Algorithms transform Chicago scenes into trippy lobby art

Office lobbies are prime spots for corporations to make statements about their values and taste, yet “lobby art” is usually a shorthand way of saying “insipid crap.” However, an art installation studio called ESI Designs has given a Chicago office building a much more interesting, experimental and local take on it. Called “Canvas,” it’s a 14- by 23-foot LED display installation that generates moving paintings based on video from the Chicago River and Navy Pier amusement park rides. “The daily motion of Chicago ‘paints’ the pictures into place at 515 North State,” said ESI’s Senior Designer Ed Purver.

ESI Designs created the installation at 515 North State, the first US skyscraper created by Pritzker award-winning architect Kenzō Tange. The building used to be the home of the American Medical Association, but now touts “best-in-class connectivity,” rooftop honeybees and organic gardens. The brutalist-style gray lobby, while foreboding, is the perfect backdrop for ESI Designs’ colorful installation.

The videos at first appear to be just wild, streaking colors, but eventually they morph into realistic images of boats, trains and people. The images are created by custom paint-simulation software “in a poetic interpretation of human vision,” as ESI design puts it.

“Our custom software analyzes each video for moving objects, so moments like a person walking, or a car driving become the ‘brushstrokes’ that slowly create each abstraction,” explained Purver. “As each video collides with the next, new compositions unfold in real time, literally creating thousands of possibilities in this one-of-a-kind evolving digital artwork.”

All told, the system can generate up to 5,000 unique canvases from the five hours of footage that was shot specially for the project at 16 separate locations. The massive installation can easily be seen from the street, and even from Google Street View, if you can’t make it in person.

ESI didn’t say how much the installation cost, but we imagine that the owner, real estate behemoth Beacon Capital Partners, can easily afford it. In any case, it’s probably a lot cheaper than a Picasso, and more accessible and relevant to the Chicago public, too.

BlackBerry’s ‘Jarvis’ finds security flaws in connected cars

As cars become more reliant on software, it’s critical for automakers to make sure their code is as secure as possible. It’s somewhat surprising, though, for a company like BlackBerry to come out with a potential solution. At a keynote during the North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS) today, the company’s CEO John Chen announced a new cloud-based tool called Jarvis that can scan the complex software required for modern connected and autonomous cars.

Jarvis scans automotive binary code to identify security vulnerabilities in the software used in modern and upcoming cars, much of which is written by third-party suppliers. Blackberry claims it can scan and deliver insights in minutes, reducing the time in one case study from more than 30 days to seven minutes. “Connected and autonomous vehicles require some of the most complex software ever developed,” said Chen, “creating a significant challenge for automakers who must ensure the code complies with industry and manufacturer-specific standards while simultaneously battle-hardening a very large and tempting attack surface for cybercriminals.”

Once a car company signs up for Jarvis, it can be customized for their own needs across their entire software supply chain, letting car companies scan files for problems at all stages of development. While Blackberry is initially targeting automakers, the tech could help with many other industries, scanning the complex software behind healthcare, industrial automation, aerospace and military defense projects, for example.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from NAIAS 2018!

Source: Blackberry

Chinese booster rocket nearly smashes into a small town

Space agencies prefer to launch near the sea or over empty land when given the choice, and China just got a reminder as to why. A booster from a Long March 3B rocket dropped and exploded near the small southwestern town of Xiangdu, roughly 435 miles away from its pad at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. And while these incidents aren’t completely unheard of, this is one of the few times the whole incident has been recorded for posterity. As you can see in the clip below, onlookers just a short distance away saw the booster tumble and create a massive fireball.

While there were no known casualties or property damage, this doesn’t mean it was safe. For one thing, China normally plans booster drop zones carefully and alerts (or in some cases, evacuates) areas to make sure no one gets hurt. This didn’t entirely go according to plan. Moreover, the highly toxic rocket fuel and secondary explosions posed risks to curious onlookers.

Not that China has much choice in the matter. As the Atlantic explained, three of China’s launch facilities were opened during the Cold War, when concerns about attacks took precedence over absolute safety. That meant setting up shop as far away from international borders as possible, guaranteeing that some launches would pose a risk to populated areas. A 1996 disaster even sent a rocket directly into the town of Xichang, killing at least six and injuring dozens more. China is building in safer areas (such as on the island of Hainan), but it could be a while before these sorts of incidents are a thing of the past.

另外一段视频 pic.twitter.com/jBoKBuJt7b

— ChinaSpaceflight (@cnspaceflight) January 12, 2018

Here’s the end of the close-up video of the booster that fell from the Long March 3B today. There’s bang then everyone runs away. Gets them away from the hydrazine for a while at least… pic.twitter.com/CbYKkDsvsO

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) January 12, 2018

Via: Popular Mechanics, Atlantic, The Verge

Source: GBTimes, ChinaSpaceflight (Twitter)

WeChat Users Again Allowed to Send Tips After Apple and Tencent Reach Deal

Apple and Tencent, the company that owns the popular WeChat messaging app, have reached a deal that will let WeChat users resume sending in-app tips to content creators, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Apple first asked Chinese social networking apps to disable tipping functionality back in May 2017 as it violated App Store rules. Tipping, Apple said, was a form of in-app purchase that should be subjected to the same fees as other in-app purchases.

In June, Apple officially updated its App Store Review Guidelines and began allowing tipping, but as an in-app purchase, ensuring the company received its full 30 percent cut. Another tweak was made in September, however, officially allowing Apple users to send monetary gifts to other users without Apple taking a cut.

Tencent initially refused to reimplement tipping as an in-app purchase because in WeChat, tipping is a free service provided to customers to build engagement, with Tencent receiving no portion of the money.

Tipping will soon resume in WeChat, though, as WeChat creator Allen Zhang said on Monday that the company had reached an accord with Apple. Details are scarce, but Zhang said WeChat will tweak its platform so tips are paid to individual content creators.

“In the past, companies like Apple might have had a difficult time understanding China-specific features,” Mr. Zhang said, according to a transcript of his remarks provided by Tencent. “We now all share a mutual understanding and we’ll soon bring back the “tip” function.”

With little detail available on the deal established between Tencent and Apple, it’s not clear if Apple will be receiving a cut of tips sent between WeChat users, but the tipping feature should soon be returning to the app.
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