Daily Mail - Science & tech

Bugs in Apple's iOS have cast serious doubt on the company's new parental controls. CNBC reports that restrictions that were designed to prevent kids from talking to strangers have been falling well short of their intended goal. Communications Limits, a parental control rolled out this week via iOS 13.1.3, Theoretically, this would prevent a child from communicating with anyone that wasn't already uploaded into the phones' contact list. However, a test from CNBC revealed that if an unknown number texted the device first, users were able to directly add that number to the address book and effectively subvert the parental lock.

Apple is working on technology for the perfect selfie. The tech giant acquired Spectral Edge, a UK-based AI startup that uses machine learning to make smartphone pictures crisper, with more accurate colors. The system captures and blends an infrared shot with a standard shot to enhance a photograph's overall depth, detail and color. The startup uses a process that completely relies on machine learning that can be combined with both hardware and software to improve pictures. The news was first revealed by Bloomberg, which obtained secret documents'that Apple now controls Spectral.'

A leading expert in artificial intelligence has issued a stark warning against the use of race- and gender-biased algorithms for making critical decisions. Across the globe, algorithms are beginning to oversee various processes from job applications and immigration requests to bail terms and welfare applications. Military researchers are even exploring whether facial recognition technology could enable autonomous drones to identify their own targets. However, University of Sheffield computer expert Noel Sharkey told the Guardian that such algorithms are'infected with biases' and cannot be trusted. Calling for a halt on all AI with the potential to change people's lives, Professor Sharkey instead advocates for vigorous testing before they are used in public.

A US health insurance giant is using an AI system to monitor whether patients with chronic diseases are skipping their medication. Cigna's technology, Health Connect 360, will be rolled out to millions of Americans next month. But experts fear the technology will be used to cancel policies or avoid paying up if patients are found to be missing or incorrectly taking prescriptions. Doctors and nurses will be able to constantly keep an eye on patients' health and step in when they have cause for concern. For example, an alert may be triggered if patients forget to pick up their prescription or miss an appointment.

Turkey will be the first customer for a new military drone with a machine gun mount that can fire single shots or 15-round bursts and carry a total of 200 rounds. Developed by the Asisguard, a technology firm in Ankara that specializes in military technology, the drone will use a laser sighting system to deliver a high degree of accuracy. The drone will also use a set of robotic braces to offset weapon recoil and ensure the drone's flight path isn't thrown off by firing. According to a report in the New Scientist, the drone will be able to hit targets as small as six inches from a distance of up to 650 feet. The 55-pound drone, called Songar, will be able to travel up to six miles at heights of up to 1.7 miles above ground.

Google Lens uses the firm's AI to process images, and can do everything from reading a sign, translating a menu in a foreign language, and buy tickets for an event advertised on a billboard Google Lens uses the built-in camera on a smartphone to scan and identify real-world objects. The Californian company's AI can recognise species of dog, translate menus in a foreign language, and save phone numbers listed on a physical business card. Google Lens also allows users to point their phone at a sign for a concert and automatically add that event to their online calendar, or even purchase tickets right then and there. The software is able to recognise plants and even log into a new Wi-Fi network simply by pointing the phone at the password. Google Lens also lets smartphone owners copy-and-paste text from the real-world into their handset, allowing them to quickly grab a recipe from a book, or a gift card code.

A new research project in Australia is using motion detectors and muscle sensors to track sheep shearers in an effort to minimize on the-job-injuries. Sheep shearers are six times more likely to be injured in the workplace than the average Australian worker. Data from sensors attached to sheep shearers will be used to model worker movement throughout the workday and test new ways of doing the job without risking injury. The study, a joint project between University of Melbourne and the trade group Australian Wool Innovation, uses sensors to measure electrical activity in muscles. These sensors are placed directly on the skin of the lower back and upper thighs, the ABC reported, while motion detectors are placed around the joints to track a worker's posture and shearing motions.

A new online version of the game Othello has become a hit in Japan because the AI has been designed to always lose, and players love it. The game, called'The weakest AI Othello,' was released in August and has since attracted over 400,000 players for more than 1.29 million games. It was developed by Takuma Yoshida, who works at Avilen,a Tokyo firm that designs AI and machine learning tools for businesses. 'The Weakest AI Othello' is an online version of the popular board game, in which the computer AI has been designed to always lose to the human player One day at work, Yoshida began to question why he was spending so much time trying to engineer software to outperform humans. He wondered whether human attitudes toward AI and robotics might be different if humans didn't always expect to be beaten by them, according to a report in the Asahi Shimbun.

A robotic exoskeleton that turns the wearer into a terrifying 8-foot tall robot that responds to human touch has been developed by a Japanese robotics company. Users inside the robot's huge frame can move their limbs to control the suit's arms and legs, while buttons on the robot's hand grips also allow control of the fingers. The'Arrive' suit has been designed and demonstrated by a Tokyo-based company called Skeletonics, which says its products are designed to make you'feel as if you were a giant'. Skeletonics provides a human body function expansion gear that, when attached, makes you feel'as if you were a giant' 'We, Japanese people, have the perception that robots equal something to fight, robots equal something to ride on,' said Skeletonics CEO Kento Hiroi. 'Those kind of image is very visually strong for us, so we are making this robot with the desire to make that dream come true.

It's a question most of us have asked at one point in our lives -is Santa real? Today's children aren't looking to their parents for an answer, but are turning to Google and the search engine is shattering the shattering the illusion. A report found that 1.1 million children learn online that Saint Nick is a fictitious character, as the first article in the search says'as adults we know Santa Claus isn't real.' When searching'Is Santa real' the first article that is displayed comes from Quartz, which provides parents with advice on how to answer the question . And the introductory sentence of the article reads: 'As adults we know Santa Claus isn't real.'