HAMR: Swimming robo roach makes a splash

HAMR, the robotic amphibious roach

There have been a few insect-robots like the RoboBee and VelociRoACH that have been created in the past and the latest insect robot is the HAMR, an amphibious roach. The HAMR or the Harvard Ambulatory MicroRobot was created by Harvard University.

In 2013, the actual HAMR was created and it was tether controlled. It measures 4.4 cm long and moves at a speed of 8.4 body lengths per second. It was created by using 23 microscopic layers of material that was sandwiched together and the patterns were cut out using laser.

The latest version of the HAMR weighs 1.65 grams and features four foot-pads on the four legs. This robotic roach created by the scientists is amphibious in nature. It can walk on land as well as swim on the surface of the water. The HAMR is also designed to walk underwater as long as it is desired, enabling the robot to explore new environments.

Working of the HAMR

When the HAMR enters the water, the foot pads provide the surface tension-induced buoyancy to prevent it from sinking. There is a provision for flaps on the underside of the pads that helps it to move across the water. The HAMR moves its legs in a swimming motion at a frequency of up to 10 Hertz. When the robot moves across the surface of the water it can evade any of the obstacles present and also reduce drag. The HAMR has four pairs of asymmetric flaps and customized swimming gait that help it to swim on the surface of the water. There is an unsteady interaction created between the passive flaps of the robot and the surrounding water which enables the robot to swim forward and turn.

From the underside of the pads, the HAMR can apply electric current to the water. This is electrowetting whereby the voltage that is applied will reduce the contact angle between an object and the water surface. Due to this the surface tension breaks and the robot sinks.

The robot uses the same mechanism to walk along the bottom of the water just like it walks on land. There is a watertight coating of a polymer known as Parylene to prevent shorting of the HAMR.

In order to get onto the land the HAMR has to break through the surface. A water surface tension force which is almost twice the robotic weight pushes the robot down. There is also an induced torque that increases the friction on the hind legs of the robot. To overcome this difficulty, the scientists have stiffened the transmission of the HAMR and put soft pads to the front legs of the robot. This helps to increase the payload capacity and the friction gets redistributed to enable the robot to climb. The robot then walks up an incline and breaks out of the water surface.

There is a possibility of using technology that gets its inspiration from geckos such as the gecko-inspired adhesives or jumping mechanisms where the HAMR can come out of the water without the use of a ramp or a slope.
 

Google Duplex: Google's Eerie Human Phone Bot is Ready for the Real World

Google Duplex gets a Redo

These days everyone is on the AI bandwagon, from apps to gaming, you can see AI on all these platforms. So why not get AI to book appointments and reservations at restaurants? That’s what Google thought back in May when it released a bot to make reservations and other stuff, called Google Duplex. On first hearing the voice, many thought it was weird and just didn’t sound right.

At the Google’s developer conference in May, a bot or AI or Google Duplex was heard calling a salon and a restaurant to book a reservation on behalf of a human. This initial show of Duplex caused many to raise a number of issues with the chat bot, one of them being that the person on the other end did not know that they were talking to a chat bot and the other that they did not even know they were being recorded. Both of these issues significantly invades a person’s privacy and the said person is unaware of both these issues.

Google Duplex to get a redo:

Google has since then taken these issues seriously and a few weeks before Google Duplex can be used by a small number of small businesses and users, Duplex has got a big redo.

Google aims to address these issues at a time when it has released a set of principles that prevents Googlers from using AI tech in technologies that could affect or violate human rights.

Google Duplex in a Demonstration: 

This time around in order to show case the new and improved version of Duplex, Google used a Hummus shop down the road from their headquarters in Mountain View, California. Google got Duplex to make a reservation at the restaurant which they played through the restaurant’s speakers so that the assembled reporters could hear Google Duplex in action.

As soon Duplex hit the ears of all those present a few differences were immediately apparent. Google’s Duplex informed the person on the other line that it is Google’s automated booking service and that it’ll be recording the call.

There were even Google’s representatives present to answer any questions that the reporters might have. The reporters were even given a chance to rotate around and answer the phone. Google’s duplex was being made to call through Google assistant from a laptop just a few feet away in the restaurant.

While many reporters took their turn at the restaurant, many of them tried to trip up the chat bot and when the chat bot was unable to satisfactorily complete the call, another person came on line which one would barely notice as a real human being.

 

No regrets: 

Google had no regrets at showing Duplex at their developer’s conference back in May. They said they were only demonstrating the technology side of things and all the feedback that they received was really helpful in making changes and going forward.

But another question arises now, Do people really feel a need to fulfill their obligations of attending an appointment, especially now that a bot is placing an order on their behalf?

What is the Best Laptop Under $1000 in 2018?

Laptop under $1000 - Which one is best for your use?

Regular laptop users always look for a high-quality model at a lower price. Especially a laptop under $1000 is affordable to most of the users. However, it is not easy to get a good laptop within this range. The manufacturers try to adjust the features while controlling the price rate. For instance, some of the laptops may have powerful CPU, while their build quality is lower than others. As a laptop buyer, you can try to check out whether your chosen model has a balance of all the features. You may also focus on those specs that are most useful to you.

We have researched on various models of laptop under $1000, and made a list of them to help you in purchasing the right one. We have picked the products from the most reputable brands in the laptop and computer market.

Best Laptop under $1000 :Acer's Aspire E 15

We have chosen it as the first model in our list of low-priced laptops. With a crosshatch patterned matte lid and black colored plastic, Aspire E 15 have a solid and sturdy structure. This is a 15.6-inch model with a brushed aluminum deck. On the left-hand side, there are USB connectors (3.0), VGA-out and Ethernet port. Aspire E 15 includes Core i3 processor, and its colorful display works with 1080p. On the right-hand side, there are audio jack and DVD drive. You can get 1TB 5,400-rpm and 4GB RAM as the storage space.

This laptop has decent keyboard that gives you a good feel, while the 10-key numeric pad is another organized feature. The layout of the keys is of god standard. However, the backlight system of keyboard has no option for adjusting the level of brightness.

Now, while talking about the display, we can say that there is 1920 by 1080 panel. This panel helps you in watching any film trailer in detail.

We do not want to call Aspire E 15 as the gaming laptop. Still, you can play lots of games with this system. But, it is slight thicker than other models, like Dell Inspiron 15 5000. There is no touch-sensitive screen on this laptop.

The battery charge of Aspire E 15 can last all through your working hours. You have to recharge it after nine hours of continuous working with the system.

Latest Technology Laptop under $1000: Acer Spin 5 

We have chosen another product of Acer that has a low-price range. Its weight is only 3.3lbs, and the model is very thin. The dark-gray colored lid may make you think that the laptop is just a metal piece. The silver logo is present on it.

The remains surrounded with the thick bezels, while the deck looks like the lid. On the laptop’s left side, there are USB ports, HDMI output and USB-C. The display size is 13.3 inches, and it gives a good look to the laptop. Speaker system of this model is at the top portion, and that is why it is able to produce louder sound.

The laptop design is convertible, and it includes a hinge that can rotate 360 degrees. There is also integrated microphone and fingerprint sensor. For connectivity, you can use Bluetooth.

However, the battery charge of this laptop lasts for seven hours, and in this case, other laptops of competitive brands can beat it. Due to consistent use, the laptop can turn out little amount of heat. This, the manufacturer has added a vent for redirecting this heat away from you.

User Friendly Laptop under $1000: Dell Inspiron 15 7000

While you are looking for a gaming laptop at a lower price, you can choose it. The combination of red and black color has created the smartest look. The lid is soft to touch, and you can find Dell’s red logo on it. The screen has the resolution value of 1080p, while its size is 15.6 inches. However, the audio quality of this laptop is average as the speaker needs to be little louder. This laptop has RAM memory of 8GB and SSD of 256GB.

Now, let’s talk about the battery. While you use internet continuously through Wi-Fi, the battery lasts for 7 hours. At the time of gaming, you have to place the laptop on the desk or table. However, when you are playing game continuously, the touchpad and the base may gain some heat.

This Inspiron 15 model includes different ports, including 3 USB-A and USB-C port, SD slot, headphone jack and Ethernet jack. Its keyboard blends letter with red colored backlights, and its touchpad looks different due to the red perimeter. Although there is nothing new in the design, you will surely get pleased with the slight modifications that Dell has introduced to its laptops.

Budget Friendly Laptop under $1000 Alienware 13

For those, who are looking for a VR-ready laptop, this product is the right option. The 1440p OLED screen has made this laptop differentiated from others. 6GB RAM and GTX 1060 GPU are other notable features of this laptop. Moreover, 512GB SSD has offered you much space. Motherboard has limited space for using M.2 sticks.

There is also 6GB graphics card that works for most of the applications. However, you can find an option of using graphics amplifier, which is able to work with Nvidia cards and AMD. While you have plugged the amplifier, it performs its work.

The design of this laptop is attractive with a sturdy build. The weight of this product 5.8 pounds, and it is little heavier that seventeen-inch laptops. The aluminum structure has made the design much resilient.

This is a touchscreen laptop with 1440p resolution, which enables you to enjoy sharp pictures. There is a backlit system on the keyboard, while the trackpad also has RGB lights.

Thus, while you are looking for a reliable laptop under $1000, you may pick any of the above products for your use. However, you should also check out the accurate price rate of every laptop. As lots of users look for low price range laptops, we have chosen all these products for them.

Intel: Pushing the Boundaries of Modern Computers at Computex

Intel to Boost Battery Life

Intel to boost battery life, yes Intel is all about doubling battery life by introducing a simple tech. Intel believes that battery life can be boosted by in fact reducing the consumption of energy by the display screens in laptops. At an announcement at Computex in Taipei, Intel recently created quite a stir by saying that they, by reducing the display screen’s battery’s consumption, they could actually double the battery life of a laptop device.

The most energy hungry part in a laptop is the display, so if the consumption of energy by the display is reduced, the battery life of a laptop can be increased. Currently laptop displays use about 2 watts. Intel says that by bringing down consumption to 1 watt means that we could see even 28 hour laptop battery life.

How is Intel going to boost battery life? 

One way by which Intel plans on boosting battery life and reducing display consumption is by co-engineering low power display technology. This tech co- created by Intel appears in a 1 watt panel manufactured by Innolux and Sharp, which apparently cuts LCD power consumption by half.

Testing of these panels by Intel: 

Intel says that it has seen laptops battery life increase from 20 hours to 24 hours using the tech and in some case it has also seen a jump in power of 4- 8 hours with the low power display technology.

This low power display tech is like a specification for manufacturing companies to meet, if these specifications are met while developing a display then Intel’s processors could use their integrated graphics card to adjust other settings such as refresh rate, brightness as well as various other settings that will boost battery life and reduce display consumption.

So in order to boost battery life, manufacturers would not only have to build display panels that match the low power consumption spec but also would have to use Intel processors to control the display and its settings, all to boost battery life of the laptop.

Cutting battery consumption by looking at the display was the right way to go as the display screens in devices are a major component that is known for consuming a lot of energy. As of now Sharp and Innolux are the only companies who have adopted the low power display tech in their manufacturing of display panels.

5G laptops in 2019: 

At the recent Computex, Intel also talked about selling Intel Processors for 5G connected PCs around the world. Intel is reportedly working with Acer, HP, Lenovo and Microsoft in bringing the first 5G connected PCs to the world in 2019.

Besides this Intel also plans on bringing out 10 more 4G PCs with partners like Acer, Dell, Asus and HP. This is in addition to the 25 4G connected PCs that are already on the market.

All this news at the Computex comes as Intel celebrates its 50th anniversary next month.

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 will be a Delight for Gamers

For gamers Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is the most awaited convention which brings the latest titles and release cycles of them for the year ahead. This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo(E3) 2018 is being held in Lost Angeles and it is all set to bring a massive collection of new titles offering for the gamers globally.

Giving a firm option against the competitors

Microsoft has so far played the third fiddle when it comes to modern day gaming console maker. But the launch of the latest X box is set to change everything for good and it will settle it as a major option against the likes for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. It should be noted that at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 there wouldn't be any new console and to be honest there wouldn't be any new console from Microsoft until 2020. But Microsoft is coming up with the new Halo game which will be more than enough for the gamers to choose Xbox console over other to enjoy this remarkably great gameplay.

Secondly Microsoft will also be unveiling as many as 50 games along with 20 exclusive titles to debut on the Xbox consoles. Microsoft has already enhanced the gaming portfolio for its Xbox console which now features the popular Gears of War, Cuphead and Ori adventure games. Microsoft has admitted that it has turned its head towards gaming community and its team is actively focused on bringing the best for the gamers. It has received incredible demand from the fans andusers to come up with more exclusive and first party titles for its console and it will be delivering the same officially at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018.

Ubisoft, Sony and Electronic Arts to unveil new titles

Ubisoft is expected to unveil its Star Fox, Beyond Good and Evil 2 titles which have got some serious fan following in the recent times. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 this French gaming firm will also be bringing the next version of its popular post-apocalyptic online shooting game. It will be named as 'The Division 2'. Another famous series run by the Ubisoft is the Assassin Creed which is all set to comes with the 11th instalment named Assassin's Creed: Odyssey at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018.
Sony had a quite year so far but the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 it is looking forward to shake the things up. It will release more number of new iterations of its popular hit games. It is also expected to unveil a new action game named Control as well as the remake of ever popular Resident Evil 2 zombie-killing game.
Electronic Arts is all set to showcase its next Battlefield game named Battlefield 5 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018. It will also be releasing a new Star Wars based game called Jedi Fallen Order. Jedi Fallen order is being eagerly awaited by the fans globally and it is expected that this game will be realising during the holiday season at the end of the year.