Top news stories for the week 38

Monday, Sep 14

BLURtooth attack overwrites Bluetooth encryption keys

A bluetooth vulnerability that could impact millions of users of smartphones, tablets and IoT devices was reported last week by two research groups.

Sep 14, 2020

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New research teaches AI how people move with internet videos

New research at the University of Michigan can train neural network models to identify a person's position in videos where only a portion of their body is visible in the shot. This breakthrough opens up a huge library of ...

Sep 14, 2020

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SoftBank Group selling Arm to NVIDIA for up to $40 billion

Japan's SoftBank Group said Monday it is selling British chip designer Arm to US firm NVIDIA for up to $40 billion, potentially creating a new giant in the industry but sparking an investigation by UK regulators and fears ...

Sep 14, 2020

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An operational amplifier fabricated using a 2-D semiconductor

Analog electronics are electronic systems that operate with currents and voltages that continuously change over time, rather than switching only between two levels, like digital electronics. Most existing analog devices are ...

Sep 14, 2020

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98

ARPA-type funding gives green technology an 'innovation advantage', study finds

A new analysis of the successes and failures of green energy companies in the US has found that those with ARPA funding filed for far more patents in the years after launching than other "cleantech" startups from the same ...

Sep 14, 2020

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How to harness the power of biosolids to make hydrogen

Researchers have used biosolids to produce hydrogen from wastewater, in new technology that supports the comprehensive recycling of one of humanity's unlimited resources—sewage.

Sep 14, 2020

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Machine-learning helps sort out massive materials' databases

EPFL and MIT scientists have used machine-learning to organize the chemical diversity found in the ever-growing databases for the popular metal-organic framework materials.

Sep 14, 2020

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Tuesday, Sep 15

A deep learning model achieves super-human performance at Gran Turismo Sport

Over the past few decades, research teams worldwide have developed machine learning and deep learning techniques that can achieve human-comparable performance on a variety of tasks. Some of these models were also trained ...

Sep 15, 2020

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Can a new algorithm make self-driving cars safer?

A driverless car isn't driven by a person but is controlled by a system of sensors and processors. In many countries, tests of autonomous driving have been happening for years. Germany wants to permit driverless cars across ...

Sep 15, 2020

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148

AI Robots serve restaurant customers in South Korea

A burger shop in the South Korean capital is a bit different from typical fast food restaurants: Its key staff are robots.

Sep 15, 2020

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144

Zerologon: Microsoft addressing severe network exploit

A Dutch security firm reported last week that it uncovered a severe Windows vulnerability last month that allowed hackers to take over network administrator privileges with a single click.

Sep 15, 2020

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142

Apple debuts discount watch, but no new iPhones ... yet

Apple introduced a cheaper version of its smartwatch, its latest attempt to broaden the appeal of its trend-setting products while many consumers are forced to scrimp during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sep 15, 2020

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Predicting the slow death of lithium-ion batteries

Batteries fade as they age, slowly losing power and storage capacity.

Sep 15, 2020

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Welcome to the jungle: plants overrun Chinese apartment blocks

An experimental green housing project in a Chinese megacity promised prospective residents life in a "vertical forest", with manicured gardens on every balcony.

Sep 15, 2020

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Wednesday, Sep 16

Analytical model helps researchers fine-tune battery performance

A simpler and more efficient way to predict performance will lead to better batteries, according to Rice University engineers.

Sep 16, 2020

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Future autonomous machines may build trust through emotion

Army research has extended the state-of-the-art in autonomy by providing a more complete picture of how actions and nonverbal signals contribute to promoting cooperation. Researchers suggested guidelines for designing autonomous ...

Sep 16, 2020

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Google announces AI-boosted virtual meeting system

The coronavirus epidemic has brought virtually nothing other than misery, pain, fear and disruption. Though we may still be far off from the day we can close the book on this scourge, we are now inching towards what seems ...

Sep 16, 2020

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New data processing module makes deep neural networks smarter

Artificial intelligence researchers at North Carolina State University have improved the performance of deep neural networks by combining feature normalization and feature attention modules into a single module that they ...

Sep 16, 2020

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82

Medical robotic hand? Rubbery semiconductor makes it possible

A medical robotic hand could allow doctors to more accurately diagnose and treat people from halfway around the world, but currently available technologies aren't good enough to match the in-person experience.

Sep 16, 2020

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81

Spotify steps up antitrust war over Apple One bundling

Sweden's global number one music streamer Spotify is urging EU competition authorities to probe Apple's One bundled subscription services as it steps up its antitrust criticisms of the US tech titan.

Sep 16, 2020

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Renewables rescue stability as the grid loses spin

The high-altitude Atacama Desert of northern Chile is a surprising location for scientific insights: Its dry and dusty likeness to Mars makes it ideal for interplanetary testing, and distant worlds are particularly visible ...

Sep 16, 2020

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Thursday, Sep 17

GM Ultium Drives to power new generation of e-vehicles

General Motors on Wednesday announced plans for the production of a family of electric motors and drive units for its next generation of electric cars and trucks.

Sep 17, 2020

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407

The brain's memory abilities inspire AI experts in making neural networks less 'forgetful'

Artificial intelligence (AI) experts at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Baylor College of Medicine report that they have successfully addressed what they call a "major, long-standing obstacle to increasing ...

Sep 17, 2020

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251

New mathematical tool can select the best sensors for the job

In the 2019 Boeing 737 Max crash, the recovered black box from the aftermath hinted that a failed pressure sensor may have caused the ill-fated aircraft to nose dive. This incident and others have fueled a larger debate on ...

Sep 17, 2020

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115

Reviewing recent efforts to improve the reversibility of zinc anodes in rechargeable batteries

Rechargeable zinc metal batteries (RZMBs) could be a viable alternative to lithium ion batteries, which are currently used to power many types of electronic devices, as well as electric vehicles. Recent studies suggest that ...

Sep 17, 2020

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72

Facebook launches Oculus Quest 2: A lighter, cheaper, better-performing VR headset

Facebooked announced plans to release a next-level version of its Oculus Quest virtual reality headset.

Sep 17, 2020

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Putting the 'eye' in AI: What can computers teach us about human vision?

Studying how AI process visual information could help humans understand our own visual system.

Sep 17, 2020

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New tool helps IT staff see why users click on fraudulent emails

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new tool called the Phish Scale that could help organizations better train their employees to avoid a particularly dangerous form of ...

Sep 17, 2020

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Friday, Sep 18

Oceanbird cargo ship relies on wind to transport autos

The latest trend in cargo shipping has roots in a concept that's been around a while. Say, 7,000 years or so.

Sep 18, 2020

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Artificial intelligence expert originates new theory for decision-making

How should people make decisions when the outcomes of their choices are uncertain, and the uncertainty is described by probability theory?

Sep 18, 2020

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Could PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X be swan song for consoles?

The upcoming release of a ninth generation of games consoles by Sony and Microsoft is set to be a sales slam dunk with consumers seeking entertainment during pandemic confinement, but could it also be their swan song as the ...

Sep 18, 2020

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Helping robots avoid collisions

George Konidaris still remembers his disheartening introduction to robotics.

Sep 18, 2020

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50

When it comes to battery dendrite formation, a negative number yields positive results

Consumer demand has driven engineers to design batteries that are more compact while at the same time maintaining, or even improving, their capacity.

Sep 18, 2020

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48

Artificial intelligence called GPT-3 can write like a human but don't mistake that for thinking

Since it was unveiled earlier this year, the new AI-based language generating software GPT-3 has attracted much attention for its ability to produce passages of writing that are convincingly human-like. Some have even suggested ...

Sep 18, 2020

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Can robots write? Machine learning produces dazzling results, but some assembly is still required

You might have seen a recent article from The Guardian written by "a robot." Here's a sample:

Sep 18, 2020

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Saturday, Sep 19

Microsoft offers Windows 10 October update

They say big things come in small packages. But when Microsoft releases its second semiannual Windows 10 update next month, it'll be mainly small things in a big package.

Sep 19, 2020

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Google testing automatic tab-grouping feature

There are people in this world who are perfectly content to work on their computers with only one or two open browser tabs at a time. But then there are folks who collect a dozen, two dozen or more tabs each session, frantically ...

Sep 19, 2020

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In California, Wi-fi minivans help disadvantaged students

A minivan with a Wi-fi router attached to the dashboard and a satellite antenna on the roof is helping 200 disadvantaged students in Santa Ana, close to Los Angeles, cope with the rigors of distance learning during the coronavirus ...

Sep 19, 2020

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Millions of US users to be hit by WeChat block

Washington's crackdown on WeChat will disrupt communications between millions of people in the United States and their friends, families and business partners in China.

Sep 19, 2020

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WeChat, TikTok ban is test for open internet, free expression

The US ban on Chinese-owned apps WeChat and TikTok sets up a pivotal legal challenge on digital free expression with important ramifications for the global internet ecosystem.

Sep 19, 2020

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US TikTok users prepare for a possible exit from platform

American TikTok users reacted with a collective shrug Friday to the US move to ban new downloads of the video-sharing app—but many are already planning an exit to other platforms should the clampdown lead to an outright ...

Sep 19, 2020

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Google briefly removes India payments app for betting violations ahead of IPL

Google Friday removed one of India's biggest digital payment apps for several hours from its online store for breaching gambling rules, a day before the start of the lucrative Indian Premier League cricket tournament.

Sep 19, 2020

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Sunday, Sep 20

Robert W. Gore, the inventor of Gore-Tex fabric, dead at 83

Robert W. Gore, whose invention of what created the breathable-yet-waterproof fabric known as Gore-Tex revolutionized outdoor wear and helped spawn uses in numerous other fields, has died. He was 83.

Sep 20, 2020

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139

Judge halts WeChat download ban in US-China tech battle

A US judge on Sunday blocked the government's ban on WeChat downloads, hours before it was due to take effect in an ongoing technology and espionage battle between Washington and Beijing.

Sep 20, 2020

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Palantir listing may shine light on secretive Big Data firm

Perhaps the most secretive firm to emerge from Silicon Valley, Palantir Technologies is set for a stock market debut this month that may shed light on the Big Data firm specializing in law enforcement and national security.

Sep 20, 2020

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11

Trump touts 'fantastic' TikTok deal with Walmart and Oracle

Popular video app TikTok announced Saturday it has proposed an agreement with Oracle as its US technology provider and Walmart as a commercial partner, a potential deal US President Donald Trump touted as "fantastic."

Sep 20, 2020

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Q&A: What does banning TikTok and WeChat mean for users?

The U.S. government is cracking down on the Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat, starting by barring them from app stores on Sunday.

Sep 20, 2020

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