Monthly Archives: February 2017

Keras – deep learning library for Tensorflow and Theano

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Keras: Deep Learning library for Theano and TensorFlow
You have just found Keras.

Keras is a high-level neural networks library, written in Python and capable of running on top of either TensorFlow or Theano. It was developed with a focus on enabling fast experimentation. Being able to go from idea to result with the least possible delay is key to doing good research.

Use Keras if you need a deep learning library that:

Allows for easy and fast prototyping (through total modularity, minimalism, and extensibility).
Supports both convolutional networks and recurrent networks, as well as combinations of the two.
Supports arbitrary connectivity schemes (including multi-input and multi-output training).
Runs seamlessly on CPU and GPU.

Source: Keras Documentation

Image-to-Image Translation with Conditional Adversarial Networks

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We investigate conditional adversarial networks as a general-purpose solution to image-to-image translation problems. These networks not only learn the mapping from input image to output image, but also learn a loss function to train this mapping. This makes it possible to apply the same generic approach to problems that traditionally would require very different loss formulations. We demonstrate that this approach is effective at synthesizing photos from label maps, reconstructing objects from edge maps, and colorizing images, among other tasks. As a community, we no longer hand-engineer our mapping functions, and this work suggests we can achieve reasonable results without hand-engineering our loss functions either.

Source: Image-to-Image Translation with Conditional Adversarial Networks

This is the pix2pix implementation in Tensorflow

The above link also has concrete examples allowing you to play with the data yourself on level = easy.

Image-to-Image Demo
Interactive Image Translation with pix2pix-tensorflow
Written by Christopher Hesse — February 19th, 2017

This is the man who made the tensorflow port and also uses it to fill in drawings of cats.

Temperate earth-sized worlds found in extraordinarily rich planetary system

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Astronomers have found a system of seven Earth-sized planets just 40 light-years away. They were detected as they passed in front of their parent star, the dwarf star TRAPPIST-1. Three of them lie in the habitable zone and could harbour water, increasing the possibility that the system could play host to life. It has both the largest number of Earth-sized planets yet found and the largest number of worlds that could support liquid water.

Source: Temperate earth-sized worlds found in extraordinarily rich planetary system (Update)

New ETSI group on improving operator experience using Artificial Intelligence

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ETSI is pleased to announce the creation of the Industry Specification Group ‘Experiential Network Intelligence’ (ISG ENI).

The purpose of the group is to define a Cognitive Network Management architecture that is based on the “observe-orient-decide-act” control model. It uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) techniques and context-aware policies to adjust offered services based on changes in user needs, environmental conditions and business goals. The system is experiential, in that it learns from its operation and from decisions given to it by operators to improve its knowledge of how to act in the future. This will help operators automate their network configuration and monitoring processes, thereby reducing their operational expenditure and improving the use and maintenance of their networks.

Source: New ETSI group on improving operator experience using Artificial Intelligence

Switched-on DNA: Sparking nano-electronic applications

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“It has been established that charge transport is possible in DNA, but for a useful device, one wants to be able to turn the charge transport on and off. We achieved this goal by chemically modifying DNA,” said Tao, who directs the Biodesign Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors and is a professor in the Fulton Schools of Engineering. “Not only that, but we can also adapt the modified DNA as a probe to measure reactions at the single-molecule level. This provides a unique way for studying important reactions implicated in disease, or photosynthesis reactions for novel renewable energy applications.”

Engineers often think of electricity like water, and the research team’s new DNA switch acts to control the flow of electrons on and off, just like water coming out of a faucet.

Previously, Tao’s research group had made several discoveries to understand and manipulate DNA to more finely tune the flow of electricity through it. They found they could make DNA behave in different ways—and could cajole electrons to flow like waves according to quantum mechanics, or “hop” like rabbits in the way electricity in a copper wire works —creating an exciting new avenue for DNA-based, nano-electronic applications.

Source: Switched-on DNA: Sparking nano-electronic applications

The Dunning-Kruger effect: why do incompetent people think they are so great? or Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments.

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People tend to hold overly favorable views of their abilities in many social and intellectual domains. The authors suggest that this overestimation occurs, in part, because people who are unskilled in these domains suffer a dual burden: Not only do these people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it. Across 4 studies, the authors found that participants scoring in the bottom quartile on tests of humor, grammar, and logic grossly overestimated their test performance and ability. Although their test scores put them in the 12th percentile, they estimated themselves to be in the 62nd. Several analyses linked this miscalibration to deficits in metacognitive skill, or the capacity to distinguish accuracy from error. Paradoxically, improving the skills of the participants, and thus increasing their metacognitive competence, helped them recognize the limitations of their abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Source: PsycNET – DOI Landing page

Easy Solutions: So, you’re in love with one of your friends, but she has a boyfriend and probably wouldn’t have sex with you anyway.

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309
Easy Solutions #1

So, you’re in love with one of your friends, but she has a boyfriend and probably wouldn’t have sex with you anyway.

What you will need: 1 x knife, 1 x ring, access to a sunbed, the ability to grow a beard.

Step One: Place the ring on your wedding finger and avoid contact with your friend for a month.

Step Two: Stop shaving and use the sunbed to gain a tan.

Step Three: After a month when your beard is full and your tan is noticeable, remove the ring from your finger.

Step Four: Remove all your clothes and break into your friend’s house.

Step Five: Use the knife to cut your body in various places. Avoid the face. If possible, focus on your back. The more blood the better.

Step Six: Enter your friend’s bedroom and lie face down on the floor. Wait for her return.

Step Seven: When she enters the room pretend to be unconscious. Allow her to turn you over and try to wake you for a few seconds before you open your eyes. The injuries to your body will serve as a distraction to your nakedness. She will be more concerned about your wellbeing instead of fearing the naked man in her room.

Step Eight: When she asks you what’s happened you should ignore her questions. Instead you must act confused and ask the date. If it’s September 15th she will say ‘September 15th’ to which you must reply ‘No, what year is it?’

Step Nine: Upon hearing the year say the words ‘It worked.’ Pretend to lose consciousness again for a few seconds, implying that whatever it is that has worked took a great effort.

Step Ten: If your friend is a curious person she will probably ask ‘What worked?’, even if she doesn’t ask this question it is important that you now say the words ‘(Insert Friend’s Name), I’m from the future’ in your most deadpan voice.

Step Eleven: Pause for ten seconds to allow the incrediblness of the situation to sink in. There will be no reason for her to doubt your claim, because your beard will make you appear many years older and your cuts would add weight to the idea that you’ve come from a post-apocalyptic future where a war is currently taking place.

Step Twelve: Raise your left hand to your face. All women are very observant, so your friend will immediately notice the tanline on your wedding finger. If she is educated to a decent standard she will realise that you are married and your ring has simply disappeared, because clothing and other items cannot travel through time. Your nudity will support this.

Step Thirteen: Now comes the hard part – The monologue. In your own words you must give a speech in which you mention all of these key points:

a) You are married to each other in the future
b) Her current boyfriend is dead
c) The world is coming to an end. It’s up to you to pick a reason, but I would recommend a war against machines. This whole situation will be backed up by the Terminator franchise
d) In the future your relationship is not going well
e) You’ve come back in time because you can’t help but feel that she would have been happier with her current boyfriend if he hadn’t been killed
f) Her current boyfriend is going to be hit by a bus on a day six months from her present. She should stop him going to work that day
g) If she does exactly what you say this current version of yourself will be erased and you will never get married. If she questions this flaw in your time travel logic, because you cannot change the past, simply reference Back to the Future

Step Fourteen: Unless your friend is made of stone she will now be overcome by emotion, especially at your selflessness. Get to your feet and go to kiss her goodbye. It is important that you do this with the confidence of a man who has done this to her many times.

Step Fifteen: There is now no possible way that you aren’t about to have sex with her. You’re naked, kissing her, in her bedroom, agreeing to erase a version of yourself from history to make her happy. And as far as she knows you’ve had sex many times in a future that will no longer happen, so she thinks to herself that maybe she should have one memory of it.

Step Sixteen: After having the sex, ask to borrow some clothes then leave.

Step Seventeen: Shave off your beard and coat your wedding finger in fake tan. Carry on as if nothing has happened. There will be three possible outcomes:

1) During the sex some feelings that she didn’t know existed are awakened and she will leave her boyfriend for you.
2) Life will carry on as normal.
3) You will be filled with guilt because of this moral grey area where you aren’t entirely sure if what you’ve done counts as some kind of low level rape. You will take your own life by hanging, overdose or wrist cutting.

BatteriesFeelIncluded

I put on my robe and wizard hat

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#104383 +(15587)- [X]

bloodninja: Baby, I been havin a tough night so treat me nice aight?
BritneySpears14: Aight.
bloodninja: Slip out of those pants baby, yeah.
BritneySpears14: I slip out of my pants, just for you, bloodninja.
bloodninja: Oh yeah, aight. Aight, I put on my robe and wizard hat.
BritneySpears14: Oh, I like to play dress up.
bloodninja: Me too baby.
BritneySpears14: I kiss you softly on your chest.
bloodninja: I cast Lvl. 3 Eroticism. You turn into a real beautiful woman.
BritneySpears14: Hey…
bloodninja: I meditate to regain my mana, before casting Lvl. 8 chicken of the Infinite.
BritneySpears14: Funny I still don’t see it.
bloodninja: I spend my mana reserves to cast Mighty F*ck of the Beyondness.
BritneySpears14: You are the worst cyber partner ever. This is ridiculous.
bloodninja: Don’t f*ck with me bitch, I’m the mightiest sorcerer of the lands.
bloodninja: I steal yo soul and cast Lightning Lvl. 1,000,000 Your body explodes into a fine bloody mist, because you are only a Lvl. 2 Druid.
BritneySpears14: Don’t ever message me again you piece of ****.
bloodninja: Robots are trying to drill my brain but my lightning shield inflicts DOA attack, leaving the robots as flaming piles of metal.
bloodninja: King Arthur congratulates me for destroying Dr. Robotnik’s evil army of Robot Socialist Republics. The cold war ends. Reagan steals my accomplishments and makes like it was cause of him.
bloodninja: You still there baby? I think it’s getting hard now.
bloodninja: Baby?
————–
BritneySpears14: Ok, are you ready?
eminemBNJA: Aight, yeah I’m ready.
BritneySpears14: I like your music Em… Tee hee.
eminemBNJA: huh huh, yeah, I make it for the ladies.
BritneySpears14: Mmm, we like it a lot. Let me show you.
BritneySpears14: I take off your pants, slowly, and massage your muscular physique.
eminemBNJA: Oh I like that Baby. I put on my robe and wizard hat.
BritneySpears14: What the f*ck, I told you not to message me again.
eminemBNJA: Oh ****
BritneySpears14: I swear if you do it one more time I’m gonna report your ISP and say you were sending me kiddie porn you f*ck up.
eminemBNJA: Oh ****
eminemBNJA: damn I gotta write down your names or something

Source: QDB: Quote #104383

Used cars allow the old owners app access

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enderson tested four major auto manufacturers, and found they all have apps that allow previous owners to access them from a mobile device.

At the RSA security conference in San Francisco on Friday, Henderson explained how people can still retain control of connected cars even after they resell them.

Manufacturers create apps to control smart cars — you can use your phone to unlock the car, honk the horn and find out the exact location of your vehicle. Henderson removed his personal information from services in the car before selling it back to the dealership, but he was still able to control the car through a mobile app for years.

That’s because only the dealership that originally sold the car can see who has access and manually remove someone from the app. A full factory reset of the vehicle doesn’t revoke mobile access, Henderson said. In order to revoke app access, you should go to a factory-authorized car dealership.

On smartphones, a factory reset wipes all the local data off the device so you can sell it to someone else. So-called internet of things devices store information in servers far away from the actual hardware. This means executing a factory reset on your car only resets the car — the data still exists in the cloud for other people to access.

Source: Why buying used cars could put your safety at risk

AI Software Juggles Probabilities to Learn from Less Data

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Gamalon uses a technique that it calls Bayesian program synthesis to build algorithms capable of learning from fewer examples. Bayesian probability, named after the 18th century mathematician Thomas Bayes, provides a mathematical framework for refining predictions about the world based on experience. Gamalon’s system uses probabilistic programming—or code that deals in probabilities rather than specific variables—to build a predictive model that explains a particular data set. From just a few examples, a probabilistic program can determine, for instance, that it’s highly probable that cats have ears, whiskers, and tails. As further examples are provided, the code behind the model is rewritten, and the probabilities tweaked. This provides an efficient way to learn the salient knowledge from the data.

Source: AI Software Juggles Probabilities to Learn from Less Data

Microsoft Graph Engine goes open source on github

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Graph Engine – Open Source

Microsoft Graph Engine is a distributed in-memory data processing engine, underpinned by a strongly-typed in-memory key-value store and a general distributed computation engine.

This repository contains the source code of Graph Engine and its graph query language — Language Integrated Knowledge Query (LIKQ). LIKQ is a versatile graph query language on top of Graph Engine. It combines the capability of fast graph exploration and the flexibility of lambda expression: server-side computations can be expressed in lambda expressions, embedded in LIKQ, and executed on the server side during graph traversal. LIKQ is powering Academic Graph Search API, which is part of Microsoft Cognitive Services.

Source: GitHub – Microsoft/GraphEngine: Microsoft Graph Engine

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Text in an R package

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As described by Hadley Wickham, tidy data has a specific structure:

each variable is a column
each observation is a row
each type of observational unit is a table

This means we end up with a data set that is in a long, skinny format instead of a wide format. Tidy data sets are easier to work with, and this is no less true when one starts to work with text. Most of the tooling and infrastructure needed for text mining with tidy data frames already exists in packages like dplyr, broom, tidyr, and ggplot2. Our goal in writing the tidytext package is to provide functions and supporting data sets to allow conversion of text to and from tidy formats, and to switch seamlessly between tidy tools and existing text mining packages.

Source: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Text

text2vec

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text2vec is an R package which provides an efficient framework with a concise API for text analysis and natural language processing (NLP).

Goals which we aimed to achieve as a result of development of text2vec:

Concise – expose as few functions as possible
Consistent – expose unified interfaces, no need to explore new interface for each task
Flexible – allow to easily solve complex tasks
Fast – maximize efficiency per single thread, transparently scale to multiple threads on multicore machines
Memory efficient – use streams and iterators, not keep data in RAM if possible

Source: text2vec

The Royal Navy’s ENTIRE fleet of attack submarines is out of action — and Theresa May doesn’t know because ‘chiefs fear reaction’

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THE Royal Navy’s entire fleet of attack submarines is currently out of action. Repairs and maintenance to all seven have left none to defend our waters — or monitor Russia’s relentless probes. But …

Source: The Royal Navy’s ENTIRE fleet of attack submarines is out of action — and Theresa May doesn’t know because ‘chiefs fear reaction’

Fortunately the Vanguard nuclear deterrent fleet is still sailing. This is what happens when you keep taking “peace dividend” when there is no peace.

This is what happens with an unelected PM: Planned Espionage Act could jail journos and whistleblowers as spies

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The government has received recommendations for a “future-proofed” new Espionage Act that would put leaking and whistleblowing in the same category as spying for foreign powers.

The plans would threaten leakers and journalists with the same extended jail sentences as agents working for of foreign powers. Sentences would apply even if – like Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning – the leaker was not British, or in Britain, or was intent on acting in the public interest.

Source: Planned Espionage Act could jail journos and whistleblowers as spies • The Register

Free press and whistleblowing are necessary checks and balances on democracy. Killing them opens the way to a dictatorial corrupt nepotistic free for all, where the top layer of society distances themselves from the lower layer and crime becomes a necessity on the part of the lowest layers to survive.

5 Things We’ve Learned About How Companies Track You Online And Off

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The ability for companies to follow you from one platform to another — from your phone to your laptop to a physical store — is called cross-device tracking, and for businesses that want to market and sell stuff to you, it is basically the holy grail.

With robust tracking, a company can follow you basically from the moment you wake up and check social media feeds on your phone, through your commute, to work, back through the evening, and once more to your bed at night.
[…]
To get there, the FTC recently held a workshop on Cross-Device tracking, and has now published a report [PDF] highlighting some key facts about this increasingly popular practice.

Source: 5 Things We’ve Learned About How Companies Track You Online And Off – Consumerist

These same organizations also employ the use of social media analytics in order to reach the best target audience. Many of the tracked pieces of information helps them in this regard. More accurate advertising is very beneficial to them for obvious reasons.

1. You don’t need always to be logged in to be tracked.
2. Cross-device tracking can actually improve account security.
3. Companies are not at all transparent about tracking practices.
4. Consumers have very little control.
5. The industry is working on some voluntary self-regulation… sort of.

Windows DRM can find your IP without you knowing if you’re watching properly signed wmv and asf files, can uncloak your tor anonymity

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If you were to modify the above WRMHEADER or any of the three identified GUID objects you would find that on opening in Windows Media Player you are prompted with a warning from Windows Media Player.

However, this warning DOES NOT appear if the DRM license has been signed correctly and the Digital Signature Object, Content Encryption Object and Extended Content Encryption Object contain the appropriate cryptographic signing performed by an authorised Microsoft License Server profile. There are several free DRM providers who could sign your media for you however as the barrier to entry to the DRM market is the aforementioned price tag, it makes you wonder how these files are being signed in the wild! As these “signed WMV” files do not present any alert to a user before opening them they can be used quite effectively to decloak users of the popular privacy tool TorBrowser with very little warning. For such an attack to work your target candidate must be running TorBrowser on Windows. When opening/downloading files, TorBrowser does warn you that 3rd party files can expose your IP address and should be accessed in tails. This is not an attack against Tor or the TorBrowser directly but a useful way that could be leveraged to identify people attempting to access illegal media content (such as Daesh propaganda).

Source: Windows DRM Social Engineering Attacks & TorBrowser – My Hacker House