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Pepper is a humanoid robot by Aldebaran Robotics and SoftBank Mobile designed with the ability to read emotions. It was introduced in a conference on June 5 and has been showcased to the public at Softbank Mobile stores in Japan since June 6. It will be available in February 2015 at a base price of JPY 198,000 ($1,931) at Softbank Mobile stores. Pepper’s emotion comes from the ability to analyze expressions and voice tones.
Source: Conscious AI
New eye-scanning technology seemed to be a beacon of hope for consumers who wanted to feel more secure in the digital age but it seems as if even these devices won’t be enough to keep dedicated hackers away.
On the surface, it seems like a great idea—trade in passwords for technology that can scan a feature that is truly unique to each user.
From phone apps to Eyelock’s Myris, many devices have hit the market to promise to keep hackers away with technology that will scan a user’s iris to identify them.
Because each person’s iris is unique, even from their other eye, it certainly seemed like a full proof plan, but the technology still has a ways to go before it will really be considered a serious security tool.
Eyelock’s Myris is the most popular of such devices and while its design is appealing and smart, there is a major loophole in the way the technology functions.
Users are still able to enter a password in order to bypass the Myris completely.
While an annoying pop up will appear until the user passes the iris scanning or updates their security information, there is still nothing stopping a hacker from sifting through files and personal documents because they managed to obtain your old password.
This, of course, does not discredit the technology completely.
It simply means that there is a ways to go before it can actually boast its ability to help fight off hackers—and even then some users just weren’t too impressed with the potential of what Myris and other similar technologies could do.
“So how will this help with the hacks of targets and walmarts,” one KKTV viewer asked in a comment online.
The technology is currently being developed to work for ATMs and security checkpoints, but so far it doesn’t seem as if this technology will come close to putting an end to shoppers’ fears of their credit card information getting stolen because of a successful cyber attack on their favorite retailer.
To be clear, those cyber attacks are extremely complicated and will never be solved with a roughly $300 consumer security device.
Other online readers were skeptical about how slight changes in appearance could impact the technology’s ability to function.
“Have a cold, look sick, got a rash? Well too bad, looks like you aren’t getting into your own equipment until you’re better,” another comment said.
That doesn’t seem to be the case here – well not with the Myris at least.
That technology is not saving the image of your eye, it is saving the unique pattern of your iris, which wouldn’t change if users become ill or have a rash.
Then there is also the fact that as long as someone can figure out your password, they can still technically gain access to whatever you were trying to keep protected. In that case, the Myris won’t be keeping anyone permanently locked out of their equipment under any circumstances.
When it comes down to it, in the battle between consumers and small-time hackers the Myris and other consumer iris scanning technology is an interesting line of defense but it certainly isn’t the most effective one for now—though they certainly could be as these technologies continue to develop over the years.
After numerous complaints about skin irritation issues from Fitbit Charge users, the company has released a statement that claims the problem is not with their materials and likely due to problems with consumer hygiene.
The company is in no way suggesting that consumers are simply filthy and unkempt but instead suggests that they are making common mistakes that many people tend to make when it comes to wristbands and jewelry that stays on for a long time.
“The reactions we are seeing with Charge are not uncommon with jewelry or wearable devices that stay in contact with the skin for extended periods,” said Fitbit CEO and co-founder James Park, according to Engadget. “According to our consulting dermatologist, they are likely from sweat, water, or soap being held against the skin under the device, or from pressure or friction against the skin and should resolve quickly when users take a break from the device, usually within hours or days.”
While the materials used for the FitBit Force were responsible for skin irritation issues in the past, Park insists that isn’t the case this time around.
“While Force’s housing and band were held together with adhesive, which was determined to be the cause of nearly all allergic reactions, Charge’s housing and band are held together with screws, completely eliminating the potential for any adhesive to contact the skin,” the statement continued.
He also said that the company took the product through “extensive testing” to ensure all users could “safely wear and enjoy Charge.”
As with any watch, ring, armband or other accessory that is in direct contact with skin for long periods of time, Park says users will need to take the device off from time and time and make sure it has a loose fit when they are wearing it.
Also, keeping the skin underneath the band clean is an essential part of the general upkeep.
“We are encouraging anyone wearing an activity tracking wristband, regardless of the brand, to follow four key elements for maximum enjoyment: keep it clean, keep it dry, keep it loose, and give your wrist a break,” Park said. “We recommend wearing the band loosely enough that it can move back and forth on your wrist. We have developed guidelines for our products with our team of dermatologists to educate the public on how they should wear and care for their device and keep their skin happy.”
The company also pointed out that they had a very limited amount of complains about the skin irritation issues with the Charge compared to the Force.
This is yet another reason why the company believes the products used to make the activity monitoring wristband are not at fault, because of the scarcity of complaints that have made their way to their office.
The company promises to “continue to monitor this issue.”
Over the weekend, 60 students from Usher’s New Look Foundation came together at Georgia Tech to learn about the exciting potential behind computer science and receive training to help them compete in the tech industry.
The informative tech sessions were a part of the national Hour of Code Campaign presented by Code.org that aims to inspire more than 15 million young people across the globe to get involved in computer science.
As a part of the campaign, Georgia Tech and Usher’s New Look Foundation teamed up with the School of Computing and the Higher Altitude Foundation to show young students that there is more to the computer science world than many young people realize.
Many young people don’t associate computer science with music or the entertainment industry but the Day of Code helped students understand that there is more to technology than creating websites or collecting data online.
The day’s activities focused specifically on how computer science is incorporated in music and video productions and helped them develop skills on two platforms called Scratch and EarSketch.
All of the students took part in a friendly coding competition, learned how to remix beats and even created their own music animations.
It’s a much-needed focus for programs that aim to get students interested in the technology.
In addition to helping students obtain training and develop the skills they need to compete in Silicon Valley, they also need to understand the wide range of possibilities in the field.
Usher’s involvement in the Day of Code and his position as a National Spokesperson this year for the Hour of Code Campaign is already a step in the right direction.
It helps combat the stereotype that the tech industry is only a place for geeky white males and that there will be nothing more for students to do than create algorithms or build apps.
In the Black community many young people are sold dreams of becoming successful music stars although the likelihood of those dreams coming true are slim to none.
Introducing technology as a way to still be involved in the entertainment industry, however, can be a truly successful way to spark an interest in the field.
In addition to giving students the skills they need to compete in Silicon Valley, the Hour of Code Campaign aims to push the importance of computer science classes in schools across the nation.
Roughly 90 percent of schools don’t offer computer science as a class and the ones that do often don’t count the course towards the credits students need to graduate from high school.
Without incentives to give computer science classes a try, students are often cheated out of learning about a field that is quickly growing and eagerly seeking young people to fill a deficit in employees, especially ones of color.
Work
With Internet speeds becoming faster, anyone with a laptop can create a business and sell a service or product. The number of home-based jobs has been on the rise in the last decade because companies have found that to be cheaper and more profitable than having a physical location for all workers.
Shopping
Events like Black Friday have become less meaningful because the Internet has made shopping easy. From your phone or laptop, you can get anything you want. Many sites like Amazon offer free shipping; so stores seem like they could become a thing of the past.
Many people thought some eBay shoppers were crazy for paying up to $20,000 for limited edition PlayStation 4s that were made to look like the older version, but there are actually some consumers who are forking over thousands to get their hands on actual iPod Classics that were released a decade ago.
Sellers have taken to eBay to get rid of their iPod Classics, but it turns out there is a pool of consumers who truly see one man’s trash as another man’s treasure.
A rare version of the classic iPod sold for $90,000 but the hefty price probably came from the famous autographs on the back rather than the device itself.
The iPod was a factory-sealed UK model of the U2 iPod, which was originally sold back in 2004.
The special edition iPod is black rather than the typical white design and has all four of the U2 members’ autographs engraved into the back of it.
Other U2 edition iPods that are not still factory-sealed are being sold for roughly $4,000 on Amazon although it isn’t clear how responsive buyers have been to the hefty price tag.
While the $90,000 iPod is the most expensive iPod Classic to be sold on eBay, some sellers are looking for much more for the dated device.
One seller placed a $180,000 price tag on his iPod Classic although it hasn’t found a home just yet—and it’s very likely that it won’t find one until the price is significantly reduced.
Buyers who are desperately trying to get their hands on the older iPods need to make sure they are buying it for nostalgia purposes and aren’t concerned about the devices functionality because there is a good chance that the batteries in these classic iPods don’t even work anymore.
Those that do will likely not perform as well as they did back in 2004 and repairing the device would be another challenge of its own.
After the iPod Classic was discontinued, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained that even he “couldn’t get the parts anymore, not anywhere on Earth,” according to Mashable.com.
If the device is still fully functional, however, buyers can expect up to 12 hours of battery life and will have 20 GB of storage.
For those who are still eager to get their hands on an older version of the iPod, Amazon sellers are offering up standard devices for roughly $500 and many users have already left comments claiming to have found even better deals elsewhere on the web.
In the digital age, two seriously conflicting interests are rapidly growing – the desire to push technology to its limits and create a world filled with innovative devices and programs and the fear of consumers who are worried about the dangers of a world overrun with advanced technology.
For this very reason, President and CEO of Excellent Management Systems Inc. John Weathington reminded tech entrepreneurs, especially those in the data science field, to make sure the market is actually ready for their ideas before they launch them.
Some consumers fear that crazy sci-fi movies may not be as far fetched as they once seemed and others hate the idea of their favorite apps, games, search engines and devices secretly keeping tabs on their every digital move.
Whatever the reason, data science leaves many consumers feeling spooked and uncomfortable.
For example, Facebook users subjected the tech giant to serious backlash after discovering that the site was manipulating thousands of news feeds and user behavior in order to collect data for a study.
As Weathington pointed out, this certainly isn’t something new, but Facebook was still made out to be a monster for taking part in a practice that is much older than the website’s existence.
“To data scientists, it may seem perfectly normal to mine through digital behavior to understand and ultimately influence future behavior,” Weathington wrote on TechRepublic.com. “Marketing groups have been formally and publicly influencing behavior for decades, so why are Facebook’s data scientists any different?”
It’s simply a different method and a different market—that’s the key.
Even the greatest of technological advances will flop if the market simply isn’t ready for or comfortable with it just yet.
“Innovation with data science is exciting, but it can be risky if your market isn’t ready for your next great idea,” Weathington added. “Work closely with your marketing department to understand not only if, but when your next brilliant analytic offering will be a big hit.”
Marketing specialists are able to conduct thorough research and see if the market’s current consumers would be open to your latest technological innovation. The problem is that some data scientists forget just how important the marketing team really is.
Opting out of bringing marketing specialists on the team is a huge mistake that many data scientists tend to make.
Instead, some tech savvy CEOs will assign the marketing tasks to their product engineers.
The problem with the reassigning of roles is the fact that a product engineer will never be able to objectively look at something they have spent countless hours developing and view it as if they are just a random consumer.
Data scientists should also be open to introducing a much smaller concept to the market before eventually growing it under the watchful eye of consumers.
It’s a lot less threatening to watch something grow over time, something that has already been a part of your daily life and has revealed its many advantages, than to have a big, scary new way of collecting data forcefully thrust onto the market and scaring off people who are still feeling a little uncomfortable with technology’s rapid growth.
Sony released a special, incredibly rare limited edition version of the PlayStation 4 in honor of the console’s 20th anniversary less than a week ago and while some avid gamers are in love with the design that pays homage to the original PlayStation, others are struggling to understand what all the hype is about.
Only 12,300 of the limited edition consoles exist and anyone who didn’t place their order by December 6 will have to make their way online to sites like eBay where the consoles have been sold for roughly $20,000. Yes, four zeroes—no typo there.
But is it really worth it?
The limited edition console has the same sleek design as the PlayStation 4 but comes in gray, the same color that the original console was in.
It also boasts the original PlayStation logo with gray controllers and even a matching camera, an addition that doesn’t come in your typical PlayStation 4 bundle.
The console also features a plate that lets buyers know exactly which console they received out of the 12,300 that are available and has small Xs, squares, triangles and Os engraved all over it.
For those who don’t know, those are symbols on the buttons of the PlayStation controller.
So is the gray PlayStation 4 really worth thousands of extra dollars?
For some gamers, the gray paint job isn’t enough to get excited about.
“As nice as it is, my initial hype dropped very quickly,” said one Engadget reader. “It’s a grey PS4… that’s it. Yes it’s rare and limited and all that, but what can it do than [sic] any other PS4 can’t?”
The reader went on to slam consumers as “total idiots” for dishing out so much extra cash for what some see as nothing more than a change in color.
Others just simply didn’t like the gray color at all and wished the limited edition console would have went a little outside the box with color choices.
For some gamers, however, the emotional attachment to that gray paintjob was well worth the extra money.
There is something about seeing the color of the original PlayStation slapped across the latest generation of the console that melts the hearts of those who are openly and honestly game-obsessed.
The gray color isn’t just about a difference in appearance in this case.
It’s about bringing up the pixelated memories of the early Street Fighter and Final Fantasy games, having a newfound respect for earthworms after playing Worms Armageddon, the nights spent tormented as a child after playing way too many hours of Silent Hill and Resident Evil and the time you nearly broke your television because you just couldn’t get past the second level of PaRappa the Rapper.
For those gamers, the limited edition console isn’t just painted gray, it’s honoring the emotional attachment that some have formed with the PlayStation brand as a whole.
“I love the nostalgia design-wise, our generation and those a bit before us can appreciate that,” said Marlon Tiller, an avid 22-year-old gamer who grew up with not only the latest PlayStation consoles but also the latest consoles from Xbox and Nintendo. “New kids are going to miss out. They’re definitely not gonna get it. For me, when I saw [the 20th anniversary edition console] I could hear the old PlayStation startup screen sound in my head.”
Of course, for those who are not nearly as attached to the console and never attempted to deliver a high kick to the back of their best friend’s head after playing Tekken, white and black PlayStation 4’s will still be sold at their usual price of roughly $400.
As the technology industry continues its rapid growth, tech giants are getting behind the annual Hour of Code to ensure that young people who have an interest in the field have access to the classes and resources they need to fill the millions of positions available for computer science experts.
There is still the general belief that the tech industry is a space reserved for nerdy white men—and after tech giants released their diversity reports earlier this year, it seemed as though there was some validity to that argument.
Companies like Google and Facebook had less than 2 percent Black employees, with hardly any in leadership positions. The companies also had a troubling lack of female employees.
The Hour of Code may be able to help improve these numbers.
Code.org, a non-profit that aims to get youth interested in computer science, launched the Hour of Code last December.
The event is supported by tech giants, local governments and schools across the nation, who all dedicate at least an hour to introducing young people to coding and computer science.
One of the tech giants getting behind the movement is Apple. Apple will be offering free coding classes for kids and adults at many of their retail locations on December 11.
For Apple senior VP of internet software and services, it’s exactly the type of international movement that the company loves to get behind.
“Education is part of Apple’s DNA and we believe this is a great way to inspire kids to discover technology,” Eddy Cue said.
While the annual worldwide event does not particularly reach out to marginalized groups, it does offer free resources that many Black youth would not have access to otherwise.
Such events have been promoted as viable solutions to the tech world’s massive diversity problem.
Last year’s Hour of Code was a huge success and managed to introduce roughly 15 million students to the world of technology and computer science.
The students also learned the basics of coding and collectively wrote more than 600 million lines of code, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
This year, Code.org hopes to reach at least 100 million students.
The Hour of Code already has been celebrated as the biggest educational event in history by several major news outlets and has been part of an even larger movement to get more schools in the United States to place more value on computer science classes.
Code.org’s website claims that more than 20 states in the U.S have school systems that don’t allow computer science classes to be counted towards the credits students need to graduate.
Code.org has been adamant about getting more schools to efficiently incorporate computer science classes in their K-12 curriculum.
Major progress has already been made, as more than a dozen states have updated their educational policies to give computer science classes a more prominent role in their programs.
From December 8-14, which is Computer Education Week, thousands of events will take place across the globe to get students interest in computer science. More information on all the events and companies supporting the movement can be found on the Hour of Code’s official website.
Dr. Mae Jemison describes her journey from space-loving girl in Chicago to astronaut looking down on Chicago and thinking about her younger self.
Mae Jemison is a physician, engineer, educator, entrepreneur and the first woman of color in the world to go into space – she was a NASA astronaut for six years. Currently Mae devotes much of her attention to the 100 Year Starship, which she says is “pursuing an extraordinary tomorrow to create a better world today.” In her spare moments, Mae is a lifelong and accomplished dancer.
Source: NOVA’s “The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers”