Three reasons the dream of a robot companion isn't over
David Lee reports from the Innorobo 2012 conference and comes up with 'Is the dream of having a robot companion over?'Apparently it is, because:
1) A five year old girl is mildly frightened by a robot and so this is one of the industries biggest hurdles: 'What will it take for Kibo to be Emi's friend, rather than the subject of her nightmares?'
Sure, it's initially frightening, but leave the robot with her for an hour and you won't get the thing back without an epic meltdown. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of children rather than industry threatening hurdle.
2) '...the industry should perhaps look to recreate simpler, smaller tasks.'
Says the guy that makes the Roomba, a vacuum cleaner. No self interest involved there.
3) 'That kind of notion for a service robot we think is completely wrong.'
Says the guy that makes the RoboThespian, a next generation Teddy Ruxpin. No self interest involved there.
So general purpose robots are not happening, because a girl was initially nervous and two companies focused on special purpose robotics would rather talk about their niches. Thanks for wasting my time on this BBC.
I'm wasting more time writing about it for two reasons.
The Internet is killing headlines (something I agree with Paul Carr on). BBC news is egregiously awful, both for overwrought link bait and for using warn too much. The dream of a robot companion will never be over.
More importantly, think about every news story that either covered an event or an industry you're deeply familiar with and you'll realize that it's wrong, usually seriously so. What are the chances that it's only those stories that flawed in this way?
Photo Credit: AV8PIX Christopher Ebdon
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Fixing dropped wireless connection for Linksys E4200
I've been going quietly mad trying to fix a constant dropped connection issue with our Linksys E4200 router. There's lots of advice around tweaking the MTUs, upgrading firmware and disabling UPnP (a good idea anyway) but none of this helped at all. The connection just continually dropped, eventually came back, dropped again, ad nauseam.
The fix was to change the 5GHz and 2.4GHz networks to use different network names (SSIDs). I then connected to the 2.4GHz flavor and the connection is now solid.
I guess the problem was that by sharing the SSID devices would keep switching between the networks whenever they got the chance to connect to the juicy 5GHz flavor. The 5GHz network is flakier (higher frequencies having less range) and so the constant dropouts.
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Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, starting from Skyline College and walking up to the Portola Expedition Monument and back again.
Hike starts at: 37.62864, -122.463666.
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Upgrading to BlogEngine.NET 2.5
Today I upgraded this blog to the latest and greatest version of BlogEngine.NET. Not entirely smooth sailing, so here are my notes for others (and the next time I have to do it):
The IsCommentsEnabled property BlogEngine.Core.Post has changed to HasCommentsEnabled. Not sure why this was worth changing but easy enough to fix.
BlogSettings.Instance.StorageLocation doesn't exist any more. After some digging it turns out that you need to use Blog.CurrentInstance.StorageLocation instead.
WidgetBase and WidgetEditBase in a couple of custom widgets complained that the type or namespace could not be found. This is fixed by adding a using statement for App_Code.Controls.
Updated 2012-03-11:
Getting the blog running locally was as usual only half the hassle. The next step is deploying to my hosting provider, Server Intellect. Things always start going wrong at this point. Luckily Server Intellect has some really great support staff and they respond quickly even on a Saturday night.
The first problem is that my backups were broken. Backups always succeed, restores always fail. After restoring my App_Data folder the last month of posts were missing. After digging for a bit it turned out that recent files were invisible over FTP but present in the control panel for the domain. My server had been migrated and some sort of permissions issue had broken access to new files. Not specifically a BlogEngine.net issue, but took a while to figure out and then for Server Intellect to fix.
Once the files were all there I uploaded and the blog itself was working fine, but the admin pages were screwy. It turns out that my server doesn't have ASP.NET MVC 3 installed. Server Intellect offered to migrate the server, but instead I copied System.Web.Mvc.dll to the Bin folder after finding a post on MVC 3 deployment from Scott Hanselman. I also needed to add a MIME type for .cshtml (text/html). With this in place the fancy new admin pages are up and running.
Updated again, 2012-03-11:
Another namespace issue, ExtensionSettings in an extension doesn't resolve any more. Need to add a using statement for BlogEngine.Core.Web.Extensions. There are also some changes required to make an extension support multiple blogs.
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Reviews and Links for February 2012
The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
4/5
Very good, enjoying the entire Harry Hole series. Wishing for translations of the first two now!
The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø
3/5
Slightly weaker than the others in the series I've read so far but still knocked it back quickly.
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø
4/5
Best so far on my quest to read through Nesbo...
Nemesis by Jo Nesbø
4/5
On a Jo Nesbo binge...
The Leopard by Jo Nesbø
4/5
Compelling crime thriller, rather worryingly one of series featuring Harry Hole so I'm going to have to go back to the beginning and read all of them.
Links
Catfood.Shapefile 1.51: http://t.co/BKtkx9Zq (ESRI Shapefile Parser, fixed release binary issue).
4 of 5 stars to The Snowman by Jo Nesbø http://t.co/IrvdrDBf
Breaking Good: how to synthesize Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) From N-Methylamphetamine (crystal meth): http://t.co/fviYaj5P
ITHCWY: Catfood.Shapefile 1.50: I've just released a small update to my C# Shapefile library on Codeplex. Catfood… http://t.co/lXoGoBsY
4 of 5 stars to The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø http://t.co/PqrOQnQL
Epic #Bernal Panorama: http://t.co/zVqZYosG - via @bernalwood
Neal Stephenson on getting big stuff done http://t.co/6PHS1VD1 #todo @myEN
Stop Colbert: http://t.co/kBtSC7NV via @NancyPelosi
Wolfram|Alpha Pro: http://t.co/G88eWq6Y #tools @myEN
A History of the Sky for One Year: http://t.co/UKMjosCK (very cool)
+1: A U.S. appeals court rules Prop. 8 unconstitutional: http://t.co/TZgdKU9k #fb
ITHCWY: Badge Driven Development: Microsoft has released Visual Studio Achievements, an extension that brings… http://t.co/5BOyNF03
ITHCWY: GGNRA Dog Management Plan Update: I love it when making some noise works. The NPS is pushing its dog… http://t.co/fzqaJWM2
Unicode Character 'PILE OF POO' (U+1F4A9): http://t.co/LkGffsvW
http://t.co/NA6TOdQk #todo @myEN
BBC News - Can the US Army embrace atheists? http://t.co/5ubkKT7r
Running an API at HUGE Scale - Webinar: http://t.co/tEnxdRBM #API
4 of 5 stars to The Leopard by Jo Nesbø http://t.co/tIIPs1M5
ITHCWY: Reviews and Links for January 2012: Damned by Chuck Palahniuk 3/5 Very much a vehicle for Palahniuk to rant… http://t.co/6kvApyf1
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Catfood.Shapefile 1.50
I've just released a small update to my C# Shapefile library on Codeplex. Catfood.Shapefile 1.50 fixes a couple of bugs related to metadata and adds the ability to access metadata records directly via IDataRecord.
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Badge Driven Development
Microsoft has released Visual Studio Achievements, an extension that brings gamification to Visual Studio in the form of badges. The achievements are a mix that include feature discovery, best/worst practices, printing source code and swearing.
Initially I wrote this off as a silly little feature. But it could be the start of a whole new development methodology religion that I'm going to call Badge Driven Development (BDD).
It's related to Test Driven Development, but instead of writing unit tests first you start with creating a set of achievements. These should be a measurable mix of business goals, personal development, coding standards and random mayhem. Once you have measurable badges you can start writing code and build a leaderboard for teams and individuals.
BDD has all the ascetic one-upmanship of TDD, and owes something to EDD as well. It's the Parkour of Agile. I should start a training business where you can become a certified Badge Driven Scrum Master.
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GGNRA Dog Management Plan Update
I love it when making some noise works. The NPS is pushing its dog management plan back a year to incorporate the feedback from the current draft. A couple of encouraging considerations mentioned in the most recent newsletter are:
Evaluating additional access for dog walking, both on leash and under voice control.
Revising the compliance based management strategy by including natural and cultural resource monitoring, removing automatic triggers and restrictions, and incorporating additional education and enforcement.
So at the very least this looks like they’re walking back the “poison pill” provision that would allow the NPS to change the rules without further consultation. Won’t know how good or bad the changes are until the new DEIS is published later this year but at least the NPS is listening.
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Reviews and Links for January 2012
Damned by Chuck Palahniuk
3/5
Very much a vehicle for Palahniuk to rant about this and that through the voice of a 13 year old girl condemned to hell, supposedly for overdosing on pot. Entertaining, but felt that the plot served the ranting rather than the other way round.
Links
Shit Programmers Say: http://t.co/0rYyXWM5
Best explanation of software estimation failure ever: http://t.co/jC5hmQ3g
I've just funded Mission:Explore Food on Pleasefund.Us: http://t.co/ysLyDOZ6
Another comedy amendment: http://t.co/sWAqflbO
Shit Bernalites Say: http://t.co/O8AY0sgs from @bernalwood
San Francisco's rubbish - why everyone wants a share: http://t.co/kHzC6mgf
Own a color: http://t.co/5jKpfvJO (for Unicef)
Just say terrorist enough times Panetta: http://t.co/07tmXDEO
Applause: VA state senator attaches rectal exam amendment tacked on to anti-abortion bill http://t.co/Neezj7n6
ITHCWY: Has France Cracked Fixing Education?: The French are close to making it illegal to deny a second genocide… http://t.co/koOkE02M
Arrrrgggghhhh, it's pledge. Go throw @KQED a bone radio-chavving-freeloaders: http://t.co/ur7fBVGx
ITHCWY: But does it get you in the HOV lane?: Interesting but highly disturbing alternative fuel source... http://t.co/IOUVbIPD
Shit San Franciscans Say: http://t.co/vVfiI5yJ via @youtube
IANAL, but it certainly seems a bit crazy: http://t.co/iVW4I4ZR
Discover London With Mission:Explore! http://t.co/T0ZVGGr4
Load Testing with @CloudAssault http://t.co/PkwYNOh1 #API @myEN
Shit Silicon Valley Says: http://t.co/YK1Hlbws via @youtube
On the subject of deadly pork, MRSA found on 7% of samples in a University of Iowa test: http://t.co/1wIK1uqE
Thanks SCOTUS for making us eat sick pigs: http://t.co/scTowXXI
+1: http://t.co/V7QW1hi0 "I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter! What the hell more did you want from me?"
Yay! Precita Park Upgrade: http://t.co/f4JOcNS7
Mission:Explore Food - PleaseFund.Us http://t.co/ysLyDOZ6 via @pleasefundus
ITHCWY: Mission:Explore Food - Crowd Fund It!: My brother is part of the Geography Collective, the team that make… http://t.co/jg6s9FKK
The word 'sustainable' is unsustainable: http://t.co/Iw8e9P2Q (XKCD)
Next step, jail for incorrect maths answers: http://t.co/US35YW2v (more illegal history in France...)
Chilling Effects: http://t.co/dXUSwGOQ (post Megaupload, file sharing sites disabling sharing)
Visual Studio Gamification: http://t.co/kgHvGtsi
Shut down the Interstate highway system because a few people are speeding? Then don't do this: http://t.co/gvSaucwu
My new favorite word: semithermonuclear: http://t.co/zV8u067w (what Google will be doing tomorrow).
3 of 5 stars to Damned by Chuck Palahniuk http://t.co/CcmlNPqL
ITHCWY: Carr is Wrong: Costolo is Wrong: Wikipedia’s SOPA Blackout is a Great Idea: I was very happy to see… http://t.co/6rlFNgut
ITHCWY: Yet more on breaking the Internet: January 18th is Internet blackout day to protest against SOPA and PIPA… http://t.co/RH5bhObW
Web Goes On Strike: Jan 18th! All-out blackout 2 stop #SOPA #PIPA. Petition @twitter and other sites to join us. http://t.co/UNird4iF
ITHCWY: Better Paperless: I've just spent several hours scanning and then shredding tedious statements, medical… http://t.co/J7GBWJsb
ITHCWY: Misplaced Outrage: The video of US Marines urinating on corpses is shocking and counterproductive. But it's… http://t.co/E4jWRVcI
Worked on this idea in 2004, didn't get funded: http://t.co/CFuCTblk (Cloud-Based Video Editor WeVideo Launches To Public)
ITHCWY: Farallon Islands: A rare clear day where you can see the Farallon Islands from Fort Funston. http://t.co/hkvR1zYp
ITHCWY: More on breaking the Internet: I finally got round to actually reading SOPA and PIPA. I make my living from… http://t.co/WW8wIKou
Stop Internet #Censorship! Sign the global petition @Avaaz urging the US Congress to reject the #Blacklist Bill #SOPA http://t.co/MfsrnrBy
Illegal dumping on Bernal Hill: http://t.co/lR4GemC0 - Vote to get this cleaned up!
Office dog... #fb http://t.co/aOlinLwD
A Bird’s Eye View of Bernal Heights in 1938: http://t.co/XluPCJjW from @Bernalwood
AT&T LTE lights up in San Francisco: http://t.co/CzlJuUYo
ITHCWY: Installation: Early and Often: Jiri Novotny at Dextronet wrote a great post this week on improving… http://t.co/Q1rvrAWm
ITHCWY: Moon on a Wire: Testing posting by email with a picture of the moon from last night... I've extended… http://t.co/MQvLSeBj
William Gibson Essays: http://t.co/9AD9jQmo (How much do I need a parallel universe reading day?)
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Has France Cracked Fixing Education?
The French are close to making it illegal to deny a second genocide. I was going to write a post despairing at the increasing number of thought crimes in Europe. Bad form, maybe, however does there really need to a law?
But maybe this is part of a far grander plan. It starts with history, then maybe geography (Can't spot Finland? Six months community service!), mathematics (Don't know how to figure out the volume of a cylinder? Two years and a fine!) and science (Can't sketch the Krebs Cycle? Life without the possibility of parole!).
Once every incorrect answer is against the law maybe children will start paying more attention in schools. That must be behind then ban on headscarves as well, it's not xenophobic, just trying to make sure that the view of the blackboard isn't obstructed.
(Photo credit: stttijn)
