Top TechTop Tech #68: Artificial intelligences, Boosted batteries, and Flying Saucers
Promising products and interesting innovations
By Paul Worthington
Today’s Top Tech:
• Artificial intelligences looking at images
• Boost battery life
• NASA to test.. a Flying Saucer?
Artificial intelligences looking at images
— Microsoft automatically captions photos
Researchers at Microsoft are developing technology “that can automatically identify the objects in a picture, interpret what is going on, and write an accurate caption explaining it,” the company reports.
“If you’re surfing the web and you come across a photo of the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez on the pitchers’ mound at Safeco Field, chances are you’ll quickly interpret that you are looking at a picture of a baseball player on a field preparing to throw a pitch. Now, there is technology that can do that, too.”
The ability for a machine to correctly describe what’s going on in a photo has broader implications for artificial intelligence, and the development of systems that can see, hear, speak and even understand, adds Microsoft Research’s Deep Learning Technology Center.
“For
decades, researchers have been tantalized by the possibility of creating
systems that could accurately interpret and caption photos. But until a few
years ago, most of the systems being developed just weren’t getting it right,
the company adds. “That changed when researchers hit upon the idea of using
neural networks, which are computing elements that are modeled loosely after
the human brain, to connect vision to language. With that technology, the
systems began to get it right more often, and error rates have been decreasing
ever since. It’s basically gone from not working to working because of neural
networks.”
Here’s
more information.
— Google AI counts calories in food photos
Need help sticking to your diet? An artificial intelligence being developed at Google can help, as it trains itself to analyze your food photos and determine just how many calories you’re eating.
Im2Calories is the app that reportedly looked at an image, counted two eggs, two pancakes and three strips of bacon, and determined the calorie count. Image quality is not an issue.
Popular Science has the story here, noting that “like many deep-learning applications, it marries visual analysis—in this case, determining the depth of each pixel in an image—with pattern recognition.”
—Shazam sees songs, visual content
Have you used the Shazam app to let you know what song you’re hearing? It’s a cool tool — and now the company is adding visual recognition to its auditory tech.
The developer says its visual recognition will transform “everything from posters, to packaged goods, to print media, and more …from static images into dynamic pieces of content.”
Starting today, users with the latest version
of Shazam installed on their mobile phones can simply open the app and tap the
new camera icon to start the visual experience, the company adds. “Whenever
they wave their phone over any item with the Shazam camera logo on it or a QR
Code, they’ll instantly get taken to custom mobile experiences including
interactive content, special offers, and ability to purchase items or share
them with others. This capability will live side-by-side with the existing
Shazam audio functionality people rely on to discover new artists, catch up on
favorite acts, listen to music, and use while watching TV.”
Shazam claims more than 100 million monthly
active users.
Boost battery life
Your gadget doesn’t like partially depleted batteries — and so it rejects ’em when they still hold up to 80 percent of their juice, as they no longer register as fully charged.
A new doodad aims to fix that, boosting the voltage output. That capability isn’t new — but doing so in a form factor that fits around a battery while still fitting in existing devices, that is new.
The Batteriser may come to market later this year.
NASA to test.. a Flying Saucer?
Yes, a saucer-shaped space ship.
And what’s more, you can watch the test flight this morning (Wednesday, June 3.)
The Low Density Supersonic Decelerator craft won’t rocket into space, however — it’ll be carried up by… a large weather balloon.
The test isn’t of its launch capabilities, but, as the name implies, its ability to land softly. It’s designed for a mission to Mars.
Unwind in the Mountains
(Sponsor) Enjoy the natural beauty of a private home in the Sierra Nevada, and experience Yosemite National Park now in the Spring — free from the crowds of Summer!
You’ll be comfortable in a large and fully-stocked house with a deck, great view, sunroom patio — all on 15 acres of mountain forest.
Just added: a new indoor hot tub, and outdoor pool.
