Google is celebrating the successful landing of NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars with a virtual fireworks show, an augmented reality 3D model, and more.
Back in July of last year, NASA launched its “Mars 2020” mission, with the goal of landing a rover on our neighbor planet for a two-year mission of collecting rock samples and searching for signs of ancient life in Mars’s Jezero Crater.
US antitrust regulators extend review of Lockheed-Aerojet deal
February 20, 2021
WASHINGTON ― U.S. antitrust regulators have extended their probe into Lockheed Martin’s proposed $4.4 billion purchase of rocket manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne so that the two companies can provide more information to the government, the companies announced Friday.
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A new version of CYME’s Avalanche application that converts image catalogs from one software brand to another has been introduced. This latest version now allows Aperture and Lightroom users to translate their current image collections for compatibility with Skylum’s…
Facebook Gaming will host more than 90 community tournaments
February 19, 2021
Facebook Gaming said it will work with community partners such as Real Time Strategies and Community Gaming New York to host more than 90 online community events.
These are small events that are open to the public. Each features a $1,000 prize pool, small enough not to attract esports stars but surely enough to be a draw for your neighborhood amateur gamer.
Interested competitors can find and…
Laowa Adds 11mm f/4.5 for Canon RF and 65mm f/2.8 Macro for Nikon Z
February 19, 2021
Venus Optics is continuing to add support for more mounts and today the 11mm f/4.5 FF RL (full-frame rectilinear) lens is available for Canon RF mount and the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO is available for Nikon Z mount.
The Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL was previously…
Sigma Provides Update on Foveon Camera: ‘Back to the Drawing Board’
February 19, 2021
Sigma’s CEO Kazuto Yamaki has published an update regarding the Foveon X3 1:1:1 sensor and camera that was delayed in February of last year after the sensor it was working with could not go into mass production due to a critical flaw.
Yamaki explains that the project had…
Researchers Release Improved 3D Models Made From Tourists’ Photos
February 19, 2021
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning advancements have allowed researchers to build detailed 3D models of real-world locations by using the reference data of thousands of tourists’ photos. The finished models have cleanly removed unwanted objects and even normalized lighting conditions.
The project and associated paper are titled Neural Radiance Fields for Unconstrained Photo…
NASA’s ‘Perseverance’ Mars Rover Has Sent Back New High-Res Photos
February 19, 2021
NASA’s Perseverance has been on the surface of the Red Planet for about a day now and is already sending back images that are far superior to the original two published yesterday, including one photo of the drone midair captured from its “jetpack.”
While not…
iPhone: How to improve Face ID with a mask, including new Apple Watch Unlock feature
February 19, 2021
Wearing a face mask usually renders iPhone’s Face ID unusable. Even though it sounds like a first-world problem in the current circumstances, there are a lot of people, especially medical professionals, who would value the ability for Face ID on iPhone to work while…
Apple reportedly developing MagSafe battery pack for iPhone 12
February 19, 2021
Apple is apparently developing a MagSafe battery pack accessory for the iPhone 12, according to the latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. With previous iPhone models, Apple has released Smart Battery Cases to compete with the likes of battery cases from Mophie and others, that offer protection and give your iPhone extra juice.
For the iPhone 12 generation, Apple is yet to release its own…
