Slack has rolled out its revamped emoji, and they are absolutely terrible. But the good thing is that you can still swap them out for the old ones – that is if you use the web-based version of the app. The obnoxious new emoticons are yet to make their way to Mac and Linux, but Slack has already updated its versions for Windows and mobile with the redesigned set. In comparison with the old emoji, the new ones appear flatter and have a somewhat ugly border around them. You can check out some of the new icons in the screenshots below:
Can a virtual keyboard foster positive self-esteem in girls? The Finnish branch of humanitarian agency Plan International thinks so, and has built a new Android keyboard called Sheboard. When installed, it offers empowering word suggestions. So, when you type “Women,” the next word it offers is “lead.” Women lead. Typing “Girls” suggests “rule” for the subsequent word, while “My daughter is” either “strong” or “good”. You can see some examples in the gallery below.
A patent from Ford revealed ideas for autonomous police cars which are capable of finding law-breakers, doling out tickets, and even waiting in hiding spots. The patent, filed in 2016 and spotted by Motor1 last week, details all the ways in which an autonomous police car could help catch law-breaking drivers. The language specifically proposes a future in which autonomous vehicles are more common, and what role police vehicles would play: While autonomous vehicles can and will be programmed to obey traffic laws, a human driver can override that programming to control and operate the vehicle at any time.
The UK’s prisons are slowly catching up with the digital age. But in an era of austerity and turmoil, introducing inmates to technologies that many of us take for granted is – for some – alarming. My research shows that digital progress in prisons allows offenders to order their own meals, book visits, contact home, undertake e-learning, manage their finances, improve their health and prepare for release. Prisoners using web-based tools to manage their daily lives is good for society. It’s also an opportunity for prison staff to work with inmates to help them rehabilitate. However, prisoners’ relationships with technology isn’t neutral and there are challenges in this changing landscape.
Earlier in January we wrote about a quirky new trend: cryptocurrency mystery boxes you can order online to get a random selection of digital coins. We finally got our hands on one of these, but before you do – there are some things you want to keep in mind when buying one. CBlocks – the company we spoke with for our previous piece – offered to ship us one of its mystery boxes so we can check out its service firsthand. So without further ado, here is what we got in our very first cryptocurrency mystery box.
Microsoft has developed an AI to draw entirely original images based on nothing more than text. You type it, a computer draws it, and we’re one step closer to a world where using software like Photoshop and Illustrator is a hands-off experience. Researchers created a text-to-image bot that spits out pretty amazing images when fed a series of descriptive words like “this bird is red with white and has a very short beak.” This was accomplished through the creation of neural network called an Attentional Generative Adversarial Network (AttnGAN) that creates the image pixel-by-pixel. Like any other artist or designer, it does both broad strokes and fine details in layers.
Bell Helicopter revealed its Air Taxi concept at this year’s CES, showing a mock-up of the passenger cabin. Visitors got a look at what travel in it would look via a VR headset. What is it? The taxi itself is a four-seater cabin that looks exactly as space-age as I’d imagined my flying car would look. The actual flight mechanism wasn’t featured on the event floor, only the cabin. Users who put on a VR headset would see how the flashy dashboard looks in the air.
Who else can’t wait for level 5 autonomous vehicles to race at breakneck speeds through public streets? Just me? What is it? Roborace is a racing and development platform for autonomous race cars. It’s essentially a set of guidelines and hardware specifications that companies can develop AI for. According to the company: Roborace’s open A.I. platform allows companies to develop their own driverless software and push the limits in an extreme and safe environment. The series is designed to be a competition of intelligence so all teams will use the same “Robocar” to ensure all efforts will be focused on advancing the software for everyday road cars to adopt.
It’s going to be hard finding a cooler use of AI than fully-electric flying multicopters that autonomously carry people around cities on demand. What is it? It’s Volocopter’s X2, which is basically a giant drone with seats. Did we mention it’s autonomous? That’s right, the X2 will eventually be summoned with an app to arrive at whatever designated location it’s able to land at. At which point you’ll simply hop inside, strap in, and enjoy a quiet and relaxing ride to your destination. Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel, had this to say after taking the Volocopter’s innaugural flight:
