2018 June 29 | AIVAnet

29

Jun

Fishy surveillance system could keep tabs on ocean animals

We seem to have an insatiable taste for seafood and, as a result, global fish populations are in decline. At our current rate of plunder, fish stocks could collapse by 2048, according to some estimates.

Around the world, groups like Global Fishing Watch monitor overfishing, using satellite data to track fishing vessels and minimize illegal operations. But monitoring fish stocks themselves can prove to be expensive and challenging, requiring boats to locate schools of fish with sonar and significant resources to analyze the findings.

But researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel and IMDEA Networks Institute in Spain are developing a unique system that can autonomously monitor and identify schools of fish using sight and sound. Dubbed Symbiosis, the system uses optical and acoustic technologies to detect entire schools, and could offer a noninvasive way to protect environmental interests. Symbiosis is part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 innovation program.

IMDEA

“In Symbiosis, we will be able to track and monitor the fish population in sea areas in which fauna conservation is an issue,” Roee Diamant, a marine scientist at the University of Haifa, who is coordinating the project, told Digital Trends. “In an initial approach, we will concentrate on a limited subset of fish types, which may be expanded in the future. This subset includes six species for which there exist over-exploitation concerns.”

Among those species are two species of tuna, Atlantic mackerel, and swordfish — each of which is in high demand.

Unlike conventional technologies, which use sonar data that have to analyzed by personnel, Symbiosis works on its own, scanning a marine environment within a little more than a half-mile radius. The acoustic sensors are used to determine the fish’s size, speed, and movement characteristics (which helps identify the species). An optical system of cameras and artificial intelligence algorithms are then triggered to confirm the species and transmit the information to a station on the coast.

“A distinctive feature of the system is that it will be autonomous,” Diamant said. “The detection and tracking of fish species of interest will happen through acoustic instruments. This will trigger underwater cameras when the fish come within their range, and the images grabbed by the cameras will also be automatically processed in order to validate the detections.”

Moving forward the researchers plan to refine their system, improving its performance and calibrating the Symbiosis such that different systems can communicate with one another.

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29

Jun

If you blinked, you may have missed this year’s biggest phone innovation

Andy Boxall

Like moths to a flame, and magpies to anything slightly shiny, we’ve been gushing over the fun motorized camera atop of the new Oppo Find X smartphone. When you see it in action it’s easy to understand why: It’s unique, quirky, and mesmerizing. Except all the while we’ve been ohh-ing and ahh-ing over it, Oppo slid a far more exciting piece of actual technology in during the launch event.

It’s called Super VOOC, a new fast battery charging technology, and it’s exactly what we’ve been crying out for. How quick? Lamborghini quick. From zero to 100 percent in 35 minutes.

We want it, now. Except, it’s not going to be cheap to get, and Oppo hasn’t been exactly forthcoming with details on it either. Is this a cause for concern? We haven’t seen much advancement in battery and charging tech recently, so we know it’s tough. We really don’t want to, but should we prepare for disappointment?

What’s VOOC, and who is Oppo?

The Find X made a splash, but some of you may not have heard of Oppo before, let alone VOOC charge technology. Allow me to introduce you. Oppo is a Chinese smartphone brand that built its first phone in 2008, and has rocketed up to capture second place in the Chinese market, according to Counterpoint Research, and fourth in the world since then. It sells phones in 30 different countries and regions around the world, with a user base of more than 200 million. It’s known for its dedication to cameras — particularly selfie cams — and for often unusual design choices.

Super VOOC charging is not part of the regular Find X; right now it’s only in the $2000 Lamborghini edition.

VOOC is the name for its proprietary fast charging technology, and it’s found on several Oppo phones already. It charges a battery to 75 percent capacity in 30 minutes, according to the company. We’ve seen it in action, and can verify it’s very fast, with the actual charging times varying depending on the size of the cell. Alongside OnePlus’s Dash Charge, it’s one of the best fast charging systems available.

Super VOOC is stage two, a new battery charging technology that’s fitted to the Lamborghini special edition of the Find X. If there’s one thing that’s constantly repeated when a new phone comes out, it’s that people want longer-lasting batteries, but without the design drawbacks that come with larger cells. Faster charging technology solves this problem while the race continues to build a better battery cell, and Super VOOC is about the fastest we’ve heard of yet.

Oppo’s an established brand with the engineering ability to make Super VOOC a reality, so why are we feeling trepidatious?

Exciting, but slower?

There are four reasons our excitement over Super VOOC was initially dampened. First, Super VOOC charging is not part of the regular Find X and only in the Lamborghini edition, which will cost 1700 euros, or about $2,000. That’s issue one — it’s astonishingly expensive. Secondly the Lamborghini phone doesn’t have a release date, and the only one we’ve seen was hidden behind glass at the Find X launch event. Eek.

Lamborghini

Issue three is related to this. We haven’t seen the Find X Lamborghini special edition being charged in super fast time, so it’s tough to verify it works as it should. Leading on from this, has Super VOOC got slower since we saw it at MWC 2016, when it could apparently recharge a 2,500mAh battery in 15 minutes? The Find X has a 3,730mAh battery inside, and will take 35 minutes to charge. Using some complex mathematical equations, we estimate that it should be able to recharge a 5,000mAh battery in 30 minutes. Super VOOC seems to be a little less super than it was two years ago.

Has Oppo struggled to perfect the technology that we welcome with open arms? No-one likes a tease that doesn’t follow through. After all, it was a working prototype shown in early 2016, and at the time Oppo hoped to have Super VOOC in a phone before the end of that year. Here we are more than two years later, yet still it remains tantalizingly out of reach.

Heating things up

Surely we’re not getting worked up over nothing? To make sure, we asked Oppo’s International Public Relations Manager, Alex MacGregor, about the technology behind Super VOOC.

“[Super VOOC] has many safety advantages in comparison to traditional VOOC …”

“Super VOOC technology has the Series Bi-cell batteries design and supports a 10V 5A fast charging mode,” MacGregor told Digital Trends. “The design doubles charging power compared to a single cell, and a cell phone battery can be fully charged in 35 minutes.”

Charging quickly means more heat, and potentially more room for problems, right?

“This technology has many safety advantages in comparison to traditional VOOC, with five protection features including low temperature and low voltage, ensuring a fast and safe charge,” he said.

Oppo

Okay, that sounds great. But what about the slower speed? MacGregor said, “The charging volume of the Find X’s battery is much bigger than the one shown at MWC,” meaning my math was to blame, rather than the technology. It’s all great news; but why are we waiting?

The trouble is, we’re used to disappointment with batteries and charging. Look at Apple’s AirPower wireless charging mat, which has been delayed for a year since its announcement. When Apple, a company with some disposable income in its pocket, can’t crack batteries and charging to its liking, you’ve got trouble.

Technical difficulties?

Here’s the kicker. When asked directly about the technical challenges of getting Super VOOC into the Find X Lamborghini edition, MacGregor replied, “I’ve been told there weren’t any significant ones, to the point where we actually switched focus to the camera.”

How’s that for confidence? Super VOOC was so problem-free that Oppo could turn its attention to the eye-catching motorized camera and its AI-enhanced capabilities ahead of time. It’s a relief to hear we’re highly unlikely to be denied Super VOOC because of last minute problems, or that it was a cruel joke played on those who eternally forget to charge their phones up.

Oppo Find X’s pop-up camera. Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Yes, the Lamborghini phone is expensive; but like Porsche Design’s approach with Huawei, we imagine Lamborghini wanted to keep a headline speed-related feature all to itself. We’ve been promised a chance to try out Super VOOC for ourselves soon, to clear any remaining doubt away forever.

Super VOOC’s debut may be in an expensive special edition, but it’ll almost certainly be a part of other Oppo phones in the future, and the Find X is the company’s big push out into the world (though not the U.S. yet). The motorized camera is the Find X’s look-at-me feature, but it’s Super VOOC — unique and genuinely useful — that will become Oppo’s international calling card.

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29

Jun

How to use Google’s Datally to save data

U.S. carriers are offering more unlimited data plans than ever before, but mobile data is still a precious resource for millions of people. Making sure that your phone isn’t taking tasty slurps of mobile data every time your back is turned can be as simple as following our data-saving guide. While you can turn off mobile data and sync whenever you don’t need them, forgetting to do so even once means that, oops — there goes a gigabyte.

Thankfully, there are easy ways to make sure that your data is only used on the apps and services you really want it to be used for, and Google’s Datally app is one of the best and easiest to use. With tons of ways to cut down on your usage, and with Google constantly updating to add more and more tools, Datally can let you micromanage as much — or as little — as you like.

But with so many options in your hands, it can be a little overwhelming to get started. Here’s how to use Datally to make sure your data — and money — is safely saved.

The easiest way to get started

We mentioned the wealth of tools that Datally has, but in reality, all you need to get started is the one, giant switch at the top of Datally’s main screen. Tap the large switch (marked with a padlock) and Datally’s data saving options will switch on, and start saving data from the word go.

Done and want to know more? You probably noticed a couple of things happen once you hit that switch. First, a little bubble appeared on the side of your screen, displaying a figure. That’s your Bubble tracker, and it sits atop your active screen and lets you know how much data has been used. If you’re not keen on having it there, then you can either tap it and select Hide bubble, or tap-and-hold and drag it down to the bottom of the screen. Otherwise, you can turn it off in Datally itself — simply tap Bubble tracker and then hit Hide bubble.

One of the easiest ways to save data is to simply connect to a Wi-Fi network. But if you’re not near your home network that’s easier said than done. By default, Datally will let you know whenever you’re near a Wi-Fi network you can connect to, whether that be at a cafe, hotel, or bar. But if you’re looking to be a bit more proactive, then hit the Find Wi-Fi button to find Wi-Fi networks near you. This feature comes in two flavors: A simple list of Wi-Fi networks near you under the Nearby label, or a map view of nearby Wi-Fi networks under Explore. In either mode, tap a location, and you can get directions to your network of choice.

Managing which apps are allowed to use your data

If you’re a data miser like us, then just hitting a button and seeing numbers isn’t enough for you and you’re ready to go a bit deeper. Go back to Datally’s main page and hit Manage data to take a deeper look at what’s using your data. From here you’ll be able to see how much data you’ve used and when you’ve used it, as well as a list of which apps have used the most data. You can tap the padlock to the right to allow each app access to data — which allows you to keep receiving your emails while ensuring your podcast app doesn’t waste any data downloading episodes before you get home.

Next, head back to Datally’s main screen and tap on Unused apps. This is one of Google’s latest additions to Datally, and highlights a list of apps that haven’t been opened in over a month but have been using mobile data. Take caution with this list, as it can erroneously highlight apps that don’t need to be opened to be used, like Google’s Gboard or Google Pay. But it’s a good list to check over every now and again, as it does a good job at highlighting apps you’re just not using — regardless of the data used. If you do spot an app you could do without, just tap the Uninstall button to remove the app from your system.

Lock down that data fully

Sometimes a good hard limit is what’s needed, and if you’re really up against the wall and running out of data fast, then Datally can set limits on your daily usage.

To get started, hit Daily limit, then specify the amount of data you want to be limited to every day in either GB or MB. Then tap Set a daily limit, and voila — the next screen will keep you informed as to how much data you’ve used today, and give you the option to lock off all data access once the limit has been reached.

It can be a bit trickier to regulate your data if it’s not you using your phone. Perhaps your partner is a bit too attached to streaming videos, or one of your kids just loves to chew through your data in a day. Thankfully Datally’s got a fix for that too. Another new addition to the app, Guest mode, allows you to set a limit on mobile data. This limit is displayed in a notification bar, with a reminder when the limit has been reached, and the option to password lock the phone — perfect for limiting a child’s access to data.

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29

Jun

Exactis left the records of 340M people, businesses wide open for anyone to grab

Marketing and data aggregation firm Exactis kept a database of around 340 million individual records on a publicly accessible server, Wired reports. Discovered by security researcher Vinny Troia from Night Lion Security, the data dump measured around two terabytes (2TB) and contained the personal information of around 230 million adults in North America along with 110 million businesses. Fortunately, credit card and social security numbers were not discovered within the data.

“It seems like this is a database with pretty much every U.S. citizen in it,” Troia said. “I don’t know where the data is coming from, but it’s one of the most comprehensive collections I’ve ever seen.”

Troia could find just about everyone he knew in the data, and when he was asked to seek out 10 specific people, he quickly emerged with six. The data dump included simple information such as phone numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. But it also dug deep into each listed individual spanning more than 400 variables. For instance, the data listed whether individuals smoke, if they own pets, their preferred religion, favorite hobbies, and loads more.

Troia came across the data dump while researching the security of Elasticsearch databases using the search tool Shodan. Because these databases can be queried over the internet using a command line, he scanned for publicly accessible Elasticsearch-based servers using North American IP addresses. The scan produced 7,000 results, one of which served up the unprotected Exactis data dump.

Once he stumbled across the data dump and examined its contents, he contacted both the FBI and Exactis, the latter of which made the data inaccessible shortly after Troia’s notification. Still, anyone who performed an Elasticsearch scan prior to Troia likely discovered the Exactis data dump as well.

So far there is no evidence of foul play, but the data could already be circulating on the dark web. There is supposedly enough information in the data to produce scam campaigns even though financial and social security data isn’t present.

According to Exactis, the company plays host to 3.5 billion “consumer, business, and digital records.” Among that data is supposedly 110 million households in the U.S., 218 million individuals, 88 million records tying email addresses to postal addresses, and 112 million records with residential phone numbers.

“Data is the fuel that powers Exactis,” the company boasts. “Layer on hundreds of selects including demographic, geographic, lifestyle, interests, and behavioral data to target highly specific audiences with laser-like precision.”

The Exactis data dump surpasses the data breach seen by Equifax in 2017, which saw the data of 145.5 million individuals stolen by hackers. The difference here is that hackers didn’t infiltrate Exactis’ network, but rather the company simply left data exposed on a publicly accessed server. The situation is similar to what happened in June 2017 where the details of 198 million American voters were left unsecured on a publicly accessed cloud server.

What makes this data exposure scary is that Exactis may have your data and you don’t even know it. Even more, that data was left exposed with the potential to be scooped up by scammers.

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