Giphy will tell you what the most popular GIFs are

For the first time ever you’ll be able to see how many times a GIF has been viewed, so long as it’s hosted by Giphy. That sounds pretty useful for internet professionals and social media celebs. As for the rest of us, well, it’ll at least be easy to figure out the best reaction GIFs — and we’ll have a pretty good indicator of which memes have jumped the shark.

At this point in time, Giphy’s counter only works for the database’s official artists and partners, such as MTV and NBA. Further, it will only take a view into account if a GIF is viewed on Giphy.com or through one of its distribution networks, including Facebook, Twitter, iMessage and WhatsApp. Every time a GIF is loaded, the platform considers that as one view, even if you close it quickly after it’s served. However, Giphy doesn’t count loops like Vine did. To see how many views a GIF has, you must look at it on the platform’s website and find the count on its right side under the share icons.

The company has revealed its most viewed GIFs along with the announcement, and as you’d expect, they’re the reaction GIFs you’ve frequently been seeing on online forums and social networks. Taking the number one spot with over 152 million views is the blinking man meme by Mashable. BB-8’s thumbs up also did exceptionally well with over 88 million views, while Rihanna’s dab of approval (shown above) now has over 14 million views.

Tom Smith, Giphy’s director of product, explained:

“Behind this simple feature is a lot of complex engineering. We are counting several billions of views happening on Giphy, as well as those happening across the thousands of platforms powered by our API. Whether in messaging apps, social platforms, or sites across the whole internet, we power expression — and all that is reflected in the GIF view count.”

Source: Giphy

NASA goes Steampunk for its future Venus probes

NASA knows better than any of us that what seems normal today was once science fiction. So, it isn’t afraid to bet some cash on some fanciful space projects via the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) symposium. This year, the agency looked at projects it calls “little more than ideas,” including a Venus probe inspired by famed Dutch artist Theo Jansen, the creator of wind-powered “Strandbeests.”

“The NIAC program is designed to let technologists stretch and create concepts that have never been considered by NASA before,” said NIAC program executive Jason Derleth, adding that ideas can come from universities, businesses or garage inventors. Still, proposals must be based on “solid scientific and engineer principals and to advance NASA’s mission objectives,” he adds. An example of that is Adrian Stoica’s folding mirror probe, that would create a “solar oasis” on the moon, approved for fuding at a prior NIAC symposium.

The most interesting project is AREE (Automaton Rover for Extreme Environments), a Venus probe. Since our unfriendly neighbor of a planet can hit 842 degree F temperatures and 90 times Earth’s atmospheric pressure, most electronics would be dead on arrival.

AREE would actually use Venus’ conditions to its advantage by taking power from the wind and tapping a mechanical computer. A radar reflecting piston would move up and down to transmit surface “data” as morse code, which could be picked up by “repeater” balloons and transmitted to Earth from an orbiter.

The team based the design on Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests, whimsical automatons that patrol beaches powered by wind and canny mechanical design (below). But after they brought Jansen himself aboard, he recommended dropping the early mechanical leg design, as it wouldn’t work if the probe tipped over. “The beaches of the Netherlands are nice and smooth, but the surface of Venus is rough and harsh,” lead project engineer Jonathan Sauder told Fast Co. The team is now exploring a tank-like probe, with a central wind turbine (above), that could handle rough conditions.

Another drone called the Ice-moon Cryovolcano Explorer (ICE) would face the opposite conditions on Europa, Saturn’s fascinating moon. After landing on the surface, the probe would deploy a so-called descent module that could “rappel” down a cryovolcano vent. Eventually, it would arrive below the surface of the planet, which scientists figure could be liquid saltwater warmed by so-called tidal flexing. From there, it could swim around and explore the environment, searching for life.

Other projects include a glider that would explore asteroids by floating on electrostatically charged dust and a weather balloon powered by chemical batteries from Venus’ caustic atmosphere. Crazy? It seems that way now, but it’s the so-called crazy thinkers that dream up our future lives. The best projects get $100,000 for entering Phase I, and up to $500,000 if they advance to Phase II research.

Via: Fast Co.

Source: JPL

iOS 11 Beta Files Reference New Apple Watch Workouts for Dancing, Bowling, Skating, and Many More

This year’s Apple leaks have seen an uptick in activity thanks to data gathered from HomePod firmware, as well as internal files in pre-release beta software for iOS 11. Today, the newest piece of information comes from the latter source and concerns new exercises for the Apple Watch.

Snow-based workouts have already been uncovered in the HomePod’s firmware, and now iHelp BR has found a few code strings and icons within the iOS 11 developer beta that reference a plethora of new workouts for Apple’s Workout app. These include: basketball, bowling, climbing, cricket, cross-country skiing, curling, dance, equestrian sports, fencing, fishing, golf, gymnastics, jump rope, pilates, skating, surfing, and more.

Images via iHelp BR
It’s unclear whether or not the new workouts will be exclusive to the upcoming “Apple Watch Series 3,” or available to all Apple Watch owners through the public release of watchOS 4. Some workouts might require equipment specific to the next-generation of Apple Watch — similar to swimming and Apple Watch Series 2 last year — but it’s unclear which workouts those might be, if any.

On current iterations of watchOS and the Apple Watch, users can track exercises related to a Walk (Indoor and Outdoor), Run (Indoor and Outdoor), Cycle (Indoor and Outdoor), Swim (Pool and Open Water), Elliptical, Rower, Stair Stepper, and “Other.” After finishing an “Other” workout, the Apple Watch allows users to choose a more specific label from a variety of options, like “Strength Training,” but these don’t have any direct impact on the metrics used to track a workout.

If the newly uncovered workouts become a reality in this year’s Apple Watch software, it would mark a noticeable addition for exercise-focused Apple Watch wearers beyond the twelve options currently available. Although it wasn’t detailed in the code findings, it’s likely that the potentially new workouts will measure user data like active calories, total calories, heart rate, and more specific metrics pertaining to the exercise in question.

Apple is predicted to announce the Apple Watch Series 3 at its iPhone 8 reveal event in September, which we should be getting a date confirmation for at some point this week. Current rumors suggest the event could be held in the second week of the month, on September 12, but the first week is also a possibility, with an event as early as September 6.

One confirmed new workout that users can expect in watchOS 4 is High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, which Apple announced during WWDC this past June. Users will also be able to link together multiple workouts so they can see their overall calorie data and time measurements in one place.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3, watchOS 4, iOS 11
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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NYPD Said to Replace Windows Phones With iPhones Starting This Year

Less than a year after completing a rollout of Windows Phones to its entire police force, New York City Police Department officials plan to begin replacing them with iPhones by the end of the year, according to the New York Post.

Image: NYPD via YouTube
The report didn’t specify whether the NYPD will opt to use one of Apple’s latest iPhone models, or an older model like the iPhone 6. Apple is also widely rumored to announce the so-called iPhone 8 with an OLED display in September, although the high-end device may be out of the department’s price range.

In October 2014, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and other officials announced plans to roll out 35,000 handheld devices to every NYPD officer for the first time ever, along with tablets for every patrol car. De Blasio said the major $160 million initiative would help bring the department into the 21st century.

The NYPD’s smartphones of choice were Nokia’s Lumia 830 and Lumia 640 XL, released in October 2014 and March 2015 respectively. The since-discontinued devices run Windows Phone 8.1, which Microsoft ended support for in July to focus on its newer Windows 10 Mobile platform and cloud-based services.

The devices provide police officers with expanded search capabilities, including access to the majority of NYPD databases, and the ability to conduct various record checks from the field in a timelier manner. The devices also provide real-time 911 call data, often prior to radio dispatch, the department said in 2014.

The NYPD’s choice of Windows Phones raised some eyebrows given iOS and Android combined have over 99 percent market share of smartphone operating systems, according to research firm IDC.

The department insisted on Microsoft-based smartphones in part because it was already using Microsoft software to run the video-surveillance program at its Lower Manhattan Security Initiative Command Center, according to the New York Post. The devices were also more affordable than iPhones.

A spokesman for the NYPD said the department wouldn’t comment on the matter until its Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology Jessica Tisch returned from vacation later today, the report said.

Tags: nypost.com, Windows Phone
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iPhone 8 Wireless Charging Reportedly Half the Speed of Current Standard

A recent report by Mac Otakara [Google Translate] has delved into a few of the specifications that could be coming to the inductive-style wireless charging feature of the iPhone 8, iPhone 7s, and iPhone 7s Plus. According to the site, citing a source well versed in the Wireless Power Consortium, Apple’s devices will only support half of the power profile currently standard in Qi version 1.2, meaning the iPhone 8 will charge at a slower rate compared to other devices when using wireless charging.

Specifically, version 1.2 of the Qi standard allows for 15 watts of power transmitted from the wireless charging pad to the receiving device. According to the new report, the iPhone 8 will support half of that standard at a maximum of 7.5 watts of power (5 volts over 1.5 amps). While faster than Apple’s current 5W USB power adapter, if the information turns out to be true then Apple’s new line of iPhones would lack compatibility with more current Qi wireless charging accessories.

One example of a Qi wireless charging pad
Apple is also expected to require third-party manufacturers to acquire a “Made for iPhone” license before marketing their charging pads as iPhone-compatible accessories.

Also, like the Apple Watch, which is Qi standard but can only be charged with a MFi chip-equipped charger, there is a possibility that the wireless charging function of the iPhone 8 series is bound by the MFi license.

While all three iPhones launching in 2017 are expected to include wireless charging of some kind, the ability might not be available to iPhone 8, iPhone 7s, and iPhone 7s Plus owners at launch. Over the summer it was rumored that software problems related to wireless charging were causing a “panic” at Apple, so the feature might not debut until an iOS 11 update later in the year, potentially alongside the retail releases of these MFi charging pads and Apple’s own first-party accessory.

Related Roundups: iPhone 8, iOS 11
Tag: macotakara.jp
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LG V30 will offer audio features ‘unseen in a smartphone before’

The V30 will feature a 32-bit Quad DAC with digital filters and sound presets.

LG is continuing to serve up information regarding its upcoming flagship ahead of its release at IFA. The company is now talking up the audio prowess of the V30, saying that the phone will feature “next-generation audio functions unseen in a smartphone before.” LG rolled out a 32-bit Quad DAC in last year’s V20, and its successor will feature a “32-bit Advanced Hi-Fi Quad DAC” powered by ESS Technology’s Sabre ES9218P chip. The new DAC will also be much more customizable, with LG offering digital filters and pre-programmed sound presets.

LG says that the V30 will offer four sound presets — enhanced, detailed, live and bass — allowing you to customize your listening experience, in addition to the digital filters that let you tweak the impulse response. LG was able to cut the distortion rate down to 0.0002%, and it has teamed up with MQA to offer high-resolution audio streaming.

LG is also stating that customers using “ordinary equipment” will be able to “experience much of the high-quality audio enjoyed by listeners using expensive headsets.” And like its predecessor, the V30 will come with a pair of B&O Play earphones in the box. There’s certainly plenty to look forward to with the LG V30, and with the handset slated for an official unveil on August 31, we don’t have to wait long to find out exactly what’s in store.

LG V30

• LG V30: Everything you need to know!
• Latest render shows LG V30 alongside Galaxy Note 8
• LG V30 will have curved OLED display
• LG V30 will be announced on August 31
• Join our LG V30 forums

FROM DELICATE CHORDS TO DEAFENING THUNDER, LG V30 DELIVERS TAILORED HI-FI

Hi-Fi Filter, Sound Preset and Hi-Fi Streaming Set to Delight Ears Everywhere

SEOUL, Aug. 28, 2017 — The upcoming V series smartphone from LG will offer next-generation audio functions unseen in a smartphone before, leading to a personalized sound experience that is also easy to use. Developed in conjunction with long-time experts in the audio space the LG V30 is a perfect example of the partnership strategy behind developing the perfect mobile device for audiophiles.

Building on the Hi-Fi Quad DAC first introduced by its predecessor, the LG V30 features a 32-bit Advanced Hi-Fi Quad DAC powered by ESS Technology’s SABRE ES9218P. LG’s Hi-Fi Quad DAC presents two new features: digital filters and sound presets. While the original Hi-Fi Quad DAC emphasized delivering Hi-Fi sound as close as possible to the original source by minimizing distortion and white noise, Advanced Hi-Fi Quad DAC offers more customizable options.

Digital filters, normally only available in expensive digital audio players, improves the pre- and post-ringing of the impulse response with filters that can be customized to personal tastes. In developing sound presets, LG engineers studied the characteristics of popular tones and identified the best combination of sounds to create four optimal pre-programmed settings: enhanced, detailed, live and bass. Even with ordinary equipment, LG V30 users can experience much of the high-quality audio enjoyed by listeners using expensive headsets.

The Hi-Fi Quad DAC controls left and right audio signals separately, adjusting balance in such detail that listeners will feel as if they are standing in the center of a concert venue. LG has cut the distortion rate down to 0.0002 percent. The less information lost when converting digital data into analog waveform, the clearer the resulting sound is. The audio paths are wider than ever in the V30 so it can process large, high-quality audio files without any lag and with greater accuracy.

The LG V30 also includes technology from partner company MQA Ltd. that facilitates high resolution audio streaming, the next big trend in mobile music. This allows the V30 to combine its stellar Quad DAC with MQA technology for a listening experience that will touch the heart as well as the ears. Music fans can enjoy high-resolution audio without the inconvenience of downloading huge files or using up large amounts of mobile data to get great sounding music through the V30.

What’s more, the HD Audio Recorder in the V30 features the capability to use the audio receiver of the phone simultaneously as a microphone (Receiver-as-a-Mic or RAM). The RAM can record loud sounds clearly, so the LG V30 can record a wider dynamic range of sounds, from a whisper to a thunderstorm, without distortion.

“With the V30, LG and our partners are pushing the boundaries of smartphone audio to enable a more bespoke listening experiences,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The combination of its advanced Hi-Fi audio technology and the superb images generated by its OLED FullVision display makes the LG V30 a true multimedia powerhouse.”

With the V30, LG continues its close partnership with B&O PLAY. B&O PLAY refined the audio capabilities in the V30 by fine-tuning the overall sound experience and adding its own exclusive touch. A set of high quality B&O PLAY earphones comes bundled with the V30 for hours of listening pleasure with style.

“For most people, listening to the music they love is a fundamental part of their lives and they expect the same uncompromised experience and quality from their headphones as they do from the mobile device they source music from,” said John Mollanger, CEO of B&O PLAY. “That’s why B&O PLAY is very excited for our long-term partnership with LG and satisfying global music lovers world over.”

The Morning After: Monday, August 28th 2017

Hey, good morning! Over the weekend, we capped off a week of games coverage from Europe’s biggest video-game conference, and saw a Hyperloop pod hit over 200MPH. Uber, meanwhile, now has a new CEO.

Elon Musk reckons future teams could hit 600 miles per hour.
Hyperloop Pod Competition winner hits over 200MPH

Adjacent to SpaceX headquarters, 25 teams gathered for another Hyperloop Pod Competition. This time the winner would be judged by how quickly they could go down the 1.25 kilometer (about .77 miles) track. On the final day of competition, three teams advanced to the finals and had the chance to push their pod to the limit.

A number of Obama-era officials dropped out of the cybersecurity panel.
Trump’s cybersecurity advisors resign en masse

Another Trump panel has taken a hit after eight of its 28 members resigned en masse. Members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which advises Homeland Security on matters of cybersecurity, have dropped out of the panel for several reasons. In the resignation letter obtained by NextGov, they said the president doesn’t give enough attention to the country’s cyber vulnerabilities. “You have given insufficient attention to the growing threats to the cybersecurity of the critical systems upon which all Americans depend, including those impacting the systems supporting our democratic election process,” the letter reads.

Hajime Tabata explains what’s coming next.
The director of ‘Final Fantasy XV’ isn’t finished yet

Final Fantasy XV was a long time coming. After a decade of delays, it’s not surprising that both Square Enix and the game’s director, Hajime Tabata, are saying they aren’t finished with Noctis and his bro squad. With not even a whisper of Final Fantasy XVI, the rest of this year (and part of 2018) is focused on the Final Fantasy XV universe: PC versions, more chapter expansions, more mobile iterations and a multiplayer mode.

Both streams and TV were knocked out.
Mayweather-McGregor fight crashed pay-per-view servers

Did you pay for an expensive pay-per-view or streaming pass to watch the hyped-up boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, only to boil with rage as your access went down? You’re far from alone. Numerous reports have revealed that servers across the US crashed or buckled under demand for the fight, creating outages serious enough that organizers delayed the fight to make sure people could tune in. Mayweather himself said that pay-per-view servers in California and Florida crashed, while Showtime and UFC failed to load, ran into login trouble and otherwise couldn’t keep up with interest.

But wait, there’s more…

• ‘PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ knocks ‘Dota 2’ off its Steam throne
• Uber picks Expedia chief as its new CEO
• ‘Dishonored’ gets unleashed in ‘Death of the Outsider’

Uber drivers can share their location with friends and family

It may have just snagged a new CEO in the form of Dara Khosrowshahi, but it’s business as usual for Uber when it comes to its app. The company is introducing another driver-oriented feature in the form of “share my trip.” If you’ve ever used the Uber app, you should recognize the option (as it’s been available to riders for a while). Just like passengers, drivers can now share their location with friends and family with just a couple of taps. By enabling the option, chosen contacts will be able to see the driver on a map, along with his or her phone number, and license plate details. To keep any privacy concerns at bay, Uber won’t share your route (or any other info about you) with the recipients.

Uber is also targeting passengers outside the US with a new identification check. In regions where electronic payments aren’t as common, riders will now be able to verify their identity using their Facebook account.

Along with a bunch of newly announced insurance options, the location-sharing update is the latest aimed at Uber’s workforce. It comes on the heels of perks, such as tips (and ways for drivers to earn some extra cash from your forgetfulness).

Uber’s incoming CEO has a pile-up of issues to solve, including the company’s problematic corporate culture and inability to make a profit. But, just as important will be his relationship with employees behind the wheel. For proof, look no further than his predecessor Travis Kalanick’s infamous bust-up with an Uber driver over fare concerns. The leaked video of the altercation did little for the then-CEO’s flagging reputation. They may be small, but safety-oriented updates are just one of the ways the new Uber chief could keep drivers happy.

Source: Uber

Latest macOS kills pro video editor favorite Final Cut Pro 7

When Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) launched to replace version 7, it sent shockwaves through the professional editing community. Many users had moved to FCP 7 from Avid because it was cheaper, and after much development on Apple’s part, was capable of doing professional jobs. However, FCP X was widely aimed at consumers and lacked a lot of professional features, so many stuck with the original. That’s going to be difficult now, though, as Apple has told users via email that its latest version of macOS, High Sierra will not run the older version anymore.

In a letter seen by Cinema 5D, Apple told users that “older versions of Apple pro video applications — including applications in Final Cut Studio — will not launch on a computer running macOS High Sierra.” It adds that Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5 and Compressor 4 work just fine on its latest OS and advises updating to those.

A lot of editors and studios relied on FCP 7, and many of those switched to other apps — yes, it was quite a drama at the time. It isn’t a huge problem for most folks now, as FCP X has received many, many updates that make it more capable for pros. There are also a lot more viable alternatives now, including cheaper and even free versions of Avid, Premiere Pro CC, Da Vinci Resolve and others. Nevertheless, there are custom add-ins and software for FCP 7 that some pro and film houses may still rely on. Those folks can stick with older versions of macOS, but that’s not ideal, security-wise.

Apple has always been ambivalent about professionals who use its products, as those folks are (rightly) demanding and tend to eat up support resources. As such, many users suspect that Apple cares a lot more about iPhones than high-end products like the Mac Pro — for all the headaches, they make up just a fraction of Apple’s total revenue.

At the same time, there’s a school of thought that Apple’s high-end Macs and associated software are used by passionate fans that help drive handheld device sales. In the case of the Mac Pro, Apple seems to agree and has promised to launch a new model in 2018.

Via: Cinema 5D

Source: Apple

Lost Alan Turing letters found in university filing cabinet

A huge batch of letters penned by visionary British cryptographer Alan Turning has been found at the University of Manchester. Professor Jim Miles was tidying a storeroom when he discovered the correspondence in an old filing cabinet. At first he assumed the orange folder, which had Turing’s name on the front, had simply been re-used by another member of staff. But a closer look revealed 148 documents, including a letter sent by GCHQ, a draft version of a BBC radio programme about artificial intelligence, and invitations to lecture at some top universities in America.

Turing worked at the University of Manchester from 1948, first as a Reader in the mathematics department and later as the Deputy Director of the Computing Laboratory. These jobs followed his pivotal work with the Government Code and Cypher School during the Second World War. At Bletchley park, he spearheaded a team of cryptographers that helped the Allies to unravel various Nazi messages, including those protected by the Enigma code. The newly discovered documents date from early 1949 until his death in June 1954. At this time, Turing’s work on Enigma was still a secret, which is why it’s rarely mentioned in the correspondence.

None of the letters contain previously unknown information about Turing. They do provide new detail, however, about his life at Manchester and how he worked at the University. They also shed light on his personality — responding to a conference invitation in the US, he said boldly: “I would not like the journey, and I detest America.” The documents also reference his work on morphogenesis, the study of biological life and why it takes a particular form, AI, computing and mathematics. “I was astonished such a thing had remained hidden out of sight for so long,” Miles said.

All of the letters have now been sorted, catalogued and stored by James Peters at the University’s library. “This is a truly unique find,” Miles said. “Archive material relating to Turing is extremely scarce, so having some of his academic correspondence is a welcome and important addition to our collection.” You can now search for and view all 148 documents online.

None of the correspondence references his personal life. Turing was arrested in 1952 for homosexual acts and chose chemical castration over time in prison. In 1954, he died through cyanide poisoning, which an inquest later determined as suicide. The British government officially apologised for his treatment in 2009, before a posthumous pardon was granted in 2013. Last October, the UK government introduced the “Alan Turing Law,” awarding posthumous pardons to thousands of gay and bisexual men previously convicted for consensual same-sex relationships.

Via: International Business Times

Source: The University of Manchester