Hasta La Gadget!

Amazon will pay the FTC $5.8 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of violating user privacy with its Ring video doorbells. According to the settlement, announced Wednesday, Ring gave every single employee unrestricted access to users’ videos, including third-party contractors with no special training in…

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GM announced today that it’s making five active safety features standard on all its 2023 and newer EVs. In addition, the automaker says it will surpass its commitment to add Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) to 95 percent of its vehicles; the feature is included in 98 percent of GM’s 2023 models — including all its EVs. The disclosure follows the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stating today that all new passenger cars and light trucks will be required to include AEB within three years.

In addition to AEB, GM says four other safety features will be standard in most of its 2023 model-year vehicles. These include Forward Collision Alert (warns you if a front-facing crash is likely), Front Pedestrian Braking (alerts you to oncoming pedestrians, automatically braking if needed), Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning (lets you know if you’re drifting out of your lane) and IntelliBeam (automatic high-beam headlight controls). “As we look ahead toward a future vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, these technologies are significant building blocks with proven benefits for reducing common crashes,” said John Capp, GM’s director of Vehicle Safety Technology, Strategy and Regulations.

The automaker touts its adherence to safety research data to inform the decision, citing a 2023 study at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) that showed AEB combined with Forward Collision Alert reduced rear-end crashes by 42 percent. The same research found that Front Pedestrian Braking cut head-on pedestrian collisions by 23 percent, while Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning lowered roadway departure accidents (crashes stemming from a car veering off-road or into other lanes) by 15 percent. Finally, the automaker sourced a separate 2022 UMTRI study demonstrating that IntelliBeam cut nighttime crashes involving pedestrians, bicyclists and animals by 22 percent.

GM is also upgrading the front sensors in the Cadillac Lyriq, 2023 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. The enhanced sensors, with a wider field of vision, extend AEB operation to speeds of up to 80 mph while adding Bicyclist Automatic Emergency Braking to Front Pedestrian Braking — a welcome feature in cities with cyclists zipping in and out of traffic. In addition, the sensors enable smoother Lane Keep Assist engagement and Blind Zone Steering Assist (a short / sharp turn to avoid lane-change crashes). The automaker says the upgraded sensors and corresponding features will expand to other models in coming years.

The company emphasized that its safety features aren’t only for the wealthy and will also cover some of its cheapest gas-powered vehicles. For example, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax ($21,495 and up) will include all five of the safety features now standard in its more expensive EVs. “With this commitment, customers across all price points and trim levels will benefit from this set of proven safety technologies,” the company said.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gms-auto-emergency-braking-feature-is-now-standard-on-its-latest-evs-192035030.html?src=rss

Proof that there isn’t anything you can’t build with LEGO, a group of researchers at Cardiff University in Wales have constructed a bioprinter out of LEGO capable of the precision necessary to print synthetic human skin. The whole setup was relatively inexpensive to build, too, at around £500 (~$620). Awesome, I do have several firework-related scars that could use some grafting.

How does the printer work? I’m glad you asked. According to the researchers, “A nozzle ejects a gel-like substance, which is full of cells, onto a dish. At the heart of the device is a mini LEGO Mindstorms computer. This device moves the dish backward and forwards and side to side while moving the nozzle up and down mechanically as it extrudes the gel full of cells. These programmable movements build up layers of the cells to replicate the 3D structure of human tissue, layer by layer.” Cool, but what does it taste like?

Am I going to build my own LEGO bioprinter and start an Etsy shop selling synthetic human skin? I suppose that depends on whether there are any laws against it. Because if there are, then you can find me on eBay by searching ‘cyborg skin.’

[via iflscience]

The Ingenuity helicopter paved new ground (air?) in April 2019, when it communicated data of its first flight—the first powered, controlled flight on another planet—to NASA scientists on Earth.

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A recent study by Intelligent.com (an education planning platform) revealed a growing preference among high school and college students for using ChatGPT — the popular artificial intelligence chatbot — over human tutors. The study surveyed 3,017 students aged 16-24 and 3,234 parents of younger students, shedding light on their study habits.

While only a tiny percentage of students (10%) and parents (15%) reported utilizing both ChatGPT and a tutor, a staggering 9 out of 10 preferred the AI tool; furthermore, 95% of respondents claimed that their grades had improved since incorporating ChatGPT into their study routine.

Incorporating ChatGPT into the study routine seems to have helped students raise their grades.

The study identified math and science as the subjects where ChatGPT proved most beneficial — however, it is crucial for students to possess sufficient background knowledge to prompt ChatGPT appropriately. Diane Gayeski, from Intelligent.com, explained that the AI’s ability to provide clear and concise answers to technical and complex problems played a significant role in its effectiveness.

College junior Johnson Adegoke (who currently uses ChatGPT) expressed appreciation for the tool’s availability and convenience; he praised its 24/7 accessibility, immediate response to questions, and the ability to study at one’s own pace and review information as needed. While acknowledging that human tutors offer a unique experience, the student valued the accessibility and flexibility provided by ChatGPT.

Some students still prefer “the human touch”

Students and parents also highlighted ChatGPT’s capacity to swiftly identify mistakes and provide a relaxed and efficient learning environment, even so, a minority of respondents preferred the human touch, citing face-to-face communication, a more stimulating atmosphere, and interactive engagement.

The study found that 39% of high school and college students had replaced tutoring sessions with ChatGPT, and 30% of parents had done the same for their children.

Despite these findings, experts generally advocate for using ChatGPT as a complementary tool alongside human tutors. Tutors offer additional benefits, such as structuring study time, providing motivation, diagnosing learning obstacles, and tailoring explanations and practice accordingly.

The study highlights the growing trend of students and parents opting for ChatGPT as a valuable tool for academic support — while it may not completely replace human tutors, its accessibility, efficiency, and ability to tackle technical subjects make it a highly favored option in the education landscape. Would you trust in ChatGPT to tutor your son or daughter? Tell us in the comment section!

Students And Parents Embrace ChatGPT As A Tutoring Tool

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