11 October 2017

Tinder vs. OkCupid vs. Match vs. Happn: What’s the Right Dating App for You?


dating-apps-which

In today’s world, dating can be difficult for some. Before the digital age, one could try going to bars or other public places to try and find “the one,” but this doesn’t work as well now, especially with introverts. Fortunately, we live in a time that’s ruled by apps and services on our smartphones to help us find our soulmate. However, with so many different dating apps out there, how do you know which one is the right one for you? Don’t worry, we’re going to break down four popular choices for you so you don’t have to guess which...

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Amazon Unveils the First Waterproof Kindle


Amazon has unveiled the All-New Kindle Oasis. And while it’s still an expensive proposition, it also boasts some improvements over its predecessor. The biggest of which is its ability to survive getting wet, which means, for the first time ever, you can feel confident reading your Kindle in the bath. All-New Kindle Oasis E-reader - 7" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi), Waterproof, Built-In Audible, 8 GB, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers All-New Kindle Oasis E-reader - 7" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi), Waterproof, Built-In Audible, 8 GB, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers Our largest, highest resolution display- 7" and 300 ppi, reads...

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TensorFlow Lattice: Flexibility Empowered by Prior Knowledge




(Cross-posted on the Google Open Source Blog)

Machine learning has made huge advances in many applications including natural language processing, computer vision and recommendation systems by capturing complex input/output relationships using highly flexible models. However, a remaining challenge is problems with semantically meaningful inputs that obey known global relationships, like “the estimated time to drive a road goes up if traffic is heavier, and all else is the same.” Flexible models like DNNs and random forests may not learn these relationships, and then may fail to generalize well to examples drawn from a different sampling distribution than the examples the model was trained on.

Today we present TensorFlow Lattice, a set of prebuilt TensorFlow Estimators that are easy to use, and TensorFlow operators to build your own lattice models. Lattices are multi-dimensional interpolated look-up tables (for more details, see [1--5]), similar to the look-up tables in the back of a geometry textbook that approximate a sine function. We take advantage of the look-up table’s structure, which can be keyed by multiple inputs to approximate an arbitrarily flexible relationship, to satisfy monotonic relationships that you specify in order to generalize better. That is, the look-up table values are trained to minimize the loss on the training examples, but in addition, adjacent values in the look-up table are constrained to increase along given directions of the input space, which makes the model outputs increase in those directions. Importantly, because they interpolate between the look-up table values, the lattice models are smooth and the predictions are bounded, which helps to avoid spurious large or small predictions in the testing time.

How Lattice Models Help You
Suppose you are designing a system to recommend nearby coffee shops to a user. You would like the model to learn, “if two cafes are the same, prefer the closer one.” Below we show a flexible model (pink) that accurately fits some training data for users in Tokyo (purple), where there are many coffee shops nearby. The pink flexible model overfits the noisy training examples, and misses the overall trend that a closer cafe is better. If you used this pink model to rank test examples from Texas (blue), where businesses are spread farther out, you would find it acted strangely, sometimes preferring farther cafes!
Slice through a model’s feature space where all the other inputs stay the same and only distance changes. A flexible function (pink) that is accurate on training examples from Tokyo (purple) predicts that a cafe 10km-away is better than the same cafe if it was 5km-away. This problem becomes more evident at test-time if the data distribution has shifted, as shown here with blue examples from Texas where cafes are spread out more.
A monotonic flexible function (green) is both accurate on training examples and can generalize for Texas examples compared to non-monotonic flexible function (pink) from the previous figure.
In contrast, a lattice model, trained over the same example from Tokyo, can be constrained to satisfy such a monotonic relationship and result in a monotonic flexible function (green). The green line also accurately fits the Tokyo training examples, but also generalizes well to Texas, never preferring farther cafes.

In general, you might have many inputs about each cafe, e.g., coffee quality, price, etc. Flexible models have a hard time capturing global relationships of the form, “if all other inputs are equal, nearer is better, ” especially in parts of the feature space where your training data is sparse and noisy. Machine learning models that capture prior knowledge (e.g. how inputs should impact the prediction) work better in practice, and are easier to debug and more interpretable.

Pre-built Estimators
We provide a range of lattice model architectures as TensorFlow Estimators. The simplest estimator we provide is the calibrated linear model, which learns the best 1-d transformation of each feature (using 1-d lattices), and then combines all the calibrated features linearly. This works well if the training dataset is very small, or there are no complex nonlinear input interactions. Another estimator is a calibrated lattice model. This model combines the calibrated features nonlinearly using a two-layer single lattice model, which can represent complex nonlinear interactions in your dataset. The calibrated lattice model is usually a good choice if you have 2-10 features, but for 10 or more features, we expect you will get the best results with an ensemble of calibrated lattices, which you can train using the pre-built ensemble architectures. Monotonic lattice ensembles can achieve 0.3% -- 0.5% accuracy gain compared to Random Forests [4], and these new TensorFlow lattice estimators can achieve 0.1 -- 0.4% accuracy gain compared to the prior state-of-the-art in learning models with monotonicity [5].

Build Your Own
You may want to experiment with deeper lattice networks or research using partial monotonic functions as part of a deep neural network or other TensorFlow architecture. We provide the building blocks: TensorFlow operators for calibrators, lattice interpolation, and monotonicity projections. For example, the figure below shows a 9-layer deep lattice network [5].
Example of a 9-layer deep lattice network architecture [5], alternating layers of linear embeddings and ensembles of lattices with calibrators layers (which act like a sum of ReLU’s in Neural Networks). The blue lines correspond to monotonic inputs, which is preserved layer-by-layer, and hence for the entire model. This and other arbitrary architectures can be constructed with TensorFlow Lattice because each layer is differentiable.
In addition to the choice of model flexibility and standard L1 and L2 regularization, we offer new regularizers with TensorFlow Lattice:
  • Monotonicity constraints [3] on your choice of inputs as described above.
  • Laplacian regularization [3] on the lattices to make the learned function flatter.
  • Torsion regularization [3] to suppress un-necessary nonlinear feature interactions.
We hope TensorFlow Lattice will be useful to the larger community working with meaningful semantic inputs. This is part of a larger research effort on interpretability and controlling machine learning models to satisfy policy goals, and enable practitioners to take advantage of their prior knowledge. We’re excited to share this with all of you. To get started, please check out our GitHub repository and our tutorials, and let us know what you think!

Acknowledgements
Developing and open sourcing TensorFlow Lattice was a huge team effort. We’d like to thank all the people involved: Andrew Cotter, Kevin Canini, David Ding, Mahdi Milani Fard, Yifei Feng, Josh Gordon, Kiril Gorovoy, Clemens Mewald, Taman Narayan, Alexandre Passos, Christine Robson, Serena Wang, Martin Wicke, Jarek Wilkiewicz, Sen Zhao, Tao Zhu

References
[1] Lattice Regression, Eric Garcia, Maya Gupta, Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS), 2009
[2] Optimized Regression for Efficient Function Evaluation, Eric Garcia, Raman Arora, Maya R. Gupta, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 2012
[3] Monotonic Calibrated Interpolated Look-Up Tables, Maya Gupta, Andrew Cotter, Jan Pfeifer, Konstantin Voevodski, Kevin Canini, Alexander Mangylov, Wojciech Moczydlowski, Alexander van Esbroeck, Journal of Machine Learning Research (JMLR), 2016
[4] Fast and Flexible Monotonic Functions with Ensembles of Lattices, Mahdi Milani Fard, Kevin Canini, Andrew Cotter, Jan Pfeifer, Maya Gupta, Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS), 2016
[5] Deep Lattice Networks and Partial Monotonic Functions, Seungil You, David Ding, Kevin Canini, Jan Pfeifer, Maya R. Gupta, Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS), 2017



The BIG List of the Easiest Music Learning Websites Today


music-learning-websites

You have a love for music and a desire to make your own melodies. But you just don’t know where to begin. Maybe you are interested in rocking a guitar like Eric Clapton or striking the ivory keys like Liberace. Does this sound like you? Using online lessons means you can learn to play an instrument at your own pace and when you have the time. Whatever your musical taste or instrument of choice, this list of sites is the perfect start to creating those sweet sounds. Learn Music Theory and Sheet Music Reading notes, learning musical terms, and understanding...

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Now is the time to plan for the autonomous vehicle future


Here in Seattle, we are proposing to convert Interstate-5 between Seattle and Vancouver, over a number of years, into an autonomous vehicle-only highway.  Seattle and Vancouver are vibrant cities, but the transportation between them is tedious and impedes valuable economic partnerships. Read More
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5 Common Cryptocurrency Scams and How to Avoid Them


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How do you avoid cryptocurrency scams? The easiest way is just to stay at home and don’t play with your hard-earned cash. But if you’re determined to invest in the somewhat risky world of cryptocurrency, there are a few common scams you should be aware of. As with any scam, being caught out is going to hit you hard. We don’t want that. Here are five common scams, and how to avoid being caught out. 1. Shady Exchanges The explosive popularity of Bitcoin and other altcoins has seen a huge rise in cryptocurrency exchanges. They all want your attention, and...

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How to Make a Time-Lapse Video by Converting a Standard Video


time-lapse-video

Time-lapse videos are always stunning. It doesn’t matter if it’s a recording of something amazing or utterly mundane. Watching the staccato motion and seeing several hours compressed into a few seconds or minutes… it’s a bit like time travel, isn’t it? Making a time-lapse video usually takes a lot time. You need to have a suitable camera, enough storage for the photos, a reliable stand or tripod, and good weather conditions if you’re outside. Time-lapse videos can take a while to get right, and this might require several attempts. Want to make a time-lapse video but don’t have the patience...

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PornHub uses computer vision to ID actors, acts in its videos


 They say porn adopts new technologies first and PornHub [NSFW], a site that is as NSFW as it sounds, is proving that old adage true. The site – which receives 80 million visitors a day – found that its old, antiquated methods of tagging videos by hand was not sufficient. Rather than hire someone to go through the hundreds of thousands of videos and tag them by hand, the team at… Read More
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U.S. consumers are spending 10 hours per year in shopping apps


 Mobile shopping is on the rise, with U.S. consumers now spending nearly 50 minutes in shopping apps per month, or 10 hours per year, according to a new report out this morning from App Annie. Digital-first shopping apps, like those from Amazon, Etsy, Wish and others, are also growing more quickly in terms of total sessions and monthly usage, compared to shopping apps from traditional… Read More

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No, Linux Doesn’t Need an Antivirus or Firewall


linux-security

Linux isn’t invulnerable. In fact, that’s one of the most common cybersecurity myths that gets Linux users into trouble. This belief makes it easy to put your guard down, and when your guard is down, that’s when you’re most likely to get sucker punched. But just because Linux has security holes doesn’t mean you need antivirus or firewall software. While you may decide to install one anyway — and there’s nothing wrong with that — here are a few reasons why it may not be as helpful as you think. Why Linux Doesn’t Need an Antivirus Malware for Linux desktops...

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Get Better Battery Life on Android Without Root Using This App


better-battery-life-android

If there’s one thing every smartphone user can agree on, it’s that we want better battery life. Fortunately, it’s becoming more achievable than ever. One of the best root apps for getting longer battery life on Android, called Naptime, is now available for every device running Marshmallow or later — even on phones that aren’t rooted. It can extend your time between charges by hours. Let’s take a look. Download: Naptime (Free) Doze and Naptime Android introduced a new feature in Marshmallow, subsequently refined in Nougat and Oreo, aimed at extending the battery life of all phones and tablets. It’s...

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Zenefits rolls out a performance management tool


 When we last saw Zenefits, the company essentially handed off one of its initial core selling points — insurance brokerage — off to partners. Since that rebrand rolled out, Zenefits seems to be following the sort of drip-drip-drip of updates that many startups trying to create a sort of “home” for a core employee experience. That continues today with the launch of… Read More

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15 Mortal Kombat Facts and Secrets You Didn’t Know


mk-secrets

Mortal Kombat is one of the most successful and long-running video game series of all time. With 25 games, two major movies, a slew of comic books, and even a Kombat Kon, the series has as much cultural impact as any other game out there — and maybe more. Even the most video game-illiterate recognize the name Mortal Kombat, and it’s hard to imagine that any serious gamer hasn’t played at least a couple entries in the series. But with over two decades of history, there’s a lot more going on than flying kicks and scantily-clad ninjas. Here are 15...

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Google shuts YouTube channel implicated in Kremlin political propaganda ops


 A YouTube channel that had been implicated in Russia disinformation operations to target the U.S. 2016 election has been taken down by Google.   Read More
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How to Find the Most Popular Articles in Your Twitterverse


There are many services that help with content discovery on the web, but since Twitter is one of the best social networks for curating popular content, perhaps it makes more sense to look to Twitter for web content discovery. Twitter recently rolled out a Popular Articles feature in its iOS and Android apps that shows you a selection of popular content in your network. How It Works Open the Twitter mobile app and go to the Search tab. Scroll down past the trending topics down to Popular Articles, near the very end of the tab. The articles that are listed have either...

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Google shuts YouTube channel implicated in Kremlin political propaganda ops


 A YouTube channel that had been implicated in Russia disinformation operations to target the U.S. 2016 election has been taken down by Google.   Read More
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How to Open Files/Folders With Only One Click in Windows


Yes, we know opening files and folders on Windows isn’t a particularly taxing endeavor. A quick double-click and you’re in. If you struggle to double-click fast enough, you can change the speed by going to Settings > Devices > Mouse > Additional mouse options > Double Click Speed and adjusting the slider. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you could even right-click on the item and select Open from the context menu! That’s all great, but did you know there was a way to open files and folders with a single click instead of a double click? How to Open Files/Folders With...

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How to Make the Enter Key in Excel Move a Different Direction


Working in Excel spreadsheets is all about saving time. You don’t want to have any slowdowns in your workflow that decrease your productivity. To that end, you’ve hopefully set up your own Excel keyboard shortcuts and know the best ways around the software. There’s a small but useful change you can make to how the Enter button functions. Out of the box, pressing Enter will move the highlighted box down by one cell. But if you prefer, you can change this so Enter moves the selected box one cell to the right instead. Start by clicking File in the top-left...

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This Podcast Search Engine Helps You Discover New Shows You’ll Love


Podcasts have made a triumphant return, but podcast users still struggle with one thing: the problem of discovery. With so many podcasts out there, how do you find ones you’ll actually enjoy? Of course there are many ways to discover podcasts, and modern podcast managers come with recommendation features, but now you can use a search engine that helps sift through it all and lets you discover the next best podcasts for your tastes. It’s Like Google, But for Podcasts That’s what it says on Listen Notes. The developer clearly wants to highlight the way the search engine works: you...

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Facebook seriously needs its own Bitmoji


 Your Facebook profile used to be the online version of “you”. But over the past year, Bitmoji has usurped Facebook to become the preferred way to share your identity over the web. The Facebook profile assembles a collection of text and real-world photos into a fixed set of poses, making it more of a snapshot of the offline you ported into the digital realm rather than a vision of… Read More

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A messed up Google Home Mini recorded a tech reporter 24/7


 The idea of inviting an always-on recording device into our bedrooms would have once seemed beyond creepy, but now most consumers hardly give it a second thought. As Android Police reports, a small number of Google Home Mini review units given to tech reviewers malfunctioned, persistently recording audio in the background without being activated by a hotword. Read More

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Google acqui-hires team at podcast app 60dB, service will shut down next month


 Short-form podcast app 60dB will be shutting down next month and its team will be joining Google in an apparent acqui-hire. Google confirmed the deal to TechCrunch, with a spokesperson noting that it was not a formal acquisition, rather the company had “purchased some assets” and that members of the team would be joining Google. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Read More
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A batch of SNES Classic Editions goes on sale tomorrow


 If you’ve had bad luck so far in trying to nab an SNES Classic Edition, you’ll have a fresh chance tomorrow. Two major retailers have announced they have stock in hand and will be selling it starting October 11. Read More

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Social media monitor Brandwatch acquires content marketing platform BuzzSumo


 Brandwatch, a social media monitoring company, has acquired BuzzSumo, a content marketing and influencer identification platform, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition adds an important arrow into Brandwatch’s quiver. Expect more from this company, which seems intent on creating a suite of powerful tools for online marketers. Read More
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Intel moves towards production quantum computing with new 17-qubit chip


 Intel’s quantum computing efforts have yielded a new 17-qubit chip, which the company has just delivered to its partner in that field, QuTech. It’s not a major advance in the actual computing power or applications — those are still in very early days — but it’s a step towards production systems that can be ordered and delivered to spec rather than experimental… Read More

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