Facial recognition software has become increasingly common in recent years. Facebook uses it to tag your photos; the FBI has a massive facial recognition database spanning hundreds of millions of images; and in New York, there are even plans to add smart, facial recognition surveillance cameras to every bridge and tunnel. But while these systems seem inescapable, the technology that underpins them is far from infallible. In fact, it can be beat with a pair of psychedelic-looking glasses that cost just $0.22.Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have shown that specially designed spectacle frames can fool even state-of-the-art facial recognition software. Not only can the glasses make the wearer essentially disappear to such automated systems, it can even trick them into thinking you’re someone else. By tweaking the patterns printed on the glasses, scientists were able to assume one another’s identities or make the software think they were looking at celebrities. (In the image at the top of the article, you can see the researchers wearing the glasses in the top row of pictures, and the identity they copied in the bottom row.)The glasses work because they exploit the way machines understand faces. Facial recognition software is often powered by deep learning; systems that crunch through large amounts of data to sift out recurring patterns. In terms of recognizing faces, this could mean measuring the distance between an individual’s pupils, for example, or looking at the slant of their eyebrows or nostrils.But compared to human comprehension, this analysis takes place at an abstract level. Computer systems don’t understand faces in the way we do; they’re simply looking for patterns of pixels. If you know what patterns are being looked for, you can easily trick machine vision systems into seeing animals, people, and objects in what are just abstract patterns. This is exactly what the researchers from Carnegie Mellon did.First they worked out the patterns associated with specific faces, and then they printed them onto a set of wide-rimed glasses (so as to better occupy more of the frame; about 6.5 percent of the available pixels in the end). In 100 percent of their tests, the researchers were able to use the glasses to effectively blind facial recognition systems to their identities. Results were more mixed when it came to impersonating other individuals. A 41-year-old white male researcher was able to pass himself off as actress Milla Jovovich to facial recognition systems with 87.87 percent accuracy, but a 24-year-old South Asian female researcher was only able to convince a computer she was 79-year-old Colin Powell 16 percent of the time.There are obvious limitations to this system. For a start, although the glasses are a more subtle disguise than wearing a mask or using, say, CV Dazzle (a form of bold makeup that also confuses facial recognition systems), they’re hardly inconspicuous. There’s also the problem of how and where the image is taken: the researchers didn’t test how well the glasses worked at a distance, for example, or in different lighting conditions. As ever, tests in a lab don't always equal workable results in the real world. And besides, imagine having to wear these glasses to every party you go to in future, just to avoid getting tagged by Facebook's algorithms.
Windows 10 updates are about to get a lot smaller to download
Microsoft has been promising smaller updates to Windows 10, through various methods, for what feels like years, but the company is now starting to test a new Unified Update Platform (UUP) that will make a big difference. "One of the biggest community and customer benefits of UUP is the reduction you'll see in download size on PCs," explains Bill Karagounis, a Windows program manager, in a blog post on UUP today. "We have converged technologies in our build and publishing systems to enable differential downloads for all devices built on the Mobile and PC OS."Differential downloads only include the changes that have been pushed out since you last updated a Windows 10 PC. This new change will debut with the Windows 10 Creators Update that's expected to arrive in March, but Windows Insiders can start testing the technology in today's latest build update for mobile devices. Microsoft will start rolling this out to PC builds later this year, alongside HoloLens devices. Xbox One devices running Windows 10 won't benefit from UUP as Microsoft distributes operating system updates to consoles using different methods.The real benefit for Windows 10 users will be when they move from one major update to another, as Microsoft expects download sizes to decrease by around 35 percent. That's a great saving for those on low-bandwidth connections, or people with internet caps. This new technology could also help Microsoft roll out changes to Windows 10 machines a lot faster.Microsoft has already successfully updated more than 400 million Windows 10 devices, and the company now ships out beta builds to Windows Insiders on a weekly basis. That's a big change from a few years ago, and it will likely shape the path for Windows in the future.
Android apps will soon be able to offer cheaper, introductory subscription prices
At its Playtime event for Android developers today, Google announced that apps on the Play Store will soon gain a new option that could have huge implications for subscriptions: temporary promotional pricing. "Coming soon, you'll be able to create an introductory price for new subscribers for a set period of time," Google's Larissa Fontaine wrote in a blog post. "For example, you can offer a subscription for $1 per month for the first three months before the normal subscription price kicks in."There are many app categories where this could make a big difference. Music and video are certainly on that list; maybe cheaper introductory pricing could boost Google's own struggling YouTube Red service, or help Spotify maintain its lead over Apple Music and other rivals. Other apps like internet TV offerings (Sling TV, PlayStation Vue) and productivity tools (Evernote) also stand to benefit if developers are willing to temporarily cut their prices in hopes that customers will stay subscribed once the normal rate kicks in — either because they forgot or, more ideally, actually find the app or service to be worth the monthly charge."Subscriptions are the fastest growing business model on Play, with consumer spending in subscription apps increasing 10x over the last 3 years," wrote Fontaine. And with that in mind, this year both Apple and Google have adjusted the revenue-sharing terms around subscriptions to give app makers a bigger cut than before. For iOS developers, apps must maintain a customer's subscription for at least 12 months before the more favorable 85/15 split takes effect; Google Play doesn't have the same long-term subscriber requirement.
Google will soon let app developers offer incentivized pricing
Here's how it works: Developers can set a temporary rate that will last for a predetermined period of time. Say you have a cloud storage app that typically costs $2.99 a month. You can now opt to allow new users to get the first three months for a cheaper rate.The thinking is that users will be more likely to pay full price for a service once they have had some time to try it out at a lower price. Google says it expects this change will help increase app subscriptions overall. (In a blog post, Google notes that app subscriptions have increased tenfold over the last three years.)Apple also recently changed its policies around app subscriptions, with any developer now able to make their app a subscription. (Apple is further incentivizing subscriptions with a more favorable revenue split for developers that can keep subscribers for a year or more.) Google's update may seem like a small change, but it stands to have a big impact on developers who may want to offer things like promotional pricing but have difficulty implementing such strategies within Google's developer tools. And that's good news because Android still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to app revenue. As a whole, Android users spend way less money in apps than their iOS counterparts, despite having a larger marketshare overall.
HTC Vive's virtual reality headset is opening stores in Australia
Aussies eager to try virtual reality will soon be able to head to their local Harvey Norman or JB Hi-Fi store.
From November 18, the HTC Vive headset will be sold at the two national retailers for the (not insignificant) price of A$1,399 ($1,073). While already available online, it will be the VR headset's first foray into retail locally.Jimmy Feng, chief of staff to the CEO of HTC, told reporters Friday that people often need to experience VR to be convinced. That's where bricks-and-mortar stores can help."We can talk and talk," he said while attending Melbourne's gaming event, Pax Australia. "Once we've brought people though the VR experience, then they don't need convincing anymore. They're sold.
Raymond Pao, vice president at HTC, also announced there would be demonstration locations in the stores, as well as an online booking system to obtain a walk-through.
"We need some education processes to tell people what VR is, I think," he said.
"We're very lucky to be partnering with two of the largest retailers in Australia to bring these demo experiences all across the country," Feng added.
Online preorders for the HTC Vive began in Australian on Feb. 29. While Feng couldn't share sale numbers for the headset locally, he said the company was happy with the uptake. "We do see a very enthusiastic use base in Australia, and this is why we want to accelerate adoption," he said.
HTC would also consider expanding its retail footprint to less technology-focused stores, depending on the enthusiasm they see from Aussie consumers."Obviously, we'd like to see more people go through the retail store," Feng said. "It's beyond just gaming — virtual reality is also a lifestyle."
How To Track Any Object, Vehicle Or Person Anywhere, Anytime How To Track Any Object, Vehicle Or Person Anywhere, Anytime
This Simple New Tracking Method Can Find Your Luggage Even When The Airlines Can’t
If you’ve ever flown on an airplane you know the anxiety of waiting for your bags at the luggage carousel. It’s happened to all of us and if you’re the last one standing there while everyone else has retrieved their luggage and yours is still missing, you know how frustrating it can be.
Anyone who’s ever had their luggage “mishandled” or lost by an airline knows exactly what we’re talking about. Lost luggage is often met with little concern by airline employees that don’t do anything to make you feel comfortable that your luggage will ever be found. If it hasn’t happened yet, rest assured that it will.
But today there is an innovative & inexpensive technology that is changing the way we travel and keep our luggage safe. And it doesn’t require an expensive GPS tracking unit or monthly monitoring service to work.
Now, you can track your luggage without breaking the bank and it’s easier than you ever thought it could be!
As you know, most GPS tracking units are expensive and require a monthly subscription monitoring service to be effective. But why would you pay for a monthly monitoring service to track your luggage if you don’t travel every month?
Wouldn’t it be easier if you could attach something small to your luggage that always works, you only pay for once, it only needs a tiny battery to work and you could track it on your phone?
Now you can because technology is solving many of life’s most annoying problems: Like airlines losing your luggage after a long flight!
One company has created a tiny device with a free advanced tracking app that works with iPhones and Android phones and it could be exactly what you’re looking for.
What is it?
It’s called TrackR. It’s about the size of a quarter and it’s revolutionizing the way we keep track our important things.
How Does It Work?
Simple! You only need to install the tiny battery in the TrackR, download the free app on your iPhone or Android, link the device to the app and attach TrackR to whatever you want to keep tabs on. In less than 5 minutes you are ready to go!Once it’s all set up, you can attach it to your luggage when you travel, your keys, a wallet, your purse, your laptop or iPad and anything else you can think of.
The Possibilities Are Endless!
And yes, tracking your stuff really is that easy. There are no monthly subscriptions or annoying bills to pay.Traveling is already stressful enough – now you can let TrackR keep tabs on your valuable luggage while you relax on your flight.You can even slip the TrackR inside a pocket of your suitcase so nobody even knows it’s there. It’s discreet and still tracking!
You can also hide a TrackR in your car when you travel and navigate the confusing airport parking lot with ease!Airport parking lots can be very confusing and everybody has forgotten where they parked their car after a long trip. The last thing you want to do is look at a parking lot map to find your car.Now you can quickly find your car using TrackR and the free tracking app on your smartphone. All you need to do is open the app on your phone, and click on the 'lost item' icon.
Check out the video below if you want to see it in action:
This smart clock is kind of like putting a giant Apple Watch on your wall
SINGAPORE — Plenty of personal gadgets these days, from smartwatches to fitness bands, are aimed at relieving you of having to fish your phone out of your pocket so often.
If you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk or lying on the couch, why not mount a giant Apple Watch on the wall instead?Glance Clock is kind of like that, but it's just the start of a connected life, says its founder and CEO, Anton Zriashchev.
Like a smartwatch, the clock connects to your phone to sync its time, and is able to display a host of notifications, including upcoming meetings, weather alerts and incoming calls. It'll also hurry you out the door if your Uber's arrived.
The idea is for the clock to be the showpiece for a bigger connected platform. The current model, which just raised $416,867 on Indiegogo, to hit 827 percent of its goal, will connect to your phone via Bluetooth.
The idea is for the clock to be the showpiece for a bigger connected platform. The current model, which just raised $416,867 on Indiegogo, to hit 827 percent of its goal, will connect to your phone via Bluetooth.
Eventually, the clock and other screens like TVs are expected to sync via Wi-Fi to an online platform that Glance is making, so they can all talk to each other. That's promised to allow users to have the clock's information flash on a TV screen in another room, if the user has walked away from the clock.
And with machine learning, Glance's platform may be able to make some clever suggestions to users in future. For instance, it could prompt the user if they want an Uber on a rainy day, then be able to book a cab for them, Zriashchev told Mashable.
Zriashchev, who's from Russia, set up Glance in Singapore in 2015. An early version of the clock looked more like a regular LED plate with acrylic over it, he said.
About a year later, after several redesigns, the company settled on the current look. It's a minimalist fabric face, with LEDs that shine out from behind itIt has a battery that is supposed to last between three and six months on a charge, but you can also leave the clock plugged in if there's an outlet nearby.
Glance says the clock syncs with up to five phones, but I imagine that'll get really noisy quickly in a communal space with everyone's notifications going off.
While clocks are communal, push notifications often aren't, so it could get tricky trying to share a smart clock with four other people.