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You are here: Home / Archives for Martha Goodwin

Google Photos Just Got A Lot More Friendly With Pets

October 17, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

cat and dog sleeping on yellow pillow in google photos
cat and dog sleeping on yellow pillow in google photos

Google Photos can now recognize pets just as it does with people.

Google Photos users should now find it easier to look back at the photos of their furry friends and see how much they’ve grown. They will do so as Photos has just announced that it should now be capable of detecting pets, just as it already is distinguishing people.

Just as with individuals, this new service will start grouping photos of one or more pets, without the need for additional filters.

Google Photos, Pet-Friendly but Still in the Works

Google Photos’ latest update started rolling out on Monday, October 16 and should be available or go live soon in most countries where Google offers its services.

This latest feature works similarly to the facial recognition-based people sorting. Photos of pets should start showing in a separate label, alongside those of people. Just as with these latter, users can label them by name, which will make it even easier to search for your dog when you also have a cat, for example.

Thanks to these labels, users will find it easier to take a look back at their furry friends and their evolution and growth, without having to use general tags such as “cat” or “dog” when searching for them.

Grouping all the photos of your pet in a single place also makes it easier to create albums or even movies with them. Google Photos will even help them create a photo book.

This is generated in a similar way to the “pawesome videos” that started appearing in May.  Users can make a movie or a picture book of their pets by simply selecting their favorite photos, followed by just a few more clicks. Photos also already comes with six pet-inspired songs that can be chosen either when creating a new movie or if the user doesn’t like the soundtrack of the Google-created video.

In general, users can also search for a specific dog or cat breed by tying in their name or using the corresponding emoji, if it exists.

Image Source: Pixabay

Filed Under: Technology

New Type Of Soft Artificial Muscle To Result In More Lifelike Robots

September 21, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

artificial muscle on robotic hand pointing to the left
artificial muscle on robotic hand pointing to the left

A team of scientists developed a new type of soft artificial muscle useful in robotics.

Scientists have developed a new type of artificial muscle that is softer and does not rely on external equipment. According to reports, this new, 3D printed invention can lift up to 1,000 its own weight or three times as more as a natural muscle. It also boasts of a strain density or expansion per gram fifteen times higher than that of this latter.

This Latest Soft Artificial Muscle, Another Step Towards Lifelike Robots

Columbia University School Of Engineering and Applied Science researchers are behind this latest technology. Their artificial muscle is composed of a silicone rubber matrix, one that is peppered with ethanol microbubbles.

The material gets electrically actuated through the use of a low-power charge that is administered via a small, resistive wire. This new type of synthetic muscle also doesn’t require external compressors or equipment.

Generally, this latter help regulate pressure in hydraulic or pneumatic inflation. However, such components take up a lot of space. They are also a hurdle in the design of smaller or autonomous machines.

Hod Lipson, the mechanical engineering professor and study lead points out that science has been making “great strides” in the development of robotic minds. However, he also underlines the fact that robot bodies are still fairly “primitive”.

“This is a big piece of the puzzle and, like biology, the new actuator can be shaped and reshaped a thousand ways. We’ve overcome one of the final barriers to making lifelike robots,” continued Lipson.

The newly created soft artificial muscle could be a step forward and a significant component in the field of soft material robotics. This segment has been reporting significant advancements and breakthroughs. However, there are still ‘plenty’ of movements which rigid robots are still unable to replicate.

Grasping and manipulation are considered actions that require a certain level of finesse. Thanks to the new synthetic muscle, robots might soon have a gentler touch when picking up things, one that does not damage them.

Such machines might come to be of assistance in medical context, for example, state researchers. The artificial muscle might also come to be considered useful elements in next-generation prosthetics, point out scientists.

A study paper was released in the journal Nature Communications. 

Image Source: FreeGreatPicture

Filed Under: Technology

MacOS High Sierra Just Got An Official Release Date

September 13, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

laptop running macOS high sierra with hour on screen on a table illuminated by the sun
laptop running macOS high sierra with hour on screen on a table illuminated by the sun

Apple announced the official release date of its new macOS High Sierra.

Apple held its latest iPhone Event 2017 on September 12, Tuesday, after which it updated its webpage with the newest information about more than just its smartphones. The company announced the official release date of its macOS High Sierra operating system, although it did not release any additional details besides this.

However, it did reveal some further information on the operating system it has been working on, for example, the tvOS, and watchOS.

macOS High Sierra to Become Officially Available in September

According to the latest statement from Apple, the macOS High Sierra will be released for general use on September 25. This new macOS version was first presented back in June, at the WWDC developer conference.

Apple writes that “New technologies at the heart of the system make your Mac more reliable, capable, and responsive – and lay the foundation for future innovations”.

This operating system will reportedly ‘re-architecture’ the way in which the user data is stored and should also improve the quality of its video streaming. In turn, this latter should unleash the full potential of this OS’s graphics processors. In general, High Sierra will look to introduce new core technologies meant to improve the Mac’s most important functions.

The system changes also mean some alterations to the system’s basic apps. For example, the Photos one will be receiving some new features intended to keep it up to date and running. Some of these will be the introduction of more editing tools, new filtering options, as well as the possibility to reorganize the toolbar.

Safari users might be pleased to find out that a new feature in its settings will let them block videos on the web from auto-playing. SSD users will be getting a new file system, and the fact that the Mail app will be compressing messages are just some of the changes which will come with the macOS High Sierra.

High Sierra will follow the usual updates path in the sense that it will be a free upgrade, and will become available in the Mac App Store. This new version will also be introducing ‘the latest security updates’.

Apple presents High Sierra as “It’s macOS at its highest level yet”.

Image Source: FreeGreatPicture

Filed Under: Technology

Giant Asteroid Will Fly By In September. Should We Be Worried?

August 26, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

asteroid in space
asteroid in space

The Florence asteroid will miss us by a hair this time. Luckily, it will return in 2500.

September 1st, 2017 will see the latest near miss for the Earth as an asteroid will pass by our planet just 4.4 million miles from our orbit. The asteroid, christened Florence, has been known about since 1981 and is not thought to pose a threat to Earth as its route through space has been chartered as passing by the planet with relative ease.

Scientists and astronomers will take the opportunity to examine the asteroid in great detail and chart its future path.

Florence Is The Largest Asteroid To Pass The Earth In Many Years

Astronomer Schelte “Bobby” Bus discovered Florence in 1981 while studying the stars at the Siding Springs Observatory in Australia. The asteroid is one of many reported to be passing Earth to provide a near miss situation, but at 2.7 miles in diameter, Florence is the largest space rock scheduled to pass by the planet.
The next time the orbits of Florence and Earth bring them into close proximity will be 2500, meaning this is the only time present day astronomers will have the chance to view the asteroid.

Astronomers will use radar and other technologies to build a detailed map of the surface of Florence as she passed by the planet in the hope of gaining a better understanding of the creation and makeup of the asteroid. The exact size of the asteroid will also be established before Florence once again disappears from view for the last time for more than 300 years.

Amateur astronomers will have the chance to view Florence passing through the solar system between the constellations Piscis Austrinus and Aquarius. Excitement among astronomers is growing over the appearance of Florence as this is the largest asteroid to appear in a near Earth orbit over the coming years.
Image Source: NASA

Filed Under: Science

NASA Is Hiring A Planetary Protection Officer To Protect Earth

August 3, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

planetary protection officer of earth and satellites
planetary protection officer of earth and satellites

Although it gave rise to quite a few jokes, the Planetary Protection Officer job is a serious position.

A new job was posted on the official employment website of the US Government. It is a position at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, one that is very different from that of an aerospace engineer post. The job is called the Planetary Protection Officer, or PPO for short. Their job will be to protect Earth from any potential alien contamination, and vice versa.

The Planetary Protection Officer Will Be Monitoring Biological Transfer

The Planetary Protection Officer is not quite “that scientist” from every alien invasion movie. Actually, their main job will be to oversee NASA efforts to prevent our biological matter from contaminating future missions to other worlds. This will be especially important in upcoming missions to look for life on icy Europa.

The filing explains the details of the position as required by law.

It reads: “NASA maintains policies for planetary protection applicable to all space flight missions that may intentionally or unintentionally carry Earth organisms and organic constituents to the planets or other solar system bodies, and any mission employing spacecraft, which are intended to return to Earth and its biosphere with samples from extraterrestrial targets of exploration.”

The contract is for three years, with a possible two-year extension. It pays $124,406 to $187,000 per year and will have a “secret” security clearance. The requirements are fairly stringent, however, as it demands a “broad engineering experience”. It also requires a degree in math or one of the appropriate sciences such as physics, biology, or astronomy. Most likely someone will be selected who has experience leading previous missions with the space agency.

The job posting reads further that to protect Earth the PPO requires coordinating and planning activities relating to NASA’s missions and their planetary protection needs. .Leads independent evaluation of, and provides advice regarding, compliance by robotic and human spaceflight missions with our planetary protection policies, statutory requirements, and international obligations.”

It also “Leads independent evaluation of, and provides advice regarding, compliance by robotic and human spaceflight missions with our planetary protection policies, statutory requirements, and international obligations.”

Those interested in applying must do so up until August 14 and must be Amercian citizens or nationals. There is only one vacancy, and the position is a full-time job.  The salary will be a six-figure number, somewhere in between $124,406 to $187,000 per year.

Image Source: Pixabay

Filed Under: Science

Adobe Releases New Features And Designs For Its Lightroom App

July 19, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

lightroom app photos
lightroom app photos

Adobe’s Lightroom app for Android saw a complete redesign while the iOS app saw new features.

Adobe just released some important changes to its Lightroom app as this saw a redesign in its Android variant and is getting new features on the iOS one.

iPhone and iPad users will soon be seeing an added support for the Android selective brush as well as updated interface for iPad, among others. But the biggest changes were brought to the Android Lightroom app.

Although an efficient version, this was touted as being a mobile version of the desktop experience. Now, thanks to the redesign, users may start using a version that actually feels native for mobile, and snappy enough for it, according to some.

Lightroom App Redesigns Should Make Them Easier to Use

Adobe released a statement which declared that: “We wanted to provide the best Android experience possible so we redesigned Lightroom for Android from the ground up to be faster, more efficient, and, well, more Android-y.”

This continued by pointing out that every screen of the app has been redesigned so that they will ensure a native, natural experience on Android. These should also help provide the highest quality in editing and a “professional-grade mobile photo editing app”.

Still, according to reports, it will still take some time before Android users will be able to use features such as the Selective Brush or the Details tab. This latter gives the editor a global control over noise reduction and sharpening. The Selective Brush will come to complement the readily available radial and linear gradients.

Both these features arrived first on iOS and will probably make their debut on Android a while later.

The Android variant is not the only one to get a new face, as the iPad version interface was also redesigned. This could be a way of taking advancing of a larger screen without losing its performance.

Image Source: Flickr

Filed Under: Technology

Google Recently Released Its Blocks App For VR Art

July 8, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

google blocks app logo
google blocks app logo

Google recently released the Blocks app, which lets users create VR content.

Earlier this week, on July 06, Google released its new Blocks app, which will allow any interested user to create objects and art for the virtual reality (VR) medium. Blocks will be available for free for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. There has been no news, presently, about a Daydream release as well.

Blocks App, a Companion for the Tilt Brush

Tilt Brush, Google’s painting app, is held as being one of the best applications for creating high quality, very detailed and fine VR art. However, this is also making it quite ‘intimidating’ to more casual users.

So Google has now released a new tool, which will be more readily available to all those looking to create VR content. Through its Blocks app, the giant company is simplifying the content creation process in VR. The new application also uses tool specially designed for this very purpose.

Users will be able to build colorful 3D models by using blocks that resemble ones used in children’s games. The app is supposed to be intuitive enough as to be readily utilized by all users, from newcomers to more specialized users.

It should also be full-featured and attractive enough as to be capable of returning artistically compelling models. Google already collected such examples, which set the base for an online gallery.

Users are also not limited to just the Blocks app. They can export and share their objects by making them viewable online. The creations can also be placed in 3D scenes both inside and outside of VR, for example, in AR. On the Google Blocks site, they can also be spun around, which will create animated and downloadable GIFs.

At least for the moment, the Blocks app seems to be aiming for a lower level of realism than most similar such applications. While this may not advantage professional artists, it could benefit beginners and developers.

Available for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, the Blocks app can be downloaded from Steam and the Oculus Store.

Image Source: Pixabay

Filed Under: Technology

Friday, June 30, Is The 2017 Asteroid Day

June 30, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

2017 asteroid day
2017 asteroid day

The 2017 Asteroid Day will be coming with a firs time ever event, a live, 24-hours long webcast.

On June 30, the world will host the 2017 Asteroid Day, a celebration which promises over 700 events which should be taking place in some 190 countries around the globe. Also, the day will be coming with a 24-hours live webcast. This will be featuring discussions about this sometimes very feared space rocks, and about the chances and risks of one striking Earth.

Starting with 2015, Asteroid Day has been commemorating what is now known as the “Tunguska event”. This occurred on June 30, 1908, and featured a near-Earth object (NEO) some 130 feet wide. This asteroid exploded above the Siberian Podkamennaya Tunguska River, destroying over 800 square miles of forest.

The Asteroid Day website teases with more than 700 events which will be held throughout the day in about 190 countries around the world.

It also points out the fact that, starting with 2016, the UN started recognizing Asteroid Day as an international event, which will be held every year on June 30. For this year’s celebration, over 180 regional coordinators from 114 countries will be organizing events involving 500,000 participants.

The 2017 Asteroid Day Will Be Coming With A First Ever Event

The 2017 Asteroid Day celebration will also be coming with a first time ever event. Namely, it will be offering a live webcast, one which will span and cover the whole day. According to its organizers, this will be the first 24-hours long broadcast targeting space and asteroids.

The webcast will be hosted by Brian Cox, a physicist and professor part of the University of Manchester, England, and also host to science TV shows and published author.

NASA, JAXA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, as well as ESA, the European Space Agency, will be included in the live broadcast. The full lineup of astronomers, astronauts, as well as all the special guests of the broadcast is available in a 2017 Asteroid Day LIVE Webcast blog post.

The official website will also be offering a complete list of events held in celebration of the day. Those interested can either check out the program or register their own event and activities in the program. Most of the events will be free and all-ages appropriate. They will be held either in museums, science centers, theaters, libraries, schools, or online and on various TV programs.

Image Source: JPL/NASA

Filed Under: Science

US Libraries Will Be Offering 2 Million Free Eclipse Glasses

June 27, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

eclipse glasses
eclipse glasses

Some 4,800 public libraries in the United States will be offering free eclipse glasses.

On August 21, 2017, the public will be able to take part in what is now known as the ‘Great American Eclipse’. However, all those looking to make the most of this event will have to wear special protection glasses.

For this, public libraries from across the United States will be distributing over two million pairs of eclipse glasses for free. These will be provided by an outreach program initiated by the SSI or the Space Science Institute.

Eclipse Glasses: A Must During the Solar Eclipse

The Great American Eclipse will be passing over the nation along a path spanning from Oregon to South Carolina. This will include a ‘path of totality’ some 70 miles wide. Those inside it will be able to see the Moon as it passes in front of the Sun and basically creates a total solar eclipse. Viewers outside of this area will still see the event, but only as a partial solar eclipse.

All the people that will be watching both the total and partial solar eclipse have to wear special eyewear protection gear. Looking directly at the sun during such events can cause severe damage to the eyes.

As part of a project to protect against such outcomes, around 4,800 library organizations from across the United States will be offering free eclipse glasses.

These are all part of an outreach project developed by the SSI and funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. NASA, Google, and the NSF (National Science Foundation) are also partners in the project, according to an SSI statement.

“The Moore Foundation is pleased to help 2 million eyes enjoy and understand this astronomical spectacle with astronomical spectacles,” stated Dr. Robert Kirshner.

He is the chief program officer for science part of the Moore Foundation. Besides the free eclipse glasses, all the registered organizations will be receiving an informational booklet. This is generally available and ready for download for all those interested. The booklet offers safe viewing techniques, locations and times for viewing events, and also public-outreach programs on the matter.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Filed Under: U.S.

Would Drones Be Useful For Responding To Medical Emergencies?

June 15, 2017 By Martha Goodwin Leave a Comment

drones
drones

Swedish investigators are analyzing the usefulness of having drones deliver AEDs.

A team of Swedish researchers has been examining the possibilities and efficiency of using drones for responding to medical emergencies. Namely, they have been studying their utility in trying to help people suffering from cardiac arrest.

Specialists in other areas are already testing the possibility of using drones in delivering packages or tracking wildlife. Now, this new analysis is looking determine if such high-flying machines could also help save lives.

Drones Could Help by Quickly Delivering AEDs

The Swedish team analyzed the efficiency of having such devices deliver defibrillators in cases of cardiac arrest. As the researchers point out, survival chances decrease with every minute that passes after the patient suffered a sudden cardiac arrest but did not receive treatment.

“In rural areas, a drone carrying an AED could arrive far ahead — meaning 16 minutes [faster] — of emergency medical services,” stated Andreas Claesson.

He is a paramedic with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm’s Center for Resuscitation Science and the study’s lead investigator.

Claesson considers that a drone sweeping in with an AED could potentially help lives. It could do so as bystanders on site could start the defibrillation process before the arrival of emergency medical teams. They could do so by using the automated external defibrillator (AED).

For their study, the team specially equipped a Stockholm-area fire house with drones from the Swedish Transportation Agency. These were equipped with an AED and also autopilot software, GPS, and a high-definition camera.

In 2016, such machines carried out 18 simulated AED-drone deliveries. These were sent to locations within a 6-miles radius of the fire station. According to reports, the drone delivered the AED in some 5 minutes. In contrast, the median standard EMS delivery time took 22 minutes.

Still, the study has its limitations. Claesson pointed out that the tests did not involve actual emergencies. So the AED was received by a second drone pilot acting as a bystander on site.

Also, other researchers point out that the delivery numbers and also the area targeted are quite small.

Nonetheless, the consensus is that this is a “great idea with a lot of potential”. But some of the hurdles it will have to face include airway regulations and flight distances.

Also, people would have to receive at least a minimum training for operating an AED, so that they would actually know how to utilize it in emergency cases.

Analysis results are available in a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Image Source: Flickr

Filed Under: Technology

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