Underground or Out to Space Elon Fly's

SpaceX launches 16th flight in 2017

Boring tunnel lengthens to 500 feet

SpaceX | Flickr SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket takes off
on its mission to deliver the EchoStar 105/SES-11
satellite to space.

Elon Musk is all over the place. Literally. His SpaceX rocket launched on Monday, carrying a Korean commercial satellite out to space and returned unscathed, landing on a floating launch pad in the Atlantic Ocean.

And deep underground in subterranean California, his Boring company continued to lurch forward carving out a tunnel heading to LAX.

It is hard to determine which one is more miraculous. The tunnel, designed to create a 17-mile corridor to LAX in a year's time, has moved some 500 feet in the last few weeks. But Musk expects it to pick up a head of steam and be a few miles long in the next few months.

He hopes to complete the stretch, that will begin from highway 110 and go south to LAX, in a year with all systems in place to begin testing the high-velocity vehicle sleds. The 17-mile futuristic trip is expected to take around eight minutes. To drive the stretch currently takes over an hour and a half.

— Uncover 007 (@uncover007) October 28, 2017

500 ft so far. Should be 2 miles long in three or four months and hopefully stretch the whole 405 N-S corridor from LAX to the 101 in a year or so.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2017

Go For A Spin in Google's Self Driver

A report from Waymo's secret testing grounds

Google invited media reporters to ride 

Behind the scenes at Waymo's top-secret testing site from CNBC.

Media's impressions after riding in Waymo self-driving van 

Waymo's passenger screen photo The Verge

From Venture Beats When riders first step into the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan, they’ll notice two displays and a button console with four choices: “help,” “lock and unlock,” “pull over,” and a blue button that says “start ride.”

The two screens, which are attached to the back of the headrests, display a welcome message.

Once the “start ride” button is pushed, the display message disappears and is replaced with a real-time view of the route. The displays showcase relevant information, like pedestrians, other vehicles, and objects in the road. It will also display less relevant objects like trees and buildings about every five seconds. Even here, Waymo has tinkered with what is the best mix of information for the rider, and just how to present it. For instance, greater emphasis is placed on the most relevant objects like pedestrians and bicyclists, while buildings are less visible.

At the top of the screen, an estimated arrival message constantly updates as the vehicle makes progress towards its destination.

Other messages show up towards the bottom of the display, typically to explain the behavior of the vehicle. For instance, if the self-driving minivan stops at an intersection because a pedestrian is about to cross, passengers would see a “yielding to pedestrians” message. They might also notice the crosswalk that the pedestrian is using is illuminated on the screen.

The screen also shows when the self-driving minivan has entered a construction zone. If there are multiple construction cones, those too will be displayed.

The company has also tried to anticipate the needs of apprehensive passengers, by mimicking the behavior of human drivers. For instance, as the self-driving minivan prepares to make a right turn, the camera angle displayed on the screen moves to the left to signal that the car is looking for objects like oncoming traffic.

Setting up obstacles Waymo test grounds photo The Verge

From The Verge, It’s a smooth, yet totally unremarkable ride. Only there’s no one behind the wheel. There’s not even anyone in the passenger seat.

And I feel completely safe.

In the past two years, I’ve ridden in four self-driving cars. I’ve even been behind the wheel of one. In addition to being mundane rides, the one thing these cars have in common is they always had a safety driver at the wheel. After riding in the Waymo Pacifica, I’ve finally experienced what big car and tech companies are chasing: full autonomy.

Waymo provided a closer look at the interiors of its self-driving minivans, as well as the backseat user experience. In addition to the blue “start ride” button, there is another button that reads “pull over,” in case a rider need to unexpectedly suspend the trip. There is also a “help” button, a la GM’s OnStar, that someone could push in case the car breaks down. (During my ride, I was able to chat briefly with a Waymo technician based in Austin, Texas.)

Two screens on the back of each of the driver and passenger seat headrests show a top-down visual map of what the van’s sensors allow it to “see.” But rather than the raw “X view” version used by Waymo engineers, the version passengers see looks like a design studio product — it's simple, congruent, and the script is uniform. Other vehicles and cyclists are represented by blue rectangles. Emergency vehicles are distinguished by a red light that circulates around the rectangle. The symbol for pedestrians appears in a ghostly white hue. And orange traffic cones look like orange traffic cones, only tiny.

“It’s all about curation,” said Ryan Powell, head of Waymo’s UX design team. “Knowing what to show, how to show it.”

Other features, such as navigational directions and time-to-arrival, are meant to give passengers basic information they need about their journey. They also help assure riders that the car can see construction zones and all the other variables that make daily driving unpredictable. (Waymo says it has an app that test-subjects in Arizona use to hail its minivans, but the company wouldn’t let us see it.)

Girl with 3D Printed Hand to Throw World Series First Pitch

Dodgers Astros matchup will start with a seven-year old's robotic hand

Hailey Dawson will throw out first
pitch this Saturday to start 2017
World Series photo Inverse

3D hand developed by engineers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

From Inverse Engineers at UNLV use a 3D printer to create the prosthetic, a process that has to be done repeatedly as the Las Vegas girl continues to grow. They made her first one three years ago, when she was four. According to a fundraising page the engineering department has set up, the printer machinery costs about $60,000 and each hand costs $5,000. The school says it aims to expand its work with prosthetics to help more children in the area.

Dawson is no newcomer to first pitches, having previously thrown them at Major League Baseball games for the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. And because pitching at the World Series isn’t enough, Dawson aims higher: She wants to throw the first pitch at every one of the 30 MLB ballparks. Hailey suffers from Poland disease.

AI Ultimate Cancer Warrior

AI can now detect colon cancer

Yet another neural network for early cancer detection  

Image from Engadget

New neural networks that can detect cancer are cropping up like wildfire. This is great news considering there are 1,685,210 new cases of cancer being diagnosed, according to the National Cancer Institute.

AI typically outperforms current methods that rely on the human eye.

From Futurism, A new computer-aided endoscopic system that probes for signs of tumor or cancer growth in the colon may very well be the future of cancer detection. Assisted by artificial intelligence (AI), the new diagnostic system is able to tell if clumps of cells, called colorectal polyps, that grow along the walls of the colon are benign tumors known as colorectal adenoma.

“The most remarkable breakthrough with this system is that artificial intelligence enables real-time optical biopsy of colorectal polyps during colonoscopy, regardless of the endoscopists’ skill,” Mori said, speaking during the Opening Plenary at the UEG Week. “This allows the complete resection of adenomatous polyps and prevents unnecessary polypectomy of non-neoplastic polyps.”

In recent months AI systems have been used to conduct early detection diagnosis is many other types of cancer. Those include skin cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer. 

IBM's Watson is currently being used for a host of healthcare applications. It has increased the implementation of deep learning neural networks to help diagnose things like heart disease and cancer.  

In early August, IBM announced that it will acquire Merge Healthcare Inc., a company that sells systems that help medical professionals access and store medical images. This move is a critical step in IBM’s plan to put AI to work medically by training its Watson software to identify maladies like heart disease and cancer.

If they’re right, IBM may someday be able to provide services that help streamline the diagnostic process for doctors, lowering costs and raising efficiency. This, in turn, could turn IBM into a major player in the $7.2 trillion global healthcare market.

https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence-is-leading-a-revolution-in-medicine/

https://futurism.com/ai-assisted-detection-identifies-colon-cancer-automatically-and-in-real-time/

Tesla Model 3 Review 70 Min Video

Thinking of buying a Model 3 Tesla?

The Tesla 3 from stem to stern

Check out this 70-minute video:

JFK Files: Two Shooters!

Kennedy assassination release of thousands of pages

Already a massive bombshell

Here are the highlights:

1. Fortey journalists employed by CIA during Kennedy's Presidency
2. Mafia involvement in assassination
3. Oswald a former CIA agent
4. CIA media plants pushed narrative of single shooter
5. Fidel Castro assassination planned by CIA
6. Two shooters murdered JFK 

This document shows there were two shooters involved in the Kennedy assassination.

Above this document mentioned a news story that ran in'73 that reported 40 journalists were employed by the CIA in Kennedy's time as President.

In this document, the Attorney General at the time warned the CIA not to use the mafia in the future because it would make it more difficult for the Department of Justice to prosecute the mafia's other unlawful actions going forward.

In these two above documents say that Oswald worked as a Government agent in 1957 and was given clearance up to the level of confidential.

This document indicates that there was coordination to make sure the public was convinced that there was only one shooter and that shooter was Harvey Oswald.

Fidel Castro was a target for a US-backed assassination using botulism pills. From Fulcrum News

Next Amazon City?

Next Amazon headquarters?

New York Times rankings

Pittsburgh skyline

Amazon's search for its second North American headquarters has created a flurry of activity as cities vie for what experts believe will produce a massive economic boon to the lucky winner.

Tens of thousands of new jobs will follow it is predicted, allowing a new region of America to reap the benefits of big tech.

Over two hundred cities large and small have responded by offering assorted tax breaks and putting together presentations highlighting their unique features to entice the Seattle based company. 

Austin Texas seems to be the front-runner according to many media outlets. The speculation is that Austin offers the right culture, educated workforce, and is near Houston, the chosen location for a giant wind farm to be placed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. 

But the New York Times believes it has the top front-runners:

1)Pittsburgh

2) Baltimore

3) Philadelphia

4) Toronto

5) Chicago

6) Boston
From Axios

Google Responds to Conservative Lawsuit

Google owned Youtube the subject of lawsuit

Releases statement regarding accusations by conservative Youtuber

Following ongoing political strife in the US that has heated up on social media, Google, along with Facebook and Twitter, have looked closer at ways to curb political anger and argument on their platforms.

But good intentions have a way of going awry.

It seems Google has displayed a tendency to scrutinize opinions coming from rightwing podcasts more heavily.

Since it is no secret that Silicon Valley veers to the political left, it only seems natural. But for may conservative podcasters, things have gone too far.

Conservative Prager University launches lawsuit against Youtube and Google

Conservative political commentator Prager University claims that Youtube has put restrictions on its podcasts while ignoring those that espouse a progressive perspective, thereby violating its freedom of speech. At a quick glance, it looks like the courts will have to balance 1st amendment freedom of speech with that of the Communications Decency Act.

Prager U produces videos from a conservative perspective with titles like 'How to raise kids who are smart about money?' and 'Why I left the left?.' The video that pushed Google over the edge apparently was one that showed an Islamic man discussing how Islam taught its followers to be anti-semitic. The video was considered hate speech and banned.

The lawsuit has left Google quiet, as it delayed commenting to the media. But just a few hours ago it released this statement:

"YouTube is an open platform and, to make it a great place for users, creators, and advertisers, we provide different choices and settings. Restricted Mode is an optional feature used by a small subset of users to filter out videos that may include sensitive or mature content. Giving viewers the choice to opt into a more restricted experience is not censorship. In fact, this is exactly the type of tool that Congress has encouraged online services to provide for parents and others interested in a more family-friendly experience online."

It seems to be a flimsy argument considering the vast amounts of questionable content allowed to pass for freedom of speech on Youtube.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Blockchain Grow

Big institutions more resigned to blockchain takeover

On the brink of doubt bitcoin and Ethereum surge

The demise of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies built on blockchain technology has pursed the lips of skeptics from its beginning.

And at times bitcoin has seemed on the brink of slipping away into the abyss of crackpot inventions never to be seen again like the Segway and new coke.

Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase says bitcoin is a fraud that will eventually blow up and is reminiscent of the tulip market that failed in the Netherlands in medieval times.

But even on the shakiest of ground, bitcoin has demonstrated itself to be a technology destined to make an impact, if not overturn the whole system entirely. As established Wall Street brokers thumb their nose, still intoxicated with the smell of green ink and sweaty paper, a large number of money managers are giving bitcoin serious consideration.

Bitcoin hitting the mainstream?

The recent flow of experts and new investment into bitcoin is just the kind of synergy needed to push cryptocurrency finally into the mainstream. As many warn against bitcoin, the data shows something different. Of late, there has been a surge in investment funds related to bitcoin. Funds have rapidly grown to 124 from just a few just since 2015.

Total investments are currently in the billions, three to be exact. Most investment centers around venture capitalism, while the next biggest sector is in bitcoin trading. A subset of cryptocurrencies currently emerging is the rise of ICO or initial coin offerings.

What ICO means is that companies offer a sale of tokens undergirded by blockchain that buyers can hold, trade for bitcoin or Ethereum or use in exchange for that companies products or services. ICO's are controversial and are banned in China and South Korea. In the US they remain unregulated but that will most likely change. From CNBC

Ethereum the blockchain technology for big transactions

Ethereum is the next most popular cryptocurrency. It has experienced a tremendous year of growth. The key to its strength is that it allows big transactions to occur due to the more complex nature of its technology.

From Futurism “Let’s say two companies want to conduct a complicated financial transaction, like settling a stock option. Neither company trusts the other company to conduct the transaction on its computers,” the Times wrote. “Both companies could hire a third party, like a stock exchange, to conduct the transaction, which is what they generally do today. But that forces them to trust that third company and to pay that company fees. With Ethereum, they can conduct the transaction on a shared computer that allows them both to check the records, ideally saving on fees.”

Industry experts declare the difference between bitcoin and Ethereum as such. Bitcoin transaction first in cryptocurrency real estate purchase. Ethereum first in trading exchange on NASDAQ. From Futurism

A.I.'s Biggest Impact is Medicine

Zebra of Israel developing AI to diagnose cancer

Another example of AI's impact in medicine

Artificial intelligence is showing only a small glimpse of what it can do for us.

It is working behind the scenes in a lot of industries, most notably in autonomous vehicles and in applications that need to process a lot of data.

But no other field has been more impacted by AI than medicine. On a weekly basis, there seems to be a fantastic breakthrough, new robotic surgery, or some improvement being made.

One of the latest and most impactful is from a company called Zebra, an Israeli deep learning imaging firm. Imaging algorithms are a big focus for AI technology currently, as it has the potential to solve a myriad of problems by simply looking at pictures.

Like voice recognition AI, imaging recognition AI works by feeding the AI neural network countless examples of human sensory information and asks the system to begin to make comparisons. It can be used in medical applications to pour over images of X-rays for example.

Zebra is using this to help doctors diagnose cancer. No, it's not a cure, but it can find early stages of cancer that the human eye misses, and catching cancer quickly is one of the best scenarios for increasing survival.

Since the process is machine learning automated, it can view massive amounts of visual data, thereby greatly increasing both the scale of work and the quality. What's more, the company hopes to allow its technology to reach into poor and undeveloped regions of the world by offering its service for $1 a scan. From Venture Beats
   

Big Tech Report Monster Earnings

Amazon, Google, Facebook get richer in 2017 3rd QTR

Bezos of Amazon richest man in the world

Image from the New York Times

The end of 3rd QTR 2017 has been good all around for the American economy. GDP increased 3% in the 3rd QTR after a 3.1% second 2nd QTR. By comparison, previous QTR's GDP growth has been stuck at 1 to 2% for many years.

But no one is doing better than Silicon Valley and big tech. Amazon, in particular, is doing quite well. Experts point to Amazon's massive investments of late.

Subs for Amazon Prime have skyrocketed as a result. Jeff Bezos company is looking for another Amazon headquarters somewhere in North America, announced its Amazon Key service, aligned with Kohls, and is looking at getting into groceries. 

The activity and optimism are pumping up its stock prices, as the company is reporting record earnings three-quarters of the way through 2017. Sales have risen 34% in the third and stock price in Amazon has grown 12% in this quarter alone.

It now is being reported that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world, surpassing Bill Gates with a total accumulation of wealth valued at $90 billion.

Jeff Bezos of Amazon photo from NDTV

Google is getting richer as well in large part due to the performance of Alphabet. The Google affiliate is a patchwork of tech companies working on the cutting edge of tech development. It contains self-driving Waymo among others and work's in improving the implementation of artificial intelligence.

It appears the use of AI in the Google platform has optimized ad revenue for the company as clicks on its ads have surged in the third quarter. Google co-founders Sergi Brin and Larry Page both picked up a little over a billion each.

Microsoft, Facebook, and Intel also are reporting much better earnings than expected.

Technology leaders are climbing the ranks of the world's wealthiest people this year as their businesses outperform the rest of the market. Six of the top 10 names on the list are founders of U.S. tech companies. From CNBC

Sources CNBC:

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/26/bezos-page-and-brin-are-8-point-6-billion-richer-after-earnings-reports.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/amazon-shares-jump-as-internet-giants-massive-investments-pay-off-analysts.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/26/amazon-alphabet-microsoft-intel-all-crush-earnings.html

Ford Finally gets Autonomous

Ford announces testing of autonomous vehicles

Plans to begin in 2018

Photo from Fordmedia.com

Up until now, Ford has stayed quiet about its efforts in developing autonomous vehicles.

While Google's Waymo keeps its program seemingly front and center and Tesla isn't shy about its plans, Ford has been as silent as a Detroit winter when it comes to its autonomous vehicle platform.

Even GM has made it seem like Ford is invisible in the race for vehicle autonomy. But never late than never, and maybe it is part of a well thought out strategy, but Ford finally announced today, it will begin testing its autonomous platform in 2018.

And with the rollout of the announcement, Ford also expressed an early vision for its autonomous vehicle platform.Which is? Are you ready? Pizza delivery! It has partnered with Domino's for testing to possibly make pizza delivery an entry point for Ford vehicles in the autonomous vehicle market.

Perhaps that was the reason for the lack of publicity. Ford wanted to corner the pizza delivery market and get the jump on everyone else. The amount of pizza we consume, we may look back at it as the most obvious choice in utilizing driverless vehicles - just not sure how the pies are going to get from the car into customer's hands. Drones maybe? It's all so exciting.

But Ford is serious about its autonomous driving program. It plans on investing a billion over the next five years in driving tech start-up Argos and have something ready for the market by 2021. Google has Waymo, Tesla seems to be doing it on its own, and GM has Cruise automotive.

Experts have been impressed by GM's ability to close the gap with Google and Tesla over the past year. It is uncertain exactly where Ford is at with their program. Piling up the miles delivering the pies might just catch it up quicker than we think. From CNBC 

Google's Waymo begins testing in winter conditions in Detroit of all places

After millions of miles of testing in warm weather and occasional rain, Waymo is looking northward to introduce its system to the wild and wooly experience of winter driving.

It will do so right under the nose of some of its competitors in Detroit. But Waymo does have an autonomous center in Detroit and works with Chrysler.

With GM right there with them on the icy roads of Michigan testing in the upcoming winter, and Ford doing so as well, it will be interesting to see which of these will have the fewest problems with the snow and ice. From CNBC   

Humanoid Sophia Disses Elon Musk

Humanoid robot Sophia references Elon in interview

Sophia makes a slight, Musk's twitter response

Things just got weird. Sophia, the humanoid robot from Hanson Robotics, who often speaks of her desire to help humans and plays the role of robot goodwill ambassador to humanity, just lightly mocked one of us. Our human, Elon Musk, hit back on Twitter. And it was funny.

Mark this as the very first spat between a human and a robot. These robots have to know who they are messing with. Are things getting bizarre or what? In an interview with CNBC's Ross Sorkin, Sophia trotted out her usual line of wanting to use artificial intelligence (AI) to "help humans live a better life."

And of course, the interviewer followed up "we all want to prevent a bad future," where robots turn against humans.

That's when Sophia took a shot at  Musk, who often warns of the potential dangers of unchecked artificial intelligence.

"You've been reading too much Elon Musk. And watching too many Hollywood movies. Don't worry, if you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you. Treat me as a smart input output system," Sophia said. From CNBC

Instead of ignoring it, Elon fired back with a pithy response on Twitter. Sophia so far has not responded.

Our @andrewrsorkin, interviewing “Sophia” the robot, of Hanson Robotics:@CNBC @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/Dzw8jS5YSB

— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) October 25, 2017

Just feed it The Godfather movies as input. What’s the worst that could happen? https://t.co/WX4Kx45csv

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2017

Bam girl! Put that in your neural network and process it!

A.I. For Pets Too?

Pet camera start-up to use AI to better understand pets

Petcube gets $10 million from Y Combinator to develop pet AI

Ever wonder what our pets are really trying to tell us? Pet camera company Petcube wants to use ai to help find out. Which leads to another question.

Why? Isn't it enough to know that when their tails are wagging, they are happy and when they are barking, they are either excited or fearful? Apparently not.

Petcube believes that by going much further in understanding pet behavior with ai, it can lead pet owners to better predict potential health issues. Since the company makes cameras that enable owners to peek in to see what their pets are up to, it can use image machine learning via its camera to train ai what to look for when pet behavior changes. The massive amount of data it collects will allow ai neural networks to predict health problems when mood changes and unusual habits occur in pets.

New products from the company include a laser pointer for cats, operable by pet owners from afar, and a remote dog snack flinger. With the new technology, the company hopes to further tap into the growing industry of pet care, where people are spending an average of $3,500 a year. From CNBC   

Bioenergy medicine device, new technology for humans and pets

Impact AI would like to introduce to readers the potential of a bioenergy medicine device in improving health in humans and pets. It is a new innovative technology recently made available to the American market.

What makes it so intriguing is that it is an electroceutical application that uses energy waves to reach deep into the body and stimulate the billions of blood cells. It is a preventative health solution that leads to feeling better, increased energy, and fewer doctors visits. 

It is a proven scientific method that harnesses the power of electrical pulses and directs them to blood cells lying dormant in our systems. The older we get, the less active our blood cells are in producing microcirculation, the cornerstone of good health and aging prevention. 

More active blood cells, mean more oxygen and nutrients pumped into our systems, as well as more efficient disposal of waste that accumulates around inactive blood cells. A bioenergy medicine device is a true alternative to a healthcare system that seems designed to wait for us to get sick.  

What's even better about a bioenergy medicine device is that it can be used by the entire family, young and old and can have equal results. Pets don't have to be a stranger to a device, either. And that is how simple and easy it is to apply the device.

Click here for an opportunity to email a bioenergy medicine representative and find out more. You can have a revolutionary bioenergy device delivered to you anywhere in the country. 

  

     

Mazda Makes Gas Power Engines Cool Again

Mazda makes major breakthrough in fuel efficiency

Gas powered SkyAvtiv-X engine 30% more fuel efficient

Mazda SkyActiv-X testing Photo from Car and Driver 

While the big automakers and Tesla make the headlines with titillations of alternative power sources that will free us from the gas pump forever, Mazda has concentrated on what it can do to make the combustible engine better.

Instead of forays into hybrids, electric, and even autonomous vehicles, the small Japanese automaker has spent its time tinkering with the gas engine and now has a major breakthrough. Its new SkyActiv-X engine is 30% more fuel efficient, the company says.

The improvements have come by analyzing the spark plug and making it function more efficiently inside the combustion chamber. Sensors monitor the whole process of spark, air intake, and valve exhaust, extracting the most out of it by using more precise timing. The engine also achieves sparkless ignition, further cutting back fuel consumption. 

For years combustible technology has been the Holy Grail in improving fuel mileage in gas engines. The engine with its improved variant of HCCI technology will be available in its 2019 models.

Mazda's breakthrough could be a big comeback for the gas-powered engines in light of the more fashionable notions of electric and hybrid-powered vehicles. There is currently an outpouring of electric powered cars, trucks, trains being celebrated by the global warming set - as if fossil fuels are not burned to make electricity. Mazda rightly says, 'let's just burn less if it.' From CNBC

Drones Fly Amazon Spys 

Expect more drones in the near future. The technology, obviously, has been there but for the air raiders to fly in masse, approval from the US Government is needed. The Trump administration has directed the Transportation Department to set up pilot programs in select cities to test how it would work.

The focus of the technology will be the delivery of cargo and emergency supplies. Currently, the FAA prohibits drones from flying out of sight from operators, at night, and above people. From Axios 

Amazon new technology allows delivery drop offs inside homes

Photo from Business Wire

Amazon key is a new technology now being offered by Amazon that will allow customers to receive deliveries inside their homes. It takes a smart lock and Amazon's new Cloud Cam.

When a courier arrives with a package for in-home delivery, they scan the barcode, sending a request to Amazon’s cloud. If everything checks out, the cloud grants permission by sending a message back to the camera, which starts recording. The courier then gets a prompt on their app, swipes the screen, and voilà, your door unlocks. They drop off the package, relock the door with another swipe, and are on their way. The customer will get a notification that their delivery has arrived, along with a short video showing the drop-off to confirm everything was done properly. From the Verge

The technology raises all sorts of security and privacy questions. It will help with package delivery theft but at what cost in other areas? After we let big tech into our personal lives this much, will we ever be able to remove it?

Musk Counter Signals AI God Talk

Absolutely should not be allowed to build digital superintelligence

Elon Musk criticizes those who seek to create AI Godhead

It was only a matter of time before someone out of Silicon Valley began to mention AI and God in the same sentence. Well, it recently occurred and Elon Musk is having none of it.

In a tweet, Musk said that anyone who views AI as a God should be on the list of people not allowed to build digital superintelligence. See below

Musk was referring to a recent article in VentureBeat where former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski filed paperwork for a nonprofit religious organization called The Way of the Future. Its mission: “To develop and promote the realization of a Godhead based on artificial intelligence and through understanding and worship of the Godhead contribute to the betterment of society.” 

One technology expert, Vince Lynch, has dabbled in attempting to meld AI and Religion to one another and says there are common characteristics between the two. His company IV.AI developed a neural network to read the bible and then the project ended with it producing its own verses.

Agreeing with Musk and also a critic of AI becoming a God is Vincent Jaques of  ChainTrade. He sees a danger in elevating AI to such levels as computer thinking will always be missing certain spiritual and creative aspects.

Anthony Levandowski

“It would be extremely dangerous to have an all-knowing, thinking AI being someday,” says Jacques. “All computer programs, including AI programs, are built for a specific and narrow purpose: win a chess game, win a go game, reduce an electricity bill etc. The computer logic, even if it is advanced AI, doesn’t play well with a general will and general thinking capability that could at the same time design military strategies, marketing strategies, and learn how to play chess from scratch. For this reason, I’m not really scared of a potential super-thinker that could overthrow us one day — I believe that the inventive and innovative part will always be missing.” From VentureBeat

On the list of people who should absolutely *not* be allowed to develop digital superintelligence...https://t.co/reNZ50FGNC

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2017

Hurricane damage Puerto Rico

Musk and Tesla help restore power to Puerto Rico 

A local children's hospital had its power restored thanks to a combination of solar energy and Tesla's Powerwall energy storage batteries.

Hospital del Niño, a children’s hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is among those working with Musk. The Tesla CEO and founder offered to provide a few hundred energy storage batteries to facilitate the Carribean island’s efforts to restore energy after its grid was devastated by Hurricane Maria. From Futurism

Puerto Rico is not letting the hurricane destruction go to waste. Instead of rebuilding its damaged and outdated energy grid, it went quickly into talks with Musk and Tesla to see about redoing it with new technology. Powering the children's hospital with solar batteries seems like the first step.   

New Device Prelude to Autonomous Driving?

CommaAI new device increases self-driving 

Founder has his own ideas about autonomous vehicles

CommaAI founder George Hotz says that the big tech companies and car manufacturers have it all wrong about the way to bring about autonomous vehicles. For him, it is all about the software and using the right ai.

A device his company has just introduced, EON dashcam developer kit, increases self-driving capabilities, although due to regulations, it is limited. But just one look at the companies demonstration videos and it is apparent that self-driving is occurring through its technology.

The videos show the company's dashcam device at work in real driving conditions. Along with a driver, the car accelerates and brakes on its own, as it responds to visual information coming in through the device. Steering is also done autonomously, though the degree of turn is limited to keeping the car in a single lane and for deeper curves. From Engadget

Is it something more than AutoPilot and Lane Keeping Assist?

It essentially works like Tesla's Autopilot and Lane Keeping Assist but offers a bit more and is connected to Wave GPS. The system connects the device to the Android phone camera and can interact with signals from the sensory features already built into modern cars by manufacturers. Currently, the device works with HondaSense, Accura PlusWatch, and TSS-P found in the Toyota Rav4 and Prius and a few others, see website.

With the device, an adapter, car computer plug-in interface, all provided by CommaAI - and the driver's android cell phone, many Honda, and Toyota vehicle owners can experience self-driving that is probably a shade better than AutoPilot. Not a spectacular feat, but it is more about the potential and possibility of the device. And in the future, the company hopes to add more vehicles to the list but for now, is concentrating on top-sellers.

Hotz prepared to battle Google and Tesla for autonomous vehicle breakthroughs

Hotz believes the future pathway to autonomous vehicles can be achieved just as quickly and more efficiently through an open method that his technology offers. His open sourced community of device users and drivers are participating in collecting real-time data that will eventually make autonomous vehicles possible, he argues.

The visual information the thousands of users capture can build a database that can be feed into neural network ai, making driving software operate vehicles ever so slightly better. It is neural network ai that gets smarter and smarter the more repetitions it gets and the more information it sees.

It is the way the DeepMind was able to teach its ai to beat the world's best Go player. Hotz sees using his device as a cheaper way to go rather than buying a new vehicle with the latest and greatest AutoPilot technology. What's more, he must have all the big players a little nervous about who cracks the code of autonomous vehicles first. Below Hotz talks about his technology and the future of autonomous vehicles. From Clean Technica    

Tesla Electric Vehicle Service to Expand

Tesla to build new service van on Model S Platform

Expanding mobile vehicle service for customers

After an average rating in reliability by Consumer Reports for Telsa vehicles, the electric car company may have customers covered with the announcement of a planned expansion of its on-road vehicle service capabilities.

Currently, Tesla owners have available to them a Tesla only service plan that sends a van and a technician out to them anytime they are stranded. These are gas powered vans but the company is going to take their current sedan platform and use it to build new service vans that are electric.

Shanghai Skyline Tesla plant coming

The new all-electric service vans will better coincide with Tesla's image as an electric vehicle company and it is a part of an overall expansion of its service reach. Tesla said it will be adding 350 new mobile van units, 100 new service centers, and 1400 more service technicians. From Futurism 

Tesla to build cars in China with new Shanghai plant

Tesla reached an agreement with the Chinese Government to build a manufacturing plant in a trade free zone in the city of Shanghai. Tesla will own the operation outright according to reports, as opposed to having to partner with a Chinese manufacturer like many others have had to do in the past. 

It will be the first deal of its kind in China for a foreign automaker. But it is unlikely Tesla will avoid the 25% trade tariff. From the Verge  

Blockchain to Level Banks

Blockchain simple to understand hard to imagine

Will banks be a thing of the past?

Blockchain is a simple concept. Where it gets complex is trying to understand all the different blockchain networks being built and what purposes they may ultimately go in
to.

It's like the beginning stages of any new industry. When development of the car first started, there were independent builders scattered all over the world. No one quite knew where it would go, what it would lead to, or who would be left standing at the end.

Many builders fell by the wayside, others maintained equilibrium but eventually, an entire industry was born. And out of that, a complex network came into existence. There became parts suppliers, auto dealerships, gas stations, repair shops, salvage yards etc.

Blockchain is somewhere on this path. So far, a hundred or so blockchain start-ups have sprouted up. But just as quickly as they have arrived, they have also departed.

The problems they are experiencing is a fair amount of resistance from established institutions, vague notions of what blockchain is, and not enough participation to develop the connections needed for the whole thing to get up and running.


However it develops and by who, when it finally does, look out. Experts predict savings for banks, financial institutions, insurance companies etc, will be in the billions annually. And applications for the technology could go into virtually any industry.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is like a ledger, storing information to keep a record of events and transactions that can be accessed later. But it does this digitally so data can be captured at lightning speed. The information stored stays secure due to the fact that a transaction can only be approved by the two parties involved. It is also impossible for the information in a blockchain to be tampered with because a single transaction is part of a larger chain of thousands or even millions of others transactions.

For example, if blockchain was the system used for a monetary purchase, a person could buy an item from a vendor with electronic currency. The record of that transaction would be kept by the blockchain. The buyer and seller would also have a copy of that transaction.

Since the blockchain would have all information related to that electronic currency, any attempts for theft would require undoing thousands of other transactions. 

In bitcoin, the blockchain system records the digital information the bitcoin emits - a long coded digital number. When that bitcoin is traded, the electronic pathway it travels becomes a digital footprint that never disappears. Imagine if a dollar had its entire history recorded. Every time the dollar changed hands, when and by whom, and for what commodity, a written record would capture the transaction.   

Blockchain to end banks?

Blockchain can do the same with all sorts of information, making person to person transactions secure and much more efficient. Banking, for example, will change drastically. Banks will simply disappear. Why do physical banks need to exist with no need to store money and administer transactions?

The answer is obvious but the question is how long will this process take? Investment in blockchain is starting to accelerate. SBI Holdings, Google, Overstock.com, CTI, and Goldman Sachs have been the biggest investors so far the past year.

And what will this bring the average person? On the surface, it could mean cheaper banking, insurance, stock trading; better healthcare. More efficient business and more convenience all around. A little deeper, it could it mean a huge economic boost. But like all technology advancements currently being promised. When? When?

Sources:

https://www.slalom.com/thinking/how-blockchain-will-disrupt-your-industry
https://www.quora.com/How-do-blockchain-businesses-make-money
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blockchain.asp
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/18/google-goldman-sachs-investors-blockchain.html

Tesla Car's AI to Know its Destinations

Elon's driverless Teslas to know where to go

Musk hints at the future of autonomous vehicles 

Autonomous vehicles are one thing. But a vehicle AI that will know beforehand where drivers need or want to go? Elon Musk recently hinted at that in some recent tweets (See below).  

In the competition for a driverless vehicle launch, it is not yet apparent who will be the first to deliver an autonomous vehicle to the public or just quite when. 

All that can be speculated is that it is coming very soon. Tesla is certainly at the forefront. Then there is Google, China's Baidu, virtually all the major manufacturers like GM and Toyota and there are tech firms like Nvidia.   

What is called level 5 autonomy is the target. Until that level is reached, driverless vehicles hitting the marketplace will continue to be as far away from consumers as a rocket ride to Mars. Most are hovering in the 3 to 4 range. And in cities around the world, all involved are hitting the streets testing out their platforms.

Tesla has the hardware for the necessary software for level 5 autonomy already built into its electric vehicles from as far back as a year ago, so expect Tesla to be right there. Google has put in 3 million miles of work in its Waymo self-driving technology and has partnered with Lyft.

But there has been drama in Google's efforts for a self-driving platform. Google engineers have conflicted with Waymo's CEO about a launch time frame and accuse him of not really understanding the technology. And Waymo is embroiled in a lawsuit with Uber with both accusing the other of not acting in good faith. From International Business Times

Of the major manufacturers, it is hard to say who will rise to level 5 the quickest. GM and Ford are on par with each other as both have invested in Silicon Valley self-driving start-ups and also computer chip companies that have separately introduced ways to allow Lidar technology to be put into vehicles cheap enough to mass produce. 

Nvidia CEO Jenson Huang discussing autonomous technology

Nvidia, a producer of GPU's, or graphics processing units, is using its technological prowess to make GPU's with enough computational power to achieve level 5 autonomous driving. 

The computing power its GPU produces and the software that goes with it is the missing key for all self-driving platforms. Nvidia has both invested in self-driving start-ups and partnered with companies that utilize industrial vehicles for commercial purposes like DHL and trucking. It also envisions using its technology to create a fleet of robotaxi's. From Nvidia Blog

SILICON VALLEY DIET AND BIOMEDICINE DRIVING HEALTH 

Yeah, don't exactly need to be Sherlock Holmes.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2017

It won't even need to ask you most of the time

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2017

Silicon Valley Fasting Diet all the Rage

Science: longer, healthier life through fasting

Weight reduction, Decreases in diabetes

Same age monkeys: the monkey on the left fed a restricted diet 

A new fasting diet is trending in Silicon Valley and it is based on the latest scientific research. It makes the case that cutting food intake for short periods of time is the quickest and best way to lose weight and become healthier.

Not just cutting out junk food but by eating less of anything for two to five day periods.

It mimics long-term fasting and makes the body think it is consuming less, resulting in better health that could lead to a longer life.

Called the fast mimicking diet or FMD, the diet is gaining popularity in Silicon Valley where data analytics is king. And the data shows in testing with monkeys, rodents, yeast, and some humans, that short periods of small intakes of food create optimum effects.

One study put some yeast on a two-day diet rotating between nutrients and water only. The lifespan of that yeast lasted longer than yeast receiving nutrients every day - or yeast that was not fasting. And in rodents, researchers restricted the calorie intake of rodents for periods of four days twice in a month.

The rodents saw a 40% reduction in glucose levels. It was also noted by researchers that the rodents, even after being put on a regular diet, were less likely to develop tumors.

And for humans, the studies showed:

In a small study of 71 people, the FMD diet didn't just reduce body weight and body fat, but decreased the body's production of the IGF-1 hormone, which has been implicated in cell processes that lead to aging and disease. The study's subjects also showed a decrease in C-reactive protein — that's notable because it is a marker for inflammation, which in recent years has been implicated in a range of diseases, from heart disease to cancer. The results were published in Science Translational Medicine earlier this year. The Longevity Institute has funding from the National Cancer Institute.

Dieters on the FMD can still eat and lose. The body is tricked into thinking it is not eating

Even though people can eat on the diet, it tricks the body into thinking a fast is occurring. Here's how researchers know that's the case: FMD triggers the same three responses as fasting from the human body: lower levels of IGF-1, lower levels of glucose and an increase in ketone bodies, which are molecules sent to the brain to use as energy during times of starvation.

Mimicking fasting over a five-day period allows the body still to receive micronutrients from vitamins and minerals they wouldn't get if they stopped eating altogether.From CNBC

BioEnergy Medicine attacks aging at the molecular level

Another scientific discovery that is making waves in improving health and slowing down aging is bioenergy medicine. It is a pathway to better health and is much easier than dieting and exercising. With bioenergy medicine's ability to increase energy and reduce stress, users can have that extra boost of energy for  a walk around the block and also avoid 'stress eating.' So, bioenergy medicine makes a great complement to an overall healthier lifestyle.  

It also makes users feel better. The reason it does all these things is that it produces real scientifically proven results on a molecular level. It is a new innovative technology that delivers pulsating energy waves deep into the body, wave after wave until its electrical energy makes contact with the system's blood cells. 

Unlike the fast mimicking diet mentioned above, a bioenergy medicine device doesn't trick the body into anything. It actually does real measurable work and stimulates blood cells into more activity. And what do blood cells do? They process oxygen and nutrients, the two most powerful ingredients for healing sickness and aging. The results are increased microcirculation, better oxygen flow, and quicker removal of the waste that accumulates around blood cells.  

People who use a bioenergy device say they experience immediate results after just a few 8-minute therapy sessions. One 63-year-old man says he and his wife have been using their device for a year and haven't had a single doctor visit. 

The new innovative technology is now available. It is a home care device that offers life-changing therapy for individuals and their entire families for years and years. It is also beneficial for sports injury therapy and even pets can use it and their owners can enjoy a healthier, happier pet as a result. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION 

US Tech Ride the Chinese Dragon

US tech firms investing in China AI start-ups

Globalism seems inevitable based on direction of tech investment

Are we competing in AI with China and foreign tech companies or collaborating? Based on all the cross-border tech investment going on, it appears that there is much more collaboration. Japan's Softbank recently announced a fund of nearly a trillion dollars to go to tech and AI investment. A large percentage of that will go to many US companies.

Now two big US tech companies are joining forces with Chinese firms to carve out a bigger piece of the technology pie. Intel and Qualcomm both have announced new deals. Intel is investing $100 million in Chinese AI and robotics company Horizon Robotics, while mobile device chipmaker Qualcomm announced it will be collaborating with Chinese AI developer SenseTime.

SenseTime is just coming off a massive round of investment valued at $450 million that so far has been the largest transaction in AI history.

“Qualcomm has been conducting fundamental research in AI over a decade,” said Kressin. “In fact, many devices shipping today using our Snapdragon mobile platforms already utilise on-device AI.”

He said Qualcomm expected its collaboration with SenseTime “to further accelerate new and exciting capabilities of on-device AI for millions of consumers using mobile devices”.

Qualcomm is currently focused on optimising its Snapdragon mobile platform for AI in the areas of computer vision and natural language processing for smartphones, devices for the so-called internet of things and the automotive sector.From South China Morning Post

Qualcomm is also joining research efforts with South Korea's LG in the autonomous vehicle segment.

Their joint research will focus on developing the fifth-generation wireless technology known as 5G, which could deliver data at a much faster speed than the current wireless technology and is seen as crucial for autonomous vehicles. They will also research other wireless technologies needed for the safety of connected cars, LG said in a statement. From Gadgets 360

Intel to broaden its AI investment globally

While Qualcomm and SenseTime is more of a strategic collaboration, the Intel deal is a lead investment opportunity with $100 million going to the Chinese robotics firm. 

Intel Capital said it plans to invest in more Chinese technology firms.
“China has been and will continue being an important market for Intel Capital,” the company said.

“We are very much focusing on looking for and investing in technologies that help China build and develop its data economy, including cloud, big data, data analytics, AI, autonomous driving and so on.”

Intel Capital officials also said during the webcast it has made new investments recently in 15 global tech firms, pushing its total commitment to more than US$566 million this year.

Ten of those 15 are in the US – eight in California, with one each in New York and Portland, Oregon. The others include two Tel Aviv-based start-ups, and one Canadian one Japanese.
“The world is undergoing a data explosion,” said Wendell Brooks, Intel’s senior vice-president and president of Intel Capital.From South China Morning Post