Bayesian Methods for Hackers An intro to Bayesian methods and probabilistic programming from a computation/understanding-first, mathematics-second point of view. Prologue The Bayesian method is the natural approach to inference, yet it is hidden from readers behind chapters of slow, mathematical analysis. After some recent success of Bayesian methods in machine-learning competitions, I decided to investigate the subject again. If Bayesian inference is the destination, then mathematical analysis is a particular path towards it. Bayesian Methods for Hackers is designed as a introduction to Bayesian inference from a computational/understanding-first, and mathematics-second, point of view. The choice of PyMC as the probabilistic programming language is two-fold. PyMC does have dependencies to run, namely NumPy and (optionally) SciPy. Printed version now available! Bayesian Methods for Hackers is now available in print. Differences between the print version and the online version include: Contents Examples from the book
Former Facebook executive says society will COLLAPSE within 30 years as robots put half of humans out of work A former Facebook executive has quit his job and now lives as a recluse in the wilderness - because he is convinced that machines will take over the world. Antonio Garcia Martinez worked as a project manager for the social media giant in Silicon Valley but became terrified by the relentless march of technology. Facebook Getty - Contributor He reckons that machines will have taken half of humanity's jobs within 30 years, sparking revolt and armed conflict. So he quit his job, fled his home and now lives in woodland north of Seattle with a gun for protection. He spoke to new two-part BBC2 documentary "Secrets of Silicon Valley", which explores the growing influence of the tech hub on global development. Mr Martinez said: "If the world really does end, there aren't going to be many places to run. "Within 30 years, half of humanity won't have a job. "I've seen what the world will look like in five to 10 years. This video isn't encoded for your device Getty Images Facebook friend
AlphaGo is not the solution to AI AlphaGo is not the solution to AI Congratulations are in order for the folks at Google Deepmind who have mastered Go. However, some of the discussion around this seems like giddy overstatement. For Go itself, it’s been well-known for a decade that Monte Carlo tree search (i.e. valuation by assuming randomized playout) is unusually effective in Go. Delving into existing computer games, the Atari results (see figure 3) are very fun but obviously unimpressive on about ¼ of the games. The reason these strategies are not used is because they are based on tabular learning rather than function fitting. This is generally understood by people working on these techniques but seems to be getting lost in translation to public news reports. Edit: Further discussion here, CACM, here, and KDNuggets.
How Ideology Is Like Pokemon Go Released in July 2016, Pokémon Go is a location-based, augmented-reality game for mobile devices, typically played on mobile phones; players use the device’s GPS and camera to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures (“Pokémon”) who appear on the screen as if they were in the same real-world location as the player: As players travel the real world, their avatar moves along the game’s map. Different Pokémon species reside in different areas—for example, water-type Pokémon are generally found near water. When a player encounters a Pokémon, AR (Augmented Reality) mode uses the camera and gyroscope on the player’s mobile device to display an image of a Pokémon as though it were in the real world. The first step in this direction of technology imitating ideology was taken a couple of years ago by Pranav Mistry, a member of the Fluid Interfaces Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, who developed a wearable “gestural interface” called “SixthSense.” References 1. 2.
Deep Learning Take it from the insiders: Silicon Valley is eating your soul | John Harris One source of angst came close to being 2017’s signature subject: how the internet and the tiny handful of companies that dominate it are affecting both individual minds and the present and future of the planet. The old idea of the online world as a burgeoning utopia looks to have peaked around the time of the Arab spring, and is in retreat. If you want a sense of how much has changed, picture the president of the US tweeting his latest provocation in the small hours, and consider an array of words and phrases now freighted with meaning: Russia, bots, troll farms, online abuse, fake news, dark money. Another sign of how much things have shifted is a volte-face by Silicon Valley’s most powerful man. The company has reached a fascinating point in its evolution; it is as replete with importance and interest as any political party. Then there is Tristan Harris, a former high-up at Google who is now hailed as “the closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience”. Good for him.
The Case for Responsible Innovation | DigitalNext Is technological innovation good or bad? Seems like a silly question on the surface. But we have questions: Can self-driving cars ever be safe? We have concerns: Fake news, fake ads, fake accounts, bots, foreign governments interfering with our elections … The courts have historically decided that technology is neither intrinsically good nor bad, but they have expressed the opinion that people must be responsible and held accountable for how it is used. It's illegal to text and drive. Fear, uncertainty and doubt in Las Vegas Once a beacon of optimism, the tech industry has come under pressure as concerns mount about potential negative impacts of innovation. My colleagues at PwC and I agree that the time has come to seriously consider a responsible approach to innovation. At CES in Las Vegas next week, we'll present a discussion that explores the three basic approaches to the problem of regulating technological innovation: 1. 2. 3. Our thinking
unrealengine Jan 3, 2018 Unreal Engine 4 Mastery: Create Multiplayer Games with C++ in New Course from Udemy By Daniel Kayser Unleash the power of C++ and Blueprint to develop Multiplayer Games with AI... Jan 1, 2018 Getting Started with Unreal Multiplayer in C++ By Sam Pattuzzi While Unreal Engine offers fantastic multiplayer support right out of the b... Dec 30, 2017 Unreal Engine Developers Featured in IndieDB’s Top 100 of 2017 By Jess Hider As the year comes to a close, it’s a perfect time to look back on some of t... 15 Myths That Can Ruin Your Mobile UX Mobile usage is steadily rising. The number of mobile phone users in the world will pass the five billion mark by 2019, and more than ever, people are engaging with their phones in crucial moments. The average U.S. user spends five hours per day on mobile, and the vast majority of that time is spent on apps and websites—making mobile an extremely valuable medium for app developers. What makes a good app and what makes a bad app? The difference often comes down to the quality of its user experience, which is why product teams spend countless hours perfecting their mobile UX. But like many disciplines, mobile design suffers from misconceptions and myths that can prevent designers from creating efficient products. In this article, we’ll look at 15 common mobile misperceptions, and dispel them with a dose of reality. You might also like: 5 of the Best Prototyping Tools to Test Out Your Web and Mobile Designs. Myth 1: Mobile users are always on the run Myth 2: The best designs are invisible
These Are The Technologies That Will Change Our Lives In The Next 10 Years Fast charging will help electric cars such as the Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow electric concept vehicle. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg© 2018 Bloomberg Finance LP We are living in an age of massive technological change, but sometimes it is all so complicated it can be hard to work out what’s really going to change the world and what will fall by the wayside. Researchers at Lux have looked at the key technology innovations that are going to change the world economy – and our lives over the next 10 years. Its 19 for 2019 report looks at the innovations that are facing market roadblocks and those that are more likely to succeed because they fit an unmet market need. Battery fast-charging is one of a number of clean energy technologies on the list and will be a key enabler for the growth of the electric vehicle market, while solid state batteries will help to boost range in EVs and could move the industry beyond the lithium-ion era.
Clean up your cyber-hygiene – 6 changes to make in the new year Data breaches, widespread malware attacks and microtargeted personalized advertising were lowlights of digital life in 2018. As technologies change, so does the advice security experts give for how to best stay safe. As 2019 begins, I’ve pulled together a short list of suggestions for keeping your digital life secure and free of manipulative disinformation. 1. Set your boundaries and stick to them As part of my research, I’ve recently been speaking with a number of sex workers in Europe about their digital security and privacy. That way, when the latest new app asks you for a permission that oversteps what you’re willing to share, you’ll be more prepared to answer. 2. People who get their news primarily – or exclusively – from social media are subjecting themselves to the whims of the algorithms that decide what to display to each user. Because of how these algorithms work, those people are likely to see articles only from news sources they already like and tend to agree with. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Marshall McLuhan: A media guru reconsidered | 21st-century PR issues › Paul Seaman This essay dedicated to Marshall McLuhan (1911 – 1980) was first published in 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth. It is both a critique and a celebration of McLuhan’s insightful thinking. Marshall McLuhan as portrayed by Playboy Magazine There’s a lot to be admired about the “prophet of the electronic age” who said “if it works it’s obsolete”. Marshall McLuhan coined the term the “Global Village”. McLuhan was the archetypal-media studies guru. There is after all, as Andrew Keen has pointed out, much in common between the wired generation’s utopianism and the communal ideals of the hippies. The computer thus holds out the promise of a technologically engendered state of universal understanding and unity, a state of absorption in the logos that could knit mankind into one family and create a perpetuity of collective harmony and peace. McLuhan: still Wired Still, for some good reasons, McLuhan remains an inspirational thinker to a new generation of youth. He remarked:
Nintendo's first smartphone app, Miitomo, to launch in March Nintendo's first smartphone title, Miitomo, will launch in the UK and the U.S. in March this year. The app will be available on iOS and Android smart devices, and will debut alongside Nintendo's new My Nintendo rewards scheme. Those looking to stay ahead of the curve can preregister for Miitomo from February 17. Anyone who preregisters by creating a Nintendo Account will be the among the first to hear about the availability of Miitomo when it lands later this year. The app is being billed as a "social experience" that lets users interact with their friends using Mii characters. "By answering questions in Miitomo, users will be able to discover surprising information and secrets about their friends," explained Nintendo. "[They'll be able to] share their experiences with others easily by taking and sharing photos featuring their Mii using the Miitomo feature."