Automating

Photo by Scott Graham on UnsplashUsing Python and the mindee API to automate expense reportsIt used to be that employees had to file expense reports by hand, or at least draft them on a spreadsheet. Then computers came along, with built-in spreadsheets that made it easier to generate and track reports. But what if you could automate the entire data entry process itself to facilitate generating expense reports from images of receipts?In this article, I will show you the steps to automate expense reports using Python.The…

As a bevy of classic Hollywood movies has shown, truck driving is an occupation intertwined with American ideals of freedom and machismo. But technology is threatening the trucker’s traditional independence. Seeking to reduce crashes, the federal government issued a mandate in 2017 that truckers use Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) to record their driving hours, replacing pencil-and-paper logs that were easily fudged. Are ELDs unwarranted surveillance, or are they a vital safety technology? The answer depends on whom you…

This is going to be another one of those “let’s ask ourselves some difficult questions” newsletter introductions, so if you’re in the U.S., I certainly won’t blame you for not giving Actuator your full attention until after the holiday. I generally approach these conversations through the same basic lens: a majority of technologies are neither inherently good nor bad. At the end of the day, it’s up to us as the arbiters of such trends to influence the resulting impact they have on this planet and its inhabitants. Nor…

Deploy TensorFlow ResNet50 on SageMaker InferenceImage from Unsplash by Possessed PhotographyIn the past I’ve written about deploying pre-trained models on Amazon SageMaker. While the artifact I published is replicable it requires understanding of AWS SDKs and the appropriate API calls, along with an understanding of the higher level SageMaker Python SDK.This can be a lot to digest for new users and to make the experience simpler, I’ve helped build an API that automates a lot of the lower level work a user had to…

All parties involved in the content creation process know just how much time, effort and financial resources go into it. Writing a piece of content with a chance of ranking at the top of the search results takes up a good chunk of those resources. As companies grow and develop, the resources available for projects (especially time) can diminish. In this article, we will discuss how to leverage content research and automation tools to cut corners and preserve valuable resources. Take advantage…

SwitchBot, the smart home company that takes robotics to places no one imagined, has come up with another ingenious gadget. The new $69 SwitchBot Blind Tilt launches today on Kickstarter, with orders expected to ship before Christmas. And, yes, it looks as ugly as you’d expect. But as an inexpensive way to replicate the benefits of smart shades, it’s a promising product. Automated motorized shades and blinds are something of a luxury as they’re generally very expensive — starting at around $300 to $400 per window and…

The Apple keynote day is upon us and, as usual, Apple nerds will descend upon Twitter and endlessly share their thoughts for a few hours. In lieu of excitedly eating popcorn, we’re collectively leaned in toward our iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs, ready to share hot takes, funny quips, and the latest news. Nothing else quite brings us all together — except maybe some fun automations.To get the best of both worlds, here’s a set of shortcuts you can use on keynote day to get set up to watch, organize your live-tweeting…

Samson Amore / dot.LA: LA-based GrayMatter Robotics, which makes AI-powered robots for automating tedious or ergonomically challenging factory tasks for humans, raised a $20M Series A — Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He previously covered technology and entertainment for TheWrap and reported … Samson Amore / dot.LA: LA-based GrayMatter Robotics, which makes AI-powered robots for automating tedious or ergonomically challenging factory tasks for humans, raised a $20M Series A …

A smart Computer Vision and NodeJS based solution that turns off the lights when not in use, and saves power.Photo by Henry McIntosh on UnsplashIt is common to see visuals in homes and offices with illuminated spaces having few people or none in the near vicinity.Apart from costing more, this kind of illumination also has a negative impact on the environment. We’re increasing dependency on our limited, non-renewable sources of energy to generate electricity, which is often wasted.While our energy usage at home is nominal,…

Amazon is making a bunch of changes to the Alexa user experience, all with the same idea in mind: making the virtual assistant easier to use. The most notable is a change in how Alexa handles Routines, which developers can now create and recommend to users instead of requiring you to manually build your own automations. Alexa’s also starting to coexist with other manufacturers’ assistants, and Amazon is working to make sure that the most important commands — like “Stop!” — work no matter what wake word you’re using.…