BYU image algorithm can recognize objects without any human help

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/15/image-algorithm-can-recognize-objects-without-any-human-help/

Even the smartest object recognition systems tend to require at least some human input to be effective, even if it's just to get the ball rolling. Not a new system from Brigham Young University, however. A team led by Dah-Jye Lee has built a genetic algorithm that decides which features are important all on its own. The code doesn't need to reset whenever it looks for a new object, and it's accurate to the point where it can reliably pick out subtle differences -- different varieties of fish, for instance. There's no word on just when we might see this algorithm reach the real world, but Lee believes that it could spot invasive species and manufacturing defects without requiring constant human oversight. Let's just hope it doesn't decide that we're the invasive species.

Filed under: Alt

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Via: SlashGear

Source: Brigham Young University

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Huawei's Richard Yu says octa-core HiSilicon chip is ready, will feature multi-mode LTE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/16/richard-yu-on-new-hisilicon-chipsets/

It's been a year since Huawei's Richard Yu's teased his company's octa-core HiSilicon SoC, and according to the exec's recent Sina Weibo post (screenshot after the break), said product is finally ready. In fact, Yu revealed that his company's launched two new 28nm HPM chips. The octa-core model (likely the K3V3) features the usual quad Cortex-A15 plus quad Cortex-A7 big.LITTLE combo (as implemented by Samsung Exynos 5 Octa); and there's also a new quad-core Cortex-A9 model (likely the K3V2 Pro), which succeeds the 40nm K3V2 that features the same architecture. What's unclear is whether the octa-core chip will allow all eight cores to run simultaneously, but what we do know is that both chips come with a multi-mode LTE modem that will also handle both WCDMA and China Mobile's TD-SCDMA radios.

Yu also made a separate post to say we're entering the era of 64-bit octa-core processor (Cortex-A53 plus Cortex-A57) this year, but the message was deleted soon afterwards. What a tease. Anyhow, we have a feeling that Huawei will be showing off its first device powered by its own octa-core chip at MWC next month. That's not to say Huawei's saying goodbye to Qualcomm and MediaTek, though -- Yu confirmed that he'll have more "high-end" devices that will feature chips supplied by these two companies.

Filed under: Misc, Mobile

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Via: Engadget Chinese

Source: Sina Weibo

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Science Finally Gives Us a Way to Authenticate Premium Chocolate

Source: http://gizmodo.com/science-finally-gives-us-a-way-to-authenticate-premium-1502035564

That fancy premium chocolate from Tanzania that you spent $10 on at Whole Foods last night might not be as fancy or premium as you think. Lower quality cacao is often mixed into even the best chocolate, which is precisely why scientists have now developed a method for authenticating the varietal purity and origin of cacao beans.

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iOS users can now buy, rent or stream content from Google Play

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/15/google-play-movies-tv-apple-ios/

Apple's iTunes has long been the de facto virtual storefront for iOS users looking to buy or rent digital content, but now Google's elbowing its way into that tidy ecosystem. The search giant just dropped an iOS version of its Google Play Movies & TV app onto the App Store, giving users an alternate media library to browse. The service will also allow users to purchase films and TV shows from the desktop and view them from any iDevice. Just don't get too jazzed about the Chromecast streaming side of things. We've seen the service hiccup more than we'd like in our time using it. Your mileage may vary, but don't say you weren't warned.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, HD, Mobile, Apple, Google

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Source: iTunes

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Adafruit shows how to make your own touchscreen camera using Raspberry Pi (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/15/adafruit-raspberry-pi-camera/

Do you like the idea of building your own digital camera, but want something a little more sophisticated than Ikea's cardboard cam? Adafruit will be happy to help you out. It has posted instructions for making a point-and-shoot using little more than a Raspberry Pi, its matching camera module and Adafruit's PiTFT touchscreen. The resulting device won't rival any modern point-and-shoot for quality, but it's truly usable -- you can even slap on a WiFi adapter to upload shots to Dropbox. Whatever your experience with DIY photography, you'll find everything you need to know at the source link.

Filed under: Cameras

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Via: Raspberry Pi

Source: Adafruit

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