The Morning After: Lucasfilm hired a YouTuber with deepfake skills

The power of deepfake technology to refine digital effects into stunningly realistic video cannot be underestimated. We’ve seen a top-tier Tom Cruise impersonator turned into a top-tier deepfake artist, and now companies – and movie studios – are taking note.

The CGI face of Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian met a lot of criticism, and one fan’s efforts to improve it resulted in a new job. Lucasfilm has hired YouTuber Shamook to make sure future projects don’t have wobbly portrayals of actors who are much older or maybe even deceased now. The latter, however, remains an ethical enigma in itself, as the recent documentary by Anthony Bourdain demonstrates.

– Mat Smith

The user-friendly medical device can be used at home.

We have seen helmets and AI capable of detecting brain tumors, but a new magnetic helmet can treat them as well. The researchers used a helmet that generates a magnetic field to shrink a fatal tumor by a third. The 53-year-old patient who underwent the treatment ultimately died from an unrelated injury, but an autopsy showed the procedure had removed 31% of the tumor mass from his brain. Continue reading.

Accessories for your accessory.

Apple’s tiny Bluetooth trackers have one critical flaw: no built-in keychain hole. This means that anyone who buys AirTags must buy brackets or cases to attach them to their things.

This is a very Apple way of making the most money from a new product, as many will simply buy Apple’s own AirTag holders. But these aren’t the only options available – many accessory companies have made AirTag cases in the past. We are looking at all the options. Continue reading.

And possibly a new color.

Microsoft’s dual-screen Surface Duo has landed with outdated specs and a hard-to-swallow price tag, but the company could be looking for a redesign. A Technological rat The leak suggests that a Surface Duo with a new visible rear camera bump with three sensors could be on the way – as well as a new black look. Continue reading.

They also have spatialized sound.

LG has unveiled a new family of wireless headphones, and while germ-killing UV technology is still on board, the coolest part may be the backward compatibility. The top-of-the-line FP9 model has a charging case that plugs into a headphone jack to function as a Bluetooth dongle. The feature could come in handy during flights and when it comes to wired environments of yesteryear, like gym treadmills. The headphones also feature active noise cancellation and spatial audio compatibility. The LG Tone Free FP series will be available this month, price still to be confirmed. Continue reading.

Apple has released a new update to iOS 14 for iPhone and iPad owners. While there are no new features, it fixes a bug that interrupted Apple’s integration of unlocking with the iPhone, preventing phones with Touch ID from unlocking Apple Watch devices. So if you’re using an older iPhone with your Apple laptop, you’ll want to download the update as soon as possible. Continue reading.

If you thought the classic “pants on a dog” problem was tricky, try it with steps.

As robots increasingly enter our daily lives, a new kind of sartorial revolution may soon be upon us again, according to a new research study from Cornell University in New York.

“We believe that robot clothing presents an under-exploited opportunity for the field of interactive systems design,” argues the team in What robots need clothes. It’s not just about throwing human clothes on a robotic chassis. “What the clothes of the robots are is entirely related to what the robots need from the clothes. Robot clothing should analogously meet the needs of robots, rather than just being human clothing on a robot, ”the researchers wrote. What will this imply? Continue reading.

But wait, there is more …

Intel’s revised roadmap goes beyond 1 nanometer chips

Blue Origin offers NASA $ 2 billion for final attempt at lunar lander contract

Samsung’s ‘The Wall’ will be used to form a virtual film studio

Hubble discovers traces of water vapor on Jupiter’s largest moon

Turtle Beach’s first gamepad combines audio expertise with excellent ergonomics

Autonomous quadrotor beats two human pilots in drone race