The Master Chief Collection, enhanced versions of the popular Halo series of Xbox video game, is finally arriving on PCs. "Halo: Reach," a prequel to the original 2001 "Halo: Combat Evolved," a game that helped drive the success of the original Xbox console, will be released Dec. 3 for PCs and Xbox One. It can be purchased as part of "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" ($39.99) or individually for $9.99 on PCs or Xbox One. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass (special offer of first three months for $1, then $4.99 monthly for PCs and $9.99-up for Xbox One). "Halo: Reach" will be the fifth game in the Halo series to be optimized for Xbox One and improved PCs with up to 4K Ultra HD video and support for high dynamic range (HDR) for improved contrast, colors and details.

Environmentally benign methods for the industrial production of chemicals are urgently needed. LMU researchers recently described such a procedure for the synthesis of formaldehyde, and have now improved it with the aid of machine learning. Formaldehyde is one of the most important feedstocks employed in the chemical industry, and serves as the point of departure for the synthesis of many more complex chemical products. Industrial production of formaldehyde is currently based on a large-scale procedure which consumes fossil fuels and requires a high energy input. More efficient and more sustainable modes of synthesis are therefore urgently needed, which could make a significant contribution to the mitigation of climate.

These days, the words artificial intelligence (AI) and China are almost synonymous. In fact, any media or business circle discussions regarding AI would seem incomplete without a mention of China, and it's no secret that the Chinese government and Chinese tech companies continue to invest heavily in building AI-related capabilities as part of their goal to make China a global AI leader. China is undeniably well on its way to becoming a world leader of the AI age. However, in the midst of their excitement over China, many global leaders are underestimating the potential for AI adoption that the rest of the Asia Pacific has to offer. In my recent report, I noted that almost every country and every industry in the Asia Pacific region is interested in becoming AI-first.

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces Apple Card during a launch event at Apple headquarters on March 25, ... [ ] 2019, in Cupertino, California. This weekend, tech entrepreneur David Heinmeier Hansson went on Twitter to say that the new Apple Card provided him a credit limit that was 20 times higher than his wife's. This was even though she actually had a higher credit rating. But this was not a one-off. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak had a similar experience with his wife!

Elon Musk believes his neural technology company Neuralink will be able to "solve" schizophrenia and autism. Speaking on the Artificial Intelligence podcast with Lex Fridman, published Tuesday, Musk was asked what he thinks are the most exciting impacts he foresees for his company Neuralink. Neuralink's goal is to develop an AI-enabled chip that could be implanted in a person's brain, where it would be able to both record brain activity and potentially stimulate it. "So Neuralink, I think at first will solve a lot of brain-related diseases. So could be anything from like autism, schizophrenia, memory loss -- like everyone experiences memory loss at certain points in age. Parents can't remember their kids' names and that kind of thing," replied Musk.

China is selling its most advanced "fully autonomous" military drones with fears that it could lead to a bloodbath in the Middle East. The Asian superpower is reportedly selling AI-enhanced combat drones to the region, with potentially disastrous consequences. Prof Toby Walsh, of the University of NSW, in Australia, said: "They would be impossible to defend yourself against. "Once the shooting starts, every human on the battlefield will be dead." US Defence Sec Mark Esper has said that China is selling drones programmed to decide themselves who lives or dies. He told a conference on Artificial Intelligence: "As we speak, the Chinese government is already exporting some of its most advanced military aerial drones to the Middle East as it prepares to export its next generation stealth UAVs when those come online.

What comes to your mind when you think of "artificial intelligence?" And you are right, sort of. AI is capable of doing all those things, plus it's capable of revolutionizing the business landscape. "For many people, artificial intelligence, or AI, is a mere concept, something that will happen in the future. But, in reality, AI has already become a part of mainstream businesses", says Michael Georgio, CMO of Imaginovation, a Raleigh, N.C.-based AI development company.

Boxx.ai, a Bangalore-based AI startup, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help e-commerce companies increase their conversion rates by displaying the most personalised products for each user, is being acquired by Netcore Solutions, a noted company which deals in SaaS-based multi-channel marketing automation. With this part-cash and part-stock deal, Netcore would be acquiring all of Boxx.ai's technology, IP, clients and team, and would provide an exit to the investors. As part of the deal, Boxx.ai's founders – Ajay Kashyap, Prakhar Raj and Shitiz Bansal, along with the rest of the team will join Netcore to continue building their product. Ajay Kashyap, Founder, Boxx.ai, said in a statement, "E-commerce companies spend a lot of money to get visitors on their sites, but 98% of them leave without buying. Boxx.ai solves this – it converts visitors to buyers. Integrating this capability with Netcore's multi-channel marketing platform makes a killer combination for brands – they would be able to deliver a customer experience that is just perfect: right choice of channel, right timing of communication, right content, right creative, right messaging and right offers."

A self-driving Uber car that struck and killed an Arizona woman wasn't able to recognize that pedestrians jaywalk, federal safety investigators revealed in documents released earlier this week. Elaine Herzberg, 49, died after she was hit in March 2018 by a Volvo SUV, which had an operator in the driver's seat and was traveling at about 40 mph in autonomous mode at night in Tempe. The fatal accident came as a result of the automated Uber's not having "the capability to classify an object as a pedestrian unless that object was near a crosswalk," said one of the documents released by the National Traffic Safety Board, or NTSB. Because the car couldn't recognize Herzberg as a pedestrian or a person -- instead alternating between classifications of "vehicle, bicycle, and an other" -- it couldn't correctly predict her path and concluded that it needed to brake just 1.3 seconds before it struck her as she wheeled her bicycle across the street a little before 10 p.m. Uber told the NTSB that it "has since modified its programming to include jaywalkers among its recognized objects," but other concerns were also expressed in NTSB's report. Uber had disabled the emergency braking system, relying on the driver to stop in this situation, but the system wasn't designed to alert the operator, who "intervened less than a second before impact by engaging the steering wheel," the documents said.

AntWorks, a global provider of artificial intelligence and intelligent automation solutions powered by fractal science, today announced an exclusive partnership with the SEED Group, a member of The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum. The partnership will support expansion of intelligent automation within the Middle East (ME), a region where AI is expected to become a US$320 billion by 2030. The SEED Group establishes groundbreaking companies with a strong presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and will work with AntWorks to offer ethical AI solutions for GCC companies with ANTsteinTM SQUARE, the world's first and only Integrated Automation Platform (IAP), powered by fractal science. AntWorks seek to replicate its success across Asia, the UK and US, where the organisation has automated entire business processes end-to-end for many clients across the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance), transportation, logistics and public sector, among others. With successful adoption of AntWorks' IAP solution, businesses will stand to save millions and realise increased performance and efficiency by automating and processing business data, including unstructured data, which will make up 80% of the world's data by 2025.