Who needs friends when robots are this sociable?

Nearly every step wrought havoc upon the prototype walker’s frame. Designed to activate landmines in the most direct means possible, the EOD robot was nevertheless persistent enough to pick itself back up after each explosion and hobble forth in search of more damage. It continued on until it could barely crawl, its broken metal belly scraping across the scorched earth as it dragged itself by a single remaining limb. The scene proved to be too much for those in attendance. The colonel in charge of the demonstration quickly put an end to the macabre display, reportedly unable to stand the scene before him. “This test, he charged, was inhumane,” according to the Washington Post.

But how can this be? This was a machine, a mechanical device explicitly built to be blown up in a human’s stead. We don’t mourn the loss of toasters or coffeemakers beyond the inconvenience of their absence, so why should a gangly robotic hexapod generate any more consternation than a freshly squashed bug? It comes down, in part, to the mind’s habit of anthropomorphizing inanimate objects. And it’s this mental quirk that could be exactly what humanity needs to climb out of the uncanny valley and begin making emotional connections with the robots around us.

These sorts of emotional connections come more easily in military applications, where soldiers’ lives depend on these devices working as they should. “They would say they were angry when a robot became disabled because it is an important tool, but then they would add ‘poor little guy,’ or they’d say they had a funeral for it,” Dr. Julie Carpenter of the University of Washington wrote in 2013. “These robots are critical tools they maintain, rely on, and use daily. They are also tools that happen to move around and act as a stand-in for a team member, keeping Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel at a safer distance from harm.”

A US Army specialist sends an EOD robot towards an IED (Afghanistan, 2010) – Image: Reuters

“They were very clear it was a tool, but at the same time, patterns in their responses indicated they sometimes interacted with the robots in ways similar to a human or pet,” Carpenter continues. These behaviors included naming the robots. And while the 22 soldiers that Carpenter interviewed for her study asserted that the destruction of these machines did not influence their decision-making, they did reportedly experience a range of emotion from anger and frustration to outright sadness. These military machines have very real value as their continued operation saves lives. But what about robots like the Anki Cozmo or the Sony AIBO, gadgets that serve the sole purpose of being sociable?

Dr. Kate Darling, a research specialist at the MIT Media Lab, defined a social robot as a “physically embodied, autonomous agent that communicates and interacts with humans on a social level.” These robots “communicate through social cues, display adaptive learning behavior, and mimic various emotional states,” which help them instigate far stronger emotional bonds from their users than non-social devices.

The reason behind this, Darling argued, is due to three factors: physicality, perceived autonomous movement and social behavior. Humans tend to gravitate toward physical objects versus visual representations like drawings or digital renderings. If that physical object is capable of moving on its own in a way that humans can’t fully anticipate, we’re more likely to interpret those motions as “intent” — even if it’s just your Roomba banging against walls or getting stuck under the couch again. However if the physical, self-propelled device is designed to trigger specific social cues, such as Buddy’s large and expressive eyes, the effect on the user is even stronger because it mimics “cues that we automatically, even subconsciously associate with certain states of mind or feelings,” Darling wrote.

“[What] we’re seeing is that people treat Cozmo more like a pet, not in all aspects yet but in some very fundamental ways,” explained Hanns Tappeiner, president and co-founder of Anki. “We definitely knew people were playing with Cozmo one-on-one but what we learned [since the robot’s launch last October] is they also actually play with it around the dinner table almost like what you would do with a puppy.”

These anthropomorphic tendencies enable social robots to manipulate their users to a certain degree. But rather than demand to be “fed” and “played with” like Tamagotchi, the ’90’s popular digital pets, used to, social robots today are proving to be effective surrogates in both education and health care. Zorabots, which is based on the NAO robotic platform from Softbank, help motivate senior citizens to complete their therapeutic exercises while the seal-shaped Paro robot serves as a stand-in for living pets for dementia patients.

“Some people are nervous about the fact that we’re giving robots to old people because they think that we’re replacing human care with technology.” Darling told Engadget. “I’m not concerned in this case because I think that here, clearly, the robot is an animal therapy replacement and it works really, really well. It gives people that sense of nurturing something that they don’t normally get to have because their life has been reduced to being cared for by others.”

But don’t expect robotics manufacturers to build human stand-ins any time soon. “It’s too difficult to create a perfect human replica that behaves enough like a human that it doesn’t disappoint your expectations when you interact with it,” Darling argued. Instead, “we’re going to see a lot of robots that draw more on animation techniques to mimic characters that we see as lifelike but that aren’t trying to imitate something intimately familiar.”

These emotional connections can become so strong that even simulated violence against their robotic companions triggers an overwhelming defensive response. Darling dubbed this sort of unidirectional attachment “the caregiver effect”. Essentially, the robot’s lifelike movements and visual cues cause people to emotionally project onto them, creating a sense of responsibility to provide the care and support that the robot appears to “need.”

Although this effect can help people remain socially and emotionally engaged when they wouldn’t otherwise, it can lead to deleterious effects as well. As Darling pointed out, this emotional connection could be leveraged by companies to extort money from their customers. Want the robotic pet that you’ve spent the last four years bonding with to keep working? Then you’d better pony up an extra $700 for this critical OS update.

“I’m a little bit worried about the seductive power of social robots in manipulating people” – Dr. Kate Darling, MIT Media Lab

Social robots, especially those that requires an internet connection to the company’s server to drive their AI algorithms, may also pose serious privacy risks moving forward. We’ve already seen such problems arise within the current generation of social robots.

In 2015, Mattel’s WiFi-enabled Hello Barbie (and her IoT Dream Home) raised the ire of privacy advocates after the company disclosed that it recorded and analyzed the conversations kids had with the doll. What happens when Hello Barbie starts telling your kids what brands of shoes or cereal they should ask you to buy? This is just a part of the larger data collection and retention issues. News that Roombas map the interior layout of houses as they sweep has generated significant online blowback for iRobot, the device’s manufacturer.

However, Darling believes that the issue can addressed through policy regulation. “We need more general consumer protection laws, she said. “We all have an incentive to want the Roomba to collect certain data because it makes the Roomba more useful. But this data being collected and ultimately sold is the tradeoff for that. I think we do need some protection because people are going to continue to opt in to this technology that provide such great services at the cost of their privacy.”

Despite these potential pitfalls, the trend toward social robotics shows little sign of slowing as robots (social or otherwise) become more ubiquitous in our homes and workplaces. “Given the oftentimes positive effect of adding social aspects to robots in getting people to like them or want to engage with them,” Darling said. “We’re going to be adding social technology to a lot of robots that are in shared places, like the guard robot that fell into the fountain.”

Tappeiner agreed. “We really strongly believe that personality and character will be found in [domestic robots] and is actually going to completely redefine how we interact with technology.” For example, Tappeiner points out that you can yell and abuse digital assistants like Siri or Cortana as much as you like without any sort of repercussion, social or otherwise. “But if you are mean to Cozmo, he’s going to get upset,” Tappeiner said.

That sort of feedback will be essential to teaching humans to live harmoniously with their mechanical companions. Having AI stand up for itself is crucial. “That’s going to be very important for people — not just for kids but for people overall — to figure out how to deal with technology.”

HomePod Firmware Reveals Further Details on Apple’s Smart Speaker

Yesterday, Apple pushed out firmware for its $349 HomePod smart speaker ahead of the device’s launch in December, and developer Steve Troughton-Smith has been sharing some interesting tidbits online that he managed to unearth in the code.

Bearing the name “AudioAccessory1,1”, the firmware reveals that the HomePod runs a full iOS stack – essentially like an iPhone without a screen – and relies on a shell app called “SoundBoard” to integrate with the device’s hardware.

Looks like the ‘shell’ app on HomePod is called SoundBoard. It runs a full iOS stack, unsurprisingly. Its apps are prefixed with ‘Air’ pic.twitter.com/IPFF0vV3UT

— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) July 28, 2017

Troughton-Smith said that HomePod apps are prefixed with “Air” in the firmware, but that there currently appears to be no provision for third-party apps or extensions in the OS shell.

In addition to revealing that the device will include Accessibility features like VoiceOver, Troughton-Smith also found references to an LED matrix, possibly relating to the area on the top of the speaker that with the right density could display shapes and/or symbols.

Plus and minus symbols and a Siri button are known to be on the top of the device, so the existence of an LED matrix could potentially present additional information to the user, such as icons or a graphic equalizer.

So the #HomePod probably has a screen like this. If it’s the right density could easily show basic things like temperature & weather icons pic.twitter.com/l5f16EkddV

— Alan Miller (@rosewoodat5th) July 28, 2017

Oddly enough, the developer also found that the HomePod is identified as an iPhone SE in the iTunes Store.

Apple is sure to make further changes to the software that runs the audio speaker before it ships in December, so we’ll likely have to wait until then for the full lowdown on its functionality. In the meantime, you can learn more about the device by checking out the MacRumors HomePod roundup.

Related Roundup: HomePod
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The Morning After: Weekend Edition

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to the weekend. We’ll take a look back at some of the big stories from earlier this week and Friday’s big news including Model 3 deliveries and the conclusion of #FontGate.

That’s 30 out of the 400,000+ already pre-ordered.Elon Musk makes his first Model 3 delivery

Last night Tesla hosted a launch event for the Model 3, as it delivered the first round of production vehicles. The (more) mainstream option in its electric vehicle lineup finally has official specs, and according to Musk, production will ramp up sharply from here. If you missed the stream last night, just check out the quick 15-minute unveiling video right here.

And we got in one!Riding in Tesla’s new Model 3

Andrew Tarantola took a spin in the highly-anticipated sedan, finding similarities to the Model S in how roomy it is, and because of how much torque is available right off of the line. Still, its lack of a traditional instrument cluster will take some getting used to, now that all of the information is relegated to a center-mounted touchscreen control panel.

What happens when art, paradoxically, is too fragile to be seen? The unending fight to preserve ‘The Last Supper’

Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper is a particularly tragic example of man’s impermanence. And the fight to save it has been laden with controversy, particularly in the modern era, as corporate sponsorship and claims to technology have muddied the waters of an already sensitive subject. The latest attempt to stave off its inevitable deterioration comes in the form of a state-of-the-art air-filtration system, which will be active by 2019.

After the Chicago Fest, we get it.Niantic abruptly delays several Pokémon Go events in Europe

Given how poorly things went a week ago in Chicago, maybe it was inevitable that the next few Pokémon Go IRL events would be delayed or canceled. Niantic pushed back events in Copenhagen, Prague, Stockholm and Amsterdam from their announced dates in the next two weeks until unspecified days in the fall. Other, later events in Japan and Europe are still supposed to happen, but apparently this is needed to “guarantee the best possible gameplay experience.”

Anime, UK game shows and gods at war.What we’ve been watching in July

In the latest installment of our IRL series, Engadget editors explain what they’ve been watching lately. This time around that includes a deep dive back into anime both new (Shirobako) and old (Cowboy Bebop), the near-future tale Robot & Frank and Starz’ Neal Gaiman adaptation American Gods.

But wait, there’s more…

• Pakistan’s Prime Minister resigns following Fontgate scandal
• Hands-on with Waze for Android Auto
• The iPod was my last physical connection to music — and now it’s gone
• Elon Musk’s Boring elevator.
• USB 3.2 doubles your connection speeds with the same port

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t subscribe.

Recommended Reading: Trent Reznor on Beats, Apple Music and more

In Conversation:
Trent Reznor
David Marchese,
Vulture

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor helped craft Beats Music, the streaming service that would eventually become Apple Music after the tech giant purchased the popular headphone brand. On the heels of NIN’s most recent EP release, Add Violence, the musician sat down with Vulture to chat about a range of topics. Among other things, Reznor talks Beats, Apple Music, streaming, his new music and lessons learned.

I took a ride in Tesla’s new Model 3

After celebrating the delivery of its first 30 Model 3’s to eagerly awaiting pre-order customers, Tesla invited attendees at Friday night’s event to take a spin in the brand new vehicles. So of course, we took them up on the offer.

Watch a Tesla Model 3 vs. Volvo S60 side-pole impact test pic.twitter.com/dXBQkstrdo

— Tesla (@TeslaMotors) July 29, 2017

Tesla bills the Model 3 as a slightly smaller (not to mention significantly less expensive) version of the Model S. For the most part, that analogy rings true. The interior of the Model 3 is well appointed with leather seats, power everything and most of the same electronic gadgets that the Model S offers. Despite being a few inches shorter than the S, the Model 3 does not skimp on the legroom. I stand over six feet tall and didn’t feel the least bit cramped in the 3’s backseat.

The Model 3 does have a smaller battery pack than the S so don’t expect to engage Ludicrous mode (which it does not offer yet) and go blowing Lambos off the line. But while the 3 won’t suck the fillings out of your teeth with its speed, the car is by no means a no slouch in the acceleration department. You still have access to every horse the electric drivetrain can muster every time you step on the “gas” pedal.

I took a ride in the $35,000 base model which boasts a 220 mile range and 5.6 second 0-60. If you opt for the Long Range edition (a $9,000 battery option), that figure drops to just over 5 seconds and extends its drive time to a whopping 310 miles. That means with the bigger battery, you can theoretically get from San Diego, California to Scottsdale, Arizona in a single charge.

Of course, why would you push your luck when the Model 3 is fully compatible with Tesla’s network of Supercharger stations. However, unlike the Model S and X, Model 3 owners won’t have unlimited to the charger stations and will have to pay a small fee each time they’re plugged in.

Overall though, this is a pretty sweet whip for $35,000. For that price, you could get a BMW 2 series or a Mercedes CLA, but why deal with the hassle of gas? The Model 3 may sacrifice a bit of the overwhelming performance of the S (looking at you P100D Ludicrous Mode) but it offers a far more responsible and reasonable driving experience in its place.

A look inside Model 3 pic.twitter.com/hIhAZn4Sdj

— Tesla (@TeslaMotors) July 29, 2017

My only real qualm with the 3 is that the speedo and the rest of the rest of the instrument cluster are located on the upper left corner of the center console control panel, requiring you to take your eyes off the road every time want to see how fast you’re going. Still, while the Roadster put Tesla on the map, the Model 3 really feels like the car that will bring electric vehicles as a whole into the mainstream.

Some Pokémon Go events in Europe postponed after Chicago debacle

Last weekend’s Pokémon Go Fest did not go well, with technical issues and cell coverage problems preventing many players from participating at the event’s Chicago location in Grant Park. Afterward, the game’s makers refunded players and offered other goodies, but complaints have persisted and there’s even a reported lawsuit. Seemingly as a result of all of the issues, Niantic just announced it’s postponing two pairs of Pokémon Safari events scheduled in Europe to “guarantee the best possible gameplay experience.”

Interestingly, not all of the events are being delayed, just four scheduled for the next two weeks. That includes Copenhagen and Prague on August 5th, along with Stockholm and Amsterdam on August 12th. The Pikachu Outbreak event in Yokohama, Japan on August 14th and all events set for September 16th in France, Spain and Germany are still on the schedule.

Source: Pokémon Go Live

Now Windows 10’s ‘Continue on PC’ feature works from your iPhone

A couple of days ago Microsoft enabled a feature that lets Android users easily use the share button to push a web page from their cell phone to a Windows 10 PC. Now, it’s released an app to manage the same feature on iOS-powered devices. It’s available to users in the “Fast” ring of its Insiders preview program, who will need the latest build released for their PCs. Cross-device web browsing is one of the many features coming in the Fall Creators Update, and every new feature being beta tested means its release date keeps creeping closer.

Hey #WindowsInsiders ‘Continue on PC’ for iPhone is now available! Send web browsing sessions from iPhone to PC!https://t.co/5oI90KfBKj

— Vishnu Nath (@VishnuNath) July 28, 2017

Source: iTunes, Windows Experience Blog

Tesla just delivered the first round of Model 3s

As Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised earlier this month, the company handed over the first 30 Model 3’s to their new owners at a delivery ceremony in Fremont, California this Friday.

The company will now shift its focus to ramping up production. Musk reportedly expects the Fremont production plant to build another 100 Model 3s in August, accelerating to 1,500 the following month and potentially hitting as many as 20,000 cars per month by the end of the year. However, even with those sorts of production numbers, it’ll still take nearly two years to deliver Model 3s to all 400,000 people who’ve laid down $1,000 deposits since the program launched last March.

While the Model X SUV and Model S sedan served as (expensive) early standard bearers for the fledgling car company, the Model 3 is being billed as an electric car for the everyman. It is expected to retail for around $35,000 for the base model, though industry analysts have speculated buyers will be able to upgrade to a second motor for all-wheel drive capabilities or larger batteries for extended range. These options haven’t yet been confirmed by the company and we’ll likely have to wait until Tesla actually releases its order sheets before knowing exactly what sorts of bells and whistles the Model 3s will offer.

What we do know, thanks first to a leaked internal company document but which has since been confirmed by the company, is that the Model 3 will offer a 5.6 second 0-60 time, 130MPH tops speed, 220 mile range, space for 5 adults, and 15 cubic feet of cargo storage. It will offer supercharging capability, which notches 130 miles of range per 30 minutes of charge time. If you juice it back up through your home’s 240V power system as well, though, that rate drops to 30 miles of range per hour. Other amenities include WiFi and LTE connectivity, voice activated controls, and Bluetooth.

As for options, you can score an extra-range battery which boosts the vehicle’s range to 310 miles, ups the top speed to 140 MPH and drops a half second off the the 0-60 time to 5.1 seconds. You can also pick one of five special color options for $1,000 a pop or add 19-inch sport wheels for another $1,500. The Premium Upgrades Package retails for an extra $5,000 but gives you premium, powered, heated seats, fog lamps, heated sideview mirrors and a dual smartphone dock in the center console.

And of course this thing is autopilot-enabled. You’ll just need to plunk down $5,000 for the Model 3 to get it to “match speed to traffic conditions, keep within a lane, automatically change lanes, transition from one freeway to another, exit the freeway and self-park at your destination,” according to the company. The Model 3 can even offer “Full Self-Driving Capability” at some point “in the future” but it’ll set you back $3,000 in addition to the five grand you dropped on the Enhanced Autopilot package.

The Model 3 will only sport a single 15-inch display screen (rather than the S’s dual digital displays) and offer a far more streamlined customization process with fewer than 100 options for customers to choose from. The Model S, for comparison, boasts more than 1,500 customization schemes.

We’ll be taking a spin with the new Model 3 as soon as Elon Musk finishes his remarks so stay tuned!

How to block someone on Pinterest (and what that really does)

Spam killing your online mood board? While Pinterest profiles are all public, users can choose to block pinners to prevent messages, likes, and comments on their own Pins. The feature has been available since 2012, and gives users a way to block spammers and negative commenters alike; it also allows you to keep other users from interacting with your pins for whatever reason. If you’re unclear on how to use the feature, however, we’ve put together a guide on how to block someone on Pinterest, along with a more comprehensive guide on how to use Pinterest.

What does blocking someone on Pinterest do?

Pinterest is a public platform, meaning unless you pin to a secret board, you can’t control who views your pins. It’s important to understand that a blocked user can still see your pins if they navigate to your public profile. While a blocked user will still be able to see your pins if they navigate there, they won’t be able to follow your boards, message you, or comment or like your pins. Blocked users also won’t appear in your news feed, but they will pop up in search results, feeds, and group boards.

If you’ve pinned or liked that user’s content in the past, your pins won’t disappear once you block said user. If you want to get rid of the pins, you need to manually go in and unpin each one.

The blocked user also won’t receive a notification about the block, either, so you won’t be offending someone the moment you hit the block button. However, they will find out if they try to follow you or interact with one of your pins.

Pinterest also notes that users should report any harassment and cyberbullying after blocking the user in question.

How to block someone on Pinterest

Step 1: To block someone on Pinterest, you first need to find the person’s public profile. You can navigate to a profile by tapping the username inside a pin. Alternatively, you can start typing the name of the user in the search bar and click People to search exclusively for users.

Step 2: Once inside the user’s profile, blocking is just a matter of finding the right icons. Tapping the flag icon, located above the username and next to the follow button, will block that user. Click the red Block button in the pop-up window to finalize your decision. Note that the process is the same for both the desktop and app iterations of Pinterest.

If you change your mind…

Need to unblock a user? To unblock someone on Pinterest, simply navigate to their profile and tap the Unblock icon.

Blocking someone on Pinterest is easy to do, however, and prevents them from sending you messages and comments. While blocks won’t keep a user from seeing your profile, the setting will prevent comments and messages from that user. Just remember that blocking a user doesn’t make a post any less public, so if you’re pinning something you don’t want the general public to know about, pin to a secret board. Now, back to creating that trendsetting mood board, sans spam.

Silicon Power brings stick-based storage up to speed with three-prong approach

Why it matters to you

Silicon Power now provides a portable, convenient way to move data from one device to another using three different USB connectors.

Although USB sticks typically aren’t newsworthy, Silicon Power’s latest invention deserves some recognition. The company set out to solve the problem of moving data between multiple devices that rely on varying physical connections while keeping the overall form factor compact. The answer is the company’s new Mobile C50 flash drive.

What makes this device clever is that it has three connectors. The standard rectangular Type-A connector with only one side up resides at one end, which actually lifts up to reveal a second Micro-B connector for older phones and tablets. The third connector resides on the other end: a narrow Type-C either-side-is-up connector for modern devices.

Adding to that, the Type-C connector is stored under a sturdy, elastic black cap matching the rest of the drive’s outer shell. This cap includes a hole so you can keep the USB drive hooked with car keys, dangling on a necklace, and so on.

Silicon Power’s three-pronged drive includes two free tools: an SP Widget for computers, and an SP File Explorer for devices with Type-C ports and Android. Silicon Power also offers Recuva File Recovery for retrieving deleted files that, along with SP Widget, can be downloaded from the company’s website here.

“Never lost for the right connection, it’s easier than ever to share data between new-generation USB Type-C devices, any ‘traditional’ USB PC or laptop, and Micro-B smartphones or tablets. The compact drive is also a reliable companion,” the company says.

Here are the specifications:

Capacity:
32GB
64GB
128GB
Dimensions:
1.64 (L) x 0.27 x 0.59 (H) inches
Casing:
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)
Casing color:
Black
Weight:
0.18 ounces
Interface:
USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
USB 2.0 Micro-B
USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
Compatible with:
Windows XP to Windows 10
MacOS 10.3.x or later
Linux 2.6.x or later

As for other bells and whistles, Silicon Power’s Mobile C50 flash drive is designed to withstand water, dust, and vibrations while operating between zero and -70 degrees Celsius. It has an “ergonomic grip” for easy handling, and comes with a five-year warranty.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have any pricing at the time of publication, so keep checking back with your favorite online/offline vendor. Here are the part numbers for each capacity:

Capacity
Part Number
32GB
SP032GBUC3C50V1K
64GB
SP064GBUC3C50V1K
128GB
SP128GBUC3C50V1K