automation

Android is an open platform but much of its functionality is still hidden behind superuser (root) access and sometimes esoteric commands. The latter, which can sometimes be used to enable or control features only available to rooted devices, often requires connecting the phone to a computer every time you need to issue the ADB command. The next release of Tasker will thankfully have a fix for that, making it even easier to perform advanced actions without having to root your phone.

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iOS' Shortcuts, born from the former third-party Workflow app, has seen a lot of positive coverage because of how it empowers iPhone and iPad users to somewhat go beyond the limitations of the platform. Just because Android is more open, however, doesn't mean it's trivial to do things that you want that the OS doesn't provide. That's where Tasker, THE Android automation framework, comes in and its most recent stable release, version 5.9, almost gives you superpowers to control your phone at a tap of an icon.

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The latest from MIT's Biomimetic Robotics Lab is a demonstration of the advancements made in the Mini Cheetah. This is not to be mistaken for the non-mini Cheetah as developed by Boston Dynamics. While the Boston Dynamics Cheetah is a relatively large and exceedingly FAST robot, the MIT Mini Cheetah is best known for its backflip! And other super-impressive feats of far more affordable four-legged robot action than what B.D. is doing at the moment.

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iOS users are now rejoicing over the power that the new Shortcuts, formerly Workflow, is bringing to their iPhones and iPads but Android has long had an automation framework that enabled a lot more. Granted, Tasker might not have the most colorful UI but what it lacks in looks it makes up in power. Android's premier automator is about to get more powerful thanks to the addition of support for listening to Logcat Events.

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Our smartphones have become truly powerful and, at least to some extent, also smarter. They still, however, aren't smart enough to truly adjust and adapt to our needs and habits, let alone suggest some actions that will take out repetitive things we waste precious seconds on. That's one of the selling points of smart assistants like Google Assistant and it seems that Google is bringing a very small pinch of that to some Pixel phones via a rudimentary "Rules" feature in Android 10.

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A user by the name of "Droogie" (Joseph Tartaro) decided he'd be clever and register a custom license plate with the word NULL. That means blank, empty, the end - it's not a word you hear people use all that often other than to say "null and void" - which, incidentally, was part of Tartaro's plan. He'd intended on getting 2 custom plates, one for himself, the other for his wife, one that said NULL, the other VOID.

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Don’t get too comfortable with your job right now. In a few years, machines and algorithms could very well be replacing human workers in many industries – and it is not just F&B and production lines. Left out of the usual talk of cabbies, factory workers and salesmen being replaced are jobs in finance, legal firms, healthcare and administrators who are also at risk.

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Automation on iOS has recently received a lot of publicity when Apple bought the popular automation platform Workflow and later relaunched it as Shortcuts. But while Workflow/Shortcuts is admittedly easier to get into for beginners, they are still severely limited by iOS itself. In contrast, Android users have long had greater control and, thanks to the latest version 5.7 release, Tasker offers even more ways for them to perform multiple actions with a single click or even speak in a more natural voice.

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This week the folks at Amazon are field testing Amazon Scout. This is a 6-wheeled autonomous robot (an automaton of sorts) made to deliver packages to Amazon customers. This robot is "fully-electric" and may one day replace all delivery people in the world, for lack of a reason to run out and get payed to do a job a robot would gladly do for free.

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Amazon has announced that it'll be heading to Las Vegas later this year to host a new conference centered around AI, automation, and space. The event, which has been dubbed re:MARS, will run for four days in June and Amazon claims it will "bring together innovative minds with diverse skill sets." Those who are excited for the future of AI might want to consider registering for the event, even if attending means heading into the desert in the middle of summer.

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Although Siri has been the first popular and widely known voice-controlled smart assistant, it has been shoved to the sidelines by the rapid expansion of the likes of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. At WWDC earlier this month, Apple showed it still had some fight left. It introduced Siri Shortcuts and, more than just catching up with third-party integration, it’s going to change the game that will hopefully make smart assistant even smarter. But probably not before it shames its rivals.

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Production of Tesla's Model 3 has been a hot topic lately. From missing production goals to Elon Musk taking control of the process himself, whether or not Tesla can eventually scale to meet its own production goals has been given a lot of focus. Today, however, we're learning that Model 3 production has suddenly been halted, albeit temporarily.

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