Daily Bits

Software Gives Computers Sense of Humor

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AIWork on artificial intelligence has been going on forever, and even huge developments have been made in this area. We hear and read about smart computers on a daily basis. We visit online video platforms to watch the awesome creations of scientists. However, we have to admit that there is still a long way to go before computers or robots can match the human brain (in some respects, at least).

While other researchers, engineers, and computer scientists are busy trying to achieve the ultimate AI setup, Chloe Kiddon and Yuriy Brun have come up with something that will give us more amusement than anything right now. They have created a software that adds a human aspect to computers – a sense of humor.

You have to admit that while we love the idea of an emotion-less and 100% efficient robot, the idea of interacting with robots with humor involved is even more appealing. Think of Iron Man and his robot cum fire extinguisher.

More than a generic sense of humor, though, the software gives computers the ability to understand specific kinds of jokes. Imagine this scenario.

My friend and I were driving home from school when a car suddenly pulled out in front of her car and she had to slam on her brakes. I said, “I hate it when they pull out when they know you are coming!” (That’s what she said.) ((Source: TWSS -Yes, there IS a web site for that’s what she said jokes!))

If you don’t get the joke, I suggest you do a quick search on the phrase “That’s what she said”.

So anyhow, the two computer scientists created the system DEviaNT (Double Entendre via Noun Transfer) using jokes found online to train the computer. ((Via Physorg)) The end result? A computer that can tell you “That’s what she said!”

Can’t think of a practical use of this software right now, but who cares?

Image via Trinity

Duct Tape Wave Machine

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What do you do when you have a lot of spare time, a lot of duct tape, some shish kabob skewers, and rubber stoppers for Erlenmeyer flasks? ((Refresh your memory: an Erlenmeyer flask is a piece of equipment used in the lab. It is characterized by a flat bottom, a conical body, and a cylindrical neck.)) Well, if you’re YouTube user RDSQC, you will make your own wave machine, take a video of it in action, and upload it for the entire world to see!

As you can see, this is not the wave machine that you use to make waves in pool to simulate the ocean’s movement. (Duh.) If I am right, this is actually a DIY version of a Shive wave machine, which was named after Dr. John Shive. He developed the machine back in the 1950s when he was working at Bell Labs.

So what’s the point in having a machine like this? (Aside from the fact that the guys look like they were having fun making the machine move.)

The purpose of a Shive wave machine is supposed to demonstrate how slow transverse waves move. In order to make this machine, the rods (shish kabob sticks in this case) have to be placed at regular intervals. In conventional wave machines, the rods are attached to a wire spine. In a MacGyver-worthy move, this DIY-er decided to use duct tape.

I don’t know what practical use the average person will ever have for one of these machines, but RDSQC, MacGyver would be so proud of you! ((Source: RDSQC))

Now if you happen to adore physics, you can see videos of “real” wave machines here.

FIRST Robotics Competition: This Is the Real Thing

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Recently, the FIRST Robotics Competition was held at the Boston University. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” and was conceptualized by no less than Dean Kamen. If the name is unfamiliar, think of the Segway Human Transporter. Does that ring a bell?

This competition covers four annual contests open to all grade levels in the United States: Junior LEGO League (ages 6 to 9), LEGO League (ages 9 to 12), and Tech Challenge (high school students). The main thing going for FIRST, though, is the Robotics Competition, which has gathered 12,000 students who are probably real geeks. Not the hipsters who seem to take pride in labeling themselves as geeks.

In the recently concluded FIRST Robotics Competition, teenagers are tasked with creating robots that are supposed to perform specific tasks. At the same time, the robots need to be able to defend against other robots so that the assigned tasks can be completed.

While the whole idea seems fun – and indeed, the contestants find it fun – there is a lot of hard work involved. The contestants actually get a kit at the start of the school year so that they have several months to work on their project. The ultimate test comes when they all get together to pit their robots against one another.

Here’s a sampling of what went on at the competition.

12,000 kids screaming and not for Justin Bieber. Any parent can be proud to have his/her kid in that crowd. I know I would.

Via PopSci

Motorized Hammock: The Ultimate Lazy Guy’s Mode of Transpo

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motorized-hammock
And I thought I was lazy! I am the last person you can expect to ask you to take a walk. Heck, if I could fit into those little trolleys for kids at the mall, I would rent one so I wouldn’t have to walk around. If I can do things the easy way (i.e., not walk), then I would.

Reading about “The American Dream,” a project by Stephen Shaffer and his friends. The American Dream is a hammock which you can use to get around – not only in your backyard, but practically anywhere in town! Using The American Dream, you do not have to walk or drive a car – which can also be a hassle for some people. Instead, you just lie there as if you were enjoying the scenery at a tropical beach. It doesn’t matter – you are in a hammock, the most relaxing thing ever made. DIY at its best!

If you didn’t know, the hammock was invented by the Mayans eons ago. Stephen and his friends took it upon themselves to make an improvement on the hammock by putting it up on wheels. They threw in an Arduino micro-controller and used a PS2 controller for the navigation system. The chassis is from a wheelchair.

See, this thing is not only convenient (although it does take time and effort to build), but it also helps in the battle for the environment by using recycled materials! Here’s the hammock in action, plus some details about its creation. By the way, you have space for some luggage in the back. And that Red Bull trailing behind the hammock tells us that this was created for a Red Bull-sponsored competition. Thumbs up, boys!

American dream, Making the segway look like hard work from vimeo user on Vimeo.

Social Vending: The New Wave of Vending Machines?

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pepsi_social_vend_0Yesterday, soda make Pepsi announced their newest product – not a new soda, but a different kind of vending machine system. Riding on the popularity wave of everything social, Pepsi has introduced the idea of “social vending”.

No worries – you’ll still recognize the vending machines for what they are, but you’ll be able to do a few new tricks with them. The idea is to provide consumers with a touch screen interface, which allows consumers to send gifts – Pepsi products only, of course – to their friends. You can even record a short video via the same machine. The interface will ask you to select the product that you want to send as a gift and then prompt you to enter the recipient’s name and mobile phone number. You can also send a text message to accompany your gift.

How does the recipient actually get hold of the gift? By going to any social vending system unit and entering the necessary details. So ideally, you can be somewhere in Asia (if they do release the machines there) and send a Pepsi gift to a friend in the US. Oh, and just to make everything more social, the recipient can also opt to send a gift back. You know, as a way of saying thanks. (And then you send a gift back again – and the cycle goes on; and Pepsi makes more money.)

Honest thoughts: “social” can only go so far. While this social vending system is a novel idea, I can’t see the need for it. Is Pepsi aiming to be the Facebook of sodas? Then again, maybe I am being short-sighted. Oh, and maybe because I drink Coke anyway.

What do you think? Will the features of the social vending system be useful for you?

The Evolution of Bloggers

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Do you consider yourself a blogger? To be honest, blogging (and all other derivatives of the word) is an overused term, and you may find a lot of people hard-pressed when asked to give a clear definition of what blogging is. One thing is for sure, what started as an online extension of one’s personal journal/diary has gone through a lot of changes. Blogging has indeed come a long way.

In case you’re into in all things “blogging”, here’s an interesting infographic about the evolution of bloggers – the people behind these things we call blogs.

Note: The info is focused on the UK. Click for a bigger image.

Evolution of Bloggers

Significant stats include:

  • There are more male bloggers than female bloggers: 2/3 of all bloggers are male.
  • Not a lot of people read blogs – only 13% of Brits. Now the question is, do all the people included in the stats know what blogs are?
  • Not a lot of people blog – only 2% of UK Internet users.

Most popular blogs in the UK:

  • www.mashable.com
  • www.techcrunch.com
  • www.allaboutsymbian.com
  • www.coolest-gadgets.com
  • www.johncow.com

There isn’t really anything surprising in that list, is there?

Top Blogger Platforms:

  • WordPress
  • Blogger
  • Posterous
  • Tumblr

Again, nothing surprising. What do you think about the list of well known bloggers at the end of the infographic? Would you have chosen the same people for the list? Also, it would be cool to have something similar with info from the US and the rest of the world, wouldn’t it?

Infographic via Web Sourcing