From IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics - A Tactile Robot Finger with No Blind Spots:
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Friday, February 21, 2020
AI in Drug Discovery
This is a remarkable story, showing the power of Artificial
Intelligence (AI), when applied to medical research and the quest for new
drugs. Here, AI is clearly being used in a positive and revolutionary
way.
Quote: To hunt
for more new drugs, the team next turned to a massive digital database of about
1.5bn compounds. They set the algorithm working on 107m of these. Three days
later, the program returned a shortlist of 23 potential antibiotics, of which
two appear to be particularly potent. The scientists now intend to search more
of the database.
Follow-up on Barclays Bank in the UK
From City AM of the UK
As a follow-up on the article on Barclays Bank in the UK, and the spyware they had installed on staff computers, the bank has now announced it is giving up on the staff-surveillance scheme.
It is revealing that they felt the law allowed them to do it (it shouldn't), and they immediately back down when the news is divulged, given the awful publicity they are getting. It shows that such practices are -- still -- considered, broadly speaking, immoral and unacceptable.
In fact, the bank's senior executives would have known about this: they were just trying to see how far they could go, and to see if they could get away with it, which is in itself an immoral and cynical attitude typical of corporate bullies, whereby staff are clearly held in utter contempt. ("I am doing this to you because I can: try and stop me!")
The quote below shows that they haven't actually given up: they are just going to manage the system differently, still collecting data. As to safeguards regarding what they do with the data: who is going to check on what the bank's management do with the said data?
Quote: Data on productivity will be collected, but will be aggregated rather than individualised, City A.M. understands. [And I am the King of Poland.]
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Big Brother at Barclays
From City AM of the UK
Next step: Have megaphones in the toilets -- "This is taking too long, Trevor!"
What is quite amazing is that a company would even consider installing such spying software on its employees' computers, and that the law and the powers that be would let such a thing happen.
Where does it stop?
__________________________________________
News of Autonomous Vehicles
From Grauniad of the UK
As everything becomes computerized and remotely activated via wireless networks, any glitch or missed update and the piece of equipment won't work: here, it was a car.
What an enticing prospect: the fridge, the washing-machine, the front door, the boiler/ heating system... all of it run by an operating system on a par with Windows XP on a bad day.
And that's even before a Russian hacker from Vladivostok has taken control of your vehicle/ appliance/ machine/ lawnmower/ toaster/ hedge trimmer/ toothbrush. 😂
___________________________________
Monday, February 17, 2020
Useful Tools for PostgreSQL
DBweaver:
The community edition is free. It will address most of the common functionality one may need.
Microsoft Excel:
Note: Before you can connect to a PostgreSQL database in Power Query, you need the Ngpsql data provider for PostgreSQL installed on your computer. Select the driver that matches your Office version (32-bit or 64-bit). See: Which version of Office am I using? for more information. Also make sure you have the provider registered in the machine configuration that matches the most recent .NET version on your device.
1. Click the Data tab, then Get Data > From Database > From PostgreSQL Database. If you don't see the Get Data button, then click on New Query > From Database > From PostgreSQL Database.
2. In the PostgreSQL Database dialog box, specify the PostgreSQL Database Server you want to connect to in the Server Name section.
3. If you want to import data using native database query, specify your query in the SQL Statement box. For more information, see Import Data from Database using Native Database Query.
4. Select OK.
5. If the PostgreSQL server requires database user credentials:
a. In the Access a Database dialog box, enter your username and password.
b. Select Connect.
Microsoft MS SQL Server Management Studio:
Using Management Studio to connect to PostgreSQL - https://www.devart.com/odbc/postgresql/docs/microsoft_sql_server_manager_s.htm
It is a free download from:
pgAdmin:
Depending on whether one mostly needs to perform admin. or query/script development, it may not have everything one requires … but one should certainly check it out.
Available from https://www.pgadmin.org/
Monday, January 27, 2020
Monday, January 13, 2020
Gadgets at Vegas trade show [Tomorrow's world]
From Grauniad of the UK
I have friends in France who have a sophisticated contraption that is like Cooking Pal Julia -- so, this one exists already.
As for the 10-second toothbrush: a dream come true and a must-have, really. I wonder how many years were spent developing it.
_____________
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Friday, January 3, 2020
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Bovine Dreams
From BBC:
I suppose it can work if you know what cows dream of.
Green grass?
A hot bath?
Listening to The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns?
A vegetarian world where eating beef has been banned forever?
Carrots?
Monday, December 2, 2019
AI Against Texting & Driving
From BBC:
AI cameras to catch texting Australian drivers
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50630763
AI cameras to catch texting Australian drivers
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50630763
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Babies and Sensors and Cars
Two friends are having a
drink in a London pub.
-"I wouldn't leave
my dog behind, in the car: no way I'd forget him! I love Rex. He's so loyal and
intelligent..."
-"What about Jason,
your son?"
-"Well, that's
different. I know what you mean."
-"Me, once, I was
in the pub and I got bored, and I decided to go home, and I stormed out, like,
got in the car and drove home. Arrived home, sat down in front of the telly,
and the mobile rings. You know what: I'd left my wife, Sheila, behind. I'd
forgotten she was with me. I was well annoyed, I must say."
-"Big as she is, you
didn't see her, like?"
-"Big? Yes, she's
big. I agree. She's so fat, it's like I got two for the price of one! Anyway, I
had to go back and pick her up. I hesitated for a second, mind..."
-"A missed
opportunity, maybe."
PS -- You may remember
that David Cameron and his wife, when he was still PM, once forgot one of their
children in the pub: they left the little girl behind. They came back later to
pick her up, as one does. But I think they have more than one child, which
means you have to do a head count every time, and it does get tedious, doesn't
it? ("Darling, I wish we didn't have 8 of them!")
========================================================================
In-vehicle sensor uses radar to detect forgotten babies and pets:
Friday, November 8, 2019
Free eBook on AI
Free eBook on Artificial Intelligence by my former colleague, Phil Jackson:
https://pure.uvt.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/2895885/Jackson_toward_22_04_2014.pdf
I think this is an earlier version of his recent book (2019): Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, 3rd edition - available at Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Artificial-Intelligence-Philip-Jackson/dp/0486832864/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Philip+C+Jackson&qid=1573237880&sr=8-3
https://pure.uvt.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/2895885/Jackson_toward_22_04_2014.pdf
I think this is an earlier version of his recent book (2019): Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, 3rd edition - available at Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Artificial-Intelligence-Philip-Jackson/dp/0486832864/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Philip+C+Jackson&qid=1573237880&sr=8-3
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Free Magazine Subscription
Free subscription to Autonomous Vehicle Engineering magazine (Print & Digital):
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Awesome List
A curated list of awesome machine learning frameworks, libraries and software (by language). Inspired by
awesome-php- Friday, October 25, 2019
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Babak Makkinejad
- I had been a senior software developer working for HP and GM. I am interested in intelligent and scientific computing. I am passionate about computers as enablers for human imagination. The contents of this site are not in any way, shape, or form endorsed, approved, or otherwise authorized by HP, its subsidiaries, or its officers and shareholders.