To many, that might seem a frightening idea, even at a time when a few dozen of Google's driverless cars are cruising city streets in California, Texas, Washington and Arizona. But Anthony Levandowski, a robot-loving engineer who helped steer Google's self-driving technology, is convinced autonomous big rigs will be the next big thing on the road to a safer transportation system. Otto is aiming to equip trucks with software, sensors, lasers and cameras so they eventually will be able to navigate the more than 220,000 miles of U.S. highways on their own, while a human driver naps in the back of the cab or handles other tasks Anthony Levandowski, a robot-loving engineer who helped steer Google's self-driving technology, is convinced autonomous big rigs will be the next big thing on the road to a safer transportation system Levandowski left Google earlier this year to pursue his vision at Otto, a San Francisco startup the he co-founded with two other former Google employees, Lior Ron and Don Burnette, and another robotics expert, Claire Delaunay. Otto is aiming to equip trucks with software, sensors, lasers and cameras so they eventually will be able to navigate the more than 220,000 miles of U.S. highways on their own, while a human driver naps in the back of the cab or handles other tasks. For now, the robot truckers would only take control on the highways, leaving humans to handle the tougher task of wending through city streets.

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a spider-like drone that can cling to walls and even perch on the ceiling. The versatile drone is equipped with'micro-spines' which create an opposing grip, allowing it to sit on rough, outdoor surfaces. These capabilities have potential applications in the monitoring of typically hard-to-reach areas, and its uses could range anywhere from the detection of damage on bridges to assisting in rescue missions. Researchers at Stanford University have developed a spider-like drone that can cling to walls and even perch on the ceiling. The versatile drone is equipped with'micro-spines' which create an opposing grip, allowing it to sit on rough, outdoor surfaces Micro-spines create two opposing grips, which pull inward to counterbalance the vehicle's movement and provide a grasping force.

Just eight tweets over the course of a day could reveal your location to hackers, researchers have warned. Experts at MIT and Oxford University found that far fewer location stamps than expected were needed to pinpoint someone's exact location. They warn it is'extremely simple for people with very little technical knowledge to find out where you work or live' Experts at MIT and Oxford University say far fewer locations than expected were needed. They warn it is'extremely simple for people with very little technical knowledge' to find out where you are. The location information comes from geographic coordinates automatically associated with the tweets.

In a case proposed by the research team, a device like a flat smartphone could be folded and reconfigured into the shape of a game controller. Or, in a less practical example, you could simply roll your phone out into a rectangular log with a postage-stamp sized display on one end. For users who were never very good at spatial reasoning or origami, an algorithm will help determine the best way to twist and fold the screen into the desired shape. While the device is still in the awkward prototype phase at this point, the research team will present it to a panel at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Stockholm later this week.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google is creating tools for software developers to build chat bots that run inside messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Google's own messaging products, according to a published report. The technology giant plans to discuss some of the details at its annual developer conference, which starts Wednesday, The Information reported. "Essentially, Google wants to get into the bot-making business more broadly than people realized, and in a way that's similar to Microsoft's strategy, and relying on its strengths in artificial intelligence to convince developers to use its tools," the report reads. Google, like Microsoft, missed out on the new wave of messaging apps which are some of the world's most popular apps. The Wall Street Journal reported in December that Google planned to integrate chat bots, interactive software powered by artificial intelligence that answer questions inside a messaging app, so that users can send queries as text messages.

Management consulting company Accenture has teamed up with IT automater IPsoft to launch an artificially intelligent agent called Amelia, who has been designed to encourage companies to embrace machine learning. Similar to Apple's Siri, Amelia will tackle client queries in "conversational" language, answering questions and managing processes. For example, she is able to help customers open bank accounts, or check out insurance policies. She will also be on hand to help employees within businesses, providing internal services like HR and guiding staff on company policies. As well as boasting natural language capabilities, Amelia has an element of machine learning - meaning she can be taught how to carry out various functions, like answering calls, via a simple uploading process.

If you were learning to code, you screwed up. Less than a year ago, Bloomberg was answering the question of "What is code?" and now we don't even need it anymore. Tanz is correct that machine learning is a new (for most people) and exciting way for humans to interact with computers. Instead of requiring coding knowledge, programs, functions, and algorithms can be improved more or less by training them. Large companies are already doing this, and the thing that has gone unmentioned in Tanz's piece is that, well, only large companies can do this.

Japan's Sony said it plans to build up its artificial intelligence (AI) business and eventually turn it into a major revenue source, beginning with an investment in a U.S. startup. The electronics maker has invested an undisclosed sum in California-based Cogitai. The year-old firm, founded by three researchers, focuses on technology that allows machines to learn continually and autonomously from interaction in the real world. The move comes a time when major technology companies such as Facebook, Apple, and Alphabet's Google are spending aggressively on AI ventures. "From an objective perspective, we are lagging behind," Hiroaki Kitano, chief executive of Sony Computer Science Laboratories, said in an interview. "But there are still unexplored areas -- some in cyberspace but vastly more in the physical world," Kitano said.

Snips is a new take on the virtual personal assistant. Science fiction has enrapt the world with conversational artificial intelligence. Iron Man's Jarvis is the most notable culprit, but Her's Samantha and even the droids in Star Wars imagine a world where supercomputers integrate seamlessly into our everyday life. But that's not the only way for computers to help. Snips, a French company just launching in the United States, has a different idea about how to serve as a personal assistant. Snips connects to every relevant data stream in your phone--contacts, email, calendar, accelerometer, location data--and logs everything.

We more or less knew this day was coming, and apparently it is coming to Russia first. An app called FindFace will run a facial recognition algorithm on any photograph -- say, of a stranger on the Moscow subway -- and correlate it with the membership of Vkontakte, Europe's largest social network. In effect, it allows users to find out the name and other information of any person they see in public. Kabakov says the app could revolutionise dating: "If you see someone you like, you can photograph them, find their identity, and then send them a friend request." Widespread, simple facial recognition technology has implications far beyond dating stalking.