Tag Archives: robots

Hunted in Hungary, refugees are greeted with open arms in Germany

Editor’s note: Hungarians voted October 2 on whether to allow the European Union to set the number of refugees the country must accept. The EU wanted Hungary to take in 1,294 people, and said it would fine the country about $280,000 for each refugee it refuses. More than 98 percent of Hungarians who voted Sunday …

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‘MegaBots’ attacks its own giant robot

The first episode of the “MegaBots” video series, which premiered Wednesday on YouTube, shows the team’s progress toward designing, building and testing a machine for the upcoming Giant Robot Duel against Suidobashi Heavy Industry of Japan. Testing the durability of a six-ton, 15-foot tall robot makes for an entertaining series. But because hitting a $200,000 robot with a paintball cannon …

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Google Allo’s generic auto

Now playing: Watch this: Google Allo puts an assistant in your pocket 1:37 Life is full of tough conversations. When push comes to shove, you have only two options: Be an adult and tackle them head on, or let an app generate replies so you don’t have to. Cowering behind an app may not be the most mature approach to …

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7 iOS Message apps you should try right now

Now playing: Watch this: iOS 10: Best free apps to try in Messages 2:24 Don’t look now, but Messages just became the hub of your iPhone. Thanks to changes in iOS 10, you can now use the app to send money, play games, trade stickers, find and discuss dining and entertainment, manage travel and much more. Oh, yeah: It still …

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Stephen Colbert tests out crappy robots on ‘The Late Show’

While some inventors are known for their brilliance in the field of robotics, another kind of inventor — YouTuber Simone Giertz — has made a career out of making embarrassingly bad robots. “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert brought Giertz to his program Friday for a demo of her inefficient robots that brush teeth, apply lipstick, applaud and chop veggies. …

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Intel is acquiring Movidius, maker of compact computer vision chips: Think VR, AR, drones, robots

Intel just announced a pending acquisition of Movidius, a chip manufacturer focusing on integrated system-on-chip solutions for machine learning and computer vision. It could be a key part towards building a standalone VR headset, and more. Movidius has developed compact chips that already power DJI’s Phantom 4 drones, enabling autonomous piloting. Movidius was also close to releasing a dedicated VR …

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‘Rogue One’ toys star in stop

Star Wars fans are known for using their talents to make fun video tributes using action figures, toy vehicles and more. Now they’ll be able to enter their fan-made videos in a new contest sponsored by Lucasfilm and Disney. To kick things off, Lucasfilm posted the video “Star Wars Go Rogue – Chapter 1” on Tuesday on the official Star …

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Xiaomi’s new Mi Pay only works with one phone

Fresh from rolling out a new robot vacuum, Xiaomi today announced a new contactless payment system for its home market in China. The catch? It really only works on one of its phones, the Xia​omi Mi 5. That’s because the Mi 5 is really the only phone in Xiaomi’s lineup that supports NFC. It’s likely Xiaomi took NFC out of …

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This robot is a lousy sandwich chef

We’ve all had fantasies of a future where robot chefs live in our homes and make us any meal we desire at any time of day. Sadly, robots aren’t quite sophisticated enough for that sort of home use as of yet. But that didn’t stop Simone Giertz, a YouTube vlogger known for putting together hilariously crappy robots, from making her …

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Robot cameras snap splash shots in Rio

Photographer Adam Pretty isn’t scared to go to extreme depths to get his shot. At the Olympics, his cameras are, too. The Getty Images photographer is capturing some of the most memorable moments of the Rio Games’ swimming competition by using robotic cameras secured to the floor of the Olympic pool. His images provide an intimate view of swimmers as …

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