transportation – Page 7 – Tech Today w/ Ken May

Yahoo releases massive 13.5TB web-browsing data set to researchers

Yahoo’s business may be struggling , but millions of people still visit its site to read the news every day. That gives the company unique insights into browsing and reading habits, and today the company has released a huge swath of that data. The “Yahoo News Feed dataset” incorporates anonymous browsing habits of 20 million users between February and May of 2015 across a variety of Yahoo properties, including its home page, main news site, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Movies and Yahoo Real Estate. All told, the data set is a whopping 13.5TB and covers 110 billion unique interaction “events.” Yahoo calls it the “largest machine learning dataset” ever publicly released, and we’re inclined to believe them — there aren’t very many companies who could accumulate this much browsing data. It’s a huge amount of data, but fortunately you don’t need to worry about advertisers mining it to make more targeted ads. Yahoo is specifically releasing it only to the academic research community to help people build more effective recommendation algorithms. As noted by the MIT Technology Review , the data set includes includes headlines that Yahoo’s personalization algorithms show to visitors, a summary of the article, and which specific articles people click. There’s also some demographic data for about 7 million users that includes age, gender and location — but it’s all been anonymized. Improving recommendation algorithms is particularly relevant right now, as some of the biggest web properties rely on good recommendation engines to engage with their user. Netflix, Amazon, Google, Apple and Facebook (just to name a few) all rely on serving their users relevant recommendations to keep them engaged with their products and services. Yes, it’s a way for those companies to make more money, but it also generally makes for a better user experience — as long as those recommendations are good. Yahoo’s huge data release will probably go a long way towards meeting that goal. [Image credit: Noah Berger/Bloomberg via Getty Images] Source: Yahoo (Businesswire)

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Yahoo releases massive 13.5TB web-browsing data set to researchers

Archaeologists have new tools that make it easy to scan artifacts

A European Union-funded project called ” Presious ” could make a modern Indiana Jones’ tasks easier even if they’re operating with tiny budgets. See, the initiative is currently developing a number of software tools they can use to scan artifacts. The first one can be used to scan stone objects and estimate their erosion patterns, while the second one treats scanned fragments like 3D puzzles and pieces them together. Finally, the third tool can fill in gaps in symmetrical objects if some of their pieces couldn’t be found. According to the European Union , these tools’ capabilities are made possible by the development of predictive scanning. That technique taps into existing repositories of digitized archaeological finds to predict erosion patterns, missing pieces’ shapes and broken fragments’ fits. The best thing about these tools is that archaeologists will be able to download them for free once development is done this January 2016. Via: Popsci Source: Presious

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Archaeologists have new tools that make it easy to scan artifacts

T-Mobile’s CEO does damage control, apologizes to the EFF

T-Mobile CEO John Legere has published an open letter on the company’s website, and it smells like an attempt at damage control after getting some real backlash. As you might know, he’s been making good use of his colorful vocabulary to defend his company over accusations that it’s throttling YouTube videos these past few weeks. In the process, he lambasted Google and accused the Electronic Frontier Foundation of being a paid mouthpiece. In the surprisingly expletive-free missive, he claims that Binge On is a “VERY ‘pro’ net neutrality capability, ” because you can switch it on or off whenever you want. The T-Mobile uncarrier feature allows you to stream 480p videos without eating up your data, but it can only do so for specific services like Netflix. That doesn’t sit well with net neutrality advocates who believe that it makes certain apps more appealing than others. The FCC cited that as one of its reasons when it summoned the company to talk about its data exemption scheme in December. Legere also apologizes to the EFF for posting a video asking “who the fuck” the organization is and who’s paying it. His response was triggered by the non-profit digital rights group’s question on Twitter, asking if Binge On alters the video stream in any way or limits its bandwidth: Look, by now you know that I am a vocal, animated and sometimes foul mouthed CEO. I don’t filter myself and you know that no one at T-Mobile filters me either (no, they don’t even try). That means I will sometimes incite a bit of a ‘social media riot’, but I’m not going to apologize for that. I will however apologize for offending EFF and its supporters. Just because we don’t completely agree on all aspects of Binge On doesn’t mean I don’t see how they fight for consumers. We both agree that it is important to protect consumers’ rights and to give consumers value. We have that in common, so more power to them. As I mentioned last week, we look forward to sitting down and talking with the EFF and that is a step we will definitely take. While we may never know why the CEO suddenly decided to publish this letter, he said he decided to write it up for the sake of the data exemption feature: Unfortunately, my color commentary from last week is now drowning out the real value of Binge On – so hopefully this letter will help make that clear again. . @EFF pic.twitter.com/pv6V4oOJwS — John Legere (@JohnLegere) January 7, 2016 T-Mobile’s CEO is dying to know who EFF is. Friends, please tweet at @JohnLegere with the hashtag #WeAreEFF to enlighten him. — EFF (@EFF) January 7, 2016 [Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images] Source: T-Mobile

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T-Mobile’s CEO does damage control, apologizes to the EFF

New York City’s whole subway system gets WiFi in 2016

Forget having to remember which New York City subway stations have WiFi — by the end of this year, you won’t have to pick and choose. State governor Andrew Cuomo has promised that every underground station will get WiFi by the end of the year, guaranteeing at least some kind of internet access while you’re waiting for your train. Complete cellular service will come slightly later, with end-to-end access ready by early 2017. Either is heartening news if you regularly commute underground, since Transit Wireless (which is handling the service) had previously targeted late 2017 for full WiFi service. There should be more in the works, too. Cuomo has proposed a contactless payment system that would let you use your smartphone or newer bank cards to pay your fare, rather than busting out your MetroCard or some tickets. The current proposed phone system looks a bit clunky with its QR-based scanning, but NYC buses and subways won’t get this feature until 2018 — hopefully, it’ll include NFC-based payments (such as Apple Pay or Android Pay) by then. Both the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will have mobile ticketing within half a year. And yes, the city plans to drag trains (and buses) into the modern era. You’ll get real-time arrival data for all subway lines, and more countdown clocks. Also, subway cars will start getting USB charging ports this year (400 will have them by next year), and every new bus delivered from this year forward will have WiFi hotspots. In short, NYC’s mass transit system will soon revolve around mobile. While there will still be gaps in coverage (most notably when you’re in the middle of some tunnels), they may soon become the exception rather than the rule. [Image credit: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews] Via: NY1 , The Verge Source: MTA , Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Twitter)

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New York City’s whole subway system gets WiFi in 2016

Tesla Model S Software Updates Lets Car Park Itself With No One Inside It

An anonymous reader writes with a lnk to this article at Boy Genius Report about a software upgrade now hitting Tesla owners, which begins: Tesla earlier today began pushing out version 7.1 of its software to Model S and Model X owners and, suffice it to say, it’s a doozy of a software update. While we’ll get to the full changelog shortly, we first wanted to highlight a feature called Summon which enables users to park their cars without having to be inside it. Conversely, it also lets Tesla owners summon their cars that already happen to be parked. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Tesla Model S Software Updates Lets Car Park Itself With No One Inside It

YouTube to join Netflix and Amazon with HDR video

With big-name TV makers and movie studios all pledging to support high dynamic range (HDR) technology , it was only be a matter of time until the world’s biggest online video platform got in on the action. According to Mashable , Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer, confirmed that the service will soon roll out support for HDR, allowing streamers to watch videos in a lot more detail. While HDR has become a buzzword, it’s likely to make a big difference to the way you watch TV and movies this year. In brief terms, HDR captures a wider range of contrast and brightness. The resulting images show greater detail in darker parts of the screen and highlights a wider range of colors, allowing you to pick out details that you may not have noticed before. What it does mean, though, is that you will need a compatible TV or display to view YouTube’s range of HDR videos the way they’re meant to be viewed. LG , Sony and Vizio will soon release new 4K sets with high dynamic range support built in and PC makers are following the trend. Netflix and Amazon are on board too, ensuring that streamers can also board the HDR bandwagon. Source: Mashable

New WiFi standard offers more range for less power

The WiFi Alliance has finally approved the eagerly-anticipated 802.11ah WiFi standard and dubbed it “HaLow.” Approved devices will operate in the unlicensed 900MHz band, which has double the range of the current 2.4GHz standard, uses less power and provides better wall penetration. The standard is seen as a key for the internet of things and connected home devices, which haven’t exactly set the world on fire so far. The problem has been that gadgets like door sensors, connected bulbs and cameras need to have enough power to send data long distances to remote hubs or routers. However, the current WiFi standard doesn’t lend itself to long battery life and transmission distances. The WiFi Alliance said that HaLow will “broadly adopt existing WiFi protocols, ” like IP connectivity, meaning devices will have regular WiFi-grade security and interoperability. It added that many new products, like routers, will also operate in the regular 2.4 and 5GHz bands. That should open the floodgates to a lot of new 900Mhz-enabled devices in the near future, and not just smart toasters. The group said that the new standard “will enable a variety of new power-efficient use cases in the smart home, connected car … as well as industrial, retail, agriculture and smart city environments.” How about just a better WiFi connection from the spare room?

Netgear transforms your power plug into a fast WiFi hotspot

2016 is here, and the flying cars and hoverboards are disappointing , to say the least. Worse yet, we still can’t get a decent internet connection in our man cave, but Netgear is at least trying to solve that problem with a string of new devices for CES 2016. The most interesting is the PowerLine WiFi 1000 , a product the company claims is the first to marry gigabit powerline (aka HomePlug ) with 802.11ac WiFi. (The Devolo DLAN 1200+ also does the trick, but it’s only available in Europe.) The idea is to plug the base unit into an electrical plug and hook it up to your router, then plug the WiFi extender into another socket. You can then connect via 802.11ac WiFi in a remote room to your device of choice. That should help you avoid connection woes in remote sections of your house or behind walls. However, powerline connections often fail to work well in houses with “noisy” electrical setups and speeds are always much lower than the maximum specified. Nevertheless, it could may solve a problem dead spot in places where you can’t run an ethernet cable and WiFi extenders won’t do the trick. The Powerline WiFi 1000 Kit is now available in the US for $119.99. Speaking of WiFi range extenders, Netgear also launched the Nighthawk X4 AC2200 (2.2Gbps) and AC1900 (1.9Gbps), the first such devices to feature Multi-User MIMO tech. What that jargon means is that the extenders multitask by sending separate WiFi streams to each user so that everyone gets faster speeds with less waiting. Both devices have 802.11ac WiFi, Beamforming+ and four internal antennae that cover up to 10, 000 square feet. The units are now available in the US for $169.99 for the X4 AC2200 and $139.99 for the slightly slower AC1900. Netgear also unveiled the Nighthawk X4S AC2600 router , a mid-priced model aimed at the gaming and streaming set. The company said it built on its popular Nighthawk X4 AC2350 router by adding a bunch of new features like quad-stream architecture on both 2.4 and 5GHz bands, Multi-User MIMO and 160MHz bandwidth. The company claims that the latter feature will provide better support for upcoming smartphone tech. The other features, meanwhile, will let you connect more devices and stream faster with lower latency and higher bandwidth. Other features include a pair of USB 3.0 ports and an eSATA port to easily add storage to the device, which also functions as a smart hub. It’s also got VPN support for secure remote access and the MyMedia app for DLNA connectivity. The Nighthawk X4 AC2350 is now available at a suggested price of $269.99 in the US.

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Netgear transforms your power plug into a fast WiFi hotspot

The Three Possible Classes of Interstellar Travel

An anonymous reader writes: The stars call to us through the ages, with each and every one holding the promise of a future for humanity beyond Earth. For generations, this was a mere dream, as our technology allowed us to neither know what worlds might lie beyond our own Solar System or to reach beyond our planet. But time and development has changed both of those things significantly. Now, when we look to the stars, we know that potentially habitable worlds lurk throughout our galaxy, and our spaceflight capabilities can bring us there. But so far, it would only be a very long, lonely, one-way trip. This isn’t necessarily going to be the case forever, though, as physically feasible technology could get humans to another star within a single lifetime, and potentially groundbreaking technology might make the journey almost instantaneous. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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The Three Possible Classes of Interstellar Travel

AT&T to ditch most two-year phone contracts on January 8th

AT&T’s long affair with the two-year contract continues to wind down, Engadget has learned. According to an internal document sent to employees this morning, new and existing customers will only be able to get new phones by paying the full price upfront or in installments over time . The move is set to take effect on January 8th, so you’d better act fast if you (for some reason) really want to lock yourself down for a few more years. Just to be perfectly clear, this move applies to all of AT&T’s phones. Once the new year rolls around, even flip phones and non-smartphones with keyboards (what AT&T likes to call “Quick Messaging Devices”) must be bought outright or with an installment plan. What’s less clear is the status of wearables like the Samsung Gear S2 and tablets, which are currently sold (and promoted heavily ) with two-year contracts. It’s also possible (if not likely) that AT&T will keep multi-year contracts around for large corporate accounts, and we’re looking into both situations. AT&T’s vague, highly vetted statement says the change is being made for the sake of “aligning… service offerings with customer and industry trends”. Well, we can’t argue with that. While smaller, scrappier carriers like T-Mobile have already bailed on the multi-year contract model, AT&T has been slower to act. This June, the company stopped offering contracts for smartphones to customers through local dealers and partner retailers like Best Buy and Apple. The option to ink a contract remained for people who bought basic phones or went straight to an AT&T store and asked specifically for a contract extension. The message? Payment plans like AT&T Next were the future. That sentiment was echoed when Verizon stopped pushing two-year contracts a few months later . The thing is, people who had those contracts could keep them and still get subsidized phones if they wanted — an option that won’t be available to AT&T customers. Still have questions? Feel free to refer to the FAQ our tipster friend also provided:

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AT&T to ditch most two-year phone contracts on January 8th