Tag: digital

Google’s driverless cars skirt deer and pedestrians in Texas

By the looks of things, Google’s self-driving cars have been learning a lot in Austin, Texas . In its first report since it began testing autonomous vehicles in the city, the company details the challenges its cars have had to face while driving on its roads. For instance, they’ve been spotting and avoiding a lot of deer, some of which might have ended up as road kill if they happened to come across ordinary vehicles instead. The system also had to learn to identify new infrastructure, such as horizontal traffic signals. Google has learned, however, that one of the major problems it has to tackle is pedestrians stepping off the curb onto the road while hidden by other vehicles. On August 20th, a Lexus unit was rear ended after spotting a person starting to cross the road. See, its human driver took over to make sure he doesn’t end up harming anyone, but it turns out — based on the footage of the incident — that the accident wouldn’t have happened if he just allowed the car to brake on its own. Clearly, Google’s doing what it can to achieve its original goal of developing autonomous vehicles that can drive better than humans. In addition to discussing what it has learned in Austin, Mountain View has also revealed through the report that it’s deploying more of its egg-like prototype models in the city this September. Filed under: Transportation , Google Comments Via: USA Today Source: Google Tags: google, googlecar, self-drivingcar

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Google’s driverless cars skirt deer and pedestrians in Texas

MIT scientists make it easy to tweak designs for 3D printing

Two different groups of MIT researchers found a way to print out objects with glass instead of plastic and to make a printer spew out 10 different materials at once earlier this year. This particular team along with researchers from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Israel, however, have chosen to focus on creating a system that makes it possible for even novices to customize the objects they want to print. Designers typically have to adjust a CAD file to tweak the object’s looks by typing in numerical values, and then wait for minutes to hours for a simulation software to make sure the final product is viable. The system this group developed dramatically speeds up the process. It displays the design along with sliders representing different parameters — say, the height of a shoe’s heel or the base size and width of a mug — on a web browser. The user can then easily play with the sliders to achieve the look they want. Now, here’s the best thing about it: it won’t let you design unstable structures or anything that can’t be printed or used. Nobody has to spend hours waiting for software to make sure the modified digital object is feasible, and all the user needs to do is to send it straight to the 3D printer. Filed under: Science Comments Source: MIT Tags: 3dprinter, 3dprinting, MIT

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MIT scientists make it easy to tweak designs for 3D printing

Just add water and this squid-inspired plastic heals itself

While you’ve been busy scarfing down fried calamari rings, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have been doing something else with squid . Namely? Studying the cephalopod’s ring teeth for a way to create a material that heals when water’s present , much in the way that those tentacle-bound choppers do. The way the report spotted by Popular Science tells it, the researchers were able to reproduce the type of proteins found in the self-healing squid teeth and trigger bacteria to make it in a lab environment. To test just how strong the new material was, the scientists formed the protein into the shape of a dog bone and cut it in two with a razor blade. After pressing the two segments back together, dousing them with a bit of water and applying pressure, the pieces fused and were still as strong compared to before they were cut. Like PopSci notes, this type of material could be used to coat things deep-sea internet cables or perhaps help biomedical devices have a longer lifespan, but is still a ways off from primetime. That and it still needs to be tested against shark bites , of course. [Image credits: Getty/Jeff Rotman (lead), Demirel Lab/Penn State (lab photo)] Filed under: Science , Alt Comments Via: Popular Science Source: Penn State University , Nature Tags: bacteria, nature, protein, science, SelfHealing, squid, squidteeth, UniversityOfPennsylvania, upenn

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Just add water and this squid-inspired plastic heals itself

Polaroid’s latest instamatic doesn’t use ink to print photos

Cubes , unwieldy squares , bulky cameras of yore. Regardless of form factor, when the Polaroid name is on a camera it means you’re getting instant photos. With the company’s latest shooter, the Snap, you’re getting what looks like a pocketable device that uses proprietary tech to print photos using zero ink. Instead, the ZINK (get it?) paper you load in the 10MP pictograph box uses heat to activate color crystals and reproduce your 2-inch by 3-inch masterpiece. And of course, since this is camera made in 2015 there’s a selfie timer and filter presets (color, black and white, vintage) in addition to a Micro SD card slot. Interested? All it takes is $99 to sate your curiosity sometime later this year. Slideshow-316542 Filed under: Cameras Comments Tags: cameras, ifa2015, polaroid, snap

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Polaroid’s latest instamatic doesn’t use ink to print photos

The Miix 700 is Lenovo’s Surface killer

Lenovo has arguably done more than any other PC maker to blur the line between tablets and laptops — but its new Ideapad Miix 700 convertible tablet is clearly aimed at one particular competitor: Microsoft’s Surface . Like that machine, the Miix 700 sports a kickstand with a high-tech hinge; it’s a pretty decent tablet on its own; and it has a well-built keyboard accessory that snaps on with a strong magnet. Even a Lenovo rep acknowledged that it was “inspired” by the Surface. But just because it looks familiar doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy convertible entry. Lenovo fans will likely appreciate the Miix 700’s solid keyboard implementation, which feels practically indistinguishable from some of the company’s laptop keyboards (and far more comfortable than the Surface Type cover), as well as the company’s more subdued style. The Miix 700 starts at $699 and will start shipping in November. Slideshow-316577 The Miix 700 packs in up to an Intel Core M7 processor, which puts it more in line with the low-powered Surface 3 than the beefy Surface Pro 3. You can still include up to 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD if you need a bit more speed and space, though. Its 12-inch screen runs at 2160 by 1440 pixels, a tad sharper than plain old 1080, and it weighs 1.7 pounds with the keyboard attached. There are also 5 megapixel front and rear cameras, and you also have the option of plugging in Intel’s RealSense 3D camera, which will let you log into Windows 10 using just your face . That’s something no Surface tablet does yet — but you can be sure Microsoft will include something similar in its next refresh (which is expected to hit in a few months). In my short hands-on time with the Miix 700, it felt like a solid, if somewhat familiar, device. Its kickstand lays flat on its back and takes a bit of effort to pull out, and it can expand almost to around 160 degrees. The big difference from the Surface? Its hinges are prominently displayed on the Miix 700’s back, rather than being hidden under the hinge. It uses two of the same “watchband” hinges we saw on the Yoga Pro 3 , a design that we ended up liking last year. I didn’t have a chance to hold the Miix 700 on my lap, but judging from the sturdiness of the keyboard and its hinge design, I expect it to be about as “lappable” as the last few Surface tablets. More on that keyboard accessory: I can’t stress enough how great it feels. Lenovo is no stranger to quality keyboards, after all. But it’s still surprising to see it pull off a very usable keyboard on a tablet cover. It also folds up slightly onto the tablet’s screen to give the keys a bit of an angle (a design choice that Microsoft also used to stabilize its keyboard). Still, as good as the Miix 700 looks and feels, you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering why it even exists. Lenovo has explored other detachable tablet concepts, like the Miix 2 , and it’s also spent plenty of time honing its hinge technology for its many Yoga convertibles. It’s also still the largest global PC vendor, with around 20 percent of the market. One possible reason is that it may feel threatened by the growth of the Surface lineup , which would also explain why it lifted so many design choices from Microsoft. If anything, Microsoft should take it as a compliment. Filed under: Laptops , Tablets , Mobile , Lenovo Comments Tags: IdeaPad, lenovo, Miix700, mobilepostcross

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The Miix 700 is Lenovo’s Surface killer

Amazon beats Netflix to offline movie and TV show streaming

For years, Netflix subscribers have asked for the ability to download movies and TV shows offline. The company is yet to introduce such a feature — so Amazon has taken the initiative and added exactly that to its rival streaming service. If you’re signed up to Prime Video, or have an active Amazon Prime account, you can now download and watch titles covered by your monthly subscription. It’s supported in both the iOS and Android app — although the latter will require you to download the app through the Amazon Appstore. The regular Amazon app in Google Play, which also supports Prime Video, doesn’t seem to have the feature just yet. Regardless, offline playback is a massive addition — if you’re a frequent flyer, for instance, you no longer have to break your Transparent binge-session or purchase the full series before takeoff. Now, how long will it be before Netflix offers the same? Filed under: Cellphones , Amazon Comments Via: Amazon Source: Amazon Video (iOS) , (Amazon) Tags: amazon, android, app, download, instantvideo, ios, offlineplayback, primeinstantvideo, streaming

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Amazon beats Netflix to offline movie and TV show streaming

Algorithm turns any picture into the work of a famous artist

A group of German researchers have created an algorithm that basically amounts to the most amazing Instagram filter ever conceived: a convolutional neural network that can convert any photograph into a work of fine art. The process takes an hour (sorry, it’s not actually coming to a smartphone near you), and the math behind it is horrendously complicated, but the results speak for themselves. The algorithm leverages how complex neural networks process object recognition to help it rebuild photographs in the style of specific artists. On a very basic level, the network treats the art style of a source image as a “texture, ” and filters the target image through several layers of computational units to create a representation of it that agrees with the features of the original art. It’s a pretty neat trick, but not the actual point of the group’s research — the art project is simply an example that shows that convolutional neural networks are now capable of separating the content and style of an image. That said, researchers admit that content and style have to be careful balanced if the output image is to make any sense — too much focus on style, and the output image won’t look anything like the original photograph. The group plans to publish an additional paper on the algorithm in Nature later this year — but you can read the original report at the source link below. Filed under: Science Comments Via: Washington Post Source: Corell University Tags: art, imagerecognition, NeuralNetwork, picasso, vangogh

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Algorithm turns any picture into the work of a famous artist

Smoother movements help robots save a lot of energy

Eliminating the herky-jerky movements of robots isn’t just good for comforting nervous humans… it helps the robots, too. Researchers have developed smooth movement algorithms that slow the acceleration and deceleration of robots, saving as much as 40 percent of the energy they’d normally use. The trick is to order tasks in a way that lets robots move at their own pace without colliding into each other. Factory robots typically rush through tasks in a rigid order, only to wait for their fellow automatons to catch up. Here, they’re more flexible as to when and how quickly they get things done. You may see these more graceful robotics sooner than you think. General Motors is one of the partners in the project, and it has a vested interest in saving as much energy as it can. Robots use roughly half of the electricity at a vehicle assembly plant — if GM can save a lot of money using nothing more than code, you know it’s going to leap on that opportunity. While it’ll likely take a long time before robots ship with smoother movements from the get-go, it won’t be surprising if the underlying algorithms eventually become ubiquitous. [Image credit: Oscar Mattson, Chalmers University] Filed under: Robots , Science Comments Via: Geek Source: Chalmers Tags: algorithm, chalmers, ChalmersUniversity, factory, generalmotors, gm, robot, robotics, science, video

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Smoother movements help robots save a lot of energy

Ferrofluid ‘font’ produces trippy, one-of-a-kind art

You may have seen ferrofluid (aka magnetic ink) used for clever science demonstrations in school, but it might just get a much cooler application before long. Linden Gledhill and Craig Ward have developed Fe2O3 Glyphs , wild-looking characters created by putting a ferrofluid between glass plates and subjecting it to spinning magnetic fields. The result is a sort of anti-font — while the “letters” look like they could be part of an alien language, they’re so unique that you’d likely never produce the same effect twice. The creators are producing a digital typeface that you can use for your own projects, and they also hope to create a limited run of letterpress art prints to show your friends. You’ll need to pitch in to make both of these a reality, though. The duo has launched a crowdfunding campaign that gives you both the digital font and at least one print (either unique or copied). You’ll need to pledge at least $30 to get something in return, but it might be worth the cash if you’ve ever wanted science-influenced artwork in your home. Filed under: Science Comments Via: The Creators Project Source: Kickstarter , Words Are Pictures Tags: art, crowdfunding, ferrofluid, font, glyph, ink, kickstarter, magentic, magnet, magnetism, science, video

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Ferrofluid ‘font’ produces trippy, one-of-a-kind art