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Machine Learning

Machine learning points to prime places in Antarctica to find meteorites | Science News

A sophisticated new machine learning algorithm has predicted over 600 hot sites in Antarctica where scientists are expected to uncover a bonanza of the fallen extraterrestrial rocks, according to a Science Advances paper. The problem is that meteorite stranding zones have only been discovered by chance so far. Satellites are useful, but sifting through the photos takes time, and field reconnaissance is expensive. Approximately 45,000 meteorites have been recovered from the ice too far. But that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated 300,000 chunks of space rock buried somewhere on the continent’s surface. 

Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/machine-learning-meteorite-antarctica 

Categories
Robots

Walmart-backed robotics group Symbotic in $4.5bn talks to merge with SoftBank SPAC | SkyNews

A robotics and automation firm sponsored by Walmart, the world’s largest merchant, is in negotiations to merge with a “blank cheque” firm set up by SoftBank, Japan’s largest technology company. Symbotic is in talks with SVF Investment Corp 3, a New York-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), regarding a deal that would value the combined corporation at around $4.5 billion (£3.3 billion). If the contract is made successfully, Walmart is likely to join other investors in the capital-raising portion of the deal known as the PIPE (private investment in public equity). 

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/walmart-backed-robotics-group-symbotic-in-4-5bn-talks-to-merge-with-softbank-spac-12437669 

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Space Force

Space Force Plans Two New Exercises: Polaris Hammer and Black Skies | Air Force Magazine

According to the Chief of Space Training and Readiness Command, the Space Force will premiere a new training exercise this year targeted at boosting the service’s command and control skills. During an AFA Air and Space Warfighters in Action virtual lecture, Brig. Gen. Shawn N. Bratton revealed the event, dubbed Polaris Hammer, will take place this autumn. STARCOM was established in August of this year, making it the newest of the Space Force’s three field commands. With only a few months under its belt, the new command still has a lot of work ahead of it in terms of developing the training doctrines and exercises that will form the new military branch. 

Source: https://www.airforcemag.com/space-force-plans-two-new-exercises-polaris-hammer-and-black-skies/ 

Categories
Artificial Intelligence

Using artificial intelligence to digitally replicate human voices | NPR

Given the intricacies of speech synthesis, it comes as a surprise to learn how simple it is to purchase one. All a client needs to do for a simple conversational build is record themselves talking a bunch of prepared lines for around one hour. That’s all there is to it. Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa, as well as a bank’s automated customer care line, now sound quite real. Artificial intelligence, or AI, has advanced to the point that it’s often impossible to discern the difference between synthetic and human voices. The global speech and voice recognition sector, in reality, is valued at tens of billions of dollars and is rapidly expanding. 

Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/17/1073031858/artificial-intelligence-voice-cloning 

Categories
Cyber Security

The Pentagon’s new cybersecurity model is better, but still an incremental solution to a big challenge | Federal News Network

The Pentagon’s latest “strategic direction” for its Cyber Maturity Model Certification (CMMC 2.0) better conforms with current government standards and procedures, but it misses the point of President Biden’s request for “radical change.” Long before the creation of CMMC, federal procurement restrictions obligated all military contractors who kept in touch with controlled unclassified information (CUI) to incorporate the fundamental cyber hygiene safeguards outlined in NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-171 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. After nearly two years of research, the Defense Department unveiled the initial CMMC in November 2020. 

Source: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2022/01/the-pentagons-new-cybersecurity-model-is-better-but-still-an-incremental-solution-to-a-big-challenge/