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Showing posts from February, 2022

AirTags are as dangerous as the society that surrounds them

Apple has released another category-defining product — but not in the way it would’ve wanted. AirTags, the company’s cheap and cheerful tracking devices, have become the category’s foremost technology, yet their misuse has embroiled the company in scandal. A gamut of reports have linked AirTags to stalking and theft, with one of the most prominent being the story of model Brooke Snader, who had one of the devices slipped into her coat pocket at a bar. While Apple has come under fire for the releasing the product, AirTags operate in a gray area. Let’s return to Snader as an example.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/czOXbl8

These are the sustainable materials that could be used to build your future EV

No longer the preserve of technocrats, electric vehicles have taken the spotlight as the eco-friendly automobiles of choice. With growing concern for the planet, unpredictable fuel shortages, and changing commuting habits, more people are turning towards EVs instead of traditional gas guzzlers. It’s well known that EVs can lower emissions, especially when they’re charged with green energy. Much of their popularity stems from the desire to make driving more environmentally friendly, but that’s only one part of an EV’s carbon footprint. The process of manufacturing an electric car often produces more emissions than traditional fuel-powered vehicles (although EVs don’t produce… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/RxY3SIc

Why people are leaving your company and how to get them to stay

When you first heard about The Great Resignation, what did you picture? Was it an army of white-collar workers hurling their monitors out the window, tearing up contracts and trashing their swivel chairs? Because the reality is a little less cinematic. People are burned out, miserable, and racking up more hours than ever before. For many, resigning was their last resort. The Great Resignation concept gets some things right, and many things wrong. Workers are quitting in high numbers, but they’re not all leaving their jobs for the same reason. Healthcare workers are burned out; exhausted by long hours and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/MVbkPxj

Fake footage of the Ukraine-Russia war is spreading like wildfire — here’s how to spot it

Amid the alarming images of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over the past few days, millions of people have also seen misleading, manipulated or false information about the conflict on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Telegram. One example is this video of military jets posted to TikTok, which is historical footage but captioned as live video of the situation in Ukraine. Old footage, rebadged on TikTok as the latest from Ukraine. TikTok Visuals, because of their persuasive potential and attention-grabbing nature, are an especially potent choice for those seeking to mislead. Where creating, editing or sharing inauthentic… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ypj20S5

How to install Android apps on Windows 11, the easy way

By far the biggest surprise Microsoft had in store with Windows 11 — besides Windows 11 itself existing — was that the OS would be able to run Android apps, thanks to a partnership with Amazon. In one fell swoop, Microsoft dramatically improved the utility of the oft-maligned Microsoft Store. There are some decent apps in the Microsoft Store, but there are simply way more Android apps to choose from. And then — because nobody releases finished software these days — Microsoft announced the Android feature would arrive at a later date.  Four months later and that highly anticipated update… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Android from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Uvn9SMR

Can we get sweat sensors in our fitness wearables already?

Sweat is a biological fluid — like blood, saliva and urine — that contains metabolites, electrolytes, proteins and hormones. The levels of these vary depending on a person’s health. Wearable sweat sensors have been developed to track users’ health condition and monitor the levels of these substances (known as analytes) in sweat. Lactate is considered an important biomarker thanks to its involvement in anaerobic metabolism. The undesired accumulation of lactate in muscles can result in fatigue, so changes in the concentration of lactate in sweat can be used to monitor fatigue. At Simon Fraser University’s Additive Manufacturing Laboratory, we have… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cNAz1Rw

How my company used social media to increase traffic and revenue — for free

You know who loves to give advice? Everyone. Especially when it comes to marketing. But what do you do when that advice requires a budget—a budget you don’t have? What happens then? I’m the founder of a small sustainable, socially responsible, and zero-waste fashion label that works with a community of women single parents in North Macedonia. Operating from a country with such limited resources can be, to put it mildly, challenging. I founded the company back in 2013. It started as a marketplace for local designers, which quickly expanded to cover international designers from all over the world. Four… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/aFDpsjM

How a fraudulent MP and a brilliant scientist created LCDs for flat-screens

In a laboratory at the University of Hull 50 years ago, a new chemical compound was created that would impact the world as much as any drug, fuel or material. The man responsible for this society-changing invention was George Gray – his new liquid crystal molecules (now known as 5CB) made liquid crystal displays (LCDs) viable and kickstarted the multibillion-dollar flat-screen industry. Professor George Gray. Image: Hull History Centre, Author provided The story begins back in 1967 when John Stonehouse, a Labour MP and minster for technology under Prime Minister Harold Wilson, established a group to develop a technology that… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/VMBgPNt

Here’s how algorithms are made

As software and algorithms become an increasingly pervasive part of our lives, there’s growing interest and concern on how they are affecting society, the economy, and politics. Yet, most social studies of algorithms perceive them as obscure black boxes that function autonomously. This isolated look at algorithms, which separates them from their human elements leads us to the wrong understanding and conclusions. The Constitution of Algorithms, a book by Florian Jaton, Postdoctoral Researcher at the STS Lab at the University of Lausanne, sheds light on the human side of algorithms by exploring them from the inside instead of studying them from… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/X9haiuG

Milan to create 750-kilometer network of cycle paths

This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates, follow Cities Today on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News. Milan is set to create 750 kilometers of dedicated cycle paths by 2035 as part of plans to cut pollution and boost sustainable travel. The Cambio plan — adopted in November last year by the Italian city’s Metropolitan Council — is set to launch this summer, with a budget of €250 million (US$282 million). The web of cycle paths — which consist… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/RmIHNie

A beginner’s guide to joining a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. The 2022 Super Bowl featured a parade of commercials for companies in the crypto industry. While the majority advertised exchange platforms, one slot was reserved for a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). DAOs are community-led organizations that share common goals, from making profitable investments to building impactful products. Instead of leaders making decisions, DAOs are managed by their members and governed by rules that are enforced on a blockchain. For more details on how they work, check out… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/9OtxS6M

Should bike helmets be compulsory?

I came across PedalMe cargo bike company last year, and was impressed. It provides a last-mile cargo and passenger ebike service. All of its riders are employed full-time, with pre-scheduled shifts and hourly pay (instead of the per-delivery income in the gig economy model).  Sounds pretty good, hey? But there’s a quirk — their riders are not allowed to wear bike helmets. Pedal Me ecargo bikes carry people and goods across London. Image: Pedal Me According to the company’s latest newsletter:  We ban our staff from wearing helmets for risk management and safety reasons because of something called “Risk Compensation”… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/WyFpoCR

Oi, developers! ‘Best practices’ can turn you into complacent a-holes

Have you ever baked cookies and wondered why the recipe is exactly that way and no other? If you changed this ingredient up or that temperature, would it make the cookies even better? I certainly have had these thoughts. It’s the reason why most of the things I bake aren’t very edible… When it comes to programming, these thoughts arise too. What if I wrote this part as a separate function? If I hard-coded this bit over there, would it make the code easier? Can I rewrite those ten ugly lines into two elegant ones? There are no recipes in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Zb2xzGr

Nuclear fusion is coming — and we should be jumping with glee

There’s been tremendous excitement about recent results from the Joint European Torus (JET) facility in the UK, hinting that the dream of nuclear fusion power is inching closer to reality. We know that fusion works – it is the process that powers the Sun, providing heat and light to the Earth. But for decades it has proved difficult to make the transition from scientific laboratory experiments to sustained power production. The fundamental aim of fusion is to bring atomic nuclei merging together to create a different, heavier nucleus – releasing energy in the process. This is different from nuclear fission,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/SXUfw3G

The OnePlus 9RT feel cobbled together from spare parts — but it’s not all bad

In 2022, it’s not a surprising thing for a phone company to launch a device that feels like just an interactive update to its predecessor. But it’s slightly surprising when a manufacturer churns out a phone that’s made from the stock of phone parts of a model released last year. The OnePlus 9RT is one such example. Before you bring out your pitchforks, I want to clarify that it’s a good device to live with. And if you’re currently using a phone that’s a couple of years old, it’s even a good buy. While I liked using the device, it… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/VIBHoOS

I’m sold on the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but I say skip the Flip

Phone manufacturers spent most of the 2010s shrinking bezels and seeing how large a design they could get away with. Eventually, pretty much every phone on the market was just one big screen housed in a metal and glass chassis. Phones couldn’t get any larger without looking absurd. There was pretty much nowhere left to go. And so, the folding phone was born. The advent of folding displays has opened the door to all sorts of new form factors, but so far the market seems to have settled on the two designs offered by Samsung: roughly regular-sized phones that unfold… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Samsung from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3d4f51m

The transport industry sure as hell wasn’t ready for the end of 3G

This week in the US, AT&T retired its 3G network to make room for newer 5G cellular bands. While most of our smartphones are embedded with 4G or 5G chips, a lot of transport infrastructure runs on old-school 3G cellular networks. Think of a large number of telematics and IoT-connected devices. As 3G retires, they no longer operate without upgrading to 4G connectivity.  In other words, unless your connected devices connect to 4G or higher, your devices are bricked.  The entire transport ecosystem is in a world of pain, including: Buses and Trains Old-school school buses can’t talk to their… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/MeiBsa2

Amidst the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s also fighting cyberattacks — here’s what you need to know

This morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered “a special operation,” allowing armed forces to move into Ukraine. The offensive wasn’t just limited to military forces, as Ukraine faced major internet disruptions. In this story, we’ll aim to summarize how information flow in the war-affected country has taken a hit. Cyberattacks Yesterday, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine said several government websites were under a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. As such, users wouldn’t be able to access these critical sites in the midst of this crisis. Today, the authority said, “phishing attacks on public… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/dv1QSJB

It’s terrifyingly easy for reporters to exploit Google’s News algorithms

I’ve spent the last eight months turning Google News into my personal playground. I manipulated the algorithm and made it surface my stories whether they were relevant to specific topics or not. This is a big problem. I’m a regular reporter — a writer. I have no programming skills or formal education in computer science. Google’s arguably the most technologically-advanced AI company in Silicon Valley. It also happens to be worth more than two trillion dollars. Google News reaches almost 300 million users. And I was able to game its algorithms by changing a single word on a web page.… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/8xu7imQ

A plant-based filet mignon gave me a taste of a meatless future

My switch to a meatless diet was surprisingly painless. Yet there’s one part of my shameful past that I still miss a decade later: Beef burgers. Not those pompous grass-fed patties on brioche buns. Those poseurs can remain on their (*shudder*) wooden chopping boards. What I truly yearned for was the most basic of burgers: the type of greasy garbage that makes you look like a bag of milk. The taste, the smell, the carpet bombing of my internal organs… those mouth-watering experiences had become mere memories. Until, that is, the arrival of the plant-based revolution. The uprising is now… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/nJCaZ17

Meta filed a patent for ‘3D conversations’ — are holographic calls almost here?

Ever since Star Wars first showed space wizards talking to holograms, calling someone and chatting with their 3D simulacrum has become a staple of science fiction. But based on a patent application published in January, it sure looks like FacebookMeta is trying to make 3D conversations a reality right now — even if not quite the way George Lucas envisioned it. With the disclaimer that many patents never end up becoming an actual product, the patent does hint at how Meta envisions the future of communication. What’s the patent about? Meta, then Facebook, filed a Patent Application in 2020 titled… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/InGHeEt

Court allows Waymo to keep ‘incident’ data under wraps, so what are they hiding?

Being a passenger in a self-driving taxi sounds cool and all, but it can also be uncomfortable — and even terrifying. Sometimes robotaxis freak out and get confused.  Wouldn’t you want to know what happened in those instances? Well, you can’t. At least, regarding Waymo.  On Tuesday, the California Superior Court in Sacramento ruled that Alphabet’s Waymo can keep crucial safety and crash data about its autonomous vehicles secret. What’s the story? In January, Waymo sued the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), to prevent the agency from disclosing what it considers “trade secrets.” According to the lawsuit, in October… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/LaYfqcv

Sony’s VR2 headset shows virtual reality is growing up

It’s been five long years, but Sony has finally revealed the design of its second virtual reality headset. Unsurprisingly named the VR2 (come on, what else did you expect from the company that brought you the PlayStation 5?), the hardware has been unveiled at an interesting time. Not only is there a renewed interest in virtual reality tech (thanks, Meta), but it’s also arriving into a market that has significantly evolved in recent years. In fact, the VR2 serves as an interesting marker to show how the entire sector has changed. One point to note before we begin: the current… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Sony from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ovCRHuT

Meta expands Reels globally in an attempt to cure Facebook’s woes

Meta has launched Facebook Reels, its short video product for the blue app, across 150 countries. This is likely a bid to restore its plummeting user base, and restore some ad revenue. After seeing some success with Instagram Reels, the company began testing its short video platform within the Facebook app in India last March. Later in September, it launched this feature in the US. But is this global launch of Reels enough to right its sinking ship? Stonks The social media giant has had a horrid past few weeks. Its daily active user count dipped for the first time… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook from The Next Web https://ift.tt/HwXJPo2

Autocycles want to be micromobility’s top dog

Cars are simply not built for the stresses of modern cities. From traffic to parking, it’s often more a hindrance than a boon to own a four-wheeler in urban environments. But one company thinks its cracked the code for the perfect city vehicle: Arcimoto and its electric autocycles. These are somewhere between a car, bike, and motorcycle.  Yesterday, Arcimoto cut the ribbon on a 250,000 square foot manufacturing facility — and launched two new vehicles in the process.  I sat down with Mark Frohnmayer, CEO and Founder of Arcimoto, to learn more about the company and its plans. The power… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/7xswKPa

Domestic abusers are weaponizing everyday tech — and there’s no quick fix

Perpetrators of domestic abuse are increasingly exploiting digital tools to coerce and control their victims. Where there is abuse in a relationship, technology will also feature in how that abuse is conducted. Police forces now expect as much, when responding to cases of domestic abuse. Such technological abuse features everyday tools, from smart devices to online platforms and mobile phone apps. And the information on where to find them and how to use them is easily accessible online, often using a simple Google search. To understand the extent of this problem, we conducted a wide-ranging study for the UK government.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/YgRvwCA

Who gets to decide if an AI is alive?

Experts predict artificial intelligence will gain sentience within the next 100 years. Some predict it’ll happen sooner. Others say it’ll never happen. Still other experts say it already has happened. It’s possible the experts are just guessing. The problem with identifying “sentience” and “consciousness” is there’s no precedent when it comes to machine intelligence. You can’t just check a robot’s pulse or ask it to define “love” to see if it’s alive. The closest we have to a test for sentience is the Turing Test and, arguably, Alexa and Siri passed that years ago. At some point, if and when… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/HFcfnVK

Your car will park itself sooner than you think

Let’s face it: parking sucks. From endlessly searching for a spot during peak traffic times, to performing surgeon-esque maneuvers in order to fit into a tight space, it’s always a nightmare. My dream is a world where my car will drop me off, park itself, and then pick me up whenever I want. “Come down to Earth, Ioanna,” you might say, “it’ll never happen.” But you’d be wrong. Because my dream is coming true as we speak.  The technology is known as automated valet parking (AVP) — and it doesn’t even need full self-driving functionality. A modern vehicle equipped with… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/UOF4Ivg

Our next visits to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune are incredibly important

The giant planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune – are some of the most awe-inspiring in our Solar System, and have great importance for space research and our comprehension of the greater universe. Yet they remain the least explored – especially the “ice giants” Uranus and Neptune – due to their distance from Earth, and the extreme conditions spacecraft must survive to enter their atmospheres. As such, they’re also the least understood planets in the Solar System. Our ongoing research looks at how to overcome the harsh entry conditions experienced during giant planet missions. As we look forward to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/mZz3QTB

Renault keeps the hydrogen dream alive in France

Last week, French automaker Renault released a sneak preview of a hydrogen-powered car. We don’t know that much about the car yet. Any car can look good with a few sexy neon lights and a dark backdrop. More news will come in May, but we have no real way of knowing if the concept car will even make it to market.  Renault’s teaser pic for their hydrogen car. Credit: Renault But it’s important not simply to dismiss the idea out of hand, and here’s why:   Not Renault’s first rodeo  Firstly, this is not the company’s first foray into hydrogen fuel… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/CAHQ320

Forget AI and 5G, it’s low-tech solutions that will help our planet

It’s a popular idea that the path to sustainability lies in high-tech solutions. By making everyday items like cars electric, and installing smart systems to monitor and reduce energy use, it seems we’ll still be able to enjoy the comforts to which we’ve become accustomed while doing our bit for the planet – a state known as “green growth”. But the risks of this approach are becoming ever clearer. Many modern technologies use materials like copper, cobalt, lithium and rare earth elements. These metals are in devices like cell phones, televisions, and motors. Not only is their supply finite, but… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4yzcSkO

How to mute your mic by default on Slack calls and huddles

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. At TNW, our editorial team has a daily Slack huddle scheduled at a daily Slack huddle to discuss our coverage for the day. Chances are, at that time, I might be singing a tune that’s stuck in my head, receiving a parcel at my doorstep, or expelling the loudest post-lunch belch you could possibly imagine. As such, it’s in everyone’s best interest that I join the group audio call with my mic muted. That also… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Slack from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ow0qfMc

We tried a bunch of free Windows apps from the Microsoft Store — here are our favorites

The Microsoft Store has been around for nearly 10 years now — it launched as the Windows Store with Windows 8 — but compared to app marketplaces on other platforms, it can feel like a barren wasteland. On Windows, I’d hazard the vast majority of apps are still installed via old-school .exe files and other third-party programs. Still, there are benefits to perusing through Microsoft’s app store. Most of the software there tends to be better-optimized for touchscreens, which is handy if you have a 2-in-1 PC. Likewise, Microsoft has more control over the apps that land on its marketplace,… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/VgJuZBl

How robots and remote-editing helped photograph the 2022 Winter Olympics

China’s “zero-COVID” policy put the Beijing Winter Olympics under some of the strictest coronavirus protocols in the world. The Games took place in a “closed-loop” environment comprised of gated “bubble areas”  that contained housing, event locations, and transport links. There were also no tickets sold to the general public, while many media professionals worked from home due to COVID concerns. The conditions left Getty Images, the official photo agency for the International Olympic Committee, with reduced support teams on the ground. To tackle the challenges, the team tapped into robotic cameras and remote editing. Robotic cameras provided bird’s eye views… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/fJlVoZg

Here’s why your car isn’t rolling on airless tires… yet

Wouldn’t it be great if you never had to worry about a flat tire? You could drive anywhere, roaming the glove, traveling to remote locations without a worry. Well, stop dreaming. They exist. And they’re called airless tires. It’s a simple solution: if there’s no air in the tires, they can’t pop. Amazing, right?  Well, you’ll need to curb your enthusiasm a little. While airless tires exist, they’re not the silver bullet we hoped for — at least for now. Not a novel idea First off, airless tires — also called non-pneumatic tires (NPTs) — have been around for a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/gQqOoZc

You can select all your typed text by tapping thrice on iOS

If all I know is that I don’t know anything, that means I actually know loads. Let me illustrate. I’ve been on iOS since the iPhone 4, meaning I’ve been using Apple’s mobile devices for around 12 years. On top of that, I’ve been covering and analyzing the company as part of my actual job for a long old while. Yet, I was today years old when I realized that you can select all your text while typing by tapping your iPhone screen three times. Truly, the breadth of my lack of knowledge is breathtaking. This is me tapping the… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: iOS from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ExgCLjc

NASA plans to destroy the ISS — but it’s not without dangers

NASA has announced plans for the International Space Station (ISS) to be officially decommissioned in 2031. After dozens of launches since 1998 got the station up and into orbit, bringing it down will be a feat of its own – the risks are serious if things go wrong. NASA’s plans for the decommissioning operation will culminate in a fiery plunge into the middle of the Pacific Ocean – a location called Point Nemo, also known as the “spacecraft graveyard”, the furthest point from all civilization. Finding Point Nemo will be the final stop in a complex and multi-staged mission to… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: NASA from The Next Web https://ift.tt/EwSKMmW

Brace yourselves, Trump has just launched his social network

The inevitable has happened. Donald Trump’s social network, TRUTH, has just launched on the US App Store. A lot has happened since Trump announced this new venture last October. Last December, Investors pumped $1 billion into the Digital World Acquisition Corp, a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) that aimed to fund the Truth platform. Rumors about the social network’s imminent launch surfaced in January without a specified go-live date, and the firm subsequently started testing the app in a closed beta with around 500 users. All of this started last year, when Trump was removed from major platforms, including Twitter,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/VLZK254

Your fruit is gonna get tastier — and you’ve got AI to thank for it

Which flavors and chemical compounds make a particular variety of fruit more appealing to consumers can be identified and predicted using artificial intelligence, according to our recently published study. Flavor, defined by scientists as the interaction between aroma and taste, is chemically complex. The sugars, acids, and bitter compounds in food interact with the taste receptors on our tongues to invoke taste, while volatile compounds that interact with olfactory receptors in our noses are responsible for aroma. Breeding for flavor is a difficult task for many different reasons. For one, fruit and vegetable plant breeding programs need to improve several… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/n39zZP7

How to manage your sales leads — and turn them into customers

I’ve been working in sales and marketing roles for more than 30 years, and in that time, I’ve found that—as big a deal as lead generation is—it’s typically lead management that makes the struggle real. Getting lead management right involves a lot of moving parts, so let’s jump in. 1. Alignment between Marketing and Sales In my experience, this is how it usually goes. A potential customer fills out a form or comes to a trade show booth. Marketing hands off the lead to Sales, saying it’s a hot lead that needs to be called ASAP. The sales rep calls the prospect,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/WgHhpb2

AI’s true purpose is freeing up humans to find the biggest problems

Last week’s announcement of AlphaCode, DeepMind’s source code–generating deep learning system, created a lot of excitement—some of it unwarranted—surrounding advances in artificial intelligence. As I’ve mentioned in my deep dive on AlphaCode, DeepMind’s researchers have done a great job in bringing together the right technology and practices to create a machine learning model that can find solutions to very complex problems. However, the sometimes-bloated coverage of AlphaCode by the media highlights the endemic problems with framing the growing capabilities of artificial intelligence in the context of competitions meant for humans. Measuring intelligence with tests For decades, AI researchers and scientists… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/74IcxwJ

Python may be easy but it’s a goddamn mess

By industry leaders and academic researchers alike, Python is touted as one of the absolute best languages for novice programmers. And they’re not wrong — but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t confuse the shit out of programming newbies anyway. Take dynamic typing as an example. It seems amazing at first: Python literally figures out by itself what sort of value a variable might take, and you don’t need to waste another line of code by telling it. This makes everything go faster! At first. Then you mess it up on one single line — yes, one! — and your… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/JkQHog0

Scientists say humans are part of a ‘planetary intelligence’

What if we could zoom out past our own myopic point of view and see the planet Earth and all of its inhabitants as one giant global intelligence? That’s the question a trio of researchers recently tackled in a paper titled “Intelligence as a planetary scale process.” AKA: the “By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet” theory, as we like to call it here at Neural. This one’s a bit of a doozy. The paper itself is intriguing, but my first instinct was to call it ironically boring and painfully optimistic. Here’s a snippet from the abstract: We consider… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/s7ciAfM

Your car is a computer on wheels — and its code can be hacked

We aren’t joking when we talk about cars as big fat data generating computer centers on wheels. If you go on Glassdoor, there’s even an interview question, “How many lines of code does a Tesla have?” I’m not entirely sure, but even a decade ago, premium cars contained 100 microprocessor-based electronic control units (ECUs), which collectively executed over 100 million lines of code. Then there’s telematics, driver-assist software, and infotainment system, to name but a few other components that require code. Your car’s infotainment system is just one way that the security of your car can be attacked. Image: Subaru… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/qpOHb1f

Your car is a computer on wheels — and its code can be hacked

We aren’t joking when we talk about cars as big fat data generating computer centers on wheels. If you go on Glassdoor, there’s even an interview question, “How many lines of code does a Tesla have?” I’m not entirely sure, but even a decade ago, premium cars contained 100 microprocessor-based electronic control units (ECUs), which collectively executed over 100 million lines of code. Then there’s telematics, driver-assist software, and infotainment system, to name but a few other components that require code. Your car’s infotainment system is just one way that the security of your car can be attacked. Image: Subaru… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/0QUNkoz

Yes, you can actually buy this badass electric Batmobile

Good news, Batman lovers! A fully functional Batmobile replica exists — and you can even drive it outside of Gotham City.  Led by architect and artist Nguyen Dac Chung, the Vietnam-based Macro Studios used blueprints from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy to faithfully recreate the movie’s Tumbler vehicle.  The result? A replica that’s the spitting image of Batman’s iconic beast. But that’s not all, it also comes with an eco-friendly twist: it’s electric. Without further ado, I present to you the Dark Green Knight: Image: Van Daryl And to get a full picture, here are both the Tumbler and the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4qg7E3N

Watch the Nevera hypercar get smashed in crash test — the dummy survives!

Ever wanted to watch a $2.4 million, 1,914 horsepower car get mangled? Well, friends, you’re in luck. The video in question is from Carwow’s Mat Watson, who joined the final crash test of the Rimac Nevera, a battery electric hypercar. It’s the last installment in a series of 44 trials required for certification before its official rollout in Europe and the US.  Even a scratch on this beautiful machine makes me wanna cry. Image: Rimac Once you move past the pain of watching this much money bursting into flames, there’s actually a lot to learn. The car goes through a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/MUxubIO

Please, just let me merge Apple IDs like a regular human

I have a problem. Well, to be accurate, I have lots of them — but today I’m talking about one in particular: having multiple Apple IDs. I entered the Apple system about 17 years ago, in the days before iCloud and the App Store. I was also a foolish child back then — and my decisions from that time still haunt me in the shape of two separate Apple IDs. One email — which I no longer have access to — is connected to my iTunes and App Store purchases, the other to iCloud. Of course isn’t an overwhelming issue.… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/aXuKIqw

The conflict in Ukraine proves cyber-attacks are now weapons of war

For the past few weeks, Russia has been deploying military forces into strategic positions on Ukraine’s borders. However, there is another, virtual dimension to the escalating conflict: cyber-attacks on the Ukrainian government and business websites and services. Attacks on Ukraine’s information systems are part of a type of hybrid warfare that Russia has been fine tuning for the past couple of decades but is now far more sophisticated. Cyber espionage and information warfare have become an intrinsic part of recent conflicts and happen on a regular basis between conflicting powers. However, governments do not usually publicly claim responsibility for this… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/c8FMx6Q

Elon Musk jumps the shark

You know how it is. You’re on social media minding your own business when suddenly, through no fault of your own, you post an antisemitic tweet comparing Canadian government overreach to the state-sponsored murder of millions of Jewish people. Now you’re the bad guy? Is everyone a snowflake? It’s not like you have any choice in the matter. You’re a 50-year-old billionaire currently under investigation for allegedly creating a safe haven for what can only be described as Quentin-Tarantino-movie levels of racism in the workplace in at least one of your factories. Your millions of followers deserve the truth. Tesla… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/VdeJHsI