Raw Ink January 2014 | Page 22

Technical Section Google Bots If you worry that the robots are coming, don't, because they are already here. Artificial intelligence agents are already involved in every aspect of our life. Nonetheless there is a buzz around robots and artificial intelligence at the moment. Google has just bought eight robotic firms, while Facebook has its very own AI lab. A high quality personal assistant wouldn't be just a smartphone - it'd have a humanoid body. Why humanoid? So it can drive your car, act as your bodyguard if need be," they said. If the rise of the robots is inevitable - then it is also a logical step that humans will eventually be eliminated from the decision chain entirely, meaning AIs will be controlling other AIs. That was already happening in our laptops and computers. "Anti-virus software is basically an AI technique that is being used to detect other AIs that we call viruses and worms," But they acknowledged that "We would build the same layered control system we need in everyday life with humans. We want to look at the risks and build controls that stops that rogue behavior," they said. Solar Cooler:‘Thande ko rakhe Thanda’,With The Power Of The Sun. We know various uses of solar energy to generate power through heat, but SolarCooler is definitely a “world first,” and it’s currently undergoing crowd funding. The startup is looking for $150,000 to make their portable refrigerator (it even makes ice!) a reality, but it’s currently looking like it’ll need a real groundswell of support to get there. Here’s the big issue: the entry-level model costs just under $1,000, and that’s a special backer-only price. Retail for the SolarCooler is $1,200. Still, this is essentially a solar-powered 12V battery backup for everything combined with a cooler that offers true, continuous refrigeration, so that price tag starts to look a lot more reasonable when you consider its other potential uses. It also has a lot of potential to help out in commercial and medical settings as a transport for goods that need to be kept cool when direct power is in scarce supply. All I know is I hate summers, and I like my drinks cold. So SolarCooler makes sense to me. - Pushkar Sharma 20