The company presents two powerful and ultralight models to drive Windows From the impersonal PC to careful design devices.

Microsoft wants to attract creators with their new laptops with tablet soul and desktop power. A complicated combination that they have solved brilliantly. After a first generation of Surface that surprised, Microsoft returns with a new batch in two sizes, 13 and 15 inches. Surface Book 2 will hit the US market on November 16 at a price of $ 1,499. They do it with a battery of up to 17 hours in duration, Intel dual and quad core processors and an Nvidia graphic chip, something unusual in this type of devices. This combined, according to Seattle, doubles the power of the MacBook Pro and exceeds five times that of its previous model, the first Surface. There is still no launch date or prices in other countries. From Microsoft put the accent on their possibilities for work and entertainment. During a test event a week ago they allowed to make contact with their bet for 2018. The sensations were very positive, for its power and lightness. It combines the entertainment options of a tablet with the power of a desktop computer. He was able to run high-definition home games, such as Forza Motorsport 7 or Gears of War 4, as well as design programs.

Panos Panay, responsible for this division, emphasizes the need to offer machines according to the demands of the content of the future, with augmented reality as something more than a passing trend. "The need to create has never been more relevant. We want Surface to inspire and promote creativity, "he said and opened the door to more news," these holidays we will see a range of well-designed devices with the most diverse characteristics ". It confirms the strategy of the firm, create inspiring devices, although they are not necessarily super sales, to invite other manufacturers to create options for different audiences.

Historically, Apple has been the preferred choice for designers, layout artists, publicists and educators. The edition of images, videos and an operating system with tools to give a striking result with hardly any knowledge, have been one of their weapons so that the faithful of the apple would continue to buy Mac even in the worst periods.

Microsoft wants to change this perception, in the new Windows update (officially Fall Update is what it's called), include tools that allow you to create three-dimensional objects with great ease. Once the pattern is done, they can be projected onto reality using augmented reality. It is no coincidence that they promote it, but one of the keys to have content in Hololens, their mixed glasses, with augmented reality and virtual in the same device.

They have also added a video editor with a large artificial intelligence component. Just choose the cuts of the video so that in a matter of seconds you have a composition of the chosen tone: romantic, epic, sports ... If the result does not please, you can remix or choose a character that is the protagonist of the plot. Surprising by the amount of special effects added, from lightning, rain or fire, all with a tracking of objects own programs whose license costs several thousand euros.

A system of Artificial Intelligence is able to reconstruct all the facial geometry in 3D from a single image, including the non-visible parts of the face.

A new era in selfies could begin thanks to a technology developed by computer scientists at the University of Nottingham and Kingston University. 3D facial reconstruction is already possible from a single image: the 3D selfie.

Through a web application, anyone can load a single color image and receive, in a few seconds, a 3D model of it. More than 400,000 users have already done the test.

The technique, while far from perfect, is a breakthrough that computer scientists have been looking for for years. What does it consist of? The new technology is based on a convolutional neural network, that is, an area of ​​Artificial Intelligence that uses machine learning to equip computers with the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed for it.

The research team, supervised by Dr. Yorgos Tzimiropoulos, developed this convolutional neuronal network based on a huge data set of 2D images and 3D facial models. With all this information, his neural network was able to reconstruct the 3D facial geometry from a single 2D image. In addition, he was able to reconstruct the non-visible parts of the face by making a series of conjectures.

"The main novelty lies in the simplicity of our approach, unlike other techniques," acknowledges the director of the research, Dr. Tzimiropoulos.

The systems that were available until now required multiple facial images and face several challenges, such as the exact correspondence of facial poses, expressions and non-uniform illumination.

"Our neural network uses only a 2D facial image, and works with arbitrary facial poses (for example, frontal or profile images) and facial expressions (for example, smiling)," explains Aaron Jackson, another of the researchers.

The new technique is a sign of advances in deep learning, a form of mechanical learning that uses artificial neural networks (AI) to mimic the way the brain makes connections between pieces of information.

Multiple applications

The Holy Grail of computer science? While it is true that the human brain is used in a comparative way to know how a machine works, the truth is that the operation of computers and human brains does not look like anything. This could change thanks to computer technology that uses light to mimic the functionality of neuronal synapses, opening the way for hardware that combines the speed of modern processors with the efficiency of a computer's intellectual capacity. Ready for the brain of the future?

Computers combine electrical impulses with small on / off switches for their functions; In neurons, on the other hand, chemistry distributes impulses through the channels known as synapses (connections between neurons). The difference is considerable in terms of memory and power consumption, since no hardware comes close to the efficiency and storage capabilities of a human brain.

Now, a team of researchers from the Universities of Oxford, Exeter (United Kingdom) and Münster (Germany), has managed to go a step further by creating a photonic integrated circuit that acts as a synapse.

"The development of computers that function like the human brain has been a holy grail of scientists for decades." Through a network of neurons and synapses, the brain can process and store huge amounts of information simultaneously, using a few tens of watts. of power, conventional computers can not approach this type of performance, "explains Harish Bhaskaran, co-author of the work published in the journal Science Advances.

In computers, there are processor units that control logic and memory. In the human brain, we do not have a CPU or a hard disk, it is about chemical processes.

And, depending on factors such as strength or frequency of the wave, increases in neurotransmitters can continue the message by jumping to other neurons, stopping or accelerating the signal.

Described as synaptic plasticity, changes in this point of control can explain how we learn and process new information, strengthening some circuits while allowing others to wither.

The so-called neuromorphic engineering aims to replicate this way of combining processing and memory in a system, bringing biology and artificial intelligence closer together, that is, microprocessors can be configured more like the human brain than traditional computer chips.

The key has been to build a processor that does the same thing as synapses. "Since synapses outnumber neurons in the brain by about 10,000 to 1, any brain-machine must be able to replicate some form of synaptic mimicry. That's what we've done here," says Wolfram Pernice, co-author of the investigation.

The artificial synapse or synaptic emulation is based on structures made of a phase change material (PCM), which stores and releases significant amounts of energy as it changes from one state to another (solid↔liquid).

The light waves are channeled through the material, with optical pulses changing the PCM in such a way that it imitates the plasticity of a synapse. Although the concept is not new, it is the first time that it has been put into practice.

Neuromorphic light-based processors appear to be the perfect combination of mind and machine. We assist the future of artificial intelligence and information technology.