Saturday 6 August 2016

Reach in and touch objects in videos with 'Interactive Dynamic Video'

Interactive Dynamic Video

Reach Out & Interact with Object from VR Headsets


When one could have imagined that virtual reality could not be more like reality, engineers have now found out a method wherein one could actually reach out as well as interact with the objects coming at you from the VR headsets. MIT Researchers from Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory – CSAIL have now developed an imaging technique known as Interactive Dynamic Video – IDV which enables the user to reach in and `touch’ objects in video.

Utilising the traditional cameras together with procedures, IDV tends to look at the minute, almost invisible vibrations of an object in creating video simulations which users could virtually interact with. CSAIL PhD student Abe Davis who will be publishing the work this month for his concluding study has stated that this technique enables to capture the physical behaviour of objects which provides a way of playing with them in virtual space.

By making the videos interactive, there is a possibility of predicting how objects tend to respond to unknown forces and explore new ways to engage with videos. He added that IDV tends to have several probable usages, from filmmakers creating latest types of visual effects to architects shaping if buildings are mechanically sound.

Five Seconds of Video – Information in Producing Accurate VR


He portrays an example in contrast to how the famous Pokemon Go app tends to drop virtual characters in actual setting, IDV seems to go further than that by essentially permitting virtual objects inclusive of Pokemon, to interact with their settings in particular, accurate manner such as bouncing off the leaves of a close-by bush.

He defined the technique in a paper published earlier in the year with PhD student Justin G. Chen and Professor Fredo Durand.A common way of stimulating the motions of objects is to build a 3D model but 3D modelling tends to be expensive and can be incredible for numerous objects.

Though procedures seem to prevail in tracking motions in video and magnify them, there aren’t some which can constantly stimulate objects in unknown locations. The work of Davis portrays that even five seconds of video could have adequate information in producing accurate virtual reality.

Examined Video Clips – Locate Vibration Modes


For mimicking the objects, the team examined video clips to locate vibration modes at various frequencies which each representing diverse ways that an object can move. In ascertaining the shapes of these modes, the researchers could start in predicting how these objects could move in new situations.

Doug James, a professor of computer science at Stanford University, not involved in the research has informed that computer graphics enables to use 3-D models in construction of collaborating simulation though the techniques could be complex. Davis together with his team had provided a simple and smart way of extracting a useful dynamics model from very tiny vibrations in video and has shown how to utilise it to animate an image.

Davis had used IDV on video on different objects inclusive of a bridge, a jungle gym as well as anukeleleand with a few clicks he displayed that he could push and pull the image, bending as well as moving it in various directions. Moreover he also displayed how he could make his own hand appear to telekinetically control the leaves of a bush.

Friday 5 August 2016

Samsung Electronics Unveils New Curved Screen Galaxy Note phone

Samsung

Galaxy Smartphone with Curved Screen & Iris Recognition


A new Galaxy Note smartphone with curved screen and iris-recognition technology had been unveiled by Samsung electronics Co. Ltd. recently looking to build on sales momentum which has assisted it back to swelling profit growth.

The topmost smartphone maker in the world saw its mobile profit rise by 49% in January-June from its previous year due to robust sales of its flagship Galaxy S7 device together with a line-up overhaul which had abandoned unaccepted models for lesser though more attractive new mid-to-low tier products.

The South Korean firm is wagering that the new big-screen device, the Galaxy Note 7 would support in sustaining its mobile business recovery through the second half but new launches from opponents such as Apple Inc. would probably steal some of the thunder.

Samsung will be utilising a 5.7-inch curved screen display for the new Galaxy Note 7 and the device would be taking on a similar design to the Galaxy S series though will be providing a larger screen together with functions comprising of a pen accessory. The grip on the device is also enhanced making it easy to be used with one hand.

Features an Iris Scanner


The pricing has not been revealed by the company but it is said that the sales would probably begin in a first group of markets on August 19 without any mention of where precisely. The new smartphone is said to be a successor to the previous year’s flat-screen Galaxy Note 5.

However the firm chose to miss a digit and give it the number 7 in making numbering consistent with the latest version of the Galaxy S that had started selling in March. Researcher Strategy Analytics has stated that the curved-screen Galaxy S7 edge was the best-selling android smartphone in the world during the first half of the year. Samsung’s expectations are that the new curved-screen Note phone would have the same demand.

The Note 7 also tends to feature an iris scanner, enabling users to unlock the device via the recognition of their eyes, which is the first type of application for a Samsung smartphone. It was also announced earlier by the firm about a tablet device with the feature for India.

Galaxy Note 7 Compatible with Samsung Pay


The Galaxy Note 7 is also said to be compatible with Samsung Pay which is a mobile payment service that tends to compete with Apple Pay beside others that Samsung seems to expect, that would be helping in boosting margins for its device as well as set its products apart from the other Android handsets.

Samsung has also launched a new variety of its Gear VR virtual reality headset with upgraded features like improved viewing angles. Company executives have mentioned that promotional accomplishments in pairing a VR device with the Galaxy S7 phone had assisted in boosting the sales this year.

The price is said to be playing a big role in whether or not one should acquire the phone. Notes tend to be the most expensive in the line-up of Samsung and it is the S Pen one tends to pay for. The S7 and the bigger S7 Edge seem to be identical stylus-less choices.

Thursday 4 August 2016

Who can't tweet about #Rio2016

Olympic

Trouble for Utilising Hashtag #Rio2016


Could one get into trouble for utilising the hashtag #Rio2016? It would possibly depend on who or what one could be. It could be used as much as possible in posts regarding a favourite athlete. However for companies it tends to be a different issue. The United States Olympic Committee had been accused of `intimidating’ firms which were not official sponsors, in preventing them from joining in the social media conversation regarding the forthcoming games.

Similar to any most important sporting event, the coordinators of the Olympic take a lot of precaution in protecting the right of corporate sponsors who tend to invest billion dollars for the game. Ahead of London 2012, those working on the opening and closing ceremonies had been briefly forbidden from buying chips since McDonalds had retained an exclusive sponsorship contract to be the solitary chip retailer in the park.

However, from then, a new regulation has enabled them to go much further in their quest of safeguarding the Olympic image. The first US applications to trademark hashtags were submitted in 2013 and though it is incredible in stopping ordinary people from talking about the event online utilising registered hashtags, it is now likely in restricting what companies may tend to do.

Prevent Ambush Marketing


Organisers of the Olympic tend to duly add hashtags to a list of trademarks which they had already secured with the use of Rio 2016 in order to endorse chemical products, egg incubators and varnishes. The Sports TV network ESPN has now reported that the USOC had sent letters out to many companies in advance of the Rio Olympics cautioning them that their online accounts should not place any Olympic results, share or re-tweet anything from the official Olympic account or even utilise official hashtags together with #Rio2016 as well as `#TeamUSA’.

 It is an effort in preventing the `ambush marketing’ wherein companies that have not paid for Olympic rights skilfully associate themselves with the games in trying to gain additional focus for their products. The same has been disapproved but since the hashtags seemed trademarked to be broad; there is a possibility of huge social media discussion regarding the events in Rio with several debating that companies are not advertising if they want to wish Team USA good luck.

USOC Excessively Forceful & Absurd


Professor of Law at Santa Clara University, Eric Goldman, is of the opinion that the USOC approach is excessively forceful and absurd. He had informed that he thinks that attempting to tell companies that they cannot use the hashtag #Rio2016 or #TeamUSA in their tweets, most of the time they are going far afield of what the law permits and when companies tend to use the ambiguities of trademark law in trying and squelching socially beneficial conversation, he calls that bullying.Several of the companies who had been under attack by the USOC state that they were being heavy handed.

 However, Sally Bergesen who tends to run the clothing company Oiselle had raised another issue. She had landed in trouble with the US Olympics Committee after posting an image of one of the runners they sponsor, when she was qualified for the Olympics. The issue was that the athlete had been wearing her running number which seemed to feature a tiny image of the Olympic rings. The outcome was that she received an email from the USOC stating that the post constituted Olympic advertising and the public would get the impression that the company was an official sponsor.

Long Term Sponsors of Individual Athletes Be Given Branding Rights


In her email, Sally stated that the email ordered Oiselle to eliminate the photo within 24 hours, though it seemed to remain there at the time of writing. Nonetheless the company had blacked out portion of other Olympic photos in its account. Sally had commented that her company and others like it had sponsored and supported athletes for the complete four year cycle when the attention had been marginal.

However, the money they had invested was not recognized by the Olympics when they had supported them in reaching their goal. She further stated that they estimated that it cost around $300,000 in order to get an athlete to the Olympics and the USOC contributed possibly 1% of the cost. So according to her they were more of Olympic sponsor than they were at that time.

They may have a beautiful stadium but if it was about beautiful stadiums and no athletes then many people would not have come and watched the event. She debates on long term sponsors of individual athletes to be given more branding rights and she has a surprising supporter, in the form of athletes themselves. Nick Symmonds is said to be a US middle distance runner and two time Olympian.

He had campaigned against the Olympic Rule 40 that also tends to restrict what sportsmen and women seem to post on social media at their time of limelight. The USOC had informed BBC that `corporate social channels which are not official Olympic partners need not engage in surprise attack advertising which is the reason that they have communicated to those companies. Rule 40 from the Olympic Charter is clear and US trademark law is as well’.

Wednesday 3 August 2016

Study Opens New Realms of Light-Matter Interaction

Light-Matter Interaction

Interaction between Light & Matter – Within Fractions of a Second


A latest MIT research could reveal new areas of technology depending on the forms of light emanation which had been presumed to be restricted or at least unlikely to be almost inaccessible. According to the researchers, the new approach may cause some kind of interactions between light and matter that would generally take billions of years to occur, will take place instead within fractions of a second under special circumstances.Based on theoretical analysis, the conclusions were reported recently in the journal Science in a paper by MIT doctoral student Nicholas Rivera, Department of Physics Professor Marin Soljacic, Francis Wright Davis Professor of Physics John Joannopoulos and post docs Ido Kaminer and Bo Zhen.

Defined by the laws of quantum electro dynamic, the interactions between light and matter seem to be the basis of an extensive range of technologies comprising of lasers, LEDs and atomic clocks. Soljacic explains that, from a theoretical point of view, `most of the light matter interaction processes tend to be forbidden by electronic selection rules that restricts the number of transitions between the levels of energy we have access to. For instance, spectrograms that are utilised in probing the essential conformation of substances indicate a few bright lines against a typically dark background.

Electrons in Atom Have Distinct Energy Levels


Kaminer says that with this new research, they demonstrate theoretically that these constraints could be raised, utilising confined waves within atomically thin, 2-D materials. He added that `we display that some of the changes which normally take the age of the universe to happen could be made to happen within nanoseconds.
Owing to this, several of the dark regions of a spectrogram tends to become bright when an atom is positioned near a 2-D material’. Electrons in an atom is said to have distinct energy levels and when they step from one level to another, they tend to give off a photon of light which is a development known as impulsive emission. However, the atom in itself seems to be much smaller than the wavelength of the light which gets emitted, around 1/1,000 to 1/10,000 as big, considerably impairing the interactions between the two.

Shrink Light to Match Scale of Atom


The researchers have shown in their study that the habit is to shrink the light so that it tends to match the scale of the atom. The significance of enabling a complete range of interactions specially transitions in atomic shows that transmit of absorbing or emitting light; it is the use of a two-dimensional material known as graphene wherein light can intermingle with matter in the form of plasmons, which is a kind of electromagnetic oscillation in the material.

These plasmons that look like photons though have wavelengths which are shorter hundreds of time, seems to be confined narrowly in the graphene which makes some type of interactions with the matter in several kinds of magnitude than they would in ordinary resources. This supports various phenomena which are generally considered unreachable like the simultaneous emission of various plasmons, or two-step light emitting transition between energy levels, according to the team.

This system could assist in simultaneous emission of two photons which are entangled which means that they share the same quantum state although they seem separated and such generation of entangled photons seems to be an important element in quantum devices like those which could be utilised for cryptography.

Tuesday 2 August 2016

How to Protect Your Identity Playing Pokémon Go


Pokémon Go

Privacy Specific Tips

If one tends to be a secret agent, you would possibly be staying far from Pokemon Go due to its location tracking gameplay. Kristan J. Wheaton, Mercyhurst University intelligence studies professor had recently posted a privacy tip list on his blog which he reports was shared with him by an intelligence source. Irrespective of its origin, the list comprises of some practical advice for the player who tend to be apprehensive regarding their privacy and some basic safety tips like being aware of the surroundings, only availing the game from the official app stores and not playing while driving. The following are the privacy specific tips which an average player may not consider:

  • Keeping in mind that the game needs GPS and a data connection to work, you should refrain from playing in any area where you would not want your location to be known. One should also remember that your location history could make it easy to identify you; hence if you tend to play the game during your usual routine, chances are that someone could be spying on you and figure out who you could be. 
  • Avoid using personal Gmail account to play the game. You could either create a throwaway email account or sign up through the Pokemon Trainer Club. By utilising your normal Gmail account, it not only links your personal information with your Pokemon Go activity but it could also expose your Google credentials to the app owner. 
  • Select a screen name which is unique and not linked to your other online accounts. Presently one cannot view other players or information regarding other players through the interface, apart from the name of the trainer and Pokemon name at gyms or the trainer name that tends to place attractions at Poke Shop. But this feature could be added in the near future, according to the tip sheet. 
  • Refrain from essentially using the improved reality functions which tend to make it seem like the digital critter standing right before you which would seem like it reduces some of the fun of the game, but the things the camera tends to see could end up revealing identifying details. Moreover also be cautious in taking images of Pokemon in the game, where the location from where you may have taken the photo could be implanted in the metadata of the image.
Huge Security Risk

Pokemon Go has drawn multitudes of players within day of its release and the mobile game has also involved apprehensions regarding how susceptible the personal data could be in the hands of apparently nonthreatening applications. Security bloggers had noticed in the last few days, that the game which seemed to be a free download and made by Niantic Inc. in partnership with the Pokemon Company together with Nintendo had requested permission to use the smartphone camera as well as location data of the player and also to gain full access to the Google’s account of the user, inclusive of email, calendars, photos, stored documents as well as any other data linked with the login. Censors had instantly called the game a `huge security risk’ which was invading the privacy of the individual where a Democrat, Senator Al Franken had recently expressed his concerns over the issue.