The third season of Netflix's animation anthology Love, Death and Robots will bow on May 20th. The streamer teased the release with a short video showing the same adult-oriented themes and wide variety of animation styles as the previous volumes.
The series is produced by Tim Miller and David Fincher, who has a four-year exclusivity deal with Netflix. In the trailer, Netflix showed short clips of The Crown, The Queen's Gambit and other shows as a way to contrast them with the far more intense "problem child" animated show. "The threesome you've been waiting for," the tagline states.
The styles run the gamut from hyper-realistic with a Gulliver-like character to 2D cel animation, with just about everything in between. The series has garnered solid critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, though audience scores dropped in volume 2 when it toned down the nudity and gore. The number of episodes also dropped in the second season with eight compared to 18 in volume 1. Netflix didn't say how many episodes are coming with volume 3, but you'll only have to wait a day to find out.
Blackmagic Design has unveiled a raft of new products including the DaVinci Resolve 18 video editing/color correction app and Blackmagic Cloud, a cloud collaboration system designed for editors, VFX artists and others. It also launched the "Cloud Store" networked storage box, including a model that uses the same enclosure as it's eGPU.
The key product is DaVinci Resolve 18 which now includes a feature called Blackmagic Cloud designed to help content creators work simultaneously on the same project. Multiple users around the world can instantly share projects, allowing editors, colorists, VFX artists and audio engineers to collaborate in real time on the same timeline.
Blackmagic Design
A big part of that is the Blackmagic Proxy Generator App, which automatically generates smallish proxy video files (H.264, H.265 and Apple ProRes) that can be transferred quickly by internet. The idea is that remote editors can complete their work on proxies, then the colorist or VFX editor could automatically relink to the much larger original camera files. It also has new intelligent media location management, eliminating the need to manually relink or search for video, music and other assets.
Resolve 18 also introduces new creative features, with the biggest being a new object mask that can recognize and track thousands of types of objects. "The DaVinci Neural Engine intuitively isolates animals, vehicles, people and food, plus countless other elements for advanced secondary grading and effects application," Blackmagic wrote in a press release.
It also lets you create a 3D depth matte of a scene to quickly color grade the foreground separately from the background. Another cool feature it demonstrated was a warp tracker that lets you create a mesh over complex objects like the logo on someone's T-shirt, then erase it or replace it with something else in a way that looks natural and realistic.
There are a host of other new features like "ultra beauty" for corrective beauty work, new transitions, improved subtitle support and more — check Blackmagic's press release for a detailed list. DaVinci Resolve 18 beta is now available for download for free, or $295 for the Studio version.
Blackmagic also announced Cloud Store, a networked storage box that uses the same enclosure as its eGPU for Intel Macs. The idea is that you can load it up with 20TB, 80TB or 320TB of storage built from high speed M.2 SSDs. It uses a RAID 5 configuration for fault tolerance and has enough speed to completely saturate the four 10G Ethernet connections. "It’s so fast, multicam editing is incredibly smooth, even if it’s used with massive digital film camera files," the company said.
Each port can be plugged into a separate computer or used together for 40G Ethernet. It has a USB-C to Ethernet adapter built in so it can be plugged directly into the USB-C port on a laptop for location work, for example. It can sync footage with multiple editors using Dropbox files, which can automatically be moved to the Blackmagic Cloud for collaboration.
The Cloud Store boxes are designed for professional installations, so they're priced at $10,000 for the 20TB model and $30,000 for the 80TB model (that storage includes the extra RAID 5 parity drives required). There's no pricing for the 320GB box, but it might be nearly $100K. If all that's too much, Blackmagic Design also unveiled the Cloud Store Mini priced at $3,000 for 10TB with fewer ports and RAID 0 (no redundancy), along with the Cloud Pod, a "bring your own disk" setup with 10G connectivity for $395.
Blackmagic Design
Finally, Blackmagic launched the HyperDeck Shuttle HD, a recorder/player designed to be used on the desktop with products like the Atem Mini switcher. You can playback media from USB-C disks or SD cards, or record an HDMI signal from a camera or other source. From there, you can scroll through footage using the jog dial and even use it as a teleprompter. The HyperDeck Shuttle HD is now available for $495.
The US Department of State is making it easier for people to explore cultural heritage sites from around the world thanks to a partnership with Google Arts & Culture. Announced as part of World Heritage Day, the dedicated section will let people virtually explore heritage sites from 1,100 Ambassadors Fund projects in over 130 countries around the world.
"Cultural heritage sites, objects, and traditions are a point of pride for people the world over, but they also require care and vigilance," wrote the US Department of State's Lee Satterfield. "That’s why the State Department’s Cultural Heritage Center works with governments and organizations to preserve and protect cultural heritage from both natural and man-made threats through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP)."
Some of the sites on display include the Wat Chaiwatthanaram at Ayutthaya in Thailand, the al-Imam al-Shafi’i Mausoleum in Egypt and the Ancient Nabataean Flash Flood Protection System at Petra. All told, the Cultural Heritage Center added over 100 new images of sites. Along with those, there's a story about cultural heritage preservation, complete with video and images, created by the US Department of State's Cultural Heritage Center.
The Cultural Heritage Center promised to update the site with future stories down the road. And since the biggest threat to heritage sites is climate change, it also pointed folks to Google Arts & Culture's Heritage on the Edge project.
Researchers in Beijing have set a new quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) world record of 102.2 km (64 miles), smashing the previous mark of 18 km (11 miles), The Eurasian Times reported. Transmission speeds were extremely slow at 0.54 bits per second, but still good enough for text message and phone call encryption over a distance of 30 km (19 miles), wrote research lead Long Guilu in Nature. The work could eventually lead to hack-proof communication, as any eavesdropping attempt on a quantum line can be instantly detected.
QSDC uses the principal of entanglement to secure networks. Quantum physics dictates that entangled particles are linked, so that if you change the property of one by measuring it, the other will instantly change, too — effectively making hacking impossible. In theory, the particles stay linked even if they're light-years apart, so such systems should work over great distances.
The same research team set the previous fiber record, and devised a "novel design of physical system with a new protocol" to achieve the longer distance. They simplified it by eliminating the "complicated active compensation subsystem" used in the previous model. "This enables an ultra-low quantum bit error rate (QBER) and the long-term stability against environmental noises."
As a result, the system can withstand much more so-called channel loss that makes it impossible to decode encrypted messages. That in turn allowed them to extend the fiber from 28.3km to the record 102.2 km distance. "The experiment shows that intercity quantum secure direct communication through the fiber is feasible with present-day technology," the team wrote in Nature.
Researchers in China previously made a secure quantum-enabled video call by satellite, but fiber poses a different set of challenges. "If we replace parts of the internet today, where more eavesdropping attacks happen, with quantum channels, those parts will have the added ability to sense and prevent eavesdropping, making communication even safer," said Long.
Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 has arrived in the US market today as a 2-in-1 version of the Chromebook 2, with a price and features tailored for students. The key feature is a flip-around 2,560 x 1,600 WQXGA 12.4-inch touch display that can output 340 nits of brightness, making it decently viewable in bright sunlight. Depending on the position, that lets you use it in laptop, tent or flat tablet modes.
It's designed to be durable and shock resistant and is relatively lightweight at 1.28 kg (about 2.8 pounds), with a relatively slim 16.9mm profile and smallish bezels. Connection-wise, you get a pair of USB Type-C, one USB 3.2 type A, a microSD slot and a headphone/mic port. For any remote learning activities, it offers a decent 720P front-facing webcam.
Samsung
The WiFi 6 feature should deliver fast connection speeds at school or in the dorm. If you want even better connectivity and have a mobile plan that allows for extra devices, you can add LTE connectivity. Samsung also offers some Galaxy-related features like Nearby Share and Phone Hub that lets you control your smartphone, even if it's buried in a backpack.
Aside from that, the Chromebook 2 360 isn't exactly a spec monster. It comes with 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM (8GB optional), up to 128GB of storage, an Intel Celeron N4500 CPU (with Intel UHD graphics) and a 45.5 Wh battery. Those specs are absolutely fine for Chrome OS and its ecosystem of Chrome and Android apps, however. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 goes on sale today starting at $430 for the 4GB/64GB WiFi 6 model. We don't have pricing on the LTE model yet, but it's an £80 (about $100) upgrade in the UK.
World Quantum Day was apparently yesterday, and Google feted the occasion with the launch of The Qubit Game, as spotted by 9to5Google. Created in partnership with Doublespeak games, it's a “playful journey to building a quantum computer, one qubit at a time," Google said. It also hopes the game, and World Quantum Day, will help generate some interest in the field.
The game resolves around Qubits, the basic building block of a quantum computer. It's pretty straightforward (you won't need to learn any quantum entanglement math or physics) with the goal of increasing the number of Qubits while keeping them cool. The more Qubits you have, the more difficult it gets. Eventually, you'll "discover new upgrades, complete big research projects and hopefully become a little more curious about how we're building quantum computers," wrote Google Quantum head of education Abe Asfaw.
The goal is to draw attention to quantum computing, because it seems there's a dearth of people working in the field. To that end, Google is bringing the game to the classroom, hoping to encourage educators to talk about the subject and expand access to quantum computing research.
"We need more students pursuing careers building or using quantum computers, and understanding what it would be like to be a quantum scientist or engineer," wrote Asfaw. "For me, that’s what World Quantum Day is all about: showing everyone what quantum computing really is and how they can get involved."
After 17 years, Reddit is finally making its comments searchable, it announced. Users can now get search results from replies to posts, rather than just the original posts and topics within a community. "Previously [you] would have to look through each post in the r/London community, browsing the comments to find it," the product and design staff wrote. "Now, [you] can easily see all the different recommendations on the best places for high tea that people have shared in comments."
Reddit
The ability to search comments was the top feature request from a survey conducted by Reddit last year. On top of that, during Reddit's "limited initial testing," around 26,000 people employed the feature to scan through more than five billion comments.
Reddit also improved search relevance to help users find results. Previously, a result had to match a query nearly exactly, but it's now less restrictive. "For example, let’s say someone searches for 'dogecoin stonks 2021,' and doesn't find what they’re looking for because there isn't an exact match; with our new treatment, they’re more likely to get related results." In fact, Reddit said that it saw a 60 percent increase in results for queries that previously didn't receive results. Search now also prioritizes newer content looks at a users search history to prioritize results.
Finally, Reddit improved its search interface with a new, simpler design based on user feedback. It now prioritizes posts over other types of content and simplifies the results page so you can more easily find what you're looking for. It's also reducing the number of unexpected results based on intent "to make search safer," it said. The new features are now available around the world on the desktop website, but there's no word on when they're coming to the apps.
Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter for $43 billion, telling the SEC in a filing that the deal would be good for free speech. "I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy," he wrote.
Musk made a "best and final offer" for $54.20 per share in cash (there's that 4.20 ref again), a premium of 54 percent over the January 28th closing price. Twitter's shares shot up 18 percent on the news. Musk implied that if the offer is rejected, he may dump some or all of his current position.
"I am offering to buy 100 percent of Twitter for $54.20 per share in cash, a 54 percent premium over the day before I began investing in Twitter and a 38 percent premium over the day before my investment was publicly announced," Musk said in the filing. "My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder."
Researchers have revealed a new thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell that converts heat to electricity with over 40 percent efficiency, performance nearly on par with traditional steam turbine power plants. The cells have the potential to be used in grid-scale "thermal batteries," generating energy dependably with no moving parts.
Thermophotovoltaic cells work by heating semiconducting materials enough to significantly boost the energy of photons. At high enough energies, those photos can kick an electron across the material's "bandgap," generating electricity. So far, TPV cells have achieved up to just 32 percent efficiency because they operate at lower temperatures.
By contrast, the new design from MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) takes power from white-hot heat sources between 1,900 to 2,400 degree Celsius (3,452 to 4,352 degrees F). To do that, it uses "high-bandgap" metal alloys sitting over a slightly lower-bandgap alloy.
The high-bandgap layer captures the highest-energy photons from a heat source and converts them to electricity, while lower-energy photons pass through the first layer and add to the voltage. Any photons that run the two-layer gauntlet are reflected by a mirror back to the heat source to avoid wasting energy.
This is an absolutely critical step on the path to proliferate renewable energy and get to a fully decarbonized grid.
Measuring the efficiency using a heat flux sensor, the team found that power varied with temperature. Between 1,900 to 2,400 degrees Celsius, the new TPV design produced electricity with about 40 percent efficiency.
Steam turbines can deliver the same efficiency, but are far more complicated and restricted to lower temperatures. "One of the advantages of solid-state energy converters are that they can operate at higher temperatures with lower maintenance costs because they have no moving parts," MIT Professor Asegun Henry told MIT News. "They just sit there and reliably generate electricity."
In a grid-scale thermal battery, the system would absorb excess energy from renewable sources like the sun and store it in heavily insulated banks of hot graphite. When needed, the TPV cells could then convert that heat to electricity and send it to the power grid. The experimental cell was just a square centimeter, so the team would have to ramp that up to around 10,000 square feet for grid-level power, but the technology already exists to create cells on that scale, Henry notes.
"Thermophotovoltaic cells were the last key step toward demonstrating that thermal batteries are a viable concept," he said. "This is an absolutely critical step on the path to proliferate renewable energy and get to a fully decarbonized grid."
Google has finally countered Apple's "Move to iOS" app by releasing "Switch to Android" for iOS on the App Store, confirming earlier rumors. As the name indicates, it's designed to help iPhone and iPad users import contacts, photos, calendars and video to an Android device. It also shows users how to turn off iMessage in favor of Android messaging and transfer photos/videos by connecting to iCloud.
Google dropped the new app without a lot of fanfare, as TechCrunch notes. On its Switch to Android website, the app is still not mentioned and can only be found on the App Store with a direct link — search results still turn up nothing.
The app is a big improvement over the current system, which requires you to back up photos, video, calendar and contacts using the Google Drive iOS app. It was first spotted last summer by 9to5Google in code tucked into Google's Data Transfer Tool, and seen in a more recent release with the ability to import iCloud video and photos into Google Photos.
Apple's equivalent app arrived way back in September 2015, so Google certainly took its time responding. "Move to iOS" works in much the same way, helping users import photos, video, messages, contacts and more over to an iOS device. One Android device maker, Samsung, has its own device migration app as well called Smart Switch, helping you switch from an iPhone or other Android device to a Galaxy smartphone. However, it's only available on Google Play or its own Galaxy store and doesn't run on iOS.
