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Hackaton season: developing on Apple Watch, Pebble and more

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If you’ve never heard about a hackaton, you can just imagine putting together a marathon and hacking and developing and coding and that’s what a hackaton essentially is. Although it sounds complicated, this year the Techsylvania Hackaton in Cluj, Romania will be as fun and entertaining as it will be hard. Developers from across the country and even from abroad can participate in the massive 24 hour hackaton for a chance to earn neat prizes and have their app demonstrated in front of specialists from Google, Uber, Words with Friends and many more.

The Techsylvania Hackaton is going to take place between June 6 and 7 and it accepts any developers, big or small to participate in the massive event. Contestants will be able to hack on a variety of devices, including the Apple Watch, Pebble, Oculus Rift, LeapMotion, EyeTribe tracker, Vector smart watch (which is the first time in Romania), Moto 360, Google Glass, Sphero, Up by Jawbone and many more.

There will be more than 100 developers at the Techsylvania Hackaton and the catch is that they can’t prepare. They can use open-source APIs and software development kits, but other then that, the challenge of the hackaton is to create something new, creative and innovative right on the spot. Those who would like to participate in the Hackaton will have to pay about 30 euros to enter and registrations are still open. Don’t be afraid to go alone, though, as you will be able to join teams that are already there or form teams with other people who came alone. If you’re convinced already, check out the rules and frequently asked questions about the hackaton here and go get registered. If you’re not convinced, read on, I trust you’ll find this interesting. Also, check out the highlights video from Techsylvania and Hackaton 2014 below!

The Hackaton will not only include developers sweating over an Apple Watch, for 24 hours, though. There will be food, there will be drinks, and most importantly: there will be coaching sessions and hopefully, we’ll also be there to poke our noses into your new projects. You need to keep in mind that once you’re a participant in the hackaton, you are going to have to develop and show off something. It’s an excellent opportunity to socialize with other developers and people who are fascinated by software and technology, all the while working on your own skills and learning about pitching your own products to investors during the follow-up conferences. More about that tomorrow!

This is not the first edition of the Techsylvania Hackaton, though. Last year’s hackaton was a great success, as Borat would say, and the top three projects which were deemed worthy of prizes were shown off in front of the crowd attending the Techsylvania conference. The winners will receive free entry to these conferences, which albeit doesn’t sound like much, is actually a great opportunity for networking, especially for developers, seeing as the speakers present there will no doubt be interested in what you did to the Apple Watch and the Pebble to earn a prize. Speakers from Google, Uber, Bitdefender, Words with Friends and many more will be there at the conference and you might get a chance to interact with hem afterwards.

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A glimpse of what there is to come to Hackaton Techsylvania

Although the hackaton is not for everyone, it does demonstrate that the technology scene, if I may, has progressed a lot in Romania. If you’re not familiar with this European country, you should know that it’s developing crazy fast and software developers like the ones participating in the hackaton are a big part of this development. Alongside the start-up scene, the developer scene in Romania has seen a boom in recent years, in part thanks to last year’s hackaton and the Techsylvania conference.

Last year at the 2014 hackaton, we got to see apps like SecurEye revolutionize the way in which we interact with ATMs and security checks, Heart Attack Detective getting out timely emergency calls to services in case of heartbeat irregularities, Marionette turn 2048 3D with Google Glass and LeapMotion and many others. You can check out the full list of apps that the hackaton participants developed last year in this blog post. There were Oculus Rift apps, Pebble apps, Onyx Beacon apps, Withings apps, Up by Jawbone apps and many more, so we expect this year’s hackaton to be even more amazing.

If you are curious about Hackaton Techsylvania, keep an eye on Geek Reply as we will be following up with more information about the conferences, speakers, developers, producers, past projects, events and organizers soon enough. We will also be at the event and keep you up to date with what developers are working on. Since Romania is not most well known for its IT and developer community, the Techsylvania Hackaton and conferences are a great way to get word out there and raise awareness about the geniuses that participate in these events.

We are gearing up for Hackaton Techsylvania and a slew of interesting conversations with Google’s branding evangelist Peter Juszczynski, Bitdefender CEO Florin Talpes, Words with Friends creator David Bettner, Mailbox co-founder Gentry Underwood, former Siri board member Frank Meehan, Senior developer advocate at PayPal Cristiano Betta and many more. We’re also looking forward to the new apps hackaton contestants will develop for all the devices that will be available to them. Stay tuned for more innovation from a part of Europe you might have never heard about!

As part of the editorial team here at Geekreply, John spends a lot of his time making sure each article is up to snuff. That said, he also occasionally pens articles on the latest in Geek culture. From Gaming to Science, expect the latest news fast from John and team.

Gadgets

Remake of Silent Hill 2 Dev is “Very Safe” with Any Changes

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The developer of the PS5 recreation of Silent Hill 2, Bloober Team, has said it will take a “very conservative approach” to whatever alterations it makes. Chief marketing officer Anna Jasiska claims that the Polish developer is being very cautious when making changes because they want to remain authentic to the PS2 masterpiece. However, we are making changes to some areas where time has passed and things need to be modernized.

While maintaining “the conventional tale canon,” the team is concentrating on “putting the distinct, visceral atmosphere back in the modernized Silent Hill 2” and modernizing the gameplay and graphics “from the ground up.” Hardcore fans shouldn’t worry that the developer “missed the point” of the original title, Bloober Team then emphasizes. We simply have some thoughts on how to make the odd fright components more accessible to the present audience. “We are not moving away from the original objective of making this cult masterpiece,” the statement continued.

Pyramid Head sexually rapes an enemy in a kitchen quite early in the game, and this is one particular scene Jasiska is questioned about. Jasiska effectively answered “no comment” when asked if the cutscene had been changed or not.

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Out of several other studios, Bloober Team was selected by Konami to oversee the production of the Silent Hill 2 remake. This decision was reportedly made because of Bloober Team’s “commitment and enthusiasm for horror.” The Layers of Fear series, Blair Witch, and The Medium are some of its earlier games. Because so many Bloober Team employees are ardent fans of the game, our business was astounded when we learned of this wonderful news.

The PS5 console exclusive Silent Hill 2 doesn’t yet have a release date, but given that it is in the last stages of development, this year’s release looks feasible.

 

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Artificial Intelligence

Using AI to develop arithmetic algorithms that are more effective

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Using AI, researchers at Google’s DeepMind in London have discovered that matrix multiplication issues can be solved more quickly. The team outlines enhancing math-based algorithms through reinforcement learning in their research that was published in the journal Nature. In the same journal issue, a Research Briefing detailing the work done by the London team was also released.

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In computer programming, math is frequently used to describe and then manipulate representations of real-world phenomena. It can be used to represent nodes in a synthetic network, meteorological conditions, or pixels on a computer screen. Calculations on matrices are one of the main ways that math is used in these situations. Matrixes can be used, for instance, to describe potential movement options in game programming. Matrices are frequently multiplied or added to in order to effectuate such movements; occasionally, both operations are required. This is labor-intensive, especially as the matrices get bigger, therefore computer scientists have devoted a lot of time and effort to creating ever-more-effective algorithms to do the task.

In this new endeavor, the DeepMind researchers questioned whether it may be feasible to deploy an AI system based on reinforcement learning to develop new algorithms with fewer steps than those already in use. They sought inspiration from gaming systems to learn the answer, observing that the majority of them are based on reinforcement learning. The team focused on tree searching after developing a few prototype systems, which is also used in game programming. It gives a system a way to consider multiple options in light of a specific condition. The researchers discovered that turning an AI system into a game allowed for searching for the most effective technique to arrive at a desired outcome—a mathematical result—when used to multiplying matrices.

The system was put to the test by the researchers by having it look for, evaluate, and employ pre-existing algorithms while utilizing incentives to select the most effective one. The system gained knowledge of the elements that affect the effectiveness of matrix multiplication. The researchers then gave the system the freedom to develop its own algorithm in an effort to increase efficiency. The researchers discovered that the algorithms selected by the system were frequently superior than those developed by their human forebears.

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Gadgets

Arriving with higher speeds and a new high-gloss look is Google’s Nest WiFi Pro.

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As is believed, a single pack Google’s Nest Wifi Pro costs $200, and three cost $400.

As anticipated, Google has announced the Nest WiFi Pro mesh router system, which features a sleeker appearance, WiFi 6E speeds that are quicker, and a straightforward setup. When Google’s new smart home protocol debuts, it will also function as a Matter hub, although it costs a little more than the existing Nest WiFi router.

The Nest WiFi Pro has a similar circular appearance to the previous version, but Google claims it utilizes a high-gloss material “inspired by ceramics” that is made of more than 60% recycled materials overall. In comparison to the WiFi Nest, which has a softer matte surface, it appears incredibly glossy in the promotional photographs. To fit nicely with most houses, it is available in four earth tone-inspired tones, “Snow,” “Linen,” “Fog,” and “Lemongrass.”

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A crucial component is the tri-band WiFi 6E protocol, which Google claims offers “a quicker and more direct path to the most dependable internet connection” and operates on the less congested 6Ghz frequency. The end result is speeds that can be up to twice as fast and support for the most recent smartphones and other WiFi 6E-compatible devices. It prioritizes high-bandwidth activity like video chats or streaming while analyzing network performance and optimizing connections to keep things moving swiftly.

The Nest WiFi Pro is compatible with the majority of smart home devices that are linked, and it has the speed to simultaneously handle video chats, 4K films, and security camera feeds. According to Google, a single router can span 2,200 square feet. It has a Thread border router built in to link smart home appliances via a low-power mesh. When Google’s new Matter smart home protocol debuts later this year, it will support it as well.

You’ll spend more than the existing Nest WiFi gadget for all of it. One unit costs $200 (as opposed to $169 for the existing Nest WiFi router), two units cost $300, and three units cost $400. Pre-orders are currently available, and shipment will begin on October 27.

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