Perfect techie send-off? Funeral priests could be replaced by a ‘Buddhist’ robot

Why it matters to you

It’d be a great send-off for the dedicated techie!

SoftBank’s friendly Pepper robot is turning into the jack of all trades, and hopefully the master of at least a few of them.

Ever since the 120-cm-tall robot went on sale in 2015, it’s been deployed in a range of roles in locations around the world, including helping out in phone stores, airports, hospitals, and train stations.

Its latest job, however, could be its most unusual yet. Dressing the humanoid robot in a Buddhist monk’s robe, Japanese firm Nissei Eco has programmed Pepper to chant Buddhist sutras at funerals in a bid to offer “a cheaper alternative to human priests,” according to the Japan Times.

Nissei Eco manufactures plastic products but 17 years ago took the interesting step of diversifying into the funeral business. Pepper’s funeral appearances are expected to cost 50,000 yen (about $455) a time, markedly less than what a living, breathing Buddhist priest would expect to receive in the same role.

As the Japan Times points out, societal changes in the country have led to an increase in people looking for alternative approaches to funerals. It’s not yet clear if there’s solid demand for robot involvement, but in a country known for its abundance of techies, having Pepper see you off at the end of your life could be the perfect tribute. It’s just a pity you won’t be there to see it.

A chanting, berobed Pepper will be making an appearance at next week‘s International Funeral and Cemetery Show in Tokyo, an event where businesses can show off their latest funeral-related wares. If visitors to the show rather like Nissei Eco’s idea of a robot priest rolling up at funerals, SoftBank may well find itself processing a few more orders for Pepper in the coming weeks.

SoftBank launched Pepper two years ago, touting it for its ability to understand human emotions, which it processes via on-board cameras and sensors. It can respond with its own emotions through body posture, tone of voice, and color changes shown on the display attached to its torso. Besides having the ability to sing, dance, and tell jokes, it can also be programmed for different environments and activities, though at the current time it’s mainly used by businesses and organizations to meet and greet customers. Around 10,000 Pepper robots are believed to have been sold so far.

SoftBank partnered with French robotics company Aldebaran SAS to develop Pepper, and Foxconn is helping to build it. The robot costs 198,000 yen ($1,810), though a monthly fee of 24,600 ($225) yen is also required.

Microsoft’s Surface app shows accessory battery levels

Microsoft’s Surface ecosystem now includes a lot of Bluetooth peripherals, including the Surface Keyboard, Surface Mouse, Surface Pen, Surface Dial, Surface Arc Mouse and others. Most of those are powered by rechargeable batteries, and so far, there’s been no easy to way to track the power levels. Luckily, the latest version of the Surface App, dedicated software for Surface devices, now shows the “Battery level for Surface accessories” so you can tell whether you need to juice up soon or not.

The new feature, shown as a battery icon in the sidebar, only works with Microsoft accessories, and not all of them apparently. One commenter at Windows Central noted that only the latest Surface “SP4” pen supports the feature, while the older “SP3” model doesn’t. Another commenter notes that a firmware update might be required for other peripherals.

Speaking of peripherals, Microsoft has also changed the way you adjust Pen pressure settings in the Surface app, adding an advanced configuration mode and a graph. Both of the new features are in version 23.0.602.0 of the Surface app, available in the Windows 10 store, which should be available now or soon

Via: On MSFT

Source: Microsoft

Google and Deezer promise to expunge racist music, too

Google and Deezer don’t want to be known as home for the hateful, racist music that Spotify started deleting earlier this week — so both companies have pledged to follow in its footsteps. Spotify began removing racist content after Digital Music News published the names of 37 white supremacy bands you can find on the platform. Most of them are included in Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of racist acts you can find on streaming services and digital stores.

Spotify-competitor Deezer told the publication that it’s now also in the midst of “swiftly and actively reviewing” the songs and on its platform has begun removing “any material that is in any way connected to any white supremacist movement or belief system.”

Google, one the other hand, isn’t actively seeking them out. Still, it told Variety that it will remove any YouTube and Play Music offering that violates its policies against hate speech and incitement to commit violent acts. It will only take action if users report them, though, which could be a problem, since it’s hard to report anything on Google Play Music. You’ll have to file a form within the “help & feedback” menu — there’s just no intuitive way to do so.

Other streaming services and stores like Amazon Music haven’t revealed whether they also plan to follow suit. Even if they don’t, they might get fewer and fewer new racist tracks going forward: CD Baby, one of the music distributors where the likes of Amazon, Google and Spotify get their content, has also sworn to delete racist tracks its own users flag. CEO Tracy Maddux also said that the company has the right to refuse submissions from artists if they promote hatred and violence against specific groups of people.

Maddux said:

“We believe hate speech is particularly odious, and we try not to carry it, per our hate speech policy. CD Baby does not intentionally distribute content that promotes violence against persons of a specific race, color, religion, nationality, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and we reserve the right to refuse submissions of this nature, or to cancel submissions that fall into this category at any time.

We carry over 8 million songs that hundreds of thousands of artists self-distribute on the CD Baby platform, and it is impossible to screen every song for objectionable content. Our practice has been to encourage our community to let us know if there is content available on our site that violates these guidelines. Reports of hate-promoting music are taken very seriously and we are making every effort to flag and vet tracks of concern. In the event we find content in violation of these guidelines, we will take it down.”

Music streaming platforms aren’t the only entities taking action against white supremacists after the tragic events in Charlottesville. Twitter suspended the account used to promote updates posted by the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer, but only after GoDaddy dropped the domain and Google refused to host it — actions the EFF criticized, because it’s worried that the same tactic could be used against other groups of people, including ones whose opinions you agree with.

Source: Variety, Digital Music News

Will my phone get Android O in India?

Let’s guess when your phone will pick up the Android O update.

Android O is on the horizon, and there’s plenty to look forward to. The update introduces picture-in-picture mode to phones and tablets, colorized notifications, adaptive icons, a systemwide autofill API, improvements to Bluetooth audio, and so much more.

Android O will also feature Project Treble, which aims to fix Android’s fragmentation problem. With Project Treble, Google is separating the OS framework from “vendor interfaces,” which allows device manufacturers to roll out updates without having to rework their custom skins for a new version of Android. In short, it is the “biggest change to the low-level system architecture of Android to date.”

They key question when we’re talking about Android O is when (or if) your phone will receive the update. Indian manufacturers don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to rolling out updates, and that isn’t likely to change with Android O. Let’s predict which devices will pick up the update, and when.

Samsung

Samsung sells the most number of phones in India, and for good reason. With a robust offline distribution network and an unparalleled marketing budget, Samsung continues to sell tens of millions of phones in India, with the budget Galaxy J series leading the pack. Going by Samsung’s track record, at least the Galaxy J5 and J7 2017 should pick up the update, as well as the more recent J7 Pro and J7 Max.

The manufacturer rolled out the Nougat update to the Galaxy S7 back in January, so it’s likely we’ll see the Android O update for the S8 at around the same timeframe next year. The Note 8 — which is scheduled to launch next week — will be running Nougat out of the box, but should pick up Android O at around the same time as the S8 or even before.

• Galaxy Note 8
• Galaxy S8
• Galaxy S8+
• Galaxy S7
• Galaxy S7 edge
• Galaxy A 2017 series (A3/A5/A7)
• Galaxy C7 Pro/C9 Pro
• Galaxy J7 Pro/J7 Max
• Galaxy J5/J7 2017

Xiaomi

Xiaomi has seen a reversal in fortunes in India this year, with the Chinese manufacturer offering two of the best-selling phones in the country: the Redmi Note 4 and the Redmi 4. However, things aren’t so rosy when you look at the update situation. The Redmi Note 4 is picking up the Nougat update now, and the likes of the Redmi 4/4A and Redmi 3S are still on Marshmallow.

Even for devices that are slated to pick up the Android O update, it’s possible customers will be looking at lengthy wait times. For now, only three devices seem likely to pick up the Android O update, but that could change in the future:

• Mi Max 2
• Redmi Note 4
• Mi 5

Motorola

Motorola is likely to deliver Android O to a majority of its devices. The task won’t be as straightforward as previous years considering the manufacturer vastly expanded its portfolio. It may lead to delays in rolling out updates to the entry-level devices like the Moto C, but devices from the Moto G series to the Moto Z family and everything in between should pick up the Android O update.

With India being Motorola’s largest global market, the company tends to roll out updates in the subcontinent ahead of other regions. We should be able to get an official confirmation of devices getting updated as well as a timeline once Android O is official. For now, these are the devices that could pick up Android O:

• Moto C series
• Moto E4 series
• Moto G5 series
• Moto G4 series
• Moto Z2 series
• Moto Z series

Google

Google’s devices are the first to pick up platform and security updates, and with the company committing to two years of platform updates and three years of security updates, all phones released after August 2015 will pick up Android O. That list includes four phones:

• Google Pixel
• Google Pixel XL
• Nexus 6P
• Nexus 5X

Lenovo

The Android O update will be making its way to the recently-released K8 Note, but for the rest of the devices in Lenovo’s portfolio, Nougat marks the end of the line. Lenovo has stated that it will not deliver the Nougat update to the PHAB 2 Pro, which was released in the country back in January.

The K8 Note, K8 Power, P2, and Z2 Plus are running Nougat, but won’t receive any further updates. The sole Lenovo device that is slated to pick up the Android O update is the K8 Note, which is also the first phone from the brand to feature stock Android.

• K8 Note

LG

LG’s upcoming V30 could be one of the first devices to run Android O out of the box, but if it doesn’t, it will pick up the update. The G6 and V20 are also expected to make the switch to Android O, as is the budget LG Q6:

• LG V30
• LG V20
• LG G6
• LG Q6

HTC

HTC’s U11 is one of the best phones that you can currently buy, and the phone will undoubtedly pick up the Android O update, along with the U Ultra and last year’s HTC 10:

• HTC U11
• HTC U Ultra
• HTC 10

The manufacturer also sells the Desire 10 Pro and U Play in India, but considering that both of these devices are running Marshmallow, it’s unlikely they will be updated to Android O.

Sony

Sony is doing a great job when it comes to delivering consistent updates, and the company should deliver Android O to a majority of devices launched in the last twelve months:

• Xperia XZ Premium
• Xperia X series
• Xperia XZ
• Xperia XZs

Notable mentions

Hundreds of new phones debut in India every year, and as such it isn’t feasible to track whether each device will pick up an update. That said, there are a few notable devices that will be making the switch to Android O:

• The OnePlus 3/3T and the OnePlus 5 will be getting updated to Android O.
• Indian brand Smartron is focusing on software updates as the differentiator for its srt.phone, so the device will pick up the Android O update.
• The Honor 6X and Honor 8 Pro should similarly make the switch to Android O, alongside the Huawei P9.
• The BlackBerry KEYone will also get the update, but it could be a lengthy wait for customers.
• ASUS has announced that all phones in the ZenFone 3 and ZenFone 4 series will be updated to Android O. There’s no timeline for the same, but even after accounting for lengthy delays, that’s great news for ZenFone owners in the country.

If you’re using a phone from one of the dozens that Vivo and OPPO currently sell in the country, don’t hold out for an update to Android O — most of their devices are still on Marshmallow. Same goes for phones from the likes of Micromax, Intex, Lava, and Karbonn. If the last year has shown us anything, it’s that Indian vendors aren’t interested in rolling out updates to their phones. We’ll keep updating this list as and when we get official confirmation from manufacturers.

Android O

• Everything new in Android O
• Should you put Android O on your phone?
• How to get the Android O Beta on your Pixel or Nexus
• Join the Discussion

‘Galaxy Quest’ Amazon TV series back on with a new writer

Galaxy Quest, the cult movie beloved by sci-fi fans for its gentle mocking of, well, sci-fi fans, is back on track as a rebooted TV series for Amazon, THR reports. The revival was originally revealed in 2015, but plans were put on hold after the death of original cast-member Alan Rickman, who was to reprise his role in the news series. It’s now on again, with writer/actor/comedian Paul Scheer (The Disaster Artist, Veep) set to write the script.

The original 1999 film was a mild success, grossing $90 million, but has since become a cult classic. Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman and Tony Shalhoub, it follows the cast of a fictional Star Trek-like TV show called Galaxy Quest. After it’s canceled, they make their living via conventions, but are suddenly visited by actual aliens who believe the show is a documentary. The crew subsequently becomes mixed up in a serious galactic conflict and pulls together despite deep-seated resentments, with the help of devoted fans.

By Grabthar’s Hammer, I will write thee. https://t.co/LLuRumTW6u

— Paul Scheer (@paulscheer) August 17, 2017

The idea of a Galaxy Quest reboot was first brought to Amazon by the film’s original producer, Mark Johnson. It was reportedly set to go in production prior to Rickman’s death with a different writer, Robert Gordon, who is still on-hand to executive produce the series.

Amazon describes the series as a “new take” on the film, but not much else about the concept is known. However, fans are excited about the hiring of Scheer, well-known among sci-fi and movie geeks for his How Did This Get Made podcast about terrible movies. He’s also a long-time Funny or Die writer and starred in the cult MTV sketch show Human Giant with Aziz Ansari and Rob Huebel.

So far, the Galaxy Quest reboot cast hasn’t been revealed. When the revival first launched, however, Tim Allen was doing Last Man Standing, which has subsequently been canceled.

Suffice to say, the concept is ripe for a reboot, as sci-fi fandom has is now a huge industry and multiplexes are dominated by superhero and space adventure films. “Without giving much away, I don’t there there has ever been a better time to continue the Galaxy Quest story,” Scheer told Deadline. “To be able to create and be a part of this world is just mind-blowing, and I’m approaching this truly as what I’d like to see as a fan.”

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Monster’s headphones get their own voice assistant

Monster’s latest team-up isn’t with another star athlete or fellow accessory-maker: it’s with music platform Speak Music Inc., which is lending the company its voice assistant named Melody. Monster says the partnership will add voice control to some of its headphones, making them the “world’s first voice-powered premium” cans. The premium part may be true, but there are other voice-activated Bluetooth headsets out there. There’s also bound to be more, considering manufacturers can now incorporate Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service into their products.

World’s first or not, Melody adds a new level of hands-free convenience to Monster’s devices. You’ll have to download the Melody app from Google Play or iTunes and pair it with your device. But once that’s done, you can simply tap on the headphones when you want to tell Melody to play a specific song, album or artist. You can also tell it to skip/pause a track, turn the volume up/down or to access iHeartRadio, Spotify Premium, NPR and, in the near future, Tidal.

Monster says Melody relies on data connection instead of WiFi, so you can use the assistant anywhere you have signal. However, that also means you’ll have to leave your data on even at home. In addition, you can’t use Melody with the Monster cups you already have, even if the AI is already on the app stores. It can only pair with the voice-compatible versions of Elements, Clarity HD and iSport Freedom V2 fitness headphones that Monster is releasing later this month.

Source: Monster

ASU students live with Echo Dots while learning voice-control tech

Engineering students at Arizona State University can opt into an interesting new program meant to give students access to voice-controlled technology while they learn about it in the classroom. Students living in the campus’ new engineering residence hall, Tooker House, can get a free Amazon Echo Dot and take courses aimed at developing the technology. “Our focus is putting this technology into the hands of our students in a way that will build an ecosystem that supports voice technologies throughout the ASU campus,” said ASU’s Octavio Heredia in a statement.

Amazon has donated 1,600 Dots to the school as well as Alexa Skills Kits that can be used in or outside of the classroom. Three undergraduate courses are also being taught this semester that focus on voice-user interface development with an additional class scheduled for the spring. “Once they are familiar with the devices, they are going to want to further develop their own skills and begin integrating that technology — the hardware and the skills — into other projects,” said Heredia.

Along with putting Dots in every Tooker House dorm room, the university is also developing an ASU-specific Alexa skill that will give users information about the school and its campus. For engineering students interested in this sort of technology, ASU’s program seems like a great way to jump in.

Amazon dot – Tooker House from ASU Now on Vimeo.

Via: The Verge

Source: ASU

AI creates fictional scenes out of real-life photos

AI’s not quite ready to build photorealistic worlds on its own. But it’s getting pretty close.

Researcher Qifeng Chen of Stanford and Intel fed his AI system 5,000 photos from German streets. Then, with some human help it can build slightly blurry made-up scenes. The image at the top of this article is a example of the network’s output.

To create an image a human needs to tell the AI system what goes where. Put a car here, put a building there, place a tree right there. It’s paint by numbers and the system generates a wholly unique scene based on that input.

Chen’s AI isn’t quite good enough to create photorealistic scenes just yet. It doesn’t know enough to fill in all those tiny pixels. It’s not going to replace the high-end special effects houses that spend months building a world. But, it could be used to create video game and VR worlds where not everything needs to look perfect in the near future.

Intel plans on showing off the tech at the International Conference on Computer Vision in October.

Via: New Scientist

Source: Stanford

Instagram Introduces New Photo and Video Direct Message Reply Options

Instagram today announced the addition of new ways to reply to photos and videos to improve Direct conversations with friends.

When replying to a direct message of a photo or video sent from a friend, Instagram users can now reply with a photo or a video of their own. Hit the “Reply” button on a message to open the camera and create a photo to send. All replies include a sticker of the image or video you’re replying to.

Now you can reply with a photo or video to specific photos, videos, and reshared posts in Direct. Your reply will automatically include a sticker of what you’re replying to. Just hit “reply” to open the camera, take a selfie, and send.

Instagram is also adding an option to send a split-screen reply to a friend by tapping on the sticker that’s automatically included with every reply. When tapped, the sticker will appear at the top of the screen and your own photo will appear at the bottom of the screen.

Instagram’s new features are available in Instagram version 10.34, available immediately from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Instagram
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YouTube TV Streaming Service Expands to an Additional 14 Markets, Now Available in 50% of U.S. Households

YouTube’s streaming television service, YouTube TV, today expanded to an additional 14 markets, making it available to approximately 50 percent of the homes in the United States.

Areas gaining access to YouTube TV today include Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Columbus, OH, Jacksonville-Brunswick, Las Vegas, Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Seattle-Tacoma, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, and West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce.

According to YouTube, the YouTube TV service offers the most markets with access to four live local broadcast feeds from ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Along with these live local feeds, YouTube TV features more than 50 networks like ESPN, AMC, USA, and FX, plus it includes cloud DVR support and multi-person access.

Along with expanding to additional markets, YouTube TV is also gaining support for Newsy and the Tennis Channel, new channels that are available to all subscribers at no additional cost.

YouTube TV first launched in April, but it was initially limited to the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. It expanded to additional cities in July, and will expand again “in the coming weeks” to 17 markets like San Diego, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Denver.

YouTube TV is priced at $35 per month.

Tag: YouTube TV
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