Vertical forests are returning nature to cities, one skyscraper at a time

Who on Earth decides to plant a forest on the side of skyscrapers? Architects, that’s who. Two bold designers working on opposite ends of the planet are actively designing farms, gardens and forests designed to live on massive residential buildings. Far from simply putting a few houseplants in the office, these ambitious designs are meant to clean the air, reduce energy use to net zero, and maximize food production and quality of life.

Life is Sweet in these “Vertical Forests” in Milan, Italy

One of these projects is already complete. The Bosco Verticale (“Vertical Forest” in Italian) is a dual skyscraper project designed by Stefano Boeri that is covered in more than 21,000 plants—a level of greenery equivalent to more than five acres of forest spread over more than 1,200 square meters.

The project has just been named one of the best tall buildings in the world. It’s a completely green design that even supports its own moderate ecosystem, including more than 20 species of birds. The massive amount of vegetation helps reduce Singapore’s moderate pollution and carbon dioxide, cleaning up the air. The plant life also diminishes noise, boosts oxygen in the air, and helps regulate the temperatures between the two towers. Internally, a complex irrigation system directs “used” water back onto the forested terraces to sustain the vegetation and reduce waste.

It’s a level of greenery equivalent to more than five acres of forest.

“Vertical Forest is a model for a sustainable residential building, a project for metropolitan reforestation contributing to the regeneration of the environment and urban biodiversity without the implication of expanding the city upon the territory,” Boeri noted on his website. “It is a model for vertical densification of nature within the city. Vertical Forest increases biodiversity, so it becomes both a magnet for and a symbol of the spontaneous re-colonization of the city by vegetation and by animal life.”

The concept earned his firm second place in the 2014 Emporis Skyscraper Award, beating out more than 120 competitors including The Leadenhall Building in the United Kingdom, the KKR Tower in Malaysia, and the Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower in Abu Dhabi. Only the WangJing SOHO triple skyscraper in Beijing bested the Boeri design, awarded for “its excellent energy efficiency and its distinctive design, which gives the complex a harmonious and organic momentum.”

But this completed design isn’t the only plant-accented project on Boeri’s plate; he has a portfolio of potential and ongoing projects around the world that use urbanized plant life to make the world better for the people who live and work in his buildings.

Stefano Borei Architett

Stefano Borei Architett

Boeri has announced plans for two Vertical Forest projects in Nanjing, China, as well as “Liuzhou Forest City,” in mainland China, the Wonderwoods residential tower in the Netherlands, and the sprawling Guizhou Mountain Forest Hotel in Southern China. His new “Tower of Cedars” in Lausanne, Switzerland is a 36-story tower that features nearly 20,000 plants and 100 trees to protect residents from pollution and dust.

“All these projects together are important for us,” Boeri told Mashable recently. “It’s very important to completely change how these new cities are developing. Urban forestation is one of the biggest issues for me in that context. That means parks, it means gardens, but it also means having buildings with trees.”

Designing the Urban Skyfarm

Developing concurrently is one of the most dramatic building projects in the world. The Urban Skyfarm, designed by Brooklyn-based Aprilli Design Studio and to be located in Seoul, South Korea, will house nearly 25 acres of space for growing trees, tomatoes, and other sustainable crops.

The prototype building is modeled after the iconic design of a tree, with the “root,” “trunk,” “leaves,” and “branches” components to house different aspects of the sustainable farming operation.

The “trunk” of the Urban Skyfarm will contain an indoor hydroponic farm, while the “roots” provide a wide, environmentally friendly space for farmer’s markets and public events. On top of the tower, turbines provide enough power to fuel the building operations and farming spaces in a net-zero environment. The building will also capture rainwater and filter it through a synthetic wetland before returning it as fresh water to a nearby river.

The space could efficiently host more than 5,000 fruit trees.

“With the support of hydroponic farming technology, the space could efficiently host more than 5,000 fruit trees,” architects Steve Lee and Soon Yun Park recently told Fast Company. “Vertical farming is more than an issue of economical feasibility, since it can provide more trees than average urban parks, helping resolve urban environmental issues such as air pollution, water run-off and heat island effects, and bringing back balance to the urban ecology.”

Despite a location in crowded Seoul, the Urban Skyfarm will act as a living machine by producing renewable energy and giving residents improved air quality. Reproducing the biological structure of a tree gives the design certain advantages because it is light in weight but houses enough space to host a diverse range of farming activities. The design is also intended to reduce heat buildup, rain runoff, and carbon dioxide.

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The architects believe that their design can support hundreds of environmental projects and experiments and serve as a future model as to how buildings are designed, built, and used.

“We hope the Urban Skyfarm can become part of the discussions as a prototype proposal,” Lee and Park said. “Vertical farming really is not only a great solution to future food shortage problems but a great strategy to address many environmental problems resulting from urbanization.

Building Gardens in the Sky

Boeri and Aprilli are the furthest along in these wild, green experiments, but there are plenty of other firms thinking about how arboreal and greenery-inspired designs can help make life better and more sustainable for residents and tenants around the world.

In Southeast Asia, Vo Trang Nghia Architects are building a huge complex in Ho Cho Minh City that will feature a 90,000-square-foot facility with a rooftop garden. The firm is also working with FPT University to build a tree-lined campus that will raise an elevated forest over the 14-square-mile site.

Vo Trong Nghia

One Central Park in Sydney features massive creeping vines that climb the building’s face as well as nearly 200 native plant species.

Back on western shores, the Rolex corporation recently broke ground on its new Dallas-based headquarters, which features landscaped terraces and a tree-lined rooftop event space. The elegant design by architect Kengo Kuma was inspired by Japanese castles.

Under construction in Los Angeles is 670 Mesquit, a 2.6 million-square-foot mixed-use project that features two massive cubes that feature landscaped terraces. This is Danish architect Bjarke Ingels’ first project in Los Angeles.

Other architects are pushing the envelope of what’s possible. Harmonia 57 is a building in Brazil designed by Triptyque that actually “breathes and sweats,” according to the designers. Plants embedded in porous concrete structures are watered with a mist that makes the building look like it’s returning to nature.

All this added greenery is a pleasant distraction from the densification of urban environments, but these designers are also redefining what it means to live in an urban landscape—and providing a fresh chance to build sustainable urban environments that help cut down on pollution while they simultaneously generate energy, biodiversity, and a breath of fresh air.

Have some fun in this weekend’s comments thread

The comments are open and ready!

Yet another week has passed, and we’re starting to get into the home stretch of 2017. At least in the smartphone world. But it’s cool — this time of the year makes for some great weekends.

Weekends at the end of summer are awesome. The weather isn’t quite as hot so it’s a great time to get outside and breathe some fresh air. Maybe fire up the grill, or take a hike, or do any of those things it was just too hot to do a few weeks ago. Heck, even the fish start biting again!

We’re in prep-mode for the last big new phone push of the year. Google has their Pixel 2 shindig planned in about a week, and then we can take it all in and look at all the great products from the companies that make Android what it is. It’s been a pretty good year for an Android fan. From the CES hype train to the Note 8 launch, we saw so many excellent phones from all the big names. We all will have a favorite, but I think everyone agrees that it’s cool when everyone has a choice that they love.

So take a minute and share what you’re doing over the weekend, and let everyone know what phone from 2017 caught your eye. We’re not done just yet, but so far I’m feeling the G6 as the overall winner, even though it’s not my personal choice. Oh, and I’m working this weekend, but doing it from my back porch where the hibiscus are still in bloom and mulberry trees keep me in the shade. For a few more weeks, anyway. 😎

Twitter tests lightweight mobile app for countries with slow data

It’s not just Facebook and Google who are slimming down their mobile apps for the sake of regions where data is slow or spotty. Twitter has confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s testing a native Android equivalent to its Lite website in the Philippines, where slower phone networks and limited phone storage make the standard app less practical. While many of the core Twitter functions are still there, the focus is on cutting out all the media that chews up valuable bandwidth. There’s a “Data Saver” mode that avoids displaying pictures and videos unless you opt to see them, and Twitter says it can use up to 70 percent less data overall. Even the app itself occupies just 3MB of space.

This is an “experiment,” Twitter says, and it’s not clear if or when the Lite app will be available in other countries.

It won’t be surprising if Twitter Lite spreads to many areas, though. Twitter is struggling to add new users, and a lightweight app would help it reach audiences that can’t even consider using the regular app. In the Philippines, for example, prepaid use is much more common than subscribing to a regular data plan. Basic Facebook access is free thanks to carrier deals, but that’s limited when many can’t load more than the headline for a shared article. Twitter would not only get its foot in the door, it could serve as a viable alternative to Facbook given its emphasis on short, data-friendly text updates. And when countries like India have similarly limited access in rural areas, that’s a lot of potential new users.

Mariella Moon contributed to this report.

Source: TechCrunch

What we’re watching: ‘Marvel’s The Defenders’ and ‘The Night of’

Welcome back to Video IRL, where several of our editors talk about what they’ve been watching in their spare time. This month we’re talking about the latest Marvel/Netflix series, The Defenders, to find out if it’s as bingeworthy as previous efforts. Billy Steele hopped into HBO’s archives to check out The Night Of and explains why this is a crime series you won’t want to miss, and finally, Richard Lawler talks about The Man from Nowhere without mentioning that he always cries at the end.

‘Marvel’s The Defenders’

Mat Smith
Bureau Chief, UK

If you’ve seen all the other shows that have fed into Defenders, this Marvel team-up isn’t going to change how you feel about each of the protagonists. Jessica Jones gets nearly all the good quips, aside from Madame Gao (an imperious old woman that scared the crap out of heroes and villains alike in those other Netflix shows), and even uses a car to ram a resurrected ninja/love interest. Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, is still petulant, myopic and just ugh — if anything, it’s good to have human punchbag for everyone else to riff off. Other heroes “forget” his mystical title, despite the fact that Rand says it to anyone and everyone who’ll listen. I hoped they’d at least offer some highlights to the Fist, but he’s still the weakest part.

The story mostly centers around Daredevil and the Iron Fist, and there are several surprises in the last half of the eight episodes to keep things interesting. Luke Cage seems to take a backseat: He’s all voice of reason and stoic calm most of the time. (This is funny to me because in the old comics, it was usually the other way around, as Fist would tell Cage to not take it all so seriously. Then again, Cage also wore a golden tiara thing, so, you know, maybe things are better this way.)

Once I’d finished it all, and believe me, I binged like a lot of viewers, I felt a little underwhelmed. It’s not that it was bad, it’s just that perhaps my expectations were too high. Despite being like an Indie Avengers supergroup, I didn’t feel like any of the heroes evolved much during this team-up run, and the threat didn’t ramp up as much as I’d hoped it would, barring a four-on-four match-up in the final few episodes. The group thing works fine; it’s just that some of the solo artists do better work on their own.

‘The Night of’

Billy Steele
Senior News Editor

If you’re looking for something to fill the void left by True Detective and remedy the disappointment of the second season, HBO’s latest crime thriller will do the trick. The Night Of is set in NYC and chronicles one really bad night out for Nazir Khan. What starts out as relatively innocent sneaking out and taking his father’s cab to go to a party, ends up with him being accused of a murder he doesn’t remember committing. Well, mostly because of the cocktail of drugs and alcohol he consumed.

Riz Ahmed is spectacular in the lead role as Khan. He adapts from being a sheltered college student to becoming a murder suspect whose new home is Rikers Island. In fact, Ahmed just won a well-deserved Emmy for the character. Along the way, fellow inmate Freddy Knight, played by Michael K Williams of The Wire fame, takes Naz under his wing. In exchange for protection in prison, Naz has to do some illicit activities to repay the debt. And of course, that creates a whole other set of issues.

John Turturro is also outstanding in the role of John Stone, a lawyer that hangs out around police stations looking for clients. Stone thinks this is another open-and-shut case where he can get paid to convince his client to take a plea deal. And because it’s a high-profile murder case, he’ll earn much more than his usual fee. During the course of the show, it’s amazing to watch Stone’s change of heart towards Naz while dealing with his own personal struggles — all of which culminates in the attorney’s epic closing argument.

The best part? It’s only eight episodes, which means it’s easily bingeable in a weekend — if you’re as determined as I was. The shorter season also kept the pace moving along at a good clip, and the show never felt like it was dragging or filling time like some 13-episode series tend to do. What’s more, The Night Of works so well as a one-season show. While there have been rumblings about a second installment, I’d be perfectly fine with HBO keeping this to one season. Unless of course, Turturro comes back as John Stone — then I might be convinced to change my tune.

‘The Man from Nowhere’

Richard Lawler
Senior News Editor

If you, like me, have a leaning towards classic action flicks from a few decades ago, then Korean movies can fill the hole left by current Hollywood movies that rely too heavily on quick camera cuts and CGI. A few you should check out include I Saw the Devil, No Tears for the Dead and, my favorite, The Man from Nowhere.

This 2010 release lived up to its title, suddenly appearing and instantly becoming one of my favorite movies. It fills its two-hour runtime with a visceral, close-up brand of violence all paced to match the way we learn about its main character’s backstory. A mysterious pawnshop loner turns out to be a former special-forces operative, who deliberately chews through a crime syndicate that has kidnapped a little girl he befriended. It’s not the most original plotline, but the mix of story and action is perfect, and star Won Bin — who I hope will return to action movies someday as he is sorely missed — pulls off every bit of subtle emoting necessary to carry the role.

It closes with an action scene that I won’t spoil but can honestly say is a favorite along with anything seen in either The Raid movie. Emotional stakes combined with excellent choreography and cinematography take it to another level and should earn this flick a spot on your shelf.

“IRL” is a recurring column in which the Engadget staff run down what they’re buying, using, playing and streaming.

Play as Princess Daisy and explore a new world in ‘Super Mario Run’ update

Why it matters to you

With a substantial gameplay update and half-off sale, now might be the time to try this popular phone game.

Although Mario’s princess may be in another castle, soon she will break free as a playable character in the new mobile game. A substantial update is coming to the run-n-jump platformer Super Mario Run, including a playable Princess Daisy, a new world to explore, and a challenging new game mode. According to a post on the Apple App Store, the free update will be available for iOS and Android on September 29.

Super Mario Run is about to celebrate its first birthday, and it marks the iconic plumber’s first excursion on a non-Nintendo platform, and although he may have recently changed occupations, the game set sales records when it first launched in 2016, beating out Pokémon Go with 40 million downloads in just the first four days.

A new #SuperMarioRun update arrives 29/09, including a new world, new mode, new playable character, and more! pic.twitter.com/JevstvBtr7

— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) September 23, 2017

With Daisy added to the roster of sprinters, the number of playable characters bumps up to seven. You’ll have to rescue Daisy by playing the new Remix 10 mode, a frenzied challenge that randomly links ten bite-sized sections of existing levels together, strewn with bonus medals that reward you with new items to decorate your kingdom. Remix 10 will deliver a new sequence every run, and after collecting enough Rainbow Medals you’ll unlock Princess Daisy as a playable character.

With her double-jump ability, you’ll be able to score many of the hard-to-reach coins, as well as opening up new tactics for the Toad Rally mode.

The update also adds a brand-new area to explore named World Star, which consists of nine new levels. You can unlock World Star after completing worlds one through six. Nintendo promises some new challenges for even veteran Super Mario Run players in World Star.

The update also adds a soundtrack option, letting you play your favorite music in the background while racing through the different stages. You’ll notice that Mario and his pals are all wearing headphones when you choose to enjoy your own tunes rather than the game soundtrack.

If you’re new to Super Mario Run and want some tips to get started, we’ve got you covered. You can try a free trial version, and if you want to play the full game it will be half-price between September 29 – October 12.

Play as Princess Daisy and explore a new world in ‘Super Mario Run’ update

Why it matters to you

With a substantial gameplay update and half-off sale, now might be the time to try this popular phone game.

Although Mario’s princess may be in another castle, soon she will break free as a playable character in the new mobile game. A substantial update is coming to the run-n-jump platformer Super Mario Run, including a playable Princess Daisy, a new world to explore, and a challenging new game mode. According to a post on the Apple App Store, the free update will be available for iOS and Android on September 29.

Super Mario Run is about to celebrate its first birthday, and it marks the iconic plumber’s first excursion on a non-Nintendo platform, and although he may have recently changed occupations, the game set sales records when it first launched in 2016, beating out Pokémon Go with 40 million downloads in just the first four days.

A new #SuperMarioRun update arrives 29/09, including a new world, new mode, new playable character, and more! pic.twitter.com/JevstvBtr7

— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) September 23, 2017

With Daisy added to the roster of sprinters, the number of playable characters bumps up to seven. You’ll have to rescue Daisy by playing the new Remix 10 mode, a frenzied challenge that randomly links ten bite-sized sections of existing levels together, strewn with bonus medals that reward you with new items to decorate your kingdom. Remix 10 will deliver a new sequence every run, and after collecting enough Rainbow Medals you’ll unlock Princess Daisy as a playable character.

With her double-jump ability, you’ll be able to score many of the hard-to-reach coins, as well as opening up new tactics for the Toad Rally mode.

The update also adds a brand-new area to explore named World Star, which consists of nine new levels. You can unlock World Star after completing worlds one through six. Nintendo promises some new challenges for even veteran Super Mario Run players in World Star.

The update also adds a soundtrack option, letting you play your favorite music in the background while racing through the different stages. You’ll notice that Mario and his pals are all wearing headphones when you choose to enjoy your own tunes rather than the game soundtrack.

If you’re new to Super Mario Run and want some tips to get started, we’ve got you covered. You can try a free trial version, and if you want to play the full game it will be half-price between September 29 – October 12.

10 milestones in AI history, from neural networks to ‘Jeopardy!’ wins

Why it matters to you

AI is an extraordinarily important and complex field. We’ve done our best to narrow down the 10 milestones in its history you should know.

Compressing all of artificial intelligence (AI) into 10 “moments to remember” isn’t easy. With hundreds of research labs and thousands of computer scientists, compiling a list of every landmark achievement would be, well, a job for a smart algorithm to handle.

With that proviso taken care of, however, we’ve scoured the history books to bring you what we think are the top 10 most significant milestones in the history of AI. Check them out below.

The birth of neural networks

You’ve probably heard of neural networks, the brain-inspired AI tools behind most of today’s cutting edge artificial intelligence. While concepts like deep learning are relatively new, they’re based on a mathematical theory which dates back to 1943.

Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts’ “A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity” might sound like a mouthful, but it’s as important to computer science as (if not more than!) “The PageRank Citation Ranking,” a.k.a. the research paper which spawned Google. In “A Logical Calculus,” McCulloch and Pitts describe how networks of artificial neurons can be made perform logical functions. The dream of AI is born!

Artificial intelligence gets its name

If you were to pinpoint an official beginning for artificial intelligence, it may well by August 31, 1955. That’s when a proposal is made for a “2 month, 10 man study of artificial intelligence,” submitted by researchers John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon.

The conference takes place the following year at the 269-acre estate of Dartmouth College. Unfortunately, their timeline turns out to be a bit too optimistic. “We think a significant advance can be made … if a carefully selected group of scientists work on it for a summer,” they write. Things take a bit longer than that.

The arrival of ‘backprop’

Sometimes abbreviated to “backprop,” backpropagation is the single most important algorithm in the history of machine learning. The idea behind it was first proposed in 1969, although it only became a mainstream part of machine learning in the mid-1980s.

What backpropagation does is to allow a neural network to adjust its hidden layers in the event that the output it comes up doesn’t match the one its creator is hoping for. In short, it means that creators can train their networks to perform better by correcting them when they make mistakes. When this is done, backprop modifies the different connections in the neural network to make sure it gets the answer right the next time it faces the same problem.

Conversing with computers

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Ever wondered what the grandparent of Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri is? Back in the mid-1960s, a professor at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory developed a computer psychotherapist called ELIZA, which could carry out seemingly intelligent conversations via text with users.

Its creator noted at the time how surprised they were that users were so willing to converse with a machine in this way.

The Singularity

Don’t worry, you haven’t missed a major headline or anything: the Singularity, a.k.a. the point at which machines become smarter than humans, hasn’t happened yet. But in 1993, author and computer scientist Vernor Vinge published an article which popularized the idea.

Called “The Coming Technological Singularity,” Vinge predicted that, within the next 30 years, humankind would have the ability to create superhuman intelligence. “Shortly after, the human era will be ended,” he wrote. It’s a warning that others like Elon Musk have reiterated in the years since.

Here come the self-driving cars

Think that Google developed the world’s first self-driving car? Think again. Back in 1986, a a Mercedes-Benz van kitted out with cameras and smart sensors by researchers at Germany’s Bundeswehr University was able to successfully drive on empty streets.

A few years later, a Carnegie Mellon researcher named Dean Pomerleau built an autonomous Pontiac Transport minivan and used this to drive 2,797 miles coast to coast from Pittsburgh, PA to San Diego, CA. The tech was primitive by today’s standards, but demonstrated that it could be done.

“The brain’s last stand”

1997 was a banner year for AI, as IBM’s Deep Blue supercomputer took on world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a chess battle pitting human against machine brain. While there was no doubt that Deep Blue process information more quickly than Kasparov, the real question was whether it cold think more strategically. It turns out that it could!

The results may not have shown AI to be capable of anything more than working exceptionally well at problems with clearly defined rules, it was still a massive leap forward for artificial intelligence as a field.

AI triumphs at Jeopardy!

Much like Deep Blue’s standoff with Garry Kasparov, IBM’s AI faced another big challenge in 2011 when its Watson AI took on former Jeopardy! winners Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings at their game show of choice — and won the $1 million first place. After the bout, a crushed Ken Jennings quipped that, “I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.”

AI loves… cats?

vmalisauskas/Getty Images

In June 2012, Google researchers Jeff Dean and Andrew Ng trained a giant neural network of 16,000 computer processors by feeding it 10 million unlabeled images taken from YouTube videos. Despite being given no identifying information about them, the AI was able to learn to detect pictures of felines, using its deep learning algorithms.

It turns out that, just like us, even impressively smart AI enjoys cat video videos.

AI beats the Go world champion

On March 2016, Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo AI defeated the Go world champion Lee Sedol in four games to one. The match was watched by 60 million around the world. The reason this was such a landmark was due to the sheer number of allowable board positions in the game, which add up to more than the total number of atoms in the universe. It’s AI’s most astonishing feat to date.

10 milestones in AI history, from neural networks to ‘Jeopardy!’ wins

Why it matters to you

AI is an extraordinarily important and complex field. We’ve done our best to narrow down the 10 milestones in its history you should know.

Compressing all of artificial intelligence (AI) into 10 “moments to remember” isn’t easy. With hundreds of research labs and thousands of computer scientists, compiling a list of every landmark achievement would be, well, a job for a smart algorithm to handle.

With that proviso taken care of, however, we’ve scoured the history books to bring you what we think are the top 10 most significant milestones in the history of AI. Check them out below.

The birth of neural networks

You’ve probably heard of neural networks, the brain-inspired AI tools behind most of today’s cutting edge artificial intelligence. While concepts like deep learning are relatively new, they’re based on a mathematical theory which dates back to 1943.

Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts’ “A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity” might sound like a mouthful, but it’s as important to computer science as (if not more than!) “The PageRank Citation Ranking,” a.k.a. the research paper which spawned Google. In “A Logical Calculus,” McCulloch and Pitts describe how networks of artificial neurons can be made perform logical functions. The dream of AI is born!

Artificial intelligence gets its name

If you were to pinpoint an official beginning for artificial intelligence, it may well by August 31, 1955. That’s when a proposal is made for a “2 month, 10 man study of artificial intelligence,” submitted by researchers John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon.

The conference takes place the following year at the 269-acre estate of Dartmouth College. Unfortunately, their timeline turns out to be a bit too optimistic. “We think a significant advance can be made … if a carefully selected group of scientists work on it for a summer,” they write. Things take a bit longer than that.

The arrival of ‘backprop’

Sometimes abbreviated to “backprop,” backpropagation is the single most important algorithm in the history of machine learning. The idea behind it was first proposed in 1969, although it only became a mainstream part of machine learning in the mid-1980s.

What backpropagation does is to allow a neural network to adjust its hidden layers in the event that the output it comes up doesn’t match the one its creator is hoping for. In short, it means that creators can train their networks to perform better by correcting them when they make mistakes. When this is done, backprop modifies the different connections in the neural network to make sure it gets the answer right the next time it faces the same problem.

Conversing with computers

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Ever wondered what the grandparent of Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri is? Back in the mid-1960s, a professor at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory developed a computer psychotherapist called ELIZA, which could carry out seemingly intelligent conversations via text with users.

Its creator noted at the time how surprised they were that users were so willing to converse with a machine in this way.

The Singularity

Don’t worry, you haven’t missed a major headline or anything: the Singularity, a.k.a. the point at which machines become smarter than humans, hasn’t happened yet. But in 1993, author and computer scientist Vernor Vinge published an article which popularized the idea.

Called “The Coming Technological Singularity,” Vinge predicted that, within the next 30 years, humankind would have the ability to create superhuman intelligence. “Shortly after, the human era will be ended,” he wrote. It’s a warning that others like Elon Musk have reiterated in the years since.

Here come the self-driving cars

Think that Google developed the world’s first self-driving car? Think again. Back in 1986, a a Mercedes-Benz van kitted out with cameras and smart sensors by researchers at Germany’s Bundeswehr University was able to successfully drive on empty streets.

A few years later, a Carnegie Mellon researcher named Dean Pomerleau built an autonomous Pontiac Transport minivan and used this to drive 2,797 miles coast to coast from Pittsburgh, PA to San Diego, CA. The tech was primitive by today’s standards, but demonstrated that it could be done.

“The brain’s last stand”

1997 was a banner year for AI, as IBM’s Deep Blue supercomputer took on world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a chess battle pitting human against machine brain. While there was no doubt that Deep Blue process information more quickly than Kasparov, the real question was whether it cold think more strategically. It turns out that it could!

The results may not have shown AI to be capable of anything more than working exceptionally well at problems with clearly defined rules, it was still a massive leap forward for artificial intelligence as a field.

AI triumphs at Jeopardy!

Much like Deep Blue’s standoff with Garry Kasparov, IBM’s AI faced another big challenge in 2011 when its Watson AI took on former Jeopardy! winners Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings at their game show of choice — and won the $1 million first place. After the bout, a crushed Ken Jennings quipped that, “I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.”

AI loves… cats?

vmalisauskas/Getty Images

In June 2012, Google researchers Jeff Dean and Andrew Ng trained a giant neural network of 16,000 computer processors by feeding it 10 million unlabeled images taken from YouTube videos. Despite being given no identifying information about them, the AI was able to learn to detect pictures of felines, using its deep learning algorithms.

It turns out that, just like us, even impressively smart AI enjoys cat video videos.

AI beats the Go world champion

On March 2016, Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo AI defeated the Go world champion Lee Sedol in four games to one. The match was watched by 60 million around the world. The reason this was such a landmark was due to the sheer number of allowable board positions in the game, which add up to more than the total number of atoms in the universe. It’s AI’s most astonishing feat to date.

Best Large Android Phone

• Best overall
• Best for battery
• Best for less
• Best ‘almost a Note 8’

Best Overall

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

See at Verizon
See at AT&T
See at T-Mobile
See at Sprint
See at Best Buy
See at Amazon

Forget last year’s missteps — the Samsung Galaxy Note line is back in style. This year’s Note takes everything we loved about the Galaxy S8 Plus and adds even more display real estate, an impressive new dual-camera rig, boasting 2X telephoto with optical image stabilization, and new features for the S Pen stylus, including animated written messages.

Samsung’s best-in-class display gets even better with new capabilities including a 1200-nit daylight mode. And the Note’s performance is supercharged thanks to 6GB of RAM as standard, and software enhancements in Samsung Experience 8.5.

You of course get Samsung’s trademark S Pen stylus, which is smarter than ever in the seventh-generation Note. But the biggest reason to invest in one of the priciest Android phones on the market might be the Note 8’s new dual camera setup. The main camera mirrors the excellent performance of the GS8, while the secondary shooter captures zoomed in shots with greater detail than any Android phone, thanks to its 12-megapixel resolution and optical stabilization.

Bottom line: The Galaxy Note 8 boasts a fearsome price tag, but it’s easily the best handset in this category. Between the display, performance, cameras, and productivity features, there’s no better big-screened phone

One more thing: The Note 8’s fingerprint scanner is in kind of an awkward place — not unlike the Galaxy S8. And in addition, the face unlock and iris scanning features can be temperamental.

Why the Galaxy Note 8 is the best

Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the best at almost everything it does.

Samsung’s latest big-screened handset steps out from the shadow of the Note 7, excelling across the board and building on the success of the Galaxy S8 line. The huge 6.3-inch SuperAMOLED display looks fantastic, with the best daylight visibility we’ve seen in a phone and bright, vibrant colors. And the phone itself is beautiful, with a symmetrical design that shows off its epic display.

What’s more, the Note 8 has everything you could ask for in a high-end handset with a top-tier dual camera array, software that’s differentiated but not overbearing, and speedy performance.

Best for battery life

Huawei Mate 9

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Huawei has made great progress over the past year, and its latest flagship, the Mate 9, stands out as the best big phone for buyers outside the United States. That’s largely thanks to Huawei’s much improved EMUI 5 software experience, based on Android Nougat. But the Mate 9 also benefits from a massive 5.9-inch 1080p screen in a body the same size as the Nexus 6P.

Beyond its size and software, the Mate 9 nails the fundamentals of a great Android experience, with quick performance, an ample 64GB of storage as standard, plus microSD expansion, and a capable dual camera setup. Unlike LG, Huawei combines two cameras with the same focal length, but with one OIS (optical image stabilization) 12MP camera capturing colors, and the other, a 20MP monochrome sensor, picking up fine detail. The result is a camera setup that often goes toe-to-toe with the best out there, and can produce some interesting creative effects thanks to its second sensor.

Bottom line: Huawei’s much-improved software — together with great build quality, performance and dependable cameras — makes for a fantastic big-screened experience.

One more thing: The Huawei Mate 9 isn’t currently available through any U.S. carriers — instead you’ll have to buy the unlocked version, which works on T-Mobile and AT&T (and their MVNOs), as well as just about every global LTE network.

Best for less

LG V30

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LG has successfully built on the G6 with its best big-screened phone to date, the V30. The V30 takes the design of its G-series forerunner and smoothes out the angles, with curved Gorilla Glass 5 front and back, polished aluminum on the sides, and plenty of power lurking within. It’s also LG’s first flagship phone in more than two years with an OLED screen, and while it’s not quite as spectacular as the Note 8’s Super AMOLED, LG’s latest display is great in its own right.,

On the inside, you get a standard loadout of high-end smartphone specs: Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (or 128GB if you get the V30+). But as with most LG phones over the past year or so, the biggest reason to choose the V30 might be its camera capabilities. The main shooter is a 16-megapixel unit with a new, super-bright f/1.6 lens, with OIS. And that’s paired with a brighter wide-angle camera with f/1.9 aperture, so you can capture dramatic 120-degree views even in low light.

LG has also built out new cinematic video shooting features in the new Cine LOG recording mode, which is great for videographers wanting to edit footage from the phone in Final Cut or Adobe Premiere.

Bottom line: The V30 is a great overall package. If you want many of the top features of the Note 8 without breaking the bank, LG’s latest is well worth a look.

One more thing: No more weird regional variations! All V30s come with LG’s famed Quad DAC for high-quality wired audio, as well as wireless charging and IP68 water resistance.

Best ‘Almost a Note 8’ phone

Samsung Galaxy S8+

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Samsung delivers a great big-screened Android experience in the larger of the two Galaxy S8 models. The new 18.5:9 aspect ratio, combined with a 6.2-inch display size (6.1 inches excluding the rounded corners) makes the Galaxy S8+ big, but not impossible to hold. And the extra height of that beautiful Quad HD+ SuperAMOLED panel means you’ll fit more on screen, too.

The design work Samsung started in 2016 can be seen coming to fruition in the GS8+, with an almost completely symmetrical metal and glass chassis that complements the big screen. And Samsung nails the fundamentals of the smartphone experience too, with fast performance and a great camera, improved from the GS7 thanks to new processing tricks. On the software side, Samsung’s UI feels more polished and mature than ever, with a new sci-fi aesthetic that’s slick and unique but not overbearing.

Bottom line: It’s expensive for sure, but the Samsung Galaxy S8+ easily one of the best phablets out there.

One more thing: The Galaxy S8+’s fingerprint scanner is in kind of an awkward place, around the back and next to the camera lens. But at least you’ve got face unlock and iris scanning to fall back on.

Conclusion

If you want the best Android has to offer in a big-screened phone, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The size of Samsung’s 6.3-incher is both a strength and a weakness — thanks to the extra-tall 18.5:9 aspect ratio, this is a very tall phone. But if that’s what you’re after, Samsung does a great job of showcasing an enormous, bright display and backing up a great physical design with good-looking software and unique software tricks, the S Pen and a fantastic dual camera setup.

Best Overall

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

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Forget last year’s missteps — the Samsung Galaxy Note line is back in style. This year’s Note takes everything we loved about the Galaxy S8 Plus and adds even more display real estate, an impressive new dual-camera rig, boasting 2X telephoto with optical image stabilization, and new features for the S Pen stylus, including animated written messages.

Samsung’s best-in-class display gets even better with new capabilities including a 1200-nit daylight mode. And the Note’s performance is supercharged thanks to 6GB of RAM as standard, and software enhancements in Samsung Experience 8.5.

You of course get Samsung’s trademark S Pen stylus, which is smarter than ever in the seventh-generation Note. But the biggest reason to invest in one of the priciest Android phones on the market might be the Note 8’s new dual camera setup. The main camera mirrors the excellent performance of the GS8, while the secondary shooter captures zoomed in shots with greater detail than any Android phone, thanks to its 12-megapixel resolution and optical stabilization.

Bottom line: The Galaxy Note 8 boasts a fearsome price tag, but it’s easily the best handset in this category. Between the display, performance, cameras, and productivity features, there’s no better big-screened phone

One more thing: The Note 8’s fingerprint scanner is in kind of an awkward place — not unlike the Galaxy S8. And in addition, the face unlock and iris scanning features can be temperamental.

Updated September, 2017: Galaxy Note 8 is the new king of large phones, with the LG V30 coming in as an excellent, less expensive option for late 2017.

Sprint and T-Mobile could merge in late October

There have been hints that Sprint and T-Mobile are seriously talking about a merger (again), but how likely is that union, really? Quite likely, if you ask Reuters’ sources. They understand that the two carriers are “close” to agreeing on terms, and they could have a deal ready by late October. There are the usual caveats (the tipsters say there’s still a chance things could fall apart), but it’s notable that Sprint and T-Mobile are apparently confident enough that there’s a timeline.

Sprint and T-Mobile aren’t commenting on the reported leak, but both sides have dropped hints that they were thinking of a merger. For instance, Sprint chief Marcelo Claure said in August that an announcement on merger talks would come in the “near future,” while SoftBank’s own CEO has been hopeful for a while.

While discussions have reportedly taken place for years, it’s believed the two have returned to the negotiating table both due to performance and the country’s current leadership. While T-Mobile has been wildly successful in attracting subscribers, it had to spend a lot of money to get there — a Sprint merger would give it a huge base without having to lift a finger. Sprint, meanwhile only just returned to profit (in part through extensive cost-cutting) and is still struggling to add significantly more users. And both companies are no doubt hoping that the looser antitrust regulation of the current US administration will help them merge where they would have been shot down under previous governments. They may see this as a now-or-never situation where it’s better to try for a merger than lose their big chance at challenging AT&T and Verizon.

Source: Reuters