crowdsourcing
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Google Maps will help you discover a neighborhood's 'vibe'
Google is introducing a Maps feature that gives you a feel for a neighborhood's 'vibe' before you visit.
Lego's 'Sonic the Hedgehog' set arrives January 1st
Lego has revealed that its long-in-the-making 'Sonic the Hedgehog' set will be available January 1st.
Google's AI photo app uses crowdsourcing to preserve endangered languages
Google has unveiled an app, Woolaroo, that uses AI and crowdsourcing to preserve and foster endangered languages.
Twenty One Pilots' livestreamed music video set a Guinness World Record
The 'Level of Concern' project ran for almost 178 days.
NASA wants ideas for keeping Moon missions powered in the dark
NASA is crowdsourcing ideas for energy systems that would keep Moon missions powered, even in the dark.
YouTube wants you to film your day for a Ridley Scott documentary
They're working with director Kevin Macdonald on a sequel to 2010's 'Life in a Day.'
Twenty One Pilots is streaming a non-stop music video using fan uploads
Twenty One Pilots has debuted a non-stop video for "Level of Concern" that depends on videos you upload.
NASA crowdsourcing helps build a better Moon digging robot
NASA has picked the winners from a challenge that asked the public to improve its Moon digging robot.
NASA is crowdsourcing a sensor that can survive Venus
Venus is hostile to just about everything, including probes -- and while NASA thinks it has Venus-resistant electronics, that doesn't mean future rovers are ready to touch down on the planet's hellish surface. To that end, NASA wants your help. It's teaming with HeroX on a crowdsourced competition to develop an obstacle avoidance sensor that could survive on the Venus-bound AREE explorer. A total of $30,000 in prizes will go to the top three sensors that can navigate rough terrain while withstanding the extreme temperatures (over 800F) and pressure (92 times that of Earth) of the planet.
Waze can warn you about unplowed roads during winter
Winter is full of driving challenges, particularly unplowed roads -- they're slogs at best, and downright dangerous at worst. Waze might help you steer clear, though. It just updated its Android and iOS apps with the ability to report unplowed roads in real-time. You'll know if last night's snowfall will lead to some detours on your way to work.
Google's Waze-like app for public transit hits five more cities
Last year, Google incubator Area 120 announced a public transit app that works in a similar way to Waze. Users of Pigeon report transit information to help others know if they're likely to face delays or other issues. Until now, it's only been available in New York City, but as of today, it's going live in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Google Assistant now offers navigation help in Waze
You might not have to touch your screen much at all the next time you navigate with Waze. Google is starting to roll out Assistant support in Waze for Android users, making some of its features available through (relatively) distraction-free voice control. You can report problems like traffic or crashes while still paying attention to the road, or tell Waze to avoid toll roads if you forgot to specify that before setting off.
The North Face gamed Wikipedia to boost Google searches
Apparel giant The North Face apparently resorted to some less-than-scrupulous tactics to ensure its gear stood out in search results. The Wikimedia Foundation reported that The North Face and its ad agency Leo Burnett Tailor Made admitted to having "unethically manipulated" Wikipedia for the sake of a campaign. In a video, the two firms said they switched Wikipedia photos with their own to ensure that North Face would show at the top of Google when people searched for adventure. It claimed that it had been "collaborating with Wikipedia," but the site denied this -- it even pointed to the companies boasting that they avoided attention from Wikipedia moderators.
NASA wants your memories of the Apollo 11 Moon landing
Were you fortunate enough to watch the Apollo 11 Moon landing as it happened, or know someone who did? NASA wants to hear from you. It recently launched a story program that asks the public to submit audio recordings of their Apollo 11 memories in a bid to create an oral history of the event in sync with its 50th anniversary. All you have to do is record a story or interview (shorter ones are preferred, email it and details to a special address (apollostories@mail.nasa.gov) and check your inbox in case NASA wants a follow-up. There are suggested questions if you're not sure what to ask.
Citizen astronomers discover new planet that NASA algorithms missed
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope might not be doing much anymore, but discoveries are still being made thanks to the data it left behind. By analyzing its historical records, and crowdsourcing help from volunteer astronomers, a citizen team has discovered a new planet roughly twice the size of Earth. The planet, known as K2-288Bb, could be rocky, or gas-rich, similar to Neptune. Its discovery is particularly exciting because the planet's size (just slightly smaller than Neptune) is so rare among those beyond our solar system – known as exoplanets.
Amazon turns to customers for questions Alexa can’t answer
Amazon is launching a new program that will let its customers answer some of the questions Alexa can't answer on its own. It's called Alexa Answers and starting today, the company will begin inviting select customers to field some of the more difficult questions posed to Amazon's assistant. "While Alexa can answer the vast majority of questions customers are asking every day," Bill Barton, Amazon's VP of Alexa Information, wrote in a blog post, "every once in a while, customers throw curve balls at us with various questions like 'Where was Barbara Bush buried?' or 'Who wrote the score for Lord of the Rings?' or 'What's cork made out of?' or 'Where do bats go in the winter?'"
GM is making e-bikes as it expands beyond cars
GM is keenly aware that it can't depend on car sales going forward, and that now includes venturing beyond cars. The company has revealed that it's working on two e-bikes, one compact and one folding, ahead of a launch sometime in 2019. It didn't say much about the machines, but their low-slung designs make it clear that the focus is on efficiency rather than raw performance.
Waze navigation is now available on Apple CarPlay
If you're an iPhone owner in need of driving directions, you've probably had one thing on your mind since June: when will that version of Waze with CarPlay support show up? Thankfully, you don't have to wait any more -- it's here. Hot on the heels of a corresponding Google Maps upgrade, the Waze app can take advantage of your car's touchscreen to provide its crowdsourced approach to navigation. The experience will likely be familiar if you've used the Android Auto equivalent.
NASA picks early winners for its ISS robot arm challenge
NASA's bid to crowdsource an arm for its Astrobee cube robot is starting to bear fruit. The agency and Freelancer.com have chosen early winners for the Astrobee Challenges Series, each of which has designed a key component for the robotic appendage. South African grad student Nino Wunderlin produced an attachment mechanism, while Filipino conceptual engineer Myrdal Manzano crafted a "smart" attachment system. Indian software engineer Amit Biswas, in turn, developed a simple deployment mechanism.
Waze will provide its traffic data to US cities
Waze's real-time, crowdsourced info will soon do a lot more than help you avoid traffic jams. The Google-owned company is widening a partnership with Esri to provide its live alerts for free to American cities and municipalities that are part of its Connected Citizens Program. The move gives officials up-to-the-minute info they can use to make key decisions about road infrastructure. If many drivers report crashes at an intersection, that could lead to better signs or a change in the roads themselves.
