Microsoft Pix uses AI to make whiteboard photos useable images

Microsoft’s Pix sets itself apart from other camera apps by using the power of artificial intelligence to correct your photos, learning new tricks over time. It can do things like add artistic flair to your images, turn photos shot in a row into “Live Images,” or just making sure the people in your photos look great. This week, the app got a new update out that adds yet another AI trick to the pile: The ability to capture whiteboards and turn them into useful images.

So, for example, if you’re at an important meeting, you can use Pix to take a photo of a diagram on the whiteboard to remember it later. The Pix app will then sharpen the focus, ramp up the color and tone, crop out the background and realign the image appropriately so that the diagram is shown straight-on.

According to Microsoft, this will work not just on whiteboards, but also documents and business cards as well. It’s a trick that’s very similar to what Microsoft’s own Office Lens app can already do, but while Office Lens is focused on productivity, Pix is more about using AI to recognize whiteboards and documents automatically. Basically, you don’t need to tell Pix that you want the photo of the document to be cropped and realigned — it’ll automatically recognize what it is and will do so without you having to intervene.

Microsoft’s Pix Camera update is available right now on the App Store.

Source: Microsoft

New App Store Guidelines Officially Ban Virus Scanning Apps, Prevent Kids From Using Face ID

Apple this week updated its App Store Review Guidelines for developers, tweaking some existing rules and adding new rules that dictate what developers can and can’t include in their apps. Most of the changes introduced are modest and reflect policies that Apple has already put in place, but there are some notable additions.

Rule 2.3.1, which says developers should not include hidden or undocumented features in apps, has been updated with new language that expressly prevents developers from creating iOS-based virus and malware scanners.

Similarly, you should not market your app on the App Store or offline as including content or services that it does not actually offer (e.g. iOS-based virus and malware scanners). Egregious or repeated behavior is grounds for removal from the Developer Program. We work hard to make the App Store a trustworthy ecosystem and expect our app developers to follow suit; if you’re dishonest, we don’t want to do business with you.

Apple has been removing anti-virus and anti-malware apps from the App Store since 2015, in an effort to prevent customers from believing that it’s possible for iOS devices to contract viruses and malware. Popular anti-virus app VirusBarrier, for example, was pulled from the App Store in March of 2015. Though there’s been an unspoken ban on many of these apps, it’s now official.

Apple’s new App Store rules also make it clear that children under 13 will not be permitted to use the Face ID facial scanning feature in the iPhone X. Rule 2.5.13 says apps using facial recognition for account authentication must offer an alternate authentication method for users under 13 years old.

Furthermore, Apple requests that all apps using ARKit provide “rich and integrated augmented reality experiences,” preventing apps from misusing the feature for simple implementations.

Apps using ARKit should provide rich and integrated augmented reality experiences; merely dropping a model into an AR view or replaying animation is not enough.

Apple’s newly updated App Store Guidelines are available on its developer website.

iOS 11, which introduces ARKit, a revamped App Store, and a long list of other features and design changes will be released to the public next Tuesday, on September 19.

Tag: App Store
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Apple Watch Series 3 LTE Doesn’t Work With Prepaid Wireless Plans

Customers who want to purchase an LTE Apple Watch Series 3 model will need a postpaid plan to enable LTE connectivity, meaning it won’t be available to those who use prepaid cellular plans. Prepaid plans are often more affordable, but don’t support the number sharing features the Apple Watch Series 3 requires.

On AT&T’s website, for example, the company says Apple Watch Series 3 connectivity requires the NumberSync feature. NumberSync, which allows one phone number to be used for multiple devices, requires a postpaid wireless account.

Apple Watch Series 3 models on Verizon use the NumberShare feature to allow Apple Watch users to accept calls on either device. NumberShare requires a “standard monthly plan” to work. On T-Mobile, the Apple Watch uses the DIGITS number sharing feature, not available to prepaid customers.

Sprint’s website only lists an “active handset” as a requirement, but Fortune this week received word that all four carriers will require a standard monthly plan, including Sprint. Regular monthly plans will be needed for all customers who want an LTE Apple Watch.

Because the Apple Watch Series 3 does not get its own phone number, there’s a second requirement on all carriers — a cellular plan that already includes an iPhone 6 or later.

Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all plan to charge customers $10 per month to add an LTE Apple Watch to their accounts. Three of the four, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon will be waiving their activation fees, and all are offering three free months of connectivity either up front or through service credits.

The LTE Apple Watch became available for pre-order last night, and the first orders will begin arriving to customers on Friday, September 22, the official launch date for the device. Pricing on the LTE Apple Watch Series 3 starts at $399.
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Apple Responds to Safari 11 Criticism From Advertising Groups: ‘People Have a Right to Privacy’

Six trade and marketing organizations this morning published an open letter to Apple asking the company to “rethink” plans to launch new versions of Safari in iOS and macOS that block cross-site tracking, and this afternoon, Apple offered up a response, which was shared by The Loop.

According to Apple, ad tracking companies are essentially able to recreate a person’s web browsing history using cross site tracking techniques sans permission, something it’s aiming to stop.

“Apple believes that people have a right to privacy – Safari was the first browser to block third party cookies by default and Intelligent Tracking Prevention is a more advanced method for protecting user privacy,” Apple said in a statement provided to The Loop.

“Ad tracking technology has become so pervasive that it is possible for ad tracking companies to recreate the majority of a person’s web browsing history. This information is collected without permission and is used for ad re-targeting, which is how ads follow people around the Internet. The new Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature detects and eliminates cookies and other data used for this cross-site tracking, which means it helps keep a person’s browsing private. The feature does not block ads or interfere with legitimate tracking on the sites that people actually click on and visit. Cookies for sites that you interact with function as designed, and ads placed by web publishers will appear normally.”

In the open letter, signed by the Data and Marketing Association and the Network Advertising Initiative, among others, the collective “digital advertising community” said it is “deeply concerned” because the update “overrides and replaces existing user-controlled cookie preferences” before going on to suggest that customers prefer targeted ads.

“Apple’s unilateral and heavy-handed approach is bad for consumer choice and bad for the ad-supported online content and services consumers love,” reads the letter. “Blocking cookies in this manner will drive a wedge between brands and their customers, and it will make advertising more generic and less timely and useful.”

In both macOS High Sierra and iOS 11, the Safari web browser is gaining new privacy features to prevent companies from tracking customer web browsing habits across websites. “The success of the web as a platform relies on user trust,” Apple says on the WebKit blog. “Many users feel that trust is broken when they are being tracked and privacy-sensitive data about their web activity is acquired for purposes that they never agreed to.”

In iOS 11, the toggle to turn off cross-site tracking is available by going to Settings –> Safari –> Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. With macOS High Sierra, the feature can be accessed by going to the Preferences section of the Safari app, choosing Privacy, and then checking “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.”

iOS 11 will be released to the public next Tuesday, September 19, while macOS High Sierra will be released on the following Monday, September 25.

Tag: Safari
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‘PUBG’ has banned over 150,000 cheaters since March

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has become incredibly popular in the few months it has been available on Steam Early Access. In August, it overtook Dota 2 as the game with the most simultaneous players and by the start of this month it had sold over 10 million units. But along with those large — and growing — player numbers come a lot of cheaters.

.@TheBattlEye has now banned over 150,000 cheaters from @PUBATTLEGROUNDS, with more than 8,000 banned in the last 24 hours alone! GG WP

— PLAYERUNKNOWN (@PLAYERUNKNOWN) September 13, 2017

As Eurogamer reports, the game has banned over 150,000 cheaters since its March launch and according to game creator and Bluehole Creative Director Brendan Greene, 8,000 were banned in a single 24-hour period. In August, Greene tweeted that around 50,000 cheaters had been kicked out. That bans have tripled in just over a month could mean that the anti-cheating platform BattlEye is just getting really good at rooting out cheats, but it’s more likely a reflection of the game’s rising popularity.

.@TheBattlEye has now banned 50k+ cheaters from @PUBATTLEGROUNDS! GG WP

— PLAYERUNKNOWN (@PLAYERUNKNOWN) August 3, 2017

If you’re one of the now one million players playing PUBG at any given time, we suggest you don’t cheat, unless you want to risk a permanent ban.

Via: Eurogamer

Source: Brendan Greene

Apple’s Craig Federighi Answers Face ID Questions in New Interview

Face ID, Apple’s new facial recognition feature in the iPhone X, has left users with a lot of questions about how it works. While Apple has offered detailed explanations of Face ID on its website, there continue to be questions and concerns given that this is a new biometric system.

To answer some of those questions, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi did a telephone interview with TechCrunch, where he covered topics on privacy, security, and functionality.

TechCrunch’s Matthew Panzarino, who spoke to Federighi, says he’s heard Face ID is “incredibly reliable” and “very fast,” worth noting because many people have wondered how quickly it works.

According to Federighi, Face ID needs to see your eyes, nose, and mouth, so there are some situations where it won’t work and a passcode will need to be used instead. The limitations are similar to the limitations with Touch ID, which, for example, prevent it from being used with gloves.

“If you’re a surgeon or someone who wears a garment that covers your face, it’s not going to work,” says Federighi. “But if you’re wearing a helmet or scarf it works quite well.”

Panzarino asked Federighi to expand on how the feature works with sunglasses and whether polarization is an issue, following confirmation earlier this week that Face ID is compatible with most pairs. Federighi says polarization isn’t a problem, but there are some lenses that have a coating that blocks IR, and if that’s the case, a customer will need to use a passcode or take them off.

Face ID will work from multiple angles and distances when a device is held at a natural angle, but it needs to see your face.

“It’s quite similar to the ranges you’d be at if you put your phone in front facing camera mode [to take a picture],” says Federighi. Once your space from eyes to mouth come into view that would be the matching range – it can work at fairly extreme angles — if it’s down low because your phone is in your lap it can unlock it as long as it can see those features. Basically, If you’re using your phone across a natural series of angles it can unlock it.”

When it comes to security, Apple says that all Face ID processing is done on device with nothing uploaded to the cloud or Apple’s servers, a point Federighi reiterated in the interview. Apple collects no data when the TrueDepth camera in the iPhone X scans your face, and the feature that allows Face ID to adapt to appearance changes is done entirely on device.

“We do not gather customer data when you enroll in Face ID, it stays on your device, we do not send it to the cloud for training data,” he said.

When it comes to law enforcement requests for Face ID data, Apple has no data to provide. Your Face ID scan is converted into a mathematical model in the Secure Enclave on the iPhone X, and it can’t be reverse engineered back into a face. As with Touch ID, none of that data is ever sent to Apple. Third-party developers don’t have access, either.

Federighi also expanded a bit on the method Apple implemented to discretely disable Face ID in a situation where someone might steal your phone and attempt to unlock it with your face. On the iPhone X, holding down on the buttons on either side of the device goes to the power down screen, which also disables Face ID. If someone demands your phone, squeeze the buttons to disable Face ID, Federighi suggests.

Face ID will also disable itself after five failed attempts at recognition. Earlier this week, Apple documentation suggested it would be disabled after two failed recognition attempts, but Federighi has clarified that it’s five, just like Touch ID. Apple’s documentation has now been updated accordingly. Also, when the iPhone reboots or Face ID hasn’t been used in 48 hours, a passcode will be required. Additionally, if you haven’t entered a passcode for 6.5 days and Face ID hasn’t been used in the last four hours, Face ID will also be disabled until a passcode is entered.

Federighi’s full interview, which includes more details on how Apple trained Face ID and how it works, can be read over at TechCrunch.

Related Roundup: iPhone X
Tag: Face ID
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Element Amazon Fire TV unboxing and setup: Get your big screen ready to watch

Unboxing and setting up a TV can be intimidating, but if you follow the directions and take it step by step, it can be pretty easy. What makes the Element Amazon Fire TV unique is that it runs the Amazon Fire TV operating system, which comes with a long list of perks. We have here a video showing the Element Amazon Fire TV unboxing and setup to make your job a little easier, should you choose to purchase this television.

What’s in the box

• Product literature.
• A remote.
• Batteries for the remote.
• Four screws.
• Two legs.
• A TV.

Items Not Included

Several items are not included in the box with the TV. You will need to buy HDMI cables to connect your TV to other devices. The easiest way to ensure you have the right HDMI cables when you need them is to buy AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI cables at the same time you buy your TV. If you do not buy the AmazonBasics HDMI cable, make sure that the HDMI cables you do buy meet the requirements for what you will be using them for — whether that is in wall use or not. The TV also does not come with wall-mounting equipment. For more information about wall mounting a TV check out our wall-mounting guide.

You will want to have a Phillips screwdriver handy to secure the legs into the TV.

Setup Physical Parts

This TV is very easy to put together because the only work you need to do is attach the legs. The legs are clearly labeled with side and direction for easy placement. For example, if the leg you are looking at has an ‘R’ on it, then it is the right leg. The other indicator on each leg is an ‘F’ with an arrow, the arrow points toward the front of the TV. On each leg there are two little holes next to the screw holes, these little holes line up with the dimples in each leg slot on the bottom of the TV. Once you line the leg up and fit it in with the dimples, the screw holes should be in line. Then all you have to do is put in the two screws and the legs are on.

When you are looking at the back of the TV, you will see a lot of different ports and connections. The first thing to notice is that the power cable is hard-wired to the TV. All you have to do with the power cable, then, is plug it into the wall. On the left side of the TV, there are four HDMI connections and two USB connections. The older connections are underneath the HDMI connections. Most devices now use HDMI cables to connect to the TV, but the older connections are there should you need them.

Design Features

If you are going for a sleek design, this TV has it. A trim bezel runs around the whole TV and matches with the metal legs. The legs stand at 35.25 inches wide, giving plenty of stability to your new TV. The screen has an anti-reflective coating, but the coating is not strong so you will get a little bit of reflection, especially in bright rooms.

The remote looks a lot like the Fire TV remotes we have seen in the past, with a few additions. Toward the bottom, there are three white buttons for Prime Video, Netflix, and Amazon Music. At the top of the remote, there is a speaker button giving you the ability to speak with Alexa on the TV. Keep in mind that if you own an Echo speaker you can use far-field communication to activate Alexa and communicate with the TV.

Setup Connections

When you power on the TV, you will be directed to sign in to your Wi-Fi router, provided you are not already connected to a network via Ethernet cable. After you connect to the internet, you will find your TV will already be signed in to your Amazon account. If you connect an antenna for watching local over-the-air (OTA) channels, you will want to let the TV scan for stations. Amazon will then play a brief introductory video to introduce you to your TV.

Adjusting settings

Once you get your TV up and running, you will want to adjust the picture settings to suit your watching environment. First, go to each individual input and adjust the settings for each — there is no way to apply the same settings to all inputs. Second, go into a streaming app and start playing a show. From there press and hold the home button, then go to the picture settings option. Once there, you can adjust the mode and backlighting, along with accessing the advanced options. Doing this once applies the picture settings for all video apps.

Unboxing and setting up your TV shouldn’t be a terrible experience, but if you have never done it before it can be intimidating. Hopefully, this video helped make the whole process a little less daunting.

How to watch NFL games online, with or without cable

While the NFL’s ratings are down this year, it remains the most watched sport in America. Fans across the country (and the world) come together from Thursday through Monday to watch some of the best athletes on the planet compete between the pylons. But nothing ruins a perfectly good game day faster than the realization that you don’t have the means to watch your favorite team knock some heads.

Whether you’ve decided to forgo cable and join in on the cord-cutting revolution, or you live in an area that doesn’t show your favorite team’s games, it’s not always easy to get your NFL fix. To help, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide on how to watch NFL games online, for both the regular season and playoffs. So put on your favorite jersey and find a comfortable spot on the couch; here’s your (digital) ticket to the NFL.

Cord-cutting options

CBS, NBC, NFL Network, and Amazon Prime

Once again the Thursday Night Football schedule has been turned upside down. Last year it was Twitter playing the surprising black sheep in the NFL streaming game. This season, Amazon took the mantle and paid $50 million to stream 10 Thursday night football games and one Christmas game through Amazon Prime Video. Below is a list of all the TNF games scheduled on traditional networks — available to most viewers with an HD antenna — which will also broadcast on Amazon.

CBS
NBC
9/28: Bears at Packers
11/9: Seahawks at Cardinals
10/05: Patriots at Buccaneers
11/16: Titans at Steelers
10/12: Eagles at Panthers
11/30: Redskins at Cowboys
10/19: Chiefs at Raiders
12/7: Saints at Falcons
10/26: Dolphins at Ravens
12/14: Broncos at Colts

All Thursday Night Football games will also be simulcast on NFL Network, but not all the games are available in one place. In an effort to totally confuse us, some games have been relegated to NFL Network alone. The full TNF schedule is available here, including games that are available only through NFL Network.

NFL Sunday Ticket

If you live in an area or apartment complex that can’t access DirecTV, you can buy the company’s robust NFL Sunday ticket subscription without having to buy into any of its TV packages. The standard streaming package — which currently costs $70 a month under a four-month promotional period — allows you to stream out-of-market games on your computer, smartphone, game console, or smart TV. Unfortunately, if you want the coveted RedZone channel, the commercial-free wonder which focuses exclusively on teams about to score, you’ll have to jump up to the new Sunday Ticket MAX package (starting at $95 a month). Along with RedZone, Max also includes the NFL Fantasy Zone channel, which streams every Sunday with “live look-ins” and fantasy football analysis.

While this option represents one of the most comprehensive ways to watch the NFL this season, it does come with a few caveats. First, Sunday Ticket only grants users the ability to watch games on Sunday, without access to Sunday night, Thursday night, or Monday night contests. Local games are also subject to blackout, which means DirecTV is “restricted from showing events near where a game is played or broadcast locally.”

DirecTV does offer special student pricing, though, which costs just $25 per month for Sunday Ticket access for those who qualify.

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DirecTV Now

DirecTV knows that cord cutting will be the new norm for watching tv sooner than later, so the company’s trying to get in on the online action by offering DirecTV Now. For $35 a month, you get access to more than 60 channels, including Monday Night Football on ESPN. If you’re lucky, you might also be able to to watch live Sunday football on CBS and Fox, and Thursday games on CBS and NBC. Don’t get your hopes up though, as live local channels are only offered to a select group of cities. You also can’t DVR games, and you won’t have access to the NFL Network, but that might change soon.

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Verizon Wireless

If you’re already paying a hefty Verizon bill every month, than all of these prices to watch football can seem intimidating. But believe it or not, that bill comes with some perks, like live stream access to every regular season and playoff game, as well as the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. All you have to do to access hundreds of dollars worth of content for free is have a Verizon account and download the NFL Mobile App. If you never want to miss a Sunday touchdown, you can also pay a one-time $2 in-app purchase to get NFL Redzone too.

If you already have Verizon, this is by far the best NFL deal available, especially if you’re able to stream your tablet or smartphone to your TV.

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NFL GamePass (sort of)

Starting in 2015, NFL.com decided to offer a new streaming option called GamePass, though it isn’t as desirable as you might think. For $100, a GamePass subscription allows you to stream any regular season game after it’s aired, and lets you rewatch games going back to 2009. Obviously the biggest draw to watching sports is watching the game unfold in real time, so this option doesn’t really offer much for most fans. But GamePass is a great choice for fans who can’t watch games live, or just students of the game.

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YouTube TV

It’s currently available in only select cities, but if you’re lucky enough to live in one of those areas, then you might want to take a look at YouTube TV. For $35 a month you’re guaranteed to have CBS, NBC, and Fox, so you’ll be able to get your Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, and Thursday night football fix every week week of the season. It also comes with Monday Night Football on ESPN, but no NFL Network.

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PlayStation Vue

PlayStation Vue — which isn’t limited to PlayStation owners despite the name — offers four subscription levels: Access, Core, Elite, and Ultra. Customers who choose Core for a maximum price of $45 per month will receive NFL Network as part of their package, meaning every live broadcast of a Thursday game, as well as a few Monday, Saturday, and Sunday broadcasts. You can also get local broadcasts of games too, depending on where you live.

Users can upgrade to The Sports Pack which comes with NFL RedZone for $10 a month. Vue also includes DVR recording capabilities, and is available to stream via apps on Amazon Fire TV devices, iOS, Android, and Roku devices.

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CBS All Access

If you’re not committed to a Fantasy team or are only a casual football fan, CBS All Access might work for you. For six bucks a month you get live access to all of CBS’ Thursday games as well AFC games on Sundays. This is the cheapest subscription on the list, but that’s because you’re missing more games than you get. Still, if you’re looking to tip toe your way into football fandom, All Access is a decent starting point.

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Sling TV

Subscribers to Dish Networks’ Sling TV get live access to a wide variety of channels, including options for ESPN and NFL Network — but like a lot of relationships online, it’s complicated. With Sling Orange, you can watch Monday night games on ESPN for $20 a month. The main restriction there is you can only stream from one device at a time — and there’s no NFL Network, or option to purchase NFL Redzone. For $25 a month, Sling Blue users get access to NFL Network, and the ability to stream to multiple devices, as well as possibly watching games on NBC and Fox, depending on where you live, but for some reason, you don’t get access to ESPN. You can however purchase the Sports Extra package for $10 a month and have NFL Redzone. Yes it’s convoluted, but that’s where we are now.

If you want the best of both worlds, you can plunk down $40 for both Sling Blue and Orange, and an extra $5 for Sports Extra. For those counting, that’s $45 per month, plus your internet subscription, making it close to many cable packages. But it is an option.

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Hulu with Live TV

Hulu’s live tv subscription is less than a year old, but it’s already proving to be a favorite for a lot of cord-cutters. At $40 a month, you get access to Monday Night Football on ESPN, Sunday Night Football on NBC, and other nationally broadcasted games throughout the week on CBS and Fox. Like most other online subscriptions, your locally televised games may or may not air, depending on where you live. You also don’t have access to the NFL Network, and if you want to DVR a game you have to pay an extra $15 a month to fast-foward commercials.

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Look out, Nest: Bosch introduces its Connected Control smart thermostat

Why it matters to you

The Bosch BCC100 smart thermostat will let you control your home’s temperature from anywhere in the world.

As we bid adieu to summer and offer a wary welcome to fall, we need to depend on our thermostats more than ever to ensure that our home’s environment remains consistent, even as the weather outside turns fickle. Luckily, Bosch is here to help. The company announced an expansion of its connected products lineup with the Bosch Connected Control BCC100 Thermostat. Featuring Wi-Fi connectivity, weather access, and programmable options all on a full-color, five-inch, touchscreen display, this thermostat just may be what your home has been missing.

While there is certainly no shortage of smart thermostats floating around, the BCC100 hopes to carve out its own place in the market with a slightly more straightforward interface. Unlike the circular design of the Nest, the Bosch connected thermostat is rectangular, with all options and functionalities clearly laid out.

The home screen displays the current room temperature, temperature schedule, and humidity levels. There is also a fan status indicator, as well as a set of up and down arrows that allow for quick and easy temperature adjustment. The BCC100 claims to save users energy and money by automatically adjusting heating and cooling to maintain a constant temperature even when you are not home, and you can either follow the BCC’s factory-loaded presets for maximum efficiency, or create your own schedule to suit your individual needs.

Plus, the BCC100 is said to be compatible with most HVAC systems on the market, so you should be able to bring even old systems into the 21st century.

“As a trusted manufacturer of HVAC products, we created an integrated approach to heating and cooling solutions with the Bosch Connected Control,” Goncalo Costa, product director at Bosch Thermotechnology, said in a statement. “Our approach links the thermostat directly to the HVAC equipment, giving homeowners more control over ambient temperatures.”

Of course, the connected thermostat comes with a companion app, available on both iOS and Android. That means that you can set your home temperature from anywhere in the world and the app will also allow users to connect to an unlimited number of thermostats (for all your different vacation homes, of course). So if you’re looking to bring your home into the 21st century, temperature-wise, the BCC100 may be a good place to start.

AI could help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease a decade earlier than doctors can

Why it matters to you

Early diagnosis can help patients make lifestyle changes which may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.

A devastating chronic neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) currently affects around 5.5 million people in the United States alone. Causing progressive mental deterioration, it ultimately advances to impact basic bodily functions such as walking and swallowing.

Looking for a way to help, researchers at the University of Bari and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Italy have developed new machine learning AI technology that may help identify Alzheimer’s a decade before doctors usually can, by way of non-invasive MRI brain scans. An early diagnosis — before any of the symptoms a doctor might recognize become apparent — could give patients a chance to make changes to their lifestyle which may slow Alzheimer’s progression.

“We used publicly available data, consisting of 67 brain MRI scans from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, including healthy controls and AD patients,” Nicola Amoroso, one of the lead researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “We used this cohort to feed [our] artificial intelligence, then an independent test of about 148 subjects — including controls,

Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects — was performed. According to our results, it is possible to distinguish a healthy brain from one with Alzheimer’s with an accuracy of 86 per cent. Crucially, it is also possible to detect the difference between healthy brains and those with MCI with an accuracy of 84 per cent.”

This isn’t the first similar study that involves using cutting-edge technology to help diagnose Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers at VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam have also been using MRI scans to try and carry out similar early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Another intriguing high tech approach is one being taken at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, University of Southern California (USC), and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where researchers are working to develop an early diagnosis eye test for Alzheimer’s.

“Our goal is to use our approach for other pathologies,” Nicola Amoroso continued. “In particular, we are now investigating Parkinson’s disease, and preliminary results are really encouraging. It would be very important to support studies and clinical trials to let emerge novel preventive or disease modifying therapies.”

You can read a research paper on the University of Bari’s machine learning project here. With millions of people who could benefit from the research, they have our total support.