But scientists at AI research lab DeepMind claim to have taken the “first steps to train an agent capable of playing many different games without needing human interaction data,” according to a blog post about their new “open-ended learning” initiative. Their new project includes a 3D environment with realistic dynamics and deep reinforcement learning agents that can learn to solve a wide range of challenges. The new system, according to DeepMind’s AI researchers, is an “important step toward creating more general agents with the flexibility to adapt rapidly within constantly changing environments....

He’s now claiming that the Tesla Robot could be an “incredible buddy like C3PO or R2D2” and that it will be able to “develop a personality over time that is unique” because, according to Musk, “it’s not like all robots are the same.” Musk told Fridman that Tesla would likely have a “decent prototype” by the end of next year (2022). After introducing the “Tesla Robot” earlier this year by dressing up a dancer in spandex and trotting them out on stage to embarrass themselves, the audience, and the company, Musk claimed the machine would be available in 2022....

According to figures from online vehicle marketplace, AutoTrader, inquiries for mopeds and scooters in the first week of June were three times what they were over the same period last year. In the last week of May, inquiries were already double what they were a year earlier. Advert views for mopeds were up by 32% year-on-year in the last week of May, and up 48% for the first week of June, The Guardian reports....

Fitbit Inspire HR: $69 ($31 off) Let’s start with the basics. If you’re just starting your workout journey or want to keep a general tab on your fitness, you’re probably looking for a tracker that’s cheap and tracks fundamental stuff including your steps and calorie intake. The Fitbit Inspire HR is a great option, and it’s under $100 with five days of claimed battery life. It also automatically tracks workouts such as walking, bike rides, and swimming....

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2020 This comes on the heels of last week’s fourth quarter earnings call, where Business Insider reports Musk admitted Tesla was at least a “few months” from rolling out “feature complete Full Self Driving” (FSD). There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s start with the timing of the party announcement. Elon Musk told Tesla shareholders last February that the company would have feature complete FSD by the end of 2019....

Dronamics is Europe’s first licensed cargo drone airline and The International Air Transport Association (IATA’s) first Strategic Partner for drones. This has taken far too long. But, first, let’s talk about Dronamics. The company develops large long-range drones built specifically for cargo, like its Black Swan, which can carry 350 kg for up to 2,500 km. This method of shipping is up to 80% faster, 50% cheaper, and with up to 60% lower emissions than alternative modes of transport — including airfreight — making it great for middle-mile deliveries....

Founded by prominent exchanges like Coinbase, Bittrex, and Kraken, the group aims to rate digital assets from 1 to 5. Those that find themselves on the higher end of the scale are thought to be considered securities in the eyes of regulators. “Whether a crypto asset is a security—as opposed to a currency, a commodity, or something else—may trigger registration, licensing, and other operating obligations for financial services firms that offer digital asset services like exchange, investment management, and trading,” reads the Council’s website....

Now Spain is following suit and from 2011, Telecom companies that are part of Spain’s “universal service” system will have to make broadband available at a “reasonable” price to everyone, including people living in rural parts of the country where it would normally be expensive to do so, Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian said in a statement on Tuesday. Until now, the “universal service” has only guaranteed internet via telephone line, fixed telephone, directory service and telephone booths....

The model calculates the benefits people are entitled to each month based on changes in their earnings. But Human Rights Watch discovered a defect in the system. The algorithm only analyzes the wages people receive within a calendar month, and ignores how often they’re paid. This means that people who receive multiple paychecks in a month — a common occurrence in irregular and low-paid work — can have their earnings overestimated and their payments dramatically shrunk....

According to a study by Which?, the Ford Focus Titanium Automatic 1.0L petrol and the Volkswagen Polo SEL TSI Manual 1.0L petrol have numerous security vulnerabilities that can expose sensitive personal data of the vehicles’ owners. [Read: Remembering the Nucleon, Ford’s 1958 nuclear-powered concept car that never was] Working with cyber security firm Context Information Security, researchers were able to hack the infotainment system of the VW to reveal personal data including phone numbers, saved addresses, and navigation history....

It’s not just people who’ve never coded before. Often I get these messages from people who have several years of coding experience under their belts. I’m not saying this to complain. I make half a living from prodding the pros and cons of different programming languages, frameworks, and AI models here on Medium. I profit greatly from people having such questions. The questions are quite intuitive. After all, everyone would like to work with the best possible tools and build their software skills as quickly as possible....

Over the past two years, the rest of the world has caught up to a fact that freelance writers have known for a long time. Working remotely — and often on your own timeline — is a pretty great job perk. Of course, for all that independence and freedom, there are some trade-offs. Like 30 percent of freelance writers make under $10 an hour during their first year. Considering that’s not a living wage, that means a freelancer has two major objectives if they want to make life as their own boss really work....

The exchange said a hardware fault discovered at around 7am local time eventually led to system-wide failure after backup infrastructure failed to boot, reports The Financial Times. TSE is the third largest stock exchange in the world, supporting trade for more than 3,000 stocks. Brokerages are reportedly still accepting customer requests but cannot promise trades will actually be put through. “We apologize for any inconvenience caused to the concerned parties because of a failure in the hardware we delivered,” said a Fujitsu spokesperson, according to Bloomberg....

The actor that played one of the more Machiavellian characters in the HBO series, Game of Thrones, is joining the advisory board of a vegan lifestyle oriented cryptocurrency. Jerome Flynn, the actor that played “Bronn,” is joining an Israel-based cryptocurrency project called VeganNation, CoinDesk reports. The project plans to offer its own cryptocurrency token called VeganCoin. It seems appropriate given that Bronn was appointed as Master of Coin to Bran the Broken on the TV show’s finale earlier this week....

However, a new study from the University of Washington shows the chemical markers thought to be caused by phosphine may have been the result of ordinary sulfur dioxide. This gas, released into the atmosphere by volcanic activity, is commonly associated with the smell of burnt matches. “Instead of phosphine in the clouds of Venus, the data are consistent with an alternative hypothesis: They were detecting sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is the third-most-common chemical compound in Venus’ atmosphere, and it is not considered a sign of life,” explains Victoria Meadows, a professor of astronomy at the University of Washington....

Tumblr – a microblogging platform launched in 2007 and long known as a laboratory for social justice causes and burgeoning fan cultures – became one contender. However, many Twitter users proposing a migration to Tumblr seemed to be those who had abandoned the site only a few years prior. In 2018, Tumblr content deemed sexually explicit – or NSFW – was banned. The controversial policy led to a mass exodus from the site, the so-called Tumblr apocalypse....

Consider, for example, dengue fever. This mosquito-borne virus is a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children and adults in several countries in Asia and Latin America. In 2016, member states in three of the six WHO regions reported 3.34 million cases. In the absence of an effective vaccine for dengue fever, Zika fever, chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases, researchers have developed genetic strategies to reduce mosquito populations. One such strategy involves the release into the wild of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes that express a lethal gene — a strategy believed to have little impact on the overall DNA of wild populations of mosquitoes....

Most recently, Business Insider managed to interview several researchers who painted a startling and bleak picture of what it’s like to try and conduct research under such an anti-scientific regime. Per the article, one researcher said: The problem here is that Google isn’t censoring research to avoid, say, its secrets getting out. Its lawyers are targeting scientific research that makes the company look bad. The person quoted above added that they were specifically talking about crossing out references to “fairness” and “bias” and scientists being told to change the results of their work....

Perhaps chief among them is a new AV1 compression algorithm that appears to improve video quality rather dramatically. Here’s one side-by-sid comparison of video quality at a mere 30kbps: You can read more about the new codec here. Google will roll it out “in the coming week.” The company is also adding the ability to quickly take a side-by-side photo of you and your fellow participant, which looks a little nicer than a plain old screenshot....

Prior to having this site, the company had separate programs for each of these verticals. The new site is launched simultaneously with a project called Bug Hunter University, which will help you hone your vulnerability discovery skills. The firm is also revamping the leaderboard for bug hunting, so that you can use it to find your next job. Plus, it explained that your open-source work could be eligible for rewards....