Google adds wheelchair-accessible routes to Google Maps

To make transit more accessible to nearly everyone, Google has officially introduced wheelchair-accessible routes in Google Maps. The new feature will give those with wheelchairs or other mobility needs an easier way to navigate using public transit.

To find the wheelchair accessible routes, type your destination into Google Maps, tap “Directions,” and then choose the public transportation icon. Once you tap on “Options,” you’ll find wheelchair accessible under the Routes section. It will show you a list of all that possible routes that accommodate wheelchairs.

The feature is currently rolling out globally in all the major metropolitan transit centers such as New York, Tokyo, London, Mexico City, Sydney, and Boston. Google plans on adding more wheelchair-accessible routes to its app in the coming months as they work with various transit agencies.

In 2017, Google added a way for users to add accessibility details about places to Google Maps and Search. You can open the main menu on Google Maps, tap “Your contributions” and then “Uncover missing info,” and sort by “Accessibility” to find places near you that are missing this information. You can add information under different categories as well.

When you need to find out if a place you’re visiting has accessibility features, you can either find it on Google Maps or the Search tool and open the business listing. Once you tap on the two-line description and scroll down to the accessibility section, you will know the place doesn’t have a feature if you see a no symbol next to it.

In September, Local Guides from across the globe gathered at 200 global meet-ups to answer accessibility questions as well. This included whether a place has a step-free entrance or an accessible restroom for more than 12 million places.

But the initiative for wheelchair accessibility started in 2016 when Google product manager, Rio Akasaka, spent a year putting together accessibility guidelines for Maps. Prior to this, Google had already been asking people questions about specific businesses they recently visited — one of them being whether or not a location is wheelchair accessible.

Google has also been capturing and updating Street View imagery of transit stations and centers, to allow people to preview their destination beforehand. By adding even more accessibility information, those in wheelchairs, on crutches, or pushing strollers will have an easier time traveling.

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Qualcomm’s stand-alone VR headset design uses Tobii eye-tracking

Tobii, the company behind the popular eye-tracking hardware for PC gaming, said on Thursday, March 15, that it teamed up with Qualcomm to bring eye-tracking capabilities to mobile headsets supporting virtual reality and augmented reality. The technology will be part of Qualcomm’s next-generation reference design and development kit based on its new Snapdragon 845 processor, which was first used in the Samsung Galaxy S9 phone launched in February. 

Qualcomm’s head-mounted display (HMD) reference design will include Tobii’s proprietary EyeCore eye-tracking algorithms and hardware design. In turn, Tobii said it would work closely with HMD manufacturers to provide the best optical solution for their design. The company also plans to license its eye-tracking technologies and system to these manufacturers as well. 

On a PC, Tobii’s eye-tracking hardware does just that — it tracks where the gamer is looking at all times to enhance the experience. For example, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate will automatically pan the worldview according to the gamer’s focus versus the player moving the mouse to pan the camera. Likewise, the system will automatically select a target in-game when the player views an enemy, or scanning places to attach a grappling hook. 

On a Windows 10 PC, Tobii’s system can make navigation a bit easier. On a laptop, you can simply look at a specific point on the screen, and the cursor will jump to that point when placing a finger on the touchpad. Other capabilities in Windows 10 when using Tobii’s hardware includes managing apps using task view, the application switcher, snap assist, and more. 

But with virtual and augmented reality scenarios, eye tracking can relieve a large chunk of the rendering overhead needed to create the experience. Right now, headsets render the entire environment crystal clear no matter your focal point. But with eye tracking, the overall performance increases by not fully rendering the scene outside your field of view. Eye tracking can enable this method, called “foveated rendering.” 

Yet, that is not all. According to Tobii, eye tracking can enable HMDs to orient images based on your pupils. That indicates you will no longer need to manually adjust the lenses given Tobii’s hardware will adjust the scene for each individual, increasing visual quality. Another benefit is hand-eye-coordination: You won’t need to fully move your head like a robot to interact with virtual objects controlled by your hands. 

“Devices can accurately track your gaze in real time, enabling content creators to express one of the most fundamental dimensions of human interaction — eye contact,” the company says. “VR technologies hold the promise of enabling a new and immersive medium for social interaction. The addition of true eye contact to virtual reality helps deliver that promise.” 

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845-based reference design will be its second stand-alone HMD kit to date. The first kit, introduced in 2017, relies on the older Snapdragon 835 chip along with a single AMOLED screen with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. The recent stand-alone Google Daydream headsets are mostly based on this design along with HTC’s Vive Focus headset sold in China. 

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Use this $11 HD OTA Antenna to catch some of the NCAA March Madness games

Find out who wins!

It’s March Madness time, which means that you may be considering a cable subscription again to catch the games. Luckily, picking up one of these indoor OTA antennas can help you watch the games without any monthly subscriptions. Coupon code KMU4ZZPA knocks this down to just $10.99, which is more than 50% off. There is also a 60-mile antenna which is down to $12.99 with coupon code F6FZWXVX.

This antenna has a 50-mile range and can access shows up to 1080p from a variety of channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox, and more. The coaxial cable is 16.5-feet long so it can stretch from your TV to your window for the best reception. Of course, it also helps if you live in a more urban environment. If you want to know how much reception you’ll find, you can use this FCC website.

If you want to make sure you can watch all the games, you may want to consider this awesome DIRECTV NOW promo. It scores you three months of access to the service for just $10 a month. The service normally runs $35 a month, so why not get access to three months for less than the price of one?!

Even if you are a cable subscriber or have a streaming service that you like, having an OTA antenna around is a great backup. They come in handy when your cable or internet goes down and can provide a more reliable signal for you.

See at Amazon

DHS and FBI warn Russia is behind cyberattacks on US infrastructure

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI released a report today detailing Russian efforts to hack into US government entities and infrastructure sectors, including energy, nuclear, commercial, water, aviation and critical manufacturing sectors. The agencies said the cyberattacks have been ongoing since at least March 2016 and their report described the attacks as “a multi-stage intrusion campaign by Russian government cyber actors.”

Those behind the cyberattacks are said to be targeting two types of entities. First, they go after groups that are linked to their ultimate targets, such as third-party suppliers with networks that are less secure than those of their main targets. Then after gathering useful information, they use it to stage malware and to conduct phishing campaigns in order to gain access into energy sector networks. “After obtaining access, the Russian government cyber actors conducted network reconnaissance, moved laterally and collected information pertaining to industrial control systems,” the report said.

Reports surfaced last year that the US nuclear power industry had been the target of hackers, but while Russia was thought to be behind it, DHS and the FBI didn’t name Russia as the source at the time. Ben Read, manager for the cybersecurity company FireEye Inc., told Reuters, “People sort of suspected Russia was behind it, but today’s statement from the US government carries a lot of weight.” The report didn’t describe what sort of impact the attacks had on US infrastructure organizations.

Today’s report comes the same day that the US Treasury Department issued sanctions on a number of Russian groups and individuals who have allegedly been involved in massive cyberattacks like NotPetya and efforts to sway the US presidential election.

Via: Bloomberg

Source: Department of Homeland Security

Art and tech studio Eyebeam opens calls for one-year residencies

The NYC-based nonprofit tech and art center Eyebeam has opened a call for residencies. If you’re a budding artist or technologist who wants to create works like the anonymous thumbdrives that cropped up around the city almost a decade ago, you can apply on Eyebeam’s website.

Like the past two open calls, this year has a theme: Access, from the perspective of equity. Specifically, they’re looking for folks interested in creating to explore: Access to physical space, access to information, access as it relates to disability, gender, race, socioeconomic positions, sexual-orientations, as well as ecosystems and environmental access, according to Eyebeam’s website. If you’re interested, the collective will accept applications until April 11th.

Eyebeam’s Open Call has launched for next year’s residency based around the theme of Access!
Learn more below, and make sure to apply by April 11th, 2018.https://t.co/2IMUAhi30i pic.twitter.com/qXqvv9t47z

— Eyebeam (@eyebeamnyc) March 7, 2018

Source: Eyebeam

Google Lens visual search rolls out on iOS

After making a slow march across Android devices, Google’s AI-powered visual search is coming to iOS. Apple device owners should see a preview of Google Lens pop up in the latest version of their Google Photos app over the next week. In case you’ve forgotten how it works, the idea is that your camera will recognize items in a picture and be able to take action with tie-ins to Google Assistant. Of course, now that you can use the technology the question is whether or not you should.

Starting today and rolling out over the next week, those of you on iOS can try the preview of Google Lens to quickly take action from a photo or discover more about the world around you. Make sure you have the latest version (3.15) of the app.https://t.co/Ni6MwEh1bu pic.twitter.com/UyIkwAP3i9

— Google Photos (@googlephotos) March 15, 2018

Source: Google Photos (Twitter)

Causality review: Tricky puzzle game that tests your logic skills

Looking for a new game that’s a bit more challenging than the average lot? Well if you like puzzle games, we might just have the thing for you.

Most of us prefer a game we can pick up anytime, play a few minutes with and then return to whatever we were doing before.

Well, the game we’re going to talk about is not part of the casual games category. No, you’ll be spending quite some time trying to understand the mechanisms behind the game and attempting to solve the levels.

So are you prepared for an intense mental workout? Then head on to the Google Play Store and download Casualty.

Setup

Casualty is not free to download, so you’ll have to pay $1.99 if you want to give this puzzle game a try. The good news is that the game is not riddled with annoying ads which pop up randomly when you least expect it. What’s more, there are no in-app purchases either.

As soon as you install the game on your Android smartphone or tablet, you’ll be thrown into the action. There are 15 levels spanning four different worlds, so tap on the first box to begin.

Gameplay

This is a trial-and-error puzzle game, so don’t expect to be served up instructions or any useful hints as you play. You’re on your own figuring out how this weird universe functions.

Basically, you’re thrown into a bizarre universe where you have to lead one, two or three different colored astronauts around a floating path to their corresponding exits. It might sound easy, but trust me, it’s not. Obviously, the puzzles get more and more complicated as you advance.

The first ten levels ease you into the whole dynamics – basically you swipe down to move time forwards and implicitly the astronauts and swipe up to rewind it. The astronauts will run along the path, but you get to control their direction by changing the arrow tiles.

Tap the arrow to change the direction and make the astronaut follow the new path. If you realize you’ve made an error in judgment and sent the astronaut the wrong way, you can quickly swipe up to go back and change your approach.

But there’s a catch – each level comes with a pre-set number of moves. Run out of them and you won’t be able to complete the level. The good news is that you don’t need to reset the level every time you get stuck. The timeline at the bottom of the screen maps down all your actions and you can rewind and fast-forward as many times as you want until you come up with the right solution.

Difficulty increases as you advance to the next levels and into the next worlds. Soon you’ll stumble upon switches that raise and lower obstacles, alien tentacles, cracked floors and shadow stalkers who can devour the astronaut.

A puzzle game that will put your brain on fire

When more astronauts are present on the screen, their actions will be interconnected. This means they will both advance at the same time. Also, they won’t be able to pass one another, leading to blockages. So players need to figure out how the two (or three) astronauts can work in tandem in order to reach their corresponding exits.

The game becomes even more challenging when time traveling portals are introduced. These allow your astronauts to travel back or forward in time, so the past/future self and the present self can work together to achieve a goal.

Once new mechanics are introduced (like the time traveling portals), you’ll play a few simplified puzzles to help you learn how to navigate the new scenario. And if you get stuck on the more complicated levels, you can simply skip to the next one. This helps with keeping the player’s motivation up.

That’s the trouble with Casualty. It can get extremely frustrating. The lack of instructions can also be quite bothersome, especially if you don’t have a lot of time to invest in playing.

The game relies on users’ perseverance, so if you were hoping for a casual game to relax your mind and spirit, Casualty is definitely not for you. But, if you’re a competitive puzzle master, then you’ll love the mind-boggling mechanics underlying this challenging game.

Visuals/Sound

The graphics and soundtrack are pretty well done too. The animation is fluid, backgrounds are other-worldly and the VHS-like effects when you travel through time are a brilliant addition. The music complements the visuals very well. It’s comprised of Sci-Fi bleeps and clicks and burbling ambient noises which really sum up the vibe you get playing this puzzle game.

Note: There’s also an VHS effect that can be applied on the overall gameplay.

Conclusion

Most people play games to relax, but Casualty definitely doesn’t let you do that. Instead, it will push the boundaries of your reasoning skills, while challenging you to constantly think and re-think your strategies.

It’s a complex game that can very easily become annoying. The creators of the puzzle know this all to well, so paradoxically, although it’s hard, Casualty is a very user-friendly game. You’re almost never forced to restart a level completely, you can just rewind. Also once you’ve finished the first 10 levels, the next five are unlocked automatically.

Even so, you have to be OK with knowing that you will spend a fair amount of time trying to solve each level. Casualty is not a game you can go through without breaking a sweat, but for diehard puzzle fans that won’t a problem at all.

Two major eSports players associations are in the works

There are two players associations being put together for professional competitors who play Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Sports Business Journal reports. The latter will include players in the ESL Pro League and the FACEIT ECS league and is being helmed by eSports broadcaster Scott “SirScoots” Smith and attorney Michael Doi. Smith told Sports Business Journal that the Counter-Strike Professional Players Association (CSPPA) won’t be seeking to become a US union since Counter-Strike players span the globe but it is looking to sign the over 225 players that participate professionally. “Every day I sign another guy,” he said. “I would say 70 or so have signed an official membership document that they are for the players association, are behind the players association, they want to be in the players association.”

Those behind the Overwatch players association haven’t shared as much information about their efforts, but they plan to release formal details in around four months. The push is being led by Overwatch coach and former player Thomas “Morte” Kerbusch and sports labor attorney Ellen Zavian. Sports Business Journal says that the Overwatch association will likely be modeled after other US unions like the NFL Players Association. “I don’t see this [players association] as any different than any other PA just because it’s eSports,” Zavian said. “So this isn’t something that will be a lighthearted step. This will be a big step.” Kerbusch and Zavian haven’t said if they’re collecting authorization cards — required for forming a union by US law.

If successful, these two efforts will join the players association formed last year by Riot Games for League of Legends players. Hal Biagas, who was elected to run that association, hasn’t said if it will make a move to unionize, but did say that it was looking to standardize team contracts and make sure they support players. The CSPPA hasn’t yet set an official agenda but is already being contacted by tournament organizers, according to Smith. For the Overwatch association, Zavian says she sees it dealing with the standard issues that concern all professional players — wages, insurance, continuing education and arbitration of grievances.

While these associations are still in the early stages of development they are the logical next step as the world of eSports begins to more closely resemble that of traditional professional sports.

Via: Sports Business Journal

Shocking the brain with electricity can prompt people to remember old dreams

kjpargeter / 123RF Stock Photo

It’s a weird observation that people with epilepsy can occasionally remember old dreams during seizures. Scientists at France’s Toulouse University Hospital have now discovered that this same effect can be recreated by stimulating a particular part of the brain using electricity.

“Sudden and unexpected reminiscences of memories have been described after some direct electrical brain stimulations in epileptic patients since neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield’s [pioneering work] between the 1930s and 60s,” Jonathan Curot, a PhD student studying neuroscience at Toulouse University Hospital, told Digital Trends.

Over the past several decades, Curot said that different types of electrical brain stimulations, such as deep intracranial stimulation or electrocorticography, have sometimes been shown to recreate this effect in epileptic patients. However, because there was no way to reproduce these in a deterministic manner, very little has been known about the phenomenon — which is referred to as déjà-rêvé.

A bit like déjà-vu’s lesser-seen brother, déjà-rêvé involves recalling an experience which a person had while they were sleeping. This difference is summarized in their names: while déjà vu is French for “already seen,” déjà rêvé means “already dreamed.” The researchers in this new study found that this effect can be consistently recreated by stimulating the temporal lobe, a part of the brain associated with long-term memory, dreaming, and forming memories during sleep.

“We have demonstrated [this effect] in six epileptic patients,” Curot continued. “We have trapped EEG signals during déjà-rêvé and we were able to record patients during it and interview them just after these phenomena.”

According to Curot, the discovery is interesting because being able to explore the sudden unexpected reminiscences of dreams without environmental cues can help us better understand the brain. It could also have potential therapeutic application when treating people with neurological diseases involving memory disorders.

“We are [now] studying neuronal activity changes after electrical brain stimulations,” he said. “We use new intracranial microelectrodes to explore the effect of electrical stimulation to better understand how they modulate neuronal activity.”

A paper describing the work, titled “Déjà-rêvé: Prior dreams induced by direct electrical brain stimulation,” was recently published in the journal Brain Stimulation.

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This adorable robo-tortoise teaches kids that beating up robots isn’t okay

Kids can be pretty mean — and that goes for their treatment of robots just as much as it does siblings and classmates. But an unusual new robotics project may be able to help. “Shelly” is a robotic tortoise developed by engineers from South Korea’s Naver Labs and Seoul National University. The difference between Shelly and other kinds of bots some of you may have had in the classroom is that this one shows emotional feedback based on how it’s treated.

Stroke the robotic reptile’s embedded LED surface, which is equipped with vibration sensors that can detect touch, and Shelly will wiggle her head and limbs. Her shell also lights up with different colors. Hit, kick, or drop Shelly, however, and her head will retract inside her body as if she’s frightened. This will also temporarily disable her lights. She’ll remain in this state for 14 seconds before she’ll once again respond to the children around her.

In some ways, this is reminiscent of Paro, the therapeutic robot seal, which also modifies its emotional state depending on how it is touched. In the case of Shelly, though, the purpose is explicitly to teach children that they should not abuse robots.

Naver Labs

With that in mind, the researchers explored the optimal length of time for her “disabled” state to continue. When it was halved from 14 to 7 seconds, the researchers found that kids were more likely to abuse Shelly, since the duration of the non-playable phase was not long enough to act as a deterrent. When increased to 28 seconds, the kids lost interest in the game.

It’s an intriguing project, and one which will be even more applicable to today’s generation of kids — who will grow up interacting with once-unimaginable numbers of robots in the home, classroom and, eventually, the workplace. Imbuing the proper treatment of robots (something that even some adults don’t practice) is therefore essential.

Hey, when Skynet takes over, nobody wants to be singled out as the kid who lay a beating on its robot vacuum cleaner cousin!

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