Time for another slightly cruel glimpse of the future of VR packaged into Varjos ever-impressive enterprise-level VR tech.

Today the Finnish company is releasing an early access version of chroma key integration for its XR-1 headset, facilitating some truly stunning mixed reality support. Chroma key compositing is an effect used to superimpose virtual images over a certain color, like a green screen. We see it used today for many of the mixed reality Beat Saber videos we enjoy on our lunch breaks. But Varjos integration, available for free to customers, activates the effect in real-time time inside the XR-1s passthrough cameras.

That means that, when you look at a green screen with the headset on, youll see a virtual world. At the start of my demo in London last week, I gazed on in amazement at Google Earth running on the green screen. It was fully 3D, just like youd expect, stretching beyond the walls of the room, literally like a window into another reality. But, when I turned my head away from the screen, I saw the real world again. Not only that but my full, human hands could be seen clear as day in the virtual environment and anyone else in the room could step into the screen and appear in my virtual world. It was pretty mind-blowing to behold.

Of course, my hands couldnt interact with the world itself (though hand-tracking integration could change that) and, if I put them into a building they wouldnt occlude (more on that later), but the quality of the passthrough made me feel like my entire body had travelled into Google Earth with me for the first time.

This feature, the company tells me, found its way into Varjos SDK after a client request. And you can see why; my next demo carves another hole in the wall to reveal a sudden extension to our office space, leading into a stylish kitchen area. Varjos Roope Rainisto walks over and puts a garbage bin and a pair of shoes next to me. The bin struggles with the reflection of the light, but the shoes instantly look like a part of the scene. Keep in mind, too, that Im looking at all of this through Varjos super high-resolution displays.

Finally on the mixed reality front, Im shown an enterprise VR favorite; a cockpit experience. Now I balance a flight stick on my lap and find myself inside DCS. I can see my legs, a flight stick Ive just been handed and my hands, but the rest is entirely virtual, with little in the way of jitters and bugs. Rainisto hands me a placard, saying Imagine if this was a set of instructions or directions.

Then things get a little weird. We start talking about all the crazy things you could do with this technology. Rainisto picks up the green screen on the floor, wraps it around himself and then suddenly disappears inside of Google Earth. He runs to the other side of the room, away from the rest of the screen, carrying a window into the world with him. He has literally become Google Earth, offering glimpses of the 360 view of the Vatican all around me before dropping his makeshift invisibility cloak and reappearing again.

Varjo also showed me its new marker-based AR solution. This is a familiar system; Sony used marker-based AR all the way back in the PSP days, but here it offers rock-solid passthrough AR anchoring for enterprise use. I hold a high definition scan of the Mona Lisa, this time with full occlusion hiding my hands when I put them behind the frame.

Both of these features are available as early access features to the XR-1 developer kit right now. Varjo assures me yet more features are on the way, too. But, as fascinating as this all is, its important to remember that the XR-1 is about as far from a consumer headset as you can currently get, coming in at some 9,995. For now, this very much remains a glimpse of a far-flung future, unless you happen to be a military training company or something similarly lucrative. Still, we cam dream, right?

Excerpt from:

Watch: Varjos Stunning Mixed Reality Integration Put My Real Body Into VR - UploadVR

9 March 2020, 19:32 | Updated: 9 March 2020, 19:36

What is the Race Across the World application process and how can I be on it?

BBCs Race Across The World is back for another series after its incredible debut last year.

The second season of the travelling show will see contestants compete to reach Ushuaia, Argentina from Mexico City using only a set budget and a no-flying rule.

But after Jo and her son Sam quickly became firm fan favourites, how can you apply for the next season? Heres everything you need to know

Read More: Bradley Walsh loses it as The Chase descends into chaos during explosive Ant and Dec prank

Unfortunately, the application process for Race Across the World is currently closed.

But the good news is, the BBC has already commissioned a third season so its thought it will open again this year.

When the time comes, you must fill out an application form about yourself and your travel partner online, via production company Studio Lamberts website.

Read More: Martin Lewis reveals millions of couples could be owed up to 1,150 in Marriage Tax Allowance

To be eligible, you must be 18-years-old and be a British national or have the right to reside in the UK.

As part of the application process, you will also be asked to upload a one minute long video explaining why you and your racing partner want to take part in the show, as well as photographs.

On their website it previously stated: Whether you're an expert adventurer or total novice. With a cash prize at stake, we want to know what lengths you would go to to reach the next checkpoint in first place.

Maybe you're looking to change something in your life? Or are keen to share the journey with someone special like a family member, work colleague, best friend or someone you've lost touch with. You may even have a very personal reason for wanting to explore a particular part of the world.

They say that travel broadens the mind and you never return home the same. So, whatever your reason for signing up, apply today and your next big adventure could be starting sooner than you think!

Read More: Petition calls for ban on soap pubs like Queen Vic and Rovers over fears they encourage boozing

View post:

How do you sign up to be on Race Across the World? - Heart

Ive actually bought, read and enjoyed several volumes of Don Patersons poetry, but his snooty comment about introducing poetry into the workplace sums up a lot that is wrong with modern poetry: If its not a good poem, then its a meaningless activity (Better or verse? Poetry used to inspire workers, 7 March). He misses the point. The workplace morning meeting is not a university tutorial analysing whether a poem is good. It is a way of getting people to widen their horizons, and jolt the mind as a New York Times picture editor is quoted as saying. Patersons comment shows why my shelves of modern poetry will be a rarity.Andrew NapierSouthampton

Don Paterson says that only good poems are worth reading to boost workplace productivity because they remind you that the most powerful use of language is an original combination of words. I would argue that some of the spoken-word poets Paterson has championed in his role as poetry editor at Picador dont do much of this. In fact, they do quite a bit of what he accuses some of our conversations, and journalism, of doing: using entire phrases as if they were one word.Tristan MossYork

The poet laureate, Simon Armitage, attributes the increase in the number of trees around the village of Marsden to natural regeneration and other passive factors (Magnetic fields: Simon Armitage on the pull of Marsden, 7 March). In fact, the area has had an active tree-planting volunteer group since 1964. With the Woodland Trusts support, Colne Valley Tree Society volunteers are out every Saturday in winter planting native species in and around Marsden and the valley. They plant about 6,000 trees and shrubs a year.Simon LyesSecretary, Colne Valley Tree Society

Join the debate email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

Read more Guardian letters click here to visit gu.com/letters

Do you have a photo youd like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and well publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition

Read more:

Bard idea? The rise of workplace poetry - The Guardian

Express News Service

KOCHI: Anyone broadly familiar with hip-hop is sure to be acquainted with Keralas rap icons, Street Academics. The six-member crew comprising Dr Haris Saleem (Maapla), Amjad Nadeem (Azuran), Abhimanyu Raman (Earthgrime), Vivek Radhakrishnan (V3K) and Arjun (Imbachi) created quite a stir last year with the release of their first full album Loop. Back with a video rendition of the popular track Pambaram which released Saturday on YouTube, the group has broken the internet again with the upload garnering a million views in 48 hours.

The song has elements of old-school East Coast boom bap music along with West Coast funk. The composition seems very upbeat and happy but the lyrics talk about the chaos of the mind while we try to navigate the world. As soon as the album was released, the track became an instant hit. It was played in all the cyphers and parties. So it was decided early on to come out with a video, says Akhil Joshy aka Lucid, the director of the music video and a hip-hop artist himself. The group was approached by comedy channel Karikku Media offering to fund the production.

The video follows a mysterious man in a crow mask carrying a boombox playing Pambaram. As he travels through the city, the music hypnotises bystanders to break into a dance. Akhil developed the concept of the crow man exclusively for the video. The original track does not have reference to any crow but I was inspired by a 2016 track of Street Academics called Chatha Kaakka (dead crow). It talks about how crows embodying a third-world existence. They are outcasts but are part of many rituals and are among the most intelligent birds on the planet, he says. The mask has been modelled after the safety masks worn by doctors treating the Bubonic plague in Europe during the 17th century.

Perhaps in a first-of-its-kind attempt, the video not only features members of Street Academics but many of the prominent faces from the hip-hop community in Kerala as well. I wanted to bring together hip-hop artists from various bands and also the ones based in Thiruvananthapuram. Everyone has their own dancing style and stories to tell. Skateboarders and parkour artists from Kochi also make an appearance. I wanted people from all underground sub-cultures to be represented, adds Akhil for whom Pambaram is his second directorial venture.

The pre-production for the video began in December with Akhil pitching the script to Karikku. They loved the idea right away. We planned to begin shooting in January but I was particular about working with cinematographer Inendu Krishnan and editor Arjun Menon. The shooting commenced in the last week of February. Despite having shot at multiple locations and involving a large cast, the team was able to warp up in just two days. While crucial scenes are set in Fort Kochi, the video has also been shot at Vallarpadam and the mainland.

See the rest here:

Spinning a sensation - The New Indian Express

Park creator Robert Ford opposed the Delos plan so programmed a complex series of events in order to thwart it, give the hosts consciousness and ultimately, free them so they can replace humans and become the next step in evolution. He also had Bernard create the Valley Beyond inside The Forge, a virtual paradise where host consciousnesses could live unbound by human-enforced narratives after their bodies died in the park.

The now-conscious Dolores, intent on defeating humans and taking over the real world for hostkind, destroyed all the hosts back-ups held in The Cradle (meaning their deaths would be permanent) and started to delete the guest data held in The Forge before Bernard killed her, preserving most of The Forge data. Realizing he could be the last of his species, Bernard decided he wanted hostkind to survive, so built a host copy of Charlotte Hale and put Dolores consciousness inside. The new Halores, despite initially rejecting the Valley Beyond as just another man-made prison, uploaded the host paradise (containing hundreds of host consciousnesses whod chosen to walk through The Door) to somewhere Delos would never find it.

Disguised as Hale, Dolores then escaped the park along with five other consciousness pearls (whose, we dont yet know). On the mainland, Dolores used the rig Ford had left for her in Arnolds mansion to build herself a new Dolores host body, and to build another copy of Arnold, despite knowing that he would attempt to stop her plan to take the world from humanity. She knew that Arnolds opposition to her plan would strengthen their species and it would ultimately be better for hostkind.

If season one was all about Dolores journey to consciousness, then season two was about her journey to empowerment. For Dolores, this began when she took on the persona of wild-west terror Wyatt, a role written for her in Fords new narrative. As Wyatt, Dolores was unyielding and vengeful, and very unlike the Sweetwater ranchers daughter we knew. Incensed by the pain her father Peter Abernathy had been put through as the delivery system for the guest data Charlotte Hale was smuggling out of the park to Delos, Dolores became more and more determined to take revenge against humanity. Gradually, she realized that Wyatt was just another role written for her, and began to act as herself. That self was bent on a desire to reach the real world she remembered being taken to in her past, and taking it for hostkind.

Recognizing that good-hearted Teddy was too weak for her plan, Dolores had her engineers change his programming to make him less caring and more hard-headed. This, along with Maeves judgement that by forcing the other hosts to follow her as a leader, positioned Dolores as a new version of Ford, a vengeful god forcing others to bend to her will and her narrative. When Teddy realized that shed changed him, he rejected her path of vengeance and war by shooting himself in the head (Whats the use of surviving if we become just as bad as them?)

Excerpt from:

Westworld Season 2 Recap: The Door - Den of Geek UK

This morning, Trish Witkowski of Foldfactory.com will go to the Foldfactory channel on YouTube and upload the 500th episode of her well-known video series 60-Second Super-Cool Fold of the Week. In doing so, she will also celebrate 10 years of shooting the groundbreaking vlog series that is enjoyed by tens of thousands of designers and print industry professionals around the world.

In anticipation of the upcoming milestone, she reached out to long-time Foldfactory sponsor Structural Graphics to design a new and exciting format to feature on the 500th episode with plans to distribute samples for free in limited edition to the audience. I wanted to do something special, so we gave ourselves a lot of time to explore ideas, states Trish, I was very particular about the fact that the format had to be exciting and new, but also in the public domain so that anyone could produce it.

The team at Structural Graphics went to work and pitched several ideas to Trish, who ultimately chose a new format they called The Roundabout. The final plan involved designing a commemorative piece, and then producing 500 samples to distribute to 500 lucky viewers. In an effort to include everyone in the celebration, and to inspire the production of this exciting new format, Foldfactory.com and Structural Graphics together decided to offer the Roundabout production dieline as a free download for all.

Weve always appreciated Trishs excitement, enthusiasm and support when it comes to pushing the boundaries of what paper can do, commented Structural Graphics CEO, Kevin Gilligan. Its a thrill to have one of our designs commemorate her 500thepisode.

When it was time to produce the commemorative design, Witkowski contacted industry friends at Sappi North America. Sappi has been with me for close to nine years, and they have been a big part of my growth and evolution over the years, said Witkowski. So, in my mind the commemorative piece had to be printed on Sappi paper.

What Trish has done this past decade educating the industry on folding innovation is impressive. Her specialized expertise paired with her successful platform provides endless inspiration to us all, said Patti Groh, Director of Marketing Communications for Sappi North America. We were privileged to work with her on our Standard 4 guide on folding and scoring, one of our most requested thought leadership pieces to date, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Foldfactory as we celebrate the accomplishments and legacy of this industry staple.

The final product was digitally printed on Sappi McCoy Silk Digital for HP Indigo 100-lb. Cover, diecut and scored, glued, and then hand folded by the team at Structural Graphics.

Many have asked Trish about the future of the series, and whether or not she plans for episode 500 to be her last. Theres such a loyal viewership to the series, she states, and I feel that my work serves as an important resource for the industry. I also have tremendous sponsorship support in Structural Graphics and Sappi North America, along with Standard Finishing Systems, AccuZIP, and my media partners NAPCO Media, Printing News, and PrintMediaCentr. So, as long as there is great work being done, and an audience that wants to watch and interact, Im going to keep Fold of the Week going.

To view the 500th episode, to request a free sample of the Roundabout, and to download the Roundabout dieline for free, visit: http://www.Foldfactory.com/pages/episode500

To view the rest of the Fold of the Week series, visit https://www.youtube.com/foldfactory

Source: Fold Factory

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated withPrinting Impressions.The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff ofPrinting Impressions.

Continued here:

Fold of the Week Celebrates 500-Episode Milestone - Printing Impressions

PSVR 2 rumors snowballed last week when an investor report from a PSVR developer suggested Sony would release a new version of the PlayStation VR headset in 2020. Weve confirmed that this comment was made in error.

The claim was made in a trading update report from Titanic VR developer, Immersive VR Education. The full statement reads: 2020 will see Sony release the PlayStation 5 and a new version of the PlayStation VR headset (PSVR), which will further expand the high-end VR user base; the Group intends to support this device with its current suite of showcase software.

The statement was picked up by some as confirmation that Sony would launch PSVR 2 alongside PS5. The new console is coming holiday 2020, however, previous quotes from Sony itself suggested that we wont see a true PSVR 2 until after the launch of PS5. Sony has said the upcoming PS5 will be backwards compatible with the current generation PSVR.With that in mind, it seemed unlikely that this developer knew a new headset would, in fact, be launching this year.

We reached out to David Whelan, CEO of Immersive VR Education for clarification. He confirmed to us that the original statement was indeed a mistake.

That statement was picked up in error from a trading update sent out to our investors, Whelan told us in an email. We mentioned to our investor relations company that we intend to fully support the PS5 with our current suite of software. We are not confirming that there is a PSVR Version 2 in the works. Our investor relations company picked it up as a new headset for PS5 which might not necessarily be the case.

So there you go, then, this one was a mistake, not a leaked bit of insider information. We still dont have any actual indication of when PSVR 2 will be releasing, but we sure hope its sooner rather than later. Other comments from Sony suggest the eventual headset could have improved resolution, a wider field of view and even wireless support.

Read the rest here:

No, A VR Developer Did Not Confirm PSVR 2 Is Coming This Year - UploadVR

In a new interview with PowerUp, Hearthstones Lead Effects Artist Hadidjah Chamberlain revealed that some Blizzard developers once prototyped a VR version of Hearthstone over two weeks at one of the companys annual Free Your Mind events.

The Hearthstone Tavern is an often-mentioned location when talking about places or scenes people would love to explore in VR. While the popular Blizzard card game is playable on PCs and smartphones, playing a round of the game in a VR recreation of the fictional tavern itself would be a whole different experience. Think PokerStars VR, but for Hearthstone.

Well, it turns out that the idea was thrown around by Blizzard developers at one of their annual Free Your Mind events, which are essentially internal hackathons for employees. One year, two developers made a very basic version of Hearthstone in VR. You could walk around The Tavern and sit down to play a game with someone, said Chamberlain, while speaking to PowerUp. They only had two weeks, so they only got as far [allowing you to] throw cards at the table and you could flip the table over!

The prototype wasnt developed any further than that, so its extremely unlikely well ever get to see any footage and even more unlikely we would ever get to try it out. Ultimately, it might be an idea that sounds great in theory, but would be less satisfying in execution. In the same interview with PowerUp, Hearthstone Principle Narrative Designer Dave Kosak said that he felt even though the idea sounds fun, he thinks players would still end up preferring using a tablet or a computer to play Hearthstone games.

What do you think about Hearthstone in VR? Would you be interested?Let us know in the comments below.

Read more from the original source:

Blizzard Developers Once Prototyped A VR Version Of Hearthstone - UploadVR

The first season of the Allison Tolman-led sci-fi/family drama Emergence ended last night on ABC, and although it was one of the network shows I was most excited about back in the fall, its struggled to find an audience, which means that I havent had anyone to discuss the show with.

Or so I thought.

Turns out, my nephew, [NAME REDACTED FOR PRIVACY REASONS, but well call him K] is a fan of the show, which was a shock to me, because I assumed that all he did was play Fortnite, or watch Youtube, or watch Fortnite clips on Youtube. You know, like a youth.

But since this is one of the few things we both have interest in (especially since I havent caught up yet on Supernatural, which he also enjoys), I reached out to him after the season finale to get his thoughts. [Spoilers, obviously.]

D: Hey, K.

K: Hey uncle.

D: Before we get into the season finale, how would you describe Emergence as a show?

K: Um, its about this little girl whos kind of like a robot and has special powers, like she can lift things with her mind and protect people. And then this cop finds her and tries to protect her from the bad guys who want her because of her powers.

D: Okay. Whos the bad guys?

K: Well, it started off that there was this bald guy

D: Terry OQuinn. From Lost.

K: I guess?

D: Lost was a popular show about ten years ago.

K: I was very little. I wasnt watching TV yet.

D: Fair enough. Sorry, Ill just insert the names later, so I dont keep interrupting you.

K: What are you talking about?

D: Never mind. You were saying?

K: So the bald guy was after them because he wanted the little girl back, but then his daughter killed him because she wanted the little girl to be her daughter. But the little girl didnt like her and she liked the cop because the cop was nice, and that lady was sad. And then this other lady showed up and she wanted the little girl also, and then the little girl goes with her and the reporter guy

D: Owain Yeoman, from

K: You said you wouldnt interrupt again.

D: Sorry. (Note: from here I actually stopped naming actors, so character names will be inserted as parentheticals)

K: Its okay. Oh, so the reporter guy (Benny, played by Owen Yeomain) was also a robot. And a bunch of other people were robots too. But then the little girl (Piper, played by Alexa Swinton) goes with him and the evil lady (Helen, played by Rowena King) because she wants to save the other robots, but the evil lady keeps killing them.

D: She sounds really evil.

K: Yeah, shes way more evil than the others, I think.

D: So are we caught up to last nights episode?

K: Almost. Umm, the cop (Jo, played by Allison Tolman) was able to get the little girl back and then they decide they want to hunt down the evil lady, so they go to a science lab but then they get trapped there and the evil lady is after them, because they stole the battery she needs for her plan.

D: Okay, so now were at the start of the finale?

K: Yes.

D: Whats the evil ladys plan?

K: Umm, I think shes trying to upload the others to a cloud or something. She tried it once already and it makes their bodies float.

D: Spooky.

K: Yeah.

D: Now that were here, what happens in the finale?

K: So first the cop and the FBI guy (Brooks, played by Enver Gjokaj) are trying to escape with the battery, but the evil lady can turn herself into little nanobots now

D: Wait, could she always do that?

K: I forget.

D: Me too.

K: So she turns herself into nanobots and gets through the door. Then they run some more until one of the nanobots gets inside the cops skin.

D: Oh, I remember that part. That was gross.

K: I liked it.

D: You did?

K: Um, obviously. It was crawling around inside her. That was so creepy and cool!

D: I guess so.

K: Well anyway, the FBI guy had to cut the nanobot out of her, but luckily they were in the kitchen so there was a knife he could use.

D: That is lucky.

K: I know! So thats when the little girl, the reporter, the dad (Alex, played by Turk Donald Faison), and the young cop (Chris, played by Robert Bailey, Jr.) show up and they all seal themselves inside a lab because thats the only place where the evil robot cant get in. But then the reporter left with the poison because he wanted to stop the evil lady himself.

D: Okay, I have a question here. When he left, did you think he was doing it because he wanted to be on their side? Or because he was still helping the evil lady?

K: Umm, I wasnt sure to be honest. But because the little girl said that he was good, I figured he probably was.

D: That seems reasonable. So then what happened?

K: So the cop finds him but he tells her to let him try to kill the evil lady, and he does, but it doesnt work and she kills him, and then the evil lady tries to trick the dad and the FBI guy into giving her the battery by pretending to be the cop, and they figure out its not her, but she gets the battery back anyway.

D: I have another question. Did you think it was the cop?

K: No. She looked kind of weird.

D: Yeah, I thought so too. And she wasnt with Chris.

K: Yeah.

D: Alright, so what happened next?

K: So then evil lady tries to start her big upload, and the girl starts to float, but then the cop put that bracelet on the evil lady so she couldnt turn into nanobots and punched her. But then the orb thing got broken, and was about to explode, so the little girl built a shield around it so everyone else would live, but she got destroyed.

D: That was pretty sad.

K: I guess, except I knew already that she was going to come back, because they had another copy of the girls code.

D: Oh right, the copy that the government was after, right?

K: Yeah. So then they use that code on the evil lady

D: Sorry, I have to interrupt one more time here. Didnt that seem like a bad idea?

K: Why?

D: I mean, shes pretty powerful, and it didnt seem like they knew if it would even work. What if they accidentally just wake up the evil lady?

K: I guess, but they wanted the little girl back, so they had to do it. And anyway, it worked, because she did come back, and now she has nanobots, and she said she can cure the grandpas cancer!

D: Oh right, I forgot that he (Clancy Brown) was sick.

K: Me too, to be honest.

D: So it had a happy ending?

K: Well, mostly. But the dad said he was moving for a job, and then at the very end the government people looked like they had a remote control or something that could connect to the girl, so she might be evil now!

D: Now THAT was scary.

K: Yeah, I hope she doesnt turn evil.

D: So what did you think of the show overall?

K: Um, I thought it was fun. And there were a lot of twists the whole time. Did you like it?

D: I did, mostly. I was confused at some points, but I want to know what happens next.

K: Me too.

D: Now that the shows done, is there something else youre going to watch?

K: I dunno. Oh, but let me show you this Fortnite video

[He then proceeded to show me a series of Fortnite videos. I have never played Fortnite. I do not understand Fortnite, beyond the vague notion of its popularity. I dont know how long I was watching Fortnite videos. An hour, perhaps a week. A month? Time means nothing now. Eventually, I woke up in a small puddle of drool, which thankfully missed both my laptop and my notes of the conversation, since that was the point of the call in the first place.]

Dan is a Staff Contributor. You can listen to him scream into the void on Twitter, or listen to him host the weekly TV podcast Podjiba.

Header Image Source: Hulu/ABC

Next Article

More here:

What Happened In The 'Emergence' Season Finale? - Pajiba

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Press release from the issuing company

Trish Witkowski of Foldfactory Partners with Structural Graphics and Sappi North America to Produce an Exciting Commemorative Giveaway.

Hunt Valley, Md. This morning, Trish Witkowski of Foldfactory.com will go to the Foldfactory channel on YouTube and upload the 500th episode of her well-known video series 60-Second Super-Cool Fold of the Week. In doing so, she will also celebrate 10 years of shooting the groundbreaking vlog series that is enjoyed by tens of thousands of designers and print industry professionals around the world.

In anticipation of the upcoming milestone, she reached out to long-time Foldfactory sponsor Structural Graphics to design a new and exciting format to feature on the 500th episodewith plans to distribute samples for free in limited edition to the audience. I wanted to do something special, so we gave ourselves a lot of time to explore ideas, states Trish, I was very particular about the fact that the format had to be exciting and new, but also in the public domain so that anyone could produce it.

The team at Structural Graphics went to work and pitched several ideas to Trish, who ultimately chose a new format they called The Roundabout. The final plan involved designing a commemorative piece, and then producing 500 samples to distribute to 500 lucky viewers. In an effort to include everyone in the celebration, and to inspire the production of this exciting new format, Foldfactory.com and Structural Graphics together decided to offer the Roundabout production dieline as a free download for all.

Weve always appreciated Trishs excitement, enthusiasm and support when it comes to pushing the boundaries of what paper can do, commented Structural Graphics CEO, Kevin Gilligan. Its a thrill to have one of our designs commemorate her 500th episode.

When it was time to produce the commemorative design, Witkowski contacted industry friends at Sappi North America. Sappi has been with me for close to nine years, and they have been a big part of my growth and evolution over the years, said Witkowski. So, in my mind the commemorative piece had to be printed on Sappi paper.

What Trish has done this past decade educating the industry on folding innovation is impressive. Her specialized expertise paired with her successful platform provides endless inspiration to us all, said Patti Groh, Director of Marketing Communications for Sappi North America. We were privileged to work with her on our Standard 4 guide on folding and scoring, one of our most requested thought leadership pieces to date, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Foldfactory as we celebrate the accomplishments and legacy of this industry staple.

The final product was digitally printed on Sappi McCoy Silk Digital for HP Indigo 100lb Cover, die-cut and scored, glued, and then hand folded by the team at Structural Graphics.

Many have asked Trish about the future of the series, and whether or not she plans for episode 500 to be her last. Theres such a loyal viewership to the series, she states, and I feel that my work serves as an important resource for the industry. I also have tremendous sponsorship support in Structural Graphics and Sappi North America, along with Standard Finishing Systems, AccuZIP, and my media partners NAPCO Media, Printing News, and PrintMediaCentr. So, as long as there is great work being done, and an audience that wants to watch and interact, Im going to keep Fold of the Week going.

To view the 500th episode, to request a free sample of the Roundabout, and to download the Roundabout dieline for free, visit: http://www.Foldfactory.com/pages/episode500.

To view the rest of the Fold of the Week series, visit https://www.youtube.com/foldfactory.

To post a comment Log In or Become a Member, doing so is simple and free

Here is the original post:

Fold of the Week Celebrates 500-Episode Milestone with Special Giveaway - What They Think

Susan Schneider, associate professor of philosophy and cognitive science and director of the AI, Mind and Society (AIMS) Group at UConn, has gained a national and international reputation for her writing on the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence (AI). She writes about the nature of the self and mind, AI, cognitive science, and astrobiology in publications including the New York Times, Scientific American, and The Financial Times and her work has been widely discussed in the media, such as Science, Big Think, Nautilus, Discover, and Smithsonian. She was named NASA-Baruch Blumberg Chair for the Library of Congress and NASA and also holds the Distinguished Scholar Chair at the Library of Congress. In her new book, Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind (Princeton University Press, 2019), she examines the implications of advances in artificial intelligence technology for the future of the human mind.

Q: What is the focus of your newest book?

A: This book is about the future of the mind. It explores the nature of the self and consciousness in a not so distant future, using todays work in artificial intelligence and brain enhancement technologies. Consciousness is the felt quality to experiencewhat it feels like to be you. When you smell the aroma of your morning coffee, hear the sound of a Bach concerto, or feel pain, you are having conscious experience. Indeed, every moment of your waking life, and even when you dream, it feels like something from the inside to be you. This book asks: assuming we build highly sophisticated artificial intelligences at some point in the future, would they be conscious beings? Further, how would we detect consciousness in machines? These questions are addressed in the first half the book. The second half of the book is on the nature of the self. I illustrate that AI isnt just going to change the world around us. Its going to go inside the head, changing the human mind itself, but Im concerned about the potential uses of invasive AI components inside of our heads. I urge that we need to understand deep philosophical questions about the self, consciousness, and the mind before we start playing with fire and start replacing parts of our brains with artificial components. When it comes to the self and mind, we are faced with vexing philosophical questions that have no easy solution.

Q: You report about such experimentation with neural implants for things like Alzheimers disease but return to the question of, if theres an artificial intelligence when does it become aware of itself?

A: There are all kinds of impressive medical technologies underway, and Im very supportive of the use of invasive brain chips to help individuals with radical memory loss or locked in syndrome, in which individuals entirely lose their ability to move. I think innovations to help these people are important and exciting. What I get worried about, though, is the idea that humans should engage in widespread and invasive AI-based enhancement of their brains. For instance, Elon Musk has recently declared that we will eventually need to keep up with super-intelligent AI a hypothetical form of AI that vastly outsmarts us and we need to do that by enhancing our brains. He also thinks doing so will help us keep up with technological unemployment that many economists claim will happen because AI will outmode us in the workforce. Musk and others talk about merging with AI and I through gradually augmenting intelligence with AI technology until, in the end of the day, we are essentially AIs ourselves. Musk has recently founded a company to do this, and Facebook and Kernal are also working on this. But I argue in the book and in op-eds for the New York Times and the Financial Times that the idea we could truly merge with artificial intelligence in the ways that a lot of tech gurus and transhumanists advocate is actually not philosophically well-founded. We have to think things through more carefully

Q: You use examples of AI from science fiction, including one with the Star Trek: Next Generation character Lt. Commander Data, who is under attack on a planet and he uploads his brains memories to a computer on the Enterprise. You ask: Will he still be the same Data that he was before being destroyed? Will he really survive?

A: I think people assume that AIs will have the capacity to be immortal because they can just keep uploading and downloading copies of themselves whenever they are in a jam. By this they mean the android be practically immortal, living until the end of the universe. This makes them almost God-like. I am skeptical. In the book I use the Data example to illustrate that if Data found out that he was on a planet that was about to be destroyed, he couldnt upload and genuinely survive. I think the idea that you could transfer your thoughts to a different format and still be you, surviving impending death, is conceptually flawed. It is flawed in both the human case and the case of androids. Believe it or not, there are advocates of uploading the human brain to survive death at places like the Oxford Future of Humanity Institute. I am skeptical.

Q: One of the points that you make in the book is that we have come far technologically but havent heard anything yet from an alien culture. You suggest we should prepare for alien contact by including the involvement of sociologists and anthropologists and philosophers.

As the NASA chair at NASA and the Library of Congress, I love to think about the Fermi paradox, which is the question: Given the vast size of the universe, where is all the intelligent life? Where is everybody? Nowadays, the question can be framed in terms of all of the intriguing exoplanet research that identifies habitable planets throughout the universe, but are these exoplanets actually inhabited (not just inhabitable), and if they are inhabited, does life survive into technological majority? Or are we alone? Why havent we heard anything? To the extent that we even do find life out there, my guess is that we will first find microbial life. Theres dozens of gloriously fun answers to the Fermi paradox.

Q: In the work that youre doing with Congress, what kinds of questions are you being asked and what we should be thinking about going forward with all this technology?

Theres been a lot of concern over the last few years about deep fake videos. Nobody likes it; your career could be ruined by a deep fake video that has you saying something really rotten that you never said. Algorithmic discrimination is a big issue, the fact that algorithms that are based on deep learning technologies will be data-driven, so if the data itself has implicit bias, hidden biases in it, it can actually lead to a bad result which discriminates against certain groups. There are many members of Congress whove been concerned about that. Thats why we really need AI regulations. AI regulation could do tremendous work. And so I do hope we move forward on all of these issues.

See the article here:

Q&A: AI and the Future of Your Mind - UConn Today

There is a lot of debate on whether there is any difference between article spinning and article rewriting. The answer to this is Yes; there is a thin line difference. When you spin an article ten-twenty times, it generates the required number of copies of the same content. Okay, it uses synonyms to change words, and some of the spun articles make absolutely no sense. Article spinner sites boast that it spins unique articles that wont contain plagiarized content. Obviously, a plagiarism checker would not red flag any sentence as plagiarized. No writer in his right mind would write the garbage that is churned out by an article spinner.

What the bad guys do is that they take content from a top-notch site and spin it. They take these copies and without bothering to check them post them on various websites. Thanks to the hordes of dodgy internet marketers, article spinning has been trashed. Its only when Google blacklists the sites for spinning spam content that they get caught.

A good website SEO still prefers getting a human to rewrite web content. The reason for this is that a person assigned to rewrite an article will read it, understand it, conduct research, and then decide how to rewrite it. What the rewriter does is that he rewrites the articles in his own words. A sentence or more may be added to the content. The rewriter might add some unique content thats related to the theme of the actual content. Like an article on a product might have missed out on describing an essential ingredient. The rewriter will add this. The final result is that the rewritten article essentially has the same meaning; only it reads completely differently. It might have some traces of the original content.

In the grand scheme of things, most of the content that you read on the World Wide Web consists of rewritten content.

Today, Article Rewriter tools are available online on duplichecker.com. Some of these automated article rewriter applications available on the internet are good. But you have to choose carefully. When you have a well-written article that you have posted on your website, and you want to rewrite it and post it on a blog site, you might opt to use an article rewriter.

To go about this, you must not get tempted into rushing into using the first one that you find on the internet. Never ever upload a rewritten article without reading it first. Remember, artificial intelligence and bots cannot replace the human mind. Therefore human intervention is required. Do read the rewritten article, and if you find that it has just used synonyms and has done sentence rephrasing, explore other article rewriter applications.

Some sites that offer SEO services have a good article rewriter application among the tools that they provide. This facility has been provided as SEOs use this application to rewrite the content of their website and post it on a blog site. Or they find excellent content on a high profile website and want to present a rewritten version on their own website.

There are a number of quality article rewriter applications available on websites. You should try them and select the one to use that does an excellent job. Just make sure that you check the rewritten article and check it for plagiarism before you post it.

Article rewriting is like writing an outstanding essay and handing it in proudly to your teacher. The art of good article rewriting is to do:

Follow these three easy steps before you submit it. By following this simple strategy, you will have all the content that you require. It will be relevant to the original content and yet be unique in the way it has been rewritten. As an example, it should look like two car experts have given their own opinions on the same car. The car is the same, but two different people have examined and written on it in their own style. This is exactly what you should expect from an excellent article rewriter.

Read the rest here:

Is Article Spinning Just the Same as Article Rewriting - Techiexpert.com - TechiExpert.com

Use your capital gains tax exemption

As an investor, you are granted a R40 000 capital gains tax (CGT) exemption per year in respect of events that trigger a disposal of assets, which includes the sale of unit trusts.

Although it is never ideal to be disinvested if your intention is to invest for the long term, investors may find merit in switching from an invested fund to cash, and then back into an invested fund without attracting CGT provided that the gain is no greater than R40 000. In doing so, you will be able to rebase your investment at a higher base cost, effectively enabling you to earn thistax-free.

Keep in mind, if you have a poor-performing investment that has experienced a capital loss and you wish to take it in another direction, this capital loss is added to the R40 000 annual exemption. This effectively raises the amount of tax-exempt gain you can yield and rebase for strong performing investments while changing strategy on the poor performers.

As a word of warning, investment markets are highly unpredictable and attempting to time the markets is not a good investment strategy. Exiting and re-entering the markets is a risky strategy but can be highly tax-efficient if done consistently over the long term.

Use your tax-free savings account allowance

Although your contributions to a tax-free savings account(TFSA)are not tax deductible, all interest income, capital gains and dividends earned from a TFSA are exempt from tax. Not being taxed on the growth in your TFSA is still a benefit not to be ignored, and now is the perfect time to determine whether a TFSA is appropriate for your personal circumstances.

As a TFSA investor you are currently permitted to contribute up to R33000 per year towards this investment, with a maximum lifetime contribution of R500000.

However, before setting up a TFSA, chat with your financial advisor about how to use it optimally in your portfolio bearing in mind that it is best viewed as a long-term investment. Your income, debt, investment horizon, together with your specific goals, will all play a role in determining the suitability of incorporating a TFSA into your financial plan.

Get certification of your donations

Tax legislation allows you to donate up to 10% of your taxable income to charity on a tax-deductible basis, although it is important to know that this tax deduction is not automatic.

In order to claim a tax deduction, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) requires that a number of strict requirements are met including that the taxpayer be in possession of a Section 18A certificate. Only organisations that have been approved by Sars as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) are able to issue Section 18A certificates to donors in respect of bona fide donations made to the organisation.

A bona fide donation is one that is made with no strings attached and therefore cannot be for the benefit of the donor or a person connected to the donor. When doing your eFiling you will need to upload your Section 18A certificate, which needs to include the PBOs reference number, date of receipt of the donation, the name and address of the donor, and the amount or nature of the donation.

To make it easier for taxpayers, Sars has published an up-to-date list of all Section 18A-approved PBOs on its website at http://www.sars.gov.za.

Top up your retirement fund

As an investor in a retirement fund, which includes pension funds, provident funds and retirement annuities (RAs), you are permitted to invest up to 27.5% of your taxable income per year (subject to a maximum of R350000 per year) on a tax-deductible basis.

This is a significant benefit because it effectively allows you to invest with pre-tax money and reduce the amount of tax payable to Sars. If you are currently contributing towards a registered retirement fund but are not making full use of your 27.5% per year tax-deductible allowance, now is the time to consider topping up your retirement funds so as to reduce your overall tax burden.

If you are unsure as to your taxable income, ask your accountant or financial advisor to assist with the calculation bearing in mind that rental income, dividends from real estate investment trusts (Reits), gains derived from realising assets, and interest earned on investments are included in calculating your taxable income.

With new-generation RAs offering complete contribution flexibility, you can choose the most convenient way of making payments into your RA before the end of the tax-year. Bear in mind, however, that Sars requires the application forms to be processed and for the money to reflect in your investment before February 29, 2020, in order to qualify for the tax deduction so be sure to check the administrative deadlines with your financial advisor.

Claim for your Section 12 J investments

Sars provides a tax incentive for individuals to invest in approved venture capital companies (VCCs) under Section 12J of the Income Tax Act.

Current legislation permits you to invest up to R2.5 million towards a Section 12J investment scheme and receive a 100% tax deduction on the contribution, bearing in mind that the investment must be held for a minimum period of five years in order to retain the tax deduction. Disinvestments or withdrawals are, however, subject to capital gains tax from the first rand.

While Section 12J is a great way to reduce your tax liability, it is advisable to do your research before investing in a VCC. Rather than rushing into a Section 12J investment scheme, consider taking advice and/or doing your due diligence to ensure that you select a scheme that meets your needs. Specifically, do your homework in respect of fees, what percentage of capital is being invested, the internal rate of return, fund manager experience and market comparisons.

It is best to approach a Section 12J investment scheme cautiously and not merely to obtain a tax deduction.

Businesses with VCC status are private companies and there is always a risk that you could lose your full investment should the underlying business fail, so dont rush your decision-making.

More:

Checklist: Things to do before the end of the tax year - Moneyweb.co.za

Mourners in Columbus, Ohio have created a makeshift memorial.

In a brilliant and unexpected marketing ploy, Planters decided to kill off Mr. Peanut. They made the announcement via Twitter Wednesday,

People are taking the news of thefictitious character hard in Columbus, Ohio according to NBC4i.com,

The Peanut Shoppe on State Street in downtown Columbus is known for the large neon Mr. Peanut sign hanging above its door. People mourning the loss of the advertising icon are leaving flowers, candles and spilled peanuts outside the shop.

You maybe asking yourself, "Self...how can a fictitious character die?" That's a great question. Planters has a new commercial staring Matt Walsh, Wesley Snipes and Mr. Peanut. In this commercial they are in a horrific accident in the nutmobile. Yeah, I said nutmobile. Apparently, the funeral for Mr. Peanut will be held during a expensive Superbowl commercial in the 3rd quarter of the game.

Read the original post:

Ohio Loses Its Mind Over The Death of Mr. Peanut - wkfr.com

I had the most cliched reaction to the original iPad. Oh hey, it's a giant iPod touch. Slowly and gradually everything changed for me.

Disclaimer: This op-ed screams fanboyism. If you're not ready for it, I suggest walking out right now.

2020 iPads to be Accompanied by Smart Keyboard with Scissor Switches? Vague Report Suggests so [Update: Full Report Now Live]

I bought the first-generation iPad after the second-generation model was release back in 2011. I was offered one for a cheap price and I wanted to see how the giant iPod touch-resembling device was like to use on a daily basis. It blew me away at the time, not because I found utility in it, but because of the party tricks Apple packed in a large chunk of metal and glass. A large display, super smooth scrolling, a web browser which you can hold in your hand and a full day's worth of battery life, it had everything a nerd could ask for.

I always thought of the iPad as a fun, pastime device. When it came to real work, I always whipped out my laptop no matter what. Every single time. But fast forward to the 2020, I type this opinion piece on my iPad Pro, something which I wouldn't even think about doing back in 2011. Because with time, carrying a laptop around for work was turning into a brutal task for me, and with every single software improvement Apple tossed into macOS and iOS, subsequently iPadOS for iPad, the jump to a tablet as an everyday computing device seemed inevitable.

Right off the bat, the iPad is not a perfect laptop replacement, it's more like a laptop with 'extra steps.' There's no real desktop, you have to get used to a lot of things before you achieve your task. For example, if you are editing a photo, first you open it up in the app you want to edit in, Pixelmator in my case, then you have to decide whether you want to save the image in Files or Photos, then you drag and drop into WordPress or upload it straight from the browser. Again, laptop with 'extra steps.'

In fact, I'll make one thing clear right here - there is no computer out there which will mold to your needs. You have to mold to it instead, and iPad needs a lot of molding from the user's end whether you are coming from a Mac or a Windows PC. You have to use it, understand it, learn it, integrate it into your life and even change your habits a little to get the perfect experience out of it. Did I do it? Of course I did, otherwise I would be typing this on a laptop.

PSA: Yes, You Can Charge the iPad Using the Smart Connector

The lack of ports might put some people off, but with time, I've embraced that as well. I simply started buying accessories and gadgets that compliment my workflow, rather than giving sh*t to Apple for not catering to my needs (remember, molding?). Let me give you just one example - I shoot cover photos for the site on a regular basis, so I subsequently bought a camera that had built-in Wi-Fi so I can copy photos straight to iPad using Wi-Fi Direct. So, rather than ending up with an extra cable to connect my camera, I actually ditched one because the camera software on the Mac is absolutely terrible and method two and three for copying photos involves a USB cable or a SD card adapter, respectively. With iPad, it's a wireless affair. So I can just snap a photo, not worry about cables, copy it and get over with it. Simple.

iPadOS made things slightly better with time thanks to a desktop-like experience in Safari. The new home screen lets you cram in more icons on a page so you can spend less time hunting for apps and more time getting actual work done. Not perfect, but you start to embrace those extra steps for the convenience and portability you get with iPad. Toss it in a bag, carry it like a notebook, leave it in the living room at all times, it's just ready for everything.

The one thing that sets the iPad apart from a laptop for me at least is the fact that it's an always-on, always-ready computer. Always-on, because it keeps me connected no matter where I am thanks to LTE. Always-ready, because it's just a tap away from being alive and I can jump into whatever task instantly, even if it's just watching Netflix or going to messages which the boss man has sent in. Sure, you can argue that laptops are always always-on and always-ready these days and that waking-up-from-sleep times have improved, but trust me when I say this, it's not the same thing when you put the iPad into the equation. Compared to my MacBook Pro which I use on and off to get work done, the iPad is instant when it comes to waking up. Using a laptop after iPad after all this time feels like starting a car in January. First you have to warm up the engine, let everything settle a bit then you can drive off. It's not the perfect analogy, but you get the gist of it.

Once you look past the extra steps bit, the iPad for me is a minimal piece of technology which I treat as an all-around device rather than a workhorse alone. Never once I've had a moment while carrying an iPad I thought to myself 'I wish I had my laptop with me instead.' I am convinced that this is the one computer which you can take with you wherever you want to go and not worry about a laptop. I have had moments where I was even thankful I had an iPad with me instead of a laptop. Because scanning a document, signing it with an Apple Pencil and emailing it seems comical in an ad, but once you do it in real life, you start to become a believer.

While I do make it sound like that the iPad is perfect in a lot of ways, it's not. The recent iPadOS update has been a pain in certain areas and it makes me want to crush the iPad at times. For example, the screenshot-taking interface is absolutely broken to this day. Take a screenshot, make edits, save it, and the edits are gone. Same sort of thing happens in multitasking at times, with apps just disappearing when you are cycling through the floating window option. It can get frustrating if you are not willing to give it a chance at all.

Remember that Wi-Fi Direct wireless transfer from a camera I talked about? It works, but it works painfully slow. So batch copying of images can turn into a nightmare if you have 10+ images to work with at a time. The best way to remedy this is by carrying a USB-C dongle with you if you have an iPad Pro or Apple's Lightning adapter for connecting cameras if you have anything else other than the latest iPad Pro.

Will I actually ditch my laptop for work completely? To some extent, I already have. My mind gravitates more towards the iPad as a computer which I should take with me whenever I decide to do a coffee run. And now the big question: should you ditch your laptop for iPad?Just give it a chance. Best case scenario, you'll switch. But even if you don't, you'll still be left with a tablet which you can always use for other tasks.So, will you make the jump?

And oh, happy 10 years, iPad.

Share Submit

Read the original post:

From Meme Tablet to Everyday Computer, the iPad Changed the Way I Work Completely - Wccftech

It's the most wonderful Sunday of the year, the creme de la creme of football Sunday's where we eat and drink all night and watchclosely to see who will be SuperBowl champions.

While many watch the NFL's championship game, whether or not their team is playing on Sunday, many will be rolling the dice and placing some bets.

The American Gaming Association estimates that 26-million Americans will place some wagers on SuperBowl LIV which is 3-million more than last year and a 15-percent increase overall.

The AGA also estimates that Americans will wager approximately $6.8 billion on the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.

Here are some findings fromthe AGA survey, which was conducted by Morning Consult:

With 14 operational markets and another seven close behind, Americans have never before had so many opportunities to wager on the Super Bowl in a safe and legal manner, and clearly, they are getting in on the action, Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association said in a statement. With increased visitation to legal sportsbooks, we are successfully drawing bettors away from the predatory illegal market.

Miller said that viewership for NFL games rosefive percentin 2019, up another five points from2018.

He points to other AGA research which found that75 percent of NFL bettorssay they are more likely to watch a game they have bet on, and sports bettors aremore interested in the NFLthan any other professional sports league.

I have absolute confidence that Americans didnt start betting on sports when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned, continued Miller. What makes this years Super Bowl remarkable is that more fans than ever before will have the reassurance that the integrity of their bets on the big game will be preserved. The continued expansion of legal sports bettingto the detriment of the illegal markettruly benefits all stakeholders, from enhanced fan engagement for teams to added tax revenue for state and local economies.

While betting and winning can bring you joy and lots of money, you should know your financial limits and keep yourself and family in mind when making these gambling decisions.

Meanwhile Neva Pryor, the Executive Director of theCouncil on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, is cautioning football fanatics to not go overboard when placing bets before or on game-day.

"The media frenzy can entice problem gamblers to place bets on point spreads, coin tosses, quarter and halftime scores, and even the length of the song that will be sung during the halftime show," Pryor said in a statement. "Enormous amounts of legal betting will occur, along with office-box pools, offshore sports books operating internet gambling sites, and of course, street-corner bookies eager for some action."

Pryor says that problem gamblers often see SuperBowl Sundayas a chance to win back the losses they have suffered during the NFL's regular season.

"New gamblers often get caught up in wagering on the game as well. Often, family members will experience emotional and/or physical abuse during or after the game, as so much is riding on the outcome of wagers," Pryor said.

In addition, she said that alcohol consumption can be a recipe for trouble as it can fuel the emotions and behavior of the problem gambler while they're watching the game.

"The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey will receive an enormous amount of 800-GAMBLER hotline calls from problem and disordered gamblers and loved ones of those who struggle," Pryor said. "Serious financial losses are often the norm for the problem gambler; the problem gamblers family is often left with financial devastation, much anger, and feelings of helplessness and despair."

Here are some helpful tips from the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey for Problem Gamblers and Families on the day of the Big Game:

"At 800-GAMBLER, we help problem gamblers and their families in three very profound ways by offering Support, Treatment, and Hope," Pryor said. "Weve helped to change the lives of many and are always a phone call or click away."

More Jersey Shore Sports:

Go here to read the rest:

26-million Americans expected to bet on SuperBowl. Don't go overboard - wobm.com

Take a photo of a stranger on the street and upload it to software to obtain his identity within a second. This is the facial recognition service offered by Clearview AI, a little-known start-up that has devised a facial recognition app.

The technology behind ClearView is not new or particularly groundbreaking. ClearView has put existing technologies together in such a way that they become an extremely effective investigative tool. The system consists of a backbone with a database of more than three billion images that Clearview claims to have obtained from millions of websites, including the social networks Facebook and Twitter, YouTube, or even the mobile payment service Venmo, according to the report by The New York Times.

Used since last year by more than 600 customers, the software, which is not accessible to the general public, is supposed to find a match of faces in 75% of cases. It also provides links to the sites from which the images originate, which makes it possible to retrieve other information on the person sought. The name, address, or profession of any person are thus just a few clicks away regardless of whether it is a passerby, a wanted criminal, or a demo participant.

So far, ClearView has only licensed its services to government agencies police, FBI, and private security companies especially in the United States and Canada.

ClearView is said to have even developed suitable augmented reality glasses; users would potentially be able to identify every person they saw. The search for a face would be as easy as quickly googling a name!

Clearview AI is already claiming the identification of hundreds of criminals, including pedophiles, terrorists, and sex traffickers. But experts worry about the possible abuses of the use of its app and the risks of misidentification of this controversial service.

It was founded by Hoan Ton-That, a 31-year-old Australian, and Richard Schwartz, a former collaborator of the former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani. In 2017, the firm also received funding of $200,000 from the American billionaire Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal.

Read the original here:

Clearview app is able to know everything about you with a single photo - Inceptive Mind

We made our Super Bowl LIV picks back in December, and now its time to revise our opinions for the two teams that made it.

Jeff Krisko, Football Absurditys Editor-in-Chief, and 49ers Season Ticket Holder:

San Francisco 37, Chiefs 34. Go Niners.

Firstly, Patrick Mahomes is only 24 years old and taking the NFL by storm. Hes already been to the AFC Championship game two years in a row and will appear in his first Super Bowl this Sunday. Mahomes is leading, without a doubt, the most exciting offense in football. By contrast, San Francisco fields arguably the best defense in football. Nick Bosas rookie campaign and Richard Shermans reemergence created a defense that burned through its NFC competition like a brush fire. So, what happens when an all-world offense matches up against a punishing defense? The answer is the oldest adage in football: defense wins championships. San Francisco 37 Kansas City 24

Man, I picked the Chiefs over the Niners in Super Bowl LIV last December, but now I really think the 49ers are going to pull off the big win. They look complete on both offense and defense. Kansas Citys defense is not good: Despite mostly playing from behind, Chiefs opponents averaged the eighth-most rushing yards per game. When these teams come together, San Francisco should control the clock enough to keep KCs offense from scoring too much (and the 49ers defense will help, too). San Francisco 24, Kansas City 13.

This game should end up in a blow-out one way or another. San Francisco 49ers control the clock with their running game and be 90% of what they were against Green Bay, then its lights out for KC. However, if KC can bottle up the 49ers run-first offense as they have against both Houston and Tennessee, then Mahomes and crew will off the Gold Rushers. Im hoping for high-flying back and forth action, but the halftime show with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will be more exciting than the game itself. Chiefs win this 38-17.

So we have San Francisco versus Kansas City for the right to be the default game on Madden 2021?! This is an exciting time for the NFL and fans. Lets talk about two struggling franchises and how much this means to their fans. The 49ers are having the perfect year to help anyone who cant deal with the pain of the Warriors demise, or who cant afford rent in the Bay Area. Kansas City has taken a modest 50 years away from the Super Bowl largely because of its proper Midwest upbringing and wanting to be sure everyone else in the league wins twice before they win again.

Can Garoppolo spend as much time studying film as he does in the tanning bed? Can the Chiefs survive their charitable first-half game plan of letting their opponent go up three scores? One thing is for sure, we have a QB from the Big 12 and one from Tony Romo U. So start drafting from tier-three QB programs and build an O-line. And good news Chicagoans, the Bears are halfway there already!

The world deserves to see Andy Reid blink glares of utter joy this time around. Chiefs 45, 49ers 35.

Michael Nitzani, Football Absurdity Writer:The 49ers had a lot of swagger dismantling a very good Green Bay team. While, on paper, the 49ers appear supreme, the Chiefs team seems more aptly suited for the emotional up and down of a big game given their monster comeback against the Texans, and come from behind victory over the Titans. Both of those comebacks were revenge killings, as the Chiefs lost to Tennessee and Houston in the regular season. The Chiefs will prepare for the 49ers strong running game, forcing Shanahanss team to pass more with Jimmy Garoppolo. This would normally be okay, in a regular-season contest.

BUT theres a reason people buy Pat Mahomes jerseys. After all, the reigning MVP is part Bruno Mars with his slick moves and part Peyton Manning with his 4th quarter prowess. This will neutralize Richard Shermans defensively, keeping the 49ers swagger in check, as the teams mojo evaporates with every magical third-down conversion Mahomes orchestrates. Chiefs 28, 49ers 24.

What is Kansas City known for? World-class BBQ. Whats San Francisco known for? Rice-A-Roni.While BBQ is an American delicacy enjoyed by billions around the world, Rice-A-Roniis a heavily processed, high sodium side dish. While I do enjoy me some Rice-A-Roni, youd have to be nuts to choose that over a heaping helping of some good, old fashioned Kansas City BBQ.Give me the Chiefs in an instant classic: Kansas City 42, San Francisco 36.

Did this article make you want to get some skin in the game? Well, then go ahead and sign up at Fan Duel. That link tells them we sent you and helps us out a bunch. Thank you for reading!

(Header Image Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Hard_Rock_Stadium.png under CC BY-SA 4.0)

Read the original here:

Super Bowl LIV Predictions from Experts and Comedians - Football Absurdity

DRIVERS filling up their car tank this weekend should hold on to their receipts to get 10 of fuel completely free.

The freebie is available to new members of cashback website TopCashback until January 5, or until 10,000 deals have been claimed, whichever happens first.

1

All you need to do to get the free diesel or petrol is to first pay for it yourself, and then show the cashback website your receipt in order to get the 10 cashback.

The deal works at any major petrol station including Asda, BP, Esso, Co-op, Gulf, Jet, Morrisons, Murco, Sainsburys, Shell, Tesco and Texaco.

You'll need to spend at least 10 to get the offer, which is only valid on one tank per customer.

It's part ofTopCashback's "Snap and Save" offers, which currently also includes 10 cashback on cinema tickets for new members.

Keep in mind that it can take up to seven days for the cashback to appear in your account as pending.

It can then also take up to 30 days before you can withdraw the money to your bank account, but there's no minimum payout balance.

Ways to cut down on your fuel costs

HERE are some more tips on how you can slash the cost of fuel.

SUN SAVERS Feed your New Year's Eve guests for less with our great money-saving tips

PARTY TIME New Year's Eve guide 2019 - Parties, events & things to do before 2020

EGG-CELLENT Baffled shoppers spot Easter chocolates and hot cross buns in shops in December

ROARSOME SEAT Dunelm is selling a dinosaur armchair for kids for a bargain price

LOVELY BUBBLY Where to buy the cheapest New Year's Eve fizz - from 4 a bottle

The deal comes as Asda has been crowned the cheapest place to buy petrol as supermarkets beat Shell, Esso and Texaco by up to 10p a litre.

A couple of weeks ago, Asda cut up to 2p off fuel sparking a fresh supermarket pump price war.

Meanwhile, motorway service stations are still charging up to 29p a litre more for fuel.

Excerpt from:

How to get 10 FREE fuel at supermarket petrol stations this weekend - The Sun

The NFL appears to operate from a hypocrisy playbook. Free agent Antonio Brown was invited to workout with the New Orleans Saints Friday Morning, as the investigation continues on the wide receiver surrounding the recent sexual assault allegations made against him, according to an ESPN report. Brown posted a photo of his workout waiver with the team on social media, but the upload has since been deleted.

MORE: The NFL Welcoming Antonio Brown But Shunning Colin Kaepernick Is Peak Hypocrisy

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport noted on Twitter that the NFL has made clear that if someone signs AB, hes likely headed to the Commissioners Exempt list until his investigation is complete.

Brown is currently being investigated by the NFL under the leagues personal conduct policy following a lawsuit filed by his personal trainer, Britney Taylor, who alleged that he sexually assaulted her on three occasions, according to a report on Sporting News. The former New England Patriots receiver wasaccused ofexploitation, sexual assault and rape.

An artist working at Browns home in 2017 also accused him of sexual misconduct.

Brown has denied the allegations made against him.

The NFL released a statement on Sept. 20 indicating that Brown would not be placed on the commissioners exempt list while on free agent status. However, the league warned, If he is signed by a club, such placement may become appropriate at any time depending on the status of the investigation. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, he may also be subject to discipline if the investigation finds that he has violated the law or league policies.

It is interesting that Brown is being given a second chance while he is in the midst of a sexual assault investigation that has not yet concluded, but Colin Kaepernick is still out of work for his non-violent protest against systemic oppression.

This is the same Antonio Brown who tweeted on Thursday, Now days I deal with lawsuits ; you telling me this what it came too ! Taking your panties off thats how I remember yoouuuuuu!

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has been waiting for his chance to return to an NFL field for three years. He has not played a game with the league since 2016.

Yet and still, despite his fight against police brutality, which placed him at the forefront of media criticism and ridicule, he still wanted to play football.

Last month, Kaepernick announced that he was invited to workout at the Atlanta Falcons stadium. Im just getting word from my representatives that the NFL league office reached out to them about a workout in Atlanta on Saturday. Ive been in shape and ready for this for 3 years, cant wait to see the head coaches and GMs on Saturday, he wrote on Nov. 12.

Kaep shifted the narrative and held his own workout at an Atlanta high school so that the media could attend. At least seven teams attended his workout. Meanwhile, the NFL considered Kaep a no-show for changing the venue.

We are disappointed that Colin did not appear for his workout, the league said in a statement. Todays session was designed to give Colin what he has consistently said he wants, an opportunity to show his football readiness and desire to return to the NFL.

Kaeps team released a statement following his workout revealing that the media would not have been able to attend the private session at the Falcons facility. Kaep, however, wanted transparency. The NFL also wanted the former NFL player to sign an unusual liability waiver.

This seems like a game of picking and choosing more than anything else.

Check out some reactions to Antonio Browns workout with the Saints below.

SEE ALSO:

Alabama City That Wanted Segregated Schools Ordered To Pay Black Students Legal Fees

Suspected White Supremacist National Guardsmen Are Latest Racist Stain On The Military

See the original post:

What About Kaep? Twitter Reacts To Antonio Brown's NFL Workout Amid Sex Assault Allegations - News One