Media
Apple TV 4K review: The ultimate iTunes box has finally arrived
For a device that was at the forefront of the home streaming revolution, Apple TV has always been a bit behind the times. The first generation required a computer to stream content. Third-party app support didn't arrive until the fourth generation. And it's only the most recent model that embraces the most popular video standards. It would be easy to dismiss Apple TV 4K as a me-too release.
Chinese messaging app error sees n-word used in translation
Chinese messaging app WeChat has reportedly apologised after an AI error resulted in it translating a neutral Chinese phrase into the n-word. The WeChat error was reported by Shanghai-based theatre producer and actor Ann James, a black American. In a post on the service's Twitter-like Moments feature, she wrote that it had translated hei laowai โ a neutral phrase which literally means "black foreigner" โ as the n-word. "We're very sorry for the inappropriate translation," a WeChat spokesperson told Chinese news site Sixth Tone. "After receiving users' feedback, we immediately fixed the problem."
Artificial intelligence can say yes to the dress
The sometimes glamorous job of modeling may be going the way of elevator operator. Online fashion tech startup Vue.ai is selling technology that analyzes pieces of clothing and automatically generates an image of the garment on a person of any size, shape, or wearing any kind of shoes. The company is currently talking to retailers to replace the continuous stream of photo shoots fashion retailers arrange for each new run of clothing. Instead of hiring a professional photographer, models, and a studio, retailers only have to take a picture of the garment laid out on a plain surface. The AI can generate a human figure, then predict how the garment would fit.
Where are all the women in economics?
We hear a lot about the under-representation of women in so-called STEM fields - science, technology, engineering and maths. But the proportion of women in economics is by some measures smaller. In the US, only about 13% of women hold permanent academic positions in economics; and in the UK the proportion is only slightly better at 15.5%. Only one woman has ever won the Nobel Prize in economics - American Elinor Ostrom in 2009. And there wasn't even a single woman on some of the lists floating about guessing who this year's prize winner would be - it went to the behavioural economist Richard Thaler.
Ready for Artificial Intelligence? Part 2
I'll bet you can quote 10 different movies, where people have to fight for the fate of humanity against machines. My all-time favorite is 2001: A Space Odyssey, with HAL's famous quote (maybe because it reminds me of how my mother would talk to me during my adolescent years) "I am, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error."[i] Reality and fiction are not the same, we are very far from having a super-intelligent computer that can take over humanity, but people are still hesitant to adopt AI technology. In this blog, I will explore the reasons, and identify the methodology we at Informatica use to address these concerns. We have the zeroth laws of Asimov: zeroth law, to precede the others: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
Shutterstock's composition photo search is powered by AI
Fresh off its AI-powered tool for countering watermark removal from photos, Shutterstock is using machine learning for something else. "This tool allows users to specify one or more keywords, or to search for copy space, and arrange them spatially on a canvas to reflect the specific layout of the image they are seeking," a press release reads. "The patent pending tool uses a combination of machine vision, natural language processing and state of the art information retrieval techniques to find strong matches against complex spatially aware search criteria." So, dragging "pen" to the lower left corner of the search box, and "desk" to the upper right corner will come back with photos where the pen is in the lower left of the frame, and a desk is in the upper right. At least that's how it's supposed to work in theory.
A mother uses a similar tone with babies, no matter the language
As part of the study, a mother plays with her child at the Princeton Baby Lab. Mothers across languages change the timbre of their voice in similar ways when they speak to babies, Princeton University neuroscientists report today in the journal Current Biology. This finding will help researchers understand what kind of speech keeps a baby's attention, which could improve how we teach children. Timbre is the flavor of music and speech. It's not a distinct pitch or loudness, but rather the unique collection of frequencies produced by a person or instrument.
Google Assistant: Incredibly useful features that can make your life easier
This is because it can be hooked up to multiple Google accounts and is capable of recognising the different users' voices. As well as being good for privacy, this means each member of a household gets an experience that has been personalised to their preferences and interests. To add an account to Home, open the Google Home app, make sure your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Google Home you want to connect to, tap the Menu icon, Devices and find the device card of the Google Home you'd like to link to your voice. From the device card, tap the blue banner labelled Multi User is Now Available or Link Your Account, hit Continue and follow the prompts to teach Google Home to recognise your voice. To invite other people to link their Google Account & voice for tailored results, tap Invite.