Finding the dog pictures you want on Flickr just got easier
Flickr is finally catching up to the likes of Google Photos and Google Search. Now when you check out Yahoo’s photo sharing site you can find all manner of visually similar pictures just by clicking the “…” button on an image. From there, you should find relevant and, as the name suggests, similar photos to what you had in mind. Yahoo explains that this uses computer vision to achieve its results. There’s a lot in that post to digest, but the key takeaway is that with time, it’ll get better at delivering the bloodhound photos you’re craving. And if you want to try using Yahoo’s Locally Optimized Product Quantization for your own sorting techniques, it’s open source. Get crackin’!
Via: Petapixel
Source: Yahoo (Tumblr) (1), (2), GitHub
‘No Man’s Sky’ teases a new way to roam your home planet
Exploring your home planet in No Man’s Sky is about to get easier. Hello Games has announced it’s adding a new vehicle to the space sim in its upcoming “Path Finder” update.
Fans have speculated about whether or not the game will get a ground vehicle since last November, when a Reddit user found files containing 3D models, icons and textures. There was even a folder conspicuously called “buggy.”
Path Finder is No Man’s Sky’s second major content patch. Its first update, Foundation, came out in November and added base building, freighters, and farming. Hello Games said it was well-received by the community.
“Shortly after we launched the Foundation Update, we released a number of patches to address issues reported by players before beginning work on the Path Finder update,” it said in a blog post. “We were surprised and excited by the response to Foundation, and we have been listening carefully to community feedback since then. To those of you who have spent time sharing feedback, whether positive or negative, we are listening. This is the next step in our journey. It shows the path forward.”
Hello Games has been trying to win back disappointed fans since No Man’s Sky’s launch. Many felt the game failed to live up to its hype, as this YouTube video hilariously demonstrates. The UK-based Advertising Standards Authority even investigated whether or not its marketing was misleading (spoiler: it wasn’t).
The Path Finder update is coming out later this week, but Hello Games hasn’t released more information on what changes it’ll bring. Players will just have to wait and read the detailed patch notes when it goes live.
Via: GamesRadar
Source: Hello Games
AT&T’s New DirecTV Now Loyalty Promo Includes Free HBO for 12 Months or $5 Off for 6 Months
AT&T today announced a new loyalty reward for its DirecTV Now subscribers, offering free HBO for 12 months or $5 off for six months.
All existing customers with active DirecTV Now accounts that were created before March 6, 2017 can claim the loyalty reward. Customers with the “Go Big” and “Gotta Have It” plans will get 12 months of free HBO, while customers with the “Live a Little” and “Just Right” plans will get the $5 off reward.
Customers eligible for the HBO reward will be able to use their DirecTV Now login information to access HBOGo, and the HBO subscription will be listed in their Payment History as a $0 charge. Those who already have an HBO subscription will be automatically credited during the 12-month duration of the promotion.
Because the HBO add-on is priced at $5 per month, customers with the smaller plans can use their $5 credit to get free HBO access for six months.
DirecTV Now subscribers are receiving emails about the promotion starting this afternoon.
You’re getting HBO included with your existing package through March 7, 2018. You literally don’t need to do a single thing other than enjoy all of HBO with unlimited access to the most entertaining movies, addictive series, family favorites and more.
Why now? Why you?
Simply put, we want to thank you for being one of our most valuable customers and coming on this unprecedented journey with us. We’re dedicated to making DIRECTV NOW the best streaming entertainment product in the industry, and because of you, we’re on our way. So go on, keep enjoying the huge library of the best entertainment with unlimited access to all of HBO–anytime, anywhere. Want more deets? Check out our FAQ.”
HBO access will be granted automatically to eligible accounts, but it may take a few hours for accounts to be updated.
Introduced in November of 2016, DirecTV Now is AT&T’s DirecTV-branded streaming television service, which includes various channel bundles at prices ranging from $35 to $70.
The cheapest “Live a Little” $35 per month plan offers 60+ channels, while the biggest “Gotta Have It” package, priced at $70 per month, offers 120+ channels.
Tags: AT&T, DirecTV Now
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FCC chairman Ajit Pai nominated for another term
President Donald Trump has officially nominated current FCC Chairman and net neutrality opponent Ajit Pai for another five-year term on the commission, Axios reported on Tuesday. Pai’s first term officially ended on July 1, 2016, but FCC commissioners are allowed to continue working for the agency for up to a year, which allowed Pai to assume the chairman role after Tom Wheeler stepped down in January.
Officially, Pai will need to be confirmed again by the Senate, but the timing of Trump’s renomination coincides with Pai’s appearance before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday. Assuming he sails through his confirmation hearing, Pai’s new five year term will technically begin when his last one expired, meaning he could stay on as chairman until at least 2021.
In addition to Pai’s seat, President Trump will be filling two other spots on the FCC — according to commission rules, one seat is designated for a Republican and the other must go to a different party member. As Axios also notes, free-market scholar Rosalyn Layton and Indiana State Senator Brandt Hershman have been mentioned as possible Republican commissioners. Obama nominee and current commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel is expected to stay in the Dem’s seat.
Source: Axios
Nintendo wins a key case against a 3DS modchip seller
Nintendo is no stranger to cracking down on companies that sell tools enabling pirated games on its consoles. However, its latest victory might be more important than most. The company has won a copyright case in Canada that accused Go Cyber Shopping (GCS) and its founder, Jeramie King, of illegally selling 3DS flashcarts, modchips and other piracy-oriented tools. While Nintendo would likely be happy enough with that triumph, it notes that this is the first case “of its kind” to test the Canadian Copyright Act’s anti-circumvention measures — think of it as a rough parallel to aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in the US.
As Canadian legal expert Michael Geist notes, the court rejected GCS’ claims that support for homebrew games made the sales acceptable. There’s a legal way to write games for the 3DS, according to the decision, and the focus on bootleg material easily overwhelmed any homebrew uses. The law allows circumvention for the sake of interoperability, but that clearly wasn’t the case here. King even “boasted” about his activity, according to Nintendo.
GCS will have to not only pay $12.76 million Canadian (about $9.5 million US) in damages as a result of the verdict, but issue a formal apology on its website.
The case serves as an example of both the benefits and pitfalls of strict anti-circumvention laws, regardless of where they’re instituted. Canada’s laws helped shut down an outfit that was largely profiting from piracy, but Geist warns that there’s a potential for this law to be abused or inadvertently stifle progress. Good copyright law, he argues, has to give reasonably broad exceptions for fair use so that companies can’t exploit the law to shut down competition. Nintendo is above-board here, but that won’t necessarily be true in the future.
Source: BusinessWire
ZTE agrees to $892 million settlement for selling U.S.-made components to Iran
Why it matters to you
ZTE’s settlement has dealt a sizable financial blow to the company, and may affect its output as well as the companies from which it sources components for upcoming devices.
ZTE has agreed to settle with the United States government to the tune of $892 million for violating laws that prohibit the sale of American technology to Iran, officials announced Tuesday. According to the U.S. Justice Department, the Chinese mobile giant shipped $32 million worth of equipment that incorporated prohibited components to the country between 2010 and 2016 without authorization, and lied to investigators when it asserted that it had stopped the dealings.
In addition to the unprecedented fine, ZTE will also be subject to a seven-year, $300 million suspended penalty, due immediately should the company commit any further wrongdoing. ZTE has also agreed to ongoing, routine monitoring and auditing, and will remain on a list of companies U.S. suppliers are forbidden from doing business with without government approval. The company was initially placed on that list in March 2016, but can be removed in time if it fully cooperates, according to Reuters.
More: Commerce Department ban on Qualcomm, Intel, and others from supplying ZTE has been lifted
“With this action, we are putting the world on notice: Improper trade games are over with,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in a statement. “Those who flout our economic sanctions, export control laws, and any other trade regimes, will not go unpunished.”
The Shenzhen-based firm, the fourth-largest phone vendor in the U.S. behind Apple, Samsung, and LG, reached the settlement with the Departments of Justice, Commerce, and Treasury. ZTE will plead guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully export, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to federal investigators, officials say. The announcement marks the end of a years-long saga for the embattled company, which receives reportedly a third of its components from American entities, including Qualcomm, Intel, and Microsoft.
“ZTE acknowledges the mistakes it made, takes responsibility for them and remains committed to positive change in the company,” said ZTE Chairman and CEO Zhao Xianming, who was promoted to the leadership positions in April 2016 with a promise to tighten the company’s export control. “We have learned many lessons from this experience and will continue on our path of becoming a model for export compliance and management excellence,” the statement reads.
To that end, ZTE’s new Chief Export Compliance Officer, U.S.-based lawyer Matt Bell, added that the company is building a “global team” of compliance professionals, restructuring its legal department, and instituting new policies, training, and automated tools to keep current with ever-changing regulations.
The terms of the settlement are still awaiting court approval. Of the $892 million total, $101 million will be paid to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, representing the office’s largest settlement in history with a non-financial firm, according to Reuters.
Philips releases a 40-inch curved 4K display you’ve been waiting for
Why it matters to you
If you need to fit a large monitor into a small space, then Philips’ new 40-inch curved monitor may be the one for you.
Sometimes you need a bigger monitor. The typical 24-inch display just won’t cut it — you need space and lots of it for massive spreadsheets, 3D graphics, and control room displays. If that describes you, then you will be excited about Philips’ latest monitor announcement.
The Philips Brilliance Curved BDM4037UW is a 40-inch curved monitor with 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution that the company is aiming at professionals who need strong color gamut support and an expansive workspace. The BDM4037UW also utilizes ultra-narrow bezels to fit that large panel into smaller work areas, with its 3000R curvature and 178/178 degree viewing angles contributing to an immersive experience.
More: Rise of HDR and 4K on display in the top 5 monitors at CES 2017
The BDM4037UW uses vertical alignment LCD technology in a 16:9 aspect ratio, with more than a billion colors and 85 percent coverage of the NTSC color gamut provided by the hardware-based Ultra Wide-Color feature. The monitor enjoys a high contrast ratio of 20 million:1, and uses Philips’ SmartContrast technology to ensure the right level for a given task. The display includes Philips’ Flicker-free technology to reduce eye fatigue, further enhanced by the 4ms response rate that should limit ghosting in most non-gaming uses.
Philips Multiview means that the monitor can support up to four inputs at once and the high resolution means that each input runs at Full HD. Picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture are the two modes supported by Multiview, enabling flexibility for applications like control rooms where multiple information sources need to be displayed.
Philips incorporated a number of connectivity options in the BDM4037UW. Available input options include VGA, two DisplayPorts, HDMI 1.4, and HDMI 2.0. The monitor also includes four USB 3.0 ports, with one supporting fast charging for smartphones and other devices.
The Philips Brilliance Curved BDM4037UW is available at Amazon. Retail pricing is set at $1,000 and the monitor is being marketed in North America by Envision Peripherals, Inc.
Buy now on:
Amazon
Lofree looks like a retro typewriter keyboard, but its tech is all 21st century
Why it matters to you
If you’re aching for a little old-school cool in your digital life, the Lofree is one of the few mechanical keyboards with wireless capabilities.
Modern technology just a bit too … modern for you? If the design aesthetic of the 21st century has you longing for something a bit more retro, there may be a solution. Meet the Lofree, a nostalgic yet decidedly new-age keyboard that combines elements of the past with today’s innovations and advances. Heralded as “the first mechanical keyboard inspired by typewriters,” the Lofree is an elegant take on a generation past.
Designed to delight your senses, the Lofree has something for the eyes, ears, and your sense of touch. Taking a page out of the typewriting book, the Lofree features round keycaps that give it a familiar, classic look. They even feel and sound like typewriting keys, but you won’t have to worry about them getting stuck all the time. Thanks, modern day technology!
More: Razer could be planning to put flexible OLED displays in your keyboard and mouse
This mechanical keyboard comes with the Apple Magic keyboard layout, so you won’t have to relearn how to type just because you want to go back a few decades. The compact keyboard can be used in wireless or wired mode (so you can pair it with just about any device you want), and is compatible with most operating systems — Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. So if you want to pair the Lofree with a tablet, be it an iPad or an Android, have at it. In fact, you can pair the Lofree with up to three devices simultaneously, so you’re not spending all your time configuring and reconfiguring just to send an email. And with three different backlit settings, you’ll always be able to set the right mood with this keyboard.
The Lofree comes in a number of simple, bright colors that are as playful as you — whether you’re feeling pink, blue, red, white, or something else altogether, chances are you’ll find a keyboard that matches your style.
The Lofree is available for pre-order on its Indiegogo page here for the early bird price of $74. You can expect the Lofree at your doorstep in May of this year.
Explore the sights of Tokyo while in an 8K virtual reality ride in Texas
Why it matters to you
SXSW attendees will be able to experience immersive virtual reality without a headset, offering a further peek into VR’s future.
Touring the world can be expensive and tiresome — until you add virtual reality. At the South by Southwest 2017 (SXSW) festival, Japanese media and entertainment companies NHK Enterprises and NHK Media Technology will allow people to view the sights and sounds of Tokyo in a virtual reality motion ride with 8K quality visuals.
Instead of strapping on a bulky headset to fly over Tokyo in virtual reality, the 8K VR motion ride will project the sights of Tokyo on a large screen. The ride is five minutes and features two hydraulic seats positioned in the center of the screen that simulate motion. The experience features views of famous landmarks such as Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Crossing, and Sensoji Temple.
More: Microsoft just released a fully functional, Terminator-style HUD for HoloLens
To immerse people in virtual reality without any headsets, the ride’s employs the Wonder Vision’s Sphere 5.2 immersive screen. The screen is 17 by 11.1 feet with a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels that is four times as clear as Ultra HD 4K and will come from an 8K projector. This could be one of the few times you will be able to see video this clear until 8K TVs go from being budget breakers to affordable devices.
The ride could be a glimpse into how Japan’s 2020 Olympic games will look. The companies behind the 8K VR motion ride at SXSW are affiliates of NHK, which has been working with Panasonic and Sony to develop 8K TVs before the 2020 Olympics. NHK also unveiled the world’s first 8K channel in summer 2016.
As companies attempt to unlock the social potential of virtual reality, initiatives similar to the 8K VR motion ride have tried to imagine a VR future without headsets. Last year’s Panorama Music Festival featured an animated film projected on a 70-foot screen that enclosed concertgoers.
SXSW takes place in Austin, Texas and begins on Friday. To catch the 8K VR motion ride, you will need to be at exhibit hall 3 in the Austin Convention Center between Sunday and Wednesday.
NVIDIA Shield Tablet and Tablet K1 updated with stability and crash fixes
It’s always good to get an update, no matter how small.
NVIDIA’s tablets, the much-older Shield Tablet and refreshed cheaper Shield Tablet K1, are both getting the same “software upgrade 5.1” with various fixes aimed at improving instances of crashes and instability. The pair of 8-inch tablets should download the update automatically, but you can always check manually in your settings if you’re impatient.
The release notes are the same for the Shield Tablet and newer Tablet K1, with “important system enhancements & bug fixes” including:
- Fixes Launcher3 crashes
- Fixes mouse cursor intermittently appearing during keyboard input
- Additional system stability improvements
If you’ve downloaded the update to your Shield Tablet or Tablet K1, be sure to let us know in the comments how it’s treating you!
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