rror404 December 2014
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Great apps to have on your iPhone
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PS4 vs. XboX One: The Reborn Contest
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From the 70’s to now:
Austin’s ComputerrecentMicrosoft’s purchase Industry History of Mojang Page 16 Page 25
Discover the research put into autonomously controlled softwares Page 21
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Everyday, everywhere, everything. It’s universal, embedded in our lives. The electronic revolution is upon us. And we are here to experience it firsthand. It’s expanded, from crude, basic computers to devices that save our lives. Without realizing how, we commit our lives to these computers. When they help us, we become excited, when they fail, we get mad. As we use them every minute of every hour of every day, we get entrapped in their addicting environment to a certain point where we rely on them to help us and do our work for us. When we employ computers, we succeed and we flourish. Computers are acclaimed to be the greatest tools for opportunity that are available to our generation but what is it that we really use them for? Do they dig at our social life? Do they pull us from society? Electronics are taking over the world. Can anyone really do anything significant without the intended or unintended use of electronics? When we make a song, the only way we can share it with others and save it for later is to upload it to the internet in the form of an mp3. Even the opposite, complete silence, can only be achieved with the use of noise-cancelling headphones. Albert Einstein once said It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. Obviously when he said this he wasn’t talking about computers but in any case of electronics, this statement holds true. How can we be good people if our life is being consumed in this never-ending addiction to inanimate tools? It is quite controversial, of course, but is technology helping, or hindering?
Ayush Bhansali, Chief Editor of Error 404
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Contents December, 2014
Features of the Tech 8 Attack Moguls
Big companies purchase small ones all the time in the video game industry, but Microsoft buying Minecraft is different.
Through 12 Technology Time
How tech has evolved over time
17 Keep Austin Wired
How the city of Austin, Texas, has evolved technologically over time.
Intelligence 22 Artificial in Universities
AIs are in will be in schools soon; how it will effect generations to come
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ASF’s 6
Running a Smarter iPhone
15
XBOX 1 vs. PS4
20
Keep Austin Mapped
26
A History of Handheld Consoles
Aidan Sankar
Staff Bios
Aidan “Billy” Sankar is a nerd who wastes his time playing video games like World of Warcraft (WoW). He has a rare medical case that makes him delusional enough to think he’s cool. Any spare time he doesn’t spend grinding out levels, he is adventurous and goes on virtual ‘raids’ a way to try and gain some type of self-worth no matter how pathetic someone is. He lives in his moms basement and greatly enjoys whatever his mom cook, his favorite food is Chinese noodles which reminds him of the WoW item ‘Sea Mist Rice Noodles’. He has proposed three times to his highest level WoW character, his level 91 Paladin named Humbaba, he has been in and out of depression for the last six months due to the repeat rejection by his character.
Shane Aung Everything about Shane’s life is entirely unknown and mysterious. This mystery started as soon as he was born in a house that can’t be found in any form of government documentation and is oddly blurred out of satellite images from the time. Many say that he attends the Austin magnet school LASA, but there are others who reportedly saw him attending college classes at Oxford. It is generally agreed upon that Shane is a teenage male, but this in not completely known. This shroud of unknowingness goes so far as to make it unclear of whether or not Shane is even a real human.
Ayush Bhansali Ayush is the definition of a party animal. During the day he is a humble mild-mannered school boy attending LASA high school and always gets to bed before 9:00. That is until after about 11:00 when the real him breaks out. Ayush holds the current world record for being kicked out of the most rave and night clubs. His most recent arrest was for organizing and attempting to carry out an elementary school dubstep-sponsored MLG event officially endorsed by Snoop Dogg himself.
Alex Carter Alex has lived by the life code of “why talk when you can mock”. His tongue is the weapon of the highly trained snark assassin. Sometimes he takes strolls through local parks just to look around and make fun of the rest of the world. Sometimes he doesn’t finish his anaphoras. Sometimes he does. Sometimes he just writes hyperbolic bios for some random tech mag. But most of the time- he just smirks. pg4 | Error 404
Running a Smarter iPhone
By Shane Aung
Here are some apps that should be on your iPhone right now! These can replace pre-installed apps from Apple or make a significant difference in your lifestyle.
MyScript Calculator
Advanced math problems are now a breeze with this amazing calculator app from MyScript. This app takes the typical calculator buttons and throws them out the window. Now, simply draw out the math equation with your finger, and watch as it takes what you’ve drawn as converted it into an equation that it solves for you! Square roots, logarithms, even the classic addition problems: MyScript Calculator can handle it all, and it’s super easy to use!
Hangouts
iMessage is a way to text those without phones, but it requires an iOS device. With the Hangouts app from Google, all you need is a Gmail account, which is much cheaper than an iPad or Apple device. Simply put, this is an extension of the Hangouts application from Gmail, which is used to send quick messages through emai. Group chats can be made effortlessly and group video chats can be done. Oh, and you can still text a regular cell phone within the app, if you even wanted to.
Notability
Take notes more effectively in the way you want to with this great app. Notability has a great organization system, so you don’t need to worry about finding your notes. You can also choose to take notes with a stylus in order to maintain that classic pencil-and-paper feel or you can type them using your device’s keyboard. Highlights can also be done with the swipe of a finger. The coolest feature this app has is the ability to import PDF files so you can take notes and highlight directly on the document.
GroupMe
GroupMe is another alternative for the standard Messages app from Apple. This app makes it easy to make group chats with people with phones running softwares other that iOS (namely, Android). it is not necessary for the recipient of the messages to have the app as well, the app can send messages straight to their regular messaging app. It’s also used for communicating one-on-one, and it does an excellent job at that. Error 404 | pg 6
Evernote
This is hands down one of the best management apps out there. You can take short, time-specific notes, plan your day, search through files, make checklists, plan out meetings, organize documents, and more, all with the utmost ease. At the end, you can even convert your collections of notes, schedules, and files into a project presentable enough for a meeting!
Gmail
With a growing number of people getting Gmail accounts it was about time that Google released an app for it. You’ll find that the app works similar to Apple’s pre-installed Mail app but works more seamlessly. Overall it is a much better user experience. Also, with the app, you can not only send photos directly from your phone, but documents from your Google Drive account as well! Downloading the respective apps allows you to attach Docs, Sheets, and Slides straight from your phone.
Microsoft PowerPoint for iOS
Keynote may have something going for it, but nothing quite compares to the classic Microsoft PowerPoint. Microsoft has brought the goodness of PowerPoint to iOS, and it couldn’t be better. Presentations are seamless, exporting them is a breeze, and it just feels more comfortable. User interface is excellent as well. Also, Microsoft is bringing this to you for free!
Google Search
This search engine has become an app! Serving as an Internet browser, with a more friendly user interface than Safari, finding out something is as easy as opening the app and typing it in to the search bar. But that’s not all: Google Search also has the powerful Google Now, a rival software to Siri. Using Google Now, you can ask it many of the same questions, with very good results. You can also have it adapt to you; it’ll learn more about you with the questions you ask.
Duolingo
Duolingo is an amazing new app that turns learning a language into very effective, intuitive games that reward you for your progress. What’s more, its only required that you play it a few minutes a day. Whether on the bus home or waiting in line for something, it’s an easy thing to do that is effective and fun! Language teachers are encouraging the use of it for students, and what’s more, it’s free! pg 7 | Error 404
Big Companies Indie Developers
Photo by anonymous user at Pixabay.com
A representation of the assimilation of small companies by big ones
Attack of the Tech Moguls
Will Microsoft purchasing Minecraft effect the video game industry? By Aidan Sankar Error 404 | pg 8
“It can become something completely different than it is...when small companies get taken over by companies like Microsoft, usually some drastic change happens.”
M
inecraft has been near and dear to many gamers’ hearts since its original release and through its rapid and steady gain in popularity. The game has been popularized through YouTube videos, memes, and by word of mouth. Minecraft’s fan base has been happy with each consecutive update made to the game, and more and more copies of Minecraft are being sold daily. Minecraft’s fan base and popularity may decline, however, because of a recent and unexpected change in its ownership, and their reaction might have a large effect on the video game industry as a whole. On Sept. 15, a member of
the staff of Mojang, the company that developed Minecraft, made a post on the Mojang forum the Mojang was going to be bought by the tech giant, Microsoft. In most cases, the purchase of an independent developer would be no problem. The fans of Minecraft, however, have had a mixture of different reactions, from being overwhelmingly positive to angry and hateful. They and other gamers are worried that the integrity of Minecraft might be lost in the absorption of Mojang by Microsoft. This doesn’t just affect Minecraft fans either. Some gamers think that independent developers, like Mojang was before Microsoft bought it, will try to sell their games or their
companies to big corporations like Microsoft. To truly understand why gamers are so riled up at this issue, one must look at the facts of the purchase and the history of independent developers. Many independent game developers have been bought by large companies in the past. In fact, it happens very often, and gamers almost always have the same opinions about these purchases. Joel Manners, a programming and art director at Red Fly, an independent video game developer in Austin, commented on how often and why “Indie” companies are purchased. “You know people will get a good idea and big companies will think that it isn’t just worth sharing, its worth owning, and its happened pg 9 | Error 404
Marcus Persson, the former CEO of Mojang
dozens and dozens of times,” he said. Since Manners has worked in several large gaming companies, such as Electronic Arts, Sony, and Microsoft, he’s seen independent companies be assimilated by technology giants before, and wasn’t as surprised as some when the developers of Minecraft announced that their company was being bought. He was surprised, however, at the amount of money that Microsoft paid to buy Mojang. “I mean I know why it makes sense for mojang, because, damn, that’s a lot of money,” he said, “but for Microsoft, I don’t get it.” This is the major difference between Mojang’s being bought and the purchase of other indie Error 404 | pg 10
developers. Fans and experts are having trouble speculating why Microsoft would buy Mojang for such a large sum of money. Minecraft, a five year old game, has been bought by the majority of the gamers who will ever play it. “The vast, vast majority of money has already been made off of Minecraft,” said Manners, “and Mojang made that money already.” Manners also said that, in order to break even, Microsoft will have to earn another 2.5 billion dollars from Minecraft, and that “...clearly they’ve got some pretty smart people over there who think they can make 2 billion dollars off of Minecraft.” Experts at Microsoft probably
Photo credit to Wikipedia Commons
know how the purchase makes sense for them, but it doesn’t make sense to gamers. Fans have had mixed feelings about Minecraft being purchased. Some fans don’t have any problem with the purchase, and are excited for change in Minecraft. Gabriel Manners, Joel’s son, said, “I think Microsoft will make the game better, in content, because they’ll be able to put more manpower into the development of the game, and so they’ll have more to implement ideas instead of one or two people.” Like Gabriel, many other fans are hoping that, because of the resources Microsoft has at its disposal, the game will
have new updates, sequels, or better content. Fans have also been angry about the impending change because they fear that the game’s originality as an indie game might be spoiled. “It can become something completely different than it is,” said Carson Hagleman, another fan, “when small companies get taken over by companies like minecraft, usually some drastic change happens.” The thing is, this scenario has happened before. The Call of Duty series, although still immensely popular, has experienced a general decline in game quality and content since the purchase of its Indie developer, Infinity Ward, by Activision. Fans
It looks like you’re trying to play minecraft.
of Minecraft are hoping that its content becomes more fun, and not the opposite. Gamers, in general, hold indie games to a different standard than video games developed by major technology companies. “[Gamers] are more likely to take it for what it is,” said Joel Manners, on the topic of indie game popularity, “A fun game doesn’t have to be a 500 million dollar game like Destiny, it can just be fun and simple.” Gamers judge independently developed games based on content, as opposed to quality. When an indie developer makes a so-called “masterpiece” like Minecraft, gamers are quick to lament about
how the hard work of a handful of people has become less than what it was when indie developers are bought by large companies. The purchase of small companies hasn’t just happened many times in the history of video games, it’s an integral part in how the industry works. Independent developers are bought by tech moguls when they have a good idea. And, of course, with new ownership comes change, and with change comes positive and negative reactions. Minecraft fans can only hope that the newest changes in Mojang’s ownership will lead to a more fun Minecraft in the future.
Photo credit to Nathaniel Peacock
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Technology Through Time Over the last 40 years, modern electronic technology has changed in completely unimaginable ways. How did Radio Shack’s TRS-80, one of the first mass produced personal computers compare to the modern PC, and how are the CD and DVD more advanced than the Sony Walkman? Story By: Ayush Bhansali
This is a picture of a motherboard. It is an example of hardware in a computer. Photo by Wikipedia.org
A
s we explore the lives of different people, we will see how technology changed and is still changing today. You will hear about different people’s views on technology and how these technological advancements may be affecting our society positively or negatively. Technology has changed very much over time. Read on, as we explore these changes in a much larger depth. Let’s start off by talking about the basics. Software and hardware are key components of all Error 404 | pg 11
This is a picture of multiple lines of code. It is an example of software in a computer Photo by c1.statflickr.com
electronic technology but what exactly do those terms mean? Apurva Bhansali, CEO of his own software company says that “ ‘The word ‘software’ refers to the instructions that are given to a computing device so that it performs a set of desired actions.’ In laymen’s terms, software programs are the things that a normal person uses on their computer every day - from Microsoft Windows, to Internet Explorer and Chrome, to the accounting, medical, or any other type of program used to make a person’s
life easier.” So software is all of the code and different instructions we give to the computer. Hardware on the other hand is completely different. ‘Well hardware is tangible, you can touch it, connect it, and yes even break it.’ Simply put, the hardware runs the software. The core element in a hardware system running software will be the CPU. The CPU performance can be measured and the hardware can be tailored to also assist the software in performing functions.” Mr. Bhansali has been using computers since he was a teenager. He has been fascinated with them ever since. “I started writing my first programs when my family got a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer with a black and white monitor and a cassette tape to store your programs - no hard drives or USB flash - those things had not been invented yet. It was the This is a picture of the first model of most interesting thing in the world cellphones. for me, and through this exposure, Photo by Wikipedia.org I taught myself how to write software programs even before I got into high school. I think I had decided early on that computer, software and technology would be my career path.” At the time, electronic computer technology was a booming industry, and many young, smart
kids were beginning to love it. Logan Pearce, Aragorn Eissler, and William Shoaf, all teachers at a middle school for advanced kids grew up around technology and vividly remember their experiences with it. Logan Pearce, an awesome science teacher remembers how she used to use technology in her teens and says, “ I thought websites and HTML were cool in the 90’s. I taught myself HTML and made my own silly web pages in high school (Late 90’s). This was before “Web 2.0”, blogs, commenting, and when not everyone could contribute to the internet. I remember when I got my first CD ROM drive, and when I got my very own 33.6 Megabits per Second dialup modem. It was faster than my parent’s 28.8” Ms. Pearce talks about all kinds of different technology when she was growing up. HTML is a specific type of code used to make websites online. It is still widely used and advancing even today. She then
This is a picture of the Sony Walkman. It was the first portable music player. Photo by Wikipedia.org
talks about how she got her first CD ROM drive. A CD ROM drive is a rectangular machine that can read CD ROM’s, a cool metal disc that can hold a lot of different information. Finally, she talks about dial-up modems, the old form of the internet. pg 12 | Error 404
Picture of a Radio Shack TRS-80 Computer.
Photo by Wikipedia.org
With a dial-up modem system, when you would use the internet, your computer would run a connection through the phone lines to your nearest internet provider. Dial-up modem systems were very slow at first, but as they kept improving, their speed got faster and faster, so they were categorized with different speeds -- which were the ‘Megabytes per Second’ numbers. Aragorn Eissler, an epic music production teacher at Kealing uses all kinds of modern computer technology to teach his students how to make music. He too remembers technology changing around him as he was growing up. “I had a Sony Walkman cassette player and practiced drums for hours to Bon Jovi, Led Zeppelin, etc,” says Mr. Eissler. The Sony Walkman cassette player was a very important piece of technology because it was the first mobile music player to ever be sold in public. The Sony Walkman was today’s mp3 player or iPod, but it was a revolutionary invention for its time. The Sony Walkman would allow you to take your cassette with audio on it and plug it into a pair of headphones, giving you the ability to listen to your favorite tracks privately and on the go. This piece of technology, with all others would change the course of history. Technology has been improving every minute of every day. A great example of this is the telephone. Mr. Bhansali reflects on how technology has been changing so much in just his lifetime. “I remember when we got our TRS-80, my first question was what do you do with this? But soon, my friends and I realized, you could do anything with it. Different games, programs to help Error 404 | pg 13
you do math were just the start. Well I think technology has been changing the way we live our lives everyday. A great example, is the telephone. When I was growing up, we had only corded telephones in the house, and because of the high cost, you could only have 1 or 2 telephones in the house. Calling my grandparents in India would cost a few dollars a minute (which would probably be like $10 a minute in today’s money), and so it would be something we would only do a few times a year for maybe 2 or 3 minutes at a time. When I was engaged, my fiance (now my wife) was in India for a period of time and we would send faxes back and forth since e-mail was not something universal in the mid90’s. Today, technology has completely revolutionized communication. We all have cellphones that can be used anywhere - not just in the house, e-mail, Whatsapp, Facebook, etc. allow us to send messages to friends and family within a second (or even shorter than that) and we use Facetime, Skype and other programs to talk to people around the world, like they were sitting right next to us - and all for FREE!” Technology has changed so much in the last few decades, that for me, it is hard to imagine that a cell phone could have been as big as a shoe, or that the first mp3 player would not have had a screen. But to sum it all up, William Shoaf, an amazing social studies teacher at Kealing often thinks outside the box from many different angles and so I went to him with one question in my mind. I asked whether technology as a whole is positive or detrimental to society? Mr. Shoaf replied very concisely, saying, “[Technology is] Positive. There are always people who will say “things were better off the way they were.” Usually, these people are on the wrong side of history. We innovate, or we stagnate. ”
T H E C O M P E T I T I O N O F A G E N E R A T I O N B Y A Y U S H B H A N S A L I
Some of the top titles released for the XBOX ONE include Titanfall, Forza Motorsport 5, and Dead Rising 3
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Keep Austin Wired The story of Austin’s high-tech development By Alex Carter
Photo by wallpaperswide.com
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n today’s society, technology is used in almost every facet of life. Just think about it—how often do you use your phone? What about your computer? Want to learn more about where the people who design them work and why they work there? The story has a long and interesting past that you have to hear to understand why Austin is what it is today. The developing city of Austin has proven to be a great place for technology companies. Austin’s competitivity in this industry has its roots in a multitude of things like history, government, culture, and education. Throughout its history, Austin has been a place on the edge of what is new and modern. The physical location and geography of Austin may be one factor, if it has certain resources nearby and convenient. Clean room operator Doug Watson says, “There are a few things [that make Austin a good place], most of the solder and flux is from the central US, so that makes here slightly better than other places, [but] all the raw materials are from all over the US and world.” Clearly geography is not the sole reason for Austin’s technology focus. Austin does have a slight geographic advantage of some places, but there are some much more interesting and prominent reasons why Austin is a great city for high-tech.
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One of the things Austin does have going for it is its good tax breaks for small businesses. “Austin [has] some tax free sectors for high tech, for example my company has been working on storing more of its inventory in different warehouses that avoid inventory tax.” Watson illustrates the willingness of the local governments to build up this part of the economy. Austin appreciates and supports this industry. That is because its growth has been “slow and steady” with limited opportunities to ask for tax breaks.”
“growth has been ‘slow and steady’” Large businesses still do have some reasons to stick around in Austin. “IBM’s first facility in Austin, was an electric typewriter plant.” IBM has its roots here in Austin and partially just stays here for sentimental reasons, sticking with tradition. In some regards it doesn’t matter where IBM is located, it does business on an international level and does much of its communications virtually. “IBM does most of its business with 100 or so of the world’s largest corporations. This is in contrast to a company like Apple who does most of its business in retail with individuals.”
This holds true to other large technology companies that have been in Austin for a while such as Dell and National Instruments; they were formed in Austin and have stayed there ever since because they have no reason to move when their physical location is irrelevant except for the few benefits they do receive. One of the largest reasons that so many technology companies were created in the first place is something called the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation or MCC for short. The MCC is a consortium of many US-based computing companies that share patents and intellectual property. The MCC was formed in 1982 when the US decided that it needed to be competitive with the Japanese computing companies who were already doing the same thing. In general, such a thing would be considered a monopoly and thus illegal, but in this case most of the competition was overseas so a special exception was made. If the US combined the power of its technology companies by making research cooperative, it would allow them to be highly competitive in the international market. There was a debate on where the MCC would be located; due to involvement via the donation of land and money to the project by the University of Texas (UT), Austin was the chosen location. The MCC being located in Austin has promoted companies to move there to be a part of the group. Companies such as IBM and Texas Instruments joined in this effort by adding facilities and workspaces in Austin.
The presence of high-tech companies trickles down to the school systems, students such as Ojas Ahuja, a student as LASA taking computer science, are more inspired to go into the field after seeing all the job opportunities around them and meeting people who work in hightech. “I am taking the course both to get the credit and to put it on job apps, as well as to learn of course”
Ojas Ahuja Ojas Ahuja is a student at LASA high school in Austin and takes AP computer science, the higest tech credit class available to freshmen. So far he has enjoyed the class, in his own words, “During the past three weeks, I have learned the basics of the Java programming language, including input, output, and basic math functions.” said Ojas in a blog post; he goes more into detail about one of there projects, “I felt that the the jelly bean lab that we did in class best exemplifies everything we learned and how to apply it. The lab included making a program which calculated the amount of jelly beans which would fit in a glass given the glass’s volume, usable space, and the volume of the jelly bean.” One thing Ojas said about the class was, “In addition to being an introduction to the programming language itself, I think this was also an introduction to the problem solving skills needed by programmers.
“I am taking the course both to get the credit and to put it on job apps” Ojas is also a member of the robotics team at LASA, a popular club where students design and build robots to compete in events around the world. Austin has many schools that participate in there events and their popularity is “likely in part because of the presence of technology companies in Austin”. The presence also makes students more likely to stay in school for the subject longer. “I am not sure yet, but I plan on at least getting a major, and quite likely in Computer Science or something similar” In conclusion, the impact of high tech companies in Austin is varied and can be seen in so many facets of industry. This is largely rooted in the history of industry in Austin such as the MCC, origins of companies like IBM and Dell and their histories.
Photo by wikipedia.org
The MCC headquarters in Austin
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Tech Companies of Austin
IBM Blackbaud Pervasive Software
Freescale Semiconductor
Silicon Labs
Map Key Circle size is relative to annual revenue Error 404 | pg 19
Edge of Reality Since 1998, the Austin-based video game development company Edge of Reality (EoR) has been making high quality action-packed video games for thousands to play. Since they relocated here in 2001, they have been helping out the local economy and participating in charity drives to support the city. One of their strengths is that they “develop using [their own] proprietary cross-platform engine. Because the engine is created and supported in-house, they know it inside and out” [www.edgeofreality.com].
Freescale Semiconductor Freescale is the 16th largest semiconductor company by revenue in the world. “Freescale is a leader in embedded processing solutions for the automotive, consumer, industrial and networking markets. From microcontrollers and microprocessors to sensors, analog ICs and connectivity, [their] technologies are fueling the next great wave of innovation”[www.freescale.com]. Freescale is the leading innovator of application enablement in the industries of things like networking, smart energy, factory automation, and healthcare devices.
Silicon Labs This Austin based company has made its name since its formation in 1996 by being the leading provider of technology in the fields of analog modems, broadband, and broad-based low power wireless sensors.
Loadout, a multiplayer thirdperson shooter made by EoR.
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Artificial Intelligence In Universities The Technological Prowess in Institutions By Shane Aung
D
evices have recently become prominent in our lifestyles, but have you ever taken the time to think about what goes into the process of making the softwares on them? Do you use any voice recognition softwares on your phones? How about those GPS programs in your car? All of these are examples of artificial intelligence at work, and the initial work and research done to develop these softwares originated in universities, and with more research comes more advanced forms of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence, commonly referred to as AI, has been in development since the mid-20th century, with rudimentary research development in computer science departments. In the beginning, it received mixed interest and support. However, since the late 90s, the specific field of computer science has really started to grow. Now, AI is huge in universities and companies in the United States and around the world. Many things in our lives use AI, and few are aware of it. However, we’d definitely notice if it wasn’t there; it’s made many activities in our lives much easier. Much of the work done to make these softwares originated in universities, and more will come from the university researchers of the future. Error 404 | pg 21
University research work in artificial intelligence has taken off in the last few years, with several institutions adding AI courses in their computer science departments. Peter Stone, a professor of computer science and AI at the University of Texas, sees a lot of students beginning to take interest. “From my perspective, it seems like a lot of students enjoy it,” he says. “They take the class and then come to do research later on.” Stone says that most people get their first exposure to AI through science fiction, so new students would be lost when they first started studying it. “But, it seems that when they see the details, they come to appreciate what it can do and what it can be.” Katie Genter, a grad student at the University of Texas, agrees. “Any time I tell students about our robot soccer team, they usually become very interested,” she says. Genter says that robotic soccer is a big section of UT’s artificial intelligence department, and it draws the interest of many. “Additionally, it seems that every time the undergraduate artificial intelligence course it taught, it has a long wait list.” Both Genter and Stone identify prerequisites for going into artificial intelligence. Stone says that the artificial intelligence course is what’s known as an Upper Division course at the University of Texas.
“First and second year, you’re taking more basic computer science courses that introduce you to basic programming and theoretical computer science, and only after getting through those courses then you can take upper division courses like artificial intelligence,” he says. Genter adds that a strong mathematical foundation as well as a strong understanding in computer science is essential. Genter’s individual research project for her PhD has a very useful real-world application. “My thesis project - or the one that I will obtain
Siri is a common example of AI.
my PhD for - focuses on how to influence a pre-exisiting team of agents or robots to behave in a particular way by adding some new teammates to the team where I write the algorithms for how these added teammates should behave,” she says. “Specifically, I am currently focusing on how to influence a flock of simulated birds in a particular way by adding new birds to the flock. One scenario we consider is how to influence the flock to migrate from one point to another while avoiding a dangerous area, such as an airport or wind farm.” If her algorithms for influencing a flock of birds to avoid dangerous area were actually put on lightweight aircrafts or wind turbines, there could be a significant decrease in bird fatalities. Genter’s other project
is related to the Robotic Soccer World Cup, an international competition where artificial intelligence researchers program robots to be able to play soccer autonomously. “My second project focuses on getting a team of five Nao robots to play soccer against teams from around the world in the Standard Platform League at the [World Cup],” she says. “I’m one of our main team leaders, and I mainly work on programming the robots to kick and on programming higher level strategies.” Brad Knox, another student who studied at UT, also had projects involving AI, but in a completely different way. “My undergraduate degree was actually in psychology; I wasn’t in a technical area at all,” Knox says. “My biggest area of interest
Robotic Soccer is a popular application of AI by students.
Photo by cs.utexas..edu
there was a field called operant conditioning. It’s basically the psychological science behind how animals and people learn through reward and punishment; it’s linked to animal training, but it’s also related to how human behaviors get changed. When I decided not to do anything with psychology, I put aside other things I was thinking about doing, and I was brainstorming what I thought would be interesting.” Knox used what he knew to find a field where he could take his knowledge and apply it in a creative way. “I figured that computer science, given my skill set made sense, and specifically, I really wanted to try to create a form of AI that can learn from reward and punishment from a human, and that’s what I worked on as a PhD student,” he says. Photo by flickr.com
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The Computer Science department at UT is where artificial intelligence is researched.
Stone’s reasons for entering the field of artificial intelligence come in two ways. “One is just that I’m fascinated by intelligence, the things that the human brain can do, and in some ways, AI is just finding out how to make computers do things the brain can do,” he says. Stone believes that by creating new artificial intelligence algorithms, we are understanding intelligence itself and the human brain’s process. “The other thing is that I’m just fascinated by the
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possibilities of what computers can do,” Stone says. He sees artificial intelligence as a method of pushing the boundaries of computer science. He also considers AI to be an integral part of the future, with devices such as autonomous cars being prominent soon. Genter, on the other hand, sees artificial intelligence in the eyes of a research student. “AI is a field of computer science that had the ability to revolutionize how we live, so your work feels relevant and useful,” she says.
Photo by cs.utexas.edu
“It is a field that combines many areas of research to produce work that can intelligently interact with the world. Additionally, computer science, and AI especially, are very new fields when compared with many of the other sciences, so there is still plenty of room to have a substantial impact.” Once AI has been implanted into everyday lifestyles, there are no limits in how much it can change your lifestyle.It’s all thanks to the initial work done by university students and teachers.
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In 1977, Mattle introduced their first handheld video game console. It only played one game, called auto race.
The Game Boy, by Nintendo, was released in 1989. 733 games could be played on it, including Tetris, Donkey Kong, and Battleship.
Pre-90’s
The TurboExpress, by NEC, was the first handheld console compatible with non-portable consoles. It was released in 1990 and was essentially the portable version of the TurboGraphx-16, which was also made by NEC.
1990-2000
The Nintendo DS, released in 2004, has dual screens, a microphone, and built in Wi-Fi multiplayer options for wireless play. One of the DS’ screens was touchscreen.
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A History of Handheld Consoles By Aidan Sankar
The Atari Lynx, released in 1989 alongside the game boy, could also play many games. It however, was backlit and in color, while the gameboy was not.
Tiger’s Game.Com, released in 1997, was the first touchscreen handheld console and the first console with internet support (if a seperate modem was purchased along with the console).
The Game Boy Advance, the first 32-bit handheld, was released by Nintendo in 2001.
2001present
The Nintendo 3DS, released in 2011, was the first handheld console to use autostereoscopy, creating the illusion of 3D.
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