Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.A pair of new studies from Google and the University of California, Berkeley propose ways of finding occluded objects on shelves and solving “contact-rich” manipulation tasks like moving objects across a table. The UC Berkeley introduces Lateral Access maXimal Reduction of occupancY support Area (LAX-RAY), a system that predicts a target object’s location, even when only a portion of that object is visible. As for the Google-coauthored paper, it proposes Contact-aware Online...…Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.A pair of new studies from Google and the University of California, Berkeley propose ways of finding occluded objects on shelves and solving “contact-rich” manipulation tasks like moving objects across a table. The UC Berkeley introduces Lateral Access maXimal Reduction of occupancY support Area (LAX-RAY), a system that predicts a target object’s location, even when only a portion of that object is visible. As for the Google-coauthored paper, it proposes Contact-aware Online...WW…

Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.In May, , the decade-old Colorado-based company best known for its programmable robots, announced (CO6), a spinoff focused on commercializing intelligence robots and AI-based apps for military, EMT, and fire personnel and others who work in challenging situations. Mum’s been the word since on what exactly that might entail, but today, CO6 took the wraps off of its , a one-pound, throwable robot built for “dangerous and difficult” jobs.Robots are ripe for first responder...…Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.In May, , the decade-old Colorado-based company best known for its programmable robots, announced (CO6), a spinoff focused on commercializing intelligence robots and AI-based apps for military, EMT, and fire personnel and others who work in challenging situations. Mum’s been the word since on what exactly that might entail, but today, CO6 took the wraps off of its , a one-pound, throwable robot built for “dangerous and difficult” jobs.Robots are ripe for first responder...WW…

Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.Autonomous inspection solutions company today announced a $45 million round. The funds come as Percepto pivots from drone-based products to general robotics-driven inspections incorporating third-party platforms like Boston Dynamics’ Spot.According to a report from Technavio, the inspection robot market has the potential to grow to $3.72 billion between 2020 and 2024, bolstered by industries spanning energy, oil and gas, and mining. Beyond their cost-effectiveness, robots have...…Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.Autonomous inspection solutions company today announced a $45 million round. The funds come as Percepto pivots from drone-based products to general robotics-driven inspections incorporating third-party platforms like Boston Dynamics’ Spot.According to a report from Technavio, the inspection robot market has the potential to grow to $3.72 billion between 2020 and 2024, bolstered by industries spanning energy, oil and gas, and mining. Beyond their cost-effectiveness, robots have...WW…

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Log OutBest practices for designing and managing your subscription strategy2020 has been a hard time for many, but the . Now, a new nonprofit is looking to give gamers an incentive to make the world a better place.Leyline will offer rewards like gift cards and in-game items in exchange for charitable deeds such as giving blood and donating time, which it can verify when you link your Leyline account with your ones for the associated charities (like the American Red Cross).You can also give and earn by donating your idle computer processing power, which can help researchers dealing with...…Log OutBest practices for designing and managing your subscription strategy2020 has been a hard time for many, but the . Now, a new nonprofit is looking to give gamers an incentive to make the world a better place.Leyline will offer rewards like gift cards and in-game items in exchange for charitable deeds such as giving blood and donating time, which it can verify when you link your Leyline account with your ones for the associated charities (like the American Red Cross).You can also give and earn by donating your idle computer processing power, which can help researchers dealing with...WW…

Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.In just the past 12 months, has been funneled into tech companies building workflow automation solutions. This isn’t a bubble. It’s a balloon.Hot technology companies like ($14.5 billion market cap), ($60 million ARR), Docusign ($36 billion market cap), (bought by Microsoft for $7.5 billion), and ($185 million Series D), all have built-in workflow builders that range from simplified code to low code to graphical no-code. All it takes is a matter of minutes plugging X to Y to...…Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.In just the past 12 months, has been funneled into tech companies building workflow automation solutions. This isn’t a bubble. It’s a balloon.Hot technology companies like ($14.5 billion market cap), ($60 million ARR), Docusign ($36 billion market cap), (bought by Microsoft for $7.5 billion), and ($185 million Series D), all have built-in workflow builders that range from simplified code to low code to graphical no-code. All it takes is a matter of minutes plugging X to Y to...WW…

Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.The web may not be the largest thing to run on the internet (these days it seems like Zoom is) but it was the most transformational until mobile apps came along. You can follow the waves by developer interest: in the 2000s everyone was learning HTML and making a website. In the 2010s everyone was learning to develop mobile apps. In the 2020s all the developers are going to build . And for good reason.Where the web had its impact was by digitizing manual paper-based processes....…Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.The web may not be the largest thing to run on the internet (these days it seems like Zoom is) but it was the most transformational until mobile apps came along. You can follow the waves by developer interest: in the 2000s everyone was learning HTML and making a website. In the 2010s everyone was learning to develop mobile apps. In the 2020s all the developers are going to build . And for good reason.Where the web had its impact was by digitizing manual paper-based processes....WW…

Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.and the federal Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory today announced that the company’s CS-1 system is more than 10,000 times faster than a graphics processing unit (GPU).On a practical level, this means AI neural networks that previously took months to train can now train in minutes on the Cerebras system.Cerebras makes the world’s largest computer chip, the WSE. Chipmakers normally slice a wafer from a 12-inch-diameter ingot of silicon to process in a...…Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.and the federal Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory today announced that the company’s CS-1 system is more than 10,000 times faster than a graphics processing unit (GPU).On a practical level, this means AI neural networks that previously took months to train can now train in minutes on the Cerebras system.Cerebras makes the world’s largest computer chip, the WSE. Chipmakers normally slice a wafer from a 12-inch-diameter ingot of silicon to process in a...WW…

Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.has raised $38 million for its quantum computing enterprise software platform. The figure, which brings its total funding to over $64 million, will be put toward Zapata’s core mission: “Delivering quantum advantage for customers through real business use cases.”Quantum computing leverages qubits (unlike bits that can only be in a state of 0 or 1, qubits can also be in a superposition of the two) to perform computations that would be much more difficult, or simply not feasible,...…Log OutLearn how to accelerate customer service, optimize costs, and improve self-service in a digital-first world.has raised $38 million for its quantum computing enterprise software platform. The figure, which brings its total funding to over $64 million, will be put toward Zapata’s core mission: “Delivering quantum advantage for customers through real business use cases.”Quantum computing leverages qubits (unlike bits that can only be in a state of 0 or 1, qubits can also be in a superposition of the two) to perform computations that would be much more difficult, or simply not feasible,...WW…

Log Outand the federal Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory today announced that the company’s CS-1 system is more than 10,000 times faster than a graphics processing unit (GPU).On a practical level, this means AI neural networks that previously took months to train can now train in minutes on the Cerebras system.Cerebras makes the world’s largest computer chip, the WSE. Chipmakers normally slice a wafer from a 12-inch-diameter ingot of silicon to process in a chip factory. Once processed, the wafer is sliced into hundreds of separate chips that can be used in...…Log Outand the federal Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory today announced that the company’s CS-1 system is more than 10,000 times faster than a graphics processing unit (GPU).On a practical level, this means AI neural networks that previously took months to train can now train in minutes on the Cerebras system.Cerebras makes the world’s largest computer chip, the WSE. Chipmakers normally slice a wafer from a 12-inch-diameter ingot of silicon to process in a chip factory. Once processed, the wafer is sliced into hundreds of separate chips that can be used in...WW…

Log OutA guide for both CoEs and business units, the joint autonomous driving partnership between Aptiv and Hyundai, today announced it has received permission from the state of Nevada to test its autonomous cars without a driver behind the wheel. The company says this is part of the completion of a self-imposed testing and assessment period.In the U.S., relatively few companies have obtained permits to pilot driverless cars without operators onboard, a core pillar of future self-driving taxi, delivery, and freight transportation services. In California, GM-backed Cruise, Alphabet’s Waymo,...…Log OutA guide for both CoEs and business units, the joint autonomous driving partnership between Aptiv and Hyundai, today announced it has received permission from the state of Nevada to test its autonomous cars without a driver behind the wheel. The company says this is part of the completion of a self-imposed testing and assessment period.In the U.S., relatively few companies have obtained permits to pilot driverless cars without operators onboard, a core pillar of future self-driving taxi, delivery, and freight transportation services. In California, GM-backed Cruise, Alphabet’s Waymo,...WW…

Log OutA guide for both CoEs and business unitsIn October, Google announced it would let users , initially in English on iOS and in more than 20 languages on Android. At the time, the search giant only hinted at how the new Hum to Search feature worked. But in a blog post today, Google detailed the underlying systems that enable Google Search to find songs using only hummed renditions.Identifying songs from humming is a longstanding challenge in AI. With lyrics, background vocals, and a range of instruments, the audio of a musical or studio recording can be quite different from a hummed...…Log OutA guide for both CoEs and business unitsIn October, Google announced it would let users , initially in English on iOS and in more than 20 languages on Android. At the time, the search giant only hinted at how the new Hum to Search feature worked. But in a blog post today, Google detailed the underlying systems that enable Google Search to find songs using only hummed renditions.Identifying songs from humming is a longstanding challenge in AI. With lyrics, background vocals, and a range of instruments, the audio of a musical or studio recording can be quite different from a hummed...WW…

Log OutA guide for both CoEs and business unitsAs the pandemic wears on, humanoid robots that can perform general tasks could become increasingly important. They can move heavy objects in warehouses, assist with last-yard deliveries, and potentially be involved in other tasks where low human-to-human contact is preferable for safety reasons.is one of the companies making these helper robots. The company, which was spun out of the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory at Oregon State University, first got broad attention last year , delivering packages in concert with the car maker’s autonomous...…Log OutA guide for both CoEs and business unitsAs the pandemic wears on, humanoid robots that can perform general tasks could become increasingly important. They can move heavy objects in warehouses, assist with last-yard deliveries, and potentially be involved in other tasks where low human-to-human contact is preferable for safety reasons.is one of the companies making these helper robots. The company, which was spun out of the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory at Oregon State University, first got broad attention last year , delivering packages in concert with the car maker’s autonomous...WW…

Log OutThe pandemic is making startups take a close look at ramping up their communication solutions.today announced it is creating a platform for Linux-based personal computers based on RISC-V processors. Assuming customers adopt the processors and use them in PCs, the move might be part of a plan to create Linux-based PCs that use royalty-free processors. This could be seen as a challenge to computers based on designs from Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Apple, or Arm, but giants of the industry don’t have to cower just yet.The San Mateo, California-based company unveiled HiFive Unmatched,...…Log OutThe pandemic is making startups take a close look at ramping up their communication solutions.today announced it is creating a platform for Linux-based personal computers based on RISC-V processors. Assuming customers adopt the processors and use them in PCs, the move might be part of a plan to create Linux-based PCs that use royalty-free processors. This could be seen as a challenge to computers based on designs from Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Apple, or Arm, but giants of the industry don’t have to cower just yet.The San Mateo, California-based company unveiled HiFive Unmatched,...WW…

Amazon today reported earnings for its third fiscal quarter of 2020, including revenue up 37% to $96.1 billion, net income of $6.3 billion, and earnings per share of $12.37 (compared to revenue of $70.0 billion, net income of $2.1 billion, and earnings per share of $4.23 in Q3 2019). North American sales were up 39% to $59.4 billion, while international sales grew 37% to $25.2 billion. This is Amazon’s second full quarter during the coronavirus pandemic. Given the company’s leadership position in online retail and the cloud, its results are a bellwether for the industry. In Q2, Amazon set...…Amazon today reported earnings for its third fiscal quarter of 2020, including revenue up 37% to $96.1 billion, net income of $6.3 billion, and earnings per share of $12.37 (compared to revenue of $70.0 billion, net income of $2.1 billion, and earnings per share of $4.23 in Q3 2019). North American sales were up 39% to $59.4 billion, while international sales grew 37% to $25.2 billion. This is Amazon’s second full quarter during the coronavirus pandemic. Given the company’s leadership position in online retail and the cloud, its results are a bellwether for the industry. In Q2, Amazon set...WW…

Log OutLearn how new cloud-based API solutions are solving imperfect, frustrating audio in video conferences.Real-time analytics startup today announced a $40 million round. The company says the funds will be used to grow its workforce and accelerate product development and research while bolstering its go-to-market efforts.A 2018 report from estimated that humans were creating 2.5 quintillion bytes (or 2.5 exabytes) of data per day, a number that has only increased since. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some companies are tapping the data deluge more effectively — and efficiently — than others. A...…Log OutLearn how new cloud-based API solutions are solving imperfect, frustrating audio in video conferences.Real-time analytics startup today announced a $40 million round. The company says the funds will be used to grow its workforce and accelerate product development and research while bolstering its go-to-market efforts.A 2018 report from estimated that humans were creating 2.5 quintillion bytes (or 2.5 exabytes) of data per day, a number that has only increased since. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some companies are tapping the data deluge more effectively — and efficiently — than others. A...WW…

Log OutRead our latest special issue.In January, Italy’s Ministry of Education, University, and Research (MUIR), National Institute of Nuclear Physics, and International School of Advanced Studies unveiled Leonardo, a new supercomputer to be constructed at capable of “exascale” computing for research and innovation. The hardware partners for the project, which was approved by the European Joint Undertaking EuroHPC, a joint supercomputing collaboration between national governments and the European Union, weren’t initially revealed. But Nvidia today confirmed that it will supply Ampere-based...…Log OutRead our latest special issue.In January, Italy’s Ministry of Education, University, and Research (MUIR), National Institute of Nuclear Physics, and International School of Advanced Studies unveiled Leonardo, a new supercomputer to be constructed at capable of “exascale” computing for research and innovation. The hardware partners for the project, which was approved by the European Joint Undertaking EuroHPC, a joint supercomputing collaboration between national governments and the European Union, weren’t initially revealed. But Nvidia today confirmed that it will supply Ampere-based...WW…

Log OutRead our latest special issue.GM-backed driverless car startup Cruise today a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that will allow the company to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in San Francisco. While Cruise has had state authority to pilot driverless cars with safety drivers since 2015, the new license enables the company to test five autonomous vehicles without a driver behind the wheel on specified city streets within San Francisco.According to the DMV, Cruise’s vehicles can operate on roads with posted speed limits not exceeding 30 miles per...…Log OutRead our latest special issue.GM-backed driverless car startup Cruise today a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that will allow the company to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in San Francisco. While Cruise has had state authority to pilot driverless cars with safety drivers since 2015, the new license enables the company to test five autonomous vehicles without a driver behind the wheel on specified city streets within San Francisco.According to the DMV, Cruise’s vehicles can operate on roads with posted speed limits not exceeding 30 miles per...WW…

Log OutRead our latest special issue.Miso Robotics today announced that its newest kitchen robot, Flippy Robot-on-a-Rail (ROAR), is now commercially available. The final design, which can cook up to 19 food items, mounts the robot on a recessed overhead rail to avoid interfering with human staff. On the backend, improvements to ChefUI, Miso’s software, aim to assist staff with workflows through a dashboard displayed on a 15.6-inch touchscreen mounted to the robot. An Intel depth sensor enables ChefUI to identify food and temperatures while learning to reclassify new foods introduced to...…Log OutRead our latest special issue.Miso Robotics today announced that its newest kitchen robot, Flippy Robot-on-a-Rail (ROAR), is now commercially available. The final design, which can cook up to 19 food items, mounts the robot on a recessed overhead rail to avoid interfering with human staff. On the backend, improvements to ChefUI, Miso’s software, aim to assist staff with workflows through a dashboard displayed on a 15.6-inch touchscreen mounted to the robot. An Intel depth sensor enables ChefUI to identify food and temperatures while learning to reclassify new foods introduced to...WW…

Log OutRead our latest special issue.As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Research program, Intel today inked a three-year agreement with Sandia National Laboratories to explore the value of neuromorphic computing for scaled-up AI problems. Sandia will kick off its work using the 50-million-neuron Loihi-based system recently delivered to its facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the collaboration progresses, Intel says the labs will receive systems built on the company’s next-generation neuromorphic architecture.Along with Intel, researchers at IBM,...…Log OutRead our latest special issue.As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Research program, Intel today inked a three-year agreement with Sandia National Laboratories to explore the value of neuromorphic computing for scaled-up AI problems. Sandia will kick off its work using the 50-million-neuron Loihi-based system recently delivered to its facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the collaboration progresses, Intel says the labs will receive systems built on the company’s next-generation neuromorphic architecture.Along with Intel, researchers at IBM,...WW…

Log OutRead our latest special issue.Sometimes the light Kiana Caton is forced to use gives her a headache. On top of common concerns that come with taking a state bar exam — like passing the test — Caton has to deal with challenges presented by facial recognition technology. She’s a Black woman, and facial recognition tech has a well-documented history of misidentifying women with melanin. Analysis by the and . The European Conference on Computer Vision also recently found .Ok support told me to “sit directly in front of a lighting source such as a lamp.” I’m receiving the same issue...…Log OutRead our latest special issue.Sometimes the light Kiana Caton is forced to use gives her a headache. On top of common concerns that come with taking a state bar exam — like passing the test — Caton has to deal with challenges presented by facial recognition technology. She’s a Black woman, and facial recognition tech has a well-documented history of misidentifying women with melanin. Analysis by the and . The European Conference on Computer Vision also recently found .Ok support told me to “sit directly in front of a lighting source such as a lamp.” I’m receiving the same issue...WW…

Log OutRead our latest special issue.D-Wave today launched its next-generation quantum computing platform available via . The company calls Advantage “the first quantum computer built for business.” In that vein, D-Wave today also debuted Launch, a jump-start program for businesses that want to begin building hybrid quantum applications.“The Advantage quantum computer is the first quantum computer designed and developed from the ground up to support business applications,” D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz told VentureBeat. “We engineered it to be able to deal with large, complex commercial...…Log OutRead our latest special issue.D-Wave today launched its next-generation quantum computing platform available via . The company calls Advantage “the first quantum computer built for business.” In that vein, D-Wave today also debuted Launch, a jump-start program for businesses that want to begin building hybrid quantum applications.“The Advantage quantum computer is the first quantum computer designed and developed from the ground up to support business applications,” D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz told VentureBeat. “We engineered it to be able to deal with large, complex commercial...WW…

Log OutRead our latest special issue.YouTube has emerged as a critical source of news for people in the U.S. as independent and traditional media sources attract massive audiences on the video-sharing site. But the growing influence of Google’s video platform also heightens concerns about its struggle to control .In a study the released today, 26% of U.S. adults said they now get their news from YouTube. That includes 23% via videos posted by news organizations and 23% from independent YouTube channels. Researchers surveyed 12,638 U.S. adults for the report.“The study finds a news landscape...…Log OutRead our latest special issue.YouTube has emerged as a critical source of news for people in the U.S. as independent and traditional media sources attract massive audiences on the video-sharing site. But the growing influence of Google’s video platform also heightens concerns about its struggle to control .In a study the released today, 26% of U.S. adults said they now get their news from YouTube. That includes 23% via videos posted by news organizations and 23% from independent YouTube channels. Researchers surveyed 12,638 U.S. adults for the report.“The study finds a news landscape...WW…

Log OutRead our latest special issue.and today launched AI registries to detail how each city government uses algorithms to deliver services, some of the first major cities in the world to do so. An AI Register for each city was introduced in beta today as part of the Next Generation Internet Policy Summit, organized in part by the European Commission and the city of Amsterdam. The Amsterdam registry currently features a handful of algorithms, but it will be extended to include all algorithms following the collection of feedback at the virtual conference to lay out a European vision of the...…Log OutRead our latest special issue.and today launched AI registries to detail how each city government uses algorithms to deliver services, some of the first major cities in the world to do so. An AI Register for each city was introduced in beta today as part of the Next Generation Internet Policy Summit, organized in part by the European Commission and the city of Amsterdam. The Amsterdam registry currently features a handful of algorithms, but it will be extended to include all algorithms following the collection of feedback at the virtual conference to lay out a European vision of the...WW…

In late July, a Congressional subcommittee successfully compelled four major tech company CEOs to formally answer questions about allegedly monopolistic business practices — a public spectacle marred only by COVID-19-related isolation of the attendees. Amazon, Facebook, and Google faced some of the heaviest questioning, but Apple certainly didn’t escape notice, as it was peppered with evidence that its App Store was abusing its increasingly dominant position within the software industry. The “Online Platforms and Market Power” hearing matters because it paved the way for formal antitrust...…In late July, a Congressional subcommittee successfully compelled four major tech company CEOs to formally answer questions about allegedly monopolistic business practices — a public spectacle marred only by COVID-19-related isolation of the attendees. Amazon, Facebook, and Google faced some of the heaviest questioning, but Apple certainly didn’t escape notice, as it was peppered with evidence that its App Store was abusing its increasingly dominant position within the software industry. The “Online Platforms and Market Power” hearing matters because it paved the way for formal antitrust...WW…