Archive for February, 2016
Google Unveils Neural Network with “Superhuman” Ability to Determine the Location of Almost Any Image
February 28th, 2016Via: MIT Technology Review: Here’s a tricky task. Pick a photograph from the Web at random. Now try to work out where it was taken using only the image itself. If the image shows a famous building or landmark, such as the Eiffel Tower or Niagara Falls, the task is straightforward. But the job becomes […]
Wealthy Republicans Planning to Run Third Party Candidate to Stop Trump
February 27th, 2016Some other flunky Republican-as-3rd-Party candidate would simply take votes from Trump, making it more likely that Clinton would win. These guys don’t think that their candidate will have a snowball’s chance in Hell of winning. In other words, these Republicans would rather have Clinton for President than Trump, and they’re working to make that happen. […]
Mercedes-Benz Swaps Robots for People on Its Assembly Lines
February 26th, 2016Sure, for luxury items. Will a customer look at the price of a Mercedes and think, “They should have made a more standardized car so I could save a couple grand.” No. a Mercedes customer will not think that. Many luxury brands, from clothes to watches to yachts to planes, rely on human labor. Overall, […]
13.5 Percent of the Japan’s Housing Stock Vacant or Abandoned
February 26th, 2016I’ve been interested in Japan since I was a child, but I’ve never been there. The closest I’ll probably ever get to Japan is looking around on Google Maps. I pick a random spot and use the Street View function to see what there is to see. So right up front, this is my disclosure: […]
Scalia Died Among Members of Austrian Elite Society, International Order of St. Hubertus — U.S. Branch Started in 1966 at Bohemian Club
February 25th, 2016Wow. Definitely nothing to see here… Via: Washington Post: When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died 12 days ago at a West Texas ranch, he was among high-ranking members of an exclusive fraternity for hunters called the International Order of St. Hubertus, an Austrian society that dates back to the 1600s. After Scalia’s death Feb. […]
Dripping Blood, a Severed Arm, & 67 Tons of Cash on a CIA Plane
February 24th, 2016This is a good one. Via: Mad Cow Productions: When the ground crew at Harare International Airport comes out to refuel the plane, they’re horrified to see blood dripping down the fuselage. The plane’s crew dismisses it. Its led by two Americans, who claim they hit a bird earlier. Somebody calls the cops. … Stacked […]
Mercedes Coming for Tesla: First of Four Pure EV Models Available in 2018
February 24th, 2016This Mercedes news was from December 2015. I just spotted it because Korean firm SK Innovation was recently selected by Mercedes to supply the lithium ion cells for the vehicles. Via: Car Magazine: Mercedes-Benz will launch the first of four electric cars in 2018, as it begins an all-out assault on Tesla. CAR magazine revealed […]
Pregnant Secretary of Pope Francis Found Dead in Her Rome Apartment
February 24th, 2016Via: The Mirror: The Pope’s pregnant receptionist has been found dead in her apartment on the outskirts of the city. Miriam Wuolou, a 34-year-old of Eritrean origin, was seven-months pregnant when her body was discovered. She had worked at Pope Francis’ home and a priests’ guesthouse called Santa Marta for years. The Italian press reports […]
Atlas, The Next Generation
February 24th, 2016Via: Boston Dynamics (aka Google, aka Alphabet Inc): A new version of Atlas, designed to operate outdoors and inside buildings. It is specialized for mobile manipulation. It is electrically powered and hydraulically actuated. It uses sensors in its body and legs to balance and LIDAR and stereo sensors in its head to avoid obstacles, assess […]
Ground Delivery Drones Ready to Roll in England
February 23rd, 2016Via: USA Today: “Ground drone” delivery robots that could easily be mistaken for toilet bowls on wheels are about to start rolling through London. Starship Technologies CEO Ahti Heinla says the company’s fleet of “small, safe, practical, free from CO2 emissions, and best of all, earthbound” robots can deliver packages and groceries at a fraction […]
