Robots Invent Their Own Language

Image via Wikipedia

It gets scarier. Now robots can do something that only humans and a few other animals can.

‘When robots talk to each other, they’re not generally using language as we think of it, with words to communicate both concrete and abstract concepts. Now Australian researchers are teaching a pair of robots to communicate linguistically like humans by inventing new spoken words, a lexicon that the roboticists can teach to other robots to generate an entirely new language.

‘Ruth Schulz and her colleagues at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology call their robots the Lingodroids. The robots consist of a mobile platform equipped with a camera, laser range finder, and sonar for mapping and obstacle avoidance. The robots also carry a microphone and speakers for audible communication between them…’
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/artificial-intelligence/lingodroid-robots-invent-their-own-spoken-language

Man Demonstrates His Bionic Hand

‘Last year, Patrick, a 24-year-old Austrian, decided to have his dysfunctional hand amputated and replaced with a bionic hand. He lost the use of his left hand after being electrocuted at work.

‘Here he demonstrates the extra movement his new bionic hand has given him, opening a bottle and tying his shoelaces, and tests a prototype hand which will give him additional wrist movement…’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13378036

Hot Issues Department
Video Games Creators Now Recognized as Artists
US Government Recognizes, Funds Video Games As Art

‘The Arts in Media guidelines replace The Arts on Radio and Television guidelines.

‘The Arts in Media builds on the success of The Arts on Radio and Television. All project types that were previously eligible remain eligible. In addition, the expanded category now includes:

‘All available media platforms such as the Internet, interactive and mobile technologies, digital games, arts content delivered via satellite, as well as on radio and television.

‘Media projects that can be considered works of art…’
http://arts.gov/grants/apply/AIM-presentation.html

One In 14 Windows Downloads Is Malicious

What’s more surprising is that ‘about 5 percent of users ignore the warnings and download malicious Trojan horse programs anyway.’ Most probably, these users are unaware of the existence of malware.

‘The next time a website says to download new software to view a movie or fix a problem, think twice. There’s a pretty good chance that the program is malicious.

‘In fact, about one out of every 14 programs downloaded by Windows users turns out to be malicious, Microsoft said Tuesday. And even though Microsoft has a feature in its Internet Explorer browser designed to steer users away from unknown and potentially untrustworthy software, about 5 percent of users ignore the warnings and download malicious Trojan horse programs anyway…’
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/051811-microsoft-one-in-14-downloads.html