Category: Just plain interesting!

The Promise of Artificial General Intelligence is Evaporating

Posted on by esimantiras

The Promise of Artificial General Intelligence is Evaporating

source: mindmatters.ai (contributed by Artemus founder, Bob Wallace)  |  image: pexels.com

 

Revenue from corporate adoption of AI continues to disappoint and, so far, pales in comparison to the revenue that sustained the dot-com bubble — until it didn’t

hink back to when you took a science class in high school or college. Introductory physics, for example. There was one textbook and, if you learned the material in the book, you got a high grade in the class. If you were super serious, you might read a second textbook that reinforced what was in the first book and might even have added a few new concepts. A third book wouldn’t have added much, if anything. Reading a 10th, 20th, or 100th textbook would surely have been a waste of time.

Large language models (LLMs or chatbots) are like that when it comes to absorbing factual information. They don’t need to be told 10, 20, or 100 times that Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, Paris is the capital of France, or that the formula for Newton’s law of universal gravitation is

Continue reading “The Promise of Artificial General Intelligence is Evaporating” →

In This Polish Village, All 5,600 Residents Live on the Same Street

Posted on by esimantiras

In This Polish Village, All 5,600 Residents Live on the Same Street

source: nicenews.com  |  image: pexels.com

 

take a look at this street!

 

When a drone captured a bird’s-eye view photo of a sleepy Polish town, one feature stood out, taking the village from a relatively unknown dot on a map to a social media phenomenon. 

That wow-worthy feature? Everyone in Suloszowa — with a population of 5,672 in 2023 — lives on one single street. What impresses in the aerial picture is not only the 5.6-mile road with homes dotted on either side of it, but the billowing ribbons of yellow, green, and gold fields stretching out from behind them, forming living art in the surrounding countryside. 

“Until I saw the pictures from above, I didn’t really appreciate how nice it is here,” Marian Gęgotek, a resident and tractor driver, told the Daily Mail. Local shopkeeper Edyta was similarly struck by the photo of her town making the rounds on social media, adding: “I saw the aerial picture on the internet and I know that people are talking about us, and I am not that surprised, it is a lovely view.”  Continue reading “In This Polish Village, All 5,600 Residents Live on the Same Street” →

A “City Within a City” Is Coming to Phoenix

Posted on by esimantiras

A “City Within a City” Is Coming to Phoenix

source: nicenews.com  |  image: unsplash.com

 

Things are getting meta in Phoenix: Plans are in the works to build a $7 billion “city within a city” and drive value in the local economy.
​
Called “Halo Vista,” the project in the Arizona capital would span 2,300 acres, with 28 million square feet dedicated to residential, retail, office, and industrial spaces. All of that will surround a semiconductor chip manufacturing complex, Newsweek reports, citing The Arizona Republic.
​
“As historic as this is, it’s maybe just the beginning,” Richard Mack, one of the developers of the project, said at a launch event. Three other plants are planned for the site and are projected to create 10,000 total permanent jobs, not to mention another 80,000 jobs for the surrounding development.
​
The team behind Halo Vista reiterated that it’s more than structures they’re seeking to build: “I really hope people understand this is a community we are trying to develop, and not any one thing,” Mack added.

The Era of Flying Cars…

Posted on by esimantiras

The Era of Flying Cars May (Actually) Be on the Horizon

source: nicenews.com  |  image: unsplash.com

 

You might soon hear your cab driver say: “Clear skies ahead and ready for takeoff.” Air taxis, along with other electric-powered aircrafts, are closer than ever to getting permission to fly.
​
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration published a much-anticipated 880-page document on the final regulations for pilot training and operating requirements for “powered-lift” vehicles. That means an aircraft designed to take off and land vertically like a helicopter (or the DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future), but with fixed wings like a plane, per The Verge.
​
“Powered lift aircraft are the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement, calling the new ruling “historic.” According to the agency, the vehicles can be used for cargo delivery, emergency rescue efforts, and simply taxiing people from point A to point B. While the rules aim to maintain safety and rigor, they also seek to address the realities of this nascent industry without setting overly strict standards.
​
No air taxi company is currently certified for commercial operations, but some startups, like Joby Aviation and Archer, are in the process of making our sci-fi dreams a reality. Watch Joby’s aircraft fly over New York City last year.​

Security News This Week: The FBI Made a Crypto Coin Just to Catch Fraudsters

Posted on by esimantiras
Security News This Week: The FBI Made a Crypto Coin Just to Catch Fraudsters

source: wired.com  |  image: fbi.gov

 
/ NexFundAI, the FBI’s Ethereum-based token, was used to investigate price manipulation in crypto markets.

The FBI created a cryptocurrency as part of an investigation into price manipulation in crypto markets, the government revealed on Wednesday. The FBI’s Ethereum-based token, NexFundAI, was created with the help of “cooperating witnesses.”

As a result of the investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged three “market makers” and nine people for allegedly engaging in schemes to boost the prices of certain crypto assets. The Department of Justice charged 18 people and entities for “widespread fraud and manipulation” in crypto markets. Continue reading “Security News This Week: The FBI Made a Crypto Coin Just to Catch Fraudsters” →

This Brain Implant Lets People Control Amazon Alexa With Their Minds

Posted on by esimantiras

This Brain Implant Lets People Control Amazon Alexa With Their Minds

source: wired.com (contributed by Artemus founder, Bob Wallace)  |  image: pexels.com

 

Neuralink rival Synchron is connecting its brain–computer interface with consumer technologies to allow people with paralysis more functionality.

Mark, a 64-year-old with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, uses Amazon Alexa all the time using his voice. But now, thanks to a brain implant, he can also control the virtual assistant with his mind.

ALS affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control over time. Mark, who asked that his last name not be used, has limited mobility as a result of his condition. He can walk and talk but has no use of his arms and hands. As part of a clinical trial, he received a brain-computer interface, or BCI, made by startup Synchron in August 2023.

Synchron is developing a BCI that decodes brain signals to allow people with paralysis the ability to control digital devices with their thoughts alone. On Monday, the company announced that its BCI can now be used with Alexa without the need for voice or physical interaction with a touchscreen. Synchron says Mark is the first person to use Alexa with an implanted BCI. Continue reading “This Brain Implant Lets People Control Amazon Alexa With Their Minds” →

Apple Dives Deeper Into Med Tech With Focus on Hearing Health

Posted on by esimantiras

Apple Dives Deeper Into Med Tech With Focus on Hearing Health

 

source: cnet.com  |  image: pexels.com

 

An Apple a Day…

There’s nothing quite as thrilling as the chaos and hype of an Apple event day. Granted, as a longtime Apple user, I’m a bit biased. But the launch of the new iPhone 16; the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch; and the release of the next generation of Watches and AirPods warrants that kind of excitement. While our tech experts are knee-deep in all things iPhone and Watch, I want to highlight one important bit of news from yesterday’s Glowtime presentation: The AirPods Pro 2 earbuds will have over-the-counter hearing aid capability.

Anyone who’s experienced hearing loss, or who knows someone who has, understands the challenges associated with it. Traditional hearing aids are designed to help ease confusion, but they tend to raise the volume on all sounds, not just people’s voices. On top of that, they can cost thousands of dollars. With the new AirPods Pro 2, you’ll be able to give yourself a hearing test, and the earbuds will use “personalized dynamic adjustments” to boost sound in real time, Apple said. They’re expected to be available this fall.

It was hard to pick which of our Apple stories to include this week. Make sure you check out our other Apple event coverage, including a comparison of the iPhone 16 specs and commentary on why Apple’s hardware-focused event was so refreshing.

Fighting the last war

Posted on by esimantiras

Fighting the Last War

source: axios.com (contributed by FAN, Bill Amshey)  | image: pexels.com

 

The United States — its citizens, industry, decision-makers and military — is unprepared for a war that could kick off with Russia and China and later engulf the world, according to a new blue chip study.

Why it matters: The Commission on the National Defense Strategy, a congressionally mandated group with members handpicked by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, is not known for hyperbole. Its conclusions, that the U.S. “has not kept pace with a worsening situation,” should be a wakeup call.

Here are some of the top-line issues the commission laid out in 100-plus pages published this week:

  • China has “largely negated the U.S. military advantage” in the Western Pacificafter 20 years of investment.
  • The Pentagon’s portrayal of Russia as an “acute threat” undersells the “ongoing and persistent” nature of the hazards it poses, especially in space and cyber. Moscow-aligned hackers are expected to sow chaos across the U.S. should war break out.
  • The means by which the Pentagon purchases weapons are outdated, as are the ultimate products. Successes like the DIU are system workarounds that don’t have enough resources.
  • Stateside production capacity is “grossly inadequate,” meaning a “World War II–style industrial mobilization” is off the table. A protracted fight, as seen in Ukraine, is incredibly taxing.
  • Recruiting failures have stunted the services. Techniques once used to bring people in the door are in desperate need of an overhaul (no more strip mall recruiting offices and discolored billboards).
  • Congress “has become a major impediment to national security” and fails to fund the government in a timely manner, while billions of dollars are wasted and new projects are kneecapped.
  • Public support for a strong military and robust alliances is evaporating amid political polarization and peacetime disengagement. Continue reading “Fighting the last war” →

They Are Using Lab-Grown Human Brains Called “Organoids” To Run Computers

Posted on by esimantiras

They Are Using Lab-Grown Human Brains Called “Organoids” To Run Computers

source: zerohedge.com (contributed by FAN, Robert Keach)  |  image: pixabay.com

 

When I first started researching this, I could hardly believe that it was true. A company in Switzerland known as “Final Spark” has constructed a bizarre hybrid biocomputer that combines lab-grown miniature human brains with conventional electronic circuits.  This approach saves an extraordinary amount of energy compared to normal computers, but there is a big problem.  The lab-grown miniature human brains keep wearing out and dying, and so scientists have to keep growing new ones to replace them. 

Stem cells that are derived from human skin tissue are used to create the 16 spherical brain “organoids” that the system depends upon.  I realize that this sounds like something straight out of a really bad science fiction movie, but it is actually happening.

Continue reading “They Are Using Lab-Grown Human Brains Called “Organoids” To Run Computers” →

Diving Drones

Posted on by esimantiras

Diving Drones

source: axios.com (contributed by FAN, Bill Amshey)  |  image: pixabay.com

 

An animal-like uncrewed underwater vehicle dubbed Manta Ray can be seen maneuvering off the Southern California coast in new footage captured during testing, Axios’ Colin Demarest reports.

  • Why it matters: Sea drones are reshaping naval combat — especially in Eastern Europe, where Ukrainian forces are sinking prized Russian ships using far smaller and cheaper tech.

The Manta Ray’s almond-shaped body, rounded nose, horizontal fins and vertical tail can be spotted in the 360-degree video shared by maker Northrop Grumman.

  • While its dimensions aren’t publicly discussed, the UUV (uncrewed underwater vehicle) looks gigantic next to people and boats.
  • The vessel glides through the water, dips below the waves and resurfaces in the clip. Little wake is seen.

The big picture: The U.S. Navy is banking on uncrewed systems to reduce logistical demands, boost surveillance and augment firepower for sailors and Marines.

VIDEO:  Take a dive with Manta Ray.  Click here to watch the video