I suppose every new technology will eventually be misused, and this has now come to machine learning and facial recognition algorithms. As reported by Motherboard an app has been launched on reddit using NVIDA’s CUDA framework to morph faces onto another body, to create realistic videos as an outcome. Of course (in an forum dominated by teenage boys) the initial activity is to use celebrity faces in porn scenes, but it raises another worry about trusting digital images and video files in a wider use of this technology.
Tag: Culture
Apple’s next exclusive TV content
Apple’s plans to enter the consumer media market have been know for long, and now more confirmed deals are public. The deal with Steven Spielberg on the resurrection of the Amazing Stories anthology has already been announced, now Apple has signed the right for 2 seasons of TV based on the Brian Stelter’s book ‘Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV “ and will star Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Facebook’s shadow profiles
Facbook’s People You May Know algorithm has been of interest for security minded people for a while. A number of “weird” and inappropriate suggestions has led to Gizmodo digging deeper into the underlying systems and approaches. In fairness, most of the approach is clearly highlighted in the respective EULA’s, but how many users actually reads them?
Disney leaves Netflix to go solo
Disney has decided to terminate it’s 2012 streaming deal with Netflix and to launch their own service starting in 2019. You may remember that the 2012 deal was heralded as a major thing for Netflix with the inclusion of such valuable IP’s as Marvel and Pixar (and now of course the Star Wars universe).
This is a logical extension of the investments Disney has made in BAMTech (the US MLB Streaming company) and falls in line with the plans of launching a global streaming service for it’s sports service ESPN. For the Star Wars nuts: this means the next 2 films will be on Netflix, but not the last in the new trilogy.
Baaba Maal: Djam Leeli (The Adventurers)
I was revisiting some of the world music that caught my attention in the late 80’s and early 90’s when I “rediscovered” the Djam Leeli album by Baaba Maal. As Chris Blackwel (from Island Records) was trying to find an African Bob Marley Baaba Maal was the first choice. It was initially between Baaba Maal and Youssou N”Dour as to being Senegals greatest musical export, Continue reading “Baaba Maal: Djam Leeli (The Adventurers)”
Ernest Cline: Ready Player One
As the pending new Spielberg movie based on Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One is rapidly approaching launch I picked up my copy of the book to re-read and see if I can remember why I liked the book so much. I remember lying on a beach and reading it in one session, and loving the whole thing.
It is a more PC take on the core of Cyperpunk, as originally crafted by William Gibson. A dysfunctional world ruled over by a corrupt company (IOI in Player One) with only a virtual reality world as an escape. This time there is a way out, the creator and owner of the virtual world dies and lays down a 3 part riddle / challenge with the ownership of the company as the prize to the winner. Continue reading “Ernest Cline: Ready Player One”
“168 million will watch connected TV in the US this year”
eMakerter analyst Paul Verna has had a look at this years trends and volumes in the connected TV space in the US. He highlights the impact of a higher than expected sales figures, and also looks at the current HW clients and their prospects. Apple TV in particular is given a dim future, again highlighting the price combined with very little exclusive content being offered by Apple.
The Codex Arundel now online and free
The British Library has digitized a collection of loose pages of notes written and drawn by Leonard da Vinci to make a notebook which is known as The Codex Arundel. The loose thoughts and ideas from a master. Remember his habit of writing in left mirror (the wrong way). Also all in Latin, but even without knowing the language it is a fascinating thing to explore.