The Morning After: Tuesday, October 10th 2017
At last, 'The Last Jedi'.
It's Tuesday morning and we've got a proper trailer for The Last Jedi and WiFi networks that can monitor your breathing. Oh, and a monstrous new RED camera that you probably can't afford, but would like to hear all about.
Nintendo's mini SNES has already been cracked to run more games
It appears that Nintendo really doesn't mind modders cracking open its little retro consoles and using them for more than they were originally intended. Back when the NES Classic Edition was released, it took Russian tinkerer Cluster just a few months to figure out how to side-load additional games on to the system. Nintendo doesn't seem to have made the process any more difficult on the new mini SNES., as little more than a week after its release.
Here's your full-length 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' trailer
Luke, Leia, some high-tech butterfly stitches on Kylo Ren, and a whole lot of fighting and build-up. The Last Jedi gets its first full-length trailer, and while some fans might want to resist, the force is strong with this one. (I clicked.)
WiFi mesh networks can detect your breathing
In the world of indoor security systems, motion detection usually relies on cameras or, at least, dedicated sensors. Both types of solution add to hardware plus installation costs, not to mention that not everyone is comfortable with having cameras pointing at them all the time. Origin Wireless, on the other hand, found a way to make use of WiFi signals bouncing around a room to detect even the slightest movement -- down to something as subtle as a person's breathing rate. What's more, this Time Reversal Machine technology is just some clever algorithmic work with little burden on the processor, so it can potentially be added to any existing WiFi mesh routers via a firmware update.
Red's new flagship camera is the $80,000 Monstro 8K VV
RED's cinema cameras are too expensive for most of us, but they do push the state-of-the-art, making future cameras you can afford better. Take RED's latest sensor, called the Monstro 8K VV (Vista Vision). The bombastic name aside, it packs impressive specs. The sensor handles 35.4-megapixel stills and 8K, 60 fps video, features 17+ claimed stops of dynamic range and shoots at higher ISOs with lower noise than the last model. It's all good stuff.
Google also found traces of Russian influence in US election
According to the Washington Post, Google has found evidence that Russian agents purchased election-linked ads on YouTube, Google Search, Gmail and the company's DoubleClick ad network. However, the investigation is said to be in its "early stages," so the number of accounts and dollar figures are still unknown.
Twitter bot's 'Glitch Art' is a digital impressionist dream
While most people find video glitches or artifacts distracting, some folks see the beauty in them. One of those is programmer and visual artist David Kraftsow, known for his trippy YooouuuTuuube generator and delightfully droll First Person Tetris. One of his latest projects is a Twitter bot called @youtubeartifact, which generates so-called Glitch Art out of the occasionally delightful hiccups produced by YouTube's MP4 motion compensation algorithm.
Google created a fun way to learn about simple AI
Teachable Machine is a fun way to break down the complex notion of machine learning without having to dive into code. Through your camera and microphone, this Google project can pick up on enough cues to perform simple tasks like displaying a particular picture when you wave your hand. It's an interesting gimmick right now, but this could be the setup process for your next AI-powered phone or smart home device.
