Martti is a self-driving car from Finland designed for icy snow-covered roads

Driving in winter conditions can be slow and hazardous, even for skilled drivers. The self-driving cars in development today are generally designed and tested on city streets, with curbs and lane markings and GPS maps to rely on. But what happens when you live in a country like Finland, where roads covered with several inches of snow are a fact of life every year?

Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre are tackling that problem head-on with Martti, an autonomous vehicle specifically programmed to safely navigate public roads blanketed in snow. Built on a Volkswagen Touareg, it’s equipped with a variety of antennas, sensors, cameras, and laser scanners.

The vehicle set a speed record for traveling in snowy conditions, according to a press release from the RobotCar Crew. “It probably also made a new world record in fully automated driving, making 40 km/h [25 mph] in a snowfall on snow-covered terrain without lane markings,” said project manager Matti Kutila. It could have gone faster, he added, if it weren’t for the speed limiter on the vehicle.

The testing and training sessions took place on the Aurora E8 intelligent road in Muonio with Martti and his “spouse” Marilyn. She’s equipped with a different array of sensors, and the two cars communicate continuously. “Martti has been designed for demanding weather conditions and Marilyn shines as the queen of urban areas,” said Kutila.

Most autonomous vehicles rely on Lidar, or Light Detection and Ranging, which doesn’t work very well in snowy or whiteout conditions. Kutila told Bloomberg that Mattti is designed to work even “when turbulent snow degrades 3D-sensor performance.” The car’s systems include radar and three forward-facing lasers.

VTT is hardly the first self-driving company to experiment with snowy conditions, but it certainly has a head start on their competition, as Waymo and Yandex just began their adverse weather tests a couple months ago.

The team is planning to upgrade the optical components and increase the resolution of the radar. Early next year, Martti will also be able to communicate with existing transport infrastructure via communication modules.

Even with all the high-tech additions, Kutila says it’s not always the smoothest ride. “It’s a prototype and not as comfortable as driving manually,” he admits. “However, when the car starts doing decisions himself, it feels a bit like a human — and you even start talking to the car, ‘What are you doing?’”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Yandex, the ‘Google of Russia,’ is now testing self-driving cars in the snow
• Waymo is looking to test self-driving cars in wintry Detroit
• 2018 Cadillac CT6 first drive review
• Daimler aims to bring its self-driving snowplows to airports
• Take in the sights in downtown Las Vegas in a Keolis self-driving shuttle

A robot arm is Prague’s latest star DJ

Never mind the debate over whether digital or vinyl is better for DJs — the real question is whether or not a human should be there in the first place. Prague’s Karlovy Lazne club has started employing an automotive robot arm as one of its DJs after its management challenged a robotics company to make it happen. The bot uses custom software to pick songs, and grabs CDs with its pincers to queue up tracks. It can dance and even scratch records. That’d make it more involved in the mix than some DJs we’ve seen.

The arm isn’t an open-to-close DJ. Ever since it started 3 weeks ago, it’s been on an hourly rotation with its programmer.

At least some clubbers seem to like the arm. However, Reuters points out the not-so-shocking objections from some on the dance floor: the robot can’t get a feel for what the crowd wants to hear, tell you to put your hands in the air or otherwise react like a flesh-and-blood jockey. We’d add that it’s not going to be very creative and isn’t about to cut up tracks like some of the most experienced DJs. For now, at least, your favorite laptop guru or turntablist will remain gainfully employed.

Via: Reuters

Source: Karlovy Lazne

Lapland reindeer go hi-tech with tracking sensors to protect them from wolves

As Rudolph and his buddies assist Santa Claus on his travels around the world this evening, the reindeers back in Lapland continue to deal with all manner of hazards that threaten to ruin their Christmas.

Thousands of reindeer die every year in Finland’s most northern region, with most succumbing to attacks by wolves and other predators, or straying into traffic on remote roads.

But now the nation’s reindeer herders are turning to tech in a bid to reduce those numbers and better protect the country’s reindeer population, according to a BBC report.

The Finnish Reindeer Herders’ Association has started placing tracking sensors around the necks of some of the reindeer, allowing a herder to quickly identify their position via an accompanying smartphone app.

Besides enabling the herders to track hundreds of thousands of reindeer through Lapland’s forests and learn more about their movement behavior, the technology also helps them to spot injured animals, increasing the chances of a successful rescue. It allows them to reach dead reindeer more quickly, too, so they can gather more accurate data on cause of death that could later be used to develop additional protection systems.

To develop the system, the association teamed up with a number of startups, namely Paris-based Actility for the tracking sensors, Finnish firm Digita for the long-range communications network, and another local company, Mapitare, for the mapping and visualization software.

Current issues regard the size of the sensor, which is somewhat bulky. Matti Sarkela, head of the Finnish Reindeer Herders’ Association, told the BBC they need smaller sensors that last at least a year and incorporate improved location technology. “It can be hard to get good GPS signals in the high Arctic,” Sarkela said. “We’re working now on finding the best technology mix and getting the best sensor.”

Sarkela and his team are also considering attaching trackers to predators so that herders can be alerted when they get close to a reindeer herd.

The reindeer herding industry revolves around meat, fur, and antler products and generates around $25 million annually for the Finnish economy, prompting the herders to look for more effective ways to protect the animal.

Besides predators, the reindeer also die in accidents involving trains and motor vehicles. In a bid to cut the 4,000 or so reindeer road deaths that occur each year, the association launched an app in 2014 that let drivers who spotted wandering reindeer alert nearby motorists of their presence. Other efforts have included painting the animal’s antlers in fluorescent colors and hanging reflectors around their neck, but many of the deer tore the reflectors off and scraped the paint away.

U.S. research

On U.S. roads, more than a million animal-related collisions take place every year, some of which lead to human deaths. Researchers at Virginia Tech are working on a system that uses technology embedded in the roadside to detect an animal’s presence so it can alert an approaching driver. Self-driving technology can also help tackle the issue.

Andrew Alden of Virginia Tech said that real advances will be made when “vehicles talk to other vehicles and then talk to infrastructure.”

He added: “When we have that ability, we will be able to have that equipment at the roadside connect to the network and then the system turns around and issues an alert to any vehicles that are approaching that area. They would receive an in-vehicle warning saying that there are animals on the roadside ahead.” It’s another example of how developments in technology can help to protect not only animals, but also humans that pass through their habitat.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Think twice about posting that koala selfie, Instagram warns
• Mindful Powers app teaches children how to deal with stress and anxiety
• ‘Code Vein’ hands-on preview
• The Best Car Adapters You Can Buy
• The best TV shows on Netflix

From the Editor’s Desk: The Android Naughty + Nice List 2017

We’ve made our list. We’ve checked it twice.

With the Christmas weekend in full swing, and the end of 2017 rapidly approaching, it’s time to reflect on the highs and lows of the year in Android. That means we get to call out some of the heroes and villains of the smartphone world — brands and companies that had a bumper year, and others that blew it spectacularly.

This is the Android Naughty & Nice list for 2017. Enjoy!

Nice: Google’s hardware division

Even with some concerns around Pixel 2 XL’s display (which still isn’t as good as Samsung-made rivals, even after recent software updates), the second year of Google-made hardware was impressive to behold. The new phones built on the previous year’s achievements, with improved computational photography capabilities, a slick UI and flawless performance. And elsewhere, Daydream and Home got even better with updated, refined hardware.

Naughty: Android tablets in general

Even Google doesn’t think it’s worth making an Android tablet anymore. The two-year-old reference slate, the Pixel C, still hasn’t been retired, and with the shift to ChromeOS convertibles like the Pixelbook, who knows if we’ll ever see another flagship Android tablet again.

Naughty: Essential

A delayed retail launch, a bad camera — even months later, poor sales figures, a cancelled European carrier rollout topped off by a few weeks of bad press around the man at the top made for a dismal launch year for Andy Rubin’s Essential. The phone’s only worth buying now because it’s cheap, and even then, persistent software issues make for an occasionally shaky experience.

Nice: HTC

HTC has its problems, for sure: Too many to list here, between frequent executive departures, and a shaky start to the year with the disappointing U Ultra. But the Taiwanese company redeemed itself later in the year with the excellent U11 and U11 Plus, besides being the vessel for the Pixel 2, the best small Android phone of the year. A challenging year awaits this Android veteran, but in 2017 HTC got its mojo back, at least in terms of its products.

Naughty: Razer

The Razer Phone is, at best, a demo of tech we’ll see more fluently realized in 2018. Razer swapped out my original review unit, and the replacement unit doesn’t have any of the autofocus issues I first experienced with the device. But the camera is still bad in plenty of other ways, and that 120Hz display is dim in low light. Throw in Android Nougat, with no firm date for Oreo outside of “Q1”, and you’ve got a recipe for disappointment.

Naughty/Nice: Huawei

This was a tough one: Huawei began the year with the P10, and the near-criminal stupidity of shipping a flagship phone without an oleophobic screen. Huawei also missed the opportunity to move its software design forward in a meaningful way in 2017, with persistent gripes around notifications remaining in the new EMUI 8. But in other areas, Huawei has made confident strides forward. Its cameras now rank among the best in the industry, and the Mate 10 Pro ranks as a champion of Android battery life. Meanwhile, the Mate series adopted a beautiful new glass-backed design language. And the company’s Honor sub-brand launched the impressive Honor 9, 7X and View 10.

Naughty: LG Display

The Pixel 2 XL would’ve been a shoo-in for “best Android phone” were it not for its disappointing LG-made OLED panel. Who knows if there’s anything to unconfirmed Reddit reports that new production lines weren’t ready in time, so older facilities had to be used for the V30 and Pixel 2 XL, but it might explain the lackluster display performance of the 2 XL, and the one or two issues at lower brightness levels in the V30’s panel.

Nice: LG Mobile

For all its display-related woes, the smartphone arm of LG shipped two of the best, most underappreciated Android phones of the year. The G6 was steamrolled by Samsung’s Galaxy S8, but actually had a lot going for it — clean software, a compact size and a unique wide-angle camera. Same deal with the V30, which built on the foundations of the G6 with faster performance and improved video capabilities.

Naughty: Android Wear

I’m not sure Google really has a longterm plan for Android Wear at this point. The LG Watch Sport and Watch Style bombed. The pivot to fashion brands has been met with limited success, but otherwise Android Wear seems to be in limbo. The departure of VP David Singleton also doesn’t look great for Google struggling wearable platform.

Nice: Samsung

Forget Bixby for a minute. Though Samsung’s mobile AI thing remains mostly a waste of space, the company released some of its best products yet in 2017, successfully rebounding from the Galaxy Note 7 controversy. It was the first to bring tall, largely bezelless displays to the mass market, and rehabilitated the Note brand with a strong, dual-camera equipped offering later in the year. It’s also released some excellent wearables this year, including the Gear Fit2 and Gear Sport.

Naughty: Sony Mobile U.S.

Consider this award deferred until Sony announces the Xperia XZ2 series in January, which probably still won’t have a working fingerprint scanner in the United States. Oh, Sony.

Naughty: Apple

Apple makes a lot of nice stuff, and employs a lot of smart people. But is anyone really surprised to see the company deliberately slowing down older iPhones? Derek Kessler’s write-up on iMore goes into further detail, but however many times I read explanations of why Apple downclocks CPUs and GPUs to preserve the battery life of faltering cells, the more the cynic in me just doesn’t buy it. Apple’s solution deliberately obfuscates the real problem with aging hardware (the battery), and degrades performance for users by — coincidentally — around the time they might just be hearing about shiny new iPhones hitting the market. Android OEMs occasionally pull some pretty dumb, anti-consumer tricks as well, but to me this just seems like Apple abusing the near infinite amount of goodwill it has from consumers.

Nice: OnePlus

It’s not like OnePlus didn’t screw up at all in 2017. Some bad press around data collection practices and a backdoor for root access saw the company retreading familiar ground. But the products themselves were solid — both the OnePlus 5 and 5T stood out as the best mid-priced flagships of 2017, topped off by a limited edition Star Wars collab to round off the year.

Merry Christmas + Happy Holidays to everyone celebrating this coming week. We’ll see you in 2018!

Russia is planning to put a luxury hotel on the ISS

While American private corporations are working to offer paying customers a short trip to space (or the edge of it), Russia is cooking up something grander. According to Popular Mechanics, it saw a proposal detailing Russian space corporation Roscosmos’ plan to build a luxury hotel on the ISS. Anybody whose pockets are deep enough to shell out at least $40 million for the experience can stay there for a week or two. An additional $20 million will buy them the chance to go on a spacewalk with a cosmonaut.

The publication says Russian space contractor RKK Energia conjured up the strategy to be able to pay for the construction of the second module it’s building that will set it back $279 to $446 million. RKK Energia is already building the first of the two modules to serve as a science laboratory and power supply station. Although the second module has always been part of the plan, the Russian government is only paying for the first one.

The tourist module will reportedly look like the first one from the outside — you can see an illustration of the science module below:

[Image credit: Anatoly Zak/Russianspaceweb.com]

The inside, however, will have four sleeping quarters around two cubic meters each with 9-inch windows. It will also have two “medical and hygiene” stations, as well as a lounge area with a 16-inch window — after all, if Russia wants guests to pay tens of millions, it will have to be worth it.

RKK Energia is hoping to fly one or two tourists per Soyuz flight after NASA stops buying seats on the capsule for astronauts headed to the ISS, which will happen once Boeing’s and SpaceX’s commercial crew program vehicles are ready. To be able to jump-start construction, it has to find 12 (wealthy) passengers willing to pay $4 million up front. And if at least six passengers pay for a week-long stay at the space hotel per year, the company can recoup its investment within seven years.

As Popular Mechanics noted, though, the ISS is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2028. The space contractor said the module takes five years to finish, so it will have to start building soon.

Source: Popular Mechanics

With built-in coolers, tents, and kitchenettes, these are the best cars for camping

A night under the brilliant, undiluted stars is one of the best ways to escape the stresses of daily life, but to do it right, you’ll need supplies. Firewood, graham crackers, and chocolate are obvious choices, but the right vehicle can be the gooey marshmallow that brings it all together.

A lot goes into choosing the ideal camping car. It has to get you there for one, so it must be adventurous and at least somewhat tough. It should also be reliable, with lots of cargo room and seating for all your friends and gear. We’ve already done a list of our favorite trucks and the best 4x4s, so when we set out to choose the best cars for camping, we focused on fun. That’s the point of camping, right?

Citroën Cactus M

This one may be a concept, but this beach car is just too perfect as an outdoor adventurer to exclude. First off, the cabin is covered in water-resistant neoprene, which means you can hoof it to the coast and not worry about wet surfing gear, clothes, or spilling a drink. There’s an integrated tent out back as well, and the rear seats fold to create a sleeping area for two.

Because it’s weird and French and awesome, the Cactus M embraces a special kind of eccentricity. As such, the entire exterior is coated with an air-filled “second skin” that prevents scratches, bumps, and damage from salt water. Oh, and it has its own surfboard.

Pontiac Aztek

The worst car ever made might just be the best camping trip companion. Despite its fugly looks and bad reputation, the mid-sized crossover is chalk-full of crafty features, including a swing-open tailgate, a removable cargo tray (pong anyone?), and a center console that doubles as a cooler. If that weren’t enough, the available camping package includes an air compressor, inflatable mattress, and of course, an attachable tent.

Even without the extra knick knacks, the Aztek is plenty capable. With the rear seats down, the vehicle boasts 93.5 cubic feet of cargo space and a 10-speaker stereo system with rear controls. Just make sure to face your tent away from the car; a Pontiac Aztek is not the first thing you want to see in the morning.

Honda Element

The Element is famous for its easily washable urethane floor, but an easy cleanup isn’t the only reason the SUV appears on our list. The rear seats, which are covered in stain-resistant fabric, can recline, fold up, and be removed for extra cargo room. It’s a tall vehicle as well, which makes it easy to store awkward items like water tanks or even grills.

In addition, Honda offers a genuine factory hatch tent as an accessory, which measures 10 foot by 10 foot and sleeps six. Add in available all-wheel drive and this lunchbox on wheels could be the perfect fit.

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Let’s class this up a bit. Despite the fact that 90 percent of Land Rover owners never use it, the automaker’s off-road prowess is nothing short of legendary. This particular model includes Terrain Response driving modes, which automatically adjust the transmission, suspension, and traction control based on what surface you’re driving over. Because of that, the Discovery can ferry seven campers to just about anywhere in the world.

Sure, it’s no fancy Range Rover Sport SVR, but with a base price of $37,695, this British bulldog is the one many of us can actually afford.

Scion xB

What’s better than one lunchbox on wheels? Two lunchboxes on wheels!

Joking aside, this rolling toaster is perfectly suited for light camping duty given its almost offensively square shape. You can jam tents, sleeping bags, folding chairs, and just about anything else you can think of inside the xB, and better yet, the first-gen five-door returns up to 31 mpg on the highway. Take that, aerodynamics.

Subaru Baja

Is was tough to decide just which Subaru would appear on our list first, but in the end, we settled on the only “truck” the company has ever made. It was either that or the BRZ.

Built before the active lifestyle automobile trend was born, the Baja combined car-like handling with truck-like utility in a funky, but likable way. It wasn’t received or sold particularly well over its four-year lifespan, but it had character, and sometimes that’s all you need. Add in Subaru hallmarks like all-wheel drive, solid reliability, and healthy fuel economy ratings, and you’ll understand why Bajas are so popular with aficionados of nature. Is there an automaker more closely tied to camping than Subaru? If there is one, it’s probably the brand behind our next entrant.

Jeep Wrangler

The Wrangler is one of most iconic off-roaders ever built, and for good reason. The SUV’s body-on-frame construction and rigid live axles give it a toughness newer crossovers can’t match, and the culture behind it is as strong as any car. Newer models have added electronic traction control, premium sound systems, and leather interiors, but the Wrangler is still a dirty dog at heart.

There isn’t a copious amount of room inside for coolers and things (unless you opt for one of Jeep’s countless camping accessories), but who cares? You can take the doors and roof off!

Chrysler Pacifica

Minivans get a bad rap, but if you can get past their manatee-like exterior, these family haulers are some of the most practical and tech-rich vehicles on the road. Take the new Pacifica, for instance, which offers a generous 197.8 cu. ft. of storage space with the third row stowed. With all the seats up, this thing can haul up to eight people around, but there’s a lot more to offer than sheer volume.

Did your tentmate track dirt all over the sleeping bag again? No worries, the Pacifica has a built-in vacuum. Have too much gear in your hands to open the door? Easy fix; you can open this van by waving your foot around. There are also eight USB ports in total for smartphone charging, two 12-volt outlets for blowup mattresses or heaters, and best of all, 13 cupholders. That’s right, 13. Thats a lot of … soda.

Honda Ridgeline

If there is one word to describe Honda’s only truck, it’s “quirky.” Everything about the Ridgeline is just a little bit off, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. As we found out when we drove it, the truck’s weirdness is one of its best attributes.

More impressive than the Ridgeline’s ride, handling, and engine power are genius features like the dual-action tailgate, which can swing open like a door or be folded down. The truck also has a lockable trunk and an audio system inside the bed, and new tech like adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, and lane keeping assist keep you safe both to and from the campsite.

Mini Clubvan Camper

Of all the car brands in the world, Mini is one of the last you’d associate with roughing it. In an attempt to change that, the automaker released three camping-centric concepts back in 2013, the most memorable of which was the Mini Clubvan Camper.

This car differs from the rest of our field due to its limited occupancy. With a cot on one side and an extendable kitchenette on the other, there isn’t much room for anyone except the driver, meaning this compact prefers to camp solo. It’s a shame really, because with its propane stove and chest fridge, this thing is a party on wheels. There’s even a handheld shower, which means your vacation stops whenever you want it to.

Volkswagen Alltrack

It would appear the only way Americans like their wagons is with a lift, and while that might not be a styling decision we agree with, it does come with the benefit of versatility. Taking a Golf Sportwagon into the boonies for a spot of camping might be risky business, but with the Alltrack’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system, a bit more ground clearance, underbody protection, and plastic moldings around the wheel wells, you can venture (within reason) into the great unknown. Better yet, the Alltrack and its 66.5 cu. ft. of cargo capacity starts at a supremely reasonable $25,850.

Toyota 4Runner

We’ve mentioned some “creative” camping car solutions thus far, but let’s not forget the gold standards. Though the 4Runner is long overdue for an update, its rugged body-on-frame platform and dependable four-wheel drive system can take you just about anywhere. If you spring for the TRD Pro and its increased ride height, bigger tires, and skid plates, you’ll face few obstacles. The alien front fascia may not appeal to everyone (we happen to dig it), but it’s hard to argue with up to 89.7 cu. ft. of cargo capacity and 5,000 pounds of max towing. Need another reason? The back window goes down so you can air out the cabin — and its inhabitants — after a smelly few days in the woods. That’s fun for the whole family.

Nissan XTerra

We shed a tear in 2015 when Nissan announced the Xterra was ending production. The quirky model remains a favorite among adventurers for its dependability and creative cargo solutions. In addition to a solid 65.7 cu. ft. of max cargo room, there are storage areas within the cabin floor and one built into the design of the construction-grade aluminum roof rack. To access those top-stored items, the Xterra has built-in bumper steps. Like the Honda Element, cleaning the interior is a breeze, thanks to “Easy Clean” materials.

If you score a six-speed manual version, the Xterra and its 3.6-liter V6 is even fun to drive. Finding a four-wheel drive version in good shape is becoming harder and harder these days, as people are realizing what a great adventure vehicle the Xterra was, but you should budget about $15-20K for a late production model.

Subaru Forester

The Subaru Baja is just plain cool, but if you want a new Subaru that’s still affordable, give the Forester a shot. It’s certainly not the most exciting crossover on the market, but what it lacks in pizazz it makes up for in practicality. Five passengers fit easily within the tall, spacious cabin, while 34 cu. ft. of cargo volume is available behind the rear bench. Standard all-wheel drive and plenty of ground clearance will broaden your campsite horizons as well. Also, unlike four-wheel drive rigs, the Forester returns up to 32 mpg on the highway, meaning you won’t need to lug fuel reserves wherever you go. The Forester really is a no-brainer choice for a camping companion.

Toyota Tacoma

Toyota’s Tacoma needs no introduction, as it’s one of the best-selling trucks of all time. However, we will give you a warning — if you buy a Tacoma, the “Taco” family comes with it. The Tacoma has such a thriving adventure community, you almost can’t escape the combined enthusiasm. Be it overlanding, rock crawling, or hauling duty, the Tacoma can do it all. The availability of a double-cab and/or a long-bed configuration expands storage or people-hauling options considerably, and multiple variations with different degrees of off-road capability, means there is a Tacoma for everyone.

If you can resist the urge to modify, the Tacoma is affordable, has incredible resale value, and is easy to maintain. That said, don’t be surprised if you start shopping aftermarket bumpers and rooftop tents immediately after leaving the dealer lot.

Editors’ Recommendations

• 2018 Toyota Tacoma: Release date, prices, specs, and features
• 2018 Honda Ridgeline: Release dates, prices, specs, and features
• 2018 Jeep Wrangler models include both old and new generations
• The best trucks you can buy
• 2018 Toyota Highlander: Release date, prices, specs and features

Oreo stable update now rolling out to the OnePlus 5, Face Unlock coming soon

After a month of beta testing, the Oreo stable update is now available for the OnePlus 5.

OnePlus said it’ll deliver Android 8.0 Oreo to the OnePlus 5 in early 2018, and the company is now rolling out the update ahead of schedule. The OxygenOS 5.0 update comes in at 1.5GB, and includes the December security patch along with a slew of new features and tweaks.

With the update, the OnePlus 5 is picking up features that debuted on the OnePlus 5T, including Parallel Apps and beautify effects for Portrait Mode. Here’s the changelog detailing all the new additions:

• Updated to Android O (8.0)
• Launcher
  • Optimizations for Shelf
  • Now you can upload your photo through Shot on OnePlus
• Camera
  • New Camera UI design
  • Optimizations for photo quality
  • Added beauty effect for Portrait Mode
• Gallery
  • Added “Places” tab for viewing photos on a map
• Calculator
  • Added history feature
• Clock
  • Added alarm calendar feature
• System
  • Added Parallel Apps feature
  • New design for Quick Settings
  • New design for Lift up display
  • Added “Adaptive model” screen calibration
  • Optimizations for Wi-Fi
  • Optimizations for Battery Saver
  • Updated Android security patch to December

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei also mentioned on Twitter that Face Unlock would be making its way to the OnePlus 5. First seen on the OnePlus 5T, Face Unlock is one of the fastest biometric authentication systems available today.

Due to popular demand, Face Unlock is coming for the OnePlus 5. Thanks for the feedback, and merry Christmas! 🎅🎄🎁

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) December 24, 2017

As is often the case, the OTA will hit a small percentage of OnePlus 5 users today, and will be rolling out widely in a few days’ time. If you’re eager to install Oreo on your device, you can manually initiate the download by using a VPN and setting your location to Canada, Germany, Finland or Hong Kong. You can also flash the OTA image from this link.

Already installed the update on your OnePlus 5? Let us know how you’re liking the new additions in the comments below.

OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5

• OnePlus 5T review: Come for the value, not the excitement
• OnePlus 5T specs
• Should you upgrade from the OnePlus 3T?
• OnePlus 5T vs. Galaxy S8: Beast mode
• All of the latest OnePlus 5T news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

Ubisoft’s new AI wing melds gaming and scientific research

Game developers were researching AI well before it became a tech industry trend, but they haven’t had much incentive to share their work with the academic world. It’s a competitive advantage, after all. Ubisoft, however, is trying to find a happy middle ground. It recently established an AI research wing, La Forge, that aims to harmonize research for both gaming and science. The new unit has academics and Ubisoft employees working together on projects that will ideally advance gaming and lead to real-world breakthroughs that scientists can publish.

As an example, Ubisoft points to its work on creating a small-scale version of the San Francisco Bay Area for Watch Dogs 2. The company developed AI-guided cars and pedestrians to navigate a realistic urban environment, and that’s potentially ideal for self-driving car research — scientists could use Watch Dogs’ technology to test autonomous driving in tricky situations (such as crowds) without having to put real cars on the road. At the same time, AI designed for real cars could lead to better in-game AI.

Other work includes AI that walks and moves more realistically (helpful for robots and prosthetics) and detecting toxic behavior in online communities.

La Forge is still young, so it’s hard to know whether or not it’ll keep both sides interested. If Ubisoft keeps its juicier AI breakthroughs to itself, academics might lose interest. Likewise, Ubi may jump ship if research teams don’t produce enough relevant breakthroughs. If it pans out, however, this could be key to ending some of the isolation in AI development.

Source: TechCrunch

AMG’s future electric cars might sound like Linkin Park

Upcoming regulations mean that whisper-quiet EVs must make artificial noises to warn pedestrians, and automakers like Nissan are turning that into a weird marketing opportunity. AMG is taking it to another level, though, announcing that Linkin Park will be one of its “partners in performance” helping shape the sounds made by its future EVs.

“I started to talk with these guys about what is their interpretation of electrified sound,” Mercedes-AMG CEO Tobias Moers told Wheels. “We sell emotions and sound is really a crucial part of emotion, so what we do is work on artificial sounds because you have to.”

There are a lot of other audio experts who will help shape AMG’s EV tones, so it’s not clear what part Linkin Park will play in that. “We started off years ago,” said Moers. “We established a team doing artificial sound and we worked together with games specialists, we worked together with film artists doing sound for films.”

AMG still has a lot of time to figure it out. While parent Mercedes plans to start manufacturing its Generation EQ electric vehicles by 2019, AMG EVs won’t appear until the mid-2020s, Moers said. If you want an idea of what’s in store, take a look at the insane, 805-horsepower rear-axle hybrid AMG GT Concept first revealed in Geneva earlier this year. “[That] is more or less our understanding of how we are going to electrify powertrains in performance cars,” said Moers.

Source: Wheels

Robot DJ spins, scratches, and dances the night away at Prague nightclub

The Karlovy Lazne Music Club in Prague has a new employee — a robot DJ that gets the crowd jumping at the popular five-story nightclub, according to a report from Reuters. The robot uses software to help it select songs, scratches records, and even dances along to the beat.

“Kuka,” which is also the company that manufactured the robotic arm, began life as an automotive industry robot, and ended up with the record-spinner gig after the club issued a challenge to a robotics firm.

Club manager Adam Lipsansky said the unique attraction draws customers in. “People are excited (about the robot), because they haven’t seen anything like this around Europe, and I am not sure if there is something similar in the world,” he said.

The robot keeps the party going with its human programmer as they swap out hourly shifts. Lipansky admits that the robot’s people skills may be a bit lacking. “He knows everything like a human DJ. He is only unable to react to people, to how they are behaving,” he said.

As to Lipinsky’s claim about the MC mech, this is hardly the first time that robots have served DJ duty in clubs. In fact, a Ford Fiesta commercial from 2016 showcased the very premise of a professional DJ trying to teach an automotive assembly robot how to perform.

The versatile Kuka robotic arms can be programmed for a variety of tasks, which you can see in the Nigel Stanford-robot musical collaboration Automatica. They’ve even partnered with an amusement park ride maker to create RoboCoaster, and a Kuka robot performed at the Paralympics Opening Ceremony in Rio in 2016.

We’ve already got robot baristas, robot bartenders, and even robot dancers. Why not robot DJs? The reviews are mixed among Czech partiers.

“The robot is very good,” said a student named Sebastian. “I like it very much.”

On the other hand, some clubgoers found the experience too … robotic. “I don’t like the robot. It can’t feel what the people want to dance to,” said Marcia Lopes, 24. “There is no emotion behind the music. When there is a real person, they know, what fun is like.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Pepper is everywhere in Japan, and nobody cares. Should we feel bad for robots?
• Gomer is a soft-robotics A.I. hoping to bring some cheer to your life
• Chinese knock-off of Boston Dynamics’s Spot robot looks virtually identical
• Counting down the 10 most important robots in history
• Between the Streams: ‘Electric Dreams,’ ‘Pacific Rim Uprising,’ robots galore!