AI can generate interactive virtual worlds based on simple videos

2A2D26E3-AAFE-4A40-8C2C-90D29371BB4C

Nvidia’s new AI represents a major leap forward in graphics generation based on neural networks.

Crafting an interactive virtual world of the kind found in many modern video games is a labor-intensive process that can require years of work, hundreds of people, and millions of dollars. Soon, some of that work may be done by machines.

Computer hardware company Nvidia, which specializes in graphics cards, announced on Monday that it developed a new AI model that can take video of the real world and use it to generate a realistic and interactive virtual world. According to Nvidia, its new AI could be used to drastically lower the cost of generating virtual environments, which will be particularly useful in the video game and film industries.

Continue reading… “AI can generate interactive virtual worlds based on simple videos”

DJI’s new Mavic Air drone shoots in 4K, does 43 MPH, and fits in your pocket

We were admittedly a bit disappointed when DJI showed up to CES earlier this year without any new drones to show off, but it appears that the company had something new to show off all along. At a January 23 press event in New York City, the company unveiled the Mavic Air: A lighter, more streamlined version of the company’s popular Mavic Pro.

Continue reading… “DJI’s new Mavic Air drone shoots in 4K, does 43 MPH, and fits in your pocket”

Backyard skinny-dippers losing privacy to peeping drone stalkers

backyard skinnydippers 8h7g7u

Recent advances in technology mean we can no longer rely on fences or barriers around our homes to protect our privacy. This was certainly the case for Darwin resident Karli Hyatt, who on Tuesday explained how a drone invaded the security and privacy of her suburban backyard.

Hyatt had returned home last week from an evening gym session, undressed and jumped into her secluded backyard pool. She thought she was “skinny-dipping” in private. Within minutes, though, a small camera-mounted quadcopter drone was hovering close overhead. Hyatt is certain it was watching her, although there was no operator to be seen.

She describes the experience as initially shocking and has ongoing concerns about who might have been flying the drone and why. The result is an erosion of trust and cohesion in her neighborhood and a feeling of insecurity in her own home.

Continue reading… “Backyard skinny-dippers losing privacy to peeping drone stalkers”

DARPA is building a drone to provide surveillance anywhere in the world

b

DARPA is on track to unveil a working prototype of its “Tern” drone system in 2018 that could eventually give the Navy and Marines persistent surveillance and strike targeting “virtually anywhere in the world.”

Continue reading… “DARPA is building a drone to provide surveillance anywhere in the world”

Hanging out with my past self in virtual reality

 vr

I checked out a replay of a Reggie Watts show and definitely felt like the energy and movement of his character came across. Since the show had been recorded before the capture feature was announced, however, AltspaceVR had erased all the avatars in the crowd, as those people had not consented to be filmed. I was alone in a room with a prerecorded avatar of Reggie Watts, and sea of emoji rising toward the ceiling, reactions from the ghost of an audience I could no longer see.

Continue reading… “Hanging out with my past self in virtual reality”

For the first time, Teens are watching YouTube more often than cable TV

 

For the first time, teens are watching YouTube more often than cable TV, according to a new survey by investment bank Piper Jaffray.

On Friday, Piper Jaffray released its semi-annual survey of 10,000 teens, and it showed YouTube inching over cable in daily use. 26% of teens said they watched YouTube every day, whereas only 25% said the same of cable TV.

Continue reading… “For the first time, Teens are watching YouTube more often than cable TV”

MIT creates a video you can reach out and touch

poltergeist-movie

Strictly speaking, video isn’t an interactive medium, but a new research project from MIT aims to change that: The school’s CSAIL lab has come up with a technique through which viewers can reach out and “touch” objects in videos, manipulating them directly to achieve effects similar to what you’d expect if you were actually touching the object live in the real world.

Continue reading… “MIT creates a video you can reach out and touch”

Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.