philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

AI-based upsampling tech creates high-res versions of low-res images

[Philip Lelyveld summary: the AI identifies each object, searches the web for related higher-resolution images, then adds realistic textures to the up-res'd pixelated image.]

The team has developed a tool called EnhanceNet-PAT, which is capable of creating high-definition versions of low-resolution images, using artificial intelligence.

We take a different approach by instead asking the neural network to produce realistic textures. To do this, the neural network takes a look at the whole image, detects regions, and uses this semantic information to produce realistic textures and sharper images.”

To train the technology, large image libraries were fed into the AI-based system to accumulate knowledge of textures. The neural network is then given the task of upsampling previously downsized images. Finally, the research team compares the results to the original high-resolution image and modifies the algorithm to correct for errors or inconsistencies—this way, the algorithm keeps improving and after some time can work without any human help.

To learn more about this technology, check out the full research paper here.

See the full article here: https://www.dpreview.com/news/2842585992/researchers-teach-algorithm-about-textures-to-create-high-res-versions-of-low-res-images

Netflix open to Stranger Things season three in virtual reality Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/stranger-things-season-3-3321059#2GgQMvVBoQE1mtSP.99

[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is an interesting non-story.]

“It’s one of the things that, along with a myriad of other ideas, we will begin to test and see if there’s consumer uptake, and uptake in the creative industries. We go back to the fundamental culture within Netflix, around testing and learning. What do we think will work? We’ve got great ideas, and then we’ll test them and the data will decide whether that’s something we lean into or not.”
“If the Duffer brothers came to us and said ‘you know, Stranger Things season three has gotta be in VR’ then that would be a really interesting conversation. And somebody else in Netflix would be having that conversation on the product side and content side, and around commissioning and so on.”
See the full story here: http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/stranger-things-season-3-3321059

Virtual Reality in the Classroom – Part 1 (Bar Harbor, Maine)

A handful of public schools in Maine, though, are now bringing the virtual world into the classroom.

"When I started this class, he said we could use it to prototype and I was like I'm using VR to prototype.

Earlier this year, the school bought an HTC Vive for about $2,500 with money from a local grant.

He says the value of VR here is not necessarily helping kids use or master the technology.

It's the ability to create, erase and create, again.

"It's not a failure, it's a learning process," says Zaman. "Getting them comfortable with getting that feedback to make a better product is one of the biggest things I see that's great going forward."

See the full story here: http://www.wabi.tv/content/news/Virtual-Reality-in-the-Classroom---Part-1-454489623.html

Virtual reality’s next big leap is real-world Pong and Pac-Man

Munich-based HolodeckVR is using optical and radio tracking to create giant VR gaming arenas.

Jonathan Nowak Delgado is turning empty public spaces into virtual reality playgrounds by strapping headsets on people to let them roam freely.

"You're not playing Pac-Man, you are Pac-Man," says the co-founder of Munich-based HolodeckVR. Once a player puts on a headset they're surrounded by virtual walls and can see collectible items and monsters.

Delgado explains the company is creating two different arenas for people to play within: 20 x 20 metres and an "extra large" 200 x 200 metres. "There can be up to 20 other people in the large Holodeck and up to 100 in the extra large size," he says.

The company is currently using Samsung Gear mobile VR headsets and a combination of tracking technology it has developed in-house.

See the full story here: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/holodeckvr-virtual-gaming-virtual-reality

How Virtual Reality Helps Surgery Patients in Rural Mexico

In the high alpine region of Mexico, 12 hours from the country’s capital, Dr. José Luis Mosso Vazquez explores the use of virtual reality as a painkiller in the operating room. Why? Because in this economically marginalized rural area, it can be difficult and costly to rely on general anesthesia. On a recent trip, he performed 12 free operations, removing cysts and tumors. It may sound like a frightening alternative, but combined with local anesthetic, these patients felt almost no pain during their surgery. Dr. Mosso sees his work as his way of repaying the country that helped raise him.

See the full story here: https://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/how-virtual-reality-helps-surgery-patients-in-rural-mexico?

Poly Is Google’s Foundation For Building Virtual Worlds

Google is launching Poly, a service with a growing library of free objects for creators to incorporate into their virtual worlds.

The repository immediately makes it easier for creators to publish their works from apps like Tilt Brush and Blocks, as well as find pieces to incorporate into their own designs. The service, however, is another piece of the puzzle as Google seems focused on a much grander ambition. Poly further positions Google to deliver foundational software and services that could one day open up 3D modeling and virtual world creation to millions of people through VR and AR.

There is no monetization built into the system yet, so creators can’t charge for their work.

But creators can also disallow remixing of their content too, turning the site into a read-only gallery or portfolio for their work.

See the full story here: https://uploadvr.com/poly-googles-foundation-building-virtual-worlds/

Nielsen Aims to Level Playing Field With New Netflix Ratings

The curtain is lifting on Netflix's mysterious viewership data, so says Nielsen Media. The godfather of TV ratings recently launched SVOD measurement in earnest and plans to go out with viewership statistics on big-swing originals Mindhunter and Stranger Things 2 in the coming weeks as it courts additional clients to the new service.

Among those stats floating around are for House of Cards. Now set to end with its sixth season, the show had 4.6 million viewers for its May premiere by standards comparable with the live-plus-7 ratings window, according to Nielsen. Eight media companies, including Disney-ABC, NBCUniversal and Warner Bros., already are paying for those numbers — which, like traditional Nielsen measurements, come from audio codes within programming.

Agreements with Nielsen currently forbid it from going public with the data, but it's considered an inevitability. Ramifications could extend beyond the end of one of Hollywood's biggest mysteries. Originals' ratings data might influence talent contracts, and information on acquired series are expected to impact library deals for studios.

What's missing? Mobile, for one. That can account for as much as a third of viewing, and Nielsen's SVOD is only capturing its current sample's streaming habits on TV sets.

See the full story here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nielsen-aims-level-playing-field-new-netflix-ratings-1053578

Virtual Reality Could Help Close CyberSecurity Workforce Gap

“Employers are seeking candidates for tier-one analyst roles who have prior security experience, when in reality 87% of cybersecurity workers don’t start in the field,” the report noted. “Employers also want cybersecurity candidates with highly technical skills to which the average student is not exposed, including intrusion detection, attack mitigation and secure software development. Advanced certifications are required for roles that aren’t necessarily advanced, which deters workers who can earn an attractive salary and develop innovative technology in other fields without the burden of earning more credentials.”

“One solution [to the workforce gap] may be to use technologies that capitalize on humans’ natural ability to reason visually and spatially in order to solve critical problems,” the report said. “Immersive technologies incorporating virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and collaborative gaming principles accomplish this and are being used to problem-solve in other industries—in healthcare to combat obesity, in automobile manufacturing to reduce waste and inefficiency and in the US Army to train recruits. The cybersecurity industry could similarly build solutions that enable fast, effective anomaly detection and remediation based on technologies that do not require highly specialized certifications and education. Doing so could open up the cybersecurity talent pool, particularly among millennials and post-millennials who are avid gamers and have a strong affinity for VR.”

See the full story here: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/virtual-reality-could-help-close/

‘EVE Valkyrie’ creator CCP has put its virtual reality plans on ice

• Icelandic gaming company CCP Games is shutting down two studios in the US and the UK.
• It said it plans to put its VR development plans on "ice" and focus more on mobile and PC games.

A VR studio in Atlanta is being shut down, while another in Newcastle, UK, is being sold off. The latter spearheaded the development of "EVE Valkyrie."

Studios will remain in London, Reykjavík, and Shanghai and CCP is providing relocation opportunities or severance packages to some of the staff that are affected.

It was one of the first gaming companies to embrace VR with the launch of "EVE Valkyrie" in March 2016 and it writes on its website that it thinks the technology "will play an increasingly important role in gaming, and beyond, in the years to come."

"EVE Valkyrie" is played by a loyal fan base around the world and it is hailed as one of the best VR gaming experiences.

It was the game Oculus used as a demo for the Crystal Cove version of its development kit in 2014, before Oculus was acquired by Facebook.

See the full story here; http://www.businessinsider.com/eve-valkyrie-creator-ccp-has-put-its-virtual-reality-plans-on-ice-2017-10?r=UK&IR=T

The Rylo 360-degree camera’s killer feature is its software

Shoot some video and then connect Rylo to your iPhone with the included Micro-USB-to-Lightning cable (an Android version is expected in early 2018). The phone recognizes the camera and launches the companion app, letting you instantly view what you've shot without messing around with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections like other cameras. Using the camera's resolution and ultrawide-angle lenses, Rylo's software perfectly stabilizes your video, virtually eliminating shake.

You can keep the video in its original 360-degree format to edit and share as is or create a traditionally framed HD 16:9-format video using the app. Taking full advantage of the camera's ability to capture an entire scene with a single shot, you can, for example, track a subject simply by tapping on them regardless of where they were. Similarly, you can create the look of panning and tilting the camera by selecting different points of interest throughout your clip. The app will also let you combine shots from the individual lenses for a picture-in-picture look or create a motion timelapse. And remember, this is all done after you've shot.

The capabilities are similar to what GoPro is doing with its Fusion camera, but the process of creating clips appears faster and easier. Editing is non-destructive, too, so you can take a single clip and use it over and over again for different results. Once you've got something to share to Facebook or Instagram or wherever, you can do that through the app as well.

Priced at $499, the camera is available to buy now and ships in November.

See the full story here: https://www.cnet.com/news/rylo-360-degree-cameras-killer-feature-is-its-software/