a little louder, we don’t think it justifies the added bulk.

If you’re an iPhone 7 user, you know the struggle of charging your phone and listening to music — especially if you don’t have wireless earbuds. The Mophie Charge Force case makes things worse. It’s extremely difficult to disconnect the case’s Lightning plug that’s connected to the wireless charger built into the case — resulting in the ultimate struggle to open it to plug your headphones in. Android device owners won’t have this problem, because USB Type-C is not a proprietary port.

Wireless is somewhat convenient

Then there’s the Charge Force devices that provide battery power to the case. The Powerstation Mini adds extra bulk and more weight, but it also isn’t flush with the back of the phone. It sticks out like Apple’s official battery case, but it’s worse because it doesn’t make for a comfortable hold. Handling the phone with both hands causes the battery to slip, forcing you to constantly put it back in place to make it recognize the internal charging pad in the case.

The Desk Mount charger is a little better — it acts like a dock, and you can rest your smartphone upright. It plugs into a wall outlet or laptop via USB, and it allows you place your phone easily thanks to the magnetic case. It certainly eliminates the need to manually plug your phone in, and while it does take up some space, it can be useful. The Vent Mount is more or less the same but for cars. Being able to easily snap your phone to the mount is useful — you don’t need to deal with any wires. This is also where the upright design is useful as you can see notifications, hopefully reducing the habit of picking up your phone to check for messages. The problem? They’re both $60 each, that we’re not including the cost of the case itself.

As for the wireless charging base, it can live anywhere around the home — the kitchen counter, coffee table, or your even your nightstand. Being able to have charging stations like this around where you can simply drop your phone to charge is ideal, but it’s not ideal when you want to use the phone while charging. With a regular wired charger, I’m still able to pick up my phone and use it. With the charging station, you have to either use your phone while it’s attached to the external battery pack, or pick up the phone and then place it back — inevitably extending the amount of time it takes to fully charge.

For those who need a serious charge while on-the-go, the Powerstation is a 10,000mAh portable battery pack that can charge your phone several times over, and it also has a USB port to charge another device simultaneously. It’s similar to the Powerstation Mini, but while it clearly packs a lot more power, it unfortunately adds a lot more weight.

For Android users, the Powerstation doesn’t support quick charging technology, but smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 that have built-in wireless charging should still be compatible without the need for Mophie’s case.

The full experience comes at a high cost

When you have all the parts to the Charge Force series, wireless charging can definitely be convenient since you can simply place your phone to keep it charged at all times. But even buying one or two accessories will make your wallet feel light. The phone case itself costs between $50 to $60, depending on if you have an iPhone or an Android, while the docks and batteries run between $50 to $100. If you were to purchase the entire set — the phone case, desk and vent mount, Powerstation, Charging Base, and Powerstation Mini — it’ll run you over $400.

There are tons of other portable battery options currently on the market with almost as much charging power, if not more, for a cheaper price. For Android owners, the Charge Force series is a solid option, because you don’t need to deal with constantly removing the case’s plug. We don’t recommend this for iPhone users (unless you have wireless earbuds), because simply unplugging the case is incredibly difficult. Still, at a such a steep cost for the Charge Force series, wires suddenly don’t seem too bad after all.

The best music streaming services

Updated: Added information including Taylor Swift’s music on Spotify, new Apple Music pricing and information, and Sprint’s new deal with Tidal.

The world of on-demand music streaming has never been more crowded. As more and more listeners shy away from physical recordings in favor of massive online music libraries, music streaming services keep popping up, each offering a varied amount of songs, features, and its own quirks. But only a choice few have what it takes to join our list of the best music streaming services.

We’ve spent some time with each of the most popular services online to create this list of the top five streaming services for all different types of listeners. Whether you’re into music discovery, streaming radio, or the highest audio resolution you can find, these are the best on-demand streaming services in the land.

Our pick

Spotify

Why you should subscribe: It’s the best music discovery platform you’ll find, it has a huge catalog, and it can be tested for free indefinitely.

Spotify Ad-Free

The user-friendly, undisputed king of music discovery, Spotify is our favorite on-demand streaming service.

$10.00 from Spotify

Who’s it for: Streaming newcomers, new-musical explorers, and just about everyone else.

How much will it cost: Free with ads, $10 per month ad-free for single users, $15 ad-free for families (up to 6 users), and $5 ad-free for students

Why we picked Spotify

With millions more paying subscribers than the closest competition, Spotify is — by a wide margin — the most popular on-demand streaming service on the market today. That’s true for a number of reasons, including the service’s extremely user-friendly interface on desktop, iOS, and Android, numerous third-party integrations — such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Cast — and a diverse array of well-curated playlists and music-discovery tools.

One of the earliest pioneers of on-demand streaming, the Swedish streamer has long enticed newcomers with a free, ad-based desktop platform, and as streaming has begun to take hold of the industry, many of those users have eventually become paid subscribers. Apart from kicking the annoying ads, paying up allows you some real advantages, including being able to choose songs on-demand via mobile devices — an important feature for most users that the ad-based service doesn’t offer.

In a streaming market that increasingly turns to exclusive releases from big name artists to capture more users, Spotify employs its status as the industry leader to force the hands of artists and labels alike to release their music on the service. For instance, Drake is a paid ambassador for Apple Music, but his mega-hit album Views didn’t stay an Apple Music exclusive for long — the album landed on Spotify within a few weeks of its debut. Radiohead — a band with no shortage if terse words about Spotify’s paltry royalty payments — also eventually released their entire catalog on the service. Even Taylor Swift eventually gave up on her stand against Spotify, after years of Apple music exclusivity.

While there are a few Spotify holdouts (including Garth Brooks), Spotify’s catalog of well over 30 million songs assures that if you can’t find it on Spotify, it will be tough to find it anywhere else.

Those looking to find their next favorite band will also love Spotify for its updated playlists like Monday’s Discover Weekly and New Music Friday, all of which follow your listening habits to recommend surprisingly fitting new artists to match up with your listening tastes.

Looking to listen to that cool band your friend is into? Spotify’s Facebook integration allows you to follow friends and see what they have been listening to, as well as check out any playlists they’ve decided to make public. While competitors do offer some exclusive features, Spotify is the most well-rounded, intuitive, and hassle-free option available. Unless you have a very specific sonic need the service can’t satisfy (which we’ll outline below), we suggest streaming newbies get on the Spotify train.

While you’re at it, be sure to check out our massive assortment of Spotify playlists for all occasions.

The best for Apple fans

Apple Music

Why you should subscribe: You’re a diehard Apple user looking for the best service to integrate with all your stuff.

Apple Music

For serious Apple fans who want everything in one place, Apple Music is the answer.

$10.00 from Apple

Who’s it for? Lovers of iTunes, hand-curated live radio, and all things Apple.

How much will it cost? $10 per month for a single user, $15 for a family plan (up to 6 users), $5 per month for students, $99 per-year for those who have already subscribed.

Why we picked Apple Music

While we generally prefer Spotify to Apple Music when it comes to features and usability, there are still some compelling reasons to check out the second-most popular on-demand streaming service.

First and foremost is Apple Music’s iOS and MacOS integration. Those with iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks will love the fact that they can ask Siri to search for specific artists, songs, or playlists, and virtually everything music related on an Apple device is tied into the service. In addition, longtime iTunes users will be pleased to find many of their songs are immediately available in their Apple Music streaming library upon signing up, along with the ability to store up to 100,000 songs for later use (Spotify downloads cap at 9,999).

The company also recently announced cool new multiroom integration will be coming with the release of iOS 11, alongside its announcement of a brand new multiroom speaker, allowing Apple fans a similar listening experience to that offered by Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Cast products.

Apple Music’s Beats 1 Radio is another huge bonus. The 24-hour live radio service features curation by famed DJs like Zane Lowe and numerous celebrities like Ryan Adams, Pharrell Williams, Mike D, and others. Beats 1 also frequently premieres some of the biggest songs in pop music.

Speaking of premieres, Apple works hard to be the first to showcase songs from some of the world’s biggest pop artists, including Drake, Taylor Swift, and Frank Ocean.

Those looking to save some cash will also be excited to note that the company recently quietly began allowing current subscribers to pay just $99 for an entire year on the service, allowing you to sign up and then save $20 per year on your favorite tunes.

If you’re a fan of the biggest names in pop, love radio-style listening, and own an iPhone or other Apple device, Apple Music could be your service of choice.

The best for passive listening

Pandora

Why you should subscribe: Pandora’s thumbs-up/thumbs-down algorithm still rules internet radio.

Pandora Ad-Free

If radio-style listening is your favorite way to play, Pandora is the service for you.

$5.00 from Pandora

Who’s it for: Those who like to press play and walk away.

How much will it cost: Free ad-based radio, $5 per month for ad-free radio, $10 per month for ad-free on-demand music streaming

Why we picked Pandora

Though Pandora recently unveiled its much-anticipated on-demand streaming tier that features 40 million tracks, the best reason to subscribe to the service is to bask in the glory of its Music Genome Project. Since the early 2000s, the company has been attempting to “capture the essence of music on every level,” categorizing tunes based on hundreds of unique characteristics.

With such an abundance of data about each song, Pandora is able to offer the best curated, radio-style streaming online, all based on simple thumbs up or thumbs down ratings. Users can pick a favorite artist or track and press play, letting the magic algorithms behind the scenes at Pandora go to work. No matter who you’re into, Pandora will create a constant list of complimentary songs to enjoy.

While the on-demand service is a nice addition, Pandora is best for people who like to simply sit back and let the tunes roll on.

The best for indie music discovery

SoundCloud

Why you should subscribe: With over a hundred million user-created tracks, SoundCloud has one of the most diverse indie libraries online.

Soundcloud Ad-Free

Those on the hunt for the next big band will love the wide diversity of SoundCloud’s indie catalog.

$5.00 from Soundcloud

Who’s it for: Indie music fans who prefer to take a hands on approach to music discovery.

How much will it cost: Free with ads for access to 120 million user-added tracks, $5 per month for ad-free access to user-added tracks, $10 for user-added tracks plus 30 million major label tracks.

Why we picked SoundCloud

SoundCloud’s biggest asset is its extremely creative, massive user base. With nearly 200 million active users per month and a huge number of small-name artists constantly uploading their latest and greatest songs to the service, those who have the patience to dig through SoundCloud’s immense track list are sure to find an unknown artist they love.

However, because it has so many songs and a layout designed around single tracks rather than playlists, SoundCloud really is for crate-digger types — those who’d prefer to sift through tons of tunes to find their next favorite band, rather than relying on a computer algorithm to predict what they may or may not like.

While this is great for a very specific kind of user, it may not be right for the average listener. In fact, SoundCloud is having a lot of trouble getting people to pay up for its service, routinely needing cash infusions from investors to remain solvent. Still, if you find yourself on SoundCloud searching for new favorites for hours a week (like we do), you may want to think about upgrading to an ad-free experience.

The best fidelity

Tidal

Why you should subscribe: You demand the highest audio resolution and you’re willing to pay for it.

Tidal

For listeners who refuse to compromise on audio resolution, Tidal is the only way to go.

$10.00 from Tidal

Who’s it for: Stubborn audiophiles, serious Jay Z fans.

How much will they cost: $10 per month for compressed 320kbps audio, $20 for lossless 24-bit 1411kbps audio.

Why we picked the Tidal

It’s no secret that we aren’t big fans of Tidal, the music service purchased by hip-hop mogul Jay Z in 2015 and recently purchased in part by Sprint. With fewer tracks, poor music discovery features, and a sometimes buggy interface — not to mention a history of botched album releases — there are plenty of reasons to avoid the service entirely in search of calmer streaming waters.

However, for those who absolutely refuse to compromise when it comes to audio quality, Tidal’s $20-per-month Hi-Fi service, which offers 24-bit audio resolution, is essentially the only real game in town. This makes the service something of a dichotomy, as Tidal seems to be aimed towards the mass market, but it’s really best for those with high-quality gear who care more about the fidelity of their audio source than interface usability or library size.

This advantage is likely to change in the future, as companies like Spotify are anticipated to launch their own high-fidelity tiers down the road. But for now, those with extremely expensive stereo systems who actually care about rising above the typical 320Kbps resolution quality of Spotify, Apple Music, and virtually every other major streaming service on the market (including Tidal’s own lower tier), Tidal HiFi is the only way to fly.

• Apple Music vs Spotify
• Best new songs to stream
• The best headphones you can buy

Google just launched a new 180-degree VR format, plus cameras for it

Google has announced a new 180-degree VR format, including third-party cameras that you can use to shoot in it. Called VR180, it’s a collaboration, between YouTube and Google’s Daydream VR unit. It has been introduced alongside an announcement about a new line of VR cameras that comply with VR180’s certification standards. Google said you can expect these cameras to come from Yi, Lenovo, and LG, as well as other partners.

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New VR180 cameras

Their VR180 cameras are supposed to launch sometime this winter, and they will supposedly be affordable, likely even priced around the same as regular point-and-shoot cameras. We don’t know what these cameras will look like in terms of design, though Lenovo has released a line drawing of its upcoming VR180 format camera.

It seems to feature two wide-angle lenses that can shoot stereoscopic video. Obviously, it looks way different than the pricier VR camera rigs we’ve seen so far, like Google’s Jump system. Creators can shoot VR videos using any camera that’s VR180 certified. But here’s the thing about VR180 videos: they don’t wrap around.

YouTube

180-degree video format

You have to face forward while watching them, meaning you can’t turn and look back, but they’ll still be immersive when you watch them through the YouTube app with a compatible headset, such as Google Cardboard, Google Daydream, or PlayStation VR. If you don’t use a VR headset, they’ll appear as traditional flat videos.

So, what’s the advantage to a 180-degree VR video over a full 360-degree video one? The primary benefit is that it doesn’t require a VR system with multiple cameras, nor do you need to take the time to stitch together all the video feeds from those cameras in order to make an immersive VR video for YouTube.

Save time and money

You see, 360-degree videos, which surround you, typically require tons of time and money, as well as a filmmaker who is willing to hide behind things in order to capture a scene without their body in it. But with the VR180 format, there’s now a happy medium, literally. The format essentially renders 180-degree video in stereoscopic 3D.

The picture will appear wider than your field of view – about 135 degrees – and you’ll get a single image, so there’s no need to stitch or match anything. Just film, edit, and upload it to YouTube. Filmmakers will be able to shoot the way they would normally and even edit with Adobe Premiere Pro or other software.

YouTube TV expands to ten more US metropolitan markets

YouTube TV seemed an adequate addition to the increasingly crowded streaming television market, but it launched back in April with a modest area footprint, operating in only five US cities for its first few months. Today, they’re expanding availability to anyone in half a dozen secondary metropolitan areas in the country.

Those city-regions include: Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Alabama, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. It’s still a slow rollout for a service that competes with the likes of the comparatively-priced Hulu Live TV, which is available everywhere, and there’s no telling where YouTube TV will expand next.

Source: YouTube

Airbnb tests payment-splitting feature so you don’t get stiffed

Airbnb is testing out a feature that would allow reservations to be split among multiple people. So, if you’re booking with rude friends who never pay you back or if you want to book an expensive reservation that may be too much for one credit card to handle, this new feature would help you out. The option allows a reservation to be split with up to 16 people and is being tested with just a few listings as of now.

In April, Airbnb also began testing a flexible payment option, allowing customers to pay a portion of the reservation amount up front and the rest a little later. Other recent changes include a new search tool that pulls up listings suitable for business travel and a photographic guide feature to clarify the check-in process.

According to The Next Web, split payments has been one of Airbnb’s most requested features. While it’s only available in select places now, the company plans to expand the feature to more listings later this year.

Source: The Next Web

Love stickers? PicsArt now has more than a million that are free to use

Why it matters to you

If you’re looking for a specific sticker, PicsArt probably has it — or could help you make it.

Just two months after launching the ability to make customer stickers, PicsArt now has one of the biggest collections of free stickers in the world. The mobile photo editing app is now home to over a million stickers tagged with the #freetouse hashtag that means users can integrate them into their own shots.

Stickers, or small graphics that can be added to any photo, are growing in popularity with their inclusion in a number of social media platforms from Snapchat to Facebook. PicsArt’s photo editing tools makes it possible for users to create their own stickers from a photo or using drawing tools. Those custom stickers can then be exported to use within other apps, as well as sharing them within the PicsArt community.

Thanks to PicsArt’s #freetouse tag that allows users to indicate if it is OK to re-use that artwork, the custom sticker option has now generated more than a million stickers that have the tag. The feature allows the stickers to be used inside the PicsArt platform with attribution to the sticker’s creator, which the company says helps users to grow their number of followers on the platform.

‘’Our community has shown us how important stickers are for creative expression both on and off of PicsArt,” PicsArt CEO Hovhannes Avoyan said. ‘’With over 1,000,000 stickers created in 60 days and accelerating, we’ve quickly amassed a large collection of open-source stickers that will inspire creativity and remixing from millions more on PicsArt.”

PicsArt only launched the ability to develop custom stickers at the end of March. The feature uses PicsArt’s existing tools and filters to cut an object out of a photo, adjust it and save it as a sticker than can be used with other images or exported to use on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, What’s App and iMessenger.

Since the launch of the feature, the app has also integrated the ability to use stickers on a live preview, before taking a picture. It has more than 400 million installs — with 90 million of them active monthly users — making it one of the leading social image editing apps.

TEO the ironing robot is here to steal the job you never wanted anyway

Why it matters to you

This robot will ensure that your work trousers and shirts remain wrinkle-free. And it promises to do other chores, as well.

If you’re an enlightened, modern sort of person, you feel that ironing duties should be split 50/50 between men and women. Not so, if you’re a researcher at the Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain. They believe the task of ironing should reside entirely with one member of the household: The domestic robot.

With that in mind, they’ve developed a humanoid robot called TEO that has mastered the art of ensuring your shirts and trousers are wrinkle-free — courtesy of some smart image recognition algorithms.

“Our goal is to develop the first robot household companion that can assist people with their domestic tasks,” David Estévez Fernández, a doctoral student in computer science and technology at the university, told Digital Trends. “While previous works on robotic laundry and ironing focused on just achieving the task, our goal was a bit more ambitious. Other approaches required very controlled environmental conditions to work, such as control of the room illumination to detect wrinkles, or predefined models for garment recognition. The key requirement for us was that our method must be implementable in a real-world domestic scenario, using the same tools as we humans use, without any modifications.”

That’s an admirable goal, but it certainly makes life harder for the team. Ironing might not be the most strenuous household chore from a human perspective, but clothes aren’t an easy thing for robots to manipulate. Challenges arise from the deformability inherent in garments. Unlike rigid objects, clothes get wrinkled and entangled, so garment manipulation requires careful planning of the moving trajectory, and a constant tracking of garments’ current shape on a moment-to-moment basis.

To cope with this, TEO gathers its images from a camera built into its head, which generates a high-resolution 3D representation of the clothes and ironing board. It then calculates a “wrinkliness local descriptor” to work out what’s a wrinkle and what’s a desirable crease. It’s smart stuff — and Fernández is hopeful that it will arrive in your home in the not-too-distant future.

“Ironing is just one of the chores that people do on a daily basis,” he said. “To continue our work, we would like to teach the robot to perform other tasks, such as folding garments. For this, we are beginning to use deep reinforcement learning techniques, a recent field that combines traditional reinforcement learning with deep learning. Reinforcement learning is similar to how we learn. The robot perform actions and, when performed correctly, it receives rewards. The robot learns trying to maximize the amount of rewards obtained from its actions. This, combined with our Continuous Goal-Directed Actions method, will allow us to teach the robot how to fold garments just by showing it how we perform the folding task. This way, no programming or technical knowledge would be required to teach the robot how to perform the tasks we want it to perform.”

Coming soon to a house near you. We hope.