interestingthingsdaily-blog

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Google's RAISR machine learning tech uses up to 75% lower image sizes and intelligently upscales to look like high quality images (Matthew Humphries/PC Magazine)

Matthew Humphries / PC Magazine: Google's RAISR machine learning tech uses up to 75% lower image sizes and intelligently upscales to look like high quality images  —  With unlimited data plans becoming increasingly expensive, or subscribers being forced to ditch their unlimited data due to overuse, anything that can reduce the amount of data we download is welcome.

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Donald Trump And Martin Luther King Jr.’s Son Just Met. What They Talked About.

'Things get said...'

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Your Digital Diet in 2017: On Blogging, Reading, and Social Media

Writers, photographers, artists, and site owners recently shared their goals for the year: some challenged themselves to write more. To write honestly. And also, to allow themselves to fail. Others hoped to find a clearer focus for their blog or to deepen connections.

The start of a new year is also a time to step back and reevaluate our online routines: to trim the fat from a bloated media diet or to focus more on the people and things that matter to you. So, we asked a handful of writers: what’s your digital diet in 2017?

Rebecca Gelding, Music on the Mind

Last year when I wanted to get physically healthier, I tracked the number of calories I was eating (using MyFitnessPal). It’s amazing how much less I ate when eating became intentional rather than a habit.

The same is true for cutting down on social media.

Snacking constantly throughout the day on Twitter and Facebook, bingeing especially in the evenings, was a habit. It was interfering with time in my day that should have been real downtime or rest (see Rest or Present over Perfect).

In 2017, I’m going to be more intentional in my work and rest: logging on to Twitter and Facebook only at set times, using lists and searching hashtags to intentionally catch up on the main people I want to follow, and subscribing to blogs I love (such as The Thesis Whisperer and View from a Hovel) so I’ll never miss a relevant post.

#Intentional: this year I'm going to be more intentional about working, resting, loving & being. #OneWord2017 #oneword #phdchat

— Rebecca Gelding (@RebeccaGelding) January 2, 2017

Vincent Mars, Boy with a Hat

My digital diet in 2017? Lean and clean.

My digital menu seems to shrink with age. I’m only 25, but I can’t remember the last time a news site was among my bookmarks — big news always gets to you somehow, so no need to look for it.

The alarming thing about the digital menu in 2017 isn’t only its monstrous size, but also how it’s served. I’d rather serve words on paper or E Ink. Screens are getting a bit too bright, a bit too full of other things. Like ads.

I enjoy discovering new bloggers through WordPress Discover, but with a certain moderation. I’d rather read one post and think 10 minutes about a suitable comment, only to discover I have nothing to add, than to hurry to the next post.

I almost never use Facebook and Twitter and am proud of not being chained to them. But what I’m really proud of is my digital abstinence — I only go online in the afternoon and evening. Mornings are for writing, evenings for reading books.

And as for my smartphone, it’s hidden somewhere in the wardrobe, on mute. People still call sometimes. At the door.

Big news always gets to you somehow, so no need to look for it.

Gretchen Kelly, Drifting Through My Open Mind

My social media diet for 2017 will probably go like any diet. I’ll start off with good intentions. I’ll set a schedule. I’ll sip my coffee while I read the news, scroll my feeds and check in with my writer friends and various groups, then log off when my cup is empty.

But then . . . I’ll get involved in an interesting conversation in a writer’s group. I’ll fall down the rabbit hole of a news story or political scandal. Time will evaporate and I’ll come up for air, feeling a little guilty and trying not to think about my lack of productivity.

Eventually, I’ll tire of the charade. The reality is that my time on social media ebbs and flows. Some weeks I’m unplugged completely. Weekends I’m typically offline. It all balances out in the end. I will try to strike a balance and find a happy middle. I won’t starve myself of the interactions and the enlightenment of never-ending information online.

I never did like diets.

Eventually, I’ll tire of the charade. The reality is that my time on social media ebbs and flows.

From “Juggling Alibis” at The Mischief Memoirs

Steve Rose, Finding Purpose

Like any good diet, my 2017 digital regimen will be a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fats. Carbs often get a bad name, but they are necessary to fuel a curious mind. My digital carbs will consist of dense idea-laden texts, time-released through a steady drip of audiobooks and podcasts.

With all that mental-muscle flexing, protein will also be necessary for recovery. My digital protein will consist of meditation accompanied by the entrancing tones of binaural beats, and of course, a satisfying blend of personal-development audiobooks.

Lastly, we can’t forget the fat! My healthy digital fats will provide the nourishment necessary for a complete diet. This will consist of regularly checking the top trending YouTube videos to stay in touch with the latest memes, current events, and political blunders.

With this balanced diet, I look forward to making 2017 a great digital year!

Carbs often get a bad name, but they are necessary to fuel a curious mind.

Dalindcy Koolhoven, Dalindcy

This year will be one of digital change for me. I want to start living less on my phone and more in the real world — a little tough when you think about the fact I have a blog and also recently started a YouTube channel.

I also want to create more instead of consume. I regularly dive down internet rabbit holes and it’s hard to get out of them. Not just on WordPress — I’m really bad with forums as well. Sometimes I’ll read for hours and won’t even realize how much time went by.

This year will be a year of balance for me. Balance between my online life and my real life, but also a balance between my work life and my personal life. It’ll be tough, but it’ll be a year full of development and I’m really excited about it.

I also want to create more instead of consume.

Julia Moellers, The Joy Underneath

I like online articles that examine social or artistic culture. Sometimes I crave highbrow essays from respected journals; often I can only handle random, funny lists. When I finally grow tired of words, I collect images of fine art or illustration and organize them onto boards. It’s one of the few things I do for pure enjoyment, without a greater agenda.

I used to put a lot of effort into Facebook status updates, which was my clue, about four years ago, that I needed a blog. Now I mostly use Facebook to see what people are talking about politically.

But I prefer to read printed books above all else. If a novel is contained inside an electronic device with access to the internet, it’s more difficult to keep the outside world at bay. And books seem to lose their soul a bit when they are put into digital form.

I prefer to read printed books above all else.

Paul, The Captain’s Speech

A few months ago, I realized that Facebook is the place where friends become strangers, while WordPress is the place where strangers become friends. As such, I’ve been spending more time creating content for my blog, in addition to reading and interacting with as many blogs as I can.

WordPress is where I get my daily dose of inspiration and insight into the lives of others around the world. I can’t get that anywhere else.

As far as other social media platforms are concerned — I rely on Twitter for news, witty one liners, and hot takes filled with exaggerated panic. It’s fun. Meanwhile, Instagram is where I view pictures that tell as many as 1000 words, or sometimes just one — “pizza.”

Between WordPress, Twitter, and Instagram, I have three meals a day; YouTube is my midnight snack.

That is my digital diet for 2017.

I realized that Facebook is the place where friends become strangers, while WordPress is the place where strangers become friends.

What’s your online routine in 2017?

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Missing Child Found; Oakland Police Lieutenant Credits Raiders QB For Social Media Shares

With a missing child found the day after he disappeared, one Oakland officer is giving some of the credit to a football player whose share of the information may have helped it reach a larger audience. A citizen who had seen the Amber Alert spotted the child, and the boy is safe and has been returned home.

The stated goal of an Amber Alert is to

…instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe recovery of the child.

Police departments share Amber Alerts and additional information about missing children on social media pages for the same reason: a hope that quickly placing a visual image of a missing child before the eyes of the public will increase the chances that he is found, recognized and returned home safely.

On Saturday, Lieutenant Chris Bolton, of the Oakland Police Department, did exactly that with information regarding three-year-old Dartanian Brooks, who had disappeared with a family friend after, according to ABC7, the friend was allowed to borrow a vehicle for a short trip to a nearby store. Dartanian was permitted to go along for the ride.

#OaklandPolice Request Bay Area help in locating missing child: pic.twitter.com/WwyNOu2bhg

— Lt. Chris Bolton (@OPDChris) January 14, 2017

Tammy Martin, the driver of the vehicle, failed to return with both the van and child on Friday, and an alert went out. When Lieutenant Bolton shared the missing boy’s information on Twitter, the post found a boost from Derek Carr, quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. Carr is moderately active on Twitter, posting sports and personal updates, motivational and religious tweets, and the occasional quasi-political post (such as one recently on the stigma connected to use of food stamps).

On Saturday, however, he turned his attention to a local matter, sharing Lt. Bolton’s post with the missing child’s information sheet.

It’s impossible to say exactly how many eyes found the missing child’s information because of Carr’s share, but the Raiders quarterback has almost a quarter of a million followers on Twitter, and the information received hundreds of shares and likes, demonstrating that it did reach a significant audience.

[Image by Brian Bahr/Getty Images]

A short time after the quarterback boosted the signal of the information with his retweet, the Oakland Police Department had good news: the missing child had been found.

Missing 3-yr old safely located. Observant citizen saw AMBER Alert & took action & called OPD after seeing vehicle on the road. #Reunited

— Oakland Police Dept. (@oaklandpoliceca) January 14, 2017

A citizen had seen the vehicle, a blue 1999 Honda Odyssey Minivan with a broken window covered in black plastic, described in the Amber Alert and in the tweeted bulletin, and contacted the Oakland Police Department with the location and information.

According to KTVU, Dartanian was found and taken to a hospital to be checked before he was returned to his mother.

It’s a case that proves the effectiveness of Amber Alerts, and the value of citizen involvement in finding missing children.

As of December 23, 2015 there have been 800 children rescued and returned specifically because of AMBER Alert.

[Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

While reports show that the citizen who reported the vehicle’s location saw the Amber Alert, rather than the social media shares, it’s clear that the quick and efficient sharing of a missing child’s information is an aid to law enforcement, and Lieutenant Chris Bolton gave credit to Derek Carr on Sunday for helping to spread the word.

So it appears the secret to sharing local missing child info is a RT by your local @NFL QB. Thank you, @derekcarrqb! Child safely located!

— Lt. Chris Bolton (@OPDChris) January 15, 2017

A celebrity retweet is an effective signal boost — in this case, Derek Carr has about 9 times as many followers as the Oakland Police Department, and more than 90 times as many as Lieutenant Bolton, so there’s little doubt his share multiplied the number of social media users the missing child’s information reached.

Like the Amber Alert system itself, a celebrity retweet is the kind of information boost that could be the difference in whether a missing child is found and returned — the kind of signal boost that could save lives.

[Featured Image by Brian Bahr/Getty Images]

Missing Child Found; Oakland Police Lieutenant Credits Raiders QB For Social Media Shares is an article from: The Inquisitr News

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People Are Just Particles in this Visually Stunning Performance

A version of this article originally appeared on The Creators Project Germany.

  This article was originally published on November 25, 2014 but we think it still rocks!

Berlin-based interaction design studio Schnellebuntebilder are masters when it comes to transforming physical movements into stunning visuals. With MOMENTUM, they've teamed up with sound designers Kling Klang Klong to create "a synaesthetic experiences of sounds and visuals generated real-time from body movement," according to Schnellebuntebilder's Magdalena Eder.

MOMENTUM transforms the user into a sea of digital particles. It consists of "several blocks with different functions called nodes," explains Schnellebuntebilder's John Timpernagel. "There is a node that controls the Kinect2, created from the RGB data and infrared image of the dancer. From that data, [MOMENTUM] creates point-clouds that capture the depth of various points in space."

"We connect the data to a graphical system which puts the dancers' particles in motion. A hand movement to the right can push them [the particles] to the right," says Timpernagel.

Originally, MOMENTUM could only link movements to sounds and sound dynamics, which came from Kling Klang Klong. Based on the readouts of data points, paramaters were mapped to dancers' entire bodies. Quick hand movements could trigger wind noise. Making one's self small by squatting on the floor could induce a low-cut filter.

The soundscape consists of several layers. The first, a pre-produced track, forms MOMENTUM's musical backbone upon which the other layers are generated in real time. Parameters such as pitch can change over the course of the dancer's interactions.

Based on the generated sounds, the body's movements are also transformed into colorful images. "We had the data already, so now we could make nice visuals. MOMENTUM's first graphical interface was relatively ugly—now, we've connected the particle system to the data," Timpernagel tells The Creators Project.

The results look like flowing, colorful virtual reality creatures who exist in 3D space. It's a synesthetic experience of liquid forms and sounds that allow users to control and manipulate dynamic models with their own bodies. 

  Visit schnellebuntebilder's and kling klang klong's websites to see more of their works.

To learn more about Schnellebuntebilder click here. 

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Facebook will test 'fake news' filtering in Germany (FB)

Facebook users will soon be able to flag news stories as fake and the social network may subsequently label the stories as "disputed" in a test of fake news filtering tools starting soon in Germany.

The test will send user-flagged stories to Correctiv, a third-party fact checker. If the fact checker finds they are unreliable, the story will be de-prioritized in Facebook's news feed algorithm, meaning that fewer people see the story in their feed, according to the Financial Times. 

“Our focus is on Germany right now but we’re certainly thinking through what countries will unveil next,” a Facebook spokesperson told the Financial Times.

The Facebook test comes as Germany has had its own "fake news" problem, including one false viral story that said that Germany's oldest church was set on fire.

German officials had previously threatened internet companies like Facebook with prosecution under strict libel and slander laws if they did not curb "hate speech" and other fake news on their platforms. 

"We need to fully utilize all the legal authority at our disposal," Heiko Mass, Germany's Justice Minister, said in December.

The proliferation of misleading and false news stories on Facebook has been a heated point of debate in the US as well, with some studies suggesting that clearly false stories — like one about the Pope endorsing President-elect Donald Trump before the election — were more widely read and distributed than truthful stories.

Some observers have said that "fake news" contributed to Trump's election. President Obama called fake stories on Facebook a "dust cloud of nonsense" and "crazy conspiracy theorizing."

Facebook currently does not use a fake news filtering system in the US. Facebook did not immediately return a request for comment. 

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Facebook's mysterious hardware division is working on tech to read brain waves that could let users send thoughts to each other (FB)

  Mark Zuckerberg's dream of gadgets that let humans read each other's thoughts and communicate with brain waves may be moving closer to reality.

A secretive new research division that Facebook created last year is developing "brain-computer interface" technology that sounds a lot like the telepathy of science fiction movies.

Several recent job postings listed by Facebook's Building 8 group describe a project involving "neuroimaging" and "electrophysiological data" to create a "communications platform of the future."

An open position for a brain-computer interface engineer seeks a Ph.D. in neuroscience who can help with a related project from "inception to product" over a two-year period. Another listing seeks an engineer who can "develop audio signal processing algorithms" for a "communication and computing platform of the future."

Facebook declined to elaborate on the job listings, but a 2015 comment from CEO Zuckerberg suggests that the company could indeed be working on some kind of brain-controlled, telepathic communication device.

“One day, I believe we’ll be able to send full rich thoughts to each other directly using technology," Zuckerberg said during a June 2015 Q&A. "You’ll just be able to think of something and your friends will immediately be able to experience it too if you’d like."

"Non-invasive techniques"

Other listings seek engineers who can develop "novel non-invasive neuroimaging technologies" and create "realistic and immersive haptics experiences." Neuroimaging is an advanced field of science that uses various techniques to scan and understand what's happening in the human brain, while haptic technology simulates a sense of touch with computers.

Facebook already appears to be bringing in talent to map the brain. Mark Chevillet, a program manager of applied neuroscience at John Hopkins University joined Facebook in September as a "technical project lead," according to his LinkedIn profile.

It's unclear what kind of technology might ultimately allow Facebook to realize this vision. In the past, companies have tried using headbands packed with special sensors to measure certain brain signals, and it's possible that Facebook could take a similar approach.

Such a product, although likely a long ways off, would represent a major leap forward in computing and would put Facebook, the world's largest social network, at the forefront of the intersection of technology and science.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has pioneered the ambitious "moonshot" projects to reinvent everything from cars to healthcare. But Facebook is ramping up its efforts, poaching Google's Regina Dugan in April 2016 to spearhead the new Building 8 team.

Building Facebook's own DARPA

Little is publicly known about Building 8, other than its broad mission to develop consumer hardware products that advance Facebook's mission of "connecting the world."

When Dugan was hired, Facebook said that Dugan would be in charge of building "technologies that fluidly blend physical and digital worlds."

Before Google, Dugan was the director for the U.S government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA. Job listings for Building 8 describe it as a "DARPA-style" environment that operates on "aggressive, fixed timelines, with extensive use of partnerships in universities, small and large businesses."

The two-year term limit on many Building 8 job listings suggests that the division intends to also work similarly to Alphabet's X division, which is known for developing new products within fixed time frames before either shutting them down or spinning them out as standalone businesses.

Building 8 has yet to officially announce any products, but these job listings indicate that it's starting to ramp up internal projects. In December, Facebook announced a partnership between Building 8 and 17 universities to collaborate on scientific research.

Do you know more about what's going on in Building 8? Contact the author securely (and discreetly) via aheath@businessinsider, Twitter direct message, or "alexeheath" on Telegram.

SEE ALSO: Facebook bought a small startup to help it quickly build hardware

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MIT creates 3D printed graphene that’s lighter than air, 10 times stronger than steel

MIT researchers have been able to use graphene to print 3D objects with a geometry that has 10 times the strength of steel but only a fraction of the wieght.

The discovery using the strongest material there is has the potential to enable lightweight products for airplanes, cars, buildings and even filtration devices because of the printed objects' porous designs.

In its typical two-dimensional, flat state graphene is only one atom thick, so like a sheet of paper it is flimsy and easily torn. But, graphene also conducts electricity efficiently and is nearly transparent.

Until now, researchers struggled to use graphene's two-dimensional strength in three-dimensional materials.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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Unique Title

Add your content, sources will be credited with almighty.press widget.  The Coca-Cola Orlando Eye has been lit in blue colors -- a tribute to two local law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty today.

The 400-foot observation wheel on International Drive often changes colors to reflect holidays, tragedies and other big events.

For example, it was lit in rainbow...

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The Best Marketer Has Been Elected President

Donald Trump is a marketing genius.

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Marketing Basics: How to Create Great Content to Reach your Buyers

As many smart marketers know, a well-crafted blog, video, infographic, social networking feed, white paper, e-book, or Webinar is essential for reaching buyers and pushing them into and through he buying process. I’ve been talking about how content drives action for more than 15 years now. In that time, I've seen hundreds of organizations around the world implement these strategies and they work. It doesn’t matter the marketplace – business-to-business, consumer brands, services, or independent consultants – content sells.

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South Carolina woman’s reaction to empty Walmart bread aisle goes viral

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. — A South Carolina woman’s hilarious reaction to the empty shelves in a Walmart bread aisle is going viral.

The video, which was posted on Facebook Thursday, shows Nikki Smith sliding dramatically when she notices there is no bread.

She said the video is simply meant to bring humor to the situation.

“I just wanted to do something funny about how everyone reacts to the snow in South Carolina,” Smith told WHNS. “I went out to see if there was any bread and it was all gone. Not even any hot dog buns.”

The video has more than 30,000 views, 900 shares and 500 likes.

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Police Search For Boyfriend of Woman Found Dead Near Big Sur Car Wreck

California police failed again Friday to find the boyfriend of a woman found dead near a mangled car hundreds of feet below Pacific Coast Highway.

Olivia Gonzalez and beau Brian Fernandez of North Hollywood were reported missing at Christmas by family members who were unable to reach them while they were on a road trip together with their two dogs to Big Sur. The bodies of Gonzalez and both dogs were found outside a tan sedan that had crashed 325 feet below the highway along the rugged Pacific coast in central California.

There was no sign of Fernandez. The steep coast and heavy rains hampered the initial search. Dogs, a California Highway Patrol helicopter and an Underwater Search and Recovery Team resumed the hunt for hours Friday — but again found no sign of the missing man. With severe weather expected, the search was suspended until next week.

It’s possible Fernandez’s body was “ejected into the water,” Tony Cipolla, a spokesman for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, told the Los Angeles Times. The car came to rest in rocks near the surf line.

Police did recover the car, which is being examined by investigators, who described the case as suspicious to KABC-TV in Los Angeles. Police, however, told other media outlets that foul play was not suspected. Autopsy results on Gonzalez are pending.

Fernandez, 21, and Gonzalez, 20, were last seen Dec. 23 when they left for their holiday trip, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. They were expected to return on Christmas Day.

A passing driver on Highway 1 reported wreckage about 10 miles north of Hearst Castle, near San Simeon, to police Tuesday. The bodies of Gonzalez and the dogs were found outside the crashed car.

Gonzalez’s sister Vanessa Guzman told KTLA-TV in Los Angeles that her husband had received a text from the missing woman the day the couple left, saying they were two hours away from Big Sur. Their phones were turned off or went dead soon after.

Guzman told the Los Angeles Daily News that she had never met Fernandez but had heard from friends that his relationship with her sister was “rocky” and she was “concerned” that they were going on a road trip together.

“The body they found on the rocks is that of my sister, Olivia. She was a beautiful soul,” Guzman wrote in a statement. “Prayers for my family at this time is greatly appreciated, we are grieving at this time.”

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That's not schnitzel! German food minister calls for ban on vegetarian foods using meat-based names

Germany is known for its hearty cuisine, and its food minister wants to ensure that carnivores aren't confused by plant-based dishes such as "vegetarian schnitzel." He has called on manufacturers to stop pretending that such imitations are actually meat. Read Full Article at RT.com

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"Facebook-Owned Oculus Engineer Busted In Child-Prostitution Sting." The Force is With Us!

and FB wants to censor Pedo News? Facebook-Owned Oculus Engineer Busted In Child-Prostitution Sting http://sfist.com/2016/12/28/facebook-owned_oculus_engineer_bust.phpSubmitted by doubletake to pizzagate | 3 comments

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Twitter launches Periscope 360 live video support

Twitter has rolled out 360-degree video support through its live streaming app Periscope, beating Facebook Live to the punch as the social media rival prepares to support the function next year. Read Full Article at RT.com

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The Kissenger simulates kissing your long-distance lover

Long-distance relationships are difficult because not only is your lover completely removed from your day-to-day life, but you have absolutely zero possibility of tangible physical intimacy. This is sad. Researchers from the Imagineering Lab at City University London think they can solve this problem, however, with their new Kissenger gadget. The device mimics a real kiss using pressure sensors and actuators. It’s purely for regular pecks on the cheek or mouth — no tongue simulation is available. Sorry.

The Kissenger pairs with a messaging app that lets a user send a kiss, so when one is sent, the Kissenger measures pressure on different parts of the sender’s lips to replicate that exact kiss on the recipient’s Kissenger. The lip part of...

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