Disney’s new Makeup Lamp projects real-time augmentation onto faces

Why it matters to you

The work represents a significant step forward in facial recognition and projection systems.

Developers at Disney Research have designed a new system that illuminates an actor’s face with dynamic effects in real time. Dubbed Makeup Lamps, the system works by adjusting to facial expressions without the need for specific markers, enabling it to project colors or textures, such as facial hair, wrinkles, simulated lighting, and makeup during live performances.

The new system uses a high-speed camera and a high-speed projector aligned on the same optical axis, along with a set of algorithms to track subtle facial movements for dynamic projections. The camera captures images in the infrared spectrum, while the projector illuminates the face with visible light. These combined features enable the system to process images in two (rather than three) dimensions.

In order to increase realism, a primary goal for the research team was to decrease latency — the lag between changing projections.

“The key challenge of live augmentation is latency — the time between generating an image that matches the actor’s pose and when the image is displayed,” Anselm Grundhöfer, principal research engineer at Disney Research, said in a press release. “The larger the latency, the more the actor’s pose will have changed and the greater the potential misalignment between the augmentation and the face.”

Some latency is inevitable, according to the researchers. However, by using Kalman filtering, a method that makes small measurements to predict changes, they were able to cut back on perceived latency by predicting the performer’s next expression. The system still needs to be trained on each performer in order to determine facial boundaries and expression nuances, but the work demonstrates progress, and is the first such system without the need for specific tracking markers.

“We’ve seen astounding advances in recent years in capturing facial performances of actors and transferring those expressions to virtual characters,” said Markus Gross, vice president at Disney Research. “Leveraging these technologies to augment the appearance of live actors is the next step and could result in amazing transformations before our eyes of stage actors in theaters or other venues.”

The team will present their work this week at the European Association for Computer Graphics conference, Eurographics 2017, in France.

Chuwi’s latest Windows 10 2-in-1 a low-cost alternative to the Surface Pro 4

Why it matters to you

If you love the Windows 10 detachable table concept but can’t stomach the Surface Pro 4’s high pricing, then you might want to check out the newest Chuwi device.

If you’re looking for a new Windows 10 PC to carry around with you, then you have a pretty solid list of options to sort through. In fact, the process of choosing a new machine might seem overwhelming at times, given not only the many manufacturers but also the tremendous variety in basic form factors.

You might be considering the detachable tablet 2-in-1 category if you want something that’s light, works as a traditional notebook, and is comfortable for casual consumption as well. If so, then you have a new option from affordable PC maker Chuwi, as Betanews reports.

Chuwi is a Chinese company that is known for making low-priced PCs with reasonable quality, and it has jumped on the Windows 10 2-in-1 bandwagon created by Microsoft with its Surface line. The Chuwi Hi13 is a 13.5-inch detachable 2-in-1 that’s aimed at the Surface Book, and now the company is introducing its SurBook, a 12.3-inch tablet that’s laser focused on displacing Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4.

While some other products area also offering Surface Pro 4 some competition, notably Asus with its Transformer Pro and the crowdsourced Eve V, Chuwi’s approach is to attack Microsoft’s offering at the low end. Rather than packing in the latest seventh-generation Intel Core processors, Chuwi is equipping the Intel Apollo Lake N3450 processor to shave off some cost. An odd 6GB of RAM configuration and more limited 128GB of SSD storage rounds out the entry-level specifications.

At the same time, the SurBook does offer up a similar 3:2 12.3-inch display with the same 2,736 x 1,834 resolution as the Surface Pro. It also sports a similar kickstand for a wide range of use cases. Front and rear cameras and a USB Type-C port round out the machine’s components, and Chuwi is offering a detachable keyboard and active pen with 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Chuwi hasn’t yet announced pricing or availability, and indeed it’s looking to crowdsource the SurBook’s development and distribution via IndieGoGo. If you’ve been hoping for a new Windows 10 detachable tablet 2-in-1 machine with a price point that’s a little more down to Earth, then you’ll want to keep your eye on the Chuwi SurBook. Given Microsoft’s delay in announcing its Surface Pro 4 replacement, it seems like you’ll have a little flexibility in making your decision.

Spotify hiring to launch self-branded hardware, potentially a wearable

You can listen to Spotify pretty much anywhere, but apparently that’s not good enough.

Spotify is looking to add new members to its ranks with a goal of launching its own hardware, according to job listings the streaming music company has posted. As pointed out by Zatznotfunny, the two listings are pretty clear: the positions are to “deliver hardware directly from Spotify to existing and new customers” and “execution of Spotify’s voice efforts beyond our core apps.”

A source of Zatznotfunny corroborates the assumption, saying Spotify is aiming to launch its own hardware and specifically using “wearable” to describe it. Spotify’s job listings particularly call out making “category defining product akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles,” which is a tall order for a company that has no history beyond making apps for other popular platforms.

A Spotify wearable doesn’t quite make sense at this point.

Perhaps making some sort of Spotify-only home speaker solution would make sense, but the wearable aspect is a bit harder to understand. It could instead be standalone headphones that connect to your Spotify account, but beyond that it’s hard to wonder why anyone would want to commit to wearing a piece of hardware that only handles Spotify — particularly as Spotify has worked with other companies to simply put an app on their wearables.

The proof will be when (or if) Spotify makes future hardware announcements.

New Galaxy S8 software update aims to fix your red display

It’s hard to ship software that makes everyone happy.

We already cleared the air on the Galaxy S8 “red screen” situation that was unfortunately overblown at the start, but even still, Samsung is releasing a software update to further mitigate the so-called issue. Though only a small number of Galaxy S8 displays have a rather red tint to them and the issue can be mitigated with some tweaking of the built-in settings to have the screen looking just how you like it, Samsung will roll out an update this week to further fix the problem.

In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Samsung says it is simply offering “a further enhanced ability to adjust the color setting to their preference,” which of course means that you can tweak the screen even more to make it however you want — whether that’s red or blue or something else. The update is expected to start rolling out to Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners this week, though there was no further clarity provided as to the time frame in different regions around the world.

At this point you can always just return the phone if you aren’t happy.

If you’re sitting there thinking your Galaxy S8 screen is just too red, we recommend simply returning your phone for a replacement. Anyone with the GS8 today is still well within their two-week return period, and there’s no reason you should be left unhappy with the phone while you have the option to swap it out for a fresh one.

In much smaller circumstances, a second software fix coming this week aims to improve Wi-Fi on the phones, though this issue is seemingly specific to South Korea where Samsung says the Galaxy S8 isn’t performing properly on Wi-Fi routers from one local telecom. This is the sort of simple bug fix you expect to see in the first couple of weeks of a phone launch when millions of phones get out in the wild for real-world testing.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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How to enable or disable the LG G6’s camera roll — and why you may want to leave it off

The LG G6 lets you see a scrolling strip of recent photos, but you may want to leave it off for quicker camera load times.

The LG G6 has a lot of neat features that utilize the taller 18:9 aspect ratio, letting you see more at once. One of those can be found in the camera app. The filmstrip view — officially called “camera roll” — gives you a scrolling vertical strip of recent photos off to the left of your main viewfinder. It’s a great way to use up some of that extra height, since the sensor itself shoots in 4:3 natively.

On U.S.-spec G6s it’s enabled by default. On European devices it’s turned off out of the box.

However your G6 is configured, you may want to leave this feature off if you’re not using it regularly, and that’s because of the impact it can have on camera load times. Using two G6s side-by-side, we’ve found that the device with the camera roll turned on lagged behind in opening the camera app, whether directly from the home screen, or via the double-tap volume key shortcut.

So if you find you want to toggle this feature on or off, here’s where to find the setting.

With the camera app open, tap the cog icon in the corner of the screen.
In the menu that appears, toggle the Camera roll item on or off.

That’s it. With the feature disabled, we’ve found the G6’s camera app loads a little faster. Depending on how you use your camera, you may appreciate either the extra speed in opening the camera, or the added convenience of quick access to your recent pics.

If you have an LG G6, be sure to hit the comments and tell us which you prefer.

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• Everything you need to know about the G6’s cameras
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Galaxy S8 pre-orders were 30% higher than Galaxy S7’s record number

People are turning out in droves to buy the Galaxy S8.

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ have been received very positively, and it seems consumers are responding by opening up their wallets as well. Samsung has announced that pre-orders for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ were a full 30% higher than the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge last year, which in itself was a previous record.

Tim Baxter, president and chief operating officer of Samsung Electronics America, released the following statement:

At Samsung, we believe it is a privilege to make groundbreaking products that are enjoyed by millions, and have recommitted ourselves to innovate, not only with new products and services, but also in process. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are a result of that recommitment and the market has responded – with a more than 30 percent year-over-year growth in pre-orders versus the record pre-orders we had with Galaxy S7, making it our best ever. The response is humbling, energizing, and points to a great launch week.

Pre-order volume isn’t the only measurement for how a product will do over its lifetime on store shelves, but outpacing an already popular predecessor by such a wide margin is a great indication for Samsung as it fully rebounds from the Galaxy Note 7. Having pre-orders open for just over three weeks prior to launch certainly helped sales volumes as well, with a slightly longer than usual delay between announcement and full availability.

The important numbers will come with Samsung’s earnings reports in the next two quarters, which should give us a full picture of how the mobile division has done following several months of sales.

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• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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Google Maps now automatically translates reviews to your language

Now you’re speaking my language!

Google Maps is a fantastic tool to have when traveling in a foreign country, and now it’s even better as Google is automatically translating place reviews to the language you have set on your device. While you could of course always copy a review written in the local language and bring it over to a translation app, it’s simpler when Google does the work for you.

Now when viewing a Google Maps place review in another language, you’ll see the translated copy first prepended by “(Translated by Google)” — you’ll also see the original text below, which could help you manage any minor translation errors. The results are the same if you happen to find a place that’s in the Maps database via Google Search.

The translation won’t work for every language pair out there, but if you’ve ever use Google Translate, you have a good idea of which languages it can handle — and, well, it’s a lot of languages. While there’s a good chance you can find Google Maps reviews in both English and the local language when you’re traveling to popular destinations, this is a huge improvement for people who are visiting from a third area that has a completely different language.

Google Maps continues to be one of the great go-to travel apps no matter where you’re headed, and it’s the small improvements like this that add up to make it indispensable for travelers.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 hits sales records despite the Note 7’s flameout

As Samsung was readying the Galaxy S8, everyone wondered if the company would be able to recover from the disastrous, exploding Note 7. From a pure quality of hardware perspective, the S8 appears to be a home run — as long as nothing unexpected happens. The other question is whether customers would reject Samsung after the hit it took last year, but it sounds like that hasn’t happened: Samsung says that pre-orders for the S8 and S8+ were the best it has ever seen.

Specifically, the company says that pre-sales for the two devices were up 30 percent compared to the Galaxy S7 pre-orders from 2016. Samsung said the S7 was the previous best launch it had, but now that title is held by the company’s latest smartphone. Of course, Samsung isn’t giving us any hard numbers so it’s hard to say just how well this launch went compared to how the iPhone 7 went last fall, for example. But in July, Samsung will report its quarterly financials — and we’ll get a better idea of how the S8’s launch affected the company’s bottom line then.

In the meantime, Galaxy S8 owners will have a software update to keep an eye out for. It’s a fix for the first little bug to plague the phone: a screen that looks to be more red-tinted than most would like. Samsung confirmed there’s nothing wrong with the phone’s screen and said that a software update adjusting the screen’s color calibration will be coming this week.