Worlds first humanoid robot factory from Agility Robotics set to open this year

September 22, 2023 at 10:40AM

Agility Robotics, creator of the bipedal robot Digit, has announced that the company is opening RoboFab– world’s first factory for humanoid robots– in Salem, Oregon this year with the capability to produce more than 10,000 robots per year.

“Initial construction of Agility’s 70,000 square foot robot factory began last year, and it is set to open later this year. Agility anticipates production capacity of hundreds of Digit robots in the first year, with the capability to scale to more than 10,000 robots per year,” the company said in a statement.

Also read: Sony can actually manufacture humanoid robots once their purpose becomes clear

At full capacity, RoboFab will employ more than 500 workers in Salem, in addition to employees at Agility’s other locations. Digit will also work in the new factory, in a similar capacity to Agility's customer sites, moving, loading, and unloading totes.

“Digit is designed from the ground up to go where people go and do useful work, safely, in spaces designed for people. Because so many tasks are designed around human workflows, Digit’s human-centric design enables multi-purpose utility,” the company said.

Initial applications include bulk material handling within warehouses and distribution centres. With the opening of the new manufacturing facility, customers who are participating in the Agility Partner Program (APP) can expect delivery of the first Digits next year, with general market availability in 2025. 

“The opening of our factory marks a pivotal moment in the history of robotics: the beginning of the mass production of commercial humanoid robots,” said Damion Shelton, Agility Robotics’ co-founder and CEO.

“We built Digit to solve difficult problems in today’s workforce like injuries, burnout, high turnover and unfillable labour gaps, with the ultimate vision of enabling humans to be more human,” Shelton added.

Agility Robotics COO Aindrea Campbell is leading the scaling of Agility’s manufacturing and corporate operations to meet the large commercial demand for Digit, including the launch of the new factory.

“By establishing RoboFab as a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub in Salem, Oregon, we are not only accelerating the development and deployment of advanced robotic systems, but also cultivating innovation and creating high-skilled job opportunities. With the capability to produce Digit at scale, we are poised to change the future of work for the better," said Campbell.

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Google sued after Maps directed man to drive off a collapsed bridge

September 22, 2023 at 10:39AM

The family of a man from North Carolina who died after following Google Maps directions and driving his car off a collapsed bridge is suing the tech giant for negligence, claiming that the company knew about the collapse but did not update its navigation system.

The Associated Press reported that Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman and father of two, drowned September 30, 2022, after his Jeep Gladiator plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court.

Also read: Google sued for location tracking practices in the US

While Paxson was returning from his daughter's ninth birthday party through an unknown neighbourhood, Google Maps allegedly instructed him to cross a bridge that had collapsed nine years earlier and was never rebuilt.

“Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I’m at a loss for words they can understand because, as an adult, I still can’t understand how those responsible for the GPS directions and the bridge could have acted with so little regard for human life,” Paxson’s wife, Alicia Paxson, said.

It was reported by state troopers that there were no barricades or warning signs along the washed-out road where Paxton's body was discovered in his flipped-over and partially submerged truck. According to the lawsuit, he had driven off an unsecured ledge and crashed around 20 feet below.

Google Maps is one of the most popular navigation apps worldwide. Millions of users rely upon it for everyday travel and directions. However, incidents like the case of Philip Paxson highlight the potential consequences of relying solely on digital navigation tools.

After this incident, users and the general public may likely become more cautious about trusting GPS systems entirely. This incident could lead to increased awareness about the importance of verifying routes and being cautious, especially in unfamiliar areas, and it may prompt Google and other navigation companies to prioritise regular updates and accuracy in their systems, as well as implement additional safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

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Heres the list of new features coming on WhatsApp for iOS

September 22, 2023 at 10:38AM

Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is reportedly working to bring a redesigned interface on iOS by introducing new icons. WhatsApp will likely introduce new icons for the settings section in a future update of the app, as per the report.

According to a report by a known WhatsApp tipster publication, WABetaInfo, the messaging platform is working on improving the interface of iOS by introducing new icons.

Also read: WhatsApp for iOS getting redesigned buttons: Know more

Credit: WABetaInfo

According to the screenshot, WhatsApp is expected to introduce new icons for the settings section in a future update of the app.

Also read: WhatsApp will soon let you initiate group calls with up to 31 participants: Know more 

The new icons will likely enable users to experience a better modern interface, improving the visual appeal of the application.

It’s worth noting that WhatsApp is also planning to release redesigned icons in the chat info section in the future.

With the revamped interface, WhatsApp aims to offer a better modern and user-friendly experience.

“With the new design, WhatsApp is finally demonstrating its commitment to addressing user feedback and evolving the interface of the app. Users have been requesting for a revamped user interface for years, as the application had not received updates in this context for a considerable amount of time, potentially causing it to seem outdated when compared to competing apps,” the report said.

Recently, it was reported that the Meta-owned instant messaging platform had started testing a new video avatar calling feature. This feature is expected to allow users to replace themselves with avatars during video calls. Given that WhatsApp is owned by Meta, it's worth noting that Meta introduced the real-time avatar calling feature for Instagram and Messenger in July. Therefore, it's possible for WhatsApp to incorporate such a feature in the future. WhatsApp also reportedly started testing an automatic security code verification feature for end-to-end encryption. For this new feature, WhatsApp is expected to introduce a revamped encryption verification screen.

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Alexa gets cool new features like Automatic Lightning, Map View & more

September 22, 2023 at 10:37AM

Amazon has announced new features for Alexa. The new features include Automatic Lightning, Map View and much more.

Below are the new features that Amazon announced for Alexa.

Automatic Lighting

Later this year, Alexa will be able to detect the brightness level and activity in a room, and intelligently decide to turn the lights on or off. So, you will no longer need to walk into a dark room and search for a light switch, or even ask Alexa to do it for you.

Users should look for motion and ambient light sensors that have the Works with Alexa (WWA) badge to enable this feature once available. Select Echo devices with motion and ambient light sensors will also support this feature soon, including the Echo Dot (5th Gen).

Also read: 5 key features of Amazon Echo Dot 5 launched in India

Explore with Alexa

Explore with Alexa is a new conversational experience for Amazon Kids+ on Echo devices that combines entertaining facts and trivia questions to boost deeper curiosity and exploration. Soon, when kids ask Alexa a question about animals and nature, Alexa will respond with information adapted from trusted sources and encourage kids to keep exploring a topic. 

Initiate routines in more than one way

Later this year, users will be able to initiate a single Routine in multiple ways. For example, users can initiate a Bedtime Routine that turns off all the lights, closes the blinds and begins playing sleep sounds when someone says “Alexa, goodnight” or every weekday at 10 p.m.

Top Connections

According to Amazon, calling friends and dropping in on household members

is a popular Alexa feature for staying in touch, so the company is making it even easier for users

to connect with those that matter most.

The Top Connections widget on Echo Show 15 allows users to easily see their favourite contacts and most frequently used devices within the household. Users can quickly initiate a call or drop-in with a single-tap. They will also be able to see birthday reminders. This will extend to Echo Show 5, 8, and 10 in the coming months.

Map View

Map View allows users to utilise compatible iOS devices to scan and create a digital map of their home’s floor plan and pin their connected devices to it. This lets users visualise their home at a glance, without needing to scroll through any device lists, remember device names, or open multiple apps.

Users can also use Map View to easily control their devices, like turning all the lights downstairs on and off in a single tap, or to check if the doors are locked after leaving home in a hurry. It will be available in the Alexa app later this year, and come to Echo Hub early next year.

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Edit videos on your mobile phone using the YouTube Create App

September 22, 2023 at 10:33AM

YouTube has introduced its new mobile app called ‘YouTube Create’. This app offers an easy way for creators to edit their videos right from their phone. YouTube Create is currently in beta on Android in select countries, including India, with support for iOS coming in 2024.

“We’re excited to introduce the beta version of YouTube Create, a brand new app that gives mobile creators the tools they need to take their videos to the next level,” the company said on September 21.

introducing YouTube Create a new easy-to-use editing app that helps you make high-quality vids & can publish to YouTube now in *beta* in 8 countries on Android we want your feedback download in Play Store: https://t.co/eV3LZP8N2b more info: https://t.co/HnbJhl8oR7 pic.twitter.com/1tCyKAYvtu

— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) September 21, 2023

With YouTube Create, users can easily make high-quality videos with editing tools, effects, filters, and transitions all in an easy-to-use interface – without the need for complicated editing tools or desktop software.

Also read: YouTube Playables will let you play games, just like in Netflix app

“We’ve been building YouTube Create with great feedback from creators in India and Singapore during our early tests, and now we’re excited to start getting this beta version of YouTube Create into the hands of creators in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, South Korea, and Indonesia,” the company said.

Also read: Google will add new vertical live feed on YouTube for mobile viewers

YouTube Create is a free of charge app which offers a handful of features and tools for mobile creators, helping them to elevate their videos and make content that their viewers will love.

Below are a few features that YouTube Create offers: 

Audio cleanup: This feature helps to remove unwanted background noises.

Auto-captions: It automatically adds captions to the videos in English, Hindi, and Spanish.

Filters/effects/transitions: You can easily add filters, effects, and transitions to make the videos pop.

Royalty-free music: Get access to thousands of royalty-free songs and sound effects—all within YouTube Create. These music tracks and sound effects are copyright-safe and can be freely used in videos you monetise.

Publish directly to YouTube: Easily create and publish both Shorts and longer videos directly to your YouTube channel with just the tap of a button. 

“This is just the start of all the amazing features we have planned for YouTube Create, so stay tuned for even more tools & features to come!” the company said.

You can download the new YouTube Create beta by heading to the Google Play Store.

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Heres what to expect from the upcoming Vivo V29 series in India

September 21, 2023 at 10:27PM

Vivo has confirmed the launch date (not publicly) of the upcoming V29 series. The brand has made the Vivo V29 microsite live, where the colour variants, as well as some more information, is mentioned. According to the Vivo V29’s official microsite, the smartphone series is coming to India on October 4. However, the launch date is not very easy to find on the microsite. On the Vivo V29 series microsite, there’s a small banner that says “Know more”. When you click on it, a rectangular box will appear that reads “Stay Tuned till We Meet on October 4”. 

Vivo launched the first Vivo V29 series model last month, the Vivo V29e. Now the Chinese brand is all set to launch two more smartphones that are the Vivo V29 and V29 Pro. Vivo will feature the 3D-curved display in the Vivo V29 series. Apart from that, the smartphone series will also feature 3D particle technology on the back. Vivo also confirmed that the Vivo 29 will weigh 186 grams and the Pro variant will weigh 188 grams. Furthermore, there will be three colour options; Majestic Red (with colour changing back panel), Himalayan Blue, and Space Black.  

Also read: Vivo V29 series could launch under ₹40,000: Camera details and colour options tipped

Now talking about the specifications, the Vivo V29 is already available in other regions. Let’s see what the global variant Vivo V29 packs.

The Vivo V29 is equipped with a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate. Moreover, the smartphone ships with FuntouchOS 13 skin which is based on Android 13 OS.

Also read: Vivo V29 5G spotted on BIS certification website, as Vivo confirms V29e

The smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor coupled with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. It is powered by a 4600mAh battery with up to 80-watt fast charging support. 

Speaking of the camera, it has a 50-megapixel OIS main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor. On the front, it has a 50-megapixel camera.

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Elon Musks Neuralink gains approval to recruit humans for brain-implant trial: Know more

September 20, 2023 at 01:52PM

Elon Musk’s neurotechnology company Neuralink has announced that it has received approval to start recruiting humans for its brain-implant trial.

“We are happy to announce that we’ve received approval from the reviewing independent institutional review board and our first hospital site to begin recruitment for our first-in-human clinical trial,” the company announced in an official blogpost on September 19, 2023.

Also read: Neuralink all set for human trials in 6 months, according to CEO Elon Musk 

The PRIME Study (short for Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) – an investigational medical device trial for the Neuralink’s fully-implantable, wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) – aims to evaluate the safety of the company’s implant (N1) and surgical robot (R1) and assess the initial functionality of Neuralink’s BCI for enabling people with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts.

During the study, the R1 Robot will be used to surgically place the N1 Implant’s ultra-fine and flexible threads in a part of the brain that controls movement intention.

Once in place, the N1 Implant is cosmetically invisible and is intended to record and transmit brain signals wirelessly to an app that decodes movement intention.

The initial goal of the company’s BCI is to grant people the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone. 

“The PRIME Study is being conducted under the investigational device exemption (IDE) awarded by the FDA in May 2023 and represents an important step in our mission to create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs,” Neuralink said.

The company further mentioned that those who have quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may qualify. 

According to a report by the Guardian, the company's announcement comes after months of receiving regulatory approval for a trial. Its prior animal testing is under scrutiny due to reports of trials causing unnecessary suffering.

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