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The games that feel more like watching Twin Peaks than playing

New Scientist

There's not much to do in Virginia. I'm sitting in a diner watching as a waitress drops the bill on the table and my FBI partner gets up to leave. I pick up the bill, then – jump! I'm standing outside a house watching as a man opens the door and my partner holds up her badge. I hold up my own, then – jump!


How the house of the future will speak to you

The Independent - Tech

Nasa has announced that it has found evidence of flowing water on Mars. Scientists have long speculated that Recurring Slope Lineae -- or dark patches -- on Mars were made up of briny water but the new findings prove that those patches are caused by liquid water, which it has established by finding hydrated salts. Several hundred camped outside the London store in Covent Garden. The 6s will have new features like a vastly improved camera and a pressure-sensitive "3D Touch" display


Amazon launches for-pay streaming music service

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Amazon is taking on Apple and Spotify in the streaming music market - and hopes undercutting them will give it the edge. Amazon Music Unlimited will cost 8 per month, or 80 a year, for members of Amazon's 99-a-year Prime loyalty program. Non-Prime members will pay 10 a month, the same monthly fee charged by Spotify and Apple Music, while owners of Amazon's Echo smart speaker will be able to get the unlimited music service on one device for 4 per month. This image provided by Amazon Music shows a display of Amazon Music Unlimited, a paid streaming music service Amazon is launching. The music service is being positioned to compete against existing services such as Spotify and Apple Music.


[Discussion] Summer Projects for math undergraduates in Machine Learning • /r/MachineLearning

@machinelearnbot

I just wanted to ask if such a thing happens where in Math undergraduates (senior) are doing internships in ML. Consider my example, like I have taken courses in Statistics (two in number covering theoretical statistics ('statistical inference' by casella and berger)), linear algebra, calc apart from other pure math courses(eg.analysis) and have had experience with specifically use of Neural networks in ML in my last summer (you can pretty much sum that up by Neural Networks and Deep Learning and recently I had experience in appying RNNs (used LSTMs anyway) for time series data (a semester project). So is it, that it is too soon (like I haven't had formal intro to Statistical Learning or Optimization yet) for me to get into any "math" intensive i don't know research/project in ML and only masters and phd people do this kind of stuff or are math people (undergrads) getting into ML which is not just all about application? I guess by a math undergraduate I also mean that he/she is not your classic programmer/cs major. As in he/she is able to implement anything in say python (or R) but he/she just would be much more interested in the mathematical intricacies of the models itself rather than cool implementations and usage of these algorithms on real data and analysing them.


[Discussion] What do you use for Neural Network Diagramming • /r/MachineLearning

@machinelearnbot

I'm currently writing a couple of papers which use CNNs and one thing I really struggle with is making nice looking diagrams that are actually clear. I've seen figures in other papers (for example, picturing convolutional layers as cubes, stuff like that) that seem to be very clear but I haven't really figured out 1) what they're using to make those and 2) there is not really an agreed upon style for enumerating and illustrating network design. Does anyone have any light to shed here, is there a drawing tool (LaTeX compatible) that is good for this kind of thing or is it just lots and lots of tikz?


Amazon Music Unlimited challenges Spotify with steep discounts for Echo, Prime users

PCWorld

The latest entry: Amazon, which rolled out Amazon Music Unlimited on Wednesday, a streaming service with tens of millions of songs, a byzantine pricing structure, and a clear preference for Amazon aficionados. As long rumored, Amazon Echo owners can tune in to Music Unlimited at a far lower price than anybody else. But those whispers of a 5 subscription for Echo users proved false; in fact, Amazon's cutting them an even bigger deal. Echo, Echo Dot, and Amazon Tap owners can subscribe for a mere 4 per month, a sizeable discount over the service's 10 standard price. The smart speakers even come equipped with Alexa-enhanced voice controls for the service, letting you bark out commands like "Alexa, play happy music," "Alexa, play Green Day's new song," or "Alexa, play Van Halen from the 1970s" to get the party started hands-free. The 4 tier only works with a single Echo, Echo Dot, or Amazon Tap.


Amazon Echo Dot review (2016): Forget the Echo. Buy this instead.

Engadget

The robot assistants we were promised as children are finally ready for the home. Instead of walking, talking humanoid automatons like Rosie from The Jetsons and Robby the Robot from Lost in Space, our well-spoken helpers are housed in plastic and sit on tables. They answer our questions, control our homes and sometimes tell us a story. The most ubiquitous assistant so far has been Alexa, an Amazon-powered attendant that has made the jump from a 180 tower to the 50 Dot, which isn't much bigger than a hockey puck. That sort of drop in size usually results in a loss of features.


Meet the Woman Who Designed Google's Self-Driving Car

TIME - Tech

Maroon 5 Drop Don't Wanna Know Featuring Kendrick Lamar Louisiana State University's Tiger Mascot Mike VI Has Died Here Are All of Disney's Upcoming Live-Action Movies Is a New Taylor Swift Album Headed Our Way This Month?


This Is Amazon's Answer to Apple Music and Spotify

TIME - Tech

Amazon on Wednesday launched Amazon Music Unlimited, a music streaming service meant to compete with apps like Spotify and Apple Music. Amazon Music Unlimited differs from Amazon's previous music service, called Amazon Prime Music, in that it has a much larger library and is open to users who don't subscribe to Amazon Prime. Whereas Prime Music offers 2 million songs, Amazon Music Unlimited offers "tens of millions," putting it on par with Spotify and Apple Music's selection. Amazon's Music Unlimited app will work on iPhone and Android devices, as well as Windows and Mac computers. Amazon Music Unlimited costs 9.99 a month for non-Prime members, and 7.99 for Prime members (Amazon Prime, which offers free two-day shipping and other benefits, costs 99 a year). A family plan will be made available later this year for 14.99/month, Amazon says.


Amazon Launches On-Demand Music Service; Echo and Prime Users Get Cheaper Subscription

International Business Times

The service supports the company's Echo Speakers and Alexa voice assistant. Echo users can request songs from Music Unlimited using just their voice. Alexa can pick up the latest song from the artist and play music based on mood and taste. A new feature called side-by-side pairs artists' commentary with selected songs from their catalog. But the USP of the service is its price, which effectively comes down to 6.58 for Prime users for a yearly subscription. The company is offering users a 30-day free trial. Family plans with a 6-account subscription will be rolled out soon, costing 14.99 per month and 149 for a yearly subscription. Echo users get the cheapest deal, although the subscription will be limited to a single device.