Brains and Fingers and Robots. Oh My!
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| Brains and Fingers and Robots. Oh My! | |
| Number | 3545 |
| Broadcast Date | JUNE 4, 2019 |
| Episode Length | 30:05 |
| Hosts | Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Roger Chang |
| Guests | Dr. Kiki Sanford |
How can polydactyls (people born with extra digits on their hands or feet) help improve the science of robotic limbs? TWIS host Kiki Sanford is here with the details!
Guest
Quick Hits
- Enhanced Tracking Protection, which blocks cookies from a blacklist of thousands of third-party trackers, is now on by default in new installations of Firefox. It will become the default for existing users in the coming months. Mozilla also announced improvements to its Facebook Container extension and released a Firefox desktop extension for its password keeper, now called Lockwise (formerly called Lockbox).
- The leader of the US House of Representatives' antitrust subcommittee, Rep. David Cicilline, announced a probe of tech companies to determine if they stifle competition and harm consumers.
- Amazon users on Android in the US and Japan can now digitally try out different shades of lipstick using Live Mode on their front-facing cameras. An iOS version is slated for launch later this year. Live mode uses AI-powered data from brands, images and descriptions on social media. It's powered by ModiFace, which L'Oreal bought last year.
Top Stories
- In response to the report that the DoJ now has jurisdiction to investigate Apple for antitrust, Tim Cook told CBS News, “With size, I think scrutiny is fair. I think we should be scrutinized. But if you look at… any kind of measure about, is Apple a monopoly or not, I don’t think anybody reasonable is gonna come to the conclusion that Apple’s a monopoly.” Following a Supreme Court decision that developers had standing to sue Apple over the App Store, California app developer Donald R. Cameron and Illinois' Pure Sweat Basketball alleged in federal court in San Jose, California that Apple's App Store is anticompetitive.
- The Hamilton Public Library in Hamilton, Ontario has joined the Internet Archive's Open Libraries program. The program uses Controlled Digital Lending or CDL to make digital copies of almost 1 million print texts available worldwide. Libraries cannot lend more than the number of physical copies they hold and restrictions prevent copying or redistribution.
- Spotify Stations is now available in the US after launching on iOS in Australia last month, and on Android in Australia last year. The light app offers easy access to curated playlists with a more radio-like experience rather than customized libraries and playlists. Users can personalize stations by selecting favorite artists. A favorites playlist based on user interests also exists in the app. Free users of Stations hear ads and can’t skip tracks while Spotify Premium users get unlimited skips and ad-free listening. Over in the main Spotify app, five curated playlists of Podcast episodes will start showing up to about 5 percent of users in the Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Sweden, the US and UK. Themes include comedy, true crime, “geek culture,” “walking (motivational),” and “relaxing (mindfulness).”
Apple Aftershocks
- iOS developer Steve Moser noted and 9to5Mac confirms that the first beta of iOS 13 includes an asset package used for pairing devices by proximity, similar to how AirPods and HomePods work. The product type is "Tag1,1." Another asset found in the beta shows a mockup of a white circle with a blue border around it matching the description of Bluetooth tags that Apple is said to be developing to work with its Find My app. The tags could be attached to things like keys, similar to how Tile works.
- Ars Technica got the official word from Apple that iTunes for Windows will continue to work and be supported just like it is now. Apple did not say what will happen to it in the future. Also, Apple Music in macOS Catalina will access existing music libraries including rips from CDs, MP3s, things added from other sources along with your iTunes purchases. And non-iTunes files can continue to be synced to the cloud.
- Developer Steve Troughton-Smith notes that in iPadOS, you can plug in a USB mouse and it works as an Assistive Touch feature. There does seem to be a Bluetooth devices section in the Pointing Devices settings but that has not been confirmed to work yet.
- Developer Ben Sandofsky notes that in its updated App Store review guidelines, Apple writes, "Sign in with Apple will be available for beta testing this summer. It will be required as an option for users in apps that support third-party sign-in when it is commercially available later this year." That seems to imply that if you use Google or Facebook sign-in you will be required to offer Apple Sign-in as well if you want to be in the App Store.
- Apple also added a line that "in limited cases, companies using Multiple Device Management or MDM for parental controls may not sell, use, or disclose to third parties any data for any purpose, and must commit to this in their privacy policy." Apple was previously restricting companies from using MDM for parental control apps.
- Last week, Apple raised the limit for app downloads on cellular connections to 200 MB. This is a leftover from when mobile carriers were worried about data congestion and all plans had data download limits. 9to5Mac reports that the iOS 13 beta shows a card warning that a download is over the limit if you're on cellular but will let you download it anyway if you choose. There's also a setting to always allow downloads no matter the size.
- AND of course with every new OS release there will be some hardware that can't support it. The list of hardware that will not get iOS 13 is iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3. Engadget notes that means iPhone SE, 6S and 6S Plus will be the oldest devices to support iOS 13.
Discussion
- Extra finger 'birth defect' could provide blueprint for robotic extra limbs
- Augmented manipulation ability in humans with six-fingered hands
Mailbag
- I was at the food court in Kenwood Mall Saturday in Cincinnati and discovered this kiosk. Apparently Uber is trying to get new drivers in the Cincinnati area.
It looks like an automated system that you walk up to and are automatically connected to a recruiter at Uber.
When I took a picture of this Kiosk a nice man sitting to the right (off camera) stood up and asked if I had any questions or if I ever thought about driving for Uber.
He said they have about 20-ish kiosks across the nation in malls trying to recruit more drivers.
So his job was to get somebody excited enough to pick up the phone at the kiosk. Then an Uber recruiter would come on the screen and talk to you about driving for Uber and potentially fill out an application right there. - Sent by Daniel Naas in Cincinnati
- I was at the food court in Kenwood Mall Saturday in Cincinnati and discovered this kiosk. Apparently Uber is trying to get new drivers in the Cincinnati area.
YouTube
Links
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Brains and Fingers and Robots. Oh My! |
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