Alphabet Just Unloaded Its Crazy Robots on Japanese Telecom Softbank. Three years after acquiring the MIT robotics lab Boston Dynamics, makers of Atlas and other scary bots, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) is selling it off to Softbank, a Japanese telecommunications company already known for its less terrifying robots like Pepper that might soon be getting some impressive upgrades. It turns out that posting You. Tube videos of nightmare- inducing robots isn’t as profitable as once hoped. Details of the sale, like how much Softbank paid for Google’s now defunct Replicant division haven’t been revealed yet. You’ll recall the skunkworks was founded by Android- creator Andy Rubin before he left Alphabet to make smartphones again. But the sale also includes Schaft, another talented robot- builder which dominated the DARPA challenge a few years ago. It’s been a little over two years since Google (now Alphabet) decided to scoop up robotics lab…Read more Alphabet has reportedly been trying to sell off its robot division for almost a year now, with companies like Amazon and Toyota initially suspected as possible buyers. While Boston Dynamics has been responsible for creating some of the most advanced robots ever developed, including the humanoid Atlas, and the four- legged Spot and Big- Dog, advanced technologies don’t come cheap. The reality is that Alphabet was still staring down years of expensive R& D before it could profitably sell its robotic creations, and Boston Dynamics and Schaft became victims of the company’s efforts to scale back its bleeding- edge moonshot investments. We got our first glimpse of Boston Dynamics’ newest robot about a month ago after footage leaked…Read more Back in February, Boston Dynamics revealed a bot called Handle, a two- wheeled version of Atlas that the lab’s founder, Marc Raibert, claimed could be built and sold much cheaper than bots like Atlas. By that point Alphabet was already shopping Boston Dynamics and Schaft around as part of cost- saving and restructuring initiatives that saw other moonshot projects getting axed as well. And many suspected that Handle, who had undoubtedly been in development for a while already, was only revealed as a way to sweeten the pot for potential buyers. Boston Dynamics, better known for the hulking robot brute known as ATLAS, has just revealed a…Read more So what does Softbank want with Boston Dynamics and Schaft? The Japanese telecommunications giant has already poured mountains of cash into developing its friendly- looking Pepper and NAO robots, after acquiring Aldebaran Robotics in 2. Fetch Robotics in 2.
An automatic firmware update broke LockState’s internet-enabled “smart locks” for around 500 customers earlier this month, including around 200 Airbnb hosts who. Apple cider vinegar has been a multipurpose folk remedy for decades, touted as a disinfectant, a natural way to replenish skin and hair, and a superfood with all. Demand for Pepper and NAO in Japan has been huge, with Softbank selling out of limited runs almost as soon as they’re made available. So the company is clearly confident there’s enough immediate consumer demand to make a few dollars selling bots. In a press release issued about the acquisition, Softbank’s Chairman & CEO Masayoshi Son praised the work Boston Dynamics has done. Smart robotics are going to be a key driver of the next stage of the Information Revolution, and Marc and his team at Boston Dynamics are the clear technology leaders in advanced dynamic robots. I am thrilled to welcome them to the Soft. Bank family and look forward to supporting them as they continue to advance the field of robotics and explore applications that can help make life easier, safer and more fulfilling.”But will Softbank take the same approach that Google did and just let Boston Dynamics and Schaft develop advanced robots for the sake of pushing the field forward? Or does it plan to merge them with its existing robotics teams in hopes of making robots like Pepper and NAO more appealing to consumers? R& D is expensive, and it’s safe to assume that Boston Dynamics and Schaft didn’t come cheap, so the company will almost certainly carefully balance both approaches, which means your dreams of a robot butler are suddenly a lot closer to becoming reality. This Treat Camera Gave My Cat Trust Issues. My cat, Artemis, is a bustling career woman. She has many jobs that she juggles between stealing my hair ties and spilling her kibble; in addition to serving as the Mayor of Fluffingsville, she runs a network of freelancers as Editor- in- Chief of Catmodo. Since both of us are busy most of the day at our respective places of work, we forget to check in on each other. Thankfully, Petcube’s newest gadget, Petcube Bites, lets humans check in on their furry companions when they’re apart. It also lets us fling treats at them on command which is both heartwarming and mildly horrifying. What is it? A super smart pet camera that doubles as a treat dispenser. No Like. It traumatized my cat. The Petcube Bites looks like a shrunken down, shinier version of the monolith from 2. A Space Odyssey, the main difference being that the aforementioned totem did not hold up to two pounds of treats. You’ll have to load up the device with your pet’s favorite snacks in order for the magic to happen—Petcube recommends treats about an inch big. Since Artemis is but a wee kitty, her treats were a little smaller than the recommended size, which proved to be (mostly) okay. There was also an unusual aspect to the setup, wherein the Petcube mysteriously didn’t work for three days. One day it randomly started working—but I attribute that to my shitty Wi- Fi more than to the Petcube. If you too have crummy Wi- Fi maybe invest in a new router before investing in a treat dispensing pet camera. After downloading the Petcube app, you can link your phone up to the monolith, accessing the device’s camera. The Petcube senses motion in front of it, which lets you see what your animal’s up to but also takes weird videos of your feet if you step in front of it. Seeing your cat or doggo’s adoring face through the app is definitely heartwarming, but fair warning: watch your goddamn feet so weird photos don’t end up on some dark corner of the internet. Not that Petcube is going to sell pictures of your feet or anything (the images are in the app on your phone), but you can never be too careful these days. While the app saves your videos automatically, the quality isn’t great. Don’t expect Nat Geo- worthy screenshots. In truth, Petcube’s app isn’t bad, but it’s also not great. There are some issues with scrolling, making it difficult to see the most recent video of your floof. But the app does let you select the distance at which you can fling the treats, which extends up to six feet in range. After loading the treats into the Petcube, my boyfriend and I selected a short- range toss for the treats, which makes sense because I live in a small apartment in New York City. Just load the treats, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. But oh, dear reader, how wrong I was. The Petcube shot out Artemis’ treats precariously and with abandon, like a frat boy throwing his drink at a guy who wore the same Vineyard Vines zip up as him. The whole thing was like a cannon of delicious nightmares—needless to say, my cat was horrified. Make no mistake, she still ate the treats—but after the incident, she pretty much veered away from the machine. I was able to catch it all on video but filmed it vertically like a jabroni. I’m sorry. Overall, Petcube Bites is fine. Despite bad camera quality and an okay app it does what it’s supposed to do and it’s kind of cute. I’m not sure I’d pay $2. Sunday. Artemis couldn’t be reached for comment on the ordeal. READMEPetcube Bites is good if you live in a place bigger than mine, which is approximately the size of a hermit crab’s shell. Your pet may or may not appreciate it as much as you do. Your pet may never forgive you for this indignation.
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November 2017
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