This A.I. goes against the grain, cleans noisy images with a single shot

Low-light images are often plagued by grain, small dots created by increasing the camera’s sensitivity or ISO that obscure the image’s finer details. But researchers from Nvidia, Aalto University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have trained a computer to eliminate the grain using nothing but the original photo and software. 

While earlier artificial intelligence programs can clean up a noisy image, these programs required two photos, one full of grain and one without. The new Nvidia research, published on Monday, July 9, only needs one grainy photo to create a cleaner image using A.I.

The researchers trained the program by feeding the computer 50,000 pairs of images. The pairs were almost identical images, except each image in the pair had a different randomized pattern of grain added with software. Earlier research used image pairs, but one image was a clean, low noise file. The research, the group wrote, proves that it’s possible to reduce grain in an image without using a low-noise image as a reference point.

To test the program, the group used both traditional images and even medical MRI scans, suggesting the technology could be used for more than just cleaning up low-light photos. The team used images with added noise in order to have a clean reference image to see how well the A.I. performed. The resulting images had less noise than the original and took only milliseconds to correct. In the samples the researchers shared, the A.I.-treated program was a bit softer than the original reference image, but the adjusted images no longer had distracting levels of grain.

The researchers point out that the program, of course, can’t find details that aren’t there or were too obscured by the noise, but the program allows images to be adjusted without a clean reference photo. “There are several real-world situations where obtaining clean training data is difficult: Low-light photography (e.g., astronomical imaging), physically based rendering, and magnetic resonance imaging,” the researchers wrote. “Our proof-of-concept demonstrations point the way to significant potential benefits in these applications by removing the need for potentially strenuous collection of clean data. Of course, there is no free lunch — we cannot learn to pick up features that are not there in the input data — but this applies equally to training with clean targets.”

The research will be presented at the International Conference on Machine Learning in Sweden later this week — but like most new research, there is no word yet on if and when the technology may be widely accessible.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Facebook wants to literally open your eyes with A.I. that fixes blinks in photos
• Shutterstock’s A.I. helps prevent you from committing copyright infringement
• Using this A.I.-based healing brush, repairing an image is no biggie
• Facebook utilizes Instagram photos and hashtags to create a smarter A.I.
• From DSLR to mirrorless and compact, here’s how to choose a camera

AMD’s second-gen Ryzen Threadripper CPUs could rip into stores in August

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

AMD’s next-generation Ryzen Threadripper desktop processors for enthusiasts will supposedly launch on August 13, 2018. We already knew they were on the way given that AMD introduced the Ryzen Threadripper 2000 family during its Computex livestream in early June, but now unnamed sources close to AMD are providing an actual launch date.

Here’s what we know about these processors so far:

The new Threadripper chips will be based on AMD’s refreshed Zen architecture manufactured with the 12nm process. They’ll include the latest Precision Boost and XFR clocking technologies for higher, more stable out-of-the-box boost speeds and better overclocking. And like the first-generation Threadripper chips, these processors will require motherboards with the large TR4 seat/socket.

According to AMD, you can swap out your current Threadripper chip for one of the newer models without any issues. But you may not see the full performance level and overclocking benefits of the second-generation chip if it’s installed in the older motherboards compared to the second-generation motherboards that were designed to support all the second-generation Threadripper benefits. Even more, the 250-watt power draw may (or may not) be an issue with some first-generation Threadripper motherboards.

AMD released three Threadripper processors in 2017, with the 1950X serving as the company’s flagship processor for enthusiasts. Pulling a lower 180 watts of power, it includes 16 cores and 32 threads with a base clock speed of 3.4GHz and a maximum speed of 4.0GHz. The upcoming 2990X doubles the core count, keeps the base speed, and increases the maximum speed by 200MHz. The drawbacks are a higher power requirement and a higher price tag.

Meanwhile, the 2950X seemingly serves as a replacement of the current 1920X. The older chip packs 12 cores and 24 threads with a base speed of 3.5GHz, a maximum speed of 4.0GHz, and a power draw of 180 watts. The 2950X doubles the core and thread count, but currently we don’t know anything about the newer chip’s base and boost speeds. It will supposedly have a larger power draw and a higher price tag, too.

As a sign of the impending second-generation Threadripper release, the current chips are marked down if you want a high-end AMD processor without having to sell your organs on the black market. The 16-core Threadripper 1950X can be purchased for $779, which is $220 off the chip’s original price. The 12-core Threadripper 1920X can be purchased for $620 – $179 off the original price – while the 8-core Threadripper 1900X remains at a steady $429.

While $1,500 for the Threadripper 2990X may look highly expensive next to the now-discounted Threadripper 1950X, Intel’s 28-core monster showcased during Computex will supposedly cost around $10,000. The chip ran overclocked at 5GHz thanks to a Hailea HC Series water chiller mounted within the demo desktop. Given that setup, don’t expect the out-of-the-box speeds to be quite that high.

Editors’ Recommendations

• AMD’s second-generation Ryzen desktop CPUs hit the market starting at $199
• AMD combats upgrade woes with ‘crates’ featuring discounted hardware bundles
• AMD’s next batch of Ryzen desktop CPUs may focus on better power efficiency
• Intel “forgot” to mention its 28-core CPU demo was bogus
• AMD vs. Intel

How to use YouTube’s Incognito Mode

Here’s how you can watch videos on YouTube without leaving any trace of them.

YouTube, one of the most popular services in Google’s lineup, now has a new tool called “Incognito Mode.” Just like the Google Chrome feature of the same name, Incognito Mode on YouTube allows you to watch videos in the app without leaving any trace of them in your watch or search history.

Google’s been testing this feature with users for some time, but as of July 2018, it’s widely rolling out to everyone.

Here’s how to enable it!

Open the YouTube app.
Tap your account icon at the top right.
Tap Turn on Incognito.

If it’s your first time using Incognito, tap Got it on the pop-up.

Once you’re in Incognito Mode, you’ll see that your profile icon is changed to Chrome’s Incognito symbol and a black bar at the bottom of the YouTube app reads “You’re incognito.”

If you want to disable Incognito Mode:

Tap your account icon at the top right (now showing the Incognito icon).

Tap Turn off Incognito at the bottom of your screen.

Be aware of what Incognito does and doesn’t do

Incognito Mode is a great addition to the YouTube app, but it’s important to be aware of its limitations.

Videos you watch while Incognito is enabled won’t show up in your search or watch history, but your activity is still tracked by Google. Also, as noted in the YouTube app when turning Incognito on for the first time, your activity can still be viewed by your internet provider, employer, or school.

Lastly, if you subscribe to YouTube Premium, all the benefits that come with it are disabled while using Incognito.

YouTube Music review: A mixtape full of promise

Here’s how to use Amazon’s Camera Search to save $30 on Prime Day

What’s better than scoring some free money on Prime Day?!

Aside from the obvious sale prices and coupons, there are other ways for the truly savvy shopper to save even more on Prime Day. Tucked deep within Amazon’s Prime Day lead-up content is a promo centered around the camera features of the Amazon iOS/Android app. If you do the proper legwork and have a solid day of game-plan, you’ll be able to save an additional $30 on Prime Day by leveraging this one promo.

Here’s how it works: Amazon will be offering an extra $5 off select deals throughout the duration of Prime Day for shoppers who utilize specific Camera Features within the Amazon app.

There will be six deal periods spanning 6-hours each and you’re able to participate in as many as you’d like. Assuming you take advantage of all six periods, you’ll secure an extra $30 in Prime Day savings. At this point we have no idea which products or how many deals will be eligible for the additional savings; you’ll need to check back at the start of each deal period for full details:

• Period 1: July 16, 2018, 12:00 p.m. (PT) – 5:59 p.m. (PT)
• Period 2: July 16, 2018, 6:00 p.m. (PT) – 11:59 p.m. (PT)
• Period 3: July 17, 2018, 12:00 a.m. (PT) – 5:59 a.m. (PT)
• Period 4: July 17, 2018, 6:00 a.m. (PT) – 11:59 a.m. (PT)
• Period 5: July 17, 2018, 12:00 p.m. (PT) – 5:59 p.m. (PT)
• Period 6: July 17, 2018, 6:00 p.m. (PT) – 11:59 a.m. (PT)

While there are 4 different camera features that’ll activate the savings, you can use the same one each time. These features are pretty niche and the process isn’t intuitive so we created a step-by-step guide to outline exactly what you’ll need to do when each period goes live.

To begin, you’ll first need to download the Amazon app on your iOS or Android device. Once installed, open it and tap the Camera icon at the end of the search bar. You’ll then be prompted to allow Amazon to access your phone’s camera. Once that’s completed, you can start the tasks.

How to use Product Search:

Product Search is the default setting when tapping on the Camera icon. You can switch to Product Search after tapping the Camera icon by clicking See More at the bottom of the screen and selecting ‘Product Search‘.
Once you’re in Product Search mode, point your phone’s camera at an item near you that you would like to search on Amazon.
Blue dots should appear on and around the item for a few seconds; if Amazon can identify the item, it will pop up its search results allowing you to view product information and buy the item your camera just viewed. It may also show similar items which relate to the item that was identified.
Once the camera identifies an item, you should notice a pop-up stating “You’ve unlocked $5 off Prime Day Deals”. You must click on this notification and then tap ‘Get Coupon’ on the following page to add the $5 discount to your account for later use. If you click the X on the pop-up, there doesn’t seem to be a way to redeem the offer later, so make sure to not close out of that early.
The item you’ve scanned must be sold by Amazon for you to complete this offer.

How to use Barcode Scanner:

To find the Barcode Scanner, tap the See More button at the bottom after clicking on the Camera icon. Then tap ‘Barcode Scanner‘.
Find an item that you’d like to search on Amazon and put its barcode in front of your device’s camera.
If Amazon can find the item, it will pop up the item’s product page along with a pop-up stating “You’ve unlocked $5 off Prime Day Deals”. As with the previous AR View feature, you must tap on the pop-up and click ‘Get Coupon’ to add the offer to your account for use.
The item you scan must be sold by Amazon for you to complete this offer.

How to use Package X-Ray:

After tapping on the Camera icon, click the See More button at the bottom of the screen and then select ‘Package X-Ray‘.
Grab a recent Amazon shipment of yours and scan its shipping label with your phone.
A pop-up should show the items in your order and allow you to visit your order’s info page so you can re-order, contact customer service about an issue, and more.
You should also notice a pop-up stating “You’ve unlocked $5 off Prime Day Deals”. Make sure to click the pop-up and then tap ‘Get Coupon’ to add it to your account.

How to use AR View:

As with the other settings, hit the Camera icon and then click See More at the bottom. There you’ll find the ‘AR View‘ mode to select. Not all devices are compatible with this mode so it may not be available for you at this time.
This mode allows you to see how various best-selling products would look in your home. From here, select an item in the bottom window that you’re interested in and then go to a location in your home where you might place that item.
The app will ask where you’re planning on placing the item, whether that’s on the ground, on a table, or on a wall. Selecting the right option will help the next step work properly.
The item should appear before you as if it’s actually there in real life. You can drag it around, make it bigger, or turn it around with your fingers. You can also walk around the item to get a look at it from other angles.
Upon closing out of that view, you should notice a pop-up stating “You’ve unlocked $5 off Prime Day Deals”. Click on that banner and then press ‘Get Coupon’ to add the offer to your account.

Get prepared with Thrifter’s newsletter

The Thrifter team is going to be covering ALL things Prime Day, and you won’t want to miss out. Sign up now to have tips, tricks, deals, and more delivered right to your inbox and be sure to check out all the deals that are already available.

Spigen Rugged Armor for Pixel 2 XL review: Protection without the bulk

One of Spigen’s most common cases is a great choice for your phone.

Spigen has been making phone cases since dinosaurs walked the Earth, and they’re usually one of the first companies to offer cases and screen protectors on new devices. They have a few different styles for different tastes and levels of protection, but my favorite for a few years has been the Rugged Armor series. There are plenty of great cases for the Pixel 2 XL, but Spigen’s Rugged Armor should be on your short list of options.

Spigen Rugged Armor for Google Pixel 2 XL

Price: $11.99

Bottom line: This case protects your phone without being too bulky, and doesn’t cost much while doing it.

The Good

• Inexpensive
• Neutral design
• Doesn’t add much bulk
• Great protection

The Bad

• Only one color option

See at Amazon

I — Tom Westrick — have been using the Rugged Armor case for my Pixel 2 XL since I bought that phone in November 2017. I purchased the case with my own money.

Thin but protective

Spigen Rugged Armor What I like

My favorite thing about this case is how much it protects the device. Spigen’s Rugged Armor series have been my go-to cases for a couple years now, because it covers the entire device — minus the screen — without being too bulky. I’ll admit I don’t typically use cases 24/7, only an hour or so a day in the gym or when I’m running. But I’ll put a case on my phone if I’m traveling anywhere, and I had no issues with the bulk of the Rugged Armor cases.

The design is plain, but it works. It’s just a solid piece of rubber, and it does a great job at keeping the device protected. My phone was dropped countless times in airports, gyms, and on street corners with this case on, and the phone and case are no worse for wear.

The case has a generous cutout for the USB-C port, and I had no issues using it with any of my charging cables. The buttons are replicated on the case, which I love because it means I don’t need to dig my fingers in to try and change volume. There’s a cutout for the camera and flash, with no changes to the images or videos I take. Finally, I haven’t had to re-record my fingerprint with this case on.

You can have any color, as long as it’s black

Spigen Rugged Armor What I don’t like

The only downside to the Rugged Armor series is there’s only one color option: black. I don’t personally mind this since I’d buy a black case anyway, but it’d be nice to see blue, red or other colors available for those that want them.

A tried and true choice

Spigen Rugged Armor for Pixel 2 XL

For $11, this case is as good as you can get. It protects your device well without being too bulky, and it’s easy to put on and take off if you’re an intermittent case user like I am. This is great for anyone worried about drops, or just want something with a bit more grip than their phone has.

4.5
out of 5

I do wish there were more color options, but that won’t stop me from recommending this case to anyone.

See at Amazon

NVIDIA moving Shield TV to its GeForce Now service for some serious game streaming

GeForce Now allows you to play desktop games on the Android TV-based streaming console box.

NVIDIA today announced that its Shield TV will be switching over to the GeForce NOW service — basically a cloud service for gaming — that’s currently available on Macs and Windows machines, bringing desktop games to the Shield platform. It’ll let Shield owner play their personal library of games, or purchase new ones from digital stores like Steam and Uplay.

This all gets a little confusing because the previous thing on NVIDIA Shield was, erm, also called GeForce Now and was $8 a month. But now it’s the PC/Mac version of GeForce Now. Not the Shield version of GeForce Now. But the new one is also on Shield. The old one, and its monthly fee, is going away. From Shield. Now.

GeForce NOW is in a free public beta. NVIDIA says the Shield switchover should happen in the next week or so. You can see the full list of supported games here.

Best Amazon Prime Day Deals 2018

The celebrations have already begun!

Amazon Prime Day doesn’t officially begin until July 16 at 3pm ET, but that hasn’t stopped the company from beginning the deals a little bit early. Alongside the announcement, Amazon stated that a few deals would be available instantly for Prime members, and there are a few that you definitely won’t want to miss. In the coming days, we expect to see more deals leak, and our continuously updated tracker will highlight all the best Amazon Prime Day deals.

Be sure to check back often, as this page will be constantly adding fresh new deals. If you’re looking for deals on Amazon’s Echo hardware, Kindle Unlimited, Prime Pantry and more, we’ve got you covered.

Prime Exclusive Deals of the Day

In the lead-up to Prime Day, Amazon has switched over its Gold Box deals of the day to be all Prime member exclusive deals. Unlike some of the offers below, these prices expire at the end of the day, so you won’t have much time to think about them.

Today’s deals include:

• Amazon Dash Buttons – $0.99 (Was $5)
• TP-Link Wi-Fi Smart switch – $27.99 (Was $51)
• Samsung wireless charging stand (2018) – $39.99 (Was $70)
• Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth speaker – $169.99 (Was $349)
• Pelican cases and luggage – Various Prices
• MegaWheels Classic Hoverboards – Various Prices
• Men’s Shirts – Up to 40% off
• Vincero Luxury Watches – Up to 30% off

Echo Hardware

To kick things off, the company slashed $100 on the price of the Echo Show, dropping it down to just $129.99. This is the lowest we’ve ever seen it go and makes it the same price as the smaller screened Echo Spot. We’ve seen Amazon offer Voice Shopping exclusive deals in the past during Prime Day, so if you don’t have an Alexa device, or want another, this is a no-brainer purchase.

The Echo Dot is also down to $34.99, which is the lowest we’ve seen it hit this year.

Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Music Unlimited

If you’ve yet to try out Amazon’s Music Unlimited service, you can get a four-month membership for just $0.99. That’s right, all four months of unlimited access to all the music in the company’s library (which is rather extensive) for just one dollar. Prefer to read books instead of listening to music? No worries, Amazon has three months of Kindle Unlimited available for $0.99 as well. This gets you access to over a million book titles, and you can read as many of them as your heart desires during that time frame.

You can also go all-in on a Kindle Unlimited subscription and save 40% when you checkout with the coupon code PDKU18. This drops the one-year subscription down to $80.32 and the two-year subscription to $143.86. If you want to just buy a few books, you can get $10 towards any Kindle, print, or Audible book purchase when you buy any Kindle book for $5 or more before July 15.

Amazon’s In-house brands

Amazon has a bunch of its own brands, and right now it’s offering 20% off home, kitchen, and other AmazonBasics gear, 30% off Amazon Elements multivitamins, and up to 25% off Stone & Beam furniture. There are a bunch of other Amazon brands from AmazonFresh to Mama Bear and Goodthreads that will also have discounted items available.

Twitch Prime Games and Gear

Finally, Amazon is offering a free PC game each day through July 18 via Twitch Prime. There are popular titles like Pillars of Eternity, Q.U.B.E, Hue, and more. You’ll also get exclusive in-game look for Warframe and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and if you’re looking to load up on Twitch apparel, the merch is 50% off right now.

Of course, to take advantage of any of these offers you need to be an Amazon Prime member. If you aren’t already, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial so you can access all these deals and save during the big event.

The Thrifter team is going to be covering ALL things Prime Day, and you won’t want to miss out. Sign up now to have tips, tricks, deals, and more delivered right to your inbox.

How to share screenshots from your Lenovo Mirage Solo

If it looks stupid but it works, it’s still kinda stupid.

While game achievements exist, not every game supports them. And when things are going wrong on your device, sharing a screenshot is the easiest way to get it resolved. Unfortunately, your options are a bit… limited if you’re using the Lenovo Mirage Solo.

Here’s how to share screenshots from the Lenovo Mirage Solo!

What doesn’t work

Most Android devices take a screenshot the same way: press volume down and the power button at the same time. While the Mirage Solo has power and volume buttons on the headset, trying to use this key combination doesn’t actually do anything.

You can get screenshots from any Android device — from smartphones to TVs to watches — with the following ADB command:

adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png

That works on the Mirage Solo — you can enter developer mode and use ADB just like you would on any other device. But, the resulting image is just black. If you’re trying to dunk on your friends’ virtual fishing score, a blank black image isn’t going to do any good.

What does work

Fortunately, you can Cast the entire interface of your headset to any Chromecast or Android TV. This includes the Settings screen and other areas of the interface you wouldn’t expect to work. But it all does work. From here, just take a photo of the screen or get fancy and plug your Chromecast into an HDMI capture card.

What say you?

Do you plan to share screenshots from your Mirage Solo? Let us know down below!

These Milanese Fitbit Charge 2 bands are priced as low as $3 today

Find a new look for your Fitbit with these discounted Milanese bands.

While supplies last, you can pick up a Milanese Stainless Steel Band for Fitbit Charge for as low as $3 at Amazon by entering promo code 23WL8NTD during checkout. The code is valid on all colors and sizes of the band, however some options are priced up to $3.60 with the code. In any case, this offer should make the bands inexpensive enough where you could pick up a few that suit your style for the regular price of one.

There are small and large size bands to choose from, along with colors like Blue, Rose Gold and Champagne Gold. Replacing the band on your Fitbit Charge 2 is a nice way to keep it feeling fresh while using it daily.

Close to 3,000 Amazon customers reviewed these bands with 4.4 out of 5 stars collectively.

See at Amazon

Moment launches camera app for Android and iOS with tons of pro controls

You can shoot in RAW, control shutter speed, and lots more.

If you’re big into mobile photography, chances are you’re familiar with Moment. Moment’s become quite popular over the last couple years with extensive camera lenses and cases for the Pixel 2, Galaxy S9, and Apple’s iPhones. Now, Moment’s stepping away from the hardware game to release a pro camera app for both Android and iOS.

Titled Moment – Pro Camera, the app is designed to replace the default camera app on your phone while giving you access to all of the pro controls you could ask for. You can shoot in RAW, control exposure/ISO/shutter speed/focus/white balance, analyze all of your photo metadata in a DSLR-like format, and see a real-time histogram to know exactly what your exposure is like.

Despite all of these controls, Moment’s kept the UI for its app very clean and simplistic so that it’s not too overwhelming for people looking to gradually up their photo game. There’s also a section in the app where you can let it know you’re using a Moment lens if you have one, and according to Moment, it’s working on adding support for the Pixel 2’s Pixel Visual Core at some point down the road.

While all of that sounds great, Moment’s Android app is lagging a bit behind. At the time of publishing this article, the Android version doesn’t support video recording or the ability to switch between sensors if you’ve got a phone with dual rear cameras.

Speaking of the Android app, it’ll set you back $1.99 on the Play Store. For our iPhone friends, the iOS app can be downloaded for free but requires a one-time $2.99 payment to access all of the pro controls.

Download: Moment – Pro Camera ($1.99)