How can you tell if a friend is lying in a text message? How to dress appropriately in the gym? How to stay safe on the Internet? How long should you wait before tying the knot with someone? What’s a good number of friends to have? Explain: Why do so many people get so angry about politics? Is there anything that hasn’t already been said? How often should you buy a new mattress?An ultra-realistic robot was unveiled last week by researchers from the University of Science and Technology in China (USTC). Jia Jia, as the female robot has been named, is apparently capable of basic communication, interaction with nearby people, and natural facial expressions. Unfortunately, many of her pre-programmed interactions appear to be highly stereotypical. Related: See here for a vacuum cleaning robot For example, if Jia Jia detects that someone is taking a photo of her, she’ll warn the photographer to stand back or else the picture will make her face “look fat.” 

Jia Jia can’t do much beyond that though. Essential human emotional responses like laughing and crying are not in the robot’s repertoire. Her hands have also been left lifeless. She does, however, speak super subserviently. The prompt, “Hello,” elicits the reply, “Yes my lord. What can I do for you?” Related: Yangyang is an eerie female robot that can talk, smile, shake your hand, and hug you We’ve seen a few other ultra-realistic female robots recently. A few weeks ago a 42-year-old product and graphic designer from Hong Kong revealed “Mark 1,” a $50,000 female robot he built himself to resemble Scarlett Johansson. The project, which took a year and a half to complete, was supposedly the fulfillment of a childhood dream. Like Jia Jia, Mark 1 is capable of basic human-like interaction, command responses, and movement. Mark 1 actually outperforms Jia Jia in that the former can move its limbs, turn its head, bow, smirk, and wink. And that’s just the most recent example.

Last year researchers at the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University in Japan and Shanghai Shenqing Industry in China revealed Yangyang, a dynamic robot with an uncanny resemblance to Sarah Palin. Yangyang also seems to do more than Jia Jia with its abilities to hug and shake hands. The USTC researchers spent three years developing Jia Jia, an apparent labor of love. And they aren’t done yet. Team director Chen Xiaoping says he hopes to develop and refine their creation, equipping it with artificial intelligence through deep learning and the ability to recognize people’s facial expressions, according to Xinhua News. Chen hopes Jia Jia will become an intelligence “robot goddess.” He added that the prototype was “priceless” and would not yet consider mass production.After logging in to Yahoo, (using an android phone) use the drop down menu that is in the upper left hand menu. Go through the menu, till you find Answers,. Click on that choice. Once in answers, at the top, find ask, click on the link.

Then enter in your question, which will cost you 5 points.Go to Home | Yahoo AnswersType your question in the box at the upper right.robot vacuum cleaner with uvClick Submit.Could you really not have figured that out?vacuum cleaner stores in san antonioHomeMailFlickrTumblrNewsSportsFinanceCelebrityAnswersGroupsMobileYahooSearchSkip to NavigationSkip to Main ContentSkip to Related Content0MailDecember 8, 2014HONG KONG (Reuters) - An Indonesian domestic helper told a Hong Kong court on Monday that she had been tortured by her employer, with a vacuum cleaner tube placed in her mouth and twisted to cause lacerations, public broadcaster RTHK said.vacuum and deep cleaner comboThe landmark trial, featuring pictures of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih's bruised body, has sparked international outrage at the treatment of maids in the Asian financial center.

Former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono denounced her treatment as torture.Sulistyaningsih's employer, Law Wan-tung, a former beautician, faces 20 charges, including inflicting grievous bodily harm, assault, and criminal intimidation.The public broadcaster said Law appeared calm as she pleaded not guilty to all the charges, except one, of failing to take out an insurance policy for an employee.The domestic helper told the court, through an interpreter, that her employer had slapped, scratched, and punched her.She said her employer had also hit her with hangers, mop handles and a ladder, and she was not paid or allowed enough food or rest, Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK reported.Sulistyaningsih was only allowed to sleep from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and given six pieces of bread and a bowl of rice, she added.While cases of such harsh treatment are rare, Hong Kong's policies on migrant workers have made maids reluctant to report abuse for fear of losing their livelihoods and being deported.

Maids are paid a minimum wage equivalent to about $520, an attractive sum for women fleeing poverty elsewhere in Asia.Hong Kong, a former British territory that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has about 300,000 foreign domestic helpers, most of them from the Philippines and Indonesia.In April, Time magazine ranked Sulistyaningsih among its 100 Most Influential People, alongside Russian president Vladimir Putin and U.S. singer Beyonce.(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)What to Read NextIt wasn’t until we moved into our new home that we learned that you could have your home’s air ducts professionally cleaned! I seriously thought you could just use your vacuum cleaner to do this type of job. I have much to learn about homeownership – and life, in general. But anytime there’s a chance to pay someone to do house work, I’m in! This was actually recommended by our real estate agent and the home inspector, because our home is a flipped home that was recently completely renovated.

So, there were LOTS of dust and debris in the HVAC system and ducts. But, before you pick up the phone to schedule a professional visit, make sure you do a bit of research. You may not have to clean your home’s air ducts at all, or at least you may find that it’s not as urgent as you thought it was. Some people are under the impression that they MUST get their home’s air ducts professionally cleaned to help reduce allergies and improve their HVAC system’s efficacy. While doing this type of cleaning may help, there really isn’t scientific evidence to prove it. According, to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Studies also fail to conclusively demonstrate that dust levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. In fact, dirt and other pollutants can enter your home from outdoor cooking, cleaning, smoking, etc. So, in other words, you’ll always have at least some dust/dirt in your home’s ducts.

So does this mean I don’t have to do this? You could pay someone to get your home’s air ducts cleaned if it gives you peace of mind. However, you should definitely do it if you’re in one of the following situations: There’s visible mold growth inside ducts or other HVAC components. There are excessive amounts of dust or dirt. This could happen after having remodeling work done, like in our situation, for example. There are insects or other small animals calling your air ducts their home. If this is the case, you may have to call an exterminator as well. “What about cleaning air ducts to increase the HVAC efficacy? Well, according to some homeowners’ anecdotal experiences and the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), air duct cleaning does help. Some people have seen a “significant improvement in air flow and air quality” after having their air ducts and HVAC components cleaned, reducing their energy bills. The NADCA recommends cleaning them every three to five years to maximize your HVAC system’s life.

Things to Consider When Choosing an Air Duct Cleaning Service Provider According to the EPA website, here are the things your service provider should do when cleaning your home’s ducts: Inspect the system before cleaning to be sure that there are no asbestos-containing materials in the HVAC system. If asbestos is present, a special cleaning must be done. Use HEPA (high-efficiency particle air) vacuuming equipment if the vacuum exhausts inside the home. Otherwise, use equipment that exhausts outside of the home. Protect carpet and furnishing during cleaning. Use well-controlled brushing of duct surfaces in conjunction with contact vacuum cleaning. Use only soft-bristled brushes for fiberglass duct board and sheet metal ducts internally lined with fiberglass. Take care to protect ductwork, including sealing and re-insulating any access holes so they’re airtight. Follow NADCA’s standards for air duct cleaning and NAIMA’s recommended practice for ducts containing fiberglass or constructed of fiberglass duct board.