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Machine learning system can descramble pixelated/blurred redactions 83% of the time

A joint UT Austin/Cornell team has taught a machine learning system based on the free/open Torch library to correctly guess the content of pixellated or blurred redactions with high accuracy: for masked faces that humans correctly guess 0.19% of the time, the system can make a correct guess 83% of the time, when given five tries. (more…)

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Machine learning system can descramble pixelated/blurred redactions 83% of the time

UC Irvine debuts the first public college esports arena in the US

The University of California, Irvine , is serious about esports. This fall it will officially launch a competitive-gaming initiative, complete with scholarships and an already-decorated League of Legends team, and it’s just finished construction on a 3, 500-square-foot esports arena that’s set to open Friday, Sept. 23rd. The arena is packed with 80 gaming PCs loaded with top eSports titles, a webcasting studio and viewing screens. The arena will serve as a home base for the university’s gaming community and a place for its competitive players to train. It also represents another step forward for collegiate esports across the country. “Esports is the future of competition. Period, ” UCI’s Acting Director of Esports Mark Deppe says. “It transcends language, geography, race, age, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability and many other identities. In five years many more schools will official programs and more structure will be in place to regulate and provide guidance to schools. Esports also has a huge opportunity to learn from the successes and shortcomings of traditional sports and provide a model for collegiate competition in the 21st century.” Deppe hopes the arena will be 100 percent cost-neutral. UCI spent $250, 000 to build it over the summer, and it will be open to the public and students for $4 an hour; UCI hopes the revenue from its hourly use will cover administrative costs. The arena will host 25 student staff members, while other students can volunteer to assist in coaching, analysis, streaming and production roles. UCI’s arena is backed by iBUYPOWER, which provided all of its gaming PCs, and Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends . As part of its esports initiative, UCI is offering 10 scholarships, valued at $15, 000 each, to its competitive League of Legends players. The global esports market is valued at $612 million, with an audience of 134 million, according to SuperData , and it’s only predicted to grow. Universities across the United States are diving into this emerging market with scholarship programs and competitive teams. Student players bring home some real prizes when they win: Heroes of the Storm ‘s college tournament offers the winners free tuition , while the League of Legends North American collegiate championship grants $30, 000 to each winning player and $15, 000 each for second place. At UCI, players get to keep any earnings from competitions. Mark Deppe, @UCIesports acting dir., unboxes 1st computers to arrive for UCI #esports Initiative.

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UC Irvine debuts the first public college esports arena in the US

The Largest 3D Map of the Galaxy Contains Over a Billion Stars

Some may call excessive, unreasonable, exhibitionist. What kind of masochist wants to stare at a billion pinpricks of light all at once, anyway? Why, the scientifically inclined one, of course. The astronomer who’s hellbent on picking apart the universe and reducing your life to a clump of dust needs absurdly detailed star charts in order to do so. Read more…

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The Largest 3D Map of the Galaxy Contains Over a Billion Stars

Archaeologists Discover Perfectly Preserved 168-Year-Old Ship in the Arctic Ocean

An arctic research mission claims that it’s discovered the HMS Terror , one of two Franklin Expedition ships that sunk during a doomed attempt to traverse the Northwest Passage. Incredibly, the 168-year-old wreck would probably not have been found if it weren’t for information provided by an indigenous crew member. Read more…

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Archaeologists Discover Perfectly Preserved 168-Year-Old Ship in the Arctic Ocean

Spotify now has 40 million paid subscribers

In the world of music streaming, numbers mean everything. Major players have come and go, but Spotify and Apple are the two companies who largely dominate the market. After Tim Cook kicked off last week’s iPhone 7 event with confirmation that Apple Music now has 17 million paying subscribers , Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has fired back with an impressive figure of his own: 40 million people are now paying to access his service. The last time Spotify updated us on its paid stats was back in March, when it eclipsed 30 million Premium users . The company hasn’t confirmed just how many total users it has today, but it did note that it had 100 million people on its books back in June . Signups may have been driven by Spotify’s decision to extend Family plans to six members , cutting the price to $15/£15 in the process. To lure in subscribers, Spotify operates a free tier, which many other streaming services have shied away from. Instead of requiring a monthly payment, the company attempts to recoup some of those streaming costs by dropping in adverts between tracks. The fact that it continues to convert users into paying customers is encouraging, especially given the competition, but the company still has a long way to go to prove that streaming music can be a decently profitable business . 40 is the new 30. Million.

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Spotify now has 40 million paid subscribers

Thieves find an even more insidious way to swipe your PIN

The secret service has issued a warning to banks and ATM companies about a new way that thieves can steal your credit card information . A report from Krebs on Security explains that “periscope” skimmers have been found inside teller machines in Connecticut and Pennsylvania in the last two months. Of course, since the devices attach to the internal mechanism, there’s absolutely no way for an end user to tell if they’re at risk. The report explains that ATMs with openable lids are the most at risk, since nefarious types can easily gain access inside. The “periscope” probe is installed in a pre-existing hole in the card reader to skim the magnetic stripe, while the other end contains a battery and storage unit. It’s believed that the device can store up to 32, 000 numbers and will last 14 days on a charge. What the gear can’t do, however, is harvest PINs, so it’s theorized that these devices were tests in preparation for a bigger heist. Krebs goes on to add that putting your hand over the cash dispenser’s number pad will defeat a large proportion of scammers with skimmers. Thieves who use pin-pad overlays — fake buttons over the real thing — are relatively rare because the hardware is expensive to reproduce. Krebs also advises users to avoid, wherever possible, standalone ATMs where the lid is easily accessible. Instead, people should favor cashpoints that are mounted in the wall, like those outside banks, and in well-lit areas. Source: Krebs on Security

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Thieves find an even more insidious way to swipe your PIN

Giant E Ink Screens Turn Trucks Into Dynamic Rolling Billboards

Despite the gloriously colorful screens used in devices like the new iPhone 7, monochromatic E Ink displays have remained a popular choice for devices like e-readers since they’re cheap, durable, and work fine in direct sunlight. It also means they’re the perfect technology for turning trucks into in-your-face rolling billboards. Read more…

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Giant E Ink Screens Turn Trucks Into Dynamic Rolling Billboards

Sony will have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player — next year

The PS4 Pro is launching with 4K streaming and only a standard 1080p Blu-ray disc player , but Sony is ready to announce its first Ultra HD Blu-ray device. The UBP-X1000ES will ship in the spring of 2017, however, even then it will be tough to get one since Sony says it will be exclusively available through custom installers at first. The player is ready for “virtually any optical disk format” as well as Atmos and DTS:X audio tracks. From the sounds of things, it will be similar to Panasonic’s $699 DMP-UB900 , although we can only guess at the price since it has not been announced yet (if you have to ask…). Still, if you’re really ready to dive into the highest quality video (and given the tastes of people who pay attention to the CEDIA custom installer show where it’s being announced, you probably do) it also has a new high-end projector. The VPL-VW675ES continues the tradition of Sony’s SXRD projector technology, and will support not only the latest 4K HDR content, but is one of the first devices to support Hybrid-Log Gamma HDR . That will allow content to be compatible with both standard def and HDR-capable technology, but it’s not widely available or supported yet. Projector fans should note that it’s capable of up to 1, 800 lumens of brightness and a claimed 350, 000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It will be available in November 2016 for a mere $14, 999.99. Otherwise, check out the latest additions to Sony’s ES receiver line , which will be ready to deliver high-end audio and video in spring 2017. STR-ZA5000ES (current model), $2, 799.99 msrp, 9 x 130w, 11ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 8 port switch (2 POE), Pre out, Aluminum panel, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji STR-ZA3100ES (new in 2017), $1, 699.99 msrp, 7 x 110w, 9ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 8 port switch (2 POE), Pre out, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji STR-ZA2100ES (new in 2017), $1399.99, 7 x 105w, 9ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji STR-ZA1100ES (new in 2017), $999.99 msrp, 7 x 100w, 7ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (5/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji STR-ZA810ES (new in 2017), $799.99 msrp, 7 x 100w, 7ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet Source: Sony (1) , (2) , (3)

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Sony will have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player — next year

Colin Powell’s Private Email Account Has Been Hacked

According to The New York Times, Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has been hacked and a password-protected archive of his personal emails has been published by DC Leaks. The Verge reports: DC Leaks is the same site that first published emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee, which many took as an explicit effort to influence the U.S. election process. Many experts in the U.S. intelligence apparatus have attributed that attack to the Russian government, although no public attribution has been made. Thus far, there’s no evidence tying Powell’s hack to Russia, and similar hacks have been carried out by mischievous teens without government affiliation. The immediate result of the hack has been political fallout for Powell himself. Last night, BuzzFeed News reported on an email in which Powell called Republican nominee Donald Trump a “national disgrace, ” and another in which he said the candidate was “in the process of destroying himself.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Colin Powell’s Private Email Account Has Been Hacked