Apple will add more iPhone parental controls to combat child addiction

Apple plans to incorporate new controls into its smartphones that will allow parents to control how much their children use them, Bloomberg reports. In response to a public letter issued on January 6th by two investment groups — with a combined $2 billion in Apple shares — on the company claimed it has always protected kids’ interests but vowed to do more to keep them safe online.

“Apple has always looked out for kids, and we work hard to create powerful products that inspire, entertain, and educate children while also helping parents protect them online,” a spokeswoman told Bloomberg. “We have new features and enhancements planned for the future, to add functionality and make these tools even more robust.”

The letter, written by Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (Calstrs), asked Apple to include more safety features in iOS that allow parents to monitor the use of a child’s iPhone, citing cases of increased districtation and higher risk of depression and suicide. Apple isn’t solely to blame, given the availability of social media apps, but it was also urged to conduct research into heavy use on young mental health.

While Apple does provide parental controls, they are focused on limiting access to adult apps, music and video — an “all or nothing approach,” the groups call it. “As one of the most innovative companies in the history of technology, Apple can play a defining role in signaling to the industry that paying special attention to the health and development of the next generation is both good business and the right thing to do,” they argued.

Apple agrees, and it’s likely we’ll see more advanced parental controls come to iOS in the near future.

Source: Bloomberg

Microsoft’s ‘Meltdown’ updates are reportedly bricking AMD PCs

Following reports of unbootable machines, Microsoft has halted updates of its Meltdown and Spectre security patches for AMD computers, according to a support note spotted by the Verge. It made the move after numerous complaints from users who installed the patch and then couldn’t get past the Windows 10 splash screen. “To prevent AMD customers from getting into an unbootable state, Microsoft will temporarily pause sending the following Windows operating system updates to devices with impacted AMD processors,” it wrote.

According to reports from users, the unbootable problem appears to happen with specific AMD models. “I have older AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, [and] after installation of KB4056892 the system doesn’t boot, it only shows the Windows logo without animation and nothing more,” said one user. The same issue was confirmed by other Athlon and Sempron-equipped PC owners.

Microsoft confirmed as much, blaming the issue on faulty AMD documentation. “After investigating, Microsoft has determined that some AMD chipsets do not conform to the documentation previously provided to Microsoft to develop the Windows operating system mitigations to protect against the chipset vulnerabilities known as Spectre and Meltdown,” the company said.

Obviously, this is the last thing that Microsoft and AMD need, especially since AMD has claimed that it is barely affected by the patch. Microsoft is working to resolve the issue, but if you already installed the patch and can’t boot up, it has some links you can hit up to fix it here.

Via: The Verge

Source: Microsoft

Intel is building brain-like processors that will power the robots of the future

At its keynote at CES 2018, Intel slid in mentions of its more experimental forms of data processing that could be coming down the pipeline. Amidst talk of the importance of data in virtually every aspect of life, the company believes that the future of computing resides within two key areas: Neuromorphic and quantum computing.

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich made this revelation during his keynote Monday night during CES 2018, showing off two new processors built for these computing segments. 

Processors that act like brains

The new neuromorphic computing processor throws out the conventional desktop processor architecture, and instead attempts to mimic how the brain learns and grows on its own. The prototype chip, called Loihi, simulates the brain in silicon by implementing digital circuits (artificial neurons) and pathways. But according to Krzanich, these pathways will change as the chip receives data and self-learns as a result, just like our own brains. 

Krzanich said the prototype chip learned how to perform simple object recognition in the company’s labs in just several weeks. He believes this technology will influence “future products and innovations,” and that will start by placing prototype chips in the hands of researchers to discover the true potential of neuromorphic computing. Even more, the chip promises faster machine learning with better power efficiency. 

“The Loihi test chip offers highly flexible on-chip learning and combines training and inference on a single chip,” added Intel Labs’ Dr. Michael Mayberry. “This allows machines to be autonomous and to adapt in real time instead of waiting for the next update from the cloud. The self-learning capabilities prototyped by this test chip have enormous potential to improve automotive and industrial applications as well as personal robotics.”

The Loihi prototype chip will be shared with universities and research institutions in the first half of 2018 with a focus on advancing the artificial intelligence field. 

The 49-quabit quantum chip

As for the quantum computing aspect, Krzanich predicates that quantum computing could solve problems that the current best supercomputers on the planet could take months or even years to resolve. That’s the driving force behind Intel’s latest quantum computing solution: Its new 49-qubit superconducting quantum test chip dubbed as “Tangle Lake.” The label means the chip contains 49 quantum bits (aka qubits), which are units of quantum information. 

Unlike a single “normal” bit that’s either a one or a zero, a quantum bit can be both at the same time. A watered-down definition implies that this dual-personality allows a quantum bit to hold more information. This is why quantum computing is a hot topic regarding the future: As our chunks of data grow larger each day, we’ll need computers that can handle the increasing load in as little time as possible. 

With the new Tangle Lake processor, researchers can energize an otherwise “nascent field” to simulate computational problems, and improve error correction techniques. We still have a very long way to go before quantum computing reaches “commercial relevance,” but Intel’s research and development into Tangle Lake seems to be pushing quantum computing forward. 

“In the quest to deliver a commercially viable quantum computing system, it’s anyone’s game,” Mayberry added. “We expect it will be five to seven years before the industry gets to tackling engineering-scale problems, and it will likely require 1 million or more qubits to achieve commercial relevance.” 

SanDisk’s tiny 1TB USB-C stick is the perfect smartphone upgrade

There’s a kind of weird pleasure to be derived from the ever-shrinking size of data storage. Sandisk’s latest prototype at CES 2018 continues the company’s tradition of space crunching, with a one-terabyte USB-C dongle for your next laptop, tablet or Android phone. And, well, what else can I say? Compared to existing, sometimes bigger USB-C storage, it’s adorably petite, even at this early stage. However, there’s no word on when it’ll appear in stores — and how much it’ll cost. I’d just caution any enthusiasm with the point that this could well be another gadget that’s easy to lose.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Rokid’s AR glasses are janky as hell, but they have to start somewhere

Rokid’s AR glasses aren’t ready for public consumption, but the company is releasing them this year anyway. Rokid is an AI company based in China and it’s made a name for itself building smart home products, but its latest gadget is a pair of frames that aim to be the AR glasses of our sci-fi dreams. Right now, however, their functionality is limited.

The Rokid glasses respond to basic hand gestures like sliding tiles of a menu left and right simply by swiping the air, or selecting one by making a fist. The images appear in the upper-right corner of the lenses, superimposed over the real world. The images are clear enough to read the bold, basic text on them, but they’re far from high-def. The coolest thing Rokid’s lenses can do at the moment is facial recognition, with contact information appearing for any face you’ve programmed in. For now, that’s about it.

The Rokid glasses are more streamlined than a complete headset like HoloLens or even the Magic Leap One, but they’re still decidedly bulky. They run on batteries and have an internal processor, and support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The demo version Rokid is showing off at CES is larger than the model that’ll be available to the public later this year, though the frames overall still scream “there’s high-tech in here.” However, they’re a good starting point — and that’s exactly what Rokid wants.

In releasing the glasses when they’re still in prototype form, Rokid hopes to open-source development of apps and collect data on how people actually use the AR functionality. From there, the company plans to improve the design of future models.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Intel’s quantum computing efforts take a major step forward

It’s been almost three months since Intel announced a 17-qubit superconducting chip, meant to pave the way for a future powered by quantum computers. Today at CES, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich showed off its latest superconducting test chip, the 49-qubit “Tangle Lake.”

Off the bat, let’s be clear: quantum computing is still quite theoretical, and it’s estimated that we’ll need to over a million qubits to have something viable. Dr. Michael Mayberry, corporate vice president and managing director of Intel Labs, predicts it will be “five to seven years” before the industry even begins to tackle the problems of engineering such vastly complex chips.

In addition to working on superconducting qubits, Intel is also investing in “spin qubits,” a relatively new development which requires (bear with us) quantum control of the electron and the nuclear spin of a single atom in silicon. The benefit of spin qubit chips is they should be much smaller than the superconducting chips. Intel is obviously an expert in silicon, and it’s already developed a way to fabricate spin qubits on its 300nm process — a far larger, less-refined tech than we see in modern chips.

All of these efforts then, are baby steps along the way to a true quantum computing. Intel isn’t the only one pursuing this goal — IBM happens to have a giant 50-qubit quantum computer hanging around at CES — and the competition between tech giants to own this next generation of computing can only make it come faster.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Linksys unveils a cheaper version of its WiFi mesh router

Last year at CES, router specialist Linksys revealed its take on home mesh networking. Each tri-band ‘Velop’ tower could serve as a router, range extender, access point and bridge, giving you ultra-fast connectivity in every corner of your home. The only problem? They were fairly expensive — not everyone wants to spend $500 on a three-node bundle. If you fall into this camp, fear not — Velop is working on a cheaper, but slower dual-band mesh system too. The new towers are slightly smaller and will work with any tri-band module you might have already purchased. Bingo.

To get into the nitty-gritty for a moment — each node is a Dual-Band AC 2×2 802.11ac Wave 2 with MU-MIMO radio configuration, delivering combined speeds of up to 1300 Mbps. You can monitor your network through a companion app or by using a selection of custom Velop Alexa skills.

I was able to get up close with the new dual-band nodes at CES. They look, well, just like the old ones — plain and plastic, with few annoying lights and logos. That’s probably for the best, however — most people (myself included) would prefer their router to be as inconspicuous as possible, especially if there are five of them dotted around their home. The dual-band system will be available globally this spring, though unfortunately Linksys is staying tight-lipped about the pricing. A spokesperson for the company promised me, however, that each node would be “more than half the price” of its tri-band equivalent. Make of that what you will.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Makeblock’s Codey Rocky wants to be your kid’s cute coding robot friend

Makeblock, a maker of Lego-compatible electronic blocks to teach kids how to code, has ventured into robotics. At CES 2018, it’s showing off the Codey Rocky, a cute little robot that serves to be your coding companion. It boasts easy to-use robotics hardware plus a graphical programming interface so even your precocious little six-year-old can get started on her engineering career.

The face of the Codey Rocky is comprised of blue LEDs that light up to look a bit like pixel-based art. Underneath are three buttons labeled A, B and C respectively, plus a speaker. The overall construction is made out of a high gloss plastic and the wheel portion of it is comprised of army tank-like treads. What’s especially cool is that there’s a module on the back that shares the same pogo pins as the rest of the Makeblock lineup, so you can easily attach it to not just Makeblock materials but also standard Lego bricks.

Ah, but the Codey Rocky is not just a robot. Snap the detachable face out of its wheel base and it becomes a handy controller which you can use to play games. The controller — nicknamed Codey — also happens to be the brains of the operation, as it includes more than 10 electronic modules with which you can control with code. You can make it happy or angry, or to just vibrate when you tap its side. To add even more excitement to your coding adventure, the Codey has a 6-axis gyroscope that you can manipulate by moving or tilting your controller.

In order to program the Codey Rocky, you will drag and drop colored blocks into a friendly graphical user interface. When the kids get older and more advanced, those basic coding skills can then transition to coding actual languages like Python.

Makeblock hopes to retail the Codey Blocky close to $100, but before it can do that, it needs to be backed through Kickstarter. That shouldn’t be a problem though, as it’s already met its $100,000 goal (and then some) with around 1,065 backers at the time of this writing. If you do want to get one at a discounted price, you best back it now, as the Kickstarter has only 18 more days to go.

Source: Kickstarter (Codey Rocky)

Sony Aibo first impressions: old robot dog, new tricks

Sony revived its robodog series late last year, offering a limited first run of next-generation Aibos for keen Japanese fans. Despite a killer $1,800 price-tag, the company apparently sold plenty, and those preordered Aibos are finally on their way to their new owners. Finally, the company has brought the new robotic pet out of Japan, and while I could coo in Aibo’s general direction, unfortunately no petting was allowed. Regardless, it was disarmingly cute.

The dog dunderstood a handful of English-language directions, including hand-shaking and commands to sit. The revived Aibo has cute, glassy OLED eyes and a camera inside its nose, which can act as a webcam for your home when you’re away. The robopup contains a quad-core CPU, built-in LTE and WiFi, as well as motors and gyroscopes to augment the 22 different articulated parts. It has speaker for robotic yips and yaps and four microphones to pick up voice commands — something it was capable of doing despite the noise of a packed Sony press event.

Multiple touch-sensitive zones on Aibo’s back, front and head ensured the robot visibly reacted to the Sony-approved robodog handlers, but I’m more interested to see how the robot dog behaves once it learns to differentiate between owners. According to Sony spokesman, your Aibo will begin to learn which humans give the best snuggles, or at least whoever pets it the most.

Dogs may be man’s best friend but Aibo won’t be yours unless you give it some love — no matter how much you paid for it.

Merge is the closest thing we have to an AR Nerf gun

The folks at Merge picked a fitting name for their augmented-reality company, considering that their latest product combines the fun of Nerf guns with the fantasy of first-person shooters. The 6DoF Blaster is a lightweight plastic gun with four clickable buttons, including the trigger, and a space for a smartphone to rest horizontally across its top. The game plays out on the screen, with players ducking, walking and shooting as if the action were taking place in the real world.

The game Merge is showing off for the 6DoF Blaster looks a lot like Superhot, and it’s a lot of fun. Players shoot neon robots in a simplistic 3D environment, and the extra buttons allow them to zoom in, slow down time and reload in an instant. It plays seamlessly, following crouching and walking movements just fine. Think of it like a Nerf gun, but without the mess of squishy bullets to pick up when the fun is done.

The 6DoF Blaster will cost about $30 when it’s available this summer (in a few different colors, no less). Merge plans to open up the entire ecosystem to outside developers and see what kinds of experiences they come up with. The iPhone version of the demo game is built in Apple’s ARKit, which is also open to developers, though there’s also an Android version.

In addition to that, Merge also launched its “Cube” last year, a $15 device that uses a smartphone to create holographic, augmented-reality effects. If you point your smartphone at it, for example, you can use an anatomy app to explore different parts of the human body, such as the brain or lungs. Combined with the 6DoF Blaster, Merge aims to create an AR platform for a wide range of genres, including education.

The Merge Cube

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.