Google has developed a text-to-speech artificial intelligence (AI) system that can reportedly confuse you with its human-like articulation. The text-to-speech system, called ‘Tacotron 2’, delivers an AI-generated computer speech in a voice that almost sounds like a human’s. The team claims that Tacotron 2 can detect from context the difference between the noun “desert” and the verb “desert”, as well as the noun and verb forms of “present”, and apply the proper inflection when asking a question rather than making a statement.
Dec 25, 2017
World’s Largest Amphibious Aircraft Takes Off in China
China’s domestically developed AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, performed its maiden flight from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernisation programme. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 tonnes of water within 20 seconds for fire fighting trips, according to state media. The aircraft has received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies. It has a maximum flight range of 4,500 km and a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes.
Dec 17, 2017
Facebook Rolls out 'Snooze'
Facebook has rolled out ‘Snooze’ feature in News Feed that will give its over two billion users option to temporarily unfollow a person, Page or group for 30 days.
The ‘Snooze’ feature is being seen as a better way of managing a user`s News Feed while taking a break from a chatty person, group or page.
Dec 15, 2017
Solar System Just Like Ours Discovered
NASA's big Kepler discovery has revealed an eighth planet orbiting the star Kepler-90.
The discovery was made by applying artificial intelligence to data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope.
The planet Kepler-90i demonstrates for the first time that other stars can host planetary systems as populous as our own solar system.
Sitting around a Sun-like star 2,545 light years away in the constellation Draco, Kepler-90i – like Earth – is also the third rock from its sun.
Dec 12, 2017
Diamond Turned into Graphite Using X- Ray
Scientists have, for the first time, turned diamond into graphite using ultra-short flashes of an X-Ray laser. It is a decisive step forward in understanding the fundamental behaviour of solids when they absorb energetic radiation.