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Other Sheffield events

The 'Ultimate' Survival Guide to Computers

Past event - 2017
15 May Door 7pm
Event 7.30pm-9.30pm
Couch, 29-31 Campo Lane,
Sheffield S1 2EG
The devices in our pockets hold more power than the rocket that first took people to the moon. With the progress of technology showing no sign of stopping, we present three talks aimed at giving you a sneak peek into some of the crazy complex processes that our mobile computers are capable of doing. Please note that this event takes place on the ground floor and is accessible for those with impaired mobility.

Alcohol, hot and cold drinks will be on offer and there will cakes and snacks available.

Genie in the mike: The Science of Talking with Machines

Erfan Loweimi (PhD Student in Computer Science)
Have you ever wondered what is going on inside Amazon Alexa or Apple Siri? Something is asked and the system responds with barely any hesitation. Yet, in that short interval a task of enormous complexity has been performed. Although our brain solves these problems without effort, its algorithms are almost unknown. How do engineers go about emulating the brain's performance and enabling machines to listen, learn and understand? How far are the state-of-the-art systems from a human-level solution?

How to Avoid Information Overload

Andy Tattersall (Information Specialist)
Do you feel overwhelmed and distracted by all of the emails, text messages, website and social media updates, likes, pings, pokes, snapchats? Two things are certain, you are not alone and those distractions are not going to go away unless you get a handle on them. As the amount of content we generate on the web continues to grow at a rapid pace and we look to make better use of our time, personally and professionally, Andy Tattersall will show you some of the ways you can do to take back control. All you need is willpower and a terrible wifi connection.

Your (not so) smart TV is currently busy with taking down the Internet

Dr Achim Brucker (Associate Professor, Computer Science)
More and more devices of our daily life are "smart": ranging from smart light bulbs to smart TVs to smart fridges - everything can, and most likely will be, in the future connected to the Internet. More and more people are already used to remotely controlling their heating at home using their smart phone. In this talk, we will explain the technology behind the "smart things" and discuss the how your smart thermostat and your neighbour's TV might be hijacked to take down the Internet.
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