Recommended Reading: How the ‘Final Fantasy’ film helped Hollywood
The ‘Final Fantasy’ film bombed,
but its motion capture
revolutionized Hollywood
Jordan Zakarin,
Inverse
The animated Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within film may not have been a success in terms of earnings, but the movie did provide some useful insight for motion capture. Inverse takes a look at the film’s influence on filmmakers and realistic computer-generated characters despite its less than stellar reputation.
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The strange and lucky tale of the man who made Prince’s last guitar Guitar maker Simon Farmer discusses the music icon’s last guitar (that he never got to play) and who he thinks should be the one to use it. |
Hitting the virtual roads of ‘Euro’ and ‘American Truck Simulator’ with retired truckers Impressions of a truck-driving simulator from former truckers are perhaps the best way to judge the merits of the game. |
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So you think you love Earth? Wait until you see it in VR The Overview Institute wants to give folks on the ground the psychological effect of seeing Earth from space. And it’s hoping VR can help do just that. |
This dark net brothel makes finding sex as easy as hailing an Uber A Russian website called Dosug displays a map of available prostitutes nearby. All you have to do is grab your wallet. |
A $1,500 smart oven made me the perfect leg of lamb
If you’d like to cook more but tend to feel disappointed by the results, you might be interested in the June. Announced last year, the June is an intelligent oven outfitted with a camera, a scale, a bevy of sensors and the guts of a smartphone or tablet (It has an NVIDIA Tegra K1 chip plus a 2.3GHz quad-core processor) to deliver the perfect meal. Want a medium rare steak? Simply weigh it, plop it in the oven where the camera will instantly recognize it’s a steak, stick a temperature probe in, enter in your desired temperature on the touch screen and the oven will take care of the rest.
Since last year, the team over at June have been perfecting the oven to cook foods beyond steak. Indeed, it can now recognize a selection of foods that include bagels, cookie dough, salmon, leg of lamb, asparagus and more. Indeed, we had a demo where we inserted a couple of bagel slices and as the oven recognized it, it instantly popped up a menu choice on how we wanted it toasted. And even if it doesn’t know what it is, you can always enter in the temperature and cooking time yourself, just like a regular oven. It can roast, bake, broil, reheat meals and, of course, toast.
What sets the June apart is its smarts. For example, say you want to crisp up your chicken after it’s done. You can set the oven to cook it to 165 degrees and when it hits that temp, the oven will automatically switch over to a high heat for a few minutes to give you that crispy skin. And since there’s a camera, you can keep an eye on your food via an app on your smartphone. The app also works as a remote timer, letting you know just when the food is done.
That sounds pretty great, but the problem is that it’s quite expensive. You can pre-order it now for $1,495, but it’ll likely be close to $3,000 once it hits store shelves. If you do want to go all-in, though, you should get your very own intelligent oven by the holidays this year (hopefully just in time for pumpkin pie).
I had the opportunity to have a full course meal at June’s office recently, where at least one ingredient of each dish was prepared using the oven. And it was delicious. The leg of lamb was done to medium rare perfection and the strawberry rhubarb tart was to die for. Check out the “June Oven dinner” gallery for photos of each individual plate.
ICYMI: The dogbot and a heart strap that beats surgery
Today on In Case You Missed It: Boston Dynamics introduced a new robot to the lineup and this one is both the smallest yet, and most adorable. The SpotMini is just two feet tall but in the video Boston Dynamics released, shows it can do dishes, throw cans away and creep around for a good 90 minutes on an electric charge. Meanwhile the EPFL designed a new medical device that looks not-entirely unlike an old school slap bracelet, except it’s made of silicon and is designed to grip and squeeze the aorta, keeping the heart beating while a patient might be waiting for a heart transplant.
Theater fans will want to know about New York’s decision to ban robot buyers; while politically-minded folks (not already talking about Great Britain’s vote to leave the EU) will want to hear about C-SPAN’s decision to broadcast Periscope videos of the Democrat’s sit-in. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Latest Alleged Leaked Image of iPhone 7 Depicts Larger Rear Camera
Two images have emerged online this morning allegedly showing the rear cases of an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus leaked from the Chinese supply chain.
The first image posted by French site nowhereelse.fr claims to show the back of the upcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 7 with the expected antenna bands restricted to the edges of the casing, rather than running along the rear.
Alongside the usual microphone and LED flash, it also appears to show a larger protruding camera cut-out, which is consistent with rumors that the device will feature a larger back camera with likely improved CMOS sensor.
Interestingly, Engadget’s take on the same alleged leak cites a couple of claims from its source at Chinese repair shop Rock Fix that we’ve heard before. One is that the headphone jack is “here to stay” on the 4.7-inch handset, the other is that the iPhone 7 will come in two flavors: a base model to replace the iPhone 6, alongside the expected flagship model.
The first claim comes despite widespread and apparently confirmed rumors indicating that Apple will switch exclusively to Lightning and Bluetooth audio output for wired and wireless headphones.
The second claim appears to be associated with an earlier leaked image from Rock Fix depicting a trio of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus display components that could just as easily be from early prototype stages. Both claims seem unlikely at this late stage in the rumor cycle.
Meanwhile, the alleged shot of an iPhone 7 Plus case depicts the now-familiar pill-shaped camera enclosure, corroborating widely circulated rumors that Apple plans for a superior dual-lens camera to be exclusive to the larger 5.5-inch handset.
In the close-up shown here, the top of the plastic shell enclosing the case also appears to have an unusual opening in the centre. Nowhereelse.fr suggests this could indicate the presence of a sensor or port of some kind, although such an inclusion would be unusual at this location.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 7 series in September. The smartphones are also expected to retain iPhone 6s-like designs with faster Apple A10 processors, dustproofing and waterproofing, and faster LTE and Wi-Fi.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: nowhereelse.fr
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iPhone 7 will get a larger camera, according to spy shot
Another week, another iPhone 7 leak. (Hey, it rhymes!) Following the set of components allegedly showing dual-SIM support, up to 256GB of storage and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the next iPhone, Chinese repair shop Rock Fix is back with a photo of what it claims to be the 4.7-inch iPhone 7’s rear casing. Most notably, there are fewer plastic antenna bands here, and the main camera is said to feature a larger CMOS sensor — here’s hoping this will offer larger pixel sites to boost light sensitivity. What’s interesting is that contrary to WSJ’s report earlier this week, Rock Fix reiterated that the headphone jack is here to stay on the 4.7-inch version, but there’s no word on whether the same applies to the 5.5-inch Plus model. We certainly hope that’s the case.
Rock Fix added that we should expect the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 to arrive in two flavors: One being a base model to replace the aging iPhone 6 (don’t worry, we were told it won’t be a plastic rehash), with the other being the one we’re looking at here. This leaves us with the iPhone 7 Plus which is expected to feature the dual-lens camera we saw last time. Both sizes will apparently have dual-SIM slots, which is a common feature in competitive markets like China and India. If true, this move will hopefully give Apple a much needed boost after its recent iPhone sales decline.
Source: Rock Fix (Sina Weibo)
OnePlus 3 teardown shows off what’s underneath the metal exterior
Want to see what’s underneath the shiny metal exterior of the OnePlus 3? You’re in luck, as the folks at FoneArena have performed a teardown of the handset, giving us a look at all the hardware on offer.
From the images, it looks like it’s fairly easy to pry open the back of the phone once you remove the two metal screws at the bottom. The metallic back cover is machined out of a single block of aluminum, and it houses the vibration motor along with the antenna connectors. Here’s a look at the hardware used on the phone:
- Qualcomm WTR3925 RF transceiver
- Skyworks 77824-11 Power Amplifier
- 64GB Samsung UFS 2.0 flash storage
- 6GB Samsung LPDDR4 RAM
- Qualcomm PM8996 power management IC
- 8MP Sony IMX179 camera sensor at the front
- 16MP Sony IMX298 camera sensor at the back
For detailed images of the teardown, head to FoneArena from the link below.
- See at FoneArena
OnePlus 3
- OnePlus 3 review: Finally, all grown up
- OnePlus 3 specs
- OnePlus 3 vs. the flagship competition
- Latest OnePlus 3 news
- Discuss OnePlus 3 in the forums
OnePlus
Neural net photography tweaks go mobile with Prisma on iOS
We’ve seen DeepMind’s acid trip photo creations and what it looks like when algorithms colorize black and white photos. But you need to be near a computer for the former, and do some pretty heavy lifting, scientifically speaking, to set up the latter. But an iOS app is putting algorithm-based photo tweaks in your pocket. Dubbed Prisma, it takes a different approach than, say, Instagram. The app’s filters are artistic, in the painterly definition of the word.
Either take a new photo from within the app or import a pre-existing one (don’t bother with anything aside from vertical shots) and pick from one of about 20 filters, then export to your social network of choice. Fancy making a pile of coat hangers on your end table look like a pencil sketch? Have at it. Same goes for transforming into a The Scream-like brushstroke patterns. The development team tells TechCrunch that the goal is to add two or more new filters each day, and expects to have 40 within a month.
The results are pretty impressive, and unlike Paper Camera on Android, your phone isn’t doing any of the heavy lifting here. The processing is done via Prisma’s remote servers, and the outfit claims that no photos are stored or viewed from its side of things. On WiFi processing takes a second or two to apply the effect, but the wait is pretty low-impact and didn’t stop me from experimenting with different looks. That could all change when operating on mobile data, of course. But it’s still a lot faster than desktop-based alternatives.
“We’re not just overlaying like an Instagram filter,” Prisma co-founder Alexey Moiseenkov tells TechCrunch. “We create the photo from scratch. So there is no photo, we took your photo, then perform some operations and give a new photo to you. So deep learning is like an artist, something like that.”
Okay, so Moiseenkov’s pitch might need some polishing, but the app is free so you’re not out anything for giving it a shot.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Prisma (iTunes)
BitSummit 4 takes over Kyoto with more indie games and devs
BitSummit is back. The annual Japanese indie game festival recently announced its lineup of musicians and speakers including Koji Igarashi of Bloodstained and Castlevania fame, Rez creator Tetsuya Mizguchi, Tom Happ (the man behind Axiom Verge) and Goichi “Suda51” Suda. Oh, and Sony Interactive Entertainment’s president of worldwide studios, Shuhei Yoshida.
Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka and one half of the two-man studio behind PlayStation-exclusive Sound Shapes, Shaw-Han Liem are scheduled to perform as well. If none of those names make you want to book a flight to Kyoto, Japan maybe, just maybe word that Seaman creator Yoot Saito will be in attendance too.
Once again, Indie Megabooth is helping organize the event and it all goes down July 9th and 10th. When our own Jessica Conditt spoke with Indie Megabooth’s President and CEO Kelly Wallick last year, Wallick said of BitSummit that it had “a tremendous impact on how not only local developers see their own community, but how the greater international community does as well.” With this year’s lineup of speakers, musicians and games, the 2016 edition shouldn’t change that one iota.
Source: BitSummit (Facebook)
Four crops grown in simulated Martian soil are safe to eat
We’re still not sure if we can Mark Watney our way through a Martian mission, because soil on the red planet contains heavy metals toxic to humans, including lead and arsenic. A team of scientists from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands, however, found out that radishes, peas, rye and tomatoes grown in Martian soil are safe to eat after years of research. The scientists have been growing different types of plants in soil that NASA developed to simulate what’s found on the red planet since 2013. While they haven’t exactly eaten any of them yet — and team leader Wieger Wamelink admits radishes are still best grown on Earth — they confirmed that these four can grow on Mars without absorbing dangerous levels of heavy metals.
The researchers’ work isn’t done yet, especially since NASA and various private space corporations have already begun planning manned missions. They’re also growing six other crops, including potatoes, which still have to be tested for heavy metal content. The currently running a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for their project.
first #potato flower on Mars soil simulant, to feed the human #Martians, including #Whatney https://t.co/EZK76clZHr pic.twitter.com/qQoRAlzy5u
— Wieger Wamelink (@wamelink_wieger) May 16, 2016
Harvest of green beans on #Mars and # moon soil simulants pic.twitter.com/lNUJZlPQ50
— Wieger Wamelink (@wamelink_wieger) May 31, 2016
#peas on #Mars and #moon soil simulant at @WageningenUR. On the moon you will be a bit hungry, sorry about that. pic.twitter.com/qAlht1esZS
— Wieger Wamelink (@wamelink_wieger) June 20, 2016
#cress on #Mars and #moon soil simulant at @WageningenUR. they looked and smelled tasty. pic.twitter.com/TvNKwfnTuk
— Wieger Wamelink (@wamelink_wieger) June 20, 2016
Source: The Guardian, Physorg, Wageningen University
DHS seeks to ask foreign visitors their social media accounts
Someday, departure and arrival forms in the US might have a new section asking foreign nationals for their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The Department of Homeland Security has submitted a proposal to add a section in those forms that reads: “Please enter information associated with your online presence–Provider/Platform–Social media identifier.” According to the info published by the Federal Register, it would be an optional field and would only ask for people’s usernames on social media platforms, not their passwords.
Back in 2015, DHS reportedly began working on a plan to make social media check a part of the US visa application. This proposal, however, would cover all non-citizens entering and leaving the US, even those traveling through the visa waiver program. If you’ll recall, the government faced criticisms after reports came out that one of the San Bernardino shooters posted jihadist messages on social media. At the same time, terrorist organizations have been using websites like Twitter and Facebook to promote terrorist acts.
Homeland Security plans to use the social media info they gather to vet visitors. As the agency wrote in its proposal: “Collecting social media data will enhance the existing investigative process and provide DHS greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections by providing an additional tool set which analysts and investigators may use to better analyze and investigate the case.”
Via: The Hill, Politico
Source: Federal Register
