Intel’s self-driving supergroup brings Fiat Chrysler into the fold

Intel’s self-driving supergroup has added another member to the team: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The partnership, which already includes BMW, Intel and Mobileye, has ambitious plans to get autonomous vehicles on the road by 2021, and FCA’s inclusion is likely to make that goal more achievable.

FCA already has a decent chunk of autonomous expertise under its belt — it partnered with Waymo (formerly Google) in 2016, adding 100 self-driving Pacifica minivans to the Waymo fleet — but compared to its rivals the group lags behind. The new partnership gives the company access to the research and resources it needs to keep pace in the field.

But FCA brings something useful to the table, too. Scalability remains an issue for autonomous vehicles — that is, making the technology work with different makes and models. FCA owns a number of very different brands, including Chrysler, Fiat and Jeep, so the partnership can now work towards autonomy across the board, from Jeeps used off-road to Fiats designed for zooming around cities.

The partnership aims to have 40 self-driving test vehicles on public roads by the end of 2017 — a small step towards its grander plans to have Level 3 and Level 4/5 self-driving cars in production by 2021. FCA made a smart move getting involved at this stage — no doubt other manufacturers will soon be looking for a piece of the action as well.

Via: The Verge

Amazon’s Alexa can now steer exoskeletons

Exoskeletons don’t come cheap and they’re not one size fits all, making them a daunting prospect for the average buyer. But, some companies are working towards changing that. In December, Hyundai promised to make the suits cheaper. And, researchers are using machine learning to make them more accessible for people with mobility issues. That’s where Bionik Laboratories comes in. The startup is adding Amazon’s Alexa to its Arke lower-body exoskeleton, allowing wearers to control it with their voice. The exoskeleton is mainly aimed at those who have suffered spinal injuries. Although, its lower-body support mechanism could also aid stroke and traumatic brain injury victims, claims the company.

With Alexa integration, users will be able to bark orders at the suit — such as “Alexa, I’m ready to stand” or “Alexa, I’m ready to walk.” This will activate the sensors in Arke’s feet and joints, allowing it to carry out the actions. However, there is a slight niggle: Currently the functionality only works if you’re within range of an Amazon Echo. Additionally, this version is just a prototype — it still has to pass clinical trials and FDA approvals before a public launch.

Alexa is proving a versatile AI, but pairing it with an exoskeleton is a bold move. After all, people currently use their Amazon Echo to skip Charlie Puth tracks or order toilet roll. Whether or not it will make for a reliable assistant for those with physical impairments (where every command becomes critical), remains to be seen.

Bionik Laboratories’ co-founder Michal Prywata recently told Fortune that the exoskeleton could hit the market by 2019.

Google offers Lunar Xprize finalists an extra $4.75 million

It’s been almost 10 years since Google and Xprize launched their lunar spacecraft challenge, and they’re giving the final contenders more incentive to cross the finish line. The partners are fattening up their Milestone Prize purse with an extra $4.75 million “to recognize the full gravity of these bold technological feats taking place in the race to the moon.”

The five remaining contenders will now compete for two near-end-goal prizes: the Lunar Arrival and the Soft Landing Milestone Prize. To win Lunar Arrival and its $1.75 million reward, the team’s spacecraft has to complete one orbit around the moon or enter a direct descent approach to the moon’s surface. In order to win Soft Landing’s $3 million reward, though, the team’s spacecraft must be able to beam data back to Earth to prove that it has landed on the lunar surface.

The Google Lunar Xprize challenged teams from all over the globe to develop a privately funded spacecraft that can land on Earth’s faithful companion. It must also be able to travel 500 meters on the moon and send back high-res images and videos. The five final contenders announced in January have until March 31st, 2018 to reach the project’s ultimate goals and win the Grand Prize that’s worth a cool $20 mil.

Source: Xprize

Yet another ‘Game of Thrones’ episode has leaked

When you have the world’s most popular show, keeping a lid on new episodes is tough, apparently. After Game of Thrones’ fourth episode hit torrent sites due to a leak from HBO partner Star India, episode 6, due to air on August 20th, was accidentally released by HBO Nordic in Spain. It was quickly pulled after an hour, but during that brief period, someone of course managed to copy the episode and it quickly appeared on torrent sites and the infamous Freefolk Game of Thrones leak Reddit.

HBO has struggled to contain leaks, despite putting a lid on pre-release review copies after the first four episodes of season 5 were stolen. However, the latest release was not a hack or theft, but a simple mistake on the part of an affiliate. While the network is somewhat insulated against by its subscriber base, the leaks damage its reputation and destroy some suspense for the upcoming episodes.

The leaked episode 4 “screener” was watermarked with the Star India logo, and resulted in the arrest of four employees of a Star India subcontractor in India. An earlier HBO breach, for which the hackers demanded a $6 million ransom, revealed some spoilers but no leaked GoT episode leaks yet. HBO confirmed the theft of multiple documents but said it wouldn’t negotiate with the hackers, despite a leaked email showing that it offered “good faith” $250,000 bug bounty payment.

HBO has had blockbuster audience numbers for the second-to-last Game of Thrones season, despite all the unauthorized releases. If you’re no longer reading this and hunting for torrents, bear in mind that the quality of the episode four release was reportedly shoddy (also, it’s illegal). A preview of the upcoming season is embedded below.

Via: Fossbytes

Source: Reddit

Twitter Rolling Out Tweets Organized by ‘Popular’ Topics, Based on Your Interests

Twitter this week began expanding a new section of the Explore tab on iOS and Android, where it will populate tweets aimed at each unique user based on their own interests. Twitter confirmed the update’s appearance to BuzzFeed, and it follows a few months after Twitter debuted a notable redesign for its mobile apps and website.

The new categories in Explore include topics such as “Popular in Literature,” “Popular in Video Games,” “Popular in eSports,” and more, with tweets taken from a combination of accounts followed and not followed by the user. Like other quiet updates, some users may have noticed these changes weeks ago, while others will just begin getting them now, and they can be found by tapping the magnifying glass “Explore” tab on Twitter’s iOS app, then scrolling down below Trends and Moments.

Twitter said that these topics will be “based on what they know about your interests,” but it wasn’t made clear exactly how Twitter gains that information, although liked tweets and followed accounts are likely sourced. The company said that it will “eventually” give users more control over this section and allow them to tell Twitter when they don’t want to see a specific topic, further helping the app curate personalized tweets.

Now you can view tweets sorted by topic, without having to follow anyone, right in Twitter’s Explore tab.

Twitter’s algorithms will show you these topics based on what they know about your interests. Eventually, the platform will give users more control over what they see, the spokesperson said. The company will roll out controls that allow people to tell it they don’t like a topic, which will inform Twitter’s decisions on what to show them.

The update is said to be another bid by Twitter to smooth the introduction process for new users, presenting them with their favorite topics in lieu of making them scroll through a lengthy list of suggested accounts that might tweet about topics they enjoy.

Many recent Twitter updates have focused on gaining and retaining users just joining the platform, including a switch from “favorite” stars to “like” hearts in 2015. Twitter also tested out changing the “retweet” icon into a “sharing” icon late last year, hoping that “share” would be more recognizable and understandable by new users than Twitter-specific lingo like “retweet,” but the change never rolled out to a wider user base.

The troubled introduction of new users onto the platform was a problem highlighted during Twitter’s most recent earnings report, where it was announced that the social network hadn’t grown its user base at all in the second quarter of 2017.

The new “Popular” topics feature is expanding globally this week on Twitter’s mobile apps, and users can download Twitter for iOS on the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Twitter
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Taiwan’s Massive Power Outage Had No Material Impact on Production of New iPhones

A massive four-hour power outage that affected 17 cities and counties across Taiwan on Tuesday had no material impact on the production of new iPhones, according to industry analysts speaking with Nikkei Asian Review.

iPhone 8 dummy model sandwiched between an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
Apple suppliers Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, PowerTech Technology, and ChipMOS Technologies said the power outage did affect some of their production facilities in Taiwan, although they saw little impact on overall operation and shipments, the report noted. All three companies have resumed regular operations.

Apple’s contract manufacturer TSMC also said its operations were not affected, as did fellow iPhone assembler Pegatron, according to Reuters.

The power outage caused a massive blackout in Taiwan, affecting more than 668,000 homes and businesses across the island, according to the South China Morning Post. The incident was blamed on human error at the Datan Power Station in Taoyuan, south of capital Taipei. It was Taiwan’s worst blackout since 1999.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said Apple will begin production verification tests for the so-called iPhone 8 in late August, followed by mass production in mid-September. The high-end device is expected to launch in extremely limited quantities in September alongside the so-called iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus.
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Honey, I shrunk the iPhone: Cute Soyes 7S like Apple’s pride and joy, only tiny

Why it matters to you

Once in a while, in an endless parade of iPhone clones, we see a phone that actually serves a need. The Soyes 7S is an iPhone-like phone for those with small hands.

Just like when puppies do something unspeakable on your new carpet, it’s very easy for forgive the Soyes 7S for looking almost exactly like an Apple iPhone, because it’s just so damn cute. It’s cute because it’s tiny — no more than half the size of an iPhone 7 Plus, but perhaps twice as adorable. It’s not an iPhone challenger though, and the specification is slightly lacking in this unusual Chinese phone. Also, it doesn’t run iOS, obviously, but Google Android with a user interface to make it look something like an iPhone. Only smaller.

Soyes has a history of making small smartphones, which are sold through eBay and Chinese device importers, and a quick browse of its (outdated) website reveals in the past it has made phones the same size as a credit card. However, none are as visually interesting as the Soyes 7S, its miniature iPhone clone.

The screen is 2.54 inches and has a resolution of just 432 x 240 pixels, so it’s not going to challenge Apple’s phone for video or photo reproduction. It’s the same with the processor, which is a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek chip with 1GB of RAM. Turn the phone over and there are some chunky antenna lines at the top and bottom of the body, which appears to be metal. Cheekily, although it looks like there are two camera lenses, only a single 5-megapixel camera hides inside that raised bump in the top corner.

Just how much smaller is the overall package than the iPhone 7 Plus? The Soyes 7S is 95mm tall and 46mm wide, while the Apple phone stretches your grip at 158mm tall and 78mm wide. Squeezing all the technology and a 600mAh battery inside the Soyes 7S means the body is quite thick at 10mm, considerably more than the 7.3mm thick iPhone. It does seem to have a 3.5mm headphone jack, though, which many would consider an ‘iPhone-killing” feature. It also has 4G LTE, GPS, a selfie camera, and comes in various bright colors. Arguably, it has everything you’d want from a phone.

If Apple’s reluctance to release an actual iPhone Mini always frustrated you, and the Soyes 7S has caught your eye, you’re going to have to work hard in order to get one. It is apparently available on an unknown Chinese crowdfunding website, where it costs about $53, and has easily passed its modest funding target with two weeks left to run.

Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone is ready to ship in seven days

The Essential Phone is finally ready to go out to customers.

Andy Rubin’s smartphone startup Essential announced last week that it secured $300 million in funding from the likes of Amazon and Tencent Holdings. The company also said that it would reveal the release date for the device, and Essential is now sending out emails to customers that have registered interest in the device, stating that their unit will ship in seven days:

Great news, your phone has been built! We now just need your payment details and we will ship within 7 days.

If you would like to change the items in your reservation prior to checking out, please contact our support team at support@essential.com. If you reserved an Essential 360 Camera, you will receive a separate email as soon as it’s ready to be shipped.

Your Essential Phone is unlocked, future-proof, and designed around you. For a limited time, we’ve also made it easy for you to get the phone for as low as $29.13 per month.

The phone was initially slated for a summer launch, but that timeline was pushed back after certification delays. It now looks like things are back on track, and the first batch of units are ready to go out to customers.

Following the fresh infusion of funds last week, Essential revealed that its phone would be sold unlocked on Amazon and Best Buy. The unlocked model retails for $699, and you can get your hands on via $29 monthly payments if you purchase directly from Essential, with the payments processed through Affirm.

If you’re looking to pick it the Essential Phone through a carrier, your only option in the U.S. is Sprint. And when it comes to availability on Sprint, a recent Reddit thread suggests the carrier will kick off sales from August 18.

Are you excited about getting your hands on the Essential Phone? Let us know in the comments below.

Facebook’s AI suggestions come to Messenger in the UK

According to Facebook, chatbots were going to change the way we get things done. Users were meant to be able to to buy flowers, order fast food and check in with their bank without ever having to leave the Messenger app. The company quickly dialed back its enthusiasm, admitting that they were somewhat overhyped, but its core technology, M, still underpins Messenger today.

Most of that functionality has been limited to the US, but this week Facebook has brought what it calls “M Suggestions” to the UK, allowing users to enjoy recommendations from its AI-powered personal assistant.

Facebook’s M assistant is designed to pop up when it feels it can deliver content or provide timesaving advice inside an open Messenger chat. This might include a sticker, which allows users to quickly sign off a conversation without having to open the keyboard, or an offer to share someone’s whereabouts when they’re asked “where are you?”

Other suggestions include the option for friends to create a plan, which Facebook inevitably offers to coordinate, start a group poll, make in-app video calls and save content inside Messenger conversations, which can be read, watched or shared later. A little M logo will appear to notify the user of the suggestion, which can also be dismissed if it’s in the way.

For users who are constantly dipping in and out of the Messenger app, M will likely provide a couple of timesaving suggestions. After all, it’s actively listening out for relevant keywords and taking a very small load off their hands. For others, it’ll be something they’ll never likely interact with, unless they’ve forgotten about someone’s birthday and need a reminder to pass on their best wishes.

The Morning After: Wednesday, August 16th 2017

Welcome to Wednesday! Virtually creep inside Kendall Jenner’s closet, watch a drone chill on the UK’s biggest warship and hear about a smart-lock update that bricked said locks. Whoops.

The series was shot with Google’s new Jump cameras.
Google’s latest Daydream VR series puts you in Kendall Jenner’s closet

The latest Google Daydream series will give you a VR look into the closets of supermodels like Kendall Jenner and Cindy Crawford. The series is imaginatively called Supermodel Closets and was made in partnership with Vogue and Condé Nast Entertainment. It’s one of the first projects to use Google’s newest Jump camera — the Yi Halo — which allows for 360-degree views and 4K images. Google notes that the cameras were even able to give great images in tight closet spaces, but these closets are larger than most Manhattan apartments.

It touched down and lifted off with nobody batting an eyelash.
A drone landed on Britain’s biggest warship and nobody cared

The Pentagon has already approved a policy giving military bases the right to shoot down drones that get too close. A lot of other countries’ governments and militaries, however, are still figuring out how to deal with them as they become more common. A photographer operating under the name Black Isle Images, for instance, landed a drone aboard Britain’s biggest warship, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, and nobody seemed to care.

The subscription doesn’t include 3D or IMAX screenings, though.
The MoviePass $9.95 ‘unlimited’ deal is one movie a day

Going to the movies isn’t cheap and MoviePass wants to fix that. The company has just announced a $9.95 no contract subscription plan that’ll grant subscribers access to one movie a day in a theater without blackouts. Previously, users were limited to two movies a month for $15, and in Los Angeles and New York that price bumped to $21. As Variety notes, the deal won’t apply to 3D or IMAX screenings, but how it’ll actually play out and what any other restrictions might entail aren’t clear at the moment.

It promises to virtually eliminate wait times for the basics.
Amazon Instant Pickup service offers you basics in two minutes

Amazon’s Prime Now usually does the job if you need something in a hurry, but what if you can’t even wait a couple of hours? If you happen to live in the right city, you might now have that quick fix. Amazon has launched an Instant Pickup service that lets Prime subscribers grab food and other essentials (and, logically, Amazon devices) at a staffed pickup location within two minutes of ordering them from the company’s mobile app. You probably won’t have an urgent need for an Echo, but Prime Now could be helpful if you lost your headphones or want a snack while you’re in the area.

But wait, there’s more…

• GoFundMe shuts down campaigns for Charlottesville suspect
• DJI drones are getting an offline mode for secret flights
• Qualcomm’s new depth-sensing camera is surprisingly effective
• Smart locks rendered dumb by automatic update fail