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The tech combines satellite cameras with a convolutional neural network (CNN) to capture African elephants moving through forests and grasslands. In tests, the surveying technique detected elephants as accurately as human observers, while eliminating the risk of disturbing the species. The research joins a growing range of AI projects that are seeking to protect endangered animals. “Accurate monitoring is essential if we’re to save the species,” said Dr Olga Isupova, a computer scientist at the University of Bath who created the detection algorithm....

Here’s the meat: a YouTuber with no real leaking history has said Apple will release the aforementioned products on May 18 via a press release. Should you believe this? Umm, kinda? We know for certain that Apple’s going to release new AirPods at some point. I mean, the true wireless earbuds are so successful they outstrip the earnings of entire companies: I don’t love Apple, but it’s truly incredible their accessories can produce more revenue than Twitter and Snapchat combined!...

For many, the emergence of nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, over the past year put a spotlight on an amazing new tech development and even opened up lively conversation about who actually owns digital assets like artwork, videos, music, and more. For others, NFTs have become something even more intoxicating — a way for artists and savvy entrepreneurs to make a hellacious amount of money very, very fast. Like 28-year-old portrait photographer Justin Aversano, who sold 100 images in his Twin Flames collection as NFTs for a total haul of $130,000 in just five months....

Well, it’s 2019 now – the 50th anniversary of our trip to the moon – so Nvidia has of course now applied RTX technology to an updated version of the demo. In Nvidia’s own words: They even showed the tech off to Buzz Aldrin himself. That allows artists to instantaneously see accurate reflections, soft shadows, global illumination and other visual phenomena. The advantages are obvious – RTX means that the artists didn’t need to replicate every reflection accurately and wait for a server farm to render the scene....

The company introduced the McLaren Edition with the 6T last year, and it was basically a 6T with maxed out specs and a black-and-orange design. There was one big new feature, however: super-fast 30 W charging. — Pete Lau (@PeteLau) October 7, 2019 Given the company already includes a 30W charger with the regular 7T now, the company will have to find some other way of differentiating itself from the lower-end configurations....

The company said this is its biggest R&D facility yet, and it plans to host over 1,500 employees there within a couple of years. The company’s general manager for India, Vikas Agarwal said the team will aim to work on features – for India and other global markets – of OnePlus’ OxygenOS. Along with this, the Chinese manufacturer will set up three labs in the new office: a camera experience improvement lab, an automation lab to test aging of a device, and a network research lab that’ll support the company’s ongoing 5G development....

The company unveiled the upgraded software on Tuesday. It looks like a seriously powerful programming tool — and a slightly scary one. In a live demo, OpenAI used the system to convert written English commands into simple games and websites. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, said the system is merely a rudimentary version of what’s possible. But he expects it to quickly improve: The demo gave a glimpse of how Codex democratizes software development and saves programmers time....

Those are the sort of things that make me even more wary about a crowdfunded gadget. But I’m happy to report that the Slide is actually a pretty solid effort, and has a few neat features that make it worth considering over other popular options. These earbuds come from a company called Padmate, which has been around since 2010 and has previously launched other audio gear. Here’s what you get for backing the campaign....

And yet, I’m pretty sure the Pixel 4 will end up being my daily driver. For one, the Pixel 4 looks much better in person than leaked renders would suggest. Granted, I’ve always dug the two-tone look, but I also think this is the most refined Pixel Google has made. The back glass has a slightly frosted, smooth texture to it that feels luxurious, while the edges are coated in a matte black paint that is actually a little grippy and helps the phone rest nicely in your hands....

A series of videos and posts from various Asian sources seemingly show off the phone in near-finished glory. The hardware, at least, looks final, but most of Google’s improvements tend to be in the software. In a YouTube video from Rabbit TV, we see three colors for the Pixel 4 XL. Google seems to be returning to the two-tone color scheme of the Pixel 2. While there’s an all-black option, one model adopts the ‘panda’ coloring of the Pixel 2, while another introduces a coral color with a black frame....

On Tuesday, Polestar officially threw its hat in the ring, announcing its investment in the Israeli battery manufacturer StoreDot. To create extreme fast-charging (XFC) batteries, StoreDot has used two different techniques. First up, it has replaced the conventional graphite in the battery’s anode with silicon nanoparticles, synthesized together with proprietary small-molecule organic compounds. The company says that this mix does away with silicon’s inherent challenges, such as its expansion during the charging cycles and the subsequent energy loss....

Native vulnerabilities in third-party mobile apps are one kind. Those at the operating system level are another. Both necessitate that device makers and software vendors issue patches on a timely basis to mitigate the risk of such exploits. But what if these apps contain old software components that harbor vulnerabilities which have been long fixed? This is exactly what researchers over at cybersecurity firm Check Point Research set out to find....

Now, new genetic tests called “polygenic risk scores” have increased access to genetic risk information for a wide range of conditions. With a few clicks of a mouse and a few hundred dollars, anyone can access their genetic risk scores for diabetes, obesity, breast cancer, autism, and schizophrenia. These scores aren’t always useful, and, in some cases, they could be harmful. Results can be misleading Previous approaches to genetic testing looked at just one gene for which particular mutations are known to cause a disease....

The two-year-old AI-driven photo editor from Russian company Wireless Lab, which rose in popularity for its realistic facial transformations in photos, is back in the spotlight. This time it’s for a new aging feature that allow you to edit a person’s face to make them appear older or younger. — Kevin Clark (@vernalkick) July 15, 2019 This has recently triggered an #AgeChallenge (also #FaceAppChallenge) on social media, and everyone’s hopping on board....

Reddit is calling this feature Image Gallery — and rightly so. If you’re in a food-related subreddit, you’ll be able to upload multiple images to reference a recipe, or if you’re in a subreddit for iPhones (or any devices), you’ll be able to post more than one pictures or GIFs to indicate what’s going on with your device. In a blog post, the company said this will provide a different method to engage more than 430 million active users: Reddit Senior Product Manager, Tyler Swartz, said this has been one of the most demanded features by the community since the social network added support for images back in 2016....

When you’re working to get a brand in front of an audience, make messaging stick, and establish a relationship with potential customers, it isn’t always about how beautiful or striking the logo or image is. No, it often comes down to consistency. A coordination of color. A symmetry in design style. A consistency of elements, aesthetic and messaging that combine to effectively present a brand or theme the exact same way every time....

But right now, let’s pay tribute to the animals that’ve smoked some of Wall Street’s finest. You might already know Raven “Thorogood III,” the then five-year-old chimpanzee-slash-actor that selected a mighty fine stock portfolio in 1999 by merit of throwing darts at a dartboard. At the time, the public celebrated Raven for his apparent aptitude for stock picks after his tech-focused portfolio returned 365.4% that year, eclipsing 10,000 US funds and earning a spot in the Guinness World Records as the Most Successful Chimp on Wall Street....

The virus is called Varenyky and it’s a doozy. It’s apparently been designed to target customers of French ISP Orange SA, but the researchers indicate there’s nothing stopping someone from using the same malware on other ISPs or in other areas. It’s delivered via a very official looking email that appears to be a phone bill. Unsuspecting victims believe they’re opening a document that’s been protected and secured by Microsoft, when in reality they’re activating the virus and giving it permission to run macros in Word....

Earthblood, as we’ll call it, is an action-RPG title from Cyanide Studios that has you defending Mother Nature from the evils of humankind. You’ll play a big tough guy who’s at war with himself and the world around him after a mission goes wrong. First glance: The opening cinematic to the game is breathtaking and beautiful. It sets the stage for an epic “think global, act local” tale of domestic terrorism and anarchy that reminds me a bit of Final Fantasy VII....

Few scooters strike that balance as well as the Levy electric scooter. It costs $499, a little more than entry-level options like the Xiaomi Mi M365, but far less than an e-bike or some high-end scooters. At that price, it checks off almost everything I want from a scooter — including the rare ability to swap in a fresh battery on the fly. It’s a looker too. While it’s not quite as unique as the Unagi Model One, the blue, green, or red accents help it stand out from a crowd of monotone scooters — it strikes a nice balance of sleekness and utilitarianism....