Ways to use 4G data while paying 3G rates

Ways to use 4G data while paying 3G rates

With mobile companies offering faster 4G data service at 3G rates, many customers are shifting to the newer technology. After all, who does not want more speed at the same price? But here’s a catch — faster speed means quicker usage of data packs.

However, just because 4G consumes more data, one does not have to stick with 3G to save on data consumption. Checking emails, sending and receiving messages over WhatsApp, checking Facebook and Twitter doesn’t eat much of your data. Usually, streaming media services like videos and games dries up a large chunk of data.

If you can change settings of your apps and proactively manage their data consumption, you can reduce your 4G bill. For example, if you go to YouTube app’s settings, you can choose to stream HD videos only when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi. Similarly, in video conference apps such as Skype, you can opt for lower quality video.Read more.

New software can recognise unseen events in YouTube videos

New software can recognise unseen events in YouTube videos

Scientists have developed a computer software that can recognise events in YouTubevideos, even those that it has not previously seen.

The new approach uses both scene and object features from the video and enables associations between these visual elements and each type of event to be automatically determined and weighted by a machine-learning architecture known as a neural network.

The approach not only works better than other methods in recognising events in videos, but is significantly better at identifying events that that the computer programme has never or rarely encountered previously, said Leonid Sigal, senior research scientist at Disney Research.

These events can include such things as riding a horse, baking cookies or eating at a restaurant.

"Automated techniques are essential for indexing, searching and analysing the incredible amount of video being created and uploaded daily to the Internet," said Jessica Hodgins, vice president at Disney Research.

"With multiple hours of video being uploaded to YouTube every second, there's no way to describe all of that content manually," Hodgins said. Read more.