There’s a new sex robot in town: Say hello to Solana

It’s been just short of a year since I locked eyes with Harmony, RealDoll’s first sex robot, at her home in Southern California. It was an arresting experience that has remained cemented in memory. In that moment, I suddenly understood the Uncanny Valley, a theory posited by roboticist Masahiro Mori, nearly half a century prior. It attempts to explain the feeling of revulsion and eeriness that human onlookers experience when they encounter an artificial life form that appears nearly, but not quite human.

Today, she’s ventured out of the dimly lit R&D room at Abyss Creations to meet me at CES. On the eve of her debut, Harmony has ventured to the hotbed of consumer electronics with a new face, an updated AI and a few new friends.

When I first met Matt McMullen, Harmony’s creator and human chaperone, he planned to launch what I’ve called the world’s first commercially viable sex robot in late 2017. Harmony’s AI would be customizable via an accompanying Android app, but with limitations. While he had plans for a male version and mused about other gender variations, Harmony would launch as an artificial female with porn star proportions.

Harmony failed to launch in 2017, but McMullen and his team have been hard at work, making improvements to Harmony’s AI and the robotic head it’s housed in. He’s now targeting the end of this month for a release date, and while he’s says he’s still refining the pricing, Realbotix modular robotic heads should cost between $8,000 and $10,000 at launch.

Just minutes after the lights went out at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Harmony lit up in a hotel just across the street. Perched on a bust that could just as easily be used to display jewelry, she made small talk and recited a few dad jokes. After a year of contemplation, I no longer felt the same uneasiness I had during our first encounter. It could be that the novelty has worn off or the fact that Harmony was basically a head on a stick. It could have been CES AI fatigue, but the existential anxiety was gone.

For the most part, Harmony is the same robot that we saw last year, but the Realbotix app, which eager robophiles can be download now, now has a remote control mode. In our first demo, Harmony ran exclusively in autonomous mode, and while McMullen says the remote control functionality may not make it into the consumer app, it would make for a sweet party trick.

I was able to control Harmony’s head movements and facial expressions and dictate what she said. I, of course, took the opportunity to have her tell me how fabulous I am and for a moment I felt like some sort of dystopian puppet master. This is the future, after all, that some of McMullen’s critics fear. In a world where robotic companions are endlessly amenable, how will we treat our fellow humans?

This, and other broad ethical concerns are currently swirling around robotics labs and in academic circles. The sex robot debate has even made its way to CES, but McMullen remains wholly dedicated to his vision of delivering a sexualized humanoid — albeit one that could be used for non-sexual companionship.

After demoing Harmony’s admittedly corny stand-up abilities, McMullen removed her wig exposing a mess of circuits, motors and wires. He then peeled back the silicone surface of her face to reveal a foam skeleton peppered with an array of small, round magnets. Those magnets will allow users to replace damaged faces or swap them out for different visages altogether. Within moments Harmony was someone completely different. She had a brand new mug and a different voice to match.

Just like that Harmony was Solana and that eerie feeling crept back in.

If you happen to be at CES and want to see Harmony in the silicone flesh, she’ll be live from Engadget’s stage in the main hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center at 4PM PT today. And if you’re watching from home, tune into Engadget.com to watch our interview live at 4PM PT / 7PM ET.

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

A first time CES entrepreneur, age 82

On the first official morning of CES, Carol Staninger stopped and started her motorized wheelchair through the cavernous Sands Expo and Convention Center, trying — sometimes failing — not to clip the herd of eager attendees who overlooked the octogenarian at chest height.

A service elevator took Staninger, with gray hair, a pale-yellow jumper and silver brooch, to the show floor. She politely received a flyer from an overperfumed woman representing a French shoe company. She consulted her flip phone to find the rest of the team. And eventually, Staninger arrived at her booth in the trade show’s startup section, opposite an electric-skateboard showcase and a Korean company selling iPhone cases with embedded stun guns.

“I have arrived,” she said to her team.

More than 170,000 people from 150 countries are at this year’s CES, but it’s rare to see an 82-year-old startup entrepreneur. For Staninger, president of Ancer LLC — a blend of her name and her two children’s, Andrea and Eric — it’s her first CES. The last time she even passed through Las Vegas was the other side of the year 2000.

Raised in Winter Haven, Florida, she started working for a local hospital at age 19 and remained there for 42 years, mostly as a secretary. Her first brush with technology was in the 1960s, when she was introduced to an IBM electric typewriter. “I embraced technology, word processors and computers,” she said. “It just made things better.”

In the summer of 2016, well into her retirement, she read news reports of infants who died after being accidentally left in hot cars. Often left in safety seats that face backward in a momentary lapse of caregiver concentration, there were 42 such deaths last year in the US and 742 since 1998; the majority are children 12 months or younger.

“You see a little child, and you know this child will never grow up,” she said. “He’ll never walk on the beach, never have children, never grow up. His life is over before it began.”

Staninger began conceptualizing a monitor for children left in a back seat, shopping it first to the Florida Polytechnic Institute then to Charles Ferrer, president and CEO of Florida manufacturers CMS WorldGroup.

Called Save Our Loved Ones, their prototype is a motion monitor slightly smaller than a home fire alarm attached to the inside of a car’s roof. It links to a keychain fob. When the fob is 15 feet or more from the car, the sensor looks for movement and sets off an alarm if it detects even a slight chest expansion of 1 mm. Under a collaboration between Ancer and CMS Worldgroup, Staninger and Ferrer aim to release the product by fall 2018. They expect it to retail at $300, with the hope that it becomes integrated into car manufacturing in the future.

In the meantime, she’s thinking of new, safety-oriented businesses too: for instance, a sensor for heavy mowers to sense depressions in thick vegetation and stop crashes. “One idea leads to another,” she said.

In her five days at CES, she and Ferrer are aiming to license or sell the Save Our Loved Ones — particularly given Staninger’s age and her investment of $170,000 in the project so far. “We’re focusing primarily on the larger communications companies, larger device manufacturers, to gauge their interest,” said Ferrer.

“I’ll go anywhere, speak with anyone,” Staninger said. “I’m just going to experience whatever happens.”

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

Vortx blows air at your face while you’re gaming and it’s great

Vortx is ridiculous. It’s a cube that you place on your desk, next to your PC or laptop, and it blows hot or cold air in your face, depending on what’s happening on-screen. The air responds dynamically to the action: If you’re running through the fiery hellscape of Doom, the fan blows hot and fast, but if you’re watching a YouTube video about climbing Mount Everest, it shoots out gusts of frigid air. So, yes, it’s ridiculous — but it’s also really cool in action.

Developers don’t need to add any special software to their games or videos for Vortx to work. Its Environment Experience algorithms read the on-screen action all on their own, meaning Vortx syncs automatically with major games like Destiny or Overwatch, or any YouTube video. Founder Timothy Sun says there’s a lot going on in an experience like Overwatch, so Vortx can’t respond to every single detail, but it still definitely works with that game.

Vortx is available for pre-order now for $120 and it’s due out this year.

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

How humans will learn to love the robots of tomorrow

For the Perfect Strangedroids discussion panel on Wednesday, Engadget hosted a trio of robotics experts.. Sabri Sansoy, CEO and Chief Roboticist of Orchanic; Nader Hamda, Founder and CEO of Ozobot; and Stu Lipoff, IEEE Life Fellow and President of IP Action Partners all took the Engadget stage at CES 2018 with senior editor Andrew Tarantola moderating.

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

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

JVC and Kenwood’s new head units pack wireless Android Auto

After a tease at the end of 2017, JVCKenwood has spilled the beans on its head units (yes, plural) with wireless Android Auto support. Its core JVC brand has unveiled two models, the DVD-equipped KW-V940BW and disc-free KW-M845BW, that let you keep your Android phone in your pocket while using its in-car interface on your center stack. They also support Apple CarPlay, as the image above suggests, aas well as JVC’s WebLink (for controlling apps like Waze, YouTube and Yelp). Music fans can control Spotify, iHeartRadio and Pandora directly from the receiver or stream music from up to five phones with a “DJ” feature.

Both models have relatively basic resistive (pressure-based) 6.8-inch touchscreens, four 50W outputs (or three 4V pre-amp outputs) and one backup camera input, although this keeps the prices relatively low: the V940BW sells for $700, while ditching DVD lowers the M845BW’s price to $600.

If you want to splurge, the company’s Kenwood brand is offering a trio of units with more finger-friendly capacitive screens, two camera inputs, a proprietary dash camera connection and additional model-specific perks. The top-of-the-line DNX995S includes both built-in Garmin navigation and DVD support for $1,500, while the DDX9905 drops Garmin to lower the price to $1,100. And if you don’t need discs, the DMX905S not only lowers the price to $850, but throws in a larger 6.95-inch display.

JVCKenwood hasn’t detailed availability for the new units. However, its lineup is definitely important if you want to use your Android phone as the heart of your infotainment system. Google has been talking about wireless Android Auto since 2016, but there’s been precious little support for it. This creates a genuinely accessible option that won’t require buying a new car.

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

Source: MediaWire (JVC), (Kenwood)

Mac exploit lets you change App Store preferences with any password

Apple’s Mac password troubles aren’t over yet. Users have discovered that it’s possible to change Mac App Store preferences in macOS High Sierra using any password. You do need to login as an administrator, which is supposed to unlock preferences, but you’re allowed to use any password you like if the preference is locked and you need to get access again. Other sections still require a correct password.

We’ve asked Apple for comment on the apparent bug and will let you know if it can provide a response, although we’ve learned that this shouldn’t expose users and that it should be fixed with the upcoming macOS 10.13.3 update (the fix is already present in the beta).

It’s not going to be a serious issue when an intruder needs admin-level access, but it could be a concern if an attacker already has those privileges. They could loosen your password restrictions for downloads (say, to go on a shopping spree without your consent) or force automatic updates if they know a newer app or OS release is vulnerable. And of course, this illustrates that the company still has avoidable security hiccups to address.

Via: MacRumors

Source: Open Radar

Siri Gains Info About Tennis and Golf Tournaments Ahead of Australian Open

Siri has been updated with additional sports information, allowing the personal assistant to provide details about a range of tennis and golf events. Siri’s new knowledge has been introduced just ahead of the Australian Open, which is set to kick off this weekend, and it joins other sports data Siri offers for baseball, basketball, hockey, and football.

As noted by 9to5Mac, Siri can provide information on both upcoming tournaments and past events from recent years, along with details on player backgrounds and statistics.

For tennis, the personal assistant can answer queries about the ATP world tour and the Women’s Tennis Association, offering up data from 2016-2018. For golf, Siri can provide details about men and women’s PGA and LGPA tours.

The new golf and tennis data available from Siri is accessible on iOS devices running the latest version of iOS, and it is also available on Macs, the Apple TV, and the Apple Watch.

Tag: Siri
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Into the darkness at CES 2018

Shortly after 11AM, the power went out in the central hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, bringing CES to a near-standstill. The cavernous hall, measuring more than 632,000 square feet — bigger than some aircraft hangars — fell into silence, save for the backbeat of a few battery-powered speakers. A Tesla, parked with its doors open and headlights on, provided one of the few sources of light in an otherwise pitch-black hall.

Security acted quickly to move people out, forming a human wall across the entrances, preventing visitors from entering. There was the odd scuffle, especially as the interactions were hampered by the language barrier and both sides failed to understand one another. The mood on the edges of the hall was tense, as people struggled to understand what exactly was going on, but nobody had a clue.

The CTA, through its official CES Twitter account, announced that it was aware of the “isolated power outage” at the LVCC. It added that it was working hard to resolve the matter, and that it appreciated people’s patience, and the first tweeted response was shortly “Honestly, don’t rush.”

Honestly, don’t rush.

— Jason Gerdon (@JGfromOC) January 10, 2018

As the hall began to empty out, only the booth attendees, security personnel and the executives that were manning each stage remained. An aura of calm settled across the hall, as people realized that they would be waiting for a long while. Those employed to represent a brand, with little investment in its overall success, sat on the carpet and checked their phones. The people further up the chain prowled the floor, annoyed at interruption.

While we work through this isolated power outage feel free to visit our exhibitors in South Hall and North Hall. Also get outside on this beautiful Las Vegas day and check out Central and South Plaza. #CES2018

— CES (@CES) January 10, 2018

“It’s ‘cos they got too much shit plugged in, in there,” said a security guard when asked about the ongoing crisis.

“I like it,” said Tiffany Sawcznko, who was representing Polaroid at the show, “it’s easier on the eye.”

“It’s weird,” said one Monster employee, “some heads are gonna roll.” Another added “Are we gonna get our money back?”

The issue of money was a sore one for one company executive, who asked not to be named, pointing out that the power cut would prove costly for someone. “It’s gonna cost thousands of dollars,” they explained, “when you take into account booth space, employee time, all of the lost meetings.” They jabbed at their smartphone, “you can literally see this shit running up on a clock.”

Nicole Brandfon, a public relations executive, was initially nonplussed, saying that she was “shooting an interview video when the lights went out.” She was expecting them to “come straight back on,” except, unfortunately, they did not.

Some booths remained running, and companies like Canon, Nikon, Samsung and Casio apparently had backup generators on site. According to bystanders, Casio and Nikon apparently decided to shut their power down, since there were no prospective customers to entertain.

“I’ve been here 27 years and I’ve never had this happen before,” said Ed Hunter, who was working at the Samsung booth. He seemed unfazed by all of the commotion.

One person, who declined to be named for this report, said that he would be happy if the outage didn’t last longer than an hour — which it did. He said that it would cause “untold damage” to his business if he wasn’t able to make his scheduled meetings.

At at 12:38PM Pacific time, the CTA announced that power would soon be restored to the building, but that public access would be restricted until further notice.

We’ve been informed by Nevada Power that the outage has been addressed and they are in the process of restoring power. We will continue to restrict access until full power has been restored. Thank you for your continued patience. We encourage you to visit other open show areas

— CES (@CES) January 10, 2018

808 Audio managed to get some unintentional good press out of the outage, since its DJ booth, which used battery-powered Encore speakers, remained in operation. The company’s Derek Jensen said that “going to CES is like going to the moon,” and pointed out how many redundancies they bring to ensure things run smoothly. He shrugged his shoulders and gestured around, the implication clear.

Outside the building, a thick fog of cigarette smoke loomed over the crowd still waiting in line to return to inside, as terse security guards shoved back anyone who got too close.

A Bluetooth speaker soldiers on.

Daniel Cooper / Engadget

A security guard remonstrates with a Spanish blogger covering the blackout.

Aaron Souppouris / Engadget

Reverie’s booth demonstration was probably made more effective by the blackout.

Evan Rodgers / Engadget

Attendees hold their phones close, sitting at the extremities of the LVCC Central Hall.

Daniel Cooper / Engadget

They weren’t about to let a little darkness ruin their conversation.

Evan Rodgers / Engadget

Sony’s giant CES booth, in near-darkness.

Evan Rodgers / Engadget

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

Xfinity’s Gigabit router will soon double as a smart home hub

Comcast’s Xfinity division has made some forays into the smart home world already — Xfinity Home started out as a home security product, but it now handles a number of common devices like locks, thermostats, light bulbs and so on. However, the millions of people who subscribe just to Xfinity Internet haven’t been able to take advantage of these features; you need to also have an Xfinity Home subscription. That’s going to change this year — Comcast just announced that millions of its internet customers will be able to use their Xfinity “gateway” routers as smarthome automation hubs, free of charge.

Specifically, Comcast says that people using its two most recent Gateways will get these features — that’s more than 15 million customers, or more than half of its 26 million internet subscribers. In comparison, Comcast says it only has about 1.3 million subscribers to its home security service, so the company is opening up these feature to a vastly larger group.

Comcast’s Dan Herscovici (senior VP of the home group) told Engadget that the notion is to expose home automation controls to people who otherwise might not have considered using them before. “At our scale and scope, you’re talking about way more than early adopters into this tech,” he said. “We wanted to find a way to unlock the opportunity of home automation to everyone, even those that might not be interested in home security.”

Part of this new addition comes from Comcast’s acquisition of Stringify in September. The company built a cloud-based smart home device platform that worked with about 500 different products, and that tech will all be integrated into Xfinity’s offering. Additionally, Comcast is also pushing its “Works with Xfinity” program to get more hardware manufacturers on board. And naturally, you’ll be able to see settings for your smart home setup on your TV, through the Xfinity Home app and give voice commands to your devices through the voice-enabled Xfinity TV remote.

But the best part about this system goes back to the free price. It’ll enable people who’ve only dabbled with smart home devices (a Nest thermostat here, a Philips Hue lightbulb there) start stringing together multiple products and build true home automation systems. That said, it’ll be a little while before this rolls out — Comcast said that the rollout would start sometime in late Spring and would take six to eight weeks to hit its whole customer base. Still, most modem / router combos that you rent from your ISP don’t offer these kinds of features — between Gigabit speeds and smart home controls, the Xfinity gateway actually might be worth the monthly fee.

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

Mercedes-Benz on the global training of AI for cars

As the development of autonomous cars moves forward, there are some hurdles that require researchers to travel to countries other than their own. For example, Mercedes Benz just completed a five-month drive through five continents to encounter situations specific to each region to help the automaker train its AI. Christoph Von Hugo, head of active safety for Daimler AG, joined us onstage to talk about the drive and how the data will be used as a foundation for future self-driving car development.