Catch up on all the technology gossip without all the hype.

    You might be thinking that all this new buzz about the crazy new technology that tech giants such as Apple and Samsung that they are creating is fascinating and need to be examined immediately, well rethink that excitement. Stated in bold inside this article, “Apple’s wireless AirPods charger is coming in September and the iPhone X almost didn’t have a charging port at all” explains that Apple is not only late on its due dates and is releasing something that doesn’t seem appealing to most tech geeks. As we continue into the article, there are more accusations of why the iPhone’s new news about their devices are becoming less popular. The narrator constantly states that “The sources on his rumor ar anonymous and seem flimsy. It’s unlikely, but it’s not totally impossible.” It is fun to hypothesize about the future, but the reality is that what we are expecting, is not coming anytime soon.

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Reinforcement Learning

By experimenting, computers are figuring out how to do things that no programmer could teach them. Availability: 1 to 2 years

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603501/10-breakthrough-technologies-2017-reinforcement-learning/

         As technology keeps advancing daily, developers, and consumers become hesitant on the topic of one of the biggest issues regarding innovation, artificial intelligence. According to the Merrin Dictionary, “Artificial intelligence is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.” This sparks much debate that relates to this theory which is the approach known as reinforcement learning. All of us know the AlphaGo computer that was developed to master the impossibly complex board game Go which beat one of the best human players in the world in a high-profile match last year, which was programmed based on this approach of reinforcement learning. Stated by Knight, “reinforcement learning may soon inject greater intelligence into much more than games. In addition to improving self-driving cars, the technology can get a robot to grasp objects it has never seen before, and it can figure out the optimal configuration for the equipment in a data center.”

Electrodes fitted behind your ear can make you walk faster

       Could you ever imagine that in this day in age, there is technology that can improve your mood to help you sleep better. Now there is a new revelation that scientists across the globe are uncovering which relates to the advancement in performing. It is known as “a mild electrical stimulation” that is being developed at the University of Tokyo, Japan and is meant to “boost our balance and make us walk more quickly with longer strives.” Many of us might think how this invention will accomplish those tasks. According to Shinichi Iwasaki, “the upcoming invention will trigger the hairs in our inner ears and detect changes in speed and feed this information back to the brain, helping to stabilize vision and posture, improving our balance.”

       By 2020, this invention is set to become one of the most widely used performance gadgets across the world. While reading, I thought it was fascinating how electrodes will be able to monitor the movement in our legs and eventually improve our balance. Personally, unless I have difficulty walking, I don’t see myself using this new technology since it is estimated to cost a few hundred dollars.

        As technology is slowly progressing every day, there is much speculation that this new technology can be used specifically for people with disabilities. It is unknown what The University of Tokyo, Japan will unveil in the next coming years, but all we know is that it is unlike any “electrical stimulation” that humans have ever experienced before.

For more information, check out this article.

By: Mia Gradelski

Babel-Fish Earbuds

              Named under the 10 best breakthrough technologies of 2017, the classic pair of earbuds newly invented by Google last year are revolutionizing the tech industry due to its unique twist, hence its name Pixel Buds. To “geeks,” once you place these on, it feels like you are stuck inside the “cult sci-fi classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. These earbuds cost only $159 that work with its Pixel smartphones and Google Translate app to “produce practically real-time translation.” Some critics argue about the price, but Google argues “you cannot get near-real-time translation now that works for a large number of languages and is easy to use.” This is important because “in an increasingly global world, language is a still a barrier to communication.” I think this is an incredible and resourceful idea in helping the world receive fast translation access to all things audio.

              You might be asking how does “near-real-time translation” work and why don’t we have it yet? Simply, “one person wears the earbuds, while the other holds that phone that projects English as the default and the app translates the talking and plays it aloud on the phone.” This allows the response to be translated quickly and played through earbuds. As a consumer of Google products who knows two languages and is learning a third, I think it is beneficial to purchase these earbuds especially since many critics argue that “google translate can interfere with background noises and it is hard to figure out when one person has stopped speaking and it’s time to start translating.” I relate to this problem, as I’m someone who uses Google Translate dialy.

               There are certainly pros and cons to every upcoming tech that the world is being presented with. It is a plus that these “Pixel Buds” get around the issues of wearer taps and connection between your phone and earbuds. These earbuds work well with this issue that many consumers might deal with, with other earbuds brands. In addition, many are intrigued by the inticite design, known as “subpar design.” yet, some disagree, and believe they look silly and may not fit well in the ears. Overall, as the connection between people across the world becomes more prevalent, the “promise of mutually intelligible communication between languages in close to real time” is certainly achievable through these earbuds.

To read more check out this article.

By: Mia Gradelski

Self-Driving Trucks Tractor-trailers are Coming to Roads Near You

          Self driving vehicles have always been seen as a dream in the future, as is finally seen in one of the most popular transportation vehicles in the nation, trucks. This new technology leads many truck drivers concerned about not only their jobs now but in the coming future. They are worried that technology will take over their positions and they could lose their jobs. With self driving cars, there have been countless advertisements ranging from Google to Uber about the latest craze that will soon become popular in the future. Yet, many experts don’t know if this will be happening quite soon. First of all, they are extremely expensive, many people will lose their jobs, and customers aren’t positive that this new technology is safe. “I could hear the man who taught me to drive telling me what he always aid was rule number one: ‘Don’t hurt anybody,”’ (Mugriyev, Texan truck driver). People such as Roman Mugriyev, a Texan resident fears that safety is the biggest concern.

           As multiple companies continue to test self-driving trucks, more technical problems have arose which delays the start to this technology that people have mixed feelings about. As Greg Murphy describes it, “This system often drives better than I do.” As a truck driver, Murphy is surprisingly excited to see how this new technology will become about it in the future. He understands that there are “the opportunities and challenges posed by self-driving trucks that might seem to merely echo those associated with self-driving cars.”

              Economically, self-driving trucks might be seen more often on roads in the coming years than with cars due to the long stretches of highway that truck drivers have to go through. In addition, truck drivers have to play close attention to their movements by “cutting down on wind drag and saving on fuel” while the self-driving cars will have a way that stopping for gas is not an option. Yet, with these benefits there comes obstacles that these trucks have to face. First, experts say that it will be practically impossible to honor the same skills that current truck drivers have with their years of experience and training in piloting. Humans unlike machines have unique judgement when driving and technology might not be able to match that awareness of a professional trucker.

             As the future holds many exciting opportunities for many different people, there comes disadvantages and obstacles for others who have to try to embrace this new change. I think that it is important that technology is constantly evolving and I would like to be inside a self-driving car one day, but as a truck-driver, my position could be replaced by a cheaper and more efficient piece of technology. While this technology is improving and advancing everyday, they do “figure to be more controversial” and set drawbacks in our political and economical aspect of the business world which might come in “ways that lal would not necessarily would welcome.”

                           Written by Mia Gradelski, Junior Student Help Desk