AT&T is giving free HBO to some unlimited wireless customers
AT&T has another offer in its pocket to get customers signing up for its new unlimited data plans: free HBO. If you sign up for one of AT&T’s “unlimited plus” plans, the carrier will give you HBO access, either through the HBO Go app or adding it on to your existing cable plan. If you’re currently paying for HBO through either AT&T Uverse, DirecTV or the DirecTV Now streaming TV service, you’ll now get access to the channel at no charge.
If you have an AT&T video account but aren’t already signed up for HBO, it’ll automatically be added to your account for free. And if you don’t have a cable package at all — either with AT&T or any other provider, you’ll still be able to watch HBO through either the HBO Go app or the DirecTV Now app. AT&T says you can sign up for a free DirecTV Now account that’ll give you access to HBO.
This isn’t the first time AT&T has used HBO as a way to entice people to sign up for its service. Last month, AT&T started including a free year of HBO if you signed up for DirecTV Now — but this deal sounds even better as it seems you’ll have access to the channel as long as you keep the unlimited plan on your account.
There’s been a lot of intense jockeying amongst the US wireless carriers to position their plans as the “best” option, and video in particular has been a huge point of competition. Various zero-rating schemes offering free streaming are one offering, but another is what sort of video you might get included in your plan. It’s safe to say that free HBO sets AT&T apart from some of its competitors — sure, Verizon and Go90 has Veronica Mars and Fringe, but the next season of Game of Thrones is only a few months away. It’s hard to top that.
Netflix Apps Will Today Begin Ditching Star-Based Rating System for Thumbs
Netflix has announced that users will today begin noticing its new thumbs-up and thumbs-down rating system as it appears across various apps and on desktop computers, following a reveal earlier in March that the streaming company was planning to ditch its 5-star rating system.
In the previous system, users had to choose between 1 and 5 stars to determine how much they liked a show, and using that data Netflix displayed the same information back at them for titles they have yet to watch. So for a new TV show, Netflix might suggest it as a 4-star title, meaning it’s something the user should enjoy. This system confused many users over the years, who believed that the stars were a community aggregate of a show’s overall quality, not a personal recommendation system tailored for each user.
That’ll begin changing today with thumbs, which will ask each user to decide simply whether they want to give a TV show or movie they’ve watched a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, which Netflix compares to dating apps like Tinder in a new promotional video also debuting today.
We are retiring our five-star rating system and replacing it with a simpler and more intuitive thumbs-up and thumbs-down. A thumbs-up tells Netflix that you like something and want to see similar suggestions. A thumbs-down lets us know you aren’t interested in watching that title and we should stop suggesting it to you. You can still search for it, but we’ve heard what you were trying to tell us — you aren’t a fan — and it will no longer show up on your homepage.
In either case, using thumbs helps us learn even more about your unique tastes so we can do a better job suggesting stories we think you’ll love.
With this data, users will also begin seeing far simpler percentage numbers accompanying unseen titles they might be interested in. Called a “% Match score,” Netflix said that this is a prediction of what its algorithm thinks each user might enjoy watching based on what they’ve previously given a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. So a show they might be particularly interested in would have a “95% Match,” for example.
Netflix wasn’t clear on when the new rating system would begin appearing across its devices, like iOS and tvOS, but it’s likely to debut on Netflix.com ahead of the company’s suite of companion apps.
Tag: Netflix
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Apple Says Stock 8-Core Mac Pro Available to Resellers by End of April, Suggests Custom Configuring Until Then
Apple has informed its authorized resellers that the Mac Pro’s new 8-core stock configuration will be available to order by the end of April. Until then, Apple said the model can be created by selecting the 6-core option and using the configure-to-order options to match the 8-core model’s upgraded tech specs.
Packaging changes are likely the only reason why the 8-core model is currently unavailable as a stock configuration to resellers and customers, given that the base model customized with an 8-core processor and dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs for the same price currently ships in 1-3 business days on Apple.com.
Apple adjusted its Mac Pro configurations and pricing yesterday. The former 6-core model with dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs and 16GB of RAM for $3,999 is now the $2,999 base model, while the previously configure-to-order 8-core model with dual D700 GPUs and 16GB of RAM is now the high-end stock configuration for $3,999.
Apple listed the new Mac Pro configurations on its online store on Tuesday, but the 8-core model is currently unavailable for customers to order. Apple’s website briefly said the 8-core model would be available in “30 business days,” somewhat in line with the end of April, but that estimate was quickly removed.
Apple has discontinued the previous base model, equipped with a quad-core Xeon E5 processor, dual AMD FirePro D300 GPUs, and 12GB of RAM.
The bigger news is that Apple said it is working on a “completely rethought” Mac Pro featuring a modular design. The all-new Mac Pro, which won’t launch until at least next year, will be Apple’s highest-end, highest-throughput system, and it will be accompanied by a new Apple-branded pro-focused external display.
Apple also said that it is working on new iMac models that will be unveiled later this year, but it remained tight-lipped about what to expect. It is rare for Apple to pre-announce future products in this manner, but it was a welcomed response to concerns that Apple was no longer focused on professional users.
Given that the current Mac Pro still has over three year old hardware, prospective buyers should weigh the price drop against the old tech before purchasing the computer. Some professionals might consider waiting for the completely redesigned and modular Mac Pro launching at some point after 2017.
(Thanks, Holden!)
Related Roundup: Mac Pro
Buyer’s Guide: Mac Pro (Buy Now)
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Apple Not Worried About Apple Pay’s Slow Adoption, Believes on Path to Replace Cash and Cards
Apple’s trouble with getting a wide array of its users, retail partners, and banks to adopt Apple Pay has been highlighted in a new article today by The Wall Street Journal, which also underlines a belief from Apple executives that the service’s growth is adequate and that Apple Pay could soon become consumers’ “primary payment system,” in lieu of cash and credit cards.
Data collected from technology research firm Creative Strategies reported that 40 percent of U.S. consumers have raised concerns about security risks of adding a credit or debit card onto their iPhone, while more than 60 percent aren’t even familiar with contactless payments.
While data from a recent Nilson Report noted that Apple Pay’s rate of acceptance has “more than doubled since 2015,” only a third of stores based in the U.S. have accepted it as a form of payment. Many well-known companies have rolled out support for the service, including Best Buy and Whole Foods, but there remain notable absences from Apple Pay’s retail supporter list, namely Target and Wal-Mart.
Braden More, the head of partnerships and industry relations at Wells Fargo, asked, “If you can’t use it everywhere, why are you going to switch?” This reticence by consumers to jump in on Apple Pay’s launch is said to have permeated within the company surrounding its debut, to the point where Apple executives “were reluctant to promote it.” Apple Pay has been noticeably absent from the company’s advertising strategy since its launch, with just two Apple Pay-focused commercials being made in nearly three years.
Apple expected consumers to embrace Apple Pay as energetically as they did iTunes—an instant hit when it launched in 2003—because executives felt it was faster and safer than existing payment systems, a former employee on the project said. When retailers didn’t support it initially, the person said, Apple executives were reluctant to promote it and invest in retail terminals that would spur adoption.
More recently, the company has become less concerned with Apple Pay’s slow adoption over the past few years, because it still sees the mobile wallet as a nascent service whose domination over the industry will come with time. “Does it matter if we get there in two years, three years [or] five years?” Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue said in an interview. “Ultimately, no.” Cue compared Apple Pay’s adoption as faster than other mobile wallets and thinks it could go so far as to replace cash, debit and credit cards as a primary payment system.
Until that happens, Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey is working on beefing up the company’s retail training so that users aren’t more knowledgable of paying with the service than employees. The company is said to be working with retailers to add Apple Pay instructions into work manuals as a way to spread knowledge of the mobile wallet’s check-out process.
Apple Pay made $30 million for the company in the last fiscal year, accounting for a small portion of Apple’s total services business, which made $24.35 billion in total in the same period. While adoption is low and consumer knowledge remains slim, Apple’s services business — which includes iCloud, the App Store, iTunes, and more — has become a point of focus for the company, so much so that it expects to double its revenue in this area by 2021, Apple Pay expectedly included.
For this reason, David Roberts of Nilson said that Apple Pay is right on the cusp of a wider, “ubiquitous” acceptance.
Nilson Report publisher David Robertson said that with about a third of U.S. retailers adopting it, Apple Pay is on the cusp of broad acceptance. “It’s going to become so ubiquitous that we will all do it,” he said.
Notably, the rest of 2017 is a big year for Apple and Apple Pay, as the year marks the three-year anniversary of Apple Pay, as well as the end of three-year contract agreements that the company made with banks and credit card issuers back in 2014. Apple will begin negotiations to renew these contracts for the next few years, which the company hopes to be a major contributing factor in helping to double its services revenue over the next four years.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: The Wall Street Journal
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43 breathtaking and incredible photos that weren’t Photoshopped
There’s no denying that Photoshop can help create some pretty spectacular imagery. However, it can often be overused for image manipulation, sometimes spoiling the natural beauty of a photo and masking a photographers talents.
The world is full of wonderful sights that can be breathtaking even without the use of editing software.
We’ve found a selection of amazing photos of you to enjoy, and none of them have been manipulated to add or remove elements through software.
Contrast and brightness might have been tweaked, but everything in these shots was present at the time they were taken.
Stuttgart library
IMGUR
Almost a perfect testament to the quality of German engineering and workmanship, the Stuttgart library (Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart) is a pleasure to behold. It’s probably a nightmare to keep clean though.
Lunar Earthrise
NASA
In 2015, NASA released this photo from its Luna Reconnaissance Orbiter showing the Earth rising over the horizon of the Moon.
Though not Photoshopped in the traditional sense, it was technically composed from a series of photos taken at 83 miles above the moon’s farside crater “Compton” using the Orbiter’s high-resolution narrow-angle camera.
The giant dice
IMGUR
This giant dice washed up on the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene in Northern Idaho and had the locals baffled. It certainly made for a good photograph.
Laguna Colorada from space
NASA
In 2015, NASA released a series of photographs taken by astronauts from the point of view of the International Space Station. One of these photos included one of Laguna Colorada, part of the Bolivian Andes Mountains.
At the time, the lake had a rich red-brown colour caused by algae thriving in its salty waters but is said to change colour depending on the salinity and temperature of the waters.
A Cuban emerald hummingbird
British Ecological Society
Each year the British Ecological Society runs a photography competition. As you can imagine, the quality of entries is very high and no doubt choosing a winner is tough. This photograph by the ironically-named David J. Bird shows a hummingbird in motion and was chosen as the 2016 winner.
Considering the hummingbird beats its wings somewhere between 10 and 15 times per second, it must have been some impressive shutter work to get this shot.
Milky Way above the clouds ocean
Yevhen Samuchenko
A shortlisted finalist in the International Images for Science competition 2016, this photograph of the Milky Way above the Himalayan mountains in Nepal was submitted to the Royal Photographic Society by Yevhen Samuchenko.
A vast expanse of stars sits atop an ocean of cloud cover apparently covering the Earth below.
A frozen bubble
Royal Photographic Society
Another entry into the International Images for Science competition was this frozen bubble. It was created by mixing soap and invisible ink then casting an ultraviolet light upon it to create this magnificent, apparently glowing bubble encased in ice.
We’ve seen images and videos of bubbles freezing in the past and they’re always impressive.
The Universe in radio-frequency
GLEAM
In October 2016, the high-resolution Galactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) project unveiled this image of the most accurate radio-survey of the Universe. Striking through the middle is the Milky Way which includes over 300,000 galaxies alone.
Sultan the Pit Pony
Johnathan Webb
Sultan the Pit Pony is a 200 metre sculptural earthwork by Mick Petts in Caerphilly, South Wales. This aerial photograph of it was submitted to the Royal Geographical Society by Jonathan Webb for the “Britain from the Air” exhibition.
The sculpture itself was created as an homage to the beloved pit ponies who hauled containers of coal from the mines over the years. Now it also acts as a windbreaker for events in the arena nearby.
Hot water in Antarctica
IMGUR
Thanks to the laws of physics (and the so-called Mpemba effect) warm water freezes faster than cold water. This effect can be seen in action in this photo taken in Antarctica of someone throwing hot water into the air and seeing it instantly freeze.
You can also see various videos of these phenomenon occurring on YouTube.
Overflowing Glory Hole
Roadtrippers
Lake Berryessa has a man-made drain 72 feet in diameter which helps filter off excess water when the lake’s water level gets too high. Known as the “Glory Hole”, this structure leads to a 200-foot drop down a straight pipe. It is rarely in operation but was captured flowing recently by a drone flying overhead.
This was the first time it had been seen in operation since 2006.
South Africa at night
Florian Breuer
Submitted to the Sony World Photography Awards in 2013, this photo by Florian Breuer made it to the open shortlist and shows an impressive night’s sky over southern Africa.
A reflection of London
Fabricio Pretti
Another entry into the Sony World Photography Awards, this photo by Fabricio Pretti shows a reflection of London on the waters of the River Thames.
Intricate honeycomb
IMGUR
A delicious, delicate and intricately constructed honeycomb structure. Nature at its finest.
Lavender and wheat side-by-side
IMGUR
Taken in the fields of Valensole, Southern France, this photo shows fields of lavender and wheat side-by-side.
The farmer responsible for that land might regret his mistake in missing out on the opportunity to sell his lavender as gluten free!
The Magdeburg Water Bridge
IMGUR
Your eyes do not deceive you, this is not an optical illusion, it’s the Magedeburg Water Bridge in Germany. The largest canal underbridge in Europe, it spans the river Eibe and connects canals so ships can pass between the Rhineland and Berlin with ease.
Another impressive feat of German engineering and a marvel of modern waterways.
A close-up of Velcro
IMGUR
One of the most popular fastening materials among children’s clothes manufacturers, Velcro is loved by parents across the world. But what does it look like up close? Now we know.
A reflection of the sky
Mikhailov Andrey
A submission to the 35PHOTO annual photo competition in 2016 by Mikhailov Andrey sees a reflection of the sky and clouds above a still water and gives the impression of a portal to another world.
Falcon 9 CRS-9 launch
IMGUR
John Kraus took this long-exposure shot of the Falcon 9 CRS-9 launch in 2016, capturing the rocket launching up and through the clouds. A fantastic photo taken around 20 miles from the Launchpad.
What lies beneath
Rick Du Boisson
This part-submerged photograph by Ric Du Boisson shows what an iceberg looks like underneath the water. The massive chunk of ice easily dwarfs a 3,000-tonne ship sitting nearby.
Devil’s Bridge Germany
The Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge in Kromlau Germany is a 19th Century stone bridge with a wonderful arch that forms a perfect circle in its reflection below when the waters are calm.
There are many brilliant photos of the bridge but none match the fantastic history that dates back to 1860 when the bridge was commissioned by a local Knight. Alas, crossing the bridge is now forbidden in order to preserve its structure, but at least we can still admire its beauty and marvel at its construction.
Lightning strikes over New York
IMGUR
Mother Nature works her magic again as this photograph captures multiple lightning strikes hitting at the same time across the Hudson river in New York. One of the impacts is said to have split a tree clean in half.
TOW missile being launched
US Marines/Flickr
A US Marine photography competition chose this photo by Cpl. Jacob Johnson of his team firing a TOW missile from a M-41 Saber weapon system during training in the deserts of Kuwait in 2012. That’s approximately $59,000 of missile being fired, captured in a single photo.
A Night at Deadvlei
Beth McCarley
Beth McCarley submitted this photo to the National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest in 2016. The moon was bright enough to light up the sand dunes but still dark enough to see the stars of the Milky Way. Standing proud in the middle of the photo is a camelthorn tree, believed to be 900 years old. It’s long dead but kept from decomposing by the harsh surrounding environment.
Motorbike on the water
Robbie Maddison
In 2015, Robbie Maddison, multiple world record holder and motocross athlete, teamed up with DC Shoes to achieve an impossible dream – to ride his dirtbike across open waters.
The end result was a series of impressive photographs and a great advertising campaign.
The angry sea monkey
Dave Sandford
You might be forgiven for thinking that someone had angered the giant monkey that dwells under the waves with this photo, but it’s simply the angry waves captured crashing at Lake Erie in Northeast America.
Dave Sandford, a professional sports photographer by trade, captured this and a series of other photographs after spending up to six hours a day shooting the wakes of the lake over a four week period.
A matter of perspective
IMGUR
Although this one might well look like it’s been edited, it is in fact a single photo, taken from just the right angle. Goes to show a good photograph is all just a matter of perspective.
The rebellious sunflower
IMGUR
Not one to conform to the norm, this solitary sunflower refuses to face in the same direction as its comrades.
The tree with glowing roots
IMGUR
Although not Photoshopped, a painstaking amount of effort still went into this photograph as leaves of varying shades were meticulously arranged at the base of the tree to give the illusion of glowing roots.
A hole in the heavens
IMGUR
Another image that hasn’t been manipulated looks like it could easily be God’s footprint or a hole to the heavens, but it is just a rare cloud formation and rainbow in the skies above Victoria Australia.
The underneath of a wave
Clark Little
From the shores of Hawaii (where else?) comes this photograph of the underside of a magnificent wave breaking on the beach.
This is one of a series of photos by Clark Little who has turned wave photography into a masterful art form.
A work of art in an album cover
Bela Borsodi
For VLP’s “Terrain” album cover, Bela Borsodi was commissioned to create this work of art from one single image. With an OCD level of attention to detail the photographer managed to break nearly all the rules for avoiding tangents with magnificent results.
The resulting photograph is painful, confusing and marvellous.
A front grill of a jeep cast in ice
From one of the chillier parts of America comes this left-over ice cast of a truck that had previously been parked here. Impressively left intact after the vehicle departed, you’d be forgiven for thinking the photo had been manipulated in some way.
The perfectly timed wave
@OMGFacts
This photo was clearly contrived, you can see the sandbank they built behind the woman to create the effect, but it’s still an impressive feat and a splendid snap.
Ash covered temple in Japan
In 2014 Mount Ontake erupted spewing ash and sulphur across the surrounding area. Rescue workers were captured on camera making their way through an ash-covered temple to rescue hikers and tourists trapped on the mountain.
Although a sad scene because several people died, it certainly made for an interesting photograph and gives the impression of a colourised black and white image.
Is this what a wave on the red sea looks like?
IMGUR
This image was captured in Australia in 2013. On relatively calm waters, a tall red wave threatens to soon engulf the boat and the lowly photographer. The calm water’s surface does not correspond to the incoming wave – that’s because it’s an inbound dust storm.
Near perfect village symmetry
IMGUR
This village in China boasts almost perfect symmetry to the plots and layout of the houses. Almost looks too perfect to be real, but it is.
The fire tornado
IMGUR
As if having your house on fire isn’t bad enough, then a tornado apparently gets involved too. The attending firefighters are trying their best, but there’s not much left of this poor domicile.
Fire tornados are a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by strong winds whipping the fire into a frenzy.
The Slow Mo Guys have an interesting video showing it in action.
A satisfying line of wine glasses
IMGUR
Someone did an incredible job lining up these wine glasses. Study the photo for too long and it looks like some sort of inception.
The painted trees
IMGUR
In 2010, a man-made disaster occurred in Hungary that saw 261 million gallons of sludge burst forth from a reservoir where it was held as a by-product of aluminium extraction. The “red mud disaster” as it was called, left 10 people dead and 150 injured. It also resulted in a stain on the surrounding environment.
The local town of Devecser has since become a haven of sustainable energy and is pushing towards waste-to-energy systems to help reshape the area with green energy and produce. Which goes to show that good things can come from bad.
Macro snowflakes
Alexey Kljatov
Russian photographer Alexey Kljatov took an old camera, a macro lens and a DIY camera rig to take some highly impressive macro shots of snowflakes. The resulting images seem almost too perfect to be real.
The swollen stone house
Wikipedia
Although this might look like something that’s been badly photoshopped, this house is actually a real home in Nas montanhas de Fafe, Portugal. Known as “Casa do Penendo”, it is an architectural monument that was constructed in 1972.
God’s USB cables
Gizmodo
This massive mess of what looks like USB cables is actually an aerial photograph taken straight from Google Maps showing Waubra, Australia and a windfarm under construction. The USB ends are in fact the connectors where the wind turbines will soon be attached.
8 features that make the Galaxy S8 truly unique
Samsung has taken the wraps off its exciting follow-up to the Galaxy S7 and, with it, unveiled a host of innovative and unique features. Here are eight features that set the Samsung Galaxy S8 apart from its predecessors, and from its competition.
1. Infinity display
There’s no doubt that the long, Infinity Display is the big shout-out feature of the S8 and S8+. It curves beautifully around the edges, has no bezel on the sides, and a very slim, minimal bezel on the top and bottom. It’s also a longer ratio, making it perfect for watching cinematic content on your phone.
2. Invisible home button
Samsung is really pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a smartphone, and nowhere is that more evident than in the home button solution. With the screen taking up more space, the physical home button had to go somewhere else.
Instead of getting rid of the home button completely, Samsung built in a special sensor beneath the display that gives a vibrating response that’s so subtle, it feels like pressing a button. It’s perfectly placed and works great.
3. 10nm processor
It may not be something you can see from the outside, but the chip built using the 10 nano-meter process inside is a technological marvel. In simple terms it means Samsung can pack in way more power into a chip that’s much smaller than previous ones, improving performance and efficiency without using more space.
4. Mobile HDR Premium
Other devices may have Mobile HDR, but Samsung is the first to have its Mobile HDR Premium given the stamp of approval by the UHD alliance. With providers like Netflix and Amazon getting involved, that means videos are going to look stunning on that long, vibrant display.
5. DeX
DeX is a really cool, clever contraption that is – in essence – a dock that plugs in to a desktop monitor, transforming your Galaxy S8 in to a proper computer. It has enough physical ports to connect almost anything, including hard-lined internet, and you can connect a wireless keyboard and mouse, for that “proper computer” feel.
6. Facial recognition
Samsung’s latest phone doesn’t just have fingerprint and iris scanners for security, it can also recognise your face. Pick up the phone, wait a split second, and it unlocks.
7. Samsung Connect
Samsung is all about bringing together your entire ecosystem of smart connected devices. With Samsung Connect you can control everything from your TV to your washing machine and light bulbs, all from an app, and can even bring non-Samsung products together using a SmartThings hub
8. Bixby
The easiest way to describe is that it lets you use your phone with just your voice. Any interactions you’d normally control using touchscreen, you can do with Bixby. It has a dedicated button on the left of the phone, and is contextually aware and understands natural language.
YouTube Go beta offers data-savvy streaming in India
Google has today begun beta-testing its India-specific YouTube Go app. YouTube Go is primarily designed to help save users data, aiming to help keep down mobile bills while recommending videos that are tailored for Indian audiences. While India’s online infrastructure is steadily growing thanks to initiatives like Google Station, many across the region are still left either relying purely on public WiFi or spotty 2G connections.
Recognizing this, YouTube Go combines clever video compression tech to give even those with the worst connections fairly solid and reliable streaming. Like with the western mobile app, Go allows viewers to download videos in different qualities in order to reduce users’ bandwidth, even showing users the data demands of streaming each video. Following in the footsteps of Google Maps offline, YouTube Go has also been designed to function without an internet connection, allowing users to save videos that infinitely improve their commute and even share their favourite clips over Bluetooth.
While a launch date for the full app has yet to be announced, you can download YouTube Go’s beta app from the Indian Google Play Store now. The tech company will also be holding events in Udaipur “over the coming weeks” to glean info on how users have been interacting with the app. The timing couldn’t have been better, as now Indian viewers can rest comfortably knowing that wherever they are – they’ll be able to catch Coachella.
Source: Google Blog
Netflix’s overly simplified thumb ratings are here
The rumors are true: Netflix is dropping its star-based rating system in favor of “Thumbs,” a new way for you to vote up (like) or down (don’t like) on movies and TV shows that show up on your feed. As Variety reported earlier this month, the streaming service began testing this feature in 2016, but only with a small number of subscribers. Starting today though, Netflix will start rolling it out to all users on its site, mobile apps, gaming consoles, set-top boxes and smart TVs.
In addition to Thumbs, the company is introducing new “percentage match scores,” an algorithm that relies on your viewing habits to suggest how much you may be into different titles on the platform. For example, if you’re into dramas series and go to the landing page for a show like The Crown, you might notice an icon that says it’s a 90 or 95 percent match. That number could also be lower, naturally, depending on what each individual in your account typically watches.
Netflix says both of these features are going to help it make better recommendations to you, which it hopes translates into you spending less time browsing and more time watching.
Source: Netflix
Facebook helps you prevent the spread of revenge porn
Revenge porn is difficult to fight. Even if you successfully get the photos pulled, it’s all too easy for someone with local copies to upload them again. Facebook thinks it can help. The social network is launching tools designed to keep revenge porn offline and prevent an already bad situation from getting worse. You can report photos shared without permission, of course, and Facebook will both remove them and (typically) disable the accounts that posted them. However, the most important part is what follows next: Facebook uses photo matching to prevent people from sharing the shots again, including on Instagram and Messenger. You won’t have to constantly police Facebook to make sure the images stay down.
This isn’t a surefire solution. A determined poster could theoretically alter an image enough to evade the safeguards. However, this could go a long way toward discouraging rampant ‘casual’ sharing. The technology could also help in other instances, too — for example, when a photo of yours is attached to fake news and risks ruining your public image. No matter the circumstances, it should take some of the burden off of victims that already have enough trouble on their hands.
Source: Facebook Newsroom
Use AI to turn your favorite film into a color palette
If you’re seeking color inspiration from a distinctive-looking film like Grand Budapest Hotel, you could just “eyedrop” it in Photoshop or try an app like Adobe Color CC. Thanks to Vancouver-based developer Jack Qiao, though, there’s now a slightly easier way. He came up with Colormind, an AI algorithm that uses films, video games, fashion and art to “generate color suggestions that fit the distinct visual style of those mediums,” he says.
In coming up with his system, Qiao writes that he first looked at so-called color quantization (MMCQ), in which algorithms extract representative colors from images. However, those colors are often “haphazard” and not very useful for design, unlike human palettes that feature “similar hues grouped together … and some minimum amount of contrast between each other,” he says.
To find a balance between the two, Qiao thought about using a fancy adversarial network deep-learning system, but instead “settled on a brute-force technique that I call generative-MMCQ.” Basically, it selects representative colors using quantization, shuffles them randomly, and runs them through a classifier, “the ultimate judge of a ‘good looking’ color palette,” Qiao writes. He then trained it on some hand-picked examples, with the aim of making palettes with decent color contrast and a solid theme, while avoiding random-looking ones with poor contrast.
After testing it on films like The Godfather Part II, Jaws, Total Recall and random Michael Bay films (that teal and orange) I found the results to be mixed. Sometimes, it doesn’t choose representative colors to my liking, and sometimes the range of hues is inadequate for a design. Since it’s pseudo-random, however, you can just keep clicking until you get one that you like. Try it yourself by uploading an image or video and clicking “generate” — it’s pretty fun.
Via: Design Taxi
Source: Colormind
AIVAnet 