China has submitted not emissions data to the UN since 2005, but on Tuesday, Madame Fu Ying, chairperson of the foreign affairs committee of China National People Congress, said China had reduced already carbon intensity 33.8 percent by 2014.2.
which the bank has data. China reforestation program was ambitious even before the Copenhagen summit,
#BRETT The Robot Learns To do New Things Just Like A Kid Does UC Berkeley researchers have come up with new algorithms to help robots learn like humans do through trial and error.
The trouble with developing artificial intelligence is just how much programming is involved in spelling out every aspect of a task.
Then, if a robot or software program doesn encounter that task in the real world exactly as it was programmed to,
said Professor Pieter Abbeel of UC Berkeley Department of Electrical engineering and Computer sciences, in a statement from the university. he key is that
The exact same software, which encodes how the robot can learn, was used to allow the robot to learn all the different tasks we gave it.
used this deep learning algorithm to complete a number of tasks, including putting a clothes hanger on a rack,
Previously, programmers attempted to pre-programme robots to handle all possible scenarios a gargantuan task
deep learning algorithms create eural nets in which layers of artificial neurons process raw sensory data like sound waves
or image pixels and then try to interpret patterns and categories in the data it receiving.
Simpler versions of deep learning can be found in programs we use every day, like Siri on the iphone or Google street view
which utilise the significant advances that have been made in speech and vision recognition. But using deep learning for motor tasks is a far more challenging prospect. oving about in an unstructured 3d environment is a whole different ballgame,
said Ph d. student Chelsea Finn. here are labelled no directions, no examples of how to solve the problem in advance.
The algorithm helps to control BRETT learning by including a reward function that provides the robot with a score based on how well it doing,
and hands via a camera and the algorithm scores its movements with real-time feedback to teach the robot which movements are better for the task at hand.
learning took a bit longer at around three hours. ith more data, you can start learning more complex things,
#SQFT Launches To Disrupt The Real estate Industry With Mobile The real estate industry is a funny thing.
fully transactional mobile application that allows homeowners to list, search, negotiate and purchase homes using only their smartphone.
In doing so, SQFT believes that its platform reduces agent commission costs by two-thirds.
homeowners can create a listing on their smartphone which is posted then to multiple listing services including Trulia and Zillow.
SQFT also allows users to schedule showings, make offers and complete the transaction using the SQFT platform.
and integrated electronic signature functionality allows both parties to finalize the contract from wherever they like.
but the potential benefit to users of disrupting the real estate industry are bigger than the opportunity of disrupting the taxi industry.
#Your Next Cracked Cellphone Screen May Self Repair We all know how easy it is to end up with a cracked phone screen,
but thanks to new technology your next cellphone is likely to self repair. Engineers have revealed a major breakthrough,
and expected to be applied to at least part of the mobile phone industry within five years. The chemicals are contained in millions of microspheres
he could ertainly envisage how similar technology could be appliedto cellphones and other items. While the Bristol researchers have focused on aviation,
it would ave to be positioned at very nearly the price of current displays according to Todd Thibodeaux,
#Amazon Patents A System That Unlocks Your Smartphone With Your Ear There are several ways that you can unlock a smartphone,
if you could unlock your smartphone with ear recognition software? Amazon thinks so. Amazon has received a patent on June 9th that is titled ar recognition as device input.
and can be used to identify the user of the device. In the patent, Amazon explains that various settings of the device could be altered based on the identity of the user such as buttons and ringtones.
I doubt that Amazon would require users to unlock their smartphones to answer phone calls if this technology is implemented
because that process seems inefficient. I believe that the primary benefits for having an ear scanner is to simply unlock the smartphone for uses other than answering phone calls.
For example: It would be useful if a child could pick up a tablet, scan his or her ear
and then instantly be able to open up games for kids. And then an adult scans his or her ear with the same tablet to quickly pull up their stocks, weather, news and social media apps.
Here is a drawing from the patent about how the ear scanning technology work: Amazon is not the only company that has come up with a hands-free way to unlock a smartphone.
Earlier this year, Fujitsu showcased a concept phone that uses infrared lasers and cameras to scan irises for the purpose of unlocking a device.
Apple also received a patent in March 2015 that allows users to unlock their device using facial recognition.
Lab126 is an Amazon com subsidiary that has developed the Amazon Kindle, the Amazon Fire TV SET-top device and the Fire Phone.
The Fire Phone is distinguished by its Dynamic Perspective feature which utilizes four cameras at every corner of the device to track the user eyes
and changes the angles of lock screens and maps as the user tilts the device in different directions.
#Turkey threatens to ban Twitter (again) Turkey-based Twitter users could soon be staring at blank screens again after the government threatened to block the social media service for the second time in less than a year.
government officials demanded Twitter take down the account of the news outlet or face being blocked in the country, the New york times reported.
Twitter sues U s. government over state surveillance rules Twitter responded by removing particular messages posted by Birgun primarily those showing images of the leaked documents
Perhaps not surprisingly, the news organisation continued to post new messages relating to the raid on the trucks, with other Twitter users sympathetic to the media organisation stance retweeting the messages.
Twitter spokesperson Nu Wexler said that of nearly 60,000 tweets on the account, witter withheld access in Turkey to the small number of tweets that discussed the national security issue.
Wexler added that the U s. company would ontinue to work diligently to protect the rights of our users
and preserve access for millions of Twitter users in Turkey. Wouldn be the first time The Turkish authorities can evidently get a bit anxious
when it comes to social media services, especially Twitter. In March last year the government blocked the site after a number of users posted content claiming to expose alleged corruption among the then prime minister close associates,
though the ruling party described it as a smear campaign by political opponents. Twitter resumed normal service in the country about two weeks later,
though during its time offline tech-savvy users had spread the word on workarounds, meaning that for many the ban was largely ineffective r
#Virgin and Qualcomm launch latest broadband-for-the-masses satellite project Virgin boss Richard Branson said his company is joining forces with Qualcomm to put thousands of Internet satellites into orbit offering Web
If that sounds familiar that because Facebook (together with a group of big-name tech firms) and Google (Project Loon) are also working toward similar goals.
To make the project happen the two companies will be investing heavily in satellite Internet firm Oneweb Ltd. possibly familiar to some by its former name of Worldvu Satellites. e plan to put an initial array of 648 satellites up
#Will Zuckerberg use his Internet-laser drones for good or for evil? According to the International Telecommunications Union more than 50 percent of the world population is currently without Internet access.
The initial array of nearly 650 micro satellites is intended to provide ow-latency high-speed Internet access directly to small user terminals deployed around the worldoneweb said in a release.
The plan is to connect ural and remote areasusing the satellites which are likely to cost around $350000 each to build.
While Facebook is looking to send drones#the size of massive passenger planes into orbit to bring Web access to the masses Google is looking at high-altitude balloons
Just like other marttech that can complete tasks without its user providing instructions, this smart grenade can find its target itself.
a soldier will not need to do any sort of pre-fire programming sequence. The soldier just needs to accurately aim the weapon
#Health insurer Anthem says database of customer employee info hacked Anthem, the second-largest health insurance company in America, said late Wednesday that a database containing personal information of approximately 80 million of its customers
and employees had been hacked. The cyber breach, which occurred last week, was reported first by The Wall street journal. The paper reported that investigators were still investigating the extent of the incursion,
email addresses and employment details--including income. However the insurer did say that credit card information was compromised not
The insurer said it would also set up a information website and offer a credit-monitoring service.
Security experts told Foxnews. com that health data is extremely attractive to criminals. very crime needs motive and opportunity.
in an email. he opportunity is that more health data is becoming digital, is being shared more broadly across networks,
and providers aren't well prepared to defend against sophisticated attackers who are increasingly seeking this data. ealthcare records are much more valuable than credit card information, added Nat Kausik,
The robots could be sent on missions to collect lifesaving data for frontline troops. If a unit approaches a building and needs to know what inside
and provide data like threat locations, bomb making materials, hostage locations, and more. Or say that a unit needs to enter an area where GPS technology won function easily,
a controller and a screen, weighs under three pounds. How does it work? This hornet does not attack.
A team of computer scientists and engineers from the Harvard School of engineering and Applied sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering has created an autonomous robotic construction crew that will be capable of doing all that and more.
and supervise on site. In insect colonies on the other hand, there is no leader to instruct the others.
Thanks to the Harvard team algorithms, the TERMES robots use a sort of stigmergy, too, allowing very large groups of robots to act as a colony.
#Slow fade for the ipad and tablets? The ipad isn what it used to be.
It been more than four and a half years since Steve jobs launched the ipad. On that first weekend of sales in May 2010, Apple sold over one million units against a backdrop of long,
snaking lines at Apple stores and tablet sales surged in the following years. Fast forward to the end of 2014.
For the first time since 2010, tablet shipments recorded a year-over-year decline in the fourth quarter,
market research firm IDC said this week. The ipad just isn the sensation it once was
according to IDC. pple efforts to maintain ipad momentum have fallen flat so far, IDC said in a statement,
attributing this to the lackluster refreshes of the ipad Air and ipad Mini. The new ipad Mini, for example, is virtually the same as the older model with the exception of a fingerprint sensor and a new color (gold.
The problem is, when Apple slumps the whole market sinks. The tablet market is ery top heavyin that it relies mostly on Apple
and Samsung to carry the market forward each year, IDC said. Which means Samsung is playing its part in the slump too. amsung's struggles continued asid-to high-priced Android tablets like Samsung offerings simply aren't cut out for today's tablet market, the market research specialist added.
What going on? Large-screen phones, aka phablets, are a big factor, according to market research firm Canalys,
which also released numbers this week, showing a shrinking tablet market. Phablets, like the 5. 5-inch iphone 6 Plus and the 5. 7-inch Samsung galaxy Note 4, render tablets like the 7. 9-inch ipad Mini less attractive
and less necessary. here are some markets around the world where five -and-a-half and six-inch smartphones are really popular such as China and other parts of Asia, Chris Jones,
an analyst and cofounder at Canalys, told Foxnews. com. In Asia they are consuming media content on a large-screen phone so they don need a tablet,
he said. nd Apple has had an impact as well, changing the size of their iphone with the 6 Plus.
That has an impact because there not a lot of difference between a large phone and a seven-inch tablet.
Jitesh Ubrani, an analyst at IDC, said that consumers are holding on to their tablets for a lot longer than expected,
which is also contributing to the muted demand. One of the few bright spots is Microsoft and Windows device makers.
They are tapping into a shift toward large-screen tablets in certain markets, according to both IDC and Canalys.
Microsoft has been aggressively pushing its 12-inch Surface Pro 3 tablet over the past six months and Hewlett-packard markets 13-inch tablets to large corporations.
Both Microsoft and HP fared well in the fourth quarter, according to Canalys. And Lenovo a large Windows device maker ad its best ever quarter, said Canalys.
It should be noted, however, that the larger tablets are marketed often as hybrid tablet-laptops --so growth in this market isn't necessarily good news for companies like Apple.
And what can we expect in 2015?""Despite the slow down of the market, we maintain our forecast about tablet growth in 2015,
"said Jean Philippe Bouchard, an IDC analyst. icrosoft's new OS Windows 10, a general shift towards larger screen s nd technology innovations such as gesture interface that could be introduced in tablets will help the market maintain positive growth in 2015,
he added. Canalys expects growth in 2015 to come from tablets with screen sizes larger than 8 inches o
#China tightens Web controls requires written pledge to avoid'unhealthy'activity online China announced Wednesday that users of blogs
and chat rooms will be required to register their names with operators and promise in writing to avoid challenging the communist political system, further tightening control over Internet use.
The announcement follows what technology companies say are official efforts in recent weeks to block virtual private networks that are used to circumvent China's extensive Internet filters.
China has the world's biggest population of Internet users with 649 million people online but increasing censorship has chilled the popularity of social media.
Beijing has required Internet companies since 2012 to obtain real names of some users. But compliance was uneven
and the rules failed to specify what services were covered. The latest announcement extends that"real name"registration requirement to blogs,
microblog services such as the popular Sina Weibo and website comment sections. Such settings offer many Chinese their only opportunity to express themselves in public in a society in which all media are controlled by the ruling Communist party.
The rules also require Internet services for the first time to have users sign a contract that includes a pledge to refrain from"illegal and unhealthy"activity.
Wednesday's announcement affirmed an earlier prohibition against posting material deemed a threat to state power
or national security terms the ruling party uses to describe opposition to communist rule. It said operators will be required to deactivate accounts of violators.
The ruling party encourages Internet use for business and education but tries to block material deemed subversive or obscene.
Beijing regularly launches new censorship initiatives to respond to changes such as the growing popularity of social media.
The Cyberspace Administration of China said the latest rules are needed to combat"username chaos."In a statement,
the agency said users took inappropriate online names such as Putin and Obama, promoted"vulgar culture,
"committed fraud by pretending to be Communist party officials or agitated for separatist causes. Operators will be required to assign an employee to review
and keep track of user details to ensure they comply, the agency said. The government of President Xi Jinping has been calling on Internet companies since last year to"spread positive energy"online.
In May, Sina Corp, . which operates one of China's most popular Internet platforms, said it was penalized for allowing"unhealthy and indecent content"online.
Sina was fined $815, 000 and stripped of two of its licenses for Internet publication and online transmission of audiovisual programs.
In a statement on its own Sina Weibo microblog account, Sina said it"firmly supports"the new measures.
It posted instructions for users to alert censors to possible violators. China operates the world's most extensive system of Internet monitoring and filters.
It blocks access to websites abroad run by human rights and other activists groups, as well as popular services such as the Google search engine and Facebook.
Until recently, users of virtual private network, or VPN, services were able to skirt those restrictions to reach business tools operated by Google and other blocked sites.
But in recent weeks, some companies that operate VPNS, which encrypt traffic to prevent censors from reading it,
say tighter controls have disrupted their services. The government has confirmed not it was responsible for the blockage.
But an official of the Ministry of Industry and Information technology, responding to a question about it at a Jan 27 news conference
said,"harmful information should be managed according to Chinese laws.""Censorship also has eroded the popularity of social media such as Sina Weibo,
which freelance journalists and independent commentators used to distribute news reports and essays. The number of users has declined
since Beijing tightened control in 2013 over how such services could be used. The number of microblog users as of the end of last year declined to 249 million, some 7. 1 percent,
or 32 million people, below 2013, according to a state-authorized research body, the China Internet Network Information center t
#Global tablet sales dip for first time Tablet sales have fallen for the first time since the devices went mainstream in 2010,
so says research firm IDC. According to its most recent data, 76.1 million tablets were sold globally by tech firms during Q4 2014, down from 78.6 million for the same period a year earlier.
This represents a 3. 2 percent drop in sales overall, though take a look at the vendorsindividual figures and you notice some pretty wild variations.
Amazon, for example, saw its October-to-December Kindle Fire sales plummet by a whopping 70 percent compared to a year earlier
with only 1. 7 million units shipped during the most recent holiday season compared to 5. 8 million in Q4 2013.
The company sold more tablets (21.4 million) than any other vendor during the quarter, though it possible the recent release of its large-screen iphones impacted sales to some extent.
Rival Samsung sold about half as many tablets as Apple at the end of last year (11 million), while its fall in sales was slightly bigger than the Cupertino company at 18.4 percent.
In fact as the table below shows, four of the top five vendors saw a fall in Q4 slate sales,
Commenting on the data, IDC senior research analyst Jitesh Ubrani described the tablet market as till very top heavyin that it continues to rely mostly on Apple
and Samsung to push it forward. The analyst added, lthough Apple expanded its ipad lineup by keeping around older models
and offering a lower entry price point of $249, it still wasn enough to spur ipad sales given the excitement around the launch of the new iphones.
Samsung struggles continue, Ubrani said, s low-cost vendors are quickly proving that mid-to high-priced Android tablets simply aren cut out for today tablet market.
One bright spot for the market showed up in the data for the whole of 2014,
which saw 229.6 million tablets shipped, marking a 4. 4 percent increase on 2013. So how is 2015 likely to pan out for tablet makers?
A myriad of factors are set to haul the business one way or the other, among them increased rivalry in emerging markets, saturation in established ones, the presence of Apple large-screen iphone 6 devices,
and the introduction of lighter, increasingly powerful, and competitively priced laptops. You never know, Apple expected supersized tablet might even shake things up a bit n
#IBM joins forces with Mars taps genomics to boost food safety Tech heavyweight IBM has joined forces with food manufacturing giant Mars in an attempt to boost global food safety.
Scientists from the two companies have founded the Consortium for Sequencing the Food supply Chain tapping advances in genomics to gain a better understanding of food safety.
IBM says that researchers will investigate the genetic fingerprints of living organisms such as bacteria fungi
and viruses examining how they grow in environments such as countertops factories and raw materials. The data will be used to investigate how bacteria interact with scientists hopeful the results will improve food safety management across the supply chain. t becoming extremely complex with the global supply chainjeff Welser lab director of IBM Almaden research center
in San jose Calif. told Foxnews. com. small problem in one place can travel quicklyhe consortium will conduct the largest ever study of metagenomics aiming to better categorize
and understand microorganisms and their impact in factory environments. Metagenomics is using genomics to identify the microorganisms in a sample to determine
We have to figure out what microorganisms there arehe added. re the population sites healthy? Are they normal?
Scientists from U. C. Davis will sequence the sample data which will then be sent to IBM. e take it to do the work on the analytics
and algorithmssaid Welser. ver time we will build a database that we will use as a reference for
BM is no stranger to handling vast quantities of complex data. Last year for example the company enhanced its Watson supercomputer famous for its appearance on the quiz show Jeopardy in an attempt to speed up the pace of scientific breakthroughs.
Welser told Foxnews. com that IBM is actively pursuing other partners to join the consortium with the support of Mars. ood safety is not a competitive issue all companies want food to be said safehe.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter@jamesjroger m
#Futuristic cargo vessel looks to revolutionize shipping Norwegian ship designer Lade AS has unveiled a futuristic new design for cargo vessels
which uses the shipshulls as a sail. Inspired by sailboats and aerospace the indskipwith its hull shaped like a symmetrical air foil is designed to use the wind for propulsion.
Additionally the Vindskip will employ a specialized computer program to analyze meteorological data and calculate the best sailing route based on available wind energy.
Testing of a model in a water tank is scheduled to begin in April he explained in an email.
--and based on this we were invited into the Vindskip project he explained in an email. Our vision is'shaping the maritime industry
Follow James Rogers on Twitter@jamesjroger s
#US Air force confirms Boeing's electromagnetic pulse weapon For the last few years, the creative minds of Hollywood had outpaced seemingly the reality of technological and scientific advances in the weapons field.
the simple act of taking a photo with your smartphone could help fight crime, and prevent you from getting ripped off in the process.
Northwestern University scientists have invented new advanced fluorescent inks revealed through a phone's ultraviolet light that serve as the product barcodes of the future.
and encryption the researchers have combined an encryption and authentication security system with inkjet-printing technology. How does it work?
when highlighted by a smartphone ultraviolet light. To defeat counterfeiters, this ink could be applied to nearly anything, from the world most expensive handbags to rare liquor and even banknotes.
it may be orange on printer paper. Recipe turned Encryption Toolthe inventors are calling this ink a built-in olecular encryptiontool.
or follow her on Twitter@Allison barrie w
#IBM and Bon Appétit's Chef Watson app cooks up some surprising dishes Meet Chef Watson, the most versatile culinary genius around.
On Tuesday, tech giant IBM and foodie magazine Bon Appétit announced the public version of Chef Watson,
the new cognitive cooking app that brings the knowledge of the world-famous"Jeopardy"-beating supercomputer to the average household kitchen.
The free app provides a way for everyone, from the casual dinnertime experimenter to the more experienced chef,
to create dishes using the 10,000 recipes from Bon Appétit database that have been fed to Watson. hen we got started on this idea about a year ago,
distinguished engineer and director of IBM Watson Life, told Foxnews. com. ood plays such a crucial role in the social and cultural fabric of our society,
BM Watson ability to aggregate mass quantities of information has made the cognitive computing system a major player in a number of sectors
when she heard about IBM and the Institute of culinary education (ICE) food truck that made a splash at the 2014 South by Southwest festival in Austin.
Over a five-day period, ICE and IBM treated passersby to dishes that were prepared using Watson database of recipes from the culinary school.
ICE and IBM published a cookbook, ognitive Cooking with Chef Watson: Recipes for Innovation from IBM & the Institute of culinary education. or Rivera, it seemed like her publication resources could make for a great match with IBM technology.
Rivera and her team reached out to IBM, and a series of articles featuring Watson recipes were released.
Rivera and Abrams said they saw potential for a more comprehensive app that could give the magazine readers direct interaction with Watson capabilities.
and have been refining it with user feedback over the past year leading up to this week public launch. e have structured a very database of recipes that could give Watson this incredible resource,
of gathering the user perspective. And throughout the year, we have created some really great food.
presenting the user with Bon Appétit recipes that use those ingredients. The user can then modify
or adjust those recipes, adding or subtracting ingredients. Essentially, Abrams said it is important to think of Chef Watson as the ultimate cooking aid.
The computer is not replacing the human cook but instead offering the best possible options for creating unique, sometimes counterintuitive, recipes.
and how they cook. t not a computer telling you how to cook, but is instead a computer helping you cook.
There a difference, Rivera added. Rivera and Abrams said they have worked to make the app more user friendly over the past year,
and that many of the adjustments have been made to make it more interactive and a tool that can be enhanced through social media.
Abrams said that the app emphasizes that ultimately, food is a ocial experience. o, what are the best dishes Abrams
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