Smartcar, an under-the-radar connected car platform based in Mountain View, California, has announced a series A round of funding led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, which previously contributed a $2 million seed round. Founded in 2014, Smartcar in its original guise was specifically aimed at Tesla Model S owners, allowing drivers to automatically set the car’s temperature before they enter the vehicle, as well as optimizing the vehicle’s charging periods based on local utility pricing. Fast-forward four years, and Smartcar is an entirely different proposition. The Smartcar platform is basically a suite of connected car APIs and SDKs for developers to build apps that can integrate and communicate with vehicles. Last June, the company announced an integration partnership with BMW as the Smartcar platform launched in Germany, followed soon after by a tie-up with Hyundai in the U.S. Above: Automobility Los … [Read more...] about Smartcar raises $10 million from NEA and Andreessen Horowitz for developers to build apps for connected cars
Building
Google launches Flutter beta, a mobile UI framework for building native Android and iOS apps
At Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona today, Google launched the first beta release of Flutter, the company’s open-source mobile UI framework that helps developers build native interfaces for Android and iOS. The library is designed to combine the performance and platform integrations of native mobile with the rapid development and multi-platform reach of portable UI toolkits. Flutter program manager Seth Ladd described to VentureBeat how the mobile-first UI toolkit works. “Flutter compiles to native ARM code. That’s great for really fast startup and predictable performance for users. It’s also native in that we reach back out to the native platform and let developers bring out the power of that platform. Flutter has also taken special care and design to deliver a UI that feels natural to users.” Google lists three benefits of using Flutter when building mobile apps: High-velocity development with features like stateful Hot Reload, a new reactive … [Read more...] about Google launches Flutter beta, a mobile UI framework for building native Android and iOS apps
Researchers are already building the foundation for sentient AI
Few sci-fi tropes enthrall audiences more reliably than the plot of artificial intelligence betraying mankind. Perhaps this is because AI makes us confront the very idea of what it means to be human. But from HAL 9000 to Skynet to the robots in Westworld’s uprising, fears of sentient AI feel very real. Even Elon Musk worries about what AI is capable of. Are these fears unfounded? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps a sentient AI wouldn’t harm humans because it would empathize with us better than an algorithm ever could. And while AI continues to make amazing developments, a truly sentient machine is likely decades away. That said, scientists are piecing together features and characteristics that inch robots ever closer to sentience. Gaining self-awareness Self-awareness in and of itself doesn’t indicate consciousness or sentience, but it’s an important base characteristic for making an AI or robot appear more natural and living. And this isn’t science fiction, … [Read more...] about Researchers are already building the foundation for sentient AI
Build This Rustic Farmhouse Table
There's no better way to give thanks than to gather family and friends around an enormous table to share a feast. A farmhouse table would be the perfect spot. You could make one out of construction lumber and ordinary hardware in a couple of days. We're not talking precision woodworking here. If you can handle a circular saw and a chisel, you can do this. Farmers used to build these tables themselves, not furniture makers or carpenters, so it's okay if it turns out a bit rustic. That's half the fun. The other half is sitting down to eat at a table you built yourself. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below MaterialsPARTDESCRIPTIONQTY.LUMBERLENGTHATabletop piece32" x 12"61"BBreadboard end22" x 6"34"CLeg44" x 4"28½"DShort stretcher24" x 4"26"ELong stretcher12" x 4"56½"FShort apron22" x 4"18¾"GLong apron22" x 4"49"STEP 1: Prep Your LumberConstruction lumber has a higher moisture content than the wood used to build furniture, so after purchasing it, let it sit around inside … [Read more...] about Build This Rustic Farmhouse Table
Honor 7X gets its first Android Oreo beta build
The inexpensive Honor 7X seems to be the next smartphone released by the Chinese handset maker to receive a beta program. If you're located in Europe, you'll now be able to download Android Oreo beta for the Honor 7X.The first countries to get the Android Oreo beta program are France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, but it's yet unclear if Honor will be willing to make this build available in other regions like North America and Asia.If you want to try out Android Oreo for Honor 7X, you must first join the beta program via the dedicated app. Open the application and make sure to log in with your Huawei ID, then head to Personal / Join the project / Project available.In case the Honor 7X beta project doesn't show on your phone, even though you're located in one of the countries mentioned earlier, it means your device is not eligible for the update.Along with Android 8.0 Oreo, you'll also get the new EMUI 8.0, which brings system performance enhancements, AI-based optimizations, smarter … [Read more...] about Honor 7X gets its first Android Oreo beta build