This Coral Game Helps You Train NASA Supercomputer ‘Pleiades’
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This Coral Game Helps You Train NASA Supercomputer ‘Pleiades’

Andrew Orr ·

NASA recently launched a game for iOS called NeMO-NET. In the game, players set forth with their ship Nautilus to scan the ocean floor. You identify and classify different types of corals, earn badges for completing missions, and watch educational videos about sea life. The data from the game is used to train NASA’s supercomputer called Pleiades, located at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. The goal is for Pleiades to recognize corals from various scientific instruments so that the agency can map corals across the world. App Store: Free

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Apple is More Complex But Tim Cook is Doing Okay

Andrew Orr ·

Over at Wired UK, John Arlidge asks “Has Apple finally bitten off way more than it can chew?” It doesn’t seem as if that question is answered. It’s the typical roundup of everything Apple is doing today, across hardware, software, and services, and wondering if the company is doing okay under Tim Cook as opposed to Steve Jobs. I thought this quote was interesting however, claiming to come from an Apple veteran.

What Cook is trying to do is come up with a new set of iTunes-like services to mate with more varied hardware to create an ecosystem that is simple and compelling. Imagine secure communications, iCloud storage, TV, quality news, banking, health, insurance and more, all from the same, trusted supplier on iPhone, iPad, Mac, the Watch and, in future, AR glasses. That would be pretty revolutionary.

Indeed.

TMO Deals

iRig Video Creator Tool Bundle with Mounting Clip, Mic, Remote Shutter, More: $89.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

Check out the iRig Video Creator Tool Bundle. It includes the iKlip Grip Pro, a desktop tripod, handgrip, full-sized tripod, and monopod; a ¼” UNC mount on the top to make it easy to mount accessories; the iRig Mic Lav lapel microphone that plugs directly into your smartphone or tablet, and a 6” LED ring light with adjustable color and brightness so you always look your best. In short, it’s everything you need to record videos or live stream. This bundle is $89.99 through our deal. 

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DuckDuckGo Publishes List of Privacy Tools for Remote Work

Andrew Orr ·

Earlier this month I wrote an article covering five private Zoom alternatives. Today DuckDuckGo published a similar list, although it’s not focused on Zoom. I think it’s a good list.

As a remote-first Internet privacy company, we firmly believe that working outside of a traditional office setting should not compromise your privacy. To that end, we’ve rounded up some useful privacy-respecting tools and important settings that you can confidently utilize while working remotely.

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Apple Could Expand Sleep Tracking Capabilities into Blankets And Mattress

Charlotte Henry ·

Users already monitor their time in bed using Apple products, but the options available could be expanding. AppleInsider reported on a patent that involves the company creating a blanket and mattress with the ability to track sleep and health.

“Traditionally, monitoring a person’s sleep or vital signs has required expensive and bulky equipment,” begins “Vital Signs Monitoring System,” US Patent No 20200107785. It then points out that wearing such equipment makes the person uncomfortable, and so affects the very sleep patterns that it’s trying to monitor. This is specifically a criticism about the kind of sleep tracking that requires a stay in a medical facility, but it also makes points that could equally apply to an Apple Watch. Specifically, it says that currently any kind of worn device tends to be “configured to determine the vital signs based on one type of measurement or mode of operation.”