Chinese authorities have nabbed a group of thieves who smuggled $79.8 million worth of iPhones from Hong Kong into Shenzhen using drones: it’s reportedly the first case of its kind in the country. While the system did not appear all that sophisticated, as many as 15,000 phones could be smuggled across the border in one night.



The smugglers usually operated after midnight and only needed seconds to transport small bags holding more than 10 iPhones using the drones, the report quoted customs as saying. The gang could smuggle as many as 15,000 phones across the border in one night, it said. Regulating the use of drones has become an important task for China, the world’s largest manufacturer of consumer drones.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – China Busts Smugglers Using Drones to Transport Smartphones

Lindsay Lohan will have to accept the fact that GTA V’s Lacey Jonas was not based on her and did not capitalize on her celebrity. New York’s highest court, the state’s Court of Appeals, has determined that there is simply no recognizable likeness between the two.



“We conclude a computer-generated image may constitute a portrait within the meaning of that law,” wrote the court. “We also conclude, however, that the subject images are not recognizable as plaintiff, and that the amended complaint, which contains four causes of action for violation of privacy pursuant to Civil Rights Law §§ 50 and 51, was properly dismissed.”

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Court Rejects Lindsay Lohan’s Appeal in GTA V Likeness Lawsuit

German automation company Festo has designed a new robot based on the flic-flac spider, which apparently does cartwheels to get around. Naturally, the “BionicWheelBot” resembles an arachnid in its default mode, but it can also turn into a ball of sorts, allowing it to roll. Festo also introduced the “BionicFlyingFox,” a bat robot smart enough to fly by itself.



Like its biological model, the flic-flac spider, the BionicWheelBot can both walk and roll. Together with its discoverer, Professor Ingo Rechenberg, the Festo bionics team has used these unique movement patterns and turned them into a technical masterpiece for the Hannover Messe 2018.



Flying fox as inspiration: thanks to its intelligent kinematics, the BionicFlyFox can master the agile flying manoeuvres of its natural role model. In order to be able to move in a defined space semi-autonomously, it communicates constantly with a motion-tracking system.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Festo’s Latest Robots Are a Rolling Spider and Semi-Autonomous Bat

The Alliance for Open Media has announced the public availability of the AOMedia Video Codec 1.0 (AV1), which delivers cross-platform, 4K UHD or higher online video. Unlike video codecs such as h.264 and HEVC, AV1 is royalty-free. It averages 30 percent greater compression compared to competing codecs.



The availability of AV1 as an open-source codec is a significant milestone in fulfilling the organization’s promise to deliver a next-generation video format that is interoperable, open, optimized for internet delivery and scalable to any modern device at any bandwidth.

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Source: [H]ardOCP – AV1 Unleashes 4K and Higher UHD, Royalty-Free Video for All

The US National Toxicology Program has found “clear evidence” that exposure to cell phone radiation increases the risk for at least one type of cancer in male rats. While rats and humans are not exactly equivalents, the results appear to align with the biggest cell phone-radiation human study to date, INTERPHONE.



…in male rats, there was “clear evidence” that exposure to cell phone radiation increased risk for a rare type of malignant tumor called schwannoma in the connective tissues that surround nerves in the heart (they found “equivocal” evidence for the same thing in female rats). They also found “some evidence” that the radiation caused malignant glioma — a type of brain cancer affecting glial cells — in the male rats.

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Source: [H]ardOCP – First Clear Evidence Cell Phone Radiation Can Cause Cancer in Rats

Terry Myerson, leader of the Windows and Devices Group, announced his departure from Microsoft this week. The 21-year veteran won’t be replaced. Instead, the company is forming two new engineering teams that will prioritize Microsoft’s cloud and artificial intelligence products.



So far, the company’s investment in the cloud, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things has paid off. Amy Hood, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, said in January that the company’s commercial cloud revenue grew 56% year-over-year. In that quarter, Windows commercial products and cloud services sales fell 4%.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Microsoft Is Putting Windows on the Back Burner

The federal government has submitted a new proposal that would make it necessary for anyone seeking entry into the US to list all social media identities used in the past five years. The information is expected to better identify and vet visa seekers. Currently, social media profiles are only requested on a case-by-case basis.



If approved, the measures also will require applicants to submit five years of previously used telephone numbers, email addresses, and their international travel history. They will be asked if they have been deported or removed from any country and whether family members have been involved in terrorist activities, the department said.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – US Visa Applicants to Be Asked for Social Media History