Software

Soon, Your Avatar Can Reflect Your Emotion in Real Time

November 21, 2012 By noemi 2 Comments

The graphics of today’s video games have improved so much that I can’t help but be mesmerized even when I am a mere observer most of the time. I am thinking about games such as Skyrim, where the level of details is simply astounding. Even with all the advances made, though, there is still some room for improvement.

If you think about it, there video game avatars do not exactly have real facial expressions. While their expressions do change, there is still some way to go in this regard.

This is what Thibaut Weise of EPFL’s Computer Graphics and Geometry Laboratory has been working on. His idea is very simple: to enable avatars to reflect the facial expressions of their real life users in real time.[Read More]

You Can Smile, But You Can’t Fool This Facial Recognition Software From MIT

June 5, 2012 By noemi Leave a Comment

So you think you’re totally in control of your emotions, or at least the visible aspect of it. People can’t tell if you’re hurting deep inside, or maybe bored to death.

That kind of control can sure come in handy a lot, but with the new facial recognition software that some guys from MIT have developed, your poker face (or a phony smile face, rather) might just be totally useless.[Read More]

Digital Spell-checkers Killing Words?

March 16, 2012 By noemi Leave a Comment

Language is dynamic. That is one line that I have said one time too many, but no one can really deny its veracity. Whatever language you look at, it changes over time, with words dying and being born all the time.

But did you ever think that software that we take for granted may be contributing to the death of some words? This is what researchers found out after conducting an analysis of digitized text. The text featured languages such as English, Hebrew, and Spanish, and they dated from 1800 to 2008. Thanks to the digitization efforts of Google, the researchers were able to get hold of the materials for analysis.[Read More]

5 ways to save money with your iPhone or Android smartphone

August 10, 2011 By Rico Mossegeld Leave a Comment

Even before Apple and Google dominated the mobile software industry, money-saving apps were must-haves for power users of previous generation mobile environments like the Palm OS.

Much of these legacy software, lacking the internet access and tight hardware integration that define the smartphone experience today, were limited to helping users balance their budgets.

That’s definitely changed, especially as the average smartphone buyer places more weight on what apps are available for a phone, with less focus on the gadget’s built-in hardware features. [Read More]

Google Car Will Save Lives

October 11, 2010 By noemi 1 Comment

At least that’s what Google is claiming. It seems that the software giant is not content with its current status – it now wants to dabble in the “real” world. With its new software that is supposed to control cars, Google just might be able to do that.

They have recently announced their “super secret” project, which is artificial intelligence software, that will allow cars to drive themselves without the need for a human driver. The idea behind the software is simple enough – the system scans the surroundings and adjusts the car’s behavior accordingly. Needless to say, the implementation is probably hell.

If tests are to be believed, though, Google’s project works! In their announcement, Google mentioned that they have tested the software on six Toyota Priuses and one Audi TT. Their engineers have reportedly gone 140,000 miles in test drives, and so far, only one accident has been reported. It is important to highlight that this accident was caused by a “normal” car driving into the back of a Google car. (So I guess that doesn’t count.)

The implications for motorists are tremendous! What Google is claiming – that the system can save lives – just might be true! Speaking for myself, I know that I would finally be able to park a car without having to worry about hitting the other vehicles around me. For those whose minds wander while driving, this development is also a boon!

Google spokesperson, Sebastian Thrun, is quick to say, however, that at the end of the day, it is still the driver that is responsible for everything. Also, the system is not expected to be available to the general public till at least several years from now. I think I can wait until then. In the meantime, I shall rely on the driving skills and generosity of spirit of other people – oh, and the cab drivers as well.