Human body language can often speak volumes. Yaser Sheikh, an associate professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, has researched a computer system that can read body language based on finger positions. Currently, the computer can recognize 500 hand gestures at a time, and the ultimate goal is to create a system that can read people's poses using a single camera and computer. New Atlas reported that once the technology is fully operational, human-machine interaction will be possible simply by pointing, and autonomous vehicles will be able to assist by identifying pedestrians entering the roadway or detecting signs of behavioral difficulties.




#SiliconValley_Closed_Startups
Business Insider profiled seven Silicon Valley startups that closed in 2017. These startups, once launched on Kickstarter and valued at up to $3 billion, include Sprig, an organic, high-quality lunchbox delivery service; Quixey, a search engine-powered app; Beepi, a platform for buying and selling used cars; and Yik Yak, an anonymous social media app. Among them, Jawbone, which started business in 1997 and was considered a pioneer in fitness trackers and Bluetooth speakers, is also reported to be closing its doors in July of this year.

#IndieFilmsAlsoMotionCaptureContent
Motion capture is an essential feature in movies to enhance the sense of realism. Rokoko has created a $2,500 smart suit called the Smart Suit Pro, which utilizes motion capture. The suit offers the same high-quality motion capture used in animation. TechCrunch reports that the suit features 19 gyroscope sensors that transmit pointers, making motion capture accessible to even indie filmmakers at a low price.




#Google_Job_Search_Engine
Google has launched a job search feature, displaying information from major online job boards like LinkedIn, Monster, WayUp, DirectEmployers, and Facebook. Users can filter by company industry, location, posting date, and employer, and click to obtain specific information. Google has streamlined the listings to ensure comprehensive coverage across all job categories and eliminated duplicate listings across sites. TechCrunch reported that Google may not reflect this in its filtering because it may differ from personal data and job preferences.




#Future_of_Accounting_Field
Who would win in a low-error-rate competition between the talented Accounting Manager Kim and AI? Alexa alone demonstrates a clear victory for AI. Forbes, in a report titled "The Future of Accounting," highlighted the benefits of AI in accounting. Based on machine learning, AI can audit submitted expenses, analyze invoices, generate invoices without human intervention, identify appropriate combinations, and categorize invoices. It also automates banking processes and assesses threats. It's said to be able to answer accounting's ever-present questions like, "How much did this product generate last quarter?" with uncanny precision.