69319829
submission
mpicpp writes:
The Twitter accounts of the New York Post and United Press International were hacked Friday. Both companies tweeted that a war had broken out between the United States and China.
At 1 p.m. ET, the Twitter accounts of both companies reported that the Chinese military had fired a missile on a U.S. warship, sparking a full-blown battle. They also claimed the U.S. Federal Reserve was to make an emergency announcement about interest rates.
The stock markets were unmoved by the fake news reports.
"Give the hackers this much credit, the George Washington is our permanent Pacific based carrier," tweeted John Noonan, spokesman for House Armed Services committee. "They at least did their homework."
69319719
submission
mpicpp writes:
Facebook has released as open source some software modules that can speed image recognition, language modeling and other machine learning tasks, in a move to advance computer artificial intelligence for itself and others,
Such modules could be used by startups or other companies that want to build AI-based products and services, but may not have the “deep engineering” expertise on hand to develop such capabilities in-house, said Soumith Chintala, a Facebook research engineer who works for the Facebook AI Research (FAIR) lab.
Facebook does not yet incorporate AI technologies into its social networking service, Chintala said, though the techniques being developed at FAIR may one day be used to improve customer experience. Given the relative paucity of commercially available AI tools, Facebook is funding FAIR to build basic capabilities in-house, and open sourcing the results so others can use and refine them, he said.
The new modules run on Facebook’s Torch, an open source development framework for building deep learning applications. Google, Twitter, Nvidia, Intel, and Nvidia have used this framework for their projects.
The module that Chintala was most enthusiastic about discussing was one that was written to recognize objects within images. While there are plenty of software libraries that already do this task, this set of code does it much more quickly than other approaches, using techniques Facebook researchers developed along with Nvidia’s cuFFT library (FFT stands for fast Fourier Transform, an algorithm for converting signals).
The module, which was built to run on arrays of GPUs, can be used to build convolutional networks, an emerging type of neural network well-suited for machine vision.
69289093
submission
mpicpp writes:
Futuristic tube transport system to escape the drawing board
Some said SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk was mad when he wanted to build Hyperloop – a high-tech transport system he called "a cross between a Concorde and a rail gun." Yet, he's today vowed to construct it anyway.
The Hyperloop design involves a tube through which passenger pods are boosted to near supersonic speeds by linear electric motors in a partial vacuum. Solar panels on top of the tube will provide more than enough power, according to plans published by Musk in 2013, and a Hyperloop connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles could cost $20 per person to ride, and make the trip in 35 minutes.
At the time Musk said he wasn't going to have time to build the thing himself, since battery-powered Tesla cars and SpaceX rocketry were taking up too much of his time. But it now appears Silicon Valley's answer to Hank Scorpio has decided to go ahead.
69248511
submission
mpicpp writes:
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) recently approached BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY.O) (BB.TO) about buying the company for as much as $7.5 billion, looking to gain access to its patent portfolio, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents seen by Reuters.
South Korea's Samsung proposed an initial price range of $13.35 to $15.49 per share, which represents a premium of 38 percent to 60 percent over BlackBerry's current trading price, the source said.
Executives from the two companies, which are working with advisers, met last week to discuss a potential transaction, the source said, asking not to be identified because the conversations are private.
Shares of Blackberry jumped as much as 30 percent on heavy volume in afternoon trading in New York.
The offer price would imply an enterprise value of $6 billion to $7.5 billion for BlackBerry, assuming conversion of $1.25 billion of convertible debt, according to the documents.
BlackBerry announced a high-profile security partnership with Samsung in November. The partnership will wed BlackBerry's security platform with the South Korean company's own security software for its Galaxy devices.
69248221
submission
mpicpp writes:
Google announces a test pilot for its Project Ara smartphone initiative, which allows consumers to mix-and-match parts, kind of like Legos.
When it comes to smartphones, people are used to customizing their applications and software. But for the handset itself, they're stuck with what the hardware maker built.
Google wants to change that.
The company on Wednesday said it will start a market pilot in Puerto Rico to test phones that will let people mix and match hardware parts, such as cameras or screens, and snap them together like Legos.
The pilot will begin later this year, and the company will use the data to plan for a global launch, Google said during a conference at corporate headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
The project, called Ara, is Google's attempt to create phones with interchangeable parts. That means you could choose a camera from one manufacturer, a display from another, and a processor from yet another hardware maker to build the specific phone want. When, say, the processor becomes outdated, you could swap it out for a new one. The promise is that Ara could speed up development and innovation in the separate components that make up a phone, as hardware makers begin to compete for real estate on a handset.
Google makes the frame that will hold all the parts together, as well as the software that makes sure all the parts from different vendors are compatible. Several hardware manufacturers, meanwhile, will make the individual parts.
"Ara started in a very humble way," said Regina Dugan, director of Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) unit, which oversees Project Ara. "What would happen if we gave people the tools and freedom to create?"
69240755
submission
mpicpp writes:
The latest Google Translate uses your phone's camera to read foreign street signs — even when off line.
Google is beaming a bit closer to Star Trek's universal translator with the newest edition of its Translate app.
Rolling out over the next few days for iOS and Android users, the latest version of Google Translate offers two key features — the ability to instantly converse with someone speaking in a different language and the capability to translate street signs and other images into your native language.
Both features have been available in the Android app to some extent. For example, Google Translate for Android has long offered real-time translation of conversations. But Google's goal behind the latest version of the app is to enhance and simplify the features so they work more quickly and fluidly without any lag time.
The latest version of Google Translate aims to change that. To converse with someone speaking in a different language, a user chooses his language and that of the other speaker. He then taps the microphone icon in the app, starts speaking in his native or selected language, and then taps the mic icon again. The app will recognize which of the two languages is being spoken, and then the two speakers can carry on their conversation without having to keep tapping the mic.
In a test of the app's instant translation, The New York Times said it did prove to be a step forward; though, it's not science fiction just yet. The app fared best with short sentences that didn't include jargon, and it worked better when the users paused between each translation.
Google also has beefed up the app's ability to translate street signs. Previously, you'd have to take a photo of the foreign text to get a translation of it. Now, you simply point your camera at the sign and the translated text appears overlaid on your screen — even if you're not connected to the Internet. This feature is made possible courtesy of Quest Visual's Word Lens app for iOS and Android, which Google acquired when it purchased the company last May.
This feature supports English translated to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Google says it's working to add more languages.
69210807
submission
mpicpp writes:
Uber is set to begin providing cities with its transit data, according to a blog post from the company released earlier today. Boston will be the first city to get Uber’s data, which is anonymized trip-level data by ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) – the U.S. Census’ geographical representation of zip codes.
This isn’t the first time Uber has shared its data, but it is the first time it is doing so as part of a broader effort to work with municipal governments where it operates. Notably, despite the flowery and positive language surrounding the program in the company’s blog post, Uber is currently in a fight with New York City over sharing the exact same data. In fact, New York suspended nearly all of Uber’s bases last week and is demanding data be turned over. Uber is also the only car service in New York that opposes proposed measure to require this kind of transit data from car services.
No details were provided in the blog post on the specifics of the deal between Uber and Boston, which could explain its opposition in NYC, if the company plans to make money from data sharing. We have reached out to the city to find out what, if anything the deal will cost local taxpayers.
Boston recently voted to recognize Uber’s services, but the company has had a contentious relationship with most local regulators where it operates. That relationship is poised to get worse before it gets better, with a handful of municipalities currently considering regulatory reactions to the service. Popular outrage over Uber’s practice of price gouging consumers with its so-called “surge pricing” have also made it a target for regulatory scrutiny.
Uber has recently hired several new faces to focus on issues ranging from user privacy, to improving the public image of the company. The data sharing initiative is just the latest in these efforts.
Newly elected Mayor Marty Walsh had this to say in a statement – “We are using data to change the way we deliver services and we welcome the opportunity to add to our resources. This will help us reach our transportation goals, improve the quality of our neighborhoods and allow us to think smarter, finding more innovative and creative solutions to some of our most pressing challenges.”
69209745
submission
mpicpp writes:
The U.S Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) today awarded Apple an incredibly broad patent for gesture-based controls.
The patent covers a "three dimensional user interface session control." In other words, you wave your hands and something happens on your device. When Apple bought PrimeSense last year, it was pretty clear the company wanted to own some—if not all—of the gesture-control space. Since then, all of PrimeSense's patents have been reassigned to Apple.
At its most ambitious, gesture controls deliver a Minority Report-style interface you can navigate by pinching your fingers in the air. At its worst, you are left waving your arms at an inanimate object like Harry Potter with a broken wand. Unfortunately, the reality is that gesture interfaces have been more like the latter.
The best known, and most controversial, gesture control system is the Kinect. In fact, PrimeSense developed the Kinect for Microsoft, which made it a central part of its Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles. The technology is pretty amazing, especially in its latest, high-definition incarnation. The Xbox One Kinect can detect up to 25 joints across six people. It can read a player's heartbeat, and with 1,400 points of articulation, it can tell if your mouth is open or closed. It is undeniably kick-ass technology, and no one cared.
69178121
submission
mpicpp writes:
A Chinese spacecraft service module has entered orbit around the moon, months after being used in the country's landmark test flight that sent a prototype sample-return capsule on a flight around the moon and returned it to Earth.
The service module from China's circumlunar test flight arrived in orbit around the moon this week, according to Chinese state media reports. The spacecraft is currently flying in an eight-hour orbit that carries it within 125 miles (200 kilometers) of the lunar surface at its closest point, and out to a range of 3,293 miles (5,300 km) at its highest point.
According to chief engineer Zhou Jianlian of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center the module will make its second and third braking in the early hours of today (Jan. 12) and tomorrow, Beijing time. Doing so will enable the module to enter a 127-minute orbit around the moon, Zhou said. [China's 1st Round-trip Moon Shot in Pictures]
Earlier reports noted that a camera system is onboard the service module, designed to assist in identifying future landing spots for the Chang'e 5 mission that will return lunar samples back to Earth in the 2017 time frame.
69174705
submission
mpicpp writes:
The Twitter and YouTube accounts of the Pentagon's command for its forces in the Middle East have been hacked, according to a defense official Monday.
It is unclear what the problem is with the accounts, according to Central Command based in Tampa.
"We can confirm that the U.S. Central Command's Twitter and YouTube accounts were compromised earlier today," said a Defense official speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. "We are taking appropriate measures to address the matter. I have no further information to provide at this time."
69080947
submission
mpicpp writes:
Anonymous declared war on Islamic extremists Friday and promised to take revenge for the attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hedbo.
In a video posted on YouTube, the group of hackers said they would track down websites and social media networks linked to terrorists, and take them down.
"We, Anonymous around the world, have decided to declare war on you the terrorists," it said.
The video is described as a message for "al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other terrorists," and promises to avenge the killing of 12 people in Wednesday's attack.
"We intend to take revenge in their name, we are going to survey your activities on the net, we are going to shut down your accounts on all social networks," Anonymous said.
69076753
submission
mpicpp writes:
Sandrine Campeau thought she was ready for winter once she downloaded the city’s new snow-removal app called INFO-Neige MTL.
Instead, she got a $118 ticket last month during the first snow-removal operation in NDG.
“We parked our car and relied entirely on the INFO-Neige application to not get a ticket — and we did,” Campeau told CBC’s Homerun host Sue Smith.
The online application is a pilot project developed by the city of Montreal to remind people to move their parked vehicles. Available only in five boroughs for now, it sends an alert to your mobile device when snowplows are about to clear your street, and another to alert you once the snow-removal operations have been completed.
Campeau said she parked her car Friday at midnight, and waited for alerts.
“We [got a notification Sunday] that the snow had been cleared,” said Campeau, who then went to her car to discover a ticket for $118.
69069355
submission
mpicpp writes:
We've already heard that Microsoft plans to build Cortana into Windows 10. Now it appears the Windows maker has further plans for Cortana in its upcoming operating system refresh.
Cortana is slated to play a supporting role in Spartan, the rumored new web browser planned for Windows 10, according to The Verge. From the sounds of it, Cortana-Spartan integration won't be a voice-activated feature, unlike what Google has done with "OK Google" in Chrome on desktop PCs.
Instead, Cortana will play a more Google Now-like role, surfacing information about tracked flights, hotel bookings, package tracking, and other information as you ask for it. Say, for example, you wanted to see shipping progress on a package from Amazon. As you start typing the information into the Spartan address bar Cortana would fill in the package tracking details for you.
Why this matters: Although we're still in the rumor zone with Cortana-Spartan integration, adding smarts to Windows 10 and the web browser is an important move for Microsoft. Google's ability to surface flight tracking, shipping information, and other data for its users has helped attract and keep people in its Android-Chrome ecosystem. Microsoft's Cortana already offers some of this Google-like functionality on Windows Phone, but building Cortana into the desktop will give the service a much needed expansion.
69030751
submission
mpicpp writes:
The Federal Communications Commission is in the middle of a high-stakes decision that could raise taxes for close to 90 percent of Americans. The commission is considering whether to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service and, in doing so, Washington would trigger new taxes and fees at the state and local level.
The agency would like to make Internet service a public utility, placing broadband under Title II regulation of the Communications Act of 1934. This move would make broadband subject to New Deal-era regulation, and have significant consequences for U.S. taxpayers.
Under this decision to reclassify broadband, Americans would face a host of new state and local taxes and fees that apply to public utilities. These new levies, according to the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), would total $15 billion annually. On average, consumers would pay an additional $67 for landline broadband, and $72 for mobile broadband each year, according to PPI’s calculations, with charges varying from state to state.
Proponents of broadband reclassification, including the left-of-center organization Free Press, claim that it would not result in higher taxes or fees. The recently extended Internet Tax Freedom Act, they assert, prohibits state and local taxation of Internet service. This is incorrect, however. The act does not apply to telecom-related fees.
Free Press and other broadband reclassification proponents also say the new taxes and fees can be prevented if the FCC designates broadband as an interstate service. A Progressive Policy Institute report explains why this also is incorrect:
68993161
submission
mpicpp writes:
A scientist named Nora Noffke says she thinks that the Curiosity rover may have found fossils on Mars. Noffke’s findings have been published in the journal Astrobiology. The study theorizes that certain rocks on Mars might have been formed by microbes, Discovery reports.
To create her hypothesis, Noffke closely examined photographs taken by Curiosity and compared them to rocks on Earth that have definitely been formed by living organisms. She says the pictures returned by the rover look extremely similar to microbe-created rocks on our own planet. The specific photos Noffke studied were taken in Gale Crater, specifically in the Yellowknife Bay area which houses the Gillespie Lake outcrop. The bottom of the lake and bay, which once contained water, consists of sedimentary sandstone.
While there have been previous papers theorizing that certain rocks prove life on Mars due to the presence of fossils, those have often been debunked. Noffke’s work has been so thorough, though, that even NASA is impressed.
NASA spokesperson Chris McKay explained, “I’ve seen many papers that say ‘Look, here’s a pile of dirt on Mars, and here’s a pile of dirt on Earth. And because they look the same, the same mechanism must have made each pile on the two planets. That’s an easy argument to make, and it’s typically not very convincing. However, Noffke’s paper is the most carefully done analysis of the sort that I’ve seen, which is why it’s the first of its kind published in Astrobiology.”
