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While the fear that our robot overlords will eventually take over the planet is still real, we’ve seen advances in robotics that are more helpful for humanity. There are tasks that we would much rather a robot will do for us like carrying heavy things (although that may be one of the reasons why the revolution will start) to avoid injuries. We’re seeing experiments on how to train them to do even more advanced skills so they can eventually take over the world, I mean these heavy, menial tasks.
Designer: Swiss Mile
The ANYmal robot is one such robot experiment that can get around either as a dog-like quadruped or mimic a human when it stands up on its hind legs, hence its name. Last year, it learned to squat back and stand up with its motorized wheels and now they’re experimenting with it to do heavier tasks through something called “curiosity-driven learning”. Basically it gets rewarded when it is able to complete the task it’s given by figuring out how to do it by itself.
In the video they posted showing how the ANYmal robot completed the task of putting a package into a bin, it was able to actually lift the box up and then put it where it’s supposed to go. However, it seemed to just throw it into that bin like how some baggage handlers supposedly do their task if they think no one is looking. The robot is probably thinking, “Hey, they just told me to put the box into the bin, not really to do it carefully and precisely.”
For now, the robot is still a robotics research project for things like Reinforcement Learning and Random Network Distillation. But if they do decide to actually manufacture the robots for industrial and commercial use, it would be interesting to see how the wheeled quadruped with the humanoid form can actually reduce heavy grunt work for humans.
Grill companies have chosen CES to announce their latest Wi-Fi-enabled innovations in the past and 2024 will be no different. Middleby Outdoor, parent company of Kamado Joe and Masterbuilt, plans to debut two new models at the show, and it's offering an early preview today. For the first time in Las Vegas, the company will show off the all-new Masterbuilt AutoIgnite Series 545 and the Masterbuilt Gravity Series XT, a revamped take on the gravity-fed charcoal grills that debuted in 2020.
The AutoIgnite Series 545 offers a so-called QuickStart Auto-Ignition that's similar to the Automatic Fire Starter on the Konnected Joe. Here, you press the ignitor button and set the temperature on the control panel. Then you load the internal hopper with up to five pounds of lump charcoal (or seven pounds of briquettes) and stick a fire starter into its holder. The grill's fan and digital controller will do the rest for everything from low-and-slow smoking at 250 degrees Fahrenheit up to searing at 650 degrees.
Unlike the Gravity Series, the charcoal hopper here is inside the cooking chamber. Middleby has given the hopper a cast iron lid so you can use the top of it for high heat searing, but its location limits its capacity. The company says the amounts of charcoal mentioned above are enough for eight hours of cooking, depending on your temperature. This means if you're cooking larger cuts like brisket or pork shoulders you'll have to refill the hopper at some point. It also takes up some of the grilling space. As the name implies, the grill has 545 square inches of cooking area.
The AutoIgnite Series 545 includes some other niceties such as a folding side shelf on the right and an enclosed cart design for storage of grilling tools and accessories. It also comes with cast iron cooking grates and folding chrome wire warming racks. The 545 will be available in February at Home Depot for $499.
Middleby says the Gravity Series XT is "the largest and most advanced Masterbuilt to date." With up to 1,260 square inches of cooking capacity, there's plenty of room to maneuver. Just like previous Gravity Series models, the key aspect is the gravity-fed charcoal hopper on the right side. It can hold up to 12 pounds of lump charcoal or up to 18 pounds of briquettes, which the company says is enough for 14 hours of cooking (again, depending on temps). Like before, you load the hopper from the top and place a fire starter underneath. You'll have to manually light this one, but then the fan takes over and gets the grill to your selected temperature.
While the overall construction looks similar to the existing versions, the Gravity Series XT has a redesigned control panel that's been relocated to the right side of the grill on the frame of the charcoal hopper. The company explains that the new digital controller is similar to what's on the Konnected Joe, with the primary benefit being temperature graphs directly on the display.
The "XT" in the name refers to the "extra-tough build" that includes dual-wall insulation and porcelain coating for the interior. What's more, the grill has a so-called fuel saver design and a fiberglass mesh gasket around the lid that are said to be more efficient with heat, moisture and smoke retention. Middleby says these design elements will lead to 33-percent longer burn time compared to the other Gravity Series models.
There are four levels of cooking space inside the XT thanks to three removable racks. A full-body grease tray in the bottom should improve the chore of clean up. A new U-shaped manifold is designed to reduce flareups as you cook. The left side shelf now houses a towel rack for paper towels or butcher paper as well as a storage drawer and tool hooks. The Gravity Series XT will be available in April from the Masterbuilt website for $1,499.
Both the AutoIgnite Series 545 and the Gravity Series XT are compatible with the Masterbuilt app. The software allows you to control and monitor your grill from anywhere thanks to the grills' Wi-Fi connectivity. That includes being able to watch food and grill temperatures, with both grills accommodating up to four wired probes. Only one is included with the 545, but the XT comes with two. The app can be used to keep tabs on multiple Masterbuilt grills from the same device and you can shut them down from your phone when the time comes. While there is a library of recipes for inspiration, this app doesn't have the deep integration or step-by-step guidance with those that Traeger, Weber and others offer.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/masterbuilt-autoignite-545-gravity-series-xt-141512415.html?src=rss
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Apple is attempting to avoid a fine and ongoing legal battle with the European Union. The company is allegedly offering its rivals access to its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, used for tap-and-go payments, Reuters reports. The update follows the European Commission's May 2022 charge and ongoing probe into Apple's potential antitrust Apple Pay practices.
The Commission has been investigating Apple since 2020, with Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager previously stating there were "indications that Apple restricted third-party access to key technology necessary to develop rival mobile wallet solutions on Apple's devices."
While Apple's current proposal could get it out of a hefty fine and settle the case against it, it's not guaranteed to move forward. The Commission will likely confer with Apple's rivals and customers in the next month or so to determine if it should accept the offer. More than 2,500 banks across Europe use Apple Pay.
Apple also faces a lawsuit in the United States, brought in July 2022 by Iowa's Affinity Credit Union. Similarly, it accuses Apple of engaging in anti-competitive behavior by illegally restricting iOS users to Apple Pay for any contactless payments.
In September 2023, a US District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White of California ruled that the case would move forward, stating: "Plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that Apple Pay charges arbitrary and inflated fees to issuers, and that competition in the tap-and-pay iOS mobile wallet market would spur innovation and lead to lower prices." In his decision, White also explained that the plaintiffs properly demonstrated Apple's alleged and attempted monopolization.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-may-lift-nfc-restrictions-in-europe-to-escape-antitrust-fines-131004981.html?src=rss
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Dubbed La Balsanera, this floating house is nestled along the Babahoyo River in Ecuador. Designed by architecture studio Natura Futura Arquitectura and architect Juan Carlos Bamba, this home is located inside a centuries-old floating village that suffers from the risk of disappearing for good! La Balsanera is an effort to preserve the community and to serve as a prime specimen of sustainable redevelopment.
The river is closed presently as a commercial fluvial route, and hence the number of floating structures has gone down from two hundred to twenty-five. La Balsanera was designed in an effort to bring back “the tradition of living on the river” according to the architects. The home occupies 70 square meters and is built for a family of three. The family sells food to the community and repairs wooden boats, signifying the socio-economic utility of the river.
La Balsanera features a two-meter-wide extension to a platform that function as terraces for the family to utilize as “productive environments” – for example, a cafe seating area, anchor point, or tourist boat. “La Balsanera explores possible floating solutions that recover local artisan techniques while promoting the active and productive participation of the occupants in vulnerable communities,” said Bamba.
The floating home is constructed from wooden porticos that are built every two meters to build a gabled truss structure. This structure is topped by a corrugated roof that provides shelter to the outdoor terraces, as well as a colorful hammock. The home includes a central space that accommodates a shared living room, kitchen, and dining area, as well as two bedrooms. Two external strips at either end of the space provide a shower, toilet, laundry space, and boat workshop. The space is also equipped with “chazas” which are slatted openings that have been made from recycled wood. These “chazas” help ventilate the space and maintain a cool environment indoors. A bridge functions as an efficient walkway between the mainland and the floating home. It is made using bamboo and various planks of wood. Shutter doors have been incorporated throughout the space, connecting the living spaces to the terraces.