Peculiar Things On Internet

[Charliegrover]

What3words


What3words is a geocoding system for the communication of locations with a resolution of three meters. What3words encodes geographic coordinates into three dictionary words; the encoding is permanently fixed. For example, the omphalos of Delphi, believed by the ancient Greeks to be the center of the world, is located at "spooky.solemn.huggers". What3words differs from most other location encoding systems in that it displays three words rather than long strings of numbers or letters. What3words has a website, apps for iOS and Android, and an API that enables the bidirectional conversion between what3words address and latitude/longitude coordinates. As the system relies on a fixed algorithm rather than a large database of every location on earth, it works on devices with limited storage and no Internet connection. According to the company, its revenue comes from charging businesses for high-volume use of the API that converts between 3 words and coordinates; services for other users are free of charge.

What3words uses a grid of the world made up of 57 x1012 squares of 3 meters by 3 meters. Each square has been given an address composed of three words. The addresses are available in 36 languages according to the what3words online map (as of April 2019), and the addresses are not translations of the same words. Each what3words language uses a wordlist of 25,000 words (40,000 in English, as it covers the sea as well as land). The lists go through multiple automated and human processes before being sorted by an algorithm that takes into account word length, distinctiveness, frequency, and ease of spelling and pronunciation. Homophones and variant spellings[18] are treated to minimize any potential for confusion, and offensive words are removed.

The what3words algorithm actively distributes similar-sounding three-word combinations around the world to enable both human and automated error-checking. The result is that if a three-word combination is entered slightly incorrectly and the result is still a valid what3words reference, the location will usually be so far away from the user's intended area that the error will be immediately obvious to both a user and an intelligent error-checking system. The what3words system uses a proprietary algorithm in combination with a limited database; the core technology is contained within a file of about 10 MB. The database is used to assign more memorable words to locations in urban areas. What3words originally sold "OneWord" addresses, which were stored in a database for a yearly fee, but this feature has been canceled. The main claimed advantages of what3words are memorability, error-detection, unambiguous nature of words for almost every day and non-technical users, and voice input.

[Charliegrover]

Google RankBrain


RankBrain is a component of Google’s core algorithm that uses machine learning (the ability of machines to teach themselves from data inputs) to determine the most relevant results to search engine queries. Pre-RankBrain, Google utilized its basic algorithm to determine which results to show for a given query. Post-RankBrain, it is believed that the query now goes through an interpretation model that can apply possible factors like the location of the searcher, personalization, and the words of the query to determine the searcher’s true intent. By discerning this true intent, Google can deliver more relevant results.

The machine learning aspect of RankBrain is what sets it apart from other updates. To “teach” the RankBrain algorithm to produce useful search results, Google first “feeds” it data from a variety of sources. The algorithm then takes it from there, calculating and teaching itself over time to match a variety of signals to a variety of results and to order search engine rankings based on these calculations.

[Charliegrover]

Bigpoint Games


Bigpoint GmbH is a German video game developer. The company develops stand-alone browser-based games as well as social network games. Bigpoint has over 200 million registered users (announced in June 2011). Bigpoint.com states that 337,104,419 players are registered in the top right corner, as of 10/10/13. NBCU has featured some of Bigpoint's games on the websites of some of its cable channels.

In addition to its headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, Bigpoint maintains offices in Berlin, San Francisco, Malta, and São Paulo. Some of the company's games include Battlestar Galactica Online, Farmerama, Drakensang Online, DarkOrbit, and Seafight. The studio was acquired by Youzu Interactive in 2016 and continues to operate as an independent subsidiary

[Charliegrover]

Steam Link


Steam Link is both hardware and software applications that enable the streaming of Steam content from a personal computer or a Steam Machine wirelessly to a television set. The steam link was originally released as a hardware device along with the debut of Steam Machines in November 2015. Valve discontinued the Steam Link in November 2018, in favor of supporting its software-based Steam Link application for mobile devices and smart televisions, as well as providing Steam Link as a software package for the Raspberry Pi microcomputer.

[Charliegrover]

OneCoin


OneCoin claims to be a blockchain-based digital currency system and is promoted by OneCoin Limited, a company that operates across the globe with offices in Europe, Hong Kong, and the UAE. OneCoin was launched by a Bulgarian national named Ruja Ignatova. OneCoin claims to work like any other standard cryptocurrency whose crypto coins can be generated through the mining process and can be used to make payments across the globe. It comes with its own e-wallet, and a total of 120 billion coins are available on the OneCoin network. However, OneCoin is also alleged to be a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme or a Ponzi scheme. A user is required to pay for these programs. Additionally, participants are encouraged with referral rewards to bring in more participants, a mechanism that fits an MLM scheme. There are several reports alleging OneCoin to be a Ponzi scheme and the local authorities taking action against it in several countries, which include those in OneCoin's home country Bulgaria, and in UK and India.

[Charliegrover]

Google Stadia


Stadia is a cloud gaming service operated by Google. It is said to be capable of streaming video games up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second with support for high-dynamic-range, to players via the company's numerous data centres across the globe, provided they are using a sufficiently high-speed Internet connection. It is accessible through the Google Chrome web browser on desktop computers, or through smartphones, tablets, smart televisions, digital media players, and Chromecast.
The service is integrated with YouTube, and its "state share" feature allows viewers of a Stadia stream to launch a game on the service on the same save state as the streamer. This has been used as a selling point for the service. It is compatible with HID class USB controllers, though a proprietary controller manufactured by Google with a direct Wi-Fi link to data centres will be available alongside the service. Stadia is not similar to Netflix, in that it requires users to purchase games to stream via Stadia rather than pay for access to a library of games. While the base service will be free, a Pro tier monthly subscription allows users to stream at higher rates for larger resolutions, and the offer to add free games to their library.

[Charliegrover]

History Of Folding Smartphone



In 2006, Polymer Vision showed a roll-able concept and a foldable smartphone, the Readius, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) which also serves as a reader.

In 2008, Nokia presented animated concepts of a flexible device it dubbed "Morph", which had a tri-fold design that could be bent into various forms, such as a large unfolded device, a feature phone-sized unit, and a smart wristband. In a 2019 retrospective on the concept, CNET noted that Morph could be considered a forerunner to the first wave of commercially produced folding phones, as well as a showcase of future possibilities.
In 2011, Kyocera released a dual-touchscreen Android smartphone known as the Echo, which featured a pair of 3.5-inch touchscreens. When folded, the top screen continued to face the user while covering the secondary screen. Two individual apps could be shown on the displays, a single app could span across them, while specific apps also featured "optimized" two-pane layouts. Two years later, NEC released the Medias W in Japan. Unlike the Echo, the secondary screen could be folded behind the phone. The camera rotated with the screen so that the same sensor could face both forward and rear. In 2017, ZTE released the Axon M with a similar hinge to the Medias W. ZTE stated that the more powerful hardware of modern smartphones, and improvements to multitasking and tablet support on Android, helped to improve this experience.

The development of thin, flexible OLED displays enabled the possibility for new designs and form factors. During its Consumer Electronics Show keynote in 2013, Samsung presented several concepts—codenamed Youm—for smartphones incorporating flexible displays. One such concept was a smartphone that could fold outward into a single, uninterrupted tablet-sized display. The first Youm concept to make it to a production model—the Galaxy Note Edge—was a device with a portion of the screen that sloped over the right-hand bezel.

Speculation surrounding the development of folding phones using OLED displays began to emerge more rapidly in 2018. In January 2018, it was reported that LG Electronics had obtained a design patent for a folding smartphone. Later in June, it was reported that Microsoft had been developing a similar device as part of its Surface line, codenamed "Andromeda" (itself a spiritual successor to a dual-screen booklet tablet prototype Microsoft had been exploring in the late-2000's known as Courier), while Samsung was also said to be developing such a device.

In November 2018, the Chinese startup Royole and released the first commercially available foldable smartphone with an OLED display, the Royole Flexpai. It featured a single 7.8-inch display that folds outwards, leaving the display exposed when folded. Later that month at its developers' conference, Samsung officially teased a prototype of its folding smartphone, which would be produced "in the coming months". The prototype used a booklet-style layout, with an "InfinityFlex" display located on the inside of the device, and a smaller "cover" screen on the front of the device to allow access when the screen is closed. At a concurrent developers' summit, Android VP of engineering Dave Burke stated that the next version of the platform would provide enhancements and guidance relevant to folding devices, leveraging existing features.

In January 2019, Xiaomi CEO Lin Bin published a video on Sina Weibo, featuring him demonstrating a prototype smartphone with two flaps capable of being folded inward. Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy Fold during its media event at Mobile World Congress in February 2019. Alongside the Galaxy Fold, the convention also saw other foldable phones being unveiled or teased, such as the Huawei Mate X, and TCL presenting various prototype concepts featuring its "DragonHinge" technology (including a bracelet-styled device).LG did not unveil a folding device, citing a desire to focus more on regaining market share in the smartphone market. It did, however, unveil a "Dual Screen" case accessory for its LG V50 smartphone—a folio-styled case containing a secondary display panel inside.

Other companies expressed interest in the concept, or have received patents on designs (such as hinge implementations and overall designs) relating to foldable phones. Motorola Mobility had received patents for a horizontal folding smartphone reminiscent of clamshell feature phones.

In April 2019, the impending launch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold was met with quality concerns from critics, after widespread reports of review units experiencing varying forms of display failure (in some instances caused by accidental removal of a plastic layer meant to protect the screen in lieu of glass, along with other failures). Samsung indefinitely postponed the device's release, stating that it needed time to investigate the failures and improve the device's durability. Huawei also delayed its Mate X, with the company citing its desire to take a "cautious" approach due to the Galaxy Fold. The Galaxy Fold was eventually released on September 2019 and the Mate X was released in November of the same year. In November 2019, Motorola officially unveiled its horizontal-folding Motorola Razr.

[Charliegrover]

Google Duplex


In May 2018, Google revealed Duplex, an extension of the Google Assistant that allows it to carry out natural conversations by mimicking human voice, in a manner not dissimilar to robocalling. The assistant can autonomously complete tasks such as calling a hair salon to book an appointment, scheduling a restaurant reservation, or calling businesses to verify holiday store hours. While Duplex can complete most of its tasks fully autonomously, it is able to recognize situations that it is unable to complete and can signal a human operator to finish the task. The duplex was created to speak in a more natural voice and language by incorporating speech disfluencies such as filler words like "hmm" and "uh" and using common phrases such as "mhm" and "gotcha", along with more human-like intonation and response latency. Duplex is currently in development and has a limited release in late 2018 with Google Pixel users. During the limited release, Pixel phone users in Atlanta, New York, Phoenix, and San Francisco were only able to use Duplex to make restaurant reservations.

[Charliegrover]

TikTok Fixes 'Serious' Security Flaws


Security flaws on the TikTok video-sharing platform, that could have let hackers add or delete videos, change privacy settings and steal personal data, have been fixed after they were highlighted to developer ByteDance. Researchers at security firm Check Point found multiple issues, all ripe for exploitation by hackers. It informed ByteDance of the problems in November.

TikTok said they were fixed and thanked the security firm for alerting them. "Like many organisations, we encourage responsible security researchers to privately disclose zero-day vulnerabilities to us," it said in a statement. "Before public disclosure, Check Point agreed that all reported issues were patched in the latest version of our app. We hope that this successful resolution will encourage further collaboration with security researchers." A zero-day vulnerability means a security flaw that has not actually been exploited by hackers. Check Point added that the vulnerability was in place for most of 2019, and said this raised "serious questions" about whether any hacker had discovered it.

[Charliegrover]

Quibi Aims To Change How We Watch Shows On Phones



A new video-streaming service that limits the length of its programmes and shows to bite-sized chunks will launch in the US in April. Quibi also keeps the action full-frame however viewers hold their phones. It will feature exclusive entertainment content made by the likes of Steven Spielberg, Bill Murray and Reese Witherspoon. And unlike Netflix, it will also screen specially-made news bulletins made by the BBC, NBC and Telemundo. But will audiences pay $4.99 (£3.80) a month to watch it with adverts or $7.99 to go ad-free?

[Charliegrover]

Weather forecasts start using space laser data


Europe's novel wind-measuring satellite, Aeolus, has reached a key milestone in its mission. The space laser's data is now being used in operational weather forecasts. Aeolus monitors the wind by firing an ultraviolet beam down into the atmosphere and catching the light's reflection as it scatters off molecules and particles carried along in the air. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts says the information is now robust enough for routine use. The Reading, UK-based organisation is ingesting the data into its numerical models that look from one to several days ahead. Forecast improvements are most apparent for the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. Meteorologists are constantly trying to increase their skill level; they want to see a certain performance being achieved further and further into the future. And on one important measure - the eight-day look-ahead - the ECMWF says the Aeolus data enables conditions in the Southern Hemisphere to be forecast with the same level of accuracy an additional 3.7 hours into the future. "This is just one experimental instrument but it suggests that if you had many more of them in space you would have an even greater impact," the centre's Dr Michael Rennie commented.

[Amelie Barrett]

Eel Slap
cool weird websites - eel slap

Hopefully, you know the famous Monty Python fish-slapping dance. Now you can participate in the fun. The dance is up to you, but a swipe of your mouse will let you slap this innocent man in the face with an eel. Yay!

[Amelie Barrett]

Tight Pants/Body Rolls

This is easily the most obnoxious, most catchy video I have ever seen. I first saw it in an art club meeting when we were just hanging out watching strange videos. Leave it to art kids to find stuff like this.

[Amelie Barrett]

Ducks Are The Best

If you like 1980s quality computer graphics as well as an unhealthy obsession with ducks, then this is the site for you.
With every quiver of the mouse, more and more ducks will appear on the screen until you can see nothing but these loveable bundles of feathers.

[owenmarsden]

Gifyt


First up we have GifYouTube.com. As the name implies, this site makes it incredibly simple to create an animated GIF from any YouTube video of your choosing. Simply paste in a YouTube URL and you’re presented with the following customization options; you can select where in the video clip you’d like the GIF to begin and how long it should be in duration. What’s more, the site lets you title the GIF and even add captions to the finished product as well. With the web more GIF heavy than ever before, GifYouTube provides a superbly simple way to create your own in just a few seconds.