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Fully’s Jarvis standing desk is good, but its customer service is even better
It's a great standing desk, but the customer service was above and beyond what I expected.
YouTube star Jarvis banned from 'Fortnite' over cheating
Another YouTuber is facing the consequences of cheating first-hand. Epic Games has permanently banned popular YouTube creator and FaZe Clan member Jarvis from Fortnite after he posted videos where he used aimbots (which virtually guarantee flawless shots) to wreak havoc in the battle royale game's non-competitive modes. In his apology video, Jarvis said it was "completely wrong" and that he was only thinking about "how entertaining and interesting" the videos would be, rather than the consequences of a possible ban
The best standing desks
By Kevin Purdy This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full standing desks guide here. After two months of unboxing, building, using, testing, and comparing eight of the newest standing desks side by side, we think the Uplift Bamboo Stand Up Desk with 1" Thick Desktop and V2 Frame is the best desk for people who want a relatively stable surface that looks good, moves quickly and quietly, and should give you the fewest problems in working every day. But several other standing desks are nearly as good, and a few are worth considering. The Uplift bamboo desktop was every tester's favorite, particularly the (optional) ergonomic groove cutout in front. You can kit out the Uplift with a number of accessories that match your desk style, including power and cable organizers. It wasn't the best at everything, but the Uplift had the best mix of performance and features, and a lack of glaring flaws, of all the desks we tested. Just make sure you get the V2 frame (Uplift still sells the earlier model, which is a bit less stable). Though the Uplift is not the most rock-solid standing desk we tested this time, it's more stable than the desks we've recommended (and used happily) for years. The desks that were more stable had other flaws, like loud motors or ugly laminate tops. If you want to buy a standing-desk mat and monitor arm at the same time, you should consider the Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk, because it is a good standing desk that offers those extras in a package deal. The Jarvis was our top pick for more than four years, and is still a desk we recommend. The latest version of the Uplift frame and desktop felt more stable, particularly front-to-back, than the latest Jarvis frame when we tested both in late 2018. But the difference is not enormous; standing-desk stability is hard to measure precisely, and a half-dozen Wirecutter staffers have used Jarvis desks daily for years. The Jarvis's ¾-inch-thick bamboo desktop is thinner than the Uplift's 1-inch top, and looks lighter; otherwise they're nearly identical. In addition to the mat and monitor arm, Fully sells furniture and desk add-ons that mesh well with the Jarvis's look that you can purchase at a discount while ordering the desk, while the Uplift offers small upgrades, like powered grommets and privacy shields. The Varidesk ProDesk 60 Electric is more stable in each direction than the Uplift or Jarvis, and a little bit quieter than those desks in raising and lowering (minus an occasional thudding sound when starting). It also comes with built-in cable management, and was the easiest desk we've ever built. But it has no wood or bamboo desktop options, just five colors of laminate, which our testers disliked. If desktop style is not a high priority for you, and you'd rather pay a few hundred dollars more to have a more stable, quieter desk with easier assembly, the ProDesk 60 Electric could work for you—but we recommend the white or black finishes rather than the faux wood. It was a close call for many of the full-size electric standing desks we tested; several were near picks, except for flaws that will be dealbreakers for some people. Check out our impressions in the Competition section for more. If you're interested in adding a standing adapter to your existing desk, we are researching and testing standing desk converters for a separate review. For now, we still recommend the Kangaroo Pro Junior by Ergo Desktop, which has been our converter pick for four years. It provides a decently smooth and low-effort transition from sitting to standing, it keeps your monitor, mouse, and keyboard more stable than most desktop units we tested, and it doesn't require a very deep desk, or render a big chunk of your desk space unusable except for computer work.
BlackBerry's 'Jarvis' finds security flaws in connected cars
As cars become more reliant on software, it's critical for automakers to make sure their code is as secure as possible. It's somewhat surprising, though, for a company like BlackBerry to come out with a potential solution. At a keynote during the North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS) today, the company's CEO John Chen announced a new cloud-based tool called Jarvis that can scan the complex software required for modern connected and autonomous cars.
Mark Zuckerberg explains how he wrote his home AI
Ever since Mark Zuckerberg revealed his intention to create his own AI helper, some questions have loomed large: just how would he go about it? And can one man write an effective artificial intelligence when it frequently requires whole teams? At last, the Facebook CEO has provided some answers. The Zuckerberg has written a lengthy piece explaining not only how he created the Jarvis AI that's running his home, but the inherent challenges in making an assistant that works the way you'd expect.
Iron Man volunteers to voice Zuckerberg's JARVIS assistant
Mark Zuckerberg famously set himself a New Year's goal to create an AI assistant to control his house, and now that it's almost ready, he needs a voice for it. Naturally, Zuck enlisted Facebook's billion-plus users, saying "it's time to give my AI JARVIS a voice. Who should I ask to do it?" Someone suggested "Robert Downey Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch," and another suggested Paul Bettany, the actual actor who plays Iron Man's JARVIS AI. Much to everyone's surprise, Downey Jr. himself replied.
Bring voice control to your home on the cheap with a Raspberry Pi
Siri, Cortana and Google Now are all inspired by the computers that Dave Bowman, Captain Picard and Iron Man use on a daily basis. But what if you wanted to turn your home into a voice-activated haven without those sorts of resources? Well, thanks to a Princeton students Charles Mash and Shubhro Saha, you can. The pair developed Jasper, an open-source, always-on voice control system that works on a Raspberry Pi and can easily be customized for your needs. All you need is an internet connection, one of the tiny educational boards and a USB microphone and you can ask the system to do whatever your coding ability allows. All we need now is for someone to kidnap Stephen Fry or Paul Bettany so our computer has the right level of sniffy British snark in its voice. Image credit: Cryteria/Wikimedia Commons (Hal 9000)
Intel's smart headset understands you even when you're offline
Intel claims that its Jarvis headset's voice recognition makes it smart, but we've seen voice commands on Bluetooth earpieces before -- what's so special this time around? It's all about offline support, the company tells Quartz. Unlike many wearables, Jarvis can process complex voice requests without talking to a server. That's most helpful when there's no internet access, but it also leads to faster, more natural interaction than you typically get from the likes of Google Now or Siri. You won't necessarily have to buy Jarvis to reap its benefits, either. Intel hopes to sell its voice recognition technology to phone manufacturers, so your handset may be the only smart device you need.
Jarvis is Intel's smart earpiece, and it takes on Google Glass without a display
The next stop on Intel's wearable train is a smart earpiece, dubbed Jarvis (hello, Iron Man). The hardware listens for voice commands and can act as your personal assistant -- and it replies, to boot. You can make appointments cross-referenced with your calendar, check messages and set reminders. To prompt the device to listen for actions, users just say the words, "Hello, Jarvis." Mum's the word on price, but Jarvis is set for release sometime this year.
Marvel bringing Iron Man's JARVIS to iPhone
On September 10, Marvel will release a JARVIS app for iPhone. JARVIS is the AI assistant Tony Stark uses in the Iron Man movies (voiced by Paul Bettany in the films) and the app is being released to celebrate the release of Iron Man 3 on home video. The JARVIS app is a second-screen app that allows the user to control the menus on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray, browse 42 sets of Iron Man armor and watch other exclusive content. However, the app does have other functions as well. JARVIS will act as a mini-Siri, allowing you to use Tony Stark's personal AI as you own. Here's what Marvel says you can expect: -Like Tony Stark, users can engage JARVIS through voice-activated commands. -Receive messages from JARVIS, download ringtones, post to Facebook and more. -Check time and local weather as well as set alarms through the integrated Clock mode. -Initiate media delivered in messages, including video, audio, image, ringtone or website. -Install unique ringtones. -Unlock 42 unique Iron Man suits (plus additional "Ghost" file). -When connected to the same network as the Blu-ray player, JARVIS will function as the Blu-ray remote control, or the user can simply "say what you see" and the app will do the rest. There's no word yet if JARVIS will actually speak back to you (and if so, if its voiced by Paul Bettany) or if it communicates with you via text prompts. Either way the app is sure to be a hit with fans of the movies.
Chad Barraford's JARVIS life assistant is the envy of Pepper Potts (video)
Chad Barraford is living the dream. Inspired by Edwin Jarvis, the superhero's man-servant turned computer in the film adaptation of Iron Man, the 27 year old Barraford pieced together a digital life assistant, dubbed JARVIS, to keep his household (and life) in order. JARVIS is built on a 4-year-old Mac mini linked to everything from his home lighting/security and RFID entry system (self-built on Arduino) to his George Foreman grill plugged into his X10 home automation network. JARVIS is always aware of Chad's location (thanks to Google Latitude) and can be controlled in the house via remote control or a wireless mic and the Mac's built-in speech recognition software; or via Twitter and text messages when away. Chad's friends each have their own keychain RFID tags. So does his dog. When his friends are in the house, JARVIS becomes less chatty and doesn't speak any personal information related to his finances or Facebook updates, for example. When the dog comes home JARVIS turns on the lights in the mutt's room. The Chad started the project less than a year ago and cost the man less than $700 in gear. Yes, he hopes to commercialize it. Until then we've got a few choice video selections after the break.
Former Apple Store employee creates Iron Man's J.A.R.V.I.S. using a Mac mini
Okay, there's no HUD display like Tony Stark had and it isn't voiced by Paul Bettany, but former Apple Store employee Chad Barraford has created Project Jarvis, a digital assistant that greets him, Tweets for him, and can even tell his family when he has a headache and dim the lights of his apartment before he reaches home. Project Jarvis is based on the comic book character Edwin Jarvis, Tony Stark's human butler who became an AI construct after he was reinvisioned for a twenty-first century audience in the first Iron Man film. Chad's real life Jarvis may not help him fly an invisible suit of armor, but via RFID tags, webcams, and microphones, Barraford can communicate with Jarvis in a number of ways including tweeting, instant messaging, and speech recognition which allows him to control lights and appliances, notify him of breaking news, Facebook updates, Netflix queues, check stock quotes and weather, and even help assist him with cooking. Barraford calls Jarvis a digital life assistant (DLA) and runs it entirely from a four year-old Mac mini running custom AppleScript, he told us. Right now he has no plans to sell the AppleScript code, but is always happy to share ideas with other developers of DLAs. Click on over to The Boston Globe to see video of Jarvis in action.
