The modulation transfer function (MTF) is widely used to characterise the performance of optical systems. Measuring it is costly and it is thus rarely available for a given lens specimen. Instead, MTFs based on simulations or, at best, MTFs measured on other specimens of the same lens are used. Fortunately, images recorded through an optical system contain ample information about its MTF, only that it is confounded with the statistics of the images. This work presents a method to estimate the MTF of camera lens systems directly from photographs, without the need for expensive equipment. We use a custom grid display to accurately measure the point response of lenses to acquire ground truth training data. We then use the same lenses to record natural images and employ a data-driven supervised learning approach using a convolutional neural network to estimate the MTF on small image patches, aggregating the information into MTF charts over the entire field of view. It generalises to unseen lenses and can be applied for single photographs, with the performance improving if multiple photographs are available.

Deep learning techniques have revolutionized the field of machine learning and were recently successfully applied to various classification problems in noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG). However, these methods were so far only rarely evaluated for use in intracranial EEG. We employed convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to classify and characterize the error-related brain response as measured in 24 intracranial EEG recordings. Decoding accuracies of CNNs were significantly higher than those of a regularized linear discriminant analysis. Using time-resolved deep decoding, it was possible to classify errors in various regions in the human brain, and further to decode errors over 200 ms before the actual erroneous button press, e.g., in the precentral gyrus. Moreover, deeper networks performed better than shallower networks in distinguishing correct from error trials in all-channel decoding. In single recordings, up to 100 % decoding accuracy was achieved. Visualization of the networks' learned features indicated that multivariate decoding on an ensemble of channels yields related, albeit non-redundant information compared to single-channel decoding. In summary, here we show the usefulness of deep learning for both intracranial error decoding and mapping of the spatio-temporal structure of the human error processing network.

Throughout their lifetime, organisms express their genetic program, i.e. the instruction manual for molecular actions in every cell. The products of the expression of this program are messenger RNA (mRNA); the blueprints to produce proteins, the cornerstones of the living world. The diversity of shapes and the fate of cells is a result of different readings of the genetic material, probably because of environmental factors, but also because of epigenetic organisational capacities. The genetic material appears regulated to produce what the organism needs in a specific situation. We now have access to rich genomics data sets. We see them as instantaneous images of cell activity from varied angles, through different filters.

More than 300 million people around the world depend on drinking water extracted from the sea, but turning saltwater into freshwater isn't always efficient. Computer pioneer Alan Turing had an idea more than 50 years ago that is just now being put to use to improve the process. Two basic desalination methods exist: boil sea water and collect the evaporated pure water, or pump sea water through membranes that extract the salt. This process, called reverse osmosis, is favoured everywhere except in the Middle East, where boiling is cheaper.

One of Britain's largest network of ports has implemented an artificial intelligence system in a bid to defend its systems from growing cyber threats. Harwich Haven Authority, a trust port based in Essex, has installed Darktrace's Industrial Immune System to identify and respond to potential cyber attacks. A major infrastructure provider in the UK, the Authority handles many of the world's largest container ships and delivers shipping services across five commercial ports. These include the Ports of Felixstowe, Ipswich, Navyard, Mistley and Harwich International, all of which are seen as a gateway for European and global trade. The decision by the port to invest in an AI cyber security solution comes as hackers and nation states continue to target UK critical infrastructure.

For its second year, the Techstars Paris Accelerator is looking for startups that can leverage the use of data in the real world. The program focuses on the data-driven transformation of entire industries, including AI & machine learning, blockchain & token-based economies, customer experience, customer & asset management, cybersecurity & intelligent objects. Techstars Paris Accelerator is looking for entrepreneurs from all over the world, ready to accelerate their companies in Paris' thriving startup ecosystem. The three month program will take place in our space at the Partech Shaker from September 10 to December 5, 2018. In 2017, six out of 10 companies selected for Techstars Paris came from outside of France; in 2018 we're very happy that Techstars Paris Accelerator has been selected to be part of the French Tech Visa program.

Europe is trying to catch up to the United States and China in an artificial intelligence (AI) arms race. The European Commission announced last week that it would devote €1.5 billion to AI research funding through 2020. It also said it would present ethical guidelines for AI development by the end of the year, suggesting that Europe could become a precautionary counterweight to its global rivals as fears are raised about a lack of fairness and transparency in the quickly advancing field. The commission says it will fund basic research as well as research that could be spun off into the market, and it intends to help member states set up joint research centers across Europe. It also plans to update rules to ease the reuse of public sector information--including available research data.

LONDON (3 May, 2018) – Forbes today announced that it will be hosting the first-ever Forbes CIO Summit Europe at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London on 24th May, furthering the company's continued European expansion of its world-leading franchises. Building from the success of the annual US-based CIO Summit, the Forbes CIO Summit Europe will gather the region's most influential Chief Information Officers (CIOs), as well as the CEOs of leading technology companies to explore today's biggest technological challenges, foster collaboration and generate new ideas. The topics of discussion at the event will focus on the CIO's role at the core of the ever-evolving technology ecosystem and how advances in digital transformation, machine learning, artificial intelligence and data analytics are enabling CIOs to play a central role in driving enterprise growth and value. Attendees will discuss the complex security risks that are entwined with new technology and how the CIO is now the key driver of risk mitigation, while continuing to support internal productivity and operational efficiency. The invitation-only event will take place at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, in the heart of London's emerging King's Cross tech hub, where Silicon Valley giants co-exist with innovative UK start-ups.

If you've ever watched a royal wedding, you've doubt asked yourself questions like "Who is wearing that hat?' or "Who is talking with Prince William?" To help viewers answer those questions, Sky News in the U.K., Amazon Web Services and AWS partners GrayMeta and UI Centric are rolling out a new feature to help onlookers identify guests as they enter St. George's Chapel in Windsor for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's May 19 nuptials. Accessible in the Sky News app or via skynews.com, the "Royal Wedding: Who's Who Live" function will allow viewers to select a guest during the live stream, and the feature will identify and provide background on that person. "Who's Who Live" is enabled by Amazon Rekognition, a cloud-based image analysis software that uses machine learning/artificial intelligence technology. "Sky continuously searches for ways to innovate and bring better coverage to its customers.

You may know Airbus as that Boeing competitor that also makes planes, but the European company is in fact an defense and aerospace giant that makes helicopters, satellites, and drones, and now it's using its aircraft not just to move people, but to give those on the ground a whole new view from the skies. A year-old effort called Airbus Aerial will seek to serve climate modelers, farmers, city planners, engineers, first responders, and anybody else who needs a a particular view of the world. The company combines data from observation satellites (of which Airbus is the largest global operator), manned planes with cameras slung underneath, and drones, to get to the places others can't reach. Airbus Aerial packages it all up, and presents it neatly to the customer, via a cloud-based interface. "It's a very complex thing to just say'I need satellite data'," says Jesse Kallman, president of the company.