BREAKING NEWS
LATEST POSTS
-
Google Gemini 2.0 Flash new AI model extremely proficient at removing watermarks from images
Gemini 2.0 Flash won’t just remove watermarks, but will also attempt to fill in any gaps created by a watermark’s deletion. Other AI-powered tools do this, too, but Gemini 2.0 Flash seems to be exceptionally skilled at it — and free to use.
-
Stability.ai – Introducing Stable Virtual Camera: Multi-View Video Generation with 3D Camera Control
Capabilities
Stable Virtual Camera offers advanced capabilities for generating 3D videos, including:
- Dynamic Camera Control: Supports user-defined camera trajectories as well as multiple dynamic camera paths, including: 360°, Lemniscate (∞ shaped path), Spiral, Dolly Zoom In, Dolly Zoom Out, Zoom In, Zoom Out, Move Forward, Move Backward, Pan Up, Pan Down, Pan Left, Pan Right, and Roll.
- Flexible Inputs: Generates 3D videos from just one input image or up to 32.
- Multiple Aspect Ratios: Capable of producing videos in square (1:1), portrait (9:16), landscape (16:9), and other custom aspect ratios without additional training.
- Long Video Generation: Ensures 3D consistency in videos up to 1,000 frames, enabling seamless
Model limitations
In its initial version, Stable Virtual Camera may produce lower-quality results in certain scenarios. Input images featuring humans, animals, or dynamic textures like water often lead to degraded outputs. Additionally, highly ambiguous scenes, complex camera paths that intersect objects or surfaces, and irregularly shaped objects can cause flickering artifacts, especially when target viewpoints differ significantly from the input images.
-
Sony tests AI-powered Playstation characters
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/ai-playstation-characters-sony-ps5-chatgpt-b2712813.html
A demo video, first reported by The Verge, showed an AI version of the character Aloy from the Playstation game Horizon Forbidden West conversing through voice prompts during gameplay on the PS5 console.
The character’s facial expressions are also powered by Sony’s advanced AI software Mockingbird, while the speech artificially replicates the voice of the actor Ashly Burch.
-
BEAR – BE-A-Rigger – Maya Rigging Tool
https://github.com/Grackable/bear_core
BEAR claims to be the most intuitive and easy-to-use rigging tool available, offering production-proven features that streamline the rigging workflow for maximum efficiency and consistency.
FEATURED POSTS
-
SlowMoVideo – How to make a slow motion shot with the open source program
http://slowmovideo.granjow.net/
slowmoVideo is an OpenSource program that creates slow-motion videos from your footage.
Slow motion cinematography is the result of playing back frames for a longer duration than they were exposed. For example, if you expose 240 frames of film in one second, then play them back at 24 fps, the resulting movie is 10 times longer (slower) than the original filmed event….
Film cameras are relatively simple mechanical devices that allow you to crank up the speed to whatever rate the shutter and pull-down mechanism allow. Some film cameras can operate at 2,500 fps or higher (although film shot in these cameras often needs some readjustment in postproduction). Video, on the other hand, is always captured, recorded, and played back at a fixed rate, with a current limit around 60fps. This makes extreme slow motion effects harder to achieve (and less elegant) on video, because slowing down the video results in each frame held still on the screen for a long time, whereas with high-frame-rate film there are plenty of frames to fill the longer durations of time. On video, the slow motion effect is more like a slide show than smooth, continuous motion.
One obvious solution is to shoot film at high speed, then transfer it to video (a case where film still has a clear advantage, sorry George). Another possibility is to cross dissolve or blur from one frame to the next. This adds a smooth transition from one still frame to the next. The blur reduces the sharpness of the image, and compared to slowing down images shot at a high frame rate, this is somewhat of a cheat. However, there isn’t much you can do about it until video can be recorded at much higher rates. Of course, many film cameras can’t shoot at high frame rates either, so the whole super-slow-motion endeavor is somewhat specialized no matter what medium you are using. (There are some high speed digital cameras available now that allow you to capture lots of digital frames directly to your computer, so technology is starting to catch up with film. However, this feature isn’t going to appear in consumer camcorders any time soon.)
-
Ross Pettit on The Agile Manager – How tech firms went for prioritizing cash flow instead of talent (and artists)
For years, tech firms were fighting a war for talent. Now they are waging war on talent.
This shift has led to a weakening of the social contract between employees and employers, with culture and employee values being sidelined in favor of financial discipline and free cash flow.
The operating environment has changed from a high tolerance for failure (where cheap capital and willing spenders accepted slipped dates and feature lag) to a very low – if not zero – tolerance for failure (fiscal discipline is in vogue again).
While preventing and containing mistakes staves off shocks to the income statement, it doesn’t fundamentally reduce costs. Years of payroll bloat – aggressive hiring, aggressive comp packages to attract and retain people – make labor the biggest cost in tech.
…Of course, companies can reduce their labor force through natural attrition. Other labor policy changes – return to office mandates, contraction of fringe benefits, reduction of job promotions, suspension of bonuses and comp freezes – encourage more people to exit voluntarily. It’s cheaper to let somebody self-select out than it is to lay them off.
…Employees recruited in more recent years from outside the ranks of tech were given the expectation that we’ll teach you what you need to know, we want you to join because we value what you bring to the table. That is no longer applicable. Runway for individual growth is very short in zero-tolerance-for-failure operating conditions. Job preservation, at least in the short term for this cohort, comes from completing corporate training and acquiring professional certifications. Training through community or experience is not in the cards.
…The ability to perform competently in multiple roles, the extra-curriculars, the self-directed enrichment, the ex-company leadership – all these things make no matter. The calculus is what you got paid versus how you performed on objective criteria relative to your cohort. Nothing more.
…Here is where the change in the social contract is perhaps the most blatant. In the “destination employer” years, the employee invested in the community and its values, and the employer rewarded the loyalty of its employees through things like runway for growth (stretch roles and sponsored work innovation) and tolerance for error (valuing demonstrable learning over perfection in execution). No longer.
…http://www.rosspettit.com/2024/08/for-years-tech-was-fighting-war-for.html
-
copypastecharacter.com – alphabets, special characters, alt codes and symbols library
https://www.copypastecharacter.com
https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/alt-codes-special-characters-keyboard-symbols-windows-list/
Most used ones:
Alt + 0149 • bullet point
Alt + 0153 ™ trademark symbol
Alt + 0169 © copyright symbol
Alt + 0174 ® registered trademark symbol
Alt + 0176 ° degree symbol
Alt + 0177 ± plus-or-minus sign
Alt + 0215 × multiplication sign
Alt + 12 ♀ female sign
Alt + 11 ♂ male sign
Alt + 13 ♪ eighth note
Alt + 14 ♫ beamed eighth note
Alt + 251 √ square root check mark
Alt + 8236 ∞ infinity
Alt + 24 ↑ up arrow
Alt + 25 ↓ down arrow
Alt + 26 → right arrow
Alt + 27 ← left arrow
Alt + 29 ↔ left right arrow
Alt + 94 ^All of them:
૱ ꠸ ┯ ┰ ┱ ┲ ❗ ► ◄ Ă ă 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ǖ ǖ Ꞁ ¤ Ð ¢ ℥ Ω ℧ K ℶ ℷ ℸ ⅇ ⅊ ⚌ ⚍ ⚎ ⚏ ⚭ ⚮ ⌀ ⏑ ⏒ ⏓ ⏔ ⏕ ⏖ ⏗ ⏘ ⏙ ⏠ ⏡ ⏦ ᶀ ᶁ ᶂ ᶃ ᶄ ᶆ ᶇ ᶈ ᶉ ᶊ ᶋ ᶌ ᶍ ᶎ ᶏ ᶐ ᶑ ᶒ ᶓ ᶔ ᶕ ᶖ ᶗ ᶘ ᶙ ᶚ ᶸ ᵯ ᵰ ᵴ ᵶ ᵹ ᵼ ᵽ ᵾ ᵿ ⁁ ⁊ ⸜ ⸝ ¶ ¥ £ ⅕ ⅙ ⅛ ⅔ ⅖ ⅗ ⅘ ⅜ ⅚ ⅐ ⅝ ↉ ⅓ ⅑ ⅒ ⅞ ← ↑ → ↓ ↔ ↕ ↖ ↗ ↘ ↙ ↚ ↛ ↜ ↝ ↞ ↟ ↠ ↡ ↢ ↣ ↤ ↥ ↦ ↧ ↨ ↩ ↪ ↫ ↬ ↭ ↮ ↯ ↰ ↱ ↲ ↳ ↴ ↵ ↶ ↷ ↸ ↹ ↺ ↻ ↼ ↽ ↾ ↿ ⇀ ⇁ ⇂ ⇃ ⇄ ⇅ ⇆ ⇇ ⇈ ⇉ ⇊ ⇋ ⇌ ⇍ ⇎ ⇏ ⇐ ⇑ ⇒ ⇓ ⇔ ⇕ ⇖ ⇗ ⇘ ⇙ ⇚ ⇛ ⇜ ⇝ ⇞ ⇟ ⇠ ⇡ ⇢ ⇣ ⇤ ⇥ ⇦ ⇨ ⇩ ⇪ ⇧ ⇫ ⇬ ⇭ ⇮ ⇯ ⇰ ⇱ ⇲ ⇳ ⇴ ⇵ ⇶ ⇷ ⇸ ⇹ ⇺ ⇻ ⇼ ⇽ ⇾ ⇿ ⟰ ⟱ ⟲ ⟳ ⟴ ⟵ ⟶ ⟷ ⟸ ⟹ ⟺ ⟻ ⟼ ⟽ ⟾ ⟿ ⤀ ⤁ ⤂ ⤃ ⤄ ⤅ ⤆ ⤇ ⤈ ⤉ ⤊ ⤋ ⤌ ⤍ ⤎ ⤏ ⤐ ⤑ ⤒ ⤓ ⤔ ⤕ ⤖ ⤗ ⤘ ⤙ ⤚ ⤛ ⤜ ⤝ ⤞ ⤟ ⤠ ⤡ ⤢ ⤣ ⤤ ⤥ ⤦ ⤧ ⤨ ⤩ ⤪ ⤫ ⤬ ⤭ ⤮ ⤯ ⤰ ⤱ ⤲ ⤳ ⤴ ⤵ ⤶ ⤷ ⤸ ⤹ ⤺ ⤻ ⤼ ⤽ ⤾ ⤿ ⥀ ⥁ ⥂ ⥃ ⥄ ⥅ ⥆ ⥇ ⥈ ⥉ ⥊ ⥋ ⥌ ⥍ ⥎ ⥏ ⥐ ⥑ ⥒ ⥓ ⥔ ⥕ ⥖ ⥗ ⥘ ⥙ ⥚ ⥛ ⥜ ⥝ ⥞ ⥟ ⥠ ⥡ ⥢ ⥣ ⥤ ⥥ ⥦ ⥧ ⥨ ⥩ ⥪ ⥫ ⥬ ⥭ ⥮ ⥯ ⥰ ⥱ ⥲ ⥳ ⥴ ⥵ ⥶ ⥷ ⥸ ⥹ ⥺ ⥻ ⥼ ⥽ ⥾ ⥿ ➔ ➘ ➙ ➚ ➛ ➜ ➝ ➞ ➝ ➞ ➟ ➠ ➡ ➢ ➣ ➤ ➥ ➦ ➧ ➨ ➩ ➩ ➪ ➫ ➬ ➭ ➮ ➯ ➱ ➲ ➳ ➴ ➵ ➶ ➷ ➸ ➹ ➺ ➻ ➼ ➽ ➾ ⬀ ⬁ ⬂ ⬃ ⬄ ⬅ ⬆ ⬇ ⬈ ⬉ ⬊ ⬋ ⬌ ⬍ ⬎ ⬏ ⬐ ⬑ ☇ ☈ ⏎ ⍃ ⍄ ⍅ ⍆ ⍇ ⍈ ⍐ ⍗ ⍌ ⍓ ⍍ ⍔ ⍏ ⍖ ♾ ⎌ ☊ ☋ ☌ ☍ ⌃ ⌄ ⌤ ⌅ ⌆ ⌇ ⚋ ⚊ ⌌ ⌍ ⌎ ⌏ ⌐ ⌑ ⌔ ⌕ ⌗ ⌙ ⌢ ⌣ ⌯ ⌬ ⌭ ⌮ ⌖ ⌰ ⌱ ⌲ ⌳ ⌴ ⌵ ⌶ ⌷ ⌸ ⌹ ⌺ ⌻ ⌼ ⍯ ⍰ ⌽ ⌾ ⌿ ⍀ ⍁ ⍂ ⍉ ⍊ ⍋ ⍎ ⍏ ⍑ ⍒ ⍕ ⍖ ⍘ ⍙ ⍚ ⍛ ⍜ ⍝ ⍞ ⍠ ⍟ ⍡ ⍢ ⍣ ⍤ ⍥ ⍨ ⍩ ⍦ ⍧ ⍬ ⍿ ⍪ ⍮ ⍫ ⍱ ⍲ ⍭ ⍳ ⍴ ⍵ ⍶ ⍷ ⍸ ⍹ ⍺ ⍼ ⍽ ⍾ ⎀ ⎁ ⎂ ⎃ ⎄ ⎅ ⎆ ⎉ ⎊ ⎋ ⎍ ⎎ ⎏ ⎐ ⎑ ⎒ ⎓ ⎔ ⎕ ⏣ ⌓ ⏥ ⏢ ⎖ ⎲ ⎳ ⎴ ⎵ ⎶ ⎸ ⎹ ⎺ ⎻ ⎼ ⎽ ⎾ ⎿ ⏀ ⏁ ⏂ ⏃ ⏄ ⏅ ⏆ ⏇ ⏈ ⏉ ⏉ ⏋ ⏌ ⏍ ⏐ ⏤ ⏚ ⏛ Ⓝ ℰ ⓦ ! ⌘ « » ‹ › ‘ ’ “ ” „ ‚ ❝ ❞ £ ¥ € $ ¢ ¬ ¶ @ § ® © ™ ° × π ± √ ‰ Ω ∞ ≈ ÷ ~ ≠ ¹ ² ³ ½ ¼ ¾ ‐ – — | ⁄ \ [ ] { } † ‡ … · • ● ⌥ ⌃ ⇧ ↩ ¡ ¿ ‽ ⁂ ∴ ∵ ◊ ※ ← → ↑ ↓ ☜ ☞ ☝ ☟ ✔ ★ ☆ ♺ ☼ ☂ ☺ ☹ ☃ ✉ ✿ ✄ ✈ ✌ ✎ ♠ ♦ ♣ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♯ ♀ ♂ α ß Á á À à Å å Ä ä Æ æ Ç ç É é È è Ê ê Í í Ì ì Î î Ñ ñ Ó ó Ò ò Ô ô Ö ö Ø ø Ú ú Ù ù Ü ü Ž ž ₳ ฿ ￠ € ₡ ¢ ₢ ₵ ₫ ￡ £ ₤ ₣ ƒ ₲ ₭ ₥ ₦ ₱ ＄ $ ₮ ₩ ￦ ¥ ￥ ₴ ₰ ¤ ៛ ₪ ₯ ₠ ₧ ₨ ௹ ﷼ ㍐ ৲ ৳ ~ ƻ Ƽ ƽ ¹ ¸ ¬ ¨ ɂ ǁ ¯ Ɂ ǂ ¡ ´ ° ꟾ ¦ } { | . , · ] ) [ / _ \ ¿ º § ” * – + ( ! & % $ ¼ ¾ ½ ¶ © ® @ ẟ Ɀ ` Ȿ ^ ꜠ ꜡ ỻ ‘ = : ; < ꞌ Ꞌ ꞊ ꞁ ꞈ ꞉ > ? ÷ ℾ ℿ ℔ ℩ ℉ ⅀ ℈ þ ð Þ µ ª ꝋ ꜿ Ꜿ ⱽ ⱺ ⱹ ⱷ ⱶ Ⱶ ⱴ ⱱ Ɒ ⱦ ȶ ȴ ȣ Ȣ ȡ ȝ Ȝ ț ȋ Ȋ ȉ Ȉ ǯ Ǯ ǃ ǀ ƿ ƾ ƺ ƹ Ƹ Ʒ Ʋ ư ƪ ƣ Ƣ Ɵ ƛ Ɩ ƕ ƍ ſ ỽ ⸀ ⸁ ⸂ ⸃ ⸄ ⸅ ⸆ ⸇ ⸈ ⸉ ⸊ ⸋ ⸌ ⸍ ⸎ ⸏ ⸐ ⸑ ⸒ ⸔ ⸕ ▲ ▼ ◀ ▶ ◢ ◣ ◥ ◤ △ ▽ ◿ ◺ ◹ ◸ ▴ ▾ ◂ ▸ ▵ ▿ ◃ ▹ ◁ ▷ ◅ ▻ ◬ ⟁ ⧋ ⧊ ⊿ ∆ ∇ ◭ ◮ ⧩ ⧨ ⌔ ⟐ ◇ ◆ ◈ ⬖ ⬗ ⬘ ⬙ ⬠ ⬡ ⎔ ⋄ ◊ ⧫ ⬢ ⬣ ▰ ▪ ◼ ▮ ◾ ▗ ▖ ■ ∎ ▃ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ ▌ ▐ ▍ ▎ ▉ ▊ ▋ ❘ ❙ ❚ ▀ ▘ ▝ ▙ ▚ ▛ ▜ ▟ ▞ ░ ▒ ▓ ▂ ▁ ▬ ▔ ▫ ▯ ▭ ▱ ◽ □ ◻ ▢ ⊞ ⊡ ⊟ ⊠ ▣ ▤ ▥ ▦ ⬚ ▧ ▨ ▩ ⬓ ◧ ⬒ ◨ ◩ ◪ ⬔ ⬕ ❏ ❐ ❑ ❒ ⧈ ◰ ◱ ◳ ◲ ◫ ⧇ ⧅ ⧄ ⍁ ⍂ ⟡ ⧉ ⚬ ○ ⚪ ◌ ◍ ◎ ◯ ❍ ◉ ⦾ ⊙ ⦿ ⊜ ⊖ ⊘ ⊚ ⊛ ⊝ ● ⚫ ⦁ ◐ ◑ ◒ ◓ ◔ ◕ ⦶ ⦸ ◵ ◴ ◶ ◷ ⊕ ⊗ ⦇ ⦈ ⦉ ⦊ ❨ ❩ ⸨ ⸩ ◖ ◗ ❪ ❫ ❮ ❯ ❬ ❭ ❰ ❱ ⊏ ⊐ ⊑ ⊒ ◘ ◙ ◚ ◛ ◜ ◝ ◞ ◟ ◠ ◡ ⋒ ⋓ ⋐ ⋑ ╰ ╮ ╭ ╯ ⌒ ╳ ✕ ╱ ╲ ⧸ ⧹ ⌓ ◦ ❖ ✖ ✚ ✜
(more…)
