Posts Tagged: images

Pixel 9 Pro Leaked Images Reveal Tweaked Design

On April 21, 2024 by Michelle Turner With 0 Comments - Tech

Live images of the alleged Google Pixel 9 Pro prototype have leaked, confirming previously rendered designs that suggest its smaller size.
TalkAndroid

Design, images, leaked, Pixel, reveal, Tweaked

The Morning After: 50 attorneys general urge Congress to fight AI-generated child sexual abuse images

On September 6, 2023 by Michelle Turner With 0 Comments - Tech

“We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI,” the attorneys general wrote in an open letter to Congress, asking for increased protective measures against AI-enhanced child sexual abuse images.

Using image generators like Dall-E and Midjourney to create child sexual abuse materials isn’t a problem, as the software has guardrails to stop those prompts. However, when open-source versions of the software and similar tools without guardrails or oversight arrive, it could be a major issue. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that AI tools would benefit from government intervention to mitigate their risk.

– Mat Smith

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United Airlines grounded flights for an hour after a bad software update

A ‘widespread slowdown’ paused departures.

United Airlines issued a nationwide ground stop because of a "computer issue." "United Airlines asked the FAA to pause the airline’s departures nationwide," the Federal Aviation Administration told Engadget. United said a software update "caused a widespread slowdown" in its technology systems, but airborne flights still carried on to their destinations during the pause.

United had a similar issue in the UK just last week. An air traffic control glitch led to the cancellation of a fifth of UK departures and 27 percent of flights due to arrive the day of the issue.

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The Android logo gets a new look and a 3D bugdroid

Google's quarterly Android update adds some useful accessibility features.

Android 14 is fast approaching. But before Google releases the next big version of the mobile operating system alongside its latest Pixel devices, the company has revealed a refreshed Android logo. Yeah, it hasn’t exactly reinvented the wheel, or the droid, as it were. Android consumer brand management director Jason Fournier said the company wanted the bugdroid to "appear as dynamic as Android itself." Sounds like a self-burn The plan is to ensure the bugdroid looks consistent across digital and real-world environments.

There's also a useful-sounding accessibility feature coming to Android soon. It's called Image Q&A on Lookout. You'll be able to use voice commands or type questions to find out more details about AI-generated audio descriptions of visual content. A new widget called Assistant At a Glance is also inbound, to bring weather alerts, event reminders and travel updates.

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The best cameras for 2023

Compacts, DSLRs, action cams and, of course, mirrorless cameras.

Since smartphones obliterated the casual photography market, camera manufacturers are focusing on building models designed for very specific uses. Mirrorless cameras continue to improve in autofocus, video and more, while lens ranges expand yearly. Action cams provide sharp, fluid video, compact cameras target both tourists and vloggers and DSLRs are available at some of the best prices we’ve seen. If you’re considering a camera upgrade, this is a particularly good time to do so. Engadget’s Steve Dent walks you through the options.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-50-attorneys-general-urge-congress-to-fight-ai-generated-child-sexual-abuse-images-111525174.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

abuse, after, AIgenerated, attorneys, child, Congress, fight, general, images, Morning, sexual, urge

Latest Webb Telescope images gives a look at stars being born in the Virgo constellation

On June 4, 2023 by Michelle Turner With 0 Comments - Tech

It seems like every few weeks, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) drop an impressive image from the James Webb Space Telescope that is both stunning to behold and advances our knowledge of the universe. The latest is of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 5068, called a "barred" galaxy because of the bright central bar you can see in the upper left of the above image. It's a combination image consisting of infrared shots taken from the telescope's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) sensors.

What those sensors captured is a galaxy in the Virgo constellation about 20 million light-years from Earth, and because the JWST can see through the dust and gas that surrounds stars as they're born, the instrument is particularly suited to producing images that show the process of star formation.

Looking at the two individual images that make up the composite reveals different layers of the galaxy. As Gizmodo notes, the image produced by the MIRI sensor provides a view of the galaxy's structure and the glowing gas bubbles that represent newly formed stars.

A delicate tracery of dust and bright star clusters threads across this image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. In this image, from Webbâ€™s MIRI instrument, the dusty structure of the spiral galaxy and glowing bubbles of gas containing newly-formed star clusters are particularly prominent. These bright tendrils of gas belong to the barred spiral galaxy NGC 5068, located around 17 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. This portrait of NGC 5068 is part of a campaign to create an astronomical treasure trove, a repository of observations of star formation in nearby galaxies. Previous gems from this collection can be seen here and here. These observations are particularly valuable to astronomers for two reasons. The first is because star formation underpins so many fields in astronomy, from the physics of the tenuous plasma that lies between stars to the evolution of entire galaxies. By observing the formation of stars in nearby galaxies, astronomers hope to kick-start major scientific advances with some of the first available data from Webb. The second reason is that Webbâ€™s observations build on other studies using telescopes including the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and some of the worldâ€™s most capable ground-based observatories. Webb collected images of 19 nearby star-forming galaxies which astronomers could then combine with catalogues from Hubble of 10 000 star clusters, spectroscopic mapping of 20Â 000 star-forming emission nebulae from the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and observations of 12Â 000 dark, dense molecular clouds identified by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). These observations span the electromagnetic spectrum and give astronomers an unprecedented opportunity to piece together the minutiae of star formation. Three asteroid trails intrude into this image, visible as tiny blue-green-red dots. Asteroids appear in astronomical images such as these because they are much closer to the telescope than the distant target. As Webb captures several images of the astronomical object, the asteroid moves, so it shows up in a slightly different place in each frame. They are a little more noticeable in images such as this one from MIRI, because many stars are not as bright in mid-infrared wavelengths as they are in near-infrared or visible light, so asteroids are easier to see next to the stars. One trail lies just below the galaxyâ€™s bar, and two more in the bottom-left corner - can you spot them? [Image description: A close-in image of a spiral galaxy, showing its core and part of a spiral arm. A few bright stars are visible throughout it, concentrated in the barred core. Clumps and filaments of dust thread through it, forming an almost skeletal structure that follows the twist of the galaxy and its spiral arm. Large, glowing bubbles of red gas are hidden in the dust.] Links NGC 5068 (MIRI+NIRCam image) NGC 5068 (NIRCam image) Slider Tool (MIRI and NIRCam images) Video: Pan of NGC 5068 Video: Webb's views of NGC 5068 (MIRI and NIRCam images) Video: Zoom into NGC 5068

The second image, taken from the NIRCam, put the focus on a huge swath of stars in the foreground. The composite, meanwhile, shows both the enormous amount of stars in the region as well as the highlights of the stars that have just been "born."

A delicate tracery of dust and bright star clusters threads across this image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. This view from Webbâ€™s NIRCam instrument is studded by the galaxyâ€™s massive population of stars, most dense along its bright central bar, along with burning red clouds of gas illuminated by young stars within. These glittering stars belong to the barred spiral galaxy NGC 5068, located around 17 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. This portrait of NGC 5068 is part of a campaign to create an astronomical treasure trove, a repository of observations of star formation in nearby galaxies. Previous gems from this collection can be seen here and here. These observations are particularly valuable to astronomers for two reasons. The first is because star formation underpins so many fields in astronomy, from the physics of the tenuous plasma that lies between stars to the evolution of entire galaxies. By observing the formation of stars in nearby galaxies, astronomers hope to kick-start major scientific advances with some of the first available data from Webb. The second reason is that Webbâ€™s observations build on other studies using telescopes including the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and some of the worldâ€™s most capable ground-based observatories. Webb collected images of 19 nearby star-forming galaxies which astronomers could then combine with catalogues from Hubble of 10 000 star clusters, spectroscopic mapping of 20Â 000 star-forming emission nebulae from the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and observations of 12Â 000 dark, dense molecular clouds identified by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). These observations span the electromagnetic spectrum and give astronomers an unprecedented opportunity to piece together the minutiae of star formation. This near-infrared image of the galaxy is filled by the enormous gathering of older stars which make up the core of NGC 5068. The keen vision of NIRCam allows astronomers to peer through the galaxyâ€™s gas and dust to closely examine its stars. Dense and bright clouds of dust lie along the path of the spiral arms: these are H II regions, collections of hydrogen gas where new stars are forming. The young, energetic stars ionise the hydrogen around them which, when combined with hot dust emission, creates this reddish glow. H II regions form a fascinating target for astronomers, and Webbâ€™s instruments are the perfect tools to examine them, resulting in this image. [Image Description: A close-in image of a spiral galaxy, showing its core and part of a spiral arm. At this distance thousands upon thousands of tiny stars that make up the galaxy can be seen. The stars are most dense in a whitish bar that forms the core, and less dense out from that towards the arm. Bright red gas clouds follow the twist of the galaxy and the spiral arm.] Links NGC 5068 (NIRCam+MIRI Image) NGC 5068 (MIRI Image) Slider Tool (MIRI and NIRCam images) Video: Pan of NGC 5068 Video: Webb's views of NGC 5068 (MIRI and NIRCam images) Video: Zoom into NGC 5068

There isn't one specific breakthrough finding in this image; instead, NASA notes that this is part of a wider effort to collect as many images of star formation from nearby galaxies as it can. (No, 20 million light-years doesn't exactly feel nearby to me, either, but that's how things go in space.) NASA pointed to another few images as other "gems" from its collection of star births, including this impressive "Phantom Galaxy" that was shown off last summer. As for what the agency hopes to learn? Simply that star formation "underpins so many fields in astronomy, from the physics of the tenuous plasma that lies between stars to the evolution of entire galaxies." NASA goes on to say that it hopes the data being gathered of galaxies like NGC 5068 can help to "kick-start" major scientific advances, though what those might be remains a mystery.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/latest-webb-telescope-images-gives-a-look-at-stars-being-born-in-the-virgo-constellation-120044569.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

being, born, constellation, gives, images, latest, look, stars, telescope, Virgo, Webb

Leaked Google Pixel Fold images show a sleek, nearly gapless hinge

On April 29, 2023 by Michelle Turner With 0 Comments - Tech

With Google I/O less than two weeks away, the Pixel leaks are starting to come hard and fast. On Friday, leaker (and former Engadget editor) Evan Blass shared (via The Verge) two 4K renders of the Pixel Fold. The images almost certainly originally came from Google, so they offer our best look at the device yet.

Unfortunately, Blass didn’t post an image of the front of the foldable, so, for at least the time being, we can’t compare the renders against the alleged video of the Pixel Fold that leaker Kuba Wojciechowski uploaded on April 21st. What’s more, the one render of the Fold’s back cover doesn’t give a sense of how pronounced the camera bump is. However, they do show a device that looks sleeker than the one we’ve seen leak before.

The front of the Pixel Fold and the back of the Pixel 7a in coral.

The Pixel Fold will reportedly cost $ 1,700 when it arrives later this year. According to a recent CNBC report, the device will feature a 7.6-inch foldable display and a 5.8-inch external screen. It will also supposedly sport the “most durable hinge” on any foldable device to date. Judging from the images Blass shared, there may be some merit to that claim.

Separately, Blass shared an image of the Pixel 7a in a striking coral colorway. Google is expected to offer its next midrange device in three other colors — blue, black and white — and the device could cost $ 50 more than its predecessor. With Google I/O set for May 10th, expect to learn more about the Pixel Fold and Pixel 7a soon.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/leaked-google-pixel-fold-images-show-a-sleek-nearly-gapless-hinge-160537647.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

fold, gapless, Google, Hinge, images, leaked, nearly, Pixel, Show, sleek

Getty Images sues the maker of AI art generator Stable Diffusion over data scraping allegations

On January 17, 2023 by Michelle Turner With 0 Comments - Tech

Last September Getty Images banned the inclusion of AI-generated works in its commercial database over copyright concerns. On Tuesday, Getty Images announced that it is suing Stability AI, maker of the popular AI art tool Stable Diffusion, in a London court over alleged copyright violations.

"It is Getty Images’ position that Stability AI unlawfully copied and processed millions of images protected by copyright and the associated metadata owned or represented by Getty Images absent a license to benefit Stability AI’s commercial interests and to the detriment of the content creators," Getty Images wrote in a press statement released Tuesday. "Getty Images believes artificial intelligence has the potential to stimulate creative endeavors."

"Getty Images provided licenses to leading technology innovators for purposes related to training artificial intelligence systems in a manner that respects personal and intellectual property rights," the company continued. "Stability AI did not seek any such license from Getty Images and instead, we believe, chose to ignore viable licensing options and long‑standing legal protections in pursuit of their stand‑alone commercial interests."

The details of the lawsuit have not been made public, though Getty Images CEO Craig Peters told The Verge, that charges would include copyright and site TOS violations like web scraping. Furthermore, Peters explained that the company is not seeking monetary damages in this case so as much as it is hoping to establish a favorable precedent for future litigation.

Text-to-image generation tools like Stable Diffusion, Dall-E and Midjourney don't create the artwork that they produce in the same way people do — there is no imagination from which these ideas can spring forth. Like other generative AI, these tools are trained to do what they do using massive databases of annotated images — think, hundreds of thousands of frog pictures labelled "frog" used to teach a computer algorithm what a frog looks like.

And why go through the trouble of assembling and annotating a database of your own when there's an entire internet's worth of content there for the taking? AI firms like Clearview and Voyager Labs have already tried and been massively, repeatedly fined for scraping image data from the public web and social media sites. An independent study conducted last August concluded that a notable portion of Stable Diffusion's data was likely pulled directly from the Getty Images site, in part as evidenced by the art tool's habit of recreating the Getty watermark.

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

allegations, data, Diffusion, generator, Getty, images, maker, over, scraping, stable, sues

Twitter now lets you put GIFs, images, and videos in one tweet

On October 6, 2022 by Michelle Turner With 0 Comments - Tech

Twitter released an update that now allows users to combine GIFs, images, and videos in a single tweet.
Android | Digital Trends

GIFs, images, lets, tweet, Twitter, videos

Leaked images reveal Motorola’s 3rd-gen Razr design takes inspiration from the Galaxy Z Flip

On May 10, 2022 by Michelle Turner With 0 Comments - Tech

As most other brands have either already announced or are rumored to be planning the release of foldable smartphones, Motorola is lining up the third generation of its Razr foldable which apparently goes under the codename ‘Maven’. The new clamshell from Motorola will feature flagship specifications and is reportedly scheduled for a ‘summer release’. According […]

Come comment on this article: Leaked images reveal Motorola’s 3rd-gen Razr design takes inspiration from the Galaxy Z Flip