Google Patents ‘Sticky’ Cars to Save Pedestrians hit by Driverless Vehicles

Google’s Driverless Cars – Safer than Humans

Google has stated that its driverless cars would be several times safer than humans vividly reducing the millions of road accidents which are seen every year. However, it does not mean that they will not hit someone and many times accidents could be inevitable. Google has patented a design for sticky layer on the front of a car which would tend to defend pedestrians when they get hit by a vehicle. Google’s self-driving vehicles would soon be catching pedestrians like flies which as per the patent granted recently tends to act like flypaper and instead of bodies bouncing off a car and resulting in further injury when hit; they would stay stuck to the vehicle till it slows down and stops.

These vehicles are fitted with sensors, clever lane mapping and networking in order that the vehicles can stay away from obstacles much better than human and also park accurately. The patent reads that `in case of an accident between the vehicle and the pedestrian, injury to the pedestrian takes place not only due to the impact of the vehicle as well as the pedestrian but also by the secondary impact between the pedestrian and the road surface or any other object. The adhesive bonds the pedestrian to the vehicle in order that the pedestrian remains with the vehicle till it stops and is not thrown from the vehicle’.

Work as Human Flypaper

The technology which has been awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – USPTO tends to work as human flypaper wherein the front bumper, hood and the side panels of the car would be enclosed with the sticky coating. Whenever a pedestrian is hit, the protective layer would break apart and trap the pedestrian and save the person from be sent skywards which could cause injuries.

It is said that the adhesive layer would cover the complete front area of the car, though would itself be underneath a special coating only activated in case of a collision, preventing bugs, leaves and other deposits from getting stuck to the car.Google’s fleet of 57 self-driving cars had covered over 1.5 million autonomous miles and had been involved in many collisions, most of which have been other drivers rear-ending the vehicles.

Bryant Walker Smith, self-driving car expert and Affiliate Scholar with Stanford Law School’s Centre for Internet and Society informed The Mercury News that there is another issue utilising sticky cars – What if the person tends to obscures the view of the driver thereby resulting in them crashing into another surface or vehicle?

Company Has Targeted 2020 for Public

However, Smith admired Google for its solution. He said that the idea that cars need to be safe for people other than the ones in them is the next generation of automotive safety and I applaud anyone for thinking as they should about people outside the vehicle. As a target date for being made available, the company has targeted 2020 for the public though they still tend to have many technical as well as legal challenges to overcome. Apple, Tesla, Uber together with other has been involved in driverless car research with many trials underway in the UK. Members of the public now can sign up to the first trials to be in London.

Leaks point to two 2016 Moto X phones with modular add ons

Leaks reveal that the upcoming Moto X series could up the ante for competitors 

Motorola faced a terrible phase back in 2012 when Android and iPhone won penchant in the market, and Moto failed to compete against the leading manufacturers. However, this international company faced a turning point when Google oversaw the launch of new and improved Moto X series. With Motorola now acquired by Lenovo there are a host of features in the Moto X that is liable to undergo a series of drastic changes. One of the top trends of 2016 is modular phones which is something to be looked forward to with regard to Moto X now.

Some major tweaks are in the offing: 

One of the major revelations is changes to the way looks are likely to undergo tweaks in the Moto X range. One of the major leaks the Moto X range will undergo some serous changes in terms of its look. The flat metal back panel was not much preferred by the Motorola fanatics, and the absence of the Moto dimple made it look even shoddier. Rather, people had expected the Moto X with a panel of curved plastic, leather or wood like finish and hence there has been a re though on this aspect. The dimple was preferred primarily because it allowed a decent finger hold and allowed for a hand held stability.

There was also a leak about the bottom rear panel having connected modular system called amps. Similar accessory attachments have been seen on the LG G5; however the Moto X is slated to be much superior in this respect. This accessory attachment allows one to change from a camera grip to a hi-fi audio module. All in all compared to the G5 the Moto X changes a much more user friendly.

Major enhancements could give competitors a run: 

Reliable sources have disclosed the news that there will be some new and enhanced attachments in the Moto X series. These include a pico projector, extraordinary camera module, optical zooming, and a simple and trendy cover available with the handset itself, stereo speakers, handy battery pack and wide angle camera lens with sturdy case. Leaks have also confirmed that to make it even more user friendly, the accessories can be snapped onto device with any rebooting. The Amps can be fixed onto the rear of the mobile device, and they would be held in place with the help of magnets.

Motorola never fails to surprise its fans, and thus will be launching two different handsets this year will the advanced add-ons. The Moto X Vertex will have Snapdragon 625, 1080p AMOLED, 5.5 inch screen, along with a 3GB Ram. The Moto X Vertex thin will have the flagship 1440p AMOLED, 5.5 inch, a startling 4 GB Ram, and Snapdragon 820. The Vertex thin is super slim, 5.5 mm and thus will have a 2600 mAh battery, however the Vertex will have 3500 mAh and is thicker, 7mm. the latest feature incorporated in both the handsets will be the finger print sensor that will be present on the bottom front of the devices. Even though Vertex comes will 2600 mAh, users can purchase battery Amps for convenience.

Canon's Macro Lens has a Built in Ring Flash

First Macro Lens for EOS M Camera System

The first macro lens for the EOS M camera system, the EF-M 28, f/3.5 Macro IS STM, had been announced by Canon. There are two amazing things regarding Canon’s new EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens.

• It is an EF-M lens for the EOS M mirror less system and Canon has totally neglected EOS M, releasing only five lens when the system had been launched almost four years back, four slow zooms as well as a 22mm f/2 prime. The macro lens of 28mm is said to be the sixth though it has a trick up its sleeve which is not found anywhere in the extensive DSLR lens line-up of Canon. 
• It essentially has a pretty innovative design. Several of the macro photographers tend to opt for the relatively long focal lengths, in order not to disturb their subject. For stationary objects also, wider macro lenses seem to cast a shadow since one has to get too close. The EF-M 28mm though tends to get around that with a built-in mini ring flash which features two user-controllable `Macro Lites’. One could utilise both or one at a time and adjust the intensity of the lighting. Canon also mentioned that the lens’ tapered shape whenever extended tends to help to avoid shadows.

Eliminates Shadow/Darkness

The tiny MacroLite electronic flash units tend to curve around the front component of the lens, giving the effect of a ring flash, which helps in eliminating shadow and darkness from subjects. Users could also adjust the brightness and opt whether both units are illuminated together or individually.

The new lens is also said to be the first autofocus lens for exchangeable lens cameras which has the potential of focusing from infinity to life-size – 1x, in usual shooting and 1.2x enlargement in Super Macro mode. The other features comprise of the same Hybrid IS system that is found on the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens to lessen camera shake, a lead screw type STM stepping motor for the purpose of smooth as well as quiet focusing operation while taking videos and an angle of view just like a 45mm standard lens. This enables users to capture videos in near-silence.

Lightweight – 130 g/ Outdoor Trips

The EOS M cameras are lightweight, weighing just 130 g and easy to take it along on outdoor trips. Canon states that the biggest breakthrough of the EOS M is in Canon’s ability to contain an EOS System in a compact body with full compatibility with new and existing EF and EF-S lenses, (with adapters). EOS M is by far the most accessible EOS camera offering the same level of photographic brilliance of a DSLR.

Canon has informed that the new EF-M would be available in June this year from authorized vendors at a price of $299.99. Besides this Canon has also announced the Speedlite 600EX II-RT flash, which is compatible with the majority of EOS cameras. On using the standard AA batteries it tends to increase continuous flash rate by around 1.1 to 1.5 times and up to two times on using the latest Compact Battery Pack CP-E4N.

Living with Robots

 

Robots and Interactive Companions

In a world that has been progressing by leaps and bounds, we now have the entry on robots taking the place of humans. Robots are future machines whose application area seems to be improving. Inventions of robots which tend to imitate human movements are on the rise all over the globe. Technology now has the capability of creating artificial human with bare metal and some electronic chips known as Robots. They are the Autobots who tend to have no real IQ though can think better than the humans, they do not seem to have any power but can perform better than the humans and they have no intelligence but tend to act better than the humans.

One could ask oneself and which Financial Times has asked in their new five-part video series titled `Living with Robots’, regarding robots and their relationship with us mortals. Could they be our friend or foe? The series unfold with the introduction of Zara the robot that seems to work for Spot Digital and is also about the relationship between the robot and man in the 21st century. Some of the robots look like human and could be scared but the big question that arises is `could these machines really have feelings and match up to us mortals?

Robots Helpful or Threatening

Robots could be helpful or threatening and whether we like it not, these machines are becoming common in our daily lives replacing the manual functions done by us humans. FT checks on the roles that robots tend to play in our lives, at home, at workplace and the world around us. Talking to computers is mainly controlled by the human voice for the functions to be carried out by these digital companions. Tech companies have been making progress in providing the smoothest and the most efficient artificial intelligence companions which will make a great impact in our lives.

In an age where popular culture tends to offer vision of intelligent machine that seem to control us; it tends to get difficult to know if artificial intelligence should be embraced or to fear it. Machines have already replaced about 70 to 75% of the work that is done by humans and several of the individuals seem to have meaningless task in their work life only to bring home a salary.

World’s Most Advanced Humanoid

Robots could be an inevitable disaster for many. It could be a friend for some of the rich and the elderly people, impersonal for the assembly-line employees who would welcomeco-bot sometimes and disturbing for the poor as well as for those outside the digital world like those in Africa. Robots have been considered to be the world’s most advanced humanoid robot who can perform any function as well as communicate and interact through its voice and facial recognition systems.

Talking to computers has been a dream of several technologists as well as story tellers for decades which could at time tend to become a bit scary. In the case of digital assistants, intelligence agents and chatbots, there is a grain of ray with these smart companions that are now eager to be our guides in the digital world. Established firmly as manufacturing technology, robots have been gaining acceptance by the labour force, reaping praise for its dependability and is being used more widely in small and medium businesses

Facebook is bringing 360-degree photos to the News Feed

Facebook’s 360 Degree Photos to News Feed

Facebook has informed that in the coming weeks, it will let you upload and view 360 degree photos on mobile and the web. Facebook has progressively made VR an essential part of its platform and hence this announcement is not much of a surprise of 360 degree photos coming to your News feed. The feature would function identical to a 360 degree video wherein one will be able to click and drag to discover the environment on desktop or move your smartphone around as if its screen were a viewfinder.

The feature is said to be a part of a great mission to frame Facebook as a means of exploring faraway places. Moreover it is also tied directly to Facebook-owned Oculus VR’s push for more live-action photography and video you can experience with the Gear VR and Rift headsets.

With both the device you will also be capable of viewing 360 degree photos that are shared on the social network. Since September of last year, 360 degree video had been available on Facebook and it will still be quite a while before users as well as creators hold the new format in large numbers. Facebook is presently making its platform friendlier to photos that can be shot with smartphone rather than an expensive video rig.

VR – An Integral Part of Platform

We may see a firm uptick in professional grade as well as consumer shot 360 degree content.Update would enable you to upload scenes that have been captured with native smartphone cameras, 360 degree photospheres made with third party apps or photos shot utilising a dedicated 360 degree rig. Facebook has increasingly made VR an integral part of its platform, so today’s announcement isn’t a huge surprise: 360 degree photos are coming to your news feed.

Facebook needs to urge users to create many photos and videos as possible so that it made a camera of its own. At the time of its annual F8 developers’ conference, it had announced a reference design for a new 17 camera array known as Facebook Surround 360. The company expects that the third party manufacturer would develop their own 360 degree cameras utilising the blueprints since at the end of the day, the more photos and videos which make their way to Facebook, the more time users would spend engrossed in social network.

Landscapes Captured on Phone – Better Viewing Experience

Three years ago, Google had first attempted to promote360 degree images with the introduction of Photospheres, but they never caught on much since they were difficult to share. Anticipate that to begin changing now that Facebook tends to support the format. There is no information regarding the release date, though Facebook states that 360 degree photos would be available on mobile and the Web in the coming weeks.

 The landscapes captured on the phone would ultimately provide a better viewing experience both on News Feed and the Oculus powered Samsung Gear VR. For the first time, Facebook would also be releasing Gear VR usage stats, stating that Gear VR tends to have 1 million monthly users and those who seem to use it spend around 25 minutes each day on the device which would encourage developers in building the platform.