Monday, May 05, 2014

drag2share: Meet the Teenage Engineering PO-12: a $49 card-sized drum machine

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/05/teenage-engineering-po-12-drum-machine/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Tucked neatly into a panel discussion at last week's Moogfest, Teenage Engineering outed its latest synthesizer effort. The unit, labeled the PO-12, was intended to be a giveaway during the festivities ("moogfest special" is printed on the built-in hang tag), but the units got caught up in a customs delay, so we're left with details nabbed by attendee Robert Pluma. Here's a quick rundown of some of the reported specs: a Silicon Labs 32-bit ARM microcontroller, wire stand that doubles as a pitch bender, 23 switches, two optimization knobs, beats-per-minute LED and 1/8-inch audio jacks. There also appears to be options for hip-hop, disco and techno on the gadget that's said to be priced at $49. While Teenage Engineering isn't confirming the details, it did tell Synthtopia that Pluma "more or less nailed it regarding the details of this product." The folks at Create Digital Music report that the device will also harness parameter lock, just like the original Machinedrum. We'll have to wait a bit longer for formal availability info, but this tease is certainly enough to whet the ol' appetite... for now.

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drag2share: This Tiny Metal Pill Is the Smallest Pacemaker Ever Implanted

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-tiny-metal-pill-is-the-smallest-pacemaker-ever-imp-1571945295

This Tiny Metal Pill Is the Smallest Pacemaker Ever Implanted

The world is one step closer to a future where tiny ship-like vessels travel through our veins and fix our health problems. Recently, doctors across the United States implanted the world's smallest pacemaker into cardiac patients. The device is roughly the size of a large vitamin and is attached directly to the heart without invasive surgery.

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drag2share: IBM's Watson supercomputer can help settle your debates

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/05/ibm-watson-debater-mode/

IBM Watson has a beef with you

IBM's Watson supercomputer is already good at finding answers to tough questions, but it's going one step further: it can now argue an issue when there's no clear answer. A new Debater feature lets the machine take a given topic, scan for relevant articles, and automatically deduce the pros and cons based on the context and language of any claims. In a demo, Watson took 45 seconds to scour millions of Wikipedia articles and make cases both for and against limiting access to violent video games. It's likely that many people would take much longer, even if they're well-informed on the subject.

The Debater technology isn't so sophisticated that Watson will make a judgment call -- much to the relief of some, that's still up to humans. However, it should be useful for organizations that want to make decisions based on impartial reasoning. IBM noted in its demo (at the 45:25 mark in the video below) that doctors could use the artificial intelligence to shape policies on sensitive topics, for example. While it's doubtful that we'll see many institutions using a computer as their sole guide, the breakthrough could avoid quite a few unnecessary shouting matches.

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Via: Yahoo Finance

Source: Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence

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Article: Sphero And Ollie Robotic Toy Maker Orbotix Has Raised Another $20M, Say Sources

Orbotix, the company that makes fast-moving, robotic toys that you control with smartphone apps, has raised another $20 million in funding, TechCrunch has learned and confirmed with a reliable source. This brings the total raised by maker of the popular Sphero ball to $35 million, as it gears up ...

http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/02/sphero-and-ollie-robotic-toy-maker-orbotix-has-raised-another-20m-say-sources/?ncid=rss

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Article: Good news, Google Now is now less dependent on an internet connection

Driving through a tunnel, hiking on a mountain, riding the subway, or just enjoying a beer in an underground pub. These are all situations when you might not have an internet connection, thus making it impossible to check your helpful virtual assistant Google Now. But that's changing with the lat...

http://www.androidauthority.com/google-now-no-internet-connection-376262/

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