It’s not often you see upsets like the one that happened today in Kyiv, Ukraine, where the lowest seed of the tournament not only pushed the top seed to a game three, but eliminated them altogether.
Source: Kotaku – The Lowest Seed In Dota’s Kiev Major Just Beat The Top Team
Director James Mangold just announced that his hit film Logan will return to theaters for one night only in a special black and white version.
Source: io9 – A Black and White Version of Logan Is Coming to Theaters for One Night Only
Tesla and Apple have asked the state of California to change its proposed policies on self-driving cars to allow companies to test vehicles without traditional steering wheels and controls or human back-up drivers, among other things. Reuters reports: In a letter made public Friday, Apple made a series of suggested changes to the policy that is under development and said it looks forward to working with California and others “so that rapid technology development may be realized while ensuring the safety of the traveling public.” Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google parent company Alphabet Inc, Ford Motor Co, Uber Technologies Inc, Toyota Motor Corp, Tesla Motors Inc and others also filed comments suggesting changes. Apple said California should revise how companies report self-driving system “disengagements.” California currently requires companies to report how many times the self-driving system was deactivated and control handed back to humans because of a system failure or a traffic, weather or road situation that required human intervention. Apple said California’s rules for development vehicles used only in testing could “restrict both the design and equipment that can be used in test vehicles.” Tesla said California should not bar testing of autonomous vehicles that are 10,000 pounds (4,535 kg) or more. Tesla also said California should not prohibit the sale of non-self-driving vehicles previously used for autonomous vehicle testing.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Apple, Tesla Ask California To Change Its Proposed Policies On Self-Driving Car Testing
Track: Muther | Artist: letlive. | Album: Fake History
Source: Kotaku – Track: Muther | Artist: letlive. | Album: Fake History
If you’re looking to go on a craft beer pilgrimage, this interactive tool lets you explore the U.S. cities with the most breweries and highest rated brewskis.
Source: LifeHacker – Find the Best Nearby Cities for Craft Beer and Microbrews With This Tool
For Walking Dead fans frustrated at the wait until that show returns, Fear the Walking Dead is a nice buffer. It gives us a chance to continue our thirst for zombie survival with a new set of characters as the other set of characters regroups.
Source: io9 – The Violence Is Increasing Exponentially in This New Fear the Walking Dead Preview
schwit1 quotes a report from Zero Hedge: As the latest installment of it’s “Vault 7” series, WikiLeaks has just dropped a user manual describing a CIA project known as “Scribbles” (a.k.a. the “Snowden Stopper”), a piece of software purportedly designed to allow the embedding of “web beacon” tags into documents “likely to be stolen.” The web beacon tags are apparently able to collect information about an end user of a document and relay that information back to the beacon’s creator without being detected. Per WikiLeaks’ press release. But, the “Scribbles” user guide notes there is just one small problem with the program: it only works with Microsoft Office products. So, if end users use other programs such as OpenOffice of LibreOffice then the CIA’s watermarks become visible to the end user and their cover is blown.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – WikiLeaks Reveals the ‘Snowden Stopper’: CIA Tool To Track Whistleblowers
Wisconsin resident Dina Mitchell said she suffered second-degree burns on her arm after her Fitbit Flex 2 suddenly caught fire on Tuesday, while she was reading a book.
Today, Fitbit says that didn’t happen.
Source: Engadget – Fitbit says that Flex 2 didn’t explode on its own
This is a video created by Youtuber and father-to-be Nokem of the Star Trek: The Next generation episode ‘Galaxy’s Child’ edited into a baby announcement for he and his wife. Personally, I would have gone with a Ninja Turtles cartoon, but that’s just me and there’s no chance any child of mine won’t be born a mutant. I can see it now. “Look honey, he has your hands!” How can you tell? “They’re hairy like a werewolf’s and he has thirteen fingers.”
Keep going for the announcement.
Source: Geekologie – Soon-To-Be Father Edits Star Trek TNG Into Baby Annoucement
Ark: Survival Evolved’s long-dormant volcano, situated near the center of the game’s Island map) is about to blow, and developer Wildcard is strongly suggesting that anyone in the immediate vicinity kindly steps out of the way. (But you’ll want to go back later.)
Source: Kotaku – Ark: Survival Evolved’s Volcano Is About to Erupt, And Players Will Want to Dive In
It’s time to talk about climate change. Because Bret Stephens wants to. Stephens, as you may know, is the recently hired New York Times columnist known for holding ugly, entirely unremarkable ideas (Black Lives Matter is “thuggish,” there’s no data to support a campus rape epidemic) that will supposedly “diversify”…
Source: Gizmodo – New York Times Columnist Has a Few Thoughts About People Who Believe in Climate Change
Junk food and summer blockbusters go hand in hand — from the nachos, popcorn and candy you buy at the cinema, to action-hero faces plastered on every brand of potato chips at the supermarket. This has been the way of the world as long as I can remem…
Source: Engadget – We destroyed a collectible Doritos bag to get at its hidden MP3 Player
KongDoo Panthera’s outfits are so good. While other Overwatch teams go with the standard “we wear jerseys basically all the time” look (aka “the Kevin Smith”), KongDoo’s players prefer to snazz it up. Last season they wore stylish dress shirts and suspenders. This season? Sailor uniforms.
Source: Kotaku – Not Even Excellent Outfits Can Save Overwatch Pros From Other Team’s Genji
Fusion New World Order in the Court: A Dispatch From the Alex Jones Trial | The Concourse Who’s Tired Of All The Winning? | Pictorial 20 Years Ago Ellen DeGeneres Came Out In Front of a Live Studio Audience | The Root I Tried to Read Nbecki’s, I Mean Rachel Dolezal’s, In Full Color so You Didn’t Have to, and I Failed |
Source: LifeHacker – Fusion New World Order in the Court: A Dispatch From the Alex Jones Trial | The Concourse Who’s Tire
We hear the term “deep learning” thrown around a lot now days, and Sandeep Raut over at the site readwrite, gives us a quick and dirty lesson as to what deep learning is. While he touches on it in an non-esoteric way, if you are in the dark he gives you a idea of why going deep really matters. Deeper is always better.
Why is deep learning called deep? It is because of the structure of those ANNs. Four decades back, neural networks were only two layers deep as it was not computationally feasible to build larger networks. Now, it is common to have neural networks with 10+ layers and even 100+ layer ANNs are being tried upon.
Using multiple levels of neural networks in deep learning, computers now have the capacity to see, learn, and react to complex situations as well or better than humans.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – What is so Deep about Deep Learning?
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Amazon is trying to make its Alexa voice assistant sound more humanlike. Up until now, the female-sounding voice maintained an even, monotone cadence whenever speaking, but with Amazon’s new Speech Synthesis Markup Language that the company introduced this week, Alexa can whisper, vary its speaking speed, and bleep out words. Developers can also add pauses, change the pronunciation of a word, spell a word out, add audio snippets, and insert special words and phrases into their skill. The Verge notes that “the language markups are [only] available to developers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.” Amazon will also be hosting a webinar on May 18th on the new code.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Amazon’s Alexa Can Now Whisper, Bleep Out Swear Words, and Change Its Pitch
Acer this week introduced its new high-end 2-in-1 hybrid PCs that will be available later this year. The Acer Switch 5 will be aimed at users who require both portability and performance, and is based on Intel’s Core i5/i7 CPU while being paired with up to 8 GB of DRAM as well as up to 512 GB of solid-state storage. To integrate a relatively powerful CPU while retaining moderate price, power consumption and long battery life, Acer had to give up a 4K display panel and a Thunderbolt 3 controller, which were key features of the Switch 5’s predecessor. In addition, Acer announced its new inexpensive Switch 3 convertible notebook that in many ways resembles its more advanced brother.
Sales of PCs continued to decline in Q1 2017 and totaled 62.2 million units, according to Gartner. Market researchers believe that many consumers delay purchases of new PCs because their old machines are good enough and because they tend to spend more on smartphones. Meanwhile, there are multiple indications that computers in hybrid form-factors continue to gain popularity because many people want to have convenience of a tablet (e.g., compact sizes, touchscreen, etc.) and versatility of a laptop (physical keyboard, performance, features). After large PC makers introduced loads of various convertible PCs last year, competition in the segment intensified. Since 2-in-1s still represent a new category, PC vendors continue to learn what the end-user wants from such systems and continue to evolve their designs in response. To a large degree, this is exactly what Acer did with its entry-level Switch 3 and higher-end Switch 5: it upped the bar for its inexpensive machine and eliminated “overkill” features on the advanced model.
| Comparison of Acer Switch 3 and 5 | |||
| Switch 5 | Switch 3 | ||
| Screen Resolution | 12″ 2160×1440 | 12.2″ 1920×1200 | |
| CPU | Core i5-7200U (2C/2T, 3 MB, 2.5/3.1 GHz) Core i5-7300U (2C/2T, 3 MB, 2.6/3.5 GHz) Core i7-7500U (2C/2T, 3 MB, 2.7/3.5 GHz) Core i7-7600U (2C/4T, 4 MB, 2.8/3.9 GHz) |
Celeron 3865U (2C/2T, 2 MB, 1.8 GHz) Celeron 3965U (2C/2T, 2 MB, 2.2 GHz) Pentium 4415U (2C/2T, 2 MB, 2.3 GHz) |
|
| Graphics | HD Graphics 620 (24 EUs) | HD Graphics 610 (12 EU) | |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR3 | 4 GB LPDDR3 | |
| Storage | 256 or 512 GB PCIe 3.0 x2 | 32, 64 or 128 GB eMMC | |
| Wi-Fi | 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi | ||
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 | ||
| USB 3.0 | 1 × Type-A 1 × Type-C (also used for charging, external display, etc.) |
||
| Card Reader | MicroSD | ||
| Fingerprint Sensor | Yes | No | |
| Other I/O | Microphone, stereo speakers, audio jack | ||
| Battery Life | 10.5 hours | 8 hours | |
| Thickness | Pad: 9.6 mm Pad + keyboard: ~15.4 mm |
Pad: 9.95 mm Pad + keyboard: 16.3 mm |
|
| Weight | Pad: 920 grams Pad + keyboard: 1270 grams |
Pad: 900 grams Pad + keyboard: unknown |
|
| Price | $799 and €1099 | $399 and €499 | |
The Acer Switch 5 hybrid laptop is powered by on Intel’s 7th generation dual-core Core i5/i7 CPUs with a 15W TDP. Previously the company used various Core M (Skylake-Y) CPUs for such computers, but since Core i5/i7 offer considerably higher performance due to higher frequencies, Acer decided to switch to them. The manufacturer uses its fanless “Liquid Loop” cooling solution (based on either heatpipe or vapor chamber tech) to cool down the CPU, so, the new PC is utterly quiet, just like its predecessors, the Acer Switch 12 S as well as the Switch Alpha.
The new 2-in-1 can be equipped with up to 8GB of LPDDR3 memory, a 256 GB or a 512 GB PCIe 3.0 x2 SSD, a 802.11 ac Wi-Fi controller with 2×2 MU-MIMO technology, front- and back-facing cameras, a fingerprint reader, one USB 3.0 Type-A, and one USB 3.0 Type-C (5 Gbps) port, as well as a MicroSD card reader.
Unlike its predecessor, the Acer Switch 5 comes with only one display option: a 12” IPS panel with a 2160×1440 resolution and covered with unknown protective glass. The multi-touch display supports the Acer Active Pen for note-taking and sketching, and solidifying its tablet credentials. Previous-gen high-end convertibles from Acer (the Switch 12 S) offered an optional 4K display panel, but this time the manufacturer decided not to give such an option. Thunderbolt 3 has also been excised, presumably due to power consumption and/or costs.
The Acer Switch 5 is made of anodized aluminum, and because it now uses a higher-performance CPU and a more powerful cooling system, the unit got a little thicker and heavier than the Aspire Switch 12 S. The tablet itself is about 9.6 mm (0.38 inches) thick and weighs around 920 grams (2.03 pounds). Meanwhile, the new keyboard seems to be more compact than the predecessor, which is why the whole system became thinner and lighter: with the keyboard connected, the 2-in-1 laptop is 15.24 mm thick (0.6 inches) and weighs around 1270 grams (2.8 pounds).
The Acer Switch 5 will hit the market in North America and EMEA in June starting at $799 and €1099, respectively (exact specs vary by the region). The system will be available in China starting from July at a price from ¥7,499.
The Acer Switch 3 is an entry-level 2-in-1, which is positioned above the inexpensive Switch V10 and the Switch One 10 launched a year ago. With the Switch 3, Acer is no longer pursuing the low end of the market, which is why the system inherits a lot from its more expensive brother, the Switch 5 (e.g., design, configuration of ports, etc.).
The Switch 3 is based on Intel’s Kaby Lake Celeron and Pentium processors, with cooling provided by Acer’s fanless cooling solution. The device comes with up to 4 GB of LPDDR3, up to 128 GB of eMMC solid-state storage, front- and back-facing cameras, as well as dual-band MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The 2-in-1 also features a USB Type-C port, which is used for data transfer, video output and charging. The Switch 3 has a 12.2” IPS touchscreen with 1920×1200 resolution. As for dimensions and weight, the system is a bit thicker (9.95 mm), but a bit lighter (900 grams) than the Switch 5.
Since the Switch 3 does not have to address the low end of the market, it is not going to come at a bargain price. The convertible will be available in Europe and the U.S. in June for €499 and $399, respectively. It will hit the Chinese market in July starting at ¥4,999. And keep in mind that exact specs will vary depending on the region.
Related Reading:
Source: AnandTech – Acer Adds 12-Inch Switch 3 & Switch 5 2-in-1s to Kaby Lake Laptop Lineup
Nobody enjoys being with someone who is always passive aggressive. If you’re not sure what that looks like, here’s an excellent, and funny, demonstration.
Source: LifeHacker – All the Passive Aggressive Stuff You Should Never Do in a Relationship
The NSA’s “upstream” collection system taps into Internet traffic and searches for content based on “selectors” identifying targets. Now, the NSA won’t check Americans’ traffic for those selectors unless they’re in the “to” or “from” field of messages.
Today, a spokesperson for the National Security Agency announced that the agency would end the practice of “upstream” collection of messages sent by American citizens—messages that were not directed to targets of NSA intelligence collection but referred to “selectors” for those targets in the body of the communications. According to the statement, the NSA has put an end to that practice, which has been authorized since 2008 under the agency’s interpretation of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
The announcement posted today states:
After a comprehensive review of mission needs, current technological constraints, United States person privacy interests, and certain difficulties in implementation, NSA has decided to stop some of its activities conducted under Section 702. These changes are designed to retain the upstream collection that provides the greatest value to national security while reducing the likelihood that NSA will acquire communications of U.S. persons or others who are not in direct contact with one of the Agency’s foreign intelligence targets.
The changes have been made part of a new Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court order that has narrowed the authorized scope of NSA surveillance.
Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – NSA ends spying on messages Americans send about foreign surveillance targets
Normally, rogue waves are something to avoid, but this one might be something you’ll want to experience.
Source: TreeHugger – Fifield’s electric fat tire bike is available with mid- or rear-drive