Tech Water Cooler

Robots learn faster when we give them credit for getting things right

Teaching a computer to recognise objects in an image isn’t easy – it involves complex pattern recognition and comparing those patterns with a database of other images. But we’re slowly getting better at it. The latest breakthrough comes from MIT engineers, who’ve shown that robots learn faster if they’re given points when they get something almost right.

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Facebook satellite will beam internet access to Africa from 2016

A partnership with French-based Eutelsat will see Facebook get shared access to the satellite. “To connect people living in remote regions, traditional connectivity infrastructure is often difficult and inefficient, so we need to invent new technologies,” Zuckerberg wrote. The project forms part of the social network’s controversial Internet.org initiative, which is seeking to get more people online in developing countries. Critics have argued the service violates net neutrality and is creating a closed, Facebook-centric version of the internet rather than providing open access for all.

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Siri to become more conversational

As Apple continues to integrate its virtual assistant Siri into more of its product line, most recently with the introduction of its new Siri-enhanced remote control for Apple TV, the Cupertino tech giant is looking to make its disembodied concierge more, well, smart. With news of its recent purchase of U.K. based AI startup VocalIQ, Apple is betting that with a little help Siri can become more conversational and intuitive. A report in the Financial Times cites people familiar with the deal who say the company’s expertise in software that helps people and computers communicate more naturally should help Siri do the things we ask of her and provide us the answers we seek.

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‘Butt dials’ responsible for increase in emergency calls

An increase in emergency calls in San Francisco has been attributed to butt dials. San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management reported an inexplicable 28 percent increase in call volumes between 2011 and 2014 and, when research teams monitored call handlers, they discovered that nearly a third of all mobile calls were accidental butt dials. This figure rose to 50 percent in New York City. Most mobile phones allow owners to dial emergency services when their device is locked, or even when they’ve been cut off from their service provider. This has lead to an increase in both accidental dialling and malicious calls.

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Ori-car-mi

Taking crumple zones to new heights, Lexus has constructed a car made almost entirely out of precision-cut cardboard. Created using 1,700 pieces of card, the recyclable ride is a full-size replica of a Lexus IS, which takes inspiration from origami and rolls on its cardboard-constructed wheels. Lexus partnered with UK design firms LaserCut Works and Scales and Models to create the vehicle, which features opening doors and an interior complete with seats and cup holders – although we wouldn’t recommend spilling your drink, considering the material.

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